Jeff Brohm said Louisville is heading into conference play with no shortage of challenges, starting Saturday against SMU and a quarterback he described in the highest possible terms.
The Cardinals’ coach opened his weekly press conference by pointing to the size of the task ahead, noting that Louisville has “not beat” SMU since the teams have played. He credited the Mustangs for “playing good football,” and said they arrive with “a lot of weapons” and a quarterback who is “hard to contain, hard to stop.” Brohm also called Saturday’s game a “big time environment” with a ranked opponent coming to Louisville, adding that it begins a stretch of “nine conference games coming up” plus the rivalry game at the end.
A big part of the focus this week is SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings, whom Brohm called “really good” and “one of the best quarterbacks in the country.” Brohm went even further, saying Jennings is “At least one of the top three quarterbacks in the country, in my opinion.”
He pointed to Jennings’ ability to create with his legs, extend plays and find multiple targets in SMU’s tempo-driven passing attack. Brohm said the Mustangs are “number one in the country in passing offense,” and emphasized that Louisville’s defensive job will include generating pressure, challenging routes, limiting explosive plays and handling tempo.
Brohm said the key to slowing Jennings is disrupting his rhythm before he can turn broken plays into chunk gains. “He can throw the football, and if he can throw in a rhythm he’s going to do it,” Brohm said, adding that Louisville has to keep him from “buy extra time and allow his guys to get wide open.” He also stressed the importance of defending early reads and keeping Jennings contained in the pocket.
On the injury front, Brohm said Louisville is “hopeful” Keyjuan Brown will be back for Saturday. He also said Demeco Kennedy “probably will not be able to go,” while Cason Henry, who did not play last week, is being targeted for a return. Bailey Abercrombie “will be back,” Brohm said.
Brohm also discussed the running back room, saying the Cardinals have liked that group “from day one.” He singled out Issac Brown, Keyjuan Brown, Marquise Davis and Braxton Jennings as backs who bring different traits and enough experience to give Louisville depth. Brohm said Davis has made the most of his chance after not playing in game one, calling him “a big strong runner” who “works really hard” and “can add great value to us as well.”
Special teams remains another point of emphasis. Brohm said it can provide an edge in tight games, especially with “a bunch of them coming up.”
He said Louisville has been consistent kicking the ball through two games, and noted the staff is working to create more in the return game while also containing opponents. Players who show effort and attention to detail will earn special teams roles, but Brohm made clear the standard is high.
“It’s not a playoff,” he said. “We take it seriously.”
Penalties were another topic Brohm didn’t shy away from. He said the staff has tried “a whole lot of things” to clean them up, but Louisville still has to eliminate the kinds of mistakes that cost 15 yards.
He pointed to a personal foul after the whistle and another penalty from excessive contact after a block, calling them “foolish things” the Cardinals “have to be smarter at.” Brohm said there need to be consequences and insisted the team “cannot tolerate” those 15-yard penalties.
Brohm also expects a strong showing from the crowd for the 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff.
He called it an AP Top 25 matchup and said fans should want to see “great competition.” With the game also serving as Louisville’s first conference home test of the year, Brohm said the atmosphere can matter in the usual ways - from noise to communication issues for the opponent.
“All those little things matter,” he said.
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