Homestead RB alum Issac Brown will challenge Miami defense

Miami leads the Atlantic Coast Conference allowing 89.67 rushing yards per game. Louisville freshman running back Isaac Brown is eighth in the ACC averaging 84.67 rushing yards per game. Brown has three 100-yard rushing games this season, including in each of his last two games.

After rushing for 123 yards on five carries in the season opener, Brown had only 11 carries for 50 yards in the next two games. Brown began to emerge with 13 carries for 73 yards in a 31-24 Louisville loss to Notre Dame three weeks ago. That was followed up with 10 carries for 117 yards in a 34-27 loss to SMU a week later.

Brown proved he can carry the Louisville offense with 20 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns as Louisville rallied for a 24-20 win at Virginia last week. As a senior at Homestead, Brown had 104 carries for 1.084 yards in 2023. Brown has a chance to make a big statement versus his hometown team on Monday.

Miami has been elite against the run in every game this season except Virginia Tech. Florida ran 28 times for 139 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener but a Montrell Johnson 71-yard scoring run late in the second quarter made up nearly half of that total.

Virginia Tech, who had 32 carries for 206 yards and two scores, was the only other team to rush for over 100 yards versus Miami. Louisville has a relatively balanced offense. The Cardinals run on 48.63 percent of their plays. Only 36.9 percent of the yards Louisville has gained this season are on the ground.

Defending Louisville defensively is difficult. Quarterback Tyler Shough and wide receiver Ja'Corey Brooks (originally from Miami Booker T. Washington) have formed an elite pair. Miami defensive coordinator Lance Guidry will have to account for Brown while limiting big plays in the passing game from Shough and Brooks.