Wake Forest’s trip this weekend comes with a close look at a Louisville team that’s already made plenty of noise, and the Cardinals’ offense and defense both have a few clear reasons why.
On the offensive side, the biggest surprise against SMU was running back Keyjuan Brown. He’s usually the backup, but with Isaac Brown dealing with a nagging knee injury and getting off to a slow start, Keyjuan Brown stepped in and delivered in a big way.
He carried the ball just 10 times and turned that into 163 yards and two touchdowns. The blend is what stands out: physical running, strong contact balance, and more open-field speed than you’d expect.
Against Ole Miss, and really across the season so far, the main offensive difference-maker has been quarterback Lincoln Kienholz. The Ohio State transfer has already outperformed expectations and might be a top-three quarterback in the ACC.
He’s given Louisville real value as a runner, using a hard-nosed, physical style that’s almost akin to Baker Mayfield. And as a passer, he’s been better than expected too, especially when plays break down and he has to throw on the move.
Louisville’s defense has its own edge, even if the raw sack total doesn’t jump off the page. The Cardinals have only three sacks, but that doesn’t tell the full story.
Per PFF, they’ve produced 55 total pressures, and part of the reason actual sacks haven’t piled up is that they’ve already faced two of the nation’s best dual-threat quarterbacks through the first three weeks. Still, the pressure has been there.
That same aggressive style has come with some trade-offs. Louisville is giving up 406.7 yards per game, which ranks 110th in the FBS, but it has also forced six turnovers, good for 13th nationally.
Two of those came in the fourth quarter against SMU alone. That boom-or-bust approach has been a big part of what the Cardinals are defensively.
If Louisville wants to avoid a flat outing after a big win, the fixes are pretty clear: stop the explosive plays and clean up the penalties. The Cardinals are outside the top 100 in the FBS in allowing 40-, 50-, and 60-yard plays, and a lot of that has come from coverage busts and miscommunication.
They’re also one of the most penalized teams in the country, sitting 123rd at 9.00 penalties per game. Roughly half of those flags have been 15-yard penalties like personal fouls or unsportsmanlike conduct, the kind that happen after the whistle and can be avoided.
One of the biggest areas of growth has come at tight end. Jaleel Skinner has finally started to put it together, and the numbers show it: eight catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns already, which puts him ahead of the pace needed to top his career-best 204 yards from last season.
There’s more room for that room to grow, too. Brody Foley has been dealing with nagging injuries, but he had 528 yards and seven scores at Tulsa last season, and once he’s fully healthy and adjusted to the power conference level, Louisville could even lean into 12 personnel.
The receivers have also given the Cardinals two major weapons in Tre Richardson and Lawayne McCoy. Richardson was one of the more dynamic wideouts in the SEC last season at Vanderbilt thanks to his open-field speed, and that has translated quickly.
Now fully healthy after a foot injury, his crisp route running and elite track speed make him a problem in the slot. McCoy brings a different kind of threat.
He’s the physical, downfield big-play receiver in this offense, with strong body control and reliable hands when battling defenders or reaching outside his catch radius. He also adds value after the catch, showing enough savvy to avoid tacklers and enough toughness to fight through contact for extra yards.
In Other News...
Louisville Fans Have Every Right To Question This Jeff Brohm Loss
Louisvilles 30-27 loss to Wake Forest left plenty for fans to sort through, especially after the Cardinals had held a lead and still found a way to let the game slip away. The performance was marked by the kind of discipline issues that have a way of turning a close game into a frustrating one, with penalties and missed chances stacking up at the wrong times.
Jeff Brohms late-game management only added to the unease. After a game defined by Louisvilles inability to cash in on key opportunities, the decision-making around the final stretch became part of the larger conversation, and it is the sort of detail that can linger with a fan base already wondering how a winnable game got away. [Read more 🡒]
Louisvilles Early-Season Ceiling Suddenly Looks Like A Real Debate
Wake Forests visit to Louisville turned into the kind of afternoon that can reshape the conversation around an early-season team. The No. 16 Cardinals came in with momentum, but Wake Forest walked out with a 30-27 win that pushed it to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the ACC, with Gio Lopez throwing for 225 yards and a touchdown and Carlos Hernandez doing the damage as a receiver.
For Louisville, the result was more than just a loss in the standings. A game that stayed tight until the closing sequence ended with the Cardinals staring at a chance to salvage it from long range, and the final moments only sharpened the debate over how high this team can climb if the margin gets thinner against ACC opponents. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Faces Early ACC Test With Two Huge Game-Day Concerns
Louisville heads into its ACC opener against Wake Forest with some momentum, riding a chance to win a third straight game and move to 3-1. The Cardinals have looked sharp on offense through the first three games, but the challenge gets more serious now that conference play is starting and every margin tends to tighten up.
The defense, meanwhile, has taken a hit with former All-ACC linebacker Antonio Watts out for the rest of the season because of injury, a blow that changes the look of the unit before a key early test. And on the other side, Wake Forest is trending toward having starting quarterback Gio Lopez available after a recent injury, which only adds to the intrigue of a game that already feels like an early measuring stick for Louisville. [Read more 🡒]