Louisville’s recent grind-it-out style has produced mixed results in their last two games, and coach Jeff Brohm is eager to change that before the toughest part of the season.
The No. 22 Cardinals need to increase their pace against a high-scoring SMU team, which has caught attention with two big wins since joining the ACC.
The Mustangs (4-1, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) come into Saturday’s game having outscored TCU and preseason conference favorite Florida State by a combined total of 108-58. Louisville (3-1, 1-0) hurt itself in last week’s 31-24 loss to Notre Dame by committing three turnovers in the first half that led to 17 points for the Irish.
The Cardinals fought back and had a chance to tie the game in the last minute, but they turned the ball over on downs after a crucial delay of game penalty.
Louisville needs to improve quickly or risk falling behind in the conference standings, especially with SMU leading into a tough six-game stretch that includes No. 8 Miami (5-0, 1-0) and games against No. 15 Clemson (3-1, 2-0) and Stanford, another new member along with Cal.
“We just have to find a way to be sharper with the turnover battle, try to limit big plays, execute in critical situations, have a good plan for that, and be better,” Brohm said. “It’s a lot of small things that add up when you’re facing good teams that you can’t have.”
Louisville has some positives to build on, like their 17th-ranked defense, allowing 271.5 yards per game, which helped them stay close by limiting Notre Dame to just 130 yards and a touchdown in the second half. They also outgained the Fighting Irish 395-280 but were hurt by their first turnovers of the season, six penalties for 50 yards, and allowing three sacks.
SMU’s first ACC game was a huge success as they defeated preseason favorite Florida State 42-16 in Dallas. Quarterback Kevin Jennings shined with career highs of 254 yards passing and three touchdowns in his second straight start.
That victory followed a 66-42 win over rival TCU, where the Mustangs scored three non-offensive touchdowns. SMU currently ranks 13th in FBS scoring with an average of 44 points per game, and coach Rhett Lashlee hopes his team can maintain that momentum during a three-game road stretch that includes Stanford and Duke after a bye week.
