Cards +7 against the Fighting Irish

[TheRealVille]

The line opens with the Cards a touchdown underdog. No one is going to pick Louisville to win on the shows.

This game kind of reminds me of the FSU game when we put up 60 on the overrated favorite. No one picked the Cards to win, except Corso on GameDay, and he was on the FSU sidelines pulling for the Noles.

Something is just in my mind bugging me that Brohm may be in the midst of a long game plan to beat Notre Dame. That he has held back a bit with his playcalling, waiting to bring it out just for touchdown Jesus.

It's happened before with coaches and players. Just do enough to win while you perfect the game plan for the big game. It's very risky as we have seen, but Brohm is the kind of coach who thinks this way. He's an aggressive coach and playcaller.

So don't be surprised if we see some more creative running plays, more in motion formations. This of course depends on Plummer being confident and more consistent. I believe Brohm will remove Plummer from this game if he continues to panic and making mistakes.

 

[beantowncard]

Maybe. DOH man is serviceable.

 

[CardsDan]

The line opens with the Cards a touchdown underdog. No one is going to pick Louisville to win on the shows.

This game kind of reminds me of the FSU game when we put up 60 on the overrated favorite. No one picked the Cards to win, except Corso on GameDay, and he was on the FSU sidelines pulling for the Noles.

Sincerely hope you're right but Lamar Jackson isn't walking through that door.

 

[RealStateBird]

Wow quick to turn on Plummer. Dude hit some good passes, and had a TD stolen away.

 

[BPGhost]

Absent of some ridiculously poor play - there’s zero chance Brohm turns to Doman. To do so, throws the entire rest of the season into disarray.

 

[OldhamCard335]

I have been expecting more underneath throws and crossing routes. Just have a feeling we’ll see more of that Saturday. Scoring as fast as possible is not always the best option. Plus, hoping that Sam has some PTSD from his last visit here.

 

[TheRealVille]

Absent of some ridiculously poor play - there’s zero chance Brohm turns to Doman. To do so, throws the entire rest of the season into didary.

I tend to agree but sometimes a message has to be sent. You know Brohm is showing Plummer the video of the stupid, panicked decisions and is telling him if that continues he will be pulled from the game.

So in the 1st quarter if Plummer continues to make horrible mistakes, Brohm will need to make a statement and bring in the backup. What's a threat worth if it's not utilized?

Hopefully it won't come to that and I doubt it does, but Brohm has an experienced backup QB with Domann who started the bowl game last season.

I don't believe Plummer would be permanently replaced unless the rookie Clarkson got a chance and shined which is highly unlikely. Plummer just needs to remember that his career is almost over and there's no more reasons to play scared.

It's his time now to do something special in his football career. Stop worrying about failure and go for it. His team is 5 and 0 and has a good chance to play in the ACC championship game.

Let's go!

 

[RealStateBird]

I have been expecting more underneath throws and crossing routes. Just have a feeling we’ll see more of that Saturday. Scoring as fast as possible is not always the best option. Plus, hoping that Sam has some PTSD from his last visit here.

Pretty much on the areas the linebackers vacated. That was on JB, and he said so

 

[RealStateBird]

I tend to agree but sometimes a message has to be sent. You know Brohm is showing Plummer the video of the stupid, panicked decisions and is telling him if that continues he will be pulled from the game.

So in the 1st quarter if Plummer continues to make horrible mistakes, Brohm will need to make a statement and bring in the backup. What's a threat worth if it's not utilized?

Hopefully it won't come to that and I doubt it does, but Brohm has an experienced backup QB with Domann who started the bowl game last season.

I don't believe Plummer would be permanently replaced unless the rookie Clarkson got a chance and shined which is highly unlikely. Plummer just needs to remember that his career is almost over and there's no more reasons to play scared.

It's his time now to do something special in his football career. Stop worrying about failure and go for it. His team is 5 and 0 and has a good chance to play in the ACC championship game.

Let's go!

You don’t replace a QB when you haven’t lost game. Nobody does that.

 

[CardX]

NCST has the nation's 34th ranked defense and they gave the Cards all kinds of trouble. Notre Dame has the nation's 11th ranked defense. They are going to cause big problems. Jeff is going to have to dial up some magic for this one. Also, speaking of top ranked defenses, future opponents include Pitt (23rd,) Duke (19th,) Miami (12th,) Va Tech (41st,) and Kentucky (20th.) It's going to be a grind. That said, the Cards are no slouch defensively (37th.) On the flip side, UofL is ranked 13th offensively. Notre Dame is 20th. Also, Notre Dame has won 30 in a row against ACC teams. 30!

The team will have its work cut out for them.

 

[RealStateBird]

NCST has the nation's 34th ranked defense and they gave the Cards all kinds of trouble. Notre Dame has the nation's 11th ranked defense. They are going to cause big problems. Jeff is going to have to dial up some magic for this one. Also, speaking of top ranked defenses, future opponents include Pitt (23rd,) Duke (19th,) Miami (12th,) Va Tech (41st,) and Kentucky (20th.) It's going to be a grind. That said, the Cards are no slouch defensively (37th.) On the flip side, UofL is ranked 13th offensively. Notre Dame is 20th. Also, Notre Dame has won 30 in a row against ACC teams. 30!

The team will have its work cut out for them.

We had 1 TD taken away. 1 bad play on 1st and Goal which is unusual, and 1 wide open missed receiver on the first drive in which we failed to score. If all those are different, it’s a different ballgame.

 

[CardX]

We had 1 TD taken away. 1 bad play on 1st and Goal which is unusual, and 1 wide open missed receiver on the first drive in which we failed to score. If all those are different, it’s a different ballgame.

State held UofL to 20 rushing yards. The Cards ran the ball 29 times. State picked off Plummer twice. They sacked him 4 times. Prior to kickoff, the Cards averaged 43 PPG. State held them to 13. That's what I'm referring to when I say NCST gave the Cards all kind of trouble. Notre Dame's defense will be even better.

 

[RealStateBird]

State held UofL to 20 rushing yards. The Cards ran the ball 29 times. State picked off Plummer twice. They sacked him 4 times. Prior to kickoff, the Cards averaged 43 PPG. State held them to 13. That's what I'm referring to when I say NCST gave the Cards all kind of trouble. Notre Dame's defense will be even better.

It doesn’t matter how you move the ball and score. State had nothing to do with the three plays I was talking about. 2 were self inflicted and 1 official inflicted.

 

[CardX]

It doesn’t matter how you move the ball and score. State had nothing to do with the three plays I was talking about. 2 were self inflicted and 1 official inflicted.

Mistakes happen. That's football. Also football: a good defense causing fits, which credit goes to NCST.

 

[RealStateBird]

Mistakes happen. That's football. Also football: a good defense causing fits, which credit goes to NCST.

Self inflicted means the defense did nothing to cause it 😂

 

[CardX]

Self inflicted means the defense did nothing to cause it 😂

Like I said, mistakes happen. That's football. But to entirely discount how well NCST played on the defensive side of the ball is foolish.

 

[RealStateBird]

Like I said, mistakes happen. That's football. But to entirely discount how well NCST played on the defensive side of the ball is foolish.

I never discounted their defense, I just didn’t 100% agree with everything you said. Louisville had opportunities.

 

[TheRealVille]

You don’t replace a QB when you haven’t lost game. Nobody does that.

I'm not saying he would replace him now, before the game. I said if he continues to do the same bad decisions during the ND game and that has happened many of time in football.

 

[RealStateBird]

I'm not saying he would replace him now, before the game. I said if he continues to do the same bad decisions during the ND game and that has happened many of time in football.

I don’t see him playing that bad that he might have to be replaced during the game. I know a lot of fans want Clarkson to be the starter ( I can only imagine why 🙄)

 

[SpotHogCard]

I don’t see him playing that bad that he might have to be replaced during the game. I know a lot of fans want Clarkson to be the starter ( I can only imagine why 🙄)

I agree, to an extent. If he does start playing timidly again, I think CJB should pull him for a series or two to let hm watch, maybe it will help him calm down if he can "watch the game with the coach" for couple of series.

I have no faith in Plummer, I know why he was brought here, I don't think CJB would have given him a second look if we had a QB ready. Other than that we are very lucky to be where we are with a QB like him.

 

[RealStateBird]

I love watching Plummer throw. He does need to learn when to throw the ball away before in the grasp. There have been times that it wouldn’t hurt for him to watch a series but I’m okay with him. Still think Brohm hung him out there too much against Nc St.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

I think Plummer is streaky. He can throw it into a tight window corner throw 20 yards down the field one play, toss it up for grabs or at the ground or receivers feet the next.

But it's not a surprise. He wasn't a highly rated QB in the portal.

 

[CardX]

I never discounted their defense, I just didn’t 100% agree with everything you said. Louisville had opportunities.

All I said was NCST's defense gave UofL trouble, which they did, as evidenced by the stats, then you kind of tried to change the narrative of my reply. All good, though. NCST is behind us. Moving on to Notre Dame.

 

[2330859]

NCST was as defensively prepared to stop our running game as any that I can recall. On one hand, some will assign that failure to our OL, until you look at the film and witness firsthand that it is not possible for our 4 on the right side of the line, blocking their 6.

The pressure on Plummer mounted up early, when it became evident that NCST was able to eliminate any running game. I suspect ND will apply the same game plan, focusing on the DL, LBs to negate our OL from opening the LOS.

At no point last Friday was there any effort to employ any misdirection, as the defense could see the way Plummer situated his body at a 45 degree stance when handing the ball off to Jordan, it telegraphed the only direction (off right tackle) that Jordan could go. I had to go back and see it in slow replay to appreciate the disciplined execution by the NCST defense.

I am not suggesting that Brohm utilize the “WF delayed hand-off”, but he must make some adjustments to the way we conceal the direction the running play is heading once the ball is snapped.

No inside information here, but I expect to see some two RB sets as a way to give ND defense a different look, as well as another blocker to provide more time in the pocket.

 

[RealStateBird]

NCST was as defensively prepared to stop our running game as any that I can recall. On one hand, some will assign that failure to our OL, until you look at the film and witness firsthand that it is not possible for our 4 on the right side of the line, blocking their 6.

The pressure on Plummer mounted up early, when it became evident that NCST was able to eliminate any running game. I suspect ND will apply the same game plan, focusing on the DL, LBs to negate our OL from opening the LOS.

At no point last Friday was there any effort to employ any misdirection, as the defense could see the way Plummer situated his body at a 45 degree stance when handing the ball off to Jordan, it telegraphed the only direction (off right tackle) that Jordan could go. I had to go back and see it in slow replay to appreciate the disciplined execution by the NCST defense.

I am not suggesting that Brohm utilize the “WF delayed hand-off”, but he must make some adjustments to the way we conceal the direction the running play is heading once the ball is snapped.

No inside information here, but I expect to see some two RB sets as a way to give ND defense a different look, as well as another blocker to provide more time in the pocket.

In today’s running games you can start to the right and end running around the left end, but I agree some misdirection, jet sweeps, or reverse’s would have slowed state down.

 

[nccardfan]

I tend to agree but sometimes a message has to be sent. You know Brohm is showing Plummer the video of the stupid, panicked decisions and is telling him if that continues he will be pulled from the game.

So in the 1st quarter if Plummer continues to make horrible mistakes, Brohm will need to make a statement and bring in the backup. What's a threat worth if it's not utilized?

Hopefully it won't come to that and I doubt it does, but Brohm has an experienced backup QB with Domann who started the bowl game last season.

I don't believe Plummer would be permanently replaced unless the rookie Clarkson got a chance and shined which is highly unlikely. Plummer just needs to remember that his career is almost over and there's no more reasons to play scared.

It's his time now to do something special in his football career. Stop worrying about failure and go for it. His team is 5 and 0 and has a good chance to play in the ACC championship game.

Let's go!

Wrong! Jeff doesn't coach by having to resort to threats. Plummer has been around long enough to know that he screwed up. The question is whether he's trying too hard to make a homerun play or the game is a little too fast for him. At times I think it is both. Plummer doesn't have to be told his job is at stake. All he has to do is look at the depth chart. If I want my QB to perform, I certainly don't resort to threats...

 

[TheRealVille]

I too was a bit confounded by the lack of mis direction by Brohm, as that is something he has utilized quite a bit at Purdue. This is why I theorize he purposely held this out for the ND game.

He and his staff may have wanted to get the job done facing an aggressive defense like NC State was employing. Had we got behind 17 to 0 he may have adjusted the offense, but the Interception in the end zone kept it at 10.

Relying on his defense is something he didn't do much at Purdue so doing so here gives him more flexibility with his offensive decisions. Brohm seems to be the kind of coach who can be stubborn enough to stick to his game plan and that plan my have had the ND game in mind?

But I could be totally off and he had other reasons for not adjusting to what NC State was doing defensively. We'll see this Saturday.

 

[TheRealVille]

Wrong! Jeff doesn't coach by having to resort to threats. Plummer has been around long enough to know that he screwed up. The question is whether he's trying too hard to make a homerun play or the game is a little too fast for him. At times I think it is both. Plummer doesn't have to be told his job is at stake. All he has to do is look at the depth chart. If I want my QB to perform, I certainly don't resort to threats...

Coaches threaten players all the time with pulling playing time. If you're not getting the job done, you're out. NC State just did this after the loss to Louisville.

They have benched QB Armstrong for the backup QB for the game against Marshall this Saturday. I'm sure Armstrong didn't use his portal transfer just to be benched. Any future transfer may look elsewhere than Raleigh, North Carolina when the coach has the stones to bench the transfer.

All players are not the same when it comes to harsh criticism. I don't know Jack Plummer but I do know he played and left Brohm before. Maybe Brohm did this once before and Plummer bolted? He can't bolt this time as a graduate transfer.

 

[nccardfan]

Coaches threaten players all the time with pulling playing time. If you're not getting the job done, you're out. NC State just did this after the loss to Louisville.

They have benched QB Armstrong for the backup QB for the game against Marshall this Saturday. I'm sure Armstrong didn't use his portal transfer just to be benched. Any future transfer may look elsewhere than Raleigh, North Carolina when the coach has the stones to bench the transfer.

All players are not the same when it comes to harsh criticism. I don't know Jack Plummer but I do know he played and left Brohm before. Maybe Brohm did this once before and Plummer bolted? He can't bolt this time as a graduate transfer.

Its not Little League. These are college players that understand if they don't get the job done, they can be replaced. Armstrong made some bad choices just like Plummer did. They made a decision to try another QB. I sincerely doubt their coaches said to Armstrong, hey if you don't get it done against Louisville, we're going to bench you. All players at least should understand if you don't play well you can be replaced. That's what a depth chart is. Today's players don't respond to "threats"

If you're a college coach and you have to "threaten" your players to perform, you won't be a HC for long...

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

I seriously doubt JB is "holding back" the playbook in games that are so close.

This is Louisville not a traditional power entering a season with established players sitting in the T5 up 4 scores waiting for their marquee opponents.

This is something an elite program might do now and then against a stiff opponent. Sure. The Murray game probably the only game JB may have done something like that. Maybe BC 2nd half.

The only other thing that would make sense would be if he has an extremely young QB or supporting cast and hasn't implemented everything just yet. That doesn't really apply here either.

That said, that doesn't mean the playbook can't go deeper, it can. He's got film on ND and areas he might think he can hurt 'em. So we might see something new or different this Saturday, we probably will need to.

 

[TheRealVille]

Its not Little League. These are college players that understand if they don't get the job done, they can be replaced. Armstrong made some bad choices just like Plummer did. They made a decision to try another QB. I sincerely doubt their coaches said to Armstrong, hey if you don't get it done against Louisville, we're going to bench you. All players at least should understand if you don't play well you can be replaced. That's what a depth chart is. Today's players don't respond to "threats"

If you're a college coach and you have to "threaten" your players to perform, you won't be a HC for long...

Semantics! Call it a threat or call it a warning. Call it a possibility or call it a solution. Call it anything you like.

The point I was making you affirmed with your response about the depth chart. Brohm is a former QB and calls the plays. He's going to have heart to heart conversations with his QB. He's going to tell the starting QB he has to stop panicking and making bad decisions. He's going to remind the starting QB that there's other QB's he can use if he continues to make the same mistakes over and over.

If I were in Plummer's shoes, I would fear my starting job is in jeopardy. There's a threat to his position as the starting QB.

 

[TheRealVille]

I seriously doubt JB is "holding back" the playbook in games that are so close.

This is Louisville not a traditional power entering a season with established players sitting in the T5 up 4 scores waiting for their marquee opponents.

This is something an elite program might do now and then against a stiff opponent. Sure. The Murray game probably the only game JB may have done something like that. Maybe BC 2nd half.

The only other thing that would make sense would be if he has an extremely young QB or supporting cast and hasn't implemented everything just yet. That doesn't really apply here either.

That said, that doesn't mean the playbook can't go deeper, it can. He's got film on ND and areas he might think he can hurt 'em. So we might see something new or different this Saturday, we probably will need to.

I agree that it would be a risky thing to do but it's not unprecedented at all. Of course I don't know for sure and have no inside insight, but I think it's something that could explain why there was no creative play calling with the running game against NC State.

I guess we will see Saturday against ND. We all know we would see the same offense under Satterfield but we don't expect that from Brohm.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

I agree that it would be a risky thing to do but it's not unprecedented at all. Of course I don't know for sure and have no inside insight, but I think it's something that could explain why there was no creative play calling with the running game against NC State.

I guess we will see Saturday against ND. We all know we would see the same offense under Satterfield but we don't expect that from Brohm.

It's unprecedented for an unranked team to be holding back plays in road games they are losing at the half. They were down 2 scores to GT.

What you are suggesting are things that happen when there's a domination in progress, or expected to be against non FBS teams maybe, or against a program just in complete shambles.

That don't seem to fit here for this team.

 

[CardHack]

It's unprecedented for an unranked team to be holding back plays in road games they are losing at the half. They were down 2 scores to GT.

What you are suggesting are things that happen when there's a domination in progress, or expected to be against non FBS teams maybe, or against a program just in complete shambles.

That don't seem to fit here for this team.

Holding back plays or spending multiple games to setup one opponent is something you do when you face an outmatched UK squad and have a series of games including a weak ECU squad and then go down to the Orange Bowl to face a Top 5 Miami like we did in 2004. But it's kind of a myth now. We're not withholding anything three games into Conference season; we might break some patterns or self scout after Notre Dame through the Bye Week but our bread-and-butter is and will remain how consistently we get Jordan into open space and the ball into the hands of Thrash, Bell and the cheetahs. And as importantly, keep Plummer out of decision making under duress. Plummer had the awful gaffe 1st and goal from the 3, but I'd counter every bit as quickly that playcall itself being a playaction that had already resulted in an empty hand fumble was as big a gaffe from Brohm as it was Plummer.

 

[TheRealVille]

You guys are probably right.

 

[Tenncard]

Much like last year with Malik, I’m not thrilled with our QB picture, but we are playing the best option available. Domann is a solid #2 on the depth chart, and I would be horrified at the prospect of him taking the field against ND. He would be pummeled like a rag doll. The same goes for all of the other developmental QB’s on the roster, they’re being developed. We simply don’t have anybody available that would come in and outplay Plummer. I agree that it’s a fairly low bar, but none of our guys are going to clear it.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

You guys are probably right.

I think your overall point could be right - we may see something different looks Saturday. Yes.

 

[wreckcard#22]

We had 1 TD taken away. 1 bad play on 1st and Goal which is unusual, and 1 wide open missed receiver on the first drive in which we failed to score. If all those are different, it’s a different ballgame.

Not really, we'd still win.

 

[RealStateBird]

Not really, we'd still win.

Some act like we didn’t

 

[OldhamCard335]

It may not be a case of “holding back plays”. Perhaps, being a new coaching staff, they just haven’t installed everything yet. Or they don’t yet trust it at game time. We’ve got to consider that we’re still watching a work in progress. This team is far from a finished product.