Louisville Football: 5 reasons why Cardinals will stink in 2017

1. Louisville’s propensity to commit turnovers will be its downfall

What killed Louisville even more than penalties in 2016, though, was its propensity to turn the ball over. The Cardinals threw just 10 interceptions as a team last season, but they ranked dead last in the FBS in terms of fumbles. That offense coughed up 22 fumbled over the course of the 2016 season, including several backbreakers by their Heisman winner.

Throughout the season, the Cardinals lost the turnover battle. Their defense intercepted 15 passes and recovered 10 fumbles of their own. But Petrino’s team lost the turnover battle by half a turnover per game. The inability to maintain possession and protect the ball was inconsistent with Louisville’s aspirations of national contender status.

The number of fumbles might scale back a bit. Luck can make a lot of difference when footballs pop loose. But Louisville also can’t count on Jackson to have so few interceptions in 2017. There is no guarantee that Jackson will throw interceptions on just 2.2 percent of his attempts for a second straight year.

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Louisville already had a negative turnover ratio in 2016 as they won nine games. There is little to indicate the defense can make up the difference in the turnover margin. The Cardinals are thus going to be riding an even finer line between success and failure. Any slipping will be the difference between contention and stinking completely.