LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (4-0, 1-0) vs. Virginia Cavaliers (4-1, 2-0)
Game Time: 3:30 p.m.
Location: L&N Stadium: Louisville, Ky.
Television: ESPN2
Announcers: Mike Monaco (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst) and Dawn Davenport (sideline)
Favorite: Louisville by 6.5
All-Time Series: Pittsburgh leads, 8-5
Last Meeting: Louisville won, 24-20, on Oct. 12, 2024 in Charlottesville
Series History:
Depth Chart:
Virginia Uniforms:
Game Day Guide:
Game Promotions:
Relevant Videos:
Injury Reports:
Louisville Cardinals
OUT
- LB #6 Stanquan Clark
- DB #7 Rodney Johnson
- QB #17 Travis Egan
- RB #33 Jamarice Wilder
- RB #43 Shammai Gates
QUESTIONABLE
- DB #13 Justin Agu
- RB #22 Keyjuan Brown
PROBABLE
- RB #1 Isaac Brown
- DL #23 Wesley Bailey
- RB #26 Duke Watson
Virginia Cavaliers
OUT
- CB #1 Dre Walker
- WR #2 Andre Greene Jr.
- DB #7 Ja’Maric Morris
- CB #9 Jam Jackson
- WR #23 Triston Ward
- RB #28 Noah Vaughn
- RB #29 Davis Lane Jr.
- S #38 Armstrong Jones
- OL #50 Wallace Unamba
- OL #54 Makilan Thomas
- DL #56 Tyler Simmons
- OL #63 David Wohlabaugh Jr.
- OL #71 Monroe Mills
- OL #76 Brady Wilson
- WR #80 Trevor Ladd
QUESTIONABLE
- N/A
PROBABLE
- P #38 Daniel Sparks
- WR #82 Eli Wood
About Virginia:
OFFENSE
Virginia football was in a position that a lot of programs find themselves in, where its roster was just not good enough to get over the hump. UVA improved by two wins last season, but after starting the season 4-1, they were only able to earn one more win on the year. The Cavs come into the Louisville game for the second straight year at 4-1, but they enter this game off of one of the biggest wins in recent program history. Tony Elliot may have turned the corner with his choice to mine the transfer portal to improve his roster. Time will tell if it gets his team to a bowl game this season.
The most important addition from the portal this offseason is at quarterback with Chandler Morris. Morris is in his sixth year in college after spending time at Oklahoma and TCU before starring at North Texas last year. The son of Chad Morris, Chandler, has had a lifetime of high-level coaching, and his time with different programs has given him an opportunity to learn from some of the best offensive coordinators in the country.
Morris is an undersized quarterback with a live arm and the ability to use his legs when needed. Against Florida State last weekend, Morris scrambled for two touchdown runs while scoring on a read option for another score. Morris also laid a nice pass down the sideline for a touchdown pass after starting the game with a touchdown pass to his tight end after going through multiple reads. Morris is an up-and-down player as he threw three bad interceptions in the game, with all of them being forced throws down the field. However, he can lead this offense to a lot of points with the weapons he has around him.
The Hoos have a plethora of running backs to work with to lead their top-15 rushing offense. J’Mari Taylor leads the way with 79 yards per game and 7 touchdowns. Taylor runs about as hard as any running back in the ACC, even though he isn’t a big back at 5-9/204. Per PFF, he is 9th in the country in yards after contact, while averaging about 4.5 yards after contact per carry. Louisville has done well tackling ball carriers this year, but Taylor is a different animal. He runs downhill, and Virginia uses their balance to give him opportunities to run against light boxes where he can get out in space.
Lexington native Xavier Brown somehow made it out of the state without an offer from anyone, and he is now the second man up for the Hoos at running back. Brown scored on a 46-yard touchdown pass in last year’s game, where he showed his speed down the sideline. He hasn’t been able to break one yet this year, but he has the speed to break a long run. Noah Brown has been out with an injury, so we should see Harrison Waylee for depth purposes. Waylee has the longest run of any player in the country with a 97-yard run against William and Mary.
Virginia lost their top receiver from last season to the portal, but they went out themselves to find some help to replace him. Trell Harris missed most of last season after transferring in from Kent State, but he has been the top receiver for the team this year and a legit deep threat. Harris is the player to watch in the passing game after the Cards were beaten deep a few times last weekend. Harris had 145 yards and 3 touchdowns against Stanford a few weeks ago.
Cam Ross is another transfer receiver who has paid off for the Hoos. Cam Ross transferred in from James Madison and immediately put up 224 total yards in his first game for UVA. Ross is a speedy slot receiver, and the Cavs have worked to get the ball in his hands so that he can get to work in the open field. He has the speed to outrun the defense, but he also does a good job of navigating blocks in space as a runner. Again, the Cards have tackled well this year, but this team will test them more than anyone else on the schedule to this point.
Dak Twitty and Sage Ennis are more than capable tight end options in this offense, and the staff does a really good job of spreading the ball around and keeping them involved. Twitty is a converted receiver with great size at 6-5/245, while Ennis is more of a traditional tight end. Twitty has good speed and can stretch the middle of the field well. Louisville’s linebackers and safeties will be able to show that last week wasn’t a fluke when it comes to their pass coverage in the middle of the field.
The Hoos really hit the portal hard on the offensive line, but injuries have been an issue for them since the spring. Former Card, Monroe Mills, tore his ACL in the spring. Makalin Thomas is out with an injury, and David Wohlabaugh, who was a starter at Syracuse last year, is out as well. The Hoos haven’t let the injuries stop them from being one of the most high-powered offenses in the country. The Cavs are fifth in the country in points per game and yards per game, and the offensive line is a big factor in that. McKale Boley is one of the best left tackles in the ACC, and the Cavs’ portal strategy really shows on the line. Virginia only has 5 non-seniors on the entire offensive depth chart, and their experience is evident when you watch them play.
DEFENSE
Virginia football was known for its defense under Bronco Mendenhall, but Tony Elliot has seen his defenses play well after taking over the program four years ago. Elliot brought in John Rudzinski from Air Force, and he seems to have things trending back to where he had them in 2022. The Hoos hit the portal hard on the defensive side of the field to add depth and playmaking to a defense that has struggled to contain high-powered offenses. Virginia had a rough outing against Florida State, but they were able to pull out the win with some opportunistic plays by the defense.
The Cavs have some new faces up front for the first time in a while. Mitchell Melton, Fisher Carmac, and Daniel Rickert are all guys who play on the edge and have made some plays this season. The staff rotates all of these guys in which keeps them fresh. They are also all very quick off the ball which has posed some issues for the UofL offensive line so far.
The interior of the defensive line returns a group of players who have played in the system, while also adding Jacob Holmes from Fresno State and Alabama transfer Hunter Osborne. While this group is not meant to be very disruptive, they have not performed overly well so far this year in their role of eating up blocks. UVA was gashed in the run game by NC State and FSU, and the film tells a clear story that running lanes were easy to find. This is an opportunity for the Cards to get their running game going.
The second level is where the Virginia defense is at its best. Kam Robinson and James Jackson are veteran linebackers who can make plays all over the field. Robinson has missed time this year but he is back healthy and he put up 10 tackles and a sack against FSU last week. Jackson is a four-year starter who does a bit of everything but his speed to chase down plays outside of the hashes is what stands out the most. Cards fans may remember Robinson from his pick-six in 2023 as a true freshman. UVA isn’t a pressure defense, but they could look to bring these two on blitzes this weekend after Pitt and JMU found success doing so.
The Virginia secondary also has some new faces, with the staff hitting the portal hard to bring in some veteran players to add depth to the group. Donovan Platt, Jordan Robinson, and Emmanuel Karnley sit at the top of the depth chart at cornerback after transferring in from their respective programs. This group was victimized last week by Duce Robinson and the FSU receivers, so there are questions about their effectiveness. However, Ja’Son Prevard at nickleback had two redzone interceptions, including a game-sealing pick in the endzone.
Antonio Clary first suited up for UVA in 2019, and he is back in the fold after missing the first three games of the year with an injury. Cleary was ejected for targeting against FSU, but he knows this defense better than anyone, and his experience is needed with the rest of the safeties being newcomers or inexperienced players. Former Card Devin Neal starts at strong safety and leads the team in tackles. Neal and Ethan Minter will be responsible for covering Caullin Lacy in the slot as well as keeping the top on a Louisville offense that will assuredly push the ball down the field, looking for big plays.
Motivational Tweets:
Excitement Level: 8.9
First ranked opponent of the season. First October home game of the season. First 3:30 kickoff of the season. First game I’m attending of the season.
Lots of reason for enthusiasm here.
Game Attire: Red Louisville polo, red/white Louisville Cardinals hat
Leaving the house means first non-t-shirt game of the season.
I’ll go topless for the second half if we’re down by double-digits at the break again.
Pregame Meal: Eggs, Coffee
We are out of Trader Joe’s Protein bars. Unless Mary or I have time to make a run in the morning, a trend may be snapped here.
Bold Prediction: Louisville has multiple touchdowns of 45 yards+
The lack of offensive explosiveness (and the two-week bold prediction losing streak) stops here.
Jeff Brohm Tick Play Alert Level: Shadow (strong)
Guys, I think it’s going to happen.
Predicted Star of the Game: Miller Moss
Maybe this is wishful thinking, but I’m banking on the running game finally getting going and it opening up things for Miller Moss to ball out for a full four quarters.
Notable:
—Louisville is 5-1 all-time in home games against Virginia.
—Louisville holds a 21-65-1 all-time record versus AP Top 25 teams, including an 11-18 record at home. Virginia enters Saturday’s game ranked No. 24 in the current AP Top 25 poll.
—Louisville is 3-3 against ranked opponents under head coach Jeff Brohm, including 2-1 in home games.
—Louisville’s current 7-game winning streak is tied for the 10th longest in program history, and is U of L’s longest since an 8-game streak spanning 2013 and 2014.
—Louisville has scored at least 24 points in 18 consecutive games, the longest such streak in the FBS. Memphis State and Penn State are tied for the second longest streaks at 12 games.
—Virginia has rushed for at least 200 yards in four consecutive games. Louisville has not allowed an opponent to rush for 200 yards in a game this season.
—Louisville has allowed just one rushing play of 20 or more yards this season.
—In four games against FBS competition, Virginia has trailed for only 19 minutes or 8% of the time. The Cavaliers have been leading 62% of the time. Louisville, meanwhile, has been trailing for 42% of their FBS game minutes and only ahead 37% of the time.
—Virginia hasn’t won back-to-back games as an underdog since winning road games against Miami and Louisville in consecutive weeks in 2021. That 2021 contest also marks U of L’s most recent loss to UVA.
—Road teams have won just four of the 13 games in the history of this series, but they have won three out of the last four.
—Four of the last six meetings in this series have been decided by one score. Louisville trailed in the fourth of quarter of each of the last two meetings, but won both games.
—Louisville is one of eight FBS teams to score in every game it has played for the last 25 years, joining Boise State, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, Southern California, Texas Christian, and Virginia Tech.
—Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm is 2-0 in games against Virginia.
—Virginia is 4-1 to start the year for the second-straight season. The last time UVA posted back-to-back 4-1 starts was in 2003-04.
—Virginia has not started a season 5-1 since 2017, and has not started ACC play 3-0 since 2007. The Cavaliers were also 2-0 in the ACC going into last season’s loss to Louisville.
—Louisville’s Cooper Ranvier is one of four FBS kickers to make at least seven field goals and 13 extra points without a miss.
—Virginia, No. 8 Indiana (5-0) and No. 19 Missouri (5-0) are the only three teams in the country with 1,200 rushing yards AND 1,400 passing yards.
—Virginia leads or co-leads the ACC in seven different categories – fewest penalty yards per game (37.0), first down offense (133), fumbles lost (0), fumbles recovered (4), kickoff return average (42.80), sacks allowed (3) and time of possession (34:04).
—Virginia safety Devin Neal (2023-24) and offensive tackle Monroe Mills (2024) were teammates at Louisville last season, but neither played in the Virginia game in Charlottesville. Mills will miss the 2025 season due to injury. Neal currently leads the Cavaliers in tackles.
—The state of Virginia has produced four Kentucky Derby winners: Reigh Count (1928), Secretariat (1973), Pleasant Colony (1981) and Sea Hero (1993).
—Virginia is one of just six FBS teams and the only team in the ACC that has allowed three or fewer sacks this season.
—Louisville ranks 29th in the country in sacks per game (2.7 spg).
—Louisville is 5-6 when playing its first ACC home game of a season, but has won two straight such contests.
—Louisville is 1-6 against the spread in their last six games against Virginia when playing as a favorite.
—Louisville is 7-4 in games against Virginia since joining the ACC in 2014.
—The first five games of this series were won by a touchdown or less, including the first three on field goals in the closing minutes. Three of the last four games in this series — including last year’s 24-20 Cardinal victory — have also been decided by a touchdown or less.
—Jeff Brohm is 11-17 all-time against opponents ranked in the AP Poll, which includes a 3-3 record since taking over at Louisville.
—Louisville has lost 24 of its last 30 games against teams ranked in the AP top 25 poll.
—Louisville is 5-15 all-time in games against ranked opponents from the ACC.
—Virginia has never won four consecutive games under head coach Tony Elliott. The Hoos are looking for their first four-game winning streak since 2021.
—Saturday will mark the first time since 2019 that Virginia has played a game as a nationally ranked team.
—The last time Virginia came to L&N Stadium in 2023, running back Perris Jones suffered a neck injury that ended his football career. Jones is now a doctoral candidate at the University of Louisville and will be honored, along with the U of L doctors that aided in his recovery, during Saturday’s game.
—Virginia head coach Tony Elliott is 0-3 in games against Louisville.
—The Cavaliers are one of three ACC teams – and one of just 18 FBS teams – yet to lose a fumble this season.
—Louisville is 218-197-5 all-time in games played in the month of October.
—Under Jeff Brohm, Louisville is 4-3 in the month of October.
—Louisville is 8-6 all-time in games played on Oct. 4. Their last appearance on the date was a 31-28 double overtime loss at South Florida in 2003.
—Louisville enters Saturday ranked 18th nationally in total defense and second in the ACC in total defense, behind only No. 3 Miami.
—Louisville is 11-0 in ACC regular season games under Jeff Brohm when allowing 30 points or less. They are 2-4 when allowing more than 30 points.
—Louisville is 50-41 all-time in ACC games, and 13-4 in ACC games under Jeff Brohm.
—Virginia is outscoring its opponents 26-9 in the 4th quarter so far this season.
—Louisville has gone 3 and out on its first offensive drive in each of the last three games.
—Louisville is 11-1 in Jeff Brohm’s tenure when his teams rush for over 200 yards in a game.
—Louisville has lost 10 consecutive games when forcing no turnovers and recording no sacks. The most recent of those games came last season against SMU.
—Louisville is 12-0 under head coach Jeff Brohm when it doesn’t commit a turnover.
—Louisville is 15-0 under Brohm when it wins the turnover battle and 8-8 when it doesn’t. This season, the Cardinals won the turnover battle in three straight games after losing it in the opener against Eastern Kentucky.
—Louisville has a 16-game winning streak when committing fewer turnovers than its opponent, last losing 31-16 at Clemson on Nov. 12, 2022.
—Louisville is 24-2 over the past five seasons when shutting out its opponent in the first quarter.
—Louisville has won 37 of its last 41 games when holding teams to less than 300 yards of offense. That record includes its first two games of the 2025 season.
—Louisville has won 17 straight games when holding its opponent scoreless in the first half.
—Since 2019, Louisville is 34-4 when winning the turnover battle, and just 7-24 when losing it.
—Louisville is 20-1 under Jeff Brohm when allowing less than 30 points.
—Louisville is 208-16 all-time when scoring 35 or more points in a game.
—Louisville is 142-4 all-time when scoring 40 or more points in a game, including an 83-3 mark since 2000. The Cards are 6-123 all-time when allowing opponents to score 40 or more points.
—Louisville is currently riding a consecutive game scoring streak that spans 318 games dating back to a 31-0 loss to Florida State during the 2000 season. The streak ranks as the second longest in the ACC behind only Virginia Tech, and the 10th-longest nationally.
Quotable:
—“They’ve gotten better each and every year, and the last two years we’ve had to come from behind in both games to find a way to win. And this team is playing very sharp and very crisp, so we’ll have our work cut out for us.” —Jeff Brohm
—“They’ve gone against some really good Louisville teams and it’s come down to the fourth quarter, but also to their understanding that, in our league, and where we want to be in our league toward the top, it’s going to be four quarter games every week down down to one possession. So they’re going to be excited to play. We just got to make sure that as we progress through the week that we don’t try to skip ahead, that we commit to the quality of work that it takes day in and day out in preparation to be ready to play your best on Saturday.” —Virginia head coach Tony Elliott
—”I think (Virginia QB Chandler Morris) is very competitive. I think he can burst and run. I think he is a little stouter and harder to tackle than [former Virginia quarterback Anthony Colandrea], with just as much speed. We’re going to have to get after him to play well. We’re going to have to physically show up to play well on Saturday.” —Ron English
—“Louisville is a good team and it’s always a good game, so I’m excited to play it.” —Virginia OL Noah Josey
—“They are playing very good as a team. I mean extremely well. Very efficient, not hurting themselves, making a lot of really big plays on both sides of the ball. Right now, they’re a dangerous team.” —Jeff Brohm
—“It’s a really good football team that is also two years removed from being in the ACC championship, right? So there’s guys on that team that have been there, that have done that. And they’re playing at home and they got a quote unquote ranked team coming in. They feel like they should be ranked. So I mean, there’s a lot of things that are going to make this a challenging opportunity for us, but our guys will be ready.” —Virginia head coach Tony Elliott
—“In the big scheme of things, we just won an ACC game. We wanted to be in the driver’s seat, and that’s all we did was keep ourselves in the driver’s seat. So now we’ve got to keep two hands on the wheel, put the seatbelt on, right? Make sure we check the rear-view mirror. Make sure we’re awake so that we don’t hit a pothole along the way.” —Virginia head coach Tony Elliott
Card Chronicle Prediction: Louisville 38, Virginia 31
