Louisville football’s 5 most winnable games in 2019

at North Carolina State

Week 11: November 16th

Whether or not there are five legitimate winnable games on the Cards schedule in 2019 is a question that’s bigger than this piece in itself, so when it comes to finding a fifth game things get a bit more difficult.

How I got to North Carolina State, a team that has won 18 games over the last two seasons, was really more about who I believe Louisville won’t have a chance to beat than it is about the quality of the Wolfpack program. However, I really do believe this could be a 50/50 game for Louisville and let me tell you why.

North Carolina State loses a lot from its 9 win 2018 team, including star QB Ryan Finley and his two most dangerous weapons Kelvin Harmon and Jakobi Myers. QB play will likely be the biggest question mark of many, surrounding the Wolfpack in 2019, which could make the Wolfpack susceptible to an upset.

Also gone are three starters on an offensive line that allowed just 11 sacks in 2018, good enough for second in the ACC. The man behind that success is also gone, and fortunately, he’ll be wearing Louisville gear coaching on the sidelines as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for the Louisville Cardinals. That man is, of course, Dwayne Ledford.

That’s not it though.

Also gone is former offensive coordinator Eliah Drinkwitz, who just so happens to be moving to Boone, NC to replace one Scott Satterfield as the head coach of Appalachian State. The defense will also lose several key pieces, most notably leading tackle Germain Pratt.

I believe you’re starting to get my point.

While NC State should still be capable of winning at least six games, Louisville may be able to sneak into Raleigh and leave with a win, especially when you consider that the Wolfpack will be coming off of a big-time matchup with Clemson just a week earlier.

Louisville’s defensive line will have to improve mightily throughout the season if they are to take advantage of the vulnerable NC State offensive line, but if they are able to take care of business there and score some points (that may be the bigger question mark at this point), the Cards may be able to pick up a fifth win (wouldn’t that be something?) and move one step closer to bowl eligibility in 2019.

Will Louisville be able to win five games in 2019? It seems unlikely given the hand that the new coaching staff was dealt. But if you are looking for games where the Cards could walk away victorious, the five here are the closest you’ll find.