Jackson could be trouble for Tigers
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson is piling up yardage and points again, helping the No. 14 Cardinals get off to an unbeaten start while sparking discussion of possibly winning the Heisman Trophy — again.
Louisville has needed the junior quarterback’s impressive totals of 1,010 yards and eight touchdowns to offset its defensive generosity so far.
The Cardinals (2-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) have yielded 63 points and 745 yards through two games and trailed both Purdue and North Carolina. While Jackson’s arm and feet seized control of both contests for the Cardinals, they can’t be so giving against last season’s national champion, No. 3 Clemson, in tonight’s ACC showdown.
“We just need to continue getting better technique-wise,” Cardinals senior linebacker Trevon Young said. “Our coaches have a good game plan. We just have to keep doing a better job of executing.”
Though both schools still have to face 11th-ranked Florida State, the winner can take early control of the Atlantic Division. Louisville coach Bobby Petrino believes his defense must become stingier to finally beat the Tigers after losing the previous three meetings by a total of 15 points.
“It’s going to be really important for us to stop the run,” Petrino said this week. “They’ve always done a good job of running the football.
“Then they’ve got three really good receivers that we know well coming back (and) are deep threats. … It’s a good challenge. We’re looking forward to it.”
Opponents have rushed for just 68 yards against Louisville but are averaging 338.5 yards per game through the air. Junior cornerback Jaire Alexander’s absence with a knee injury against Purdue didn’t help, and his status against Clemson was uncertain, though Petrino said he’s progressing.
Ball protection and pass rushing will also be critical with both teams capable of taking advantage. Clemson overcame turnovers to rally past Louisville 42-36 last year, and coach Dabo Swinney doesn’t want to give Jackson easy chances with the stakes high again.