LOUISVILLE: Will Stein ready to take over as Cards' game manager

By Mark Maloney — mmaloney@herald-leader.com

Posted: 12:00am on Aug 28, 2011; Modified: 12:28pm on Feb 6, 2012

Louisville Rutgers Football

Quarterback Will Stein, a junior who led Trinity High School to a state championship in 2007, played in only two games last year, but one of them was a 40-13 road win at Rutgers that made the Cards bowl-eligible. TIM LARSEN — ASSOCIATED PRESS

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  • Scouting Report

    Coach: Charlie Strong (7-6 in one year at U of L; 7-7 overall)

    Last season: 7-6 overall; 3-4 and tied for fifth place in Big East; beat Southern Mississippi 31-28 in Beef O'Brady's Bowl

    Returning starters: 13 (four offense, seven defense, two special teams)

    Outlook: The Cardinals' strength is their defense, where seven starters return. What was a smallish D-line last season is not so small this time around. DE B.J. Butler has added 25 pounds to reach 270. DE Marcus Smith, who arrived on campus as a 212-pound QB, is up to 262. Add Brandon Dunn (270) and Greg Scruggs (273) on the defensive line, backed by LB Dexter Heyman (239), and the Cards have some power brokers. Daniel Brown moves from OLB to ILB. Shenard Holton and Hakeem Smith return at safety. On offense, returning starters include C Mario Benavides, WRs Josh Bellamy and Andrell Smith, and 6-foot-9 TE Josh Chichester. The strength of the offense is a receiving corps that includes Bellamy, Smith, Chichester, Michalee Harris, Damian Copeland and true freshmen DeVante Parker and Eli Rogers. Although the Cards lost RB Bilal Powell to graduation, Vic Anderson and Jeremy Wright return. Chris Philpott is back to handle the kicks and punts.

    Question marks: U of L, replacing both starting cornerbacks, is looking to senior Anthony Conner and redshirt freshman Jordon Paschal, or possibly true freshmen Charles Gaines and Andrew Johnson. Defensive coordinator Vance Bedford said the Cards will have to find ways to protect their untested corners. "We've got to play more zone than we did last year," Bedford said. "We've got to play more two-deep than we did last year. Until we feel like those guys can do some things, we've got to play more seven-man box and an eight-man box." On offense, the Cards will have a new QB playing behind a line that will be all new, except for Benavides. Will Stein and Teddy Bridgewater both are expected to play at QB. Alex Kupper and Ryan Kessling will play on the line, while Kam Joyer, Hector Hernandez and Jake Smith all will compete for time. At least seven true freshmen, including five on defense, are expected to see significant playing time.

    Game of the year: After five non-conference foes, including archrival Kentucky, the Cardinals open Big East play on the road against Cincinnati. The Bearcats have won three straight in the Battle for the Keg of Nails.

    Mark Maloney

    Schedule

    Date Opponent Time

    Sept. 1 MURRAY ST. 6 p.m. (ESPNU)

    Sept. 9 FLA. INTERNATIONAL 7 p.m.

    Sept. 17 at Kentucky 7 p.m. (ESPNU)

    Oct. 1 MARSHALL 3:30 p.m.

    Oct. 8 at North Carolina TBA

    Oct. 15 at Cincinnati TBA

    Oct. 21 RUTGERS 8 p.m.

    Oct. 29 SYRACUSE TBA

    Nov. 5 at West Virginia TBA

    Nov. 12 PITTSBURGH TBA

    Nov. 19 at Connecticut TBA

    Nov. 25 at South Florida TBA

For all the position concerns on a football team, none compares to quarterback.

Having lost their top two quarterbacks, Adam Froman and Justin Burke, to graduation, Louisville will have a new field general this season.

"Somebody's got to step up and go lead this football team," Coach Charlie Strong said. "The quarterback is so critical. ... It's a position that (is) the focal point of our team right now."

Will Stein, a junior hometown product out of Trinity High School, is expected to be the main man, although offensive coordinator Mike Sanford says he plans to play both Stein and true freshman Teddy Bridgewater. Sophomore Dominique Brown is third on the depth chart.

Stein and Brown were among four quarterbacks used last season, due mostly to injuries. Stein went 9-for-14, passing for 72 yards and a touchdown, in a road victory over Rutgers that made U of L bowl-eligible.

"A good team in college football always has a good quarterback so I think, if I go, the team will go," Stein said. "That's the mentality I have this year."

That may be putting a bit of pressure on himself, he says, "but I just need to be a game manager this year. That's what (quarterbacks coach Shawn) Watson always talks about — 'Don't be a quarterback; be a manager of the game.' That means completing 70 percent of the passes, not turning the ball over, just running the offense and getting the ball to the playmakers."

Exactly, Strong says.

"I don't need you to go out there and make a great play," Strong said. "Just manage the game for us and get the ball in the right people's hands."

The Cards think they have plenty of playmakers, especially in the receiving corps.

Josh Bellamy, among the receiving targets, thinks Stein is up to the task.

"Stein is hyped all the time. He always tries to get better than he was," Bellamy said. "From last year to now, his arm is so strong; stronger than he was last year.

"Sometimes (in practice) I might be coming across the middle and I see the ball just come out of nowhere and I feel like, 'Oh, man! That was Stein!'"

At 5-foot-10, 181 pounds, Stein says he can throw in the pocket. However, he thinks he's more effective on the run, rolling out.

Of course, U of L wants to run the ball, too. The shoes of departed Bilal Powell are expected to be filled by Vic Anderson and Jeremy Wright.

"I have a lot of work to do," Stein said. "Just be a better manager of the offense, not force throws. Me and Coach Watson talk a lot and one of my flaws is trying to be a Brett Favre-type, you know? ... Not force throws, just check the ball down when nothing's open or use my feet to run."

If that happens, quarterback may not be such a big concern after all.

Players to watch

C Mario Benavides: The lone returning starter on the OL, he is coming off knee surgery that kept him out of spring practice. He started 24 of 25 games in his first two seasons.

TE Josh Chichester: Used as a WR/TE hybrid in the past, Chichester will be a true tight end this season. At 6-8, he's a tough matchup and has good hands. Five of his nine career TDs came last season.

DE B.J. Butler: Played in all 13 games, including seven starts, as a true freshman last season. He made six tackles for a loss, with 2½ sacks and 23 tackles overall. He missed spring practice because of shoulder surgery.

LB Dexter Heyman: A senior leader of the defense, he played in every game last year, with nine starts. Heyman finished with 48 tackles, 4½ for losses, with two sacks.

K/P Chris Philpott: As a junior last year, Philpott made 14 of 18 field-goal attempts, with a long of 46 yards, and 40 of 42 PATs. He also averaged 40.5 yards for 37 punts, landing 13 inside the 20-yard line.

Mark Maloney

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