Louisville got the kind of defensive response Jeff Brohm was looking for on Friday.
After the Cardinals’ first fall camp scrimmage left him frustrated, Brohm said the defense cleaned things up in the second one and took control. That earlier session had featured too many breakdowns and explosive plays, and Brohm didn’t hide his disappointment.
“I was not real happy with the defense, so it is good that they struggled,” stated Brohm after the first scrimmage. “They gave up way too many big plays.
They had a couple of busts that really cost us. So, that needs to be fixed, but that is really fixable.”
The second scrimmage looked much different.
“For the most part, it was a tale of two scrimmages,” stated Brohm after the second scrimmage. “So, the defense dominated today.
Came out ready to go. Very sound in what we did.
Eliminated big plays, making the offense drive down the field. And then we got some turnovers that would have been critical for our team to win.”
That’s the kind of turn Louisville wanted to see, especially with expectations rising around a unit that has plenty of talent and experience. The Cardinals brought in Tyler Thompson up front, plus Tennessee transfer Kaleb Beasley, Ole Miss transfer TJ Banks, Kentucky transfer DJ Waller, and Iowa transfer Koen Entringer in the secondary. They also return major pieces, including team sack leader and preseason All-American Clev Lubin, AJ Green, and linebackers Stanquan Clark, Antonio Watts, Kalib Perry, and TJ Capers.
The buzz around the group isn’t coming from inside the building alone, either. ESPN’s Greg McElroy said on his podcast that many believe the defense can be the strength of this Louisville team, and this scrimmage offered a glimpse of why.
Louisville will need that side of the ball to keep stacking good days as camp winds down. The Cardinals are about two weeks away from their matchup with Ole Miss, the No. 9 team in the country, and the defense will have to be ready when the season opens on September 6. If Louisville is going to spring the upset, the defense will have to play the way it did against Miami and create turnovers on Trinidad Chambliss.
For Brohm and Louisville fans, Friday was the kind of practice report that matters. The defense answered the challenge.
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His senior season at North Carolina showed why he is such an attractive addition, with averages of 14.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists while earning Honorable Mention All-ACC recognition and becoming a finalist for the Nolan Richardson Award. For Louisville, the appeal is obvious, but the timing also means the program will have to wait a bit longer to see exactly how Trimble fits into Kelseys plans. [Read more 🡒]
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What makes the situation so interesting is the mix of traits Brohm has emphasized. Leadership matters in a game like this, and so does decision-making, but Louisville also needs a quarterback who can create when the play breaks down and make things happen with his feet. Kienholz has given the Cardinals enough in camp to believe he can be part of that equation, and now the real question is how much of that promise carries over when the competition level rises and the season starts for real. [Read more 🡒]
Louisvilles Preseason Outlook Just Took A Serious Hit
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The bigger hit may be the uncertainty around North Carolina transfer Seth Trimble, who was ruled ineligible for the upcoming season after a new interpretation of the five-for-five rule altered the landscape for players who used all four years of eligibility. His status could still wind up in court, but for now the loss has already dragged Louisville down in power rankings and left the Cardinals waiting on an answer that could shape the seasons ceiling. [Read more 🡒]