A week after ending a two-game losing streak with a win against UConn on the road, the Tar Heels return home to face a Louisville squad on a four-game winning streak. Can UNC pull the upset and become bowl eligible for the first time under Coach Bill Belichick?
Louisville Cardinals
All-time Record
570–507–17, 14–13–1in bowl games
Best Former Player
The choice here really comes down to two players: Lamar Jackson and Johnny Unitas. Both former Cardinal quarterbacks have had impressive careers and even though Jackson has accomplished
a lot (two MVP awards, three All-Pros, and four Pro-Bowls) and is still active, I have to go with Unitas. The Hall of Famer Unitas, who has a trophy named after him, is a three-time MVP, eight-time All-Pro, and ten-time Pro Bowler. He led the league in passing yards and touchdowns four times and in passer rating three times. He also won a Super Bowl, three NFL Championships, and was named the NFL Man of the Year in 1970. He ranks 26th all time with 40,239 passing yards, 18th all time with 290 touchdowns, and 14th all-time with 118 wins.
Head Coach
Jeff Brohm. Brohm, a former Cardinals Quarterback who spent seven seasons in the NFL, is at his third head coaching stop after having previously coached at Western Kentucky and Purdue. Brohm, who is in his fourth season with his alma mater, is 100-59 overall and 34-15 at Louisville. Brohm has led his teams to ten bowl games across 12 seasons going 6-2 (he left for new jobs before coaching in bowl games for both the Hilltoppers and Boilermakers).
Last Season
Last season, Louisville went 9-4 and 4-4 in the ACC finishing in a five way tie for seventh. The Cardinals biggest win of the season came on the road in a three point victory over what was then an undefeated and second overall ranked Miami Hurricane squad. The season ended with a 27-22 Boca Raton Bowl win over Toledo.
This Season
This season, Louisville is 6-3 and 5-2 in the ACC, while currently riding the aforementioned four-game winning streak. The Cardinal’s preseason had high expectations as the team started ranked 24th overall, with those expectations only getting higher after a close neutral field loss to a top ten ranked Oie Miss. Louisville climbed as high as 16th before back to back losses to Wake Forest and NC State knocked them out of the rankings for good.
Key Players of Note
UNC’s defense should be very aware of junior quarterback Lincoln Kienholtz and junior running back Isaac Brown. Kienholtz, a transfer from Ohio State, is fourth in the ACC in passing yards, fifth in completion percentage and passer rating, and tied for sixth in passing touchdowns. Brown, who has spent his entire career with the Cardinals, ranks fifth in the conference in rushing yards and tied for sixth in rushing touchdowns. As I mentioned in my third quarter grades, UNC is really bad against the run and Brown has rushed for 423 yards and six touchdowns during Louisville’s current four game winning streak.
The Tar Heel’s offense should be aware of senior defensive lineman Clev Lubin and junior defensive back Kaleb Beasley. Lubin, a returning player who started his career at Coastal Carolina, is tied for third in the ACC with seven sacks while Beasley, a transfer from Tennessee, is tied for first in the conference with five interceptions.
Louisville is currently 0-2 against teams from the state of North Carolina but have won four of the last five against UNC including winning the past two times the teams have played. If the Tar Heels want to get to that elusive sixth win, they are going to need to make the Cardinals 0-3 against the State and get their first win against the school from Kentucky since 2011.
What do you think about the Tar Heels’ next opponent? Let us know in the comments below.
