Louisville football: Three key storylines so far this season

Covid strikes the program

In the latest saga for the football program, Covid has found the Cardinals after they had previously managed to navigate it well through Fall camp and seven weeks of the season. But, now, the Cardinals have gave way to the virus.

Leading up to the Virginia Tech game in week seven is when it first reared its ugly head as multiple Louisville players were ruled out for the week due to COVID-related protocols. This proved to be debilitating to the Cardinals as Virginia Tech rang up 283 yards rushing in the game.

On a day when the Cardinals were decimated on the defensive line, Virginia Tech ran the ball 51 times. Louisville dominated Florida State just one week prior and was looking for more momentum with a healthy lineup.

It could not amount that momentum to much because Covid essentially crippled the team. Now, they are being forced to deal with more positives and a newly postponed game.

The program simply cannot cannot catch a break this season in any way. Covid now provides a threat to the individuals’ health who have tested positive for the virus. The team is also forced to pause their football activities and knock themselves out of routine with a little bit more than a week out from the Virginia game.

The program continues to struggle through growing pains in just their second year under head coach Scott Satterfield. It just seems like the team is chasing their own shadow through seven games and that is frustrating to watch for fans and certainly just as frustrating for the coaches and players.

I will be looking for the team to take some necessary steps over the last four games as they will be hopeful to find themselves with a bowl berth at the season’s end. It will take the entire program behind each other to move past the COVID issues and to truly get their feet under them as they hit the home stretch.