Blog Archives
Lamar & Louisville Defense Turns Lucas Oil Into Windianapolis
I can finally breathe. We pull out a win vs a team we should’ve destroyed and it is all due to overconfidence imo. The things we did wrong are very fixable. They’ve been working all summer so why do they need to be fixed? You might say. Playing against another team is different from playing against your own in practice. I sat down to write this story and I was like crap, i am not good at breakdowns, that’s Mitch &JK thing. Since my entire team went to Indianapolis for the game & are probably passed out somewhere I decide to give it a shot. I would not call it a recap though but I will call it a summary. Here are my takeaways (Honorary Tax Boy) from tonight’s game…
- Lamar picked up where he left off amassing 485 yards & 2TD
- Center struggled hearing count but all in all not a bad night from the O-Line
- You can work on the penalties we had, most were due to inexperience
- There was no rushing game except from Lamar BUT he made the right decisions/reads on when to hand off or keep
- Lamar’s accuracy looks improved
- Special teams were a few blocks away from blowing this game open, that too can be worked on
- 1-0 is 1-0
- The Tax Boys came to collect on that a** tonight, Should’ve called them the IRS instead
- Defense Wins Championships
- Hopefully J’aire is out a week max and is back for Clemson
- D-Line got little to no penetration (giggety) until Purdue fatigued, this needs to change
- Need to secure the ball better. The turnovers were preventable and this game could’ve, should’ve been out of hand
- STOP FAVORING US BY LARGE MARGINS VEGAS!!!
- Dez is gonna be a star. They keep doubling Jaylen & Dez gonna make them pay…
- For the love of God Louisville Twitter stop overreacting, that is what use to set us apart from uk fans. Use to…..
- WR made a few erroes but looked like they were seeing the ball well and making effortless catches. As a former TE I like to see that.
- We marched into a difficult city & Stadium for us to win in and turned Indianapolis into Windianapolis
That is all for my account of tonight’s game. Thanks for reading.
Go Cards, Beat The Tar Heels
P.S.-Don’t Forget to check CSZ tomorrow for Photo Galleries from the staff! Jeff Nunn was on the field for this one.
Click on more below for Stats
Louisville Football Preview: Defensive Backs
Last season, we saw the emergence of a star and playmaker in Jaire Alexander. Alexander had 5 interceptions, 9 passes defended, and finished 11th on the team in total tackles with 39 (31 solo). Because of his breakout season, Alexander has received numerous preseason accolades and has been named to multiple award watch lists. While Alexander headlines the group that has appropriately named themselves the “Tax Boys”, his surrounding cast is full of elite players also.
The lone loss from the secondary was Josh Harvey-Clemons, who played both linebacker and safety last season. JHC was bitten by the injury bug at times last season, which called for, then Sophomore, Dee Smith to step in and play meaningful snaps, while earning crucial experience for this upcoming season. While he wasn’t lost from the team, there was another loss from the secondary that was announced recently, Cornelius Sturghill was removed as Cornerback and re-positioned at receiver.
All that being said, the Tax Boys are more than ready to collect. As mentioned, Jaire Alexander led the team with an impressive 5 interceptions. Senior Safety Chucky Williams also has a nose for the ball, he was second on the team in interceptions with 3, and first on the team in fumbles recovered with 4 and he led the team in total tackles with 107, 61 of those were solo and 46 were assisted, both also, team leaders. Zykiesis Cannon joins Williams as the other safety, he was fourth on the team in total tackles with 67. And the man who will be the opposite corner of Alexander is arguably the most under-appreciated Cardinal on the team, Trumaine Washington. Washington is a senior this season, and part of the criticism he receives is due to the impressive sophomore season we saw from him. He may have taken a step back last season, but his leadership and experience will certainly be crucial for this group’s success this season.
We will also see a lot of Dee Smith this season, probably in the heavier DB packages and rotations. Smith is a hard-hitting Safety, with a good nose for the ball and will definitely earn a solid amount of playing time. Another name to look out for is true freshman Russ Yeast. Alexander wowed us in limited capacity in his freshman season, and Yeast is definitely capable of the same type of season.
It’s hard to imagine any QB feeling good about airing it out against this group. If anyone dares to be so bold, best believe the Tax Boys will be collecting this season.
Go Cards!
The Barbour Shop: Top 10 Things to Do and See While Visiting Indy
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
For today’s entry of The Barbour Shop, I’m going to give you all a list of Top 10 things to do and see while in Indy. However, the list comes with a puntastic UofL twist. Obviously time and dollars dictate you probably won’t be able to visit every place, but you can always pick which one or ones you want to visit. Let’s get started.
10) Hinkle Fieldhouse:
Yeah, it’s not basketball season yet, but Hinkle’s history makes it worth a visit. UofL is the unofficial owner of Hinkle as they have won their last 3 meetings with Butler there.
2017 Louisville Football Media Day Interviews – Jaire Alexander
Photo: Jeff Nunn
Jaire Alexander and Chucky Williams, AKA The “Tax Boys,” held court at media day. Jaire talks about his celebrity look-a-like, the possibility of doing the chicken prance again this year, the maturation of Lamar and Chucky says the new defense is simpler than Grantham’s. Read the rest of this entry
Louisville Football Media Day Photo Gallery
I had the pleasure of attending U of L football media day and I took my camera. We at CSZ had the privilege of talking with all the coaches and many of the student athletes. We will be posting all the interviews very soon. I can’t seem to put into words what this experience was like, so you can just browse through the pics I snapped and try to get a feel for yourself. I also took a few pics of the progress of Papa John’s Cardinal stadium expansion. I hope you enjoy… Read the rest of this entry
2016 All ACC Teams Announced
The 2016 All ACC football teams were announced today. The teams were voted upon by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA). Louisville had one player voted to the first team offense ans one to the first team defense. “ Florida State junior Dalvin Cook, the ACC’s rushing leader with 1,620 yards, leads the overall voting with 139 points. He is joined on the first team by Louisville sophomore quarterback Lamar Jackson, who leads the conference in total offense with 410.7 yards per game and set a conference record for touchdown responsibility with 51 (30 passing, 21 rushing).” Check out the lists and see how much you agree or disagree with their selections.
Louisville vs Clemson: Postgame Recap
For the first time this season, the Cardinals found themselves on the losing end of the scoreboard when the final whistle blew. It started the way the past two match-ups between these two teams had gone. Louisville’s offense was held without a point in the first quarter for the first time all season, but the defense held the Clemson offense scoreless through the first 15 minutes as well. The 2nd quarter began with the Cardinals deep in Tiger territory. It didn’t take long for the offense to punch in the first touchdown of the game on a Jeremy Smith 1 yard burst. The rest of the 2nd quarter, did not follow the same script.
Proof That Louisville Is Much More Than Just Lamar Jackson
The fine folks at The ACC Digital Network are at it again. The accolades are piling up for Sophomore QB Lamar Jackson. If you watch TV or listen to the radio you may think this is a one man team. Lamar would not want it that way. Very humble, classy and easy going, Lamar has indeed been the spark the Cards need this year. But it brings up the question: Is this a one man team? The answer is a very resounding no. The Cards have a smothering Defense, great O-line (That felt good to say), great special teams and a balanced rushing stable and it seems like just about every wide receiver has a TD. That is balance. In this video The ACC DN gives you the video evidence to back up my claims. (facts) Enjoy!
Louisville Football Breakdown Part 6: Cornerbacks/Safeties
Last season:
Last year’s secondary had high expectations to live up to after Gerod Holliman tied the NCAA record for interceptions. Josh Harvey-Clemons was the guy to fill that void, but he had help. The secondary was young and experienced many growing pains, more often in missed tackles than blown coverages. The Louisville defense intercepted 17 passes last season which ranked them 14th in the nation. The safety duo of Chucky Williams and Josh Harvey-Clemons each had 3 interceptions, Trumaine Washington added 3 as well, while Shaq Wiggins had 2, and Jaire Alexander and Jermaine Reve each had 1. Of the 17 interceptions, 12 came from defensive backs, and the only defensive back with an interception not returning is Jermaine Reve (graduated).
Media Day Interview-Chucky Williams: CSZ On 93.9 FM The Ville
Photo: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Here is the clip of UofL Junior Safety Chucky Williams from Cardinal Sports Zone’s coverage of UofL Football media day on 93.9 The Ville yesterday morning. Follow him on Twitter at @_YoungCardinal
Chucky’s Highlights:
Louisville Football Newsletter 8/6/16
PRESS RELEASE
Rocco Gasparro
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino brought his full football team together for the first time on Saturday afternoon after the team participated in split practices for the first three days.
After practicing with the rookies in the morning and the veterans in the afternoon, the whole team came together on Saturday after the team met with the media and took pictures during their Annual Media Day.
It was a little fun break for the team, who has been grinding through the first couple days of a hot and humid camp.
Player Interviews On Media Day (Video)
Here is the video from today’s coverage of media day. This time it’s the players.
UofL Football Media Day 2016 (Complete Audio)
Here is today’s full coverage of UofL Football Media Day 2016 from ESPN 93.9 FM The Ville. Steve, Marques and Jeremy were in the booth alongside legendary (paid promo) producer Nicky V. Spencer Kietzman was at the stadium grabbing players for us and did a fantastic job. We have audio from Lamar, Devonte, JHC, Jamari, L.J & more! We will have all of the interviews chopped up and on the site over the next few days. Thanks for joining us live & feel free to listen to the podcast in case you missed it! The Cardinal Sports Zone show on ESPN Louisville is brought to you by Doug Budd at Red Edge Realty and homesforsaleinlouisville.net.
Go Cards!
(Click more for the podcast)
Louisville Football Daily Newsletter (Aug. 4)
(Photo Cred @UofLFootball)
Thunderstorms rolled through the area in the afternoon forcing the team to practice on the turf for the first time. After a brief shower during the first few periods of practice, sunny skies and humid temperatures took its toll on the players, but the team fought through it and had a very productive practice.
Top 5 Interception Performances Of 2015
Photo: GoCards.com
Here is another great compilation from the fine folks at UofL Football. It’s the top 5 Interception Performances of 2015. Enjoy.
(Click more to view video)
UofL Spring Position Breakdown: Secondary
Photo: GoCards.com
Here is the next of the Spring Football breakdowns by the fine folks at @UofLFootball. This one is for the Secondary. Josh Harvey-Clemons led the secondary in tackles with 88 & was 3rd overall. Chucky Williams,Trumaine Washington & Shaq Wiggins will complete the starters. Jaire Alexander will have his role as well. We will have a position by position breakdown here on the site leading up to the start of the regular season but for now let’s feast on this video! (Click on More)
Way Too Early Louisville Football Hype Video 2016
The way too early Football Hype video. It’s short but I hope I threw enough clips together to give you some positivity to hold you over till the Spring game. Read the rest of this entry
Louisville vs. Virginia Preview
Photo: nytimes.com
As winners of five of their last six games, the Cardinals are looking to earn bowl eligibility for a sixth straight season when they face their new conference rivals, the Virginia Cavaliers. The Cavaliers, however, must win to keep their hopes of bowl eligibility alive.
Last Time
The Cardinals and Cavaliers played last season in early September. The Cards jumped to an early 7-0 lead, but sacks and turnovers ultimately doomed Louisville. A fumbled punt by Louisville led to an Ian Frye 42-yard field goal with 3:42 left to lead the Cavaliers to a 23-21 upset over the #21 Cardinals.
Players comment after the win over Samford
Photo: collegefootball.ap.org
Quick comments from Lamar Jackson, Reggie Bonnafon, Trumaine Washington, and Chucky Williams.
2015 Spring Game – 5 Defensive Players to Watch
Photo: Tim Haag/CardinalSportsZone.com
Earlier this week, I posted about five players to watch on offense at this Friday’s spring football game. Now it is time for the five players to watch on defense. Once again, these won’t be the obvious guys that you already know about like Sheldon Rankins or James Burgess. Rather, this will be a list of guys that you may or may not have heard of, but that we expect to make an impact in the 2015 season for the Cards.
Once again, just for reference, I will tell you the five guys we highlighted going into last year’s spring game, just to show we may have an idea of what we are talking about. And if this is completely wrong this year, my fault. Last year’s five to watch on defense:
1) Keith Kelsey – Had to fill the void left by Preston Brown last season. I would say he did that.
2) Sheldon Rankins – Like I said, not even listing him this year because he is obvious. Was not obvious at this point last year.
3 & 4) Richard Benjamin & Chucky Williams – Had these guys on here because of the loss of Hakeem Smith and Calvin Pryor. Had no idea Gerod Holliman would blow up like he did, and James Sample wasn’t even a thought to be a Cardinal at the time.
5) Trevon Young – Didn’t have a breakout season, but also played a similar position as some guy named Lorenzo Mauldin. He still appeared in 11 games though.
So what that shows is this list may miss a time or two (Benjamin and Williams) or it can have guys on here that can be huge on defense (Kelsey and Rankins). Take it for what it’s worth. It would be easy to name the big-time guys. Taking a couple chances here.
