Louisville QB Miller Moss. Photo: Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire
Louisville, 2025 edition, won’t necessarily run you up and down the field – the Cardinals are averaging a just fine 409.3 yards per game on offense, but that’s just middle of the pack, 11th, in the 17-team ACC.
The defense, though, is good – second in the ACC, giving up 268.3 yards per.
Some of that is, weak schedule – Louisville has played just one Power 4 team to date, Pitt, which it beat 34-27 last week in its ACC opener.
Pitt put up 339 yards on the Louisville D, but committed five turnovers – the Cards have forced nine total through four games.
Gotta take care of the ball against this group.
UVA offense vs. the Louisville defense
UVA Football QB Chandler Morris. Photo: Mike Ingalls/AFP
I’m going to focus on the details of the Louisville-Pitt game, since that’s UL’s one Power 4 game to date.
The Cards D got pressure on Pitt QB Eli Holstein on 13 of his 30 dropbacks, blitzing on 17 of the 30, and blitzed backup Cole Gonzales on four of his seven dropbacks – and Gonzales was considered under pressure on all seven of his dropbacks.
Both of Holstein’s INTs came on blitzes; he was 6-of-14 for 111 yards against the blitz.
Gonzales was 2-of-3 for 17 yards against the blitz.
His INT came against standard pressure.
Each QB was sacked twice in the game.
The pressure largely came from a trio of edge rushers – Clev Lubin (seven pressures), TJ Quinn (five pressures) and AJ Green (four pressures).
Lubin leads Louisville on the season with 19 pressures and four sacks, and he has a 93.0 Pro Football Focus grade through four games.
With all the extra men attacking the passer, the secondary was left on islands a good bit, and Holstein took some advantage – he was 4-of-4 on balls that went 20-plus yards through the air, for 167 yards.
The safeties are good in pass coverage – Antonio Watts (two INTs, two PBUs) has an 89.9 coverage grade from PFF, and D’Angelo Hutchinson grades out at 83.4.
The corners can be a bit toasty – Jabari Mack has a respectable 70.5 PFF grade, but his NFL passer rating against is 107.2; Tayon Halloway gets a 63.5 grade, and has a 109.7 NFL passer rating against.
The Louisville D was stingy in the run game in the Pitt win – limiting the Panthers to 86 sack-adjusted rushing yards on 21 attempts.
Louisville offense vs. the UVA defense
Photo: Mike Ingalls/AFP
Southern Cal transfer Miller Moss passed for 2,555 yards (283.9 yards/g) and 18 TDs for the Trojans in 2024.
Moss is averaging 257.3 yards per game through four games with Louisville in 2025, with a 139.6 passer rating.
Good numbers.
His primary targets are 6’2”, 220-pound senior Chris Bell (23 catches/36 targets, 332 yards, two TDs) and speedy 5’10” slot guy Caullin Lacy (22 catches/30 targets, 266 yards).
The featured back is 5’9”, 190-pound sophomore Isaac Brown (268 yards, 8.1 yards/attempt, three TDs).
Duke Watson, at 6’0”, 180, who had 602 yards and seven TDs on the ground as a freshman last season, only played a total of 11 snaps in Weeks 1 and 2, before getting 14 rushing attempts and gaining 47 yards in the Pitt win.
Special teams
Cooper Ranvier is a perfect 13-of-13 on extra points and 7-of-7 on field goals, with a long of 48.
Kickoff specialist Nick Keller has 19 touchbacks on 29 kicks, with opponents averaging 19.6 yards on returns.
Louisville uses two punters – Carter Schwartz (41.6 yards per attempt/41.1 yards net) and David Chapeau (35.9 yards per attempt/35.7 yards net).
Caullin Lacy is the primary guy in the return game – averaging 24.8 yards on six kickoff returns and 29.6 yards, with two TDs, on punt returns.
Keep it away from that guy.