SB Nation - Scott Long

Quick thoughts on Cincinnati, Kragthorpe and the remainder of the '09 season

Mike Rutherford — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:08:26 -0000

I've mentioned the numb feeling I have regarding the Louisville football program multiple times over the course of this season. It's the reason behind the lack of stimulating (or at least wordy) postgame and pregame blather on this site.

I still care and I still want the Cards to win every time they take the field, it's just that now, with rare exception, I expect them to lose and am not surprised in the least when they lose by a lot.

That's really all I can say. This sucks.

I caught a little bit of the press conference yesterday and Steve Kragthorpe is the happiest head coach who hasn't won a conference game in over a year ever. I suppose it's just that he's come to terms with the fact that he's done here and that the Derby City is never going to view him in a particularly positive light.

Or maybe he's thinking about the fact that he's being paid more than a million dollars to do a job he's been consistently terrible at for 36 months. I'd probably smile and tell jokes in situations where it seems ridiculous too.

I'm being 100% serious when I say this: my biggest focus for the rest of the season is keeping people healthy for next year.

The whole "Vic isn't healthy enough to start but he's healthy enough to play sparingly" thing is maddening. It won't happen, but the best thing for the program is probably for No. 20 to be shelved for the rest of the season. Darius Ashley's talent is becoming evident, Bilal Powell is playing hard: go ahead and protect your best player so that he can be used by a coach with at least some degree of competence.

I know how much he loves Louisville and how much Louisville loves him, but I wish I could go back in time six years and tell Scott Long to go play college ball somewhere else. No one deserves what's happened here less than he does.

Can you name one player who looks like he's gotten better over the course of the season?

I had a former player tell me after taking in a practice this spring that this team "really wasn't all that far behind the Orange Bowl team in terms of talent," but that the difference was none of these guys were going to improve under this staff. I'm not sure how much I agree with the first part of the statement, but the second definitely appears to be spot on.

Our ninth reason to be excited about the 2009 season was having a game on Halloween. While what's taking place on the field Saturday is likely to be less than appealing, the show in the stands should be interesting.

The folks at Bag Krag are attempting to "set the Guinness World Record for Bagging Krag," and they're apparently receiving a healthy amount of support.

We’re going to have complimentary paper bags and, in the spirit of Halloween, plenty of markers and accessories to decorate your bag. Don’t miss this opportunity to be a part of world history

There will be more details to come as the week progresses. In the meantime, please continue Bagging Krag and filling our inbox with photos.

The folks at Inside the Cards are also in on the act, and justify it here.

The "I was hoping Tony Pike would play" comment was unbelievably ridiculous, and Eric Crawford did a terrific job of addressing it yesterday.

If Steve Kragthorpe were retained for another season, I'd set the over/under of the subsequent Zack Stoudt transfer announcement at 30 seconds.

I don't understand Kragthorpe's animosity towards Brian Kelly. Is this really still because some of his players prayed around the Cardinal logo last year? Or because they were hired at the same time and Kelly has won about 73 more Big East games?

Has there ever been a head coach who's been so consistently awful with timeouts? It's borderline amazing. I really do think the man is just completely overwhelmed during games.

We are currently just a four-point favorite for a home game against a 2-4 Arkansas State team. Let that sink in for a second. Three years ago at this time we were an undefeated month away from playing for the national championship.

How in the hell did this happen?

Louisville wins a football game

Mike Rutherford — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:47:49 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

2 months ago: Louisville kicker Ryan Payne celebrates with Louisville's Cory Goettsche after kicking the game-winning field goal to beat Southern Mississippi 25-23 in their NCAA college football game against Southern Mississippi in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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There's no part of me that wasn't happy that we won on Saturday night. The players on this team have dealt with a college career's worth of controversy in about two months, and they more than deserved to taste victory in front of their home crowd.

Still, it took a last-second field goal to beat a below average team from a below average conference playing without their starting quarterback in a game played at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. I'm just saying...not exactly a call to roll out the "we can still win the Big East" schtick.

Goettsche, Payne and Rock Keys in the same photo: hello background.

Couldn't feel better for Scott Long. Anyone who's watched him with even moderate closeness is aware of his talent, and it's nice to see him finally compile some numbers that might turn a few heads nationally.

The man has everything necessary to play in the league.

How aweseme is Vic Anderson? Seriously. Not only does he fly over people for touchdowns and make one-handed snags out of the backfield, but you really get the sense that he cares about winning and the U of L program as much as anyone who's ever played here.

No. 20 deserves a postseason before he gets paid to play the game.

I can see why the team and coaching staff sort of rallied around Froman in the preseason. He's a tremendous leader and really does come off as a guy whose sole interest at Louisville is seeing his team win.

Still, if he's the guy then the offense needs to be catered even more to his strengths (rushing, short passes) and away from his weaknesses (throws more than 25 yards downfield). He simply doesn't have the arm to make the throws we're used to seeing Louisvill quarterbacks make and letting him take shots down the field is going to kill us against teams with decent secondaries.

The Long bomb and Payne's game-winner were obviously the two most noteworthy plays of the game, but the moment that really seemed to energize the squad and turn the tide was Bilal Powell's 15-yard touchdown run to open the scoring in the second half. Louisville had to take advantage of Southern Miss' porous run defense to win, and Powell contributed his best effort of the season to help take a bit of the load off Anderson.

More like Byron Holdily. Am I right???

Trent Guy probably had a thousand people tell him that he was going to help win a game for his team after the fumble against Kentucky, and it's awesome to see that pick-me-up come to fruition.

L.D. Scott, Johnny Patrick, Chris Campa...yes.

I hate Larry Taylor, I hate the guy that shushed the crowd last year at PJCS, and I don't care for Geno Auriemma.

Beat UConn.

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?

Official Game Prediction Thread

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

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

3) We have a +3 or sack margin.

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

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

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

Final Score: Kentucky 38 - 21 Louisville

Anderson / Total Rush Yards: 54 / 95

Kentucky Rushing Yards: 127

Scott Long: 1 TD

Best UofL Defensive Game: Johnny Patrick

Biggest Hit: Brandon Heath

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

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

Rock Keys: Sadly, no.

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

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

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

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!

CardsFan922's Unsolicited Rambling 2009 Season Preview Thinkpiece

CardsFan922 — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 02:30:08 -0000

I am less excited about this college football season than any I can remember. Even last year, when expectations were extremely low, I was at least excited about Saturdays parked on the couch half-watching the noon games, really getting into the 3:30 games, engaging in some perfunctory life activities and then topping it off with a great Saturday night football game or three.

This routine really began in 2004. With our rise into the national conversation, I have become more and more of a true fan of college football. Growing up I was into it, and when I lived in SEC country for 2 years after college I couldn't help but follow college football closely. But it always seemed like the polls, the big games every week, the stars hyped by ESPN and the games featured during the first half hour of GameDay were a different sport than what we played. There was the college football universe, and there was UofL football, and rarely the twain did meet.

That all changed in 2005, when no less a venerable media source than the New York Times picked the Cards to be in the BCS Championship game against Michigan. That was a disappointing season, but still saw the Cards in their first New Year's bowl game since 1991. And we were in the conversation, a part of the college football universe.

Of course, everything changed in 2006. I don't want to or need to wax nostalgic for too many words about that season, because everyone has their own favorite memories and heartbreak stories about what they did before, during and after the Rutgers game, or exactly what they said the moment after Michael Bush went down. Also, don't forget Mario's stiff-arm.

But the 2006 season was important because, for most of the season and especially those two weeks in late October and early November, the Cards were the biggest story in college football. Every game I watched that season, I would root for or against a team based only on how it would affect our team's chances to play in the BCS title game. We would study the polls like they were the Talmud and email about them every week. And, unlike earlier seasons and basketball where it rarely really mattered, the beauty and awfulness of college football is that every game DID count, and every game DID affect us. I even was ok with UK winning (although I never could actively root for them) because it helped us, and if we were going to get to the BCS, literally every little computer point mattered.

The anticipation of the 2007 season caused the same sort of obsessive analysis. A pre-season top 10 ranking, a lot of the major pieces back from 2006, sure there were questions about the new coach, but he was saying the right things and everyone trusted Jurich. With the explosion of great college football blogs and websites, ESPN's daily college football show in the summer, a new high-def TV and almost every major game now broadcast in HD.....as a Cards fan and a college football fan, the excitement over the 2007 college football season was the most excited I have ever been about almost anything in my life.

As that season wore on, and we started to realize things had changed, my college football fandom carried me through the rest of the year. UK's best season in a generation (if not ever) and a number of great games they played fueled general excitement and interest. LSU played a great game almost every week, and the upstarts (Kansas, USF, Missouri etc) made for a fascinating season. It is easy to forget that in early December, it looked like WVU v. Missouri was going to be the BCS Championship game. Despite everything that happened with our season, 2007 as a whole was a great year for college football fans.

Then came 2008, foreshadowed by the Meh Spring Game. Knowing going in that it was very unlikely we would garner any positive attention, I went into the season not expecting much but secretly hopeful that maybe we could have a decent year. This was exemplified by the UConn and USF games. Here's my post after the crushing UConn loss. Somehow my hopes were up enough to be crushed by that game. By the USF game, we were sitting at 4-2 and USF came in riding high. Where was I? Well, I gave my tickets to a client and went on a family outing to the Zoo's Halloween event. I was watching the first half and IMing with Quinn1979 and I mentioned how I was back to meh - if we won, great. If we lost, well, one step closer to Krag being gone. As I said that, Scott Long caught a TD and Quinn remarked that I had perfectly hedged myself. I think those were the two themes of the 2008 season - Meh and perfect hedging. In no way, shape or form would I have thought that 5-7, no bowl and a 5-game losing streak to end the season would result in anything other than breathless speculation on ITV while tracking Jon Gruden's plane.

I thought of that as I read this Sunday's articles in the CJ previewing the season. There's a lot going on in these articles. First, you have Krag reading from the coach-on-the-hot-seat interview answer outline. Then you have Jurich antagonizing the fanbase with quotes like this:

UofL athletic director Tom Jurich is firmly behind his embattled head coach. Jurich acknowledges the Cards could miss a third straight postseason but says he will "stay the course" with Kragthorpe.

"I don't like to ever be patient. I am impatient, but I also know the job at hand," Jurich said. "I know what we have to get done. I know we can't just do this overnight."

This is inexplicable to me. But to avoid turning this post into one about that, lets move onto the actual football discussion. There are some things in here that the irrational sports fan in you can latch onto:

Burke also will have more options at the line of scrimmage. When he breaks the huddle, he will have three different plays he can use, depending on how the defense lines up. Kragthorpe has simplified the reads Burke has to make before selecting the play. Instead of reading the entire defense, he might be able to key on where one player is aligned.

"It's very simple, especially in the run game," Burke said. "It's very black and white. Some of the run checks last year weren't as simple."

Kragthorpe also plans to give his quarterback more alternatives on passing plays beyond a primary or secondary receiver. Burke said he will have more "full-field" reads. If his primary receiver isn't open, he'll swivel and progress to his second, third and fourth options.

Maybe that was the problem last year, Irrational Inner Fan says. This is sorta what Mike Leach uses at Texas Tech and they score a ton of points with midget quarterbacks. Burke was a big deal out of high school, and maybe he just never got a real chance at NC State because of politics. Scott Long is really good, and Doug Beaumont is back. Vic Anderson is awesome, Darius Ashley has been drawing comparisons to 2008 Vic and anything we get from Bilal is gravy. Maybe the offense can party like its 2004.

It gets better when you read about the defense, from the other article linked above:

With a revamped defensive staff and an aggressive scheme installed by new coordinator Brent Guy, the Cards are confident they will be better this season

...

Defensive line coach Ken Delgado said he also has some sleepers in junior-college transfers Tim High and Joe Townsend and walk-on Drew Davis. All three could make an impact by season's end.

"We're kind of in the catbird seat because we're going to be in a position to surprise some people," said Delgado, the lone holdover from last year's defensive staff. "At times we were very dominating up front last year. If this group can continue to carry the torch and keep progressing, they have the same potential."

...

"You may be right about the least experience," Patrick said. "But out of the last four years here, I think we have the most talent in the secondary that we've ever had."

For the first time this morning, reading those articles, Irrational Inner Fan won out. New, aggressive defense! Sleeper JUCOs! Talent in the secondary! A confusing but strangely effective "catbird seat" metaphor! Rational fan knows this article has been written 1,000 times before and will be written across the country this year, next year and beyond. But that's the beauty of college football and sports in general - every season starts fresh, your record is 0-0, and other cliches, etc.

So will we be any good this year? I seriously doubt it. Is there a chance that all it took for Kragthorpe to succeed here was to institute a simplified offense, find the right DC to come up with an aggressive gameplan and keep the talented guys healthy? Sure there is. Has Irrational Inner Fan won out? Decidedly not. Basically, I see a few possible season scenarios:

1) Our Best Day

I think if everything goes right this season, we go 7-5 with wins over ISU, UK, USM, UConn, Ark. St., Syracuse and Rutgers. I realize that in that list are three teams Kragthrope is 0-2 against. UK isn't that good and is slowly sliding backdown to earth after their "magical" 8-5 season two years ago. UConn is going to be terrible this year, and I have a feeling even Kragthorpe knows he can't lose to Syracuse again. I don't see our best effort winning @Utah, @WVu, @USF, @Cinci, or beating Pitt at home, especially after losing badly on the road to Utah. This is best case scenario, short of a miracle.

2) Reasonable Certainty

I am reasonably certain we will go either 4-8 or 5-7 this season. We will beat ISU, USM, Ark. State and 1-2 Big East opponents (UConn and/or Syracuse). I am reasonably certain that we don't beat UK, and Rutgers might be our BCS representative, so not a likely win. I am reasonably certain and sick to my stomach about the fact that this will be enough to keep Kragthorpe around, especially if some of our 7-8 losses are "close losses" where we are in the game but never really a threat. I am reasonably certain this will be a frustrating and dreadful season. This is my nightmare.

3) Worse Season, Better Outcome

We lose badly to UK, Southern Miss sneaks up on us, we go winless in the Big East and even Arkansas State gives us a scare on Halloween. A 2-10 finish and tens of thousands of empty seats in PJCS for senior night bring our short regional nightmare to a close as Kragthorpe announces he is stepping down at the end of the season. I think there is a 15% chance of this happening.

So this is the ultimate fan dilemma. Do you root for Scenario #2 or #3? Do you root against your team in order to save it?

When I was a kid, like most kids, summer was my favorite season. As I've gotten older (I would say "become an adult" but I still regularly play video games, my parents still pay for dinner when we go out to eat and the saddest day of the year for me is always the day after UofL loses in the NCAA tournament), the fall has become my favorite time of the year. There's something about the crisp air, school starting back (even better when you aren't actually in school!), college football on Saturdays, leaves changing, the whole aura of fall. Spring is usually thought of as the time of renewal, but I think fall actually has more newness than spring. Great things start again in the fall: college and pro sports, fantasy drafts with friends, the baseball playoffs, your favorite TV shows, school, new jobs, even work gets busier and more purposeful again.....Fall is when you aren't looking forward to something anymore. Everything you've been looking forward to is Back.

So I think that is what is so frustrating for me about this season - because I'm not really looking forward to it, I'm not able to enjoy the start of fall. And I've struggled with how best to approach the season with that in mind. While everyone else's season starts this week, ours really doesn't start until Sept. 19. College football and UofL football have diverged again. And even then, we really won't know much until the middle of the season about which of the three season scenarios is most likely. Heck, there's even the remote Fourth Scenario - we beat UK, we make a run through a down Big East and the Rutgers game will really mean something. I'm not getting my hopes up, but the fact that it is possible makes it impossible for me to hope that Kragthorpe will fail spectacularly and lose his job. So, I think that's the approach I'll be taking this season: cheer for the best, hope for the best, but take what comes. And hope that what comes is much better or much worse than 5-7.

College football starts this week. September is finally here. This is what you look forward to all summer, what you get excited about when pitchers and catchers report in February, when pads go on for a few weeks in March, when the last notes of One Shining Moment fade to your late local news. Everything is Back. I just wish I could get excited about it, knowing that UofL football was really Back too.

Your 2008 Louisville Football awards

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

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

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

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

Offensive MVP: Victor Anderson

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

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

CONTENDERS:

Eric Wood

George Bussey

Defensive MVP: Jon Dempsey

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

CONTENDERS:

Adrian Grady

Earl Heyman

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

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

CONTENDERS:

Johnny Patrick's fumble return against Memphis

Adrian Grady scoring against Tennessee Tech

Worst Moment: Myron Pryor's fumble return

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

CONTENDERS:

Lawrence Wilson's (Connecticut) interception return

The clock hitting zero in the Carrier Dome

Best Play: Victor Anderson's touchdown catch against Connecticut

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

CONTENDERS:

Cantwell to Long against South Florida

Travis Norton tackling Jourdan Brooks by his hair against Rutgers

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

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

CONTENDERS:

Louisville 38, Kansas State 29

Louisville 51, Tennessee Tech 10

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

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

CONTENDERS

Kentucky 27, Louisville 2

Rutgers 63, Louisville 14

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

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

CONTENDERS

West Virginia 35, Louisville 21

Connecticut 26, Louisville 21

Best Individual Offensive Performance: Victor Anderson against Kansas State

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

CONTENDERS:

Victor Anderson vs. Middle Tennessee State

Hunter Cantwell vs. Kansas State

Best Individual Defensive Performance: Johnny Patrick against Memphis

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

CONTENDERS

Adrian Grady vs. South Florida

Jon Dempsey vs. Kentucky

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

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

CONTENDERS:

Mike Teel (Rutgers)

Donald Brown (Connecticut)

Least Reliable Body Part: Scott Long's knee

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

CONTENDERS:

Latarrius Thomas's knee

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

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

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

CONTENDERS:

Holding

Kicking the ball out-of-bounds

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

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

CONTENDERS:

The deadball timeout against Connecticut

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

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

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

CONTENDERS:

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

Getting hammered in a giant Snoopy head after the Syracuse loss

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

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

CONTENDERS:

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

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

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

He was like Titanic in '97.

CONTENDERS:

Zack Stoudt

Will Stein

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

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

CONTENDERS:

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

Alcohol

On the legacy of Hunter Cantwell

Mike Rutherford — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:00:07 -0000

Regardless of whether his collegiate swan song is comprised of him throwing four touchdowns in a victory or four interceptions in a loss, Hunter Cantwell's Louisville legacy has already been cemented.

The former walk-on from Paducah will forever be remembered as a kid with a cannon for an arm who made some key starts and throws in U of L's most successful football season to date, but who ultimately disappointed in is first and only season as the Cardinals' starting quarterback.

It's an accurate synopsis, but it doesn't tell nearly the whole story.

The season Cantwell had waited his entire life for took its first hit when Mario Urrutia declared for early entry into the NFL Draft last Dec. 14. The aptly sized quarterback and the aptly sized wide receiver had a special connection from the first time they stepped on the field together, and Urrutia was on the receiving end of nearly half of the ten touchdown passes Cantwell had to his credit heading into this season. He then began to form a similar bond with Scott Long which was cut off when the No. 1 receiver in waiting broke a bone in his foot before the season, resumed when he returned and went off for 134 yards and a pair of scores, and terminated when he tore his ACL and was shelved for the season.

On the whole, the quarterback Mel Kiper had pegged as the top in his class this time a year ago has struggled every bit as much as the team he's commanded in 2008. He's tossed an identical 16 touchdowns and interceptions while guiding the Cards to an up-and-down 5-6 season heading into tomorrow night's regular season finale at Rutgers.

When Hunter Cantwell's final snap as a Louisville Cardinal has come and gone, it'll be far too easy to remember the long release, the batted passes, the staring down of one receiver and the disappointing season. What's more difficult but probably more suitable is to remember Cantwell as the player who chose to stay at Louisville when it probably wasn't the best move for him personally.

He had the opportunity to be a three-year starter at a mid-level D-1 program after giving a gutsy performance in the '06 Gator Bowl, and then the opportunity to be a two-year starter at a major D-1 program after his rocket arm was on full display in a highly publicized demolition of Miami. In both instances Cantwell chose to stay, not because he thought he had the chance to unseat Brian Brohm or because he thought Brohm would bolt early for the NFL, but because he wanted to remain loyal to the U of L football program.

"I walked on at Louisville and it was the only Division I-A school that gave me a chance," Cantwell said before this season. "I just felt a lot of loyalty to the school and my coaches. As tough as it was, and even when people were always telling me, 'transfer, transfer, transfer,' I couldn't imagine leaving Louisville."

And that's what should define Hunter Cantwell's legacy as a Louisville Cardinal.

Cincinnati 28, Louisville 20

Mike Rutherford — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:39:14 -0000

It's gross outside and I don't have a sporting event to look forward to today, so I'm going to shelve the initial positivity.

With all due respect to Cincinnati - a team that will almost certainly prove itself fully capable of handling Syracuse in two weeks - that was an awful football game. In fact, this has been a season loaded with almost nothing but awful football games. Even in the tight tilts where I've been near completely focused on willing the Cards to victory, there's always been a moment where, "wow, this is pretty bad" has crept into the back of my mind.

Sometimes you need the take of complete outsiders to gain proper perspective, and I found some of that when I read the U of L/UC game thread over at Burnt Orange Nation where a hoard of Texas fans were pulling for the Cards because a Bearcat loss would hurt Oklahoma and help the 'Horns in the computer rankings. I imagine it'd be sort of like us having to pull for UTEP to beat Rice in order to gain a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Have I shared my feelings on college football's postseason before?

Anyway, here are a few of the thoughts of the UT turned U of L fans during the action last night.

This game is dead...

… no excitement.

by Horn Brain on Nov 14, 2008 11:27 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Louisville finding every possible way to lose a game

This team has no heart

by burnt in ny on Nov 14, 2008 11:27 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

We are so spoiled... .nt whills

by Horn Brain on Nov 14, 2008 11:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That was horrid

Contract the Big East

--PB--

by PB @ BON on Nov 15, 2008 12:17 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

It feels like Miami was about 15 years ago.

U of L was given every opportunity to seize complete control of the game early in the second half, but the Cards again refused to do so. Cincy kicks the ball out-of-bounds to start the half, U of L gets one first down and punts. Cincy fumbles on its own nine, U of L gains nothing and kicks a field goal. Cincy misses a field goal after a long drive, U of L goes three and out and gives it right back.

The Cards could never find a big offensive play when they needed it. Take two: The Cards could never find a big offensive play that wasn't negated by a holding penalty when they needed it.

There was a lot to be upset about after the game, but what precipitated the 45-yard field goal attempt made the largest negative stamp on me.

Apparently we have so little faith in our kicker with nothing on the line early in the first quarter that we opt to go for it on 4th and 6 instead of attempting a 25-yard field goal. But then, miraculously, we have so much faith in our kicker down one midway through the 4th quarter that we can run a draw play on 3rd and 16 from just outside the 30. You don't need to try and pick up the first down in that situation, but you do need to put the ball in the air and try to pick up nine or ten yards in order to give the kid a chance.

Ryan Payne was thrown to the wolves, and I found that really upsetting.

So apparently Brian Kelly's blowing off Kragthorpe after the game was the product of Krag making a fuss over the Bearcat players praying around midifeld before the game.

That's awesome. You get the feeling sometimes that the guy goes out of his way to invent stuff to get worked up about with the hope that he can minimize the lack of intensity criticism.

Sometimes the impact Ron English has had on this team becomes undeniably apparent.

Cincinnati tried to run the same middle screen it used to score its first touchdown on two more occasions later in the game. The first time the receiver made the catch and was hit immediately after a gain of two yards. The second time the linebackers were all over both receivers and the Bearcats ended up being penalized for having an ineligible receiver downfield.

This defense might not be as good as it could possibly be, but I think it's pretty damn close.

It's ridiculous how much this team needs Scott Long. There's simply no other legitimate deep threat among the corps.

I keep wanting Brohm to give Chris Vaughn a chance to step up and make some plays downfield - and to his credit, Vaughn played more inspired wearing No. 84 than he ever has while wearing No. 9 over the past three seasons - but when you keep your eye on him for an extended period of time, it becomes apparent why he hasn't been utilized any more in Long's absence: the guy doesn't know any of the plays. There were at least four times when the team broke the huddle and Vaughn had to go over to Cantwell and ask a question, and on two of those occasions he promptly went and lined up on the wrong side of the field.

Even on Doug Beaumont's big catch down the middle of the field, Josh Chichester was five yards directly in front of him, meaning one of them (I'm going to go ahead and guess No. 11) ran the wrong route.

Without Long and Guy for so much of the season, guys who weren't anywhere near ready for the spotlight were thrust into it kicking and screaming, and it's been really noticeable from the opening series against Kentucky up until now.

I feel like Troy Pascley goes deep on every play. It seems like every time a play ends you see Pascley jogging back to the huddle from about 30 yards downfield. He's like the super fast soccer-playing kid who had no hands at recess.

Trying to implement the Wildcat offense for the third-to-last game of the season doesn't make much sense to me. Then again, neither does 3rd grade math.

Cincinnati's offense stalled every time they tried to run no huddle. They'd run a draw for seven yards, then sprint to the line of scrimmage and get stuffed or throw an incompletion. I wish we'd seen more of it in the second half.

I think the highlight of the game was definitely the playing of "Shout" after the announcement of the VMI/Kentucky score. It was the most excited and unified the crowd has been since the '07 Murray State game.

There were a couple of Kentucky fans in the bathroom at halftime - apparently showing your team pride at a game featuring your arch-rival and a school you have no connection with is more important than actually watching your team play - both of whom were promptly greeted with VMI chants and then one guy in the area saying, "don't worry about it man, I'm sure VMI would give Gardner-Webb a hell of a game."

Oh, bathroom shenanigans.

The night was summed up by a message from a friend in the third quarter who said, "We're beating a ranked team on national television and I've gotten four text messages and a voice mail about UK losing to VMI."

Get well, Vic. Please, god, get well.

I expected a half-empty stadium once the rain started, but I was really disappointed in the lack of poncho unification. I'm sure they sell red ponchos somewhere, people. Don't settle for green, yellow or blue and think that's OK.

I don't think we've had a holding penalty on a play that's gone for less than 15 yards all season. Even when Josh Chichester tried, the ball went right to Brock Bolen and he rumbled for 30 yards.

It's not cool, but it's kind of amazing.

The Cincinnati fans were very loud and impressive. I suppose playing for a conference championship tends to have that effect.

It would have been nice if the hooligan who played the Tumbleweed game at halftime had had the decency to put his hat on straight.

The lead official must have told some girl he's trying to impress to watch the game, because he was sure jumping on every possible opportunity to get himself on television.

I made the remark when they went to review the Bolen play that I've never seen a spot challenge overturned in college or the NFL. Spotting the ball is about as much of an inexact science as there is, so finding conclusive evidence to overturn a call should be nearly impossible.

I still haven't seen the broadcast, but a number of people have confirmed that we got hosed, which I guess figures since there's only three weeks left in the season and getting inexplicably reemed by an officiating crew at least once a year was part of the agreement when the Big East offered U of L a spot in the conference.

I love Mike Mickens. I said it.

Cory Goettsche has really improved as the season has gone on, and deserves at least a little love. One of you send him a card.

Jon Dempsey made two straight hellacious plays. The first when he stripped Jacob Ramsey and then made the recovery, and the second when he came from the outside and caught John Goebel from behind right around the line of scrimmage. If he can bring that fire consistently next season then he could have a hell of a senior year.

I really don't understand why we had Travis Norton on an island against Dominick Goodman on 3rd and 4 on UC's last scoring drive. I realize that Goodman had gotten the best of Woodny Turenne for most of the game, but No. 9 is still your best option in that situation.

There was a stretch of about six or seven straight series' where we ran the ball for a short gain on first down and then threw it on second and third down. When we finally mixed it up and ran a reverse and a play-action pass on first down, both plays worked. The offense has to become as unpredictable as it was under Petrino if the coaching staff wants it to be anywhere near as effective as it was under Petrino.

How the play action, roll to the right, 11-yard comeback play continues to work after we've run it at least 750 times is anyone's guess.

I miss the keg.

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.