BOZICH | Satterfield says Louisville must start in mid-season form | Sports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WDRB) -- ACC Kickoff concluded with the league's football coaches and top players Thursday afternoon.

Ballots for media members attending the event to pick the order of finish in both divisions, all-conference teams and a preseason player of the year are due at noon Sunday.

Thank you commissioner Jim Phillips for giving us bonus time to fuss about this.

Here's my No. 1 dilemma: Determining how high to rank coach Scott Satterfield's fourth Cardinal squad in the Atlantic Division.

I've seen the Cardinals picked as high as third (behind Clemson and North Carolina State). I've also spotted U of L picked as low as sixth (ahead of Syracuse).

I'm leaning toward fourth place but I could also envision Louisville finishing fifth. Or third.

In a league that plays eight conference games instead of nine, there is little separation in the middle of the division. The gap between second place and fifth place is often one and sometimes two games.

One flat performance makes a difference when you will be in a scrum with Wake Forest, Boston College and Florida State.

Confidence was not an issue for the three U of L players Satterfield brought to Charlotte to represent the Cards at the Westin Hotel.

Quarterback Malik Cunningham, offensive lineman Caleb Chandler and linebacker Yasir Abdullah all committed to the Cards in the days when the program was winning. They remember the zesty vibe that percolated in Cardinal Stadium. They are annoyed by the back-to-back losing seasons.

"Where it's hurt us in the last couple of years is not playing together as a team," Chandler said. "I think that's where we are going to be improved. We're going to see a dominant side on offense and defense."

"I don't know how many (Louisville) quarterbacks won ACC championships," Cunningham said.

The number is zero.

"So I want to be the first to win the ACC championship," Cunningham said.

That's what they should say. That is what players from any team on the wrong side of .500 will say in July before the first terrible practice, unexplainable loss or twisted knee.

For Louisville, the arc of the season will be determined by the first three weeks: at Syracuse, at Central Florida and the Friday night home opener Sept. 16 against Florida State.

Win all three, and memories of the last two seasons will be flushed. Optimism will reign.

Win two and the Cards should be tracking for at least a seven7-win season.

Win one and talk radio lines will light up.

Win none and ... well, nobody wants to talk about that.

Start with Syracuse on Sept. 3 at The Carrier Dome. Louisville has won two of its three trips to Syracuse as an ACC member. The only loss was 54-23 debacle in 2018 that resulted in the firing of Bobby Petrino the next day.

Syracuse has lost nine of 13 home conference games the last two seasons. They have also lost 15 of their last 18 ACC games.

"We've done a bunch of studies in the off-season on those guys," Satterfield said. "We know it's a huge game.

"I've never played in that dome. I told Dino (Babers, the Syracuse coach) to make sure to turn the AC on."

Central Florida is trickier. It's a Friday night (Sept. 9) game in Orlando. Gus Malzahn is a talented coach. The Knights should be picked to finish second in the American Athletic Conference. They return 17 starters, including their quarterback. They have won nine of their last 10 home games.

Satterfield corrected me.

"They're actually 30-2 at home the last five years," he said. "It's going to be a tough game.

"I've heard that place is nicknamed 'The Bounce House.' They have steel bleachers and it gets loud. We've got to be in midseason form right off the bat."

Then comes the home opener, which Louisville has already designated a "Red Out," when Florida State visits for a 7:30 p.m. Friday game that will air on ESPN. FSU will have an off weekend before visiting Louisville.

The Seminoles return 16 starters. In year three, coach Mike Norvell is one year behind Satterfield on the rebuilding plan. Louisville beat FSU, 31-23, in Tallahassee last season. It bumped Florida State to 0-4.

But they won five of their next seven, defeating North Carolina and Miami. Florida State does not consider itself behind Louisville in the ACC pecking order.

That is the agenda for the first three weeks. The Cards need to win at least two to put the mojo back in Cardinal Stadium.