2024 Miami Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 7: Louisville
Last season was one of the most impressive seasons under head coach Jeff Brohm and Louisville Cardinals. In his first season, the team finished second in the ACC only losing a defensive battle against the Florida State Seminoles in the Championship game. The team finished 10-4 which was the program's first 10-win season since 2013.
With the roster from the 2023 season, many of the top performers and stat holders have either transferred, graduated, or been drafted. With a transfer ranking of 13 and an overall recruiting ranking of 38, there is plenty of sleeping talent waiting to be used for the Cardinals. With that, here is a look at the 2024 Louisville Cardinals.
Offense
The Cardinal's offensive saw a jump in production last season averaging close to 400 yards a game and that was thanks to quarterback Jack Plummer. Now graduated, the starting QB threw for 3,204 yards with 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. With new talent arriving in Texas Tech graduate transfer Tyler Shough, the offensive could have more explosive capabilities.
Shough in his last season with the Raiders had a limited amount of snaps only throwing for 746 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions. He is likely to be the starter with the other talent in the room being so young but that could also be a positive for the Cardinals.
They will be losing their top rusher Jawhar Jordan who was drafted in the sixth round by the Houston Texans. He rushed for over 1000 yards and was one of the many productive players in the Bohm system. Now they have Miami transfer Donald Chaney Jr, and there is always excitement in a revenge-style game for players playing against their former team. Maurice Turner is also a quality back who saw several touches last season but their production will have equaled what Jordan was able to produce.
The wide receiver room is where things get interesting with four players leaving due to the portal or the draft and with the number of new players in the room (10).
Two of the team's key players Jamari Thrash (Draft) and Kevin Coleman Jr. (Miss State) have left the team reaching into the portal for more things to offer. It was an average year for the passing game in the teams' production but there were still flashes of what could be. With transfer players Ja'Corey Brooks (Alabama), Caullin Lacy (South Alabama), and Antonio Meeks (Tuskegee) there could be more impact in the room.
The offensive line will look brand new compared to 2023. eight new linemen and three starters moving on will make for an interesting year in the room. The same came to be said with the tight end positions as they are bringing in a quality replacement in Kentucky transfer Izayah Cummings.
Defense
The best part of this team was their defensive line and the room continues to develop in the proper trajectory.
The interior defensive line has the most optimism on the defensive side of the ball. They are bringing in a lot of new production with Thor Griffith (Harvard), Jordan Guerad (FIU), and Rene Konga (Rutgers) all bringing years of production to the front line.
The defensive end spot is what highlights the group. Ashton Gillotte is one of the best defensive ends in the country, earning All-American honors for an impressive season. Excluding him, there are many question marks around the production from others. Senior Mason Reiger is returning for another season after finishing second in tackles on the team even while missing four games due to injury but he will still produce in the same if he stays healthy.
One of the weak spots on the defensive in the linebacking core. There is some talent in the room with Benjamin Perry and T.J. Quinn but they can be hit or miss depending on the scheme being played around them. The same can be said for the rest of the room which does not seem to have those X-factor type of abilities that the two players have.
The secondary could be a bright spot for the team with safety Tamarion McDonald (Tennessee) bringing a new edge into the room coming from the SEC. Cornerbacks could be less than what they were last season due to two of their star players getting drafted and only two players from the previous season returning. This is a brand new room for the cornerbacks with four incoming players. That could be a weakness for the team but with how defensive-minded Bohm is it could also be a blessing.
Schedule
Flying back 3000 miles from Cal for the Hurricanes will be difficult, but the team has a bye week following the game. They will still be on the road with the team traveling to Louisville, KY the week after. Now that there are two bye weeks, athletes' health is a top priority and that will bring extra rest for the team as well as more time to prepare for the dangerous ACC foe in the Cardinals. The week following, they will return to Hard Rock Stadium for the biggest game of the team season against the Florida State Seminoles.
Outlook
For both teams, this game has major implications on who will be at the top of the ACC to this point in the season. The Cardinals have a strong roster with many players returning, but there is still some turnover with quarterback and other positions that won't truly be fleshed out until Louisville and Miami play against each other. Each program will be vying for a spot in the ACC championship and even in the College Football Playoffs. This could be the turning point for either program going into the second half of each team's schedule.
The Game
Date: October 19
Time: TBA
TV: TBA
Location: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium
Series: Miami leads 11-4-1 against Louisville
Last Matchup: The Cardinals defeated the Hurricanes 38-31 in Coral Gable after a 15-point fourth-quarter explosion for Louisville after being down 28-23. The Hurricane defense could not produce enough stops and the offense stagnated only scoring a field goal in the fourth.
Miami Hurricanes 2024 Football Schedule
August 31 at Florida
eptember 7 Florida A&M
September 14 Ball State
September 21 at USF
September 27 Virginia Tech
October 5 at California
October 12 Bye Week
October 19 at Louisville
October 26 Florida State
November 2 Duke
November 9 at Georgia Tech
November 16 Bye Week
November 23 Wake Forest
November 30 at Syracuse
