Tyler Shough

Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough looks to throw in the Cardinals' season-opening win over Austin Peay.

 ERIC CRAWFORD

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) - Since Tyler Shough transferred to Louisville after flashing his potential at Oregon and Texas Tech, Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm has steadily said he likes his quarterback.

Sure, Shough showed why in a game designed for him to do just that, a 62-0 thrashing of Austin Peay. He tied Browning Nagle for the most touchdowns in an U of L debut with four. The former Duck and Red Raider flew in his first half as a Cardinal, throwing for the most first-half yards (232) since Jay Gruden quarterbacked the Cards against Western Kentucky in 1986.

UL AP Tyler Shough

Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough prepares to fire a touchdown pass to Jaydon Thompson in the Cardinals season-opening win over Austin Peay in L&N Stadium.

His day was deservedly done after that. But when you ask his former Trinity High School and Louisville quarterback of a coach about *how* his new signal caller racked up some impressive numbers, something else is sparked.

"I was one of those quarterbacks that did too much scrambling when I played," Brohm remembered with a smirk. "So, I allow guys to have some freedom and we allow them some freedom."

Shough showed that in various ways to sovereignly govern the Governors. He was fully comfortable where some may be uncomfortable in that control.

That throw is only showing up in the box score as a 12-yard completion to convert on third down in the first quarter of a game that wasn't ever going to be close enough for converting or not converting to even matter much. But it is also showing a guy getting out of the pocket, staying patient and somehow sidearming the ball off one foot...and dropping it over one defender before another closes down on the receiver. 

"He likes to have some gamesmanship to him, throw it underneath, throw it sidearmed, and be a riverboat gambler every now and then," Brohm said. "But you know what, he's good at it."

One game is not a proper sample size. But in terms of getting a peek at the potential this season, I will agree: Shough looked good playing freely in his first game since Sept. 23, 2023. 

"I feel really comfortable doing it," Shough said. "I feel like it's been a strength of mine that I've been able to add to my game the past couple of years.

"And there are times, on screens and other protections you get in the game, where it is necessary. But my goal is always to be on platform when I can and to have a good base. But sometimes, I feel like I can pull that out."

Throwing on platform means a quarterback has their feet set and can deliver the ball with a good base. Think of the way your traditional pocket passer maneuvers that limited space and still finds a way to get everything set for a good throw.

As Daniel Horner pointed out to me on X, that touchdown toss has a strong claim to being Shough's best from his Cardinal debut. But sometimes, I think you can learn more about players when things break down and you have to improvise. Luckily for the seventh-year college quarterback, his former signal callers of coaches in Jeff and Brian Brohm agree.

"They do a really good job of letting me play free and understanding when to use different throws and footwork," Shough said. "And it's really built into the offense well."

"We always try to say, 'Hey, if you got a clean pocket and you got to make the throw, let's make sure you throw it in your normal motion," Brohm said. "But at the same time, I want him to have some fun with it. And he's really good at it.

"He does it in practice. He can get the ball out quick. He can avoid the defender on screens when their hands are in the way."

The ability to still throw accurately from different angles, or off platform, may come in handy against tougher competition. You also saw some signs of being able to withstand pressure and still find the right target.

"Tyler is a great quarterback," Louisville's Ja'Corey Brooks, who led his team in receiving for this game, said. "Most of the stuff he does on the field relates to what he does off the field. He's always a guy trying to meet with the receivers that is also in the playbook."

"He's been consistent and steady all spring, all summer and all fall camp," Brohm said. "So, he played pretty much the way I thought he would.

"He can throw the football. He can stand in there to the last minute, let things develop, let the guy get just a little bit more open, even when he's got guys coming at him. He can see the field, he can spray it to the boundary, to the middle, to the outside, deep, short, all those things.

"I just think he's been a great leader. We've got to keep him durable and healthy, but I anticipate him playing well."

Watch Shough's first touchdown to his fellow transfer in Brooks, which actually goes down as the first score for both players and their new team for this season. He has a rusher running right at him and still is able to fade away while placing the ball where Brooks can go up and get it.

"That was my thought process: to give them a chance to go make a play when they’re bringing pressure," Shough explained. "I think it’s always nice when you can go out there and you can take a lick, get your bell rung or get hit. It kind of wakes you up a bit. We do a really good job pregame with getting us going. I was really just out there playing in flow state and trying to give them a chance.”

Now, Brohm knows he does not want his quarterback with an injury history taking too many hits. But he also knows he has to let his quarterback play the way he knows how to play because, well, again: He did the same thing.

"I just think it's fun to watch," Brohm said. "I like watching him play."

Tyler Shough Louisville backfield

Tyler Shough and the Louisville backfield before a goal-line snap in the Cardinals' season-opening win over Austin Peay.

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