Quincy Riley and Cam Kelly Shine in Louisville’s Victory Over N.C. State
Quincy Riley couldn’t help but smile on the sidelines. Cam Kelly couldn’t help but feel vindicated. The two played key roles in helping Louisville defeat N.C. State 13-10 in front of a sold-out crowd Friday night at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Riley recorded his first interception of the season with less than two minutes left, allowing the Cardinals’ offense to run out the clock. Kelly totaled six tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble, leaving the field victoriously. It was much different than the last time he played at the stadium while with North Carolina. Kelly lost to the Wolfpack and struggled to defend receiver Emeka Emezie.
Louisville is 5-0 for the first time in a decade and 3-0 in ACC play for the first time. The win also makes Jeff Brohm the first Cardinals coach to start his tenure with five consecutive wins since Tom King went 8-0 in 1925.
“We moved the ball some on offense, just turned the ball over multiple times — which is disappointing,” Brohm said. “So, (there are) many things to get corrected, but our defense was aggressive in their approach all day.”
It only gets tougher from here, though, with Louisville set to play 13th-ranked Notre Dame at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7. This time, the sold-out crowd will be in the Cardinals’ favor at L&N Stadium.
Here are three things we observed in Louisville’s win over N.C. State:
Louisville tight ends are making progress
Tight end was one of the team’s less experienced spots heading into the season, but U of L coaches found a way to get them involved more against N.C. State. Besides blocking, Nate Kurisky and Josh Lifson combined for 40 yards on five catches. That included a 16-yard, third-quarter catch by Kurisky that helped set up quarterback Jack Plummer’s 39-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chris Bell.
Lifson was Plummer’s second target of the game and had a 10-yard catch during the Cardinals’ first drive.
Brohm said the increased use of the tight ends was dictated more by the game’s flow than an intentional plan.
“I think any time you’re getting a blitz-heavy team, we’re gonna have to get in some bigger personnels and allow those guys to block and then allow them to get out and run some routes,” Brohm said. “I just think (when) we look at the film, there will be a lot to learn, but our tight ends work hard, and we’re not gonna be afraid to use them.”
Cardinals’ reliance on defense
Prior to Friday night, Louisville averaged 43 points per game. The Cardinals scored 56 points in two of their first four games. When the offense struggled to put up points, though, the defense didn’t waver in taking control.
Linebacker TJ Quinn, who had 11 tackles Friday night, had a career game in what’s proving to be a breakout season for the redshirt sophomore and leading tackler. The group wasn’t short of playmakers, with seven players recording five or more tackles.
Louisville’s defense held N.C. State quarterback Brennan Armstrong to 112 passing yards, more than 100 yards fewer than his season average of 214.8 yards per outing. He’d previously been intercepted four times, but the Cardinals picked him off twice — one apiece for Kelly and Riley.
“If that wasn’t a dogfight, I don’t know what was,” said Louisville defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte, who had six tackles, one for loss, and a sack.
Louisville’s defense soon will be tested by Notre Dame (39.6 points per game) and Duke (37.25 ppg). Being able to shut down an offense on the road should provide a confidence boost for U of L’s defense.
Cardinals’ first big test on offense
For the first time this season, Louisville running back Jawhar Jordan was held to fewer than 100 rushing yards. His 32 yards on 16 carries were the fewest since Pittsburgh held him to 13 yards on five carries last season. Louisville had only 20 rushing yards — the second time in three years the team was held to fewer than 100 yards on the ground. Plummer had two interceptions for the first time since he played Stanford as California’s quarterback a year ago.
The Wolfpack pressured and limited the Cardinals’ offense with the help of 10 tackles, two for loss, two sacks, and a fumble recovery from linebacker Payton Wilson. Louisville gave up four sacks and eight tackles for loss after allowing only 13 tackles for loss and five sacks in its previous four games.
Plummer, who threw for 286 yards, a touchdown and completed 60% of his passes, said some of the team’s mistakes were self-inflicted. He said the environment at Carter-Finley also played a part.
“We couldn’t get some checks in because the crowd was being loud,” he said. “We had the silent count going. But, yeah, they did a good job.”
N.C. State’s defense was the toughest the Cardinals have faced this season. U of L’s performance will be a valuable barometer five weeks into the season.
C.L. Brown: Louisville football DB Cam Kelly gets redemption after last showing at NC State
Reach Louisville football, women’s basketball, and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at [email protected] and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.
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