Louisville football is off this week. But here's where things stand ahead of game vs. Duke

No. 21 Louisville built momentum and excitement with a 6-0 start under first-year coach Jeff Brohm.

Unlike in past years, the Cardinals have won close games and added a top-25 victory over then-No. 11 Notre Dame. A lackluster offensive performance in a 38-21 loss to Pitt spoiled U of L's perfect record.

The Cardinals (6-1, 3-1 ACC) also took hits to their personnel. Running back Jawhar Jordan, offensive lineman Renato Brown and cornerback Jarvis Brownlee sustained undisclosed injuries Saturday night.

But U of L still has much room for optimism. The Cardinals are No. 25 in ESPN’s latest FPI — sixth in the ACC — and have the nation’s 18^th-strongest record. Their remaining strength of schedule is ranked 62^nd, and their latest record projection is 9.3-2.9. Louisville has a 5.3% chance of winning out against No. 17 Duke, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Miami and Kentucky.

“We've just got to move on to the next game,” U of L linebacker TJ Quinn said Saturday night. “Like coach (Brohm) says, it's a one-game season, so we can't dwell on this game too long. We've got to look at the next opponent.”

With the Blue Devils on the other side of the Week 8 bye, here’s a look at the Cardinals' units:

Offense

The running back-wide receiver combination of Jordan and Jamari Thrash has helped Louisville’s offense be among the best in the nation, averaging 464 yards (17^th) and 34.1 points (31^st) per game this season. Thrash has been quarterback Jack Plummer’s favorite target, with the Georgia State transfer totaling the nation’s 10^th-most receiving yards (639) to go along with six touchdowns (T-14^th) and 91.29 receiving yards per game (17^th) in seven starts.

Jordan ranks 13^th in the country with 661 rushing yards. His averages of 7.4 yards per carry and 94.43 rushing yards per game rank fourth and 20^th, respectively. He picked up where he left off at the end of the 2022 season as the Cardinals’ starter, totaling 100 or more rushing yards in four of the first six games. His highest-graded performance against an FBS opponent was against Notre Dame (79.4), when he totaled a career-high 21 carries and two TDs on a season-high 143 yards.

Jordan played only two series against Pitt. His status for the Duke game is unknown.

Despite missing Jordan, the Cardinals still had Maurice Turner and Isaac Guerendo, who finished with 81 and 38 rushing yards, respectively, against the Panthers. Louisville’s running back trio has helped the team average 178.3 rushing yards per game, with 16 of the team’s 30 touchdowns on the ground.

Jordan, Guerendo and Turner have also been used in the passing game, combining for 348 receiving yards and giving Plummer many options. Sixteen Cardinals have caught a pass this season, with seven totaling 10 or more receptions. Nationally, Plummer has the 13^th-most passing yards (1,901). His 153.17 passing efficiency ranks 34^th. Plummer's eight interceptions rank 17^th, including an 86-yard pick six by Pitt defensive back M.J. Devonshire in the third quarter.

Louisville has been fairly balanced between running and passing, but the Cardinals have been held to fewer than 100 rushing yards twice, including a 94-yard showing against the Panthers.

Brohm noted the importance of being more balanced on offense to take some pressure off Plummer. That will be vital against Duke's defense, ranked 16^th in the country.

Defense

While Brohm is known for offense, Louisville’s defense has been key to the strong start. The unit came up with critical stops in close games against Indiana and N.C. State. It also held Notre Dame to its second-lowest scoring output this season.

Quinn has been one of the Cardinals’ most productive defenders, leading the team with 55 tackles in a breakout campaign. He and fellow linebacker Stanquan Clark (eight tackles) made the game-winning goal-line stop against Indiana, creating a confidence boost for the inexperienced-but-talented duo.

Though the defense has struggled to get into the backfield (15 sacks and 39 tackles for loss), defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte’s 6 ½ sacks rank ninth nationally. As one of the defense’s leaders, Gillotte has been moved to different spots on the line, a versatility that has helped lead the unit to the 14^th-best rushing defense in the country. U of L is allowing 97.1 rushing yards per game and 3.09 yards per carry.

The run defense was crucial against Notre Dame, holding running back Audric Estime to a season-low 20 yards on 10 carries. It also held N.C. State to 89 yards rushing. The only other Wolfpack opponent to hold the team to fewer than 100 yards rushing was the Fighting Irish (84 yards). According to Pro Football Focus, the Cardinals’ best performance against the run was against Pitt, with the unit receiving a 90.3 grade.

Louisville ranks fifth in red zone defense, allowing nine touchdowns in 14 attempts, sixth in turnovers (14), eighth in fumble recoveries (6) and 14^th in third-down conversion defense. The Cardinals occasionally have struggled against the pass, allowing 220.7 yards per game (61^st nationally). They’ve taken hits to their secondary, losing safeties M.J. Griffin (lower leg) and D’Angelo Hutchinson (unspecified) before the season. Safety Josh Minkins missed two games with a hamstring injury.

When Brownlee left during the second quarter against Pitt, Storm Duck replaced him. The Cardinals still have options with cornerback Quincy Riley, who has a team-best seven pass breakups with two interceptions in nine passes defended, 15^th most nationally. Riley made the game-winning pick against N.C. State and intercepted Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman on the game-opening drive a week later. Safety Devin Neal has a team-best three interceptions, 12^th most in the country.

The Cardinals have also seen a surge from transfer safety Cam Kelly, a two-time ACC Player of the Week this season who replaced Minkins as a starter. He played a key part in wins over Indiana and N.C. State, totaling a career-high 12 tackles against the Hoosiers and exacting revenge against the Wolfpack with a forced fumble and interception.

Louisville’s defense will be tested during the final stretch of the season. The unit still will have to contend with Duke, 18^th in rushing offense, Miami (ranked seventh nationally in offense) and Kentucky. The Wildcats feature Ray Davis, sixth nationally with 781 rushing yards.

Special teams

Brock Travelstead made his Louisville kicking debut with four field goals in the season opener against Georgia Tech. He made 4 of 5 field goals against Notre Dame. Travelstead has converted 10 of 14 field goals this season and set a Cardinals record with his 53-yard game-winning field goal against N.C. State. Travelstead’s 57 points is tied for 21^st nationally. The Georgia native also is handling punting and kickoff duties.

“To be able to kick field goals, extra points, kickoffs, punts, there's not many kickers across the country that do all of those things, so this guy is tough,” Brohm said. “He works really hard. He's a good athlete; he can probably play other positions. And, you can actually coach him hard.”

Besides being Louisville’s fourth-leading receiver (199 yards), Kevin Coleman has been the team’s main punt returner, with Jordan and Guerendo handling kickoffs. Jordan’s 63 yards on two kickoff returns gives him 898 all-purpose yards — 16^th most in the country — for an average of 128.29 all-purpose yards per outing.

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

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville football 2023: Look at Jeff Brohm's team ahead of Duke game