Were I Jeff Brohm, here’s what I’d do this Saturday morning after the survival of a 28-14 win over James Madison.
Before going to the film room and breaking down the Cardinals woefully mediocre offensive performance.
Before a meeting with OL coach Richard Owens for a one on one, with perhaps an outside mediator to moderate.
I’d go buy a Powerball ticket.
Because Jeff Brohm is a lucky lucky lucky man.
Then again, given how the Cards pulled the victory out of the fire, Brohm’s luck might have been used
up.
Lucky because he survived that which I hyperbolically designated to several pals after it happened last night as “THE WORST PLAY CALLING SEQUENCE IN THE HISTORY OF LOUISVILLE FOOTBALL.”
I have to assume Brohm’s mentor Howard Schnellenberger swallowed his pipe when he observed how Brohm handled the situation when the Cardinals, up a wobbly 20-14, got the ball back on its own 36 yard line with 7:29 left.
First Down: Cards lined up in shotgun. Miller Moss sacked before he could get off a pass.
Second Down: Cards lined up in shotgun. Miller Moss 25 yard deep middle sling downfield to Chris Bell incomplete.
Third Down: Cards lined up in shotgun. Miller Moss deep left prayer to Antonio Meeks incomplete.
When running time off the clock and getting out of the RR Yard ASAP was imperative, Brohm called three passes and used up all of :59 seconds on the clock.
At a moment when manly man shove it down the Dukes’ throats four yards and a cloud of turf shards was called for, Jeff Brohm put the ball in the air or tried to. Three straight plays.
Yes, U of L’s OL had a terrible awful horrible night.
But the Cardinals still have the best running back in the land and the deepest RB Room in the sport, and you gotta figure JM’s DL is somewhat weary from all their aggressiveness.
But nooooooo.
Which was proven to be the case after the Cards’ D came up huge again and held the vanquished visitors to an ensuing 3 & Out.
Because on 2d down after getting the ball back, said Isaac Brown swept left, cut the diagonal, got an incredible block downfield from Caullin Lacy who shut off a JM safety who might have made a tackle, and sped 78 yards for the game sealer.
Jeff, buy that lottery ticket.
Heck, your team survived two botched conversion attempts.
In fact, buy a ticket — if it’s not an NCAA violation — for Brown.
And Clev Lubin, a humongous pickup in the Portal from Coastal Carolina by way of Army and Iowa Western, and Wesley Bailey and Jabari Mack and TJ Quinn and D’Angelo Hutchinson and Rene Conga and Antonio Watts and Jerry Lawson and Tayon Holloway.
Oh, for the whole defense.
And, Jeff, Riverboat Gambler that you ever are, be grateful for JM’s coach Bob Chesney. For he has the same propensities as you, including not sensing when to be prudent and ratchet it back a notch.
The last time I can recall seeing a position shuttling like what Chesney did with his duo of QBs was watching the Cleveland Browns in the 50s. When innovator par excellence, Paul Brown had two messenger guards who alternated plays with the call for Otto Graham. Abe Gibron was one, can’t think of the other.
Chesney did it with the guys playing his most important position. Seriously strange.
Cards won.
Oddly.
Not especially satisfying to be frank.
— c d kaplan
