Louisville football: Realistic expectations in year two of Scott Satterfield era
By Dalton Pence
Offensive preview
Most of the optimism revolving around the Cardinals is due to the explosive offense. Micale Cunningham saw steady growth throughout the past season, and will return as the primary signal-caller. As a redshirt-sophomore, he completed 111 of 178 passes (62.4% completion) for 2,061 yards to go with 22 touchdowns and five interceptions. Cunningham also ran the ball 122 attempts, resulting in 482 yards and six scores. The next step of progression for Cunningham is more accuracy on the long-ball, which improved towards the end of last season. As a dual-threat quarterback, he must limit the amount of hits he takes as much as possible to avoid injuries like those sustained in 2019. Staying healthy and taking advantage of various reads and coverages are the main points of emphasis.
Related: Don’t Sleep on Micale Cunningham
The All-ACC second-team duo of Javian Hawkins and Hassan Hall also return to the loaded backfield, with the former being in a position to rack in some national awards. Splitting carries as a redshirt-freshman, Hawkins ranked eighth in the nation with 1,525 total yards on the ground.
Perhaps Louisville’s top returner is All-ACC first-team wide receiver Tutu Atwell, who claimed the most receiving yards in a single season in Cardinal history (1,276). Dez Fitzpatrick elected to return for his senior year, while Justin Marshall will also become a key part of the passing game. H-back Marshon Ford and swiss-army knife-type skillset will do wonders for the offense as a whole.
Frankly put, the Cardinals have no shortage of skill players; the offensive line is the key to unlocking the offensive potential. Despite losing star lineman Mekhi Becton to the NFL Draft, the unit will be more experienced and have more depth. Adonis Boone, Caleb Chandler, Cole Bentley, and Robbie Bell all saw significant playing time last season, returning with another year of experience under their belt. UCONN grad-transfer Cam DeGeorge also bolsters the unit as will returning redshirt freshman, Renato Brown, who emerged as a serious contender for the starting right tackle position in spring practice. Louisville also signed five offensive linemen in the 2020 recruiting class; freshman guard Luke Kandra and JUCO tackle Trevor Reid will immediately compete for playing time.
With a year of chemistry under the belt, Cunningham’s connection with the respective skill players should be even deadlier this season. The possible improvement of the offensive line as a unit will carve out more holes for both Hawkins and Hall; therefore, the Cardinals’ high-octane running game should bear a ton of fruit.