Louisville Report

Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Cardinals head to South Bend for a ranked matchup against the Fighting Irish.

Matthew McGavic

Oct 7, 2023; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals defensive back Devin Neal (27) returns an interception past Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Mitchell Evans (88) during the second half at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Louisville defeated Notre Dame 33-20. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images
Oct 7, 2023; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals defensive back Devin Neal (27) returns an interception past Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Mitchell Evans (88) during the second half at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Louisville defeated Notre Dame 33-20. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images
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No. 15/17 Louisville Cardinals (3-0, 1-0 ACC) at No. 16/14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-1)

- Kickoff: Saturday, September 28 at 3:30 p.m. EST
- Location: Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind.
- Weather Conditions: Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High around 75F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph.
- How To Watch: Peacock
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Notre Dame -6.5
- All-Time Series: Series tied 2-2
- Last Meeting: Louisville won 33-20 on Oct. 7, 2023 (L&N Stadium - Louisville, Ky.)

Game Notes

Louisville

  • After three straight home games to open the season, the University of Louisville hits the road for the first time this season to face Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in a game featuring two ranked opponents. It’s the second-straight year the team will meet as ranked opponents.
  • The Cardinals and Fighting Irish are meeting for the fifth time in school history, with the series tied at 2-2 after Louisville knocked off No. 10 Notre Dame 33-20 last season.
  • The Cardinals improved to 3-0 and picked up their first league win with a 31-19 win Saturday over Georgia Tech. Louisville scored in all three phases for the first time since 2013, with an offensive touchdown, defensive touchdown and a special teams score.
  • Quarterback Tyler Shough completed 13-of-19 passes for 269 yards and two scores, throwing a 37-yard pass to Chris Bell and a 57-yarder to Ja’Corey Brooks.
  • Shough is one of only three QBs in program history to start his Louisville career with at least 75 pass attempts before his first interception, joining Mike Watkins (83 attempts) and Johnny Unitas (78).
  • Brooks led all receivers with 4 receptions for a career-high 125 yards and a TD. Brooks had his second career 100-yard game and first at Louisville. He leads the team with 17 receptions for 297 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
  • Louisville was held to a season low 326 yards of total offense, including just 57 yards on the ground.
  • Louisville extends its streak of holding opponents scoreless on their first possession to 21 games
  • Defensive lineman Ramon Puryear became the first Louisville player to have two fumble return touchdowns in a season since Deon Palmer in 2005, scoring on a fumble recovery in the end zone.
  • Tayon Holloway blocked a field goal and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown. Louisville’s last blocked field goal return for a TD came on Andrew Johnson’s 82-yard return in a 38-35 win at West Virginia in 2011.
  • Louisville held Georgia Tech to 98 yards on the ground, improving to 7-3 when holding the opposition to less than 100 yards rushing.
  • The Cards are looking to go 4-0 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 season.
  • Head coach Jeff Brohm’s team was 2-1 on the road last season, winning at NC State and Miami.
  • Head coach Jeff Brohm becomes the first Louisville coach to start 3-0 in his first two seasons since Bobby Petrino did so from 2003 to 2006 and 2014.
  • Louisville extended its streak of holding opponents scoreless on their first possession to 21 games. Louisville has held its opponent scoreless in the first quarter for the 15th time in its last 18 games.
  • Louisville has scored at least 30 points for the ninth time in 10 home games under Brohm.
  • Louisville ranks ninth nationally with an average of 6.4 yards per carry. The Cards stand fourth nationally with seven runs of 20 or more yards and are fourth with four rushes of over 30 yards.
  • Quarterback Tyler Shough is sixth nationally in passing efficiency and leads the ACC in passing yards per completion.
  • Freshman running back Isaac Brown is the team’s leading rusher with 173 yards, an average of 57.7 yards per game, while another rookie Duke Watson is second with 141 yards and two scores. Watson ranks third nationally with an average of 11.8 yards per carry, while Brown is fourth in the country at 10.8 yards a tote.
  • Wide receiver Chris Bell leads the ACC in receiving yards per reception at 27.3 yards. He has two touchdown receptions of 30 or more yards this season.
  • Louisville has completed passes to at least eight or more different receivers in each of the first three games, including 15 different pass catchers in the season opener against Austin Peay.
  • The offensive line yielded two sacks in the first three games of the season. Shough has been sacked twice in 76 pass attempts since taking over as the starter.
  • Louisville has totaled 26.0 tackles for loss in the first three games, ranking ninth in the country. Tramel Logan leads the team with 5.0 tackles for loss through three contests
  • Louisville has scored 21 points off turnovers this season.
  • Head coach Jeff Brohm is 9-1 at home in two seasons at Louisville.

Notre Dame

  • Notre Dame is 523-132-13* all-time at home, and 215-84-3 all-time vs. the ACC.
  • This season, the Irish rank sixth among all FBS teams in pass efficiency defense (79.13), eighth in interceptions (six), 10th in scoring defense (9.8) and 16th in total defense (256.3).
  • Notre Dame has held its last two opponents to 3-24 on third down (Miami 2-12, Purdue 1-12), the best back-to-back two-game total since 2021 (Cincinnati 2-12, Wisconsin 1-14). Those are the two best back-to-back two-game stretches since data is available starting in 1996.
  • Freshman defensive lineman Boubacar Traore leads all FBS freshman players this season in sacks (three) and sacks per game (0.75). No other freshman FBS player has posted two or more sacks in a single game this season. His five tackles and two sacks both marked career-highs for Traore.
  • Senior quarterback Riley Leonard is the only Power 4 quarterback this season to rush for 100+ yards in multiple games, one of just four FBS quarterbacks this season to achieve the feat and one of only three FBS quarterbacks to do so in consecutive games.
  • Leading the nation in interceptions with seven in 2023 and earning national defensive player of the week honors twice, Xavier Watts became the second Notre Dame player to win the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s best defensive player (Manti Te’o won the award in 2012). Watts was just the third Notre Dame player to lead the nation in interceptions in 2023, picking off seven passes. He is the first Irish player to pace the country since Mike Townsend intercepted 10 passes in 1972. Tony Carey (eight) also led the country in interceptions in 1964. Watts added another interception in the won over No. 20 Texas A&M to make eight on his career.
  • Notre Dame is one of just two FBS programs (Auburn) that have three or more receivers who were the leading receiver (either in yards or receptions) on an FBS roster in 2023: Tight end Mitchell Evans (led Notre Dame with 29 receptions); wide receiver Jayden Harrison (led Marshall with 410 receiving yards); and wide receiver Kris Mitchell (led FIU in both receptions and yards - 64 receptions for 1,118 yards).
  • Senior quarterback Riley Leonard owns 25 rushing touchdowns for his career, including three in the first half at Purdue, and two vs. Miami (OH). He ranks tied for third among all active FBS quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns (Dillon Gabriel - 28, Dequan Finn - 26). With three rushing touchdowns in a single game at Purdue, Leonard is one of just three quarterbacks to achieve the feat so far this season, and the only to do so in a single half.
  • Notre Dame has held its last two opponents to 3-24 on third down (Miami 2-12, Purdue 1-12), the best back-to-back two-game total since 2021 (Cincinnati 2-12, Wisconsin 1-14). Those are the two best back-to-back two-game stretches since data is available starting in 1996.
  • Notre Dame is one of just five programs in the Power 4 with eight or more wins over each of the last four seasons, joined by Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and NC State.
  • Notre Dame finished the 2023 season ranked fifth in FBS for total defense (276.3), the program’s best effort since 1980 (4th). The Irish also led the nation in pass efficiency defense (97.09).
  • This season, the Irish rank sixth among all FBS teams in pass efficiency defense (79.13), eighth in interceptions (six), 10th in scoring defense (9.8) and 16th in total defense (256.3).
  • The 23-13 win at No. 20 Texas A&M was Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman’s eighth victory over a ranked opponent.
  • The Irish finished the 2023 season ranked 14th in the Associated Press poll, marking the seventh-straight campaign and 10 of the last 12 Notre Dame has appeared in the final AP ranking. That seven-season final AP ranking streak is the best run for the Notre Dame program since the Irish finished in the AP Top 25 11 consecutive seasons from 1964-74.
  • Notre Dame limited Purdue to 162 yards of total offense on the day, the fewest by any team facing a Power 4 team that weekend. The 162 yards are the third-fewest allowed by a team facing a Power 4 team all season. Notre Dame was one of just two programs to limit a Power 4 opponent to 38 or fewer rushing yards over that weekend (Memphis allowed 37).

Depth Charts

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

Comparison

See how the Cardinals stack up against the Fighting Irish, and who the statistical models favor: Tale of the Tape, Predictions: Louisville vs. Notre Dame

Uniform Report

Louisville will be wearing white helmets, jerseys and pants, while Notre Dame will be wearing gold helmets with green jerseys and pants.

Additional Coverage

(Photo of Devin Neal: Jamie Rhodes - Imagn Images)

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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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