Louisville is getting a timely spark to its backfield just ahead of the Boca Raton Bowl - and it comes in the form of sophomore running back Isaac Brown, who’s expected to suit up after missing the final stretch of the regular season.
Brown has been sidelined since suffering a lower leg injury during the Cardinals’ road win over Virginia Tech back on November 1. That injury kept him out of the final four games of the regular season, a tough blow for a Louisville offense that had leaned heavily on his explosiveness earlier in the year.
When Brown was healthy, he was electric. He played in eight games and topped the 100-yard rushing mark in five of them - a testament to both his consistency and his big-play ability.
Even in games where he was limited, like against Bowling Green and Pittsburgh, the flashes were still there. He dealt with an earlier lower leg issue that kept his snaps down in those contests, but when fully unleashed, Brown proved he could be one of the most dangerous backs in the ACC.
His signature performance came against Boston College, where he exploded for a career-high 205 yards and a touchdown - and he did it on just 14 carries. That outing earned him both ACC and Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week honors, and it cemented his status as one of the breakout stars of the season.
By year’s end, Brown had racked up 782 rushing yards and five touchdowns, averaging a blistering 8.6 yards per carry. That kind of efficiency isn’t just good - it’s game-changing. It’s no surprise he was named Third Team All-ACC despite playing in only eight games.
Getting Brown back for the bowl game is more than just a feel-good story. It’s a potential difference-maker.
His return gives Louisville a dynamic threat out of the backfield, one who can flip the field in an instant and take pressure off the passing game. If he’s anything close to full strength, the Cardinals’ offense just got a whole lot more dangerous.