Louisville football had one of its worst fears become a reality this past week against Virginia Tech. Running back Isaac Brown suffered a leg injury in the fourth quarter of last week’s game, and although Cardinals fans prayed for a speedy recovery, Monday morning, it was confirmed he’d be out “for a while.”
Brown has been nothing short of electric this season as he has rushed for 782 yards and five touchdowns on 8.6 yards per carry. Out of his eight games played this year, Brown has only rushed under 100 yards in three of them, and in the last three games, he ran over 100 yards, marking the first time since Lamar Jackson. The standout sophomore will definitely be missed, but with the Cardinals' ACC hopes still alive, they have to ride with the next man up.
The Cardinals would love to turn to Duke Watson, but Watson hasn’t played since the Cardinals' loss to Virginia, and even in games prior, he had been battling nagging injuries and didn’t appear to be 100 percent. Watson is considered 'hopeful' to play this week, but with his nagging injuries, the Cardinals might have to turn to their rising prodigy.
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Keyjuan Brown is poised to takeover for Louisville football
Luckily for Louisville, its running back room is quite deep, and with both Brown and Watson battling injuries, they still have Keyjuan Brown. Brown might’ve been in the shadow of Issac Brown and Watson to start the season, but with the two stars missing some time this season, Louisville fans have seen a star emerge.
Keyjuan is currently the rushing touchdown leader for the Cardinals with six on the season. He also has 321 rushing yards on 6.2 yards per carry. Not only has Keyjuan been an asset in the run game this season, but he has also been the Cardinals' leading receiving back as well. The 5-foot-10, 210-pound running back has eight catches for 99 yards this season, averaging 12.4 yards per catch.
Brown's role has continued to progress as his time with the Cardinals has gone on, but he is about to be thrown into the fire in the most crucial part of Louisville’s season. Louisville has three ACC games remaining, against Clemson and SMU in California, and if they can win out, there is a real chance the Cardinals will find themselves in the ACC championship game and the College Football Playoffs.
Luckily, Brown will have a tune-up game this week against the California Golden Bears, as Louisville is currently a 19.5-point favorite. The Cards will need a good performance from Brown to build his confidence for their upcoming games against SMU and Clemson.
Even though he’s being tossed into the spotlight, the last couple of games Keyjuan has shown he is ready for the moment. Brown earned 10 carries for 95 yards against Boston College and 12 carries for 94 yards against Virginia Tech. And on top of that, he sealed the Cards' wins in both games with a massive rushing touchdown to put the game away.
So, while the biggest nightmare for the Cardinals might’ve come true, after watching Keyjuan take a massive step these past two weeks, the Cardinals' fans are confident in their redshirt sophomore.