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Community Projection: Bilal Powell

For those who missed it or immediately replaced the memory with something more pleasant, here's how this thing works.

Our second community projection focuses on a player we became so enamored with over the course of last season that his "playing alert level" became a fixture on our pregame posts.

On a team encumbered with uncertainty, the biggest source of preseason optimism for Louisville football fans likely lies with a talented stable of running backs and a new offensive coordinator dedicated to controlling the clock. Figuring to be the group's torchbearer is sophomore Bilal Powell, who took over in the second half of the Cardinals' season-ending victory over Rutgers, and finished his freshman campaign averaging just under eight yards per carry.

OPPONENT ATT YDS AVG TD
Utah 1 1 1.0 0
Pittsburgh 4 25 6.3 0
South Florida 6 70 11.7 1
Rutgers 13 91 7.0 1
TOTAL 24 187 7.8 2

While Powell's extraordinary raw talent is unmistakable, the question of whether or not he can be an effective pure tailback week in and week out in a BCS conference still looms. While his experience as a collegiate running back is extremely limited (some might say more limited than it should be), his experience as a running back period isn't much more extensive. He had never played the position before his senior season at Lake Gibson High School (Fla.), but still put up gaudy numbers thanks to his ridiculous speed and natural instincts. His ability to make people miss in the open field has been established, but his playmaking ability inside the tackles and as a receiver in the flats has not.

Despite having some highly talented ball carriers come through the program, Louisville has had just one 1,000-yard rusher in the last eight years (Michael Bush in 2005). Even if Powell makes tremendous strides in his sophomore season, it's hard to envision him hitting four figures given the skill-level of his counterparts in the backfield.

Brock Bolen carried the ball 88 times in '07, and you wouldn't think his touches will be reduced drastically in his senior season. Redshirt freshman Victor Anderson may have been the star of the spring, and his seemingly inevitable emergence will demand attention. And then there's that passing game, a facet of the program that has garnered a little bit of attention over the last decade, and one that Jeff Brohm is unlikely to considerably neglect.

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So when all is said and done, how do you see Bilal Powell's sophomore season looking on paper?

I'll go 152 carries for 795 yards (5.2 avg) and eight touchdowns. My hopes are admittedly high, and this type of season would definitely satiate them.

Feel free to share your thoughts on those four categories in the comments section. 

0 recs  |  Comment 4 comments

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mikey mikey mikey...

...how can you underestimate the Barry Sanders of Cardinal Football. The overall speed, elusiveness, and power of this kid against will be unstopable against defenses which will play a decent amount of Nickle and Dime due to our vaunted passing attack. I see big things in his future.

210 Carries, 1400 Yards, 5.7 YPC, 18 Touchdowns (including 3-5 TDs of over 50 yds)

by drhustle on Jun 24, 2008 1:42 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

95 carries, 475 yards, 5.0 YPC, 6 TD’s. Too much competition in the backfield.

by cardsfan80 on Jun 24, 2008 2:05 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

All based on opportunity...

IF they are smart enough to build him into the offense, feature him, let him know EXACTLY what is expected of him…And IF they use him EVERY game…

200 carries, 1200 yards, 16 touchdowns (in Tommy Tuberville’s offense this kid is an All American) No reason why we can’t have TWO “thousand yard” rushers. ((Auburn did).

by MrBlunt on Jun 24, 2008 7:25 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Agree with the crowded backfield

108 carries, 620 yards, 5.7 YPC, 6 TD’s. Brock should get most of the goal-line work, if Krag has an ounce of football intelligence…

by Noonway on Jun 25, 2008 2:43 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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