Eliminating negative plays an emphasis for Louisville offense

Cardinals ranked 24th in total offense and rushing offense last season

An explosive offense can be limited by negative plays, something that Louisville football wants to eliminate this fall.

Louisville began fall camp Aug. 4 with an offense focused on reducing tackles for a loss, sacks and penalties. Head coach Scott Satterfield said the first two weeks of practices are spent on installation and fundamentals.

The Cardinals ranked 24th in total offense and rushing offense last season, but were hampered by negative plays that disrupted drives.

“We are an explosive offense and we can make some plays in the run and the pass down the field, we got to eliminate those negative plays - the tackles for loss, the sacks, the penalties,” Satterfield said. “If we can eliminate those plays, we can be that much more of an explosive offense.”

In 2019 Louisville ranked 107th in penalties, 117th in sacks allowed & 130th in tackles for loss allowed - the latter of which is dead last in FBS. However they still have plenty of production returning from a year ago.

Javian Hawkins ranked seventh in the nation with 1,525 rushing yards while breaking the school record for rushing yards by a running back. Micale Cunningham set a school record for passing efficiency while Tutu Atwell led the ACC in receiving yards and touchdown catches.

Dez Fitzpatrick had 635 receiving yards and six touchdowns, Marshon Ford led ACC tight ends in touchdown catches and Hassan Hall accounted for 1,345 yards as a running back and returner.

Louisville’s proven playmakers aren’t the only ones participating in practices. Satterfield likes to see competition between players, regardless of past production.

“You have a lot of guys that made plays for us last year, we have some other guys waiting in the wing that are just as good,” Satterfield said. “When they get their opportunity, they got to make those same plays.”

Cunningham says the team has a greater grasp of the offense this year. The redshirt junior quarterback said coaches have increased the tempo in practices as expectations of players’ understanding of the offense has grown.

“Bringing that effort day-in and day-out,” Cunningham said. “As a whole we want to execute more.”

Cunningham, who calls Hawkins and Hall the best running backs in the country, credited the offensive line for Louisville’s rushing attack. Satterfield said the offensive line has added depth this season.

Several members of Louisville’s offense collected preseason accolades in recent weeks.

Satterfield doesn’t want the individual to outshine the team.

“Nobody in this program ever did anything by themselves, we are all doing this together,” Satterfield said. “If we can continue to play for each other as one then we will have more guys get individual accolades.”