Louisville Entering Virginia Matchup with Banged Up Running Back Room
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Potentially not having quarterback Malik Cunningham is already bad enough for Louisville's offense heading into their next matchup at Virginia. However, one of their deepest positions on the entire roster - running back - is now being put to the test as well.
How big of a test? There's a very real chance that three of the Cardinals' five scholarship backs might be unavailable against the Cavaliers.
Head coach Scott Satterfield announced Tuesday that Tiyon Evans and Trevion Cooley are listed as "day to day" after both were injured in the previous game against Boston College. Satterfield also announced that Jalen Mitchell is still out after suffering a leg injury earlier this season, but is "getting closer" and did not rule out a return against the Cavaliers.
"Obviously, this week, we got potential running backs that are down, and we'll see where we're at with that," he said. "Tiyon didn’t finish the game, and he'll be day-to-day as well. Cooley will listed as day-to-day as well, he's another guy that didn't finish, so we’re a little bit beat up on that side. But again, we got to go out there and play with the guys that are healthy and that will be available to go play, and that's what we're going to have to do."
"Mitchell is getting closer," Satterfield said later in his weekly press conference Tuesday. "He had the injury, the lower leg injury, against Central Florida. This Friday will be four weeks. He's really, really close to being available. We'll probably know more with him toward the end of the week. But he is getting really, really close.”
Louisville was extremely high on the running back room heading into the season, to point where they listed four co-starters at the position during fall camp. Even when Evans was named the starter before the season-opener at Syracuse, the Cardinals named the other three as co-backups.
The Cardinals have given their top four running back - Evans, Cooley, Mitchell and Jawhar Jordan - relatively equal opportunities up to this point, but have unofficially dubbed Evans as the lead back. So far this year, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound Tennessee transfer leads the position in carries, yards and touchdowns, rushing 53 times for 263 yards and three scores.
But the injury bug has bitten him a couple times this year. Evans was injured in the second game of the year at UCF, forcing him to miss the Florida State game the following week. He was re-injured just before halftime of last week's game at Boston College, and was seen wearing a boot on the television broadcast during the second half.
Cooley had been dealing with an injury himself entering the season, and didn't see meaningful snaps until the Florida State game. Before suffering another injury that forced him to leave the Boston College game early, the 5-foot-10, 211-pound back had rushed 26 times for 123 yards and a touchdown.
Mitchell has been the most limited by injuries this year, suffering a lower leg injury against UCF, and has yet to return this year. The 5-foot-10, 214-pound back has only rushed four times for 29 yards so far this year after being Louisville's leading rusher at running back last season, tallying 722 yards and five touchdowns.
With the various injuries to the latter three, that has paved the way for a much larger role for Jordan. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Syracuse transfer is right behind Evans in terms of production and usage, rushing 42 times for 173 yards.
The fifth scholarship back for Louisville, Maurice Turner, got his first collegiate reps two weeks ago against USF. The 5-foot-10, 186-pound true freshman rushed three times for just three yards, but had two catches for 40 yards in garbage time. With the uncertainly currently surrounding the position, Turner is expected to play a large role in the game plan against Virginia.
"I'm really happy, excited and proud of Maurice and what he's done," offensive coordinator Lance Taylor said. "He's continued to grow mentally, and I think we've trusted him more and more each week. You've seen a little bit more and more of him, and so I'd expect to see more of him this week.
"I know Coach (De'Rail) Sims has complete confidence in him, as I do, and the rest of our staff. He practices hard, he practices the right way, it's important to him, he takes it serious. Those are the type of guys that we want to play on Saturdays, the guys that it's important to, and want to do all the little things to help this football team win."
Kickoff between the Cardinals and Cavaliers as set for Saturday, Oct. 8 at 12:00 p.m. EST at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Va.
(Photo via Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)
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