Bryan Brown Proud of Louisville's Defensive Performance vs. Boston College, Hopes to Carry Momentum into NC State

Following their best defense performance of the season, in which Bryan Brown is “extremely proud” of, the defensive coordinator for the Cardinals is hopeful that his guys can carry that momentum into their next game at NC State.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - At this point, it's well documented how much the defensive side of the ball for Louisville struggled in the first half of the 2021 season. They surrendered a league-worst 449.3 yards per game through the first seven weeks, as well as 298.8 passing yards per game - the sixth-highest mark in all of FBS.

The Cardinals also had a lot to think about during their bye week, which came right at their midseason point. Heading into the fourth quarter against Virginia, holding a 17-point lead, Louisville proceeded to give up a 21-3 run by the Cavaliers to lose 34-33.

For two long weeks, the players and coaching staff heard copious amounts of criticism from fans and the media alike. During that time, they tuned out the outside noise, got back to work at practice, and stayed focus on the challenges that lied ahead.

When Louisville finally got back on the gridiron to host Boston College last weekend, it was like a completely new defense showed up.

Thanks due to a rejuvenated roster and retooled defensive scheme/approach, Louisville put together their best defensive performance of the season, holding the Eagles to just 266 yards and 14 points - Boston College's worst yardage output against a Power Five team this season.

Defensive coordinator Bryan Brown was elated to see his guys rebound the way they did, saying he was "extremely proud" of their overall performance against the Eagles.

"We've been seeing our guys every day come over here and work," he said. "We see it from inside, and we just know that even after that Virginia loss, that Sunday's practice and that off-week's practice was tremendous."

On-field performance wasn't the only thing that he was pleased with. Even after suffering back-to-back heartbreaking losses, Brown noticed during their two weeks of practice that the players remained unwavering in the belief they have in the staff, and continued to be 100 percent bought in.

"The guys still believe, and understand what we're trying to get accomplished," he said. "We know we have a really good football team, and the guys came out there and played hard, executed, and came out with a win."

Brown is hopeful that they can take the success the defense saw against Boston College, and carry that into the remainder of the second half of the season. The energy from their win over BC has since carried into their week of practice, and he believes that will translate into their next game against NC State. 

"Guys look forward to competing again, and going out and showing that we can be one of the best defenses in this country," he said.

The defense does have a chance to continue this momentum in their final five games of the year, based off of quality of opponent alone. Having already faced three offenses that rank in the top 16 in FBS - plus two in the top five - Louisville will now face the face the 14th, 49th, 52nd, 76th and 117th ranked offenses down the stretch.

That all being said, Louisville will still have their hands full when they travel down to Raleigh, N.C. to face NC State. Not only will they have to deal with a raucous Carter-Finley Stadium, at night and on Halloween Eve, but the Wolfpack has their fair share of weapons on offense.

Quarterback Devin Leary has established himself as one of the more efficient passers in the ACC, completing 65.6 percent of his passes for 1,844 yards, 17 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Running backs Zonovan 'Bam' Knight and Ricky Person combine to average 136.7 rushing yards per game, and starting receivers Emeka Emezie, Thayer Thomas and Devin Carter account for 1,158 receiving yards.

It might not be the most prolific offense Louisville has faced this season, as they rank 49th in total yards per game with 424.4, but it certainly presents a challenge for the Cardinals in what will undoubtedly be a hostile road environment.

“We have our we have our work cut out for us again this week, like we have every week,” Brown said. “We look forward to the challenge, but these guys are a really good football team, and they're coached real well.”

Kickoff at NC State is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. EST.

(Photo of Louisville players: Cindy Rice Shelton - Louisville Report)

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