West Virginia Mountaineers vs Louisville Cardinals Football Preview

It's not quite one of the epic duels between the loaded teams fielded by Rich Rodriguez and Bobby Petrino, but this last Big East go-round between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Louisville Cardinals will have to do.

For the first time since 2006, the Louisville game against West Virginia will have some real juice to it. Back then, the two schools met to determine the Big East championship and possibly a national title run in a nationally televised battle of unbeatens. This time, they meet as winner and loser of a desperate attempt to bolt that same conference for greener pastures. West Virginia is headed to the Big 12, with reports indicating that it edged out its current conference foe Louisville for that invitation. Will the backroom dealings of officials have any impact on the players on the field? Perhaps, but, the football matchup is worth watching regardless. Two teams with opposing strengths will do battle with a chance to reassert themselves in the Big East race and make the most of seasons that got off to disappointing starts. The off the field drama only adds fuel to the fire.

For Louisville, it’s all about defense. Charlie Strong’s background is on the defensive side and in less than two years, he’s transformed the Cardinals into the Big East’s best defensive team and quietly one of the best in the nation. The Cardinals currently rank in the top 20 nationally in rushing, scoring, and total defense despite playing as many as 25 freshmen or sophomores so far. Senior linebacker Dexter Heyman leads an aggressive defense and sophomore defensive end Marcus Smith has emerged as the best pass rushing threat with five sacks in the past five games. They’ll need a relentless pass rush to beat the Mountaineers in Morgantown.

Louisville will need a relentless pass rush because West Virginia fields one of the best passing offenses in the country. Junior quarterback Geno Smith currently ranks seventh nationally in passing yards per game at 332. The Mountaineers have picked up Dana Holgorsen’s passing attack quickly, but they’ve yet to develop a consistent rushing attack. If Louisville is able to keep them one dimensional, it could be a difficult day for the offense. Additionally, while West Virginia typically fields a stout defense, they’ve been gouged a couple of times, including two weeks ago at Syracuse. With Louisville’s improving offense, the Cardinals could make life difficult for West Virginia by playing ball control and keeping Geno Smith and company off the field.

While the game should be entertaining and competitive, it’s difficult to imagine a young Louisville team being able to go on the road and win in Morgantown. Something the Cardinals haven’t done since 1990. If they do, it will be a small piece of desired revenge, a delicious taste of satisfaction that will remove the sting of being passed over in the conference realignment derby.

> Find a great selection of West Virginia Mountaineers merchandise and more online along with Big East football gear from Big East Fans partner sites.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer