U of L Football 2008

**mtneer1212** · 08-25-08, 10:40 PM

Prediction for the Big East:

West Virginia
South Florida
Pitt
Cincinnati
Rutgers
Louisville
UConn
Syracuse

**louisvillekid** · 08-25-08, 11:02 PM

U of L receivers at a glance...

Player...............Ht........Wt....... .Yr.......Exp.
wide reciever
Scott Long.......6-2.......211........Jr.......2L
Troy Pascley.....6-2......190.........So.....1L
Maurice Clark....6-3.......218.........Jr......2L
slot receiver
Doug Beaumont..5-9.......176........So.....1L
Jacques Caldwell.5-9.......175........Fr......HS
wide receiver
Chris Vaughn......6-3.......220........Sr.......2L
Andrew Robinson.5-9.......191........Jr........2L
Josh Chichester...6-8.......224........Fr.......RS
tight ends
Pete Nochta.......6-5........246........So......1L
Johnnie Burns.....6-3........245.........Sr......3L
Michael Finnerty..6-4........229.........Fr......RS

Position coach: Steve Kragthorpe wide receivers, Greg Nord tight ends.

Strengths: Being an unknown commodity could benefit the Cardinals early. Defensive coordinators might have to use vanilla coverages until they figure out who needs double coverage or who will stretch the field.

Weaknesses: Until the inexperienced receivers are put under the stress of a real game, questions remain about their reliability. Who will make the tough catches over the middle? Who will get open in the clutch?

Watch for: Long spent many a practice with QB Hunter Cantwell as the #2 team ran plays. The two probably will team up the same way Brain Brohm looked for Harry Douglas when he was in a jam.

Bottom line: It's just a matter of time before someone emerges as he team's top receiver. The Cards need it to happen sooner rather than later.

Key Stat: The Current wide receivers and tight ends accounted for just 40 of the Cards' 316 receptions last season.(Vaughn 2, Trent Guy 11, Long 27)

Originally posted by C.L. Brown via the C-J

Scott Long is well aware that many fans question the readiness of the receiving corps. It doesn't make him mad. It's not really the source of motivation either.
He encourages others to keep thinking that way.
"We welcome that wholeheartedly," Long said. "We're glad that there are really no expectations of us. Hopefully, they (defenses)will come out and load the box up."
The Cardinals receivers have a lot of production to replace. Look at what they lost from last season: Harry Douglas, who ranks 5th on the school's career reception list; and tight end Gary Barnidge and wide receiver Mario Urrutia, who rank 6th and 7th in all time TD receptions.
Off the field incidents trimmed the group farther. Jr. Trent Guy isn't expected to play until midseason after being shot in the back last month. Jr. Ja-Juan Spillman was dismissed from the team in July after his second arrest in 18 months.
Douglas, Barnidge, and Urrutia ranked 1-2-3 on the team last season. In fact, Long is the only one of the top eight to return.
Sophomore Troy Pascley was mentioned by players and coaches alike for having a breakthrough camp. But the most popular name might be Josh Chichester, a 6-8 redshirt freshman probably better known for providing depth on the basketball team last season when center David Padgett was injured.
"Coach (Rick) Pitino doesn't get him back next year." football coach Steve Kragthorpe joked.

also Scott Long is injured he broke his foot, he is out till mid to late Sept.

**louisvillekid** · 08-25-08, 11:18 PM

U of L O-line at a glance....

Player......................Ht.......Wt. ......Yr........Exp
Left Tackle
George Bussey..........6-4......306.......Sr........3L
Greg Tomczyk...........6-6......297.......So........1L
left guard
Mark Wetterer...........6-5.......315......So........1L
Nick Borgelt..............6-2........291......Sr........3L
center
Eric Wood.................6-4.......309......Sr.........3L
Mario Benavides.........6-4.......285......Fr.........HS
right guard
Abdul Kuyateh...........6-2.......296......Jr..........1L
Brian Roche...............6-4.......303......Jr..........2L
right tackle
Jeff Adams................6-8.......318.......So........1L
Byron Stingily.............6-5.......303......Jr..........2L

Position coach: Brent Myers, who is also the running game coordinator , is in his 2nd season at UofL.

Strengths: Cards return 2 starters, including LT Bussey, who will defend Cantwell's blind side. Bussey has made 25 consecutive starts and was on the all-conference 2nd team.

Weaknesses: Kuyateh, Adams and Wetterer have to prove they're ready for the wear and tear of playing every down.

Watch for: RS Fr. Ryan Kessling, a 6-5 312-pound tackle , to establish himself in the rotation.

Bottom line: With so many new faces at skill positions, the O-line has to provide the stability so the Cards' playmakers can make plays.

Key stat: U of L allowed 24 sacks last season , which ranked 4th fewest in the Big East.

**nysmoneyman** · 08-26-08, 09:33 PM

Louisville Cardinals
2007 SEASON IN REVIEW:
Steve Kragthorpe took over the Louisville program prior to the start of last season, and he was well aware of the success that the Cardinals achieved under former head coach Bobby Petrino. Therefore, he also knows that the 6-6 effort that the Cardinals put forth in 2007 simply isn't good enough.

Louisville opened the season with back-to-back wins as expected over weak non- conference foes. Then, after a narrow loss to a solid Kentucky team in week three, Louisville suffered an unexpected letdown against Syracuse. After four weeks, the team was 2-2, and some fans wondered if Kragthorpe was the right man for the job. He did nothing to quiet the rumblings down the stretch, as the Cards split their last eight regular season games and failed to win two games in a row at any point during that stretch.

The fact that Louisville was left out of a bowl game at 6-6 is obviously disappointing, considering that the Cards were a BCS contender under Petrino. Sure, it is unfair to judge Kragthorpe on one season, but the hope is that the team will at least be able to win some of the close games that they let slip away a year ago.

"It was a little bit of a roller coaster ride to be honest," says Kragthorpe, who certainly heard the whispers.

2008 ANALYSIS
OFFENSE:
Everything on offense is new and untested for Louisville. There is a new offensive coordinator in place in the person of Jeff Brohm, brother of Brian Brohm, who quarterbacked the Louisville offense in recent years.

Jeff will now rely on a new signal caller, Hunter Cantwell, and the fact that he only attempted 14 passes last season is a bit concerning. After all, Louisville finished 18th nationally in scoring and sixth in total offense in 2007. Brian Brohm put up huge numbers, and Cantwell simply isn't on the same level as his predecessor.

Also, Brohm had much better receivers in the fold than Cantwell has this season. The hope is that the ground attack will be strong enough to take some pressure off the new QB, but it remains to be seen if that is the case. None of the current backs on the roster put up significant numbers a year ago. Brock Bolen rushed for 456 yards, but his average was solid and he did reach the end zone seven teams. Expect him to be the top runner for the Cardinals to start things off.

DEFENSE:
With only four returning starters in place, new defensive coordinator Ron English has plenty of work to do. Fortunately, he can rely on Earl Heyman at the defensive tackle position, and fellow tackle Adrian Grady appears poised to return from injury and contribute as well. Heyman finished 2007 with a career-high 40 tackles and led the team in sacks with four.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of questions in the defensive backfield and among the linebackers. Sure, there are plenty of skilled athletes in place. After all, this is the Big East Conference. But there is a big difference between raw talent and proven talent, and the Cardinals simply lack proven production at both defensive tiers.

In 2007, the Cardinals ranked 91st nationally in scoring defense and 84th in total defense. Louisville didn't play well against the run or the pass, and there is no reason to anticipate a major improvement.

SPECIAL TEAMS:
Art Carmody is gone, and considering that he was one of the top kickers in the nation during his tenure, there is reason for concern. Tim Dougherty is an untested sophomore and has big shoes to fill. As for the punting game, Corey Goettsche simply has to improve.

OUTLOOK:
The fact that only seven total returning starters are back on offense and defense is scary. The team finished just 6-6 last season, and there is no reason to expect much in the way of improvement.

The team opens up with four straight home games, including non-conference games against Kentucky, Tennessee Tech and Kansas State. The non-league slate closes out with a road trip to Memphis on October 10th. The Big East ledger features UConn, USF, Cincinnati and West Virginia all coming to Papa John's Cardinal Stadium and there has to be concern that Louisville could go winless in those games. Road trips to Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Rutgers won't be easy either.

Look at the players and not at the reputation of the program, and it is hard to predict Louisville will finish in the top half of the league standings.

By Pat Taggart, Associate College Football Editor

**louisvillekid** · 08-27-08, 12:35 AM

i don't like reading stuff like this...

Brian Brohm put up huge numbers, and Cantwell simply isn't on the same level as his predecessor.

i like reading these type of things about Cantwell..........

Originally posted by Rick Bozich via the C-J

Hunter Cantwell has not thrown a touchdown pass for the University of Louisville since Oct. 6, 2006. His longest completion last season went for 21 yards. He finished the year with more interceptions (one) than touchdown passes (zero).
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That doesn't fit the profile of Matt Ryan, Vince Young and other recent first-round NFL draft picks.

Mel Kiper Jr. knows all those statistics and more. That's his job. It's also his job to rank the best professional prospects in college football for ESPN. When he ranks the top quarterbacks for the 2009 draft, he includes Cantwell in his top five -- though Cantwell has thrown only 10 touchdown passes in three years of mostly backup duty behind Brian Brohm.

Get this: Kiper says that Cantwell could pass his way to the top of the list.

"If Hunter Cantwell gets some help -- with his size and his arm, with his leadership ability, with the things he brings to the table in the starts that he's had, with his physical prowess -- he could be the No. 4 senior quarterback this year," Kiper said.

"I know he's got the attention of the NFL people," former U of L coach John L. Smith said. "He's definitely one of the top five quarterbacks they're looking at going into the season. All 32 teams will at least take a good look at him. Where it goes from there, it's up to him."

Having a quarterback taken in the NFL draft has become as much of a tradition at U of L as the players gathering on the Cardinal logo at midfield before the game. If he delivers the way that Kiper, Smith and others believe he can, Cantwell will become the fifth consecutive U of L quarterback drafted.

Vinny Testaverde, Bernie Kosar and Jim Kelly once transformed Miami into Quarterback University. The same thing has been said about Brigham Young (Steve Young, Jim McMahon, Ty Detmer) and Michigan (Tom Brady, Todd Collins, Brian Griese, Chad Henne).

Does Louisville deserve its place in this Quarterback U discussion?

"Without a doubt," said former U of L quarterback Dave Ragone. "That's an impressive number that I don't think many schools can match. We've developed a nice tradition, one that guys who play quarterback here take seriously. It's something you can use in recruiting, telling guys that if you come here and play in this system, NFL people are going to be very aware of what you're doing."

Johnny Unitas, whose statue sits outside the Howard Schnellenberger Football Complex, was the first Cardinals quarterback to make it in the NFL. Although he was drafted by Pittsburgh in the ninth round in 1955, Unitas excelled with the Baltimore Colts from 1956-72.

In the modern era the run began with Browning Nagle, quarterback of the 1990 Fiesta Bowl team. He was drafted in the second round in 1991 by the New York Jets -- one spot after Atlanta plucked Brett Favre from Southern Mississippi.

Jeff Brohm (now U of L's offensive coordinator), Chris Redman (Atlanta Falcons quarterback), Ragone (co-host with Scott Padgett of the "Dave And Scott Show" on 93.9 The Ticket), Stefan LeFors (quarterback of the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos) and now Brohm (Green Bay Packers) have all played in the league. Jeff Brohm made it as a free agent. Redman and Ragone were third-round picks, LeFors was taken in the fourth round and Brian Brohm went to the Packers in the second round this year.

"In a sense, this has become Quarterback University," Cantwell said. "I've talked to some of the guys who have gone ahead of me and invited their advice. Basically, they've told me I've been given a great opportunity and that I need to go out and enjoy it. That's what I want to do: just enjoy it and try not to put too much pressure on myself."

Some look at Cantwell's thunderous right arm -- the one he flashed when he passed for 271 yards at Connecticut in his first college start in 2005 -- and say he could be drafted higher than Brohm.

They say that Cantwell, with 236 pounds packed on his solid 6-foot-5 frame, has a stronger arm. That enables him to stretch defenses and gives the Cardinals a deep threat. His power arm will attract NFL scouts to Papa John's Cardinal Stadium all season.

"Curtis Painter of Purdue, Matthew Stafford of Georgia, Tim Tebow of Florida, those are the names that he's competing with," Kiper said. "But at the end of the day, if things fall right, there's no reason he couldn't be the first quarterback to come off the board."

"I know he has a good enough arm to play in the NFL," said Smith, who worked for the St. Louis Rams last season. "Right now it's just a matter of other things: showing how he can lead a team, being consistent with his throws and his decision-making. The intangible stuff. He's got a legitimate chance to be the next great quarterback at Louisville."
Cantwell's career statistics

Year Gms Att Comp Int Yds TD
2005 8 73 39 4 640 5
2006 7 70 45 2 700 5
2007 3 14 8 1 79 0
Career 18 157 92 7 1,419 10

**onthewhat** · 08-27-08, 07:35 AM

lol...bozo is a UL homer. Remember Cantwell in the VT game?

**louisvillekid** · 08-27-08, 06:11 PM

Originally posted by onthewhat

lol...bozo is a UL homer. Remember Cantwell in the VT game?

i don't know why i got to be called a bozo homer? yeah i like UofL, i ain't saying no where on here that they are the best team , i'm just putting out info for other people who aren't in the know about all the changes UofL has made and they lost a lot of good talent in the off season, and almost the whole coaching staff is new.

and yeah i remember the game against VT, he was a RS freshman who had to start cause Brohm went down. i thought he did good for a RS frosh.

2007: Appeared in three games as a backup... threw for 79 yards, completing 8-of-14 passes... was 6-of-12 for 60 yards and an interception against South Florida... also appeared in wins over Murray State and Middle Tennessee... completed 2-of-2 passes for 19 yards in relief of Brian Brohm against Murray State.

2006: Appeared in seven games and has made two starts... has thrown for 700 yards and five touchdowns... completed 64.3 percent of his throws... threw for a career-high 340 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Middle Tennessee... threw for 173 yards against Kansas State... relieved Brian Brohm in the third quarter against Miami, going 3-of-4 for 113 yards... hit Harry Douglas on a 45-yard pass on his first play from scrimmage and tossed a 39-yard touchdown pass to George Stripling... was 5-of-6 for 52 yards against Temple... completed one pass for 14 yards in the win over Kentucky.

2005: Played in eight games, including two as a starter... threw for 216 yards and three touchdowns in a Gator Bowl loss to Virginia Tech... completed 15-of-37 passes and threw three interceptions... made first collegiate start against Connecticut, going 16-of-25 for 271 yards and one touchdown... completed 3-of-5 passes for 66 yards against Syracuse... went 3-for-3 for 60 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown pass against Oregon State, the first of his career.

Before Louisville: School's all-time passing leader... completed 458-of-756 passes for 7,272 yards and 70 touchdowns...60.58 completion percentage is the 11th highest in Kentucky history... holds 3-A state playoff record for passing yards in a game - 409...posted a 31-8 record as a starter... voted team captain in 2003... SuperPrep and Prep Star Honorable Mention All-American... selected All-State Honorable Mention by the Lexington Herald... named 3rd team All-State by the Courier-Journal... 3-A District 1 Player of the Year... voted first team All-Western Kentucky... threw for 2,270 yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior... tossed 22 touchdowns and 2,356 yards during his junior year... completed 66.4 percent of his throws... led the state in passing, for 2,646 yards and 30 touchdowns, as a sophomore... along with Joe Casey, voted best offensive backfield, in the country, by StudentSports.com in 2003...also starred on the baseball team as a pitcher, third baseman and first baseman... led school in batting average as a sophomore, .407 and a junior,.392... also led in RBIs, OBP, walks and total bases...as a pitcher, led team in strikeouts as a junior... participated in indoor track all 3-years... member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes... son of Brenda and Tom Cantwell... born 12/30/85... sports administration major.

**Louisvillekid1** · 08-28-08, 11:28 AM

whats your expectations for this season louisvillekid?

**louisvillekid** · 08-28-08, 11:43 AM

Originally posted by Louisvillekid1

whats your expectations for this season louisvillekid?

i'm just hoping for a bowl, 7-5 would be alright by me.

i'm curious as to how Brohm will be calling the plays now, and all the other new coordinators on the staff. I hope English has brought some fire for the D, Michigan has always had good D's, so i hope he can work some magic on all the young guys, gotta lot a promising looking JUCO players.
the only thing the O has going for it is Cantwell's arm, the receivers are young and inexperienced, the RB's are young , TE as well.

**Louisvillekid1** · 08-28-08, 11:53 AM

i guess we have just been spoiled that last several years, with explosive talent. On paper this team has alot of holes.

**onthewhat** · 08-28-08, 12:08 PM

i was saying bozo (rick bozich) is a UL homer...not you. I'm from louisville also