Louisville Football returns to ESPN’s Friday Night looking for a win


We have watched the Louisville football program grow up over the last 20 years. A big part of that growth can be directly linked to the willingness to be a part of ESPN’s weekly college football games. Former Louisville AD Tom Jurich was quoted after he was hired saying “The thing we need to do right away is to get exposure and get this program branded.” The Louisville football program has thrived under the lights of the ESPN weeknight game and that exposure has helped along the way. Tonight they are looking to this Friday night game to get them back on the winning track.

Our Cardinals have lost four of their last six road games. Tonight the Cardinals will be in Atlanta to face Georgia Tech looking for their first road win of the season to get back to a .500 record. They will also be looking for their first conference win of the young season. I started the season talking about Louisville’s three-headed monster. Malik Cunningham is completing 59.3 percent of his passes for 757 yards, seven touchdowns, and has two or more touchdown passes in six of his last eight games. Tutu Atwell has racked up 230 yards and three touchdowns while Javian Hawkins leads the team on the ground with 313 yards and three touchdowns.

These guys have tried to live up to their end of the hype and the Louisville offense has scored points this season against some pretty good defensive units. Ranking 43rd nationally in scoring offense and 43rd nationally in total offense. The supporting cast has also done their part with Dez Fitzpatrick catching bombs for over 200 yards while Braden Smith has six receptions. All this behind an offensive line that is still figuring it out at this point in the season. That frontline has been this football program Achilles heel for several years now. It’s also been a point of emphasis for this coaching staff so I know it will get better.

With all that being said the offensive unit needs to take better care of the football. Ranked 68th in turnovers lost and turnover margin Louisville has give it up 8 times in three games this season. While only forcing 3 turnovers of their own. They have been particularly bad coughing it up on the road. These guys have all the speed and talent in the world but that does them no good when they keep shooting themselves in the foot week after week. We’ll see if they can hold on to the ball better tonight.

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets also need a victory here to get back to a .500 record. The Yellow Jackets have lost six of their last seven home games. The Yellow Jackets ground game is averaging 221 yards per contest, and their QB Jeff Sims leads the way with 187 yards and two touchdowns. He is a crafty QB and will have this Louisville defense on its toes all night.

An area of concern early on for Louisville is the defensive side of the ball. Defensively, Louisville is allowing 30.3 points and 369.7 yards per game. They are ranked 26th nationally (with teams not playing) giving up almost 6 yards a play this season and ten touchdowns. Some guys are flying around on the field for Coach Brown’s unit. Dorian Etheridge leads the way with 22 tackles, Monty Montgomery has two sacks and C.J. Avery has one interception. There just aren’t enough guys to have flying around. This is another area that this staff is focused on. I’m cautiously optimistic. Hope this side of the ball can gain some confidence tonight against a Georgia Tech team with their turnover struggles this season. Georgia Tech has turned the ball over 12 times in three games, which is the second-most in all of college football.

Our Cardinals held their own back-to-back weeks against ranked opponents and Louisville is the more talented team here. Georgia Tech has been a sloppy football team. It’s Friday night lights on ESPN. We watched Louisville Football grow up on ESPN weekday games and tonight I hope we watch this current team do some growing. The stage is set for them to have a good night. I think we all need that.
Go Cards!

GOCARDS.COM GAMEDAY BREAKDOWN

Miami has been a part of some big Louisville Football moments: Satturday Night could be another


In 1985 Coach Schnellenberger returned home to Louisville after taking the Miami football program to the top of the mountain. He is also credited with laying the foundation for the Louisville program’s subsequent rise to prominence. Guess we should have known that it was in the stars that these programs would forever be linked thru his lore.

Our Cardinals will meet the Hurricanes for the 15th time on Saturday night. Not a really long history in this rivalry and the Hurricanes own a commanding lead in the series 10-3-1… But there must have been some magic in that old black pipe because Miami has been a mile marker over the years on that ”collision course” and the Cardinals have won three of the last four encounters.

That very first win over Miami in 2006. Our program gaining that signature win it had been searching for under coach Bobby Petrino. The 2013 ”Teddy” game. Teddy Bridgewater would further etch his name in Cardinal lore tying the school record with his 27th victory as Louisville’s starter. He was 35 for 45 for career-high 447 yards and Louisville won its second straight bowl game for its second 12-win season. And then Louisville Football’s first-ever ACC contest and win against Miami in 2014.

Now the stage has been set again with ESPN’s College Gameday returning to Louisville on Saturday to showcase yet another game between these rivals. Linked by a coaching legend and a string of pivotal games this could be one of the best yet in the series. The Cardinals are looking to revenge the 52-27 beat down at the hands of the Hurricanes last season. And the program is again looking for a signature win in year two of a new coach.

Like we have so many times over the years we are going to find out in this most recent battle with Miami where this program and this team is in year two of another program revival. At his opening press conference Coach, Schnellenberger stunned reporters and fans by proclaiming the program “is on a collision course with the national championship” The only variable is time.” Coach Satterfield proclaimed at his very first press conference that he was going to put Louisville Football back on that road.

Coach Satterfield has breathed life back into the football program. Getting us back to a Bowl game and winning it in his first season was huge but that first big signature win is still out there. On Saturday night he could check that off his list and put his Louisville football team back in the discussion.

Our Cardinals will look to build on their season-opening win over WKU. Louisville’s three-headed monster was feeding last weekend. Micale Cunningham threw for 343 yards, 3 touchdowns, and also rushed for a 24-yard touchdown. Javian Hawkins had 71 rushing yards and a touchdown and Tutu Atwell had a team-high 7 catches for 78 yards. Also a good productive outing from Hassan Hall, Dez Fitzpatrick, and Braden Smith. Ean Pfeifer and Marshon ford each had a receiving TD as well in the victory. Defensively, Dorian Etheridge led the way with 8 total tackles, including 5 solo tackles and a team-high 3.5 tackles for a loss. Monty Montgomery had a pair of sacks while Isaiah Hayes had 5 solo tackles and Russ Yeast had a pair of fumble recoveries.

This Louisville team did a good job of maximizing their yardage on each play last season averaging 6.7 yards a play. They finished ranked 12th in that category. That offensive explosion continued in the first game of this season. After their first week of play, Louisville is tied for first nationally with one play of over 60 yards and another of 70 plus yards. With Miami announcing a few days ago that they are going to be short-handed in the secondary with only 3 corners on the roster I look for this to be exploited all night in this game.

We know this Louisville team can score and I think the three-headed monster will again be eating this week. The question remains can the defense get the stops needed to win a big game like this. Western Kentucky hung 21 on the Cards. Miami has a talented and loaded roster led by QB D’Eriq King who had 227 total yards and two touchdowns last week. RB Cam’Ron Harris with 134 and 2 TDs last week. He is a beast. Jaylan Knighton and Donald ChBrevin Jordan are some talented receivers in their own right.

Trying to stop Louisville’s three-headed monster for Miami will be Bradley Jennings Jr. who had a team-high 6 total tackles with two tackles for a loss last week and Amari Carter who had a team-high 4 solo tackles and Quincy Roche who had Miami’s lone sack in their victory last week. Louisville’s offensive line held their own in week one but will face their first big test of the year in this game.

Here we are again… Another game against Miami on a national stage. And again the Louisville program is facing its first true test to determine just where it is in season two of its rebirth. Losing this game wouldn’t be the end of the world but it sure would take the wind out of the sails. Coach Satterfield has us believing again in the product. Saturday night is a chance to show us and a national audience that Louisville Football isn’t on its way back but ready to take the next step.

It is a big challenge ahead. But as we’ve seen Louisville do over the years in these games against Miami one I think they can meet again. Enjoy it Cardinal fans. Go Cards!

GOCARDS.COM GAMDAY BREAKDOWN

Come hell or high water Louisville Football starts Saturday night



It seems like an eternity since we were all celebrating in Nashville as our Cardinals had just wrapped up an 8-5 season with a Music City Bowl win over Mississippi State. There has been a lot of things that have changed in our world and in the sports world since that December evening. But one thing hasn’t. Coach Satterfield and his staff have continued to work to put a successful program on the field.

Coach Satterfield and his staff took on the Louisville rebuild head-on and it didn’t take long for them to put their stamp on the program in 2019. In an offseason facing a global pandemic that changed everything and with the nation’s social injustice struggles to play out right in their backyard the mission hasn’t wavered. They have continued to meet all of the challenges head-on and are ready to send out a Louisville team that just might end up being one of the best yet.

Louisville had the biggest turnaround in college football in 2019 with a six-game improvement in wins scoring 33.1 points a game (2nd in ACC). There are lots of big expectations on this Louisville team for 2020. Some even think the Cardinals can get to the ACC Championship Game. I also think this team has a chance to be really good.

It all starts with three of the most explosive players in college football QB Micale Cunningham (2547 yards with 28 touchdown receptions, and school record 194.5 QB efficiency rating last season), RB Javian Hawkins (1525 yards rushing with 9 touchdowns 2nd in ACC last season), and WR Tutu Atwell (1276 and 12 touchdowns leading the ACC last season). It’s been a long time since Louisville has had a triple threat like this on the offensive side of the ball.

And when you throw in guys like WR Dez Fitzpatrick (has recorded 106 receptions for 1,756 yards and 18 touchdowns during his career and averages 16.6 yards a reception), and tight end Marshon Ford (caught 20 passes for 292 yards leading the ACC in receiving touchdowns by a tight end last season) this is going to be an offensive group that will really put pressure on opposing defenses with their vertical threat.

Nine of Louisville’s 10 assistant coaches return for their second season in 2020. With the stability and consistency in the coaching staff, we should also continue to see improvement along the offensive line, special teams, and the defense. This is the first time in the past 5 seasons that these units have had the same coaching staff. The defense is going to need some work after giving up 33.4 points per game last year, but with seven starters back should be better. Linebackers C.J. Avery and Rodjay Burns started all 13 contests as did cornerback Chandler Jones and defensive end Tabarius Peterson. Linebacker CJ Avery is poised for a big season after a team-leading 93 tackles last season.

Western Kentucky did well in a very competitive Conference USA last season, finishing better than they had been expected to. They’ve got some playmakers at the skill positions also and will have a very competitive team on the field Saturday night.

With the limited practice time and all of the challenges due to the COVID virus, college football teams will have to get their game legs under them early on. I think that once this Louisville team finds it’s groove we are going to be in for a fun and exciting season. Even if we have to watch from home. I’m just glad that we will be watching our Cardinals play again. At times I didn’t think it would happen. Enjoy it and stay safe. Go Cardinals…

GOCARDS.COM GAME BREAKDOWN

Cards need win to keep things moving forward


Things are looking up for the Louisville Football program. A much-improved effort and attitude have highlighted the early part of the season. This team had a great second half effort a few weeks ago against Florida State and most felt like they really let a big one slip through their fingers in Tallahassee.

After a much-needed bye week, the Cardinals are back in ACC play on Saturday afternoon at Cardinal Stadium. Depth was a big concern heading into the season and in my opinion cost this team that win against Florida State. So it’s good to get some of these guys healed and rested up. Louisville Football hasn’t won a conference game since November of 2017. This weekend is a great opportunity to break that streak.

The Louisville defense had looked impressive in the first three games of the year, holding opponents to an average of 18.7 points per game and 285.0 total yards in those games. They did struggle a bit allowing the Seminoles to score 35 points and gain 522 yards of total offense. While Boston College doesn’t have the athletes FSU does they still have some playmakers.

Boston College QB Anthony Brown has thrown for 1,057 yards and eight scores this season. And he spreads the love around. Eight different players caught a pass for them last week. And folks AJ Dillon is back for his junior season. Remember him? He had 272 yards and 4 TDs on his last visit to Cardinal Stadium on his way to the ACC Rookie of the year back in 2017. He didn’t play against us last year due to an ankle injury. He currently ranks fourth in the nation with an average of 125.4 yards per game. He has rushed for 627 yards and six touchdowns this season.

Dillon will face a much improved Louisville defense on Saturday. After finishing near the bottom in total defense last season, the Cardinals are the 45th-ranked overall defensive team in the country and rank 45th in rushing defense this season.

Khane Pass recorded a career-high 12 tackles, while linebacker C.J. Avery added nine stops and a sack in the last game holding FSU running back Cam Akers to 112 yards. Below his average. I still worry about depth issues especially in the 4th quarter with this unit but Coach Brown will have them up for this challenge.

The Cardinals have a pretty good rushing attack of their own led by Javian Hawkins. He has been a spark plug for the offense averaging 97.5 yards a game. The Cardinals enter this week 22nd in the country and second in the ACC in rushing offense. They can also go vertical with great playmakers like TuTu Atwell and Dez Fitzpatrick. Nationally, the Cardinals rank in the top 15 in plays of 30 or more yards while ranking fifth with five plays of 50 yards or more and eighth with three of 60 yards or better.

How good was it to see Fitzpatrick get back in the groove against FSU? He recorded the third 100-yard receiving game of his career, with seven receptions for 133 yards and that 74-yard bomb. That circus catch was the longest of his career. Hope this is a sign of things to come. We need Sixpatrick. Gonna need him Saturday.

The Louisville offense has been pretty balanced averaging 212.2 yards per game through the air and 225.2 yards on the ground. I think they’ll have to be really effective in the ground game Saturday and continue to take those big shots down the field when they can. That might not be as easy against the BC defense.

While Eagles are allowing an average of 438.6 yards of total offense this season, including 183.0 yards on the ground. They are third in the nation with eight interceptions. Their DBs are very active. DB Mike Palmer leads them with two picks on the season. This BC defense has taken it’s licks this season. But there are still some capable bodies. They played much better last week and I expect them to play out of their minds Saturday. That’s how it goes right.

We can talk about guys making plays and individual performances all day long. I don’t think execution will be a problem this season. Reality is this. Coach Satterfield has played nine former walk-ons, including five who have started games this season. And has played 5 true freshmen. Depth is going to be an issue all season. More so on defense than offense. This coaching staff has worked magic moving guys around but it is what it is. Gonna lose games because of this alone.

In saying that Saturday should not be one of those games. Depth should not be an issue coming off a bye week and pound for pound Louisville has the better athletes in this matchup. This team has us all emotionally invested again. They even have the guys in Vegas invested again. Louisville enters the Boston College game as the biggest favorite it has been vs. a Power 5 opponent since the 2017 season. We are all invested. Now make us believe.

The team is wearing some awesome Ali themed uniforms to honor the great one on Saturday. One of my favorite Ali quotes “Don’t count the days; make the days count.” The Cardinals need to make this game count. I think it’s a must-win to keep things moving in the right direction. Lose this one and I think things could go in the other direction.

Cheer loud. Go Cards!

Ready to see what Satterfield’s Cards have for the ACC


The team’s around the country are heading into the conference grind. This is where the rubber meets the road and it takes another level of play. The Louisville program has made some huge strides over the last couple of weeks and can take another big step forward on Saturday afternoon.

The Louisville offense found another gear taking out Eastern KY 42-0 and Western KY 38-21. Benefitting from some big passing plays in their win last weekend they’ve now scored 80 points across their last two games.

We’ve seen different offensive players breakout in the games with FSU. I go back as far as Dave Ragone and Joshua Tinch. Ragone completed 15 of 27 passes for 185 yards and 2 touchdowns. Tinch was Louisville’s leading receiver with 101 yards on 5 receptions in that program defining win in 2002.

And most recently was the Heisman performance of Lamar Jackson in 2016. Jackson ran for 146 yards and four touchdowns. He threw for 216 and another. Don’t think any of us will forget that performance and College Gameday win against FSU.

Now a new group of Cardinals hopes to leave their mark in this game. Malik Cunningham posted 119 yards and two scores in the backup role last week. Even tho Jawon Pass is expected back on Saturday I think we’ll see Cunningham on the field in some capacity.

Javian Hawkins led the rush with 93 yards and a score. TuTu Atwell led the receiving corps with 141 yards and three TDs on four grabs last weekend. I can guarantee these guys will play a role in the outcome on Saturday.

The Cardinals are sixth in the nation in scrimmage plays of over 50 yards with four, and 11th in the nation in plays of 40+ and 30+ with six and 10, respectively. Tutu Atwell is tied for the national lead with three plays of over 40 yards and is tied for third with a pair of 50-yard plays from scrimmage. Javian Hawkins is tied for first in the country with three runs of over 40 yards in the first three games this year.

The defense will also be key… Without the Anthony Floyd interception of Chris Rix’s pass in the overtime in 2002 and Jaire Alexander’s big plays in 2016 we might be talking about different outcomes of those games.

The Louisville defense has looked impressive in the first three games of the year, holding opponents to an average of 18.7 points per game and 285.0 total yards per game. The Cardinals held the Colonels to just 74 yards in the second half, including just six passing yards after the half.

A new group of defensive guys is also looking to leave their mark on this game. Russ Yeast and Chandler Jones have solidified the Louisville secondary this season. Yeast and Jones are tied for fourth on the squad with 12 tackles. Up front linebacker Rodjay Burns continues to excel in Bryan Brown’s defensive scheme. Burns is tied for first on the team with C.J. Avery and Khane Pass with 16 tackles this season. Look for these names to come up a lot if the Cards are having some success on Saturday.

This game Saturday afternoon will basically boil down to speed on speed. The Cardinals will be facing some really good opposing players. FSU QB James Blackman has thrown for 843 yards and nine scores in the first three games and is completing 68.2 percent of his throws.

Tamorrion Terry is their top receiver with 14 receptions for 234 yards and one score, while Cam Akers has already rushed for 387 yards in the first three contests, an average of 129.0 per game. Like Louisville, this FSU team can put up points fast and I think the Cards will have to absorb an initial explosion.

FSU defense not so much. They are near the bottom of the national statistics in total defense, allowing 485.0 yards of total offense and 37.0 points per game to start the season. Cory Durden leads the Seminoles with 2.5 sacks, while free safety Ham-sah Nasirildeen is the team’s top tackler with 28.

Like many of you, I have been impressed with the last couple of weeks and a bit surprised. I think most of us hoped that these guys would play hard for the new staff but didn’t expect this level of play so early. The Cardinals are heading into Tallahassee with some newfound pop. These games against FSU have been transformational over the years. A win Saturday would mean a lot to this groups progression and a potential Bowl bid.

Louisville’s last road win in the ACC was a 31-28 victory at Florida State on Oct. 21, 2017. I really like our chances. Think these are programs going in very different directions. Win or lose I’m just looking forward to seeing what this team has for the ACC. Enjoy it, folks! Go Cards!

Louisville Football the change is real


Walking into the locker room area on Saturday night the walls vibrated as the Louisville Football team and coaches exorcised a year’s worth of demons with their post-game celebrations. The emotions of ridding themselves of the stigma of bad football were very raw and you could hear that in their voices.



Ending the programs second-longest losing streak is worth a celebration but going out and winning it in dominant fashion is something this team can build from. It’s something the program can build from. Just like losing winning can also be contagious. This team has the bug.



The game of football is mental but it’s also very physical. This team over the last two weeks has been physical. GG Robinson talked about the team’s newfound physicality on Saturday night mentioning that football is about being able to run and stop the run.



This team is doing both. Not only are they looking the part but the numbers don’t lie and Louisville finds it’s self vaulting in the FBS stats. Ranking 95th overall in rush defense and 33rd in total defense it’s a new day on this side of the ball. They have allowed just 576 yards during the first two games giving up 4.57 yards a play. A far cry from last season.


Talk about a new day… Louisville currently ranks 11th in rushing offense. Behind a much improved offensive line led by Tyler Haycraft and Mekhi Becton, the Louisville rushing attack has gained 571 yards this season averaging 6.72 yards a play. It also helps to have a running back duo like Javian Hawkin currently ranked 13th in the country racking up 245 yards and Hassan Hall ranked 109th pitching in 127 yards in the first two games this season.



It’s been fun to watch the transformation over the last two weeks and it was refreshing to see our Cardinals get back in the win column this past weekend. It will be the first of many I’m sure of it. A lot of good things happening at 2800 South Floyd Street… The change is real! L’s Up!

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Coach Satterfield talking Family, Fun & Football… Media Day 2019



The college football season was a nightmare for the University of Louisville and its fans last season. Things look to be going back in the right direction and it was all smiles today at the 2019 Media Day events. The three words that I heard the most today talking with the coaches and players were family, fun, and football. In that order. This coaching staff wants this program to feel like a family and they want their players to have fun playing the game of football. It is a winning recipe that has worked before for Coach Satterfield and will likely work again if we give the cake long enough to bake.

Coach Satterfield shied away from any questions about records or a Bowl trip saying that he “was just focused on getting better each day”. Getting better each day is what this program and these players have been doing since this staff walked thru the door. Better on and off the football field. Several players today mentioning their skill as football players getting better and becoming better people in the process.

The new coaching staff has appealed to these guys softer sides. They want their players to be warriors when they step on the chalk but also want them to be happy people. The guys seemed happy today. The mood was very light, and you can feel the culture change in the air.

Robert Hicks is a guy who barely got his feet wet last season. He finished with 24 tackles and 2 tackles for loss. This dude really stood out to me today. He is a beast physically. This guy will thrive under Coach Brown and I expect him to be one of leaders on this team in both tackles and tackles for loss this season.

Glad I got a chance to talk with Puma Pass today. I really wanted to echo to him that the fan base never left his side. He is the only player whose last name isn’t Brohm that I’ve ever seen the Louisville fan base be so excited to see in a High School game. Sure, it worked out that he was playing in Georgia the night before the Auburn game but still hundreds of folks showed up that night at Creekside High school. I am horrible at the interviewing stuff. I usually get all tangled up in my words, but I made an attempt to relay this to Puma. One of the TV folks looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. Ugh! At least it came from the heart. I try my best.

I’m also glad I got a chance to mix some words with Dez Fitzpatrick. He is by far one of the most well-spoken and put together young men that I have ever interviewed. He had me walking out of Media Days last year thinking we were going to beat Alabama. I mentioned that to him today and he chuckled. I also talked to him about the relationship he has with his dad “Coach Fitz” and how much he leaned on him last year when things were tough. Dez is a smart kid and he gets it. I think we will see him return to form this season.

I have asked the last three offensive line coaches about their guys coming out and hitting the other team in the mouth and being violent… Coach Ledford gave the best answer of all three. This is a football guy.

Offensive Line Coach and Offensive Coordinator Dwayne Ledford at Louisville Media Day:

Here are some other interviews and photos from Media Day 2019… It was a good day overall and I’m more excited than I was for the new season to start. 22 Days folks! L’s Up!

Defensive Coordinator Bryan Brown at Media Day:

Seth Dawkins Louisville Media Day 2019:

Former Trinity star Rodjay Burns at Media Day:

Coach Ledford raved about this guy… Tyler Haycraft Louisville Media Day 2019:

Devante Peete keeps it real at Media Day:

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Season Reboot In The Cards?



Times like these are when I really gain a lot of respect for those guys/gals on the beat writing about college sports as their job. In good times and bad those folks have to meet the deadline. I’ve been struggling to find words since that horrible display of football last Friday night. Funny that it’s been over a week now but still feels like that drubbing just happened yesterday. Georgia Tech just scored again. Sorry!

It has been a long time since I’ve sat thru one like that. I had almost forgotten how bad things can get. As fans, we’ve come a long way since the “The Kragthorpe experiment”. Now if we get a whiff of that type of apathy we lose our minds. It really did scar us. Bobby Petrino is 77-31 as the Louisville head coach and has won over 71% of his games here. He’s 21-14 winning 69% of his ACC games since his return. He has a rough start to this season and we are calling for his head.

Are we jumping the gun here? Is it realistic to think that Bobby would only get one bad season before he was fired? If Ron Cooper and “The Kragthorpe experiment” got three seasons of horrible football isn’t the guy who had us on the doorstep of a National Title entitled to one bad season?

Like I mentioned above I’m scarred. I’m in the ”cut your losses now” camp. I just don’t see the same fire in Coach Petrino’s eyes anymore. He has been a great football coach for us but I’m feeling like it’s time for him to go hang with the grandkids. Move on gracefully. But that isn’t going to happen and I don’t think he’ll get fired either. Even if the Cards can’t get things turned around this season that’s just not in the Cards. His buyout is absurd and he will get a mulligan.

I’m willing to give him that mulligan but would like to see Coach Petrino and this team turn things around this season. The buzz has been good around the program considering. Players seem motivated to get things back on track and even talking a little smack this week with Tu-Tu Atwell calling Boston College’s defense slow. I love the moxie of this true Freshman and this team is full of young guys with this fiery attitude.

Maybe this cake is just taking a little longer to bake. We have just reached the midpoint of this season. Is a reboot in the Cards?

The offense is trending upwards outcome of the games be damned. After a slow start, the Cardinals are finding their stride in the last two weeks. They have averaged 452.0 yards per game in the last two losses. In dropping a game to Georgia Tech last week, the Cardinals totaled a season-best 483 yards, including 370 yards through the air. The Cardinals tied their season high for points with 31 equaling their output In the Indiana State game.

We’ve got some young offensive players trending upward as well. Tu-Tu Atwell is leading the team with an 18.8 yards per catch average the fourth-highest total among freshmen nationally. In the last two games, Atwell has caught six passes for 132 yards and two scores, averaging 22.0 yards per catch. He had a career-long 53-yard catch against Florida State. Hassan Hall totaled 194 all-purpose yards in the loss to Georgia Tech. That’s the most all purpose yards by a true freshman since Lamar Jackson had 226 all-purpose yards in the 2015 Music City Bowl. Hall carried the ball five times for 23 yards and caught a personal high four catches for 33 yards.

Puma has excelled in his last two starts, going 47 for 80 for 605 yards and four touchdowns. And he didn’t throw an interception for the first time this season in the last game. In the last three games, Dez Fitzpatrick has caught 13 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 12.7 yards a reception. After catching eight passes in the first four games, Jaylen Smith is second on the team with 16 receptions for a team-high 266 yards and one score. He ranks 69th nationally with his 16.6 yards per catch average. Rodjay Burns has provided a spark in the return game. The Louisville native ranks ninth nationally and is second in the ACC in punt return average, posting a 16.4 yards per return mark.

The offense is showing some signs of life. It is the Louisville Defense that will have to get it together for this team to turn things around. The Yellow Jackets hung six rushing touchdowns on the Cards last Friday, averaging a whopping 8.3 yards per play. The defense has some hungry guys. P.J. Blue is starting to make an impact. In the last three games as a starter, Blue has been credited with 19 stops.
Khane Pass and Nick Okeke are both coming off of their best games of the season with 8 tackles each in the last outing.

We’ve got some guys to make plays on defense but they have to be put in the right situations for that to happen. This is where the disconnect is right now. Louisville has not recorded a sack in the last two games, and through six games, the Cardinals have only registered two interceptions in 131 pass attempts. Through six games, the Cardinals are -9 in turnover margin turning the ball over 14 times, while just causing four miscues.
Will VanGorder be able to close this gap?

Louisville fans are losing their minds right now. But here at the midway point, we all need to take a collective breath. A total of 14 freshmen have made their collegiate debuts this season and the Cardinals are playing the 2018 season with one of the nation’s smallest senior classes with just 11 dotting the roster. It’s not like we are playing with house money folks.

I think this season can still be salvaged and the reboot can start on Saturday in Boston.
Go Cards!

GAMEDAY: The rain stopped, but will clouds remain over Cardinal Stadium


There are a lot of good vibes circulating thru the Cardinal faithful after an unbelievable night down at 4th Street Live. I would like to see some of that mojo passed along to the Louisville Football team on Saturday afternoon. It seems like it has rained for weeks but the skies have finally cleared. There is still a cloud of doubt looming over Cardinal Stadium.

Coach Petrino said in his weekly press conference: ”we went back and watched the Alabama game and we played harder and faster versus Alabama than we did at Virginia.”
I think they played harder and faster in that Alabama game than in any game they ’ve played this season. This Louisville Football team landed in Orlando world Beaters and I think it was too much too fast for the Psych of this young and rather inexperienced group.

I think this Coaching staff believed and I think this team believed in themselves. I’d never seen a more confident group in my six years doing Media Day. Taking the loss the way they did to Alabama not only derailed this team it also derailed this coaching staff. This is one of those times when playing a Goliath right out of the gate backfired.

This team would have benefited from opening up against an FCS program like Indiana State. This team needed to ease their way into the season but they were thrust head-on into a steamroller. I’m not making excuses for them. I really believe this. Bama broke us… The question now is what is the coaching staff going to do to fix us. Can they fix it?

The Cardinals have also had their fair share of bad luck with key guys going down with injuries on both sides of the ball. Three of the best defensive players have missed time. And the running backs have been banged up. Just when Dae Wiliams started to show glimpses of being that dominant player everyone was clamoring over at Spring practice a few years ago he suffered a deep thigh bruise. Another set back for a guy who has had a few of them.

There are reports of a coming to Jesus moment this week in preparation for Florida State. Coach Summers believes his O-Line has figured things out again, and there was word of a team meeting. I think it’s important for this team to get their mind right but they’ll also have to figure out how to score with just 17 points in the two losses. The Louisville defense hasn’t been great but they haven’t been horrible all things considered. If the offense could give them a little run support who knows.

Florida State’s season has gone pretty much the same way. They have had key injuries on both sides of the ball. Their offensive line has really suffered. And it shows in the win/loss column. The Seminoles’ two losses have come against good team defense in Syracuse and Virginia Tech, which might explain why they only put up 10 points between the pair of outings.

There are so many resources in Tallahassee and they have a young guy in Willie Taggart who is going to figure it out pretty quick. I just hope it’s another few weeks before he does. I look for him to use those tight end sets and try to pound the ball against a banged up Louisville Defensive front. Cam Akers led the rush attack last week for them with 22 carries for 64 yards and a TD. We might get Robert Hicks and Dorian Ethridge back. But will they be 100%?

Who knows what the Louisville offense will look like on Saturday. The weather in Louisville has been more consistent than Coach Petrino’s playbook. If things start to go south we could see all 3 Louisville QB’s. I wouldn’t mind seeing Jordan Travis get a shot if Puma doesn’t find his groove. Who knows when we will ever see the Louisville receivers show up again. I think those Bama DB’s pulled some mortal combat shit and stole their souls.

I’m ready to rally around the Louisville Football team. I’ve been ready to rally around them. They have to throw us a bone on Saturday. A fan base usually has a pretty weak Psyche as well. I don’t know how much more Louisville Football fans can take. Lose this game and things could officially go off the rails. But come out and beat a quality program in FSU and it could be just what the Dr. Ordered to get this team back on track.

GameDay… Next man Up.


Next man up has kinda been the theme of this young football season for our Louisville Cardinals. Guys stepping up on the offense and defensive side of the ball when called on. You might feel like this Louisville team is struggling and in some aspects they are. But the young guys on this football team are flourishing.

With 129 yards rushing in the last game Malik Cunningham had one of the highest single-game rushing totals ever by a Louisville QB. In his first career start at linebacker, Robert Hicks led the Cardinals in tackles with 11 against WKU. He is the first Cardinal to do that since Dorian Ethridge last season. While freshman defensive end Jarrett Jackson had three tackles and the game-winning sack. He showed a lot of promise for a second straight week.

When these young Cardinals ran off the field last Saturday night they carried a lot of enthusiasm into the locker room. Even tho it was only a win over Western Kentucky they appeared to have some of that swagger back I had seen glimpses of on the field in Orlando. It’s going to take another big effort from these young guys on Saturday afternoon in Charlottesville.

The Cardinals open up their 5th season against a Virginia team that is currently 2-1 as well, with a loss to Indiana 20-16 sandwiched in between wins over Richmond 42-13 and Ohio 45-31. In that Ohio game, Virginia QB Bryce Perkins had a solid outing with 379 yards and three scores, while Jordan Ellis posted three more scores and 171 yards on the ground. Olamide Zaccheaus went off for 247 yards and two TDs to lead the Cavs in receiving.

The Virginia offense has another dimension to it this season with the ability of Perkins to make plays with his legs. But make no mistake about it this guy can also do some damage with his arm. Louisville 85th in total defense, 94th in rushing defense and 56th in passing defense will have a special challenge ahead of them in week four. They need to be aggressive enough to keep this offense in front of them but not be too aggressive overrunning their coverage. If Louisville can keep Perkins in check on the ground, and CBs Rodjay Burns and P.J. Mbanasor both very fast and talented can keep this defense from getting beat on the outside I really like our chances. Virginia is 13th nationally in converting third downs. The Louisville defense has to get off the field on Saturday.

The mobile QB has been the Virginia Defense Kryptonite. And with a steady dose of Cunningham and Dae Williams I think this Louisville team will find the end zone a few times. And I’d like to see our WR’s come to life this week as I think they could pose a real challenge for the Virginia secondary. Virginia Coach Bronco Mendenhall said after their game against Ohio last week: “Our secondary is not playing consistently, but Bryce [Hall] and Darrius Bratton are,” “Our safety play is inconsistent. Our corner play is actually consistent.” If Cunningham and Williams can establish the run and force the Virginia secondary up into tight coverage I really like our chances of beating them with the deep ball. Dez Fitzpatrick, Seth Dawkins, sand Jaylen Smith can sure talk a mean game. Now its time to play one.

I’m really hoping to see an inspired team performance on Saturday afternoon. With conference play getting started its gut check time for both the veterans and rookies on this Louisville football team. If they answer the call in the conference opener it could give them some great momentum moving forward. If not it could be a long season. Can’t wait for another exciting day of College football. L’s Up and go cards…