With the 2025 season just days away and Louisville football fans anxiously waiting for the first kickoff, what do the Cardinals have to do to return to the ACC Championship game and have another successful season? Louisville doesn't just want to secure another nine-win season, but they want to take that next step and punch their ticket to their first-ever College Football Playoffs.
So with their eyes set on history, head coach Jeff Brohm talked to the media today, and throughout his press conference, he made it clear that there are three crucial keys to the Cardinals' 2025 season. So, here are the three most important keys for the Louisville Cardinals heading into the 2025 season.
3. Get playmakers involved
The Cardinals have many playmakers on offense, and it is crucial to get them all involved. Entering the 2025 season, Louisville has two Preseason All-ACC nominees in Isaac Brown and Chris Bell, but the list doesn't stop there. Duke Watson and Caullin Lacy are also incredibly explosive and talented, and will be crucial playmakers on this offense.
Last season, Louisville was the only team to score 24 points or more, and this season, they should be able to dominate even more. Brown and Watson emerge as one of the best running back rooms in the nation as they combined for 1,770 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. The two tailbacks led the nation in yards per carry as Watson averaged 8.9 yards per carry and Brown averaged 7.1 yards per carry.
On the outside, the wide receiver room is talented, but Lacy and Brown stand out the most. Bell is emerging as a potential first-round draft pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and Lacy has high expectations after his 2023 season with South Alabama, where he was a top-seven receiver in the league.
The tools are there for Louisville to dominate offensively, so it’s just a matter of staying healthy and utilizing all the Cardinals' weapons.
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2. Make life easy for Miller Moss
Miller Moss has big shoes to fill as he will come in as Jeff Brohm's third consecutive quarterback from the Transfer Portal, and the previous two threw for 3,000 yards or more and went on to achieve nine wins or more. The Cardinals are on the verge of taking that next step, but to do so, they must make life easy for Moss.
Louisville has three easy opponents to start the season, to help the 4-star transfer find his groove and gain chemistry with the offense. This is the best thing for Brohm and his Cardinals, as Moss needs to ease his way into the season and regain his confidence after a disappointing season last year.
Brian Brohm and his offense must do everything they can this season to keep Moss healthy, but also to make it come easy for him. Rely on the run and don't overuse Moss. The Cardinals have playmakers all around him; be sure to use those playmakers. Isaac Brown and Duke Watson are the stars of this offense. Give them some more carries, don't overcomplicate things, and let the passing game develop and Moss get comfortable as the season progresses.
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1. Limit the big plays
How many times has Brohm mentioned limiting the big plays? But, he is right. If Louisville wants to beat Miami, SMU, or Clemson this season, it can't give up the big plays over its head. The defensive line must get pressure on the quarterback, and the secondary must keep the ball in front and be in position to make a play.
The Cardinals' defense is coming off a massive letdown of a season where they struggled to force turnovers and get sacks. This defense must step up as a whole to limit the big plays. There are a lot of new faces, and many roles to fill. But Brohm is confident in where his unit is currently.
Louisville's secondary will be led by JoJo Evans, Rodney Johnson Jr., and D'Angelo Hutchinson. This secondary unit has to get a hand on the ball, provide pressure, and play much better than last season. The Cards have the opportunity to be special this upcoming season, and at the end of the day, it will come down to this defense and whether they can get stops.
Related: 3 Louisville football additions that will fix main issue that killed them last season
For all the latest on Louisville football's offseason, stay tuned.