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For the University of Louisville football team it was a nearly perfect season with a perfectly implausible ending. The Cardinals won their first Big East Conference title. They were one bad half from an unbeaten record and a possible trip to the BCS title game. They rolled into the Orange Bowl and defeated Wake Forest to put an exclamation mark on the first 12–1 season in school history. Five days later, the players learned how quickly the 2006 season no longer mattered. Their head coach, Bobby Petrino, jumped to the Atlanta Falcons. Days later Steve Kragthorpe was recruited from Tulsa to take over the program. “We went to the football complex on a Sunday night to talk about setting goals for next season,” quarterback Brian Brohm says. “We found out we were losing our coach. Now it’s up to us to keep building the momentum this program has built the last decade.” Momentum-building players remain, starting with Brohm, six other offensive starters, powerful defensive end Peanut Whitehead and three other defensive starters. “(Kragthorpe) doesn’t have the name yet, but he’s going to be one of the best in the business,” U of L basketball coach Rick Pitino says. OFFENSEPetrino showed he could deliver what John L. Smith brought to Louisville — points and victories. Now it’s up to Kragthorpe to show he can do what Petrino did. Kragthorpe has a chance. It helps if you’re coaching one of the game’s best quarterbacks. Brohm ignored the reports he was a certain first-round pick to return for his senior season. Last year Brohm started the season recovering from knee surgery. He tore ligaments in his right thumb. He suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder in the Orange Bowl. Still, Brohm completed 199-of-313 passes for 3,049 yards and 16 touchdowns. Tailback Anthony Allen is a touchdown machine, scoring 13 times on 96 carries. The speed guy is the smaller George Stripling. Powerful Brock Bolen has been mislabeled as a blocker. Brohm believes the Cardinals have the nation’s best receivers. There is a tall, deep threat in Mario Urrutia; a smaller, dependable possession guy in Harry Douglas; and a tight end named Gary Barnidge with Velcro hands. At 6-foot-6, 228 pounds, Urrutia overpowers cornerbacks near the goal line. Douglas is Brohm’s security blanket. Kragthorpe must fill some holes on the offensive line with two starters departing. He starts with all-conference players Eric Wood, a center, and George Bussey, a tackle. DEFENSEKragthorpe's toughest tast is here. The Cards lost seven starters, including their best run-stopper and linebacker. The job of stopping the power game falls to Adrian Grady and Earl Heyman. The most talented defensive lineman is speedy end Whitehead, who runs like a linebacker. Senior linebacker Malik Jackson is a disruptive force who played a terrific Orange Bowl. Jackson led the team with 16 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Lamar Myles and Preston Smith should move into starting roles next to Jackson. The wildcard is Willie Williams, who was a top recruit at Miami but left the Hurricanes to play junior college ball after one season. Sophomore safety Latarrius Thomas made a remarkable conversion from wide receiver. The Cardinals have been waiting for Rod Council to become a star at cornerback. He wasn’t healthy last season. Junior college transfer Woodny Turenne could start at the other corner. SPECIALISTSKicker Art Carmody won the Lou Groza Award after making all 60 extra points and 21-of-25 field goals last season. Corey Goettsche and Todd Flannery will split the punting duties. JaJuan Spillman emerged to average nearly 27 yards per kickoff. Receivers Trent Guy and Patrick Carter will return punts. FINAL ANALYSISBrohm says one reason he’s returning for his senior year is to win a national title. It won’t be easy, but it’s not impossible. The offense should continue to average better than 35 points per game. Brohm is comfortable with his receivers and the new formations Kragthorpe brings. Kragthorpe must plug two holes on his line to keep Brohm healthy and the running game productive. Defense is another matter. The Cards lost their two best players. Nobody questions the ability of seven new starters, but expect teams to make Louisville prove it can stop the run. The schedule is another potential problem. The Cards must visit improving Kentucky, and two of their two most difficult Big East games — West Virginia and South Florida — are on the road. Louisville lost in Morgantown two years ago and has lost two straight at USF.
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