NCAA Football Preview - Louisville Cardinals

2007 SEASON IN REVIEW: Steve Kragthorpe took over the Louisville program prior to the start of last season, and he was well aware of the success that the Cardinals achieved under former head coach Bobby Petrino. Therefore, he also knows that the 6-6 effort that the Cardinals put forth in 2007 simply isn't good enough.

Louisville opened the season with back-to-back wins as expected over weak non- conference foes. Then, after a narrow loss to a solid Kentucky team in week three, Louisville suffered an unexpected letdown against Syracuse. After four weeks, the team was 2-2, and some fans wondered if Kragthorpe was the right man for the job. He did nothing to quiet the rumblings down the stretch, as the Cards split their last eight regular season games and failed to win two games in a row at any point during that stretch.

The fact that Louisville was left out of a bowl game at 6-6 is obviously disappointing, considering that the Cards were a BCS contender under Petrino. Sure, it is unfair to judge Kragthorpe on one season, but the hope is that the team will at least be able to win some of the close games that they let slip away a year ago.

"It was a little bit of a roller coaster ride to be honest," says Kragthorpe, who certainly heard the whispers.

2008 ANALYSIS:

OFFENSE: Everything on offense is new and untested for Louisville. There is a new offensive coordinator in place in the person of Jeff Brohm, brother of Brian Brohm, who quarterbacked the Louisville offense in recent years.

Jeff will now rely on a new signal caller, Hunter Cantwell, and the fact that he only attempted 14 passes last season is a bit concerning. After all, Louisville finished 18th nationally in scoring and sixth in total offense in 2007. Brian Brohm put up huge numbers, and Cantwell simply isn't on the same level as his predecessor.

Also, Brohm had much better receivers in the fold than Cantwell has this season. The hope is that the ground attack will be strong enough to take some pressure off the new QB, but it remains to be seen if that is the case. None of the current backs on the roster put up significant numbers a year ago. Brock Bolen rushed for 456 yards, but his average was solid and he did reach the end zone seven teams. Expect him to be the top runner for the Cardinals to start things off.

DEFENSE: With only four returning starters in place, new defensive coordinator Ron English has plenty of work to do. Fortunately, he can rely on Earl Heyman at the defensive tackle position, and fellow tackle Adrian Grady appears poised to return from injury and contribute as well. Heyman finished 2007 with a career-high 40 tackles and led the team in sacks with four.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of questions in the defensive backfield and among the linebackers. Sure, there are plenty of skilled athletes in place. After all, this is the Big East Conference. But there is a big difference between raw talent and proven talent, and the Cardinals simply lack proven production at both defensive tiers.

In 2007, the Cardinals ranked 91st nationally in scoring defense and 84th in total defense. Louisville didn't play well against the run or the pass, and there is no reason to anticipate a major improvement.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Art Carmody is gone, and considering that he was one of the top kickers in the nation during his tenure, there is reason for concern. Tim Dougherty is an untested sophomore and has big shoes to fill. As for the punting game, Corey Goettsche simply has to improve.

OUTLOOK: The fact that only seven total returning starters are back on offense and defense is scary. The team finished just 6-6 last season, and there is no reason to expect much in the way of improvement.

The team opens up with four straight home games, including non-conference games against Kentucky, Tennessee Tech and Kansas State. The non-league slate closes out with a road trip to Memphis on October 10th. The Big East ledger features UConn, USF, Cincinnati and West Virginia all coming to Papa John's Cardinal Stadium and there has to be concern that Louisville could go winless in those games. Road trips to Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Rutgers won't be easy either.

Look at the players and not at the reputation of the program, and it is hard to predict Louisville will finish in the top half of the league standings.