Louisville HC Scott Satterfield Wanting 'More Physical' Spring Practice

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program is coming off of a disappointing 2021 campaign.

Expectations were slightly tempering following to a COVID-impacted 4-7 season in 2020, and even though the Cardinals did return to a bowl last year, they didn't head into the offseason with a ton of on-field momentum. Louisville finished 2021 with a 6-7 record on the year, including a 4-4 mark in ACC play and a 31-28 loss to Air Force in the First Responder Bowl.

The program has been able to recapture some offseason momentum in recent weeks. Louisville has made four additions to their staff that have been lauded by fans and media alike, they put a bow tie on an underrated 2022 recruiting class, and are on a blazing hot start in the '23 recruiting cycle

Now, the attention will soon shift over to spring practice, which is set to begin in late February. Based on what he saw last season, head coach Scott Satterfield is making some deviations to how he operates spring ball.

"We're gonna probably be a little bit more physical this spring. We're gonna go opposite of what I've kind of been," he said. "I want to go back and be physical. Let's get after it, let's let's put ourselves in some really tough situations."

This mindset isn't out of nowhere. In both their season-opener against Ole Miss and regular season finale vs. Kentucky, the discrepancy in physicality between Louisville and both SEC schools couldn't have been more apparent. The Cardinals were dominated by the Rebels in Atlanta to the tune of 43-24, and were thoroughly embarrassed by the Wildcats on their home turf, 51-21.

As many know by now, Louisville also was plagued by an inability to close out games. Three of their seven losses were by one possession, and four of them saw the Cardinals tied or leading entering the fourth quarter. Satterfield believes an uptick in physicality during spring ball, as well as an emphasis on late game situation, will help Louisville turn some of these one score games into wins.

"Go back to our season, we lost a lot of games close right there at the end," he said. "Let's put our kids in situations where they have to rise up to the occasion at the end, you gotta make the play. So we're gonna start doing some of those type things."

Back in December, Louisville parted ways with head strength and conditioning coach Mike Sirignano, then hired Ben Sowders away from Georgia - one week before the Bulldogs claimed their first national championship in 41 years.

Sowders has only been on campus for a short amount of time, but Satterfield is already loving some of the early feedback he is hearing about him.

"I think he's done a tremendous job so far since he's been here for the two weeks," he said. "Yesterday, we got a chance to get with our team out in the field, watch them work a little bit. Man, I love where that's headed in that room, and he's gonna be a real good asset for us as well.

Louisville will hold 15 total practice sessions, including eight in full pads, culminating in a spring game - the first under Satterfield - on Sunday, Apr. 3 at Cardinal Stadium. Kickoff is set for 4:00 p.m. EST, and will also be televised on the ACC Network.

(Photo of Scott Satterfield: Sam Upshaw Jr. - Louisville Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

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