VIRGINIA WON’T BE BOTHERED BY THE ATMOSPHERE
I don’t have the means to check for this information, but I have to imagine that Virginia is one of the most veteran teams in the country. Their depth chart
only lists five non-seniors on the offensive side of the ball. The total number of non-seniors on the depth chart overall is 19, which is unbelievably low. For context, UofL has 5 underclassmen on the depth chart between the quarterback and running back positions alone.
This team was purposely built to be veteran and experienced, so I don’t expect anyone to have an issue with what I expect to be a lively Louisville crowd. I also don’t think that this team will have an issue handling any adversity during the game if the Cards get a lead. Their game against FSU was at home, but they handled big momentum swings like you would want a veteran team to handle them.
LOUISVILLE HAS TO GET THE RUNNING GAME GOING THIS WEEKEND
Virginia’s defense has been solid this season, but the numbers for them are a bit deceiving. They have played three Power 4 teams so far this year, but they were gashed by two of those teams. NC State and Florida State specifically gashed them in the run game, with NC State averaging over 6 yards per carry on the day. While both State and FSU have consistent run games that are a feature of the offense, the Cards are supposed to have a consistent running game.
The Cards have to find a way to get the running game going, and at this point, it has to get going in spite of the offensive line. Louisville doesn’t have options on the bench to help with the issues on the line unless they just choose to live with the growing pains that would come with those changes. So, I’m looking for Jeff Brohm to start getting creative with the running game to find some space for their talented backs. If they can’t line up and run the ball this weekend, it’s time to pull out all of the stops.
THIS GAME COULD BE A SHOOTOUT
Louisville figured some things out last weekend on both sides of the ball. The defense struggled in the first half, but they were able to get things corrected in the second half and pitch a shutout with three forced turnovers. The offense started off poorly, with Miller Moss unable to get the passing game going, with the running game still struggling to do anything. Moss got it going in the second half with a great showing where he took what the defense gave him, and Jeff Brohm dialed up two great touchdown calls.
Virginia’s offense is ranked in the top five in scoring and yards per game, and they’ll test every aspect of UofL’s improved defense. While I think the defense is improved, Pitt’s offense exposed some issues with pass coverage down the field, and for the second straight game, the pass rush wasn’t what we expected after the first two games of the season. I think both of these defenses will struggle to get stops, and the scoreboard could be on tilt.
CHANDLER MORRIS CAN BE LOOSE WITH THE FOOTBALL
The Louisville defense is coming off a game where they took full advantage of a quarterback who didn’t value the football in Eli Holstein. Well, Chandler Morris tends to turn the ball over as well throughout his career. Morris threw three interceptions against FSU last weekend, and all of them were ill-advised throws down the field. Morris also threw 12 picks at North Texas last season after throwing 5 in six games for TCU the year before.
Morris’s picks tend to come in bunches. Last Friday was the third time he has thrown 3 interceptions in one game. He’s thrown 2 picks in a game another two times in his career as well. The Cards have picked off multiple passes in the last two games, and they should be on the lookout for more opportunities this weekend.
MILLER MOSS WILL HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE EFFICIENT
Virginia’s defense can be described as “bend but don’t break” as they look to keep things in front of them as opposed to forcing the issue like Pitt did this past weekend. They don’t want to give up big plays, so they typically have a safety deep in coverage while their corners play off coverage more often than not. They’re fine with letting the opposing offense complete passes, but they have defenders at the catch to keep gains short and ready to make the tackle.
There should be plenty of space for the Louisville receivers to get open against zone coverage, and the short passing game has worked well so far this season. The UofL receivers should also have no issue beating UVA’s secondary in man coverage. It’s not really where they excel, and the Cards just have better athletes in Chris Bell and Caullin Lacy. Moss will have a great opportunity to pick up where he left off against Pitt and have an efficient game, getting the ball to his receivers to let them make plays after the catch.
