Louisville football begins conference play in a place where it has struggled to win against a team in Pitt who could give the Cards trouble.
Welcome inside the lines for writeups that I will be posting weekly on Louisville Football. The purpose of these articles is to help you, the fan, gain a better understanding of the next opponent… and, also, to beat any and every allegation that fullbacks can’t read/write.
I love being in Cardinal Stadium with the best fans in the country. I do not love sitting in the stands with what feels like 100-degree heat. Nonetheless, Louisville football gets the job done 40-17.
But we’re not here to talk about the past. Jeff Brohm and the team take to the road for the first time this season to face off against Pat Narduzzi and the Pitt Panthers. Let’s take a look at what we will be seeing.
First off, a noon kickoff at Pittsburgh screams boring atmosphere and tough to wake up for. As we’ve discussed plenty of times on From the Pink Seats Podcast, weird things tend to happen at this place.
The first thing that comes to mind is obviously the injury that happened in pre-game to offensive tackle Renato Brown the last time Louisville football played at Pitt. You never expect to lose a starter in pre-game, so obviously game plans were thrown off. Fingers crossed for no rain and solid field maintenance.
All told, Louisville has lost 7 of its last 10 overall against Pitt, and has dropped its last three road trips to Acrisure Stadium. In fact, Louisville football hasn’t won a road game vs. Pitt since 2012. This is a place we’ve historically struggled and a team that just feels like it’s built to beat us.
Pitt’s offense vs Louisville’s defense
Pitt is led by starting quarterback Eli Holstein. Holstein, a redshirt sophomore, has thrown for 822 yards this season with 9 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
My favorite thing about Holstein is how he maneuvers the pocket. His pre-snap prep must be on point because it’s as if he knows where the blitzers are coming from before the play even happens. He throws a good ball, though he can get caught staring down receivers at times.
Holstein spreads the ball around well, favoring Raphael Williams Jr. and Kenny Johnson. But the “big hitter” he likes to target is Bryce Yates, who already has 4 receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown in just two games played.
I also love the style of play from Pitt running back Desmond Reid. Calling him a physical runner doesn’t even do justice to how hard he runs the football. While rewatching the games against Duquesne and Central Michigan, you can see multiple runs where HE is the one delivering the first blow to a linebacker or second-level defender. He’s also patient and uses his explosiveness well. Juelz Goff is no slouch either. Pitt’s style is that when one guy gets tired, they can simply reload with another quality back.
Stopping the Pitt offense will be tough for the Louisville defense. This is a group that will need to wrap up through the tackle. Arm tackling and failing to swarm the ball carrier won’t fly this week.
The secondary also needs to communicate early and often. As mentioned above, Holstein will extend plays in the pocket and look downfield. When receivers adjust routes to stay friendly with the quarterback, the secondary has to take advantage and force turnovers.
Continued Below.
Pitt’s defense vs Louisville’s offense
The biggest concern for Louisville football vs Pitt is their defensive line. Shocker, I know. Across the board, this group is fun to watch.
Every player gets off the ball low, making it tough for opposing offensive linemen to win inside leverage.
These guys fight until the whistle to get a sack or at least stay in the quarterback’s face.
Speaking of sacks, Pitt’s defense has nine different players with at least one sack, while Kyle Louis and Francis Brewu lead the way with two each. This pass rush is no joke. They’ll bring pressure from every angle until the final whistle. Their front seven is so disruptive that it’s honestly hard to get a fair read on how good their secondary really is.
Having success against this Pitt defense would answer a lot of questions about Louisville football’s offense—mainly, how good is this offensive line and Miller Moss? This is the type of game where missed assignments or failing to pick up a blitzer could lead to disaster.
The line needs to establish dominance early. Hit them in the mouth and let them know it’s going to be like that for four quarters.
Moss has the chance to shine if he can settle into his game. Coach Brohm usually has relief valves designed when pressure comes, but it’s about finding them quickly. For example, go back and look at Moss’s first interception against EKU—he had quick game options available over the middle if he had recognized them earlier.
Another way to neutralize the pass rush is to use their aggression against them in the run game.
Blitzers often over-pursue, and smart runners can use that to create big plays. This is a matchup where discipline and toughness will go a long way.
Thanks for reading, and as always—Go Cards!
