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| Photo Credit: Louisville Courier/University of Louisville |
Written By: Nathan Skinner
Canes Rising Contributor
Name: The University of Louisville
Mascot: Cardinals
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Home Stadium: Papa John's Cardinal Stadium (Capacity 55,000)
Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference(ACC) (1st season in conference)
Athletic Director: Tom Jurich
Head Coach: Bobby Petrino (Career Record: 83-30)
Time Capsule
Last season, Louisville entered the season highly ranked, following a convincing win over Florida in the 2013 Sugar Bowl. The 'Cards were the overwhelming choice to win the American Athletic Conference, and contend for a spot in the BCS National Championship Game. The team looked the part of contender early in the season, beating an assorted collection of creampuffs. Louisville had a 28-7 on UCF going into the 4th quarter but squandered it in a narrow defeat. This defeat ended any chance of the 'Cards playing for the title, and also ruined their chance for an AAC title. The U of L won the rest of their regular season games, finishing with a 12-1 regular season record, good for 2nd place in the AAC. Louisville wasn't selected as an at-large BCS team, and was instead selected to face Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl. The game was a total mismatch, as quarterback Teddy Bridgewater had a field day, leading the way to a 36-9 victory. Head Coach Charlie Strong left the program following the bowl game to accept the top job at The University of Texas, and Western Kentucky head coach Bobby Petrino was hired to replace him. Petrino, who was the head coach at the U of L from 2003-2006, returns to the school that he led to the 2007 Fedex Orange Bowl.
What to Expect This Season
Offense
Teddy Bridgewater is now a Minnesota Viking, but there isn't a battle to replace him . Will Gardner is slated to be the starting quarterback this season, and he's been struggling with Bobby Petrino's system. Even if Gardner is struggling, he has a plethora of weapons to help ease the transition, especially at receiver. The receiver position is the strongest position group on this team, led by DeVante Parker, a likely high draft pick. Parker, who frequently dominated during the Russell Athletic Bowl, suffered a foot injury during fall camp, and is looking questionable for Labor Day. If Parker is unable to play, Eli Rogers will be asked to fill Parker's role. Rogers, a player who chose Louisville over Miami is a player that is not only talented, but motivated. He was very emotional during the bowl game, and he will be very emotional on Labor Day. There's a lot of former South Florida players like Rogers on the Louisville roster, so this game will have the feel of a rivalry game.
If the passing game falters due to Rogers' injury or Gardner's ineffective play, the Cardinals will be able to depend on two talented running backs. Michael Dyer, a star on Auburn's recent National Championship team is now at Louisville, and looks to be ready to burst back onto the national scene. Dyer comes with significant baggage, but he is a very talented player. Michael Dyer broke the Auburn record for most rushing yards gained by a freshman, a record that was previously held by Bo Jackson. Dyer isn't the only back Louisville will depend on, Dominique Brown is a returning player, and he isn't a slouch.
This unit should be very good, the only question mark is whether Gardner adjusts to Bobby Petrino. Petrino is an elite offensive mind who has a knack for developing elite passers. If Gardner develops according to plan, the Cards offensive attack will be one of the best in the country. If Gardner is ineffective, Louisville will be good but not as explosive. It also remains to be seen whether Parker will play. If he cannot return to form, Louisville will struggle to replace him.
Defense
This unit is a shell of what it was last season. Besides losing former head coach Charlie Strong, and defensive coordinator Vance Bedford, the 'Cards lost a ton of talent from this unit. 6 of the top 10 tacklers from last season are gone, including both starting safeties. This unit does return some talent, especially in the linebacker corps. Lorenzo Maudlin is an elite player, a player that will be expected to lead this inexperienced unit. James Burgess also returns, but it remains to be seen whether he can have the same impact without the supporting cast he once enjoyed. He was very productive last season, but it can be said that he was the beneficiary of being the one guy that people couldn't scheme around.
This defense is transitioning to a 3-4 from a 4-3, a philosophy that is familiar to new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. This transition hasn't been without controversy, however. It's been reported in multiple media outlets that Grantham and Petrino are at odds*, and that the defense has been consistently shredded in scrimmages. Grantham is protected due to his abnormally generous contract, so he isn't going to be fired anytime soon. That said, this defense looks to be the weak point of this team. There's just too much talent to replace, and not enough depth in order for this team to match last year's production. Combine that with a total change in defensive philosophy, and you have a recipe for disaster. Grantham is a significant downgrade from Strong/Bedford, and Petrino has never shown an interest in fielding an elite defense.
Special Teams
This team improved significantly in this area during the Strong era, but it did regress last season. Ryan Johnson is a solid punter, who averaged 41.2 yards per punt. Placekicking duties are handled by John Wallace, who converted on 16 of 21 field goals last season. The Louisville return game is explosive, with a plethora of returners.
*--http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/louisville-cardinals-bobby-petrino-todd-grantham-feud-081814
http://espn.go.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/72982/louisville-cardinals-season-preview (Portions of this preview was used in this article)
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