Jeff Brohm Wanting To See A More Relaxed Jack Plummer in Louisville's Home Opener

After an outing against Georgia Tech where quarterback Jack Plummer's nerves had a significant impact on his play, the head coach of the Cardinals is hoping to see him take a more relaxed approach against Murray State.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program might have been able to secure a win in their season opener against Georgia Tech, but they certainly didn't make it easy on themselves. The Cardinals found themselves staring at a 28-13 deficit at halftime against the Yellow Jackets, but were able to score 27 unanswered points to come out with a 39-34 win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Part of the reason that Louisville found themselves facing a two-score deficit at halftime was because their passing game, something that head coach Jeff Brohm has been known for in his time at Western Kentucky and Purdue, was anything by efficient. Quarterback Jack Plummer completed just three of his first 10 passing attempts, and went only 8-of-17 for 90 yards with a touchdown and an interception over the course of the first half.

"Not my best first half of football, that's for sure," Plummer said after the game. "I came back. Proud of myself for battling back in the second half, and I thought I played really well in the second half. Just got to start off quicker, and it's probably a different game if I start the game off right and do my job."

To Plummer's credit, he did indeed look much better against Georgia Tech after halftime, going 10-for-14 for 157 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. He finished the game completing 18 of his 31 attempts for a 58.0 percent completion rate, throwing for 247 yards, three touchdowns - two to Jamari Thrash and one to Kevin Coleman Jr. - and an interception.

But for a while, it looked like the 6-foot-5, 215-pound signal caller might not get it together. Early in the game, he was anything but accurate, throwing way behind or below his targets, and struggling on some of the more basic timing routes.

After having the opportunity to have in-depth conversations with Plummer and have a chance to break down the film from the game, head coach Jeff Brohm believes that it really only came down to a heightened case of first game nerves and jitters.

"I think sometimes he gets in the game, and he's pressing so hard and wanting to do well so much that he's just a little jittery," Brohm said. "I just think he was jittery, may have caused him to misfire on a couple easy throws that really could have helped us. He understands that, and that's part of being a quarterback. You've got to be able to relax and go out there and play."

Having previously coached Plummer for four years during his time at Purdue, Brohm knows how hard of a worker is when it comes to game preparation. After spending a year at Cal before transferring to Louisville for his final season in college, this work ethic has been evident during the offseason. Routinely during the open practices in spring ball and fall camp, Plummer was far and away the best quarterback in practice, showcasing his above average arm strength and decision making with regularity.

With how much pressure he puts on himself in practice, Brohm says it's now a matter of simply relaxing when it's time to do lace 'em and do battle. Plummer will have the perfect opportunity to get all the nerves out when Louisville hosts in-state FCS foe Murray State for the first home game under their new head coach and 2023 home opener.

"We talk about it and we try to do it, but you’ve got to treat practice like the game," Brohm said. "You can't be super relaxed in practice, and all of the sudden in the game take it a little more seriously. You have to really put pressure on yourself in practice, and demand that you perform at a high level, which he has done. But you got to put pressure on yourself to do it, and then in the game, just have to relax more and cut it loose. I just think he's just got to continue to work on that.

"If he can relax and do what he does every day in practice, and throw with conviction, and stand in there and be tough and realize that he can make those throws. If not, get out of the pocket and go make a play. He has the capability, just have to relax and go out there and play."

Kickoff against the Racers is set for Thursday, Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. EST.

(Photo of Jack Plummer: Brett Davis - USA TODAY Sports)

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