It’s a blackout for Louisville football versus Georgia Tech tonight at Cardinal Stadium as the Cards look for their first ACC win. Our staff makes predictions.
You’ve probably heard the “Louisville football blackout, is me getting blacked out” joke by now, so I’ll save myself from making a rather corny joke.
While the joke is lame, there is truth behind it. After last weekend’s fourth quarter debacle that resulted in Louisville blowing a 21-7 lead to a really bad Florida State team, I don’t know how much more bad football Cardinal fans can take.
Tonight’s game against one of the weirdest teams in the country, Georgia Tech, means a lot for Louisville. As I pointed out yesterday, Louisville has two more really winnable games – Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. Sitting at 2-3, the Cards need both games to inch closer to hitting the six win mark which means they are eligible for postseason play. After they get to five (if they get to five) they then have to beat either Syracuse, Clemson, NC State, Boston College, or Kentucky, a group that has a combined record of 22-2.
Louisville has to win tonight, if not, a miracle will be needed and more people will begin to ask if it’s time to move on from Bobby Petrino. Georgia Tech will bring the number one ranked rushing attack into Cardinal Stadium to go head to head with Louisville’s 92nd ranked run defense. If things look like last week, where the Cards held Florida State to just under 100 total yards rushing, there is a good chance UofL could pull out a victory. If not, things could get ugly and fast.
You came here for predictions and that’s what you’ll get. Our team of writers provided one thing that’s a lock to happen tonight, one bold prediction, and of course a score prediction. Enjoy!
Presley Meyer
Lock: Georgia Tech out-gains Louisville on the ground. Just by sheer numbers, this seems like a guarantee. The Yellow Jackets run the ball three times more than they pass, and it works.
Bold Prediction: Louisville has a kickoff return touchdown. Hassan Hall has been close a few times, and is primed to break one. Who better to do it against than a team that allowed two kick off return touchdowns in one half?
Score Prediction: Louisville 32, Georgia Tech 28
Ross Prophater
Lock: The Cards continue to show growth in the passing game and out gain the Rambling Wreck through the air. Cards connect on some big time TDs in the passing game and really air it out.
Bold Prediction: Rodjay Burns has a Punt Return for a TD. He’s electric in the punt return game! He’s got 1 return for a TD already and nearly housed 2, or 3 others for touchdowns. Friday Night he adds to that.
Score Prediction: Louisville 45, Georgia Tech 35
GO CARDS!
Jacob Lane
Lock: For the first time this season one running back emerges and that guy is Hassan Hall. Last weekend the freshman running back looked dynamic every time Coach Petrino put the ball in his hands. If it wasn’t for a bad call by the refs, he would’ve had a 50+ yard touchdown run. Tonight he goes for 14 carries, 80 yards, and puts up his first career touchdown.
Bold Prediction: Louisville wins the turnover battle against Georgia Tech. Here’s a fun fact for you – Louisville has yet to win the turnover battle against any team this season. In fact they currently trail 11 to 4 in terms of turnovers vs. turnovers forced. Tonight that changes. GT leads the country in fumbles and TaQuon Marshall has already tossed 4 picks. Louisville picks off Marshall once and forces two fumbles, while the offense throws just one interception.
Score Prediction: Louisville 31, Georgia Tech 17
Craig Erickson
Lock: Louisville’s Tutu Atwell and Hassan Hall, two freshman, have slowly been emerging as play makers on offense. Tonight’s the night they finally breakout. Both will have key plays that have a big impact on the final score.
Bold Prediction: Bold you say? Louisville’s defense, led by triple option wizard Brian VanGorder, hold Georgia Tech to under 200 rushing yards.
Score Prediction: Louisville 27, Georgia Tech 24
Good Time Charlie
Bold Prediction: Puma and the receiving core get on the same page and sync up for some big time plays. Jaylen gets some big time yardage and Dez Sixpatrick finds the end zone. Also think we see a special teams touchdown tonight courtesy of Rodjay Burns.
Lock Prediction: Louisville’s defense struggles with Georgia Tech’s triple option offense and gives up a couple of quick strikes before settling in and leaving GT with only a couple field goals in the second half.
Score Prediction: Louisville 27, Georgia Tech 20
Madison Wood
Lock: Hassan Hall, Louisville’s freshman running back, will get the nod as the team’s starter tonight and finished the game with at least one rushing touchdown.
Bold Prediction: I think the Louisville defense forces more than one takeaway.I know Georgia Tech runs a funky offense, but I just think that the defensive guys are going to be flying around hitting hard and trying to get the ball away from them.
Score Prediction: Louisville 42, Georgia Tech 13
Tonight should be an interesting game, one with a lot of meaning. With people selling tickets all over social media a part of me worries that the crowd might not be what we were hoping for at home games this year. But with it being a prime time game on ESPN and a blackout, it should still be electric.
Louisville will need to make a statement early and keep the crowd involved throughout the game. Getting a win is beyond crucial, so setting the tempo early will go a long way for Bobby Petrino.
We’ll see you tonight Cardnation.
Go Cards!