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Louisville Football: 1st quarter of the season awards
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Louisville football has now finished the first quarter of their season at 3-0 and looking to build off their incredible start.
What a start it is has been for the Louisville football team. They now sit at 3-0 and are currently the third ranked team in the entire nation behind Alabama and Ohio State. That is not bad company to be in whatsoever.
To recap the season to far, Louisville knocked off the Charlotte 49ers in the home opener 70-14. Charlotte was no match for a tough Louisville football team. Lamar Jackson played phenomenal for the first half and let his team finish off the 49ers from the sideline in the second half. Charlotte was clearly no match for the Cardinals as they were able to put this game away early.
The Cardinals then flew up to New York to play Dino Babers’ Syracuse football team. The Orange’s uptempo offense gave Louisville some problems throughout the game, but it was no where near the trouble that Syracuse had stopping the Cards’ offense. Louisville’s receivers left many opportunities on the field in that game because of dropped passes, but Brandon Radcliff and Lamar Jackson made up for their mistakes as Louisville won this game 62-28.
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As if everyone needed more reasons why Lamar Jackson should win the Heisman, he absolutely destroyed the second ranked team in the country. The Florida State Seminoles had never given up 60 points in their school’s history. Well, that’s because they never played Lamar Jackson in Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium
Louisville’s defense held Dalvin Cook to his worst career performance against the Cardinals. They imposed their will on the third ranked team in the country and the Associated Press rewarded them for it Sunday afternoon.
With all that being said, here are our awards for the first quarter of this 2016 season:
Sep 9, 2016; Syracuse, NY, USA; Louisville Cardinals wide receiver James Quick (17) runs with the ball after a catch in front of Syracuse Orange linebacker Zaire Franklin (4) and defensive back Antwan Cordy (8) during the fourth quarter at the Carrier Dome. Louisville defeated Syracuse 62-28. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Offensive MVP: James Quick (Wide Receiver)
Quick has had his ups and downs throughout his career in a Louisville football uniform. However, among a deep receiving core, he has looked like Louisville’s best option. He developed a good chemistry with Lamar Jackson during last year and we are seeing the fruit of that this season.
He has made play after play for the Cardinals so far this year. Whether it was the long touchdown catch and run on the first play in Syracuse or the between the legs catch against Florida State, Quick has proven why he should be taken seriously by every defensive coordinator in the country.
Here are James Quick’s statistics throughout the first quarter of the season:
James Quick is becoming one of the ACC’s top receivers right before our very eyes. Look for him to continue making plays in open space throughout the next couple of months. I’m sure he will be looking to find the end-zone in Clemson on October 1st.
Sep 17, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive back Tarvarus McFadden (4) knocks Louisville Cardinals running back Brandon Radcliff (23) out of bounds to prevent a touchdown during the second quarter at Papa John
Mr. Reliable: Brandon Radcliff (Running Back)
Radcliff has been one of the more reliable guys for Louisville over the past couple of seasons. While he may not be a name known across the ACC, we would argue that he is one of the better running backs in the entire conference. He is proving that so far this season.
Both Radcliff and Jackson have come a long way with the read-option in the first part of 2016. If you remember, they struggled at the beginning of last year, fumbling away many opportunities because of bad handoffs and bad reads. It looks like that is a distance memory now.
Here are Brandon Radcliff’s statistics for the first quarter of the 2016 season:
Lamar Jackson’s running ability gets the most attention throughout the weeks, but Radcliff just keeps doing his thing and pounding the rock. Louisville is going to need him to be the closer in games where they need a few extra yards up front. If, for whatever reason, Jackson goes down during a game, Radcliff can step up and be the man for the Cardinals.
Sep 1, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals safety Chucky Williams (22) watches from the sideline during the second half against the Charlotte 49ers at Papa John
Defensive MVP: Chucky Williams (Safety)
Chucky Williams has been flying all over the field for Louisville throughout the first three games. We thought he would have his best year yet and it seems like he is well on his way. He has looked fast and physical, two traits that this Louisville defense has prided themselves in throughout 2016.
Louisville is going to need him to be at his best whenever they head down to Clemson in a few weeks. Even though they have started slow, Deshaun Watson and Dabo Swinney will have the Tigers pumped up and ready to roll. Williams needs to help Louisville bring the heat on Watson’s offense.
Here are Chuck Williams stats throughout the first quarter of the season:
If Williams can keep forcing turnovers and making plays in the backfield, then Louisville has a great chance go to all the way to the College Football Playoff. He has been impressive so far this season and earned our defensive MVP for the first quarter.
Dec 30, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Louisville Cardinals linebacker James Hearns (99) celebrates after a fumble recovery during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies in the 2015 Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Defensive Breakthrough Player: James Hearns (Linebacker)
Hearns is filling a huge void for the Louisville football team after Trevon Young had to redshirt this season because of a hip-injury. He has looked extremely explosive off the line of scrimmage and has given offensive lineman nightmares. What a great compliment he has been to DeVonte Fields.
Like Williams, Hearns is finding ways to disrupt plays in the backfield. It has been huge for Louisville’s defense to get off the field and let Lamar Jackson pick the opposing team’s defense apart all game long. We couldn’t be happier with how he has played so far in this early 2016 season.
Here are James Hearns stats for the first quarter of the 2016 season:
We can’t get enough of watching James Hearns tear apart other team’s offenses. Louisville is going to need him healthy throughout the rest of 2016 if they want to go to the promised land. We expect Hearns to have his best season as a Cardinal.
Sep 17, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals running back Jeremy Smith (34) runs the ball against Florida State Seminoles defensive back Nate Andrews (29) during the second half at Papa John
Offensive Breakthrough Player: Jeremy Smith (Running Back)
Jeremy Smith has been a great compliment to Jackson and Radcliff this season as he has seen some clean-up duty minutes on the field. With three rushing touchdowns through the first three games of the 2016 season, he has already tied his career season-high total. It looks as though he will shatter his previous total this year.
He provides a great insurance option for the Cardinals as running back. However, he could be more than that as the season rolls along. If Louisville’s offense keeps at the same pace throughout the rest of 2016, Smith will be getting a ton of carries against low-quality ACC opponents. He will dominate through the middle of Louisville’s schedule.
Here are Jeremy Smith’s statistics through the first quarter of 2016:
Smith is going to continue pounding the rock for Louisville during this 2016 season. Things are looking up for the Cardinals and Smith’s future as the lead back.
Sep 17, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs the ball against the Florida State Seminoles during the second half at Papa John
Team MVP: Lamar Jackson (Quarterback)
If we could give every award to Lamar Jackson, we probably would. However, we can’t so this “Team MVP” award will have to do for now. He is on track to win the Heisman Trophy, take Louisville to the College Football Playoff, and write his name in College Football history.
Okay Louisville fans, you can stop drooling now.
In all seriousness, Lamar Jackson has given Louisville fans and the College Football world three games to be remembered forever. It’s just not possible that the second ranked team in the country should get beat 63-20. I guess no one told that to Louisville and head coach Bobby Petrino.
Here are Lamar Jackson’s statistics through the first quarter of the season:
Among all those numbers, remember that Lamar Jackson hasn’t even played a full game yet this season. This kid is for real and he is here to stay.
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