Louisville football is gearing up to take on the No. 2 team in the nation, the Miami Hurricanes. Louisville opens as a big underdog, as the Hurricanes are 13.5-point favorites. This is a massive test for the Cardinals, and if they want a shot at the ACC Championship game, this has become a must-win game.
Louisville will have an uphill battle to try to take down the No. 2 team in the nation, and they will need all hands on deck. Unfortunately, the initial injury report was released last night, and Louisville received some upsetting news for the Cardinals, as they will be without a key reserve player.
Isaac Brown leads the Cardinals' rushing attack, but against Miami, a duel with Duke Watson would have been a dream to try to pull this upset off. However, it was reported last night that Louisville will be without Watson and maybe even Keyjuan Brown.
Related: 3 bold predictions for the Louisville Cardinals vs the No. 2 Miami Hurricanes
Louisville gets a gut-wrenching injury update before Miami showdown
Entering the 2025 season, Louisville is expected to be one of the top teams in the conference due to its potent rushing attack. However, that has not been the case due to the poor offensive line performance and the injury bug that has affected this running back room.
No surprises on Miami’s first availability report ahead of Friday night’s matchup with Louisville.
— Gaby Urrutia (@GabyUrrutia247) October 16, 2025
The Cardinals will be without key reserve running back Duke Watson and LB Stanquan Clark, who is expected to miss an extended period of time. pic.twitter.com/bVRdJYzg5z
Watson and both Brown's have been sidelined for at least one game, and all three running backs have been limited for multiple games. The Cards have rushed for just 575 yards this season, and Isaac Brown only has 334 rushing yards through five games. As for Watson, he was expected to take a big jump and be a massive help to the rushing attack, but because of injuries, he has only rushed 24 times for 64 yards and has yet to find the endzone.
The Hurricanes' defense has a top-15 rushing defense in the nation, as they give up just 87.4 yards per game on the ground, which ranks No. 14 in the country. As for their defense as a whole, they give up the fewest points per game in the country, at 13.6 points per game, making Watson's injury a crushing blow.
Louisville's rushing attack is crucial to opening up Moss and the passing game, but with Watson sidelined and Keyjuan Brown questionable, this rushing attack is taking a significant blow days before their season is on the line.
Watson being sidelined on Friday night is a devastating blow to this offense, and with all the odds against them, the Cardinals are going to need a 2024 Isaac Brown in the Hard Rock Stadium to keep their season alive.
Related: 3 major X-factors for Louisville to upset the No. 2 Miami Hurricanes
For all the latest on Louisville football's 2025 season and recruiting, stay tuned.