What Louisville HC Scott Satterfield Said After 31-28 Loss vs. Air Force

DALLAS - Multiple absences related to COVID, injuries and the transfer portal, as well as a surprise air attack from Air Force proved to be too much to overcome for Louisville, as the Cardinals fell 31-28 in the First Responder Bowl.

Here's what head coach Scott Satterfield had to say following the loss:

(Opening Statement)

First of all, congratulations to Air Force. Coach (Troy) Calhoun and his staff, they do an outstanding job. They got a bunch of great kids over there on that sideline. Just give them their props for for coming out and playing a really good game. We knew the challenges that we were gonna face coming into this game. Their offense occupying the football was one for sure, and then trying to stop the run. In doing that, when you do try to stop the run, you're going to be one-on-one on the outside. They took advantage of that. We did not play good on the perimeter outside on those throws, but I want to give them credit, Number 13 (Brandon Lewis) made some great plays running. He's a fast runner, we're playing man to man. Essentially, our guy's got to win, and their guy won. That was obviously a huge part of the game, the big two touchdown passes they threw are huge. Then the drive in the fourth quarter, the nine and a half minute drive, they had to hit two big third down to convert, to get that keep that drive going. We ended up holding them to a field goal, but nine and a half minutes were off the clock, and that's how they win. They keep you off the field. Offensively, I thought we played solid. To me, the most disappointing offense was early in the game when we got down there - I think Malik scrambles and gets a first down, and we get called for holding. Ended up pushing us back, and then we missed the field goal that turned out to be the difference in the game three points. They made their field goal, we missed ours. But I thought we ran the ball. We didn't throw the ball early well, but then toward the end of the game, we started picking that up and throwing the ball well. But again, limited opportunities in the second half. We just didn't have many. Then we had the big play in special teams on a kickoff return, which limited one of the offensive opportunities, but we scored, which is obviously great. It was a big time run by Jaws (Jawhar Jordan) there to get that touchdown. It was a team loss for us. It was all three phases. It wasn't just the touchdown passes. It was offensively for us not scoring when we got down there, twice. We got to score touchdowns when we get down there

(On the third quarter 4th and 1 play at the goal line where Trevion Cooley was stuffed)

That was a tempo play, and we had ran it three times earlier in the game, and got picked up on all those. As a matter of fact, when we scored the other touchdown there, it was with the same play. It was just getting up, snap the ball right now, and try to score. They ran a pinch on both edges right there. We should have gone on the left side to give the running back an opportunity. We didn't, but good play by them. To me, we get to ball right back after that, and we hit Tyler Harrell for a touchdown. That to me, offensively, that wasn't as bad as the earlier drive when we go down and we get no points. We didn't overcome that. We should have been able to score down there on that, and we get called for the holding penalty.

(On having to play without several starters in the secondary)

It's tough for us. The secondary was guys out there that hadn't played much at all. Rance (Conner) is a true freshman out there, and he was out there playing. Trey Franklin hadn't played a ton this year, he's out there playing corner. (Josh) Minkins had to start at safety, and he's played some, but not a ton. We were short handed in the back end back there, and they're on an island, all game long. Again, credit them. Their quarterback made the throw, and the receiver got up, and they connected on those plays for touchdowns. We talked about it: we don't want to give up the big plays, but those plays were critical. The guys in the box were doing a pretty good job stopping the run, and doing their thing. But it takes all 11 guys.

(On if he was surprised at the deep shots that Air Force was taking)

No. Anytime you play a team like this, they're gonna take a shot. If they connect, they're going to come back to it again, and they did. It was second and long, second and ten, third and ten - long yardage situations where they feel one-on-one, we'll take a shot, let's let's see what happens. We knew that was going to come, guys just had to stay on top and make plays. Didn't do it.

(On the passing struggles in the first half)

I think early on, we had a couple guys open there. We had a couple of balls tipped in the air, we had guys free, Malik made a great read down in the red zone where we had Ahmari (Huggins-Bruce) in the corner, the ball just sailed on them out of bounds on that one. That would have been a touchdown. We just weren't in sync, weren't clicking early in the game. I think once we came back, started settling in, was able to make some plays. Got some easy conversions there throwing the football, and and then we settled in on the throw game. It was there, but then we also can run the football too. Again, just limited possessions. I think early in the game, we came out and we're probably trying to throw too much early. Probably should have ran it more early in the game, because our offensive line was doing a really good job creating holes for our backs to hit up in there, and then Malik to run as well. So that was probably on the coaches early in the game with that

(On the culmination of small mistake throughout the game)

Four close losses, and it comes down to one or two plays. You don't ever know when those plays are going to happen. We're just good enough to be right there in those games, but we got to get over the top. We got to get over the hump, we got to make more plays. It's making a kick here and there, it's knocking a ball down if I'm covering a guy one-on-one. Offensively, when you get an opportunity to make the play, you got to make the play. You just never know when those plays are going to happen. And we've been so close. We're right there. I feel like this team can continue to grow and develop, and get over the hump. We have to, obviously, and we got a great nucleus of guys to make that happen.

(On the plan heading into the offseason)

We just continue to work and compete in everything that we do. Guys that were young this year that had to play - like (Trevion) Cooley here was young, we got some secondary guys that were young, we got some young wide receivers that are playing out there. All those guys get a year older, and give them a little bit more experience. They've been through that scar down a little bit with that. That's how you do it. There's no secret to how you do it. You got to work. You got to come back in and work. That's what I told the guys in the locker room. We'll lose some guys this year, we lose guys like this right here (C.J. Avery) that's been a mainstay in this program, that we love to death. They're not gonna be around anymore. So now, the next wave has got to come in and lead this team. The next guys that are gonna have to grow up and become leaders, and not just being freshmen or sophomores anymore. You're leaders on the team now. That's what we talked about in there. Come back in here, be a man, work your tail off, and let's get this program to where it needs to be: competing for ACC championships. That's the message for this offseason. While they're off for these next two weeks, that's got to be what they're thinking about.

(On if he thinks there is something college football can do to help bowl teams stricken by injuries and the transfer portal)

We got to do something. Saying it's the virus, that's a part of it, but that's not the whole story. We all know that's not the whole story. We have the early signing period, we have guys opting out, NFL guys, we have guys that just don't want to play, we have guys that are transferring and getting the portal and they want to leave before the game. There's a lot of factors today. We also have the four game redshirt rule, where we had guys that played four games this year, we couldn't play them in this bowl game. We'd love to be able to play some of those guys in the bowl game. Maybe we say a bowl games doesn't count toward a redshirt, right? Because now you do have more players available, as opposed to guys that are not available. I just think we got to look at everything when we start thinking about postseason. We're two years in this postseason thing, and we're getting games cancelled left and right. It's just disappointing. As a college football fan is disappointing, I think for the school's alumni and all that, it's disappointing. We got to do something.

(On potential coaching staff changes, and additions to already vacant spots)

That will be addressed over the next few weeks, before we get back in January. Several different positions that will hire, in all aspects really. We'll tackle that in the next two or three weeks, and then we'll see what happens over this period. You never know. Player-wise or coach wise in this particular time of the year, this is the time where things happen in the coaching world. We've seen it, we continue to see it every day. But we'll make adjustments and we'll roll with it. Like I said, whoever is coming back here in January, let's be ready to get this program rolling. That's the message.

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