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The record book says that going into Saturday night Louisville football had never officially played the University of California, but the story that unfolded over the course of the next three or four hours was one that was all too familiar. During the season we as fans have been challenged to try and ‘live in the moment’ and enjoy the triumphs of an overwhelmingly successful year, but it was difficult to ignore the warning signs week in and week out even when the win and loss columns continued to grow further apart. We only get so many of these. Enjoy it. Enter the first official CFP rankings of 2025 and the narrative was painted not by the Louisville faithful, but nationally, that the Cards were being disrespected, the resume was there to be considered a much stronger challenger, and the Cards were legitimate playoff contenders….insert collapse here. Whether we go back to the BCS era, the four team playoff, or now the expanded playoff, the moment the spotlight hits the Cards, the moment folks outside the confines of Louisville Kentucky start to notice, the team finds a way to lose it before the light even gets warm. There is no mincing of words or positive spin today. The Cards were primed to play their way into an ACC title game they likely would have been favored in, no matter the opponent, and then possibly host a playoff game in what would have been the biggest game in Louisville history. It’s gone. All of it. Louisville fans felt this loss coming from a mile away, and their opponent traveled over 2,300 of them to make it official.
OFFENSE In the last few weeks I felt as if this offense was slowing picking away at what I believed to be a precious gem buried beneath the surface. Chip, chip….the running game is making progress. Chip, chip….Moss is finding success in the short game. Chip, chip….Jeff has unearthed the power of the QB sneak. Chipping, and chipping, ready to see the first glimmer of the full offense on display, the offense run by what many consider one of the best play callers in the country. Chipping, and chipping, and then instead of a previous jewel, we have unearthed…. a significant amount of ‘coprolite’ (Google it). I’ll spare you the details, you watched it with your own two eyes I’m sure, but in a game that was ‘must win’ against an opponent who was fighting for their last breath losing three of four, the offense looked like it had no interest in fighting for everything that was at stake. Keyjuan Brown and the offensive line where the only positives I took from a unit that has enough weapons to legitimately field a Top 15 offense, but is currently struggling to stay in the Top 15 in the ACC. Piling onto the QB position brings no additional value at this point, but if what we trot out there each week is the best option, then there needs to be significant accountability about talent evaluation both in the portal and on the high school recruiting trail. This is not the way Louisville takes the next step.
DEFENSE Singing the praises of this unit for weeks and weeks felt incredible, as a lover of solid defensive football what they had been doing to impose their will against various opponents was beautiful to watch. Then 5’7” ‘Baby (De) Jesus’ walked into Cardinal Stadium with a southpaw slinger by his side, and they played pitch and catch for four straight quarters. English had been a master at adjustments this year, playing dominant second half football, and to his credit, the Cards only allowed two field goals in regulation after the halftime break, but it never felt like they were shutting down the Bears, just delaying the pain until later. While any given week one player can go and have a standout performance, the vibes all night were that Cal was confusing Louisville with unique formations, tons of movement, and a QB that could make just about any throw on the field when called upon. Man coverage, zone coverage, dropping your edge rushers into coverage, nothing seemed to work in slowing their offense except penalties and pressure. While the final score would indicate that the defense held its own, statistically it was the worst game of the season, against an opponent you were favored to beat by three scores. If we’re handing out slices of pie for who’s to blame this unit isn’t getting the largest piece, but it certainly isn’t getting a ‘sliver’ either.
SPECIAL TEAMS Sans a couple headscratchers from the punt unit, which at this point we just have to accept as reality of what will happen the remainder of the year, the special teams unit played great. Cal learned from others and aimed punts to the sideline all night, including a shank which should have setup a game winner. Coop was absolutely nails again going 4-4 with a 49 yarder, and I think he may be the most reliable player on the whole team. While it looked like Coach Mas saw some things on special teams with the way we were attempting to block field goals, including running past the ball on one, they never got home on those or on a punt. This was an element which helped significantly in 2024 but has been lacking all season. Add it to the list, I guess. P.S. Pay Coop.
