TheAmerican.org will be previewing all ten American teams in advance of the start of the 2013 season. The previews will be released in reverse order of the preseason media poll.
STORYLINES
Louisville returns 19 players who started at least one game last season, including 12 defensive players who made at least one start.
The Cardinals shared the last two Big East titles and have been to three consecutive bowl games.
Louisville has won two Bowl Championship Series games since the 2006 season, taking the Discover Orange Bowl 24-13 against Wake Forest before claiming last year’s Allstate Sugar Bowl crown with a 33-23 win against Florida.
Louisville finished last season ranked No. 13 in both major national polls.
OFFENSE
QB Teddy Bridgewater was unanimously chosen as the Big East Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2012. Bridgewater had six 300-yard passing games and two 400-yard games last year.
WR DeVante Parker averaged 18.6 yards per reception and had 13 catches for 20 yards or more in 2012.
RB Senorise Perry rushed for 705 yards and 11 touchdowns before going down with a knee injury. He returns in the backfield, along with RB Dominique Brown, who ran for 533 yards and four TDs in 2011, but missed all of last season due to a knee injury.
DEFENSE
Louisville boasts a pair of All-America candidates at safety. S Calvin Pryor and S Hakeem Smith both earned All-Big East Second Team honors last season.
The Cardinals return all three starting linebackers from last year. LB Preston Brown joined the two defensive backs on the All-Big East Second Team, while LB Keith Brown and LB James Burgess emerged as starters as freshmen.
DE Lorenzo Mauldin, who had 4.5 sacks, leads a defensive line that returns all four starters.
SPECIAL TEAMS
K John Wallace enjoyed an excellent freshman season last year, making 16 of 21 field goal attempts. Wallace was 14-for-14 from inside 40 yards.
P Ryan Johnson averaged 39.4 yards per punt in his first season as the starter.