Late Game Adjustments, Comeback Culture Serve as Critical Piece in Louisville's Win Over Virginia

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - For the last couple weeks, the Louisville football program had been on cruise control. Heading into their weeknight matchup against Virginia, the Cardinals had won their last two games against Duke and Virginia Tech by a combined margin of victory of 57-3. Considering they entered their Thursday night showdown with the Cavaliers as a three-score favorite, there was reason to believe that Louisville was heading towards another blowout victory.

Instead, the Cards were pushed to the brink, and almost to the point of no return. But with a berth to the ACC Championship - as well as their hopes for an outside chance at making the College Football Playoff - on the line, Louisville was able to avoid a massive letdown at home in front of a national television audience, mounting a late comeback to pull through with a 31-24 victory.

"I am really proud of our guys," head coach Jeff Brohm said after the win. "This team, Virginia, came ready to play. They have had big wins at North Carolina, took Miami into overtime. They know how to play football."

Throughout most of the night, Louisville's offense had trouble getting any sort of a rhythm going. They came away with points on just one of their first nine offensive drives of the contest, and through three quarters, had just 236 yards of offense.

Even their stout defense, which pitched a first half shutout, found themselves in a bind after halftime. The Cavaliers started firing on all cylinders in the third quarter, and in that period alone, they put up 21 points and 194 yards of offense.

Louisville was undoubtedly on the ropes heading into the fourth quarter, trailing by a touchdown and momentum squarely in the other direction. But their confidence didn't waiver. Like Derby City native Muhammad Ali, the Cardinals were able to dodge the knockout blow and respond with a counter.

"Well, I think we have a good coaching staff that we try to preach hard work and preparation – all those things," Brohm said. "Talking through them that everything is not always going to go perfectly. Everything is not going to be exactly how you design it. Some days some guys are going to make more plays. Some days another guy is going to make more plays. You just have to hang in there and play together. These guys stuck together."

The two teams traded field goals in the first few minutes of the fourth quarter, then Louisville - assisted by a much more poised Jack Plummer and adjustments from head coach Jeff Brohm - capitalized on their opportunity to rally.

Plummer found a streaking Ahmari Huggins-Bruce deep in the middle of the field, hitting him nearly completely in stride for a game-tying 52-yard touchdown. Louisville's defense, partially assisted by a critical Virginia penalty, forced the Cavs to punt. On the very next play, with just over three minutes to go, Isaac Guerendo burst through the line of scrimmage for a 73-yard go-ahead score. The ensuing Virginia possession then resulted in a turnover on downs forced by the Louisville defense.

"The last drive that we had, we just called a few little simple play action plays and Jack (Plummer) did a good job of throwing to the open guy and finding the check-down a few times," Brohm said. "Then we took one shot down deep and Ahmari (Huggins-Bruce) did a great job of getting open. Looking back, I have to find Ahmari and our slot receivers the ball more. We were running the ball well and not throwing it a whole lot, but I need to do a better job there.

"Our defense got a good stop and got us the ball back. We ran a play to the weak side and our line did a great job of blocking and Isaac (Guerendo) had a couple of good series there, so we stayed with him. He took it, headed downhill and saw the crease and they couldn't catch him. It was just a good play and great blocking by our offensive line. We needed it. You just have to hang in there and play to the end. It wasn't perfect, but I am proud that we hung in there and found a way to win this game."

A comeback like this didn't just happen. It was a result of numerous lessons learned over the course of the season. Against teams like Georgia Tech, Indiana and NC State earlier in the season, Louisville found themselves with their backs against the wall, but were able to dig deep down and pull out a win. While their upset loss to Pitt tarnished Louisville's perfect record, it also served as a valuable lesson for both the players and coaches alike.

Over the course of the season, a culture of winning, a culture of hanging in towards the end no matter the circumstances, has already been established in a short amount of time at Louisville. That culture, and the impact it has both on the gridiron and in the minds of every player in a Cardinals uniform, played a big role in helping them emerge victorious.

"Well I think it matters," Brohm said. "We try to provide an environment here where starting with myself and working with our coaches and players, we got to put the work in and it has got to be visible. You have to be willing to do your part and I think when things don't go your way and you make mistakes, I have to take blame first and then we move it to the coaches and then we try to figure it out with the players how to get it done.

"... I think it is a good nucleus of guys. They like coming over to this building, they like playing in this stadium. They want to win. They know it's not always going to be perfect, but I think as long as you play to the end, we don't lose confidence, we continue to fight and battle throughout the entire game, hopefully when it is over you have one more point than they do. I think for the most part this year we have done a good job of that."

As a result, Louisville can now finish no worse than a tie for second in the ACC standings, and they are now all but assured to make it to Charlotte, N.C. for the ACC Championship. Depending on how things shake out this weekend around the ACC, they could clinch a spot before their final road conference game of the season next weekend at Miami.

It would still behoove themselves to take care of business against the Canes when they head to Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 18 at noon. But signs point towards a Louisville-Florida State bout for the ACC title, thanks in large part to their ability to finish when it matters most.

(Photo of Joey Gatewood: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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