Pitt defense will see tough challenge on Saturday
Louisville has the type of offense that can keep any defensive coach up at night. The 24th ranked Cardinals have the ACC’s leading passer in junior quarterback Micale Cunningham. The conference’s leading receiver in TuTu Atwell, along with the league’s second leading rusher in Javian Hawkins.
The explosive Louisville offense posted 516 yards last week in a 47-34 loss to Miami. Louisville didn't get the win obviously, but the Cardinals showed how dangerous they can be. They got out in space and made plays and that’s exactly what caught Pat Narduzzi’s eye when he watched that game.
“You notice their speed,” Narduzzi said during his Monday press conference. “When I'm watching them, they're fast, their O-line is aggressive. They're very aggressive. We're going to have to work on cut blocks on the backside, some of their wide zone.”
Cunningham has thrown for 650 yards and six touchdowns on the season already. Last week he tossed three touchdown passes against the Hurricanes. In 2019, he threw 22 touchdown passes to just five interceptions. The numbers last season brought some added attention heading into this year.
“He's a high-ranked quarterback in the ACC, in the country,” Narduzzi said of Cunninham. “There’s a reason why. He's athletic, a guy that can do a lot of different things.”
Javian Hawkins was just a two-star recruit out of Florida in the class of 2018, and now he’s one of the top running backs in the ACC. After rushing for over 1,500 yards last season, he’s off to a strong start in 2020. He ran for 164 yards last week against a tough Miami defense.
“When he gets the ball, looks like he's shot out of a cannon,” Narduzzi said. “Besides the O-line running their tracks and zone, you notice Hawkins is running downhill. He's flying, that’s one thing I notice about him.”
The best player the Cardinals have is perhaps wide receiver TuTu Atwell. He checks in at 5’9” and 165-pounds, but the Miami Northwestern High School product is one of the best receivers in the country, and according to Narduzzi, one of the fastest as well.
“Tutu is a great player, explosive, probably a 10 400 meter guy, may be one of the fastest receivers we've ever faced,” the Pitt coach said. “He's excellent. They'll try to get him matched up on Paris and obviously Damar, the slot receiver spot. He's dangerous.”
The key matchup on Saturday will most certainly be Pitt’s talented safety tandem of Paris Ford and Damar Hamlin trying to keep track of the speedy Atwell. Narduzzi believes his defense will embrace the challenge
“He's obviously a pre-season all ACC guy,” Narduzzi said of Atwell. “I think that's what you play this game for, is to get matched up, show what you have against the best.”