Ponce helps build efficient quarterbacks

Quarterback Micale Cunningham will start against Miami

Micale Cunningham will start at for Louisville football for the sixth straight week. Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield confirmed the redshirt sophomore quarterback would start in his weekly the press conference Nov. 4.

Cunningham and Evan Conley both made it through Louisville’s 28-21 victory over Virginia healthy and used the bye week to continue to progress.

“The encouraging thing is, they are probably as healthy as they have been in the last month,” Satterfield said. “Last night they were both running around feeling good.”

Conley played in the second quarter against Virginia after rotating series with Cunningham against Clemson. Satterfield said Conley will be ready to go and plans to monitor how he uses the quarterbacks against Miami.

Cunningham has thrown for 1,009 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions while completing 62.1 percent of his passes. Conley has passed for 473 yards and four touchdowns in his freshman year.

Satterfield gives credit to quarterbacks’ coach Frank Ponce for the unit’s success.

“Coach Ponce does a great job with those guys. He’s very consistent and he coaches them all the same,” Satterfield said. “When they get an opportunity to make their presence known in playing a game, they are prepared.”

Ponce is detailed oriented, so the quarterbacks have a good understanding of what they’re going to see in opposing defenses. Ponce worked with Satterfield at Appalachian State for six seasons as the co-offensive coordinator/passing game coordinator.

Satterfield believes Ponce’s experience as a high school coach helps him work well with quarterbacks.

“When you’re dealing with high school guys, you’re developing them from the time they’re in ninth grade, 14 years old, to when they become a senior,” Satterfield said. “He does a great job teaching them and I think that translates to really good quarterback play over his career coaching them.”