Quick-starting defense has helped power Louisville football to 7-1 start under Jeff Brohm
No. 15 Louisville has yet to lose a coin toss this season and always chooses to defer until the second half.
Of eight opening drives, the Cardinals’ defense has produced three three-and-outs, two interceptions, two punts and a turnover on downs. The rest of the first-quarter possessions have been similar. Louisville shut out seven opponents during the first quarter. Pitt, which handed U of L its only loss, scored a touchdown against the Cardinals during the opening 15 minutes.
The Cardinals took it a step further with three first-half shutouts: against Murray State, Indiana and, most recently, Duke in the 23-0 victory. Louisville is 17-0 over the past five seasons when it shuts out an opponent in the first quarter.
U of L's defense starting hot helps set the tone for its offense. The Cardinals have outscored their opponents during the first quarter, 62-7. That is not surprising to Louisville coach Jeff Brohm, who said he saw the potential and talent of the defense “the day I got here.” It just took time for the unit to develop depth and continue to improve.
“I think our defense has confidence in themselves and the package that we're using, and they play aggressive,” Brohm said. “If we cannot give their (the opposing) offense the ball back by having turnovers early on and sustaining some drives like we did this past game and putting points on the board early, it definitely plays to our advantage. Our defense has taken advantage of it, and they've done a really good job, so it's really a credit to our players. I think they play really hard early on, and they come ready to play.”
Louisville will look to keep the trend going when it hosts Virginia Tech at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at L&N Stadium. After starting 1-3, the Hokies have surged and won three of their last four games.
Virginia Tech has been outscored 29-20 in the first quarter against its last four opponents. Fourth-ranked Florida State accounted for 22 of those points after defeating Virginia Tech, 39-17, on Oct. 7.
Virginia Tech’s best start happened Thursday, when the Hokies scored 13 first-quarter points against Syracuse. The Hokies scored a field goal and touchdown on their first two drives in the 38-10 win.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals’ opponents have totaled 23 drives in the first quarter, and 12 have either been turnovers (3) or three-and-outs (9). Defensive lineman Ramon Puryear and cornerback Quincy Riley each pocketed an interception against Georgia Tech and Notre Dame, respectively. Riley also was credited with making the fourth-down stop against Boston College. Riley is tied with safety Ben Perry for fifth-most tackles on the team (30) in addition to a team-best seven pass breakups and two interceptions.
U of L defensive lineman Mason Reiger said the group, known as #RedSwarm on social media, prides itself on starting fast and attributes it to having a high level of energy.
“If you turn on the tape, you can see our defense flying to the ball, unlike, really, any other defense in the country,” he said. “We get 11 hats to the ball every play because that's what we pride ourselves on as a defense. Just being the Red Swarm, being who we are, making sure that we take care of business defensively.”
Louisville vs. Virginia Tech football: Story lines, key players and odds ahead of ACC game
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: Defense has been key in Year 1 under Jeff Brohm
