Louisville football is taking on Virginia Tech this weekend from Lane Stadium at 3 p.m. local time. The Cards have the third-highest odds to win the ACC Title after chaos in week 9, and now, more and more pressure is building every week. Louisville will be battle-tested this weekend in a hostile environment after VT just defeated Cal, which was at the time still in the mix for that ACC Title.
Now, the Cardinals have to avoid a letdown performance and take care of business and pull off a crucial road win before the College Football Playoff rankings come out. The Cards have a path to the CFP, but they must go 11-1. Their road game this weekend is crucial for Louisville's playoff and ACC Championship hopes, as it is one of their toughest remaining games.
Yesterday, Jeff Brohm provided crucial injury updates, and Louisville fans quickly raised an eyebrow when the head coach mentioned star linebacker Stanquan Clark and star running back Duke Watson.
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Louisville football fans just got an injury update on two key players
Stanquan Clark has been out since Week 2, when the elite linebacker went down with a leg injury in the fourth quarter. Clark is one of the best linebackers in the conference, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound force who is elite at stopping the run game. When Brohm was asked about Clark, he gave Louisville fans hope.
"Stanquan has rehabbed very well, and we actually will try to see how much he can do this week," Brohm stated yesterday. "But it'll be his first week of practice. If we can pull that off, I'm not going to rule that off the table, but we'll see how this week goes. He has progressed extremely well up to this point, and there is a slight chance."
Clark had seven tackles across his two games in 2025, but in 2024, he was one of Louisville's best defenders. He was second on the team in tackles with 76 total tackles, with eight tackles for a loss, and one sack. He also added two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and two pass breakups.
It would be massive for this team to get Clark back for this defense. Louisville showed some weakness against the run last week, and if Clark returns, the fans would see a huge improvement in that area. Brohm makes it seem like he might not be available this weekend, but if he does miss, it looks like Clark has a much higher chance of returning the week after against Cal.
As for Watson, he has been hit by the injury bug since Louisville's loss to Virginia. Cardinals fans have watched Keyjuan Brown step up in that backup role and Isaac Brown dominate since Watson went down.
"Duke Watson, we will try to get back in practice this week," Brohm stated. "It's too early to tell. I'm always hopeful, but it's too early to tell."
Watson was dominant with Brown, rushing for 597 yards and seven touchdowns and leading the nation with 8.9 rushing yards per game. This year, he has struggled with just 24 carries for 67 yards.
Brohm's crucial injury update on both players is excellent news for the fans, especially if Louisville can get Clark back. The Cardinals' defense has emerged as one of the best in the nation, and if they can get one of their best players back, it would only improve.
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For all the latest news and updates on Louisville football's 2025 season and recruiting, stay tuned.