If being humble and hungry is a prerequisite to winning, the University of Louisville football team is there.
Strange feeling, one UofL football fans haven’t experienced for quite a while, winless after the first three games of the 2015 season. Actually it’s worse, Louisville has lost four games in row now, including that humiliating 37-14 loss to Georgia in the Belk Bowl last season. That was supposed to be a better UofL team than the current version.
Reminds one of the bad old days in the Seventies when Louisville was expected to lose, the opposition racking up the points. Days that was supposed to be way behind us. Fans who endured those years have never taken winning for granted.
The timing couldn’t be worse, just three weeks after Tom Jurich kicked off a $50 million fund drive for a 10,000-seat expansion of Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium, hoping to build on the program’s success over the past decade. The losses are no doubt a concern for the development staff, in all likelihood prompting a little hesitancy on fundraising calls.
Much of the optimism for UofL football going into season was largely based on Bobby Petrino being the Louisville coach. How else to explain it with the loss of nine players to the National Football League, practically all of the wide receivers, the continuing uncertainty at quarterback, and all the untested offensive linemen.
All that confidence quite a compliment to Petrino who has done more with less. His only response to all the optimism was that he really liked this group of players, citing factors like leadership, coachability and commitment. If the coach had major concerns before the season started, he hid them well.
Despite what Petrino may say or do during games, he has never been one to publicly criticize players. There are some glaring weaknesses that will have to be corrected or concealed if UofL is to be a contender in ACC play.
Not a good place to be at this point in the season. Every program has its ups and downs, and Louisville is no different. Right now this team badly needs a dose of confidence, a win over anybody, even Stamford, may be what it takes to get get it going again.
I’m not in Louisville anymore, so I don’t know what the “feel” is around there regarding the football program. I have to whole heartedly disagree with the author’s statement that this losing streak is reminiscent of Louisville football in the 1970s. Louisville was getting blown out (not just losing to) but getting BLOWN OUT of games by the likes of Southern Miss, Wichita State, and Western Kentucky. I don’t know how you compare this season with that era. I hope your opinion is in the minority up there. Keep your heads up, for crying out loud.
Eric, thanks for your comment. The 0-3 start is reminiscent only because we had a few 0-3 starts in the distant past. The feeling is different these days, I agree.
And what the fans need right now is for someone, or some entity, with deep pockets, to step up, right now, and make a significant contribution to the fund drive for the stadium expansion. Confidence builds. Build it and they will come. Go Cards!