No. 23 Louisville’s defense is staring down a fast-moving test this weekend, and Steve Ellis knows exactly where the danger starts: Kevin Jennings.
SMU brings the nation’s top passing offense into L&N Stadium on Saturday afternoon, and Jennings has been the engine through two games. He also leads the nation in total offense, with Louisville quarterback Lincoln Kienholz right behind him.
For Ellis, Louisville’s co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach, the challenge is less about one spectacular throw than the play that breaks down and turns into something bigger. The Cardinals want to keep Jennings from extending those moments.
"Be great in our pass rush lanes, because we're going to rush the passer," Ellis said. "We've got to stay in our lanes, make sure we keep him in the pocket.
And when he does escape, make sure you have a guy that can go track him down... He does a great job of looking downfield when he escapes to still throw the football and not just run it."
SMU’s pace adds another layer. The Mustangs like to play fast, and Saturday’s heat and humidity could make that style even tougher to handle over four quarters. Ellis said Louisville’s answer comes down to depth, conditioning and keeping bodies fresh.
"I think it's strength in numbers," Ellis said. "I think we have numbers, so we rotate a lot of guys to get in and play...
We got to do a great job making sure our guys hydrating throughout the week, making sure guys know what's going on. But we got to rotate a lot of guys.
The hotter it gets, the more tempo you get, the more plays you're going to have. So, we need every man in that room to come with an attitude that we're going to win this game because we need everybody, especially with the tempo and heat.
It's strengthening numbers. We feel like we've got good numbers."
Ellis’ full comments were shared in the video below.
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