Three Louisville Players Who Could Give Clemson Headaches This Week

The Clemson Tigers are up against a team with the weapons capable of toppling the competition

Louisville has been tougher on stiffer competition | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Following a 24-10 win over Florida State last Saturday, the Clemson Tigers are aiming to put a bow on their disappointing season with a strong finish to the year.

As the Tigers prepare for their upcoming matchup against the Louisville Cardinals, Clemson Tigers on SI takes a look at three notable opposing players to keep an eye on.

Chris Bell, Wide Receiver

Bell is probably giving Tigers defensive coordinator Tom Allen nightmares as we speak. 

At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, the Mississippi native is built like a tight end, giving him the size and lower body strength to be a dangerous target in the open field.

This season, he leads the ACC with six receiving touchdowns and also has the third-most catches (62) and receiving yards (792) in the conference.

His best game of the season came against No.24 Virginia, where he hauled in 12 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He was also a key contributor in the Cardinals’ upset win over No.2 Miami, when he caught nine passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns.

For a team that has struggled with both pass coverage and open-field tackling, expect to hear Bell’s name called on a loop throughout Saturday.

Keyjuan Brown, Running Back 

With star running back Isaac Brown expected to be sidelined on a Saturday, the Cardinals have another productive running back who's ready to step up and take on an increased workload. 

This season, the sophomore has rushed 66 times for a total of 457 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 6.9 yards per carry.

His best game of the season came against California last week, when he rushed 14 times for 136 yards while averaging 9.6 yards per carry.

As a balanced back, he has enough acceleration to break off the long runs, but he also maintains the physicality to lower his shoulder and get an extra yard or two when needed.

TJ Quinn, Linebacker

Now in his fifth year at Louisville, Quinn has established himself as the Cardinals' top defensive playmaker over the past few years.

The Valdosta native currently leads the Cardinals with 67 tackles (top ten in the ACC) and is second on the team in interceptions.

Quinn’s best game of the season came against Pittsburgh, when he snagged two interceptions while also totaling five tackles.

As a sideline-to-sideline tackler who is also impactful in pass coverage, expect Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik to be identifying him pre-snap ahead of each play.