I actually read this headline in an online publication today: is #24 Virginia facing a trap game at Louisville?
The answer: no.
First, for the game to be considered a trap game, it must be followed by a critical game for the team.
Virginia has a bye week following its game against Louisville, then hosts Washington State on Oct. 18.
And then there’s this minor detail: the betting lines have the Cardinals between a seven- to eight-point favorite.
ICYMI
- First look: UVA Football | #24 ‘Hoos set to face Louisville on Saturday
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And then we have history to explain why this game is certainly not a trap game.
One year ago, Virginia was 4-1 heading into a game against Louisville at Scott Stadium.
The Cardinals rallied to win, and UVA flamed out to finish 5-7.
Virginia heads to Louisville, newly ranked at # 24 in the AP Top 25 and standing at 4-1, and 2-0 in ACC play.
It’s an excellent opportunity for the Cavaliers to write a different script for how 2025 plays out.
There’s a reason that Vegas feels this won’t be the weekend Virginia begins erasing bad memories of 2024.
Louisville has won the last three meetings in the series, including the come-from-behind 24-20 win over the Cavaliers last season.
Cardinal quarterback Tyler Shough threw the game-winning touchdown with 1:55 remaining.
Shough is now with the New Orleans Saints, and Louisville is far from battle-tested, having won over Eastern Kentucky, James Madison, Bowling Green and at Pitt.
Tuesday, Louisville coach Jeff Brohm said, “Virginia is playing very well as a team, I mean, extremely well.”
Virginia’s offense ranks fifth in the nation with an average of 539 yards per game and is eighth in scoring with 45.6 points per game.
UVA needs only 45 points to pass last season’s total scoring of 272 points in 12 games.
To compound problems for Brohm, the UVA offense is balanced.
The Cavaliers are averaging nearly 300 passing yards behind quarterback Chandler Morris, and their 243 rushing yards per game rank second in the ACC.
Meanwhile, Louisville’s ground game isn’t striking fear in anyone.
In the win over Pitt, the Cardinals managed just 53 yards on 34 attempts.
“We’ve got to find a way to run the football, and if that means being a little more creative with what we’re doing-whatever we’ve got to do,” Brohm said.
Louisville quarterback Miller Moss offset the rushing woes at Pitt, throwing two of his three touchdown passes in the final quarter, as Louisville erased a 27-17 deficit.
Moss finished the game completing 33-of-51 passes and 339 yards
“He hung in there, and he did what he had to do as a quarterback, which is the most important thing, and that is just to keep playing. He made some mistakes, but he shrugged them off and made some big plays,” added Brohm.
Through five games, Virginia’s defense has allowed an average of 353 yards per game, with the secondary allowing 222 of those.
This might be another game when Moss and his receivers are asked to carry the load again.
For Virginia, a quick start might be crucial.
Louisville will likely be unable to dig out of an early hole.
Against Pitt, the Cardinals’ secondary got burned twice for scoring strikes in the first half, but the Panthers’ running game was able to generate just 80 rushing yards for the game.
That shouldn’t be the case with UVA, which tallied 211 yards on the ground in its upset win over Florida State.
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