Offense into Wins; Not Style Points
November 21, 2013 | Football
Nov. 21, 2013
LOUISVILLE,Ky.- University of Louisville offensive coordinator Shawn Watson isn't looking for style points. He is looking for wins, and that's all the Cardinals have done en route to a 9-1 record.
While he searches for excellence, he knows his team isn't perfect. The Louisville offense was held to a season-low 20 points in the win over Houston, but the Cardinals also battled back from a 13-10 deficit with 10 points in the third quarter.
After taking the lead, the Cardinals let their second-ranked defense take over and completely shut down the Cougars, holding Houston to 41 second-half yards.
"When we play here, we don't look for style points," Watson said. "That's not (head coach Charlie Strong's) deal and that's not how we manage our staff.
"We don't really concern ourselves with what anybody thinks. We kind of win like coach (Nick) Saban does at Alabama. We do what it takes to win ball games here."
The Cardinals found the formula for success last week against Houston in the form of junior Dominique Brown, who rushed for a career-best 137 yards on a personal-best 27 carries. The Cardinals are 8-0 over the last two seasons when a running back rushes for 100 yards or more under Watson's direction.
According to Watson, the big night from Brown helped the Cardinals execute their game plan, which was to keep Houston's frantic-paced offense on the sideline.
"We knew that we had to possess the ball from the no-huddle offense," Watson said. "So our game plan was really to possess the ball. We were on the field 64 percent of the time in that ball game, and we wanted to be; we need to be. We leaned toward the run game, which was the game plan."
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Brown had eight carries that went for 10 or more yards and allowed the Cardinals to hold a huge time of possession advantage. The game-plan was executed to perfection as the Cougars were held to a season-low 195 yards and just 121 yards through the air.
"People don't want to tackle him after a while," Watson said. "He wears out linebackers, wears out safeties, and corners don't want any part of him. He was our player of the game, and he deserved to be that."
The Cardinals will close out their home schedule and say goodbye to their seniors when the Cardinals host a young Memphis squad, which visits Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on Saturday. Despite their 3-6 record, the Tigers have won two games in a row, and have been competitive in all of their losses. They dropped a 24-17 decision to 14th-ranked UCF earlier this season.
Prior to the game, the Cardinals will honor 20 players, who helped turn around the program and guide the Cardinals to their fourth-straight bowl game this season. This group of seniors is head coach Charlie Strong's first full recruiting class.
"(The seniors) have been through a lot," Watson said. "They've been through all the good stuff that has come of late, but they went through all the hard stuff in the early years.
"They've been huge. Their temperament, their attitude they brought to work every day, and their desire want to change the complexion of the program and what people thought of us nationally. (They helped) give us a trademark and a brand name. They've done a nice job of that. They've got a lot to be proud of."
The Cardinals are looking for their first win on Senior Day under Strong, and they will take any style of win to end the streak and send the seniors out on a high note.
