The Louisville Cardinals' 2025 season is kicking off in just five days against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, and Jeff Brohm opens up as a dominant 38.5-point favorite. While the Cardinals appear to be a lock, many fans know that anything can happen in college football.
So, while many think Louisville will win and cover, here are three reasons Louisville football could run into problems with Eastern Kentucky.
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3 reasons Louisville Cardinals could run into problems with Eastern Kentucky
3. Colonels passing game
The Colonels will have to replace their quarterback, Matt Morrissey, who was their quarterback last season, but Walt Wells has had a solid passing game during his time at Eastern Kentucky. They return their top receiver from last season, and have some serious weapons in the running back room.
The Colonels are coming off a season where they went 6-2 in their conference and 8-5 overall. With the Cardinals' new secondary, Louisville should get a great test in Week 1 and get them ready for ACC competition. The Colonels are a perfect test to see where this secondary is and how close they are to the 2023 secondary.
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2. strength vs weakness
2. The Colonels return their best receiver from last season in Marcus Calwise Jr. The Cardinals' secondary is still growing chemistry and making the transition to Ron English's standards after Louisville had to grab multiple defensive backs from the Transfer Portal.
Calwise opens up as a great Week 1 test for Rodney Johnson Jr. and Jabari Mack, as the fans and this staff will see just exactly where they stand. The Cardinals' defensive backs will have to keep Calwise in front of him, as the former All-State wide receiver in high school earned 42 receptions, 526 receiving yards, and five touchdowns. He led the Colonels in all three stats and went on to earn All-UAC honors and Phil Steele's Freshmen All-American First Team.
Calwise will look to carry the momentum from his last four games of 2024, where he earned a touchdown in the final four games, including his best game, where he logged five catches for 99 receiving yards, including a 67-yard touchdown. The 5-foot-10 190 190-pound receiver is a player to look out for as he will be an excellent test for this new Cardinals secondary.
1. EKU rushing attack
Louisville's defensive line has a lot of stars to replace, and it will be going up against a solid rushing attack in Week 1. Last season, Joshua Carter ran for over 1,200 yards, and his sidekick, Brayden Latham, ran for 662 yards. Latham will be making the jump to RB1 as Carter left, and it will be crucial for the Cardinals to shut him down early. The Cardinals' rushing defense was nothing special last season, and multiple newcomers, like their secondary, will lead them.
While Louisville should dominate the trenches and limit Latham, it will be an excellent test for this defensive line and to see just how far they have come since the Spring Game. The Colonels' rushing attack is the best part of their offense and a key reason why they went 6-2 in their conference last season. Louisville must not play around and dominate the trenches early and set the tone on the first drive.
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For all the latest on Louisville football's 2025 season, stay tuned.