What to expect from the Louisville football team's defense in 2024

The Louisville football team has a lot to learn about their offense. New players are going to be contributing to the team who either weren't there last year or who were further down on the depth chart. Because of that, the defense is going to need to carry the water early in the year.

Defensively, the Cardinals have some really good players who can help the team keep opposing offenses at bay. Ashton Gillotte has already landed a number of preseason awards. He is by far the best player on the defense and is probably the best player on the entire team.

In the secondary, the Louisville Cardinals have Quincy Riley as the lockdown corner. Riley is someone who is able to get some interceptions and is someone that a lot of teams will avoid. With those two guys leading the defense, what are reasonable expectations for them?

What the Louisville football team can expect from the defense

The main thing that Louisville football fans need to worry about is how many points the Cardinals might give up on a game-to-game basis. Will the offense need to score 40 points per game in order to win? Or can they get away with scoring 24-28 points in some games?

Early on, the offense should be able to put up some points, so it shouldn't matter. In the first couple of games, I'd be surprised if the Cardinals' opponents scored more than 20 points. That leaves the offense with a little wiggle room in order to get themselves together.

The Notre Dame game is going to tell us a lot about this defense. That's a game that could see the defense give up 30 or more points. If Gillotte can get to the quarterback often, perhaps they can give up fewer.

Last season, the Cardinals gave up only 19.7 points per game, which was good enough for 21st in the country. I'd expect something similar this season with a chance it's slightly better.