All Entries Tagged With: "Adam Froman"

Kragthorpe Makes Will Stein The Fall Guy

Will Stein apparently didn’t know he was going to be the University of Louisville’s starting quarterback until Friday. No surprise. Steve Kragthorpe is adept at keeping everyone guessing.

This has to mean that either Adam Froman or Justin Burke must have been taking lots of snaps in the days leading up to the West Virginia game.  Or maybe Zach Stoudt, the son of a former pro quarterback, was finally getting some repetitions?

Don’t expect any clarification from Kragthorpe. The great communicator.

So fans are left wondering why a quarterback gets the call who has no ability to spot open receivers, not much of a throwing arm and no scrambling ability. His only offensive skill is handing the ball off to Darius Ashley.

West Virginia was all but begging to go down but Will Stein, bless his heart, just couldn’t deliver.

Somewhere out there a coach is wondering what he could done better.

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Where Oh Where Is Zach Stoudt

By Paul Sykes

Maybe it is time to call in one of the many so-called TV investigators or get out the bloodhounds. Someone get access to the milk cartons and get his photo on there pronto. Zach Stoudt has failed to hit the field in the 2009 football season.

You remember Zach Stoudt, don’t you? A red shirt freshman out of Columbus, Ohio, Stoudt was the talk of spring practice with his rifleman arm and ability to throw towering passes deep down the field. A nice showing in the spring game led observers to believe Stoudt would be in the mix for a starting role as the Cardinal’s quarterback.

Fall practice gave Stoudt the chance to contend for that role and from what fans saw in the limited chances they had to watch him, that arm was still golden and accurate.

But he slid down the depth chart. Even with Adam Froman sidelined for the start of the season, Zach slipped to third string and walk-on Will Stein assumed the backup role. With injuries to Adam Froman and Justin Burke during the Cincinnati game, one would have thought that Steve Kragthorpe might have used the situation to see how Stoudt performed in a game. It did not happen.

Stoudt spent his high school years quarterbacking for perennial Ohio power Dublin-Coffman. He finished his career there with 3,547 yards passing, 34 touchdown and was rated as the 19th best quarterback in he nation by Rivals when he graduated. Former offensive coordinator Jeff Brohm worked closely with Zach during his red shirt year and at 6′4″ and 215 lbs., Stoudt has the size and strength that the diminutive Stein does not. He’s burned his red shirt. He’s healthy.

But, he still sits. Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly has a knack of using multiple quarterback throughout the football season and they all mesh into the UC offensive format. Is the Kragthorpe offensive scheme that difficult where Stoudt can’t comprehend it?

(You’ve witnessed it, it isn’t…and a trained chimp could probably hand to Powell, Anderson and Ashley.)

With five games remaining in this season, and the Cardinals plagued by multiple injuries to their top two depth chart hurlers, isn’t it time to see what the kid can do? Face it, this season isn’t going to send us bowling, we very well may lose four out of the last five.

Give the kid a shot.

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Time Crawls For Louisville Football

Can we all agree that the University of Louisville football team is in need of change unless Steve Kragthorpe embarks on a winning streak? The only other question seems to be who can be the angriest people in the fan base.

One would hope, however, all of them wish this young man well in Saturday’s game against Connecticut at Noon on WHAS-11:

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Louisville Teases Fans In First Half, Fizzles In Second

Gotta admit, the first half had Louisville football fans excited, optimistic, more than a few wondering (or hoping) if Steve Kragthorpe may have turned a corner. The crowd of 39,948 on its feet more than during any game since a surprising win over Rutgers in the final 2007 game.

A real buzz in the concourse at halftime. The beer was flowing, life was good again.

But the 10-7 lead would quickly dissipate during the third quarter, with some familiar looking and disappointing pass coverage. Along with the lead were many of the partisans, headed for early exit.

• Surprising: The confidence and natural leadership of quarterback Adam Froman. Would have something resembling a quarterback controversy if there weren’t so many other issues.  Intuitive, intelligent, good running and passing decisions. No interceptions, none. First in a while in a Big East game for a U of L quarterback.
• Anemic: An offensive line unable to run block or protect the passer, giving up six sacks in the process.
• Cornered:  Victor Anderson in the backfield, but still managing to gain 51 yards.
• Impressive: Darius Ashley, showing lightning quickness, gaining 14 yards on three carries. Too bad about the shoulder.
• Determined:  Joe Tronzo, having to cross the goal line a second time after a review cancels out a touchdown.
• Unacceptable: Unnecessary unsportsmanlike penalties after good defensive plays.
• Frustrating:  Official review that requires about four minutes to decide a play. What part of indisputable do they not understand?
• Quotable:  Fan who said if Steve Kragthorpe stays here a fourth year, U of L might have a lead after the third quarter of a game.
• Promising:  Attendance of 39,948, a near capacity crowd of people, the vast majority of whom  knew going U of L did not have much of a shot. May be getting to a place where fan support remains strong in spite of the won-lost record.
• For Emphasis: That’s 39,948 for a game that was televised locally and nationally, mind you.

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