Big Red Louie
Fansided

Louisville football: Three key storylines so far this season

By Maxwell Owens

LOUISVILLE, KY - OCTOBER 18: A Louisville Cardinals cheerleader waves a flag during the game against the Central Florida Knights at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on October 18, 2013 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY - OCTOBER 18: A Louisville Cardinals cheerleader waves a flag during the game against the Central Florida Knights at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on October 18, 2013 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
TALLAHASSEE, FL – SEPTEMBER 21: Tackle Mekhi Becton #73 of the Louisville Cardinals during the game against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on September 21, 2019 in Tallahassee, Florida. The Seminoles defeated the Cardinals 35 to 24. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
TALLAHASSEE, FL – SEPTEMBER 21: Tackle Mekhi Becton #73 of the Louisville Cardinals during the game against the Florida State Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on September 21, 2019 in Tallahassee, Florida. The Seminoles defeated the Cardinals 35 to 24. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /

The team misses Mekhi Becton more than anticipated

Every Cards fan knew how good Mekhi Becton was as a Louisville Cardinal. Many that followed the program closely could have pointed him out and said “hey, that’s an NFL player right there.”

He was. Becton was a first round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Becton is one of the best offensive linemen Louisville has had in the history of the program. That much is now being confirmed as he makes his name known as a cornerstone left tackle for the New York Jets in the NFL.

Running behind Mekhi was just too easy for the Cardinals last year. Many times you could see on television Becton’s overwhelming strength to move defensive ends and linebackers completely out of the play. While Adonis Boone is a fine college football player, he is no Mekhi Becton. Then again, not many are.

The Louisville offense has allowed defenses to tackle them for a loss 55 times through seven games. For all of you math whizzes out there, that is nearly eight (!) tackles for loss per game. That is good enough to ruin several drives a game and take your offense completely out of football games.

Many expected the offense to click on all cylinders in the preseason. That has not happened and I would attribute a lot of that to very inconsistent offensive line play throughout the course of the season.

The importance of a player to the magnitude of that what Becton was for Louisville cannot be overstated. He was a cornerstone piece that took the entire offense to another level. That kind of play is rare from an offensive lineman.

Becton is a Cardinals legend no matter the position he played. Now, the team desperately misses him as the 2020 season wears on.

Home/Louisville Football