What Jeff Brohm, Louisville Players Said After 34-27 Loss vs. SMU

Read what the head coach of the Cardinals and various players said after their loss to the Mustangs.

Louisville’s Ahmari Huggins-Bruce with a long catch against SMU thus Saturday. Oct. 5, 2024 / Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Returning home for their first matchup since falling at Notre Dame, the Louisville football program once again fell victim to their own mistakes and miscues, dropping a 34-27 decision to SMU for their first ACC loss of the 2024 season.

Here's what head coach Jeff Brohm, quarterback Tyler Shough, wide receiver Ja'Corey Brooks and linebacker T.J. Quinn had to say following the loss:

Head Coach Jeff Brohm

(Opening Statement)

“Disappointing loss without question. So that falls on me, that falls on coaches. The plan was not good, it was not executed. Way too many mistakes. A really bad performance, especially on our home field. We have got a lot of work to do. That is what makes football a team sport, a tough game. You can either suck it up and find ways to fix it and improve or you can pout about it, sulk and feel sorry for yourself. So we have to look in the mirror and get a better plan together so that we can start better, play better in all three segments and then finish better and that did not happen today.”

(On the struggle slowing down their QB)

“I thought that there was a lot of miscommunication. It starts with coaching as far as running what is called and being able to not have so many adjustments that are made when they go to empty, when the motion guys in. We need to have a simpler plan to make sure our guys can play what the call is. So, there was some confusion there. The inability to tackle and wrap up well so the tackling was not good. It starts with us, so we have to fix some things.”

(On whether they discussed blitzing more on defense)

“Yeah, it was talked about all week and it was not carried out. We have to call a better game and make sure we are way more aggressive and that we have a consistent plan that doesn’t have adjustments when they do something different and that starts with us.”

(On whether they considered kicking a field goal on 4th and 1 in the fourth quarter)

“I wanted to get the touchdown, that falls on me we didn’t get it. We have been bad the last two games on fourth and one. Running up the middle is not going to be an option anymore. Throwing the ball, getting on the edge is going to be what has to happen because we can’t get yards pounding up the middle and that is disappointing. But that is the fact of the matter, so we have got to be better as coaches to recognize that and have a better plan because we passed it on fourth and one later and got a big gain. When teams sell out, we need to be more aggressive.

(On the offensive line struggles)

“The last two games have not been our best. We have struggled at right tackle a little bit. We had an injury today at left tackle that might be a long one. So, we have some new guys in there and we have to play better there. Now with that said in order to balance that out, it seems like when we need to move the ball and throw it, we have to get the ball out quicker. We have to be able to mix in the run. We have got to be able to do some different things to not ask those guys to pass protect as much because we were not as sturdy these last two games as we need to be.”

(On opponents getting off to fast starts and what allows that) 

“Quite frankly, we need to coach better. The plan had too many adjustments for different formations and empty sets and things like that. I don’t want to get into too much detail, but it needs to be simpler and sound and then carried out. But we can’t blame it on our players, the plans need to be better. That falls on us and me. We have to go to work to make sure that part doesn’t happen again. We have not gotten of to fast starts and it has been costly.”

(On the reversal of the fumble call) 

“I was surprised at it (the call) and I thought it was a fumble. Some games you get calls and some games you don’t. We didn’t respond very well and we need to be better. There are a lot of things we need to be better. It was not a good day on the football field for us. We fought back and gave ourselves a little bit of a chance but when you play good teams you have to be way more consistent. We are not doing that right now and that means we need to coach better.”

(On bouncing back after two losses and not letting it get off the rails) 

“That is why football is a great game to play. It teaches you great lessons that last for a lifetime. You will go through hard times. You can be a man enough to identify what the problem is and figure out how to fix it and then go to work and get getter and have the same energy and determination to get that done. Or you can wallow a little bit and feel sorry for yourself and point the finger at somebody else. Or say is it really worth it? That is what you have to do.  If you are going to play the game and spend a lot of time doing it, these things are going to happen. You will have some tough days. You try not to have them but you are. You have to respond. I have to do better, the coaches need to do better and the plan needs to be better. Then, we have to figure out a way to simplify it so that we can execute it better. Then we have to, in my opinion, when guys are not performing the way we want, then rotations need to be made to get other players in the game right away – immediately. I don’t see that happening. So we have to make sure that there are other guys who can play the game just as well and if we need to be changing things up more to create competition that needs to happen tomorrow.”

Quarterback Tyler Shough

(On late-game fourth down conversion attempts)

“We were just trying to power one up just like we did on the goal line with one yard to go. Have Don [Chaney], our big running back, go and get it. They just had a bunch of guys in there and it didn’t work, so they stuffed it. It’s tough. We probably could have gotten something else, but it’s kind of one of those plays where that happens. We have to do a little bit of a better job on those critical fourth down situations. We had some good plays, but in those moments like split-second decisions, blocks and catches, we have to be better.”

(On SMU’s defense)

“They’ve got really good players. Their D-line is really stout. They’ve got really good edge rushers. So, credit to them, they did a really good job. We had too many moments where we couldn’t finish. We felt like we were driving the ball really well, had some good energy and were able to put some stuff together. We just had a couple plays, like I said before, where it just didn’t go our way. We’ve got to be better as players to execute that plan. I know the coaches are saying the same thing. It’s on all of us I think, nobody’s pointing fingers - we just have to find a way to win that and it sucks.” 

(On what he’s going to talk to the team about after the loss) 

“Bringing everybody together as far as how we wanted the season to go. This is just one game. It’s a loss in the ACC conference, which is not great, but there’s a lot of ball left to be played and it’s about how you are going to come back. There are plenty of teams I’ve been on and teams that Coach Brohm has been on where they start kind of rocky and then you finish strong. There’s a lot of ball to be played. You never know what’s going to happen. SMU is a good football team, but we’re really a good football team too. We’ve just got to find a way to show how good we are at a consistent level throughout the entire game. We can’t just have flashes on both sides of the ball. I feel confident we’re going to do that and I’m going to everything I can to make sure the guys know that this is far from over.”

(On how the team is going to establish consistency)

“I think it’s just minor details and staying focused throughout it. A minor lack of focus on one play, hand placement, a read, a block, a catch and stuff like that is where everybody has got to be eleven in unison. I think we have to focus on that throughout practice each and every week. We’ve got to finish stronger and it’ll transfer to the gameday. There is no magic pill. There’s no magic phrase. It’s football. Sometimes that happens and we’ll make the plays when it’s there.”

Wide Receiver Ja'Corey Brooks and Linebacker T.J. Quinn

(What was difficult early on in containing SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings)

“When it comes to mobile quarterbacks, you’ve just got to be disciplined and stay in your lane, so when you don’t do that, that’s how he gets free and breaks out.”

(Quinn on if the reversed fumble call had a deflating effect)

“I wouldn’t say it had a deflating effect. We definitely wanted that fumble call, but at the end of the day, we’ve still got to go down and get the stop.”

(Quinn on defense communication over the past two games)

“When it comes to defense, everybody has got to be on the same page. So, that’s just on us making sure everything gets communicated, preaching out, so we can go out there and do what we’re supposed to do.”

(Photo via Scott Utterback)

You can follow Louisville Cardinals On SI for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram:

Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI
Twitter/X - @LouisvilleOnSI
Instagram - @louisvilleonsi

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter/X