Clemson’s Next Opponent, Louisville, Has One Glaring Problem

When the Clemson Tigers take the floor at Littlejohn Coliseum on Saturday, they’ll do so against a talented Louisville team, but one that has shown clear weaknesses away from home.

Despite racking up 20 wins on the season and a No. 24 mark in this week’s Associated Press poll, the Cardinals have been alarmingly worse in games outside of the KFC Yum! Center.

Monday night’s 77-74 loss at No. 18 North Carolina dropped Louisville to a meager 3-6 road record. Of those six defeats, three have been by double digits. Tennessee shot 55 percent from the field en route to an 83-62 loss back in December, before two similar losses in conference play ensued.

No. 6 Duke made easy work of the Cards in late January, cruising to an 83-52 blowout win behind 19 points from Cam Boozer. Fellow postseason contender SMU piled on 95 more points just weeks later, handing Pat Kelsey’s team a ten-point loss.

The struggles haven’t just come against top-tier opponents, either. After a dominant 20-point win at California on Dec. 30, Louisville fell victim to a four-point loss at a middling Stanford team just days later.

FINAL: Stanford 80, No. 16 Louisville 76 🌲

Freshman phenom Ebuka Okorie was great once again for the Cardinal. 28-point performance to knock off a top 20 squad 😮‍💨

Stanford’s supporting cast played well too - 17 from Okpara and 12 from Agarwal 🔥 pic.twitter.com/lMEw8Aca3h
— The College Sports Company (@CollegeSportsCo) January 3, 2026

By contrast, Louisville has consistently shown its potential in the friendly confines of home. The team’s offense has been the driving force behind several victories.

At home in ACC play, Louisville is averaging 84 points per game while holding its opponents to just 72.8 points. That plus-11 scoring margin sticks out when compared to the road splits. The Cardinals average 80.7 points per game on the road, while allowing 77.7.

So, what does it mean for Clemson?

The Tigers are looking to snap a four-game losing streak when they take on Louisville this weekend. Last time out, the offense was the undoing of Brad Brownell’s team. A late two-point lead was erased by Florida State’s 7-0 run to seal a fourth straight Clemson loss.

That losing streak is the longest since a six-game slide in January 2022. Backcourt struggles on both ends of the floor have been one catalyst for this season’s woes. With just three games left in its regular season, Clemson will look to heat up and grab a second ranked win.

However, despite the Tigers’ recent woes, Louisville isn’t taking the team lightly. Second-year head coach Pat Kelsey had high praise for Clemson’s style of play and quality.

“We’ve got another [difficult] one on Saturday,” Kelsey said after the North Carolina loss. “Clemson's as tough and physical a team as we're going to play all year long, in a really tough environment. We’ve got to go in with the right mentality.”

Tip-off between Clemson and Louisville is set for 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. The ACC Network will televise the matchup.