Let me begin by saying that Jeff Brohm’s first season was a lot of fun.
With a few exceptions, what we witnessed during the regular season was tremendously enjoyable. Getting into the Top-10, rushing the field against Notre Dame, and reaching the ACC Championship Game are just a few of the many highlights that fans will remember for years to come. Winning double-digit games and competing for a conference title is always something to be proud of, and I hope we can do so in the future. We have nine months to do it.
But it’s much more difficult to talk about those highlights and how successful Brohm’s first season at UofL was tonight.
What we saw tonight capped off an eerily similar three-game losing streak to finish the season as we saw in 2016. Both the 2016 and 2023 teams had one loss before dropping three in a row. Both teams suffered frustrating, fluky, or embarrassing losses at home to inferior Kentucky teams. And both teams were completely humiliated by traditional powers in their bowl games.
Will Jeff Borhm’s program suffer the same fate as Bobby 2.0? Of course, this is extremely unlikely. But it’s still an odd way to cap off a fantastic season. This was Louisville’s chance to leave a good taste in everyone’s mouth after two forgettable losses, but this is all we have until next fall.
Miller, Moss, and Lincoln Riley deserve a lot of credit. Riley and his staff weathered a slew of opt-outs and transfers, and he handed over his offense to Moss with complete confidence. Moss responded by breaking the Holiday Bowl and USC program passing touchdown records in a bowl game. It was an electrifying performance to which Louisville had no answer. I expect to hear that name a lot more in the coming years.
However, Louisville’s defense. Woof. The unit was virtually unrecognizable from its midseason form against Notre Dame, Duke, and Virginia Tech. Sure, losing guys like Brownlee and others had a big impact, but I don’t think anyone expected the drop-off to be this drastic. The secondary issues, particularly safety, must be addressed and resolved before next season. Maybe we should have expected more from a Lincoln Riley offense still brimming with star power, but I don’t think most people saw anyone doing this to what had been such a strong defense all year. Except for Keith Wynne.
In terms of Louisville’s offense, if you wanted a perfect encapsulation of his entire career as the Cardinals’ QB1, look no further than his second-to-last play on 4th and 6. The play was called perfectly and executed flawlessly, with Jadon Thompson streaking freely across the field, only for Plummer to get the ball to him late and behind him, forcing Thompson to shift his momentum backwards to catch the ball. Thompson couldn’t regain his balance and fell just short of the finish line. That sums up the entire Jack Plummer experience.
On the one hand, it’s a plus that the coaches have the plays and usually the players to get us what we need, but the missing piece is a QB who can finish the job. On the other hand, there is a never-ending list of missed opportunities that will leave fans wondering “what ifs?” for a long time.
And, of course, Isaac Guerendo. I adore you to pieces. Please return.
What a stud he is. 23 carries for 161 yards, 7 yards per carry, and three touchdowns. He also led the team in receptions, which isn’t what you want from your offense. Guerendo was a pleasant surprise from the start of the season, and he really took off when Jordan went down in the middle of the season, when we needed him the most. Even if he does not return, he will be one of my favorite players in recent memory. Dude is unbeatable.
The play calling is the last thing I’ll say about the offense because we have nine months to perfect it. We seemed to abandon the running game a few times in the first half, and it bit us in the a$$. We eventually returned to it, and while USC still had no answer, Louisville was already trailing. At this point in the season, I believe we have enough evidence to conclude that this offense is not designed to play from behind, especially in a shootout. Playing ahead with this run game was always the goal, so I don’t understand why we abandoned it.
Okay, so I lied. Just one more thing. The staff was also perplexed in the first half when we punted from our own 36 and received a play-action call to end the half. For that matter, many of the end-of-half calls this year were subpar. But, for the most part, the calls were there the entire game; we just didn’t have the quarterback or receiving corps to make them. It occurs.
Even as I finish this review of a particularly vexing performance in a disappointing losing streak, I find myself reflecting on what an amazing season it was and what a joy it was when this fanbase needed a boost the most (shoutout, KP). Thank you so much to all of the seniors who helped make this season so memorable.
While this was not the ending that any of us desired, the future of Louisville football remains very bright. We have plenty of time to discuss it, but if you want to start dreaming again, look at next year’s schedule and the recruiting and transfer classes we’re bringing in. I wouldn’t be surprised if more good times were on the way very soon.
That’s all. So long, Louisville Football 2023. See you over the Labor Day weekend.
Leave a Reply