Virginia vs. Louisville: a breakdown

Three keys to a Cavalier victory

Force Louisville into penalties

It’s tough to find weaknesses in Louisville’s game, but one is the amount of penalties the team commits. The Cardinals rank 125th in the nation for fewest penalties per game, with nine penalties per game on average for 82.57 yards per game. The Cavaliers have the chance to take advantage of some free yardage if this trend continues.

Get in the red zone

Virginia has proven to be effective in the red zone so far. The Cavaliers are ranked second in the nation in red zone chances that result in a touchdown. On the other hand, Louisville’s red zone defense is effective — the Cardinals rank 57th nationally in red zone defense. With 82.6 percent of Virginia’s red zone chances resulting in a touchdown, the Cavaliers need to focus on getting the ball down the field.

Convert on third downs

If Virginia hopes to break into the red zone in the first place, it must improve on third down. The Cavaliers’ numbers on third downs after last week were dismal, converting on just 3-of-19 attempts. Meanwhile, Louisville’s third down conversion defense ranks seventh in the nation. Virginia faces a daunting task, but must keep moving the chains if it wants to be competitive against the Cardinal defense.

Virginia players to watch

Donte Wilkins

Wilkins fills a big role for Virginia in its 3-4 scheme at nose tackle. As one of the team’s captains, The Woodbridge, Va. native has the ability to bring leadership to the Cavalier defense as they attempt to contain Louisville’s dynamic running game. Wilkins, who has recorded 28 total tackles on the season, will be key in controlling the heart of Virginia’s defensive line.

Taquan Mizzell

If the Cavaliers hope to beat the Cardinals’ strong rushing defense, ranked 19th in the nation, Mizzell will have be their guy. Mizzell has already collected impressive numbers this year, leading the team with 461 rushing yards. He was one of the only bright spots of Virginia’s offense last week with 19 carries and 106 yards.

Kurt Benkert

If Virginia can’t overcome Louisville’s rushing defense, it will have to throw the ball. Benkert has seen a decline in production over his last two games, even getting pulled early last week. If the Cavaliers want to put up points, Benkert is going to have to show that he’s the same quarterback who broke Virginia’s single game passing record a month ago against Central Michigan.

Louisville players to watch

Lamar Jackson

The Heisman frontrunner is responsible for 34 touchdowns, 18 passing and 16 rushing, on the season. The sophomore quarterback ranks 14th in the nation in passing yards per game and seventh in the nation in QB rushing yards per game. Already collecting 2,161 total yards on the season, Jackson will surely be a headache for Virginia’s defense.

Brandon Radcliff

Radcliff had Virginia’s number in last season’s game, rushing for 146 yards and collecting two touchdowns, one of which was a 36-yarder to give Louisville the lead with just minutes left in the game. Radcliff currently ranks fifth in the nation with 7.8 yards per carry and has scored a touchdown in the last three of seven games.

Keith Kelsey

The Cardinal defense has been tough, and last week it held its fourth opponent of the season to under 250 yards of total offense. Much of this is due to senior inside linebacker Keith Kelsey, who leads the team with 51 tackles on the season.

Predictions

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