The Sports Xchange
NCAAF Team Report – Louisville – INSIDE SLANT
Teddy Bridgewater threw for 416 yards and the defense made a huge stop in overtime Friday night as the Cardinals stayed unbeaten and in line for a Bowl Championship Series trip with a 34-31 decision over Cincinnati.
But without a couple of calculated gambles from Bearcats coach Butch Jones that backfired, Louisville might have been mulling its first loss of the season.
The most publicized was Jones’ decision to “ice” freshman kicker John Wallace with a timeout right before he attempted a game-winning 30-yard field goal in the extra period. However, Jones had the bad fortune to ask for the timeout just before holder Will Stein whiffed the snap, essentially giving the Cards a mulligan.
“I didn’t say anything to (Stein) or (Wallace),” Louisville coach Charlie Strong said when asked if he talked with them during the timeout. “It’s about execution at that point.”
All three parts of the operation — Grant Donovan’s snap, Stein’s hold and Wallace’s kick, which sliced from outside the left upright to right down the pipe — were flawless the second time around and the Cards were in celebration mode.
Another reason Louisville could celebrate came because of a first quarter touchdown that might not have happened were it not for Jones’ choice to decline an illegal formation foul. Had he taken it, the Cards would have had 2nd-and-17 from their 18, but because he waved it off, they had 3rd-and-7 at the 28.
After making the third down with a 17-yard pass, Louisville was in the end zone three plays later. While one will never know how the drive would have turned out if Jones had taken the penalty, odds alone indicate 2nd-and-17 is harder to convert than 3rd-and-7. One thing that is certain: Without that touchdown, the Cards don’t even get to overtime.
“Buckle up,” Strong said. “That’s the way it’s going to be for the rest of the year in this league. I don’t even know if I’m stressed out any more over these games. We haven’t had any blowouts this year; we’ve gotten used to close games.”
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NCAAF Team Report – Louisville – NOTES, QUOTES
WHAT’S AHEAD: A three-game homestand ends next Saturday when the Cardinals welcome Big East “newcomer” Temple to town for a noon kickoff. The Owls are in their second go-round in the conference after they were tossed following the 2003 season for incompetence, but made their way back due to a resurgence under former coach Al Golden and because the league needed teams badly as West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Syracuse defected for other conferences.
–CB Terell Floyd picked a good time for the first interception of his career, picking off Munchie Legaux on 3rd-and-9 in OT to deny Cincinnati a field goal try. Floyd, whose playing time has dwindled recently, added a tackle to that clutch interception.
–It was Louisville’s first OT win since Nov. 14, 2002, when it dumped Southern Miss 20-17 in double OT in Hattiesburg on Nate Smith’s 27-yard field goal. The Cards are now 4-4 all-time in games requiring more than four quarters.
–Louisville’s offense has scored 27 times on drives of 10 plays or less this year, including four times against Cincinnati. Of those 27 scores, 24 are TDs, three coming against the Bearcats thanks mainly to big pass plays.
KEEP AN EYE ON: The tight end position, which was manned pretty well by Nate Nord before the senior’s latest injury issues, is now being played by the trio of Ryan Hubbell, Jalen Harrington and B.J. Butler. Harrington and Butler moved there on Tuesday from linebacker and defensive end, respectively, and picked up starts Friday night as the Cards opened in a two-tight end set. It can’t be comforting that Louisville had to pull players from two different positions in game eight of a 13-game season to start at tight end.
LOOKING GOOD: After a 5-of-18 start, Teddy Bridgewater slipped into All-America mode and finished the night with a career-high 416 yards and two TD passes, rallying the team from a 24-14 third quarter deficit. The defense made big plays off mistake-prone Cincinnati QB Munchie Legaux, picking off three passes, including Floyd’s interception in OT which set up the game-winning field goal. And give freshman John Wallace credit for having the guts to ignore the pressure and calmly punch his kick right down the tube.
STILL NEEDS WORK: For the second straight week, Louisville’s line was outplayed on both sides of the ball. The Bearcats owned a 196-108 advantage in rushing yards and that’s disturbing. Not only are the Cards giving up too much on the ground, their offensive line isn’t playing as well — and all their normal starters were in place this week, so injuries aren’t an excuse. Bridgewater’s wide receivers didn’t play well over the first three quarters, dropping four passes and helping keep the offense out of rhythm.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “The quarterback was locked on the receiver and I knew he was going to throw the ball. I just went under the receiver and got the ball.” — Floyd on his OT interception.
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NCAAF Team Report – Louisville – STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYER NOTES:
–RB Jeremy Wright rushed for 74 yards on 18 carries and scored a first quarter TD, the 13th rushing score of his career. RB Senorise Perry was held to 36 yards on 13 attempts but did score his 8th TD in the last four games.
–LB Preston Brown was all over the field, making plays from sideline-to-sideline and finishing with 13 tackles, the second time he’s been in double digits this year. Brown also registered his first career interception in the second quarter.
–WR Andrell Smith logged a career-high 50-yard reception in the first quarter to set up the Cardinals’ first TD. Smith, who served as one of the game captains, finished the game with two catches for 63 yards.
ROSTER REPORT
–DE Lorenzo Mauldin (left knee) left the game in the second quarter and wasn’t able to return. If Mauldin’s injury is serious, it could have a big impact on the D-line as he’s been the team’s best pass rusher, bagging 4 1/2 sacks.
–DT DeAngelo Brown (knee) missed the game and there’s no timetable for his return. Brown has played in five games as a reserve, collecting eight tackles, including one for a four-yard loss.
–LB Daniel Brown (knee) sat out his fourth consecutive game and it’s not known when he’ll be able to return. Brown hasn’t played since the Sept. 22 win at Florida International.
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