Brohm says Louisville's bye week was used to clean things up, not cover them up

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jeff Brohm didn't waste the bye week relaxing. That's for the offseason, he said.

He did watch football and a good bit of it. Some as a fan but most as a scout. He tweaked his own team's game prep. Sent his assistants out recruiting. Put his players through lighter practices with a heavy emphasis on one thing: fixing what went wrong against James Madison.

And now, two games into a season with high expectations, he's looking for his team's best performance yet, and for something else, too when Bowling Green (2-1) visits Saturday at noon.

Answers.

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"There were some unexpected things we saw that we didn't have a good answer for," Brohm said Monday. "And didn't respond well to. That's on me."

That's been the theme this week: accountability and a readiness to adjust.

Louisville is 2-0. It just handled a physical James Madison team. But Brohm, ever the quarterback-turned-architect, doesn't just want win. He wants clean football. And right now, his offense is still leaving too many questions on the table.

Answers wanted

"Having answers" became a mantra during Brohm's Monday press conference, as he referenced it multiple times, from how his team handles unscouted looks, to making in-game adjustments, to prepping for a Bowling Green team under a first-year coach that he expects to throw a few wrinkles itself.

"When teams take a lot of chances, you've got to be able to beat them, and beat them for big plays," he said. "If you do that, then you can settle things down. We didn't do a good job of that. And that's on me."

There's a sense of unfinished business in how Brohm describes the JMU game. Louisville won by two touchdowns, but was outgained, at times out-executed, and derailed by some defensive looks it hadn't prepared for. Brohm said the offense needs to be "more efficient," and sharper in reacting to the unpredictable.

And he said he thinks they've prepared better for the unexpected in the past week.

He took the blame for the offensive sluggishness — a familiar move from the third-year coach — and acknowledged that the bye week was put to good use.

"Address the issues, don't hide from it," Brohm said. "Identify it, try to improve, and go out there and play better next week."

One plus for the offense this week – junior tight end Nate Kurisky returns from injury. He brings 30 career catches for 253 yards and five touchdowns.

Injury setback, and defensive identity

One issue that couldn't be fixed in practice: the loss of linebacker Stanquan Clark, who underwent lower leg surgery and is likely out for the season.

"Could he come back late in the process? Possibly," Brohm said. "But more than likely, (he's) out."

It's a tough blow. Clark is a returning starter and one of the vocal leaders of the defense. But if there's a silver lining, it's that Louisville's defense — which gave up too many explosive pass plays last season — seems to have found a new identity in 2025.

The change was schematic and intentional. Brohm called it the team's biggest offseason defensive priority. And so far, it's working. Only a handful of explosive plays have gotten through in the first two weeks.

Brohm said coaches address the big-play problem in the offseason "by design and by structure, and by changing a few things in alignment and maybe what we're reading." But mainly, he said, it was establishing, "Hey, we're not going to give up throws over our heads. We're going to be conscious of that as we play, top down."

That style may face a new challenge against Bowling Green, which Brohm praised repeatedly for its sound, ball-control approach under former Heisman winner Eddie George.

"They're going to run the ball at you, don't turn it over, and try to hit a few play-action shots," Brohm said. "They've played really good football."

A coach in season mode

Asked whether he kept the same bye week structure year to year, Brohm said he did — for the most part. But you get the sense he's not one to waste time or routine. Even his downtime included scanning other games, a little for pleasure, but even more tactical ideas.

"Every year, football is a little different," he said. "Certain things show up a little bit more than others. You've got to be on top of that."

In Brohm-speak, that's the closest thing to admitting he might've seen something on Saturday he wants to borrow.

But in the end, the message this week was clear: Louisville is 2-0, but it's time for a more complete performance. And this week, against a team that thrives on doing the little things right, Brohm wants to see that change.

"Just playing our best football is going to be important," he said.

The bye week's over. The answers, we'll find out Saturday.