Cards inspire hope and apprehension after dominant performance

By: Raashaan Myers

     The University of Louisville opened their much anticipated 2016 football campaign with a less than stellar opponent in the Charlotte 49ers. Yet with the understanding that they were facing the doormat of doormats Lamar Jackson and company still found a way to turn the excitement for this season to another level both locally and nationally. The aftermath of the 70-14 victory last Thursday night resulted in Jackson being named the Walter Camp National player of the week for his 286 yard passing 119 yard rushing 8 touchdown in one half performance and the Cards made big jumps in the national polls as well (#13 AP/#15 Coaches). That is an unbelievable amount attention and credibility gained considering the opponent but truly speaks to the new stage and standing Bobby Petrino's UofL program has attained in the national consciousness.

     So where do we go from here? Well the Cards have another opportunity to own a lot of the stage once again this Friday night as they travel to Syracuse to take on the Orange. This will again afford UofL an exclusive stage in front of a national audience on ESPN 2 with opportunity to once again wow the pundits and pollsters. And after such a lofty jump last week vs the lowly 49ers what would a similar performance on the road in a conference game do for Jackson and the Cardinals? While there is great opportunity there is also risk of exposing yet unseen weaknesses or issues that Charlotte could not. So what did we learn week one?

     As for positives of course there are plenty to go around and always start with Lamar Jackson the new face of Cardinal Football. After a shaky start passing the ball Jackson found a rhythm and a much better understanding and diversity to his passing game. Where last year he zeroed in on just a couple of target Jackson spread the ball to his receivers buffet style resulting in touchdown passes to 6 different receivers. Finishing a strong 17 of 23 completions Lamar made good use of his legs to not just run but to set up passes both inside and outside the pocket. As for the rest of the offense we knew the weapons in the passing game would be abundant and they all showed up week 1 but the revelation of Seth Dawkins was eye opening. He could be a huge factor as the year goes along as well as the fact UofL missing Jaquay Savage really just highlights how many toys Jackson has at his disposal this year.

     On the defensive side of the ball I was extremely impressed. The Four Horsemen all showed up big as DeAngelo Brown, Devante Fields, Keith Kelsey, and Josh Harvey-Clemons all dominated at their positions. That being said arguably the best player on defense was linebacker Stacey Thomas who played like a man possessed and was all over the field making plays. The Cardinal defense really showed up and orchestrated the Todd Grantham defensive scheme to a tee and never allowed the 49ers any opportunity to do much of anything. Also was very encouraged by the plays made on the back in by young guys and new guys in the secondary including Dee Smith and Ronald Walker as well as the improvement of Jaire Alexander.

     While there were an abundance of positives to take out of week one there were some issues to keep an eye on. My primary concern heading into the season was the improvement of the offensive line and early on UofL had some definite trouble protecting Jackson from the rush. Now some attribute that to the kamikaze blitzing style that the 49ers employed but there were also some straight line rushers that were able to beat their man and force Jackson out of the pocket. This is something to definitely keep an eye on as the Cards head to New York. Also along the line the traditional run game also had issues getting on track early in terms of being able to line up and run the ball which will also be essential as the schedule continues to get tougher. Defensively I did have complaints about anything I saw week one. The only other minor issue was the kickoffs but there are plenty of young talented legs that will get a crack at it and the coverage was excellent even on the short kicks.

    

     All in all week 1 was a resounding success and much more than even I could have imagined and that has set UofL up for a chance to really ride that momentum into an even bigger week 2 if they take care of business. And with that hope and anticipation also comes the apprehension and fear of letdown. While that is also a possibility this UofL team seems to have a type of swagger and confidence that reminds me of the first Petrino tenure. Will that continue vs Syracuse? We will find out soon enough and I can't wait for the second act to begin! 

If you like this story look for more great content from the Main Event Sports crew on our app. Just go to the Google Play Store or iPhone App Store and search keyword "Main Event Sports Radio" and you will have tons of blogs, videos, pics, and more.

For Android users simply click on the link below to download the Main Event Sports app today. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app_maineventsports.layout

For iPhone users simply click on the link below to download the Main Event Sports app today. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/main-event-sports-radio/id989058411?mt=8