Louisville finally made it to the ACC championship game in its 10th season, which was a big achievement and a bit ironic since they reached it with first-year coach Jeff Brohm, who is a native of the area.
The next challenge is building on this success, which might be tougher in the expanded Atlantic Coast Conference.
Louisville’s first task is to stop a three-game losing streak that ended last season. After starting 10-1 and earning a spot in the championship game against Florida State, the Cardinals faced tough losses to Kentucky, the Seminoles, and USC in the Holiday Bowl. These losses showed that the team needs to improve to compete for a spot in the now-expanded College Football Playoff.
Brohm says that part of the improvement needs to come from the coaching staff.
“There are things we could have done better,” he said. “To be competitive against the best teams, which we faced late in the season, you’ve got to be sharp in every aspect.”
The Cardinals start the season just outside the AP Top 25 and have a solid roster, returning 12 starters (seven on defense) and 27 lettermen for Brohm’s second season. They also added 27 transfers, including 13 on offense.
Louisville will likely depend on a strong defense that ranked 21st in FBS (317.1 yards allowed per game) and ninth against the run (99.8). Defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte (11 sacks) and defensive back Quincy Riley (49 tackles, three interceptions) both return for their senior seasons.
“We want the expectations high,” Brohm added. “Outside, we really don’t care but internally, they are and we want to try to play at a high level and figure out a way to play better than we did last year and in as many aspects as we can. It needs to show up on the field, by our play and by the results.”
