LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (6-1, 3-1) at Virginia Tech Hokies (3-5, 2-2)
Game Time: 3 p.m.
Location: Lane Stadium: Blacksburg, Va.
Television: The CW
Announcers: Thom Brennaman (play-by-play), Will Blackmon (analyst) and Wes Bryant (sideline)
Favorite: Louisville by 10.5
All-Time
Series: Virginia Tech leads, 6-3
Last Meeting: Louisville won, 34-3, on Nov. 4, 2023 in Louisville
Series History:
Statistics:
Depth Chart:
Louisville Uniforms:
Virginia Tech Uniforms:
Unknown (probably maroon and white and orange)
Relevant Videos:
Injury Reports:
Louisville Cardinals
OUT
- LB #6 Stanquan Clark
- QB #17 Travis Egan
- RB #26 Duke Watson
- RB #33 Jamarice Wilder
- RB #43 Shammai Gates
- OL #57 Naeer Jackson
- OL #76 Tyler Folmar
PROBABLE
- N/A
PROBABLE
- N/A
Virginia Tech Hokies
OUT
- S #0 Quentin Reddish
- CB #5 Joshua Clarke
- WR #6 Keylen Adams
- WR #7 Chanz Wiggins
- CB #17 Caleb Brown
- RB #24 Braydon Bennett
- CB #35 Jojo Crim
- DL #52 Sherrod Henderson
- DL #57 James Jennette
- OL #66 Montavious Cunningham
- OL #77 Brody Meadows
- WR #80 L.J. Booker
- WR #86 Joseph Hobbs
- TE #88 Zeke Wimbush
- DL #90 Andrew Hanchuk
QUESTIONABLE
- TE #87 Harrison Saint Germain
PROBABLE
- N/A
About Virginia Tech:
OFFENSE
Virginia Tech made the classic mistake of not firing its coach last season, which led the folks in charge to have to fire him three games into this season. Brent Pry couldn’t get over the hump during his time in Blacksburg, and his team looked overmatched in each game to start the season. Phillip Montgomery has stepped in to finish the season, and the results have been mostly positive. Montgomery is 3-2, and the Hokies have been competitive in each game since he took over.
As with all teams, the offense starts and stops at the quarterback position. Few teams are impacted by this fact as Tech is. Kyron Drones has been the biggest factor in this team’s offensive performance since he stepped on campus a few years ago. Drones has been the focal point of the passing game and the running game for three years now, and you can typically bank on a win or loss based on his performance.
Drones has been flat-out volatile this year as a runner and a passer, but he is coming off his best game of the year against Cal. Drones only completed half of his passes, but he threw for 3 touchdowns and ran for 2 scores to go along with 137 rushing yards. The Tech offense uses a lot of misdirection, with Drones being tasked with making reads on RPO plays and option runs. He struggles mightily to make the correct decision consistently. If he’s on his game, he can take it over, and that usually starts with his legs. If he gets going on the ground, it opens things up for him to use his big-time arm down the field.
The Hokies have two backs who are averaging over six yards per carry, and they combine for over 120 yards per game on the ground. Marcellous Hawkins is the starter in the backfield at 5-11/219 while Terion Stewart backs him up at 5-9/222. This is one of the biggest backfields in the country when you add in Drones at 6-2/235. They figured out that running the ball is the identity of their offense last in the game last week against Cal, when they scored on a 9-play drive with nothing but running plays.
The Hokies tend to look to stay balanced even with Drones’ struggles as a passer. Couple that with his questionable decisions as a passer, and I think that the success on the ground against Cal will lead to an adjustment. I expect the Cards to get a heavy dose of this running game, with Hawkins being a potential problem for the Cards. He runs hard, but he also has good speed in space. UofL has to continue its strong play against the run this weekend.
Tech doesn’t have a great group of receivers, but they are experienced players. Ayden Greene is the top option on the outside, with Donovan Greene manning the other outside receiver spot. Throw in Takye Heath in the slot, and you get a solid group of pass catchers who don’t exactly give you a lot of concern. However, these guys are plenty capable of making the common plays that the Hokies will need if the run game gets going. They all have enough speed to beat single coverage, and Heath is specifically a guy who can take a short pass and turn it into a big gain with his speed.
The issues on offense may lie at the feet of Drones, but the offensive line is right behind him in line. The Hokies rank 128th in pass blocking and 124th in run blocking per PFF. Some of the pass blocking issues come from Drones’ decision making, but the run blocking shows up when you watch the Tech running backs meeting contact early on every carry. There are also times when Drones is getting pressured directly after the snap. If there is an area where the Cards have a major advantage, it’s up front in this matchup.
DEFENSE
The Virginia Tech football program was built on defense under Frank Beamer and Bud Foster. The defense has fallen off after the Beamer regime ended, and the Hokies’ identity doesn’t seem to have the same blue-collar mentality Beamer built in Blacksburg. Brent Pry went with an NFL hire for his new defensive coordinator this year, and the results haven’t been great. The Hokies are ranked 103rd in the country in yards per play. Numbers like that are why Pry was fired so early in the season.
Up front, the Hokies are struggling to be disruptive or cause much havoc, but they do help the defense from a run defense standpoint. Kemari Copeland and Kevin Gilliam are somewhat undersized in the middle for the Hokies, but both have been solid for the defense. Copeland is coming off a huge game against Cal, where he had three sacks. Ben Bell is the key player on the line for the Hokies on the edge, with 28 pressures on the season. Bell is a high-motor pass rusher, and the Cards will have to account for him in passing situations.
Linebacker is the strength of the defense, with a strong veteran presence and productivity. Kaleb Spencer, Caleb Woodson, and Jalen Keller are mainstays in the second level, and they all do a good job in run defense. Woodson has missed some time this year, but leads the team in tackles per game, while Spencer leads in overall tackles. Keller led the team in tackles last season, so you can get a feel for how important these guys are to the defense.
Where this group struggles is in coverage. Keller is being picked on by defenses to the tune of being the second-most-targeted defender on the team. When he’s targeted, he’s being beaten regularly. Spencer is allowing 17.3 yards per catch in coverage, and neither player has been able to limit big plays. Woodson hasn’t given up many big plays, but he has allowed two touchdowns. This is an area the Cards should look to exploit, especially with play-action passes.
Tech’s pass defense is flat-out putrid at this point in the season. They rank among the worst teams in the country in passer rating allowed, completion percentage allowed, and yards per attempt allowed. PFF ranks them 132nd in the country in their coverage grade, and when you watch their games, it’s obvious that they have real issues in their secondary.
Isaiah Brown-Murray is the one player in the secondary who has been solid in coverage. He has allowed one big play on the year, but outside of that play, he has done well to keep things in front of him, even when he gives up a catch. The rest of the group is a real liability, and the lack of a pass rush doesn’t help. The Cards have struggled to throw the ball all season, but this secondary should give them the opportunity to get things going.
Motivational Tweets:
Excitement Level: 8.6
Feels like another game where we should flip this back to the old “anxiety meter.” I am terrified.
Game Attire: Red Louisville Football hoodie
This is the road game attire until I’m given a reason to change.
Pregame Meal: Suburban fish fry fish sandwich
I’ve only been able to make it out there once so far this fall. That changes on Saturday.
Bold Prediction: Louisville takes a Virginia Tech turnover inside the Hokie 10 but doesn’t score
We’ve hit a cold spell here, so why not go with the most specific and unlikely bold prediction of the season?
Jeff Brohm Tick Play Alert Level: Wild Blue Yonder (decent)
This is an only if needed situation.
Predicted Star of the Game: TJ Quinn
Defense has got to stifle the Virginia Tech running attack for us to win this game. I’m banking on TJ Quinn to lead the charge of limiting Marcellous Hawkins’ production and forcing Kyran Drones to beat us with his arm.
Notable:
—Despite joining the conference in 2014, Louisville will be playing an ACC game at Virginia Tech for the first time on Saturday.
—Louisville, ranked No. 16 in this week’s AP Top 25 poll, is 87-35 all-time when playing as a team ranked in the AP Top 25. The Cards are 8-7 in such games under head coach Jeff Brohm, including 1-0 this season.
—This is the 164th week in program history that Louisville has been ranked in the AP poll.
—The home team has won six of the eight campus meetings in the series between these two teams.
—Louisville is 8-3 in road games under the direction of head coach Jeff Brohm.
—Louisville and Virginia Tech have played just twice as ACC opponents, with both winning a game. The Hokies topped the Cards, 42-35, at L&N Stadium in 2020. The Cardinals returned the favor with a 34-3 blowout win at home in 2023.
—Louisville is 0-3 all-time in road games against Virginia Tech, but hasn’t faced the Hokies in Blacksburg since 1991.
—Louisville Head Coach Jeff Brohm played for the Cardinals from 1989-93 and was opposite the Hokies twice as a player. Brohm was injured and missed Louisville’s 41-13 loss in Blacksburg during the 1991 season but led the Cards to a 21-17 victory in Louisville the following season.
—The Cards have four Virginians on the roster: DB Tayon Holloway (Virginia Beach, Va.), DB Nigel Williams (Powhatan, Va.), DL Denzel Lowry (Virginia Beach, Va.), and TE Nate Kurisky (Leesburg, Va.).
—Virginia Tech special teams coordinator Stu Holt spent three seasons at Louisville (2019-21) coaching special teams and tight ends under former Cards’ coach Scott Satterfield.
—Louisville picked up its sixth win of the season last week against Boston College, making the Cardinals bowl eligible for the 25th time in the last 29 seasons.
—Louisville has won four consecutive games away from home and is 2-0 in road games this season.
—Louisville is 36-25 all-time in road games when playing as a ranked team in the AP top 25 poll.
—Virginia Tech is 20-76 all-time in games against AP top 25 opponents.
—The Hokies have lost six straight and 15 of their last 16 games against teams ranked in the AP top 25 poll.
—Virginia Tech’s lone win over a top 25 opponents over the last decade was a 17-10 season-opening win over preseason No. 10 North Carolina in 2021.
—Virginia Tech is 10-23 all-time in conference games against ranked opponents.
—Louisville ranks second in the country in interceptions forced per game (2.0).
—Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm is 1-0 in games against Virginia Tech.
—Virginia Tech was the first program to fire its head coach this season when it let go of Brent Pry on Sept. 14 firing the Hokies’ 0-3 start. Interim head coach Phillip Montgomery has gone 3-2 since Pry’s firing.
—Louisville has scored at least 24 points in 21 consecutive games, the longest such streak in the FBS. Memphis State has the second longest streak at 15 consecutive games.
—Louisville hasn’t lost by more than 7 points in 20 consecutive games, the third longest streak in the country.
—Louisville enters Saturday ranked 14th in the country in total defense, allowing just 286.3 yards of offense per game.
—The state of Virginia has produced four Kentucky Derby winners: Reigh Count (1928), Secretariat (1973), Pleasant Colony (1981) and Sea Hero (1993).
—Marcus Vick is a douche.
—Louisville is looking to start 7-1 in a season for the second time in the last three years. The Cardinals reached the 7-1 mark in 2023 with a 34-3 win over Virginia Tech.
—Louisville is allowing an average of 3.2 yards per carry — the 17th-best mark nationally.
—Under Jeff Brohm, Louisville is 12-1 in games in which it rushes for 200 yards or more.
—Louisville has not allowed an opponent to rush for 200 yards in a game this season.
—The Louisville defense has allowed just one rushing play of 20 yards or more this season.
—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 is 166-176-5 all-time in the month of November, including a 64-95-3 mark on the road.
—Louisville is 1-9-1 all-time in games played on Nov. 1. Their last appearance on the date was a 28-21 loss at Syracuse in 2008. The Cards haven’t won a game played on Nov. 1 since a 20-0 victory over Butler in 1913.
—Louisville is 6-2 in the month of November under head coach Jeff Brohm.
—Louisville is 13-0 in ACC regular season games under Jeff Brohm when allowing fewer than 30 points. They are 2-5 when allowing 30 points or more.
—Louisville is 52-42 all-time in ACC games, and 15-5 in ACC games under Jeff Brohm.
—No ACC head coach has won more games since the start of the 2023 season than Jeff Brohm.
—Louisville leads the nation in rushes of 60 yards or more (5).
—Louisville’s Caullin Lacy leads the FBS in total punt return yards as well as punt return yards per 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 16-0 under Jeff Brohm when it wins the turnover battle and 9-9 when it doesn’t. Louisville’s only loss this season came in a game against Virginia where the Cardinals lost the turnover battle, 2-0.
—Louisville has a 17-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 42 games when holding teams to less than 300 yards of offense. The Cards lost to Virginia earlier this season despite holding the Cavaliers to 237 yards of offense.
—Louisville has won 17 straight games when holding its opponent scoreless in the first half.
—Since 2019, Louisville is 35-4 when winning the turnover battle, and just 7-25 when losing it.
—Louisville is 22-1 under Jeff Brohm when allowing fewer than 30 points.
—Louisville is 209-16 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 321 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 8th-longest nationally.
Quotable:
—”We’ve got another great opportunity this week to go on the road to Virginia Tech, a place we have not played. It will be a great environment for our guys to play in. I know the stadium gets loud and is a good atmosphere so hopefully that will be a great experience for us.” —Jeff Brohm
—“We’ve got a great test in front of us. Louisville, think they’re (No.) 16 in one poll, 17 in the other, so you’ve got a top-20 matchup.” —Virginia Tech interim head coach Phillip Montgomery
—“I think they’re just a great team overall. They remind me a lot of (Vanderbilt), you just look across the board, just a lot of great guys that are really good at what they do, they stick to what they do, and it works for them.” —Virginia Tech OL Johnny Garrett
—”Every game we play we feel like we have a chip on our shoulder, whether we’re playing EKU or No. 2 Miami. At the end of the day it’s a football game that we’ve got to go out there and execute and win. I feel like it’s not about just being ranked, it’s about continuously doing what we train to do every weekend.” —Wesley Bailey
—”Coach [Brohm] always talks about a one game season and we understand that each and every week we’ve got to go earn it. Whether we’re ranked or unranked, win, lose, or draw, we’ve got a job to do and that’s what we’re focusing on – our execution.” —Rasheed Miller
—“(Chris Bell and Caullin Lacy are) very explosive guys. They’re going to give us a lot of challenges.” —Virginia Tech CB Isaiah Brown-Murray
—“You’ve got to go down there and cut loose on game day and not make critical mistakes. It’s definitely a home-field advantage.” —Jeff Brohm
—“You look at what they’ve done defensively, everybody’s struggled running the football against them. They’re in the top of the conference in almost every defensive category, so they do a great job.” —Virginia Tech interim head coach Phillip Montgomery
—“They’re a very attacking defense. They do a great job in takeaways, they get you behind the chains, they bring you a lot of different pressure looks, and then they make you get into a situation where you put the ball in jeopardy. They’ve gotten a lot of interceptions from that, so we’ve got to do a good job of trying to stay ahead of the chains and be patient, but also you’ve got to stay aggressive to try to put a little bit more pressure on them.” —Virginia Tech interim head coach Phillip Montgomery
—”I just think for us – as boring as it sounds – a one game season is what we always preach. We talk about it, we work it. I think our guys fully understand, whether you win or lose one week, you’ve got to go win the next game. You can’t get too high when you win, and you can’t get too frustrated when you lose, otherwise you’re not going to win the next game.” —Jeff Brohm
Card Chronicle Prediction: Louisville 30, Virginia Tech 27
