Louisville Cardinals @ North Carolina Tar Heels Football Preview

Last year, this game wasn’t even supposed to happen. Due to last minute television shuffling, North Carolina and Louisville were paired by the networks and the matchup couldn’t have come at a worse time for the stunningly young Louisville football team. North Carolina, on the other hand, has navigated the uncertain world of having an interim head coach thrust upon the team at the last minute quite well. Everett Withers was named the interim head coach less than a month before the season kicked off, and instead of rolling over, the Tar Heels have played to their strengths and are putting together a successful season. The Tar Heels figure to be a heavy favorite but must be careful against a Louisville team that desperately needs a win and has played better at home than on the road for head coach Charlie Strong.

Coaches expected the Cardinals to be inconsistent early on as the massive influx of new starters. Few expected the transition to go this poorly. The Cardinals limp into the game at 2-2, with embarrassing losses to FIU and Marshall, both at home. Chief among the Cardinals’ struggles has been the downright awful play of their offensive line. Five new starters have been unable to run the ball effectively and even less able to protect the quarterback. The Cardinals rank near the bottom of the nation in both rushing yards per game and in sacks allowed per game. Against Marshall, the Cardinals barely rushed for 60 yards, and the majority of those yards came from a scrambling freshman quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. An offense struggling this much couldn’t find a worse matchup than the North Carolina defense. The Tar Heels are loaded up front, led by defensive end Quinton Coples. Coples is considered by many a guaranteed top 5 NFL draft pick in 2012. The Cardinals will have their work cut out for them containing him or moving the ball against that North Carolina defensive front.

Offensive, the Tar Heels have stuck to a stable ground game and the dependable play of new quarterback Bryn Renner. Renner is completing 75% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and just six interceptions in 2011. This will be a tougher matchup for Carolina, as the Louisville defense has actually played consistently well in 2011, despite being so young at key positions. The Cardinals lead the nation in tackles for loss and are in the top 20 in rushing and total defense nationally. Their ability to force turnovers and give a struggling offense a short field will be the Cardinals best hope for a victory.

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By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer