Louisville running back Javian Hawkins

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Full speed ahead.

There's an Old School phrase I have not heard lately, especially the last four-plus months.

But in a week where coaches and players across the Atlantic Coast Conference expect word from commissioner John Swofford on how the football season will at least begin to unfold, University of Louisville offensive coordinator Dwayne Ledford was asked if he expected practice to begin as scheduled next Tuesday.

"Yes," Ledford said. "Yes, absolutely.

"We’re full speed ahead with that as far as we are with us and our players. When we talked to the guys (Tuesday) after walk through, a week from today, fall camp, practice one.

"You can see the excitement and the energy from the guys. It’s fun to see that and sense that from the guys. They’re ready."

The players are ready. The coaches are ready. The fans are ready.

Is the ACC ready? Is the novel coronavirus ready?

The word was that the league’s 14 athletic directors were scheduled to share information on one of their weekly teleconferences Tuesday. On Wednesday, the conversation will go up a notch when ACC presidents will reportedly discuss the good, bad and uncertainty of practicing and playing football as cases from this pandemic rise in several ACC states.

Make a note of this: On Tuesday afternoon, when Ledford answered media questions for 15 minutes, a list posted at NFL.com included 21 professional football players who decided to opt out of the season because of the virus. Two defensive starters for the New England Patriots added their names to that list Tuesday.

Two major-league baseball games were postponed Monday. Two more were postponed Tuesday.

According to a tweet from ESPN baseball writer Marly Rivera, the Yankees were on buses leaving Philadelphia, uncertain if they would play in New York or Baltimore Wednesday.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the Washington Nationals voted against flying to Miami to play the Marlins this weekend. Fun times.

Those are professional players.

Ledford said that at Louisville, the focus was on what was happening with the Cardinals.

"We’re just consuming ourselves with what we’ve got to do today," he said. "Today, this morning, we had meetings with our players. We had a walk through today and just preparations for (Wednesday) when we’ll do the exact same things.

"So really getting back into a good schedule for us. A week from today, that first practice. Getting prepared for those first couple of practices with fall camp.

"That’s what we can control. We’re just making sure that we’re focused on what we can be doing and getting prepared and getting ready for when we kick off fall camp."

Ledford, of course, should be operating on high-octane adrenaline. He and Satterfield did a remarkable job with the Louisville offense. The Cardinals averaged about 95 more yards and 13 more points per game than they did during the ugly 2018 season.

Three signature players emerged — quarterback Micale Cunningham; halfback Javian Hawkins and receiver Tutu Atwell.

The Cards ranked No. 24 nationally in total offense last season as well as No. 30 in scoring. If the season is played, what must the Cardinals do to improve all those numbers?

"Last year when we got here, it was all about that we wanted to play with great effort," Ledford said. "When we did that Cards’ (highlights) tape, we showed plays on there of us giving great effort.

"It didn’t matter the tradition, we wanted to play certain style guys playing hard, of playing through the whistle, giving it everything you had.

"So last year was just a lot about the attitude and effort part of it.

"This year it’s more about now, 'Let’s take the execution to a higher level. Let’s have our execution to where now it’s at an elite level. Everybody. All 11 guys are out there at the same time knowing what to do and what to expect.’

"To me, now once you get that, now you can be in pretty elite company out there. But you still can’t get away from the style and how hard you’re going to play.

"Which I think our guys are really doing a good job with that. Just taking pride. Taking ownership. You want in that elite execution. Because to me I think that if we have all 11 guys executing at a very high level, then you can have something pretty special."

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