The Louisville defense currently ranks 20th in Scoring Defense and 30th in Total Defense….. but that doesn’t tell the entire story.
The UofL D began the season with harsh (deserved) criticism….. this writer is pleasantly stunned by the turnaround. Louisville began the season with a 2-3 record. In its 3 losses there were issues tackling, with containment and the BIG play was prevalent in its losses to Syracuse, Florida State and Boston College.
And then something happen. Scott Satterfield stuck his head in the room? Kei’Trel Clark & Monty Montgomery finally rounded into form after injuries last year? Bryan Brown just stuck to his plan and made tweaks? MJ Griffin inserted into the starting line-up at Safety? Maybe it’s a combination of all that…… and maybe Louisville’s defensive group just ‘got tired of losing close games’ as Scott Satterfield said following Saturday night’s win over James Madison.
Since losing that fateful game to Boston College by 1 point (Louisville missed an XP) the Cardinal Defense is allowing 14.5 points per game, 310.0 yards per game. They’ve created 15 turnovers in 4 games, with 17 sacks and 30 Tackles for Loss. That’s an incredible run for a Defense that many thought would sink the Scott Satterfield era.
Instead the Defense is CARRYING Louisville Football to a 4-game winning streak with wins at Virginia where the Cards always struggle, and at home against the once-ranked Pitt Panthers & James Madison and a then-#10 Wake Forest squad.
Louisville isn’t winning against lowly teams. Pitt won the ACC last season and took Tennessee to overtime, Virginia just took North Carolina to the wire this weekend, Wake’s only loss prior to losing to Louisville was to Clemson in OVERTIME (they lost to NC State this weekend as well) and James Madison briefly appeared in the poll in the fast ascent into the Associated Press Top 25 for a team making the transition from FCS.
Now the Cards face 3 consecutive Top 25 tests, only one of which will be at home. The defense will have to continue to step up and make plays in order to keep the winning rolling BUT the offenses that the Cardinal defense will be facing haven’t exactly been lighting it up.
| Total Offense | |
| Clemson | 405.9 (62nd) |
| NC State | 351.8 (98th) |
| Kentucky | 341.4 (105th) |
Whatever happens in the next 3 games the defense changed the conversation around Louisville Football in 2022…. something I, along with many, didn’t think could happen.
Latest posts by Mark Blankenbaker (see all)
- Cardinals Lose to Kentucky 17-13 in Battle of the Bluegrass - April 17, 2024
- Pat Kelsey Officially Adds Kloman, Carr, Hamilton, Foy to Staff - April 11, 2024
- Louisville Athletics, 502Circle Announce Membership Campaign - April 1, 2024