Sources: L’ville could be short-handed vs. Hokies

Pete Thamel, ESPNNov 4, 2023, 09:55 AM ET

No. 13 Louisville could be severely short-handed against Virginia Tech on Saturday, a game with ACC championship game ramifications.

The Cardinals will be without top cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. and star receiver Jamari Thrash (upper body) while three other starters on offense are considered game-time decisions, sources told ESPN.

The game-time decisions include one of the program’s best skill players — star tailback Jawhar Jordan (hamstring) — as well as starting left tackle Willie Tyler and center Bryan Hudson, according to sources.

Jordan is the ACC’s second-leading overall rusher and is first in conference play with 7.5 yards per carry. He has emerged as one of the ACC’s most dynamic players this year.

Thrash is Louisville’s best receiver, and his presence is a key to the Cardinals’ pass game. His 712 receiving yards are more than three times that of Louisville’s next-leading receiver, Chris Bell, who has 229 receiving yards.

Louisville is in sole possession of second place in the ACC standings with a 4-1 league record, trailing only undefeated Florida State (6-0). Virginia Tech looms as the league’s only other one-loss team in league play, which makes this matchup a pivotal one for a spot in the ACC title game.