Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm was pleased with the way new quarterback Lincoln Kienholz showed grit and determination throughout the game last week against Ole Miss. In his postgame press conference, Brohm said he was happy with Kienholz’s overall play but felt he could have done better, especially early in the game, when he was a little too quick to run and made mental mistakes that led to delays of game. Moving forward, Brohm said he has confidence in the kid and believes he will keep working hard, grow, and get better.
One easy way to help Kienholz is to simply ask less of him. In the second half against Ole Miss, Kienholz was asked to match the Rebels’ 31 points while also trying to lead a 14-point fourth-quarter comeback. That is a lot to ask from a quarterback making his first career start against the No. 9-ranked team in the country.
Isaac Brown must have a huge game in Week 2
Moving forward, Brohm and the rest of the playmakers in this offense need to step up and help out. Most of the playmakers did come to play last week and, in the second half, helped Louisville get back into the game and score the 32 points the Cards put up. The biggest missing piece was star running back Isaac Brown, who ran for just 36 yards on 16 carries. You could normally chalk that up to the fact that he was going against a great SEC defense for the entire game, but there were plenty of rushing yards to be found throughout the Louisville offense for everyone except Isaac.
Keyjuan Brown and Kienholz combined for 125 rushing yards, along with a huge 30-yard rushing touchdown by Tre Richardson. Isaac Brown’s 2.3 yards per carry was really the only disappointing performance in the rushing attack by the Cards throughout the entire game. Coming from a player who averaged 8.8 yards per carry last season and has big-play ability written all over him, it was one of the worst performances of his career.
If Louisville wants to reach the heights that many fans have set for them this season, they will need Isaac Brown to return to form, and fast. This Friday night’s game against Villanova, where the Cards are 36.5-point favorites, is the perfect opportunity for just that. If Isaac Brown can get going early and often in this game, he may be the last piece in what looks to be another great Brohm offense. Along with Kienholz’s growth throughout the season, that could lead to huge things for Louisville.
Since 2024, in games where Isaac Brown has at least 10 carries and 100 rushing yards, Louisville is 10-1. Their only loss came in 2024 in a one-possession loss to SMU, 34-27. He has been a difference-maker for this team in wins and losses. In that same time frame, the Cards have had three different starting quarterbacks, but the one consistent thing in the Brohm offenses has been the running game. Louisville needs a strong rushing attack to win games and possibly make the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.
If Brown can get rolling on Friday night with a big game and build some momentum heading into Week 3, the result may be different this time around against SMU.
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