Louisville Football Spring Game Notes

Jeff Brohm closed out his first spring practice period with a competitive and fairly balanced spring game on Friday night. The Louisville defense continued to be ahead of the offense but the newcomers on offense were able to show some things that they will bring to the table this fall.

The defense looked fast and physical as they piled up run stuffs and tackles for loss early in the game. In the second half, the young players started to force turnovers which led to a win for the defensive side of the ball.

Below I gathered some thoughts and observations from a night that should lead to some optimism for the fall while not raising expectations too high.

• Louisville’s defense lost nearly all of its top production from last year but the remaining talent showed through last night. We may not see the same results as last year’s defense but it shouldn’t be much of a drop-off.
• Louisville’s linebackers have been the biggest question mark all spring but they were the most impressive group of the night to me. Jackson Hamilton, KJ Cloyd, and Stanquan Clark stood out, but the entire group was impressive.
• Jack Plummer likely calmed any concerns from fans on what he will bring to the table as the starting quarterback. He was accurate outside of one throw and he showed that he could move in the pocket enough to extend plays.
• We could be in for a Javian Hawkins/Hassan Hall scenario on our hands if Maurice Turner continues to improve. The difference this year is that Jawhar Jordan is obviously ahead of him and this would (and probably will) end up being a two-headed monster approach.
• Louisville’s second offensive line group consisted of four players who are freshmen or redshirt freshmen and a fifth-year senior who is a walk-on. While the group may have talent, the lack of experience won’t cut it. The portal will be utilized to add some experienced depth.
• Ashton Gillotte ended up with what would have likely been a half sack but I was happy to see him work hard and make a difference against the run. I’m very hopeful that he will be a strong pass rusher off of the edge this fall but the last two years have forced him to be disruptive against the run and it showed last night.
• The flea flicker for a touchdown was a nice call to get the fans excited. Jeff Brohm is not shy when it comes to trick plays, so it was a nice little appetizer for the fall.
• Cataurus Hicks showed some flashes that gave a good example of why he will be on the field this fall. He caught passes at the intermediate level and he was used on a jet sweep. He has the type of speed that will complement the rest of the offense.
• Tight end is a spot that will likely see some movement in the portal but Josh Lifson made the most of his opportunity. He couldn’t make the play on a fastball from Jack Plummer early on but he responded with two touchdown catches when his number was called.
• Dakadrian Saunders and Kevin Longwood had the best nights when it comes to the walk-ons, in my opinion. Saunders had the best tackle of the entire evening and Longwood had a big hit as well as a very nice open-field tackle.
• The backup quarterbacks were solid in the first half but not so much in the second. That’s not surprising as more of the younger guys played in the second half. Khalib Johnson did have the best throw of the evening on a very nice ball to William Fowles on the sideline. He got the ball over a defender and down into Fowles’ arms. His potential showed there but other throws were not so great.