Back to Bowling: What does it mean for Louisville football?

The 2021 Louisville Cardinal football squad is now bowl eligible again after a one year hiatus from post-season play. This exciting news comes after a 62-22 ol’ fashioned granddaddy spankin’ of the Duke Blue Devils this past Thursday night, which improved the Cards record to 6-5 on the season with  just one game to go.

What a way to make a statement about the current state and quality that is, has been, and will be Louisville football for years to come!

The Cards missed out on bowling in the 2020 season because of an abysmal season in which they finished 4-7. The offense only could score points every now and then, turnovers were more prevalent, and the defense could never quite hold up for a full four quarters. In recent years, Louisville has become a program that become a prominent name in college football, mostly due to the electrifying talent of Lamar Jackson from 2015-2017. Those days are not too far gone, but don’t a few sub par seasons make the feeling of nostalgia that much more attractive to a Cardinal fan?

Louisville’s Past, Present, Future

Louisville Cardinal fans love to talk about the Howard Schnellenberger days of the early 90’s, then they’ll skip to those BCS bowl bid opportunities made possible by Bobby Petrino and Brian Brohm. Then, they will skip to Petrino’s second dance with Louisville football that featured a meteoric rise and Heisman trophy for a quarterback that ended up transforming into an NFL MVP, Lamar Jackson.

Through all those years Louisville football has grown immensely. Cardinal Stadium now holds 60,000 fans. Louisville is thriving in the ACC, a major Power 5 football conference.

Louisville football is no stranger to success by any means. Coach Scott Satterfield took the Cardinals to a bowl game during his first season at the helm in 2019. The proof of what he can do for this football season is woven into his early results as the head ball coach at U of L.

L1C4: Louisville 1st Cards 4ever

This season was important for all parties invested: coaches, players, and fans.

The Cards coaches had the responsibility of maintaining the national respectability and legitimacy of the Louisville football program. Players want to play for a winning culture, which was cultivated from the onset of the Satterfield tenure. It’s important keep that sauce on the bun, especially after having a recent Heisman trophy winner walks the halls of your program. Recruits can easily forget about you if you’re not winning amongst other Power 5 programs.

The fans are what truly breaths life into the program. The people who cheer for Louisville football never stopped supporting the Cards after last season. This year was all about respect, and to this point the Cards have gained just that. The Ole Miss loss in the first game of the season doesn’t look so bad in hindsight if one looks at the totality of the entire season.

Yes, Louisville football is still a top-notch program. Recruits can still come experience a big city feel in a locally small town. A return to a bowl game essentially means that Louisville football is right where it needs to be, the postseason.

Now, with one game remaining against rival Kentucky this Saturday, Louisville will attempt to improve it’s bowl selection. The Cats are  8-3 on the season and will come in hungry, bet let’s hope the Cards can add some Thanksgiving Wildcat to their plates!