Micale Cunningham “ready to go” against Wake Forest

As Louisville prepares for a three-week gauntlet that includes a trio of teams all currently ranked in the nation’s top 20 and with one loss between them, it’s comforting for Cardinal head coach Scott Satterfield to feel like he finally knows who his quarterback is.

Despite having to leave the game multiple times because of minor injuries, Micale Cunningham gave perhaps his most complete college performance to date in Louisville’s 41-39 win over Boston College on Saturday. The sophomore finished 13-of-18 through the air for 288 yards and a touchdown. Cunningham added 43 more yards and another score on the ground.

“(Micale) played his best game, maybe his best of his career,” Satterfield said during his weekly press conference on Monday. “I think he’s starting to fully kind of understand our offense now a lot better. It’s a pretty simple offense to be in as a quarterback. It enables them not to think as much because when you can get that run game established, then it’s going to allow these guys to get open out here and we got some playmakers outside.

“He did a great job of really correcting some of those mistakes and again, come out and playing his best game. The receivers had a lot to do with it o line had a lot to do with it, you know, so, we don’t put it all on him. But I think he had some good teammates to play well Also, we’re trying to simplify it for him and allow him to play fast in and not have to think as much so I’m proud of the way he played.”

As stellar as Cunningham was, it was true freshman Evan Conley who commanded arguably the two most impressive Cardinal drives of the afternoon. The second of those two — with Cunningham sidelined by a gimpy ankle — ended with a Blanton Creque field goal that provided the winning points for U of L’s first ACC victory in 697 days.

“Evan played really good football,” Satterfield said. “Made some good throws on third down scenarios. Threw the ball away, which was good and made some great decisions in the run game.”

Conley finished the afternoon 10-of-16 for 140 yards and a touchdown.

Despite that solid performance, it sounds like Cunningham is healthy and poised to be the guy when Louisville heads to Winston-Salem this weekend for a showdown with No. 19 Wake Forest.

“(Micale) practiced yesterday and he’s doing fine. He should be fine this week,” Satterfield said. “I would say the status for Puma (Jawon Pass) is going to be very similar to last week. It’s just a day to day thing. I wish I could give you more. It seems like it has been dragging out. It is what it is. We’re treating it. It seems to be getting better every day, but until he is ready to go. We will just have to hold him out. That’s just kind of where we are right now. (Micale) and Evan (Conley) are obviously ready to go and should have a big week of practice.”