Kaleb Beasley’s breakout against SMU gave Louisville’s secondary a needed jolt, and now the Cardinals are hoping it’s the start of something bigger.
Beasley was all over the field in the win over the Mustangs, snagging two interceptions and finishing with a team-high 10 tackles. That performance earned him Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week honors as well as ACC Defensive Back of the Week recognition.
For Louisville safeties coach Brandon Sharp, the showing didn’t come out of nowhere. He said Beasley’s big day was coming for a while, and he sees it as a sign that the whole safety room may be ready to follow.
"Just a matter of time till all those guys should eventually start to have a breakout game," Sharp said. "These guys are transfers coming in, just getting familiar with the system. They all are just waiting for that breakout game and Kaleb had it this past weekend.
"He does a tremendous job in his preparation and how he how he attacks every day at practice and he came up big."
The challenge comes right back around Saturday against Wake Forest, a team that Sharp knows can stress a defense in a hurry. Quarterback Gio Lopez and wide receiver Carlos Hernandez, his favorite target, headline a passing attack that can make plays in space. Lopez also brings another layer as a mobile quarterback.
"They're a very good offense," Sharp said. "He's a dual-threat quarterback, just like we've been seeing.
Very strong arm and he can run the ball and he will do that on certain situations - short yardage and within the goal line. So, we got to be prepared to stop him running the ball, true quarterback design runs.
Very similar to what we have been facing and we're up to for the task."
Kickoff for Louisville and Wake Forest is set for noon.
In Other News...
Wake Forest Faces A Brutal Road Test For Gio Lopez
Louisville and Wake Forest arrive at this ACC matchup with similar early-season rsums and plenty to sort out before the league race settles in. The Cardinals are 2-1 and have leaned on a productive rushing attack while playing clean football, and the Demon Deacons are also 2-1 after showing they can hang around in competitive games. Both staffs have already spent the week talking up the challenges ahead, which is usually a sign the opener to conference play is going to demand a little more than just basic September execution.
For Wake Forest, the bigger concern is keeping Gio Lopez upright against a Louisville front that has been steady and disruptive without giving the ball away. The Cardinals have yet to put themselves in obvious trouble with turnovers, and that kind of discipline can make life uncomfortable for an offense still trying to settle in around its quarterback. How Wake Forest handles pressure will go a long way toward determining whether this turns into a manageable road test or a long afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Enters Week 4 With ACC Momentum And One Backfield Debate
Louisville heads into Week 4 with a little more confidence after opening ACC play by beating SMU, and the next stop brings Wake Forest into the picture. The Demon Deacons are coming off a conference loss to Miami, while the Cardinals are trying to build on a win that gave their early season a cleaner look on both sides of the ball. For a team trying to establish itself in league play, this is the kind of game that can help set the tone before the schedule gets any tougher.
The more interesting subplot inside Louisvilles own locker room is in the backfield, where the carries have not told the whole story. Isaac Brown remains the more familiar name, but Keyjuan Brown has been making his case with efficiency and production that have started to sharpen the discussion around how the Cardinals should divide their workload. With Louisville carrying momentum and the matchup tilting in its favor, the only real question is how much the ground game can keep opening doors before the conference race tightens up. [Read more 🡒]
Louisvilles Fast Start Is Raising A Much Bigger Question
Louisvilles early-season picture has been a mix of promise and unfinished business, with the Cardinals showing enough offensive balance to keep piling up points while still leaving room for concern on the other side of the ball. Multiple running backs helped drive the attack, quarterback Kienholz added his own key moments, and the teams 2-1 start has already included a close loss to a top-ranked opponent, a reminder that the margin for error is thin even when the offense is humming.
The bigger question now is whether those fast starts can hold up once the pressure rises and the schedule keeps tightening, beginning with Wake Forest. Louisville has already lived through a game in which it gave up too much on the ground but still found ways to survive, so the next step is less about flash and more about consistency. If the Cardinals are going to turn this start into something bigger, they will need the same offensive variety and a defense that can keep making the right stops when it matters most. [Read more 🡒]