Louisville Cardinals

Heat Check: Can Louisville Football run the table in 2016?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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With Louisville football’s 63-20 beat down of Florida State on Saturday, fans should be pondering if the Cardinals can run the table in 2016.

Lamar Jackson has not only become the face of Louisville football after three weeks, but he has also become the face of the Heisman Trophy. He is clearly the front-runner for the famous award, but there is still a long, long way to go in the 2016 season.

The ceiling for Lamar Jackson and the rest of the Louisville football team has skyrocketed over the last three weeks. The narrative has gone from one of speculation to one of almost certainty. The Cardinals have big shoes to fill for the rest of the year.

The Associated Press ranked the Louisville football team at number three in the nation in this week’s poll. The only teams rated higher than the Cardinals right now are the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Ohio State Buckeyes. That is pretty good company to be in for the Ville’.

The focus for the Cardinals now turns towards a National Championship. It’s pretty amazing that we are here talking about this after Louisville just destroyed Florida State, however Louisville is for real and they have a legit chance. It’s more than just Lamar Jackson, it’s the entire football team that can take Louisville to the promised land.

The Cardinals have been dominating in all three phases of the game in 2016. Players like Jaire Alexander, James Hearns, and Chucky Williams have been the unknown heroes for a Louisville team looking towards the College Football Playoff.

After starting the season 3-0, the narrative now changes towards if the Cardinals can run the table in 2016. These are the teams that they have left to play this season.

Dec 26, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd quarterback Chase Litton (14) runs out of the pocket against the Connecticut Huskies during the second half at Tropicana Field. Marshall Thundering Herd defeated the Connecticut Huskies 16-10. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Louisville at Marshall (Saturday, September 24th, 8:00pm)

Marshall currently sits at 1-1 on the 2016 season. They most recently lost to the Akron Zips 65-38 at home. That does not look too good for a school ready to take on a powerhouse in the Louisville football team this coming Saturday.

This game sits between the Florida State and Clemson games for the Cardinals, which has had fans on edge throughout the offseason. Marshall had had a couple of good seasons and this will clearly be the biggest home game in sometime for their University. Louisville will have to play in front of a rowdy crowd on Saturday.

Even if Louisville comes out flat and doesn’t play well, they still have the depth and talent to overcome any setbacks in this one. If Akron can put up 65 points on the road against the Thundering Herd, then just think of how many points Lamar Jackson is going to throw up on that scoreboard Saturday night.

Lamar Jackson will play another shortened game on Saturday and the Cardinals will win easily. This win would put the Louisville football team at 4-0.

Sep 10, 2016; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) carries the ball during the second half against the Troy Trojans at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Louisville at Clemson (Saturday, October 1st, 8:00pm)

This is easily the toughest game for the Louisville football team for the rest of 2016, sorry Houston. If the Cardinals want to make it to the College Football Playoff and possibly the National Championship, they will have to go through Deshaun Watson.

Clemson has started the season off a little bit slow, winning the their two games by an average of 6 points. They destroyed South Carolina State last Saturday 59-0 and are looking to carry that momentum over to Georgia Tech on Thursday night.

It sounds as though College Gameday will be featuring this game as well. I mean, why would they not want this game? Lamar Jackson. Deshaun Watson. Two of the best quarterbacks in the country. It’s going to be a great game in South Carolina.

This will truly be a test for the Cardinals, in a tough environment, on a Saturday night. Expect Dabo Swinney to have his team ready to play, but remember the Cardinals have come very close to beating the Tigers the last two seasons. Lamar Jackson could be the difference in this game on the road.

Clemson has a tough road game in Florida State later in the season, but the Cardinals don’t need to push their luck with a three-way ACC tie. Louisville needs to win this game on the road and they are capable to doing so.

Sep 17, 2016; Evanston, IL, USA; Duke Blue Devils wide receiver T.J. Rahming (3) is unable to pull in a pass against Northwestern Wildcats defensive back Trae Williams (29) during the first half at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

Duke at Louisville (Friday, October 14th, 8:00pm)

This is definitely a better match-up on the basketball court than it is on the football field. Louisville is going to smash the Blue Devils in their first game back to Papa Johns Cardinals Stadium in almost a month. After losing their starting quarterback to start the season, Duke has been struggling ever since.

The Blue Devils currently sit at 1-2 after consecutive losses to Wake Forest and Northwestern. They just might have the worst record in the ACC this season as the rest of their schedule looks like this:

If you can find one solid win in there, be sure to let us know the in comment section because that looks brutal. The Blue Devils have a couple of solid players on offense in Jela Duncan and Anthony Nash, but as usual, Louisville’s defense will be the factor in keeping the Cardinals in games or allowing the offense to put up crazy numbers against the other team.

Louisville wins this one easy.

Sep 17, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack receiver Cole Cook (48) celebrates a touchdown with wide receiver Stephen Louis (12) during the second half against the Old Dominion Monarchs at Carter Finley Stadium. The Wolfpack won 49-22. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

NC State at Louisville (Saturday, October 22nd, time TBA)

The week before NC State plays Louisville, they have to go on the road to play the Clemson Tigers. A week before that game, they have to play Notre Dame. Not a very friendly schedule awaits for the Wolfpack in the month of October.

NC State had a pretty good year last year as they went 7-5 and went to the Belk Bowl against Mississippi State. They got beat pretty bad, but winning seven games and going to a bowl is still a solid accomplishment.

Louisville beat the Wolfpack on the road last year 20-13, all thanks to Lamar Jackson’s legs. Jackson rushed for over 120 yards in that game in North Carolina.

The story will be pretty much the same in this 2016 match-up. Jackson was able to tear apart the so-called “fast’ Seminoles’ defense a few days ago, therefore he shouldn’t have any trouble doing the same against NC State in a little over a month.

NC State will have gone through a tough schedule before playing the Cardinals. Expect Petrino to have his guys ready after playing a close game with NC State in 2015.

Sep 17, 2016; East Hartford, CT, USA; Virginia Cavaliers running back Albert Reid (2) celebrates after running the ball for a touchdown against the Connecticut Huskies in the first quarter at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Louisville at Virginia (Saturday, October 29th, Time TBA)

Again, this would be a better match-up in the Yum Center, rather than having the football team travel to Virginia to take on the Cavaliers. These guys are just plain bad right now. There is no doubt about it.

Virginia has started the season 0-3 after losing their first two of three games on the road. Here are the results of their first three games.

You know what, I take it back. Virginia might be the worst team in the ACC this season, not Duke. The good news for Louisville is that they get to play both of them this season.

Louisville beat the Cavaliers 38-31 in Papa Johns last season, but Lamar Jackson did not start or finish the game at quarterback. With Jackson at the helm, he should be adding to his Heisman-worthy stats by this point in the 2016 season.

Again, Louisville wins this game easily.

Sep 17, 2016; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Boston College Eagles quarterback Patrick Towles (8) runs the ball against Virginia Tech Hokies defensive end Trevon Hill (94) during the second quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Louisville at Boston College (Saturday, November 5th, Time TBA)

Louisville fans should remember the guy in the picture above. Yes, that is former University of Kentucky quarterback Patrick Towles. After transferring from UK at the end of last season, he has led the Eagles to a 1-2 record to start the 2016 season.

Last weekend, they lost a road game to Virginia Tech 49-0. Not to mention, the Hokies held Towles to 80 yards passing and one interception. Quite honestly, that’s just not going to get it done in a power five conference. As much as he wants to beat Louisville, it isn’t going to happen.

The Eagles actually shut down Lamar Jackson last season on the road in a 17-14 losing effort. Here were Jackson’s numbers from last year’s contest:

That is pretty impressive stuff right there from Boston College’s defense. The good news for Louisville fans is that even if Jackson has a bad game, the Cardinals’ defense is top-notch and will hold Towles and the Eagles’ offense in check to win this game on the road.

Louisville can and will win this game in Massachusetts.

Sep 17, 2016; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons wide receiver Alex Bachman (17) celebrates with offensive lineman Tyler Hayworth (78) after a touchdown in the third quarter at BB&T Field. Wake defeated Delaware 38-21. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Wake Forest at Louisville (Saturday, November 12th, Time TBA)

Don’t look now, but the Demon Deacons are on fire to start the 2016 college football season. They have started the year 3-0, after beating Tulane, Duke, and Delaware. After a poor 2015 season going 3-9, Wake Forest is looking at competing for a Bowl game in 2016.

Louisville was barely able to beat the Demon Deacons on the road last season after winning 20-19. Their defense had to come up big with five turnovers for the Cardinals to have a shot at beating Wake Forest and no, Kyle Bolin did not play the majority of this game. It was actually current Heisman front-runner, Lamar Jackson.

Here is what the Wake Forest defense held Jackson to in 2015:

The Cardinals couldn’t run the ball at all last year in this game, as the Demon Deacons held them to under 70 total yards rushing. Louisville has been averaging that yardage total per quarter so far this season. That may be a bit of a stretch, but it has still been impressive.

Louisville is a much, much better team this season. Expect the Cardinals to bring home another win in Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium.

Sep 15, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Houston Cougars linebacker Tyus Bowser (81) reacts after tackling Cincinnati Bearcats running back Mike Boone (not pictured) for a safety in the second half at Nippert Stadium. Houston won 40-16. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Louisville at Houston (Thursday, November 17th, 8:00pm)

This is going to be a very tough game for the Cardinal in mid-November. However, it is also going to be a very, very tough game for Houston as well. What a night to be a fan of College Football because this could be one of the best games of 2016.

This game will surely be a top ten match-up, if not a game between two of the top five teams in the country. Thank goodness this is not a ACC game for Louisville because the Cougars are the real deal.

Houston has started the 2016 season 3-0 after beating Oklahoma, Lamar, and Cincinnati. Due to a weak schedule in the AAC, the Cougars should be undefeated by the time that the Louisville football team comes to town on ESPN.

Greg Ward Jr. and Lamar Jackson will be the second-best quarterback match-up that Louisville will come across this season. Both players have legitimate shots of winning the Heisman, but potentially only one of these guys could be playing in the College Football Playoff. While a loss to Houston wouldn’t hurt Louisville, that is if they are undefeated in the ACC, one loss for Houston could spoil their 2016 season.

This is going to be a tough one for the Cards. However, a loss to a top five or ten team on the road wouldn’t equal a disappointing 2016 season.

Sep 3, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats running back Stanley Boom Williams (18) runs the ball against the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles in the first quarter at Commonwealth Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky at Louisville (Saturday, November 26th, Time TBA)

This game being placed at the end of the season is just the worst case possible for Kentucky football every season. There is nothing like coming into the final game of the year standing at 5-6, needing one win to go to a bowl game and losing to your in-state rival.

That just might be the case again for Kentucky this season.

The Wildcats have had the Cardinals on the ropes for two years in-a-row and haven’t been able to finish the game. Last season, Kentucky posted a 21-0 lead, only to see Petrino bench Kyle Bolin and help Lamar Jackson change his college football career. Louisville ended up winning the game in Lexington 38-24.

Kentucky football has started the 2016 season 1-2 after losses to Southern Mississippi and Florida. They were able to get a win against New Mexico State last weekend, but it still came at the expense of giving up 42 points in a 62-42 win. Like Marshall, giving up, at least, over 40 points at home doesn’t bring too much confidence in showing how they could slow down Lamar Jackson.

Louisville fans can rejoice in another football victory over the University of Kentucky. Hopefully the Cardinals next game will be the ACC Championship.