By Dalton Ray–
The last time the Louisville Cardinals started the football season off 0-3 was in 1984. The losses of the 2015 year have come to Auburn, Houston, and most recently Clemson. All games by a total of 13 points.
In the season opener the Cards made a late surged on the Tigers but it was too little too late for U of L. Against the visiting Cougars, Louisville couldn’t get a defensive stop late to hold on to a victory.
When Clemson came to town it was the inconsistent offense that held Louisville back. While there have been a decent mix of things that have cause the win-less season so far, there are a few repeating factors that have stayed.
The first is the most obvious: turnovers.
Through three games Louisville has gave up the ball nine times, five interceptions and four lost fumbles.
The defense has forced five turnovers but when the offense gets the extra possessions they can’t take advantage. The next reason comes with the offensive line.
The group hasn’t looked very impressive as a whole through the first three games. They’ve allowed double digit sacks at this point, haven’t been able to get on push on the front line, and can’t seem to sustain blocks.
The rushing discrepancy may be the biggest issue the team has faced. They have allowed over 660 yards on the ground while only having 279 themselves.
Playing from behind, not having an identity offensively, and the defense being in bad situations due to field position or staying on the field too long are all reasons for this. U of L hasn’t exactly playing cupcakes at this point this season.
Auburn and Clemson are both top 15 teams and Houston seems to be the AAC’s dark horse team. All three have high octane offenses that are predicated on out gaping the defense by spreading them out.
When the offense spreads the defense out so much it creates natural running lanes. Offensively the Cardinals simply can’t get it going.
Missed opportunities have been the theme of the year so far. Multiple dropped passes, missed blocks, and short possessions have caused frustration for everyone involved with the program.
It all starts up front if Louisville wants to start pulling out wins. Defensively Louisville hasn’t been as bad as the numbers will show but do have room for improvement.
The defense has been put in bad situations every week. Playing with a short field and having to stay on the field too much hasn’t gave them the best opportunity to be successful. They can take some blame on themselves as they’ve had many missed tackles every game.
Perhaps the most alarming thing so far this season is that the staff has seemed to be out schemed each week. Football is played on the field but many battles are won on the white board and the film room. Players have to make plays but coaches also have to do their job.
The most promising thing about the season so far is despite all of these factors they’ve been in every game and have had a chance. The 2015 year is are from over and the Cardinals have one loss in conference. They need to win six of their next nine games to make a bowl but the schedule is easing up.
