By Gabriel Wiest —
After only winning two games last season, Louisville football has a lot to prove offensively for 2019.
Head coach Scott Satterfield is known for a Run-oriented offense, but adjusts to the talent he has. While he sets the standard with running the ball, Satterfield has shown that he is willing to adapt to the growing trends in the game.
Satterfield led the Mountaineers from Football Championship Subdivision to Football Bowl Subdivision in 2013. Appalachian State tallied 47 wins in the past five years under Satterfield with the help of talented running backs.
Marcus Cox (2014-16) rushed for 3,858 yards on 656 carries to become the Appalachian State’s all-time leading rusher. Following Cox’s departure, Satterfield produced another pair of 1,000 yard backs in consecutive seasons.
“We want to be a multiple offense, we want to get in a lot of different formations and have a lot of different personnel groupings,” said Satterfield.
Sophomore running back Hassan Hall showed explosiveness last season, finishing with 300 yards and three touchdowns last season with 270 yards happening in the last eight games of 2018.
Expect sophomore quarterback Malik Cunningham to be utilized in the run game as he is the teams returning lead rusher with 497 yards and five touchdowns.
Efficiency is stressed under Satterfield’s quarterbacks, as App. State starters have thrown only 12 interceptions for the last two years. Juan Pass of App. State threw 12 interceptions last year alone. In 2017 and 2018 Mountaineers’ Taylor Lamb and Zac Thomas led the sun belt with a quarterback’s rating of 152.
“We want to do a lot of different things within formations, have a lot of motion adjustments, while at the same time running a simple offense,” said Satterfield.
Louisville’s receiving game is arguably the teams greatest offensive asset. The Cardinals will expect explosive plays out of their slot receivers Sophomore’s Tutu Attwell and Keon Wakefield.
Tight-ends could be a sore spot for the Cardinals as red shirt senior Jordan Davis is the only scholarship receiver tight-end of the team.
The offensive line has the potential for exponential growth under Offensive coordinator and Offensive line coach Dwaine Ledford.
Junior Mekhi Becton has star potential as he has been added to the Outland Trophy watch list. The Outland Trophy is given to the best offensive lineman.
While Satterfield rips off the band-aid of old wounds, this year’s offense has the potential to develop and compete this season.
File Photo / The Louisville Cardinal
