rb
10
Gameday Preview: No. 24 Louisville vs. No. 9 Ole Miss
- Ole Miss was listed as a 6.5-point favorite over Louisville with a 55.5 total for the neutral-site opener in Nashville, where the forecast called for an 88-degree kickoff temperature.
- Louisville's defense ranked 16th nationally at 303.1 yards allowed per game and returns five starters, led by edge rusher Clev Lubin after 8.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss.
- Louisville turns its offense over to Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz, a career backup, but surrounds him with explosive returning backs Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown, who averaged 8.8 and 7.3 yards per carry last season.
marketschedulegame_breakdowndefensedldepth_chartqbrbtransfersoffenseconcerns
- RB: No RB in CFB averaged more ypc in 2026 than Louisville's Isaac Brown at 8.8.
offenserb
What Louisville football coach Jeff Brohm had to say before Ole Miss game
- Louisville's inexperienced quarterback played very well in the first fall scrimmage but forced too many vertical throws in the second, making shot selection and ball security Brohm's primary concern against Ole Miss.
- Louisville plans disciplined rush lanes and pressure that keeps Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss in the pocket, where the Cardinals can challenge routes without allowing scrambles or extended plays.
- Isaac Brown is healthy and ready after a good camp, and Louisville intends to rotate its deeper running-back room while creating touches for Brown in space.
- Louisville expects to rotate roughly six offensive linemen, with minor injuries affecting the seventh and eighth options, and plans offensive balance to avoid exposing the group to Ole Miss's front through repeated dropbacks.
- Jabari Mack is eligible and will play against Ole Miss, while Kalib Perry has rejoined Louisville but remains ineligible as the staff works through outstanding requirements.
coachingqboffensefall_scrimmageconcernsdefenseschematicsgame_breakdownrbavailabilitydepth_chartexcitementsolinjuriespersonnel
Louisville vs Ole Miss: Projected Depth Charts
- Louisville's unofficial opener projection places Lincoln Kienholz at quarterback, Isaac Brown at running back, Tre Richardson, LaWayne McCoy and TreyShun Hurry at receiver, and Brody Foley at tight end.
- The projected Louisville offensive line is Lance Robinson, Eryx Daugherty, Evan Wibberley, Johnnie Brown III and Cason Henry from left to right, with Robinson also listed as the backup center.
- Louisville's projected defensive front pairs edge rushers Clev Lubin and AJ Green with tackles Demeco Kennedy and Joshua Donald, while Stanquan Clark and T.J. Capers lead the linebacker projection.
- The projected Louisville secondary starts Tayon Holloway and Kaleb Beasley at corner, DJ Waller and Koen Entringer at safety, and Antonio Watts at the STAR position.
qbrbwrtedepth_chartoloffensegame_breakdowndllbdefensedb
CardinalAuthority’s Louisville Football Superlatives: Predicting the Cardinals Stat Leaders and Team MVP
- Isaac Brown has averaged 8.8 yards per carry with 21 percent of his attempts gaining at least 10 yards, making his health the key condition behind projections that he leads Louisville in touchdowns and all-purpose production.
- Both analysts projected dual-threat quarterback Lincoln Kienholz to lead Louisville in total yards, with one setting 3,500 combined passing and rushing yards as the benchmark for a productive offense.
- Tulsa transfer Brody Foley is back to health after offseason injuries and enters 2026 as a potential scoring surprise after producing seven receiving touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns last season.
- Edge rusher Clev Lubin returns after leading Louisville with 8.5 sacks, and the Cardinals' depth around him could prevent opponents from concentrating protection solely on him.
- Jeff Brohm said defensive back Jabari Mack is eligible and available for the Ole Miss opener after Mack recorded two interceptions in each of the past two seasons.
rboffensepredictionavailabilityqbtransfersdldefenseschematicsdbgame_breakdown
Louisville vs. Ole Miss: Defense seeks early measuring stick in Nashville
- Louisville views Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss as an unusually difficult opening test because he combines high-end talent with proven production.
- Louisville's rebuilt defense must also contain Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy, one of the nation's most productive returning players.
- Co-defensive coordinator Mark Ivey considers the matchup an immediate measuring stick for Louisville's rebuilt defense and believes a strong performance would materially raise the unit's confidence.
- Ivey plans to coach from the sideline while Louisville's defensive staff uses a collaborative game-planning process to put the unit in position against Ole Miss's high-output offense.
defenseqbgame_breakdownconcernsrbcoachingpredictionschematics
By The Numbers: Louisville vs. Ole Miss
- Louisville enters the neutral-site Ole Miss opener as a 6.5-point underdog with four new offensive-line starters and only 250 career passing yards from first-time starting quarterback Lincoln Kienholz.
- Louisville's established offensive advantage is the backfield, where Isaac Brown averaged a national-best 8.8 yards per carry last season and Keyjuan Brown averaged 7.3.
- Louisville's ACC-leading 2025 pass defense faces an Ole Miss offense that led the SEC at 313.3 passing yards and 498.7 total yards per game last season.
- Louisville edge Clev Lubin enters the matchup with a 91.4 PFF grade that the article identifies as the best among ACC players at his position.
game_breakdownmarketolqbconcernsrboffensepersonneldefensedbdl