Louisville
Cardinals
Preview 2009 - Offense
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2009 CFN Louisville Preview
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2009 Louisville Offense
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2009 Louisville
Defense |
2009 Louisville
Depth Chart
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2008 UofL Preview
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2007 UofL Preview
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2006 UofL Preview
What
you need to know:
Head coach Steve Kragthorpe
took a bold step toward controlling his own fate, taking over
the play-calling duties and becoming his own offensive
coordinator. Priority No. 1 for the coach and the program will
be to find a capable quarterback to replace Hunter Cantwell.
There’s an abundance of good arms, but not a lick of experience.
The attack will be centered on RB Victor Anderson, who exploded
for over 1,000 yards as a freshman and has big-play potential.
If WR Scott Long can rebound from last year’s ACL tear and
perform like an all-star, it’ll be a windfall for whichever
quarterback winds up at the top of the depth chart. The
offensive line won’t be the same without C Eric Wood, one of the
best linemen to ever play at the school.
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Returning
Leaders
Passing: Tyler Wolfe
2-4, 14 yds
Rushing: Victor Anderson
183 carries, 1,047 yds, 8 TD
Receiving: Doug Beaumont
62 catches, 750 yds
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Star of the offense: RB
Victor Anderson
Player who has to step up and become a star:
Whoever wins the four-man battle at quarterback
Unsung star on the rise:
Redshirt freshman C Mario Benavides
Best pro prospect:
Senior WR Scott Long
Top three all-star candidates:
1) Anderson 2) Long
3) Junior WR Doug Beaumont
Strength of the offense:
Athleticism at the skill positions
Weakness of the offense:
Inexperience under center
Quarterbacks
Projected Starter: Three very
different quarterbacks have their sights set on one very important job.
Hunter Cantwell did a poor job of replacing Brian Brohm, so he is
replaceable. The contenders are junior-college transfer
Adam Froman, North Carolina
State transfer Justin Burke,
and redshirt freshman Zack Stoudt.
Froman is interesting because no one in these parts has seen him in
action. While still somewhat raw, the 6-3, 217-pound late-bloomer is
coming off a terrific season at Santa Rosa (Calif.) Junior College,
where he threw for 40 touchdowns and almost 4,000 yards. Completely
ignored coming out of high school, he was a wideout two years ago and
has good speed.
Burke is returning to Kentucky, where he was the state’s Player of the
Year in 2006. Although things didn’t work out in Raleigh, he still has
two seasons of eligibility to fulfill lofty expectations. A 6-3,
229-pounder, he throws an accurate ball and won’t make many mental
mistakes.
Projected Top Reserves:
Stoudt’s the longshot, despite having considerable upside. One of the
school’s top recruits of 2008, he has
good pocket presence, and at 6-4 and 215 pounds, the field vision
to spot his receivers downfield.
Watch Out For…
Instability. With Brohm and Cantwell, Louisville has grown accustomed to
having a veteran under center, who rarely missed snaps. Heck, even
though Cantwell disappointed, he was there to start all 12 games. That
won’t be the case this year, with multiple players likely to get a crack
at the job, even after the season begins.
Strength: Arms. All of
the contenders for the starting job have good size and the live arms to
stretch a defense. None is smaller than 6-3 or incapable of making all
of the throws that Kragthorpe will require.
Weakness: Inexperience.
Setting aside what Froman did in the junior-college ranks, Louisville
doesn’t have a quarterback with any starting experience. Wolfe is the
most seasoned member of the group, and he has a mere four career passing
attempts.
Outlook: This is going
to be a tough challenge for the Cardinals, but not impossible. There are
some good, young arms in the mix, provided the competition brings out
the best in all four. Heck, as long as just
one of the quarterbacks
performs like a Big East starter, the offense will have a chance to be
pretty good.
Rating: 6
Running Backs
Projected Starters: In
sophomore Victor Anderson,
Louisville has found its running back for the future. In his first year,
he exploded for more than 1,000 yards on the ground and eight
touchdowns, en route to being named the Big East Rookie of the Year.
Despite getting the all-purpose label and being just 5-9 and 185 pounds,
he’s much stronger than he looks and will carry tacklers for more yards.
He’s a game-breaker and the focal point of the offense for the
foreseeable future.
When the Cardinals utilize a fullback, senior
Joe Tronzo will trot on to the field. A one-dimensional player at
5-11 and 246 pounds, his singular role on the offense is to open holes
for the tailbacks. In three years, he’s had just two carries and three
receptions.
Projected Top Reserves:
Until Anderson emerged, it looked as if 6-0, 215-pound junior
Bilal Powell had the inside track on the feature back role. Although
he only has 99 career carries, he’s run well when his number is called,
averaging more than five yards a carry. A downhill runner, who can make
people miss in the open field, he ran 75 times a year ago for 354 yards
and two scores.
Redshirt freshman Darius Ashley
is bucking to become this year’s Anderson, an explosive rookie who
demands more work once the season begins. A compact runner at 5-8 and
184 pounds, he will not shy away from contact, preferring instead to
lower his shoulder and drive through would-be tacklers.
Watch Out For… Ashley.
The similarities to Anderson are undeniable, including his desire to get
on the field as quickly as possible. If he continues to practice well
and pick up the playbook, don’t be stunned if he jumps Powell before the
start of the season for the No. 2 job.
Strength: Anderson. He
started just three games as a freshman, yet still ran for more than
1,000 yards and caught 18 passes. Even better days lay ahead for a young
player, who’s worked hard in the off-season and is ready to command a
bigger role.
Weakness: Size. As
tough and rugged as Anderson and Ashley are, they’re still 185-pound
backs, who can absorb only so much pounding. Unless Powell somehow
became a feature back, the Cardinals really don’t have a runner you want
carrying the ball 25 times a game.
Outlook: With Anderson
as the headliner, and Powell and Ashley lending support, Louisville is
in good shape in the backfield. Considering the uncertainty at
quarterback, that’s especially good news for the program. The Cards will
use all three backs, making sure that Anderson gets at least 20 touches
and 100 total yards of total offense a game.
Rating: 7.5
Receivers
Projected Starters:
After struggling with its receiving corps a year ago, Louisville is
emboldened by the return of all but two of its top pass-catchers. One of
those players, senior Scott Long,
is taking the long road back after suffering an ACL tear last October.
Although the 6-2, 214-pounder has just nine career starts, he’s got an
All-Big East upside once he gets healthy. He’s a big, physical receiver,
who caught 11 balls for 201 yards and two touchdowns in his only three
games.
Stepping up when Long went down was 5-9, 183-pound junior
Doug Beaumont, who began to show why he was named Kentucky’s Mr.
Football in 2006. As a 12-game starter, he led the Cardinals with 62
catches for 750 yards. Both quick and tough, he’s also dangerous taking
inside handoffs.
While Louisville likes to utilize the tight end, it’s going through a
dry spell at the position. Junior
Pete Nochta started half of last year’s games, catching nine balls
for 81 and two scores, but failing to prove he can stretch a defense. At
6-5 and 244 pounds, he won’t be hard to locate for the new quarterback.
Projected Top Reserves:
On sheer size, it’s hard not to get excited about sophomore
Josh Chichester. Yes, he’s still raw and will drop passes, but at
6-8 and 240 pounds, he creates the kinds of mismatches that cannot be
taught. He laid a foundation for a bright future with 30 catches for 341
yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Junior Troy Pascley is
another one of the young receivers that gets the coaching staff bubbling
with excitement. Smooth and quick in the open field, the 6-2,
198-pounder has big-play potential and is one of the most complete
athletes on the roster. In his debut in the rotation, he caught a dozen
passes for 252 yards and four touchdowns.
Senior Trent Guy is one of
the inspirational members of the offense, as well as a pretty darn good
playmaker. He wasn’t at full strength in 2008 after being shot in the
summer, but managed to catch 14 balls for 216 yards and a touchdown in
nine games. He’ll make the acrobatic grab and can turn nothing into
something in the open field.
Watch Out For… Long. Of
all the Cardinal receivers, he’s the one who stands out as a possible
next-level player. He’s got the right size, hands, and demeanor to
finish his college career on the All-Big East team. First, however,
he’ll need to show he can come all the way back from last year’s
devastating injury.
Strength: Talent mix.
With last year now behind them, this group complements each other rather
well. While Long and Chichester bring the size and physicality,
Beaumont, Guy, and Pascley are the catch-and-go playmakers. There’s also
a nice blend of veterans and up-and-comers to motivate one another.
Weakness: Tight end.
While Nochta was serviceable a year ago, he was hardly conjuring up
memories of Gary Barnidge, or even Scott Kuhn for that matter. With a
first-time starting quarterback unlikely to take a ton of chances, he
needs to develop into a better safety blanket in the middle of the
field.
Outlook: If Long is
ready to reach his potential and the younger players, like Beaumont and
Chichester, elevate their games, the Cards have the ingredients of a
solid receiving corps. The key is Long, who’ll make everyone else
better. If he’s not 100%, this is the same group that didn’t make enough
game-changing plays in 2008.
Rating: 7
Offensive Line
Projected Starters: The
priority in this off-season will be to replace perennial All-Big East
performers Eric Wood and George Bussey, which is no small talk. The two
had been fixtures for the last four and three years, respectively.
Taking over for Wood at the pivot will be redshirt freshman
Mario Benavides. Although he
has huge shoes to fill, the 6-4, 290-pounder is already one of the
team’s stronger players and shows nice footwork on the move. He’s going
to be a good one once he gets some reps under his belt.
The tackles are once again expected to be juniors
Jeff Adams and Greg Tomczyk.
At 6-8 and 305 pounds, Adams is a mountain of a man with the long arms
to be effective in pass protection. A 12-game starter in 2008, he was
one of the unit’s most pleasant surprises.
Tomczyk flashed his versatility a year ago, starting games at both
tackle and guard for the Cardinals. For a 6-6, 298-pounder, he’s
surprisingly light on his feet and has the athletic ability that coaches
look for in a left tackle.
Like the tackles, the guards are experienced as well. On the right side,
6-2, 305-pound Abdul Kuyateh
is back for his second season as the starter. An athletic lineman, who
has adjusted nicely since transferring from Reedley (Calif.) College,
he’ll be looking to become one of the line leaders in his senior year.
Junior Mark Wetterer has the
edge on the other side. He started six games in 2008 before being lost
for the year with a knee injury. He’s a solid 6-5, 309-pounder with the
upper body strength and hands to move opposing defensive lineman off the
ball and be a cornerstone, especially as a run blocker.
Projected Top Reserves:
The Cardinals’ most experienced backup is 6-5, 305-pound junior
Josh Byrom, who slid into the
lineup when injuries struck last fall. He’ll be behind Wetterer on the
left side, but can shift to either side of the line if needed.
The coaching staff is hoping that junior
Byron Stingily is ready to
blossom into the kind of tackle that made him so attractive as a
junior-college prospect. He has good size, bulking up to 6-5 and 293
pounds, and hasn’t lost the athleticism that made him so effective at
Joliet (Ill.) College.
Watch Out For…
junior-college transfer Joe
Evinger. Evinger has yet to hit the campus, but when he does, he’s
expected to provide immediate depth at tackle. One of the most heralded
recruits in February’s class, he’s a 6-7, 335-pound tackle, who did his
apprenticeship at the College of the Canyons.
Strength: Experience on
the first unit. Both tackles
and both guards started games a year ago, which provides a nice
foundation for this season’s unit. Even without Wood and Bussey, there
are enough candidates to become leaders of the group.
Weakness: Depth. Once
you get past the starting five, the Cards are going to be green at every
position. Byrom earned playing time in 2008, but he’s alone in that area
on the second unit, putting pressure on newcomers and underclassmen to
fill the voids.
Outlook: Without its
two best players from 2008, this unit will be hard-pressed to find an
anchor that it can build around. While it’s a good collection of talent
at guard and tackle, getting beyond mediocrity will require big seasons
from players, like Adams, Wetterer, and Tomczyk. Benavides has a bright
future, but the learning curve will be steep in year one.
Rating: 6.5