Louisville’s third-quarter defense finally started to tilt the field a little more aggressively, and Stanquan Clark nearly made it pay off right away. He timed the snap well and shot the gap into the backfield, only to end up with nothing but air when the play went away from him.
Stanford kept leaning on motion, too, and one snap in particular showed how the Cardinals could get caught chasing instead of sorting things out. The tight ends shifted all the way across the formation, Louisville tracked it, and nobody picked up the running back slipping out of the backfield. Stanford took advantage of two problems that had already shown up earlier: the defense didn’t sort out its responsibilities after the motion, and it lost the back on a short-yardage pass.
It was a smart call from Stanford, but it also felt like Louisville handed it over.
Lincoln Kienholz added another one of those plays that makes you appreciate a quarterback who can create with his legs. He had already done his work with his arm in the second quarter, and this time he finished the job on the ground, including a spin move that really wasn’t even necessary.
Louisville also kept attacking the edges of Stanford’s defense, just like it had earlier. The first drive of the game featured edge runs and swing passes, and the Cardinals went back to that formula in the third quarter for a touchdown.
Isaac Brown was the finisher, but the blocking from Jaleel Skinner and TJ McWilliams made the whole thing go. McWilliams, lined up as the outside receiver at the top of the screen, got up to the outside linebacker, handed him off to Skinner after the motion, then climbed to the cornerback to open a tunnel for Brown.
It was clean, precise work.
On the other side of the ball, Louisville’s defense kept doing some things that are hard to square. The Cardinals were still living in Cover 3, and it’s tough to see why they were sticking with it so often.
On this snap, Kaleb Perry blitzed on a stunt when he probably should have been sitting in the middle of the field on first down to help against the run. Ben Perry was also in press coverage in the slot when he would have been better off backed off and ready to react.
If the zone coverage were holding up, maybe it would be easier to live with. But at this point in the season, it just didn’t make much sense.
Then came one of the strangest calls of the day. Stanford had just scored on the previous drive, and Louisville had already shown it could hit explosive passes and chunk runs against this defense.
A screen or a draw would have made sense if the goal was to steal a first down. Instead, Stanford gave Louisville a real chance to flip momentum with a defense that had already been getting hit all afternoon.
The response was exactly what Louisville needed. Perry closed on the initial receiver, TJ Capers reacted immediately to the pitch and delivered a big hit even though he didn’t make the catch, and Tayon Holloway finished the sequence by scooping up the fumble.
That part looks simple on the screen, but it’s not. Holloway did the hard part the right way by bending his knees and dropping his hips instead of trying to grab the ball while still sprinting.
Secure the ball, then take off.
Jabari Mack also came up with a big one. He’s good for a play or two like this every game, and this was one of his best.
Working in man coverage, he opened his hips early enough to stay with his man while still keeping an eye on the backfield. Once Davis Warren committed to the wheel route, Mack broke off, got over the top, and intercepted the pass.
He finished the play well, too, high-pointing the ball over the receiver and taking it away before it could reach the target’s hands.
Louisville went right back to the edge again, and Isaac Brown did what Isaac Brown does. On a play like that, there may be only five guys in the country who can score, and it’s always a good thing to have one of them.
In Other News...
Louisville Defense Shows Why Fans Are Still So Torn
The film from Louisvilles latest football game offered the kind of mixed bag that has kept fans debating this defense all season. There were breakdowns in coverage, moments when the back end simply lost track of assignments, and stretches where the offense was able to navigate the pocket and find answers. But there were also flashes of the unit at its best, with individual defenders making plays that reminded everyone why the Cardinals still have enough talent to change a game in a hurry.
Jabari Macks coverage error stood out as one of the cleaner examples of what has gone wrong, while Tyler Thompsons forced fumble showed the sort of disruption Louisville can still create when it is locked in. The contrast is what makes this defense so hard to pin down: the same group can look vulnerable on one snap and disruptive on the next, leaving the bigger question less about effort than about whether the Cardinals can string enough of those better moments together. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Offense Faces A Road Test That Could Shape The ACC Race
Louisville heads into its Atlantic Coast Conference matchup with Georgia Tech carrying real momentum and a chance to do something it has not done since 2023: put together a four-game winning streak. The Cardinals have been one of the most explosive offenses in the country, leading the nation in yards per play and big plays, with running back Isaac Brown giving the attack a steady spark.
Georgia Tech has had a rough season, but this is the kind of road game that can still complicate an ACC race if Louisville lets it linger. The Yellow Jackets are also weighing a quarterback change, and coach Brent Key said a decision is coming soon, adding another layer of uncertainty to a matchup that already feels like a test of how far Louisvilles offense can carry it away from home. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Faces An Early Question About Pat Kelseys Veteran Roster
Louisville opened the season with an 84-70 win over Chattanooga, but the game also offered an early reminder that Pat Kelseys veteran roster is still finding its rhythm. The Cardinals had stretches where the offense looked sharp enough to control the night, yet the second half brought a lull that kept the opener from feeling as clean as the final score suggested.
Morehead State is next, and it arrives with a little early-season tape of its own after beating Virginia University-Lynchburg and falling to Western Kentucky. For Louisville, the matchup is less about the record and more about cleaning up the issues Kelsey and his players already pointed to, especially if they want a veteran group to start looking like one sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]