CardinalSports.com - By the Numbers: Louisville-Arkansas State

October 30, 2009

Howie Lindsey
CardinalSports.com Managing Editor

The number on Saturday's Louisville vs. Arkansas State game started at -4 and has been wobbling around that number ever since. But what are the real numbers that will matter to most fans in the game? CardinalSports.com has this week's breakdown in numbers including information on Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe and Arkansas State coach Steve Roberts one other meeting.

9 - Nine of Cincinnati's first 16 plays went for 10 or more yards last Saturday as Louisville fell 41-10 to the Bearcats. UC's offensive line blew Louisville off the ball, the wide receivers sprinted past Louisville's defenders, and the Cards couldn't seem to bring ball-carriers to the ground. Louisville was down 21-0 early in the second quarter. It was a blitzkreig. When asked how Louisville can avoid a similar breakdown to start the game against Arkansas State, senior safety Richard Raglin said: "Well, I think we got away from what we were taught - stop the big plays, stop the run. We need to get back to working on our fundamentals and techniques. Those are the things we can work on that we've been working on all season."

54 - Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe and Arkansas State coach Steve Roberts have faced each other one time during their careers. While head coach at Tulsa in 2003, Kragthorpe's Golden Hurricanes drubbed Arkansas State 54-7. Saturday's game doesn't figure to be that lopsided, though. The Cardinals opened as 4-point favorites, according to USA Today.

3 - Louisville's offensive line is allowing an average of 3.0 sacks per game. That's a staggering statistic. Through Louisville's first seven games, they've allowed 21 sacks. That's already equaled Louisville's total allowed during all of last season. The most sacks allowed in the Big East last season was Pittsburgh with 32. Louisville is currently on pace to give up 36 if the line doesn't show improvement. The Cardinals are 106th in the nation in that category.

2.5 - As bad as Louisville's offensive line has been at preventing sacks, the Arkansas State offensive line hasn't been much better. The Red Wolves allow 2.5 sacks per game to their opponents, ranking them 88th in the nation in that category. Couple that with an anemic 94th ranking in passing offense, and it appears that if Louisville can get ASU in second-and-long and third-and-long situations, the Cardinals could have success at either landing a few sacks or at least forcing a punt.

9 - Louisville is last in the Big East in nine statistical categories compiled by the NCAA. Louisville is last in scoring offense (20.14 ppg), sacks allowed (3.0 spg), scoring defense (29.71 ppg), total defense (375.14 ypg), rushing defense (162 ypg), pass efficiency defense (156.38), sacks (1.57 spg), tackles for a loss (4.86 tflpg) and turnover margin (-0.71 per game).

105 - Louisville is 105th in the nation in scoring offense. The Cardinals are averaging just 20.14 points per game through seven games. Arkansas State is 33rd in the nation in scoring defense. They have allowed opponents an average of 19.67 points per game so far this season, which is tops in the Sun Belt Conference. On the flip side, Arkansas State is averaging 25.83 points per game (ranked 73rd), and Louisville is allowing 29.71 points per game (94th).

8 - Arkansas State has lost eight out of its last nine road games. This season they lost 38-9 at Nebraska on Sept. 12, 24-21 at then-No. 13 and now-No. 4 Iowa on Oct. 3 and 16-10 at Louisiana-Monroe on Oct. 13. Last seasonASU had road losses at Troy, Florida International, Alabama, Louisiana-Lafayette, Memphis and Southern Miss. Arkansas State has just one win ever against a BCS conference team. The Red Wolves won 18-14 at Texas A&M in the first week of the 2008 season.

82 - Louisville is 82nd in the nation in sacks per game. The Cards weak pass rush is likely a direct result of improper recruiting balance and attrition in the 2005 through 2008 recruiting classes. As of Monday, Louisville had exactly four defensive linemen who were recruited in the 2005, 2006 and 2007 classes (L.D. Scott, Rodney Gnat, L.T. Walker and Patrick Grant). That's just one per class. The 2008 class wasn't much better. Three linemen signed, but Randy Salmon didn't qualify, leaving junior college transfer Tyler Jessen (a current senior) and sophomore Greg Scruggs left.

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