Louisville vs. Pittsburgh football game first look: Story lines, key players, odds, more
Jeff Brohm’s goal of bringing Louisville back to national prominence is becoming more of a reality.
The No. 15 Cardinals’ 33-20 win over No. 21 Notre Dame allowed them to move up in the national rankings and produce the program’s first 6-0 start since 2013. They’ll take that momentum into a road game against Pitt at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Acrisure Stadium.
U of L is surging at the right time with both the offense and defense finding a rhythm and getting more comfortable with their assignments and responsibilities in Brohm’s system. The Cardinals adjusted their defense, which allowed them to convert quarterback pressures into five sacks against the Fighting Irish.
Meanwhile, the Panthers are coming off a bye and still in search of a conference win after falling to No. 12 North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
Here are three story lines to watch in Louisville’s Week 7 contest against Pitt:
Louisville’s offensive balance
Beating N.C. State required U of L quarterback Jack Plummer to throw for 286 yards while the Cardinals were limited to less than 100 rushing yards. But seven days later, it was two rushing touchdowns from running back Jawhar Jordan and a team effort of 185 yards on the ground that helped Louisville earn the program’s second win over the Fighting Irish.
Louisville’s balanced attack has helped the offense become one of the best in the country. The Cardinals rank 20th nationally in total offense, averaging 7.1 yards per play and 467.3 yards per outing.
U of L will likely need to depend on the Jordan-led running backs room again with Pitt having the 17th-best passing defense in the nation, allowing only 173.2 passing yards per game.
Adding to history
Louisville made history when it beat Boston College for the program’s first 3-0 start in ACC play. Now the Cardinals have a chance to add to that at Pitt. The Panthers are second-to-last in the ACC standings and currently on a four-game losing streak while the Cardinals are first in the league standings.
Louisville’s last 4-0 start to conference play was when it won the Big East in 2012. That season was also the last time the Cardinals were 7-0, recording a program-best start in winning their first nine games.
Despite Louisville’s undefeated mark, Pitt is ahead in the all-time series (10-9) and also has the edge against the Cardinals at home (7-5).
Using the bye
Despite being only two years removed from winning an ACC championship, wins are at a premium for Pitt. Their latest loss was a 38-21 decision at Virginia Tech during Week 5.
Pitt’s bye came during Week 6, giving the Panthers two weeks to prepare for Louisville. In that time, they’ve made changes to their offense, benching quarterback Phil Jurkovec for Christian Veilleux. They are also making changes to their defensive depth chart.
Three Louisville players to watch
Ahmari Huggins-Bruce, junior wide receiver: In addition to having 207 receiving yards on the year, Huggins-Bruce has expanded his game to include the ability to run with the ball. He scored his first career rushing touchdown this season and has 41 yards on four carries so far after totaling 19 rushing yards in the previous two years.
Ashton Gillotte, junior defensive lineman: After totaling 1 ½ sacks against Notre Dame, Gillotte leads Louisville with 6 ½ of the team’s 14 ½ sacks. His individual total is tied for third-most in the country with the Florida native also tallying 20 tackles and a forced fumble.
Ben Perry, redshirt sophomore defensive back: Perry has been one of the Cardinals’ most versatile defenders and was key in the win over Notre Dame. He totaled two pass breakups, one of which fell into Devin Neal’s hands for an interception, to go along with six tackles for a season total of 22.
Three Pitt players to watch
Christian Veilleux, redshirt sophomore: During Pitt’s open week, it was revealed that Veilleux would replace Jurkovec as the Panthers’ starting quarterback against Louisville. He’s only played two games this season but threw for 145 yards in the contests.
Donovan McMillon, junior defensive back: After transferring in from Florida, McMillon is Pitt’s leading tackler (44) and has two pass breakups on the season. He’s had two double-digit tackling performances so far this season with 12 against Virginia Tech and a season-high 18 against West Virginia.
Solomon DeShields, redshirt junior linebacker: Following the departure of SirVocea Dennis, now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, DeShields has emerged as one of the Panthers’ top defensive players with a team-best 5 ½ tackles for loss in addition to one sack and 29 total tackles.
Louisville vs Pitt football odds
Louisville is a 9 1/2-point road favorite over Pitt, according to the DraftKings college football odds.
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How to watch Louisville vs Pitt football
Who: No. 15 Louisville (6-0, 3-0 ACC) vs. Pitt (1-4, 0-2)
When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14
Where: Acrisure Stadium; Pittsburgh, Penn.
TV: The CW
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 stream the game on Hulu.
Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.
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This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Jeff Brohm, Louisville football vs Pitt odds, keys, more for ACC game
