Is Louisville football poised for bigger leap in 2020 under Scott Satterfield?
Big expectations await what could be one of the nation’s best offenses
The Louisville offense was in shambles following a disastrous 2018 season and it appeared that much of the same was in store in 2019 and that the Cardinals did not have a quarterback to run Scott Satterfield’s offense effectively.
Both of those assumptions turned out to be wrong, as Louisville fielded one of the best and most explosive offenses in the country and a big reason for that was the sudden development of quarterback Micale Cunningham. He was one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC last season and could be a darkhorse Heisman contender if he puts even better numbers than when when he threw for over 2,000 yards and 22 touchdowns and ran for nearly 500 yards and six touchdowns.
Another great attribute about Cunningham is his efficiency and ability to not turn the ball over, which has always been a staple in a Satterfield offense.
Louisville had a great rushing attack that was led by redshirt freshman Javian Hawkins, who set the Louisville single season record for rushing yards with 1,525 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging nearly 6.0 yards a carry. Hawkins bursting onto the scene last season really helped take a lot of pressure off of Cunningham and made it to where he could rely on the running game and that would open up play action to take down field shots.
Hasson Hall is one of the fastest players on the team and is a great change of pace back for the offense in relief of Hawkins and he ran for over 500 yards last season. Louisville has a triple-threat when running the ball with Hawkins, Hall and Cunningham at quarterback, and that trio is as good as any in the country.
Louisville got a decent surprise with the season that Tutu Atwell had last season, as he became one of the best receivers in the ACC and finished 2019 with 1,276 yards receiving, 12 touchdowns and averaged over 18 yards per catch. Atwell is a threat any time that he touches the ball and is one of the top big play threats in the country.
Dez Fitzpatrick is back for his senior season and he was a solid No. 2 to Atwell last season, recording 35 catches for 635 yards, six touchdowns and he also averaged over 18 yards per catch, which shows you the big play ability that Louisville has on the outside.
Tight end Marshon Ford had a solid season a year ago and was a threat in the redzone and finished with seven touchdowns which was second on the team.
Anytime that an offensive line loses a top 15 pick in the NFL draft, it’s going to take a bit of a step back. However, despite losing Mekhi Becton, Louisville should still yield one of the better lines in the ACC. All but one projected starter is a junior and that kind of experience shows why this will be one of the best offenses in the country.