Louisville HC Scott Satterfield Previews Georgia Tech
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program is coming off of their first bye week of the 2020 season, and it couldn't have come at a better time.
After suffering back-to-back losses against Miami & Pitt, the Cardinals (1-2, 0-2 ACC) had time to not only correct their mistakes, but also to get healthy after going up against a pair of high caliber teams.
"We were able to get some guys healed up last week and I think that we are in pretty good shape heading into Tuesday practice," head coach Scott Satterfield said during his weekly teleconference. "We should have all of our guys available for this week.
Like Louisville, Georgia Tech has had an okay start to the 2020 season. After opening up with an upset at Florida State, the Yellow Jackets (1-2, 1-1) then dropped a pair of home contests to both UCF and Syracuse.
While their next opponent might not be as highly regarded as their previous two conference foes, they have some young up-and-coming talent.
On the offensive side of things they're led primarily by quarterback Jeff Sims and running back Jahmyr Gibbs, both of whom are true freshmen. While neither are perfect, both have a high ceiling in the eyes of Satterfield.
"They started a new freshman at quarterback and he is a very talented player. He's got great size, he can run,” he said. “They also have a freshman running back who I think is a really good running back. He's a good player and is very fast."
Sims and Gibbs are one & two in rushing for the Yellow Jackets, combining for 383 total rushing yards. The passing game still needs a bit of cleaning up, as Sims has already accounted for eight interceptions to three touchdowns and 695 yards.
The Georgia Tech defense is still trying to get things going for them as they are allowing 441.3 yards per game, but they already have their identity thanks to head coach Geoff Collins - and Satterfield knows that. The two head coaches in this upcoming game are very familiar with one another, as they both coached at Florida International in 2010 when Collins was the DC and Satterfield was the OC.
"I know he likes to bring pressure, he's a very aggressive coach when it comes to the defensive side of the ball," Satterfield said. "He wants his kids to play fast and cause havoc on that side of the ball."
When it comes to special teams, Georgia Tech has a clear advantage and it's not even up for debate. Punter Pressley Harvin III leads the ACC in net punting with 46.14 yards per punt - a mark that is good for fourth in the nation.
"I think in the last couple years they've been able to manufacture some wins a lot of it in special teams," Satterfield said. "They've done some good things special teams-wise over the last year and a half."
Kickoff is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 9 at 7:00 p.m. EST on ESPN.
(Photo of Scott Satterfield: Atlantic Coast Conference)
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