In this the home of United Parcel Service, there is really but one appropriate inquiry to be made in the aftermath of another slog of a Louisville victory against a significantly lesser foe.
That would be interimly-coached Virginia Tech, 28-16.
Rhetorical as it may be, the question:
“What can Brown do for you?”
The obvious reply: Whatever it takes in another tussle closer than it oughta be.
Brown, Isaac, after U of L got the ball upon the failure of a quick opening Hokie possession.
11 yards up the middle.
52 yards off left tackle for six.
2 plays, 2 totes, 62 yards and the 7-0 lead.
Which was big if misleading, given the malaise that followed for most of the affair in Blacksburg.
Brown, Isaac finished the half with 84 yards on 9 carries. For the whole affair, he was 16/126, 7.9 ypc, before limping off with a hamstring injury of unkown severity.
Fingers crossed.
Then came Brown, Keyjuan. Whose ypc was only 7.8. Tsk, tsk, dude.
94 yards on 12 rushes.
The most important of which yardage came after the Cards had pissed away a couple of chances to seal the game, and committed two horrid penalties to start a possession with a precarious advantage at 5:57 on its own 37.
Leaving the Cards at 1st and 25 on its own 35.
Brown, Keyjuan for 20 yards.
Brown, Keyjuan for 17 yards.
Brown, Keyjuan for 4 yards.
Brown, Keyjuan for 24 yards to the endzone with 2:16 left. (Brown, Keyjuan had already rung up six earlier to push U of L ahead with 5:01 left in the 3d.)
And the exhale.
* * * * *
Louisville is not a half-pie* team.
*New Zealandish slang for “mediocre.”
They are a somewhat better than average to good but not great team, which has mostly found ways to win.
But geez they can be nothing to write home about a lot of the time, too much of the time if you ask me.
After that opening foray, which ended with Miller Moss being sacked, the Cardinals went interception, punt, blocked punt for a VT deuce, downs, halftime.
Lane Stadium is famous for that “Enter Sandman” tradition before kickoff.
U of L is the one that slumbered when it should have been crushing it on the HIIT machine. After Brown, Isaac’s opening Danny Trejo as Machete start, VT grabbed the lead at the break 16-7.
In the first half, the self sabotage lays at the feet of the players. The blocked punt. The pick. Moribundancy.
In the second, it’s on Jeff Brohm, and his vexing propensity to sling it when just moving the chains should be the focus.
Early in the 4th, 3d & 2 at Tech’s 37. Brohm has Moss sling it twenty plus yards downfield.
Incomplete.
Punt.
Next possession. 3d & 5 at Tech’s 45. Brohm has Moss fling it seventeen yards downfield.
Incomplete.
Punt.
Jeff, my man, Just Get The First Down.
* * * * *
As is more often than not the case this campaign, it was Ron English’s D that steadied the most.
Thus deserving major credit for the win. Even if there are no Browns on that side of the ball.
The Hokies were skunked after halftime.
* * * * *
Tip o’ the helmet and game ball to Caullin Lacy.
He was the recipient of Moss’s 24 yard TD strike to pull within 14-16 in the 3d.
Which is the least of the story truth be told.
He totaled 33 yards on kick off returns. Good.
He registered 53 yards on catches. Better.
He was a magnifico 106 yards on punt returns. Best.
* * * * *
Next: Louisville’s first encounter ever with ACC newbie Cal Berserkely.
— c d kaplan
“The obvious reply: Whatever it takes in another tussle closer than it oughta be.
They covered the spread (9.5). This was never projected to be an easy blow out. The offense didn’t play well in the first half, but there is nothing unusual about that. I think this is who we are. We have not show dominance against any opponent other than EKU and to an extent BG. To say any conference game is closer than it oughta be is to say we’ve shown something we never have shown. The next time we manhandle a conference opponent will be the first time, if it ever happens. I’m not holding my breath. They will probably all be like this the rest of the way, including Kentucky. Hopefully we win them all.
“In the second, it’s on Jeff Brohm, and his vexing propensity to sling it when just moving the chains should be the focus.
Early in the 4th, 3d & 2 at Tech’s 37. Brohm has Moss sling it twenty plus yards downfield.
Incomplete.
Punt.
Next possession. 3d & 5 at Tech’s 45. Brohm has Moss fling it seventeen yards downfield.
Incomplete.
Punt.
Jeff, my man, Just Get The First Down.”
These very well could have been Moss and not Brohm. Ideally you are looking to take what the defense gives you. That means reading the defense. If Va Tech is selling out to stop the short first down gain then taking the longer shot may be the right call. I don’t recall these specific plays. You may be correct, or it may be that what they tried was the right call and it didn’t work. There is never a guaranteed you will convert a 3rd and short, and especially a 3rd and 5. We were running the ball well, but the D may have been stacked to stop the run and left a longer shot more open. There’s a lot that we don’t know about why those ended up being the plays they ran. It may or may not have been the first option. An example is Lacy’s TD. That was a 3rd and 4, but Moss caught Lacy one on one on the post route for a TD.
It’s been Brohm’s MO his whole coaching career. He likes the long ball.
No he actually likes to run the ball. You’re buying into an outdated narrative. And a 17 yard pass isn’t a “long ball”.
The two are not mutually exclusive. Yes, he understands the importance of a run game. And he, in my mind, likes to throw long more often than shorter routes. I. Am. Not. Going. To. Argue. Further. My Lions are on soon.
We literally threw zero long passes vs Miami. Did not attempt a single one. He absolutely does not throw an excessive amount of long passes. You usually need to throw at least some to stretch the defense and keep them honest. Sorry, but your analysis is highly flawed, and full of outdated and highly inaccurate cliches about Brohm.
Vs Va Tech we had 34 rushing attempts vs 28 pass attempts. Vs BC 31 rushing attempts vs 28 pass attempts.
GO VIKINGS!!
Do you even know what coverage the defense was in on those plays?
Seedy let me explain some things to you.
The play you see run isn’t necessarily the first option that was called. The QB has more than one play option. Brohm could well have called a running play (although 3rd and 5 definitely is not a down and distance that would dictate a running play. A pass is totally acceptable in that situation). The QB is supposed to read the defense and if the first play option called is inappropriate for the defensive alignment then he checks into a backup play that is more appropriate to attack the defense. So if Brohm calls a running play and the defense stacks the box then Moss is supposed to check into a pass play. A 17 yard pass is not a long ball. That’s a pass designed to get over the top of the defense into an open area of the field. But there is a lot going on. The defense might show one coverage and then shift into another to throw the QB off. They may stack the box. The QB checks to a pass play. Then a second before the snap one, two, or even three defensive player drop into pass coverage. Or it may have been the right play for the defense but they just missed the throw, or maybe the defense just plays good defense and disrupts the play.
Saying “just get the first down” is a gross oversimplification. There is no such thing as a play that guarantees a first down. If there was no team would have punters on the roster.
Like I said before . . .
You know way more football than me.
And, I’m about nothing if not over simplification.
c d k