Louisville football is set to take on Cal this weekend in a crucial ACC showdown. Every week, the stakes get higher and higher for the Louisville Cardinals as Jeff Brohm and his squad have their eyes set on the ACC Championship game. Louisville is a three-score favorite over the Golden Bears, and the fans feel confident about this weekend's game, however, the story of the game centers on Isaac Brown and his injury.
Brown is set to miss not only this game but also at least one more, as Brohm stated he will be out for "a while." So, with Louisville's star running back out, the Cards must turn to the next man up. After last night's injury report, Louisville fans got a massive update on running back Duke Watson and Stanquan Clark.
Related: 5 Louisville Cardinals who must step up after Isaac Brown's crushing injury update
Louisville football gets crucial injury update on its two stars against Cal
Watson has been out since he got just one carry against Virginia back in Week 6. He has been dealing with nagging injuries all season long, but with Brown going down, Watson appears to be trending in the right direction and is listed as probable for the Cardinals showdown.
As for Clark, he went down in the fourth quarter against JMU, suffering a leg injury that has kept him sidelined since. Well, after Brohm gave a big update last week that he was practicing again and progressing well, he continues to trend in the right direction, as the star linebacker is questionable just a day before the game.
Cal vs Louisville injury report for Saturday's game in Louisville pic.twitter.com/En9tr4Ca5n
— Jim McGill (@BearInsider_com) November 7, 2025
Louisville's rushing attack gets a massive boost with Watson returning this week, as Watson and Keyjuan Brown will look to continue this dominant rushing game. Over the last three games, Louisville has rushed XXX yards per game and a combined X rushing touchdowns. With Brown going down, Watson's availability is crucial to help Keyjuan and to try to keep this rushing attack dominant despite their star being out.
As for the defense, Clark is an elite linebacker who is a dominant force in the run game. Louisville's defense has stepped up all season long, but getting a player like Clark back in November would be massive, as Louisville is set to face Clemson and SMU after this weekend. Clark earned the second-most tackles last season and is a player the fans have been waiting to see return. With Louisville's ACC Title and CFP dreams becoming a reality, Clark's return is at the perfect time.
Louisville will find out if he is available most likely hours before kickoff tomorrow. However, with Brohm's update last week and the fact that he was initially listed as out, this shows progress, as he is now listed as questionable this week. So, whether he plays this week or not, he should be trending in the right direction to be available for Louisville's crucial final three games against Clemson, SMU, and Kentucky.