Points of Emphasis: Louisville vs. Clemson

The Louisville football program has a quick turnaround in store this week, hosting Clemson for a primetime weeknight showdown.

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

Injury Update

Both teams are dealing with a handful of injuries, and Louisville got a double dose of significant news on this front - both good and bad.

Standout inebacker Stanquan Clark was listed as "probable" after not playing since week two vs. James Madison with an ankle injury. However, star running back Isaac Brown, who had to miss the previous game vs. Cal, after getting injured at Virginia Tech, is once again "out" for the game against Clemson.

There are couple new names to note for the Cardinals, though. Starting cornerback Tayon Holloway and rotational edge rusher A.J. Green are both listed as "questionable."

Meanwhile for Clemson, they will once again be without leading wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. after he suffered a season-ending injury. Defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart and safety Ricardo Jones are both "probable."

Clemson Players to Watch: QB Cade Klubnik (Offense) and DT Peter Woods (Defense)

Don't let Clemson's record fool you. Despite being at risk of not making a bowl, the Tigers are still very much one of the most talented teams in all of college football. On both sides of the ball, they have plenty of players who at any given moment, can make an impact play.

On the offensive side, once again, Louisville will face another upper tier quarterback in Cade Klubnik. While he hasn't been as prolific as he was last season, he's still been solid. Starting eight games while missing just one due to injury, Klubnik has completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 2,136 yards and14 touchdowns to five interceptions. He's also added three scores on the ground.

However, he's had some slight regression compared to his elite 2024 campaign. In 14 games that season, he completed 63.4 percent of his throws, but threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns to just six interceptions. This also came with 463 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, finishing as Clemson's second-leading rushing that season.

Over on the defensive side of the ball, the Tigers have much, much more talent. In the latest mock NFL Draft from USA TODAY, three Clemson defenders are selected in the first 16 picks. The highest of which is defensive tackle Peter Woods.

His stat line might not jump out to most, as he has 27 tackles (eight solo, 2.5 for loss, two sacks and a pass breakup. However, he has an uncanny ability to disrupt the pocket and cause pressure on the quarterback. He has 13 pressures so far this season, per PFF, and had 53 in his career at Clemson.

Matchup to Watch: Louisville WR Chris Bell vs. Clemson CB Avieon Terrell

Given the amount of talent and/or production on both sidelines, there are several matchups that will be worth monitoring over the course of the night. The one that could be the most intriguing is Bell vs. Terrell.

Bell is one of the best receivers in the ACC up to this point, with his 62 receptions and 792 receiving yards both third in the league, while his six receiving scores are tied for the best in the league.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound pass catcher has been in a bit of a lull recently, posting only 18 receptions for 154 yards over the last three games. But in the three games before that, Bell was operating at an All-American pace, hauling in 31 receptions for 441 yards and five touchdowns in that span.

Bell will certainly have his work cut out for him against Clemson, as he'll likely be matched up against Terrell - who is one of the best cornerbacks in college football. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound defensive back has 39 tackles (25 solo), 4.5 for loss, three sacks, nine pass breakup and an ACC-best three forced fumbles. His 83.3 defensive grade on PFF not only leads Clemson, it's the sixth-best among FBS cornerbacks with at least 500 snaps.

Louisville Trend to Monitor: Sharp Regression from Miller Moss

It's no secret that, up to this point in the season, Miller Moss has been very inconsistent this season. The transfer QB from USC has completed 63.8 percent of his passes and thrown for 2,132 yards, but only 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. While he has shown upper-tier capabilities in spurts, he has also countered that will subpar play at times.

In recent weeks, Moss' play has taken a sharp downturn. Over the last three games, he has completed only 58.1 percent of his attempts, averaged 175.3 yards per game, and had more interceptions (3) than touchdown passes (2).

Over the first six games of the season, Moss completed 66.2 percent of his attempts and averaged 267.7 passing yards per game, while having nine touchdowns against four interceptions. He went from having a 138.7 QBR over the first six games of the year, to having a ghastly 106.2 QBR over the last three weeks.

Clemson Trend to Monitor: A Defense Whose Sum is Not Equal to its Parts

There's a reason why people keep mentioning how talented Clemson's defense is. According to Pro Football Focus' latest NFL Draft big board, Clemson has two of the top four prospects (Woods and edge T.J. Parker), and seven of the top 400 prospects.

It's what makes it so surprising that this has been a defense that has not played well as a unit nearly the entire season.

The Tigers have allowed 351.3 yards and 22.4 points per game, both of which rank 53rd in the FBS. While their efforts against the run have panned out, allowing only 106.2 rushing yards per game (19th in FBS), their secondary has been torched all season. Clemson's 245.1 passing yards allowed per game is 106th in the FBS.