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Louisville football: 4 goals for the final five games of the season

By Jacob Lane

LOUISVILLE, KY - OCTOBER 05: Head coach Bobby Petrino of the Louisville Cardinals talks to Jawon Pass #4 in the first half of the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Cardinal Stadium on October 5, 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY - OCTOBER 05: Head coach Bobby Petrino of the Louisville Cardinals talks to Jawon Pass #4 in the first half of the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Cardinal Stadium on October 5, 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Goal #3 – Jaylen Smith matching or surpassing his sophomore season production – 27 receptions, 599 yards, 6 touchdowns

Jaylen Smith didn’t come back for his senior season to put together career lows. Well, currently that’s what’s happening.

Though he was injured following the 2017-18 season, had he declared for the 2018 NFL Draft many believe that Jaylen Smith would have likely been a 2nd or 3rd rounder. Which would have guaranteed him about $3 or $4 million.

Now back in Louisville for his senior season, Smith has been affected big time by the poor offensive line play and even worse quarterback play – which could ultimately cost him several million dollars. Yikes.

A preseason emergency appendectomy set Smith back quite a bit as he was forced to miss several weeks of practice and time to build valuable chemistry with Puma Pass. It quickly showed that the two weren’t on the same page as Smith finished with just one reception for 22 yards in the season opener against Alabama. After a big touchdown catch and run against Indiana State (which came from Malik Cunningham, not Puma Pass) Smith continued to struggle to get into a rhythm with Puma Pass, only putting together one game with more than 3 catches, while catching zero passes last weekend against Boston College.

Smith has just 16 receptions, 266 yards, and 1 touchdown, statistics that he surpassed through just three weeks in the 2017-18 season.

If Louisville has any chance of getting one or more victories in the final five games of the season, Bobby Petrino has to make it a priority for Puma Pass to connect with Jaylen Smith early and often.

At this point it would take a miracle to put together a season that mirrors last years statistics (60 rec, 980 yards, 7 touchdowns), while it’s unlikely that Smith’s production will be better than his freshman season in which he finished with 29 receptions for 376 yards and one touchdown.

To me the most reasonable goal for Smith would be to match or pass his production from his sophomore season. It’s definitely a lofty goal, considering how poor the chemistry has been with Smith & Pass, but I do believe its doable.

Smith’s success or lack thereof in the back half of the season could be a huge story line and determiner of how the Cards finish the year.

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