Previewing Pitt's Next Opponent With Lousiville Report's Matt McGvic
PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers are headed south this weekend to the Bluegrass State for their first ACC road trip of the year.
The Panthers will meet Louisville for a primetime kickoff on ACC Network against the Cardinals and to get to know the opponent better, Inside the Panthers asked five questions of our counterparts from Kentucky.
Here's what Matt McGavic of Louisville Report had to say about the Cardinals heading into this interdivisional matchup.
1. How has the Cardinals season gone so far? Are they exceeding or falling short of what you expected from them in the preseason?
MM: Without question, they are falling short. Heading into the year, most fans and media alike thought Louisville has a very real chance to go 5-1 over the first half of the season given the perceived improvements that the teams made over the offseason. Instead, they’re just 1-3 in ACC play far and 3-3 overall, and head coach Scott Satterfield is very much on the hot seat.
The offense has been subject to prolonged cold stretches mainly due to an inefficient passing game, and the defense has trouble containing the big play. Penalties were a large issue over the first three games, but that issue seems to have gotten better.
They do have some momentum on their side, as they were able to win at Virginia with a backup quarterback, but they haven’t shown that they can capitalize on it up to this point. In fact, they’ve alternated wins and losses since the start of the year.
2. Who’s the most dangerous non-Malik Cunningham player Louisville has on offense?
MM: I would probably have to say tight end Marshon Ford. He might be third in receiving so far this year behind wide receivers Tyler Hudson and Ahmari Huggins-Bruce, but that’s mainly because the offensive staff hadn’t really done a great job at scheming up plays for him until the Virginia game.
He might not be the tallest or the fastest option in the world, but he is a mismatch for a lot of defenders. He lines up mostly out of the backfield as a halfback in this offense, but has been known to line up out wide from time to time. He’s great in the flats, over the middle, and especially in the red zone. If he is able to get going, watch out.
3. What’s the injury report look like?
MM: Louisville’s bye week came at the right time. After suffering a concussion against Boston College, Cunningham is back at practice and expected to play against Pitt.
Running back Jalen Mitchell, who was the lead back last year and has had to miss a month due to a leg injury, is also back. This year’s lead tailback, Tiyon Evans, is a question mark after getting dinged up at Boston College.
Someone to monitor, actually, is Huggins-Bruce. During the bye, he tweeted, then quickly deleted, a tweet saying that he would be out the next two games but didn’t specify why. When asked about this, head coach Scott Satterfield said that he was practicing, but wouldn’t speak on the tweet. Reading between the lines, it sounds like he might be suspended, but we have no confirmation of this and won’t know definitively until Saturday.
4. Everyone knows Malik Cunningham can beat you with his legs, but how effective is his arm?
MM: He’s been a little underwhelming this season as a passer, to be honest. The staff spent a lot of the offseason working on Cunningham’s abilities as a pocket passer, and quite frankly, it hasn’t shown so far. He has a propensity to overthrow balls at the worst possible times, and about 1-2 times a game throws an absolutely boneheaded pass into traffic of some sort.
A lot of Louisville’s passing game in the past has been predicated on the deep ball, and it hasn’t been there so far this season considering they don’t have a burner like Tutu Atwell or Tyler Harrell. Not to mention that, for some unknown reason, Cunningham has seemingly refused to throw the ball over the middle this year.
That’s not to say that he’s a bad passer, because he does have 2-3 throws per game that make you go “wow.” But he just hasn’t been consistent like many hoped he would be.
5. Pitt’s offensive line coach and former Louisville assistant Dave Borbley called this the best defense he’s seen the Cardinals have. Just how good are they and why?
MM: It’s powered mainly by their front seven, and particularly their defensive line. This defense does an amazing job at getting in the backfield, as they’re ranked No. 3 nationally in sacks and No. 11 in tackles for loss.
They’ve had a good linebacker corps for a few years now, but it hasn’t been complimented by a good defensive line. Now, guys like YaYa Diaby and Dezmond Tell are starting to reach their full potential, and when you add in proven commodities at linebacker like Yasir Abdullah and Monty Montgomery, now nearly every starter in the front seven is a legitimate threat to get after the quarterback.
The main issue with this defense is that the secondary has been extremely spotty. They’ll be phenomenal and shut down the passing game for 75-80 percent of their snaps, but then they’ll inexplicably give up a massive play through the air when they have an opportunity to get on the field. Case in point: Louisville is No. 18 nationally with eight interceptions, but ninth in the ACC in passing yards allowed.
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