Louisville 2009 NCAA Football Predictions
Written June 29, 2009 by InfoPlays
Head coach Steve Kragthorpe cleaned the house in the offseason, hiring six new coaches to the staff. With a lack of a proven quarterback, how well the defense improves may actually define the Louisville Cardinals in 2009. The schedule is very demanding, with road trips to Kentucky, Utah, WVU and Cincinnati looming in the near future. Patience might need to be a virtue, but will the administration be patient with another so-so season? The Cardinals are listed at +1500 to win the Big East Conference in 2009 according to the college football lines for futures betting.
Offense: It has been more than a decade since the Cardinals were lacking a quality quarterback, but nobody emerged in the spring to think that trend will continue. There are as many as five quarterbacks in the mix, including a trio of juniors in Tyler Wolfe, junior college transfer Adam Froman and NC State transfer Justin Burke. The others competing are redshirt freshmen Zach Stoudt and Will Stein. Wolfe announced at the conclusion of the spring that he would be transferring. Coach Kragthorpe said the competition would continue into the fall and that he might not choose a starter until just before the September 5th opener. He has not ruled out a two-quarterback scenario, either.
The early favorite has to be Burke, who saw limited action in 2007 with the Wolfpack. Doug Beaumont, Trent Guy , Josh Chichester and Troy Pascley offer four solid wide receivers on the outside. Beaumont led the Cardinals and was fourth in the Big East with 62 catches for 750 yards, though he failed to score a touchdown. The running game will be Louisville’s backbone this season, led by sophomore Victor Anderson, who rushed 183 times for 1,047 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Anderson broke the 100-yard mark five times last year, but he finished the season poorly, with 47 carries for 207 yards in his final four games. The Cardinals lose two All-Big East linemen, including first-round NFL Draft pick Eric Wood at center and tackle George Bussey. Jeff Adams, who started all 12 games at right tackle, will be the leader of this unit.
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Defense: New coordinator Brent Guy has his hands full with a defense that finished No. 88 in the nation, giving up 29.8 points/game. He has a trio of starting linebackers returning to ease matters, with middle linebacker Jon Dempsey leading the way after carrying the team with 80 tackles last season. Brandon Heath, Antwon Canady and Dexter Heyman will compete for the outside positions. A young, inexperienced line will have to grow into its job quickly. Defensive end Greg Scruggs will face strong competition from junior college transfer Malcolm Tatum. William Savoy has the potential to be a playmaker at one end position.
Seniors Tyler Jessen and L.T. Walker will man the defensive tackle positions this season to give the Cardinals much-need experience up front. Louisville lost two starting defensive backs to graduation, although Richard Raglin should return to his free safety spot after missing the last nine games of ‘08 with a broken wrist. The Cardinals have skilled athletes competing for jobs in the secondary, but there is a major lack of experience here.
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