With 11 games — and just two starts — at quarterback for Auburn entering the Tigers’ 2015 season opener this Saturday against Louisville, Jeremy Johnson hasn’t given future opponents much to go on in terms of game planning against him.

This is what we do know about the 6-foot-5, 240-pound junior with a rocket for an arm: he probably won’t won’t run as much as his predecessor Nick Marshall did. But based on coach Gus Malzahn’s history with rushing attacks, opposing teams can’t really be sure how much Johnson will stay in the pocket.

Earlier this year, Cardinals coach Bobby Petrino — Auburn’s offensive coordinator in 2002 — hinted at the approach Louisville might use this week.

“Johnson’s a true thrower,” Petrino said in June. “He’s a pocket passer. He’s a good one. He’s got a great release, and he’s accurate. But he’ll be more of a standing target. He’s not going to be that scrambling-around, moving-around guy, and that’ll allow us to tee off and rush the passer.

“We’ve got to win the battle of the sticks in the early downs. If we can be great on first down, great on second down and put the pressure on him to throw the ball, we’ve got some guys who can rush the passer pretty well. Hopefully we can get a lead and force them to throw the ball.”

One of the guys who can rush the passer pretty well for Louisville is  transfer Devonte Fields, who spent last season at Trinity Valley Junior College in Texas after being dismissed by TCU last summer. He had 10 sacks among 18.5 total tackles for loss during his true freshman season in 2012, when he was named the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Year. And after redshirting in 2013 with an injury, he had six sacks and 61 tackles at Trinity Valley last season.

Fields enrolled at Louisville on Aug. 4 after a 2014 domestic violence case against him was dismissed in June, following the completion of an anger management course.

If Fields and his teammates attempt to overpursue Johnson, expect Malzahn to try to counteract that by turning to his talented trio of running backs — Roc Thomas, Peyton Barber and Jovon Robinson. But even Malzahn has admitted that approach might be a challenge on Saturday.

“They were one of the best teams in the country stopping the run last year,” Malzahn told AL.com last week. “I feel very good about our guys up front, but it takes a while to start jelling. It’s a challenge and we’re looking forward to it.”

Each of the last two seasons, Louisville — which returns just four starters from its 3-4 defense — has ranked in the Top 6 in the nation in yards allowed. The Cardinals lost seven starters to the NFL from a defense that allowed 310 yards a game last year. Louisville also led the country with 26 interceptions last year, but none of its starting defensive backs return, so Petrino is fully aware of his team’s strong suit this season.

“I think when you look at what our biggest strength is, certainly it’d be our front seven,” Petrino told the Associated Press. “We have guys with really good talent, a lot of experience and really good students of the game.”

Probably the most important returnee for Louisville is Todd Grantham, who has stayed with the Cardinals after interviewing for and declining the Oakland Raiders’ offer to be their defensive coordinator. The Tigers’ performance against Georgia’s Grantham-led defense in 2010 was particularly impressive, when Cam Newton burned the Bulldogs for two passing touchdowns and rushed 30 times for 151 yards and two more scores as Auburn rolled, 49-31, while racking up 463 total yards.

Grantham avenged that defeat in 2011, when Georgia grounded Auburn, 45-7, while holding QB Clint Moseley and the rest of the Tigers offense to just 195 total yards. Auburn finished with 238 yards against the Bulldogs in 2012, but Grantham’s defense pitched a 38-0 shutout against a Jonathan Wallace-led “attack.”

A Malzahn-led Auburn offense finally got the upper hand against Grantham in 2013, when the Tigers needed “The Prayer at Jordan Hare” to edge Georgia, 43-38. Coincidentally, Johnson completed his one pass in that game for 14 yards, a contest that ended with with Auburn outgaining the Bulldogs, 566-532.

According to ourlads.com, Louisville’s most recent depth chart boasts only one upperclassman in its secondary, junior Josh Harvey-Clemons at strong safety. Presumably, the Cardinals’ defensive backfield doesn’t include anyone such as Gerod Holliman, who set an FBS record last season with 14 interceptions. And even if the Cardinals’ front seven is a good as Petrino says it is, it’s likely that Grantham would keep his blitzes to a minimum to prevent Johnson from burning his inexperienced secondary.

With that in mind, Louisville may try to force Johnson to scramble. But even with Malzahn’s propensity for running with his quarterbacks, Johnson has rushed just 11 times for 40 yards and a touchdown for Auburn entering this season. Therefore, if Alex Kozan and the rest of the Tigers’ offensive line can give Johnson enough time to find starting wideouts D’haquille Williams, Ricardo Louis and other targets, it very well could be a long day for Grantham, Petrino and the Cardinals.