Final Thoughts and Observations on Louisville vs. Bowling Green

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - While the Louisville football program certainly didn't put together a perfectly clean game against Bowling Green, it was still a complete one, using all three phases to come out on top with a 40-17 victory this past Saturday.

Before we close the book on the game and transition to the matchup at Pitt, I wanted to provide some closing thoughts and observations from the game against the Falcons:

First of all, yes this did wind up being a 23-point win. You can make the argument that this was one of the more complete games of the Jeff Brohm era, based solely on the contributions from all three phases of the game. Offense, defense and special teams all played massive roles in the winning outcome. That being said, anyone who watched the game knows that this was probably a game that Louisville should have won by at least 30 points, if not way more. There continues to be a bevy of little things piling up that don't necessarily warrant sounding the alarm bells quite yet, but certainly warrants some concern. Especially since this team was coming off of a bye week, and they still played far from a perfect game against an opponent that should have been put away at halftime.
The overall game plan on offense was certainly a lot better than it was in the last game vs. James Madison, but that's more of an indictment of how bad it was in that game. It's probably because Louisville opened the season against three non-power conference teams, but the play calling and overall approach seems very vanilla and conservative. Again, I don't have a massive issue with this considering the talent discrepancy, but I would think we would a few more wrinkles other than the flea flicker that should have been a touchdown and the fake double end around that was called back. My main quandary from this game was the fact that the short area play calling left a lot to be desired. It seemed like Brohm didn't have a firm feel for the down and distance for a big chunk of the game. It wasn't a massive issue, but still noteworthy if you ask me.
Like last game, I'm going to talk about the defense first, because once again, that side of the line of scrimmage put together a hell of an effort. Sure, there were a couple busted coverages and missed assignments scattered throughout the game that led to chunk plays. But for 90 percent of the afternoon, the Cardinals' defense kept the Falcons in check. My only real issue with the defense from this game was that there were 10 missed tackles from 10 different players.
The defensive line did a good job bending but not breaking against the run, while also getting good pressure on Drew Pyne - albeit they weren't super successful at turning that into sacks and tackles for loss. But that being said, take away that 75-yard scoring run, and Bowling Green ran for only 115 yards on 28 carries. Clev Lubin continues to play at an All-ACC level, whether it's rushing the passer, defending the run, or even getting a hand up in passing lanes. Rene Konga, Jordan Gueard and Wesley Bailey also did well when it came to generating push. It just would have been nice to see more sacks and tackles for loss generated.
This was the first game seeing the new-look linebacker rotation with Stanquan Clark likely out for the season, and even though Kalib Perry got the start in place of Clark, I actually came away most impressed with T.J. Capers during this game. He made an impact against the run, and moved well when sitting in pass coverage. Perry actually seemed to struggle a bit at times, and fellow starter T.J. Quinn was just fine.
As it pertains to coverage, I actually thought this was a great overall day. Like I said, there were a couple coverage busts, but for the most part, the back end was able to play tight coverage just long enough to allow the defensive line to make an impact or make a play themselves. The reads by both D'Angelo Hutchinson and Antonio Watts on their respective interceptions were both fantastic, and the rest of defensive backs seemed to hold their own down-in and down-out. We just have to hope that Tayon Holloway's injury isn't too bad.
Next, I'm actually going to show the special teams some love. While I think Cooper Ranvier's kicks did have a little bit too much hook on them, he did still go 3-fot-3 on field goals, so I can't complain too much. Also, Nick Keller's program-record 57-yard kick probably would have been good from 60 yards out. I'm perfectly fine with a platoon kicker system based on distance so long as it produces results. Also, not only did Caullin Lacy show off his wheels and agility yet again with another punt return for a touchdown, but he made a fantastic impact in the hidden yards category considering two of his other returns were one tackle away from scoring. Special teams, special players.
Okay, now we can talk about the offense. I probably sound like a broken record considering every Louisville fan and local pundit is saying the same things, but that side of the ball looks like a mess right now. Sure, not having Isaac Brown and Chris Bell at full strength, and not have Duke Watson at all is a massive obsticle. But even if all three were healthy, there are still some fundamental issues on offense.
I'm probably going to have a lot of people disagree with me, but I didn't think Miller Moss was the issue. Yes, he did have a few offline throws, and the flea flicker toss to Jaleel Skinner should have been a touchdown if he just stands still. But for the majority of the game, but was accurate and efficient, letting his playmakers make plays in space, and he was able to get in a solid rhythm in the second and third quarters. My main criticism of Moss in this games (and really, of the season), is that he continues to struggle picking up on pressure that is on his ball side or directly in front of him.
My main issue with the offense, and really the team as a whole, is the play of the offensive line. Once again, this unit struggled to enforce their will at the point of attack, especially against the run. Far too often, Bowling Green was able to set the tone in the trenches, and clog up rushing lanes almost instantly. Additionally, the pass blocking wasn't great either, and BGSU wasn't exactly sending the kitchen sink like JMU was. The left side of the line, Mahamane Moussa and Rasheed Miller, had particularly bad games. What's most alarming is that this play has come against three of the easiest opponents on the schedule, and the front sevens that this OL will face will only get more difficult from here on out. Something has to be figured out on the offensive front, and fast.
Also, penalties, again, continue to be a big issue. All seven penalties committed by Louisville (six were accepted) came on the offensive side of the ball, and this included *four* holding calls. Penalties wiped out 63 yards worth of offense, including Lacy's fake end around and a first down catch by Skinner.
However, it wasn't all bad on offense for Louisville. In fact, the skill position players here actually did fairly well. If anything, this was a game that proved that Lacy needs to get more touches than he previously was getting considering he was the most consistent pass catcher. Bell also deserves some recognition for playing hurt and still making an impact in the passing game. Dacari Collins was also finally able to flash his big play capabilities. Keyjuan Brown, in spite of the poor O-Line play, had a career day on the ground. Skinner continues to get involved in the game plan as well. It was also great to see Nate Kurisky and Jamarice Wilder make their season debuts after injuries held them out of the first two games.
I'll close with this thought: Louisville's ACC schedule looks a lot more manageable than it did a few weeks ago. Clemson and SMU are in free fall, Virginia Tech already fired their head coach, Cal was just humbled in stunning fashion, and Pitt folded in their first game against a power conference team. But if the Cardinals don't fix their various issues, especially on offense, then they are wasting what has the potential to be a special season.

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