Previewing Western Kentucky and Louisville football.
LOUISVILLE FOOTBALL IS BACK!
Do you know how excited I am right now? It’s been over 6 months since I last wrote a game preview.
As a site we have published over 350 articles since the last Louisville football or basketball game.
Regardless of the circumstances, the fact that we get to talk about an actual game is so satisfying. So, let’s do just that.
Louisville gets things started with it’s only non-conference foe of the season; and although it’s an expected win, the Cardinals draw a Western Kentucky team that should be good enough to keep the older crowd awake for a night game.
In many ways, it’s a match-up of two teams who mirrored each other last season.
Both teams enter the year under a second-year head coach who staged a miraculous turn around in year one.
Both teams boast a dangerous dual-threat attack at quarterback and strong running games. Both teams have talent on defense but will need to put the pieces together in year two.
In a season with a lot of unique match-ups for Louisville, Western provides a solid litmus test in week one.
Louisville football gameday central
Who: Western Kentucky at Louisville
Where: Cardinal Stadium | Louisville, KY
When: August 12th, 2020 at 8:00 PM ET
TV: ACC Network
Radio: 840 WHAS
Series: Louisville leads 21-12 (UofL has won 12 straight)
Last Meeting: Louisville won 38-21 on 9/14/19 in Nashville
Players to watch:
Tyrell Pigrome – QB, Western Kentucky
If you don’t know the name yet, get to know it.
Fans tuned in to watch this match-up will hear Pigrome’s name a lot as the game progresses, because this is a guy who figures to have the ball in his hands a lot.
The Maryland transfer is a true duel threat whose strength is in the running game. With his new squad, the game plan will likely be to let Pigrome carry the rock quite a bit.
Will the Cardinals be able to make adjustments this season against a running quarterback? “Piggy T” is a great litmus test.
Malik Cunningham – QB, Louisville football
There are plenty of weapons on this Louisville offense, but the success may hinge on the development of junior Micale Cunningham who is by all means considered a Heisman candidate in 2020.
On the heels of a much-improved 2019, Cunningham is a leader that everyone around the program feels confident in. Now, it’s just a matter of putting the pieces together.
If you’re a Louisville fan, the thing to watch In game one will be Cunningham’s decision making. How will he adjust to the WKU game plan as both a passer and a runner?
Cunningham’s health is vital to the Cardinals in 2020. After exiting nearly half of the games he started last season banged up, Cunningham’s ability to read defenses and put himself in the right positions will give him a better chance of staying upright.
Other names to watch:
DeAngelo Malone– DE, Western Kentucky
Malone was the C-USA defensive player of the year last season and a guy that many thought would head to the NFL. He’s back in 2020 and he’s looking to make a statement against UofL.
Louisville’s offensive line struggled last season against Western Kentucky, allowing three sacks and countless other pressures. How they handle Malone and his partners in crime will largely determine how this game goes.
Malone is a problem that Adonis Boone will have to take care of.
CJ Avery– LB, Louisville football
Ol’ reliable aka CJ Avery will start in his final first game of the season for Louisville, and considering how dangerous Pigrome and running back Gaej Walker can be in the backfield combined with the pass catching ability of sophomore tight end Joshua Simon – he’ll be needed big time.
Avery has the chance to be an NFL draft pick in 2021 and he’ll need to get started
Tre Clark– DB, Louisville football
Clark was a late addition to the secondary for Bryan Brown, but he by all means was the MVP of fall camp – or at least of the newcomers.
After a standout season as a freshman at Liberty, Clark is ready to show he belongs at the ACC level and that he can be the guy opposite of Chandler Jones.
Score Predictions
Presley:
Given the uncertainty of the offseason, being able to focus in and come ready from the first snap is no easy task.
In Louisville football’s case, it will be of the utmost importance to stick to the game plan against the Hilltoppers.
What should concern Cardinals fans is the amount of talent that WKU has at important positions. Pigrome is a fifth-year guy with a ton of experience playing for a power five program. Malone will play on Sundays. There is Kentucky-grown talent spread across the WKU roster with players who were overlooked by Louisville and other in-state schools.
Because of that, Louisville could see the Tops make a game of it.
However, the Cardinals have too much talent and speed for a team like WKU to hang with them for four quarters. For that reason, I think Louisville rolls late.
Louisville 42, WKU 17
Jacob:
Remember that one time Kentucky waxed Louisville 45-13 and ran for nearly 600 yards? Well, until Louisville can prove that-that won’t happen again teams are going to try and do that over and over and over and over again. That includes WKU on Saturday. BUT GUESS WHAT? It ain’t gon’ happen. Those boys on defense are ready to prove all the doubters wrong who have said Louisville wouldn’t take a step forward because of a bad d, and it starts with the Tops. Expect Tyson Helton to try and run the football a ton with Piggy T and Gaej Walker, doing so in a variety of ways to confuse the Louisville defense. But they’ll be ready, and they’ll absolutely blow up the run game of Western. Again.
45-17 Louisville