Louisville vs. Boston College football game first look: Story lines, key players, odds, more
Louisville's 3-0 start to the season is its best in seven years as the team continues to adjust to a new system and culture under head coach Jeff Brohm.
Despite the learning curve, the Cardinals’ offense (528.7 yards per game) ranks 10th in the country and second in the ACC, behind only Syracuse, with the team’s red zone defense tying for ninth nationally and seventh in the conference.
U of L enters Week 4 as one of seven unbeaten ACC teams. The Cardinals have a chance to add another win Saturday when they host Boston College. The Eagles have had a rough start to the year after opening the season with a 27-24 loss to Northern Illinois before barely beating Holy Cross, 31-28.
BC showed promise in Week 3 by narrowly falling, 31-29, to a Florida State team that was ranked third nationally. The Eagles head to Louisville seeking a third win over the Cardinals in four meetings.
Here are three story lines to follow ahead of Saturday's game:
New season, new Cardinals
Louisville went to Boston College last season as a 15 ½-point favorite and needed a conference win after losing its first two ACC games. Instead, the Cardinals, who lost starting quarterback Malik Cunningham in the contest, struggled to stop the Eagles from making big plays and fell, 34-33. Dropping to 0-3 in conference play and 2-3 on the year, U of L was at a pivotal point in the season and the program's tenure under then-head coach Scott Satterfield.
Brohm's unbeaten Cardinals are in a very different spot ahead of this season's home meeting with the Eagles.
Injuries haven’t played a significant role in the team’s offense and, unlike past seasons, the Cardinals have shown they can finish close games against Power Five opponents.
A game of runs?
Louisville’s three wins have all come in different ways: a close game after struggling in the first half, a close game after struggling in the second half and a blowout win over an FCS opponent. The Cardinals’ first-half success allowed them to hold on against Indiana for the 21-14 win in Week 3. However, they'll look to establish more consistency as they return to ACC action this week.
The Eagles were down 31-10 early in the third quarter against Florida State before scoring 19 unanswered points to take the Seminoles down to the wire.
Similarly, U of L gave up 14 unanswered points to Indiana in the second half but held on thanks to its defensive efforts. Being able to put together four quarters of play will be key for the Cards against Boston College and in ACC play.
“There's just the little things that we’ve got to clean up,” U of L quarterback Jack Plummer said. "I think if we continue to play like we did in the first half (against Indiana), we can be pretty great on offense.”
New faces in key roles for Boston College offense
Much like Louisville, Boston College has some new faces on offense.
Zay Flowers was one of the best receivers in the ACC last season. A first-round 2023 NFL Draft pick, Flowers terrorized Louisville’s secondary last season and had one of the best statistical games of his college career (five catches for 151 yards and two TDs).
The Eagles also lost quarterback Phil Jurkovec to the transfer portal. Thomas Castellanos replaced Jurkovec, now at Pitt, as the starting quarterback, while Lewis Bond has emerged as the team’s leading receiver after three games.
Bond has 175 yards and two touchdowns — including BC's lone passing score against FSU — on 12 catches this season.
The Eagles are currently second-to-last in the ACC in passing offense, averaging 224.7 yards per game through the air.
Three Louisville players to watch
Jamari Thrash, redshirt junior wide receiver: After three games, Thrash has emerged as Plummer’s favorite target. He’s averaging 109.67 receiving yards per game, which ranks 10th in the country and first in the ACC. While Boston College will likely try to keep him contained, Thrash uses his speed and athleticism to break away from defenders and could be in for another big day against the Eagles.
Cam’Ron Kelly, redshirt senior safety: The silver lining to Louisville’s thin secondary is the emergence of transfer portal addition Kelly. He’s been a starter the past two games and has already made big strides in his new role, contributing 12 tackles, including two for loss, in the Cardinals’ win over Indiana.
Jawhar Jordan, redshirt junior running back: Currently on a four-game scoring streak, Jordan continues to be a steady presence for Louisville’s offense. He had 113 yards on 18 carries against Indiana and is currently averaging 114.67 yards per game and 10.8 yards per tote.
Three Boston College players to watch
Thomas Castellanos, sophomore quarterback: In his first season as a starter for the Eagles, Castellanos is leading the team in both passing (644) and rushing yards (231). Against Florida State, he completed 20 of 30 passes with a touchdown and interception for 305 yards while running 16 times for 95 yards, which included a seven-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to draw Boston College within two of FSU.
Vinny DePalma, graduate linebacker: The veteran is on track to repeat as the Eagles’ leading tackler this season with a team-best 28 tackles to go along with a fumble recovery. He was the third-leading tackler against Florida State with seven and will be key in leading BC against an explosive Louisville offense.
Kam Arnold, senior linebacker: For as much change as the offense has undergone, Arnold brings stability on the defensive side of the ball as a second-year starter. He recorded a team-leading nine tackles against FSU and is second to only DePalma in total tackles on the year with 22 in addition to forcing a fumble.
Louisville vs Boston College odds
Louisville is a 14-point favorite over Boston College at home, according to the DraftKings college football odds.
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How to watch Louisville vs Boston College football game
Who: Louisville (3-0, 1-0 ACC) vs. Boston College (1-2, 0-1 ACC)
When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23
Where: L&N Stadium; Louisville
TV: ACC Network
Radio: Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Craig Swabek (analyst) will call the game on Louisville Radio Network (93.9 FM and 970 AM).
Streaming: Qualified subscribers can watch the game at espn.com/watch.
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This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville football vs. Boston College: ACC schedule resumes for Cards
