'A great statement': 3 takeaways from Louisville football's comeback win over Georgia Tech

ATLANTA — With his team down by 15 points, Louisville head football coach Jeff Brohm gave his players an ultimatum at halftime Friday night.

Give more effort, or don’t play again this season.

The Cardinals chose the former. And they were rewarded with a season-opening 39-34 win over Georgia Tech.

Defensive lineman Dez Tell, who ended the night with three tackles along with a sack and forced fumble, said he didn’t remember much of what Brohm said during the break. But he had a feeling the team would win even after giving up 28 points to the Yellow Jackets in the second quarter.

The win marked the first time the Cardinals started a season with a victory since 2020, when they beat Western Kentucky 35-21 at home.

With U of L hosting Murray State for its home opener Thursday, here are three things we learned from the Cardinals' victory over the Yellow Jackets:

Jack Plummer starts slow, but establishes top targets

Even in his sixth season, Louisville quarterback Jack Plummer still had some nervous energy in the Cardinals' opener. It showed in the first half Friday, as he went 8-for-17 for 90 yards with an interception and a touchdown. He often underthrew receivers or put the ball out of reach as Georgia Tech built its early lead.

“He's the type (that because) he cares so much, he will press early on,” Brohm said of Plummer. "I think, like everybody, he was nervous and wasn't playing as confidently and as sturdy as he easily could.”

But in the second half, Plummer shook off the nerves and relied on what he knew. He went 10-for-14 with two TDs and 157 yards in the air in the final two quarters, with six passes of 16 or more yards.

“I thought I played really well in the second half. Just got to start off quicker,” he said. “It's probably a different game if I start the game off right and do my job.”

Continuing to build chemistry with the receivers will also be key for Plummer moving forward. He found two early favorites in transfers Jamari Thrash and Kevin Coleman. Thrash caught seven passes, two of which were touchdowns, on nine targets for 88 yards, while Coleman had three catches and a touchdown on four targets for 66 yards.

Playing at L&N Stadium Thursday should provide some comfort for Plummer as the Cardinals take on Murray State.

Running backs are bright spot for Louisville's offense

Louisville used a rotation of running backs against Georgia Tech that included Jawhar Jordan, who reached 1,000 career rushing yards on Friday, along with Maurice Turner and Isaac Guerendo.

While Jordan got the start and was featured in seven drives, which included a 74-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, Turner and Guerendo had their fair share of opportunities. Turner totaled 30 yards on seven carries while Guerendo had 27 yards on six totes.

Though Brohm’s offenses are known to be more pass-heavy, the trio presents a solid case to keep the ball on the ground as needed. Louisville ended the night going almost 50-50 between the run and pass game, with 227 rushing yards and 247 yards in the air. Jordan and Guerendo also each recorded a catch.

“I just think it's a good crew," Brohm said of the three running backs. “This year, we're going to have to be able to run the ball. Then, we're going to have to be able to hit some play action. … We're lucky to have them and we just got to continue to press forward with those guys and make sure they get enough touches because I do think they can make people miss and get extra yards of contact.”

Defense can still create havoc

Louisville’s defense was expected to be stout this season because of its depth and returners. For the most part, the unit lived up to the hype with some adjustments needed along the way.

“We got in a rut there playing too much man coverage in the second quarter. We had some guys running all over the place and not knowing where to be,” Brohm said. “Fortunately, we’ve worked a lot of things throughout fall camp, the summer and spring. We made adjustments. We used different calls, changed the front, stemmed the front, played more zone. We did a much better job (in the second half).”

Though the Cardinals had a rough showing against Georgia Tech in the second quarter, the team rebounded and held the Yellow Jackets to just one touchdown and 4.4 yards per play in the final half. They ended the night with two turnovers in the season-opening contest. Tell returned in his role as a starter and forced a fumble that was recovered by defensive lineman Kam Wilson late in the fourth quarter, a key moment in the victory.

“I feel like we made a great statement,” he said. “It shows that we can compete for four quarters straight and we can finish. That’s something we didn’t have last year. We couldn’t really finish like that but this year, I feel like we’re finishing way better, and it started in practice.”

Even without starting defensive back Ben Perry, who was ejected for targeting in the first quarter and will be back against Murray State, the Cardinals put forth a good showing. Antonio Watts stepped in for Perry and ended the night with three tackles.

And where there were some questions about how an inexperienced linebacker group would fare, T.J. Quinn eased the concern with five tackles, second-most on the team behind safety Josh Minkins (7), and a pass breakup. The redshirt sophomore earned the season-opening start after solid performances during spring and fall practices.

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Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @Alexis_Cubit.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville football tops Georgia Tech: Takeaways from Jeff Brohm debut