Louisville Going Behind Enemy Lines

Empire Lindy asked me to break down the 'Cats a bit for him for his article on CardinalEmpire.com. Here is the transcript (read the article linked to the title above):

CardinalEmpire: Am reading a bit about QB Josh Freeman and checked his box scores from the first couple of weekends. Is he really the pro prospect that folks are writing about? What do opposing defenses have to do to keep him in check? In other words, what does he do well and what does he struggle with?

Me: Simply put, yes. Josh is a pro prospect. He has the size and arm necessary to be a complete pro player. Two plays stand out in particular. Versus North Texas, Josh rolled out away from a defensive end that had beat the offensive tackle, and from the 40 yard line threw a rope to Brandon Banks, and hit Banks in stride for a touchdown. Versus Montana State, Josh hit Aubrey Quarles from the opposite side of the field and put it where only Quarles could catch, about 40 yards downfield again. Those are professional throws. The past two years, Josh would have trouble with his footwork and progressions, but this year he is looking for his receivers, going through his progressions, and make smart decisions. He has missed some open receivers, but generally college defenses are not going to confuse him. If he does not see an open receiver, he has the bulk and speed to take off running, though no one would mistake him for Vince Young. The best defense against Josh is to make him hurry his throws. He has had all day to throw the ball, and in years past that is where he will force things.

CardinalEmpire: Can you give us a little background on Brandon Banks? I have read he is an absolute blazer (4.28 40) and will surprise a lot of guys with his abilities for such a small player. Is his debut just a sign of things to come? How does KSU try to utilize him (slot receiver, on the edge and just go by the opposing DB?)? What other receivers will the Cards need to watch for?

Me: Brandon is very small at 5'7" and 142, but he has a burst of speed that is stunning--he is the fastest guy on the team and can accelerate in a hurry. He can also take a hit as he comes over the middle. Both are surprising for a guy that small. Against Montana State, Josh flicked a little dump off pass over the line of scrimmage and Brandon took off with an amazing burst and scored a touchdown, splitting the defensive backs. He has played mostly on the edge, and he has been utilized in crossing patterns, little dumps over the line of scrimmage, and screen passes. No one has tried to jam him at the line of scrimmage--everyone is afraid of his speed. Even with him being small, Josh has been able to hit him consistently. On the 30 yard touchdown pass mentioned above, it was a breakdown on the line and it went to a scramble drill, and Josh found him. All of that said, Brandon is not a starting receiver. He is behind Deon Murphy, another burner and last year's Big 12 offensive newcomer of the year. Deon had 57 or so catches last year for around 800 yards, but didn't play versus North Texas (aside from a few punt returns). Lamark Brown is coming into his own, and at 6'3" and 225 pounds, he's a load at wide receiver. Aubrey Quarles has outstanding hands and is very fast, though a middle size receiver at 5'11", he is very hard to bring down. Ernie Pierce is our "big receiver" at 6'4" and 210. Pierce is inconsistent catching the ball, however.

CardinalEmpire: Keithen Valentine and Logan Dold had pretty nice debuts for the Wildcats Saturday, but Valentine did have a fumble in the second series. Is a RBBC the approach we should expect when KSU rolls into Louisville in a couple of weeks? What does each guy bring to the table and why do Coach Prince and Coach Rahne go with the two-headed attack?

Me: The running game is a bit of a mystery, even after two games. Neither player has put up spectacular numbers and both have had their issues. Neither is an explosive guy and neither will make a defensive player miss. Both try and be patient, but sometimes don't wait for a play to develop. Valentine is a smaller player, and he tries to follow his blocks. He doesn't have the ability to cut back and make a defender miss and break a run for big yards. Dold is a bit more upright, less shifty (which isn't good), but somewhat more powerful. Neither player had division one experience; I think they are trying to keep the players fresh and find the hot hand. Valentine appears to be a better blocker, which is important to the passing game. Neither has caught many passes this year.

CardinalEmpire: The defense has been scolded a bit by Coach Prince in his press conferences, particularly the LB’s. They did give up 105 yards on the ground (124 if you take away Vizza’s lost yardage) against North Texas and 83 (121 if you take away a couple of TEAM runs). I am reading most was right up the gut. I haven’t read much about the unit, but I do know that leading returning tackler John Houlik was suspended for the first three games of the season. Still, Reggie Walker is back and should have provided some experience. Is this just a simple matter of Houlik missing from the lineup or is run support an issue with the K-State LB’s?

Me: No. Houlik is an undersized middle linebacker, and though he made tackles last year, too many of them were too far downfield. A lot of tackles is good at the line of scrimmage, a lot of tackles 6 and 7 yards downfield is not good. The first team defense did not allow a terribly huge amount of yards; KSU played a ton of kids even early on in both games. That said, there were some plays where the DL was beat or sucked in too tight and players were able to beat the linebackers, who also misplayed the play. Additionally, there have been plays that should have been tackled a couple yards ahead of where the tackle was made. A new depth chart came out today, and there have been more shakeups on the linebacker corps. Hansen Sekona takes over at Reggie's inside backer position and Reggie moves to the outside to back up Antwon Moore. Sekona is one of the infamous JuCo class, but played well in the spring. He will team up with Ulla Pomele on the inside to try and slow down the Cardinals rushing attack.

CardinalEmpire: The defense as a unit was largely lambasted and beaten in 2007, giving up 400 yards a game and nearly 31 points per contest. The pass D was a particular problem, giving up 264 yards every time out and a total of 27 TD’s, but K-State coaches have been quoted as being cautiously excited about the secondary in 2008. What gives Wildcat fans hope that the DB’s will be better this season? Who will lead this campaign for improvement?

Me: Last year, our best returning cornerback was suspended and so did not play. This year, number 4, Joshua Moore from Pompano Beach Ely High School, leads the way in the secondary. Moore has the ability to be a shut down type of corner and has played well in the first couple games. He has allowed some catches, but he keeps everything in front of him. Blair Irvin is our nickel back. Originally recruited and signed with LSU, he went and played minor league baseball for a few years and is now at KSU after a stint at junior college. He also has been solid. Those two additions at corner, along with the return of our best corner last year, Ray Cheatham, has the coaches excited. K-State will rotate three safeties, and Courtney Herndon was named National Defensive Player of the Week last week after blocking a punt, returning a fumble for a touchdown, having four tackles, and making an interception to stifle a drive. What's odd is that he is our 3rd best safety behind Chris Carney (captain) and Gary Chandler (Big 12 defensive newcomer of the year last year). The secondary is definitely a strength right now.

CardinalEmpire: A lot of preseason talk has focused on Ian Campbell and how he might return to his 2006 form by returning to defensive end. Can you talk a little about what Campbell might bring to the defense if he is back in his traditional role as a lineman.

Me: Campbell is best suited with his hand on the ground coming after the quarterback. A little small for the 3-4 K-State plays, he is always coming and coming hard. He is a max effort player. He is very quick off the snap and will create some havoc, especially if your OT doesn't have good feet. He will move around a lot--this week he is listed at starter on the RDE position, with true frosh Brandon Harold taking over the LDE position. Campbell has also lined up at DT this year--basically 3 DEs in a 4-3 defense. KSU has done some odd mixing and matching at times along the defensive line.

CardinalEmpire: Deon Murphy was one of the nation’s top return men in 2007, which should terrify Louisville fans and the poor special teams we saw this past weekend. Can you talk about Murphy’s abilities in the punting game and what Aubrey Quarles will bring to the kickoff return game this season?

Me: Murphy brings speed, speed, and more speed. He has a nice ability to read his blocks and get upfield. If Louisville can get him going sideways and not straight upfield, he will be easy to corral. However, once he starts going straight upfield, he has speed and the ability to cut and move. He can be very difficult to tackle in open space. Quarles hasn't returned many kicks, but he has had a couple nice returns where he just takes off and finds a crease. He's a very strong guy and difficult to bring down.

CardinalEmpire: What other strengths does this team bring to the game next week? Weaknesses?

Me: The other primary strength, which is something that Prince has emphasized, is the special teams. Already this year KSU has had a punt return almost go for a touchdown (Murphy was tackled at the 4), blocked two punts for touchdowns, blocked an extra point, and had two kick off returns go back past the 50 yard line (I think two). The biggest weakness is the running game, which isn't just the backs but also the offensive line. The offensive line is deep and experienced, but they just are not playing outstanding football. Louisville's defensive tackles should be able to be disruptive this game.

CardinalEmpire: Who else should we be aware of as a threat on either side of the ball?

Me: Brooks Rossman is a very good kicker. Look out for Jeron Mastrud, a very underrated tight end. He's not fast, but has a knack for getting open and has good hands. Last, Prince loves trick or gadget plays and misdirection. Look for a WR to throw a pass, end arounds, reverses, onside kicks when you least expect it, an unexpected fake punt, that sort of thing.