Louisville Cardinals
2010 record: 7-6 overall, 3-4 conference
2010 Bowl Game: 31-28 win over Southern Miss in the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl
2010 ATS: 7-6
2010 O/U: 7-6
Returning starters: 10 total (4 on offense, 6 on defense)
Over the month of August, our team of writers will be previewing the top teams heading into an exciting 2011 campaign. The college football handicappers at Maddux Sports are also preparing and have season-long packages readily available for clients. Let’s take a closer look at head coach Charlie Strong’s second year in Louisville.
Offense
Louisville needs to replace seven starters from last year’s unit that ranked second in the conference in scoring. Among those needing to be replaced are the top two quarterbacks, a top running back and four starting offensive linemen.
Junior Will Stein is expected to be the starting quarterback for the season opener against Murray State on Sept. 1. He is the only signal caller on the roster with significant game experience, but made his two starts back in 2009.
If Stein falters, the position may fall into the hands of sophomore Dominique Brown, who was used in running formations a year ago.
Whoever is behind center has to be concerned with just one returning starter from a year ago. Center Mario Benevides has started 24 of Louisville’s last 25 games. Strong insists that the unit will be fine and will be relying on a pair of seniors at the tackle positions.
A lot of the team’s offensive success is going to ride on running back Victor Anderson, who ran for more than a 1,000 yards in 2008, but has been plagued by numerous injuries. He has all-conference potential if everything comes together.
Sophomore tailback Jeremy Wright also figures to play an important part, rushing for 327 yards and averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
The receiving core was left barren with the departures of Doug Beaumont and Cameron Graham, which has led many to believe that the Cardinals will score nowhere near the 26.4 points a game it did in 2010.
Defense
Definitely a strength in Strong’s first year on campus, as the Cardinals were 14th nationally in total defense by surrendering 311.7 yards per game.
The defensive line is one of the best group’s in the conference, returning three starters and sophomore B.J. Butler has been getting a lot of attention, after finishing with 23 tackles and 2.5 sacks last year.
Both starting cornerbacks from 2010 are gone from a group that ranked ninth nationally in pass defense. 2010 Big East Rookie of the Year safety Hakeem Smith will be the key man to focus on.
Special Teams
Both kicking responsibilities will be handled by senior Chris Philpott, who ranked seventh in the conference in scoring and eight in punting last year.
Wright is a major weapon in the return game and averaged 30.6 yards on kickoff returns. Louisville could win the field position game more than once this year.
Against the Spread
Definitely watch the college football lines page if Louisville is favored on the road this year, as the squad was 3-0 ATS in that situation a year ago.
Bet On
Playing at North Carolina in Week 4 will likely present a betting opportunity, as the Cardinals have covered the last three meetings in Chapel Hill.
Fade Away
Playing host to Syracuse is likely to be disastrous with a look-ahead game against West Virginia dead ahead. The team is 0-3 ATS when hosting the Orange.
