Cards Football Has Many As Practice Kicks Off
For the first time in at least 5 seasons, the Louisville Cardinals head into fall practice with many legitimate questions in front of them. While hindsight might show just as many issues from the 2007 season, Steve Kragthorpe’s second year at the helm is the one that will begin with many riddles and enigmas both on and off the field. As our friends at Cardinal Chronicle give us reasons to get excited about 2008, we still have plenty of inquiries before we can answer, “RU Ready?”
11) Hunter CANwell? - Yeah, he’s Mel Kiper’s top-ranked senior QB. He’s got the arm of Dan Marino and the size of Troy Aikman. He should already be starting for the Baltimore Ravens at the least. But the fact is Cantwell has only played in 18 games (4 starts) and attempted 157 career passes. In his first season with Kragthorpe, the lanky gunslinger managed a career-low 14 attempts despite plenty of opportunities at mop-up duty when games got away from the Cards. Will Jeff Brohm bring back the playbook from 2005-2006 or will Cantwell need to take reps in a new system? Can the former walk-on from Paducah handle the pressures and pains of taking hits in the pocket full-time?
10) AFROS Activate! - Even if Cantwell is the All-American quarterback that draft pundits project, who will catch the lasers and bombs off his powerful right arm? With Harry Douglas, Mario Urrutia, and Gary Barnidge all gone to the NFL Draft and Scott Kuhn joining them via free agency (but spending the season on the IR after a knee injury 3 weeks ago), Louisville’s AFROS will be in serious need of some activator in 2008. Scott Long returns as the team’s top receiver, bringing his 27 receptions and 358 receiving yards with him but zero touchdowns. Pending the return of Trent Guy from his injuries in a shooting last month, it is entirely possible that the Cards will have only a single receiving TD (Brock Bolen) from the 2007 season.
9) Going Green? - No, the Cards aren’t starting any recycling programs or putting energy efficient light bulbs in at PJCS. But with 17 starters gone from last year and only 49 letter winners returning, going green will definitely be the theme as fall practice breaks for this year’s Governor’s Cup. Green as in freshmen in major roles. LB Dexter Heyman is earning early praise on a unit that could certainly use him and RB Darius Ashley has impressed on physical appearance alone. TE Nate Nord, the nephew of tight ends’ coach Greg Nord, has also passed the first “look test” from fans. Add to that list K Chris Philpott, who will likely replace Art Carmody, and you already have quite a list of true freshmen competing for starting jobs. But who will stand out when the stadium lights go up? The answer will go a long way in determining how good and how deep this team can be.
8) Back on Top? - Again, not what you think. Getting back on top of the college football world would be nice, but I don’t think many fans are expecting BCS bowl games and Big East titles much less anything more than a winning record. No, this is about the Cardinal RUNNING backs. And specifically, who’s on top?
With Brock Bolen healthy, Bilal Powell ready to continue his breakout from last year’s finale against Rutgers, and Victor Anderson ready to add his name into the latest running back by committee, it appears that the Cards have plenty of talent to tote the ball. Add in Darius Ashley and there are four very solid guys jockeying for carries.
But one thing this team still doesn’t seem to have is a go-to back. There is no Michael Bush, Lionel Gates, or Eric Shelton ready to convert an important 3rd-and-short or 4th-and-goal. There isn’t even a Kolby Smith who can take over a game in the 4th quarter and move the chains while nursing a late lead. Someone will have to prove capable of being more than just a cog in the wheel when games reach critical stage. Shuffling in running back after running back means no rhythm for the offense and ample time for the opposing defense to get tired bodies off the field. While RBBC is great when you have the depth, the lack of a go-to back could result in more stalled drives at inopportune times for the Cards. Stay tuned.
7) Linebacking Corps - What has been the strength of the defense in recent years (Robert McCune, Brandon Johnson, Nate Harris, Lamar Myles, Malik Jackson) is surprisingly and suddenly the biggest question for a unit with plenty of them heading into 2008. Gone are Myles, Jackson, and Preston Smith – who accounted for 212 tackles and are likely to be replaced by Miami transfer James Bryant and a pair of special teams aces in Stephen Garr and Mozell Axson. Waiting in the wings are a former safety (Brandon Heath), a senior walk-on (Josh McDonald), and a 2-star JUCO transfer (Chris Campa). If the defense hopes to improve on its 72nd-ranked rush D, they will need a strong linebacking corps to back up a line (see, LINE… BACKER) that has plenty of its own questions heading into ‘08.
6) STRENGTH of Schedule? - With 8 home games (the most in school history) and opponents who themselves have plenty to answer before the start of the season, this year’s slate may be a real STRENGTH for a rebuilding Cardinal team. West Virginia and South Florida are predicted in the Top 15 by most preseason mags, but Louisville will get their shot at the Big East’s best in front of friendly crowds. The Mountaineers have their own issues as they try to replace Rich Rodriguez and keep players out of trouble and on the team. A tour of Tennessee (Tennessee Tech, Memphis, Middle Tennessee) should provide three W’s and a jumpstart to bowl eligibility. Even old rival Kentucky (Woodson, Burton, Tamme, Woodyard, Johnson, Pulley) and new rival Rutgers (Rice, Rice, Rice) must answer serious questions about their starting talent. Teams will undoubtedly step up to the Top 25 by season’s end, but for now it’s hard to see seven bowl teams gracing this year’s schedule as they did in 2007.
5) (Not So) Special Teams - With a defensive unit that had plenty of its own struggles slowing down opposing offenses, the kicking unit did the Cards few favors in gaining field position. Punters Corey Goettsche and Toddy Flannery were enough to leave fans in the fetal position all by themselves, combining for 11 punts of less than 35 yards and those memorable (nightmarish?) back-to-back shanks in the Syracuse game. Flannery wasn’t much more help in the kickoff game, putting just 9 of his 74 attempts into the end zone. The result was a weekly jail break for opposing return men, highlighted by the performances of MTSU’s Desmond Gee (7 for 160, 1TD), Syracuse’s Max Suter (4 for 148, 1TD), and West Virginia’s Darius Reynaud & Noel Devine (6 for 153). When your D can’t seem to slow down opponents with much consistency, handing the ball to the opposing offense at midfield is not helping. Can Goettsche find consistency and freshman Chris Philpott bring a big leg to the team in 2008?
4) Hold the Line - Louisville’s top returning players reside on the line, with pro prospects Eric Wood, George Bussey, and Earl Heyman anchoring each side of the ball. But who will step up as the other links in the chain to keep the lines safely docked in front of their quarterback and docking opposing running backs?
Heyman has plenty of experience coming back for 2008, but from a D-line that couldn’t pressure opposing quarterbacks and continually allowed runners to slip into the secondary. Can Adrian Grady return from a torn pectoral muscle to give the interior line a beefy boost? Can anyone on the edge develop into a consistent pass rush nightmare for opposing offenses? Heyman is probably the best defensive END on the team, but depth issues at tackle will likely see him lining up on the inside once again.
The offensive side has more to truly replace, seeing Breno Giacomini become the latest offensive lineman to head to the NFL while also graduating Danny Barlowe. Jeff Adams, Ryan Kessling, Abdul Kuyateh, and Brian Roche should ring a few bells for folks who follow recruiting and the excitement that followed these players coming out of high school, but now is the time for a few of them to step into big-time roles at the collegiate level. Freshman Mario Benavides and a line of sophomores wait in the wings if the upper classmen fail to lock up starting jobs.
3) Follow the Leader - With so much youth dotting the 2-deep in 2008, Louisville would be well served to find an on-the-field leader in the coming weeks. The Cards were often lost last season with Brohm playing the quiet type, Harry Douglas the injured type, and everyone else the lost/on-the-fence type. Eric Wood seemed to buy in to Krag’s system more than any other player last year, but will the team rally behind an offensive lineman? Can Cantwell step into the starting job AND the leader job simultaneously? Will Brock Bolen break a helmet or two just to establish himself as the man to lead men?
And what about the defensive side? Youth and depth have already been covered as serious issues for Ron English in his first season, so who will QB the D in ‘08? Can Latarrius Thomas return from his knee injury to take the reigns at safety? Has the play of Bobby Buchanon, Travis Norton, or Richard Raglin earned them the respect of their teammates? Is it up to Heyman to anchor the line and the pulse of his unit?
2) Fans of “One”? - Planted conspicuously on this year’s media guide is a lone raised helmet with the word “ONE” emblazoned across the cover. While those three letters certainly apply to a team that often seemed disjointed in 2007, it could also include a fan base that was equally divided as Syracuse and Middle Tennessee ran up and down the Papa John’s field. The Crunch Zone and 40,000 other fans were a big part of the 20-game home winning streak and wrath that came upon teams who dared stomp, strut, or tiptoe on the midfield bird during Bobby Petrino’s reign. Will those same 42,000 show up and SUPPORT a group coming off a 6-6 season? Will they stay if a game or two doesn’t go the way we have been accustomed to in the past decade? Stadium expansion and the future of the program might just hinge on these answers.
1) Coaching - Both at the head spot and down the line, we’ve never had as much consternation about the staff as we have this year. An entirely revamped defensive staff joins plenty of new faces on the other side of the ball to give Coach Kragthrope’s team quite a face lift in just his second season. There’s good reason to be excited about Ron English bringing his perennial Top 25 defense with him and watching the emergence of Jeff Brohm as an offensive guru. But Brohm’s never held a job this lofty and English has never had to work with talent this thin and in need of basic training. Can the new coordinators carry over their successes from last year’s final quarter (Brohm v. Rutgers) and last year’s home address (Michigan)? Can Coach Kragthorpe take the wheel of this boat and “right the ship”? Can all these coaches do it – as the staff and athletic department have said – “the right way”?
