It seemed like the subtle threats at Louisville were all directed at benching Miller Moss after his awful performance against Cal. That prompted Jeff Brohm to also speak about other necessary options behind Moss after the Cardinals hit a 7–2 record. But as it turns out, the threats are now taking place across the entire Louisville football coaching fraternity and even among student-athletes.

Authorities indicted a Texas man for allegedly making terr*ristic threats against head coach Jeff Brohm, his family, offensive coordinator Brian Brohm, and quarterback Miller Moss. The threats came right after Louisville’s heartbreaking overtime loss to California on November 9, which sent shockwaves through the program and the broader college football community. The culprit? 38-year-old Brian Mandel is from Corpus Christi, Texas. He now faces six counts of second-degree terr*ristic threatening and one count of attempted theft by extortion.

The complaint clearly stated that he threatened violence and tried to extort more than $10,000 from Moss by threatening harm to him and those close to him. Authorities issued an arrest warrant for Mandel and scheduled his arraignment in Jefferson Circuit Court. But they haven’t taken him into custody yet. The incident has sparked conversations about the dark side of fan behavior and the pressures coaches and athletes face, especially after tough losses. Mandel’s bond is set at $100,000, and he’s due in court for his arraignment on Nov. 17.

Louisville’s performance against Cal wasn’t really up to the mark, sure. But it definitely didn’t deserve a man threatening them. Going into the game, the Cardinals had a clear shot at locking down a spot in the ACC Championship and even keeping their College Football Playoff dreams alive. Instead, everything just seemed to slip through their fingers. And guess what? Most of the blame fell on the shoulders of Miller Moss. Despite teammates putting together a solid rushing effort, the Santa Monica native couldn’t find his rhythm. Moss went 20-of-38 for 203 yards and a pick, while Cal’s freshman QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele straight-up outplayed him.

To make things worse, a bunch of missed chances made the night even more frustrating. But even after this, fans were pretty subtle in taking digs at the 23-year-old. “Miller Moss might be my least favorite Louisville quarterback of all time,” a fan subtly tweeted. Or, “Miller Moss has the worst game awareness of any fifth-year senior in history.” Now, these are acceptable digs you make when you are not happy with someone’s game. You don’t really go out there and threaten their families and loved ones. However, the Louisville front office didn’t come down from releasing a statement addressing the entire situation.

The front-office statement

The university quickly addressed the disturbing news with a strong statement led by Louisville’s athletic director, Josh Heird. “We are aware of the recent indictment of an individual who issued threats directed at our head football coach, his wife and kids, members of his coaching staff and student-athletes,” Heird said in the statement. “The safety and well-being of our students, staff, and community remain our highest priority.”

He even expressed gratitude toward law enforcement for their swift action and was clear that violence and intimidation have no place in college sports. “Our student-athletes and coaches deserve to compete, learn, and grow without fear,” Heird concluded. “We are committed to supporting them and reinforcing the values of respect, integrity, and accountability that define our program.” This incident sent ripples through the college football world, highlighting the pressures players and coaches face beyond the field.

And for Moss, it’s more dangerous as he steps into a new role in the CFB fraternity, other than being a signal caller. As the players’ rep in the House NCAA settlement, he’s navigating a $2.8 billion amount. So, Moss is balancing high-stakes off-the-field, pushing for player rights and financial opportunities. And these threats, if not neutralized, can really jeopardize both his future on the gridiron and otherwise.