This one took a little longer to write.
Not because there wasn’t plenty to say, but because this one hurt.
The loss to Wake Forest took some wind out of the sails. The ship is still moving forward, and there is still plenty in front of this Louisville team, but there’s also no denying what Saturday did to some of the hopes and projections we had coming into the season.
This wasn’t a season-ending loss. It was, however, the kind of loss that changes the margin for error.
And that’s what makes it frustrating. There were some genuinely encouraging things Saturday. There were also problems that feel increasingly difficult to ignore.
THE GOOD
• Lincoln Kienholz continues to look like the answer. He looked decisive, comfortable and willing to take what Wake Forest gave him. The underneath throws were there, and Lincoln consistently found them rather than forcing the football downfield. He had good progressions and think he’s really settling in as a thrower.
• The offensive play calling felt right. Jeff Brohm seemed to put Lincoln in situations where he could make quick decisions and keep the offense moving. There was a rhythm to the passing game that should translate moving forward.
• The offense still showed it can create explosive plays. Even when things weren’t perfect, Louisville had enough offensive firepower to stay in the game. There are legitimate weapons on this roster, and Brohm continues to find ways to get them involved. Jaleel the wheels Skinner has been one the biggest surprises of the year.
THE BAD
• The explosive plays defensively have to stop. Missing two of your best defensive players matters. There’s no getting around that. But defensive depth was supposed to be one of the strengths of this roster. Louisville cannot consistently give up 30-plus points and expect the offense to rescue it every week.
• The lack of in-game defensive adjustment was frustrating. Brohm and this staff have shown an ability to diagnose problems and make changes from week to week. What I’d like to see is more of those adjustments happening during the game. When the same type of big play keeps hurting you, eventually something has to change. Coverage, personnel, pressure, alignment. Something.
• At times, Louisville simply looked ill-prepared for what Wake Forest was doing. That’s probably the most frustrating part because I don’t believe this is a talent problem. Louisville has enough talent defensively. The execution and communication have to match it.
• The offensive line remains my biggest roster-building wish. Louisville continues to invest heavily in talented quarterbacks, running backs and receivers, and understandably so. But I’d be ecstatic to see that same level of investment poured into the offensive line. Give me a dominant offensive line and I trust Louisville’s third or fourth running back to produce behind it. The entire offense becomes easier when you control the line of scrimmage.
• The same applies inside defensively. More high-end size, depth and disruption along the interior defensive line would change everything behind it. Football keeps getting more sophisticated, but games are still won by moving people who don’t want to be moved.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
I’m not jumping off the ship.
Jeff Brohm has earned enough trust to believe adjustments are coming. We’ve seen him identify weaknesses before and get them corrected.
But Wake Forest exposed some things that can’t simply be dismissed as one bad Saturday. The season is still right there. Louisville still has enough talent to make this a very good year.
The margin for error just got a lot smaller.
Now we get to find out how this team responds.
Go Cards.