Points of Emphasis: Louisville vs. Bowling Green

With their first bye week of the 2025 season now behind them, the Louisville football program returns to action this Saturday, hosting Eddie George's Bowling Green squad before kicking off ACC play.

Here are some of the more notable points of emphasis heading into Saturday's game:

Injury Report

Unfortunately, Louisville is already dealing with a significant injury to one of their best players on the roster. Head coach Jeff Brohm announced Monday that linebacker Stanquan Clark (ankle) had to have surgery after the James Madison game, and is now "more than like" out for the rest of the season.

The Cardinals did get some good injury news, especially with coming off of a bye week. Tight end Nate Kurisky (hand) is set to make his season debut vs. BGSU, and the father of offensive tackle Trevonte Sylvester (undisclosed) recently hinted that his son could return to action soon.

On the other sideline, Bowling Green could potentially be without linebacker Dorian Pringle (undisclosed). He had to exit in the fourth quarter of the Falcons' previous game vs. Liberty, and head coach Eddie George did not have an update on his status earlier this week.

JMU Players to Watch: QB Drew Pyne (Offense) and LB Dorian Pringle (Defense)

Sure, in terms of talent, Bowling Green doesn't exactly stack up against the majority of the teams that Louisville will face this season. That being said, there are a handful of player that will require some extra attention.

While Bowling Green has an emphasis on running the ball given George's background, quarterback Drew Pyne is arguably their top offensive asset. After spending three years at Notre Dame, then one-year stops are Arizona State and Missouri, Pyne is playing his final year in college with the Falcons.

So far this season, Pyne is off to a very efficient start. In three games, he's completed 67.1 percent of his passes - which is a career-high - while also throwing for 529 yards, which is his most since he was a starter for the Irish in 2022. While he's only thrown for two touchdowns, he has yet to throw an interception.

"I think he's done a really good job of running that offense," Brohm said of Pyne. "I think he's in a good spot, where they're going to not only play to his strengths, but play to the team strengths, and not put too much pressure on the quarterback to drop back and pass every play. I think to this point, he's done a really good job, and I think he's a really good player."

Over on defense, there's a reason that potentially not having linebacker Dorian Pringle would be such a big loss for that side of the ball. So far this year, he is generating an early MAC Defensive Player of the Year case, logging 27 tackles (17 solo), six for loss, half a sack, an interception and two forced fumbles.

Pringle's tackle total is second in the MAC, his TFL total leads the conference and is fourth nationally, and his two forced fumbles are tied for the most in the FBS.

Matchup to Watch: UofL's Offensive Line vs. BGSU's Front Seven

Through two games so far this season, Louisville's offense has not been nearly as efficient as expected. The primary reason has been because of an offensive line that has been very underwhelming thus far.

The Cardinals are allowing 1.50 sacks per game, which ranks 62nd nationally. That being said, Pro Football Focus gives UofL a team pass block grade of 78.7 - which is 21st nationally.

Conversely, their 4.50 tackles for loss allowed is 54th in the nation, and UofL's team run blocking grade of 52.3 on PFF is 115th out of the 136 teams in the FBS. Only LSU, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Notre Dame and West Virginia are worse amongst power conference teams.

Bowling Green might not have the horses to really give the Cardinals a massive headache in the trenches, but they certainly have enough to be a nuisance. The Falcons ranks 31st nationally in TFL per game at 7.0, and 53rd in sacks per game at 2.33.

Even with this in mind, running back Isaac Brown is still off to a great start to the season. If Bowling Green is to have a legitimate chance to pull off the upset, it will likely come as a result on their ability to take advantage of the Louisville offensive line.

Louisville Trend to Monitor: A Hot Start by the Defensive Line

For as much as Louisville's offensive line has struggled early on, it's been the complete opposite for the defensive side of the trenches.

Sure, a two-game sample size consisting of Eastern Kentucky and James Madison is like something that can't be sustained over a 12-game season. That being said, the Cardinals have already amassed 15 tackles for loss and 10 sacks, with most of these coming from the defensive line.

Defensive end Clev Lubin is having the hottest start on the entire defense, as he already has 14 tackles as an edge rusher, as well as four for loss and 3.5 sacks - the latter of which was leading the FBS through the first two weeks. Fellow edge Wesley Bailey has 10 tackles and a sack, while defensive tackles Jordan Guerad, Rene Konga and Denzel Lowry have been doing a great job at collapsing the pocket.

"These guys realize that we've got talent in the room, and they all want to be out there," defensive line Mark Hagen said. "They all want to be making plays. I think they push each other and challenge each other on a daily basis. As a coach, that's what you love. It can't always come from the coaches. Those guys, they've got to be vocal. They've got to communicate when they're on the field. I think they've developed a pretty good bond so far."

James Madison Trend to Monitor: Winning the Turnover Battle

In football, sometimes all you need to shift momentum is one big play. Getting a chunk play is one way to do that, but more often than not, generating a turnover is the best way to seize or build on momentum.

If there's one thing that Bowling Green does well, it's win the turnover battle.

Not only has Pyne not thrown an interception, the Falcons haven't lost a single fumble. In fact, they're one of just nine FBS teams to not turn the ball over through the first three weeks of the season.

On top of that, they've done well as forcing turnovers. With three interceptions and two recovered fumbles, their five forced turnovers are tied for 26th in the FBS. Sure, four of these came in their last game against Liberty, but still.

Put it all together, and BGSU has one of the best turnover margins in the sport at plus-five. This is tied for 11th in the FBS, and it's the fourth-highest margin among the nine teams who have yet to turn the ball over.