Jeff Brohm isn’t afraid to turn his roster over in the portal every offseason, but one constant on the Louisville defense since his arrival has been the linebacker player. TJ Quinn and Stanquan Clark have been with Brohm since his return to his alma mater, and along with Antonio Watts and TJ Capers, will prove their worth as the key to victory against James Madison in Week 2.
Louisville’s defense didn’t get tested much in its Week 1 trouncing of Eastern Kentucky, 51-17. The Cardinals allowed just 150 total yards, and the defensive line led the way in tackles as younger players rotated into the game. JMU, as the favorite to win the Sun Belt and a dark horse to represent the Group of Six in the College Football Playoff, will present a much tougher challenge.
TJ Quinn and Stanquan Clark must be great to slow JMU’s option-heavy attack
With Curt Cignetti off at Indiana, JMU turned to Bob Chesney, who led Holy Cross before he arrived in Harrisonville, and the young head coach has quickly constructed a terrifying rushing attack. The Dukes ran for 313 yards in Week 1 against Weber State, cruising to a 45-10 victory, and with two different mobile quarterbacks, the option-heavy attack puts stress on opposing linebackers.
Spread offenses that rely on option quarterbacks and play-action passing are most often attempting to displace the linebackers at the second level. The window dressing is used to influence their eyes and force a misstep, which will create a running lane or room for a receiver to slip in behind.
JMU will look to put Clark and Quinn in space and in conflict, so to stop Alonza Barnett II and Matthew Sluka, the Duke’s two QBs, who will both see the field on Friday night in Louisville, the Cardinals’ linebackers must be disciplined and must tackle in space. For many teams, that would be an issue. Florida State just beat Alabama by two scores because of how much Thomas Castellanos and Gus Malzahn tormented the Tide’s linebackers. For Louisville, with veterans in place (and healthy ones, not coming off injury like Alabama’s Deontae Lawson), it shouldn’t be an issue.
Last season, Quinn and Clark led Louisville in tackles, and led a defense that finished top 40 in the country against the run. As a unit, they will need to play to that level on Friday night when the Cardinals are favored by 12.5 points in the FanDuel Sportsbook.
That is especially true without Ashton Gillotte on the defensive line. The dominant edge rusher is beginning his first season with the Chiefs, and in Week 1, it didn’t appear that Louisville had a ready-made replacement to get after the quarterback early in 2025.