Cardinals Look to Duplicate Last Season's Offensive Production
March 05, 2020 | Football
The Cardinals produced a pair of 1,000-yard players in Tutu Atwell and Javian Hawkins.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - When University of Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield came in to take over the program last season, no one knew what to expect from the newly installed offense.
After a year and an 8-5 turnaround – the top among Power 5 programs, expectations for the Cardinals are certainly higher than they were at this point of spring practice a year ago.
The 2019 offense was explosive after averaging 33.1 points and 447.3 yards per game. The Cardinals closed the season by rebounding from a 14-0 second-quarter deficit to record a 38-28 win over Mississippi State in the Music City Bowl.
After six spring practices in 2020, the Cardinals are extremely advanced from a year ago, when the staff was just trying to get the players to line up correctly in the stretch lines.
"It's amazing that we are halfway through spring practice," wide receiver coach Gunter Brewer said. "We have spring break next week, so it will be interesting how the guys come back. We have everything installed in our base. The older guys are just fine-tuning their games, while the younger players have smoke coming out of their ears."
One player who has advanced his game has been rising junior Tutu Atwell, who set the school record with 1,276 yards and tied a school mark with 12 touchdowns in 2019.
The Miami, Fla., product produced seven 100-yard games and was the top wide receiver in the Atlantic Coast Conference – earning first team all-ACC accolades.
"Every day we have an improvement board, and the older guys get it," Brewer said. "With him, you are trying to find details for him to work on every day and get better. He's so fast and he's able to get by the defense. He has to work on how to avoid people and not let them get their hands on him."
"He's very slight," Brewer said of Atwell's 160-pound frame. "He's a 5-9, 160-pound guy, but he's as tough a $2 steak. That kid doesn't mind running inside or catching the ball over the middle. He's got the ability to do a lot of different things."
With Atwell, and running back Javian Hawkins running for 1,000-yards, the Cardinals had a pair of 1,000-yard producers for only the third time in school history.
Hawkins, who only played in four games in 2018, burst on the scene to break the school record for rushing yards by a running back with 1,525 yards and also totaling eight 100-yard games.
The Titusville, Fla., product, has added a few pounds to withstand the pounding in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and become one of the league's most elite running backs.
"I'm working every day to get better," Hawkins said. "I think this offense can have multiple 1,000-yard guys if we can continue to work. It's just a matter of continuing to put in the work and focusing on getting better."
The Cardinals will hit the halfway point of spring on Friday with practice No. 7 before taking next week off for spring break.
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After a year and an 8-5 turnaround – the top among Power 5 programs, expectations for the Cardinals are certainly higher than they were at this point of spring practice a year ago.
The 2019 offense was explosive after averaging 33.1 points and 447.3 yards per game. The Cardinals closed the season by rebounding from a 14-0 second-quarter deficit to record a 38-28 win over Mississippi State in the Music City Bowl.
After six spring practices in 2020, the Cardinals are extremely advanced from a year ago, when the staff was just trying to get the players to line up correctly in the stretch lines.
"It's amazing that we are halfway through spring practice," wide receiver coach Gunter Brewer said. "We have spring break next week, so it will be interesting how the guys come back. We have everything installed in our base. The older guys are just fine-tuning their games, while the younger players have smoke coming out of their ears."
One player who has advanced his game has been rising junior Tutu Atwell, who set the school record with 1,276 yards and tied a school mark with 12 touchdowns in 2019.
The Miami, Fla., product produced seven 100-yard games and was the top wide receiver in the Atlantic Coast Conference – earning first team all-ACC accolades.
"Every day we have an improvement board, and the older guys get it," Brewer said. "With him, you are trying to find details for him to work on every day and get better. He's so fast and he's able to get by the defense. He has to work on how to avoid people and not let them get their hands on him."
"He's very slight," Brewer said of Atwell's 160-pound frame. "He's a 5-9, 160-pound guy, but he's as tough a $2 steak. That kid doesn't mind running inside or catching the ball over the middle. He's got the ability to do a lot of different things."
With Atwell, and running back Javian Hawkins running for 1,000-yards, the Cardinals had a pair of 1,000-yard producers for only the third time in school history.
Hawkins, who only played in four games in 2018, burst on the scene to break the school record for rushing yards by a running back with 1,525 yards and also totaling eight 100-yard games.
The Titusville, Fla., product, has added a few pounds to withstand the pounding in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and become one of the league's most elite running backs.
"I'm working every day to get better," Hawkins said. "I think this offense can have multiple 1,000-yard guys if we can continue to work. It's just a matter of continuing to put in the work and focusing on getting better."
The Cardinals will hit the halfway point of spring on Friday with practice No. 7 before taking next week off for spring break.
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