Louisville Football Gameday Central: Jacksonville State

Can Louisville football continue its dominant play as it faces a jump up in talent against Jacksonville State?

From a team whose primary cheer is “Let’s. Go. Peay.” to a squad whose favorite expression is “Let’s Go Cocks!” Louisville football has had quite the comical introduction into the 2024 season.

What wasn’t comedy was the play of the Cardinals on the field last week.

A 62-0 romp of Austin Peay led to Pro Football Focus’s 2nd-highest-rated squad in week one.

It’s hard to find things to complain about after this Louisville football squad dismantled a team that won 9 straight a season ago.

This week, the Cards face a Jacksonville State squad best known for its upset win over Florida State in 2021.

However, quite a few things have changed within the program since then.

Jax State upgraded from FCS to FBS and added Rich Rodriguez as its head coach- Yes that Rich Rodriguez. Pat Slayton at West Virginia Rich Rod. Former Michigan head coach Rich Rod.

Rodriguez brings his high-powered spread offense to town looking to bounce back from an embarrassing loss a week ago.

Can the Cards keep the momentum rolling, or will Jax State provide a more formidable challenge?

Let’s take a look at what lies ahead.

Who: Jacksonville State (0-1) at Louisville (1-0)

Where: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium | Louisville, KY

When: Saturday, September 6th, 2024 at 3:30 PM

How to Watch: ACC Network EXTRA (Must be ESPN+ Subscriber to stream)

How to Listen: 93.9 FM in Louisville

Series History: First-Ever Meeting

Spread Check: Louisville -28.5 (O/U 58.5)

Thread Check:

Threads for our Salute To Service game 🇺🇸 #GoCards pic.twitter.com/eRCB1zLWl0

— Louisville Football (@LouisvilleFB) September 5, 2024

Second Down: Depth Chart

Quarterback
Tyler Shough
Pierce Clarkson

Running back
Don Chaney or
Mo Turner

Right tackle
Jonathan Mendoza
Rasheed Miller

Right guard
Renato Brown
Austin Collins

Center
Pete Nygra
Vic Cutler

Left guard
Michael Gonzalez
Madden Sanker

Left tackle
Monroe Mills
Trevonte Sylvester

Receiver 1
Ja’Corey Brooks
Jahlil McClain

Receiver 2
Chris Bell
Jimmy Calloway

Receiver 3
Jadon Thompson
Cataurus Hicks
Ahmari Huggins-Bruce

Tight end
Mark Redman
Jamari Johnson or
Nate Kurisky

Defensive end
Ashton Gillotte
Ramon Puryear

Defensive tackle
Thor Griffith or
Jared Dawson

Defensive tackle
Dez Tell
Jordan Guerad

LEO
Tramel Logan
Myles Jernigan

Middle Linebacker
TJ Quinn
Jurriente Davis

Weakside Linebacker
Stanquan Clark
Dan Foster

Star
Antonio Watts
Ben Perry

Cornerback
Quincy Riley
Tayon Holloway

Cornerback
Corey Thornton
Tahveon Nicholson

Free Safety
Devin Neal
D’Angelo Hutchinson

Strong Safety
MJ Griffin
Tamarion McDonald

3rd Down: What to Watch For

Can Tyler Shough Continue Consistent Play?

I don’t think we realized how much we missed consistent, quality QB play until we had it again.

Nothing against Jack Plummer, Malik Cunningham, or players of that ilk, but we simply haven’t had a risk-taking, pass-first gunslinger under center for a very long time.

Shough was accurate, efficient, and exciting in game 1.

He exited the game at halftime with 4 TD on 75% passing (including a drop), and was on the money on every possible type of throw.

The question is whether he can continue building in-game rapport with his pass-catchers and build upon a strong game one performance.

If he can, the sky is the limit for this Louisville football offense.

What’s Up at Running Back?

While Mo Turner and Don Chaney are your de facto first two guys up out of the backfield, it was the young guys that saw the bulk of the carries against APSU.

Isaac Brown, Keyjuan Brown, and Duke Watson combined for 274 yards on 20 carries, looking impressive in the process.

Meanwhile, Turner saw just 4 carries and Chaney put up a goose egg (though he had two balls come his way in the passing game).

Is the coaching staff just breaking in the new guys while it has the opportunity?

Are the coaches trying not to show their hand before entering conference play?

We chatted about that and more on the latest From the Pink Seats Podcast right here.

Can the Offensive Line Establish Continuity?

If there was a surprising disappointment in week 1, it was certainly the inconsistent play of the Louisville football offensive line.

Now, there may be perfectly reasonable explanations for the sloppy individual plays that allowed Shough to get his bell rung a few too many times.

One of which is simply the sheer amount of O-Linemen that saw game action and how often they rotated in. This won’t likely be a common occurrence as the season progresses.

Secondly, APSU played with nothing to lose a week ago. They often sent all-out blitzes in unusual down and distances and created confusion on the Louisville line.

As continuity continues to build, look for the offensive line to improve.

However, until it does, this will be a concerning question mark.

Will the Real Jax State Stand Up?

The Gamecocks were just flat-out awful in game one against Coastal Carolina.

After entering the season opener as a 2-3 point favorite, they were beaten into submission early and often, allowing the Chanticleers whatever they wanted.

It was a jarring result considering what was thought of Jax State entering the season.

But if we know anything about Rich Rod and what he brings as a head ball coach, I wouldn’t expect such a sloppy performance when JSU travels to Louisville.

Jax State is led by the SoCon Player of the Year, Tyler Huff, who transferred in from Furman.

Huff was just atrocious at the game’s start, throwing 2 picks in his first 6 pass attempts. He later fumbled away a ball that led to a scoop and score.

One shouldn’t expect the same results in game 2. Louisville football is still going to have to go out there and earn in.

Is Another Quality Defensive Performance in the Books?

Speaking of earning it, Louisville was nothing short of fantastic in game one, barely yielding 100 yards.

The JSU spread offense will look to catch the Cards off guard early and often.

Louisville football did a fantastic job of working in the young guys last week, getting 100 players a snap, including nearly 50 on defense.

The coaching staff should try to see game 2 as another opportunity to work in the young depth and gain them as many reps as possible.

Fourth Down: Predictions

Jacob Lane: Louisville covers 28-point spread

Vince Lococo: Louisville covers 28-point spread

Matt McGavic: Louisville covers 28-point spread

Producer Keith: Louisville covers 28-point spread

Presley Meyer: Louisville 52, Jax State 13