Despite carrying the ball just 29 times last year, high expectations have been placed upon sophomore running back L.J. Scott heading into the 2015 season.
Weighing in at 226 pounds, the halfback-fullback hybrid of a runner will look to take some of the pressure off and some of the carries from the team captain and offensive focal point Brandon Radcliff. Learning from and working with Radcliff, a redshirt junior, Scott will look to make an impact in year two of the ACC and Petrino’s regime.
“It’s very motivating to know that coach Petrino looks at me and see’s a person that is going to make a lot of plays,” Scott explains.
“He tells me all the time. ‘I’m counting on you to make a lot of plays this year. You are going to be a vital piece of the offense.’ In both the run game and the pass game. So it’s very motivating. You work harder knowing that you will contribute to the huge successes that the team will have this year.”
As a true freshman, Scott competed for carries as the youngest in a stable of four different running backs. A stable that featured seniors Dominique Brown and Michael Dyer, as well as Radcliff who busted onto the seen and ended up leading the Cardinals in rushing with 144 attempts, 751 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Despite only getting a handful of carries, Scott showed glimpses of potential throughout the season. In the second game of the season he tallied his season high of 126 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries against Murray State. He finished the season with 29 attempts for 201 yards and two touchdowns.
As a Charlie Strong commit who held his commitment to Louisville, Scott will benefit from a year of familiarity in Petrino and offensive coordinator Garrick McGee’s offensive system.
“As a team we’ve had a year and a half to learn both offense and defense, to learn the schemes of both coach Grantham and coach Petrino,” Scott continues.
“All the attitudes are positive this year. We feel confident in what we’ve learned and now we are not timid like we were last year. We can play faster as a whole and individually. It’s very exciting.”
Scott will not simply be running the ball out of the backfield, but will also provide a steady catching capability out of the backfield. Pass catching is a dynamic that will broaden both the offensive potential of the team and Scott himself.
“L.J. Scott is doing a good job catching the ball out of the backfield. Every ball that’s been thrown at him he’s caught it,” running backs coach Kolby Smith said.
And Scott knows the importance of pass catching out of the backfield.
“Its very big. Coach Petrino is known for his explosive offenses so when you are able to be a weapon in both the run game and pass game then there are a lot more personnel groups that you will be added to,” Scott said. “Its really fun and its really exciting to know that what’s in store for you this year is going to be something special.”
As Louisville looks to keep improving and contend for the ACC, look for running back number 27 to be making plays and working hard, game in and game out.
