IS THIS THE YEAR that Louisville football breaks into the college football playoffs?
With a core of star players returning and a high-level transfer class in the fold, the national hype around Jeff Brohm’s squad should only grow as the season progresses.
What makes this team stand out in Brohm’s third season as the Cards’ head coach?
On the surface, Louisville football is primed for a big year from its triumvirate of studs at running back and another step forward from a veteran linebacking unit. It’s skill position players are among the best in the ACC and the Cards return the middle of a good to great offensive line. Add in continued continuity on the coaching staff, and double digit wins feels like a real possibility once again.
BUT WHAT WILL make or break this season for the Cards?
Here are three underrated storylines for Louisville football fans to watch.
The Return of Ron English
IT’S DIFFICULT to be too critical of anything that’s happened in the first two seasons of the Brohm era.
Louisville appeared destined for another season of slightly above average before Brohm accepted the keys to the program.
Year one saw the Cards reach the ACC Championship Game en route to a 10-win season. Then, year two saw Louisville a 4th quarter collapse away from a potential playoff berth.
Along the way, the Cards toppled Notre Dame and Clemson. They’ve won at NC State and Miami. They ranked in the top 25 consistently, and are once again a hot topic in the ACC.
But there still remains a polarizing figure among fans in defensive coordinator Ron English.
Nobody’s really talking about him right now — but let the defense give up one big play or stumble through a couple of drives, and you’ll start hearing it loud and clear: the critics haven’t gone anywhere.
English’s second tenure at Louisville has been marked with some really high highs. But the lows have seen him take serious heat for some tough, unexpected losses.
English took over a defense in 2023 that was pretty stacked with talent. Ashton Gillotte, Quincy Riley, Jarvis Brownlee, Dez Tell, TJ Quinn, and more led the way as quality returnees who really guided the ship well for Louisville. In fact, the defense was on pace to be one of the best in school history.
Louisville surrendered 10 points at NC State, 3 vs Virginia Tech, and shut out Duke and Murray State. The defense gave up just 20 to a talented Notre Dame squad, and often showcased the ability to carry the team when the offense struggled.
However, things unraveled quickly at the end of the season. A close win at Miami showed some cracks in the armor, and a week later UofL was torched on the ground in a shocking upset loss to Kentucky. The wheels officially fell off in an ugly defeat in the Holiday Bowl (more on that later).
In 2024, Louisville football started off with a lot of issues on defense. The Cards surrendered a ton of offensive yards to Jax State and looked vulnerable against Notre Dame and SMU.
The ship appeared to be righted in a beatdown at Clemson, but just two weeks later the ugly collapse against a putrid Stanford squad really riled up a portion of the fanbase.
IF THERE’S REASON FOR CONCERN over this year’s edition of the Louisville football defense, it lies in the experienced depth. Coming off of a year where the defense was middle of the pack in the ACC, Louisville doesn’t have the star power of an Ashton Gillotte or Quincy Riley.
This is not to say, of course, that Louisville’s defense is incapable of improving year over year. The staff seems quietly optimistic about this bunch. But, given that Louisville football has lost every starter on the defensive side of the ball since the staff took over 2 years ago, this will be a prove it year for English and his staff.
This could be the fan biases talking, but it seems like when Louisville has been in line to put together a special season, its inability to ham and egg things well has been a back breaker.
An educated observer would likely note that this is perhaps Louisville’s most balanced offensive team in years. Which leaves an unproven defense charged with being just good enough to help when things stall out.
If this Louisville team can’t provide that same balance on defense, the criticism directed at English will only get louder.
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Offensive adjustments behind Miller Moss
MILLER MOSS. HE’S GOT IT ALL. The alliterative name. The pedigree. The SoCal heritage. The Kirk Cousins aura.
Throw on some tape of Moss at the helm in USC’s season opener against LSU last season, and you see what makes the guy special.
He led a go-ahead drive with 5:44 remaining including a saucy drop in the bucket for a TD. A few minutes later, Moss and the Trojans marched for a game-winning TD with :08 on the game clock.
Moss was dialed. 7-for-8 through the air for 97 yards and a touchdown on those final two drives.
Louisville fans need not be reminded of his six touchdown coming out party to end the season before. 372 yards later, and Moss rightfully had the UofL staff’s full attention.
However, the national perception of Moss just a year later is still a mixed bag.
After that performance vs LSU, USC went just 3-5 with Moss under center. His play was a bit hot and cold and the Trojans struggled to adjust to a difficult Big Ten schedule.
Moss was excellent at times, but he also struggled to gain consistency with a ridiculously talented group of receivers. He was eventually benched on the back half of the season in favor of a younger QB prospect waiting in the wings.
Some feel Moss was a scapegoat for the USC staff. Others cite head coach Lincoln Riley’s sterling track record with QBs and rest the blame on No. 7’s shoulders.
Now, with an opportunity for a fresh start, Louisville fans are hoping the Brohms can continue to work that QB magic.
How might the offense look different with Moss at the helm?
For starters, Moss is a sharp-minded, quick releasing QB with a whippy motion. In many ways, this is one of the most polished QBs to come through the 502 in some time.
Moss is highly intelligent. He completed his degree in two years at USC. He studied under a QB savant Riley and Heisman winner Caleb Williams. And he’s now had the keys to the Brohm offense for eight important months.
Moss’s future rides on the success of this season and his second chance as a starter for a potential P5 contender.
Louisville will likely go as Moss goes.
While Moss leaves a little to be desired in his ability to stretch the field, he is serious threat in the intermediate passing game.
This figures to be a season that starts with Louisville football running to set up the pass, and the Brohm’s should be salivating over Moss’s ability to quickly and efficiently fit the ball into tight windows.
Tight end Nate Kurisky and receivers Caullin Lacy, Bobby Golden, and Kris Hughes figure to be major benefactors of Moss’s style of play.
If Moss can become a consistent decision maker, Louisville football can have a successful season without need for the heroics of a Tyler Shough.
No Special Seasons Without Special Teams
IT’S PROBABLY THE LEAST SEXY thing I could talk about, but these are underrated storylines, and special teams matters tremendously.
For the first time in quite a while, there are a lot of uncertainties on special teams— at least from the outside looking in.
Last season, the Louisville football special teams units put together a hell of a season.
The Cards led the country in blocked kicks with six. Kicker Brock Travelstead finished the season making his last 9 field goals, including multiple from 50+. Caullin Lacy took a kickoff 100 yards to the house.
Reliable special teams play really helped Louisville football flourish at times last seaosn.
A blocked kick returned for a touchdown broke open a close game against Georgia tech. Two blocked field goals against Clemson put the Tigers to bed for good. And Travelstead’s steady back half was crucial for the Cards.
This season, the special special teams play will have to continue.
It may start with kicker Cooper Ravier.
The redshirt freshman looked impressive in the Louisville spring game and figures to be the starter come game one.
Returnees Tayon Holloway, TJ Quinn, and D’Angelo Hutchinson all blocked kicks last season and should factor in as dangerous special teams weapons this year.
Lacy returns to the fold as a kick returner. He will likely be joined by Akron transfer Bobby Golden on kickoff duty.
The pieces are in place, but it’s important for this Louisville football special teams unit to continue above average play if the Cards hope to be in playoff contention.
