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| Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater |
The hype associated with Louisville going into the 2013 season centers entirely around quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who has been ceded the preseason title of best available quarterback in the next NFL Draft.
As Geno Smith, Matt Barkley and Brady Quinn can attest, the title is fleeting. Bridgewater appears to be a talented prospect with 3,178 yards/27 TDs/8 INTs in 2012 but the junior passer need only be a babysitter in 2013 to lead Louisville to what could easily be an undefeated season.
Gone from the Cardinals’ schedule are Syracuse and UCONN, not the most imposing of opponents, but the only two to best the Cards last season.
Offensively, Bridgewater will have familiar targets to throw to the teams top three receivers from 2012 and add talented transfer from Florida, Robert Clark. The running back position has been by committee at Louisville as the Cards have been besieged by injury in the last two seasons. Dominique Brown and Senorise Perry return after both missed time last season with knee injuries.
Louisville returns eight starters on defense, including experienced safeties Hakeem Smith and Calvin Pryor and cornerback Terell Floyd. Linebacker Preston Brown will be entrusted to quarterback the defense from the middle linebacker spot after moving over from the outside in 2012.
The Cardinals play one of the softer schedules in college football. There are no definite losses on their schedule but road games at Kentucky and Cincinnati in the season finale look like push games and the game against Rutgers Oct. 10 in Louisville could decide the American Athletic Conference champion. I have Louisville at 10-0-2.
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