Louisville vs Murray State football gameday guide: What to know ahead of Cards' home opener
Louisville athletic director Josh Heird is expecting the crowd at Thursday's home opener against Murray State to be the largest since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kickoff at 7:30 p.m. will mark the first game played under the L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium banner, after the company bought the naming rights to the more than 60,000-seat facility previously known as Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. And it will serve as head coach Jeff Brohm’s regular season debut in front of the fans at home.
Heird wants a crowd similar to Louisville's 2019 season opener against Notre Dame, when a record 58,187 fans filled the stadium — and he doesn't think it's out of the question.
“You only get to see Jeff Brohm's first home football game that he's coaching as a head coach one time, and that's Thursday night," Heird said. "So, really hoping our fans will come out and support him.”
It isn't only a homecoming for the head coach. His brothers, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brian Brohm and Louisville chief of staff Greg Brohm, are coaching in front of their hometown crowd for the first time as well, along with running backs coach Chris Barclay (a Male High grad) and defensive lineman Stephen Herron (from Trinity's Class of 2019).
The Cardinals return to town on the heels of a 39-34 season-opening win over Georgia Tech, Louisville's first victory over the Yellow Jackets in three attempts.
Here’s your guide to the Cardinals’ highly anticipated home opener, against a Bluegrass State opponent.
Louisville vs. Murray State pregame notes
The game will be a Black Out for fans, and traffic around the stadium is expected. Louisville recently announced a partnership with Waze Global to help spectators find the best routes to and from the stadium via the Waze app.
Louisville kicker/punter Brock Travelstead was named the ACC’s first Specialist of the Week following the season opener. He became the sixth player in school history to go 4-for-4 on field goal attempts (33, 30, 22 and 38 yards) and the third kicker in program history to make his first four field goal attempts. Travelstead also averaged 46.2 yards per punt in the win.
Riding a five-game home winning streak from a year ago, the Cardinals are 68-33-3 in home openers. A victory over Murray State, which beat Presbyterian College 41-10 in its 2023 opener, would also give the program its first 2-0 start since 2017.
U of L vs. Murray State pregame reading
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Louisville vs. Murray State odds
Because it is an FCS-FBS game, there is no betting line.
Now available: Check out BetMGM's Kentucky Bonus Code
How to watch Louisville vs. Murray State football game
Who: Louisville (1-0) vs. Murray State (1-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7
Where: L&N Stadium; Louisville, Kentucky
TV: The game will be televised on ACC Network with Chris Cotter (play-by-play) and Mark Herzlich (analyst) on the call.
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 online at espn.com/watch.
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: How to watch Louisville football vs. Murray State: Betting odds, notes
