** A win is a win and this is just the type of defensive win to build off of. The next stretch of games are very important in trying to get to a bowl game, they are also very winnable games.

 

** The defense deserves a ton of praise. Let’s not act like Boston College’s offense is superb but the fact that UofL held BC to 79 yards of total offense is a testament to how well the defense played. They played fast, they played physical, and they really swarmed to the ball. It was a great team effort where there were little to no blown coverages as well as minimal missed tackles. One of the biggest improvements the defense has made over the season is the ability to get pressure on the quarterback. During the first half of the FSU game they put a lot of pressure on Golson and that continued in this Boston College game.

 

** The offense is obviously a work in progress. Those that may be extremely disappointed need to refer to the article “The Future of Louisville Football”. It’s easy to focus on the 4 turnovers and multiple false start penalties but there were definitely positives on offense. First and foremost, Reggie Bonnafon has really done a great job adapting to a new position and is becoming a weapon offensively. He is the speed component of the 1-2 punch Petrino’s offense is generally known for. While the offensive line did struggle at times there were other times where they were able to blow open nice size holes (Jeremy Smith’s 49 yard run) and protect Jackson (53 yard pass to Jamari Staples). Jackson did a really nice job on his short passing game hitting receivers in stride and finding the open man.

 

** What to improve on going forward: Obviously the penalties and turnovers have to get cleaned up. A lot of this comes with a young offense but it is something we expect to see an improvement on as the season progresses. Along with penalties being minimized turnovers must be as well. Radcliff and Smith both put the ball on the ground and Jackson threw 2 interceptions (1 being an arm punt). Petrino can’t be too happy about these even with a young offense and I expect it to be a focal point in preparation for the Friday night showdown with Wake Forest. Consistency is the next step in the offense and one of the ways to be consistent is to establish a power running game. A power running game combined with the speed of Jackson/Bonnafon would make the offense very dangerous.

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Chris Person

Father, Husband, Louisville Fan. Follow me on twitter @cpersonTCZ for Louisville recruiting, news, and analysis.

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