WE’RE GOING TO SEE A HEAVY DOSE OF ISAAC BROWN AND DUKE WATSON
Louisville enters the bowl game with their starting quarterback and top receiver headed for the draft. That leaves the Cards with Harrison Bailey as their starter at quarterback and a group of receivers who will have to make the most of every opportunity they get against a strong Washington secondary. The Cards also have to deal with the fact that the Huskies will have a different plan with Bailey under center.
This is why I think we’ll see a lot of handoffs for UofL’s dynamic duo at running back. Isaac Brown is racking up accolades each day now and Watson is the national leader in yards per carry coming into the game. Both players have shown that they can break a big run at any moment but I think they’re ability to run hard and get behind their pads will be just as important. The Huskies have not been good against the run this year and UofL will have to exploit that as best they can with a suspect passing game.
WASHINGTON WILL FORCE LOUISVILLE DEFENDERS TO TACKLE IN SPACE
A good amount of teams have odd statistical profiles or show certain issues on film but Washington somehow has both. When you watch the Huskies, you don’t see a six-win team when it comes to their talent or how hard they play. When you look at their stats, you can’t help but wonder how they even got to six wins. They just are not exceptional at anything. However, they are efficient on offense.
Their passing game is built on quick and intermediate passes and they complete a ton of passes. The Huskies are third in the country in completion percentage and that number didn’t drop off when they switched quarterbacks. They get the ball to their playmakers but they have not been able to do much to create big plays. That would change if UofL doesn’t do a good job of tackling.
LOUISVILLE WILL USE TRICK PLAYS AND MISDIRECTION IN THE PASSING GAME
I think that Jeff Brohm will come into this game knowing that he has to be creative to avoid being one-dimensional on offense. While Harrison Bailey has looked good in limited time, he’s going to be facing the best pass defense UofL has seen this year. The Huskies don’t rush the passer well but they have not allowed a 300-yard passer this season. They also haven’t allowed teams to throw more than two touchdowns in a game.
Brohm will utilize jet sweeps more in this game than he did during the season. Caullin Lacy is back in action and getting him into space with the ball in his hands is a smart move. I also think we’ll see the tight ends getting more action as well. Tight end leaks and throwbacks will be an option with Washington likely focusing on the run. Running back screens could also be useful to get the best guys into the open field.
SPECIAL TEAMS WILL PLAY A FACTOR IN THE OUTCOME OF THE GAME
Washington and the Cards have a similar problem as they both have inconsistent kickers. However, the Huskies have a bigger issue to worry about as they have been susceptible to big returns on punts and kicks. Louisville would do well to have a sound strategy for both situations with Ja’Corey Brooks opting out. Lacy may be an option on punt returns but I do wonder if they avoid using Isaac Brown for kicks.
UofL has also done well with blocking kicks this season. They lead the nation in that statistic and Washington has not been very good at avoiding having their kicks blocked. They have allowed four on the season and even though the portal hasn’t been too rough on the Huskies, they’ll likely have a few guys on special teams that haven’t been out there much this season. The Cards should draw up some block attempts on punts and kicks.