The Louisville Cardinals’ brutal loss to Cal brought harsh news for starting QB Miller Moss. On a night when Louisville needed crisp, clean quarterbacking, the Santa Monica native couldn’t find his rhythm. Despite a solid rushing effort from teammates, the QB’s struggles in the passing game contributed to the 29-26 overtime defeat that tanked Louisville’s ACC title hopes. That’s when HC Jeff Brohm issues a stern warning of replacement that could hurt the 23-year-old’s future.

The Cardinals’ head coach is 4–2 all-time against top-five teams, with a big win over Miami this season. But a couple of tough losses he took sparked a wave of talk about whether it’s time to consider a backup option. “We’ll always have a plan ready for all of them at some point, in different aspects, which we’ve done before,” Brohm said during a press conference. “At the same time, it’s got to continue to work through these things and be as effective as we can. Without question, there’s always a plan to help us win, so we’ll have that ready to go.” The loss sparked a firestorm of frustration aimed squarely at Miller Moss.

Fans disagree, but many demand that coaches bench Moss after another underwhelming performance. Against Cal, Moss threw 20-for-38 for 203 yards and an interception while Cal’s true freshman QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele outplayed him. There was this one moment when there was a chance to set up a game-winning field goal at the end of regulation. But Moss took a terrible sack, and that became his second of the night. And Insider legit said, “Miller Moss might be my least favorite Louisville quarterback of all time.” Moss pulled off a very tragic stunt against Miami.

The Cardinals were holding a 24-13 lead in the fourth quarter. But then came a critical third-down play where Moss missed a key pass that would’ve kept the drive alive and helped Louisville inch closer to putting the game away. As Moss jogged back to the sidelines, Brohm erupted, saying, “What the fuck was that? What the fuck were you thinking?” The frustration is clear. Miller Moss’ silly mistakes aren’t new. Moss’s time at USC ended on a tough note when he was benched late last season. Moss finally got a shot in 2023 and showed flashes, throwing six touchdowns to close the year strong.

But the team struggled, losing five of eight games by slim margins. Plus, Moss’s costly interceptions in key matchups against Michigan and Penn State didn’t help. His final blow came after a loss to Washington, where three more picks sealed his fate. At this point, if Brohms tends to go for the other options behind Moss, then he can bring in Brady Allen or Deuce Adams.

Miller Moss’ different game plan

Miller Moss might not be the brightest QB in college football, but he is surely making waves elsewhere. He’s been named a class representative in the ongoing House v. NCAA settlement case. This case deals with athlete compensation and amateurism rules. Moss has been brought in to represent the interests of current college athletes in fighting for fair treatment and benefits from the roughly $2.8 billion settlement approved by a federal judge.

The call settles multiple lawsuits accusing the NCAA of illegally limiting athletes’ earning potential by restricting payments and compensation. The NCAA and Power Five conferences will pay nearly $2.8 billion over 10 years to Division I athletes who played from 2016 to today. And Miller Moss is the one who is anchoring this situation. So now, moving forward, schools can directly pay athletes up to about $20.5 million annually per school, separate from scholarships.

However, Miller Moss hasn’t been that bad on the field, as he is portrayed to be. Moss has been solid this season, throwing nearly 2,000 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions, making him one of 10 finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. But there were also some controversies against him. During his time at USC, he faced a student conduct investigation over harassment allegations involving his former roommate. He apologized for that mistake and committed to personal growth.