Louisville QB Miller Moss proves patience needed in college football

Miller Moss has thrown for more than 300 yards in consecutive games after posting his career low as a starter with 151 against James MadisonMoss needed more time to start showing his potential than former U of L quarterbacks Jack Plummer and Tyler Shough because he was the least experienced of the three.

Patience is getting roughed up this college football season like there’s no longer room for it in the game. Adjacent to that is development, which has taken a pounding, too.

The first three games of the season, there was much consternation of if Louisville quarterback Miller Moss was the right fit for the Cardinals. After leading U of L to a 34-27 win at Pitt on Saturday, Moss proved that patience still has a place in college football.

It’s not just affecting players, either. Coaches who have not shown the potential to instantly turn things around have been shown an early exit, too.

Payrolls have to be met, and in order to do that, athletics directors are trying to keep their fan base engaged. If that means firing a coach before even reaching midseason, as the early results have shown, then, he gone. DeShaun Foster (UCLA), Brent Pry (Virginia Tech) and Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State) can all attest.

Arkansas just got Sam Pittman a membership to the in-season firing club this weekend, which means two-time former Louisville coach Bobby Petrino just became the Razorbacks’ two-time head coach, albeit on an interim basis.

Now that players are receiving payments for their services, they’re being treated like coaches. Nobody wants to hear about the patience and development sometimes needed for those players to reach their potential.

Moss forfeited a lengthy grace period when he transferred from USC with only one year of eligibility remaining. He needed to be good quick. He needed to show his value, not only for the team but also for the NFL scouts wondering if he’ll have a place in their league.

There was still no resounding proof that he was ready through the Cards’ nonconference schedule. That all changed in Pittsburgh, where U of L hadn’t won since 2012.

The Panthers game-planned to stop the run and make Moss beat them throwing the ball. It didn’t look promising early when he threw a pick six, but Moss bounced back with his best performance of the season — throwing for 339 yards and three touchdowns; he added a fourth rushing.

It took this long to see Moss in his element because he is the least experienced of the transfer quarterbacks in three seasons under U of L coach Jeff Brohm.

“He came from a system where they really didn’t huddle, and they didn’t really call a lot of plays and they used the clap as a cadence, so he’s very raw at saying a cadence, which is a little unusual,” Brohm said last week. “He’s very raw saying a play that has some length to it, over a few words. So those are things we just had to practice with him.”

That’s a new experience for Brohm.

Jack Plummer had played in 33 games and started 25 before joining the Cards in 2023. He also had the advantage having played for three seasons under Brohm at Purdue and knowing what to expect.

Tyler Shough, though often injured, played in 30 games and started 16 combined at Oregon and Texas Tech before coming to Louisville in 2024. As a married, 25-year-old starter for the Cards last season, Shough’s experience playing in different offensive systems helped him ease into the job.

Moss played in 21 games and started 12 in four seasons at USC under coach Lincoln Riley. Moss didn’t have any head start with Brohm’s system before arriving on campus. He had a lot more to learn.

Moss has now put together consecutive 300-yard passing games after throwing for just 151 yards — his career low as a starter — against James Madison. If he adds a third straight game with more than 300 passing yards, he’ll accomplish something that neither Plummer nor Shough was able to do.

“We just have to continue to work through a few things and make sure we do what he does best, while continuing to develop some other things and sharpen that up,” Brohm said.

Moss is still getting acclimated to the playbook and with what is being asked of him. Imagine what he has the potential to do when he’s reached a level of comfort. Even for a one-year mercenary, patience can still pay off.

Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@gannett.com, follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.