Opening Big East Conference games have been poison for University of Louisville football the past six years, managing one win in six tries since joining the conference in 2005.
Shouldn’t U of L fans feel more confident going into this one with a 5-0 record? Well, yes, but none of those wins have inspired the confidence or exuberance that radiated from the 2006 team that went on to take the BCS Orange Bowl.
All kinds of talent this time around, some might says heads and shoulders over that other team, but mostly young, inexperienced players still feeling their way, as evidenced by:
- A strength of schedule 121st among FBS teams.
- The opposition’s backfield is foreign territory with UofL ranked 104th in sacks, 117th in tackles for losses.
- Continuing challenges stopping the run and the pass in all five wins.
- Last two wins come-from-behind affairs, one against a team that has yet to win a game.
The pessimists will not be surprised if the streak comes to an end at Pittsburgh, which has won four straight games against Louisville. They’re ready to pounce if the streak continues, expecting UofL to struggle the rest of the way.
We choose to believe that with some of those youngsters grew up in that second half against Southern Miss and will be prepared for whatever comes at them at Pittsburgh.
Gotta wonder which Pitt team will show up. The one that got beat by Youngstown State, Cincy and Syracuse or the team that upset Virginia Tech and beat Gardner-Webb?
Tino Sunseri, a former UofL recruiting target, can be either brilliant or bumbling at QB.
Here’s hoping he, and the Panthers can’t “ketchup” at Heinz Field Saturday. Time to end the Pitt winning streak vs. Louisville.