It’s a different thing being 1-3. Every football team gets 12 chances to put its year of hard work on display and to make the post-season. Louisville for years wanted a schedule that could allow the program to challenge for the national championship.  Instead of getting this schedule in 2013 when the Cards were LOADED, they got it after Four 1st round picks in 2 years, 14 NFL selections in 2 years and as a result had to replace a TON offensively and defensively…..and UofL started 0-3 for the first time since 1984.

But here’s the thing.  FRESHMAN account for a great deal of Louisville’s offensive production AND Louisville’s 3 losses come by a combined 13 points.

Despite all of the personnel losses and the youth of the program at the moment, the Cards still has had a chance to win every games it has played thus far……it’s biggest challenge:  Overcoming Louisville.

The Cards have been their own worst enemy in 2015. Timely mistakes, critical errors.  No team has appeared markedly better on the field so far, but instead of the Cards taking advantage of the mistakes of their opponents….it’s been the opposition taking advantage of UofL’s mistakes.

Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium Louisville has a challenge…ON THE ROAD, VETERAN QB, 4-0 Football team.  NC State has an outstanding coach in Dave Doeren.  Jacoby Brissett is not going to make critical errors, But Louisville needs to find a way to win this game.

Win this game and the program is 2-3 heading into Tallahassee following next week’s BYE.  Lose this game and the program is 1-4 before Florida State…on the road.  Winning road games in league play is always difficult throw in the weather and it makes things even more tough.  But the Cards must win on Saturday vs. the Wolfpack.

2-3 is a game away from .500 and maybe the Cards can carry some momentum onto the rest of the season.  1-4 is 3 games away from .500 with a road game following a BYE week.  As far as attitudes are concerned the team, the coaches and the fans have all taken the 3 losses with a great deal of perspective and positivity, losing the 4th game of the season (including 5 of the past 6) heading into a BYE is one way to really kill any kind of positive perspective on the season.

Louisville is backed into a corner vs. NC State.  The Cards put themselves in this position and it’s unfamiliar territory. But the prospects of turning the 2015 season around rests solely on this game vs. North Carolina State and the Cards can’t concern themselves with the weather, the temperature, the field conditions, the tactile nature of the football….they just have to find a way to win.  And that’s just what this team needs anyway….a win.  A win to build onto another and the next.

Learning HOW to win is sometimes the hardest part of football.  Teams across the country are GOOD/SOLID football programs.  They beat who they should and things remain the same on the College Football Food Chain. If Louisville is going to make the investment in young players the Cards will not be able to turn the corner until they take hard fought football games, make big plays in big moments, and learn how to execute and WIN.

Saturday in Raleigh is the tipping point.  Which way do the Cards go?

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@UofLSheriff50. Louisville native, University of Louisville Business School Grad c/o 2004. Co-Founder of TheCrunchZone.com

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