Louisville opens the season with a road-sized challenge in a neutral-site setting, and the stakes around Sunday night’s meeting with Ole Miss are hard to miss. The Cardinals and Rebels kick off at 7:30 p.m. on ABC in Nashville, where No.
24 Louisville will try to shake off its 6.5-point underdog label against No. 9 Ole Miss.
There’s plenty of intrigue around this Louisville team before a snap has been played. The Cards bring back several important pieces from last season and added new names that came with real buzz, giving the roster what could be the strongest look of the Brohm era.
New quarterback Lincoln Kienholz carries major upside, even with the obvious inexperience that comes with him. And because Sunday is such a demanding test, the result could say a lot about what kind of season is ahead.
A win would land with a thud across the college football world. A lopsided loss would say something, too.
If Louisville is going to leave with a victory, it has to play clean and lean on the parts of the team that already have a proven track record. Three areas stand out.
The run game has to travel. Last season, Louisville’s backfield was the offense’s most reliable punch, and Isaac Brown and Keyjaun Brown both return with big expectations.
The “Law Offices of Brown and Brown” were among the most explosive backs in the country a year ago, averaging 8.8 and 7.3 yards per carry, respectively. If they stay healthy, both have a real shot at 1,000 yards.
More importantly for this game, they’re the kind of runners who can change everything with one carry.
That matters because Ole Miss showed vulnerability against the run last season, allowing 149 rushing yards per game and ranking 69th in the FBS. Even with Pete Golding stepping in as head coach after the Rebels’ playoff run, that area is going to be tested immediately. If Isaac Brown, Keyjaun Brown, and maybe Kienholz can help Louisville stack up 200 rushing yards as a team, the Cardinals will have a real chance to keep the game tight and maybe more.
Defense is the other obvious pillar. Louisville spent last season winning with toughness and consistency on that side of the ball, and the numbers back it up.
The Cardinals ranked 23rd against the run and 24th against the pass, finishing 16th in total defense. They also allowed only one 100-yard rusher all season, when Clemson’s Adam Randall went for 105 yards, with 46 of those coming on one play.
With more depth added through the transfer portal, that unit may be even better now.
Ole Miss, for all its postseason success, was not a shutdown defense. The Rebels ranked 69th against the run, 37th against the pass, and 48th overall.
Louisville’s offense may still be figuring things out with Kienholz under center, so this could come down to whether the Cardinals’ defense can hold up again. If they keep Kewan Lacy under 100 rushing yards and make Trinidad Chambliss win it through the air, that would fit the script Louisville wants.
Then there’s the turnover battle, which could easily decide the whole thing. Kienholz cannot afford to give the ball away and beat Louisville himself. If he finishes with zero turnovers, that would go a long way toward building trust with Cardinals fans right away.
The matchup also gives Louisville a little room to breathe in that department. Ole Miss intercepted only nine passes last season, and three of those came from players who return this year.
The Rebels finished with just 15 takeaways overall. Louisville wasn’t a turnover machine either, but the Cardinals did collect 20 takeaways, including 14 interceptions.
The Cardinals do not need to dominate the turnover column to have a shot. They just need to avoid handing Ole Miss extra chances. Pair that with a productive ground game and a defense that keeps the Rebels from getting comfortable, and Louisville gives itself a real path to one of the biggest wins of the Brohm era.
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Clemson Has A Real Shot To Flip A Week 1 Statement Game
Week 1 brings no shortage of intrigue across the college football calendar, and Louisville is right in the middle of one of the more compelling matchups. The Cardinals open against No. 9 Ole Miss in a neutral-site setting, the kind of early-season test that can quickly reveal whether a teams offseason adjustments are going to translate once the games count.
For Louisville, the spotlight falls heavily on the new face expected to guide the offense, Ohio State transfer quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, as the Cardinals try to sort out a roster that has seen its share of turnover. With coaching changes and new personnel shaping the first full slate of games, this one has the feel of an early statement opportunity, but also the sort of matchup that can expose a team before the month even gets going. [Read more 🡒]