Louisville Football: Ranking 2018 opponents by difficulty

Western Kentucky’s passing offense was one of the best in college football last season thanks to an elite attack from Mike White who had over 8,500 yards and 63 touchdown passes over his last two seasons. The offense won’t quite be the same with a first-year starter under center, but Mike Stanford still has some talent to work with.

Senior Drew Eckels will likely get the nod at starting quarterback, but he’s attempted just 24 career passes and has only 200 yards through the air. That’s a far cry from White’s stat line.

In the backfield, the Hilltoppers will have a new face at running back as freshman Joshua Samuel looks to be the starter but the run game was never a strength in 2017 anyway, ranking dead-last in the nation with just over 60 yards per game.

The defensive, however, should be much stronger this season after ranking 53rd nationally in total yards allowed per game and 66th in scoring. The Hilltoppers return seven starters, including star safety Devon Key, but the front-seven will have to replace four starters.