Louisville Report

Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Pitt Panthers

The Cardinals head back on the road and resume conference play with a matchup against the Panthers.

Matthew McGavic

In this story:

No. 14 Louisville Cardinals (6-0, 3-0 ACC) at Pitt Panthers (1-4, 0-2 ACC)

- Kickoff: Saturday, October 14 at 6:30 p.m. EST
- Location: Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa.
- Weather Conditions: Rain likely. Low 47F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
- How To Watch: The CW Network
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Louisville -7.5
- All-Time Series: Pitt leads 10-9
- Last Meeting: Louisville won 24-10 on Oct. 22, 2022 (L&N Stadium - Louisville, Ky.)

Game Notes

Louisville

  • The University of Louisville hits the road in Atlantic Coast Conference action when the Cards travel to face Pittsburgh on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on the CW Network. The Cards improved to 6-0 overall with a 33-20 win over No. 10 Notre Dame — the program’s second-straight win over a top-10 foe and the eighth overall in school history. Over the last two seasons, the Cardinals have won seven consecutive games for the first time since 2014 — which is tied for the 10th-longest streak in school history.
  • Louisville forced five turnovers in the 33-20 win over Notre Dame on Saturday. The Cards picked off Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman three times and held the Fighting Irish to just 298 yards of offense — the first time in over a year that the Irish failed to accumulate at least 300 yards of offense. Notre Dame was limited to 44 yards rushing, the lowest since its bowl game to end the 2021 season. Hartman has thrown six interceptions and five lost fumbles over the last six quarters.
  • With the 33-20 win over Notre Dame on Saturday, the victory snapped the Fighting Irish’s 30-game regular season winning streak versus ACC opponents.
  • Running back Jawhar Jordan carried 21 times for 143 yards and two scores, the eighth 100-yard game of his career and the fourth this season. Jordan has scored on runs of 45 and 21 yards to give him eight scores on the season. The junior has seven touchdowns that cover 20 or more yards this season. He has rushed for 653 yards and eight touchdowns this year, while averaging 7.5 yards per carry.
  • The Cardinals won at home for the eighth-straight time, which is tied for the seventh-longest streak in school history and the longest since 2016. Louisville won five-straight home contests after losing its home opener 35-31 to Florida State and is 3-0 at home to start the 2023 campaign.
  • Placekicker Brock Travelstead tied a school record with four field goals against Notre Dame, becoming the first player in school history to kick four field goals in a game for the second time in a season. He’s 10-of-13 on the season in field goals.
  • The Cardinals look to go 7-0 overall for the first time since 2012 when they opened the season at 9-0 before dropping two in a row at Syracuse and at home in triple overtime to Connecticut. The Cards are looking for their second-straight road win after winning two weeks ago at NC State. Louisville picked up a pair of neutral-site wins over Georgia Tech and Indiana. Louisville is attempting to go 4-0 in league play for the first time since 2012.
  • Louisville has outscored opponents 48-0 this season in the first quarter after holding a 7-0 edge over Notre Dame. Louisville has held its last seven opponents scoreless in the first quarter — the longest streak in school history since 1973.
  • After being held to a season low 20 yards rushing on 29 carries in the 13-10 win over NC State, the Cardinals responded with 185 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win over Notre Dame. The Cards rank 29th nationally at 192.3 yards per game.
  • Quarterback Jack Plummer tossed his 12th touchdown pass of the season, throwing a touchdown in his eighth-straight game dating back to his last season at Cal. Plummer tossed a 9-yard pass to Jamari Thrash on the team’s first possession.
  • With three interceptions, Louisville became the first team to intercept Notre Dame in seven games and 149 pass attempts. The Cards leads the ACC and are fifth in the country in interceptions with eight.
  • Louisville held Notre Dame to 298 yards of total offense, its lowest total since a 297-yard performance against California on Sept. 17, 2022. Notre Dame’s 44 yards rushing is its lowest total since rushing for 42 yards vs. Oklahoma State in its 2021 bowl game. Over the last two games, the Cards have held both opponents to less than 300 yards offense, allowing an average of 249.5 yards per game over that span.
  • Louisville forced five turnovers for the first time since forcing eight vs. Wake Forest on Oct. 29, 2022. The five turnovers versus Notre Dame led to 13 points, including a touchdown after throwing an interception on the game’s first drive.
  • The Cardinals have forced three or more turnovers in three games this season and have seen the opposition turn it over eight times in the last two games.
  • Jeff Brohm is the second Louisville coach to begin his UofL career 6-0, joining Tom King who won his first ten games coaching the Cardinals in 1925 and 1926. Brohm is 72-44 in 10 seasons as a head coach.
  • Louisville won for the fourth time at home in match-ups against teams ranked in the top 25. Louisville has won its last two games against a top-10 opponent — defeating No. 10 Notre Dame on Saturday and No. 10 Wake Forest last season.
  • The Cardinals have scored 30 or more points in four of the first six games, and are 21st nationally in scoring.

Pitt

  • The Panthers return to action by hosting undefeated Louisville, which shares the ACC lead (with Florida State) with a 3-0 conference mark.
  • Pitt has won six of its past eight encounters with Louisville. The Panthers, however, dropped a 24-10 decision to the host Cardinals last season.
  • Since 2015, Pat Narduzzi has directed Pitt to 41 victories in ACC play, the second-highest win total during that span. Pitt trails only Clemson (62).
  • Pitt is one of just six teams that will play 11 "Power Conference" opponents in 2023, joining Colorado, Louisville, Purdue, Utah and West Virginia.
  • Pitt's remaining seven opponents have a combined record of 30-10, a winning percentage of .750. In this week's Top 25 polls, no fewer than five Pitt opponents are ranked.
  • Pitt has defeated at least one Top 25 team in each of the past seven seasons (2016-22) under Pat Narduzzi.
  • Pitt is surrendering 301.6 yards per contest, ranking 20th nationally and fourth in the ACC in total defense.
  • The Panthers will be challenged by a Louisville offense that averages 467.3 yards, which ranks 20th nationally and third in the ACC.
  • Defensive end Bam Brima has an ACC-high (tied) two fumble recoveries, which ranks third among all FBS players.
  • Freshman linebacker Rasheem Biles is tied for the national lead with two blocked kicks.
  • Freshman Kenny Johnson is averaging 35.5 yards per kickoff return, the third-highest average among all FBS players and second in the ACC.
  • Pitt's offensive line depth has been challenged this year due to an array of injuries. Two starters have been lost to season-ending injuries: tackle Matt Goncalves, a 2022 All-ACC performer, and guard Ryan Jacoby, who sustained his injury during preseason camp. Additionally, center Jake Kradel, who leads Pitt's offensive front with 41 career starts, has missed the past two contests.
  • Pitt has scored on 12 of its 13 trips into the red zone this season. The Panthers rank 21st nationally and second in the ACC in red zone offense, scoring at a 92.3% clip. Pitt has scored nine touchdowns in the red zone and kicked three field goals.
  • Safety Donovan McMillon has been a newcomer of impact at Pitt following his January transfer from Florida. McMillon is the Panthers' leading tackler with 44 stops. He has 15 more than the next players (linebacker Solomon DeShields and safety Javon McIntyre are second with 29).
  • Pitt had its first defensive score of the season when freshman linebacker Braylan Lovelace scooped up a fumble by Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones and returned it for a 4-yard touchdown (Sept. 30). It marked the first collegiate fumble recovery (and touchdown) for Lovelace.
  • The Panthers' active leaders in defensive touchdowns are cornerbacks M.J. Devonshire and Marquis Williams with two each (all via interception returns).
  • Through five games this season, Pitt ranks 20th nationally and fourth in the ACC in total defense, surrendering 301.6 yards per game. Since 2019, the Panthers have annually ranked among the best total defenses in the ACC and nationally.
  • Through five games, the Panthers are surrendering an average of just 173.2 passing yards, the 17th fewest nationally and third in the ACC. Three Pitt opponents have failed to reach 200 passing yards this year: West Virginia (60 yards), Wofford (127) and Cincinnati (155).
  • Kicker Ben Sauls has accounted for a team-high 26 points this season, converting 4-of-7 field goals (57%) and each of his 14 extra-point attempts. Sauls has made 19 of his last 23 field goal attempts dating back to the 2022 season.

Depth Charts

Here are the depth charts for both teams ahead of their matchup: Louisville vs. Pitt

Comparison

See how the Cardinals stack up against the Panthers, and who the statistical models favor: Tale of the Tape, Predictions: Louisville vs. Pitt

Uniform Report

Louisville will be wearing white helmets and jerseys with red pants, while Pitt will be wearing yellow helmets with blue jerseys and pants.

Additional Coverage

(Photo of Yasir Abdullah: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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Published
Matthew McGavic
MATTHEW MCGAVIC

McGavic is a 2016 Sport Administration graduate of the University of Louisville, and a native of the Derby City. He has been covering the Cardinals in various capacities since 2017, with a brief stop in Atlanta, Ga. on the Georgia Tech beat. He is also a co-host of the 'From The Pink Seats' podcast on the State of Louisville network. Video gamer, bourbon drinker and dog lover. Find him on Twitter at @Matt_McGavic

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