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The Louisville Cardinals (4-3, 3-2 ACC) will face the Stanford Cardinal (4-4, 2-3) on Saturday at L&N Stadium in Louisville, Ky. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. ET, with the ACC Network broadcasting the game. Jorge Sedano will handle play-by-play, Rodney McLeod Jr. will serve as analyst, and Annabelle Hasselbeck will report from the sidelines. Louisville enters as a 22.5-point favorite.
This marks the second meeting between the programs. Stanford won the only previous encounter, 38-35, on Nov. 16, 2024, in Palo Alto, Calif. The Cardinal lead the all-time series 1-0.
Stanford's 2024 victory came as a 2-7 team that had beaten an FCS opponent, yet the Cardinal outplayed Louisville and competed as if their season depended on it. That loss stands as one of the more disappointing defeats of Jeff Brohm's tenure with the Cardinals.
Now Stanford arrives in Louisville with an improved squad that has secured two upset wins in ACC play. The Cardinal addressed their long-standing quarterback issues by dipping into the transfer portal, landing Davis Warren, who returned to his home state after starting at Michigan. Warren has demonstrated the arm talent to make plays in this offense but has been wildly inconsistent and has yet to perform at a consistently high level. In games against Georgia Tech and NC State, he threw for over 300 yards and totaled seven touchdowns. In his other outings, he has been below average at best. Louisville must generate pressure on Warren, as that is when he has struggled this season.
The catalyst for Stanford's two-game winning streak has been running back Micah Ford. The 6-foot, 225-pound junior has rushed for over 300 yards in the last two weeks while also contributing as a receiver with more than 100 yards through the air. His 9 yards per play over that span rivals Keyjuan Brown's season-long output. Ford has nearly twice as much all-purpose yardage as any other Stanford player, and the Cardinal offense goes as he goes. Louisville must end his explosive trend this week.
At receiver, Stanford features one breakout threat and several reliable options. Caden High has two 100-yard games this season, both against Georgia Tech and NC State, and has shown dynamic ability to make plays at all three levels of the defense. He is the receiver Louisville must account for, something the Cardinals defense has struggled to do all season. JonAnthony Hall and Nico Brown are the other top outside receivers. Hall has made a few big plays, while Brown has been a red-zone option. Neither has been a consistent threat, but both are capable of a big game. The entire group has thrived against zone coverage, so it would benefit the Louisville secondary to challenge them in man coverage. The Cardinals also need to watch tight end Benji Blackburn, who has 24 catches this year.
Stanford's offensive line is a solid unit that avoids negative plays but could improve in pass protection. Some of the sacks appear to be coverage sacks, as receivers struggle to get open and Warren holds the ball. Warren is athletic enough to extend plays but does not look to run when no option is available. Louisville has generated strong pressure and sacks in three of the last four halves. The Cardinals should deploy the aggressive scheme they used against Florida State to force this line to prove it can protect the quarterback and open holes for Ford.
Key Analysis
Stanford's new staff brings extensive NFL experience, particularly at defensive coordinator, where Kris Richard—a former NFL player and assistant—now leads the defense. The unit has shown improvement as the season has progressed but is limited by its defensive line. The group has produced one more sack than Clev Lubin and 16 tackles for loss, roughly the combined total of three Louisville defensive linemen. Louisville has struggled to keep opposing defenses out of the backfield and ranks among the worst teams nationally in allowing negative plays. The Cardinals cannot let this defensive line exploit that weakness.
Linebacker Matt Rose is one of the best in the country, but he has missed four straight games. Rose ranks third on the team in tackles and leads in tackles for loss, and his absence has been significant. The defense allowed 115 points in the first two games after his injury and improved against NC State, though it remains to be seen if that was a fluke. Stanford's pass defense is among the worst nationally, with 17 touchdowns allowed and multiple statistics ranked in the 90s or worse. The Cardinal have generally avoided explosive plays, but Wake Forest, Notre Dame, and Miami posted video-game numbers through the air. Louisville's explosive offense should have opportunities to do the same.
Saturday marks the 100th Homecoming game in Louisville history. The Cardinals are 62-37 all-time on Homecoming, including 23-5 at L&N Stadium, and have won six of their last seven. Stanford has lost 14 consecutive road games, the longest streak in program history, and has not won away from home since a 26-24 victory at Syracuse on Sept. 20, 2024. The Cardinal have lost their three road games this season by a combined score of 150-17. Under Jeff Brohm, Louisville is 4-1 in games following a bye week. The Cardinals have 52 plays of 20-plus yards through seven games, trailing only West Virginia, which has played eight. Stanford is 13-6 all-time on Halloween, most recently a 30-28 win over Washington State in 2015. Louisville is 5-6 on Halloween, last appearing in a 42-35 home loss to Virginia Tech in 2020.
At 4-4, Stanford is .500 or better through eight games for the first time since 2019. In their four wins, the Cardinal average 34 points and 485.5 yards per game, compared to 5.8 points and 233.8 yards in their four losses. They have scored at least 31 points in every win and no more than 7 in every loss. Louisville averages 42.8 points per game at home this season. Stanford Director of Offense Terry Heffernan began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Louisville in 2004. Louisville safety Kaleb Beasley is tied for the national lead with five interceptions. Saturday will be Stanford's first game in Kentucky. The Cardinal seek their first five-win season since 2018. Brohm is 0-1 against Stanford, while Stanford head coach Tavita Pritchard will face Louisville for the first time. The Cardinal rank last in the ACC in scoring offense and scoring defense. Seven of Louisville's last eight losses have been by three points or fewer, and all three of its losses this season have come by exactly three points. The Cardinals have scored at least 24 points in 32 of their last 34 games. Louisville great Mark Clayton, a standout receiver from 1979-82 who played 11 years in the NFL, will have his jersey honored. A Stanford win would give the Cardinal their first three-game winning streak since 2020.
Louisville is 222-199-5 all-time in October and 8-5 under Brohm. The Cardinals are 16-2 in ACC regular-season games under Brohm when allowing fewer than 30 points. They are 56-47 all-time in ACC play and 19-10 under Brohm. Louisville ranks fourth in the FBS with 5.9 yards per carry and third with 25 rushing touchdowns. The current 215.0 yards per game average would be the program's highest since 2017, Lamar Jackson's final season. The Cardinals lead the country in plays of 40+, 50+, and 60+ yards and rank second in 20+ and 30+ yards, trailing only West Virginia, which has played one more game. Stanford's seven-year bowl drought is the longest among power conference programs. Louisville is one of seven power conference teams to win at least nine games in each of the last three years. The Cardinals have won 50 consecutive games when shutting out an opponent in the second half. Under Brohm, Louisville is 17-2 when rushing for 200 yards or more. The Cardinals are one of eight FBS teams to score in every game for the last 26 years, joining Boise State, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, Southern California, Texas Christian, and Virginia Tech. Louisville is 16-1 under Brohm when not committing a turnover, with the lone loss coming earlier this season against Ole Miss. The Cardinals are 21-1 under Brohm when winning the turnover battle and 11-14 when not. They are 25-3 over the past five seasons when shutting out an opponent in the first quarter and have won 40 of their last 45 games when holding teams to less than 300 yards. Louisville has won 18 straight when holding opponents scoreless in the first half. Since 2019, the Cardinals are 40-5 when winning the turnover battle and 8-28 when losing it. Under Brohm, Louisville is 28-3 when allowing fewer than 30 points. The Cardinals are 214-17 all-time when scoring 35 or more points and 145-4 when scoring 40 or more, including 86-3 since 2000. They are 6-124 when allowing 40 or more. Louisville has scored in 334 consecutive games dating back to a 31-0 loss to Florida State in 2000, the second-longest streak in the ACC and eighth-longest nationally.
Jontavius Morris said, "A lot of guys and a lot of coaches in this building, we really take pride in owning that (2024) loss because we understand that it's not acceptable. So we want to do a good job by not overlooking anybody we play, let alone Stanford." Stanford head coach Tavita Pritchard said, "There are times where myself and/or [general manager Andrew Luck] will zoom out, but it's certainly not anything in the realm of bowl eligibility. I'm excited to see the next step this team has an opportunity to take, and that's an away game at Louisville." Brohm said of Pritchard, "Him and (general manager) Andrew Luck, I think they really want the program to have success. I think he's a players' coach. So I think the team is rallied around him. They've shown improvement every week. He's done a really good job. And, I think they've got a bright future there." Warren said, "It'll be a cool environment to play in. We need to take their energy, their music, and make it our music and our energy and feed off that." He added, "It's about playing a complete game. We haven't really done that, and it's not super easy to do. We want to play clean, solid football. Make them earn their touchdowns. Find ways to get turnovers, and create some negative plays." Card Chronicle predicts Louisville 41, Stanford 20.
Originally reported by yahoo.