By Derek DeBurger
From the opening kick the Louisville Cardinals executed their game plan to perfection against the Boston College Eagles.
A career-defining game
In each game, the Cards have taken incremental steps forward, and that made a huge difference today. Quarterback Jack Plummer, who struggled mightily in the season opener, had his best game of the season. Plummer finished the game with 388 yards and five touchdowns on 18-of-21 (85.71 percent) passing in just three-quarters of play. His five passing touchdowns rank second all-time for a single game in Louisville history. Plummer also punched one score in on the ground to give him six total touchdowns.
Running back Jawhar Jordan continues to make his case for the best running back in college football. Jordan had 134 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, marking his sixth 100-yard rushing performance in seven games. Jordan also helped out in the air with a 75-yard receiving touchdown and a 40-yard kick return — he can get the job done, whatever the task. Jordan’s all-purpose stats on the game were 249 yards and three touchdowns.
Wide receiver Ahmari Huggins-Bruce finally got to show off in the offense with 110 yards and two touchdowns on just three catches. Wide receiver Jamari Thrash also continued his season-long dominance with 71 yards and a touchdown.
Right before the half, head coach Jeff Brohm went back to his roots with a fake kneel-turned run by Jawhar Jordan. This trick play set up the final scoring drive of the half, putting the rest of the ACC on notice as coaches will have to prepare for the possibility of trick plays going forward.
A rolling offense balanced by an unshakeable
There’s little that can be taken away from the second half alone, as the Cards held a 42-14 lead going into the locker room. There wasn’t much urgency on either side. The game as a whole, however, showed just how far the Cards have come since week one.
The offense looked smooth and near unstoppable when the Cards were rolling. The defense was another story.
By no means was the defense bad; in fact, they were quite good on Saturday. They carried the same attitude over from the Indiana game of trying to get in the opposing quarterback’s face early and often. This increased pressure worked as the Cards recorded three sacks — but forced zero turnovers. Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos also had a decent game considering how little he had to work with. Castellanos finished the game with 314 total yards and four total touchdowns, exposing Louisville’s difficulty with covering dual-threat quarterbacks.
The glass-half-full outlook on the game is that the Cards’ offense was near flawless, and the defense held their own when the game mattered. Louisville’s difficulty in defending dual threats will serve as valuable experience. The Cards have already faced several this season and will continue to face them in the upcoming schedule.
Saturday’s win should provide the Cards a huge boost of confidence, and provide Brohm and company some more film to watch and improve on as Louisville won 56-28.
The Cards are now 4-0 on the season for the first time since 2016.
Photo Courtesy // Annabelle Merz, Taris Smith, Louisville Athletics