Louisville football opens its home slate against an upstart Florida State squad. Previewing the match-up, predictions, players to watch, and more.
No rah-rah inspirational speeches this week.
This is Scott Satterfield’s time to shine.
Scott, you have a crowd of people waiting for you to tell them how to react.
Come out and call an offensive game Louisville fans know you are capable of, and you have a lot more good grace on your side.
Lose and god love ya.
The most important game of the Satt Era is here and this is all of the information I can think of to put on paper for you guys.
Let’s ride.
But before we do…
ATTN: THIS GAME IS A RED OUT.
Wear anything you want as long as it’s red.
Don’t be that guy/ gal. Spread the word.
First Down (Which is a passing down in this household): What to Know
Who: Florida State at Louisville
When: Friday, September 16th, 2022 at 7:30 PM ET
Where: Cardinal Stadium (Still No Sponsor) | Louisville, KY
TV: ESPN
Radio: 93.9 FM and 970 AM in Louisville (Paul Rogers/Jody Demling/Preston Brown)
Series: FSU leads 17-6 | Louisville has won 4 of 6 and 5 of 9
Last Meeting: Louisville won 31-23 in Tallahassee in 2021
Spread Check: FSU -2.5
O/U: 54.5
Thread Check: TBD
Vibe Check: Immaculate.
Jacob and I have the longest tailgating day of our adult lives planned and it will live up to the hype.
Libations will be partaken in.
Weather check: SUNNY. HOT. Maybe a little jacket check for the fourth quarter? Who is to say?
High of 88 | Low of 65
Winds SSE at James Turner kicking bombs O’Clock
Chance of a Special Teams Touchdown: 11%
Relevant Videos:
Last year’s highlights + some relics from the past.
That one time Lamar Jackson happened.
Look, guys. There have been some fun wins over Florida State. Let’s make another memory.
TV Timeout: What to know at the stadium
What’s new at Cardinal Stadium this year?
Lottie Stockwell and a helpful fan explain changes to the stadium ticketing, wifi, and concessions.
TV Timeout 2: PARKING INFO
Bourbon and Beyond is taking place at the same time as this game on Friday.
The B&B gates open at 11:30 AM at the Fair and Expo Center. 30,000 + fans are expected to be on hand when Kings of Leon shut the place down at 10:30 PM.
Coincidentally, Louisville-FSU should be ending around the same time about a half mile away as the crow flies.
COME WITH A PLAN.
BE PATIENT.
BE SAFE.
BE RESPECTFUL OF YOUR FELLOW HUMAN.
ALSO: I don’t know if anyone told you but THIS IS A RED OUT. WEAR RED.
(Back to our regularly scheduled programming)
Second Down: Players to watch
Florida State
Jordan Travis
Jarrett Jackson
Derrick McLendon
I mean, why not? This quasi-rivalry has always been weird and wacky. Why not have the two focus players be former Cards?
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Had you forgotten? Louisville football used to have two really damn good players that transferred and are now stars for Florida State.
Never mind that the Seminoles will also get Nickleback Greedy Vance some run- The same guy who played significant minutes in red and black against the Seminoles last season.
Never mind that Louisville will start Jarvis Brownlee at one corner- The same Jarvis Brownlee who has started two games against the Cards the last two seasons.
This has sort of become par for the course for the two programs over the last decade. Anything Louisville football can do, Florida State can do better. They recruit many of the same players, have players transfer to and from each other’s programs, and have taken a similarly wonky trajectory since FSU’s national title in 2014.
Some examples of the weird and wacky? In 2020, Chubba Purdy and Josh Griffis- Two centerpieces of UofL’s second recruiting class under Satterfield- made last-second flips to Florida State. Griffis transferred elsewhere shortly after and Purdy came to Cardinal Stadium that year and went 0-for-9 in mop-up duty of a blowout loss.
This season, coveted wide receiver Devon Mortimer- a long-time FSU commit- backed off his pledge at signing day and chose the Cardinals. Then he never showed up on campus.
It’s just this weird relationship. The two programs can’t get away from each other.
While FSU has largely dominated the series dating back to the ’50s, Louisville has owned the rivalry since 2016.
Louisville is 4-2 over that stretch including two blowout wins to the tune of 60-20 and 48-16.
The Cards have handled business at home recently against the Noles. This is why the re-emergence of two former (and beloved to my heart) Cardinals just feels like par for the course at this point.
Jordan Travis was an under-the-radar prospect when he committed to Bobby Petrino and Co. in 2018 (the year of Satan, himself).
Travis only appeared in 3 games for the Cards before transferring mid-season in 2018 (who could blame him). However, when he was in, he was literally one of the only bright spots on that 2018 squad. Fans were pissed when he left, and for good reason. Travis could have been the future of the program and never really got a chance to show his stuff.
One could argue, obviously, that without Travis leaving, you never get Malik Cunningham. However, Travis is showing in Tallahassee exactly why he deserved to play in the first place.
Travis has been a big part of FSU’s impressive start in 2022, averaging a QBR of 160.1 over his first two games.
Although he averages only 22 yards rushing so far this season, Travis ran for 530 yards and 7 scores a year ago. He is elusive in the pocket, and I think he is at his best on rolling out and extending plays.
Travis is like a Russell Wilson; He isn’t going to run all over you, but given the opportunity, he will wear your secondary down, make the right plays, and can burn you with his legs as a last resort.
On the other side of the ball, Louisville transfer Jarrett Jackson and Mississippi State transfer Fabien Lovett come in as guys ready to cause havoc along Louisville’s offensive line.
These are two space-eaters who are going to be looking to clog up Louisville’s run game and take them out of rhythm.
Meanwhile, Derrick McLendon II is the defensive end to watch for the Noles.
The junior is ready to step in and be an all-ACC type of player, and his 4.5 tackles for loss indicate he is on track to do so.
McLendon possesses excellent size and athleticism and will be a major pain in Louisville’s side if the Cards don’t have a game plan for him on the edge.
FSU has some serious size across the front four that has the potential to be a major disruptor for a Louisville offense that has been stagnant thus far.
Louisville
Yasir Abdullah
Malik Cunningham
Quincy Riley
Let’s get straight to it. Louisville football will not reach its fullest potential this season unless the Cards can free up the playmaking ability of star pass rusher Yasir Abdullah.
Maybe I’m wrong and my football intellect isn’t there enough to see that Abdullah is doing a lot more than what shows in the box score.
However, my eyes tell me that teams are keying on Abdullah and fellow linebacker Monty Montgomery this season, not allowing the Cards to unleash their star pass rushers.
Let’s be honest: Abdullah and Montgomery both have everything it takes to absolutely tee off on fools this season to the tune of 15-20 sacks as a duo. And thus far, they have combined for 18 tackles and half of a sack in two games.
Abdullah, in particular, has to see more production. And I think he just may against this Florida State offense.
Syracuse and UCF really like to go up-tempo and did so effectively both with the pace of their offense and how quickly they got the ball off for quick screens and dump-offs.
Florida State may go that route as well, but I would venture to guess that they stick with what has worked for them so far this season.
Abdullah is going to be a key piece tasked with keeping contain, not letting Travis escape the pocket, and blowing up big plays by finally notching a few sacks.
If Louisville can get FSU behind the sticks a bit, I’d be willing to bet that they will feel a lot more pressure having to play in a situation they haven’t seen so far this season.
Speaking of putting the Noles in uncomfortable situations, I am looking to emerging star CB Quincy Riley to keep up the good work this week in Cardinal Stadium.
Satterfield said Riley is good for an interception a practice, and against UCF, he really should have hauled in two. Riley has a nack for jumping passing lanes and being in the right spot to make plays on the ball.
He had two INTs in his hands last Friday, and if he can haul one of those in this week, it would obviously pay major dividends.
Finally, as he is every week, Malik Cunningham is the player to watch on Friday.
As we know, if Cunningham is himself, there is no player on the field as talented and there is no team in the country that is going to stop him on the ground.
Teams are able to contain Cunningham when he is limited in his opportunities to take off and run or roll out and extend plays.
Syracuse was the worst game of his career. Central Florida was a solid step forward. But now? Louisville football needs the Cunningham of old back and ready to return this Satterfield-led offense to the unit everyone knows it can be.
Third Down: Match-up to watch
Louisville’s receivers vs. the FSU secondary
Louisville football has a solid crop of very capable wide receivers and tight ends.
It’s time to get that target share up for everyone, because right now it just isn’t working for me, dog.
Ahmari Huggins-Bruce is the name to watch here. The dude is a stud. He’s the one receiver that has balled out with the rock in his hands so far. Feed AHB.
Also, I have been saying it all offseason: I think Marshon Ford is one of the best players on this team. It’s time to get this man into the endzone.
James Turner vs. Mental Demons
Turner missed the first two field goal attempts of the season.
Twitter- understandably after a tough 2021- freaked out.
Then, Turner hit the two field goals that were the difference in the game on Friday night.
Of course, Twitter said nothing because we are all judgemental assholes on a judgemental vendetta to never say nice things about other people. But I digest.
James, keep doing your thing, bro. You’re a very capable football player and I love you, platonically.
Scott Satterfield vs. The Offensive Playbook
For this next segment, I require an aside. While he has his nose deep in his playbook, I pin a quick letter to my friend, Satt.
Scott… Satt. My friend.
My pal.
My confidant.
I have #BackedSatt from the jump. My loyalty… has never wavered.
(Okay, it’s wavered a little.)
But, my belief in you as a head coach and leader of this program… has not.
Let’s get serious for a second.
The defense has saved your ass so far this season my long-time, mostly unwavering friend, Satt.
And, man to man here, I don’t know if they are holding Jordan Travis to zero points in the second half this week.
I mean, that’s a nice thought. But let’s not even go there, mentally.
So here’s the deal, Satt… you aren’t surprising anyone with 2nd and long runs, man.
And, frankly, you aren’t surprising them with the third-and-long ones either.
I can see this 1,200 miles away on my 84″ Samsung Crystal 4K UHD. And I can see it will I am slurping down Miller Lites in section 212.
*Leans in, locks eyes in a concerned but because I care way* It’s not working.
Let’s shake it up a little. And by shake it up, I mean let’s do whatever you were doing the first two years, right? Run when you’re supposed to run. Pass when you’re supposed to pass. Let’s get in front of those chains. Where your QB is at his best. Where any QB is at his best.
Let Lance take over for a drive or two. I dunno, man. You make all the money, I’m just spitballing here.
When you call plays like off-right-tackle-to-the-short-side on 2nd down and 11, it’s funny. But not funny “ha-ha”. (Have you seen those Tik-Toks?)
Between me and you, Satt, I want you to last a really long time here. I mean that very, very sincerely. You are a great guy. The players love you. The fans don’t hate you, which is a start. I think you can be the future here. And, frankly, I’d rather not start over again with another coach. I want this to work. I want my team to be successful.
But, you gotta win this one, Satt. And it’d be nice if it happened convincingly.
We’ve seen what you can accomplish with that play card in your hands.
Just call this one normal, eh? What do ya say?
Your Pal,
Pres
None of you saw that.
Back to reality, whoops there goes gravity.
Jordan Travis vs. The Louisville Secondary
If there is one thing I am confident in, it’s that Jordan Travis is going to make this Louisville football secondary work hard on Friday night.
We have seen it against other high-level opponents. Travis has a nack for keeping plays alive, getting outside the pocket and extending drives.
Louisville’s secondary was locked in last week.
But Travis is a much more polished passer than John Rhys Plumlee.
If Louisville keeps Travis at bay, it will likely spell success.
The FSU backfield vs. Time of Possession
Louisville, under Satterfield, it traditionally successful when they win the time of possession battle.
I feel this will be a difficult feat on Friday because of the stable of backs FSU has.
Treshuan Ward leads the way as one of the more prolific rushers in the ACC. If the Cards can’t wrap him up? Forget about it. Trey Benson and Lawrance Toafili are their other two backs that will rotate in regularly.
If FSU has its way on the ground, there is not much Louisville can do. The Cards will be forced to load the box and give Travis one-on-one situations all day.
I say load the box first. Prioritize stopping the run and play this game on your terms.
Fourth Down: Predictions
Matt McGavic, From the Pink Seats Pod
Louisville 28, FSU 24
Nick Conner, Starting Five02 Pod
Louisville 20, FSU 19
Alan Thomas, Owner T-Shirt Hooligan
Louisville 38, FSU 35
Spencer Brown, 680 AM/ 93.9 FM Producer
Louisville 24, FSU 20
Brian Trent, Off the Walz Pod
Louisville 28, FSU 35
Presley Meyer, State of Louisville
Louisville 30, FSU 34
Jacob Lane, State of Louisville
Louisville 27, FSU 24
Ean Pfeifer, Former Louisville TE
No Score | Take Marshon Ford OVER 0.5 TDs
Vince Lococo, Former Louisville LB, Grad Assistant
Louisville 35, FSU 21
Overtime: In-Depth Game Preview with former coaches and players
Get Caught up on the week that was and preview the game in-depth with Jacob Lane, Matt McGavic, Vince Lococo, and Ean Pfeifer right here.
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