2008 OUTLOOK: Louisville had a vastly disappointing 6-6 season last year. And that was before losing star quarterback Brian Brohm, its top two receivers, both starting tight ends, the entire linebacking corps and the team's best cover cornerback.

So you could say there are some concerns heading into this year. But the Cardinals also have enough players to make a bowl game and, if everything breaks just right, possibly even compete for the Big East title.

The offense, as always, should score a lot of points. Hunter Cantwell is a different quarterback than Brian Brohm, but he's got a stronger arm that should lead to more downfield passing. The running game should be wildly improved and more emphasized, though the receivers and tight ends are still a work in progress.

Whether Louisville will struggle again this year will come down to defense. In short, the defense was awful most of last year. The spring ended without anyone looking like a starting linebacker. The cornerbacks are still shaky. Earl Heyman and Adrian Grady anchor what should be a good defensive line, but there aren't a lot of truly athletic defensive ends on the roster.

There are going to have to be some breakout stars for Louisville to succeed.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE
Louisville scored points in bunches early last year. But as the season went on, teams realized the Cardinals had little interest in running the ball and were too in love with the short passing game. Offensive coordinator Charlie Stubbs was fired, and Jeff Brohm was elevated from quarterbacks coach. Brohm, who is a former Louisville quarterback and Brian Brohm's older brother, prefers the power-running game that former coach Bobby Petrino employed. He promises a much more physical offense.

"We want our guys to be nasty up front," he said.

Brohm will design the offense to take advantage of new quarterback Hunter Cantwell's cannon arm. Cantwell excels at deep throws more than touch passes, so look for more of that. And Brohm will rely on running backs Bilal Powell, Brock Bolen and Victor Anderson to soften up the defense for the passing game.

Louisville lost two four-year starters at tight end, a key position in Brohm's scheme. And while Scott Long has been projected as a future star at wide receiver for two years, he's yet to really cash in on that promise on the field. Someone from a crop that includes Trent Guy, JaJuan Spillman, Josh Chichester and Doug Beaumont needs to emerge as the heirs to Harry Douglas and Mario Urrutia.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE
It didn't take long for Ron English to realize he wasn't in Michigan anymore. The former Wolverines defensive coordinator has the same job at Louisville, and after one particularly poor spring performance by his guys, English said, "it's hard to be positive. I haven't been through this in many years."

The defense was bad last year and was decimated by graduation. There are no returning linebackers with significant experience. Miami transfer James Bryant and junior college import Chris Campa were supposed to shore things up, but they had mediocre springs. At one point, the first-string spring linebacker unit included two former walk-ons.

The secondary is green, too, especially after the offseason felony arrest of cornerback Rod Council. Senior Bobby Buchanan provides some leadership at safety, but senior Woodny Turenne and sophomore Johnny Patrick have to show more at cornerback.

English will employ a 4-3 scheme and try to confuse opposing offenses with a lot of different looks and pressure. The Cardinals should be sound in their fundamentals as compared to last year, when they struggled at times to even line up properly or stay in the same area code as receivers. But overall the unit lacks elite players and speed, which could be major trouble against West Virginia and other top Big East offenses.

SCOUTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS
One big hole to fill for Louisville is replacing kicker Art Carmody. The 2006 Lou Groza Award winner finished his career as the all-time leading scorer among kickers in NCAA history and was incredibly accurate on extra points and field goals inside 45 yards.

Getting first crack at the job will be Purdue transfer and Louisville native Tim Dougherty. The Cardinals also signed a highly-touted freshman kicker in Chris Philpott, who will try to win the job in fall camp.

ROSTER REPORT

--RB George Stripling was suspended during the spring for violating team rules.

--Former RB Sergio Spencer moved to safety this spring, while former safety Brandon Heath shifted down to linebacker.

--Junior college transfer Chris Campa, expected to compete for time at linebacker, had shoulder surgery in April and will be out until at least June.

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