LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Louisville football program has a massive showdown on tap this weekend, hosting undefeated and top-10 Miami at L&N Stadium this Saturday.

Here are some of the more notable storylines heading into Saturday’s game:

Injury Report

Slowly but surely, Louisville is starting to get a little healthier.

After missing the previous game vs. SMU due to a lower body injury, defensive tackle Dezmond Tell made his return to action vs. Virginia. Star cornerback Quincy Riley, who had missed the last two games due to an ankle/foot injury, also returned.

Running back Isaac Brown was dinged up towards the end of the Virginia game, but it’s expected that he will be good to go this weekend. Also of note, defensive linemen Rene Konga and Tramel Logan did not play vs. the Cavaliers due to undisclosed injuries, but no update was provided by Louisville.

Miami also has a fair amount of injury news, both good and bad.

Starting defensive end Rueben Bain and starting defensive tackle Simeon Barrow were able to return to action in the last game vs. Cal, while backup defensive lineman Elijah Alston had to miss the game against the Golden Bears.

There’s also been a trio of starters that have been out since their opener against Florida: left tackle Jalen Rivers, cornerback Damari Brown and offensive lineman Ryan Rodriguez.

Louisville’s Defensive Communication Takes Massive Step Forward

In Louisville’s games against Georgia Tech, Notre Dame and SMU, a massive problem began to bubble up on their defense – specifically, with their communication. The Cardinals’ coaching staff appeared to struggle with the new in-helmet comms, and as a result, calls were routinely not getting in time to the players.

With that in mind, Brohm made a slight adjustment to how the defensive staff communicates with the players. Instead of having defensive coordinator Ron English maintain his post up in the press box, Brohm had English come down to the sideline against Virginia to make his play calls.

Louisville’s defense was certainly not perfect against UVA, but the streamlined communication did help the Cardinals be much more effective on that side of the ball. Of the Cavaliers’ 11 drives, just two of them ended in touchdowns. Of the Cavaliers’ three red zone trips, just one of them ended in a touchdown.

At the end of the day, this small change played a massive role behind Louisville snapping their two-game skid and pulling out a 24-20 win in Charlottesville.

“Being on the sideline and having a feel of if this team is huddling on the line of scrimmage, are they going to snap the ball, and trying to get things in as quick as we can,” head coach Jeff Brohm said. “It’s also about your ability to adjust when you see those things and to feel those things on the field was better than being upstairs.

“I think having a general pulse of the defense on what they need to hear and what emotions need to be displayed is better by being on the field.”

Miami’s Top-Ranked Offense Powered by Heisman Trophy Candidate Cam Ward

Over the first half of the 2024 season, Miami is off to an undefeated 6-0 start, and ranks as the No. 6 team in the country per the AP Top 25. This is mainly thanks to their high-octane offense, as the Canes have the No. 1 total and scoring offense in the FBS, averaging 583.8 yards and 47.7 points per game.

While Miami has a plethora of of offensive skill position players, the straw that stirs the drink on that side of the ball is undoubtedly quarterback Cam Ward.

“They have got a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate and he is really good,” Brohm said. “He can throw it, he can move, he can buy time, he has got a great feel for the position, he can get it to their playmakers and he makes that offense go.”

Just how good has Cam Ward been? He’s completed 69.2 percent of his throw, and has thrown for an unreal 2,219 yards and 20 touchdowns to just five interceptions. His yardage total is second in the nation only to Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, while his passing touchdown total leads the FBS.

Ward has also excelled at making plays with his legs and outside the pocket. He’s rushed for 148 yards and three touchdowns, and has a Pro Football Focus offensive grade of 84.1 when blitzed.

“If you watch him, he is very poised, he understands football and he has got a great feel,” Brohm said. “I think he throws it best when he is on the move and when he can buy time and that is when the big plays are created because he is just so natural at doing it. So, we have to contain him in the pocket and make him throw from the pocket.”

RB Isaac Brown Surging for Louisville

When it comes to Louisville’s offensive weapons, the majority of them are involved in the passing game. QB Tyler Shough has done a fantastic job up to this point, wideout Ja’Corey Brooks is the unquestioned WR1, slot receiver Caullin Lacy has big play potential, and tight ends Mark Redman plus Jamari Johnson have stood out.

There were doubts about Louisville’s ground game heading into the 2024 season, but over the first half of the season, one running back has clearly separated himself from the others: Isaac Brown.

“Issac has done a great job for us, Brohm said. “From day one. He has not missed a rep of practice, he goes hard, he competes, he does everything we ask, he is very unselfish. … He needs to touch the ball a lot, we need to utilize his skills, and we need to make sure that that happens as much as we can get it to happen.” 

Even as just a true freshman, the 5-foot-9, 190-pound all-purpose back has been an integral part of Louisville’s offense. He’s rushed for 508 yards and three touchdowns, while also catching 14 passes for 92 yards and a score. His 8.61 yards per rush not only leads the ACC, but is seventh in the FBS.

On top of that, the Homestead, Fla product is only getting better as time goes on. In the previous game at Virginia, Brown had a career day, rushing for a career-best 146 yards and two touchdowns.

Canes Looking Vulnerable in ACC Play

Miami got off to an incredibly hot start to their 2024 campaign. While their non-conference slate wasn’t exactly filled with world-beaters, the Canes still out-scored their non-con foes by an average of 42.0 points.

But since Miami kicked off ACC play, they have looked vulnerable. Despite being a three-score favorite against Virginia Tech, the Canes scraped out a 38-34 win thanks in part to a controversial ending. The very next week, Miami had to climb out of a 25-point hole to win 39-38 at Cal.

“You take a humble approach to the bye week and look in the mirror and say’ Man that’s not good enough.’ If it’s not good enough in a win or a loss then it should not be good enough regardless of that,” Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said earlier this week.

In fact, during the Canes’ bye week last week, wide receiver Xavier Restrepo told ESPN that Miami held a players-only meeting during the bye.

“We just went over what’s important for this team,” he said. “Set boundaries and let people know that we haven’t played our best ball yet. We haven’t put our best team on film yet. Emphasizing internally on getting better. I think that was the biggest thing for the meeting.”

(Photo of Quincy Riley, Xavier Restrepo: Sam Navarro – Imagn Images)

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Tom Wilson, Dylan Strome and Taylor Raddysh scored to help the Washington Capitals end the Dallas Stars’ season-opening winning streak at four with a 3-2 victory Thursday night.

Wilson’s goal was his third in three games, Strome his second of the season and Raddysh his first since joining the team in free agency last summer. Charlie Lindgren made 22 saves as the Capitals wrapped up this early homestand with back-to-back wins.

The Stars fell from the ranks of the league’s unbeaten teams despite a short-handed goal by Colin Blackwell and one at even strength from Jason Robertson. Rookie Oskar Bäck set up Blackwell for his first NHL point.

Casey DeSmith was screened on two of the three goals he allowed on 26 shots.

Takeaways

Stars: No matter the result, it was a good day because they signed Jake Oettinger to an extension that keeps the No. 1 goaltender under contract through 2033.

Capitals: Alex Ovechkin was one of the most noticeable and effective players on the ice even thought he did not register a point.

Key moment

Martin Fehervary blocked multiple shots in the final couple of minutes to allow the Capitals to hold on when the Stars were desperately trying to tie it.

Key stat

Defenseman John Carlson played just under 25 minutes after getting 27 minutes of ice time Tuesday against Vegas.

Up next

While the Stars return home to face Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, the Capitals visit the New Jersey Devils that night in already the Metropolitan Division rivals’ second game this season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, led by sharpshooting bench guard Isaiah Joe, walked away with a 104-94 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, led by his 16-point performance.

Atlanta’s young guard, Kobe Bufkin, led the way for the Hawks, finishing with 31 points on 12-for-26 shooting. Though it was a preseason game, this was Bufkin’s career high, but the performance was not enough to result in a Hawks victory.

The Thunder got out to a hot start in the first quarter, taking a 19-9 lead with 5:40 to play. Big man Chet Holmgren totaled nine of those points by both hitting from the perimeter and getting to the free-throw line. Holmgren quieted down after his scoring spurt, finishing with 15 points all in the first half.

Triples from Atlanta guards Bufkin, Dyson Daniels and Garrison Matthews narrowed the score quickly in the opening period. Even with Bufkin increasing his scoring from the perimeter as the game progressed, the Hawks only drilled four to start. By the end of the quarter, Atlanta had gained the lead at 28-27, thanks to a paint bucket from center Onyeka Okongwu.

OKC re-gained a seven-point lead with 8:30 remaining in the second period when forward Aaron Wiggins went 1-for-2 at the free-throw line. Around two minutes later, dynamic forward Jalen Williams landed awkwardly on his ankle and was taken out of the game and did not return.

Both teams traded scores and by the half’s end, Atlanta held a 51-49 lead. OKC’s star guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, failed to get going in the first half. He only finished with six points on 2-for-4 shooting and did not see the court again.

The Thunder brought out a lineup of multiple depth pieces to start the second half, featuring Wiggins, Cason Wallace, Joe, Dillon Jones and Ousmane Dieng. That lineup held its own in the quarter, with Dieng scoring six points within the first four minutes. Joe, one of OKC’s sharpshooters, also caught fire in the third quarter.

Joe scored 14 points in the quarter and kept the Thunder close. He hit four triples in the third as well, his second consecutive performance with four or more threes made and 14 or more points scored.

Joe’s third-quarter performance kept the Thunder around, trailing 79-77 at the end of the third quarter. It remained close throughout the fourth quarter and the fate of the game was going to be left in the hands of OKC’s depth pieces.

With the game winding down, a triple from rookie Dillon Jones and a dunk from Dieng landed the Thunder up five with 5:23 remaining. OKC played solid on-ball defense down the stretch, making life hard on Atlanta’s offense. The Hawks were relying on the multi-level scoring ability of Bufkin, but the Jones and the Thunder defense forced him into multiple shots. He still made some tough ones and continued to keep the Hawks in winning-distance.

A 1-for-2 free throw trip from Dieng with 35 seconds remaining in the game gave the Thunder a 100-94 lead. Bufkin and guard Kevon Harris drilled two shots with under 30 seconds remaining to give the Hawks a reason to continue fouling, but they continued to send Dieng to the free-throw line and he continued to make them. He finished with 15 total points, five of which came from the stripe.

After closing out its preseason with a win, OKC kicks off its regular season at 9 p.m. CDT on Thursday, Oct. 24 at Ball Arena in a road test against the Denver Nuggets. OKC defeated the Nuggets in its fourth preseason game in blowout fashion, winning 124-94.

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