Photo by: Rachel Klotz | Louisville Athletics
Hagen, Louisville Defense Set for Another Road Matchup
November 13, 2024 | Football
Louisville, Ky. – University of Louisville defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator Mark Hagen has seen his defensive unit continue to make strides heading into a crucial stretch of the 2024 season.
The Cardinals have won their last two games behind strong defensive performances in wins over Boston College and the school's first over Clemson in Death Valley.
Louisville's defense has seen improvements in their recent games, two of which were when the Cardinals held Boston College to just seven points in the second half of their comeback effort on Oct. 25 and shutting down No. 11 Clemson and its fourth-ranked offense on Nov. 2.
Hagen spoke to the ups and downs of the defense throughout the season, adding that the improvements as of late are noticeable from a coaching standpoint, and it's been noticed by the play on the field.
"Certainly some frustrating moments and some good moments throughout the season. When you look at the three losses, it was probably a combination of things including poor communication both from the sideline and on the field," Hagen said. "Doing a little bit less has helped. I think guys have bought into taking care of their job, their responsibilities. We certainly gained some momentum in the second half against Boston College."
Hagen noted that the magnitude of a comeback win on the road propelled the Cards' confidence on defense in the win against Clemson, a performance which saw Clemson go scoreless in the second and third quarters.
"That win in Death Valley was as complete of a game as I've ever been around. Other than their 7-3 lead, we never were really threatened at that point. We fed off each other. All three phases contributed when it looked like they would get back into the game."
When discussing the value he sees in his defensive line, Hagen pointed to two key players for the Cardinals, Ashton Gillotte and Ramon Puryear.
"Ashton is our best player on the defensive line and Ramon is our most valuable. Ramon is the first guy that I've coached in almost thirty years that can play every position on the defensive line and not bat an eye."
Hagen added that over the past two years he has been able to move Puryear along the defensive line with full confidence. Last year, Puryear started as an interior defensive lineman, but was bumped outside when players returned from injury. When Tramel Logan was injured this season, Puryear was asked to take over until Logan was healthy.
Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels is a player of emphasis this week for Louisville, as he adds to the long list of dual threat quarterbacks the Cardinals have faced this season. Daniels rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns in Stanford's most recent game.
"I don't think there is anything a team can show us right now from a QB run game standpoint that we haven't seen," Hagen said. "I do feel like we have built upon some of our mistakes earlier in the season of letting guys out. We have done a better job of not running past the quarterback on the edges. We are still doing a decent job inside of keeping the quarterback in our rush lanes, but they have to work together. I think you were able to see that against Boston College with (Thomas) Castellanos."
Louisville will look to continue its success coming off their bye week in a matchup against Stanford at 3:30 pm ET. The game can be viewed on the ACC Network.
The Cardinals have won their last two games behind strong defensive performances in wins over Boston College and the school's first over Clemson in Death Valley.
Louisville's defense has seen improvements in their recent games, two of which were when the Cardinals held Boston College to just seven points in the second half of their comeback effort on Oct. 25 and shutting down No. 11 Clemson and its fourth-ranked offense on Nov. 2.
Hagen spoke to the ups and downs of the defense throughout the season, adding that the improvements as of late are noticeable from a coaching standpoint, and it's been noticed by the play on the field.
"Certainly some frustrating moments and some good moments throughout the season. When you look at the three losses, it was probably a combination of things including poor communication both from the sideline and on the field," Hagen said. "Doing a little bit less has helped. I think guys have bought into taking care of their job, their responsibilities. We certainly gained some momentum in the second half against Boston College."
Hagen noted that the magnitude of a comeback win on the road propelled the Cards' confidence on defense in the win against Clemson, a performance which saw Clemson go scoreless in the second and third quarters.
"That win in Death Valley was as complete of a game as I've ever been around. Other than their 7-3 lead, we never were really threatened at that point. We fed off each other. All three phases contributed when it looked like they would get back into the game."
When discussing the value he sees in his defensive line, Hagen pointed to two key players for the Cardinals, Ashton Gillotte and Ramon Puryear.
"Ashton is our best player on the defensive line and Ramon is our most valuable. Ramon is the first guy that I've coached in almost thirty years that can play every position on the defensive line and not bat an eye."
Hagen added that over the past two years he has been able to move Puryear along the defensive line with full confidence. Last year, Puryear started as an interior defensive lineman, but was bumped outside when players returned from injury. When Tramel Logan was injured this season, Puryear was asked to take over until Logan was healthy.
Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels is a player of emphasis this week for Louisville, as he adds to the long list of dual threat quarterbacks the Cardinals have faced this season. Daniels rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns in Stanford's most recent game.
"I don't think there is anything a team can show us right now from a QB run game standpoint that we haven't seen," Hagen said. "I do feel like we have built upon some of our mistakes earlier in the season of letting guys out. We have done a better job of not running past the quarterback on the edges. We are still doing a decent job inside of keeping the quarterback in our rush lanes, but they have to work together. I think you were able to see that against Boston College with (Thomas) Castellanos."
Louisville will look to continue its success coming off their bye week in a matchup against Stanford at 3:30 pm ET. The game can be viewed on the ACC Network.
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