Breaking Down The Opponent: Louisville
As NC State braces for its divisional matchup against Louisville, here is a breakdown of the Cardinals from Matthew McGavic of FanNation's Louisville Report.
We asked McGavic a few questions as the Wolfpack (7-3) look to reach eight wins for the third straight season against a Cardinals team (6-4) that is starting to find its groove.
The feeling around the league before the season was that Scott Satterfield was on the hot seat. How is that now and what things has Louisville done to improve in 2022?
For a while, he absolutely was on the hot seat. In fact, after losing to Boston College in early October, there were reports that he could be fired if Louisville lost their next game at Virginia. Fortunately, a lot has changed since then, and the Cardinals immediately fired off a four-game winning streak before losing at Clemson last weekend.
The reason for their dramatic turnaround has been because of their defense. They have harassed offensive lines all year long, generated absurd sack and tackle-for-loss stats, and forced many turnovers. The difference is that they have cut down on the number of big plays surrendered. The offense is still average, but the running game has gotten better during that time as well.
What is the mood around the Cardinal football program like and is there a feeling of hope or excitement for the future?
As you can imagine, many more people are bought into the program compared to earlier in the year. The turnaround, combined with the fact that Louisville is in line to sign their best-ever recruiting class, and there seems to be a lot of hope for the future.
The only thing holding many people back is his track record against Kentucky. He’s faced them twice, and both times Louisville has gotten the doors blown off of them, with last year’s coming at home as a clear favorite.
What offensive players from Louisville should NC State fans pay attention to?
Running back Tiyon Evans and wide receiver Tyler Hudson.
Evans cycled in and out of the lineup over the first half of the season due to injuries, and he has become a lot more consistent over the last month. He has a great combination of size and speed, and is the best running back on the team by far when it comes to his vision.
Hudson had also found his stride as of late. He’s not a burner by any means, but he has a tremendous catch radius, is able to make catches against a lot of contact, and fights for tough yardage after the catch.
What defensive players from Louisville should NC State fans pay attention to?
It all starts with linebacker Yasir Abdullah. Quarterback Malik Cunningham might be the most noteworthy player on the team, but Abdullah is the best all-around player on the team. He is an excellent pass rusher with a ton of bend but also does exceedingly well in both run support and in coverage. He is the very definition of versatile and can play pretty much any position in the front seven.
What things would NC State need to accomplish to pull off the road win at Louisville?
Make Louisville one-dimensional by containing the run. There’s a very likely chance that Cunningham will not be starting this game due to two separate injuries, and the passing game has already been just mediocre this year. Backup quarterback Brock Domann is still a very capable passer, but he’s very much a gunslinger in the sense that he could throw for as many interceptions as he does touchdowns.
What is your prediction?
Louisville 24, NC State 17
Both defenses are playing excellent football, but I give the nod to Louisville’s offense over NC State’s. especially since there seems to be a chance M.J. Morris might not play.
A lifelong native of the Triangle area in North Carolina, Rob McLamb has covered NC State Athletics since 2010, as well as writing about each of the five major sports leagues in North America (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS) for various newspapers and outlets. As a journalist who has also served as a high school and college coach, McLamb provides an educated, unfiltered, and analytical perspective on the Wolfpack and the ACC.