Louisville Football: 5 overreactions from win over Purdue

1. Louisville has an underrated defense

The Cardinal offense struggled to do much of anything in the first half. To no surprise, Lamar Jackson was really the only source of offense. Starting running back Jeremy Smith amassed only eight rushing yards on five carries.

With the offense becoming so stagnant in the first half, much of the pressure turned to the defense. Trumaine Washington and Trevon Young combined for 2.5 sacks. Purdue could not get away from the Louisville pass rush.

Young also hurried the quarterback three times. Purdue is not known for their offensive line but it was still an impressive effort by the Cardinals. The best part about Louisville’s defensive effort was their performance in the front seven. They held Purdue to 2.4 yards per carry.

The defense was not the strongest part of Louisville’s team last year. A concern for the Cardinals was the injury of All-American cornerback Jaire Alexander. However, Alexander will not miss any significant time and is listed as day-to-day.