SB Nation - Doug Beaumont

Louisville 21, Arkansas State 13

Mike Rutherford — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:11:07 -0000

First things first, congratulations to the guys on the field for picking up a victory. With everything that's happened and with all that's been said it can't be easy to keep showing up day after day, but they have and they certainly deserved to enjoy Saturday night.

Still, you may not think it's pretty, you may not think it's right, but this is the story of the game:

And I agree with Rick Bozich, the fact that U of L actually announced the crowd as 21,497 is probably the surest sign yet that Kragthorpe is definitely out of here

Hopefully so are numb Saturdays.

Even though apathy has been in complete control since somewhere the third quarter of the Utah game, I don't think any of us can deny that the Will Stein story is a pretty neat one.

I don't think he has the tools to guide any team to a BCS conference title, and I sincerely doubt that he'll ever start another game for U of L after this season, but he's really fun to watch and really easy to root for, and at this point that's about as much of a compliment as you can pay to any Cardinal.

I'm all for letting the kid take the reigns for the rest of the year.

Chris Campa is an absolute monster and he's one of those guys who I can see wowing coaches at a training camp and hanging around on practice squads in the league for multiple years. I really wish we had he, Dempsey and Campa for another year.

Maybe the highlight of the game for me was Victor Anderson going crazy on the sidelines during a long Bilal Powell run. There seems to be nothing fake about Vic. He genuinely loves his team, his teammates and this program.

Here's hoping we can get him at least one postseason trip before he leaves town.

Might be time to at least experiment with wearing a shoe, Ryan.

When the ball was in the air on the last play of the game, I only remember saying, "oh my god he's open." The sad thing is there was no fear or panic in my voice, it was pretty much just an observation.

I hate this.

Goal No. 2 for the rest of the season (behind keeping key players healthy) is getting Doug Beaumont into the endzone.

I do not believe Steve Kragthorpe is a good football coach.

Again, congrats to the team and thanks so much for working so hard so that we here have stuff - good or bad - to think and talk about.

The Good, The Bad, And The Kragtastic

CardsFan922 — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:37:37 -0000

More photos » by Colin E. Braley - AP

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Well that sucked. Excitement abounded before the kick-off, and predictions of victory flew from unlikely corners (even frankpos thought we had a chance!). The beginning of the game probably improved frankpos's optimism: Chris Campa introduced himself to the Utah crowd and the home team with a big hit on the kick-off, and LD Scott got the team's first sack of the season on the first play from scrimmage. After forcing a three-and-out, the offense marched down the field: Scott Long made good on the pre-game angle from the CJ and beat his man for a 23-yard gain on the first play. More positive plays resulted in first and goal from the 8. The game thread got positively giddy: most were pretty quick to get excited and hop back on the bandwagon with both feet.

Everyone knows what happened next. But sulking wasn't doing it for me, so I thought I'd dive back in to the game and the post-game quotes and put together the good, the bad, and the Kragtastic. Join me? ....after the jump...

The Good

First and foremost, Chris Campa came to play. The oft-overlooked linebacker set the tone with a big hit on the opening kickoff, and then continued to lay the wood. And although I can't find for sure how many tackles he ended up with, it was a lot and all of them seemed like big hits.

Scott Long is talented. As was discussed during the game thread, hopefully he gets a chance to prove himself at the next level because his college career has been limited by Harry Douglas/Mario, injury and Kragthorpe.

The Defense as a unit played generally well: it held Utah to 4-13 on third downs and kept Utah out of the end-zone in the second and third quarters. They got pressure on the QB and recorded three sacks, and Chaz Thompson had a nice pick that set up the first touchdown.

Penalties were held down to a reasonably small amount, only 5 for 50 yards. Utah had 9 for 100 yards, including a couple that kept our drives going.

Doug Beaumont had a couple nice plays, ending up with 4 catches for 87 yards. Does everyone realize he's already a JUNIOR? Sorry, this isn't the Kragtastic section.

Cory Goettsche averaged 49 yards on punts, including a long of 57 yards. As Sam ruined the good vibes pointed out in the game thread, this may have had something to do with the thin air and the altitude. I choose to believe that he has figured out how to kick the ball farther and you can't prove it to me otherwise until the Pitt game.

The Bad

Oy. Where to begin? How about the rushing game, which put up a whopping 80 yards on one of the worst run defenses in the country, one that gave up more than 200 yards to Utah State and Oregon.

Vic, whose asthma may have been worsened by the thin air, was not himself, rushing for only 20 yards on 10 carries. He was outgained by Bilal Joseph Powell....by 2 yards, 22 total yards on 10 carries. Darius Ashley got in the game finally: he carried twice for six yards. Better average than the other two, anyway.

The defense allowed 214 yards on the ground to a team who starting running out of running backs when their top two both went down with injuries during the game. The defense also allowed 202 yards in the air to a QB who really wasn't that impressive except for that perfect strike TD immediately following Guy's fumble.

Any shred of confidence remaining in Trent Guy was obliterated after his fumble. I didn't see him on the field, he didn't get the ball thrown his way and he was pulled from both punts and kickoffs. Feel really bad for the kid.

Lots of punts, as we ended up 4-14 on third down conversions.

Burke completed less than 50% of his passes, threw an INT and had that weird play where he just sorta stood there in Vic's way on the hand-off.

The red-zone offense relied on an awkward Burke run (Play No. 2, see below for full chart) and the craziest touchdown catch I've ever seen (Burke threw a No. 8 that turned into a No. 6 when the ball bounced off Scott Long into the waiting arms of CamGraham) for our only touchdowns, and failed to score on the opening drive, which was a huge momentum swing early in the game.

The game just sorta sucked, was mostly boring, and the announcers were terrible.

The Kragtastic

Mike pointed out in the game thread (do a ctl-F for "WE ONLY HAVE EIGHT PLAYS") that we only have eight plays. He may actually be correct:

Run up the middle

Burke drops back to pass, there's nothing there, Burke scrambles (probably our best play)

Screen to the running back (every so often to the WR) - rarely works

3-step drop, quick jump ball to Scott Long

Play-action rollout, Tronzo underneath, Beaumont at the next level.

Whatever play that results in CamGraham open underneath or in the flat

Reverse

Slant to Scott Long

Play No. 1 was not effective, and Krag was surprised in this morning's CJ:

They pressured a little bit more," said Kragthorpe, adding that the Cards had to abandon the run once they fell behind. "On first down they had some different inside linebacker dogs that they hadn't run a whole lot."

Really? They were able to stop the run up the middle? We had 19 plays on first down, and by my count from the espn.com game chart, on 12 of those we ran the ball, more often than not up the middle. We had one play where we faked the FB dive and then pitched out, but it was covered nicely by Utah. But I don't remember many sweeps, many outside runs, misdirections, counters or play action on first down. I think they knew a No. 1 was coming more often than not on first down, and they ran a defense that countered it. That's some Kragtastic play-calling in the run game.

While not going for two points ultimately didn't cost anything because we didn't score again and Utah did, that would seem to be coaching 101. You scored a touchdown that gets you down 10, the only way to make it a 1-possession game is to go for 2. Maybe Krag was so shocked we scored a TD even though he called a No. 8 that was a yard short of the first down and 12 yards away from the end zone, even if caught.

Adam Froman played on special teams. I am not making this up.  Burke had to limp off the field at one point, and Froman is coming back from injury. I really can't see any upside to doing this? Unless he was looking to test Will Stein.

The overall awfulness that is Kragthorpe-coached Louisville football.

Ugh. I feel lousy. Glad I did this. Anyone have their own good, bad, and Kragtastic they want to share?

Kentucky vs. Louisville -- What Makes Me Confident, and What Makes Me Nervous

Truzenzuzex — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:01:59 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Victor Anderson could give us some serious trouble tomorrow.

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I see a lot of confidence in Kentucky fans regarding the Governor's Cup tomorrow, and I see an awful lot of pessimism in Louisville fans. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at either, but perhaps Kentucky fans should be a little cautious with their optimism and save the smack-talk until after the game is over. There is nothing less tasty than ~~Cardinal~~ crow after an upset.

Now, don't count me among the pessimistic -- I'm not. On paper, Kentucky has a number of advantages over Louisville, and Mike over at the Card Chronicle has done a pretty fair job of detailing them. So what I propose to do here is detail the things that make me feel confident, and nervous, about tomorrow's contest.

Confident

The Kentucky offensive line. UK has one of the most experienced lines in the SEC, and they get Jorge Gonzalez back at center for tomorrow's game. Kentucky was 5th in the nation in sacks allowed last year, so if the line comes to play, Hartline will get all the time he needs to find receivers.

Nervous

Trent Guy. Trent Guy is a gamebreaker, a lightning-quick athlete that, if he gets the ball in space, will leave UK defenders trying to tackle his vapor trail. This kid is fast, and reminds me a lot of Florida's Jeffrey Demps -- small, quick, and if he gets a step, gone.

Confident

Our "in the box" guys. Louisville has some very solid backs, but with the exception of the edges, Kentucky has a very experienced and talented defensive front. Even if Victor Anderson or Bilal Powell get loose a little, I think the 'Cats have the speed and athleticism to tackle them.

Nervous

Kentucky's kicking game. I think our punting game is OK, but kickoffs make me nervous. We simply do not have anyone with enough leg to get the hang time we need, and Tim Masthay is not walking through that door. With dangerous returners like Trent Guy and Doug Beaumont, I have nightmares about kickoffs to the Cardinals.

Confident

Kentucky's secondary. I think that the 'Cats are going to intercept passes from Louisville if they try to throw it downfield. UK has Trevard Lindley, but the other guys in the defensive backfield are also high quality -- Paul Warford, Calvin Harrison, Winston Guy, Randall Burden and Matt Lentz all represent major threats to an untested QB.

Nervous

Justin Burke. After a pedestrian outing against Indiana State, I fear that this kid will suddenly wake up and play over his head in a rivalry game. If he is able to get the ball to guys like Beaumont and Guy in space, Louisville could move the football. And if the kicking game is as bad as Brooks' fears, the Cardinals will be starting from less than 60 yards from our end zone.

Confident

Rich Brooks. I love what Papa Brooks has done over the last few years, and I am becoming a believer in his judgment, game management and experience. Brooks is the kind of coach that if you give him enough talent, he wins, and I think the Wildcats have plenty of talent for the Cardinals.

Nervous

Field Goal kicking. Lones Seiber has been anything but consistent, and if the game is closer than expected, he could be the difference between a win and a loss. I don't feel good at all about having Seiber as the bulwark against a close defeat.

Well, those are the things that make me puff my chest out, and the things that make me toss and turn in the bed at night. Feel free to chime in with your observations, I'd love to hear them.

Kentucky vs. Louisville: No Excuses Edition

Ken Howlett — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:51:16 -0000

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

Derrick Locke carryin' the mail -- A sight Card fan should come to appreciate.

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With Kentucky gearing up to face the Louisville Cardinals at Pizza Hut Commonwealth Stadium ... uh, rather, just plain ol' Commonwealth Stadium, it struck me that this year is the first UK vs. U of L game since 1998 that the 'Cats should be a large betting favorite to win, and win big. Am I overconfident? Am I delusional? Maybe so. I'll let you, the faithful reader make that determination after you peruse my four reasons UK will pummel the Evil Birds on Saturday afternoon.

What will serve as an appetizer for A Sea of Blue's coverage of the battle for the Governor's Cup may not be bacon-wrapped shrimp, but it's a start.

1. The Louisville defense -- Other than senior linebacker Jon Dempsey (a team high 80 tackles last year), U of L's defense is full of junior college transfers (5) and inexperienced starters who have displayed an alarming propensity to lose to teams with less talent (see Syracuse last season, and some might argue Rutgers and UConn). Although the Cardinal defense held Indiana State to 101 yards of total offense in U of L's season-opening 30-10 victory, the Sycamores are one of the worst college football teams in America: Playing out of the Missouri Valley Conference, and going back to 2005, Larry Bird's Alma mater is 1 - 47 over their last 48 contests.

More to the point: Playing with a more experienced defense in 2008, the Cards gave up (on the road): 63 points to Rutgers, 41 to Pitt, 28 to Syracuse, and 28 to Memphis. With the improvement of UK quarterback Mike Hartline, the addition of wide receiver Chris Matthews, along with the reappearance of a filthy, greasy-quick Derrick Locke. Also, Randall Cobb who can now concentrate on receiving the ball, and the occasional "Wildcat Package," will be a much more dangerous performer versus Louisville than he was in 2008. To me, this amounts to UK having a razor sharp edge when comparing U of L's defense with the Wildcat offense.

Simply put, holding Kentucky to under 30 points will be a monumental undertaking for these Cards and their defensive coordinator Brent Guy. So, my bottom line reads like this -- If UK limits turnovers and penalties, I fully expect to see the UK side of the scoreboard receive some much needed exercise.

2. The Louisville offense -- By the middle of the season Louisville Athletic Director Tom Jurich is going to wish he hadn't foolishly fought so desperately to have this game played early in the year. For U of L's offense, with a dash of seasoning for quarterback Justin Burke (a Lexington Catholic alum), should be a strength for the Cardinals. And there is no doubt the inexperienced Burke is surrounded by talent, although much of that talent is either coming off major injuries, or simply young.

Running backs Victor Anderson (St. Xavier) and Bilal Powell, receiver Doug Beaumont (Male), receiver Scott Long (coming off a broken foot in '08), and speedster receiver Trent Guy (coming off a gun shot injury) are all capable of making big plays, but quarterback Burke has played only one game (versus Indiana State) in the last two-plus years. A fact quite apparent in Louisville's initial contest. It may seem like excuse making, but offensive chemistry is vitally important to a team's success, and in their first game of the year, the Cards lacked the requisite cohesiveness to play like a team capable of challenging UK.

Adding to the concern Steve Kragthorpe must be feeling about now are the 14 penalties U of L committed against the Sycamores, eight of which occurred on the offensive side of the ball. First game, last game ... 14 penalties is simply an inexcusable number, especially against a team U of L held a tremendous physical advantage over. Can Louisville find, over the course of their off week, the necessary discipline needed to compete against UK's defense? Don't hold your breath.

Finally, due to Burke's understandable rust, and enough penalties to make Conrad Dobler blush, the U of L offense lit up the scoreboard to the tune of only 30 points on a team that has given up an average of 43.3 points per game over the last four seasons. No, the Sycamores haven't played Florida, Texas, or Oklahoma, instead, they've allowed teams such as Western Illinois, Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois, and Western Kentucky to roll up numbers Steve Spurrier has pined for since he mistakenly fled the friendly confines of The Swamp.

In a nutshell, my point is this -- If U of L can only score 30 on Indiana State (for whatever reason), what are the chances of the Cards scoring the necessary 25-30 points they'll need to win Saturday? Your mileage may vary, but in my view, the Louisville offense has a long way to go, and a short time to get there.

3. Justin Burke/U of L receivers vs. the Wildcat Secondary -- I can remember, not so long ago, watching opposing wide outs race pass UK's secondary, on their way to six. Thankfully, those days are behind us, at least for now.

The Kentucky secondary is now blessed with speed, and perhaps even more importantly this game, size. Corner back Trevard Lindley is 6'0", free safety Matt Lentz is 6'3", corner back Randall Burden is 6'0", safety Winston Guy is 6'1", and strong safety Calvin Harrison is 6'1". My point? U of L has speed at the receiver spot, but they are mighty-mites -- Trent Guy is 5'9", Doug Beaumont is 5'9", running back Victor Anderson (who catches passes out of the backfield) is 5'9". Scott Long, at 6'2", is the only regular Louisville receiver who can stand tall with UK's secondary.

And if you don't think size + speed matters in the secondary, check the tapes of games UK played against Florida in the mid- to late-90's. The visual images you will witness are quite telling, and from the UK perspective, quite unpleasant.

The size advantage the 'Cats hold only tell half the story, though. The other half of the tale includes the fact that UK's secondary is the most talented conglomeration of defensive backs to roam the turf of Commonwealth Stadium, possibly ever. And after witnessing the aggressive, smothering form they took after the first quarter of the Miami game, I was left feeling confident that opposing signal-callers must be sure-of-mind, and acutely accurate in order to consistently inflict damage on the 'Cats' chances at victory.

Quarterback Burke, who went 17-31 through the air, with two interceptions and zero touchdowns against Indiana State, looked neither. Which is certainly understandable considering his extended layoff, but that only brings rise to the question: Will he become more comfortable, more at ease, and less hesitant during U of L's week off? And if Burke does succeed in bettering his game, will he, after throwing a pass that results in a pick, revert to the unsure pocket passer he was in Louisville's first game?

Lots of questions, few answers. Not a pleasant position to find oneself in while preparing to face a hated rival on the road. A hated rival with defensive talent at the ready, and a fan base foaming with frothy anticipation of a legitimate beat-down of a program once considered to be a legend ... in their own minds.

4. 27 - 2 -- The score of last season's Governor's Cup contest might seem irrelevant, and it probably is, but I can't help but come back to this -- Last year, U of L played Kentucky at home, with a new starting quarterback in Hunter Cantwell; this year, U of L plays Kentucky on the road, with once again, a new starting quarterback. Last year, U of L played Kentucky at home, against a defense superior to the Cardinal offense; this year, U of L plays Kentucky on the road, against a defense seemingly superior to the Cardinal offense. Last year, U of L played Kentucky at home, while the 'Cats broke-in a new quarterback; this year, U of L plays Kentucky on the road, while the 'Cats sport a significantly improved, and more experienced quarterback. Last year, U of L lost to Kentucky, at home, 27-2; this year U of L ...

Of course, Louisville has a couple of offensive weapons in receivers Trent Guy and Scott Long that were missing from last year's titanic tilt, but will their presence in '09 be enough to propel the Cards to victory? We'll certainly find out Saturday, but Card fan, in the interest of hygiene, I wouldn't bet the baby's diaper money.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats, beat the Cards!

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Told You So Edition

Truzenzuzex — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:51:35 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

I didn't fire anybody.

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Told ya.

Well, just kidding, but I turned out to be correct in a recent back-and-forth with Rush The Court over the question of whether a UK assistant was terminated or left of his own accord.

The word is that Bilal Batley, the recent departure from the UK staff, was punished for his creation of a secondary violation, as was a Gillispie assistant earlier in the year -- with a letter of admonishment. He was not fired, he was not run off, he was not threatened with cement overshoes if he did not leave. That is that.

Moving on, we find that we have some legal trouble on the football team and other stuff in the news, which follows:

UK Basketball News

Bluegrass State Basketball: Ex-Cat Allen Edwards Talks Past, Present and Future
Very good stuff here. Allen Edwards was an important part of Kentucky's most recent championship stretch, and it's great to hear he's doing well.
Gillispie's tale rings familiar tune to recovering Eustachy - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com
This is a really good article by Gary Parrish. Alcoholism is a difficult problem to overcome, and Larry Eustachy shows how it can be done. Can Gillispie recover and coach again? Absolutely. But not unless he realizes that he is an alcoholic, and accepts responsibility for his life and actions in the context of that disease.

Via Bluegrass State Basketball.
Top impact freshmen for 2009-10 - CBK News - FOX Sports on MSN
Virtually all of Kentucky's five-stars make this list.

UK Football News

Louisville Tale of the Tape " Over The Pylon
Great stuff from Over the Pylon, as always.
Kentucky vs. Louisville 9-19-09 – What UL fans are saying " Kentucky Wildcard
Lots of love going on in Card Nation for the Wildcats. As usual.
Wildcats, Cardinals well rested | Cincinnati.com
If there's an advantage - or a disadvantage - to having a week off before a rivalry game, good luck getting either coach to say so.

Heh.
Take the Governor's Cup quiz | KentuckySports.com
It's not only the players who need to get into the rivalry frame of mind. Fans have to get there, too.
John Clay: U of L presents some fear factors | KentuckySports.com
A 13-point spread amounts to zilch. Toss out the numbers. That's the rivalry-game creed. That's right. There are lots of things to fear, not the least of which is our kicking game.
Low kickoffs make for high stress for Brooks | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
Asked whether he'll consider trickery — pooch punts, squib kicks, etc. — Brooks chuckled. "The first squib kick we ordered (against Miami of Ohio) ended up a line drive down to the 2-yard line with a 2.2 (second) hang," Brooks said. "God bless our coverage guys, because they did a hell of a job on that one."

Scary.
UK staff challenges defense to step up | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
Last season, UK was able to put pressure on quarterbacks, thanks to a particularly strong defensive line. Two of those linemen — end Jeremy Jarmon and tackle Myron Pryor — now are on NFL rosters. Brown thinks his current line — with Peters and Ricky Lumpkin at tackle and a rotation of DeQuin Evans, Chandler Burden and Collins Uku at the ends — can do similar things in time.
Tom Leach Productions -- DeQuin Evans
Video of DeQuin Evans talking about his game.
Tom Leach Productions -- Rich Brooks
Tom Leach has a video of Rich Brooks discussing the team status.
Alan Cutler " Ridge Wilson Is In Jail…..His Future ?
Pretty good comments from the mustachioed one.
Louisville game can indicate success of season | The Kentucky Kernel

Other UK Sports News

None today

NCAA Sports News

Ranking the SEC after Week 2 | HOG COUNTRY
10. Kentucky … The Wildcats are one gigantic question mark, as are most of Rich Brooks’ teams at this point of the year. Kentucky’s football team has been flying over the radar since John Calipari was hired as the basketball coach and that’s just how Brooks likes it.
LSU v Vandy: Behind the Numbers - And The Valley Shook
Don't Bet On It!: Around the SEC - Dawg Sports
With another big weekend of college football on tap in the SEC, Dawg Sports offers the latest round of league predictions in this week's installment of "Don't Bet On It!"

Other News of Interest

UK's Todd turns down bonus - Local - Kentucky.com
"I appreciate the Board of Trustees' strong expression of support for the progress and accomplishments of the past year, but it has been yet another very challenging year from a budget standpoint, and I am simply not comfortable accepting the performance award at a time when every department on campus is dealing with severe budget reductions," Todd said in a written statement.

Nice gesture by Dr. Todd, but I'm sure the editorial pages will pick on him for hiring Calipari.

The Daily Schadenfreude

Eric Crawford: Governor's Cup starting to lose luster | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
UK not only had its way in the scheduling with this rivalry, but now it is having its way with its rival. The Wildcats have clearly passed the Cardinals. Three years ago they were 13-point underdogs. This season they're 13-point favorites. Think about that turn of events.

Heh. Love it.

Previewing 2009 Utah Opponents: Louisville Cardinals

Jeremy Mauss — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:00:16 -0000

Louisville has not been the same since their Orange Bowl in 2006 and since then have a combined record of 11-13. 2006 happens to be the year Bobby Petrino left the program for the NFL and then Louisville brought in Steve Kragthorpe from Tulsa.

Kragthorpe was to continue the high flying, pass happy scoring offense that he made famous at Tulsa. Instead the team has struggled offensively and has yet to go to a bowl game.

This year seems no different as Louisville is predicted to finish seventh by the preseason mags. The good news about the Big East is that there is no clear cut champion, which means that Louisville could sneak out an extra win or two with all the parity expected for the league.

The offense should be improved with four starters back on the offensive line and eight overall. They do lose quarterback Hunter Cantwell, but the offense will be lead by potential all conference running back Sophomore Victor Anderson and wide receiver Doug Beaumont. Anderson gained just over 1,000 yards and eight scores as a freshman which was good for fifth in the Big East. The running game looks to be the only sure thing for Louisville in 2009, who need all the help they can get.

The quarterback play last year was not great with Hunter Cantwell slinging the ball around. He only averaged 207 yards per game and had 16 touchdowns and intercetpions. The production drop off from 2007 to 2008 was over 1,400 passing yards when Brian Brohm was on campus.

The hope for 2009 comes from NC State transfer Justin Burke who will be a junior entering the season. Burke was a three star recruit and rated the 16th best quarterback in the country coming out of high school in 2006. He did play in three games in 2007 for NC State, but only completed two of three passes for fifteen yards. The hope is for Burke to bring his magic from his Kentucky high school days where he 62 touchdowns as a senior.

The defense was bad last year and ranked seventh in the Big East, and some how defensive coordinator Ron English got the head coaching gig at Eastern Michigan. So, Louisville brings in Utah State head coach reject Brent Guy, and hope he can bring something new to the table.

The only position with strength is the linebackers that return all three starters and the backups, but the rest of the defense is questionable at best. The Cardinals desperately need a pass rush as they were dead last in the Big East with only 14 sacks, and were sixth in takeaways.

The only other good news to be found for Louisville is that of the new starters four of the six are upperclassmen with playing experience, so there is some hope for them. The goal should be to get back to a bowl game, but that is an unlikely scenario and five wins looks to be where Louisville maxes out.

Simulated Season Part 1: Cards Off To Rough Start

CardsFan922 — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:39:51 -0000

Well, the football season fast is approaching and hope is springing eternal. Admit it, deep down in places you don't like to admit, you are holding onto the faintest hope that everything you think you know about the football team is 1000% wrong. Anyway, the suspense is killing me. So, instead of waiting to see how the next few months will go, I thought I'd fire up the old PS3 and find out. All results are simulated on the "Heisman" level with a couple of reasonable tweaks to our team's player ratings and rosters.

Game 1 (0-0, 0-0 Big East) - FCS Midwest @ Louisville

The fighting FCS Midwest Mustangs or something (who go on to finish the season 0-14) come into PJCS to open the season, and the Cards do what they are supposed to do to a team that would likely lose to St. X, only to beat them again in the championship, which is to dominate. Darius Ashley makes the train whistle for the first time in 2009 on a 1-yard run. UofL would go on to score 3 more times in the first quarter: 2 Vic Anderson TD runs (4 and 8 yards) sandwiched around a Trent Guy 23-yard TD reception from Adam "Don't Call Me The Sausage King" Froman.

The Cards keep the foot on the gas in the 2^nd Quarter, Froman connecting with Doug Beaumont for a 52-yard TD reception a few minutes into the quarter. If this were to actually happen, that would be Doug's first career touchdown reception. Glad he burned that red shirt year. Anyway, Josh Chichester also gets in on the scoring pants party with a 28 yarder from Froman. Tim Doughterty nails the extra point each time (there's nothing in the simulation to indicate whether they split the uprights or sorta snuck across) and the Cards go easy in the 4th Quarter with just a 2-yard run from Darius Ashley to cap off the scoring.

Overall, Ashley starts his first season off strong with 119 yards on 31 attempts, while Virtual Vic Anderson only gets 8 carries, but makes the most with 53 yards. Nate Nord also lives up to the CardChron-hype and gets 2 catches for 71 yards, while Trent Guy catches 4 passes for 65 yards. Conrad Thomas had 6 pancake blocks. You need to know these things.

The real story of the game, however, is the defense. The Dempsey Dozen holds ISU to a measly 105 total yards and 7 first downs despite 22:31 time of possession. The Cards also picked off 3 passes (Heath, Chaz Thompson and ~~someone called~~ RS Frosh Dan Brown) and forced 11 punts.

Overall, everything goes as planned and positive feelings abound as the Cards go to 1-0 on the season.

via cdn.content.easports.com Note: not from a game I played. CardChron doesn't have those capabilities....yet....

Game 2 (1-0, 0-0 Big East) - Louisville @ Kentucky

With arguably the worst 22 guys to take the field to compete for the Governor's Cup since, what, like 2003, a noon start time minimizes the dread before the biggest game of the season. Things don't start out well for the good guys: Seiber bookends two field goals around a 34 yard TD pass from Hartline to TE Drake for a 13-0 UK lead. The Cards answer back with a 19 yard field goal from Tim Dougherty and close the first quarter with a 24-yard TD pass from Froman to Vic Anderson. Both defenses shine in the 2nd Quarter until the last 2 minutes, when Trent Guy catches a 9 yard TD pass from Froman and Anderson gets his second TD reception of the day, this time 25 yards. The Cards go into the halftime locker room with a 24-13 lead on their arch-rivals, and for the first time, a bit of hope creeps across Cardinal Nation. Slowly, tentatively, slightly drunkingly, but unmistakeably, hope.

Hope, as they say, is a young man's game. I think they say that. Anyway, just 3:39 into the third quarter, the wheels start to come off. Froman throws a pass that Calvin Harrison catches for a 62 yard TD. Unfortunately, Calvin Harrison plays for Kentucky. The Cats tack on a field goal to get within 3 points and then Harrison delivers the death knell - a 91 yard interception return for a TD. There was much joy in Lexington as no one scores in the 4th Quarter and the Cats prevail 29-23.

Statistically, the Cards outplayed the Cats, although neither team really looked that impressive. UofL had 347 yards of total offense - 79 yards rushing on 36 carries and 268 yards on an abysmal 19-49 passing. 4-19 (21%) on third down and 0-2 on fourth down seems vaguely familiar. What really swung the game, as it always does, was turnovers: we committed 4 (3 INTs, including 2 for TDs, and one fumble), and UK had just one INT.

Individually, Derrick Locke really chewed clock, carrying it 24 times for 93 yards, and apparently Brooks decided not to let anyone else run the ball as just the QBs registered the only other rushing yards besides John Conner's 1 yard on 1 carry. Hartline's 75.1 QB rating on 8-24 passing, 1 TD and 1 INT looks positively Manning like when compared to Froman's 19-49, 4 sack, 3 TD 3 INT showing, especially since 2 of the INTs were run all the way back. Despite that and the likely constant screaming at the CardsFan922 game watching party of 1, Justin Burke did not get a chance to do much better and KRAG left Froman in all game. Vic got 17 carries for 53 yards and Ashley was not given the ball once, and Anderson led the way with 6 receptions for 79 yards and 2 TDs.

Defensively, Jeremy Jarmon dominated with 11 tackles (6 for a loss) and 3 sacks, which is both surprising and not surprising considering he is currently in the NFL. Cal Harrison really was the story of the game with the 2 TAINTS. LT Walker did his best on the line with 7 tackles, 2 for a loss, and 1 sack. Overall the defense didn't play terrible, but, again, none of them could do anything about Harrison since they, you know, weren't on the field during those plays. Johnny Patrick ran an INT back 41 yards but did not score.

So in what was no doubt an INCREDIBLY frustrating and awful game to watch, UK's defense again was the best unit on the field and the Cats extend their streak to 3 straight over the Kards, dropping UofL to 1-1 on the season. UK goes onto finish 5-7 (2-6) on the year, and Rich Brooks strangles a reporter in the press conference after the UT game. Conrad Thomas had no pancakes.

Game 3 (1-1, 0-0 Big East) - Louisville @ #6 Utah

In a game that even the most optimistic among us count as a likely blow out loss, especially coming off heartbreak the week before, the Cards travel west for a what-might-have-been-in-2004 showdown with the Utah Utes. Utah scores first but the Cards lead at the end of the 1st Quarter thanks to a 2 yard TD pass from Froman (EA hasn't figured out the QB controversy engine, although maybe they are working on it for next season) to Beaumont. Utah retakes the lead on a 4 yard TD pass. The teams trade field goals and a Utah safety in the last minute of the first half makes the margin 15-10 Utah going into the locker rooms.

UofL hangs in there to start the 2nd half. Vic rips off a 61-yard TD run with about 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter and the Cards are smelling upset, leading 17-15 heading into the 4th quarter. The Utes Strike Back just seconds into the 4th on a 6 yard TD run, but Anderson keeps his impressive season going with a 25-yard TD pass from Froman to retake the lead by 3 thanks to a 2-point conversion.. The defense holds Utah to a tying field goal with about 8:30 left, and the Cards retake the field with about 8 minutes to dream.

Then, Froman, and I imagine this happened in slow motion for those watching at home, throws...a...pick.....6....33 yard....INT....returned...for....touchdown...ugh....crowd....goes....wild....game...over. The Cards can't get it back and the game ends, 32-25 Utes. Utah goes on to post an impressive 11-1 (7-1) record but I imagine that means no BCS for them (I haven't simulated the bowls yet.)

Again, the defense plays reasonably well, forcing 2 turnovers, holding Utah to 310 total yards, 4-20 3rd down conversions and 0-1 on 4th, 2 turnovers and only 15-48 passing. The offense continues to struggle on the ground, rushing 32 times for 70 yards and a fumble, while Froman inefficiently (14-41!!) throws for a bunch of yards (215 to be exact). Third down conversions (7-19, 36%) and fourth down conversions (0-3) continue to haunt, and a frustrating series of empty red zone trips (6 trips with only 10 points to show for it) all were bad indicators, but what really sealed it were the 5 turnovers, 4 of which were INTs. Again, all were thrown by Froman. Realistically, you'd hope that Krag would pull him for Burke at this point but maybe this game knows TOO much. I shudder to think, but 34% passing, 2 TDs and 4 INTs, including the 2nd game-losing TAINT in 2 weeks, would seemingly be enough to get a guy benched, no?

The simulation seems to get one thing right: Vic is clearly our best player, rushing for 89 yards on 15 attempts (a 5.9 YPC average that will be cited by many fans in the next week on ITV, if the servers haven't exploded) and 4 catches for 79 yards receiving, with 1 TD each rushing/receiving. Pretty good game there, Vic. Beaumont also has a good game - 8 catches for 104 yards and a TD. Defensively, Jon Dempsey leads the way with 12 tackles (3 for loss) 1 INT and 1 sack, half of the team's total in both categories. Johnny Patrick gets his 2nd INT in as many games, although I think the game is vastly overestimating our team's ability to pick off passes.

Overall, another frustrating loss, and the pressure mounts on the Koach. You have to think that Froman would be on the bench by this point in the season, and you'd think we would run the ball more since our best player is our RB. Regardless, UofL limps home with a 1-2 record and a very, very unhappy fanbase. For the record, Conrad Thomas had no pancakes.

Game 4 (1-2, 0-0 Big East) - Pittsburgh @ Louisville

The real season starts this week, Imaginary Kragthorpe tells the Imaginary Fans through the Imaginary Press. We can still get to a BCS bowl if we win the rest of our games. We've just got to get better. And all that.

Well, surprise, whatever Kragthorpe does during the week works! The Cards sprint out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter of their first Big East game on the strength of a Vic Anderson 2-yard run and a Beaumont (making up for lost time scoring TDs) 6-yard reception from Adam "~~Sausage~~ TAINT King" Froman. Pitt gets on the board in the 2nd quarter with a field goal, but the Cards do the rest of the scoring: 4 yard Vic run, 30 yard field goal (I'll believe it when I see it) and a Bilal Powell sighting for a short TD run in the 3rd quarter. There was much rejoicing as the Cards, for only the second time in their history, start Big East play 1-0 (look it up!) with a 31-3 win over Pitt. I know, I don't believe it either.

As the score indicates, the Cards basically dominated from start to finish. 390 total yards to 241 for Pitt (although Pitt outgained us on the ground 107-101). Froman got better on the completions, 21-35 with, critically, just 1 INT. 2-4 on 4th down conversions helped keep things moving at critical times (I guess) while 7-19 (36%) on 3rd down still leaves some room for improvement. A 100% conversion rate in the red zone (4 TDs, 1 FG) really makes a difference as well, but at the end of the day, Froman throwing just 1 INT with 289 passing yards on 60% completions, combined with another solid effort from the defense, earned the Cards the victory.

Justin Burke sees his first action, likely in the 4th Quarter, and goes 2-5 for 20 yards. Vic gets over the century mark with 104 yards on 20 carries, scoring 2 TDs and adding 2 catches for 22 more yards for another all-around exceptional performance. Beaumont continues his fine season with 9 catches for 158 yards, 1 TD and a 66-yard reception which no doubt was darned exciting. Dempsey and William Savoy tied for the most tackles (6), TFLs (2), sacks (1) and deflections (1 - I'm serious, they have that stat on here), and Chris Campa recorded a forced fumble, which was recovered by Chaz Thompson.

So with that, the Cards even up the record at 2-2 and start Big East play with a eye-opening win. Pitt would go on to a disappointing season, finishing 6-6 (3-4) and paying off those who chose "Stache" on the "who gets fired first, Kragthorpe or Wannstache" bet. Importantly, and I know you were curious, Conrad Thomas had nary a pancake.

Hope you enjoyed the first four games of the season and have learned a little something about yourself and Adam Froman. A summary of games 5-8 will be posted reasonably soon. Until then, remember, this is just a simulation. Actual results may vary. Likely a lot.

Kentucky Football: A Look Down the Schedule, Part 1 -- The Non-conference Opponents

Truzenzuzex — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:48:47 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

UK sure is going to miss this guy. Oh, uh... This is Jeremy Jarmon, by the way.

Browse more photos »

While basketball is the bread and butter of all UK fans, there comes a time when we need to begin focusing a bit on football. Prognostications about the upcoming season have been all over the place, and understandably so when returning such an anemic offense, and losing several defensive stalwarts. But in spite of that, looks very much to be in the same position as they were last year, with perhaps just enough seasoning on the offensive side to perform better.

Today, we'll be taking a look at the non-conference schedule. For Kentucky, this is typically the "easy" part of the schedule, and deliberately so because the conference schedule is so brutally tough. Last year, UK had four non-conference opponents in a row before beginning the SEC schedule. This year, UK gets only two.

So let's have a look at the schedule, highlighting the non-conference teams:

Date	Opponent	oConf
9/5/09	vs Miami (OH)	Mid-American
9/12/09	open
9/19/09	Louisville	Big East
9/26/09	Florida	SEC
10/3/09	Alabama	SEC
10/10/09	at South Carolina	SEC
10/17/09	at Auburn	SEC
10/24/09	Louisiana-Monroe	Sun Belt
10/31/09	Mississippi State	SEC
11/7/09	Eastern Kentucky	Ohio Valley
11/14/09	at Vanderbilt	SEC
11/21/09	at Georgia	SEC
11/28/09	Tennessee	SEC

So how does this OOC schedule compare to last year? It is somewhat more difficult, but once again we wind up with FCS Eastern Kentucky on the schedule, something that's sure to bring snorts of derision from Georgia and South Carolina fans, among others. Nevertheless, that's what we have.

Now, let's take a look at each of our out-of-conference opponents and see what they have to offer this year.

Miami (OH)

Last year's record: 1-7 (Conf) 2-10 (overall)
Last year's Strength of Schedule: 42.56
Significant wins -- None. Miami managed to defeat only an FCS opponent and one conference opponent, Bowling Green, who was a .500 team both in conference and overall
Likely outcome -- Miami is still in the rebuilding mode, and even though their non-conference slate is more forgiving than last year, it's hard to see them having a winning season in the MAC. The Miami defense was beyond weak later last season, and it would take a major breakdown for UK not to win this game going away.

Louisville

Last year's record: 1-6 (Conf) 5-7 (overall)
Las year's Strength of Schedule: 45.46
Significant wins -- South Florida (8-5) at home.
Likely outcome -- Louisville is hard to figure this year, but they have problems on paper. A new quarterback, a new defensive coordinator and some significant losses on the offensive line could hurt them, although the line does have experienced backups moving into starting spots. The linebacking corps, a major concern at the beginning of last year turned out OK, and they are back intact. Victor Anderson is a capable tailback, and Doug Beaumont and Josh Chichester return at wideout.

UK gets Louisville in Commonwealth Stadium, and although this one is far from a lock, UK looks to be in solid shape to take the third game in a row for the Cardinals, probably sealing Kragthorpe's fate in the process.

Louisiana-Monroe

Last year's record: 3-4 (Conf) 4-8 (overall)
Last year's Strength of Schedule: 36.19
Significant wins -- Troy. The Trojans are perennially the best team in the Sun Belt, and Louisiana-Monroe managed to beat them at home last year.
Likely outcome -- The Warhawks figure to be better than they were last year if first-year starting quarterback Trey Revel is able to deliver on some of his promise. ULM should have a solid running attack and a very good secondary, while their defensive line is suspect, and their passing attack is an unknown.

UK should be able to handle the Warkhawks, but they are capable of giving UK some trouble if Kentucky does not prepare well or is beat up after their two-game road swing through South Carolina and Auburn. This is a bit of a danger game for UK for that reason.

Eastern Kentucky

Last year's record: 7-1 (Conf) 8-4 (overall)
Last year's Strength of Schedule: 25.95
Significant wins -- EKU had two wins over FCS teams with a winning record last year.
Eastern is not a bad FCS team, but they are unlikely to beat Kentucky in Commonwealth Stadium. Western, whom Kentucky beat last year and who only manage two wins, defeated Eastern easily 37-13. The only other FBS school they played also handed them a lopsided loss. Anything other than a 20+ point win by UK would be considered a major upset.

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 38, Kansas State 29

Mike Rutherford — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:28:13 -0000

We'll move quickly since this game is already five days old and Larry Taylor Depreciation Week appears to be in full swing.

This is as excited as I've been about Louisville football since the first offensive drive/play of last year's Murray State game. If the last two weeks have proven anything it's that the effort level is going to be there week in and week out, and that there is a decided dedication to improving the execution. After the Kentucky debacle, this is all any of us could have hoped for.

It would still take something resembling a miracle for this team to have a legit crack at the BCS once mid-November rolls around, but honestly, what team in the Big East terrifies you right now? What team in the Big East do you know beyond the shadow of a doubt would have beaten the Cardinals last Wednesday?

If Connecticut is toppled on Friday then we're all allowed to at least entertain crazy thoughts for a couple of weeks, and that's something to get excited about.

I'm not driving it, but I'm officially on the Vic Anderson bandwagon.

All spring and summer we heard about Vic's speed, but what's been amazing to me is how many times we've seen him lower the boom on potential tacklers in the first three games. It's safe to say that the kid can leg press more than I can.

Another fine, fine game from Hunter Cantwell, but now he has to prove he can do it against a 4-3 defense stacked with talented linebackers. Hunter's been able to sit back and pick apart 3-4 sets for the past two weeks, but Lutrus, Wilson and company aren't going to allow him that luxury Friday night. Robert Vaughn and Darius Butler are also two of the better defensive backs the Cards will see from here on out. Overall, this will be a fantastic test of just how far this offense has come since Kentucky.

Doug Beaumont: when this is all over, let's go somewhere warm and sandy together.

Josh Chichester is still very much a work in progress, which means we're going to have to take the good with the bad for the foreseeable future. The great news is that the good has far outshone the bad to this point.

Even though I think the time for the Tim Dougherty placekicking era to commence is upon us, it's pretty obvious that Chris Philpott is still in possession of a stronger leg and I'd like to see him remain the man on kickoffs.

I love deferring after winning the coin toss, and I hope it becomes a trend. Delayed gratification is the shit.

One of the most positive things I saw on Wednesday was Latarrius Thomas and Bobby Buchanan kneeling next to Richard Raglin when he went down with the wrist injury in the second half. It was just one of those little things that last season was so devoid of.

Speaking of Buchanan, I love the way he's stepped up and embraced the leadership role in his senior season. Even though he's had his fair share of bad moments over the course of his college career, and even though he and Thomas were again the main culprits on Kansas State's four biggest offensive plays, it's impossible not to root extra hard for someone who cares about his team and his program as much as No. 34 does.

Major props need to be hurled in the direction of Greg Tomczyk and Josh Byrom, who made it possible for thousands of fans to have no idea that George Bussey and Mark Wetterer were out with injuries.

Whatever wasn't clicking with Woodny Turenne a year ago certainly seems to have been rectified. Good things happen when you're talented and in the place you're supposed to be.

Let's go ahead and up the amount of practice time devoted to special teams by about eight hours this week.

I think it's safe to say that Bilal Powell is still at his best when he's forced to improvise, a fact which is a bit more discouraging than it was when he was a true freshman. Still, I remain bullish on his potential and think he needs to see at least ten touches a game for this team to have the best chance to reach its ceiling.

The crowd was tremendous for the first three quarters of the game, but it was sort of depressing to see so many empty seats as the Cards closed things out. On the other hand, you can't schedule a Wednesday night game and then be upset when people with families and 8-5 jobs choose not to stay at the stadium until 11:45. It's just the way it is.

Even though it came at the expense of my favorite team, it did bring me at least a little bit of pleasure to watch someone three inches shorter and 25 pounds lighter than myself tear it up in a major college football game.

Black jerseys > red jerseys

Zack Stoudt jersey > Art Carmody jersey

Art Carmody > any other football player to ever put on pads

Raise your hand if you wish the fake dive, pitch to Vic had been put in the playbook a month ago.

Being friends with Brock Bolen and Joe Tronzo is basically a free pass to look at or talk to anyone however you want on Saturday nights.

The inconsistent Mo Mitchell of yesteryear appears to have graduated a year early. Mitchell has been playing inspired football since the first snap of the Kentucky game, and has become the force off the edge that the defense lacked in '07.

No one on the team talks more than L.D. Scott. Focusing on him for a couple of plays every game is hilarious.

It was great to see Daniel Covington flying around the field and bringing the lumber on multiple plays, especially since it appears the secondary is going to be without Richard Raglin for at least a couple of games.

Dan - of having his U of L hat thrown on the ground by a girl outside a bar in Charlotte fame - called the Kansas State fake punt and was justified moments after his dad and I ripped the prediction for a solid 15 seconds. For the record, it was an awful call and we should had the up man who took the snap behind the line.

I'm going to go ahead and give the Card Chronicle seal of approval to the Jeff Brohm moving back upstairs decision.

I really, really want to win on Friday just so the seeds of insanely irrational objectivity can be planted.

Larry Taylor sucks.

SB Nation - Doug Beaumont

Louisville 21, Arkansas State 13

The Good, The Bad, And The Kragtastic

The Good

The Bad

The Kragtastic

Kentucky vs. Louisville -- What Makes Me Confident, and What Makes Me Nervous

Confident

Nervous

Confident

Nervous

Confident

Nervous

Confident

Nervous

Kentucky vs. Louisville: No Excuses Edition

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Told You So Edition

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The Daily Schadenfreude

Previewing 2009 Utah Opponents: Louisville Cardinals

Simulated Season Part 1: Cards Off To Rough Start

Kentucky Football: A Look Down the Schedule, Part 1 -- The Non-conference Opponents

Miami (OH)

Louisville

Louisiana-Monroe

Eastern Kentucky

On Syracuse

Louisville 38, Kansas State 29