Where I Come From: Expectations for the 2010 Season
by Mike Rutherford on Jul 12, 2010 1:47 PM EDT
in EA Sports NCAA FB 11
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It's difficult to lay out expectations when heading into the first season of a head coach who is taking over a program that just suffered through one of the most disappointing stretches in its history.
Charlie Strong has done just about everything possible to rejuvenate the program and the fan base during the offseason, but those positive vibes make it easy to overlook the fact that - with the exception of Jordan Campbell - the players he's signed or brought in are all either freshmen or high school seniors-to-be. While the future appears promising, this is still going to be the most talent-depleted U of L football roster in recent memory.
That said, here are seven things I expect from the Louisville football team in 2010:
1. A drastic increase in effort/excitement
Even more so than ratio of wins-to-losses, the most disappointing aspect of the Steve Kragthorpe era, to me, was the fact that I always felt like I cared more than 75% of the players on the field and the coaches on the sidelines. Three years, three very difficult teams to support.
I'll be extremely disappointed if the product on the field in 2010 is anything less than something every supporter of U of L sports feels like they can be behind wholeheartedly.
2. A drastic increase in competency
No more 12 (or 13, or 6) men in the huddle penalties, no more using timeouts before extra points, no more blind stares and mass confusion on the sidelines, no more broken plays, no more completely unchecked receivers, no more wondering if the team isn't practicing between games.
3. Keeping the Kentucky game competitive
This might be the worst UK team since Petrino's second season at U of L, which makes the fact that we can't make winning the game an expectation (or guarantee) that much harder to swallow. But things are the way they are, and beating Kentucky for the first time in four years would, sadly, be a welcome surprise.
It's unfair for any of us to expect or demand victory on Sept. 4, but I don't think keeping the game interesting and competitive is too much to ask.
4. No more hollow cliches
I'd say "play our balls off" was a promising start.
5. Win the games you're favored to win
It probably won't happen often, but it'd be nice to meet the expectation when it does.
6. Put the best players on the field
No more ridiculous attempts to "make a statement" or prove your coaching "genius." It's not difficult to discern which guys are and aren't getting the job done on the field. Keep the guys who are out there.
7. Provide hope for the future
This goes hand-in-hand with the previous six, but it's the most obvious and important expectation of the season ahead. No one is hoping for double-digit wins, but they are looking for signs that those days can be reached again in the somewhat near future. We want to see a staff that has it together, players that care, offensive and defensive schemes that can have success and a program poised to re-attain its former status as one of the most exciting in the country.
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Memo found in Steve's Office
“Wait you’re supposed to practice during the week? Why didn’t Jurich tell me this! Goddamn it, this was the fault of the previous administration.”
by Chris Redman is my hero on Jul 12, 2010 2:56 PM EDT reply actions
shock the world
I say we win 9 games this season and beat Georgia in the papa Johns online bowl
by UofLCards36 on Jul 12, 2010 3:43 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
No more 3rd and 39's
I’ll never forget the day during Krag’s first year we were playing…………well ok, I forget the opponent, but I remember walking into the room after running a quick errand and found us in a 3rd and 39 situation. I was like “What the f*ck happened!?” Krag taught Brohm how to scramble and RUN from defenders……….just not in the right direction.
I don’t think we’ll see anything like that from Coach Strong. I just want to see the guys play hard and with a desire to win. Show that they care. The only game I saw Louisville actually care about during Krag’s whole tenure was the Kentucky game last year. They played like they wanted it……..badly. I even got up off the couch and yelled “YEA BABY!!!!” a couple times. Hadn’t done that since the Petrino era.
Whatever the results of this season, I think it’s an understatement to say that we’re in much better hands now.
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If we are reminiscing about favorite exhibitions of coaching incompetence, I think my favorite remains calling a TO after the first play from scrimmage against UK last year. Vic turned a mediocre play into a great one and it was as if Kragthorpe had no idea what to do with a fresh set of downs. There are others, however.
WORST KRAG PLAY EVER
4th and 1 at the uk 15 and we run an option attack with burke and powell.
by UofLCards36 on Jul 12, 2010 11:37 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree that was the worst play call I remember, although the competition was high.
But I was speaking more to the moments that just revealed Krag couldn’t even organize a bake sale. 12-men penalties after timeouts, unnecessary timeouts, not going for 2 when it was needed, or going for 2 when it didnt’ make a difference. There were plenty of those, too.
was still coach.
But it definitely looks worse the more Strong shows how a real program works.
The general lack of organization he showed during the game was clearly the best.
Does anyone remember in his second season, I think against USF, when all 6 timeouts were using right before halftime on a FG attempt? Hilarious.
by CardinalDude on Jul 12, 2010 5:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Mike, you’re pretty much where I am. The two most terrible aspects of Kragthorpe’s regime were competency and effort. We saw neither right from the start. Based on just a few months of Strong though, I’ve seen both in abundance. This season isn’t about winning so much as changing the perception.
Be honest with me, though. Deep down in places you don’t like to talk about at parties, you’re going to miss those blind stares and mass confusion on the sideline.
A Topic Idea
Mike, we should have a new topic devoted to our favorite moments in Kragthorpe’s tenure. Here’s a quick list:
1. Krag yelling pass, pass, pass before WVU ran the ball in 2007.
2. Rattling some chains.
3. Calling a timeout against UK in 2008 so he could send 12 men onto the field.
4. Trailing Rutgers 35-0 with two minutes to go in the first half only to have the halftime score end up as 49-0.
5. B.A.T.
6. Adding a “y” to the end of each player’s name.
7. Trailing Indiana St. 10-7 in the second quarter.
8. Threatening to beat up anyone who gave Trent Guy grief.
9. Challenging to spot of a kneel down play and the end of the Pitt game in 2007.
10. Nautical references.
11. “I deserve every penny of that.”
12. “When I got fired at Louisville, which by the way, was a great blessing, …”
by UL is my hot hot sex on Jul 12, 2010 9:56 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm still wondering what "bigger job than Louisville" Jurich referenced right after Krags was sacked
"The thing I feel worst about is I took him out of a great job, I took him out of a great city," Jurich said. "I had him turn down bigger jobs than Louisville to take this one.
"That’s going to haunt me the rest of my life."
by UL is my hot hot sex on Jul 12, 2010 9:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Just PR speak
nobody believes that stuff except maybe Kragthorpe himself. I’m sure he heard that quote and thought, “What jobs? You mean other schools wanted me?”
MnPDX
by kentuckybred on Jul 12, 2010 10:40 PM EDT up reply actions
I think Krags was referencing the bigger jobs thing too when
he said his “I gave up a lot to come here” quote after saying “I deserve every penny of that” at his farewell tour presser.
by UL is my hot hot sex on Jul 12, 2010 11:05 PM EDT up reply actions
evidently
he has Jesus on his side so I guess things will work out for him
MnPDX
by kentuckybred on Jul 13, 2010 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions
A whacker epic here
1. At the beginning of that game, UL almost picked of a pass, it was really close and the ref ruled incomplete, and you could see Yahole on the sideline yelling F&&&&&&k on the sideline. My wife said, nice job mr nice guy.
3. I thought Ron English was going to rip his head off, right there on the sideline. We sit behind the bench, and it was pretty clear who was not to be sending in guys while UL was on D. Fortunately, there were 20 yds of separation.
4. Deep down in the crawl of my stomach, I knew Schiano wasn’t done bending Yahole over on national tv.
6. That usaully that said playerie was on the way out.
7. Immemorial…..end of 1st quarter line score, ISU 10 UL 7. Since CHS arrived, I have cheered wholeheartedly, non stop. I wandered off into never land at half time, and didn’t give a crap.
8. Way to blame Trent in the most Yaholeabout way possible. Classic.
9. This can only be explained as an attempt to look somewhat competent as a mastemind after Lesean McCoy inexplicably fumbles at the goal line on his way to tying the game. McCoy was dominating that series and handed Yahole his only non-losing season. I remember that TO vividly, thinking, WTF did we just stop the clock ? I might have giggled.
10. I wasn’t allowed to listen to post game shows on the radio after throwing a haymaker at the radio in my wife’s van after the MTSU game in 07.
all of those were terrible moments for Krag
except #8
That was probably the only time in his time with UofL that i was happy with something Krag did. He stood up for one of his players, a player who had given everything he had to the program. While Guy watched it fall apart while he was here, he still played like it all mattered to him, and I’m sure that had an effect on Krag.
Also, in response to Krag passing up bigger jobs that Louisville, he was a pretty popular name out there for some reason. Why he was considered a trendy up and coming name i’ll never know, but i do know when he was hired it was praised in local and national media. Lots of people were wrong on that one.
I’m just happy we have a coach who cares and shows he cares. A coach that intimidates players a little, but who they all respect. He hasn’t coached a game yet, but he has rekindled the spark in fans, which is no small victory
by Ben Go CARDS on Jul 13, 2010 10:02 AM EDT up reply actions
Effort?
The first year of the K-Debacle when we were trying to run out the clock against Middle TN with the game still in doubt the starting defense was huddled on the side line and half of them were debating where they were going after the game.
And another year one of the student trainers told her aunt that with five games to go over half the players quit on K hoping he would get fired.
Yep, he sure got our guys to really put it all out!
2010 Expectations?
Undefeated. National Champs. First of many. The rest of you are weak, limp-wristed Nancy boy fans.
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