LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Virginia and Mississippi State were the marquee wins on Louisville’s football resume last season.
But the victories that set up Scott Satterfield’s team to become the Most Improved Power Five team in America were beating Boston College and Wake Forest on the first two weekends of October 2019.
Could have lost to BC by a touchdown. Didn’t. Won by two.
Tried mightily to give the game away at Wake. Survived to win by three.
Suddenly, the Cards were 4-2, the talk of the Atlantic Coast Conference and winners against two programs that had defeated U of L a year earlier. The mojo was real.
That is not how the first two weekends in October 2020 have unfolded.
In the second half against Pitt and lowly Georgia Tech, U of L scored one touchdown, nine total points. In the second half against BC and Wake last season, the Cards scored five touchdowns, 44 total points.
Against Pitt and Georgia Tech, U of L was minus-4 in turnovers. Against BC and Wake, they were plus-3.
It’s a game of possessions, and nobody will thrive letting the other team have extra chances.
“It's an everyday process that we're going through, and it's really just talking about literally going through the process of becoming a championship caliber team,” U of L coach Scott Satterfield said.
“And it's about habits. It's about commitment. It's about what you're doing on a daily basis, and you just can’t show up, any of us can’t just show up all of a sudden when it's time to shine and think you're going be really good. It doesn't work that way. So we are constantly reiterating the fact that we have to show up every day and how to be committed to the process.
“I think that's the biggest thing, and we're still growing. We're still working on that, and really, you point out to the fact that, ‘Guys, we're with 11 minutes to go in a game, and we're winning with the ball at midfield.’ The other night, I mean, I would of lost a lot of money if we said we're going to lose by 19 at that point.
“We were driving down the field to get a score to lead, and we put the ball on the ground, and next thing, they score, and then they score again. It's just kind of unraveled from that point.
“Then you go back to the Pitt game, and it's 23-20 for most of the fourth quarter. We had three opportunities, and we turned the ball over twice. Think about last year. We won those games in the fourth quarter against Wake Forest, Boston College and Syracuse. We finished those games out.”
Here is what is perplexing: This is essentially the same personnel that improved so dramatically from 2-10 to 8-5 last season.
Quarterback Malik Cunningham. Halfback Javian Hawkins. Receivers Tutu Atwell and Dez Fitzpatrick.
After four games last season, Louisville turned the ball over seven times while taking it from their opponents five times. In 2020, Louisville has 11 turnovers while taking from their opponents three times.
What’s the difference? Concentration? Breaks of the game? Disjointed practice schedule? The alignment of the moon?
“I think a lot of it is just carrying the football in a position where it's going to be hard for the defense to get it out,” Satterfield said.
“And, we've been working on it all the time. These guys did a much better job last year obviously, than this year. I think Hassan (Hall) has had what maybe three or four fumbles in the course of the season already. And Hawk (Hawkins) the other night gets stripped on one of his. It's just putting the ball in a position where you're going to protect it.
“We tell our guys you got to get the ball to the referee. It doesn't matter, at any point. You think you're down or not, you have to get up and get the ball to the referee. So, it's just about concentration, holding on to the ball, knowing when you're in traffic, knowing when to have that off hand to protect it. All the little things that we work on all the time.”
Now comes Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon in South Bend, Indiana. The Irish have forced only three turnovers in three games. The Irish, ranked No. 4, are favored by 17.
The Cards were double-figure underdogs last season in Satterfield’s first game. They played a competitive first half before losing, 35-17.
What is the forecast for this weekend?
“I think for us, it's not about Notre Dame,” Satterfield said. “I think it's, it's about us in this building and how well we can go out and prepare this week to play this game and then go out and actually execute and play the game the way we prepared.
“I think that's probably the biggest thing. Whether we win or whatever we lose, whatever the score is, to me, what's going to help make this season for us is that we are coming out, and we're planning the way we need to be playing and taking care of the football.
“Pulling our trigger on defense if we missed the tackles but we're flying in there and then that's what we got to do staying aggressive, and I think like that mindset and that execution will enable us to go out and play a lot better and win some football games this year.
“But we have to get fixed within our building. Regardless of who we're playing, this week we are playing Notre Dame.
“They're obviously an outstanding football team, top five team every year, it seems like, in the country. It is a big challenge, but to me and for our guys and our staff and our team is more about us and how we can go execute and just play at a much better level.”
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