ANTONIO WILLIAMS IS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM IF LOUISVILLE DOESN’T HAVE A PLAN
Jacob De Jesus was targeted 23 times last weekend, and yet, he was left single-covered and open for the final pass of the game. De Jesus is a former JUCO player who was lightly recruited throughout every aspect of his career. Antonio Williams is a former four-star recruit who will hear his name called at the NFL draft this spring or the next. Williams is also one of the leaders in the country in reception percentage at 81% which means that he’s catching nearly every pass thrown to him.
While the scheme is an aspect of how De Jesus was open so often, coverage was just as important. Louisville couldn’t handle him in any type of coverage, but they really struggled to match up with him in man coverage. Williams will have a field day if they don’t have a better strategy to contain him. Cal used De Jesus on every route known to man. Williams can do the same.
LOUISVILLE’S PASS RUSH HAS TO SHOW UP
Louisville had ten sacks over the first two games of the season, but they have only totaled nine sacks since then. They were able to get home three times against Cal, but only one of those sacks was from a direct pass rush as opposed to being a coverage sack. The Cards are still ranked second in the country in pass rushing grade per PFF, but the lack of sacks is something they need to fix. It’s not just about the sack, but it is about the potential of causing a fumble or at least forcing a longer-yardage situation. Not getting those plays has shown up in the final score.
Rushing Cade Klubnik’s process will be really important for the Louisville defense. He is a great runner and a guy who can make plays on the run, but he can also make mistakes when he gets uncomfortable. Getting him to the ground and putting the Clemson offense into long yardage situations would be huge for the Cards. It chokes off a big part of their offense, while also giving them more of a chance to take advantage of mistakes.
JEFF BROHM NEEDS TO FIND A WAY TO UNLOCK THE EXPLOSIVE PASS PLAYS
Louisville’s offense was arguably the most explosive in the country last season. They were able to leverage the running game to create favorable matchups for their down-the-field passing game. That just has not materialized this season. The running game struggled early in the year, but for the last four weeks, Jeff Brohm has not been able to take advantage of the strong running game to create big plays for the passing game.
It’s hard to know why these struggles persist, but I think this comes down to formations on offense. UofL got its running game going with mostly spread-styled formations. Mostly 11-personnel with only one tight end or 12-personnel with the second tight end split in the slot. There haven’t been a lot of plays that would translate into strong play-action formations.
Defenses have not been baited into situations where they would leave a corner on an island. They also haven’t forced teams to play press coverage because the offensive line hasn’t held up very well. You can surely remember all the times JaCorey Brooks was streaking down the sideline last year. They have to find a way to get those plays back into the game plan.
MILLER MOSS SHOULD HAVE A SHORT LEASH
The calls to bench Miller Moss started weeks ago, but after his abysmal performance against Cal, the calls are much louder. I don’t disagree with the overall sentiment that Moss has not played well, but benching him might be premature with the Cards still having a chance to win the ACC. While he may be the biggest hindrance to that happening, there’s no real proof that any of the other quarterbacks are any better.
I am someone who called for Jeff Brohm to create a plan to get Deuce Adams on the field to start the year, so I would love to see them make a change. However, Brady Allen is likely the backup at this point, and I can’t support that at all. It is also what leads me to point out that the other options may not be better.
Moss is not a guy who can win this team games, and that was always the case. So, at some point, it has to become okay to move on from him. To me, that moment is if this game is slipping away because of his play. I don’t subscribe to the idea that “the season is over” because of the loss to Cal. 11-2 is still possible, and the players deserve to have the opportunity to see that finish. If Moss becomes the clear reason that won’t happen, and there is another guy on the roster who can lead them to a win, Brohm should make the change.