LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – A strange week for Louisville football ends with one of its biggest games of the season.
The No. 20-ranked Cardinals host Clemson under the Friday night lights of L&N Stadium — in blackout uniforms, with a blackout crowd — in a high-stakes matchup for both programs. Louisville is looking to bounce back from an overtime loss to California. Clemson, long a standard-bearer in the ACC, is clawing to preserve a 27-year streak of finishing .500 or better in conference play.
Louisville is 0-4 all-time at home against Clemson but comes in as a 3-point favorite. Quarterback Miller Moss and running back Keyjuan Brown will try to jumpstart an offense that failed to reach 24 points in regulation last week. Brown rushed for 136 yards in the loss to Cal and is averaging 108.3 yards over his past three games.
Louisville | Kentucky | Indiana | Eric Crawford
Clemson, meanwhile, has caught fire behind quarterback Cade Klubnik. The Tigers have averaged 34.4 points and 444.6 yards per game since October began — both top-20 marks nationally — and Klubnik ranks No. 3 in the country in pass efficiency over that stretch. The Tigers are also seeking their fourth straight game without an interception.
It's a must-win game for Louisville to stay in contention for a strong postseason finish — and a chance to sweep their Friday games this season (already 2-0 on Friday nights).
Early in the week, Louisville coach Jeff Brohm, Moss, and members of Brohm’s family and staff were allegedly threatened by a Texas man and have been subject to increased security this week. All of that has been swirling around the complex as the Cards prepare.
More on the matchup:
The Time
Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET, L&N Stadium (59,823)
How to Watch / Listen
TV: ESPN (Anish Shroff play-by-play, Andre Ware analyst, Paul Carcaterra sideline. Streaming: ESPN app (cable authentication required). Note: Disney’s ongoing dispute with Alphabet, the company that owns YouTube TV, is ongoing. Subscribers to that service may not have access to the game. Alternate services include cable television, FuboTV, Hulu Live and ESPN’s direct-to-consumer app.
Radio: 93.9 FM The Ville, 1450 AM (Paul Rogers, Craig Swabek, Jody Demling). Compass Media (Drew Deener, Tiki Barber). Satellite radio: SiriusXX Ch. 371.
The Line
Spread: Louisville -3. Over/Under: 51.5
Notes: Louisville is 3-6 vs. the spread this season and 1-4 ATS at home against. Brohm is 5-2 following a regular-season loss at U of L. He’s also 1-0 vs. Dabo Swinney. Clemson is 3-6 against the spread this season.
The Coaches
Louisville: Jeff Brohm (3rd season at U of L, 26-10; 92-53 overall)
Clemson: Dabo Swinney (18th season, 184-52)
Series History
Overall: Clemson leads 8-1. In Louisville: Clemson 4-0. Last meeting: Louisville won 33-21 at Clemson in 2024.
Records
Louisville: 7-2 (4-2 ACC), last game: 29-26 OT loss vs. California
Clemson: 4-5 (3-4 ACC), last game: 24-10 win vs. Florida State
Players to Watch
Louisville
The focus starts with quarterback Miller Moss, a senior who will look to rebound after a modest outing against California in which he threw for 203 yards and an interception. The Cardinals need more consistency from him heading into a pivotal matchup. In the backfield, running back Keyjuan Brown, a redshirt sophomore, has emerged as a key contributor with starting back Isaac Brown sidelined. Keyjuan rushed for a career-best 136 yards on 14 carries against Cal and is averaging 108.3 yards per game over his last three outings. Wide receiver Chris Bell, a senior, continues to be a reliable target, having caught at least four passes in each of his last 10 games. He leads the team in receptions (62) and receiving yards (792) and recently surpassed 2,000 career receiving yards. On defense, linebacker T.J. Quinn, a redshirt senior, has been the Cardinals’ most consistent tackler, recording 30 stops over the last three games and hitting double digits in two of them. And in the return game, wide receiver and return specialist Caullin Lacy, also a redshirt senior, remains a dynamic playmaker. He piled up 193 all-purpose yards at Virginia Tech earlier this month, including 106 on punt returns.
Clemson
Quarterback Cade Klubnik has fueled the Tigers’ late-season resurgence. The junior signal-caller has completed 77.8% of his passes since the start of October for 1,140 yards, eight touchdowns, and just one interception. He ranks third nationally in passer efficiency over that stretch. On the outside, wide receiver Antonio Williams is closing in on Clemson history — with 19 career touchdown receptions, he’s just one shy of tying for fifth in school history. Defensive end Will Heldt is having a career year, entering the game tied for his personal best with five sacks. The Tigers’ front seven also features linebacker Sammy Brown, a young but emerging pass-rush presence who could play a big role in trying to disrupt Moss. Safety Ricardo Jones, listed as “probable” in this week’s Clemson injury report, has been a ballhawk in the secondary with four interceptions this season and will be looking to notch his fifth, something no Clemson player has done since 2016.
Sideline Storylines
BLACKOUT GAME: Louisville will wear all black uniforms, and fans are encouraged to dress in black.
COMEBACK KIDS: Four of Louisville’s seven wins have been come-from-behind wins, and the Cardinals have outscored opponents 78-39 in the fourth quarter. Louisville has notched nine come-from-behind wins in Brohm’s three seasons.
PASSING PROBLEMS: In the month of November, Louisville’s average of 169.5 passing yards per game ranks 97thnationally. Its passer rating of 99.67 ranks No. 110 out of 136 FBS teams in that span.
INJURY NEWS: Louisville linebacker Stanquan Clark is expected to make his much-anticipated return in this game. But the Cards could be without a couple of key defensive contributors. Defensive end A.J. Green and starting quarterback Tayon Holloway are listed as questionable for this game. Star running back Isaac Brown, incidentally, is missing from the injury report altogether, though Brohm has said he is definitely out for this game.
HONOR NO. 10: U of L will honor all-time leading receiver Arnold Jackson during the game. He becomes the 30th former UofL player to have his jersey honored by the program. A four-year letterwinner from 1997–2000, Jackson holds school records for career receptions and receiving yards and ranks third in touchdown receptions. During his remarkable career, USA First Team selection in 1998 and 1999. As a punt returner, Jackson also owns school records for career punt returns (100) and punt return yards (972).
TENTH MEETING: Louisville and Clemson will meet for the 10th time. Clemson has played 26 other programs 10 times. It was 10-0 in its first 10 meetings against Virginia and 9-1 to open its series against Furman. It has beaten no other opponent more than eight times in its first 10 meetings.
STAT WATCH: Clemson has scored a rushing touchdown in 93 of its last 105 games.
BIG STAGE: Clemson is 56-13 in night games since 2015; Louisville is 2-0 on Fridays this season.
EMOTIONAL WEEK: Louisville staff and players were under heightened security after reported threats against Jeff Brohm and others from a Texas man now facing federal charges.
RANVIER’S RECORD NIGHT: Placekicker Cooper Ranvier made a career-high 4-of-4 field goals, connecting from 30, 49, 39, and 49 yards and tying the school record for field goals made in a game against Cal. The Lexington, Ky., native improved his career field goal total to 15-of-17, which moves him into a tie for ninth on the school single-season list. He’s also perfect in his career on 31 extra-point attempts.
The Pick
Louisville 30, Clemson 28
The Tigers are playing better than their record suggests, but Louisville is unbeaten on Friday nights this season and has shown resilience under Brohm. This is a test of composure, execution and urgency – and of the tendency of Brohm’s teams to save their best performance for the biggest stages. It might come down to special teams, unless the Louisville secondary hasn’t fixed its issues from Saturday’s loss, in which case this could get ugly in the wrong direction for the home team.
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