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Louisville Football: 2017 season preview, predictions

By Tim Kaiser

LOUISVILLE, KY - OCTOBER 22: Bobby Petrino the head caoch of the Louisville Cardinals talks with Lamar Jackson #8 during the game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on October 22, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY - OCTOBER 22: Bobby Petrino the head caoch of the Louisville Cardinals talks with Lamar Jackson #8 during the game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on October 22, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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LOUISVILLE, KY – OCTOBER 22. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Lamar Jackson put up astronomical numbers in his sophomore season. Can the junior quarterback carry Louisville Football to even greater heights in 2017?

The Louisville Cardinals took flight right at the starting gun last season. Bobby Petrino’s squad demolished opponents on the way to a 4-0 start. Clemson, the eventual national champions, would trip them up, but Louisville rallied to finish ACC play 7-1 with five straight wins.

Unfortunately for the Louisville faithful, the hot start had a mirrored cold finish. The Cardinals dropped their final two games of the regular season, including a 41-38 loss to rival Kentucky on their own field as 27-point favorites. There was even talk Lamar Jackson had choked away his Heisman.

However, that would not come to pass. Jackson became the youngest player to ever win the Heisman, besting Jameis Winston by five days.

The month off and hardware didn’t help end the losing streak though. The Cardinals got dominated by LSU 29-9 in the Citrus Bowl. The Tigers sacked Jackson eight times and held the Cardinals to just 67 yards rushing on 1.9 yards per carry. The Cardinals averaged 242 yards and 6.0 yards per carry on the season.

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Mixed emotions remain from the 2016 season

While it is undeniable that Louisville fans should have been happy with last season’s performance, there have to be nagging “what-ifs.” Lamar Jackson was leading a juggernaut. They faced Florida State as one-point underdogs and buried the No. 2 Seminoles 63-20. They were James Quick reaching the ball over the first down marker away from beating Clemson in Death Valley, winning the ACC Atlantic, and going to the ACC title game.

Their three-game losing streak to end the year was ultimately a product of getting out-muscled on the line and turning the ball over. Jackson was sacked 22 times in the last three games and they held a -5 in turnover differential.

Headed into Bobby Petrino’s fourth season back in Louisville, the Cardinals have just 11 starters returning with most of the holes in places that weren’t strengths before. How will the Louisville Cardinals will look in 2017 and will match their 9-4 record from a year ago?

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