Ledford, Cardinals Strive for Even More Balance in 2020
June 23, 2020 | Football
LOUISVILLE, Ky.— The University of Louisville offense was one of the most balanced in the entire country, averaging more than 200 yards per game on the ground and through the air.
That was a big change from the 2018 season when the Cardinals didn't show an ability to run or throw the football.
Offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford, along with head coach Scott Satterfield, integrated one of the most explosive and versatile offensives in the nation.
The Cardinals averaged 212.9 yards per game running the ball and 234.5 yards through the air, also featuring a 1,000-yard running back and a 1,000-yard receiver for only the third time in school history.
Freshman All-American Javian Hawkins rushed for 1,525 yards, the most ever by a running back at Louisville, while wide receiver Tutu Atwell set the school record for receiving yards in a season and was a first team All-ACC performer.
Not only did Louisville rank behind Clemson in yards per play last season at 6.68, the Cardinals were the only offense in the league to deliver at least 2,700 yards running and passing.
With nine starters back on offense, the Cardinals have an opportunity to replicate the success achieved last season when the team went 8-5 and won the Music City Bowl with a 38-point explosion.With eight starters returning, Louisville should deliver jumbo offensive numbers again.
With Javian Hawkins back at running back, Micale Cunningham at quarterback and Tutu Atwell and Dez Fitzpatrick at receiver, you can expect the Cardinals to run when defense believe they will pass and pass when defenses are certain they will run.
"I think that's something that you always want to try to be, is be as balanced as you can," Ledford said. "Make defenses have to guess what you're going to do. You don't want to just pin yourself down where they have it figured out -- this is what they're going to be on first and second down.
"To me, as long as we can continue to do that, we got some great kids on offense right now, some really skillful positions. Very talented players.
"So it's the unlimited situations where they can make plays. And to me, part of that is you have to be balanced both in the run and the pass."
In 2019, Louisville was the third-best rushing team in the league, and Hawkins posted the third-best season by a running back in the league as a redshirt freshman.
The Cardinals ranked 13th in the league a year ago in passing attempts, but made the most of every attempt, leading the conference with an average of 10.1 yards a pass attempt.
With the loss of two offensive tackles, including the No. 11 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft in Mekhi Becton, Ledford must retool an offensive line. Despite the losses, Ledford is optimistic with the development of Adonis Boone and Renato Brown, the two front runners to take over at tackle this season.
"You always want to keep developing depth where you can play more and more guys," Ledford said.
"The exciting thing for us was that you had a late bowl game, you had a lot of momentum after that bowl and the way the guys came in and worked right after that and the retention that they had going into spring ball.
"Right now where we were last year at spring compared to where we were this year is two completely different teams. The retention is a lot better. The guys know what it is that we're asking. They understand the schemes that we're running.
"You can just be just a little bit more dialed into that. Just build to expand on that a little more now.
"With some new formations or some new motions but kind of like you're going into the season and guys … we will not be moving like last year where we kind of felt like we were taking things slow.
"This year it will be a lot different because the guys with the retention, it will be a lot faster and going faster. But the continuing understanding of what it is that we're wanting those guys to do at every position."
Ledford hopes that retention will translate to even more production in 2020.
