SB Nation - Bilal Powell

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.

UK - 31 U of L - 27: A Paint-by-Numbers Portrait of How to Make Winning More Difficult Than it Should Be

Ken Howlett — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:31:39 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Randall Cobb doin' what Randall does.

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No, Kentucky didn't lose the football game to Louisville, but they did everything within their power to give the contest away. And along the way, they broke the Cardinal Rules of winning football: The 'Cats turned the ball over in bunches (three in a 7:04 time-span of the third quarter), they committed four 15 yard penalties (one which sustained a U of L drive, another negated an incomplete pass by Burke), and displayed pathetic clock management at a critical juncture of the game.

Commit those sins against any of their eight SEC opponents, and a freshly laid egg will be all UK has to show for their efforts come season's end. I don't mean to take away anything from Louisville's performance -- They played an outstanding game. And if quarterback Justin Burke (15-28-1 for 245 yards and two touchdowns) continues to play as well as he did Saturday, the Cards will win more than they lose -- But, the SEC is an unforgiving league, a league where mistakes are made to be paid for. And Saturday, Kentucky got lucky, not that the 'Cats didn't play well in three of the four quarters, but they should count themselves among the fortunate to come out victorious.

Let's begin our examination with a look at the ...

Clock Mismanagement

Most of us are aware of the clock operator's (now timing the arrival of grizzly bears in northern Alaska) error which occurred at the end of the first half -- With the clock ticking away, Mike Hartline hit Chris Matthews for a 19 yard gain, taking the ball to U of L's five yard line. A false start penalty on UK's next play resulted in the 'Cats being pushed back to the 10 yard line, where UK was facing 2nd & Goal with 15 seconds remaining on the clock. Hartline then passed to Matthews again, this time for no gain, but, the clock never started. Seeing the wisdom of at least attempting to show he knew what he was doing, the clock operator did eventually start the clock (after the play was completed), and the digits began to tick-off (the entire crowd) until it reached 00:00.

Now, one must understand that the official time is kept on the field by a referee. It doesn't matter what the scoreboard clock reads, the official time is kept on the field. This, someone, anyone on UK's football staff should know, and a timeout should have been called. But instead, the official clock (on the field) ticked to zero without UK calling a timeout, or running another play. What's the word I'm looking for? Inexcusable, yeah, that's it.

Folks, that's called taking points off the board. And one never takes points off the board, not if winning is the ultimate goal. And in this case, not just any points, rather, points that would have pushed UK from a 10 point lead, to a more disheartening 17 point lead. Points are points, but some points do more damage.

Speaking of taking points off the board -- U of L coach Steve Kragthorpe did just that in the second quarter: After a nice Louisville drive, Kragthorpe opted to go for the first down on 4th & 1 from the UK 12 yard line. Bilal Powell was stuffed well short of the 11, and UK retained possession. That move more than likely cost the Cards three points (it would have been a 29 yard field goal attempt). Three points, which later (in the 4th quarter), would have meant Louisville only needed a field goal to win, instead of a touchdown.

Also not conducive to providing Wildcat fans fun-filled Saturdays are ...

Third QuarterTurnovers

1. After allowing speedy U of L return specialist Trent Guy to return the second half kickoff 65 yards to the UK 34 yard line, which resulted in a Ryan Payne 23 yard field goal (great defense!), the Wildcats took the ensuing kickoff and promptly fumbled it away -- At 11:29 of the third quarter, Derrick Locke, who played a terrific game (310 all-purpose yards), was simply stripped of the ball by U of L's Terrence Simien. Locke, who carries the ball securely with both hands, was hit low, and his right arm came loose from its grip, and Simien made the play. UK time of possession: :09 seconds.

Locke's fumble gave U of L the ball at the the Kentucky 44 yard line. This time though, the 'Cats were lucky, Payne missed a 28 yard field goal attempt.

2. Following a Randall Cobb six yard run out of the "Wildcat Formation" (the package's only play), and at 9:01 of the third quarter, UK quarterback Mike Hartline threw an interception at the UK 25 yard line. Hartline, who played very well at times (20-27-1 for 178 yards and one touchdown), simply telegraphed his throw. UK time of possession: :52 seconds.

The UK defense, though, would once again come to the aid of their brothers -- After allowing U of L a net zero yards on seven plays, Ryan Payne made a 42 yard field goal.

3. Following-up a Derrick Locke three-yard run, Mike Hartline opted to become an option quarterback, and ran for roughly three yards and politely fumbled. No, there wasn't a spine-tingling hit, nor was he rendered the meat of a Cardinal sandwich. Rather, Hartline paid the high price charged for carelessly carrying the ball.

Those around me in a stunned Commonwealth Stadium voiced their, uh, displeasure in the unusual play call, but I liked the call, because it was unusual -- No one was expecting Hartline to run, and when he fumbled, he was only three yards from a first down. Remember, Hartline came to UK with a reputation of being mobile, but he must remember that his body is his friend; hold the ball close to it! UK time of possession: :26 seconds.

Third Quarter Synopsis

Two fumbles, and an interception ensured the Wildcats possessed the ball for only 1:25 of the third quarter. Add the 65 yard kickoff return of Guy, and the four flaws in UK's performance gave U of L 13 of their 27 points. Not to mention the damage inflicted upon Kentucky's defense by them being on the field for 13:35 of the third quarter.

The third quarter of Saturday's game might not be the worst quarter a UK football team has ever played, but it was ugly enough to notate, and almost cost UK a delicious third straight victory over the Cards.

And finally, the most surprising aspect of the Louisville game ...

The Penalties

UK, normally a very disciplined team as it pertains to receiving yellow flags, committed eight penalties (one was declined) for a loss of 95 yards. Considering U of L was coming off a game in which they committed 14 penalties, this development was one I found most surprising when analyzing this game. The most egregious of the errors:

1st Quarter -- Pass interference on Winston Guy:15 yards. I thought the call was bogus, but regardless, it was a 15 yard penalty that sustained a Cardinal drive. But, the ultimate outcome of the drive was a Louisville punt.
2nd Quarter -- Face mask on Micah Johnson:15 yards. This offense occurred on a U of L incompletion on 1st & 10. In this series, U of L ended up turning the ball over on downs.
4th quarter -- Once again, face mask on Micah Johnson:15 yards. This penalty, along with a Victor Anderson four-yard run, moved the Cards from the UL 40 to the UK 41. Luckily, this U of L drive ended in a UK interception.
4th quarter -- Celebrating with the crowd:15 yards. Give me a break! I realize this rule is to protect the player, but is it taunting? And 15 yards? Okay, if they do the Lambeau leap, hit 'em with a five yard penalty, but not 15. It just seems labeling this penalty a personal foul is a bit over-the-top. The result of the illegal field party was Lones Sieber kicking-off from UK's 20 yard line (he kicked the ball 73 yards to the U of L 12), instead of the 35. Trent Guy returned the kick 28 yards to the Louisville 40 yard line (exceptional field position). Deja vu; the Cardinal drive ended in an interception.

Although the penalties I've listed could have easily resulted in a bevy of Cardinal points, luckily for UK, none of the miscues contributed to Louisville scoring.

Leavin' it behind

A win is a win, but not all wins are created equal, and this one fell flat. But, even though we witnessed more mistakes than we would like, there were some strong performances that are to be commended -- Derrick Locke ran for 72 yards and one touchdown (4.8 yards per carry), caught four passes for 47 yards (11.9 yards per reception), and ran back four kickoffs for a total of 191 yards, including a 100 return for a touchdown: Randall Cobb caught six passes for 71 yards and a touchdown, and proved once again to be one of the most dangerous offensive weapons on the field: Mike Hartline was an excellent 20-27 passing (74.1% completion rate) for 178 yards, and one touchdown. Other than a few errant passes, and one inexcusable fumble, Hartline played a solid game.

Defensively the entire unit deserves kudos, with defensive end DeQuin Evans leading the way with two sacks, and five tackles: Middle linebacker Micah Johnson led the team with eight tackles, and one tackle for loss: Safety Winston Guy played very solid (7.5 tackles) and may be the heir apparent to Trevard Lindley as UK's shut-down defensive back: Linebacker Sam Maxwell played a solid game (oftentimes playing in coverage), he had 6.5 tackles and one large interception: Defensive back Calvin Harrison led the team with two tackles for loss, to go along with five tackles: and defensive lineman Corey Peters (3.5 tackles,one tackle for loss, and one pass break-up) harassed Justin Burke most of the day.

So, now we move forward. The No. 1 team in the country (Florida Gators) pays a visit to the Bluegrass State on Saturday, and the 'Cats must improve just to avoid being embarrassed. Not only must they get better, more importantly, they must remedy the virus that took a strangle-hold grip around their collective necks, resulting in an alarming pattern of self-destruction which nearly cost Kentucky the Governor's Cup. Such nonsense over the next several weeks will, I am afraid, leave the 'Cats without any more lives.

Food for positive thought -- Kentucky would have lost that game five years ago.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

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.

Position advantages: Louisville vs. Kentucky

Mike Rutherford — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:15:09 -0000

I'm a straight shooter. Not a guy who's ever going to beat around the bush.

If I tell you that I'm not in a good mood, leave me be for a couple of hours. If I tell you I'm chucking something at your head, you better grab a helmet. If I tell you you look fantastic in yellow, well, I might be lying because people really seem to take my opinions on appearance to heart and I'm actually more of a "don't want anybody to feel badly about themselves" guy than I am a straight shooter.

But, when significant feelings aren't involved, I'm a straight shooter.

This being the case, I have something to tell you before we begin this exercise: the following is misleading.

When you compare the different units for Louisville and Kentucky, there are areas in which the Cardinals are stronger and areas in which the Wildcats are stronger. The problem that doesn't come through without a disclaimer is that, generally, where UK is stronger, they're a lot stronger and where Louisville is stronger, they're just a little stronger.

Had to say it. Because I'm a straight shooter.

Of course you look great in shorts.

Quarterback

Advantage: KENTUCKY

Mike Hartline may not be leaps and bounds ahead of where he was this time a year ago from a physical standpoint, but his psyche is unrecognizable...you know, if you could psyches had any sort of physical appearance...I''m sorry, that was awful but I'm trying to get stuff posted at a time when people might actually read it.

Hartline is now the unquestioned QB1; no longer looking over his shoulder at Randall Cobb or the pair of blue chip signal callers Rich Brooks signed a year ago. He was the MVP of Kentucky's Liberty Bowl win, a third team preseason All-SEC pick, and he tossed for 222 yards a pair of scores and zero interceptions in the Cats' romp over Miami of Ohio two weeks ago. Put simply, the man is going to be much better than he was in this game a year ago.

Justin Burke, on the other hand, is trying to serve as a pleasant surprise for Cardinal fans who were shown firsthand why Burke couldn't win the starting job at NC State when he struggled to hit open receivers in U of L's remarkably unimpressive victory over Indiana State. Not helping ease the nerves of the Louisville faithful is the fact that this will be Burke's first extended game action against an FBS opponent and his first extended game action of any sort since his senior year of high school.

If he struggles again, then Steve Kragthorpe likely won't hesitate to give still ailing JuCo transfer Adam Froman his shot.

Running Back

Advantage: LOUISVILLE

Kentucky fans have been shaving tenths of seconds off Derrick Locke's 40 time since he arrived on campus. He could be 4th street girls after 3:30 fast and he still wouldn't be the complete package that Victor Anderson is.

This is perhaps the deepest unit both teams con boast. Bilal Powell has as much potential as any ball carrier who will see the field, but there's no telling how he'll react to playing in a game that admittedly rocked his confidence a year ago. Darius Ashley was the talk of practice in both the spring and fall, but he never got off the sidelines against Indiana State and wasn't shy about sharing his disapproval afterward.

After Locke, Joker Phillips can toss Alfonso Smith, Moncell Allen, Coshik Williams or Donald Russell into the game and feel confident. Each carried for at least 30 yards as the Cats rushed for just shy of 250 against the Redhawks.

UK will likely rush for more yards because of the guys they have up front, but I'll still take the backfield horses Kragthorpe has at his disposal if we're talking pure ability.

Offensive Line

Advantage: KENTUCKY

This is the most lopsided victory on the board.

U of L's front five isn't quite as inexperienced as some are making them out to be (of course they'd have more experience if Jeff Adams wasn't inexplicably running with the second team), but their resume pales in comparison with that of their counterparts.

Kentucky has nine returning offensive linemen who have combined to start 91 games in their careers, including tackle Zipp Duncan (27 starts), tackle Justin Jeffries (23), guard Christian Johnson (16), center Jorge Gonzalez (13), guard Jake Lanefski (4), tackle Brad Durham (3), tackle Billy Joe Murphy (3) guard Stuart Hines (1) and center Marcus Davis (1). The Wildcats gave up only 13 quarterback sacks last season and ranked fourth in the nation in fewest sacks allowed per game, and QB Mike Hartline wasn't touched in the season opener.

Perhaps the worst part about all this: all five UK starters are from the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Wide Receiver

Advantage: Louisville

I won't argue that Cobb isn't the most explosive player occupying either roster, because he is. Chris Matthews also has the potential to be a fine player, but there just isn't quite the depth here to outshine the U of L corps.

Scott Long has all the natural ability in the world as well as a top-notch work ethic to compliment it, but luck has just never been on his side. He was stuck behind two of the best U of L has ever seen at the position, then he got hurt, then he got hurt again, and now in his senior year it looks like he might not have a signal caller capable of hitting him when he's open. Also bad luck: having to line up opposite Trevard Lindley.

Doug Beaumont broke out in the Kentucky game last year and has been as solid as anyone who hasn't tasted the endzone can be since then. Trent Guy, Josh Chichester and Troy Pascley are all also guys with significant experience.

Tight End

Advantage: KENTUCKY

Ross Bogue made his first career start against Miami, but it's fellow seniors T.C. Drake and Maurice Grinter who provide the biggest reason for the advantage. Drake, who caught 12 passes for 204 yards a season ago, was named to the John Mackey Award (nation's top tight end) watch list before the season.

Cameron Graham caught three passes for 43 yards in his first start as a Cardinal, but there's no telling how much playing time he'll get as last year's starter Pete Nochta and redshirt freshman Nate Nord recover from injuries.

Defensive Line

Advantage: KENTUCKY

Jeremy Jarmon's absence makes this gap much smaller than it would have been otherwise, but Corey Peters is still around and heads a unit that should match up well with Louisville's offensive line. The ends are extremely inexperienced, but always empathetic Ricky Lumpkin saw extended action at tackle in each of the past two seasons and rightfully maintains the mindset of a multi-year starter.

Louisville's front four has a slight advantage when it comes to experience, but no one is still positive why L.T. Walker, Joe Townsend, Tim High and Tyler Jessen were held out of the Indiana State game. Greg Scruggs, Will Savoy and Rodney Gnat provide great depth at end.

The Wildcat advantage here isn't nearly as sizable as some are making it out to be and that's one of the only reasons I'm holding out a bit of hope.

Linebackers

Advantage: KENTUCKY

Louisville's JuCo transfers in the middle were arguably the most pleasant surprise of the '08 season, but UK still has Micah Johnson. Sam Maxwell and speedy sophomore Danny Trevathan may not be top-tier SEC calibre, but they're still awfully good.

Jon Dempsey is proving every game that his play is not a fluke, as is fellow JuCo transfer Antwon Canady. Brandon Heath is undersized, but his speed will be relied upon heavily when Kentucky busts out its Wildcat formation.

Secondary

UK boasts the top NFL prospect on either team in Lindley, who is more than enough to provide the Cats with the advantage over Louisville's woeful secondary. Johnny Patrick is good, but he can't cover everybody.

Yes, I'm rushing.

Special Teams

Advantage: KENTUCKY

Both teams appear very sketchy at the moment, but the track record of Cardinal special teams during the Steve Kragthorpe era keeps U of L from claiming a small victory.

I love Art Carmody.

Conclusion

On paper, it doesn't look good. But then again, neither do boogers. And you wouldn't eat boogers, would you?

Go Cards!

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!

BKAC: Safeties

CardsFan922 — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 02:20:52 -0000

Until I heard about Rock Buckles, the new Cardinal I was most excited about based on nickname alone was footballa' Richard "Champ" Lee. So where better to take the next installment of Better Know a Cardinal than the fellas responsible for the deep ball, the safeties.

Richard "Champ" Lee #31

One of the few recruits to migrate north from Florida, Champ Lee is a 6'0", 190 LB safety from Lake Gibson HS in Lakeland. He is both a 2-star and 3-star prospect, according to Scout, and has committed to us twice. I think that makes him the second most interesting man in the world. At any rate, besides the name and the combined 5-star status, Lee is someone who bears watching. He runs a 4.5 40-yard dash and picked us over WVU and some lesser institutions. And, of course, he is Bilal Powell's cousin, which is worth some awesome points.

He's rated the 100th best Safety prospect in the country according to Scout. He was on the Florida Sports Writers Association All State (3rd Team) for division 5A, which in Florida is a pretty big deal. We are pretty thin in the secondary: we have Richard Raglin returning from injury, Daniel Covington....being Daniel Covington, two JUCOs who barely played last year despite an outstanding season NCAA 2009 campaign last August (Justin Mathews and Josh Wiley), and Chaz Thompson, who I was hearing good things about in 2006. Apparently he's been converted to safety. Anyway, don't be surprised to see #31 playing some on kick-off coverage and being the first guy to replace an injured starter midway through the season.

via media.scout.com

Shenard Holton #14

One of the first commits of the 2009 class was Shenard Holton, a 6'1'', 195 lb safety out of Bowling Green's Warren East. A 2-star prospect according to Scout, with a 4.5 40 and an offer from Ball State, Holton generated a bit of a buzz on ITV when he committed. A 4-year starter who, according to Demling, was contacted by Auburn and Nebraska, Holton stuck with the Cards despite being one of the "elite" players in the state. He played both LB and RB in high school but as early as Feb. 2008 was projecting as a safety in college.

This video is AWESOME. Trust me. Big hits, nice runs, choppy playback that may induce vertigo, and the music, my god the music. Bravo, duffjr.

Shenard Holton 2007 Football Highlight (via duffjr)

Anyway, Holton shows off some nice moves and there were a couple monster hits, although I admit I did not watch it all the way through. One the music stops it is not quite the same. But at like 7:55 it looks like he just takes the ball away from the RB and runs it back for a TD. That's pretty badass.

via profile.ak.fbcdn.net Sucks to be that guy.

Upon his commitment, Demling quoted his coach as saying, "U of L is getting a hard-hitting, charismatic young man who possesses intangible instincts for the game of football. He is highly aggressive, physical and plays the game with a nasty streak." I like the sound of that. The bigger schools backed off, apparently, and he only took visits to the Belkap campus and Miami...no, not that one....the other one....but overall seems like a good pick up, and, more importantly, an in-state recruit who will be wearing red.

Either Holton or Lee should red shirt, because it wouldn't make sense to burn both their red shirt years. But that doesn't mean it won't happen.

Isaac Geffrad #3

The most controversial recruit in the BKAC series, Isaac "Don't Call Me Jacob OR Geffard and no, Google, I did not mean Isaac Geffard" Geffrad, is a 6'2", 190 pound (or 6'3" 186 pound) 2-star out of Oakland Park, Florida. His twin brother, who is listed as the same size, is slated to be a linebacker, so I guess it will be easier to tell them apart after 3 years of carbo-loading.

A four-year starter and captain his senior year, he was voted 1st team all county by the Sun-Sentinel and 2nd team all county by the Miami Herald. Every Florida honor like that would seem to be worth another half star, if Scout gave those sorts of things out. Rivals rates him a three star, which may be a combination of the honors and the shirt:

via vmedia.rivals.com

Geffrad chose the Cards over Minnesota, Iowa State (Chizek is a recruiter and defensive guru, remember) and both Florida Atlantic and Florida International (Howard knows talent), so he is a bright spot in the class. Miami showed interest.

Isaac is very fast and competed in track in Florida, running a 10.7 100 yard dash. Again, not sure why he is slated as a Safety while his brother projects as linebacker but don't be surprised to see both of them on the outside in 2-3 years.

Hakeem Smith #8

Finally, an "unheralded" "sleeper" 2-star out of Riverdale, GA, Hakeem Smith is a 6'1", 180 pounder who the coaches believe can be an impact player, according to Scout. Primarily a blocking WR on a run-oriented team (which shows dedication and an apparent proclivity for hitting people), Smith's strengths (per Scouts) include "Coverage Awareness", "Jamming Ability" and "Toughness", but he needs to work on his "Closing Speed", "Recovering Ability", and "Size", so it seems like maybe he would be better as a CB? No word on his hips.

While Scout doesn't list any competitors for his services, Rivals says there was some interest from/in Vandy and UVa, and since both schools enjoy rankings higher in the US News poll than the ESPN poll, I would imagine there's only a small chance he won't qualify. Apparently we were his first offer and he committed right then and there, so he knows how to make a decision and stick with it. That has to translate to the field somehow. His coach says he's a big hitter and a natural talent who will get better as he gets bigger.

ESPN.com evaluated him mainly as a WR and says that Hakeem "is a very solid skilled athlete tht should be a major contributor at the next level", once the coaches figure out a position for him. It looks like Safety is where they will start.

All in all, these guys seem like they have potential to be long-term contributors. Hopefully they aren't rushed into the rotation, although because we just have 5 returning safeties, we are often in 5-DB sets and injuries are unavoidable, I imagine we will see at least 1 of them if both Holton and Champ Lee sooner rather than later.

'Cuse links

Mike Rutherford — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:24:50 -0000

Let's hit it.

This preview from Syracuse.com is about as solid as anything you'll find on the Internet.

The Three Idiots weigh in with their game predictions, and they don't have a lot of faith in the home team.

This is a full weekend. Friday night I'm taking ChampBaby trick or treating, Saturday going to the Cuse-Louisville game, and on Sunday traveling to Albany to take my son to a Wiggles concert. Thanks to Greg Robinson, this weekend's game ranks a very distant third on the list of things I want to do. Yes Greg, even the Wiggles kick your ass.

There used to be no better feeling than going to a big night game at the Dome. Miami, VaTech, Michigan, and the post 9/11 Auburn game all bring back great memories. The electricity of a packed house made the Dome no better place to be. For all 13,000 attendees, you'll witness Louisville avenge the "How in the World Did We Just Lose That Game" loss from last year.

Final

Birds 37
Orange 10

Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician - sans proprietor Sean Keeley - isn't feeling any more confident.

Donnie Webb lets us know that junior Cam Dantley will definitely be the starting quarterback tomorrow night, despite a less-than-stellar performance against South Florida and despite the fact that Andrew Robinson tossed for a gazillion (number) yards last year against the Cards. Webb also says that backup tailback Delone Carter is good to go after missing the last four games with a pulled hamstring.

Cardinal Empire takes yet another thorough look behind enemy lines.

Tom Heiser hasn't forgotten last year's debacle, but sees no reason why things shouldn't be drastically different almost 14 months later.

The post-Petrino malaise set in with a vengance and is just now beginning to slip into remission. So there can be no bubbly palaver about upsetting South Florida and controlling our BCS destiny without exorcising the Orange demon (who may in fact take the shape of that fuzzy blob running around the dome). U of L is a more reasonable 14-point favorite on the road, and there's no reason that the spread won't be covered or bested.

Syracuse is dreadful. They're 1-6 with a 30-21 victory over Northeastern serving as, what some are predicting, 2008's lone triumph. The fan base has been clamouring for head coach Greg Robinson's head for two years and spends boundless energy speculating about the possibility of landing ex-Raider coach Lane Kiffin. Why not? What's there to enjoy in a team that generates a mere 17.7 points and 287 yards per game? U of L has to focus on running back Curtis Brinkley, who's run for 733 yards and four touchdowns -- including 100 against South Florida. Through the air, Andrew Robinson's days of thunder have fizzled. He's on the bench in favor of 80s NBA star Adrian Danley's son Cameron, who's thrown for just 882 yards and seven scores against three interceptions. Defensively the 'Cuse is foe-friendly, watching teams score nearly 35 points per game and run up 438.1 total yards. The U of L rushing attack should be giddy at the prospect of facing a rush defense that's been battered to the tune of 212 yards per game on the ground. (Note to coaching staff: keep the oxygen tanks at hand for Bolen, Anderson, Powell and any others who may get in on the act.)

Card Game reminds us that the receiving corps was having a productive season before the now inactive Scott Long returned three weeks ago.

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.

Connecticut 26, Louisville 21

Mike Rutherford — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:34:49 -0000

Sigh. The weekend's over, it's time to face this one.

If I said "I don't understand how we just lost that game" - or some slight variation - one time Friday night, I said it 20 times. Three days later I still have no handle on how it happened. Of course this is what fans of UConn victims have been saying for the past two years.

It's not a debate anymore, Vic Anderson is the real deal. If I could have frozen time the moment he caught the dump pass from Cantwell near the end of the first half, I would have put the odds of him getting into the endzone at no better than 10:1. He has the potential to be very special.

I have my doubts over whether or not a quarterback unable to move well enough to make a simple handoff should be taking snaps with the game on the line, but I suppose you have to listen to a senior leader when he says he can go. Bum ankle or not, there's no excuse for Hunter making that throw, especially given the amount of time he had.

Josh Chichester's good is still outweighing his bad, but both are unquestionably present. Cantwell was definitely too keyed in on the big man after the first quarter, a habit which likely cost us six points when he missed a wide open Brock Bolen down the right sideline.

Awesome to see Bilal finally break out. The prospects of an Anderson/Powell backfield for the next two seasons might be the biggest thing this program has going for it.

Penalties absolutely killed us. Earl Heyman's questionable roughing the passer led to a Husky score, Abdul Kuyateh's second false start turned a crucial 3rd and 2 into a 3rd and 7, and I'm pretty sure at least one of the 52 not enough men on the line of scrimmage infractions was costly. The final tally shows just seven flags for 60 yards, but the severity of almost all of them made it feel like much more.

Donald Brown is a future pro, and he deserves more Heisman pub than he's receiving.

I don't understand how the secondary continually allows the middle of the field to exist uncovered. I realize that English was bringing Thomas or Buchanan up to help out against the run, but there were three or four plays where the Connecticut receiver camping out between the hashes didn't have a defender within ten yards of him. That just can't happen.

Me thinks Zach Frazer was the better option at QB for UConn all along. If he can keep opposing secondaries at least semi-honest, then this could be a team the nation sees being blown out in a BCS game.

I'm going to go ahead and step up and take a solid chunk of the blame for this one. I left the hat I'd worn for the Tennessee Tech and Kansas State games over at a friend's house a couple of weekends ago, and ended up being forced to go with my number two. I was worried about this from the day's outset, and I think it's safe to say that my fears were confirmed.

I don't blame you, Stoudt.

It's not really his fault, but the ten minutes of cliche after cliche being hurled in a monotone voice that is the Steve Kragthorpe postgame interview is almost impossible to take after a loss like Friday's. A tipsy friend in the backseat of our car hopelessly said, "I can't take it, turn it off" at least three times while Krags was busy delivering the script any one of us could prepare at this point.

The three fourth-down attempts blew my mind. I realize that Dougherty still isn't 100%, but how are we ever going to know what his ceiling is if we never trot him out there? Kragthorpe said the wind was the biggest factor in each of the decisions, but the wind was at U of L's back the third time. Making the move even less understandable is the fact that Cantwell had just left the game, and the only other option besides trying the 42 or 43 yarder was apparently a draw play on 4th and six. Opting not to take three hurt us badly in a couple of games last year (hey, Syracuse), and it might have cost us the game Friday night.

Being removed of placekicking duties did not help Chris Philpott on kickoffs. Desi Cullen, on the other hand, was a huge weapon for the Huskies. Wonder where the hell they found him.

Doug Beaumont: still awesome.

It's not an original complaint, but I had some serious issues with the music on Friday. Playing nothing for five minutes and then blasting the beginning of a song for three seconds before play resumes is frustrating, as is the choice of "Highway to the Dangerzone" in the moments leading up to the biggest offensive play of the game. Full blame for that interception goes to Loggins.

I came scary close to throwing my second-string hat when the deadball timeout was called.

The play worked, but I don't understand not using a lead-blocker on third and short, especially one as capable as Joe Tronzo.

Hope that joint was great, Matt.

Dexter Heyman may have made the most impressive defensive play of the season thus far when he came flying out of nowhere to keep Donald Brown from getting the corner and prancing into the endzone. When I saw the play developing, I didn't think there was any way one of our guys was going to be able to get there.

Chris Campa also deserves a shout-out for flying around the field and throwing some weight around all night. Sans a bad offsides penalty, Mo Mitchell was another standout.

Serious question: was Anderson's return to the 25 after he botched the initial catch the longest kick return we've had all season? I can't remember any better.

The Connecticut player waving bye to the crowd and doing the international sign for "shh" after Cantwell's last interception is almost less cool than Larry Taylor. Almost.

A bye week, and then at Memphis on a Friday night followed by a Saturday home game against Middle Tennessee. The city's not exactly going to be buzzing for the first 3/4 of October...hopefully, I suppose.

508-279. Son of a bitch.

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.