Insider Perspective: Getting To Know The Louisville Cardinals
As BC prepares for Saturday's matchup with Louisville, BC Maven editor AJ Black spoke with Card Chronicle writer CardinalStrong about the team and the upcoming game. Make sure to follow him on Twitter.
AJ: Clearly the culture shift has been nothing short of extraordinary between Bobby Petrino and Scott Satterfield, what changes have you noticed between last year's team and this year's squad?
CardinalStrong: As you might imagine I’ve been asked this question a few times since January and I feel like each time I provide an answer it somehow ends up as a big ‘Mad Lib’ where I interject the words ‘culture’, ‘family’, and ‘attitude’ into various pockets of the response. Honestly though, those are the three biggest changes. Petrino was like the Billie Elish of college football…
I’m the bad type
Make your players sad type
Make your AD mad type
Hire my family, dad type
I'm the bad guy, duh
(Thanks for the Heisman though)
With Satterfield players seem genuinely happy to be playing football again, we see the focus on creating a family environment within the team and around the new staff, and a change in attitude is reflected in the way Satterfield speaks and teaches. He said a few weeks ago that sometimes you have to teach these guys with love instead of anger, and while he didn’t go full zip up sweater on his Mr. Rogers speech it does ring true for a few guys who have been beaten down verbally for many years with little to no relationship with the staff. They needed a confidence boost, and Satterfield has brought it.
AJ: Sitting at 2-2, what are your impressions on this team's strengths and weaknesses?
CardinalStrong: A 2-2 record is probably where 60% of the fanbase expected Louisville to be at this point so it is a challenge to gauge progression, even with a third of the season under wraps. There is no denying that both sides of the football are playing better than 2018, but the bar was so low that a similar effort or results from what we saw last year would be a huge red flag. The Satterfield offense is fun because it’s something different than what we are accustomed too (focus on the run), but it’s not without its flaws. The running backs (Javian Hawkins & Hassan Hall) have played well but are missing the passing threat to aid the ground game thus far. Bryan Brown and Cort Dennison brought the 3-4 scheme to Louisville on the defensive side of the ball and that move really helped identify some players that might have been out of position and get the best eleven on the field. They have been a Top 40-50 defense this year and that is a massive improvement.
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AJ: Satterfield looks like he is going with Jawon Pass this weekend, last year against BC he wasn't very effective. Is he the same quarterback as last year or has he changed in this new style of offense?
CardinalStrong: We heard all summer that rebuilding his confidence was priority number one, followed by a more simplified offense, and the presence of a more reliable run game. All three would do wonders in seeing the highly touted Jawon ‘Puma’ Pass reach his potential. Well, a lower extremity injury has limited his play to only two games so far in 2019 but a lot of the stats look very similar to last season. His completion percentage is still way to low (52.2%) and his yards per attempt is well below average (7.2). While we have only seen him against two teams, the more physical Notre Dame front and the ‘less physical’ Eastern Kentucky defense, they should have balanced each other out to some degree. Before the injury his mobility seemed to improve and the RPO stuff had him picking up big chunks on the ground against ND.
While there is a faction of fans starting to split with their QB opinion I think most agree the upside on Pass is slightly better than the more mobile Malik Cunningham. If Pass does get the start look for him to try and make some safe underneath throws early to build confidence seeing his first meaningful snap in almost a month. For those BC fans who may be excited thinking they’ll miss rhythmic stylings of the dual threat option Malik Cunnginham…sorry folks, guarantee he’ll get some snaps as well.
AJ: Louisville really struggled last year against the run, but this season they are markedly improved. Satterfield is known for bringing a stingy defense with him. Who has stuck out for you on the defense so far?
CardinalStrong: Before the season began most folks pointed to the inside linebackers as the most talent rich area on the field. CJ Avery and Dorian Etheridge are both great in space and can provide pressure up front. Four games in I’d be fine with that same argument, but I really like the play of Rodjay Burns (OLB) so far. Burns was shifted to the outside, or the ‘Card’ position in the offseason from cornerback and has thrived in his new role. He added some weight to his frame but can still cover slot receivers, pressure the QB, or do just about anything Coach Brown asks of him. He already has 21 tackles this year, including four behind the line and a couple sacks. Sometimes he’s off the line and sometimes he has his hand in the dirt, but he can cause a real problem for teams from just about anywhere. Honorable Mention: Chandler Jones. A young corner who is locking up some guys pretty well this season
AJ: Alright fun question, for Eagles fans that are visiting Louisville what are some recommendations for food and drink.
CardinalStrong: There is a little spot around the corner from the stadium that’s not very well known but has amazing French fries and some great cokes. It’s called McDonalds, they have a few locations here and there but I’m kind of a foodie so don’t expect everyone to know about it.
In all seriousness though, tailgating is a pretty big deal so if your walking around before kickoff just slide right into a spot and I promise you’ll get some southern hospitality. Friday night/Saturday night…it’s tough to narrow down. Louisville has some really nice sit down steak spots if you want to drop a couple bills on dinner in Jeff Ruby’s, Eddie Merlot, and Le Moo. If you’re looking for more of a sports vibe there is a couple unique spots in downtown Louisville (Sports and Social Club & Griffs) that could tickle your fancy. If you just want a solid meal with some drink options, check out ‘Against the Grain’ a smokehouse/brewery next to Louisville Slugger field. I shouldn’t need to say much more about it. If your staying close to the stadium it’s only about a 10 minute drive.
AJ: Final prediction time, what have you got?
CardinalStrong: Louisville has had a bye week to soak in the missed opportunity that was Florida State two weeks ago. Last year that game caused an internal collapse that the team never recovered from. While the outcome was the same, I think that game triggers the push they need to grab a couple back to back wins the ACC, starting this week with Boston College. While it’s nearly impossible to exude confidence when you haven’t won an ACC game in almost two years I feel like they can get over the hump this week. I fully expect Dillion to go off for 150+ on the ground and for it to be a tight one late but a big run from Tutu Atwell (he good) creates some separation and the Cards win by 10, 34-24. Satterfield dances, Adazzio grimaces, Chestnut Hill shifts focus to how many TDs Brady will drop on Washington come Sunday.