Much has been made of Louisville’s weak schedule this season, with last Thursday night’s game against Rutgers viewed as their stiffest challenge. The Scarlet Knights have a talented defense with a few NFL prospects of their own and while the Cardinals won 24-10, the score wasn’t indicative of how close this game actually was. While the broadcasters lamented what this performance meant for Louisville’s BCS Championship hopes as well as Teddy Bridgewater’s Heisman resume, none of that affects how we evaluate player performances for the next level.
(JR) Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville (#5), 6’3, 196
Bridgewater didn’t have his best day against Rutgers but still put together a good stat line, completing 21-of-31 passes for 310 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. He left a third touchdown on the field after a great pump fake freed up Damian Copeland, but Bridgewater’s pass led the wide open Copeland out of bounds when he had plenty of room to the inside. This may have been an overcompensation for his interception earlier in the game, when Bridgewater put extra air under a deep pass into the endzone that he left too far inside, allowing the safety to come over for the pick. If Bridgewater had lofted this ball to his receiver’s outside shoulder or thrown it on more of a line to the inside, he would have had 3 or maybe even 4 touchdown passes in the game.
If Bridgewater makes these throws, the game would have been a blowout. He also fumbled deep in Rutgers territory early in the fourth quarter, not sensing pressure from his blind side and potentially taking even more points off the board. While these mistakes may affect the opinion of those who only got to watch Bridgewater this one time, his struggles really don’t change much about his evaluation. Bridgewater’s ability to throw on the move, both to his right and his left, remains outstanding and very rarely do his receivers have to break stride to catch his passes. Not only does he hit receivers in stride, but he has the anticipation to throw them open in tight coverage by leading them to a spot on the field only they can get to. Bridgewater also showed the poise and toughness to stand in the pocket until the last minute to deliver the ball downfield, taking a few big hits in the process but getting up every time and helping to answer questions about his thin frame being able to take punishment.
After last year’s quarterback class underwhelmed with only one first-round pick and one second-round pick, the expectations on Bridgewater are astronomical as the top quarterback in what many consider a loaded draft class. Every throw he makes will be under the microscope this season, especially the bad ones. The only problem I have with Bridgewater on tape is a tendency to sail intermediate passes over his receivers’ heads in the middle of the field. Occasionally, Bridgewater will drop his arm slot which leads to an upward trajectory on the ball. With as strong an arm as he has the ball is still rising as it passes the receiver, a very correctable issue but one that will lead to interceptions at the NFL level if it isn’t checked.
I have full confidence that Bridgewater will have no problem fixing this infrequent issue and besides that, there is little to dislike about the Louisville quarterback. He has enough mobility to make plays with his feet but prefers to stay in the pocket, where he wins with outstanding arm strength, anticipation and ball placement down the field. The deep throws he missed against Rutgers won’t worry me unless I begin to see it become a consistent problem. If it doesn’t, then I won’t move Bridgewater out of the top spot among 2014 quarterback prospects.
RELATED LINK: Bridgewater Wasn't Perfect, But Showed Elite NFL Ability in Win Over Rutgers
(JR) Brandon Coleman, WR, Rutgers (#17), 6’6, 200
While Bridgewater is unaffected by a “down” game, the same can’t be said for Coleman. An early-round prospect on many draft boards including mine heading into the season, Coleman got off to a great start with 9 receptions for 94 yards and 2 touchdowns in Rutgers’ opening game loss to Fresno State. With just 6 catches for 126 yards and no scores over his next four games, however, many are wondering what’s wrong with Coleman and dropping his draft stock. Coleman’s 5 receptions for 66 yards against Louisville represented his second best game of what has been a frustrating season so far. Quarterback Gary Nova continues to play inconsistent football and Marquise Lee this year and Keenan Allen last year can attest to what poor quarterback play can due to a star receiver’s production, especially when he is the only major threat in the offense. Rutgers’ offensive line has already allowed 19 sacks compared to 11 all of last season, which means Nova has less time to find his best receiver down the field.
All of this adds up to disappointment so far for Coleman. His route running still needs polish as there were a few plays where he slipped out of his breaks against Louisville, although the sloppy weather likely contributed to that as well. Coleman did a good job of finding open space and creating passing lanes when Nova was scrambling and looked dominant on slant routes, positioning his body in between the defender and the ball and grabbing high throws that only he could catch at his height. Coleman will need to make his living on short slants and crosses until he plays with a quarterback who can consistently get him the ball down the field. Nova shows no signs of being this player, especially not under pressure, so the onus now falls on the Scarlet Knights’ coaching staff to find the best way to get the most out of their top playmaker. Coleman has first-round talent and while he may not end up being drafted there with all the productive receivers in college football this season, he can become a very good NFL receiver if he’s drafted to a team with a quarterback and offensive line that can use his height and athleticism downfield.
(JR) John Miller, G, Louisville (#70), 6’2, 321
Miller is a very impressive interior lineman in pass protection and against the run. He plays with a strong base and anchors well against the pass rush up the middle, rarely getting pushed into the backfield and keeping Teddy Bridgewater from facing pressure in the A and B gaps. Miller shows a powerful hand punch to keep defenders off balance and the strength to control them once engaged. Against the run, Miller plays with leverage and gets good movement on defensive tackles. On one play he was able to move Darius Hamilton quickly off the line scrimmage, sliding his feet to the outside while staying engaged to seal Hamilton to the inside and create a running lane. Miller’s combination of strength and footwork on the inside make him a very good run blocker and he also showed the ability to push defenders backwards on pass plays as well.
Best blocking in a small area, Miller’s major weakness is his speed on pulls. It takes him a few steps to get started and in one instance, the running back beat him to the hole before Miller could get to his block on the goal line. When he does have time to pull into the hole and square up a defender, he shows the ability to pave the way for runners. Sinorice Perry’s longest run of the game came following Miller into the hole, as the junior guard did a great job sealing the linebacker at the second level to spring Perry. Miller projects as a mid-round pick at this point due to limited acceleration and speed blocking in motion, but he can be a great fit in a system that asks him to stay home most of the time. It’s very difficult to move Miller off his spot even as a pass rusher due to his strength and technique.
Other Notes
-With DeVante Parker leaving the game early due to injury, Teddy Bridgewater relied heavily on Damian Copeland, who had more than 3 receptions in a game for the first time since Louisville’s first game against Ohio. Copeland has a slight build but good skills after the catch, showing the awareness to make a quick move right after bringing in a catch to make defenders miss and pick up extra yardage. He’s able to snatch the ball out of the air without breaking stride to get right into yards after the catch.
-Redshirt senior defensive tackle Roy Philon made a few impact plays in the backfield for Louisville, overpowering Rutgers guard Antwan Lowery on a 3rd-and-short to stop the play behind the line of scrimmage. He also picked up a sack on an outside stunt and impressed overall with his power and closing speed.
-Louisville strong safety Hakeem Smith continues to impress me as a solid mid-round safety prospect. Smith is solid in every aspect of the game and has done well to address the one question mark I had on him entering the season, his playmaking ability. In both games I’ve seen this season, Smith has an interception and both were plays that many safeties wouldn’t have made. He also picked up a sack blitzing unblocked off the edge and displays a complete skill set on the field.
-Smith isn’t the only impact defensive back in the Cardinals secondary, as free safety Calvin Pryor led both teams with 14 tackles (11 solo) and was all over the field the entire game. He was solid making tackles on the back end and also pushed into the backfield off the edge. Pryor laid a few hard hits and also showed his ability in coverage, moving with Gary Nova’s eyes to the sideline and showing the closing speed and ball skills to break for the interception.
-Rutgers safety Jeremy Deering also looked good as this game was filled with excellent play on the back end, which contributed to the low score. Deering took advantage of poor ball placement from Bridgewater for an interception, timing the play perfectly and making a great catch in stride for the pick. A former wide receiver, Deering’s ball skills are impressive and he shows good range. He’ll be worth a late-round flier and should only improve as he gains experience at safety.
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