For as impressive as Louisville football’s 2023 season was, the Cardinals are looking to accomplish even more in Year 2 under Jeff Brohm.
Despite losing some key contributors on both sides of the ball, U of L returns important players who now have experience in Brohm’s system. And the Cardinals used the NCAA transfer portal to fill the holes on their depth chart.
U of L will face a more difficult schedule — with road games at Clemson and Notre Dame — as it looks to add to the history it made in Brohm’s first season.
Here are eight program records the Cardinals have a shot at breaking this season:
Louisville football individual records
Passing yards in a game and season
Record: 592 yards by Chris Redman vs. East Carolina in 1998; 4,042 yards by Redman in 1998
Although Tyler Shough has yet to play a full season of college football as a starter, he’s shown he can be a top-tier passer when healthy, posting a 13-7 record as QB1. Statistically, his best season was when he was at Oregon in 2020 — which was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic — and averaged 222.7 passing yards per game. Being in Brohm’s pass-heavy system with plenty of pass catchers around him should provide him with a solid shot at Redman’s records.
U of L will also face a couple programs that had weak pass defenses last season. Stanford was last nationally in passing yards allowed (298.0 per game) and Jacksonville State gave up 241.3 passing yards per game in 2023.
Career starts
Record: 53 by Caleb Chandler (2017-22)
Had offensive lineman Renato Brown not suffered a season-ending knee injury six weeks into the 2023 season, he’d be only five games away from tying his former teammate Chandler’s record for most career starts. Now sitting at 40 starts, it’ll take U of L making the ACC championship game and a bowl game for Brown to become the program’s leader in career starts.
Sacks in a season
Record: 20 by Elvis Dumervil in 2005
Defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte set a goal of reaching 10 sacks last season. He finished with 11 while adjusting to a position he hasn’t played since high school. After a year of learning under defensive coordinator Ron English and defensive line coach Mark Hagen, Gillotte decided to return to school where he’s expected to be even more dominant this season.
Louisville football single-season team records
Points per game and season total
Record: 49.8; 597 in 2004
Louisville missed out on key scoring opportunities throughout the 2023 season but still managed to average 30.7 points per game, which ranked 43rd nationally. Adding players like Caullin Lacey and Ja’Corey Brooks to the passing game while bringing in a bruising running back like Peny Boone could make for an even higher-scoring offense this season.
Interceptions
Record: 28 in 1966
Devin Neal recorded a team-high four interceptions in his Louisville debut after earning a starting spot at safety last season. English said the lack of depth in the defensive backfield created fatigue for the players, which showed up during the latter stages of the season. With a deeper group this season, the Cardinals have a chance to create even more turnovers in the passing game while maintaining momentum.
Sacks
Record: 50 in 2000 and 2022
Gillotte, who played a key role in the 2022 record-tying mark, isn’t the only Louisville player with the potential to get in the backfield. Mason Reiger picked up steam throughout the season and finished with five sacks. Between the additions Louisville made in the transfer portal with guys like Thor Griffith, who is expected to arrive in the summer, and Jordan Guerad, the defensive line shouldn’t have any problems creating even more havoc for opposing quarterbacks in 2024.
Field goals
Record: 21 in 2006
Kicker Brock Travelstead began the 2023 season by making four consecutive field goals and ended the campaign with the program’s fourth-most made field goals in a season, going 17-for-24. That included the game-winning kick at N.C. State and hitting four field goals against Notre Dame. Counting Nick Lopez’s 40-yard field goal at Miami, Louisville was only three away from tying the 17-year-old special teams record. Travelstead is back this season and can go for the record with improved accuracy and consistency. He hit a rough patch midway through 2023 but made all four of his final field goal attempts, which included a 46 yarder in the Governor’s Cup.
Reach Louisville football, women’s basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville football can break these records in Year 2 under Jeff Brohm
