By Ed Peak
“We have to start off the season in mid-season form.”
Scott Satterfield has a good idea about the gauntlet ahead for his University of Louisville football team. Four of the first six games are on the road.
“We know we’ve got a challenging schedule ahead of us,” said Satterfield during the Atlantic Coast Conference Media days this week. “Opening at Syracuse in the Dome. It will be the first time I’ve been there. [Take some ear plugs, Coach.]
“We know what kind of environment that’s going to be and a good football team that’s going to be there. That’s going to be huge. ”
The following week UofL will travel to Orlando to play Central Florida in what’s called “The Bounce House” where UCF 30-2. Central Florida returns six offensive and seven defensive players from a team that finished 9-4 and beat Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl.
Florida State follows on Friday, September 16, in what is designated as a “Red Out.” Of any Louisville team during the last four years, this one should be up to the task with so much experience returning, seven offensive and 10 defensive starters plus two kickers.
“We feel like we have a really good football team,” said Satterfield. “We’ll be able to compete for the ACC championship.”
To say Satterfield likes this team is an understatement. This is his fourth year and he has had ample time to build the program. The ACC was listed as the third best conference by Phil Steele’s 2022 publication. Clemson, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh and Miami, Florida should all be ranked. The Cards play all those teams except Miami.
“We were a very competitive football team in our league last year,” sai Satterfield. “Everybody we played and a lot of those games came down to the very end. We were on the short of that three or four times. That leaves a bad taste in your mouth.”
Close losses to Wake Forest, Virginia, North Carolina State and Clemson derailed the Cards (6-7) season. Add the bowl game loss to Air Force and it’s five close losses.
“We did not play well defensively in the ones we lost,” said Satterfield. “We were so close and now the whole focus of the off season has bee ton finish, finish the drill, finish the weight session that you have. In football the fourth quarter is the most important and that’s the one you have to finish.”
Quarterback Malik Cunningham told Clemson Sports that the 30-24 loss to the Tigers last season still bothers him. “I don’t think Clemson was expecting us to come in and hit ’em’ in the mouth like we did. That game haunts me every day. There’s not a day that goes by I don’t think about that last drive.”
Louisville had moved quickly to inside the Clemson two yard line. The Cards had four cracks and couldn’t dent the Tiger defense. The Cards also missed a 49-yard field goal in a one-point loss to Virginia.
If Louisville can close the gap and win the close ones, this could be a special season.