Louisville Shuts-Out Austin Peay: 62-0

That Was Fun

Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Well that was an awful lot of fun.

What a welcome back that was. We knew/hoped that Austin Peay wouldn’t be too tall of a task and that this would be an enjoyable day where we just got to kick up our feet and watch our newest stars in a relatively stress-free matchup. That’s exactly what we got and not only was it enjoyable, but I think there are some legitimately encouraging takeaways from what was a total beatdown of an inferior opponent.

Let’s start with what/who everyone was most anxious to see: Tyler Shough. Even against a lackluster opponent, we saw more than enough from Shough in two quarters to help us feel warm and fuzzy inside. The 18 completions on 24 attempts for 4 touchdowns were exactly the numbers we were looking for, but the throws themselves were what has myself and I’m sure many Cards fans buzzing.

These were throws we just did not have last year. Shough’s ability to get the ball to the boundaries at near-lightning speed is a type of throwing ability we just did not have a year ago. He also had some gorgeous throws like the 33-yard dime he had in the corner of the endzone to Jadon Thompson with a hand in his face. Again, it’s Austin Peay, but the throws, particularly under pressure, were there.

The receiving corps, led by Brooks and Thompson, looked good. They created separation and Shough did a great job of spreading the love and not zeroing in on any one player. Super encouraging stuff. I’m sure these guys were happy not to play against Louisville’s defense finally.

I can’t wait to talk about the defense, but before I do we need to highlight the running backs. Losing two NFL RBs in one year is never going to be easy to replace, but how can you not be excited about what the staff has found in Isaac Brown. They hype has been there all offseason, but now we see why. The dude is legit and I cannot wait to watch this guy for years to come.

Brown wasn’t the only bright spot either. True freshman Duke Watson had 89 yards on 5 carries for 1 TD, showing a simillar shiftiness and speed to Isaac Brown. And Maurice Turner with the first string showed what a bruiser he can be before the passing attack exploded.

Last thing about the offense: I love that we have a tight end that can make these catches. Welcome, Mark Redman.

As for the defense, what an ass-kicking.

Losing the time-of-possession battle while holding your opponents to just 106 total yards is the definition of a beatdown. What a long and miserable day it must have been for the Governors.

And that was just with two turnovers on the day. The defense was stifling and relentless through all levels of the depth chart and never gave Austin Peay an inch. The defense had 7 sacks on the day with an 14 tackles for loss. Ashton Gillotte and Tamarion McDonald combined for 7 tackles, 3 sacks, and 3.5 TFLs. Those guys are going to be a problem.

Speaking of those two turnovers, one of them was return for a certified #BigBoyTouchdown.

So happy to see Puryear get a play like that. Just icing on the cake of what was an awesme and dominant day.

A few other notes before we see what kind of stats Kelly Dickey found:

• Quincy Riley and Isaac Brown both looked great on special teams returning punts. Especially Riley’s 29-yard return.
• Travelstead looked steady going 2-for-2 with a 39-yard field goal being his longest. Nice to see Brohm let Keller and Ranvier get some extra point attempts in, too.
• Brady Hodges and Carter Schwartz both looked solid punting the ball. Hodges’ long was 46, while Schwartz had a 48 yarder. Will be interested to see who separates themselves in this battle.
• I almost forgot the T.J. Capers INT! What a play. Dude has a ton of potential and would love to see him live up to the hype.

Alright, let’s see what Kelly Dickey had to say:

I like that stat.

Seems significant!

Prett-ay, Prett-ay good.

What a great day. Can’t wait for next week.

P.S. Still waiting for it to rain, Weinberg.