MEETING INFO:
When: Friday, September 11th, 7:00 p.m. (EST)
Where: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, Louisville, Kentucky
Watch: ACC Network
Meeting History: This is the first meeting between Louisville and Villanova
Louisville has a quick turnaround after Sunday’s loss, now preparing to host Villanova Friday. The Cardinals are coming off of a 41-38 thriller to Ole Miss, which ended on a game-winning field goal by the Rebels as time expired. The Cardinals failed to capitalize on what would’ve been a great win to start the season and now turn to cleaning things up and handling Villanova.
A Look at Louisville:
Louisville goes into the home opener with an 0-1 record, while staying put at No. 24 in the AP Poll. Despite the loss, Louisville showed plenty of promise against one of the country’s top teams, erasing a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to tie the game late; ultimately, it wasn’t enough. Now, Louisville will look to turn that encouraging performance into its first win of the season.
Coming into the Music City Kickoff, no one was sure what Louisville was getting in junior quarterback Lincoln Kienholz; but now, he is getting national attention. Kienholz had a rough go of it in the first half— a missed wide-open touchdown and multiple pre-snap issues. Despite the early jitters, he bounced back in a big way. Kienholz became the first Cardinal to throw for 300 yards in his debut, 261 of which came in the second half. He also put his athleticism on full display and showed why he was so highly-touted as a recruit.
What would’ve helped get the offense going in the middle of Kienholz’s slump was an effective backfield. While having a few carries of ten-or-more yards, Isaac and Keyjuan Brown didn’t have the impact many thought they would against the Rebels.
It was evident in Week 1 that wide receivers Tre Richardson and Lawayne McCoy will thrive in a Jeff Brohm offense. Richardson’s size and speed allows him to be a gadget guy capable of making an impact in a motion offense and getting downfield in a hurry. McCoy’s athletic and physical nature gives him the go-up-and-get-it archetype. Both are reliable weapons for Kienholz.
The offensive line wasn’t great against Ole Miss. They gave Kienholz enough time in the pocket but failed to open up lanes for both Browns. The two-headed backfield opens up limitless opportunities for the offense, and the running game should be prioritized during the development of Kienholz. Some injuries up front had the line shifted, and chemistry is not there yet.
It was a tale of two halves for the defense on Sunday. For the first half, they looked like the group from last year, one that finished as one of the ACC’s best. They limited quarterback Trinidad Chambliss to only 75 passing yards and forced two turnovers— an interception and a forced fumble. The second half was much different, as Chambliss finished with over 300 yards and 4 total TDs. The secondary allowed for some big plays which led to Ole Miss scoring 41.
A Look at Villanova:
Villanova enters with a 1-1 record out of the Patriot League, ranked No. 18 in the FCS Coaches Poll. On Saturday, the Wildcats edged out Bucknell for a 17-16 victory. The week before, they collapsed against William & Mary, giving up 13 points in the final minute. Last season, Villanova was one of the FCS’s top teams, finishing with 12 wins and making it to the FCS Playoff semifinals.
Senior quarterback Pat McQuaide has returned for his final season of eligibility after a legal battle that ended with him receiving an injunction to play this year. In his career, McQuaide has thrown for nearly 8,000 yards, and last year he put up a 24/4 TD/INT ratio. However, his season got off to a rocky start after throwing three interceptions against William & Mary.
In the backfield, Villanova has a pair of good options. Ja’briel Mace comes off a 977 yard and 12 touchdown season. Last season, he broke Villanova’s single-game rushing record, going for 291 yards and four touchdowns against Towson. Mace earned second-team AFCA FCS All-America honors. The offense also returns Isaiah Ragland, who recorded just under 800 rushing yards last year. Through two weeks, he leads the team in rushing yards (136) and touchdowns (2). The backfield is one of the most talented in the FCS.
Through two games, the defense has allowed 254 passing yards per game, ranked 83rd in FCS (NCAA Statistics). The Wildcat rush defense is much more impressive, currently ranking in the top-20 in FCS in rushing yards per game allowed. Last season, the defense allowed just about 20 points per game and 336 yards per game.
Sophomore linebacker Omari Bursey leads the team with 29 total tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss over two games. With a combination of speed and strength, Bursey possesses great tackling skills and is one of Villanova’s most valuable players.
Keys for the Cards:
- Clean up Miscues: A big emphasis should be placed on fixing up the mistakes that plagued them against Ole Miss: pre-snap issues, clock management, and discipline.
- Let Kienholz Get Comfortable: What Lincoln Kienholz showed against Ole Miss was promising— let him build off of that. Even if it’s reps against an FCS team, an inexperienced quarterback can benefit from every single one. Let’s see if Kienholz can put together a complete game before conference play.
- Get the Run Game Going: The play from the backfield on Sunday was underwhelming, and much of that deals with issues up front. It will be important to see if the problems from Week 1 carry over, or if things have been worked out since then. Mainly, will the backs finally get room to run and establish a rhythm.
Game Prediction:
Louisville 52 Villanova 13