Mistakes and Missed Opportunities, Again, Come Back to Haunt Louisville

Louisville's defense set them up to grab a quality win at NC State. Instead, their offense could not capitalize on the numerous opportunities presented, resulting in another loss that felt like it should have been a win.

RALEIGH, N.C.. - If you look at some basic stats from Louisville's game down at NC State, on paper, it seems like one where the Cardinals should have come out on top. They out-gained the Wolfpack 434-361, rushed for 215 yards while holding the opposition to just 44, and averaged 19.9 yards per completion compared to NC State's 12.7.

But, throughout the entire night, it far from felt like Louisville was in control. Instead, what came to pass was a game in which the offense simply could not get things going despite the defense's best efforts, resulting in a 28-13 loss down at Carter-Finley Stadium.

The culprit? The same one from their losses to both Wake Forest and Virginia: mistakes and missed opportunities - particularly on the offensive side of the ball.

Time after time, the Louisville offense could not stop shooting themselves in the foot, with the biggest momentum killer on the night being untimely penalties. Seven of Louisville's nine penalties were committed by the offense - including one that erased a 19-yard run by quarterback Malik Cunningham, and another that wiped a 46-yard catch by tight end Marshon Ford.

"You can't have those penalties when you're playing a team like this," head coach Scott Satterfield said. "It's a close ball game, any play can affect you. You can't have those penalties, because we had some good plays that we executed, and all of a sudden it gets called back for something that really was insignificant."

In total, the offense committed three false starts, two holding penalties and two facemasks - both of which came on back-to-back plays against offensive lineman Adonis Boone in the second quarter. This is partially indicative of the raucous environment Louisville had to play in, but they could not afford drive killers of that magnitude and consistency.

Why? Because above all else, the offense simply could not capitalize on the numerous opportunities that were given to them by the defense.

Out of NC State's first eight drives of the game, seven of them ended in a punt or turnover on downs. Instead of taking advantage of NC State's sputtering offense, Louisville's did the exact same. The Cardinals went 6-15 on third down, 0-3 on fourth down, and had several missed plays that could have changed the course of the game.

Placekicker James Turner missed an easy 24-yard field goal on Louisville's first drive of the game, after they had taken a delay of game penalty on fourth and one from the goal line, but Cunningham had his faire share of miscues as well.

Early on, Louisville wanted to establish the deep passing game. It materialized a few times, most notably with a 76-yard pass to Jordan Watkins, but Cunningham struggled to put the deep ball on the money most of the night.

The redshirt junior did have three completed of over 35 yards or more, but also had four fall incomplete - one of which ended in an interception. In fact, this was the second game in a row where Cunningham had a low completion percentage, connecting on just 11 of his 28 attempts.

"We were trying to be aggressive," Satterfield said. "Probably, two or three shots down the field had a chance to score, we just can't connect. You gotta be able to connect on some of these shot plays."

Satterfield says that due to their aggressive game plan, Cunningham's effectiveness when it came to completion percentage was likely to take a dip, but also admitted that Cunningham was pressured more than he would like, which forced him to scramble.

By the time the fourth quarter started, the defense could no longer carry the team on their backs. After having to punt six straight times, NC State finally established a rhythm, something Louisville could not, and outscored the Cardinals 21-3 in the final quarter.

At the end of the day, Louisville dropped yet another close game due to their own miscues, wasting an opportunity to grab a quality win. While disappointed with the outcome, Satterfield remains confident that his guys will eventually shed old habits and break through.

"It's tough, man. You're fighting out there," he said. "We're close. We're right there. We're hanging with them. We're gonna get over the hump, we gotta keep fighting."

(Photo of Jalen Mitchell: Rob Kinnan - USA TODAY Sports)

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