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Game Date: Friday, September 24th, 2021
Opponent: Louisville Cardinals
Conference: ACC
Head Coach: Scott Satterfield (12-12)
2020 Stats
Record: 4-7, 3-7
Highest Ranking: 18th
Post-Season: N/A
Wins: Western Kentucky, Florida State, Syracuse, Wake Forest
Losses: Miami, Pitt, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, UVA, Boston College
Yards per Game: 444.2
Yards Allowed per Game: 369.1
Points per Game: 29.5
Points Allowed per Game: 26.6
This team.
An annoying team to bet, watch, and analyze, the Cards had it all last year. A team that was 1-6 in games that were within a touchdown. A team that’s actually improved defensively the last three years allowing just over a 50% completion percentage against and less than 2 points per dive against FBS Opponents.
Led by dynamic QB Malik Cunningham, and seemingly a coach in Scott Satterfield that at times wants to be anywhere but Louisville, this is a team that’s going to be an extreme one way or another. They lost 17 players to the portal, 4 different position coaches including their OC, and is coming off a season where they were the fourth-worst team in holding onto the ball. Questions remain as to how they’ll truly replace WRs Tutu Atwell, Dez Fitzpatrick, and RB Javian Hawkins.
On the positive side for this team, as I mentioned earlier their defense has improved the last few years steadily. CJ Avery, Jack Fagot, Monty Montgomery, and Yasir Abdullah make up a pretty stout linebacker in this 3-4 defense. The additions of Kenderick Duncan from Georgia Southern and Qwynnterrio Cole from Alcorn State will add to an already good room with star corner Kei’Trel Clark and swing DB Chandler Jones.
Louisville’s schedule is one that the only thing we know is a lot of points will be scored. They get Ole Miss to start the year, UCF week three, FSU week four, and then come to Winston-Salem right after. They could be 4-0, 1-3, or 2-2, and zero of those outcomes would shock me.
A lot of the positive and negative predictions on this Louisville team are hinging on the fact of them being able to take the ball away, and stop giving it away themselves. They can’t possibly be as unlucky as last year, but I have a significant amount of questions for that offense especially with a new coordinator, and that much talent gone. I think they’re a 6-7 win team, but have to put things together.