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Name: Malik Cunningham (+) Coming off 10-01-22 Concussion
College: Louisville     Number: 3
Height: 6-0   Weight: 200
Position: QB  Pos2: ATH
Class/Draft Year: rSr/2023

40 Low: 4.48
   40 Time: 4.53
  40 High: 4.58

> Projected Round: 7-HPFA  Stock:    

Combine Invite: Yes
Height: 5116
Weight: 200

Zybek PD3X AKA "Official"
40 Yard Dash (ET):
 4.53
40 Yard Dash (HH): 4.56
20 Yard (ET): 2.60
20 Yard (HH): 2.63
10 Yard (ET): 1.57
10 Yard (HH): 1.59
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 
Vertical Jump: 
Broad Jump: 
20 Yrd Shuttle: 
3-Cone Drill: 
Projected 4.47/No Full Workout-Choice

Dates: 03/28/23
Hand: 09 1/2  Arm: 31 3/8
Wingspan: 75 3/8

Height: 5116
Weight: 200
40 Yrd Dash: 
20 Yrd Dash: 
10 Yrd Dash: 
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 
Vertical Jump: 
Broad Jump: 
20 Yrd Shuttle: 
3-Cone Drill: 

+8 LBs/Position Drills Only
 

 



 Data Scout Notes: 2022: NAC...(+) Coming off 10-01-22 Concussion...PManning/PUnitas/PWCampPOY/PMaxwell/PDaveyOBrien...2021: NAC...PManning/POBrien...2020: NAC...(+) Coming off Sept 2020 Head INJ...PManning/PMaxwell/POBrien



 Malik Cunningham, Louisville, Player News


  Malik Cunningham threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to little-used tight end Josh Lifson, Kei'Trel Clark returned a sack fumble 59 yards for an insurance TD and Louisville beat Pittsburgh 24-10 on Saturday night for its second consecutive victory. Cunningham picked up his second TD after a 33-yard catch-and-run on a pass from receiver Braden Smith to the Panthers' 11. Two plays later a wide-open Lifson scooped up a low pass for just his second catch at Louisville and first score to make it 14-10 with 9:45 remaining. James Turner's 48-yard field goal provided a seven-point cushion before Yassir Abdullah sacked Kedon Slovis and forced a fumble that Clark returned for the clinching score.

Cunningham also tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Marshon Ford early in the second quarter and finished with 122 yards two weeks after missing a game with concussion-like symptoms. The fifth-year senior was shaken up late in the first half after another hard hit and missed the Cardinals' first series of the second half but came back to convert two big plays for Louisville (4-3, 2-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). The Panthers (4-3, 1-2) led 10-7 after Ben Sauls' 37-yard field goal late in the third quarter but committed four turnovers. Slovis was responsible for three, tossing two interceptions along with the fumble. Israel Abanikanda rushed 28 times for 129 yards, including a 12-yard TD run, after rushing for a school-record 320 yards against Virginia Tech last time out. - Louisville/AP College Football


(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Louisville/AP College Football
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  Louisville coach Scott Satterfield says quarterback Malik Cunningham's status is being evaluated daily for concussion-like symptoms after he was injured Saturday's loss at Boston College. The fifth-year senior ran for three touchdowns and threw for another before finishing the game, a 34-33 defeat, on the sideline. He was removed for one play in the third quarter after taking a hit to the head from BC defensive back Jaylen Blackwell, who was penalized for targeting. Cunningham played two more series before being replaced by Brock Domann.

Satterfield said Tuesday that Cunningham told team doctors that he "felt a little different" after taking another hit later and was pulled from the game. "His status now is day to day and it'll be determined by our doctors what they allow him to do," Satterfield said during his weekly news conference, which came ahead of Saturday's ACC game at Virginia. "If he's able to go, then obviously he'll go. But if they say he's not ready, then he won't go." Cunningham was injured two days after Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion, laying on the turf with his hands and fingers frozen upward after being slammed backward to the turf in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Tagovailoa had experienced concussion-like symptoms after a hit four days earlier against the Buffalo Bills but was cleared to return, raising questions about the NFL's handling of such injuries. - AP College Football


(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: AP College Football
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  Malik Cunningham ran for three of his four touchdowns as Louisville rolled to a 41-3 win over South Florida on Saturday afternoon. Cunningham put the Cardinals (2-2) comfortably ahead by halftime with TDs on four of five possessions. He had scoring runs of 35, 40 and 8 yards and tossed a 26-yard TD to senior transfer Jaelin Carter, who stretched to make a leaping grab in the end zone for his first score as a Cardinal. Cunningham finished 14 of 22 passing for 186 yards and ran nine times for 113 yards before going to the bench early in the fourth quarter.

It was the fifth-year senior's 10th 100-plus-yard rushing game and third in a row. Cunningham is the eighth player in NCAA history to have over 3,000 rushing yards and 8,000 passing. Louisville had one of its best games of the season offensively, out-gaining USF (1-3) 542-158. That total included 283 rushing, with Trevion Cooley gaining 75 on 11 carries and Tiyon Evans 53 on 13 attempts. The Bulls (1-3) averted a shutout when Spencer Schrader kicked a 37-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Bulls had three first-half turnovers. Gerry Bohanon Jr. threw two interceptions and USF had a fumble. Bohanon was 9 of 17 passing for 62 yards and was relieved in the third quarter by backup quarterback Katravis Marsh, who was 4 of 11 for 48 yards. - Louisville/AP College Football


(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Louisville/AP College Football
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  Malik Cunningham used his arm and his legs to get Louisville's season on track. The redshirt senior quarterback threw for 195 yards and rushed for 121 more, including a 43-yard scoring run in the third quarter, to lead Louisville to a 20-14 victory over UCF. The Cardinals (1-1) outscored the Knights 13-0 in the second half. Tyron Evans rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown and Tyler Hudson had three catches for 67 yards. UCF (1-1) scored touchdowns on two of its first three possessions, but struggled to get much going the rest of the way. The Knights had their best scoring chance with 2:52 remaining in the fourth quarter but quarterback John Rhys Plumlee was intercepted in the end zone by Jarvis Brownlee. Plumlee was 16-for-34 passing for 131 yards and rushed for 83 yards, but he was sacked four times. Isaiah Bowser rushed for 51 yards and two touchdowns. - Louisville/AP College Football

(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Louisville/AP College Football
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  ESPN TOP 100 PRESEASON 2022 CFB PLAYERS (Selected Aug. 17): No. 47. Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisville, Senior. Notable 2021 stats: 2,941 yards, 19 TDs. Last year's ranking: 65. Who topped the Total QBR rankings in the ACC last season? It wasn't Kenny Pickett, or Sam Hartman, or Devin Leary, or Tyler Van Dyke: It was the kinetic Cunningham, who threw for 2,941 yards, rushed for 1,031 and produced 39 combined scores. You can't take your eyes off of him. - ESPN.com

(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: ESPN.com
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  2022 PRESEASON MANNING AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Malik Cunningham, Sr., Louisville,...Entering his fourth season as a starter, Cunningham has passed for 7,889 career yards and 62 career touchdowns. He ranks second all-time at UofL for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 38, seventh with 62 career touchdown passes and second with 100 touchdowns responsible for. He is the only Cardinals quarterback to have nine completions passes of at least 75 yards. - Louisville Football

(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Louisville Football
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  2022 PRESEASON JOHNNY UNITAS GOLDEN ARM AWARD WATCH LIST: Malik Cunningham, Louisville,...Entering his fourth season as a starter, Cunningham has passed for 7,889 career yards and 62 career touchdowns. He ranks second all-time at UofL for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 38, seventh with 62 career touchdown passes and second with 100 touchdowns responsible for. He is the only Cardinals quarterback to have nine completions passes of at least 75 yards. - Louisville Football

(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Louisville Football
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  A good portion of Malik Cunningham's spring was devoted to getting him more comfortable passing in the pocket as opposed to being more prone to run. He showed progress in that during the spring and continued the work over the summer. Part of that was developing even more confidence in his receivers group, which was built both on and off the field. With more at his disposal, the hope is that Cunningham can do less while still being a dynamic, dual-threat quarterback for the Cardinals. Last year, Cunningham totaled a team-high 1,031 rushing yards - fifth-most in the ACC - becoming the second Cardinals quarterback to reach 1,000 rushing yards after Lamar Jackson accomplished the feat in 2016 and 2017. Cunningham also threw for 2,941 yards, becoming the second player in school history to eclipse 2,800 yards with 19 rushing and passing touchdowns in a season for a combined total of 39.

His numbers helped Louisville's total offense to rank No. 14 in the country, though it didn't always translate into wins for the squad. The Alabama native will have one last fall camp with the Cardinals to make the necessary adjustments to his game to not just help himself and preserve his longevity, but also to use the depth he has around him. "A lot of receivers that we're going to have this year didn't really play last year, didn't have really much production. A couple of them did, so just working on the things that I'm going to be doing in the game, simulate game-like stuff, just getting those throws in and working on all aspects of the game," Cunningham said of his offseason focus. "Moving in the pocket, throwing off platform, going through all my reads, checking down to the running backs, not looking to run - things like that." - Courier Journal


(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Courier Journal
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  Louisville underwent five coaching changes during the offseason. The team brought back Nic Cardwell to coach the offensive line, in addition to hiring Wesley McGriff to coach the secondary and serve as co-defensive coordinator and Josh Stepp to take over the tight ends room. Greg Gasparato moved from coaching safeties to outside linebackers and Lance Taylor became the new offensive coordinator. It is Taylor's job to ramp up the receivers so quarterback Malik Cunningham can run less and pass more. A good portion of Malik Cunningham's spring was devoted to getting him more comfortable passing in the pocket as opposed to being more prone to run. Part of that was developing even more confidence in his receivers group.

Cunningham can do less while still being a dynamic, dual-threat quarterback for the Cardinals. Last year, Cunningham totaled a team-high 1,031 rushing yards - fifth-most in the ACC - becoming the second Cardinals quarterback to reach 1,000 rushing yards after Lamar Jackson accomplished the feat in 2016 and 2017. Cunningham also threw for 2,941 yards, becoming the second player in school history to eclipse 2,800 yards with 19 rushing and passing touchdowns in a season for a combined total of 39. - Lousville Courier Journal


(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Lousville Courier Journal
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  2022 PRESEASON WALTER CAMP PLAYER OF YEAR PLAYER TO WATCH: Malik Cunningham, QB, senior, Louisville,...A fifth-year senior, Cunningham begins his fourth year as the UofL starting quarterback. Last season, Cunningham led the lead the ACC in rushing touchdowns with 20 and became only the second quarterback in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards. The native of Montgomery, Ala., accounted for 39 total touchdowns in 13 games as a starter. He rushed for 1,031 yards, totaling three 100-yard games. He rushed for a career high 224 yards and a pair of touchdowns last season in a win over Duke and ran for 133 yards and three scores versus Boston College. - Louisville Football

(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Louisville Football
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  Most underrated ACC player: Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham...Despite consecutive losing seasons, the Cardinals' starting signal caller hasn't gone unnoticed by the rest of the conference, which is loaded with talent at the position. For some, Cunningham stands out and deserves more attention. "He's not always regarded as a great passer, but he has a really, really strong arm and I think he has great control of that offense," a defensive ACC player said. "He's always a challenge to face, a matchup nightmare." - Courier Journal

(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Courier Journal
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  2022 PRESEASON MAXWELL AWARD WATCH LIST: Malik Cunningham, Louisville,...Going into is redshirt senior season at Louisville, quarterback Malik Cunningham (6-1, 190) has passed for 7,889 career yards and 61 touchdowns in his career ... posted career-best totals in 2021, passing for 2,841 yards and 20 touchdowns ... ranks second all-time at UofL for rushing TDs by a quarterback with 38, seventh with 62 career touchdown passes and second with 100 touchdowns responsible for ... the only Cardinals quarterback of all-time to have nine completions passes of at least 75 yards. Last season became the second quarterback and 14th Cardinal to rush for more than 1,000 in a season. In 2019 he set school record for passing efficiency with a part of 194.45. - Louisville Football

(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Louisville Football
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  2022 PRESEASON DAVEY O'BRIEN NATIONAL QUARTERBACK AWARD WATCH LIST: Malik Cunningham, Louisville, Sr., 6-1, 190, Montgomery, Ala.,...A fifth-year senior, Cunningham begins his fourth year as the UofL starting quarterback. Last season, Cunningham led the lead the ACC in rushing touchdowns with 20 and became only the second quarterback in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards. The native of Montgomery, Ala., accounted for 39 total touchdowns in 13 games as a starter.

He rushed for 1,031 yards, totaling three 100-yard games. He rushed for a career high 224 yards and a pair of touchdowns last season in a win over Duke and ran for 133 yards and three scores versus Boston College. As a passer, Cunningham threw for 2,841 yards and 19 touchdowns, while completing 62.0 percent of his passes. He recorded two 300-yard games throwing for 309 yards at Wake Forest and 303 yards and five touchdowns on the road at Duke. - Louisville Football


(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Louisville Football
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  Just as those leadership qualities in cultivating relationships are second nature to Malik Cunningham, so is being a mobile quarterback. As nice as it is to have another threat in the backfield, Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield wants to continue working on Cunningham's ability to throw in the pocket as opposed to taking off and running, emphasizing that during the spring when Cunningham was barred from escaping the pocket. It's something Cunningham has been improving for a while. In some ways, it also goes against his nature. "I actually played running back growing up, so the running part comes natural," he said. "I had to grow the passing ability, which I have over the past couple years just working with different guys and just believing in myself that I can be a quarterback and I just run it."

Last season, Cunningham led the ACC and was fourth in the country with 20 rushing touchdowns and became the program's second quarterback and 14th overall player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season with a team-high 1,031 yards. He threw for 2,941 yards with 19 more TDs through the air as well. That made him the second player in school history with at least 2,800 passing yards and 19 rushing and passing touchdowns in a season. Even with the outside time the Cardinals have spent getting to know each other, they've still been practicing at least twice a week. "This summer, I think, that's where they're gonna get their chemistry, throwing and catching all summer long," Satterfield said. "Malik's really confident in those guys and I think that's key. As a quarterback, you better have that confidence." - Courier Journal


(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Courier Journal
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  Malik Cunningham accounted for seven touchdowns in Louisville's 62-42 romp past Duke, helping the Cardinals clinch bowl eligibility Thursday night. Cunningham threw for five touchdowns – each to a different teammate - and ran for two more scores. He racked up 303 passing yards and 224 rushing yards. He's the second Football Bowl Subdivision player with at least 300 passing and 200 rushing yards in a game. He sat out the final 12 minutes after 11 carries and 18-for-25 passing. Louisville (6-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) has won consecutive ACC games for the first time since November 2019. Cunningham's second-quarter rushing touchdowns went for 44 and 72 yards. By the time it was 28-6, Cunningham had 163 rushing yards and 156 passing yards. Duke had 133 yards total. Duke (3-7, 0-7) has lost seven consecutive games, all except one by at least 25 points. Quarterback Gunnar Holmberg, who missed the previous 1 1/2 games with an upper-body ailment suffered in the first half Nov. 6 against Pittsburgh, threw for 176 yards before exiting after one third-quarter series. - Louisville/AP College Football

(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Louisville/AP College Football
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  After a series of late collapses led to frustrating losses, Louisville finally played the complete game it has long sought. No doubt, the presence of a Heisman Trophy winner in the house provided some inspiration. Malik Cunningham threw for four of his five first-half touchdowns, and Louisville's defense stifled Syracuse throughout a 41-3 rout on Saturday that snapped a two-game losing streak. On a special day in which Louisville retired the No. 8 jersey of 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson at halftime, the game featured Cunningham showing the same dynamic play of his famous predecessor. The junior quarterback provided all the scoring for the Cardinals (5-5, 3-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) before the ceremony with a 6-yard run on their first possession before tossing a series of TD passes.

Cunningham's first was a perfect 33-yard toss to Tyler Harrell - one of two Cardinals wearing No. 8 for the time being - before he followed with a 6-yarder to Ahmari Huggins-Bruce, the first of two he caught. Jordan Watkins pulled in a 41-yarder in the back of the end zone before Huggins-Bruce took in another from 17 yards just before the break. The Cardinals needed this kind of performance after losing four of five contests they led in the fourth quarter, including 30-24 last week to Clemson. They're now within a win of bowl eligibility, a goal that appeared to be slipping from their grasp with each disappointing defeat. "It's a good feeling in the locker room, knowing that (winning) one more game, one of the next two we're sure in a bowl game," said Cunningham, who finished 13 of 18 passing for 209 yards before exiting early in the fourth quarter. - Louisville/AP College Football


(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Louisville/AP College Football
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  Malik Cunningham rushed for three touchdowns, including a 14-yard clinching run with 2:53 remaining to cap a milestone performance, and Louisville overcame four turnovers to beat Boston College 28-14 on Saturday and snap a two-game losing streak. Seeking a rebound coming out of a bye following consecutive losses by four total points, the Cardinals (4-3, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) followed a BC touchdown with 21 unanswered points to take control before halftime, or so it seemed. They thwarted chances to pad their lead as Cunningham tossed two interceptions and Hassan Hall fumbled in between their TDs.

Even after Josh Minkins picked off BC's Dennis Grosel in the end zone midway through the fourth quarter to stop one serious threat, Louisville freshman back Trevion Cooley coughed it back up on the next play to set up the Eagles at the Louisville 30. BC took advantage on Jaelen Gill's 6-yard TD reception to get within 21-14 and make it interesting before Cunningham's run sealed a rain-soaked homecoming win. "It came right down to the end there and we were able to close it out," Louisville coach Scott Satterfield said. "That was a big time run by Cunningham to get that last touchdown." Of course, the mobile quarterback had a couple before that. Cunningham reached 2,000 career yards rushing and became the fifth Louisville player with at least 30 rushing TDs on a drive capped by his 1-yard run midway through the second quarter. Cunningham rushed 16 times for 133 yards, completed 9 of 17 passes for 107 yards and credited teammates for his success. - Louisville/AP College Football


(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Louisville/AP College Football
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  Louisville seemingly could do no wrong in the first half, building a 24-point lead. But even as the game flipped on the Cardinals, they again made a big defensive play in the second half to hold on for a second straight critical win. Malik Cunningham had four first-half touchdowns - two passing and two rushing - and Louisville held off Florida State's second-half rally, 31-23, in the Cardinals' Atlantic Coast Conference opener on Saturday.

Cunningham now has eight rushing touchdowns, two in each game for Louisville (3-1, 1-0). He completed 25 of 39 passes for 264 yards and ran 14 times for 56 yards. "They definitely made adjustments because if not we would have had 60," Cunningham said. "I think we relaxed a little bit as an offense. We kind of laid back a little bit and thought the game was over. We got to finish off games. We started off fast. We just have to finish better in order to get to the next step to an elite offense." The Seminoles trailed 31-7 with 1:49 to halftime but gradually chipped away at Louisville's lead in the second half, trimming the deficit to 31-23 on Ryan Fitzgerald's 45-yard field-goal with 8:40 left. But the Seminoles' rally fell short when McKenzie Milton's downfield pass was picked off by Louisville's Kei'Trel Clark with 48 seconds left. Despite a shaky second half, Louisville can now claim back-to-back wins over UCF and Florida State. The Cardinals can also credit their defense for again coming through with a late interception - Jaylin Alderman picked off a tipped pass and returned it 66 yards for a touchdown in a 42-35 win over UCF. - Louisville/AP College Football


(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Louisville/AP College Football
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  Malik Cunningham ran for two touchdowns and threw for another to lead Louisville, which cruised to a 30-3 victory over Eastern Kentucky on Saturday night. In guiding the Cardinals (1-1) to their first victory of the season, the redshirt junior quarterback completed 15-of-23 passes for 277 yards. He got some early help from special teams. Marvin Dallas recovered a muffed punt return at the Colonels 25, leading to Cunningham's first score, a 5-yard touchdown run with 4:27 left in the first quarter.

Braden Smith made it 13-0 with a 49-yard punt return for a score with 10:15 left in the first half. Cunningham would have had another touchdown, but freshman Ahmari Huggins-Bruce dropped the ball on the EKU 1 on what would have been a 95-yard touchdown pass with 10:16 left in the fourth quarter. The ball rolled into the endzone, and the Colonels recovered for a touchback. "It's unfortunate," Louisville coach Scott Satterfield said of Huggins-Bruce, who finished with a Louisville true freshman record 150 receiving yards on four catches. "He did the hard part. The heavy lifting was outrunning the whole defense. Then the easy part, anybody in this room could just carry the ball across the line, but… he still had a great night." - Louisville/AP College Football


(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Louisville/AP College Football
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  The most important player for the Louisville football team to have success in 2021 starts with "QB1" himself. There is no quarterback battle. His starting job is not in jeopardy. Malik Cunningham will be the starting quarterback when the Cardinals take the field in Atlanta in the season opener against Ole Miss. Cunningham hasn't always had it easy. He had to be a quarterback under arguably the biggest shadow ever. Heisman Trophy winner and NFL superstar Lamar Jackson. Despite odds being against him at times with coaching changes and more, he's been really good for U of L. Passing for 5,153 career yards and 43 touchdowns and rushing for 1,588 yards and 18 touchdowns in his career proves how good he's been. Turnovers were an issue in 2020, but I don't think that will be an issue this year. How far will this team go in 2021? A big answer to that question will be on how Cunningham plays. - Courier Journal

(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Courier Journal
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  Malik Cunningham stood at the podium during last week's ACC Media Days, confident and comfortable. He's used to answering questions from the media as the Cardinals' starting quarterback for the last two years. He has all the answers ready to go for questions like: "How do you fix the turnovers?" "What's the potential of this offense?" "How do you replace Javian Hawkins, Tutu Atwell and Dez Fitzpatrick?" Cunningham doesn't flinch in the face of the spotlight. He never has, but the Cunningham on the podium in 2021 is different than the one that took over Scott Satterfield's offense in 2019. He's more a polished leader, now, one the team and coaching staff looks at to lead the 2021 program. Most of his personal growth, though, came during the highs and lows of the Cardinals' 4-7 2020 season.

"I was older and was already in the system but more than anything, it made me a better person," Cunningham said. "Going through the stuff we went through, the slump and now that we are here and able to be regular, it's even better now." Those losses stuck with him. Four in a row in the first five games. Back-to-back losses to Virginia Tech and Virginia and a stripped fumble on a potential game-winning drive against Boston College in November. It was hard. "Just every day knowing I had to go home and look in the mirror and know that I lost and I could've done something better," Cunningham said. "Now it's just build off it, learn from it." - Courier Journal


(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
News Source: Courier Journal
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  Thursday is the first day of the NIL era and multiple Louisville athletes have announced deals already. Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham is partnered with an online service called Dreamfield.co allows athletes to set appearance fees for autograph sessions and more. Cunningham was originally listed on the website with a $275 per hour fee, but it bumped up to $300 around noon. Defensive lineman Dezmond Tell is also on Dreamfield.com and has a fee of $70 per hour. - Courier Journal

(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
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  Between running back Javian Hawkins and wide receivers Dez Fitzpatrick and Tutu Atwell, it is replacing 2,280 yards and 17 touchdowns from a season ago. In the last two years, the three combined for 5,716 yards and 44 touchdowns However, two players return with multiple years of starting experience and more than two touchdowns in Scott Satterfield's offense: tight end Marshon Ford and quarterback Malik Cunningham.

At times last year, Cunningham looked like a one-man offense with 2,617 passing yards, 609 rushing yards, 20 passing touchdowns and seven rushing touchdowns. As Louisville begins to transition its offense to a host of new playmakers, Cunningham has taken an even bigger leadership role on the offense. One that he thinks he's embraced this offseason and helped hold himself accountable. "Those guys feed off my energy so if they see me up and ready to go, they're going to work harder and put their best foot forward," he said. "If I'm down, they'll come over and check on me - which I'm never down - but if I am having a long day they'll check on me." - Courier Journal


(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
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  The first Louisville football game of the 2021 season will be played in primetime on national TV for the entire college football world to see. Louisville's season opener against Ole Miss will be played at 8 p.m. ET on Sept. 6 in Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta and will be televised on ESPN. The Ole Miss-Louisville game will be the only FBS game played on Labor Day. This will be the first ever meeting between Ole Miss and Louisville. The game is part of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff, which will also include a game between Alabama and Miami on Sept. 4. - Courier Journal

(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
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  Malik Cunningham threw for 195 yards and accounted for three scores for Louisville, which blitzed past Wake Forest 45-21 Saturday. The Cardinals (4-7, 3-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) overcame a sluggish start to rally for a victory in their regular-season finale. After gaining just 7 yards in the first quarter, they finished with 453. Louisville gained 254 of those on the ground. Cunningham completed 73% (16-for-22) of his passes. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. He went without an interception for the first time in five games. The Demon Deacons (4-4, 3-4) amassed 351, but they couldn't stay on the field as they converted just seven of 18 on third down. Louisville, meanwhile, converted seven of 14 third downs and held the ball for 36:56. Both teams were missing key receivers. Louisville's Tutu Atwell announced during the week he would miss the contest, while Donavon Green did not dress for the Demon Deacons. In addition, the Cardinals were without three starting offensive linemen. That led to the Cardinals starting their fourth-string center and three freshmen on the line. - Louisville/AP College Football

(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
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  Malik Cunningham accounted for two touchdowns to offset three first-half turnovers, and Louisville held Syracuse to a season-low 137 yards with three takeaways for a 30-0 victory on Friday night. All of the turnovers occurred before the break, though Cunningham's two interceptions around a fumble in Syracuse territory weren't as costly. That's because the Cardinals' replenished defense created just as many opportunities, two of which the offense converted into 10 points for a 13-0 lead in the second quarter. Cunningham added a 4-yard TD run with 29 seconds remaining in the half before connecting with Tutu Atwell for a 19-yard score midway through the third. The junior quarterback finished 19-of-28 passing for 219 yards as the Cardinals (3-6, 2-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) ended a two-game losing streak. Jalen Mitchell rushed 11 times for 46 yards with a 2-yard TD while Maurice Burkley had 56 yards on 10 carries. Syracuse (1-8, 1-7) never got going in losing its sixth consecutive game. Freshman JaCobian Morgan completed 5-of-12 passes for 40 yards in his second start and the ground game managed just 92 yards. - AP College Football

(DS#14 QB) rSr/2023 QB Malik CunninghamLouisville
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  Louisville's offense was one of the best in the ACC last year. It averaged 33.1 points per game and was led by a wealth of talent. With the return of quarterback Malik Cunningham, running backs Hassan Hall and Javian Hawkins and a plethora of receivers led by Tutu Atwell and Dez Fitzpatrick, Louisville was thought to be one of the best offenses in the conference again. Many picked the Cardinals as a sleeper to make the ACC Championship game. But one month into the football season, Louisville (1-3, 0-3 ACC) has been inconsistent on both sides of the ball and is one of three ACC teams without a conference win. While it was understood it would take time for the defense to improve, the offense was supposed to be the strength again - carrying it to wins when the defense struggled. But that hasn't been the case, and now Louisville is on a three-game losing streak.

What's changed? The answer is fairly simple. The offense hasn't been the same efficient group it was last year. It's not because of a lack of talent or some large, schematic change, either. Louisville's main culprit is a turnover uptick and the inability to hit on the big plays it was known for last year. Satterfield didn't put the blame on one person, although he said Cunningham has missed a few throws he made last season. "Now, Malik's overthrown a few of them, but it seems like there's been something different, whether it be Malik not throwing the proper ball or the receiver not running the proper route or the offensive line or tight ends not protecting," Satterfield said. "So, in the course of the season, it's been a little bit of everybody, I think, that have attributed to some of those shots not being there." Louisville averaged 10.1 yards per passing attempt last year. This season, it is at 7.95. A dip, but something that is fixable. - Courier Journal


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  Malik Cunningham is healthy once again. After taking a hard hit in the final offensive play of Louisville's 23-20 loss to Pittsburgh, Cunningham is back to being a full participant in practice. He was wheeled off the field on a stretcher and was limited during the bye week, coach Scott Satterfield said. But he was a full participant last weekend. His return is good news for the Cardinals. "He's doing good and ready to go. Shouldn't be any limitations as he heads into this game," Satterfield said.

Cunningham is considered one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC and has been off to a strong start statistically. He's sixth in the ACC with 757 yards and second with seven touchdowns. But there's still a place where Cunningham can improve - decision making. He was one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country last season with a 194.74 passer rating, which would've been good for third nationally if he had attempted one more pass. His passer rating is 143.6 (sixth in the ACC), but with even higher usage rate, his interceptions are also up. Last year, Cunningham threw five interceptions on 178 attempts. He has five interceptions through three games this season on 91 attempts. He's on pace for 331 passing attempts this season. - Courier Journal


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  After leaving Saturday's game against Pittsburgh on a medical cart, Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham is "good to go," coach Scott Satterfield said. Cunningham went down hard on the last offensive play in Saturday's game. Rolling to his right, Cunningham was tackled as he was throwing the ball on fourth down, hoping to keep Louisville's comeback chances alive. His throw was intercepted. Though he was carted off on a stretcher, Satterfield said he had movement of all of his extremities while on the ground and he gave a thumbs up as he was carted off. He traveled back with the team on Saturday after evaluated and did practice on Tuesday, Satterfield said. Cunningham is currently the ACC leader in passing yards with 757. He also leads the league with seven touchdowns, but has thrown five interceptions, which is equal to his amount all of last season. - Courier Journal

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  There was a scary sight at the end of Louisville's game against Pittsburgh on Saturday. Quarterback Malik Cunningham, scrambling to his right to avoid a sack and make a play on fourth down, was hit while throwing the ball. He hit the ground hard and stayed down. Cunningham, who entered the week leading the ACC in passing yards and touchdowns, was taken off the field on a stretcher that was put on a cart. While he was being carted off, he gave a thumbs-up to his team. "That's the soldier mentality in him. He gave it his all and he got twisted up. He put his thumb up to let us know he was good so we are going to get back and get better," running back Javian Hawkins said.

After the game, head coach Scott Satterfield said he didn't know the exact nature of Cunningham's injury but that he was moving all of his extremities while on the ground. "He stepped up on that play. They had some pass rushers there, and it looked like he got his feet caught up under a couple of their defenders. He got twisted a little bit," Satterfield said. "The medical team takes every precaution. That's why they took him in to further evaluate him. I have not gotten an update on that, so anything else would be speculation. He did have feeling in his body and his extremities, so that's positive." - Courier Journal


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  In the middle of its game against Western Kentucky, the Louisville football team got some good news. It will be the next stop for ESPN's "College GameDay" show next week when it hosts Miami on Sept. 19. The game is set to kickoff at 7:30 p.m. and will air on ABC. The time of the game was changed earlier Saturday afternoon after the Virginia-Virginia Tech game was postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Virginia Tech. This will be the third time Louisville has hosted "College GameDay," it hosted in 2016 and 2017. The postponement of Virginia-Virginia Tech opened the door for the popular pregame show to come to Louisville, as many assumed it would choose the rivalry game over Louisville-Miami. With that matchup postponed, it opened the door for Louisville with the next-best game. The SEC has not started its season yet, and the only Big 12 team that is playing next week is Oklahoma State, which hosts Tulsa and the only other ACC conference games next week are Syracuse-Pittsburgh and Wake Forest-NC State. Wake Forest hosted "College GameDay" this week. Louisville lost to Miami 52-27 last year, but has won three of the last four matchups despite trailing 3-10 in the series. - Courier Journal

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  Micale Cunningham accounted for four touchdowns and passed for a career-high 343 yards, helping Louisville overcome a mistake-prone start to roll past Western Kentucky 35-21 in Saturday night's season opener for both schools. Cunningham completed 19 of 34 passes with TDs of 28, 2 and 70 yards to surpass his previous yardage best of 288 last season against Boston College. The junior quarterback also rushed for a 14-yard score after hitting tight end Ean Pfeifer with his first TD pass that tied the game at 7. A fumbled punt snap on Louisville's opening possession resulted in Gaej Walker's 1-yard TD run for WKU.

Louisville regrouped to score on four of the next five drives as Javian Hawkins rushed for a 19-yard TD and Marshon Ford caught a TD pass to make it 28-7. The Cardinals outgained the Hilltoppers 487-248, including 337-120 by halftime on the way to winning their 12th consecutive series meeting. Tyrrell Pigrome tossed a 12-yard TD to Mitchell Tinsley and finished with 129 yards passing in his WKU debut after transferring from Maryland. Omari Alexander blocked a Logan Lupo punt to set up Malik Staples' 1-yard TD for another Hilltoppers score. The game was played before 11,179 physically distanced fans at Cardinal Stadium. - AP College/Louisville Football


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  2020 MANNING AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Micale Cunningham, Jr., Louisville,...Cunningham, who was named the Most Valuable Player in the Music City Bowl, is coming off a strong sophomore campaign in 2019. He started 11 of 13 games at quarterback, throwing for 2,065 yards on 112-of-179 passing with 22 touchdowns to just five interceptions, also rushing 122 times for 482 yards and six touchdowns. He threw for over 200 yards in six games, including a career high 288 yards in a 41-39 victory over Boston College. The native of Montgomery, Ala., set the school record for passing efficiency at 194.45 and would have finished second nationally, but didn't have enough passing attempts to meet NCAA standards. He led the nation in passing yards per completion at 18.44 yards and was tops in passing completions of 70 and 80 yards. - Louisville Football

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  2020 PRESEASON MAXWELL AWARD WATCH LIST: QB Micale Cunningham, Louisville,...Cunningham, who was named the Most Valuable Player in the Music City Bowl, is coming off a strong sophomore campaign in 2019. He started 11 of 13 games at quarterback, throwing for 2,065 yards on 112-of-179 passing with 22 touchdowns to just five interceptions, also rushing 122 times for 482 yards and six touchdowns. He threw for over 200 yards in six games, including a career high 288 yards in a 41-39 victory over Boston College. - Louisville Football

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  2020 PRESEASON DAVEY O'BRIEN AWARD WATCH LIST: Micale Cunningham, Louisville,...Cunningham, who was named the Most Valuable Player in the Music City Bowl, is coming off a strong sophomore campaign in 2019. He started 11 of 13 games at quarterback, throwing for 2,065 yards on 112-of-179 passing with 22 touchdowns to just five interceptions, also rushing 122 times for 482 yards and six touchdowns. He threw for over 200 yards in six games, including a career high 288 yards in a 41-39 victory over Boston College. The native of Montgomery, Ala., set the school record for passing efficiency at 194.45 and would have finished second nationally, but didn't have enough passing attempts to meet NCAA standards. He led the nation in passing yards per completion at 18.44 yards and was tops in passing completions of 70 and 80 yards. - Louisville Football

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  Micale Cunningham threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 81 more, and Louisville capped coach Scott Satterfield's debut season by beating Mississippi State 38-28 Monday in the Music City Bowl. The Cardinals (8-5) rallied from a 14-point deficit by scoring 31 straight to finish their big turnaround from 2-10 last season. Louisville also finally beat Mississippi State on the field for the first time in six tries, though the series now is tied 3-3 thanks to a pair of forfeits by the Bulldogs in the 1970s. "We got down 14 points early in the game, and the kids didn't flinch," Satterfield said. "I mean they kept playing, they kept battling. The next thing you know you're right back in the game. We grabbed the momentum and poured it on."

Mississippi State (6-7) had been trying to finish the season with a three-game winning streak for the first time since 2013 and only the third time since the end of World War II. Instead, the Bulldogs go home having lost a bowl game in each of coach Joe Moorhead's two seasons. "This season was a book in and of itself," Moorhead said. "Certainly 6-7 was not the outcome we desired. To get bowl eligible, win an Egg Bowl and have this opportunity to play in a bowl game to me is a credit to these seniors, a credit to these staff and credit to these leaders that we were able to battle through a lot of adversity this season." The Cardinals had four sacks and recovered two fumbles, one returned 31 yards for a TD by safety Khane Pass. Javian Hawkins led Louisville with 105 yards rushing, and he ran for a TD late. The Cardinals outgained Mississippi State 510-366. - AP College Football


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  Louisville's Scott Satterfield is the Atlantic Coast Conference's coach of the year. In voting results announced Thursday, Satterfield received 23 of a possible 60 votes, with 17 votes for Virginia's Bronco Mendenhall and 15 for Clemson's Dabo Swinney. In his first season with the Cardinals, Satterfield led them to a 7-5 finish, a 5-3 record in ACC play and a second-place finish behind No. 3 Clemson in the Atlantic Division. Louisville was picked to finish last in the division after firing Bobby Petrino while finishing 2-10 and losing all eight league games in 2018. - AP College Football

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  NOV 25 ACC QUARTERBACK OF THE WEEK: Micale Cunningham, Louisville, So., QB, Montgomery, Ala.,...Accounted for a career-high six touchdowns - the fourth-most in school history - in the Cardinals' 56-34 win over Syracuse...Threw for 238 yards and a career-high five touchdowns, while rushing for 60 yards and another TD...Has thrown 12 touchdowns passes in his last four games...His 90-yard touchdown pass to Tutu Atwell was the fourth longest in Louisville history. - ACC Football

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  Micale Cunningham passed for a career-best five of six touchdowns accounted for, including a 14-yarder with 1:24 remaining to seal Louisville's 56-34 victory over Syracuse on Saturday. Cunningham passed for three TDs and rushed for a 20-yard score in the first half alone on a cold, misty afternoon. The sophomore added a 28-yard scoring pass early in the third, one of several the Cardinals needed during a wild second half in which the schools alternated touchdowns three times. The sophomore's final TD pass might have been his most critical for Louisville (7-4, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) as Syracuse tried to rally. The Orange turned it over twice on downs deep in Louisville territory, with the last ending on three consecutive penalties and a failed a fourth-down pass at the 3.

Javian Hawkins' 47-yard run set up Cunningham's 14-yard TD pass to Tutu Atwell as the bowl-bound Cardinals capped conference play with another victory in their turnaround season. They also ended the postseason prospects for Syracuse (4-7, 1-6) a season after the Orange won 10 games including a bowl. "We were able to get that ball back and then the offense, we take off five, almost six minutes and score a touchdown," Cardinals coach Scott Satterfield said. "That's how you win ball games, and it was a great team effort." Cunningham completed 11 of 20 passes for 238 yards and rushed eight times for 60. Hawkins established a school rushing record for a freshman by totaling 233 yards on 23 carries. - Louisville/AP College Football


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  Micale Cunningham threw four TD passes as Louisville clinched bowl eligibility Saturday night with a 34-20 win over N.C. State. The big-play passing game of Louisville (6-4, 4-3 ACC) proved too much to handle for an N.C. State team missing its top five cornerbacks because of injury. Cunningham completed scoring passes of 43 yards to Dez Fitzpatrick, 74 yards to Tutu Atwell and 42 yards to Marshon Ford.

N.C. State (4-6, 1-5), which has five starters overall out for the season due to injury, led 10-7 at halftime after a 15-yard, second-quarter scoring pass from Devin Leary to Emeka Emezie, but gave up two touchdowns in the first 2:30 of the third quarter to fall behind by a double-digit margin. Louisville has a reputation for big gains in the passing game as Cunningham and speedy wideouts Atwell and Fitzpatrick have stretched defenses vertically all season. The Cardinals' 17.0 yards per completion entering Saturday's game ranked fifth in the nation, and Louisville had 13 completions of at least 40 yards in its first nine games. - Louisville/AP College Football


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  With Heisman Trophy-winning predecessor Lamar Jackson observing, Louisville quarterback Micale Cunningham showed his own ability for creating excitement with his arm and feet. Cardinals running back Javian Hawkins and an opportunistic defense also made their marks in a hard-earned victory over Virginia. Cunningham and Hawkins accounted for two touchdowns apiece, including one each in the fourth quarter, and Louisville made a final defensive stand to hold off the Cavaliers 28-21 on Saturday.

Getting there required rallying twice, including a 14-7 halftime deficit in which the Cardinals (5-3, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) started Cunningham for one quarter before switching to freshman Evan Conley in the second for a different pace. Cunningham was back in the pocket after halftime and delivered a Jackson-like clutch performance. The sophomore completed 6 of 10 passes for 126 yards, most coming on a shovel pass to Tutu Atwell for a 77-yard touchdown that marked career bests for both players and a season high for Louisville. Cunningham carried 11 times for 97 yards including a 48-yarder overshadowed by an even bigger play that put Louisville ahead for good. - Louisville/AP College Football


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  No starting quarterback, no problem for the Louisville Cardinals in their 38-21 victory over Western Kentucky on Saturday in a neutral-site nonconference game at Nissan Stadium. Louisville announced prior to kickoff that starting quarterback Jawon Pass would miss the game due to a foot injury. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Malik Cunningham directed four first-half scoring drives before leaving in the third quarter following a hit to the head. True freshman Evan Conley finished up and threw a 62-yard touchdown pass on his second throw of the game as the Cardinals (2-1) dominated the Hilltoppers (1-2). In fact, Louisville coach Steve Satterfield hinted after the game that he would be fine playing any of the Cardinals' top three quarterbacks so long as whoever is under center moves the offense. - AP College Football

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