By Brendan Holba
(The opinions of Brendan Holba May Not Necessarily Reflect Those of CSZ)
Today, while everyone else around the country is eating leftovers and beginning their yearly tradition of preparing for the holidays, Jeff Brohm and the Cardinals will be turning the tide in what has, unfortunately, become a one-sided affair. Saturday’s game isn’t just another chapter in the rivalry; it’s an opportunity for this year’s Cardinal team to keep checking off boxes on their way to all-time status and silence the vitriol that pours out from Lexington. The energy couldn’t be higher in the Derby City because there is a conference title to win against a now Travis-less Florida State and a potential appearance in the College Football Playoff if chaos ensues in the next month. But for now, nothing else matters except going 1-0 today.
The 2016 season was off to a fantastic start before the bottom fell out from that team and they limped to the finish line. The historic moment that year was Lamarvelous winning the Heisman Trophy. The knife in the heart of that season was not the blowout loss to LSU in the bowl game, but losing to Kentucky. Never in my wildest dreams did I think a Louisville team that beat Florida State by 43 and had the Heisman Trophy winner would lose to an average Kentucky team at home. Something, though, seems different this year.
Despite never having played a game against the University of Kentucky, Jeff Brohm understands this rivalry. A rivalry like this one, which at times can be overshadowed on the national stage, needs a coach like Jeff Brohm. Mark Stoops is not from Kentucky and he didn’t play for Kentucky, but despite that, he understands the rivalry. This understanding of the rivalry allowed Stoops to take advantage of an apathetic Scott Satterfield in the last few years. But Brohm is not Satterfield. He understands what this game means not only to the players and the universities but he also knows how much this game means to the fans. To an outsider, it may be hard to explain how two grown men at a dialysis center can come to blows over a college rivalry, but we get it, and now, thankfully, so do both head coaches.
The way this season has played out to this point is why so many believe the tide is finally turning red. From the first game on, there have been countless times that the Cardinals have been knocked down, yet there is Coach Brohm, willing his squad to get up and get back in the fight. Most other coaches that face adversity like Brohm did in his debut against Georgia Tech fold, but Brohm willed this group to a victory. A tough loss on the road at Pitt could have derailed the season; Brohm made sure it didn’t. Louisville had never won on the road against Miami, and for a while, it looked like that streak was going to continue. Instead, Brohm soaked in his Gatorade shower and left Miami victorious. We’ve seen how Stoops and his rowdy Cats go about their business, but Brohm is going to have the Cards ready for this fight.
Jeff Brohm has relished the opportunity to coach in rivalry games. Over the years, he has compiled an impressive 14-3 record in rivalry matchups with Western Kentucky and Purdue. While at Western from 2014 to 2016, Brohm’s Hilltoppers were beaten in their first rivalry game, a triple-overtime contest with Middle Tennessee State. That same season, the Hilltoppers again went to overtime but this time came away victorious against #19 Marshall, winning 67-66. After the win against Marshall, Brohm never lost another rivalry game during his tenure in Bowling Green. In 2015 and 2016, Brohm and WKU dominated, defeating Middle Tennessee State (58-28 and 44-43) and Marshall (49-28 and 60-6). Brohm’s success in rivalry matchups continued at Purdue against Illinois and Indiana. From 2017 to 2022, he led Purdue to victories in all but two of those rivalry games, interestingly enough both losses occurred in the same season. Whether he admits it or not, these games clearly aren’t just another game on the schedule. Rivalry games mean more to fans, and he understands that, and clearly, his players do too.
Jeff Brohm’s role in the Louisville-Kentucky rivalry is multifaceted and much-needed for Louisville. Today’s game isn’t just any game; it’s a chance for Brohm to further cement his legacy and for his first Louisville team to etch its name in college football history.
