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Louisville Football: Interesting Storylines to Note

By Cameron Franck

LOUISVILLE, KY - SEPTEMBER 24: Malik Cunningham #3 of the Louisville Cardinals warms up before the game against the South Florida Bulls at Cardinal Stadium on September 24, 2022 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY - SEPTEMBER 24: Malik Cunningham #3 of the Louisville Cardinals warms up before the game against the South Florida Bulls at Cardinal Stadium on September 24, 2022 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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The back half of Louisville‘s schedule boasts several formidable foes seeking the demise of the  Cardinals. First up, the Cardinals are set to face the Pittsburgh Panthers coming directly out of their bye week. The Panthers were the only remaining team on Louisville’s schedule that was unranked, but after the results of Week 7, there was a sizable shift in the poll rankings.

Tennessee jumps into the top three after their stunning upset over Alabama. TCU moves into the top ten after their win over Oklahoma State. Wake Forest moves up to the 13 slot and Syracuse rises to the 14th best team in the country.

The loss to the Orange at the beginning of the year is starting to seem less confusing as they are now 6-0. But losing to Syracuse at any point in time for Louisville is always frustrating.

Let’s take a look at a few storylines that could affect the Cardinals heading into the last several weeks of the college football season:

Malik Cunningham Is Under Concussion Protocol

According to the University of Louisville Concussion Management Plan, each case of a student-athlete who suffers a concussion “will be individualized and dependent on numerous factors.” So the timetable for Malik’s return is still uncertain.

Although he suffered the concussion during the game against Boston College and by the time the Cardinals play Pittsburgh it will have been a full 20 calendar days. It is likely that Cunningham could play this Saturday, but there has been no official announcement yet.

James Madison Falls Out of the Top 25

The James Madison Dukes suffered defeat at the hands of the Georgia Southern Eagles, falling 45-38. The Dukes now join the Panthers as the only unranked teams left on the Louisville gauntlet the rest of the season.

Also, important to note the Dukes are in the middle of their transition period of moving into the FBS (Division I football) from the FCS (Division II football). This prevents them from participating in a bowl game or battling for the conference title until 2024. So whenever JMU has the chance to play a Power 5 school then they will see it as their bowl game for the season.

Louisville is arguably their highest profile opponent this season just edging out Appalachian State. So look for the Dukes to be ready for the Cardinals on November 5, 2022.

NC State’s Starting QB Devin Leary is Out for the Season

The loss of Devin Leary reverberates massive effects for the Wolfpack. NC State started the season hot at 4-0. They suffered their first loss in Week 5 to Clemson. But they bounced back against Florida State, and suffered defeat against Syracuse this past Saturday.

The Wolfpack are still in the Top 25 sitting at No. 23 overall (formerly 15), but the loss of their starting quarterback could see them falling out of the poll rankings at some point. This is unfortunate news and we hope Leary will heal soon. However the chance for the Cardinals to pull out a win against the Wolfpack just got a little more feasible.

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