Louisville football shifts its entire focus from fall camp and scrimmages onto Eastern Kentucky as it officially enters game prep. The Cardinals' 2025 season is 11 days away, and Jeff Brohm is trying to have this unit as prepared as he can.
The biggest question entering the offseason was the defense, but Brohm appears to be much higher on his defense than anyone else. The Cardinals' head coach is expected to have many new faces on the defensive side after Louisville lost key players from 2024, but he made it clear that the defense has stepped it up and is even outshining the offense at this point.
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Louisville's defense exceeding all expectations
After the Cardinals' third and final scrimmage, Brohm was available for media, and he expressed concern about the offense. He has high expectations for this offense, and for the offense to reach those expectations, the offensive line must step it up.
Well, he raised similar concerns for the defense, but after the third scrimmage, he praised the defensive line and the secondary, and stated that the unit is playing its best football yet.
"I think we really made some strides here lately, especially on defense," Brohm stated after the Cardinals' third scrimmage of fall camp. "The last few days of practice has been our best days on defense. Really building on that, making sure we're sharp on that side of the ball has been an emphasis, and I think that we've made strides. I think people are understanding what we're doing, and we got to continue to push forward."
Louisville is expected to make a run towards the ACC Championship, and while some are high on the Cardinals, the only way a run like that is possible is if this defense carries this momentum into the season. Brohm isn't pleased with the offense currently, but the Cardinals' offense has stars and playmakers, and they are going to score. It might take them a few games to figure it out, but as long as they gel and gain chemistry before Pitt, then this offense is going to be just fine.
The defense is where the season relies. Louisville's defense is taking massive strides in the right direction, according to Brohm, and the fans are now anxiously awaiting to see just how good they are. Transfers like Rodney Johnson Jr. and JoJo Evans highlight the secondary, while veterans in Stanquan Clark and TJ Quinn are the leaders and the stars of the unit.
The two linebackers are going to have a lot on their plate and a lot of pressure, but after Brohm's praise following the third scrimmage, it is clear this defense is blowing expectations out of the water entering week one.
Louisville will take on Eastern Kentucky on August 30 at 3 p.m. local time from L&N Stadium.
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