Cards Conclude Two-A-Days on Wednesday
August 19, 2015 | Football
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville football team practiced inside the Trager Indoor Practice Facility on Wednesday morning with a two-hour session in full pads as the Cardinals concluded two-a-day practices.
The afternoon session saw the Cardinals work outside before heavy rains cut practice short by a few minutes. Louisville will conduct a single practice on Thursday and Friday mornings. The morning practice began at 9 a.m. indoors with the team getting in its final work before the start of classes on Monday.
The practice was the team's 18th in a series of 28 leading up to the season opener with No. 7 Auburn in the Chick Fil-A Kickoff Classic on Sept. 5. The Cardinals and Tigers will meet inside The Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga., with the game airing on CBS at 3:30 p.m.
Facing one of the most prolific offenses in the country in Auburn, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham knows he has a big test ahead of his unit, but he likes the way his defense has accepted the challenge.
"Our guys have worked hard every day," Grantham said. "You see them pushing through, not always perfect, but you see them grinding and trying to do it the right way. I do see improvement in guys from practice to practice. We are working hard, but we still have room to improve."
The Tigers, who averaged 255.5 yards on the ground last year, ranked 13th nationally and have been one of the top rushing offenses over the last few years. They will face one of the top rushing defenses in Louisville, who finished 10th nationally.
"You always want to be hard to score on," Grantham said. "You're always looking to stop the run first. If you stop the run, then it forces teams to be one-dimensional that allows you to affect the quarterback, which causes turnovers."
One of the keys to stopping the run will be junior DeAngelo Brown, who anchors the middle of the defense. Brown won't register huge tackle statistics, but will occupy blockers and clog the middle.
"Guys like Brown don't get all the credit they deserve," Grantham said. "Anytime your inside guys can command double teams and force guys to double them up, it frees up other guys to make plays. He is really important up front to our defense."
One of the playmakers on this defense will be linebacker Keith Brown, who was slowed last year by injuries. A former freshman All-American in 2012, Brown moved to the outside linebacker position this year to put another explosive player on the defense.
"We are just ready to go out and compete," Brown said. "I feel like we have a good front seven, but our backs are good players too. We know we have talent on defense, but it's time to get out there and compete versus a very good team."
The Cards must be ready to compete because the Tigers are considered one of the top teams in the country, and they will be ready to face the Cardinals in just 17 days.
Defensive Coordinator Todd Grantham and LB Keith Brown Address the Media
Defensive Coordinator Todd Grantham
Todd Grantham | on the goals of the defense pic.twitter.com/H7Mvx5eSDD
-- LouisvilleFootball (@UofLFootball) August 19, 2015
Todd Grantham | on bringing the young guys up to speed pic.twitter.com/WDQ6RKRz3c
-- LouisvilleFootball (@UofLFootball) August 19, 2015
Todd Grantham | on Devonte Fields pic.twitter.com/yqfOqOegzS
-- LouisvilleFootball (@UofLFootball) August 19, 2015
LB Keith Brown
Keith Brown | on moving outside pic.twitter.com/coaafNuzpo
-- LouisvilleFootball (@UofLFootball) August 19, 2015
Keith Brown | On his role as a pass rusher pic.twitter.com/Q61TAZJfUE
-- LouisvilleFootball (@UofLFootball) August 19, 2015
Keith Brown | On what Shaq Wiggins, Josh Harvey-Clemons and Devonte Fields will bring to the defense pic.twitter.com/Lc6dbYtbtV
-- LouisvilleFootball (@UofLFootball) August 19, 2015
Afternoon Practice
Keith Kelsey https://t.co/zWPJCWUZ2E
-- LouisvilleFootball (@UofLFootball) August 19, 2015
James Burgess https://t.co/WKKm5CuxBu
-- LouisvilleFootball (@UofLFootball) August 19, 2015
Morning Practice
Coach Petrino moves practice indoors this morning due to heavy rain #ULCardsCamp pic.twitter.com/94DcSg5U80
-- LouisvilleFootball (@UofLFootball) August 19, 2015
Defensive line works on stripping the ball https://t.co/cKvdQHHVGC
-- LouisvilleFootball (@UofLFootball) August 19, 2015
Pat Thomas has moved to wide receiver this fall pic.twitter.com/OvYTagGTo7
-- LouisvilleFootball (@UofLFootball) August 19, 2015
