Off to its best start since 2016, Louisville entertains Boston College in its Atlantic Coast Conference home opener on Saturday.
The Cardinals (3-0, 1-0) beat ACC foe Georgia Tech in Atlanta to open the season and have since won a pair of nonconference games, including last Saturday’s 21-14 triumph against Indiana in Indianapolis.
Thanks in large part to the nation’s ninth-ranked offense (528.7 yards per game), Louisville coach Jeff Brohm’s team has found a way thus far.
“I think if you want to win games, you have to find ways to get big plays,” Brohm said. “Being good at running the ball while having play action off of it … and being efficient in the control passing game are all vital to success.”
Against Indiana, the Cardinals scored all 21 points on 302 yards of total offense in the first half alone.
Jamari Thrash had four catches for 159 yards, including an 85-yard score from Jack Plummer that was the eighth-longest touchdown reception in program history.
Jawhar Jordan posted his sixth career 100-yard rushing effort with 18 carries for 113 yards and a score.
“He was a little nicked up last week in practice, so he gutted it out and played a really good game,” Brohm said of Jordan. “He’s very talented and elusive with the ball, yet he’ll lower his pads and run.”
Safety Josh Minkins (hamstring) is expected back this week after a two-game absence.
Boston College (1-2, 0-1) is the only FBS team with every game decided by three or fewer points.
The Eagles scored the game’s final three touchdowns in last week’s 31-29 loss to then-No. 3 Florida State, narrowly missing their first top-5 win since 2002.
“They’ve been pretty draining games, but our guys are fighters and they’re going to stay in it until the end,” BC coach Jeff Hafley said after going toe-to-toe with the Seminoles.
“I feel like we grew in confidence. … Now, can we build off of that?”
Thomas Castellanos continued to impress, passing for 305 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 95 yards and a score against FSU.
Castellanos has thrown for 644 yards and rushed for a team-leading 231 through three games.
“We’re turning into a pretty athletic offense with the threat of a quarterback who can really run the ball and keep plays alive, then you have some big wideouts, some good catch-and-run wideouts and a guy like Ryan (O’Keefe) who can do a lot of different things,” Hafley said.
–Field Level Media