Louisville Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2017

The Louisville Cardinals have a bye week at a key time in their season. With three games remaining, they have an opportunity to avoid the final three-game collapse they faced last season. Granted one of their opponents isn’t the Houston Cougars, but the ACC is always full of parity.

The Virginia Cavaliers are still in rebuild mode in Bronco Mendenhall’s second season as head coach. That doesn’t mean a thing when it comes to facing the Louisville Cardinals though. Despite going 2-10 in 2016, they return eight starters on defense and a decent quarterback in Kurt Benkert.

The Cavaliers led late against Louisville 25-24 with 1:37 remaining before Lamar Jackson worked his magic. Louisville won 32-25 but it was a close game against a team that played arguably it’s best game of the season.

Virginia held Jackson to just 88 rushing yards but he also had 361 passing yards and four passing touchdowns. To place the close victory on his shoulders would be insane. The Louisville defense will need to play better and keep the Cavaliers out of the endzone to run away with this one.

The Cardinals have a defense, particularly in the secondary, that has an opportunity to be very good. If they can solve the pass defense issues that plagued them against the Cavaliers, this could be a much easier victory for Louisville.

Final: Virginia 24, Louisville 34 (8-2, 5-2 ACC)