Know Your Enemy: Louisville

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ALL Spring Practices are open to the public this Spring, starting on March 24th after Spring Break, EVERY Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 4 PM, and Coach Strong strongly encourages the fans to come out and support.

Strong is happy with the overall 2010 class and stated that we have, "a class that is really going to get this program going".

Charlie Strong says his "first mission" is to beat Kentucky.

http://cardinaldominance.ning.com/profiles/blogs/charlie-strong-opens-every

 

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Louisville running back Victor Anderson will be held out of all contact drills during the Cardinals' spring practice, which begins next month, offensive coordinator Mike Sanford said.

"We're going to try as best we can to help him learn," Sanford said, "but we've got to be careful there."

Anderson had surgery Nov. 24 to repair a separated shoulder. A season after winning Big East rookie of the year honors, Anderson battled an assortment of injuries in 2009. His last full game was Oct. 10 against Southern Miss, and his final start came against Cincinnati on Oct. 24. He finished with just 473 yards rushing after going over 1,000 as a freshman.

The team had hoped that by having the surgery before last season ended, he'd be fully ready for spring. Anderson is enough of a veteran to pick up what he needs to during spring drills while wearing a non-contact jersey, and new coach Charlie Strong and his staff would rather have Anderson fully healthy for the fall. Still, not having what might be their best overall player available for every drill while a new system is put in place isn't the ideal situation.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/8072/louisvilles-anderson-to-be-held-out-of-spring-contact

 

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Strongest position: Running back

Key returnees: Victor Anderson (473 yards, five touchdowns), Darius Ashley (462 yards, four touchdowns), Bilal Powell (392 yards, four touchdowns).

Key departures: FB Joe Tronzo

The skinny: When everybody's healthy, Louisville has one of the better stables of backs in the Big East. Anderson rushed for over 1,000 yards as a freshman before injuries wrecked his 2009 campaign. He'll be limited this spring after offseason surgery. Ashley showed his potential as a freshman a year ago, and Powell bounced back from a disappointing sophomore year to have some nice moments. When Charlie Strong looks for offensive playmakers this spring, he'll find that his best options are located in the backfield.

Weakest position: Defensive line


Key returnees: DE Greg Scruggs (two sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss), DE Rodney Gnat (10 tackles), DE Malcom Tatum (29 tackles), DE William Savoy (five sacks).

Key departures: DT L.D. Scott, DT, L.T. Walker, DT Tyler Jessen

The skinny: The Cardinals have lacked a consistent pass rush for the past couple of years, and their defensive line lost arguably its two best players in Scott and Walker. There's a lot of experience back at defensive end, but the players at that position haven't put up great numbers or performances in the past. Guys like Scruggs and Savoy need to get to the next level. Midyear enrollee Randy Salmon should get a long look at tackle this spring. More bodies and playmakers are needed to allow Louisville to compete with the top teams in the Big East.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast

 

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New DL Coach at Louisville

New Louisville coach Charlie Strong filled out his first staff with guys who boasted impressive résumés. But his hiring of Clint Hurtt may have caused the biggest stir.

Hurtt was the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Miami before deciding to join Strong. So why would a well-regarded young coach who was working for a team expected to contend for an ACC title and perhaps more -- which was his alma mater no less -- leave one of the nation's most talent-rich areas so he could help rebuild the downtrodden Cardinals?

Hurtt says the reasons were as much family-related as anything. He's originally from Rochester, N.Y., where his parents still live. With a young son and a daughter on the way soon, he wanted to get a little closer to home.

"I want my kids to be a part of their grandparents' lives," he said this week by phone from Rochester, where he was visiting during Louisville's spring break for his father's 72nd birthday.

The Louisville job occurred by chance. Hurtt had bumped into Strong on the recruiting trail several times when Strong was the defensive coordinator at Florida. He left Strong a voicemail congratulating him on getting his first head coaching job. When Strong called back to say thanks, Hurtt mentioned he was talking to a couple of schools about a new job.

"He was surprised I was actually looking to leave," Hurtt said.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast

 

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"When you look at it, we have a core of a team," he said. "But some guys who haven't played in the program have to play now. I told them, 'Some of you are eating up scholarships here and you have to contribute somewhere on this team. There will be no more eating up a scholarship.'"

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast


Always nice to hear that from a brand new coach. He's making friends there already.

 

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A couple of surprises with the quarterback situation, with Luke Woodley, a highly-touted recruit from Texas, among the missing. He was said to have enrolled but didn’t stick around for the semester. Whether he returns in the fall is up in the air.

Justin Burke, a questionable returnee, was wearing his familiar No. 13, taking snaps along with Adam Froman and Will Stein.

Adam Castro, a never used backup quarterback, is no longer on the roster.


Among the wide receivers making a super first-day impression was Doug Beaumont, making some impossible catches with defenders blanketing him.

Troy Pascley continues to look like a great receiver except that he wasn’t catching everything. Not always his fault.


Josh Chichester, a 6-foot-8 wide receiver, was the target of a little ribbing by wide receivers coach Rod Dugans proclaiming Chichester to be the tallest receiver in America. One suspects Dugans was sending some sort of message about his expectations.

Good crowd of about 1,100 fans, more or less. The coaching staff has even installed some bleachers to accommodate fans. Nice touch, a first, never occurring to previous football bosses.

http://uoflcardgame.com/new-beginning-for-louisville-football/14803?source=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+uoflcardgame%2FggMC+%28Card+Game%29

 

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Mandate For Change: Coach Strong

The New Guy. Charlie Strong has worked under Steve Spurrier, Lou Holtz and Urban Meyer, a resumé that helped establish his leading role in the annual "Why hasn't this guy been hired as a head coach yet?" articles for about five years running earlier in the decade, a sentiment that had become so strong by the end of 2008 that Strong himself openly suggested he was being passed over for jobs because of his interracial marriage. The numbers justify the hype: Four of Strong's defenses in his last five years at Florida finished in the top 10 nationally, for teams that won a pair of BCS championships and finished 13-1 last year.

Even as one of the most respected coordinators in the game for the better part of a decade, Strong has no experience as a head coach and little for more than 20 years with the less-than-blue-chip talent pool he inherits at Louisville, a far cry from the blue-chip hauls he could essentially take for granted at Florida and Notre Dame (and, to a lesser extent, South Carolina and Ole Miss). By way of comparison, the Cardinals finished next-to-last -- ahead of only Syracuse -- in total and scoring defense all three seasons of Kragthorpe's tenure, a decline one of his coordinators, Ron English (now head coach at Eastern Michigan after heading the Louisville D in 2008) attributed directly to the sheer lack of numbers on that side of the ball. This is a wholly different sort of "rebuilding" mission than the one Strong faced with the young-but-talented group at Florida that grew from lackluster debutantes in 2007 to the core of the Gators' dominant run over the last two years.

Immediate Impact or Slow Burn? Kragthorpe didn't exactly light the Big East on fire as a recruiter any more than he did in any other respect (those blazes you noticed were probably the Cardinal secondary), striking out on a few hyped junior college prospects and leaving Strong with a fairly steep learning curve even if the program hadn't been wracked by attrition. Strong's first recruiting class is a good start, featuring decommits from Georgia and Florida who specifically cited Strong as their incentive for balking at the SEC and a trio from Miami's Northwestern High, one of many fire hoses of talent in South Florida that Strong can deliver from his old connections as a Gator.

As totally bereft as the Cardinals are of playmakers, though, the most important aspect of Strong's first season will be somehow extending the momentum of his overwhelmingly popular hiring through his first season and first full recruiting class, which ought to be accomplished easily enough with a return to a bowl game (any bowl game) after a three-year absence. With Cincinnati likely returning to earth from the Brian Kelly Nebula where they've been residing since taking over Louisville's title as the league's unlikely football power du jour, the Big East is wide-open to facilitate modest goals -- a .500 record, a low-rent bowl game -- right away, a potential catalyst for some of the old visions of grandeur to come creeping back in Year Two. In the long run, there's nothing holding Louisville back from its brief perch among the conference's perennial contenders except its own inability to get there -- though, if it does, Strong is likely to follow Petrino and John L. Smith on the first train out of town en route to a more marquee job. It will be worth it if he gets there.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Mandate-for-Change-Louisville-lives-in-the-Stro?urn=ncaaf,230892#remaining-content

 

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Notes from practice

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Some quick thoughts and impressions from tonight's Louisville practice:
This was my third Big East practice but the first one with full contact. It was good to finally see some hitting and tackling. Although there wasn't nearly enough of that from the defense. It was a bad, bad day for that side of the ball. But don't take my word for it.

"It was definitely a rough day," defensive lineman Greg Scruggs said. "We've got to get tougher, mentally and physically. We've got to stay disciplined when we get tired. If we don't, then what you saw today will happen. The defense will get run through, the offense will score 50 points and that will be the ball game."

The problems for the defense started early and never stopped. The team went through a drill where running backs were matched up with linebackers in an open-space tackling test. Not a single defender made a stop the entire drill.

"Can't one guy tackle a running back?" head coach Charlie Strong barked in exasperation.

Fed up, Strong stopped the drill and made the linebackers do pushups. Receivers were going against defensive backs a few yards away in the same drill and they weren't having any success either. The defense got plowed during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 work as well.

Strong definitely isn't in Gainesville any more. The defense needs a ton of work and lacks bodies on the line and in the defensive backfield. A lot of young players are going to have to play and grow up in a hurry.
Strong, not surprisingly, runs an intense practice. He and his assistants get after players when they mess up, and there were many, uh, teaching moments tonight. Strong is not afraid to run after a guy and get in his face to make his point, and most of his staff is just as intense. It's definitely a change from Steve Kragthorpe, who was a little more laid back in practice.
It may just be a function of the defense, but offensively the Cardinals looked pretty solid. Justin Burke took the majority of the first-team reps as he and Adam Froman continue to split them at quarterback. Will Stein was on crutches and wearing a walking boot and is probably done for the spring, so it's a two-man race. I continue to believe the starter will ultimately be Froman, if not Dominique Brown. But that's just my opinion.

The Louisville running backs are very good. You know about Victor Anderson, Bilal Powell and Darius Ashley. I was mightily impressed with redshirt freshman Jeremy Wright, who made an awful lot of plays.

The receiving group doesn't seem to have many deep threats, but Doug Beaumont caught just about everything thrown his way. Andrell Smith, a 6-4 sophomore, really needs to come on this year. And I keep waiting for Troy Pascley to have a big year.

Tight end Cameron Graham hauled in a few nice catches. He has a lot of ability and just needs to be more consistent.

I won't give away plays and formations, but suffice it to say we saw evidence of the Florida spread. Look for this team to run some two-back sets with some option thrown in. Works better with Tim Tebow, of course, but Froman ended the practice with a 65-yard touchdown run.

A couple of guys who caught my eye in an otherwise forgettable day for the defense: Malcom Mitchell made a tremendous spin move off the edge during line vs. line drills. Shenard Holton put a big hit on Smith to break up a passing play.

Notably missing from practice were defensive linemen Rock Keys and Joe Townsend and quarterback Luke Woodley, a midyear enrollee. Woodley went home, though the team hopes he'll return for the fall.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/8807/thoughts-from-louisville-practice-2

 

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DL Scruggs

But if Louisville coach Charlie Strong wanted to move him inside to defensive tackle, Scruggs was on board. Never mind that the junior was listed at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds at the end of last season, making him much more of a defensive end type than a run plugger up the middle.

But Scruggs has put on some weight -- he's now listed at 269 -- and hopes he can be effective at tackle.

"I've gained 15 pounds since January," he said. "I definitely need to get bigger and work on simple things like my striking technique, keeping my foot in the ground and leading with my hands. If I do that, I think I'll be all right. If I stray away from fundamentals or start losing weight, I'm not going to make any progress."

In an ideal situation, Scruggs -- who had 6.5 tackles for loss last season, most among the returning Cardinals players -- would have stayed on the edge. But Louisville lost starting senior tackles L.D. Scott and L.T. Walker from last year's squad, as well as backup Tyler Jessen.

Tim High didn't make much of an impact last year after coming over from junior college and spent much of Wednesday's practice on a stationary bike. Joe Townsend was MIA from practice this week, and Rock Keys isn't currently with the team. Redshirt freshman Roy Philon (listed at 265 pounds) and sophomore Randy Salmon are working at tackle, too, but they're both pretty raw right now.

So Louisville needs bodies at tackle in the worst way, even if that means an undersized guy like Scruggs. He's basically the only veteran at the position right now, although it's new to him.

"It's a different kind of move, but I'm adjusting slowly but surely," he said. "That's what spring practice is for."

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/8852/scruggs-now-an-inside-man-for-louisville

 

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Practice Notes-day 9

April 8, 2010


Louisville, Ky. - As a former defensive coordinator, University of Louisville football coach Charlie Strong likes to pay special attention to the defensive side of the football, especially the defensive line. But Strong knows the offensive and defensive lines can win or lose football games.

While Strong has been pleased with the play on the offensive front, the first-year head coach is trying to find different combinations on the defensive line.

"You can always tell how practice is going to be if the offensive and defensive lines are getting after each other," Strong said after Day 9 of spring drills. "I've been very pleased with offensive line thus far trhis spring. They are coming off the ball fast and playing physical. The defensive line is coming along. but we are still trying to put together different combinations."

The Cardinals went over a variety of different situations again on Wednesday. Strong put the team through the basics of an overtime game, Giving the offense the ball on the 25-yard line. The star of that period was kicker Chris Philpott was accurate from every distance on the field. He showed a powerful leg and each kick was right down the middle. He connected on field goals from 30, 37, 42, 51 and 56 yards.

The Cardinals closed practice with a two-minute drill. The offense was given 1:30 and seconds to drive down the field and score.

During various scrimmages, the offense and defense seemed to take turns going at one another.

Senior running back Bilal Powell continues to be explosive and powerful, and has developed into one of the better players on the football field. He had a long run during the scrimmage portion of practice, but has also shown an ability to run over people to get the extra yards.

Senior cornerback Johnny Patrick intercepted an Adam Froman pass, which was deflected and knocked into the air. Red-shirt freshman Hakeem Smith continues to make plays, picking off a pass in the end zone, but has also been making numerous tackles.
The offense was solid during the red zone portion of Wednesday's practice. Senior quarterback Adam Froman connected with wide receivers Andrell Smith and Josh Chichester for impressive touchdowns, while senior Justin Burke was proficient during his turn in the red zone. Smith, who played sparingly at wide receiver last season, snuck behind defensive back Preston Pace for a long touchdown catch during practice.

Louisville will practice again Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. and will conduct its final scrimmage before the Spring Game on Saturday at 10 a.m.

http://www.uoflsports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/040810aaa.html

 

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Louisville blog take on practice (from march 30)

We are about one week into the head coaching career of Charlie Strong and his impact is already being felt by the entire Louisville football community. Strong has completely changed the mentality of the players and each one of them has bought what Strong and his staff are selling.

After a single week, there are many noticeable differences in this year’s squad. I have viewed a few practices and received reports from the ones I could not attend. After taking in all the information, I feel there are three main things being stressed to the players this Spring: toughness, accountability, and leadership.

Toughness

The Cards got their first taste of toughness, Chuck Strong style, during the off-season with the arrival of strength and conditioning coach Pat Moorer. Besides being built like a rock and having the ability to rip a phonebook apart just by looking at it, Moorer is regarded by many as the best strength and conditioning coach in the country. His programs were designed to get the Cards ready to deal with Chuck Strong on the practice field.

Along with learning how to do things the Charlie Strong way, which include how to properly take the field, the first time head coach immediately preached toughness. You can see by the way Strong and his staff coach the players, toughness will be demanded of them or else a player will not see the field.

Accountability

Twenty minutes into the first practice, it was obvious these players will be held accountable. If a mistake is made during practice, the result is an up-down. For those who have never done an up-down, it involves a player dropping to his stomach, then immediately pushing himself back up to a standing position. I have done these many times, not because of my desire to get in shape, but because I was continually late to off-season workouts. Thanks a lot, Coach Maddox.

Anyway, the Cards have to perform up-downs on the spot if they make a mistake in practice. A receiver drops a pass; twenty-five up-downs. A lineman misses a block; up-downs. A fan looks at Chuck Strong the wrong way; up-downs (just kidding), but you get the point. Mistakes are tolerated, but not without a player being held accountable for that mistake.

Leadership

Charlie Strong said before practice began he wants and needs leaders to step up. Strong feels coaches can only lead so much from the sidelines and to a large degree, a team’s success depends on leadership on the field. He pointed to his time at the University of Florida and cited the leadership from Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes as reasons for their success.

There are players in the program who I feel have the type of leadership Strong wants. On the offensive side, quarterback Adam Froman and running back Vic Anderson stand out as players with strong leadership qualities. Froman is a very emotional presence, whether in practice or on gameday, and Anderson can always be found encouraging his teammates. I really noticed Vic’s leadership qualities late last season when he was hurt, but still getting in the huddles on the sidelines trying to fire up the team.

On the defensive side, I think cornerback Johnny Patrick is the prime candidate to be a leader. He is a senior, definitely the Cards’ best corner, and has the type of fire and attitude I like to see a leader possess. Patrick should have his finest season at Louisville. Here are some other notes I have gathered from Spring practice so far:

- The players love the new way they are being coached. Many have readily remarked how they need this and wish they were coached this way in the past.

- The running back position is obviously the strength of the offense, but I really like what I am seeing from the wide receivers. Troy Pascley has looked very good and could be an All-Big East caliber performer this season. I also like what I am seeing from 6-9 Josh Chichester. From what I have been told, the big man was informed by the coaches he is the biggest receiver in college football, play like it. Others to watch are Andrell Smith and Damian Copeland.

- The defense is behind the offense at this stage, but there are some players on the defensive side. Dexter Heyman has stood out and looks like he is turning into the player we knew he could be from his time at Louisville Male. Dex is back at the linebacker position after trying to get on the field at the defensive end spot last year.

- Doug Beaumont looks great, it’s really hard to believe this is his senior year already. Regardless of what the Cards do record-wise, that kid better get in the endzone this season. He’s one of the best kids ever at Louisville, but has yet to score a touchdown. Hopefully, it happens this season.


http://www.straitpinkie.com/sports/cards/louisville-spring-football-notes/

 

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Kicking game looking strong

I stopped by Louisville practice last night for a story I'm working on. The defense showed a little improvement, but still needs a lot of work. The offense wasn't as crisp as I saw it last week, but Bilal Powell had some very impressive runs. But the thing that stuck out to me the most was actually the kicking game.

Chris Philpott was absolutely crushing it on a day full of gusty winds. The team was going through overtime simulations, and Philpott had to kick in game-like conditions. He never missed, making them from 30, 37, 42, 51 and 56 yards, according to the team's stats. And every one was a no-doubter right down the middle.
Why is this important? Well, the Cardinals have had all kinds of field goal problems the past two years and have rotated between three kickers. Philpott came on at the end of last year and went 5-for-5 in his attempts. It was just one practice day, but if he can kick it like that this season, that's one less thing Charlie Strong will have to worry about.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast

 

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Strong brings hope

Strong said he didn't flash his two national title rings at prospects but instead just sold them on what Louisville had to offer. Still, it's hard to believe that Strong's reputation and name recognition didn't play the key role in their decisions.

In fact, Strong's immediate success on the recruiting trail and in attracting a top-shelf staff prompts old questions about why no one else had hired him before Tom Jurich did at Louisville. He once suggested that his race and interracial marriage played a role. Perhaps had he not come to Louisville, he would have been in play for later openings at Tennessee and South Florida. But how could he pass up any opportunity after being passed over for so long?

These are subjects Strong has little desire to address again. Besides, his introductory press conference in December told that whole story. He had to pause for several seconds, gather his emotions and wipe back tears that day as he recalled how he and his wife wondered if his chance would ever come.

Strong is a head coach now, and working on improving his team is all that matters. He looks forward to the time when the story on Louisville football is about a whole lot more than just him.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/8956/charlie-strong-brings-hope-to-ailing-louisville-cardinals-program

 

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RB Powell looks speedier

Powell blames a gradual weight gain over the previous two seasons for his sub-par performances. The 6-foot senior tailback said he weighs 200 pounds — 20 pounds lighter than he was at the end of last season. As a result, Powell has looked electric this spring and earned the praise of University of Louisville coach Charlie Strong and his teammates.
Powell, along with Victor Anderson, could form a formidable backfield combination for the Cardinals.

“I feel pretty good,” Powell said. “I got a few pounds off me. I feel a lot more comfortable. Talking to Coach Strong, it's something we both agreed on. I see a lot more explosiveness. I feel lighter on my feet. Coach (Pat) Moorer came up with a good strength and conditioning plan.”
Powell was part of Steve Kragthorpe's first recruiting class. The then-freshman from Florida made an impact at the end of the 2007 season. He rushed 24 times for 187 yards (7.8 yards per carry) with two touchdowns in eight games. Powell followed that with 354 yards as a sophomore, including 112 against Connecticut.

As a junior, Powell gained 392 yards, but his yards-per-carry average plummeted to a career-low 3.6. In the season-ending loss to Rutgers, he had one carry for minus-2 yards.
Powell, who didn't do much weightlifting in high school, said he ate too much and drank weight-gaining shakes after his freshman year. He thought the extra pounds would help. Instead, it had an adverse effect on his running.
“I put on some pounds that I shouldn't have, and it changed my style of running,” he said. “It dropped my confidence level. Coming out of high school I was more of a slasher. With too much weight on me, I couldn't make the moves I had in high school.”

UofL running backs coach Kenny Carter said Moorer suggested a lighter Powell would be a better Powell. Carter wanted to see him at a weight that would maximize his production.
“I think whenever someone's production goes up and they change their body, it's an obvious difference,” Carter said. “If he needed to be lighter and that was going to make him productive, so be it. It's all about production. If you're productive at 220, then you'll stay at 220. If not, he was going to lose it.”
The difference on the field has been obvious. Strong said Powell is having one of the best springs of anyone on the team.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100411/SPORTS02/4110354/1028/University+of+Louisville+s+tailback+Bilal+Powell+sheds+20+pounds++speeds+up

 

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CB a concern-Ashley

...the Cards moved their second-leading rusher — who hasn't played defense since junior high — they're desperate to find cornerbacks. So much so that Ashley actually anticipated the move by coach Charlie Strong midway through spring drills. Strong was looking for a way to get more of his best athletes on the field, and the 5-foot-8 sophomore fit the bill.

Strong said Ashley already has passed the first test of his transition.
“He accepted that move, and I think it's great because he can help us at that position,” the coach said.
The Cards tried all last season to find consistency at cornerback. Junior-college signees Bobby Burns, Preston Pace and Anthony Conner never established themselves, and between injuries, Kardell Dunning was in and out of the doghouse.
That prompted then-coach Steve Kragthorpe to convert receiver Andrew Robinson during the season, and safety Chaz Thompson made a start at cornerback. As a result, the Cards ranked seventh in the Big East Conference in pass defense efficiency, and their 10 interceptions topped only Syracuse's nine.
Ashley is just the latest change in the search for some stability.
“We don't have a lot of depth, and that's a concern of ours right now,” defensive coordinator Vance Bedford said.

It's been hard enough just having the numbers to practice. Senior Johnny Patrick, who as a three-year starter is by far UofL's most experienced cover
man, missed Wednesday's practice to attend a class he needs to graduate.
Pace has practiced but has been kept out of contract drills because he's still rehabbing a shoulder injury. Conner is nicked up, too, and has missed valuable practice time. Dunning, who would have been a junior, has to sort out academic issues before he can return.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100414/SPORTS02/4140443/1002/sports/Cornerback+position+a+big+concern+for+Louisville

 

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QB Battle-Spring game

Heading into Friday's Red-White game U of L coach Charlie Strong said quarterbacks Adam Froman, Will Stein and Justin Burke will each get to take snaps with the first team offense. But Strong doesn't expect to name a No. 1 just yet.

"Froman, Burke and Stein all three have really done well this spring and each one of them have worked with both groups," Strong said. "So even after the game a decision probably won't be made until we start the fall camp and these guys will be given the opportunity to go win the position

http://ulbeat.courier-journal.com/

 

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Article on Spring Game

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — New Louisville coach Charlie Strong gathered the Cardinals at midfield moments before the annual Red-White scrimmage on Friday night, but he was in no mood to give his players a pep talk.

Instead, Strong picked two players out and had them face off in a drill sometimes nicknamed "Circle of Death." The two players pounded on each other for a few seconds until one of them gained the upper hand.

When they were done, Strong called two more out. Then two more after that. His message was simple: it's time to get physical.

Louisville kept the energy going during an energetic scrimmage at rain-soaked Cardinals Stadium. The Red team, comprised mostly of first-stringers, easily handled the White team 28-10.

Yet the score hardly mattered. For Strong and a program eager to move on following Steve Kragthorpe's firing last fall, the chance to get out on the field and start taking the first tentative steps forward couldn't come soon enough.

"Right now there's a lot of passion, a lot of excitement, and we need to keep that going," Strong said.

Strong has stressed fundamentals during spring drills. There's still plenty of work to be done in that area, but Strong liked what he saw on both sides of the ball.

All three quarterbacks — seniors Adam Froman and Justin Burke and sophomore Will Stein — were able to move the ball at times. Burke threw for a touchdown, Stein ran for one and Froman caught another while running the new Spread offense installed by offensive coordinator Mike Sanford.

Strong appears to be in no hurry to name a starter, saying the competition will continue through fall camp.

His bigger concern was effort, and he saw plenty of it. Defensive tackle Greg Scruggs was so fired up he unloaded on Stein even though Stein was wearing a protective green jersey.

Later a pair of linemen got into a tussle and every big hit — and there were more than a few — was greeted by a roar from the soggy crowd.

Strong is trying to instill a confidence in the team that was decidedly lacking it last fall, when Louisville slipped to a 4-8 record. He dipped into the history books to do it on Friday. The graduating seniors from last year's team were honored at halftime, each player walking onto the field alongside a former Louisville great.

Strong said it was important for the players to see former Cardinals turned NFL stars like Tom Jackson, Ray Buchanan and Deon Branch to let them know what was possible.

The game also provided a long-awaited highlight for wide receiver Doug Beaumont. The senior came in with 100 receptions on his career, but had never scored a touchdown. He finally remedied that with a 47-yard catch and run for a score in the third quarter.

Beaumont shared a laugh with Strong afterward, one of the few light moments on a night where the focus was on reviving a program that's slipped off the national radar recently.

"I feel we've got the intensity and the confidence knowing we can win games," Beaumont said. "We know we have a coach that we can respect and we can go out and have fun."


http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/red-team-dominates-in-louisville-spring-game-575055.html

 

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Spring Wrap Up

Spring answers


1. Only the Strong survive: From his "Circle of Life" drills to open practice to the way he and his staff raised the intensity of every workout, new coach Charlie Strong did everything he could to instill toughness and passion in the Cardinals. The team, which is tired of losing, seemed to buy in to Strong's methods wholeheartedly. Louisville hopes it can make up for what it may lack in talent with heart.

2. Crowded backfield: Victor Anderson, who was limited by offseason shoulder surgery, is one of the best running backs in the Big East. Bilal Powell looked sleeker and faster this spring, while redshirt freshman Jeremy Wright impressed everybody before suffering a sports hernia injury. The Cardinals felt so good about their tailback depth that they moved Darius Ashley to cornerback.

3. Kicking it up a notch: Louisville was pretty horrendous on field goals the past two years and shuffled through kickers while looking for someone who could do the job. Chris Philpott seized control of that position this spring and drilled several long field goals in high-intensity drills. A few more field goals here and there could make the difference in a winning or losing season.

Fall questions


1. Quarterback conundrum: Adam Froman and Justin Burke split reps with the first team throughout the spring, and Strong has yet to name a starter. It's the second straight year that Louisville will enter the fall without a clear No. 1 quarterback. And will freshman Dominique Brown get a chance to compete there when he arrives this summer?

2. Trouble in the trenches: Simply put, the defensive line did not look talented enough to compete with the better offensive lines in the Big East throughout much of this spring. The interior of the line lacks bulk and strength, while Louisville hasn't had a top-flight edge pass rusher in a couple of years now. It's a problem that probably will only get fixed through recruiting.

3. Secondary concerns: Moving Ashley wasn't just a sign of strength in the offensive backfield. It was a desperation move to shore up the defensive backfield. Johnny Patrick is a solid cornerback, but the other corner spot was a mess. And with Terrence Simien sitting out the spring while he recovered from a kidney injury, the safeties didn't look so hot either. Combine the secondary issues with the lack of a legitimate pass rush, and there are major reasons to be concerned for this defense heading into the fall.


http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/9468/louisville-spring-wrap-2

 

[Racinejake]

Just confirmed today that class of 2010 4 star defensive tackle De'Antre Rhodes is academically ineligible and will be heading to JUCO. Michigan transfer Demar Dorsey has also not yet been cleared to play. Also Dominique Brown is waiting on test scores on whether he will qualify to play next year as well.

 

[swg]

Awesome