NC State football view from the other beat: Louisville
NC State is back home this week, and will host its first Friday night game of the 2023 campaign as Louisville visits Carter-Finley Stadium. To get a better understanding of the Cardinals, we asked Louisville beat writer Alexis Cubit of the Courier Journal five questions.
1. How has Louisville’s offense been able to create so many explosive plays, in both the run and pass game?
“Jeff Brohm‘s best resource in the offseason was the transfer portal. On3 actually had the Cardinals’ transfer class as the top-ranked group in the country. One of the biggest focuses was the wide receiver group, Jamari Thrash being the biggest get. Having talented receivers and a quarterback that once played for Brohm in Jack Plummer has been huge. Adding experienced offensive lineman was key as well. The line was a position of concern after the spring football season but the portal came in clutch there as well with Louisville adding more bodies, including Eric Miller, who transferring in from Purdue. The group has been able to protect Jack, tying for 29th nationally in sacks allowed with five in addition to tying for fifth with 13 tackles for loss allowed over the first five games of the season. Add that on with an explosive running back in Jawhar Jordan, who’s leading the nation with 9.6 yards per carry, and you’ve got a highly talented Louisville offense.”
2. Why has Jack Plummer been what appears to be a perfect fit for this offense as a transfer QB?
“As I mentioned above, Jack played under Brohm for four years at Purdue. He transferred out and was at California last season and put together one of the best seasons of his college career while the Brohms mentored Aidan O’Connell into being a fourth-round NFL Draft pick. When Jeff Brohm took the job at Louisville, Jack also took the risk of entering the transfer portal and seeing if he’d be able to reunite with his former coach. It worked out and has been key in helping him get where he wants to go in his final college season.”
3. What has the team been like in coach Jeff Brohm’s first year?
“One of the most impressive things about Jeff’s first year so far hasn’t necessarily been the program’s first 4-0 start since 2016 (although that’s cool, too). What’s impressed me most is how quickly he’s been able to get the players to buy into what he’s doing and develop those relationships with them. Although there was a lot of turnover, the returners seem to be playing with a different passion this season. Where close games were a struggle last season, the Cardinals have already won two games that have come down to the last few minutes. ‘Culture’ is a buzz word in sports, especially college athletics, and I think Jeff has done a great job of developing that since he was hired.”
4. What are Louisville’s weaknesses through its first four games and why?
“For as well as Louisville has done, I still think the Cardinals are working to learn Brohm’s system, both on offense and defense. The offense was able to clean up some lapses and miscues last week against Boston College but the defense still struggled in some areas. The group gave up some big plays to Eagles quarterback Thomas Castellanos and 14 second-quarter points after forcing BC to turn the ball over on down and punt on the Eagles’ first four series.”
5. How does Louisville win its first true road game on Friday night at NC State?
“The first thing will be tuning out the noise. Carter-Finley is going to be loud and hostile, which is to be expected. Second, I think it’s going to come down to defenses. N.C. State and Louisville had two of the best defensive units last season and although both sent their major contributors to the NFL, they both also returned some key pieces. Quarterback Brennan Armstrong has played a lot of football, so Louisville’s defense is going to have to play its best game yet. It also helps that the group had some good fortune against him last season when he was at Virginia, so although he’s in a different system, the returning Cardinals have an idea of what to expect.”
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