This will likely be the last year that I use the Steve Kragthorpe era to measure the trends of recent Cardinal Football history. Charlie Strong’s staff has done an outstanding job in re-building this program’s foundation, and the excitement for the 2013 season is building towards an epic crescendo in September.
But I think it is important to remember where you come from, and also try and identify trends while remembering individual teams. So let’s take a 6-year view of Cardinal Football Team Statistics:
| Louisville | Strong | Strong | Strong | Kragthorpe | Kragthorpe | Kragthorpe |
| Record | 11-2 | 7-6 | 7-6 | 4-8 | 5-7 | 6-6 |
| 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | |
| Scoring Offense | 31.2 (50th) | 21.9 (98th) | 26.4 (63rd) | 18.1 (111th) | 24.7 (66th) | 35.2 (18th) |
| Total Offense | 418.8 (51st) | 333.0 (103rd) | 369.0 (71st) | 334.1 (91st) | 376.7 (45th) | 488.0 (6th) |
| Passing Offense | 296.1 (24th) | 211.5 (74th) | 194.0 (79th) | 208.9 (71st) | 212.2 (63rd) | 341.9 (4th) |
| Rushing Offense | 122.69 (105th) | 121.54 (93rd) | 175.0 (33rd) | 125.17 (89th) | 164.5 (46th) | 146.08 (64th) |
| Scoring Defense | 23.8 (36th) | 20.1 (17th) | 19.4 (18th) | 26.3 (65th) | 29.8 (89th) | 31.4 (91st) |
| Total Defense | 340.3 (23rd) | 327.9 (23rd) | 311.7 (14th) | 371.1 (65th) | 368.8 (70th) | 416.5 (84th) |
| Passing Defense | 192.3 (17th) | 227.4 (68th) | 167.4 (9th) | 206.0 (42nd) | 239.3 (93rd) | 251.2 (87th) |
| Rushing Defense | 148.00 (49th) | 100.54 (10th) | 144.31 (52nd) | 165.08 (84th) | 129.5 (37th) | 165.33 (71st) |
| Punt Returns | 4.25 (111th) | 4.95 (102nd) | 12.61 (18th) | 11.35 (33rd) | 8.88 (61st) | 6.70 (91st) |
| Kickoff Returns (ypr) | 17.31 (122nd) | 23.59 (28th) | 25.49 (10th) | 24.12 (18th) | 18.75 (112th) | 22.44 (37th) |
| Opponent Punt Returns (ypr) | 8.14 (66th) | 0.54 (1st) | 5.10 (16th) | 6.65 (34th) | 8.13 (50th) | 9.59 (74th) |
| Opponent Kickoff Returns | 24.65 (114th) | 24.78 (116th) | 23.70 (99th) | 24.82 (113th) | 20.39 (48th) | 19.22 (18th) |
| Punting (ypp) | 38.06 (112th) | 37.31 (109th) | 40.15 (78th) | 40.5 (63rd) | 40.02 (59th) | 38.54 (92nd) |
| Field Goals (%) | 78.3 (34th) | 66.7 (70th) | 77.8 (47th) | 72.2 (57th) | 45.5 (118th) | 76.5 (46th) |
| Opponent Field Goals (%) | 71.4% (55th) | 58.8 (19th) | 52.6% (8th) | 85.0 (108th) | 58.8 (18th) | 76.9 (85th) |
| First Downs | 22.8 (35th) | 16.5 (107th) | 18.8 (72nd) | 17.8 (89th) | 20.3 (43rd) | 25.8 (5th) |
| Opponent First Downs | 18.2 (21st) | 17.7 (24th) | 16.9 (12th) | 18.9 (52nd) | 17.8 (45th) | 21.2 (66th) |
| Penalties (ypg) | 54.1 (73rd) | 56.5 (83rd) | 63.8 (105th) | 57.6 (81st) | 56.8 (83rd) | 68.2 (112th) |
| Turnover Margin | +11 (18th) | -1 (66th) | +3 (42nd) | -3 (75th) | -12 (111th) | 0 (55th) |
| Time of Possession | 32:58.08 (6th) | 31:58.15 (20th) | 31:00.77 (31st) | 29:19.33 (79th) | 31:35.50 (21st) | 31:18.58 (22nd) |
| Sacks (pg) | 1.69 (77th) | 2.54 (19th) | 2.92 (7th) | 1.92 (60th) | 1.17 (106th) | 1.42 (101st) |
| Sacks Allowed | 2.31 (85th) | 3.15 (112th) | 1.31 (25th) | 3.00 (110th) | 1.58 (42nd) | 2.08 (66th) |
| Tackles for Loss | 4.54 (101st) | 7.08 (23rd) | 6.62 (30th) | 5.75 (58th) | 4.83 (98th) | 5.75 (75th) |
| Tackles for Loss Allowed | 6.46 (96th) | 7.46 (114th) | 6.31 (82nd) | 7.67 (115th) | 4.58 (27th) | 5.25 (32nd) |
| Interceptions | 11 (65th) | 10 (73rd) | 9 (89th) | 10 (76th) | 8 (99th) | 7 (109th) |
| Passes Defended | 4.54 (59th) | 3.38 (94th) | 3.00 (108th) | 2.92 (111th) | 3.33 (100th) | 2.92 (115th) |
| Fumbles Recovered | 13 (29th) | 11 (50th) | 10 (48th) | 7 (99th) | 10 (55th) | 17 (3rd) |
| Fumbles Forced | 12 (61st) | 14 (38th) | 9 (94th) | 9 (89th) | 9 (85th) | 19 (4th) |
| Fumbles Lost | 5 (5th) | 9 (35th) | 8 (25th) | 9 (39th) | 13 (88th) | 10 (44th) |
| Kicks/Punts Blocked | 1 (68th) | 4 (16th) | 2 (51st) | 0 (120th) | 2 (53rd) | 0 (120th) |
| 3rd Downs Conversions | 49.73 (8th) | 39.36% (75th) | 39.89% (60th) | 36.84% (81st) | 37.85% (72nd) | 44.24% (27th) |
| Opponent 3rd Down Conversions | 41.67 (76th) | 38.14% (49th) | 34.09 (13th) | 40.27% (77th) | 37.27% (48th) | 37.74% (51st) |
| 4th Down Conversions | 69.23% (11th) | 41.18% (98th) | 53.85% (51st) | 40.0% (85th) | 45.83% (67th) | 52.94% (50th) |
| Opponent 4th Down Conversions | 28.57% (5th) | 47.37% (41st) | 50.0 (49th) | 60.0% (96th) | 50.00% (64th) | 61.54 (105th) |
| Red Zone Conversions % | 92.98% (5th) | 83.78 (50th) | 80.95 (70th) | 76.74 (91st) | 71.43 (109th) | 89.83 (10th) |
| Opponent Red Zone Conversions % | 85.71% (90th) | 80.56 (54th) | 77.42 (30th) | 87.23 (99th) | 77.5 (33rd) | 80.00 (52nd) |
| Kickoffs (ypk) | 59.97 (86th) | 67.05 (8th) | 66.0 (12th) | 62.74 (47th) | 60.91 (79th) |
I really want to focus on the 2012 returns in relation to the previous 5 seasons more than anything. I don’t really want to dwell on the past, but rather use past performance as a gauge to measure recent performance in order to predict the future. The Cards in 2013 lose just 4 starters and 12 seniors from an 11-2 squad that won the Big East and the Sugar Bowl over Florida, so it stands to reason that the 2012 numbers should improve or at the very least….hold steady.
Latest posts by Mark Blankenbaker (see all)
- VIDEO: Jeff Brohm Previews Georgia Tech - September 16, 2024
- Louisville Remains #19 in AP Poll - September 15, 2024
- Louisville Live! Tickets On Sale Wednesday - September 9, 2024