LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — It was only Austin Peay.
Let me say that at least one more time so folks in the back hear exactly what I’m saying:
IT WAS ONLY AUSTIN PEAY.
So, what Jeff Brohm’s second University of Louisville football team did to the Governors last Saturday afternoon does not compare to Miami winning at Florida, Georgia Tech taking down Florida State or North Carolina toppling Minnesota in the opening sequence of games played by Atlantic Coast Conference football teams.
But the Austin Peay game was not the first time the University of Louisville football program started its season with a piñata dressed in shoulder pads.
There was Charlotte in 2016, Murray State in 2011, Indiana State in 2009 and Murray State in 2007.
But Saturday was the Cards’ first opening week shutout since Bobby Petrino stuffed Rich Brooks and Kentucky, 28-0, in 2004, and it was merely the second opening weekend shutout since Vince Gibson blanked Northern Illinois in 1977.
Ask Cincinnati about the 20 points it allowed to Towson, Washington State about the 30 it surrendered to Portland State or Wake Forest about the 13 points scored by North Carolina A&T. Shutouts are not automatic.
If you check the NCAA statistics, you’ll discover that only Missouri allowed fewer yards than the 106 the Cards allowed to the Governors.
The good defenses do what they’re supposed to do, regardless of the time, score or quality of the opponent.
The Louisville defense put together by co-coordinators Ron English and Mark Hagen did good work against the Governors.
Of Austin Peay’s 13 possessions, 10 ended in punts, one by interception, one by fumble and one by the clock.
Of Austin Peay’s 58 plays, four were snapped on Louisville’s side of the field.
The average final field position of Austin Peay’s 13 drives was the Governors’ 31 yard line.
During the Cards’ weekly media availability Monday morning, I asked English if there were statistical markers the coaching staff used to measure the performance of the defense — beyond the shutout.
“We don’t talk about (statistical) goals in this room,” English said. “We really talk about three things.
“We talk about getting to the football. We don’t say run to the ball or any of that, we say get to the football because you could try or you could do it. So we say get to the ball.
“The second thing is we want to be physical. We want to be physical.
“The third thing is we want to be disciplined.
“So whatever words you use, accountability, disciplined, trusting your teammates, however you want to say it, those are really the three things.
“Now as a byproduct of that, you’ve got stuff in today’s word, you’ve got to be good on third down and you’ve got to limit scoring. So those are some goals that I chart.
“But I don’t really say, ‘These are our goals.' That’s not how I talk to them.“
Stuffing Jacksonville State, the team that Louisville will host Saturday at 3:30 p.m. will not be as likely as stuffing Austin Peay.
Although the Gamecocks lost their season opener to Coastal Carolina, Jacksonville State scored 27 points and put up 357 yards. The Gamecocks ranked second in rushing yards and points in Conference USA last season.
They are coached by Rich Rodriguez, who was on every athletic director’s hot list 20 years ago when he helped perfect the spread offense and used it to land jobs at West Virginia and Michigan.
“He’s the forefather of that offense,” English said. “He’s the forefather of that system.
“You know, all the gun & run stuff. He’s proven over years and years to be successful.
“So he’s going to challenge you in a lot of ways. Are you disciplined? Are you sound? Are your guys in the right position? They’re going to be conflicted at times, where we have to do exactly what we’re told to do."
Remember, it was only Austin Peay.
But the video evaluators at ProFootballFocus graded Louisville with the eighth best overall defensive performance among FBS programs. The Cards were seventh best against the run.
Maintaining those numbers will be challenging against a Rich Rodriguez football team.
“They had a really successful year last year,” Brohm said. "Went 9-4 (beating Western Kentucky to finish third in Conference USA), winning their bowl game."
“Coach Rodriguez has been coaching football for a long time. He know what he’s doing, a very, very coach. They’ll present us problems with the tempo and the type of offense they run.”
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