Points of Emphasis: Louisville vs. SMU

Here are the more significant storylines to follow ahead of Louisville football's matchup vs. the Mustangs:

Louisville Cardinals celebrate another touchdown during their game against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville, Ky. / Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After suffering their first loss of the season in a ranked matchup at Notre Dame, the Louisville football program is returning home to try and get back in the win column, taking on one of the three newcomers to the ACC this season - SMU.

Here are some of the more notable storylines heading into Saturday's game:

Injury Report

For once, it's a little bit of good news for Louisville on the injury front.

After having to miss the first three games of the season, star wide receiver Caullin Lacy was finally able to return to the lineup this past weekend. Additionally, there had been rumors that cornerback Tahveon Nicholson could be out vs. the Irish, but ultimately played.

The biggest (only?) question mark is the status of Quincy Riley. The star corner suffered an ankle/foot injury vs. Georgia Tech, went through warmups prior to the Notre Dame game, but ultimately didn't play. During his weekly press conference on Monday, head coach Jeff Brohm said he was "hopeful to get him back this week" against SMU.

Speaking of SMU, they aren't as banged up as Notre Dame was, but they still have a couple injuries to note.

Backup running back Jaylan Knighton, who was SMU's leading rusher last season, is out for the season with a knee injury. He ran for 745 yards and seven scores last season.

Fellow running back L.J. Johnson had to miss the FSU game with a concussion and is day-to-day, while wide receiver Romello Brinson is also week-to-week with a knee injury. Starting defensive tackle Anthony Booker also suffered an injury vs. FSU, but his status for this weekend is not yet known.

Sloppiness Emerging for Louisville Against Power Competition

Louisville had an easy start to their schedule, out-scoring Austin Peay and Jacksonville State 111 points to 14. But since their competition took an uptick in difficulty, they have looked much sloppier than expected.

In their 31-19 win vs. Georgia Tech, the Cardinals committed seven penalties - with three of them negating 20-plus yard offensive gains, and one on defense that helped lead to a Yellow Jackets touchdown. They also gave up a safety in the fourth quarter during a one-score game.

This past weekend against Notre Dame, Louisville committed three turnovers - all of which were easily avoidable - turned the ball over on downs four times, and committed six penalties. By the end of the game, six of their 13 drives ended in a turnover or turnover on downs, inevitably resulting in a 31-24 loss up in South Bend.

"When you face good football teams, you're not going to win every play," head coach Jeff Brohm said. "There's definitely some things we could have done better. I thought we handled the crowd noise pretty well the last game, until till the end of the game when it got loud and and that. it screwed some things up for us."

Fortunately, Brohm believes that his team is not only able to learn from their mistakes, they have the adaptability to be able to adjust moving forward and prevent miscues from snowballing. He cites how last year's team was able to win five one-score games, and how this year's squad has already demonstrated the resiliency that the 2023 team did.

"I think we've got competitive players, and I think they want to compete and play," Brohm said. "Last year, we found a way to win a lot of close games. We're going to have to find a way to win close games this year, and that means doing a lot of the small things correctly."

SMU's Offense Taking Off Following Quarterback Change

During the offseason, ACC newcomer SMU was a trendy pick to be a dark horse in the conference title race. However, the Mustangs struggled during their first few games of the season.

They had to mount a comeback against Nevada, who is one of the worst teams in the FBS, and barely squeaked by with a 29-24 win. After beating an FCS foe Houston Christian, SMU dropped a defensive slugfest at home vs. BYU, falling 18-15.

Following the game against BYU, SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee made the decision to bench starting quarterback Preston Stone in favor of Kevin Jennings. Since then, the Mustangs' offense has exploded.

Over their last two games, SMU has put up 108 total points and 833 total yards on TCU and FSU, winning both games. In their games against Nevada and BYU, the Mustangs put up a combined 44 points and 669 yards. Against TCU and FSU, Jennings has gone 30-of-42 for 391 yards and five touchdowns, while running back Brashard Smith has 630 yards and eight touchdowns from scrimmage for the season.

“Right now they’re hot and they’ve got momentum," Brohm said. "They’re trusting each other, they’re executing at a high level. The quarterback, settling on him - the offense has taken off. This is a young man who’s a six-foot quarterback; he can throw it, he’s got a great arm, he can run, he throws well on the move, he can escape the rush. You have to affect him or he’s going to get it to those playmakers."

Caullin Lacy Impresses in Louisville Debut

When Caullin Lacy suffered a broken collarbone on the final day of fall camp, it was a big blow to Louisville's passing offense. He was one of the most prolific and explosive wide receivers in all of college football this past season, catching 91 passes for 1,316 yards and seven touchdowns at South Alabama.

This past weekend at Notre Dame, Lacy was finally healthy enough to make his debut in a Louisville uniform, and he certainly didn't disappoint. He finished with five catches for 71 yards, including an impressive one-handed 34-yard snag.

“I give Caullin a lot of credit. ... He’s a tough young man, he’s a competitor," Brohm said. "He wants to go out there and do great things. We’ve got to make sure we identify the things he’s really good at and make sure we do that with him because there are certain things he’s better at than others. He is a strong runner and he’s a competitor and we’ll need him out there.”

Being able to perform the way he did in a ranked matchup on the road certainly gave Lacy a confidence boost post-injury. That being said, he's still dedicated to constantly improving himself.

"I got a lot of confidence in the way I finished, but I know I got a lot of work to do to get better, get more open," LAcy said after the Notre Dame game. "I got a lot of mistakes to clean up, communication, knowing what I gotta be to just be more precise and clean."

SMU's Defense Thriving in Turnover Department

When looking at SMU's defense as a whole, it's best categorized as good but maybe not great. The Mustangs average 311.2 yards and 21.4 points allowed per games, which comes in at 38th and 51st, respectively in the nation. They were also lit up by TCU, giving up 42 points, and allowed Nevada to score 24.

But if there's one area where SMU excels in, it's in creating turnovers. In fact, the Mustangs are tied with Maryland with the most turnovers gained in the FBS with 14.

Additionally, SMU is very balanced in how the gain their turnovers. Their nine interceptions are second in the nation only to Cal's 10, while their five fumbles recovered are seventh nationally. Linebacker Ahmad Walker and defensive lineman Elijah Roberts both have a pair of forced fumbles, while safety Ahmaad Moses is tied for third in the FBS with three interceptions.

“I think they’re very sound on first and second down; they don't give up a lot of big plays throughout that," Brohm said. "On third down, they get very exotic, and they come after the quarterback. They affect the quarterback, so they made him get turnovers in those situations. They do some things that other teams aren’t as aggressive doing, so I give them credit. They’re well coached. Right now, they’re believing in what they’re doing. When your offense is having success, it gives you the flexibility to play more aggressive, which they have done and it’s definitely showing on video.”

(Photo via Clare Grant - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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