Grading U of L's football team through 4 games

For all the chatter about its woes on offense, the University of Louisville football team is one fair catch of a punt at Virginia away from a 4-0 record.

Louisville (3-1) has at times resembled the team many analysts thought the Cardinals would be, especially with their stable of talented running backs and a fast and powerful pass rush.

But at other times, U of L hasn't looked much like the offensive juggernaut many assumed it would be this fall after the hiring of coach Bobby Petrino, a revered offensive mind in college football.

Preseason projections of the Cards' record put Louisville anywhere from 7-5 to 10-2 this season, a wide range that shows the unpredictability of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Louisville's toughest games — Oct. 11 at Clemson, Oct. 30 at home vs. Florida State and Nov. 22 at Notre Dame — are still down the line.

Perhaps winning one of those games would ease some of the tension over U of L's surprise loss at Virginia.

Nonetheless, with the first trimester of the 2014 season now complete, let's grade Louisville's performance through four games:

• Offense

This is surprisingly the area of biggest concern for the Cardinals.

Louisville's pass protection is now its Achilles' heel. Out of 128 FBS teams, U of L ranks 112th in the nation in tackles for loss allowed (28) and ranks 116th in sacks allowed, with 12 in four games.

The U of L quarterbacks rate 69th in the country in QB rating and sixth in the ACC.

But for all those dire statistics that reflect some serious cracks in Louisville's offense, there are others that explain how the Cardinals average 38 points a game.

U of L has scored 19 times in 20 trips inside an opponent's 20-yard line. The Cardinals have converted 9 of 11 fourth downs.

In the next trimester of the season, expect more clarity around the passing-game problems that've plagued the Cards to this point. But so far it's been a mixed bag on offense. Grade: C

• Defense

Just about everybody was wrong about Louisville's strengths and weaknesses coming into the season.

With Petrino at the helm, the Louisville offense was expected to keep the Cards in every game. Four contests into the 2014 campaign, it's the defense that's done exactly that.

The defensive line lost three starters, and the Cards' long-time starting safeties both left for the NFL. All that, plus the graduation of star middle linebacker Preston Brown, spelled a step back for U of L.

There's been nothing of that sort.

Louisville ranks in the top 26 in the country in scoring, passing, rushing and total defense, including a top-six run defense.

Several players — particularly Gerod Holliman, James Sample, James Burgess and Keith Kelsey — have emerged as standout defenders this fall alongside stars Lorenzo Mauldin and Charles Gaines. Holliman leads the nation in interceptions this season, and Mauldin looks like a first- or second-round NFL draft pick.

The defense is good enough to win Louisville quite a few games this year. Grade: A.

• Special teams

Of the three team units, perhaps special teams stand as the toughest to grade.

James Quick, who's also become a star receiver, is a revelation as a punt returner. John Wallace looks sharp as the team's place kicker, and Corvin Lamb's 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Miami is one of the highlights of the young season.

On the flip side, the muffed punt return at Virginia cost Louisville a win, and the punting unit has been inconsistent as well. The kick return team struggled vs. Miami, but has improved in recent weeks. Grade: B+.

• Coaching

Petrino takes the blame for play calling and the offensive line and quarterback struggles.

It might seem unfair that Petrino takes responsibility for a lack of execution on the offensive line, but he is the head coach. The buck stops there.

That said, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham's schematic switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 base defense allowed Mauldin and Deiontrez Mount to thrive as outside linebackers.

Credit to running backs coach Kolby Smith (and Petrino) is deserved, too. For all the offensive struggles this season, U of L's talented tailbacks have played well. Grade: B-.

• U of L's overall grade-point average: 3.0 (B).

Reach U of L beat writer Jeff Greer at (502) 582-4044 and follow him on Twitter (@jeffgreer_cj).