Not many defensive coordinators could have survived a season like Louisville’s Ron English had last year. The Cardinals backtracked from being one of the best units in the ACC during the 2023 season to one of its most inconsistent a year ago.
They’re No. 1 in total defense in the league through two games this season and rank No. 11 nationally allowing just 206.5 yards per game. That may or may not hold up statistically speaking, given that U of L is one of four ACC teams that has not yet played a Power Four team.
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What has emerged from the Cards’ 2-0 start is a newfound confidence and belief that they not only won’t lose games because of their defense, but they can win some if they have to do so.
“I had a feeling in camp that these guys are really starting to gel, and they understand the package,” U of L coach Jeff Brohm said. “… It’s great to build on and I think they’ve raised the bar now, which I told them after (Friday’s) game.”
Defense was one of the biggest unknowns of the offseason. Aside from linebacker where T.J. Quinn, Stanquan Clark and Antonio Watts all returned, Louisville had a lot of experience to replace.
Turns out, that may not have been a bad thing.
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The Cards needed to recalibrate.
The Cards ranked 14th in the ACC last season, allowing 414.6 yards per game in conference games only. (Louisville did have the misfortune of facing the ACC’s top three offenses last season in Miami, Clemson and SMU, so surely that added to its stats being bad.)
The newcomers have plugged in and made an impact so far.
The JMU game turned in U of L’s favor when edge rusher Clev Lubin, one of two transfers starting on the defensive line, strip-sacked the JMU quarterback and the ball was recovered for a touchdown by A.J. Green early in the fourth quarter.
“We’re a real resilient group,” Lubin said. “We got a lot of guys who’ve been through a lot of things, whether it’s on the field or off the field, and we all come in ready to dominate.”
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A year ago, their defense might not have held up to beat James Madison. The Dukes’ no-huddle, tempo offense was exactly the type that exploited U of L’s weaknesses. Communication breakdowns and an over-reliance on trying to match opponents’ personnel caused the Cards to be in disarray a lot of times before the snap.
When JMU opened the second half with a 75-yard touchdown drive and took a 14-6 lead, it was like a flashback to last year’s Stanford loss.
In that game, the Cards allowed the ACC’s 16th-ranked offense in total yards to have touchdown drives of 75 and 76 yards and score 17 points in the final seven minutes of the game.
Stanford’s 38-35 win marked a season-high for points against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent and handed Brohm the most embarrassing loss of his short tenure.
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Brohm could have easily cast a vote of no confidence and began interviewing for a new coordinator. Instead, he kept English and his belief is paying off for the Cards.
When a coach doesn’t trust his defense, it impacts game strategy. It could mean the difference between punting on a fourth and short or going for the conversion because the defense can hold up if it fails.
Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@gannett.com, follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville football 2025: Ron English UofL defense off to strong start
