All Entries Tagged With: "Victor Anderson"
Froman, Louisville want best face on offense
By Paul Sykes
When you look back at the Louisville-Kentucky series, the list of quarterbacks is impressive.
Redman, Brohm, LeFors, Ragone and Cantwell for the Louisville. Couch, Lorenzen, Woodson and Boyd for Kentucky. This season’s starters don’t have the name recognition and skills but neither coach is putting major pressure and responsibilities on them either.
Although this is his second season, Louisville fans really don’t know what to expect from Froman. He’s still pretty much of an unknown, as is Mike Hartline from the Lexington school. The coaches just want them to maintain, getting the ball to the running backs and wide receivers while avoiding costly turnovers.
- Louisville — Froman won a three way battle for the position over Will Stein and Justin Burke. U of L head coach Charlie Strong is looking for Froman to just operate the offense and get the ball to the right guys in the multiple options in Mike Sanford’s spread offense. Froman calls the Cardinal attack “fun” and likes the aggressive options available. He’ll have a strong, experienced offensive line and will help shape the “identity” that Strong says the Cards need to establish
- Kentucky — Mike Hartline returns as a starter, beating out Morgan Newton and Ryan Mossakowski for the snaps. His job will be to “feed the studs” like Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke…guys that are proven game changers. The debate on the Lexington campus is whether Hartline is the right call, and UK will probably use Cobb and Newton under center in certain situations. Joker Phillips defends his decision to go with Hartline, saying that he is “the experienced guy and he’s going fast, being more efficient with things we want to get done.”
Advantage: Kentucky. Hartline never lost to a Steve Kragthorpe-coached team, and the Cats have options in Cobb and Newton if Hartline is ineffective. Neither starting quarterback is a powerhouse.
Powell the back to watch for Louisville against Kentucky
By Paul Sykes
The real question about Louisville’s running game is which Bilal Powell is going to show up for the Kentucky football game Saturday.
Will it be the player who displayed dazzling speed and elusiveness as a freshman punt returner, the one who had U of L fans salivating for more of him, pleading that he be used as a primary running back.
Will he be the Bilal Powell who, during his sophomore and junior seasons, was only a shadow of himself, slow, injury prone, methodical, predictable and easily stopped most of the time?
Or will it be the Bilal Powell who, during spring and fall practice, has greatly impressed Charlie Strong’s new coaching staff, pushing Victor Anderson, a former freshman of the year, to a backup role?
Plenty of experience in the backfields of both U of L and Kentucky:
Louisville – Charlie Strong has sung the praises of Powell since arriving nine months ago. The slimmed down Powell still has the strength and power of a fullback and should be faster without the extra weight. Anderson says has recovered from his shoulder injury. If he is back to freshman form, the Cards have one of the most explosive players in the Big East. Blayne Donnell has looked promising, but Jeremy Wright is recovering from an injury.
Kentucky — Absolutely loaded, no question. Derrick Locke can shame any defense if he gets outside the containment using his world class speed. Donald Russell waits in the wings if Locke should tire. Moncell Allen and Greg Meisner are big and powerful runners who will try to fill the shoes of the departed John Conner. Randall Cobb and Morgan Newton can carry effectively if the Cats go to the Wildcat formation.
Advantage – Slight edge to Kentucky because of the question marks with U of L’s running backs. Derrick Locke’s career numbers are better than Powell and Anderson’s combined totals.
Speed may be a potent ingredient in Louisville’s recovery
By Tom Stosberg
Sportswriters and opposing coaches think the University of Louisville football team will finish no better than eighth in the Big East this season. Oh, the doom and gloom of it all.
But there is hope. I’ll tell you what it is as long as you promise to keep it a secret from anyone who roots against U of L. You see, the hope is based on one asset the Cards have that I have yet to hear a single soul mention.
Speed.
An interesting concept, and here’s how it could work. First, Louisville’s new offense is designed to work mostly on speed. The passing game requires that the linemen hold the rush for no more than a couple of seconds because it’s a “speed” offense in which the ball is out extremely fast. This could be lethal IF the Cards can master the execution before the first game. And two speed backs, Victor Anderson and Bilal Powell, need only a few inches of daylight.
Moving Darius Ashley to cornerback was a great move. Besides his raw speed, Ashley is both intelligent and teachable.
Now comes the critical part of the concept – defense. Success this season rests on the shoulders of four rotating defensive tackles: Tim High, Randy Salmon, Greg Scruggs and one more yet-to-be-decided fourth D-Tackle. If ( and that is a huge “if”) this group is successful at holding down the middle of the defensive line, then wonderful things can happen because of the aforementioned speed.
U of L has excellent speed at every defensive position but not a whole lot of depth. They could be dangerous from the edges. Rodney Gnat, Malcolm Tatum and William Savoy are three defensive ends with excellent speed. Moving Darius Ashley to cornerback was a great move. Besides his raw speed, Ashley is both intelligent and teachable.
If the other CB, Johnny Patrick gets his head back on straight, the Cards would really be able to “bring it from the edge” for the first time in over three years.Linebackers Brandon Heath, Dexter Heyman and C.J. Peake all have experience and guess what else – speed. At safety, Terrence Simien is the real deal and he can fly.
Defensive Coordinator, Vance Bedford, is well aware of how speed can cover a multitude of sins. Bedford’s very young and inexperienced defensive backfield at Florida last year performed extremely well last year, proving that Bedford knows how to teach.
Go to practice at 5:30 p.m. Friday and watch these kids. It’s the last open practice. Strong and Bedford have them flying to the ball. They might not be as skilled, knowledgeable or experienced as they are going to be, but they are incredibly focused on doing whatever it takes to please the coaches because the players like, respect and believe in them.
For now, that attitude and just plain speed might enough to do surprising things for our Cardinals.
Happy Thanksgiving U of L Fans
by Sonja Sykes
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, this time of year gives us an opportunity to reflect on the many things for which University of Louisville fans can be thankful. Here is a brief list of the things that give us reason:
- Jeff Walz and the Lady Cards. A trip to the final four, the excellent play of Angel McCoughtry and the encouraging start to the 2009-10 season. The electric atmosphere in Freedom Hall for games is something you need to experience.
- Rick Pitino and the men’s team. A trip to the regional finals and good times in Indy. A new team that has 10 guys that may not have the NBA draft status of T-Will and Earl, will give Cardinal fans plenty to get excited about in the upcoming season. An exciting mix of the new and old, and a coach that can get it done.
- Dan McDonnell and the baseball team. The fun involved with watching Chris Dominguez, the tight pitching staff and another run at Omaha is a blessing and another dynasty in Cardinal athletics is evident.
- Tom Jurich for the coaches he has hired, the wise decision making he has displayed and the patience to make a studied and informed decision on the future of a particular program that needs some changes.
- A football team that produced and developed some exciting playmakers. Trent Guy, Scott Long, Vic Anderson, Darius Ashley and my defensive heroes gave me a reason to go and cheer, despite the dismal season results.
- Leonard Yelin and the overachieving volleyball team. Learning and growing as the season progressed, they were the best in the Big East tournament and will play in the NCAA Championships.
- Ken Lolla and the men’s soccer team. Another Big East trophy to put in the showcase and the promise of more things to be grateful about next year.
- Pam Bustin and the field hockey team. Perennial top 10 rankings and a stellar performance from a young and rebuilding squad. Another sport you need to go out and watch life. You’ll be thankful that you did.
- Sandy Pearsall and women’s softball. The Lady Bat Cards are building a roster that is second to none in the Big East and play in the best facilities in the Big East, if not the nation.
- Track and field, women’s soccer, swimming, golf, all nationally competitive, too. Lacrosse coming on. That’s what happens when you start a list, wow.
Finally, a thank you to all those involved with this site. Whether a contributor, observer or occasional guest, you make the show here and we thank you for your wise council, excellent columns and comments and discussion that far outshine any other Cardinal sports site on the Internet.
May the joy of the Thanksgiving season, time with friends and family and reflection on all the things we can truly give thanks for fill your heart with happiness and cheer your hours during this holiday season.
Victor Anderson’s Season Over
There will officially be one less weapon for Steve Kragthorpe’s offense in the season finale: Victor Anderson will undergo surgery Tuesday and miss Friday’s game.
Anderson did not see action against South Florida and has been used sparingly since injuring his clavicle, participating only in eight games. He is the leading rusher with 473 yards and five touchdowns.
Darius Ashley and Bilal Powell will carry the load against a Rutgers defense that gave up 213 yards rushing and 211 passing in a shocking 31-13 loss to Syracuse.
Don’t Let Your Eyes Deceive You
By Tom Stosberg
Despite what the won-lost record says, the Louisville football team is loaded.
Think about it. U of L has three, maybe even four excellent quarterbacks. Guys who not only can throw but aren’t afraid to run…with pretty good moves to boot.
And speed in the backfield. Victor Anderson and Darius Ashley could start anywhere in the country. They are both “feature” backs who have the speed to play on Sundays.
We are also flush with outstanding receivers. Our special teams are loaded. The defense has some emerging superstars.
Why is our Cardinal football team so loaded with talent?
Because Coach Greg Nord continues to do what he has been doing for the past 15 years…finding great talent and convincing them to come to U of L. It’s as simple as that. Through all types of coaches, with all sorts of offensive and defensive schemes, against all kinds of competition, Coach Nord has kept the pipeline full by working his magic. Makes one wonder if Card fans know how valuable he is.
This is a man who understands relationships, has a remarkable eye for great talent, maintains an unbelievable contact network and is relentless in his pursuit of excellence.
One of the secrets to Coach Nord’s success …people like him…high school and junior college coaches, parents, boosters. And there is no doubt that Greg Nord is one of the best kept secrets in U of L’s football program.
But he can only do so much.
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