Following another late-game collapse, Louisville football must address its situational coaching decisions.
Three weeks ago, after Louisville football linebacker Jaylin Alderman intercepted a tipped pass and streaked into the endzone, much of the ill will much of the UofL fanbase had harbored toward the current coaching staff was cast aside.
The following week, the Cardinals held on for their third victory ever against Florida State in Tallahassee.
Since that first half in Doak Campbell stadium, however, Louisville has, once again, been trending in a troubling direction.
For the most part, Louisville football has remedied its turnover issues.
The Cardinals offense has shown it has the ability to spread the ball around after the departure of its three best playmakers.
The Louisville defense has recorded 18 sacks through six games- Just three short of 2020’s season total.
Quarterback Malik Cunningham has been much-improved, leading the nation in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
Louisville has checked almost all of the boxes that fans wanted to be checked.
Yet, three weeks after Cardinal Stadium was in a state of pandemonium amid the UCF victory, many of the same fans were at a loss for words.
That’s because, once again, Louisville’s offense stalled in the fourth quarter while the defense went into full-on meltdown mode.
“I thought we got wore down a little bit defensively there in the last couple of drives,” head coach Scott Satterfield said postgame. “We were in in good shape, a couple of fourth downs and they end up making the plays. These games are crazy, coming down to the end like they are. You have to find a way to make one more play, and that’s what it was tonight. It’s very similar to last week. One more play is what we needed. I’m proud of our offense there at the end to just give us a chance there. It was good job with 22 seconds to come back and give us an opportunity. But that one hurt, two in a row like that. You’re sitting there with two plays in both of those games and you’re sitting at 5-1 instead of 3-3.”
Satterfield went on to reemphasize that Louisville just needed one more play the last two games and that Louisville would be on a five-game winning streak.
Here’s the thing, it feels like every coach around the country could say the same thing on a weekly basis.
To simplify the issues to “one play here or one play there” is to completely overlook the actual issues at hand and serves to belittle anyone with a vested interest in the program.
One play here? What about the one play by the freshman Alderman that gave Louisville its win over UCF? The play which preceded the pick-six was Louisville committing a turnover of its own. That play itself was the difference between a win and a likely loss.
One play there? What about the game-sealing interception by corner Tre Clark in the waning moments against FSU? If that ball is completed instead, the Seminoles likely tie the game after being down by 24 in the second half.
It’s not just one play here or there, but instead, the ramifications of a multitude of little decisions made throughout each game.
“The only thing prevent defense does is prevent you from winning”
The major decision-making from the Louisville football coaching staff that swung the game In Virginia’s favor was switching to and sticking with a “prevent” defense during the final quarter.
Time after time, Louisville got UVA into second, third, and fourth-and-long situations only to call a play that dropped 8 into coverage.
In essence, Louisville football allowed Armstrong to sit in the pocket all day and pick apart a worn-down secondary.
Armstrong attempted 21 passes in the fourth quarter alone, meaning Louisville’s secondary was dropping into coverage and defending for 6-7 seconds more than two dozen times. That is a recipe for disaster.
To outscore an opponent 21-3 in the fourth quarter after trailing 30-13, it requires near flawless execution. On the other hand, Louisville did everything it could to aid the Cavaliers in their comeback effort.
Offensively, it felt like Louisville was simply trying to melt the clock away.
Here is what Louisville’s three possessions looked like while leading in the fourth quarter:
12:40 | Louisville 30, Virginia 20: Incomplete pass, run, incomplete pass, punt
7:49 | Louisville 30, Virginia 27: Run, run, run, punt
3:49 | Louisville 30, Virginia 27: Completed pass, run, run, run, run, field goal
8 runs and three passes, and the worst part about these possessions is that Louisville only ran 5 minutes and 6 seconds off the clock.
Still, despite 5 yards passing and 7 running plays that averaged 2 yards per carry, it took a cataclysmic effort from the defense for the Cardinals to lose the game.
Alan Thomas did a good job of illustrating how rushing three rarely, if ever, yields successful outcomes for the Louisville football defense.
It isn’t just local media and fans who have noticed this trend. Louisville became a national laughing stock on Saturday night.
While the ACC Network crew broke down the Louisville-Virginia highlights, former Georgia and Miami coach Mark Richt and former Clemson offensive lineman Eric Mac Lain were in disbelief at Louisville’s inability to adjust.
“Prevent defense only prevents you from winning the game,” Richt said. “You got Louisville, (they’ve) got the lead and (are) trying to get a stop on Brennan Armstrong. They go three-man rush, three-man rush, three-man rush, three-man rush. They don’t even get close. This guy (Armstrong) will sit there and pick you apart- Which he did- And those three guys there are sitting there get exhausted. Down after down after down, they just move it down the field no problem. Hey, blitz the guy. Even if he throws a touchdown, you’ve got time to come back and score to win the game yourself. Don’t just sit there and allow them to wear your butt out. Then they’re down to, like, what? 15 seconds to go when they finally score. What the heck?”
I’d say that adequately sums it up.
Throughout the highlight, Mac Lain and former FSU QB EJ Manual couldn’t contain their laughter at the silliness of Louisville’s approach on defense. “What’s he doing, coach?” yelled Manual.
A play here and a play there? This game and this season are so much more than that.
Perhaps Louisville should have made just one more field goal or made one more fourth-down stop. Those things would have likely changed the outcome of the game. Regardless, fans shouldn’t accept that as a good enough answer. Louisville should have beaten Virginia by double digits. The Cardinals should have taken out Wake Forest long before the Deacons had a chance to hang around. UofL should have won going away against Florida State. Yet, they didn’t.
Louisville football has a lot more problems than just a play here or a play there. Louisville has to figure out how to rid its program of complacency. Otherwise, history is doomed to repeat itself.
As soon as Louisville gets ahead, this coaching staff starts playing not to lose. They actually did it in the second quarter against FSU, and almost managed to blow a 24-point lead. I feel badly for the players; they deserved to win last week and got jobbed by the officiating crew. Then they deserved to win this week and got hung out to dry by their own coaching staff, which appears unwilling and unable to learn from their continuing mistakes.
Totally agree. I have been harping on this all season. Also the 8 to sometimes 12 yard cushion our D backs give receivers.
Satt says the same things post game every week. He said them last year also. Always about watching the tape. My question is, are they really watching?