After a Week 2 win over an FCS opponent, the Cardinals got what they were supposed to get: a blowout, a healthy roster, and plenty of snaps for the depth chart to keep developing. It wasn’t spotless, though. The 59-point result came with 13 points allowed, another deep-ball touchdown surrendered, and a few more penalties that stood out for all the wrong reasons.
That mix of dominance and irritation framed the night in Nashville. The Cardinals were asked to handle business, and for the most part they did.
Still, the defense gave up enough to keep some concerns alive, especially in the secondary and in the communication issues that surfaced again after the game. On the other side, the offense kept piling up numbers, and the running back room showed off the depth that had been talked up all offseason.
Tyler Kienholz was once again the headliner. He threw for 332 yards, added 42 more on the ground, and accounted for four total touchdowns.
Through two games, he has already produced 24% of the total passing yards from QB1 last year and 25% of the total passing touchdowns from QB1 last year. He also sits No. 2 nationally in total offense with 750 yards, trailing only Kevin Jennings of SMU.
Kienholz hasn’t been doing it alone. Tre and Lawayne, or Weezy, have backed up the hype so far, with both ranking in the Top 10 in the ACC in reception yards.
Louisville also has four players in the Top 20 in the ACC in average yards per reception: Tre, Lawayne, Jaleel, and Treyshun. Even with a slower start from Isaac, the Cardinals’ backs are still fourth in the ACC at 211 yards per game.
That’s the part that makes this offense look dangerous early. The numbers are already there, and there still feels like more to come as Brohm gets the group more comfortable and starts adding wrinkles. The Cardinals may not have hit every note cleanly yet, but the ceiling is obvious.
Defensively, the picture is more complicated. The first two quarters in Nashville had already put a spotlight on the unit, and the stretches that followed against Ole Miss and Villanova made things look even shakier. The second half against Villanova settled down, with the Cardinals allowing only three points and very little from the offense after the break.
There were reasons for that, including the fact that the smaller, less athletic FCS opponent appeared to wear down at times. But the front finally got on the board in Week 2, with Tyler Thompson starting the sack party.
That kind of pressure will matter even more next week, because Jennings does not take sacks often and can punish a defense that fails to get home. Lubin and Green know what’s coming.
The biggest defensive concern remains the secondary. Brohm pointed to communication issues after the game, and that’s the part that will have to tighten up if this unit is going to reach the level it’s capable of. For now, it’s a work in progress with enough flashes to believe better days are still ahead.
Special teams brought more stability. Hilbert remained perfect on the season at 4-for-4, and Hayes averaged more than 50 yards per punt, including one that landed inside the 20. There were still a few sloppy moments, but nothing that turned into a major field-position disaster.
There was also some punt-return action, with Tre getting a chance to make something happen and Voth later getting a look as well. Even so, the safest path seems pretty clear: this offense is rolling enough that there’s no reason to gamble with a risky return and invite a turnover. Let Kienholz and the rest of the group keep driving things until someone forces the issue.
In Other News...
Louisville Heads Into SMU With Two Huge Concerns Already Looming
Preparing for a road trip to SMU already comes with enough stress, and Jeff Brohm spent part of the week trying to sort through the Cardinals own moving parts before they even get to kickoff. Louisville is dealing with the usual late-season grind in the backfield, where depth has become more important than one featured runner, and Brohm pointed to the work being done by Marquise Davis and Braxton Jennings as examples of how the group has stayed productive.
The more immediate concern is the health of the roster, with hopes for Keyjuan Brown and uncertainty surrounding Demeco Kennedy shaping the weeks practice plan. On the other side, SMU brings a conference test that will force Louisville to stay sharp in space and on schedule, which makes the Cardinals injury situation feel even more significant as Saturday approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Kelsey Has Louisville In A Recruiting Race Fans Can't Ignore
Pat Kelseys staff is already deep into the 2027 recruiting cycle, and Louisville is making its case early with a pair of five-star targets at the center of it. The Cardinals are working on prospects CJ Rosser and DeMarcus Henry, part of a broader push to land multiple elite high school players and keep building momentum on the trail under Kelsey.
Recruiting services have put Louisville firmly in the mix, which is enough to keep attention on what happens next as the staff continues its rounds. Assistant coach Ronnie Hamilton has been active in those efforts, and with the Cardinals chasing high-end talent across the class, the next few visits and evaluations could matter a great deal even before any commitment talk gets real. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Faces A Familiar SMU Problem It Still Has To Solve
Louisvilles next ACC test brings back an old headache, with SMU and quarterback Kevin Jennings back on the schedule after the Cardinals were beaten badly by the Mustangs a year ago. The matchup points straight at Louisvilles defense, which has to deal with one of the leagues most aggressive passing attacks and the pace SMU prefers to play at, a combination that can quickly turn a game into a chase.
Jennings has already shown he can make Louisville pay in recent meetings, and the Cardinals know this is less about a single coverage tweak than about surviving series after series against an offense that does not slow down. Coaches and players have talked openly about the difficulty of corralling him and getting the defense aligned in time, which is why this game feels less like a fresh start and more like another chance to solve a problem Louisville has not quite answered yet. [Read more 🡒]