Behind Enemy Lines: Q&A with Louisville Football Writer
Matt McGavic, the deputy editor of Louisville Report, a fellow Fan Nation site on the SI network, answered our questions in preparation for Saturday's game between Wake Forest and the Cardinals. Louisville Report's website can be found here. McGavic can be followed on Twitter @Matt_McGavic and @UofLReport. Read McGavic's answers below:
Who is Louisville’s best offensive player outside of Malik Cunningham?
“The stats might not show it, but Louisville’s best offensive player that’s not Malik Cunningham is tight end Marshon Ford. He might not be the flashy type, but he has been one of the more reliable pass catchers for the Cardinals over the last few seasons. He’s a mismatch for linebackers over the middle when lined up out wide, and he also does a great job at throwing blocks out of the halfback spot in Louisville’s scheme. The fact that he takes a fair amount of inside reps is why he’s not Louisville’s leading pass catcher. That and the fact that, up until the Virginia game, the coaching staff hadn’t drawn up that many plays this season that got him involved in the passing game."
READ: Wake Forest vs Louisville: Line, Preview and Predictions
How effectively do you expect the Cardinals’ defensive front to pressure the experienced Wake Forest offensive line?
"Louisville has done a good job all season long, no matter who they have faced, at getting pressure in the backfield. Yasir Abdullah is playing like a man possessed after a slow start to the year, and Monty Montgomery is starting to get back into a rhythm after coming back from a season-ending injury last year.
But the biggest difference is that Louisville is finally getting meaningful production out of their defensive line. YaYa Diaby is living up to his potential, Ashton Gillette is a physical specimen when healthy and Dezmond Tell has done a good job of eating up blocks in the middle of the line. They’ve faced some good offensive lines this year, and have had a fair amount of success in the process."
Should we expect the passing game to be more of a factor for Louisville?
"At this point, we shouldn’t expect it to be a major factor. As great of a runner as Cunningham is, he has been just average as a passer. He has made a handful of “wow” throws over the course of the season, but nearly every game, he has about 3-4 passes where he either grossly overthrows a wide-open receiver or makes a boneheaded decision. Not to mention that he still doesn’t do that great of a job of going through his reads."
READ: Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson on Louisville
How well do you see the secondary matching up with Wake Forest’s receiving corps?
"They’re definitely going to have their hands full, and I don’t say that because Wake Forest has so many weapons in the passing game. Louisville has done a much better job over the last two games at limiting the amount of explosive plays, but that was something that plagued them over the first five games of the season. The defense would be on schedule and keep the opposing offense behind the sticks, then inexplicably give up a massive chunk play. It was usually, more often than not, the secondary’s fault either due to a missed assignment or just a schematic failure.
That being said, guys like Jarvis Brownlee, Kei’Trel Clark and Josh Minkins have gotten much better as the year has progressed. Brownlee is an extremely physical corner, Clark is phenomenal at man-to-man and Minkins can cover a lot of ground in a hurry while in a deep zone. Not to mention that M.J. Griffin has logged back-to-back games with interceptions since being inserted into the starting lineup."
READ: Wake Forest linebacker Jaylen Hudson is embracing the present
Who is the best player on the Louisville defense?
"It has to be Yasir Abdullah. He had a little bit of a slow start to the year production-wise, but that’s because teams were preparing for him with constant double-teams, chips and things of that nature. Over the past two games, he is starting to overcome this and is on an absolute tear. In the Pitt game alone, he had two TFLs, a sack, two forced fumbles, an interception, two pass deflections and three QB hurries. No matter if he’s lined up as an EDGE or if he drops into coverage, he’s a threat to make a play at any given moment."
What do you hope to see from the Cardinals over their final five games, given four of their opponents are currently ranked?
"It’s a little much to ask Louisville to come out with a winning record over these final few games, so I’m more so hoping to see visible improvement. If Cunningham can finally become a more consistent passer, and the defense can keep trending in the right direction when it comes to not giving up so many back-breaking plays, the wins and losses will sort themselves out. Whether it’s actually enough to save head coach Scott Satterfield’s job remains to be seen."
Score Prediction?
"31-24 Wake Forest"
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