Louisville vs Georgia Tech football game: Story lines, key players, odds, more

The long-awaited Jeff Brohm era begins for Louisville football as they open their season against Georgia Tech. The Cardinals' defense looks strong, but their offense has new faces and a new system.

The highly anticipated Jeff Brohm era for Louisville football is set to begin on Friday night as the Cardinals open their season and ACC play against Georgia Tech. While the defense returns many key players, the offense will see several new faces and a new system.

One of the main storylines to watch in this opener is the matchup between two head coaches who are starting their tenures at their alma maters. Brohm, who has a 1-1 record in head coaching debuts, won his first-ever game as a college head coach at Western Kentucky but fell to Louisville in his first game at Purdue. On the other side, Brent Key is taking on his first head coaching job at Georgia Tech after serving as the interim head coach last season.

Last season, Louisville's defense was one of the best in the country statistically. Despite losing key players, the unit has the potential to be even better this season. The Cardinals have a deeper defensive line group and have added talent through the transfer portal to strengthen their secondary and linebacker unit.

The Cardinals' defense will face a Georgia Tech offense that lost its starting quarterback but returns their leading rusher. This matchup, combined with the talent on Louisville's defense, bodes well for the Cardinals.

Louisville is familiar with playing at the Atlanta Falcons' home stadium, as they opened the 2021 season there against Ole Miss. Although they fell to the Rebels, quarterback Malik Cunningham had a strong performance, accounting for all four of Louisville's touchdowns. The defense struggled, giving up a significant amount of passing yards to Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral.

After finishing the 2021 season with a 6-7 record, Louisville is a completely different team two years later and hopes for a better outcome in Jeff Brohm's first game as head coach.

Key players to watch for Louisville include quarterback Jack Plummer, who is reunited with Brohm after playing together at Purdue, defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte, who is expected to have a breakout season, and running back Jawhar Jordan, who will debut in a new offense and expand his skillset.

For Georgia Tech, quarterback Haynes King, a transfer from Texas A&M, earned the starting job and will lead the offense. Defensive back LaMiles Brooks returns after a strong season, and running back Dontae Smith is the team's leading returning rusher.

According to BetMGM, Louisville is an 8-point favorite in this matchup.

Overall, the beginning of the Jeff Brohm era brings excitement and anticipation for Louisville football. With a strong defense and new faces on offense, the Cardinals are poised for success in their season opener against Georgia Tech.

Contact Louisville football, women's basketball, and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @Alexis_Cubit.