Entering conference play: What's next for Jeff Brohm and Louisvile?
Louisville football sits at 3-0 on the season, and its start passes the eye test, but the level of competition doesn’t match the Cards’ ACC schedule.
Opening the season with a 51-17 victory over Eastern Kentucky, U of L then took down James Madison 28-14 before a bye week, leading them to a 40-17 win over Bowling Green last Saturday.
This season marks Jeff Brohm’s third consecutive three-win start to a season, breaking a school record. But the Cards have been far from perfect during the early stretch of the year. Penalties, mental mistakes, and poor red zone production have limited Louisville, leaving a sour taste in some fans’ mouths. Head coach Jeff Brohm looks to take this winning streak into conference play and settle into a cleaner brand of football this upcoming weekend at Pittsburgh.
ACC outlook
Louisville came into the season with ACC championship potential. The Cards’ main competition was seen as Clemson, SMU, and Miami, but things have changed. The front-runners have taken a step back, while middle-of-the-pack teams have moved into the top spots.
Georgia Tech sits at the top of the conference with a perfect 4-0 start and 1-0 in ACC play. Syracuse and Virginia share the next spot at 3-1 and 1-0 in conference play. Teams like Miami and FSU are both ranked in the top 10 and look to be some of the best teams in the country. Not having played a conference game, Florida State will need to wait till next week to qualify in the standings while Miami is on a bye. Shockingly, Clemson is in dead last, sitting at 1-3 overall and 0-2 in ACC play. Starting the season as a top 5 team in the country and clear conference favorites, the Tigers need a miracle to dig out of this hole.
All of this movement and shakeup in who is the top dog in the league can be seen as a benefit for the Cards. Now that there is no true team separating itself from the pack, Louisville has an opportunity to shock the world. The ACC has already shown that upsets happen weekly, putting the Cardinals in a good position if they keep winning. Jeff Brohm will need to dig deep into this bag to correct the early mistakes, but if he does, he might be looking at glory.
Schedule breakdown
The Cards are on the road for the first time this year, opening up conference play against Pittsburgh this weekend. The Panthers are led by junior quarterback Eli Holstein, who balled out last season as a freshman. This year, he looks even better as the signal caller has thrown for nine touchdowns and 822 yards. Pitt also features a preseason All-American in all-purpose back Desmond Reid.
The Cards open up as a slight favorite according to ESPN Bet at -4.5.
Following Louisville’s first road trip, the Cards return for a 3:30 pm showdown against Virginia. North Texas QB transfer Chandler Morris has thrown for over one thousand yards, leading the Cavaliers to a solid start to the season. Averaging over 45 points on the year, UVA is in for a huge test this weekend against Florida State.
The third conference game of the season is right after the second and final bye week of the season for the Cards. It’s a weird 2025 schedule, with the U of L playing seven games in a row to close the season. However, an extra week of preparation will be needed as Brohm’s squad takes on its hardest challenge yet at Miami. Louisville has a real opportunity to start the season 5-0, entering a Friday road game with the Hurricanes. Miami is currently ranked #2 in the country and has a resume to back that. Mario Cristobal brought in former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck and star true freshman receiver Malachi Tony to lead the offense while returning junior and first-round pick hopeful Rueben Bain holds down the defensive line. This game very well could decide if the Cards end up at the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte.
Once the Miami gauntlet is finished, Louisville returns home for a matchup against Boston College. The Eagles haven’t started the season as they hoped, but have been in some close battles. Former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien enters his second season at the helm. Alabama QB transfer Dylan Lonergan has put up respectable numbers so far, but this should be one of the easier conference games for the Cards.
Next, Louisville visits Lane Stadium, taking on a struggling Virginia Tech team. The Hokies are 1-3 entering conference play and are desperately looking for a spark after firing Brent Pry. Veteran QB Kyron Drones hasn’t been great throwing the football, but is making up for it on the ground with four rushing touchdowns. Virginia Tech fans always make their stadium hard to play in, but if Louisville can block out the noise, this is another contest the Cards should win.
California has been one of the surprising teams this season. Starting 3-1, the Golden Bears are making some noise in the ACC. True freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutelle is proving why he was a five-star recruit. The Cards are in for a tough matchup in early November.
The final two games of conference play were lined up to be a heavily tested stretch. Friday night lights at home against Clemson before traveling to SMU for a revenge game. This narrative has quickly changed as they have gone a combined 3-5 on the season. Nonetheless, Clemson still has multiple future first-round picks, and SMU is still coming off a big win against the Cards last season. There is a lot of football to be played, but the Tigers and Mustangs both need to see some big changes before November.
Once conference play is wrapped up, Louisville faces off against rival Kentucky on November 29th. Finishing the year off at L&N, potentially having playoff aspirations, this rivalry game might have even more meaning than in years prior.
Full schedule: https://gocards.com/sports/football/schedule
