5 Things You Need to Know About the Louisville Cardinals

It is football time in the Bluegrass once again! The Kentucky Wildcats will head north to face the rival Louisville Cardinals in the final regular season game of the year. In some respects, this season couldn’t come to an end soon enough for the Blue and White. The ‘Cats hold a disappointing 6-5 record, their star transfer quarterback has mostly been a bust, and the fan base has reached a frustration level with the football program that we haven’t experienced under Coach Mark Stoops. However, nothing can cure all of those issues easier than a win over the rival Cardinals. That is especially true when Louisville is ranked #10 in the country sporting a 10-1 record. Winning the Governor’s Cup this year would give Kentucky some serious bragging rights.

The Cardinals brought favorite son Jeff Brohm back to Louisville this off-season and the hire has outperformed even the wildest expectations. The former UofL quarterback and offensive coordinator has given his alma mater an outside shot at reaching the College Football Playoff if he can beat Kentucky and win the ACC Championship game. It would be hard to find a college football coach with a higher approval rating right now than what Coach Brohm has in Louisville. Meanwhile, the same can’t be said for Coach Stoops in Lexington currently. Those roles could quickly reverse, at least to some extent, given the outcome of Saturday afternoon’s matchup.

As always, we have all of your pregame needs right here on Kentucky Sports Radio dot com for the noon Eastern Time kickoff on ABC between the Kentucky Wildcats (6-5) and the #10 Louisville Cardinals (10-1). If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Adam Luckett’s Scouting Report. That is your in-depth, football-nerd preview. Also, Freddie Maggard has gone over Kentucky’s goals for the game. For those in search of a more surface level look at what to expect on Saturday afternoon, you are in the right place. Let’s dive on in to five things you need to know about the Cardinals.

Traditional Run Game Leads the Cardinals Offense

The Louisville Cardinals feature a balanced offensive attack, but it starts with the running game. They are averaging just a tick shy of five yards per carry which places them 27^th in the country. Jawhar Jordan is the top producer in the backfield rushing for 1,009 yards and 11 touchdowns in his fifth season of college football. His 6.7 yards per carry and 54.7% success rate make him one of the most efficient rushers nationally. The Cardinals will likely go as he goes on Saturday afternoon.

While Jordan remains the star, hamstring and knee injuries issues have kept him from being the true bell cow of late. He has only surpassed 100 yards once in the last six games as Coach Brohm has had to rely more heavily on Isaac Guerendo to pick up the slack. However, the Wisconsin transfer simply hasn’t been as good as Jordan. He has gone for 585 yards and eight scores but hasn’t been quite as efficient. That is an admittedly high bar though. What Guerendo does bring to the table though is some explosive pop breaking off 15 rushes for 10+ yards this season.

Averaging 185.5 yards per game on the ground, the Cardinals clearly look to establish the run. Whether it is a heavy dose of Jordan or a combination of him and Guerendo they will rely on finding success in the rushing attack. Kentucky must limit explosive plays and try to take advantage of opportunities to keep Louisville behind the chains. That has proven easier said than done though against this efficient attack.

Jack Plummer’s Breakout Season at Quaterback

Plummer is no stranger to Coach Brohm’s offense. He played four seasons at Purdue, then one at California, before joining his former coach with the Louisville Cardinals. His sixth season of college football has proven to be his best as well. Plummer is completing over 65% of his passes while racking up 2,710 yards and 19 touchdowns. However, turnovers have been an issue for the veteran at times. He has thrown 10 interceptions this season and fumbled the ball six times. Overall though Plummer has been a key piece to Louisville’ success. There is a lot of college football mileage there and it has culminated in a storybook season for Jack Plummer, Coach Brohm, and the Cardinals.

Clear Top Target at Receiver

When Jack Plummer drops back to pass it is a safe bet to assume the ball is heading in the direction of Jamari Thrash. The Georgia State transfer leads the Louisville Cardinals in all major receiving categories including targets (80), receptions (50), yards (741) and touchdowns (6). There isn’t a clear second target behind him either. If the Kentucky secondary can blanket Trash and force Plummer to go elsewhere it could really disrupt the rhythm of the Louisville passing attack.

Similar to the questions about Jawhar Jordan’s health in the backfield, Trash has faced recent injuries as well. He did not play at all against Virginia Tech and has only registered four catches over the last two weeks combined. That has obviously changed the calculus of what Plummer and Coach Brohm dial up through the air. Sophomore Chris Bell has been the second most productive receiver and is the only other pass-catcher to accumulate over 300 yards. Plummer has turned to the tight end room and has been spreading the ball all around the field. While Trash is obviously WR1, eight receivers have 10+ catches and nine have caught a touchdown this season.

Louisville Features a Top 25 Defense

There isn’t necessarily one area that puts this Louisville Cardinals defense over the top. They play an aggressive style but don’t necessarily create a ton of havoc. Coach Ron English’s squad is very good against the run and above average defending the pass. The end result is allowing just 18.4 points per game which is 17th best nationally. Now, how much of that is due to having the luxury of playing in the ACC? That is what we will find out on Saturday afternoon.

The best plan of attack against Louisville’s defense is finding some success through the air. Georgia Tech, Miami (FL), and Virginia, three teams that pushed the Cardinals to the brink this season, each threw for over 300 yards. They are going to bring some pressure up front and have the ability to put you in obvious passing downs by stuffing the run. However, if you can find some gaps in the secondary, there will be plays to be made. Kentucky simply must execute on those opportunities if they want to pull the road upset in this heated rivalry.

Talented Individual Pieces on the Defensive Side of the Ball

It all starts with a star on the defensive line that is as good as any in college football. Ashton Gillotte is fourth nationally in pressures with 56. The Big Blue Wall will have their hands full keeping Gillotte from putting Devin Leary on his back. Gillotte also leads the Louisville Cardinals with six sacks and 13 tackles for loss. He has been living in opposing backfields this season and has been a big part of their success in putting opponents behind the chains. Elsewhere up front, Jermayne Lole, Stephen Herron, and Mason Reiger have all been productive for the Cardinals defense.

The backend of UofL’s defense has been solid as well. They feature an experienced secondary led by Quincy Riley who has been excellent. The redshirt senior, who transferred from Middle Tennessee prior to last season, has registered eight pass breakups and a pair of interceptions this season. He will look to shutdown one side of the field. Meanwhile, more injury concerns linger as Jarvis Brownlee Jr. has missed the last three games. There are more experienced pieces behind him, but his return could be big for slowing down the Wildcats passing game.