Petrino happy but not satisfied with 2-0 Cards
A happy coach is a winning coach, and University of Louisville coach Bobby Petrino is both of those things.
But a satisfied coach is an entirely different topic.
Actually, a satisfied coach may not exist, and Petrino's no different in that regard.
U of L (2-0) has a laundry list of items that Petrino would like to see improve this week as the 21st-ranked Cardinals prepare for their first road game of the 2014 season, a 12:30 p.m. Saturday matchup at Virginia.
"We haven't been able to complete some of the deep balls that we've called and thrown down the field," Petrino said.
"We haven't gotten a lot of yards after the catch yet, where a guy catches a six-yard pass, makes a couple guys miss and goes the distance for a touchdown. We just have to continue to work at it."
Perhaps the best part of this week for U of L is that it's a normal week. No Monday game, no shortened preparation for a second game.
It's just a Tuesday-through-Friday practice schedule and a Saturday game, except it's on the road.
"We took a week in camp and worked on as if we were on a road game and how we'd handle it with the crowd," Petrino explained. "It's real important that we stay focused as we travel … The better we keep on schedule, the better we'll travel."
As for Petrino's concerns, the statistics back him up.
The Cardinals rank 41st in the nation in passing plays of 20 or more yards after two games. They drop to 69th in total pass plays of 30 or more yards.
Louisville quarterback Will Gardner connected on two against Miami – a 25-yard laser of a pass to sophomore James Quick and a 21-yard throw to Eli Rogers.
Another fell incomplete, and Michaelee Harris dropped the fourth long throw.
Against Murray State, Gardner missed Rogers but hit Matt Milton for a 34-yard gain. Freshman quarterback Reggie Bonnafon found Harris for a 27-yard touchdown.
Two other long passes against Murray State were incomplete, but pass-interference calls salvaged some of the yardage.
"You'd rather complete them for touchdowns," Petrino said.
Pass protection back at the line of scrimmage might be even more important, though.
Through two games, Virginia (1-1) ranks fourth in the nation in tackles for loss and 10th in sacks. The Cavaliers don't track quarterback hurries as a statistic, but the pass rush is a key aspect in turnovers, Petrino said.
Virginia's second in the country in takeaways, with nine of them. UCLA coughed up the ball twice in a season-opening win at UVA, and Richmond lost seven turnovers against Virginia on Saturday.
"They really rush the quarterback," Petrino said. "They come off the ball hard. They've got two really active defensive ends and two guys inside to push the pocket.
"They've been impressive on defense. They play very fast. They have a very experienced group."
But this week's emphasis on pass protection and ball security won't be anything new, Petrino said.
After Gardner lost two fumbles inside Louisville's 20-yard line in the 31-13 win over Miami, practice drills aiming to eliminate those mistakes picked up in frequency.
The coaches, Gardner explained, would try to knock the ball out of his hands when he'd drop back during individual workouts.
That'll be a focus again this week as Louisville prepares for its first Atlantic Coast Conference road game, along with the offensive line's work on pass protection.
"It really comes down to us as the offensive line doing our jobs," left tackle Jamon Brown said.
Reach U of L beat writer Jeff Greer at (502) 582-4044 and follow him on Twitter (@jeffgreer_cj).