2010 West Virginia Mountaineers Football Preview: Louisville

The Mountaineers leave the borders of Morgantown for the next two Big East games, first being a trip to Louisville to meet the rebuilding Cardinals.

Joining the conference in 2005, the program has been in a steady decline since the departure of head coach Bobby Petrino to the NFL, along with the hiring and subsequent firing of Steve Kragthorpe that dropped Louisville from the national scene.

The arrival of new head coach Charlie Strong from the University of Florida will attempt to bring back hope to the Cardinals’ faithful, while bringing the spread offense that Urban Meyer made dangerous in Gainesville.

While the Gators offense has been exceptionally effective, the Louisville total offense was dreadful during the 2009 season, as it finished sixth in the Big East along with being 91st in the nation, producing only 334 yards per game.

When you take a closer look, the passing game was the brightest spot of the entire team as it collected nearly 209 yards through the air, good for fourth in the Big East in addition to being 71st in the nation. On the ground, the Cardinals slipped back to last in conference play and 89th nationally while gaining 125 yards per game.

The 2010 offense will have seven starters returning to help with the honeymoon period for Strong. The quarterback position will most likely feature Adam Froman under center as he’s best adapting to running for the style of offense.

The running game will be most solid as junior Victor Anderson likely will carry the ball after suffering from injuries in 2009, while only scoring five touchdowns with less than 500 yards on the ground. The offensive line will have three returners that need to improve after giving up more than 30 sacks in 2009.

The receiving corps will have no starter returning from 2009 scoring more than two touchdowns along with only two juniors in Josh Chichester and Jahmal Lawson.

With the defensive mindset of Strong as coach, the Cardinals can improve their defense from seventh in conference play while being 65th in the nation (371ypg allowed in'09).

Just like their offensive counterparts, the passing portion of the defense was the most productive part, as they only gave up 206 yards, which was good for third in the Big East and 42nd overall in the nation.

The rush defense was last in the Big East and 84th in the nation, as it allowed more than 165 yards per game in 2009.

The linebacking corps of seniors Brandon Heath and Antwon Canady along with junior Dexter Heyman will comprise the most experienced portion of the defense this year.

The secondary will be led by seniors Anthony Conner and Johnny Patrick, who led the Cardinals in tackles with 53 in 2009.

With the experience that West Virginia brings to Louisville, it’s hard to see the Mountaineers getting upset in this late November matchup as WVU goes home with a 38-14 win.

NEXT GAME: West Virginia vs Pittsburgh, November 26th 2010