Jeff Brohm on Jawhar Jordan's first half: 'He's a difference-maker'

The first half of Louisville’s top 25 showdown against the Duke Blue Devils has been all Cardinals in the first half. Louisville currently leads Duke 17-0 at the half, dominating both lines of scrimmage. The Cardinals’ offensive line success has led to running back Jawhar Jordan putting together a noteworthy performance in the first half.

As Louisville headed into the locker room at halftime, ESPN sideline reporter Molly Mcgrath caught up with their head coach, Jeff Brohm, to get a few words on Jordan’s impressive first half performance.

“Well, he’s a difference-maker,” said Brohm. “He’s worked hard to get back. Without question, we’re a different team with him. He’s just very versatile, (and) elusive. I thought our guys came ready to play, and of course, now, we’ve got to finish.”

Jordan did take a drive off in the second quarter. And to some, it might appear as if Brohm and the coaching staff have their star running back on a pitch count. But according to the Cardinal head coach, it has more to do with giving others an opportunity to produce.

“We’re always going to rotate running backs. We need to get all in there. They all have to produce for us. I think right now, we’re taking care of the ball. We’re not making mistakes, we’re playing solid defense, but once again, you know we’ve had some good first half, some bad, second half this year. We gotta finish this game because this is a really good football team.”

Brohm’s initial thoughts on matchup against Duke

Ahead of this significant ACC matchup with potential conference championship implications on the line, Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm shared his thoughts on their Week 9 opponent.

“Well, they’re stout on defense. Their fifth and scoring defense, second and red zone defense; I mean, they’re ranked high,” said Brohm. “They play a solid brand of physical football that keeps the ball in front of them. They do some really good things up front, in the running game, and with stunts, creating some havoc for your offensive line. They’ve just been really good. Until the Florida State game, you could hardly score any points on them. And they kept that game extremely close to the end.”

Duke’s defense has allowed the fourth fewest points this season, only allowing 97 points over seven games. This puts their defense in with some elite company. Only Michigan, Penn State, Ohio State, and Air Force have allowed fewer points this season.

While Duke’s defense has been impressive this season, they also have an impressive offense to match. Led by junior quarterback Riley Leonard, the Blue Devils sit fourth in the ACC, only a half-game behind North Carolina for third with a 5-2 record, and are 2-1 in conference play.