Louisville Cardinals 2015 Spring Game: Five things we learned

Nov 8, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Bobby Petrino during the second half against the Boston College Eagles at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Despite Numerous Losses, the Defense Will Carry the Team Again

The Cardinals lost more than half their defense, and all of their elite secondary from last year, most of whom will have great NFL careers. The standout loss was obviously defensive back Gerod Holliman, who was an interception machine last year.

Anyway, with so much turnover and a second year for the offense to learn Bobby Petrino’s system, it would seem like this would be the offense’s year to carry the team. At least among the starters, that was not so much the case on Friday.

The defense is a little bit thin, but the starters are good enough as playmakers to continue to carry the team this year, and with uncertainty at quarterback and other skill positions on the offense, that’s going to be the case.

The Red team registered five sacks in the game, three passes broken up, an interception, and eight tackles for a loss. The standout was sophomore linebacker Henry Famurewa, who showed that he could become a star. Famurewa registered two sacks, two and a half tackles for a loss, and two more quarterback hurries.

He did not play at all last year, but there appears to be a role for him waiting at linebacker this Fall, as he was all over the field Friday.

The secondary could have made a few more plays overall, but the defense still looks much more solid than many would have thought and still looked better than the offense on the first team.

Next: Reggie Bonnafon is the Frontrunner at Quarterback