Louisville Report

Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Syracuse Orange

The Cardinals kick off the 2022 season on the road against the Orange.
Matthew McGavic|
Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Syracuse Orange
Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Syracuse Orange

Louisville Cardinals (0-0, 0-0 ACC) at Syracuse Orange (0-0, 0-0 ACC)

- Kickoff: Saturday, September 3 at 8:00 p.m. EST
- Location: JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.
- Weather Conditions: Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to cloudy skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
- How To Watch: ACC Network
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Louisville -4.5
- All-Time Series: Louisville leads 13-7
- Last Meeting: Louisville won 41-3 on Nov. 13, 2021 (Cardinal Stadium - Louisville, Ky.)

Game Notes

Louisville

  • Louisville opens its 105th season on Saturday when the Cardinals travel to Syracuse for the earliest conference game since 2014 when the Cards played their first Atlantic Coast Conference game versus Miami on Sept. 1.
  • The Cardinals will be making their first appearance in Syracuse since a 54-23 loss during the 2018 season. The Orange played three consecutive times in Louisville from 2019-21 with the Cards winning all three contests, Louisville is 5-4 all-time in Syracuse and have split the last four appearance against Syracuse in the JMA Wireless Dome.
  • The Cardinals return 17 starters from last season’s 6-7 squad and have 34 players on the roster who have started games during their careers at Louisville. UofL brings back seven starters on offense and 10 on the defensive side of the football. There are 18 players on offense with at least one career start and 16 on defense.
  • The offense is led by quarterback Malik Cunningham, who accounted for 39 touchdowns last season. The native of Montgomery, Ala., totaled 3,872 yards of total offense and became the school’s second quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, with a career high 1,031 yards. Marshon Ford led the way receiving with 49 receptions for 550 yards and a pair of scores. Ahmari Huggins caught 29 passes for 444 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie.
  • Louisville has averaged at least 200 rushing yards in each of Scott Satterfield’s first three seasons. The Cardinals are one of two teams (Ole Miss) from a Power Five Conference to average 200 rushing yards per game each of the last three seasons (2019, 2020, 2021).
  • Malik Cunningham has accounted for at least one touchdown in 30-straight games as the UofL signal caller. The last time Cunningham failed to be responsible for at least one score in a game came in a 45-10 loss to Clemson during the 2019 season.
  • Offensive guard Caleb Chandler will be making his 38th consecutive start on the offensive line for the Cardinals, bringing his career total to a team high 41 during his five seasons with the Cards.
  • Louisville hit the transfer portal hard with the addition of nine different players signing for the 2022 season. All nine of the additions will make key contributions to the squad as all are listed on the depth chart for the season opener versus Syracuse. The Cards bolstered the secondary with the signings of Jarvis Brownlee (Florida State), CB Quincy Riley (Middle Tennessee) and safeties M.J. Griffin (Temple) and Nicaro Harper (Jacksonville State).
  • Jermayne Lole (Arizona State) and linebacker Momo Sanogo (Mississippi) are a pair of transfers in the front seven who will aid to the Cardinals’ defense.
  • On the offensive side, the Cardinals added firepower at the wide receiver position in Tyler Hudson (Central Arkansas) and Dee Wiggins (Miami), while running back Tiyon Evans (Tennessee) gives the Cards another weapon in the backfield.
  • The Cardinals fell victim to seven losses to the transfer portal in wide receivers Demetrius Cannon and Tyler Harrell, running back Aidan Robbins, defensive backs Kani Walker and T.J. Lewis and offensive linemen Tim Lawson and Kobe Baynes.
  • Following the 31-28 loss versus Air Force in the First Responder Bowl, it marked the eighth game in the last three seasons that Louisville lost by a touchdown or less.

Syracuse

  • Syracuse opens the season with a home game for the first time since 2017 when it hosts Louisville on Sept. 3. It marks the first home ACC season opener since the Orange joined the league in 2013.
  • Syracuse is going for its eighth win in the last nine years in its season opener. It will be the fifth straight year the Orange open with an FBS opponent.
  • Head coach Dino Babers starts his seventh season on the sidelines for the Orange.
  • Robert Anae takes over as the Orange's offensive coordinator. He will also oversee the tight ends and inside receivers. Anae comes to Syracuse from Virginia, where he served as the offensive coordinator from 2016-21.
  • RB Sean Tucker is Syracuse's single-season rushing leader after running for 1,496 yards in 2021. Tucker broke Joe Morris' record of 1,372 that stood for 42 years.
  • Syracuse led the ACC and finished 16th in the nation in rushing offense (213.5 ypg).
  • Syracuse has eight players on its roster in 2022 that started a game at offensive line at the FBS level: Carlos Vettorello (31), Matthew Bergeron (28), Dakota Davis (24), Darius Tisdale (16), Chris Bleich (15), Kalan Ellis (5), Josh Ilaoa (1) and FB Chris Elmore had started eight games at offensive guard in 2020.
  • QB Garrett Shrader rushed for 781 yards last season, which was the fourth-highest total among FBS quarterbacks. Shrader had 14 rushing TDs in 2021 That total tied for 19th in the nation and ranked second among quarterbacks behind Louisville's Malik Cunningham.
  • Syracuse ranked 19th in the nation and second in the ACC in total defense. The Orange gave up 330.3 yards per game. It marked the Orange's best defensive performance since 2010 when it allowed just 301.5 yards per game.
  • DB Garrett Williams ranked third in the ACC in passes defended with 1.00 per game. That average tied for 27th in the nation.
  • DB Duce Chestnut tied for 47th in the nation and fourth in the ACC in passes defended with 11.
  • The Orange have registered at least one takeaway in 40 out of 49 games, dating back to the 2017 season finale against Boston College. 'Cuse has won the takeaway battle in 26 of its last 49 games (nine of the remaining 20 were even).

Depth Charts

Here are the depth charts for both teams ahead of their matchup: Louisville vs. Syracuse

Comparison

See how the Cardinals stack up against the Orange, and who the statistical models favor: Tale of the Tape, Predictions: Louisville vs. Syracuse

Uniform Report

Louisville will be wearing red helmets and pants with white jerseys; Syracuse will be wearing orange helmets and pants with navy jerseys.

Additional Coverage

(Photo of Jalen Mitchell: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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Published
Matthew McGavic
MATTHEW MCGAVIC

McGavic is a 2016 Sport Administration graduate of the University of Louisville, and a native of the Derby City. He has been covering the Cardinals in various capacities since 2017, with a brief stop in Atlanta, Ga. on the Georgia Tech beat. He is also a co-host of the 'From The Pink Seats' podcast on the State of Louisville network. Video gamer, bourbon drinker and dog lover. Find him on Twitter at @Matt_McGavic

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