Grading U of L football after 6-2 start
There are two courses of thought when it comes to reviewing the 2014 University of Louisville football season.
Some consider a 6-2 season, with four Atlantic Coast Conference wins, a success in U of L's debut campaign in one of the traditional power leagues.
Others can't help but ask the lingering "what if?" questions. Louisville is, in a nutshell, one cleanly caught punt and one red-zone conversion away from being undefeated heading into its much-anticipated showdown with No. 2 Florida State.
That question becomes even a bit more painful with the return of star receiver DeVante Parker and the emergence (finally) of running back Michael Dyer. Those two playing as well as they did in Louisville's 30-18 win over NC State last weekend compounds the agony of what might've been.
With the second trimester of Louisville's season complete, an updated report card for the Cardinals:
Offense
Still Louisville's chief concern through eight weeks of games, the offense made some improvements from the first trimester.
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Grades can't be given on what the Cardinals' offense could become with Parker's return, so we have to consider its performances against NC State, Clemson, Syracuse and Wake Forest. Those weren't exactly barn burners, though, in fairness, injury issues impacted them.
The offensive line took strides against NC State and at times against Clemson, but the passing game was inconsistent for long periods before coming to life in the second half against Clemson and again on Saturday vs. NC State.
Louisville's getting there, and there's reason to believe the final trimester will be its best yet, but the progress was incremental in late September and much of October.
First trimester grade: C. Second trimester grade: C-plus.
Defense
Louisville's played eight games, so it's foolish to dismiss or diminish the stats, which was a common thread through September, when the Cardinals hadn't exactly faced a murderer's row of offenses.
At some point, no matter the opponent, stats are stats and performances are performances.
The Cardinals rank fourth in the nation in scoring and first in total defense. They are No. 3 in rushing defense, No. 12 in passing defense and seventh in takeaways.
In the next two weeks, Louisville will face the best passing offense it will see – Florida State ranks 14th in the nation – and the best rushing offense – Boston College ranks ninth.
Those will be major tests for a unit that did not allow an offensive touchdown for more than two hours of opponent possession over four-plus games, but the evidence suggests they'll maintain the high-level play.
First trimester grade: A. Second trimester grade: A.
Special teams
The first trimester report card was balanced by Corvin Lamb's 97-yard kickoff return against Miami in the season opener. That still stands as perhaps the most exciting play of Louisville's season.
Otherwise, special teams have been hit or miss for Louisville this season.
The Cards have struggled fielding punts, with James Quick fumbling three times. Louisville ranks 84th in the country in average punt return yards allowed per game and 93rd in kick return yards allowed.
On the plus side, kicker John Wallace has been solid this season. He's 11 of 14 on field goals, with a career-long 51-yarder, and he's only missed one inside 40 yards.
First trimester grade: B-plus. Second trimester grade: B-minus.
Coaching
Of course, hindsight is always 20-20, etc. Let's start with that caveat. But there are still a few coaching decisions that deserve some questions.
Why did Louisville spike the ball on third-and-goal in the final minute at Clemson? Why did it take so long to put Aaron Epps at right tackle? What about the Syracuse and Wake Forest games made not starting a healthy Will Gardner at Clemson make sense?
On the flip side, the ongoing decision to mix up the running backs seemingly pays off every week, and the defensive coaching and strategizing has been some of the best in the country.
First trimester grade: B-minus. Second trimester grade: C.
U of L's overall grade-point average: 2.75 (B-minus).
Reach U of L beat writer Jeff Greer at (502) 582-4044 and follow him on Twitter (@jeffgreer_cj).?