What a silly, silly game.
Look, this is not a game I really want to write, talk, or ever even think about again. But we’re going to do it anyways because anyone that watched that game in its entirety deserves it.
First of all, what the hell?
Second of all, the #BrohmClunker curse has been killed! For the first time following one of Jeff Brohms 5 marquee wins at Purdue and Louisville, his team emerged victorious the following weekend. I’d say we can finally stop worrying about it, but this game did nearly everything in its power to make sure we never forget.
Once again Louisville found itself as heavy favorites over a bottom-feeder conference opponent following a season-defining win, and once again Louisville found itself playing with the smelliest conflagration imaginable.
Boston College is a bad football team. Going into the night they were 1-6 on the season, and had lost their last two games at home against dismal UConn and reeling Clemson by a combined 79-33. Boston College is a bad football team. We knew/know this. And it didn’t matter.
The game got off to weird start with BC converting 3 of 4 3rd-downs en route to 3 points on a drive that took 8 minutes and 24 seconds. Isaac Brown scampered for 73-yards on Louisville’s first play from scrimmage and two plays later Louisville led 7-3. But then BC strung together a smooth drive that didn’t end until the 2nd quarter and retook the lead at 10-7. Louisville would subsequentially go 3-and-0ut and I think at this point UofL fans started remembering those all-too-familiar feelings of the first two Brohm Clunkers against 2023 Pitt and 2024 Stanford. But even after multiple 3rd-down conversions the defense was able to get off the field. A few drives later Louisville was able to punch it in to go up 14-10. And then after forcing a BC 3-and-out, Isaac Brown got loose again, this time for a 62-yd Touchdown sprint to make it 21-10.
At this point late in the second quarter it felt like Louisville had finally seized control and that this might be the relaxing blowout we all had hoped for, and that our friends in the desert had predicted. Another BC 3-and-out and regaining posession with 30 while knowing we’d get the ball to start the second half, only bolstered that feeling. But then Cooper Ranvier’s 52-yard field goal attempt doinked the left post and just gave everyone that eerie feeling that the silliness was nowhere near over.
And boy did we get our fill of silliness.
To start the second half Isaac Brown fumbled on the first play and BC scored immediately to make the game 21-17 in the blink of an eye. Louisville’s next few drives would stall and keep leaving the door open for the Eagles to get back in the game.
But then on one of the wildest plays of the night, and one of the worst calls I’ve seen in recent years, Louisville’s defense forced a fumble that was recovered and returned for a touchdown by Antonio Watts…Except it wasn’t. In one of the most bizarre and ridiculous reviews I can remember, the officials determined that while the call on the field was a fumble recovery for a touchdown, the only part of the play that would be upheld was the fumble recovery itself and not the touchdown return due to a referee’s errant whistle before the play was actaully dead.
It was an insane call that left both the fans in the building and around the world irate. I was very pleased to see Jeff Brohm, even after Louisville struck for another TD to make it 28-17 two plays later (ball. don’t. lie.), absolutely tear into the refs. If SEC refs get suspended for calls way less egregious than this one, I’d like to see the crew face some serious repercussions because at best it bordered on malpractice.
MOVING ON! UofL would force a 3-and-out and began a promising drive after getting the ball back. Except Miller Moss would throw it into quadruple coverage to Chris Bell only to get piced off. But then 2 plays later Boston College’s QB James would Grayson James would be picked off by Jordan Guerad off of Lubin’s deflection. With Louisville getting the ball back on the BC 34 it felt like momentum was back on our side and that we could finally put them away. Except we started the drive getting pushed back to 1st-and-25 from the 49 yard line after multiple penalties.
As we learned int he Miami game, this team does not like capitalizing and scoring off of turnovers.
After punting and forcing a 3-and-out, UofL got the ball back up 28-17 with 12:11 left in the game. But then in BC territory, with momentum back on our side, Miller Moss was strip sacked… And if you can’t believe it, BC gave the ball right back two plays later on a pick by Kalib Perry. Louisville would settle for a field goal to make it 31-17 with just around minutes left in the game.
At this point most of the stadium had already filed out, but then BC converted on a desperation 4th-and-10, and then 2 plays later they scored to cut the lead to 31-24 with 6:17 left in the game.
UofL would go 3-and-out after begining the drive with a mind-boggling pass on first down. But luckily the defense was able to force a punt with and get the ball back, even with BC still having 3 time outs. And despite some more penalties and confusion, Louisville was able to get a first down and ultimately Keyjuan Brown was able to break through for a 67-yard touchdown to seal the game. (Btw, my brother and I had a side bar about how K. Brown’s running style is insane compared to I. Brown’s. Isaac is so speedy and smooth, while Keyjuan could not look more pissed off and like the tasmanian devil. I love it).
I really never felt that nervous about the outcome of the game until BC cut it to one score in the 4th Quarter and we went 3-and-out. That was the moment where I really felt like the Brohm Clunker Curse might be real and inescapable. Thankfully this team was able to make enough turnovers and big stops to give the offense the chance to let the running backs go nuts.
The passing game left a lot to be desired, and Miller Moss scared the living hell out of me multiple times trying to find Chris Bell in 3+ coverage situations. At the end of the game I really wanted the ball in anyone’s hands but his, and that’s not where you want to be this late into the season with CFP aspirations and a wide open ACC race on our hands. Have to get him back into form, and do it quick.
And I’m not going to lie. I was pretty pissed off with the defense and the gameplan Ron English had put together following their amazing performance against Miami. They all looked like they’d partied too hard following the Miami win and it took them forever to get back into the relentless form we’d familiarized ourselves with. Thankfully they woke up and were able to seize control of the game when we needed some kind of guidance desperately.
Look, there’s a lot to dissect and be mad about when it comes to this game. But we probably should be celebrating more than we deserve after ending the Brohm Clunker streak. With that being said, playing down to competition in a season like this is way too dangerous, especially with poor performing teams that have strong QB play coming up like Vah Tech, Cal, and (maybe) UK?
We have to continue to let our defense do their thing, keep Isaac Brown healthy and fresh (205 yards btw! Let’s goooooo), and stay focused against lesser competition. At this point in the season, and with our record, every game is a CFP elimination game. Can’t be playing with our food like this and expect to survive each week.
Let’s iron out some of those kinks and get back to looking like a CFP contender on the road at Vah Tech.
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