The 2016 Louisville Football season got off to a pretty good start last Thursday under the lights of Papa John’s Cardinal stadium. If the Cardinals can keep that momentum going into each week it could be a special season. The competition gets a little tougher this week with a Friday night trip to Syracuse.
These teams have had a pretty steady rivalry over the past 12 years. Louisville leads the overall series 8 to 6 and has won five out of the last six including two straight. The last time Cuse beat Louisville was in 2012 when the Orange handed the 9-0 Cardinals their first loss of the season and Ryan Nassib looked like John Elway in the 45-26 upset. That is also the last time they beat a Nationally ranked team. The Cards were #11 in the country. They pulled out all of the stops that day and are hoping to pull a similar upset this time around.
The Syracuse Football program has not been a model of consistency and has had three different coaches over the last 10 seasons. Finding the right guy for the job is not an easy thing to do but this time the Orange might have found their man in head coach Dino Babers.
Babers is a disciple of some the most creative offensive minds in the game. One of those guys is Mike Martz. You might remember the “Greatest Show on Turf”? It was once said about Martz that he was teaching so far ahead of what others were teaching. Dino Babers is trying to stay ahead of the game with his potent, fast pace, aggressive style of football and hopes to bring some of that “Greatest Show” to the turf of the Carrier Dome.
It will take Babers a while to get the players he wants for his system but the cupboard is far from bare at Cuse. They are among ACC teams Florida State and Louisville to return at least 90 percent of their rushing production and at least 85 percent of their receiving yardage from a year ago.
Leading their offensive unit is sophomore quarterback Eric Dungey. He played very well last week (34-of-40 for 355 yards). He is a heady QB who can sling it around or run it. His mobility is more than adequate. He’s got a few athletic and talented guys to toss it to in wide receivers Steve Ishmael (registered 1,000 career receiving yards last week), Ervin Philips (caught a school-record 14 balls last week), and Maryland transfer Amba Etta-Tawo (caught 12 passes for 210 yards last week, fifth-highest in Syracuse history). They have one of the most versatile players in the country in receiver and return specialist Brisly Estime.
They’ve also got some running power with backs Dontae Strickland, Jordan Fredericks and freshman Moe Neal. The biggest question mark on this unit is the offensive line. LT Cody Conway, LG Aaron Roberts and RT Jamar McGloster made their first career starts last week.
All I’ve heard this week is how the Louisville defense will have their hands full with the up tempo style offense. Coach Grantham and his guys spent the spring and fall chasing Lamar Jackson around on the football field so I don’t think they’ll have any trouble adjusting to the unorthodox style of “Babers Ball”.
The biggest challenge this week will fall on the shoulders of the Louisville defensive backs. Every wide receiver on Syracuse’s roster caught a pass last week. They are going to sling the ball around and will attack the entire football field. Josh Harvey Clemons will have an opportunity to record his first big game of the season. His versatility will be a good weapon to have Friday night. Devonte Fields, James Hearns and Keith Kelsey will need to put the pressure on Dungey and not let him get into a rhythm. While DeAngelo Brown holds down the run. At the end of the day the pressure of the Louisville defense will be a lot for the young inexperienced Cuse line to handle.
Lamar Jackson and the Louisville offense faced a hectic, blitzing style of defense last week but will face a more methodical approach this week. The Cuse defense will work with a zone mindset and look to get a big push up front with their line backers and defensive line. Their D-line is really young and unproven but the back seven is formidable. Their best players on this side of the ball are linebackers Zaire Franklin, free safety Antwan Cordy, and cornerback Corey Winfield.
Lamar Jackson and company should have no problems attacking the zone coverage. Overall there is more speed and athleticism on the Louisville side of the ball and more overall experience in general. Last season Cole Hikutini scored his first career touchdown against the Orange in route to a three catch, two score day. I think Cole will fit in nicely to the game plan this week and his success against Cuse will continue. I also think Staples and Quick have a big week.
The emotion of the “Oranged Out” Carrier Dome crowd and the excitement of their players will keep this game competitive throughout the first half, but eventually this game will be decided by big-time football players making big plays. The Cardinals have more of those big time football players and will make more of those big plays. This game won’t be a repeat of that 2012 meeting. I don’t see this Louisville team having that type of clunker. Cards win going away setting up a great showdown with FSU next weekend. Go Cards!