Louisville football: How the Cards can beat Miami

Micale Cunningham has to be the same guy we saw against Wake Forest & Boston College

Louisville has played eight games now, but the ninth is perhaps the first where we could confidently say who the quarterback is going to be and who it should be for every snap.

Micale Cunningham has separated himself from the others and has become the man for the job over this 2019 campaign. Cunningham chose to come to Louisville despite having offers from schools like Kentucky, LSU, Georgia, Memphis and Purdue and man, Louisville fans are glad he did.

In a season that at times it’s felt like this could be Jawon Pass’ team or Evan Conley’s, Cunningham has risen to the occasion. His most impressive work came in his last outing against Virginia, the first game where he was the only player that had success at the quarterback position for the Cardinals.

Cunningham struggled in his time on the field against Clemson three weeks ago, but in Louisville’s last game with Virginia, he got back to being the player we all know he could be.

With Virginia’s secondary doing a great job in coverage on Dez Fitzpatrick and Seth Dawkins – Cunningham was forced into using his legs to pick up big plays for the Louisville offense. He ran 11 times for 97 yards and a crucial touchdown while only throwing 10 times, completing six of those attempts for 126 yards and a touchdown to Tutu Atwell.

Knowing Virginia was covering his biggest threats down the field, he took the game into his own hands showing improved decision making with throwing the football as well as being smart with running.

Cunningham will always be dangerous with his legs, and he’ll need to continue to do that this weekend against a top 15 defense in Miami but he’s also going to have to get back to testing defenses over the top with big plays.

That will be a huge challenge with Miami’s incredibly talented defense, one that their last two opponents failed as they allowed less than 150-yards in both contests against Pittsburgh and Florida State.

Behind Trajan Bandy and Al Blades Jr. along with safeties Gurvan Hall and Robert Knowles, Miami has done a great job of shutting down quarterbacks this season allowing only 192.3 passing yards per game. However, they allowed the world’s most average quarterback Feleipe Franks to pass for 250-plus yards and two touchdowns while letting Bryce Perkins throw for 252 in a loss for Virginia, and will be without star safety Bubba Bolden for the season, who was injured last weekend.

Miami has shown that they can stop the run, something they’ll be looking to do against Javian Hawkins, but the big passing plays they have allowed have made the difference in their 4-4 record.

Heading into the matchup with Miami, Louisville’s quarterbacks currently rank fifth in passing yards per completion in the country sitting at 16.78 yards per pass. With Dawkins and Fitzpatrick providing speed and reliable hands down the field and Tutu Atwell making plays, both out of the backfield and over the middle, the opportunity for big plays will be there and Cunningham has to connect if Louisville’s going to win.