Louisville Report

Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Jacksonville State Gamecocks

The Cardinals host the Gamecocks in their second game of the season.

Matthew McGavic

Louisville Cardinals running back Isaac Brown (25) scores a 77 yard rush touchdown during their game against the Austin Peay Governors on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024 at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville, Ky.
Louisville Cardinals running back Isaac Brown (25) scores a 77 yard rush touchdown during their game against the Austin Peay Governors on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024 at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville, Ky. / Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
In this story:

Jacksonville State Gamecocks (0-1, 0-0 C-USA) at No. 22 Louisville Cardinals (1-0, 0-0 ACC)

- Kickoff: Saturday, September 7 at 3:30 p.m. EST
- Location: L&N Stadium in Louisville, Ky.
- Weather Conditions: Mostly sunny. High 73F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.
- How To Watch: ACC Network Extra
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Louisville -30.0
- All-Time Series: First Meeting
- Last Meeting: First Meeting

Game Notes

Louisville

  • The Cardinals opened the season with an impressive 62-0 win over Austin Peay on Saturday at L&N Stadium. Quarterback Tyler Shough tied a school record for touchdown passes by a quarterback making his debut with four touchdown passes — all coming in the first half. Shough completed 18-of-24 passes for 232 yards and was sacked once. His 232 yards passing is the highest firs half total for a player making his first Louisville start since Jay Gruden passed for 234 yards in a 45-6 win over Western Kentucky in 1986,
  • In his debut, wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks caught seven passes for 83 yards and
    one touchdown, while Jadon Thompson added three receptions for 44 yards and a
    pair of scores. The Cards completed passes to 15 different receivers and three different players caught touchdowns.
  • The freshman running back trio of Isaac Brown, Duke Watson and Keyjuan Brown
    combined to rush for 274 yards and three scores, averaging a healthy 13.7 yards per carry.
  • As a team, the Cardinals ran for 293 yards on 28 carries in the win over Austin Peay. The rushing yards were the most in an opener since the Cards rushed for 363 yards in a win over Kentucky in 2016.
  • Brown led the rushing attack with 123 yards, which is the third highest total for a running debut in program history and the highest by a freshman in school history.
  • Louisville totaled 571 yards of total offense, averaging 9.2 yards per play. The 571
    yards of total was the third-best total in the 15 games of the Jeff Brohm era. The 62-0 margin of was the largest against an opponent since a 72-0 win over FIU in 2013.
  • The Cardinals are 31-14 against current members of Conference USA opponents, winning their last eight contests. Louisville last dropped a game against a C-USA opponent in 2011 when it fell 17-13 to Marshall at L&N Stadium. The Cardinals were members of Conference USA from 1996 to 2004, winning league titles in 2000, 2001 and 2004.
  • The Cards are looking to go 2-0 to open the season for the second-straight season and are hoping to top last season’s 6-0 start before they dropped a game at Pittsburgh last year. The Cards averaged 50.5 points per game in their last two season openers under head coach Jeff Brohm.
  • Louisville extended its streak of holding opponents scoreless on their first possession to 19 games. The Cardinals held all 14 opponents without points in all 14 games last season and the first game of 2024.
  • In his Louisville debut, quarterback Tyler Shough completed 18-of-24 passes for 232 yards and four touchdowns — tying him for the most touchdown passes in a UofL debut. He opened the game by hitting 5-of-5 for 36 yards and extended that to 13-of-16 with three touchdowns.
  • In holding Austin Peay to 14-of-24 passing for 72 yards, the Cards logged seven sacks, the most since getting 7 vs. Cincinnati in the 2022 Fenway Bowl, and 14 tackles for loss, the most since an equal number vs. Kent State in 2017. Tramel Logan, who was making his UofL debut, recorded a pair of sacks as well as teammate Tamarion McDonald, who notched three tackles and a pair of sacks.
  • Louisville blocked two kicks in a game for the first time since doing so vs. Cincinnati in 2004.
  • Freshman running back Isaac Brown carried five times for 123 yards — the third highest total for a running debut in school history and the highest by a freshman. His total was the eighth-highest total in any game by a Louisville freshman. He totaled 113 yards on two carries with runs of 77 and 36.
  • The Cardinals totaled 14.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks — totals that were ranked fourth and second nationally, respectively.
  • Four newcomers — Ja’Corey Brooks, Mark Redman, Isaac Brown and Duke Watson -- score a touchdown in their first UofL game for the first time since 1912 when the Cards played their first game in program history.
  • Louisville opened the season by scoring on its first five drives to open the game and six of the first seven in the first half to open a 38-0 lead at the break

Jacksonville State

  • The 2024 season marks the second year as a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for Jax State.
  • The Gamecocks and Cardinals meet for the first time in football.
  • It marks the first game forJax State against a member of the ACC since 2021 when the Gamecocks beat Florida State on a 59-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game in Tallahassee.
  • The 2024 season marks the second consecutive year Jax State will travel to a Power 4 program after going to South Carolina lastyear. In 2025,Jax State will open at UCF and will travel to Auburn in 2026.
  • While at West Virginia, Coach Rich Rodriguez was 2-1 all-time against Louisville, winning his first meeting with the Cards in Morgantown 46-44 in triple overtime and winning again in 2007, 38-31.
  • The Gamecocks are coming off a 9-4 record in 2023, their first year in FBS. They became the first team to qualify for and win a Bowl Game in their first year eligible to do so.
  • Jax State head coach Rich Rodriguez enters the 2024 season in seventh place among active FBS head coaches in career wins. In his 27th season as a head coach, Rodriguez has a 181-126-2 career record.
  • The Gamecocks had an average attendance of 20,033 in 2023, the highest mark of any school in Conference USA and the second highest average attendance in school history behind 20,598 in 2015. The 120,199 total fans across the six games is the third most in school history
  • 1.000 – Jax State was 2-for-2 in the Red Zone in the season opener.
  • 2 – Takeaways by safety Zechariah Poyser in last week's game against Coastal Carolina. Poyser recovered a fumble and had an interception.
  • 3 – Jax State recorded three of its longest plays of the FBS era last week with its longest pass completion (92), field goal (49), and kick return (23).
  • 6.3 – Average gain per play this season.
  • 12 – Tackles by Patrick Taylor in his Jax State debut.
  • 17 – Fourth quarter points scored by the Gamecocks.
  • 47 – Average yards per punt by Jack Dawson which ranks 16th nationally.
  • 49 – Career long field goal made by Garrison Rippa against Coastal Carolina.
  • 115 – All-purpose yards by Michael Pettway in the season opener.
  • 123 – Rushing yards by the Gamecocks last week, marking the 13th time in the last 14 games. Jax State has recorded at least 100 rushing yards.
  • 140 – Career tackles made by Jax State senior J-Rock Swain. A 2023 All-Conference USA selection, Swain has collected 72 solo tackles and 68 assisted tackles in 45 games
    played across five seasons with the Gamecocks.
  • 234 – Total passing yards by Jax State in the opener, marking the third straight game with at least 200 passing yards.
  • 3,056 – Career rushing yards by Tre Stewart who led Jax State with 62 yards last week. Stewart spent the last three seasons at Division II Limestone.
  • 18,977 – Total attendance of the 2024 season opener. Jax State led Conference USA in attendance in 2023.

Depth Charts

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

Comparison

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

Uniform Report

Louisville will be wearing white helmets (with an American flag-pattered Cardinal) and pants with red jerseys, while Jacksonville State has yet to announce their uniform combination.

Additional Coverage

(Photo of Isaac Brown: Clare Grant - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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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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