SB Nation - Johnny Patrick

Q & A with Card Chronicle

JazzyUte — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:20:14 -0000

As the Utes ready for the Cardinals, I had the opportunity to ask Mike over at Card Chronicle some questions about the upcoming game and their program. You can read my answers to his questions here.

Hopefully this will give you a feel of what to expect Saturday.

Block U: Steve Kragthorpe entered the season on the hot seat. Has anything changed two games into the season?

Card Chronicle: Not really. Louisville looked awful against probably the worst program in all of college football (Indiana State) and then Kragthorpe dropped to 0-3 against Kentucky, in the process producing the program's first three-game losing streak to its arch-rival since the series renewed in 1994.

He has to be competetive in the Big East and take this team to a bowl game to win back even a small portion of the fan base.

Block U: Do you feel better about the Cardinals' prospects after their comeback loss to rival Kentucky?

Card Chronicle: I do. Admittedly, I thought the game was going to get ugly but Louisville played as inspired a four quarters as they have in the Kragthorpe era and really should have come away with a victory against a team that appears a lot stronger than they do on paper. Quarterback Justin Burke looked light years ahead of where he was in the season-opener, and Victor Anderson showed again that he's worthy of the hype surrounding him.

The biggest issue now is how will this group bounce back from such a deflating loss. These guys have been through a lot over the last couple of seasons, and a win against an arch-rival that was supposed to beat them by two touchdowns would have been enormous. After the game a lot of the players were very emotional and it made you wonder how they were going to be able to regroup after coming up just short in a game they'd put so much emphasis on winning.

Block U: There has been a great deal of change on the offensive side of the ball since Utah and the Cardinals met last season. Can you go into a bit of detail about what has changed (and I'm not just talking players, but if the offense has changed its philosophy since 2007).

Card Chronicle: Well, pretty much everything besides the head coach has changed. The program has lost its hype, gone from Big East powerhouse to doormat, and about 85% of the talk amongst the fan base on any given day surrounds the topic of who the next Louisville coach should be.

Kragthorpe has had a new offensive and defensive coordinator in each of his three seasons. This year he brought in former Utah State head coach Brent Guy to lead the defense while promoting himself to offensive coordinator.

With Brian Brohm gone and Victor Anderson now roaming the backfield, the strength of this team lies in its rushing attack. Anderson was the Big East's Rookie of the Year in 2008, and is off to another great start in his sophomore campaign. U of L is still deep in its receiving corps, but the offensive line isn't nearly as strong as it was in 2007 or 2008. The defense is very much the same, and that's not good.

Block U: Who do you think is the biggest offensive threat this year?

Card Chronicle: It's Anderson. The kid's the real deal.

Block U: Two years ago, the Cardinal defense was abysmal and the Utes had no problem moving the ball on them. Has that changed?

Card Chronicle: The defense showed signs of improvement under Ron English last season, and really didn't play that poorly against Kentucky a week ago. The defensive line has some talent, but they produced zero pressure on UK quarterback Mike Hartline. The strength of the unit lies with its linebackers who are fast and experienced. The secondary outside of cornerback Johnny Patrick is a sore spot once again.

Block U: What type of game do you expect?

Card Chronicle: Honestly, I'm having a hard time putting my finger on it. If the Louisville players come into the game with the same mindset they had against Kentucky, I really think the Cards have a shot to spring the upset. If not, well, then I think a lot of people here are going to be happy that they don't have the CBS College Sports channel.

I can't really see either team taking a lot of big chances, so I don't to see anywhere near the offensive showcase we saw two years ago. Turnovers and time of possession will likely dictate the victor.

Block U: How many wins does Kragthorpe need to save his ass?

Card Chronicle: Six or seven, whichever gets U of L into a bowl. That probably saves his job, but it won't necessarily get him back in the good graces of the fan base. Block U: How do Cardinal fans perceive the Utah program?

Block U: How do Cardinal fans perceive the Utah program?

Card Chronicle: Well, I can't speak for everyone but I have a great deal of respect for what Utah has been able to accomplish over the last decade or so. Regardless of where you're playing or who you're playing, two unbeaten seasons in such a short period of time is a remarkable accomplishment. When I hear "Utah Utes," I no longer think Rick Majerus and Keith Van Horn, I think football, which is a testament to just how amazing it is what Meyer and Whittingham have done there.

Block U: Is Bobby Petrino a bad word in Louisville?

Card Chronicle: Not at all. The complete and sudden collapse of the program following his departure was the best thing that could have happened for his Louisville legacy.

Block U: Predict the final score.

Card Chronicle: I really think Louisville can keep it close, but I just can't see them coming home with a W.

Utah 27, Louisville 21

Official Game Prediction Thread

CardsFan922 — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:17:20 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

So...close...can't...reach...it...

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I'll start this off with the easiest prediction: at some point on Saturday, Scott Long will be overthrown and thisclosejustbarelyalmost catch it. Also, I will be strangely nervous and hopeful from about 11 AM until about 5 minutes into the game, at which point I will either turn into the 2006 game watching CardsFan922 (every play matters!) or the 2007-2008 game watching CardsFan922 (gallows humor and self-protecting indifference). I know that much is true.

On an intellectual level, I don't see how we can pull this one out. UK's defense, while not as good as last year, is still the better of their two units. Their defensive line is solid and our offensive line wasn't exactly blowing ISU's doors off last week to open holes for Vic and Powell. Burke made some nice passes in the 2nd half, but if he was a little too hyped up to hit wide-open guys in the first quarter at home against a high school team, something tells me starting on the road, in his hometown, on national television....let's just say the kid has a right to be nervous. And who will stop Randall Cobb and/or Chris Matthews?

There's not much I have to say about this game that Mike won't cover or hasn't covered all week. For us to win, the following things have to happen:

1) Vic Anderson rushes for more than 85 yards and Vic/Powell/Ashley combine for at least 100 yards total.

2) We have a +3 or better turnover margin, including a TAINT or other defensive / special teams points.

3) We have a +3 or sack margin.

4) Somehow stop Cobb and Matthews from going off - combination of defensive pressure + the dozens of new players in the secondary holding their own + stopping the run game with just the D-line + pressure on Hartline (see above).

Of the four, I think stopping Cobb and Matthews will be the hardest, if not most impossible, task. I think we'll score an offensive touchdown in this year's game (I just threw up in my mouth) and I think Burke/Froman and Long will hook up for some big gains. But I just don't see us winning a shoot-out or a 10-7 defensive struggle.

Official predictions....after the jump....

Final Score: Kentucky 38 - 21 Louisville

Anderson / Total Rush Yards: 54 / 95

Kentucky Rushing Yards: 127

Scott Long: 1 TD

Best UofL Defensive Game: Johnny Patrick

Biggest Hit: Brandon Heath

Biggest Boneheaded Krag Call: Fake punt or going for it on 4th down and medium, up 3-0, midway through first quarter, on our own 24 yard line. Resulting in turnover on downs, UK 1-play, 22 yard scoring drive for a touchdown.

First Appearance By Adam Froman: First offensive possession of 2nd quarter (and no more Burke after that).

Rock Keys: Sadly, no.

Glimmer of Hope On Which To Hang Hat: Preston Pace plays reasonably well.

Most Run Commercial: Gold into Cash, and/or 5 awkward Billy Mays commercials (we are on ESPNU, remember).

Everyone feel free to make their own predictions according to these categories, or come up with your own. The CardChronicle staff will assign points/weights to each category, judge the winner on Sunday, and then come over to the winner's house to fully cater a 3-course dinner for a party of 6-10, pants optional. CardChronicle staff reserves the right to not actually do this.

Game Day: Louisville vs. Indiana State

Mike Rutherford — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 17:19:11 -0000

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (0-0) vs. INDIANA STATE SYCAMORES (0-0)

Game Time: 7:30 p.m.

Location: Papa John's Cardinal Stadium: Louisville, Ky.

Television: WHAS

Announcers: Drew Deener/Doug James

Favorite: No Line

All-Time Series: Louisville leads 5-3-1

Last Meeting: Indiana State won 44-21 in 1984

Excitement Level (1-10): 2.3

This would be higher if I were actually attending the game, but a wedding is going to prevent that. Still, even if I were going to PJCS the level wouldn't be as high as it should for a season opener because of just how bad these guys are. This will, without a doubt, be the worst college team to ever to play in this stadium.

Game Attire: Khaki suit

Predicted Star of the Game: Victor Anderson

The opportunity for stat-stuffing has never been more available, and I'd be surprised if Kragthorpe didn't try and let VA snatch some bottom line numbers.

Obscure and Bold Prediction: Indiana State tries a trick play and it fails miserably.

I'm thinking botched double pass.

Notable and Quotable

--I own a pair of Indiana State shorts that I wear fairly religiously.

--I'm still cheering for Louisville.

--Indiana State coach Trent Miles is 0-13 in his second season.

--"Do I want to play them? No, I definitely don't want to if I don't have to. But we have to, and there's no ifs, ands or buts about it. We need to get the most money we can out of games like this and go out and compete the best way we can and move on to the next." --Trent Miles

--"We’re really excited, to tell you the truth. It’s a huge opportunity to shock the world on a big stage. I don’t know how many people the place holds exactly [42,000], but it would be kind of nice to do it." --Brock Lough

"Walking up to the stadium (Monday) I was just smiling — it's game week. I'm sure that's how plenty of us seniors are. … We're ready to get after Indiana State." --Jon Dempsey

--""I feel like we need to come out and start our season strong. We need to prove to ourselves that we can be good. We won't be overlooking anybody. You always look to improve and that's what we're looking to do this year." --Greg Scruggs

--"Indiana State has already played a game and we had a chance to look at that film. The schemes that they employed last year and this year are a little bit different. I thought they would throw the ball a little bit more than what they did in that game. They only threw it 18 times with (Wyoming transfer Chris Stutzriem). They did have a 75-yard halfback pass for a touchdown and that's something we anticipate."--Steve Kragthorpe

--"I'm so excited for this game. It's been a long time since we lined up against somebody else. The best thing is we have an opportunity to start 1-0. This is going to be a great year for us." --Johnny Patrick

CC Prediction: Louisville 66, Indiana State 0

If U of L has any trouble at all moving the ball then something is seriously wrong. Kragthorpe needs all the positive mojo he can get, and he showed in his first game at Louisville two years ago that he's not afraid to run it up a little bit.

I'd really like to be overly positive about all of this, but aside from newcomers being able to get into the flow of a season, Justin Burke getting a feel for his receivers and things of that nature, this game is essentially meaningless.

GO CARDS.

Your 2008 Louisville Football awards

Mike Rutherford — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:48:27 -0000

The most important step on any particularly difficult road to closure is acknowledging the existence of an unpleasant reality. So while the best healing approach at the moment may seem to be to deny that the 2008 Louisville football season ever took place, or to admit its presence but add that it ended in 1997, neither is actually a healthy option.

So let's go ahead and face this thing, head-on, together. We'll hand out some awards, have some laughs, shed some tears, break some shit, then chuck this season in a box and stick a small, vomit-colored bow on top.

My hand is here; feel free to reach for it if need be.

Offensive MVP: Victor Anderson

There was much chatter during the spring and summer months that Anderson was going to be the surprise of the season, but nobody was so bold as to predict that the St. X product would race past the 1,000-yard mark, shatter the U of L freshman rushing record and earn Big East Rookie of the Year and Sporting News Freshman All-American honors.

Again, our lone beacon of sanguinity for the next nine months.

CONTENDERS:

Eric Wood

George Bussey

Defensive MVP: Jon Dempsey

The Junior College transfer came in with relatively little hype, but led the Cardinal defense in solo tackles, total tackles and forced fumbles, and trailed only Adrian Grady in tackles for loss. He was the lone Louisville defender to earn All-Big East accolades, garnering a second team nod.

CONTENDERS:

Adrian Grady

Earl Heyman

Best Moment: Cantwell's 24-yard TD pass to Scott Long to give the Cards the lead for good against USF

A tremendous pass and catch that resulted in the feeling that this team could compete for a conference title in a down Big East. True story: they actually called off the rest of the season after that play.

CONTENDERS:

Johnny Patrick's fumble return against Memphis

Adrian Grady scoring against Tennessee Tech

Worst Moment: Myron Pryor's fumble return

Yes, the game was already out-of-hand, but being forced to watch Eric Wood chase Pryor in vain was almost too much to take. It actually might have been too much to take, because I honestly don't remember seeing it live.

CONTENDERS:

Lawrence Wilson's (Connecticut) interception return

The clock hitting zero in the Carrier Dome

Best Play: Victor Anderson's touchdown catch against Connecticut

When he first caught the ball and I saw where the defenders were positioned in front of him, I would have set the odds of Vic getting the ball into the endzone at no better than 10:1. This was the moment I officially climbed on the No. 20 bandwagon.

CONTENDERS:

Cantwell to Long against South Florida

Travis Norton tackling Jourdan Brooks by his hair against Rutgers

Best Game (For Louisville): Louisville 24, South Florida 20

Ah, back when the only question was which bowl this team would end up playing in.

CONTENDERS:

Louisville 38, Kansas State 29

Louisville 51, Tennessee Tech 10

Worst Game (For Louisville): Syracuse 28, Louisville 21

Kentucky sucked because it was the first game of a season so many were already anxious about (and because it was Kentucky), Rutgers sucked because it was just about the most humiliating thing I've ever had to sit through as a sports fan, but the Syracuse loss coming just a week after the South Florida win re-introduced the notion that something was seriously, seriously wrong with the program, and that - I think - makes it just a touch more depressing than the competition.

CONTENDERS

Kentucky 27, Louisville 2

Rutgers 63, Louisville 14

Best Game (Overall): Louisville 24, South Florida 20

Extremely slim pickins here, but Louisville's top triumph of the season also came in the contest that most resembled an actual big-time college football game.

CONTENDERS

West Virginia 35, Louisville 21

Connecticut 26, Louisville 21

Best Individual Offensive Performance: Victor Anderson against Kansas State

Going off for 176 yards and three scores on just 18 carries and two receptions will do that for you.

CONTENDERS:

Victor Anderson vs. Middle Tennessee State

Hunter Cantwell vs. Kansas State

Best Individual Defensive Performance: Johnny Patrick against Memphis

JP was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Week after his 19-yard fumble return for a touchdown propelled the Cards to a 35-28 win over the Tigers. He finished the game with six tackles and figured in a potential 10-point swing at the end of the first half when he blocked a field goal that was returned for a U of L touchdown.

CONTENDERS

Adrian Grady vs. South Florida

Jon Dempsey vs. Kentucky

Best Individual Performance by an Opposing Player: Pat White (West Virginia)

Yet another remarkable performance by White, who will finish his college career having rushed for 8,657 yards and 32 touchdowns and thrown for 11,998 yards and 51 more scores in just four games against Louisville. He also hired Ron Cooper and hit a halfcourt shot to knock the Cardinal basketball team out of the 1981 NCAA Tournament.

CONTENDERS:

Mike Teel (Rutgers)

Donald Brown (Connecticut)

Least Reliable Body Part: Scott Long's knee

I don't think a completely healthy Scott Long for the whole year would have resulted in two or three more victories, but this offense desperately needed a legitimate deep threat and No. 84 was the only one it had. Him being out for nine games and only being truly healthy for one was a far bigger blow than some are willing to acknowledge.

CONTENDERS:

Latarrius Thomas's knee

Trent Guy's whatever kept him out most of the last month of the season

Most Appearances by a Penalty: Not enough men on the line of scrimmage

I might have seen this penalty called twice during all the hours I spent watching NFL or other college games this season, and somehow I don't think there was a U of L tilt over the past three months where the Cardinals weren't flagged for it more than once. Amazing, really.

CONTENDERS:

Holding

Kicking the ball out-of-bounds

Worst Coaching Decision: The 3rd and 23 draw to Brock Bolen against Cincinnati

Not because it wasn't a play designed to pick up a first down, and not because it went to Bolen (well, kind of because it went to Bolen), but because it was a play designed to set up a 45-yard field goal try for a kid the staff hadn't been confident enough to let try a 25-yarder on 4th and 6 or 4th and 3 earlier in the game.

CONTENDERS:

The deadball timeout against Connecticut

Making a big deal out of Cincinnati players praying around the Cardinal bird

Biggest Personal Overreaction (Positive or Negative): The Zack Stoudt jersey throw after the Bilal Powell fumble and TD against Kentucky

Yes, it was a big play, and yes, nobody else saw it, but it was still incredibly premature and unnecessary.

CONTENDERS:

Crazy fist pumping and screaming among an otherwise tame group after the Long TD against South Florida

Getting hammered in a giant Snoopy head after the Syracuse loss

Best Kragism: "We’re frustrated with productivity in terms of points."

It's a solid aspect of productivity to be frustrated with.

CONTENDERS:

"I don't judge games by the score, I judge them by what I see on film."

"I think (now former Syracuse head coach) Greg Robinson is doing a nice job there. He's building the program there. I know he hasn't seen the fruit of his labor yet, but I think he's done a good job. I think they're very, very well-coached in all three phases of the game. We know we're going to have our hands full up in the Dome. We've never played well there. We know we're going to have to play our 'A' game when we go up there."

Best Performance by a Player Who Never Saw the Field: Rock Keys

He was like Titanic in '97.

CONTENDERS:

Zack Stoudt

Will Stein

Best Reason to be Optimistic about the 2009 Season: Victor Anderson being alive

I was going to add "and healthy," but a one-legged Vic is still probably more of a reason to be excited about the Tennessee State - or whoever the hell we play in next year's opener - game than just about anything else.

CONTENDERS:

The potential of a healthy Scott Long/Trent Guy/Doug Beaumont receiving trio

Alcohol

Game Day: Louisville at Rutgers

Mike Rutherford — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:05:17 -0000

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (5-6, 1-5) At RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS (6-5, 4-2)

Game Time: 7:30 p.m.

Location: Rutgers Stadium: Piscataway, N.J.

Television: ESPN

Announcers: Chris Fowler/Craig James/Jesse Palmer/Erin Andrews

Favorite: Rutgers by 11

All-Time Series: Rutgers leads 5-2

Last Meeting: Louisville won 41-38 in 2007

Excitement Level (1-10): 2.9

There's a very solid chance I may have to miss the first 15 or so minutes of this game, and I informed the involved parties that I was OK with this. Not a statement I've been able to make many times over the last 24 years.

Game Attire: Black "The Ville" shirt

Hasn't been worn since the New Year's Day loss to Cincinnati almost a year ago, so why not throw him out there tonight.

Predicted Star of the Game: Victor Anderson

Why the hell not?

Obscure and Bold Prediction(s): Either Kenny Britt or Tiquan Underwood goes for more than 200 yards receiving.

Notable and Quotable

--Rutgers is riding a five-game win streak, and has outscored its opponents 114-36 in the month of November.

--Kenny Britt leads the nation in receiving yards per game and ranks sixth in total receptions.

--Rutgers leads the Big East in conference play in scoring offense (29.5), pass efficiency (144.5), third-down conversions (44.8%). red zone offense (17-of-19, 89.5%) and fewest penalty yardage per game (41.8).

--Louisville needs a victory to avoid its first losing season in ten years.

--“We’re frustrated with productivity in terms of points.” --Steve Kragthorpe

--"It's real important for us to finish this season at least at .500. It will get everyone's confidence back so we can go into next year with our heads up." --Jon Dempsey

--"I think it's dangerous for players to start reflecting when you have a game to play. You take your eyes off the prize. Sometimes I've seen guys get too emotional for their final game, and then the only emotion they'll have for the rest of their lives is regret because they didn't play well in their final game." --Greg Schiano

“If you look at what’s gone on over the course of the year, you’d probably say we do (have an advantage). But I don’t think so, because the guys that are playing are extremely talented. They might not be as experienced as they’d like but No. 19 is one of the best we’ll see all season and No. 7 (Karldell Dunning) is learning as he plays but he’s a talent.” --Mike Teel

On Syracuse

Mike Rutherford — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:04:09 -0000

Experiment results: not talking about it doesn't, in fact, make it go away

If the 2007 loss to Syracuse was what ushered in the notion that there was something wrong with the Louisville football program, it's the 2008 loss to the equally dismal Orange that has reintroduced it.

A week after a win over No. 14 South Florida and the most positive buzz surrounding the program since Andrew Robinson tossed for 423 yards and four scores inside Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, the Cards landed on another chute and fell to an Orange squad that had been 0-6 against FBS opponents, and had been outscored by a total of 223-134 in those games.

We've been able to dance around this for the first two months of the season, but the performance of the rest of the Big East and U of L's inability to roll over a weak non-conference schedule have made it perfectly clear: this is, at best, a very average football team.

Still, the loss to Syracuse doesn't automatically brand the '08 Cardinal football season a failure. What it does do is kill momentum, enrage a large portion of the fan base, and drastically increase the likelihood of the '08 Cardinal football season ultimately being branded a failure. If Louisville handles business in what should have been the lone sure win remaining on its schedule, then all the Cards have to do is win two of four to finish the season 8-4 and ensure positive offseason vibes regardless of postseason performance.

That's not to say 8-4 and positive offseason vibes are out of the question. In none of U of L's final four games will their chances of winning exceed 60% or their chances of losing dip below 40%. A quartet of tossup games will be the ultimate determinant of this season's definitive label.

The tools are there for a 3-1 or 4-0 finish, but it's on the players and the coaching staff to regroup and have the mental toughness to step up and save the season.

More scattered thoughts:

I'm not going off on Kragthorpe, but Johnny Cochran couldn't defend going 0-6 against Kentucky, Syracuse and Connecticut in the two years after a one-loss season that culminated in an Orange Bowl victory.

Also, here are the rankings of Big East coaches who have lost to Greg Robinson in the four years G-Rob has been in the league:

1. Steve Kragthorpe - 2
2. Randy Edsall - 1
3. Everybody Else in the World - 0

I think the intense reaction to Earl Heyman's postgame quote -"Coming off a big win against South Florida, you have to refocus in and sometimes that can be hard. To be honest with you, I think it's kind of good for our team. We got a wake-up call." - was a little bit unjustified. Sure the quote was ridiculous, but I think it was simply the product of a guy reaching for the right words after a stunning loss in his senior season and grabbing nothing but inappropriate cliches.

There's no excuse for Troy Pascley dropping a pass with no one in an Orange uniform within 20 yards of him, but I still wonder why we're sending a guy who hasn't played in a month on a route we think can result in a score. If you think this play has the potential to go big, why not send Beaumont or Guy deep?

Curtis Brinkley is legit, but there's no excuse for letting him go for 166 when he's playing on a team with a below average quarterback and next to no talent at wide receiver.

I wish Kragthorpe would at least say something to his players during timeouts. I don't have to know what it is, but it would make me feel better.

ESPNU continually bringing the Syracuse student on for sideline reports made me about 3.7% more upset than I would have been otherwise. Woodny Turenne catching a pass, Bill Ashburn returning a punt, Vic Anderson being a senior and Greg Tomczyk being black didn't help either.

Does this station just not care about being compeltely wrong 20% of the time?

Abdul, it's time for this to stop, man.

Not that he would have automatically sparkled with him, but Hunter Cantwell really needed a healthy Scott Long for 12 games to come close to having the type of senior season so many of us were expecting.

If you're searching, Victor Anderson and Johnny Patrick are reasons to be excited about the next couple of years.

Johnnie Burns has done a tremendous job in his first and only season at tight end. The effort he's put into making himself a boon to this offense is evident every time he steps on the field.

How about Joe Tronzo stepping up and making some huge plays? It's always a pleasure to see guys who do all the little things getting a small taste of the spotlight.

No praise for the defensive ends after this one. There was no pressure coming from the edges, and Syracuse's tackles aren't that good.

Mike Rutherford's Saturday night culminated with him stumbling around the Highlands wearing a full wardrobe of normal clothing and a giant Snoopy head.

Thank you, Cardinal football.

Louisville 24, South Florida 20

Mike Rutherford — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:11:56 -0000

As you roll out of bed this morning and stare the start of yet another work week directly in the face, the Louisville football team sits at 5-2 and directly in the middle of the race for the Big East championship and a spot in a BCS bowl game.

I'm not saying it's time to start laying out plans for another New Years in Miami, but seriously, what game remaining on the schedule scares you? What game remaining on the schedule can the team we saw Saturday afternoon not beat?

Steve Kragthorpe desperately needed to sustain this fan base's attention into November and the start of basketball season, and by notching the biggest win of his Cardinal career to date he's all but ensured that there will be a buzz surrounding the U of L football team post-Halloween.

Anticipation, angst and excitement have all made their way back to Saturdays in the Derby City.

I can't see myself ever watching a game from the 2007 season again, but if I did, my guess is that I would be blown away by the drastic fall off in defensive intensity when juxtaposed with what we've seen week in and week out this year. This unit isn't nearly as talented as the '04 or '06 defenses, and it's probably not as talented as the '07 defense, but these guys play their asses off every single down and it's been an absolute pleasure to watch for the past two months.

Ron English could fart in my dinner tonight...spray fart.

Scott Long. Scott Long. Scott Long. 2008. 2008. 2008.

The curtain finally rises.

I know I bring this up every week, but I don't think the importance of the play of our defensive ends can be overstated. Mitchell, Gnat, Scott and Scruggs were phenomenal on Saturday, and really paved the way for guys like Jon Dempsey, Adrian Grady and Earl Heyman to have big games.

Speaking of Grady, this was the game we've been waiting for him to have for about 14 months.

Johnny Patrick is slowly turning himself into an NFL prospect. If he makes a similar leap in progress this offseason then he could be the recipient of a significant amount of praise once his senior season rolls around.

I really wish we had Woodny Turenne for another season. He's already got the skills you can't teach, and the mental side is finally starting to click.

Hunter Cantwell wasn't exactly stellar, but he was good, and he made a perfect throw when his team needed it the most. The constant locking into one receiver is discouraging, but when you have that kind of arm sometimes it doesn't matter that the guys on the other team know where you're going with the ball. It also helps when the guy you're locking into is a healthy Scott Long.

Do yourself a favor on Saturday and focus only on Eric Wood for three or four plays. No. 77 is far and away the best player on this team.

Major kudos to George Bussy (as well as the double and triple teamers) for stepping up and getting the job done on George Selvie after it looked like he might hit double digits in sacks before halftime.

I'm still extremely uneasy any time toe (or cleat) meets leather.

Life is more exciting when Trent Guy's on the field. Also, I'm really eager to see what Chaz Thompson does once he finally gets his hands on a return.

Seventy-three yards? When is Victor Anderson going to step up and have a positive impact on a game?

It was good to see Bilal Powell get into the open field and make some people miss. It was also good to see Brock Bolen jumping over people.

If Louisville were to somehow reel off seven straight and capture a second BCS bowl victory in three years, don't think for a second that I wouldn't scour the ends of the Earth to discover This Guy's real identity.

Stoudt jersey + appropriate hat = 3-0

I laugh every single time on the Kroger commercial when it cuts from the extended shot of intense Steve Kragthorpe to "Ground Chuck - $1.99."

Jim Leavitt is hilarious.

Dontavia Bogan certainly thinks highly of himself. His antics don't come anywhere near Matt Grothe's 2006 postgame comments in terms of level of annoyance, but, yeah, he was annoying.

I am happy.