LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Jeff Brohm is back on the mic. The Louisville head coach kicked off his weekly radio show with Paul Rogers in front of packed house at Roosters in Fern Creek on Wednesday night, offering insight on his quarterback, defense, transfers, and even his philosophy on coin tosses heading into Saturday’s 3 p.m. opener against Eastern Kentucky in L&N Stadium.
Here are four key takeaways from the debut edition of the Jeff Brohm Show, from Learfield Sports.
1. Moss is learning to speak Brohm — and the NFL
Brohm didn’t talk about arm strength or pocket presence when asked about his new quarterback, USC transfer Miller Moss. He talked about the huddle.
“He said one of the hardest things for him was calling the play in the huddle,” Brohm said. “Which was kind of intriguing to me, because you wouldn’t think that’s the case. But he’s been in a no-huddle system that signals things in, so it’s been an adjustment.”
Brohm told him that verbalizing the play calls wasn’t just essential to his success this season, but would be at the next level.
“You're going to have to be able to regurgitate the words and say all those things and communicate it,” Brohm said. “So we've worked hard at it.”
Likewise, Moss has had to get used to playing under center more. In fact, he was at the complex with center Pete Nygra on his day off Monday just practicing exchanges.
For Brohm, it’s about teaching the full scope of the offense — not just how to throw it, but how to command it.
“We've had this talk before, but I said, ‘Hey, we’ve got to put you under center. You've got to prepare not only to win games but to play at the next level,’” Brohm said. “And you've got to prove to people that you can do all those things, take snaps under center, operate the run game, operate the play-action game. Yeah, we'll get him in the shotgun some. But he's worked hard, and we’re looking forward to watching him play.”
2. The defense looks sharper — and deeper
Brohm stopped short of declaring one side of the ball dominant, but he likes what he’s seeing from the defense late in camp.
“Probably for the last two weeks. I’ve really, in my opinion, seen our defense kind of come together and feel good about the package, and it's really been much sharper,” Brohm said. “So you hope to carry that over into game day. I think we've addressed a lot of issues that have come up, not only last year, but even the last two years.”
He highlighted improved depth on the defensive line, more experience at linebacker, and sharper tackling and alignment from the secondary. The biggest goal: eliminate the self-inflicted wounds that plagued early-season games across the country.
“A lot of false starts, turnovers, lining up in the wrong spot — those are the things that can’t happen.”
3. Louisville will be aggressive in the return game
Brohm didn’t tiptoe around the new kickoff rules or the national trend toward fair catches. A lot of that is based around his trust in top return man Caullin Lacy.
“We’re going to be more aggressive than others,” he said. “We’re going to try to return the ball. I think we’ve got a good returner. You know, there will be a few exceptions. If someone could kick it really, really high and place it right inside that 5-yard line, we'll consider (a touchback). But for the most part, we want to return the kick.”
Lacy, who returned a kick 97 yards for a touchdown at Miami last season, is back and healthy, and Brohm sees him as an opportunity to gain hidden yardage.
“That doesn't mean we're going to return it five years deep in the end zone,” Brohm said. “But if it's around the goal line or just in front or maybe two yards deep, we're going to bring it out.”
4. The coin toss is strategic — and emotional
When asked whether he still prefers to defer if Louisville wins the toss, Brohm cracked a smile:
“I love getting the ball, playing on offense,” he said. “But I also like winning.”
Louisville’s defense allowed just one touchdown on an opponent’s opening drive all of last season, making deferring a legitimate weapon.
“You know, you roll the dice, and I don't know which one's better,” Brohm said. “… Sometimes, man, if you can get the ball to start the second half, that can be a big advantage. It doesn't always work out perfect. So you're cautious of that. Sometimes weather plays a factor. Which side is young and ready to go, or which side is playing well? But you know, it's been back and forth. I think the last few years, we've been mostly deferring to the second half. … If the odds are in our favor one way, we’ll probably play the odds.”
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