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Louisville Football: What One ESPN Writer Wants To See From The Cards
We take a quick look at what one ESPN writer said he wanted to see from the Louisville football team, heading into their bowl game.
As the basketball team’s win over Kentucky on Wednesday is still setting in, the Louisville football team is preparing to take on the LSU Tigers in the Citrus Bowl. The match-up with LSU is one that will test the Cards in ways that they haven’t yet been challenged this season.
Regardless, having the Heisman Trophy winner on the Cards’ football team will help against any opponent they have to face.
With that being said, there are many predictions around the internet, talking about who will win this game. However, there is one ESPN writer that didn’t make a prediction, he instead wrote about what he wanted to see from the Cards in the Citrus Bowl.
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This is what Jared Shanker from ESPN, said that he wanted to see from the Louisville football team in their bowl game against LSU on the 31st.
“Louisville: Protect the Heisman Trophy winner. Lamar Jackson was sacked 35 times over the final eight games. Nineteen sacks came in the Cards’ three losses. With former D-line assistant coach Ed Orgeron whipping up the frenzied Tigers defense, Jackson might find it in his best interest to skip the bowl game too if his protection doesn’t improve.”
He might be throwing a little bit of salt on the wound at the end of his comment, but he’s still right. Louisville’s offensive line was their Achilles heel in 2015 and got worse over the course of 2016. With a mobile quarterback like Lamar Jackson, getting sacked 35 times over the last eight weeks is just unacceptable.
Yes, sometimes Jackson needs to get rid of the football earlier, but there’s nothing he can do whenever defensive lineman come through the line of scrimmage untouched.
If Louisville wants to play football with the big boys, then they have to become more physically dominating up front. If they cannot, this team will be remembered like Robert Griffin III’s Baylor football team.
Good enough to win nine regular season games, but not good enough to be great.
The Cardinals have a great opportunity against a very good LSU football team on December 31st. If they can somehow come out with a victory, then the outlook for next season and the remembrance of the 2016 season will be much, much brighter.
