Louisville football: 4 goals for the final five games of the season
By Jacob Lane
Goal #2 – Force two turnovers per game
There really has been no presence of big plays on the defensive side of the ball for Louisville through seven games. On the season Louisville has forced a total of six turnovers which ranks 123rd nationally. If you weren’t really sure… that’s not good.
Louisville is -1.29 in the turnover margin statistic, also ranked in the bottom ten of the nation, and is a huge factor in the defense giving up so many big plays. When you can’t get off the field on 3rd down or force turnovers you become more susceptible to giving up a lot of yards, which is exactly what the Cards have done.
Louisville will face only one team inside of the top 30 in terms of total turnovers given up this year according to NCAA statistics, that being Syracuse (5 fumbles, 5 interceptions). The rest rank as follows:
Wake Forest – 86th (12 TO)
Clemson – T 53rd (10 TO)
North Carolina State – T 53rd (10 TO)
Kentucky – T 53rd (10 TO)
Louisville has only forced two interceptions compared to four fumbles – so the secondary will have to step up big time in order to make this goal possible. At this point only Rodjay Burns and C.J. Avery have accounted for interceptions, and the rest of the secondary really hasn’t even come close.
It’ll be a huge task but one that is absolutely necessary in order to turn things around (if that’s even possible).