VOLUME XVI • NUMBER 3 SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
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LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
FEBRUARY 3, 2011
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
A
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WHAT’S INSIDE
AMERICA’S FOREMOST AUTHORITY ON UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE ATHLETICS®
VOLUME XVI, NUMBER 3 • SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
EDITORIAL STAFF GENERAL MANAGER - Jack Coffee SENIOR WRITER AND EDITOR - Russ Brown OPERATIONS MANAGER - Howie Lindsey ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES - Mickey Clark, Betty Olsen and Blanche Kitchen CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Klotz, Shelley Feller, Gail Kamenish, Howie Lindsey and Chuck Feist CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS Matt Willinger, Jeff Wafford, Jason Puckett and Rick Cushing GRAPHIC DESIGNER - Scott Stortz COPY EDITOR - Rick Cushing
The Louisville SportsReport is printed in Kentucky and based in Louisville. It is published weekly in January, February and March, monthly in April, May, June and July and weekly mid-August through late December by Louisville Sports News, L.L.C., in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville Sports News, L.L.C.: Owner and General Manager - Jack Coffee. The SportsReport was founded in 1996. United States Postal Number: 015255 POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Louisville SportsReport, P.O. Box 17464, Louisville, KY 40217. Four weeks advance notice is required on old addresses as well as new. Periodicals Postage paid at Louisville, Ky. Subscriptions are priced at $57.95 each (plus 6% Ky. tax) for 32 issues. Members of the University of Louisville’s Cardinal Athletic Fund receive a special group rate of $39.75 for their initial subscriptions and that amount is applied from each annual donation. Year-round firstclass mailing is available for an additional $53 per year. Please call for Canadian and overseas rates. Not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs unless accompanied by return postage. Publisher reserves right to accept or reject advertisements. Copyright 2008 by Louisville Sports News, L.L.C. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. For subscriber information or circulation questions call 1-502-636-4330. Office hours at 2805 S. Floyd St. in Louisville: Mon-Wed. from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
CARDS WIN SEASON OPENER AGAINST MURRAY STATE Louisville players raised their helmets and sang along as the band played the alma mater after UofL beat Murray State 21-9 Thursday night at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. The salute is a new tradition from coach Charlie Strong in addition to the players high-fiving fans around the bowl of the stadium. - photo by Howie Lindsey
5
STEIN STANDING TALL
7
OFFENSE NEEDS MORE SPARKS
9 CAN CARDS FORECLOSE ON HILTON?
Our cover story this issue is Will Stein. From Kentucky state champion at Trinity to invited walk-on at Louisville, Stein’s confidence and poise in the pocket has been a constant - and an inspiration to teammates.
Freshman DeVante Parker provided a big lift for Louisville when he nabbed a Will Stein pass from a Murray State defender and landed in the end zone Thursday night. Louisville needs more of that, according to Coach Strong.
Florida International’s Heisman candidate T.Y. Hilton is one of the most-productive multipurpose players in the nation. Can Louisville slow him down Friday night when UofL takes on FIU at 7 p.m.?
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19 KORDES’ CARDS MOVING FORWARD
22 NO. 1 SOCCER WINS ONE, LOSES ONE
Lola Arslanbekova and the VolleyCards are moving forward under new coach Anne Kordes. The Louisville native and UofL alum has big dreams for the Cardinals program in the not-sodistant future. Can they keep their Big East streak alive?
The Cardinals fell 2-1 to No. 2 North Carolina in the fourth game of a brutal stretch of schedule that started with an exhibition against No. 8 Michigan, then a win over No. 2 UCLA and a win over No. 24 Wake Forest.
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Office Phone: (502) 636-4330 Fax: (502) 636-9265 E-mail: howielindsey@gmail.com
Official Web site:
www.cardinalsports.com THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT WILL BE MAILED SEPTEMBER 13
COVER DESIGNED BY SCOTT STORTZ
CSPA COLLEGE SPORTS PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
IN DEPTH FIU PREVIEW
Everything you need to know about Louisville’s showdown with Florida International is in this week’s preview. Coach Mario Cristobal’s Panthers are hoping to upset Louisville Friday night at Papa John’s. 4 6 8 10 12 14 15
MURRAY STATE GAME STATS, LOUISVILLE DEPTH CHART GAME NOTEBOOK: MURRAY STATE By Matt Willinger FORGET THE FINAL 43 MINUTES, UOFL WAS SUPERB By Jack Coffee THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY By Howie Lindsey FAN TAILGATING PHOTO GALLERY By Howie Lindsey LOUISVILLE-MURRAY STATE PHOTO GALLERY CARDS LAND 13TH FOOTBALL COMMITMENT By Jeff Wafford
16 16 17 18 20,21 21 24
UOFL ROSTER, FIU DEPTH CHART THREE THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED By Rick Cushing DEFENSE COULD BE NAME OF GAME FOR YOUNG CARDS By Russ Brown CARDINAL STARS OF THE WEEK By Howie Lindsey USF ISSUES A WARNING TO BIG EAST By Russ Brown BIG EAST FOOTBALL SCHEDULES CARDINAL KIDS PHOTO GALLERY
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LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
CARDINAL FOOTBALL
GAME STATS Murray State (0-1) vs. Louisville (1-0) Date: Sep 1, 2011 Site: LOUISVILLE, KY Stadium: PAPA JOHN’S CARDINAL Attendance: 46,157 SCORE BY QUARTERS Louisville Cardinals Murray State Racers
1 2 14 7 0 3
3 0 0
4 0 6
SCORE 21 9
SCORING SUMMARY: 1st 05:10 LOU - Radcliff, Scott 4 yd pass from Stein, Will (Philpott, Chris kick) 13 plays, 70 yards, TOP 4:06, MUR 0 - LOU 7 03:12 LOU - ANDERSON, Vic 2 yd run (Philpott, Chris kick) 2 plays, 13 yards, TOP 0:32, MUR 0 - LOU 14 2nd 13:20 LOU - Parker, DeVante 39 yd pass from Stein, Will (Philpott, Chris kick) 5 plays, 81 yards, TOP 2:57, MUR 0 - LOU 21 00:03 MUR - CULLEN, Kienan 30 yd field goal 11 plays, 66 yards, TOP 3:07, MUR 3 - LOU 21 4th 14:12 MUR - HARRIS, Mike 22 yd run (CULLEN, Kienan kick failed) 13 plays, 74 yards, TOP 4:05, MUR 9 - LOU 21 KICKOFF TIME: 6:02PM END OF GAME: 9:18PM TOTAL ELAPSED TIME: 3:16 OFFICIALS: REFEREE: T. JONES; UMPIRE: G. BRENNER; LINESMAN: T. CONSIDINE; LINE JUDGE: T. REESE; BACK JUDGE: J. MONROE; FIELD JUDGE: J. SMITH; SIDE JUDGE: B. WILLIAMS; TEMPERATURE: 98 WIND: WSW-8 WEATHER: SUNNY
TEAM STATS FIRST DOWNS................... Rushing..................... Passing..................... Penalty..................... NET YARDS RUSHING............. Rushing Attempts............ Average Per Rush............ Rushing Touchdowns.......... Yards Gained Rushing........ Yards Lost Rushing.......... NET YARDS PASSING............. Completions-Attempts-Int.... Average Per Attempt......... Average Per Completion...... Passing Touchdowns.......... TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS........... Total offense plays......... Average Gain Per Play....... Fumbles: Number-Lost.......... Penalties: Number-Yards....... PUNTS-YARDS................... Average Yards Per Punt...... Net Yards Per Punt.......... Inside 20................... 50+ Yards................... Touchbacks.................. Fair catch.................. KICKOFFS-YARDS................ Average Yards Per Kickoff... Net Yards Per Kickoff....... Touchbacks.................. Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD. Average Per Return.......... Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD Average Per Return.......... Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD.. Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD. Miscellaneous Yards........... Possession Time............... 1st Quarter................. 2nd Quarter.................
MUR 19 13 5 1 143 49 2.9 1 197 54 148 17-34-3 4.4 8.7 0 291 83 3.5 2-0 4-33 8-340 42.5 38.6 2 1 0 3 3-175 58.3 26.7 0 0-0-0 0.0 2-41-0 20.5 1-0-0 0-0-0 0 30:11 6:46 8:21
LOU 16 6 10 0 159 37 4.3 1 188 29 226 17-33-1 6.8 13.3 2 385 70 5.5 3-3 10-65 5-176 35.2 35.2 3 0 0 3 4-280 70.0 49.8 2 3-31-0 10.3 3-95-0 31.7 3-5-0 0-0-0 0 29:49 8:14 6:39
3rd Quarter................. 4th Quarter................. Third-Down Conversions........ Fourth-Down Conversions....... Red-Zone Scores-Chances....... Touchdowns.................. Field goals................. Sacks By: Number-Yards........ PAT Kicks..................... Field Goals...................
8:36 6:28 10 of 21 0 of 1 2-2 1-2 1-2 1-6 0-1 1-1
6:24 8:32 8 of 16 1 of 2 2-3 2-3 0-3 2-18 3-3 0-0
2011 CARDINAL DEPTH CHART OFFENSE QUARTERBACK 4 Will Stein 10 Dominique Brown 5 Teddy Bridgewater
5-10 6-2 6-3
176 Jr. 221 So. 205 Fr.
RUNNING BACK 20 Victor Anderson (or) 28 Jeremy Wright 32 Senorise Perry (or) 30 Kamal Hogan (or) 22 Corvin Lamb
5-10 5-11 6-0 5-11 5-9
189 199 201 209 206
X-WIDE RECEIVER 14 Andrell Smith 9 DeVante Parker
6-3 6-3
209 Jr. 180 Fr.
H-WIDE RECEIVER 89 Scott Radcliff 1 Josh Bellamy 82 Eli Rogers
5-10 6-0 5-10
182 Jr. 206 Sr. 184 Fr.
Z-WIDE RECEIVER 2 Michaelee Harris 88 Jarrett Davis 7 Damian Copeland
6-2 5-10 6-0
198 r-Fr. 172 So. 184 So.
INDIVIDUAL STATS Rushing ANDERSON, Vic Philpott, Chris Wright, Jeremy BROWN, D. TEAM Stein, Will Totals...
No 9 2 14 5 1 6 37
Gain 65 48 38 21 0 16 188
Loss 4 0 7 0 0 18 29
Passing Att-Cmp-Int Stein, Will 17-32-0 BRIDGEWATER, T. 0-1-1 Totals... 17-33-1 Receiving Bellamy, Josh Parker, DeVante ANDERSON, Vic Radcliff, Scott CHICHESTER, J. HARRIS, M. Davis, Jarrett Totals...
No. 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 17
Yds 37 55 23 21 39 37 14 226
Punting Bleser, Josh Totals...
No. 5 5
Yds 176 176
All Returns ANDERSON, Vic Radcliff, Scott Evans, Mike Conner, Anthony Heyman, Dexter Wright, Jeremy Totals...
Punts No.Yds.Lg 0 0 0 3 31 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 31 30
Kickoffs Philpott, Chris
No. 4
Yds 280
Net 61 48 31 21 0 -2 159
Yds 226 0 226 TD 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2
TD 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 TD 2 0 2
Lg 22 40 6 7 0 9 40
Avg 6.8 24.0 2.2 4.2 0.0 -0.3 4.3
Long 39 0 39
Sack 1 0 1
Long 12 39 13 12 23 37 14 39
Avg Long In20 TB 35.2 47 3 0 35.2 47 3 0 Kickoffs No.Yds.Lg 1 45 45 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 50 30 3 95 45 TB 2
OB 0
Intercept No.Yds.Lg 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 5 5 0 0 0 3 5 5 Avg 70.0
DEFENSIVE STATS No. Player
Solo
Ast
Tot
2 Brown, Preston
9
3
12
46 Heyman, Dexter
8
4
12
24 Brown, Daniel
4
3
7
91 Savoy, William
4
1
5
33 Evans, Mike
4
1
5
90 Dubose, B.J.
3
1
4
36 Holton, Shenard
3
1
4
29 Smith, Hakeem
3
1
4
47 MITCHELL, M.
2
1
3
17 Smith, Marcus
2
.
2
6 Scruggs, Greg
2
.
2
25 Pryor, Calvin
1
1
2
43 Rogers, Deon
1
.
1
35 Conner, Anthony
1
.
1
12 Philpott, Chris
1
.
1
95 Salmon, Randy
.
1
1
31 Lee, Champ
.
1
1
41 ROBINSON, S.
.
1
1
15 Johnson, Andrew
.
.
.
Sr. So. So. r-Fr. Fr.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE 95 Randy Salmon 93 Roy Philon
6-3 6-3
291 Jr. 272 So.
NOSE TACKLE 92 Brandon Dunn INJ 99 Jamaine Brooks
6-3 6-4
308 So. 318 r-Fr.
DEFENSIVE END 6 Greg Scruggs 17 Marcus Smith 90 B.J. Dubose
6-4 6-4 6-4
280 Sr. 255 So. 257 Fr.
SAM LINEBACKER 2 Preston Brown 34 George Durant
6-0 6-2
258 So. 229 So.
MIKE LINEBACKER 46 Dexter Heyman 51 Mike Privott 37 Tyon Dixon
6-3 6-0 6-0
239 Sr. 224 So. 208 So.
WEAKSIDE LINEBACKER 24 Daniel Brown 43 Deon Rogers 31 Champ Lee
6-1 6-2 6-0
219 Jr. 200 So. 204 So.
CORNERBACK 35 Anthony Conner 3 Charles Gaines INJ
5-11 5-10
187 Sr. 176 Fr.
STRONG SAFETY 29 Hakeem Smith 27 Jermaine Reve
6-1 6-2
183 So. 175 Fr.
FREE SAFETY 36 Shenard Holton 25 Calvin Pryor 33 Mike Evans
6-1 6-1 5-11
187 Jr. 190 Fr. 188 Sr.
5-10 5-9 5-8
178 Fr. 180 r-Fr. 175 r-Fr.
TIGHT END 11 Josh Chichester 80 Stephon Ball (or) 81 Chris White 85 Nate Nord
6-8 6-4 6-4 6-5
240 231 243 248
LEFT TACKLE 66 Alex Kupper 73 Hector Hernandez 78 Aaron Epps
6-3 6-5 6-5
295 Jr. 294 Sr. 265 Fr.
CORNERBACK 15 Andrew Johnson 22 Jordon Paschal INJ 41 Stephan Robinson
LEFT GUARD 70 John Miller 68 Kamran Joyer
6-2 6-3
308 Fr. 299 So.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Sr. Jr. r-Fr. Jr.
CENTER 55 Mario Benavides INJ. 6-4 62 John Clark 6-2 69 Chris Walker 6-2
300 Jr. 305 Sr. 306 r-Fr.
RIGHT GUARD 53 Jake Smith 72 Hunter Stout (or) 76 Chase Petersen
315 r-Fr. 291 So. 294 Fr.
RIGHT TACKLE 75 Ryan Kessling 71 Chris Acosta
6-3 6-4 6-4
6-5 6-3
314 Sr. 275 r-Fr.
DEFENSE FOX END 91 William Savoy 47 Malcolm Mitchell 44 B.J. Butler INJ
6-1 6-2 6-2
248 Sr. 236 So. 276 So.
PUNTER 12 Chris Philpott 40 Josh Bleser
6-0 6-2
198 Sr. 213 Sr.
PLACEKICKER 12 Chris Philpott 35 Andrew Fletcher
6-0 5-8
198 Sr. 170 r-Fr.
LONG SNAPPER 33 Grant Donovan 85 Nate Nord
6-1 6-5
213 r-Fr. 248 Jr.
HOLDER 40 Josh Bleser 4 Will Stein
6-2 5-10
213 Sr. 176 Jr.
PUNT RETURN 89 Scott Radcliff 1 Josh Bellamy
5-10 6-0
182 Jr. 206 Sr.
KICKOFF RETURNS 20 Victor Anderson 28 Jeremy Wright 1 Josh Bellamy
5-10 5-11 6-0
189 Sr. 199 So. 206 Sr.
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
PAGE 5
RECRUITING NOTEBOOK CARDINAL FOOTBALL 10 AMAZING AND MEMORABLE MOMENTS OF THE 2009-2010 SEASON
UOFL QUARTERBACK OVERCOMING HIS HEIGHT
DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF SELLING STEIN SHORT By Russ Brown When it comes to almost any discussion about Will Stein’s ability to play quarterback -- from junior high school all the way to college -- his size has always been an issue. For everyone, that is, except Stein, the 5-foot-10 junior who hopes to stand tall as the University of Louisville’s starting quarterback this season. “People always ask, ‘How is it being short?’” Stein said. “But I’ve always been short, so it’s nothing new to me. People make a big deal out of it, but if you’re completing passes and throwing for touchdowns, who really cares?” The answer to that, of course, is nobody. UofL offensive lineman Alex Kupper, who RUSS BROWN has known Stein for years and was his teammate at Trinity High School, acknowledges that Stein is sometimes the butt of goodnatured ribbing from his teammates due to his height, but that he is respected for his overall skills, determination and work ethic. “I wouldn’t say he’s teased, but we joke about it a little bit,” Kupper said. “He’s got the arm of a 6-6 quarterback. He knows how to make plays, and if we give him time he can put the ball in the right people’s hands to make that happen.” UofL coach Charlie Strong says Stein is able to overcome any perceived problems associated with his (relative) diminutiveness with other qualities. “The thing with Stein is, he’s a fighter, he’s a winner,” Strong said. “He has that something about him.... He may be small in stature, but he has a lot of confidence and he plays with a lot of confidence.” Stein, who came to UofL as a walk-on, admits that he uses the skepticism about his height as motivation and plays with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder. “I’ve always been joked upon or looked at because of my size,” he said. “But I’ve also looked at all the other successful quarterbacks who have been my height or a little taller, and there’s plenty. I’ve seen too many guys who are 6-5 and can throw the ball 80 yards but can’t make a simple read. So it’s not all about height, and if I ever make that excuse for myself, then I shouldn’t be playing. That’s always been my mentality. I’ve learned how to play with my size.” Last season Stein was the youngster in the quarterbacking corps, serving as the backup for seniors Adam Froman and Justin Burke, who is now a graduate assistant for the Cards. The trio liked to refer to themselves as “The Law Firm of Froman, Burke and Stein.” This year, things are different. When it comes to experience, Stein is the grizzled veteran compared to the other two main quarterbacks, and that has produced a new dynamic. Teddy Bridgewater is a true freshman, and Dominique Brown is a sophomore.
Junior Will Stein is Louisville’s leader at quarterback. Stein has drawn paise from coach Charlie Strong for being a winner and playing with confidence. - photo by Gail Kamenish
“It’s definitely different because we had two older guys last year, and I was sort of an older guy, too,” Stein said. “So being the veteran now and you’ve got two walk-on freshmen, a freshman and a sophomore, I feel sort of in control of those guys, like if they ever need anything they come to me. “Whereas last year we would discuss things together because we all had the same perspective on things. We all had played before. But this year I feel I’m kind of the grandfather of the group. They look to me for advice, and that’s good. I want them to be able to do that, and it helps me out, too, because it helps me think more conceptually about things. It’s a good relationship.” Stein has played in some important games during his successful high school and college football careers. He led Trinity High School to the 2007 Kentucky state championship. Last year he came off the bench for the injured Burke and held the fort with a bowl bid on the line in the season-ending victory at Rutgers. As a freshman he was pressed into action in a significant Big East Conference game on enemy turf at West Virginia, perhaps the toughest place to play in the league. But those highlights pale in comparison to his current status. He says that being named the starter for the Cardinals’ season opener and beyond was the biggest moment of his career. “I’m just very grateful that the coaches have trust in me and believe in me that I can get the job done and help us win,” Stein said. “It’s exciting.” With regular center Mario Benavides sidelined with an injury, Stein is taking the center snaps from Kupper, who also enrolled at UofL as a walk-on. What would Stein have said three years ago if someone had told him that both would eventually be
starting for the Cards? “I would have been a little shocked,” he said. “We both came in here as walkons together, and both just kind of gave it a shot, honestly. We both knew we could play at this level, we just needed other people to believe in us, and I think with hard work and dedication to this program we’ve proven that not only to ourselves, but to the coaches and hopefully the community.” Stein added that in the absence of Benavides, who was the only returning starter on the offensive line, there was a level of comfort knowing that his replacement would be Kupper. “We have a great bond,” Stein said. “We played all throughout high school together, so he’s definitely somebody I trust up there, and that’s a key in the quarterback-center relationship. If you don’t trust the guy you’re getting the snaps from, then that can definitely mess up a lot of plays.” Before helping UofL to a 21-9 win over Murray State last Thursday night in Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium, Stein had two previous starts under his belt, both at midseason in 2009, and both due to injuries to other quarterbacks. He passed for 232 yards in a 21-13 win over Arkansas State, then was 14 of 26 for 100 yards in a 17-9 loss at West Virginia the following weekend. Strong’s announcement during game week this year that Stein had earned the starting job over Bridgewater and Brown came as no surprise because Stein had taken most of the snaps with the No. 1 unit since spring. Stein said he has always prepared as if he were the main guy. “I’ve been doing that since the day I got here,” he said. “I remember back when Jeff Brohm was here he always told me I was good enough to play, and I believed him and felt that all along. I played with kind of
a chip on my shoudler, like I am the man, no matter whether I’m third string, second string or first string.” Now he IS the man, although Strong says all three quarterbacks will see action in most games, which is fine with Stein. Bridgewater and Brown made only brief appearances against Murray, and the same will probably be true against FIU Friday night in PJCS. “Whatever it’s going to take to win, I’m shooting for,” Stein said. “I’m a team player through and through, so if they feel they need to put Dominique in or Teddy or me, it doesn’t matter to me as long as we’re winning. “We’ve got a lot of different personalities on this offense, and everybody brings a different mentality. I’m a winner, so if we’re moving the ball and winning with Dominique or Teddy and they feel comfortable with that, let them keep going. I’m not going to judge the coaches’ decision. They know what’s best for this team, and if a three-quarterback system is the best, or one or two, then so be it.” Stein’s bid to make a name for himself on the collegiate level and take his place among the other successful quarterbacks in UofL history got off to a somewhat rocky start against Murray. He directed three early scoring drives as the Cards jumped to a 21-0 lead. But then they were shut out in the last 13 minutes of the second quarter and the entire second half. Stein finished 17 of 32 for 226 yards and two touchdowns. His TD tosses were a 4-yarder to Scott Radcliff, another walk-on from Trinity, and a 39-yarder to freshman DeVante Parker. Afterward, it was clear that Stein is going to be his own worst critic. He called his performance “decent,” adding: “I could have played a lot better. We left a lot of points out there, and the offense runs through the quarterback, so I’ve got to play better for this team. I’m very happy we won. But I take a lot of pride in my play, and I always feel like I could have done something better. I felt we left a lot of plays out there for my team to score more points.” However, Kupper was more generous in assessing Stein’s play, and Strong also was complimentary of his quarterback. “I thought he played well,” Kupper said. “There were some times he got flushed out of the pocket and I thought he made throws and moved the ball. A couple of balls batted down kind of hurt him, he misthrew them. But that’s just the game. You’re going to have good plays and bad plays, but he stayed pretty poised.” Said Strong: “I’ve always felt the same about Stein. He has a lot to him and he plays with a lot of confidence, and that’s the way he played Thursday and the way he’ll always play. He’s so comfortable in the offense because he knows it and it’s easy for him. He missed a few throws, but he’s fun to watch. I was very pleased with the way he played.”
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LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
CARDINAL FOOTBALL
NOTEBOOK: LOUISVILLE TOPS MURRAY STATE 21-9 By Matt Willinger With a flurry of early scores, Louisville beat Murray State 21-9 in the season’s opening game Thursday night in Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Here’s a brief rundown of game action: Balanced Attack Louisville displayed a balanced offense. Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford called 37 running plays and 33 passes MATT WILLINGER for a total of 385 yards. Senior Vic Anderson was the leading rusher with 61 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. He averaged 6.8 yards per carry. On the receiving end, senior Josh Bellamy led the team with four catches, but true freshman Devante Parker tallied the most yards, reeling in three passes for 55 yards and a TD. Bridgewater Debut Fans saw the much-anticipated debut of freshman quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in the second quarter. The start of the “Touchdown Teddy” era was pretty lackluster, however, as he played just one series. It was hampered by three penalties -- two false starts and a delay of game -- that led to a first-and-25 situation. On third-and-17 he attempted his only pass of the game - an interception. Coach Charlie Strong said after the game that he didn’t put Bridgewater back in because the Cards never opened a comfortable lead. Freshmen Help Immediately Eighteen freshmen made their first collegiate appearances: Michaelee Harris, Kamran Joyer, Jake Smith, Jamaine Brooks, Stephan Robinson, Devante Parker, Eli Rogers, Terell Floyd, John Miller, Andrew Johnson, Lorenzo Mauldin, B.J. Dubose, Calvin Pryor, Justin Gilmore, Kamal Hogan, Jermaine Reve, Jarel McGriff-Culver and Jamon Brown. The youngsters made plays and contributed in a big way. The most notable freshman contributions were Parker’s touchdown catch, a 39-yard grab from Will Stein to put the Cards ahead 21-0, and defensive end Dubose’s 3.5 tackles and several quarterback hurries. Also playing for the first time were sophomore George Durant and junior Nick Heuser. Yellow! Between Murray State’s bright banana pants and the multitude of flags, there was a lot of yellow inside Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Unfortunately, most of the yellow flags were thrown in the Cards’ direction. They were penalized 10 times for
65 yards. Yes, it was only the first game, but the repeated false-start penalties are “drive killers” and will need to be addressed before Friday’s FIU game. Oven Set for Bake There’s really no other way to put it: It was STEAMY HOT. The temperature on the field was 108 degrees (heat index) at kickoff and was still lingering in the triple digits throughout the first half. Under those conditions, the fan atmosphere was about as good as could be expected for a 6 p.m. Thursday night opener against an FCS team. Attendance was a respectable 46,157. Fumble! One negative for the rushing attack was that both UofL tailbacks who carried the ball fumbled, and Murray recovered both times. Jeremy Wright fumbled in the first quarter inside the red zone, and Vic Anderson fumbled in the second half after a long run. It was Anderson’s first career fumble in 415 carries! Special Teams = A+ Remember a few years ago when Louisville’s kickoffs would rarely land inside the 10? Well, that’s changed in a big way thanks to the steady improvement of Chris Philpott. All four of the senior’s kickoffs reached the end zone, and two resulted in touchbacks. He also had the game’s longest run of the night, 40 yards on a fake punt in the first quarter. It was the longest run by a Cardinals punter in 34 years. Josh Bleser averaged 35.2 yards on his five punts, downing three inside the 20, and Anderson had a 45-yard kickoff return. Linebackers Stay Busy Linebackers Preston Brown and Dexter Heyman stayed busy throughout the night, with each having 12 tackles. The duo made plays all over the field and were a big reason Murray was held to just 3.5 yards per play. Heyman recorded his first career interception in the third quarter and also recorded 1.5 tackles for loss. Brown registered 2.5 tackles for loss. Parting Shots • Junior receiver Scott Radcliff looks like he may be a big contributor this season. Fellow receiver Josh Bellamy hinted that Radcliff was having a great preseason camp, and Radcliff showed it, catching two passes for 21 yards, including a 4-yarder for a touchdown, and returning three punts for 31 yards. • Speaking of receivers, Parker is going to be a stud! The true freshman is still very raw, but his talent is obvious. He figures to
Each UofL touchdown was scored by a player from the city of Louisville – Anderson (St. Xavier), Radcliff (Trinity) and Parker (Ballard).
be a big part of the offense as the season moves on. Parker became the first Louisville true freshman to catch a TD pass in the first game in 34 years! It was the first time any freshman caught a TD pass in the first game since J.R. Russell in 2001. • It’s disappointing that not all the players participate in acknowledging the fans around the stadium after the games any longer. There was a group that circled the bowl after the game, but not nearly the whole team. It would be nice to see the whole team participate in this PJCS tradition. The fans love it! • The basketball team was in attendance, and I had a chance to catch up with forward Jared Swopshire. He said he is nearly 100 percent healthy and plans to play in the season opener. When asked
about his thoughts on the schedule that was released last week, Swopshire said the team loves the idea of playing tough competition early in the season. • Mark this prediction - someone will win the halftime punt, pass and kick competition this season. And how about a hand for Sam Swope hustling down the field during the competition. • The defensive line played without several of its key members, missing Roy Philon, B.J. Butler and Brandon Dunn, and with Greg Scruggs seeing only limited action. • The year was 1988 the last time Murray State held a Division I opponent under 30 points. • The Cards are now 8-6 under Strong.
Travel First-Class to Louisville’s game at North Carolina Two-Night Bus Tour, Hotels Included From $399 person (2 per room)
You will not find a better tour for the money. The beauty is in the details: October 7, 2011 – Friday Depart at 7 a.m., a la carte lunch in the Knoxville, Tn., area. Afternoon tour included at the luxurious Biltmore Estates, then a tour of the Winery at Anthers Village in the evening. The tour will stay at the Four Points Sheraton in downtown Asheville, N.C., a luxury hotel in the heart of the city.
October 8, 2011 - Saturday (Game Day) After a la carte breakfast, we’ll depart for Chapel Hill at 8 a.m. and arrive at UNC before noon. The busses will take fans to Franklin Street for easy lunch access and shopping before the game. The busses will pick up fans at the stadium, and the tour includes Saturday night’s hotel stay at the Hampton in Chapel Hill.
October 9, 2012 – Sunday After a la carte breakfast, we’ll depart Chapel Hill for the trip home with lunch and dinner stops en route. Tour arrives back in Louisville by 8 p.m. Sunday night.
$323 (person/quad) $351 (person/triple) $399 (person/double) GAME TICKETS AVAILABLE THROUGH UOFLSPORTS.COM
Call (502) 636-4330 to reserve your spot today!
O N LY F O U R S P O T S L E F T !
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
PAGE 7
CARDINAL FOOTBALL ROOKIE WIDEOUT PARKER A RARE BRIGHT SPOT
UOFL’S CHALLENGE: OFFENSE NEEDS TO GET MORE PRODUCTIVE By Russ Brown where near where we should be. I thought we would have executed better than we did.” The major question heading into the University of Louisville’s season opener against It was UofL’s lowest point total in an opening win since a 13-10 victory over Kentucky in Murray State last Thursday night was how well the Cardinals’ offense would perform with 1995, and it was only the fifth time in the last 34 seasons the Cards have found a way to five new starters on the offensive line. win despite not scoring in the second half. If the answer to that question was, indeed, provided in Strong and the players were at a loss to explain the lack the Cardinals’ 21-9 victory in Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium, of offensive punch, except to say that the Cards lost their they are in deep trouble because the offense was basically rhythm and couldn’t get into a comfort zone after claiming a no-show. And this was against the weakest team on its the 21-0 lead. schedule, a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) outfit “We really couldn’t find a rhythm,” Stein said. “I really that ranked 100th of 117 in total defense don’t know what it was. They were blitzing a lot and stopping last year, allowing nearly 400 yards and 31 our run game. They were blitzing on the boundary -- we like points per game against competition noto run to the open end, there’s no tight end there, that’s one Senior Victor where near the caliber UofL will face the of our bread-and-butter plays -- and they were taking that Anderson had 61 rest of the season. yards rushing and a away. I don’t know. We had no rhythm to ourselves. We were The plan was to keep the Racers off balTD against Murray in bad downs, third-and-eight, second-and-10, so we’ve got ance with an up-tempo attack, but instead State. - photo by to get on a better schedule.” Howie Lindsey the offense ground to a screeching halt Said Strong: “In the first half we were executing well. Then RUSS BROWN only 17 minutes or so into the game. You in the second half, there’s just no rhythm. You have to have know you’re in trouble when your secondrhythm, and you have to have execution. We kept turning the leading rusher is the punter, as was the case with UofL’s football over. I thought we would have made more plays.” Chris Philpott, who gained 48 yards on two fake punts. Anderson was UofL’s leading rusher with 61 yards on nine UofL started as hot as the field at PJCS, which registered carries, his longest a 22-yarder. He scored his first touchdown 108 degrees at kickoff, but then quickly cooled. After scorsince midseason of 2009 on a 2-yard run late in the first quaring 21 points in the first 16 1/2 minutes, the Cards were ter, attacking the middle of the line and then bouncing outheld scoreless the rest of the way. side. After the opening salvo, virtually nothing worked. Run“We played well in the first quarter, then we just got ning game. Passing game. Blocking. out of rhythm a little bit and it went downhill from there, On the next five series after grabbing a 21-0 lead, UofL but we can’t let that get to us in games to come,” Anmanaged only 24 yards and two first downs. After their last derson said. “We’ve just got to come out and continue to TD with 13:20 remaining in the second quarter, the Cards push like we started the game. We’ve got to continue to generated a mere 151 yards. That might not be cause for play that way, practice well and transition that to game alarm against an LSU or Ohio State. But Murray? day. We can’t let it get to us. We’ve got to come out and To add to its misery, UofL also committed four turnovers, play with speed, intelligence, play like we practice, and three of them fumbles. that’s fast and clicking on all cylinders.” If there was a highlight, it was the play of freshman How much of the blame should go to the young ofwide receiver Devante Parker, who made a spectacular fensive line is debatable, but if you can’t blow Murray off catch in the end zone for a 39-yard touchdown on a pass the ball, is there any hope against the remaining teams on from Will Stein early in the second quarter, even though inUofL’s schedule? terference was called on Murray defensive back T.J. Denson. With returning junior center Mario Benavides sidelined Parker finished with three receptions for 55 yards. with an injury, all five starters on the O-line were new, with “Devante, you guys saw that touchdown catch,” Stein junior Alex Kupper replacing Benavides, freshman John said. “You can pretty much throw it up to him and he’s going Miller and redshirt freshman Jake Smith at guard, and seto come down with it. It was a designed rollout, they blitzed niors Ryan Kessling and Hector Hernandez at tackle. us, I got around them and it was one-on-one with Devante Kupper admitted that the lack of offensive consistency and their DB. I tried to throw it farther so he wouldn’t have and production got frustrating. to jump over the guy, but he made a great play.” “When drives get stopped, you’re looking around wonSaid UofL coach Charlie Strong: “Devante Parker is very dering what’s going on,” he said. “You don’t want to talented. One of these days, we’re going to look up and point the finger, but you’re wondering what happened say, ‘Wow, what a great player.’ He doesn’t do anything but when things slow down. We wanted to get into an upwork. I told Stein, ‘If you throw the ball up, he’ll go up and tempo rhythm, but negative plays slowed us down. It was get it for you.’” frustrating, but you have to get together, become a vetSenior running back Victor Anderson said he wasn’t sureran group and let stuff roll off our shoulders. Freshman DeVante Parker and receivers coach prised to see Parker excel in his first collegiate game. “We had our fair share of mistakes. Being a young Ron Dugans leaped to celebrate Parker’s “Devante, he’s not real outspoken, so I talked to him this touchdown. - photo by Gail Kamenish group, there will be mental errors, and mental errors will week and I said, ‘You gonna make a play?’ and he said, shut you down in a heartbeat. It will get you off track and ‘Well, if they put me in.’ I’m glad to see he came out and lead to frustration. But every single game we are going to made a big play. He does that every day in practice, just like get better. We have shown that in camp, and we are gohe did on that touchdown, and that’s what makes the kid really special. He high-points ing to show that during the season.” the ball and he knows how to go up and get it.” Middle linebacker Dexter Heyman said he didn’t anticipate the offense having so many Anderson and fellow tailback Jeremy Wright each lost a fumble, as did Stein, who problems. After going against that unit during spring practice and fall camp, he expected completed 17 of 32 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns but also missed badly sev- more production. eral times when he had receivers wide open. And then, of course, Stein couldn’t sustain “I was definitely surprised they didn’t put up more points, but I’m not upset,” he said. any drives after the initial burst. “There are some things we didn’t get taken care of, not only on offense, but defense. It’s “We just have to play better; we know we’re a better offensive team than that,” a team effort. I don’t want to make it sound like the offense let us down. We gave up a Strong said. “It was the whole offense. It’s not on the quarterback, it’s on them all. The fourth-quarter touchdown, which is something we strive to not let happen. We need to offensive line has to block people, the running backs have to make some runs. We’re no- grow as a team, we need to grow closer together, grow with the coaches.”
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LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
COFFEE BREAK WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
FORGET THE FINAL 43 MINUTES, UofL WAS SUPERB FOR THE FIRST 17 Well Cardinals fans, how did you like that 17-minute football game last Thursday against Murray State? It was over in 17 minutes, right? I don’t remember seeing much football going on after that, only worrying about the heat and humidity, a daily occurrence as of late. But as a 50-year follower of the University of Louisville football program, I’ll take a win anytime, anywhere, by any score. Since I started attending UofL games in 1970, the team has won 241 games and lost 211, so a win is always appreciated. (My perception of Louisville football is a little different from those fans who started attending games in the 90s.) Back to the 17-minute football game. That was as good an opening game as any UofL team has ever played. Don’t believe me? Look at the stats for those minutes. Starting a college game for only the third time, quarterback Will Stein was 10 of 15 for 113 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Those passing efficiency numbers will match the diminutive Trinity grad with Cam Newton, last season’s Heisman Trophy winner. Even more impressive is that he threw those passes to six different receivers, including three first-year players. Although Murray stacked the line and forced Louisville to pass on the majority of its plays during this 17-minute game, the Cards still rushed JACK COFFEE for 76 yards. A fumble by Jeremy Wright at Murray’s 10-yard line was the only blight on an excellent offensive performance. On its four drives UofL scored three TDs and lost the ball at the 10. A very impressive performance considering that two offensive linemen were playing their first collegiate games and the only returning starter and leader of the O-line (Mario Benavides) was in street clothes with an IV in his arm. The rosy-cheeked defense also played as if they were grizzled veterans. With three Dline starters out with injuries, no one knew what to expect, but the replacements did fine. The storyline in this 17-minute game is that the starting cornerbacks were all younger than the socks Russ Brown had on. The two things that kept me busiest during this short game was wiping the sweat from my brow and checking the roster in my Louisville Sports Report that my son carries in his pocket (much cheaper than buying a program). What a fine job these young corners did during the 17-minute game, along with the veterans at safety. Remember the days leading up to the game when some prognosticators said that Murray quarterback Casey Brockman would riddle the UofL secondary with completed passes and, according to some ( I will mention no names because I make no predictions about the outcome of games and will not ridicule those who do), the Racers would upset the Cards? Well, Paul Harvey, the rest of the story is that Brockman was 1 of 11 during the 17-minute game and gained only 18 yards on that one completion. He threw for zero touchdowns after Murray had 22 TDs passing last season (he also had zero TD passes in the post-game competition). The Cards also managed to intercept Brockman three times (all after the 17-minute game). He was intercepted just six times the entire 2010 season. The Cards went the entire 17-minute game with only one penalty, that coming in the final minute. They would have numerous penalties in the post-game game. The offense was 50 percent effective on third-down conversions. Very encouraging was the kicking game. Chris Philpott put all three kickoffs into the end zone, and the one that was returned was for just 17 yards. The punts were high, and that part of the game seems to be in good hands. Philpott also had a 40-yard run on a fake punt for the longest play from scrimmage for either team in either game. (After the game I heard him prodding the coaches to move him to running back. Just kidding.) I was a little disappointed that there were no sacks, but I think I have Elvis Dumervil syndrome -- expecting a sack every other play. It didn’t seem that the Cards had many sacks last season, but they ended up fifth in the nation in total sacks, so I guess I am spoiled thanks to Elvis (Maybe that also explains why I don’t like the rock music these days). To all Cards fans I say, “Don’t worry, be happy.” When a Division I football team plays 18 freshmen in an opening game and comes out with a victory, that’s a good thing.
A LOOK BACK: This ‘thumbnail sketch’ was part of Earl Ruby’s column prior to the 1950 UofL season: “LOUISVILLE–squad number–60. Lettermen–29 (lost only five), plus 48 freshmen...... Returning stars include Ross Lucia top scorer in Kentucky last season: Big Jake Brewer, 220-pound powerhouse rebuilt into a halfback: Kesay Day, stock fullback and Karns in the secondary. Karns will call signals in the place of Gitschier, now freshmen coach. Bob Bauer, Little All-American mention as a wingman last year; Jim wolf and Maury Wolford, 230-pound tackles, and a flock of good guards. Only at center is Coach Frank Camp hurting. George Bertram graduated and J.W. Duke guituated....... Type of offense–’I’.....U L will play as an independent.”
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Only President’s Award Winner in Greater Louisville 10 out of 11 years! One sour note on an otherwise successful evening was the philosophical change in traffic movement after the game. Someone decided that it was wise to let pedestrians leaving the stadium have priority over automobiles when the two conflicted. That meant that cars sat idling in the lots close to the stadium while thousands of fans walked to their cars in the extended parking lots. After waiting for 15 to 20 minutes the cars started creeping forward on Floyd, but instead of letting those cars that had been waiting go forward, the officers at Central and Hahn now let the pedestrians who had kept the cars waiting initially and who were now in their cars leave the lots on Hahn and along Central ahead of the idling cars on Floyd. That means that no cars were making it through the critical intersection of Central and Crittenden in the half-hour after the game. Thursday night was the worst traffic flow since the first two years of the stadium, and there were only 15,000 to 20,000 fans around at the end of the game.
448-2802 www.bobmontgomery.com BOB MO NTG O M E RY H A S B E E N S E R VI NG TH E CO M M U N I T Y S I N C E 19 6 0 .
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SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
PAGE 9
CARDINAL FOOTBALL
CARDS ARE AIMING TO FORECLOSE ON FIU’S HILTON By Russ Brown The two major challenges are clear for the University of Louisville football team as it gears up for Friday night’s nationally televised game (7 o’clock, ESPN) against Florida International in Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium: 1. Devise a plan to contain FIU’s all-everything blur and would-be Heisman Trophy candidate, T.Y. Hilton. 1-A. Find a way to jump-start an offense that was mostly AWOL in the opening 21-9 victory over Murray State. FIU’s “Hilton for Heisman” campaign got off to a fast start last week when the senior speedster needed only 13 touches to rack up 283 all-purpose yards as the Golden Panthers whipped North Texas 41-16. Heisman hype for a player from a Sun Belt Conference school that has been playing football for just 11 years may seem far-fetched, but not to FIU coach Mario Cristobal. “You’ve got to call it what it is,” he said. “How many times in your lifetime will you have a player like that?” Once is one time too many if you’re on the opposing team’s defensive unit. By the end of the first quarter against NTU Hilton had 180 yards on only five plays, including a 62-yard kickoff return. On FIU’s second possession, quarterback Wesley Carroll connected with him on a 60-yard touchdown pass. Hilton finished 12 yards shy of matching his one-game all-purpose school record. “It’s a message on how good we can be,” said the 2010 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. “Let everybody on the schedule know that FIU is back and we’re nothing to be messed with. You know how quickly we can put up points.” Barring an injury or a lightning storm, Hilton likely will record his 6,000th all-purpose yard against Louisville -- he’s at 5,923 now and has accounted for touchdowns in his career passing, receiving, rushing, returning kickoffs and returning punts. “Hilton is a big-name player,” UofL coach Charlie Strong said. “The thing Hilton can do is he’s an all-purpose guy, so we’re going to have to contain him. “You know he’s going to get some catches, so we’re going to have to corral the ball, get enough guys to him and make sure when we get around him that we get him tackled. It’s the yardage after the catch that’s going to be critical because we know they’re going to throw the ball out there to him. Now, do we allow him to break a tackle and go get 20 extra yards? We’ve got to corral him. “It’s a bigger challenge because you’re playing against an athlete who is just as fast and can make plays in the open field. The thing about Hilton, when we kick him the ball we’ve got to get down and cover because if he catches the ball he’s very dangerous. The corners are going to have to cover him because we’re going to play man coverage; we’re not going to back away from what we’re doing.” Of course, the best strategy on kickoffs is to just not kick the ball in his direction. Hilton, Carroll and FIU’s explosive offense are certain to be a major test for UofL’s secondary, especially its two inexperienced starting cornerbacks -- freshman Andrew Johnson and senior Anthony Conner, who had one of Louisville’s three interceptions against Murray. Last season Carroll, a transfer from Mississippi State, directed an explosive offense that scored a school-record 374 points. Against
Anthony Conner, who intercepted a pass against Murray State, will likely draw a tough assignment against FIU, Heisman candidate T.Y. Hilton. - photo by Chuck Feist
North Texas he completed 16 of 22 passes (76.3 percent) for 193 yards and the TD to Hilton. “I remember him from when he was at Mississippi State,” Strong said. “He finds the playmakers, and they have some playmakers, whether it’s T.Y. Hilton or No. 5 (junior wideout Wayne Times) or their two good running backs. He manages their offense well. North Texas was a good gauge for us -- they don’t have what we have on defense, but they kind of play what we play.” Strong said he was pleased with the play of the cornerbacks and that UofL won’t change its defensive alignment for FIU and Hilton. “We figured Murray would throw the ball a little more, but our guys did a good job of covering, and when you play a passing team it builds confidence,” he said. “Whenever you challenge players, and we had challenged them and they stepped up to the challenge. (FIU) is a bigger challenge.” Hilton shies away from the spotlight and notes that he’s not a one-man wrecking crew. “I don’t want it,” he said. “I know it’s there because of the things I’m doing on the field. But it’s not just me. It’s the team, what they’re doing, blocking, coming to the huddles and helping me out. This team is doing whatever it can to put me in the right position to make plays. It’s not me alone.” For UofL, the Cards need to make dramatic improvement with an offense that was shut out for the last 43 minutes of the Murray game after taking a 21-0 lead, and one that was flagged for 10 penalties for 65 yards. Furthermore, the Cards’ running attack was virtually non-existent, with running backs Victor Anderson and Jeremy Wright combining for only 92 yards on 23 carries, a 4.0 average. Take away a 22-yard gain for Anderson and the average-per-carry drops to 3.2. “When we get a lead, it’s all about finishing the game,” Strong said. “It’s 21-3 at halftime; now don’t sit on the lead, go finish the game. Offensively, the first five minutes of the half we’ve got to take the ball, drive and go score and then we can really play at the pace we want to play at and have a chance to put the game away. But we didn’t get that done.” UofL’s first three possessions of the third quarter produced 36 yards and one first
down. Its next two ended with a fumble and a three-and-out. “You get out there and mess around and it’s three and out,” Strong said. “You get the ball back, you mess around again and it’s three and out. Then you just don’t have the leadership and confidence within guys right now where they say, ‘Hey, OK guys, let’s take the football and go score.’ That’s why it’s important for guys like Vic Anderson, Josh Chichester, the guys on offense to take the leadership and say, ‘We’ve got to take the ball, drive it and go score.’ You don’t want to disrespect Murray State, but that game could have gotten out of hand if we had really wanted it to and played at the level we’re capable of playing at.
“We just have to improve as a whole football team. Even though we say we played well on defense, we missed too many tackles. We have to tackle better and not give up the big play. Then the offense, tempo and rhythm, maintaining it and playing consistent for a full game. And then in the kicking game, it’s so important we cover and return well. When we get a chance, return one. Limit the penalties. We had way too many penalties, and that’s all about being a disciplined football team. “Our guys have one game under their belt, so can they gel? We’re going to play a good football team, so it’s going to be interesting to see how we come together. That team is good, 16 starters back, playing with a lot of confidence. So can we play at the level we need to play at to beat them? We’re going to have to play a lot better than we did against Murray State.” Asked the inevitable question about whether he worries about the Cards looking ahead to their Sept. 17 battle with that team 80 miles down I-64, Strong chuckled and responded in the negative. “No, they can’t look ahead,” he said. “We’re not good enough to look ahead. There has been no mention at all of Kentucky. What our guys want to do after playing the way they just played is making sure we focus on this team and don’t play that bad again.” Easier said than done, of course. INJURY UPDATE -- On defense, senior end Greg Scruggs should be close to full strength after seeing limited action against Murray. Strong said Roy Philon is expected back and Brandon Dunn is day-to-day and could play. Both are sophomore tackles. Offensively, starting center Mario Benavides is still unable to practice and receiver Josh Bellamy, who suffered a hamstring pull and played just one quarter against Murray, is questionable.
2011 SCHEDULE DATE
OPPONENT / EVENT
TIME
Thu., Sept. 1
Murray State
W, 21-9
Fri., Sept. 9
Florida International (ESPN)
7 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 17
at Kentucky
7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 1
Marshall
3:30 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 8
at North Carolina
TBA
Sat., Oct. 15
at Cincinnati
TBA
Fri., Oct. 21
Rutgers (ESPN)
8 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 29
Syracuse
TBA
Sat., Nov. 5
at West Virginia
TBA
Sat., Nov. 12
Pittsburgh
TBA
Sat., Nov. 19
at Connecticut
TBA
Fri., Nov. 25
at USF (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)
TBA
VISIT CARDINALSPORTS.COM FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE CARDINAL INFORMATION
PAGE 10
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
LOUISVILLE SOFTBALL
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It’s always GOOD to get a win. For this young and inexperienced Louisville football team, a win is not to be dismissed easily. Louisville scored three quick touchdowns to start the game and most, including our crew in the press box, thought the rout was on. But then Louisville’s offense started losing momentum, a fumble here, a handful of penalties there, and the Cardinals didn’t score for the rest of the half. Most figured Louisville would return to form in the second half, but that didn’t happen. The Cardinals’ defense wasn’t as tough against the run as coach Charlie Strong would like, and Murray State earned 13 rushing first downs. The final score, 21-9, was a good indication of what the game looked like - ugly. But, as Will Stein said after the game, “An ugly win is still a win.”
GOOD BAD
Strong said if this team wants to make a bowl, it will have to happen on the strength of its defensive line. Fans didn’t get a chance to see that strength Thursday night. Team leader Greg Scruggs, a starting end, saw limited playing time due to injury. The other starting end, BJ Butler, was held out of competition completely because of an injury, as was starting nose tackle Brandon Dunn. Given that the Cards played with three down linemen for most of the game in the nickel package, those three aforementioned players would have been your starters for the game against the Racers. The linemen who filled in did a decent job of holding Murray to 2.9 yards per carry, but they didn’t get big stops against the run when needed and didn’t get as much pressure on the quarterback as was expected.
GOOD
The Louisville SportsReport rarely puts freshmen on the cover of the magazine, and especially not freshmen who haven’t had a bigtime performance. But that is what we did last week. We picked four of Louisville’s top young stars and put them on the pre-Murray State game cover. It was a big risk, and it largely paid off. Two of our picks - receiver DeVante Parker and cornerback Andrew Johnson - had tremendous performances. Parker was a match-up problem throughout the game and had an acrobatic touchdown catch in the second quarter. He finished with three catches for 55 yards. Johnson not only started but nearly came up with an interception in the first half. The other two cover pics - quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and DE Deiontrez Mount - didn’t make as big of an impact. Mount didn’t see action, and Bridgewater’s one series in the second quarter was rough and ended with an interception.
UGLY
Bridgewater might look back on his first set of college snaps with a smirk and a laugh some day. That day likely hasn’t come yet. His first play was a handoff to Victor Anderson that went for 22 yards. Now with a first-and-10 at the Louisville 46, the Cardinals went back 5 yards for a false start, then another 5 yards for another false start, and then another 5 yards for a delay of game when the play clock hit zero. After a pair of rushes by Jeremy Wright gained 8 yards, Louisville was facing third-and-17 when Bridgewater launched a pass downfield that was intercepted by Murray State’s Darrell Davis at UofL’s 24-yard line. Bridgewater has a bright future ahead of him, no doubt. And hopefully some day he’ll look back on that first series with amusement.
BAD
Speaking of not being as impressive as expected, sophomore running back Jeremy Wright had a team-high 14 carries but gained just 24 yards, with a long of 6 yards. He also had a fumble early in the game at Murray’s 10-yard line. Wright, an extremely talented back, drew praise throughout the spring and summer from running backs coach Kenny Carter and others. Not only did he not break free to showcase that “home run speed” that we saw in the spring, but the fumble early in the game was a tough blow. Can Wright bounce back quickly for Louisville’s game Friday night? He’ll need to. The Cardinals will need all hands on deck to beat FIU. It is always GOOD to see local kids have success at Louisville. That was definitely the case Thursday night as all three touchdowns were scored by Louisville natives. The first, a touchdown pass from Louisville Trinity grad Will Stein to fellow Trinity grad Scott Radcliff, put the Cardinals up 7-0. Then Louisville St. Xavier grad Vic Anderson scored on a 2-yard run, and on Louisville’s next possession Stein found Louisville Ballard grad DeVante Parker for a 39-yard touchdown to cap a five-play, 81-yard drive.
GOOD
We are no sound system experts, but we have to surmise, based on the level of frustration of some fans on message boards and call-in shows, that something was not right with the sound system at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium during Game 1. There are people who said their section was unable to hear the PA. Others said their sound was distorted and overmodulated. And fans on the West side said the PA was so loud it blistered their ears. The current system is certainly a massive upgrade from old Cardinal Stadium, where every announcement sounded as if it were coming via the string-and-can method, but it doesn’t seem to match the quality of the rest of the stadium. Hopefully, it was just a first game thing.
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So it turns out that Georgia’s decision to replace Louisville with Boise State to start this year’s schedule was likely a BAD one. Yes, the Bulldogs got the exposure of a national television game, but look what happened! No. 5 Boise State beat the No. 19 Bulldogs 35-21 in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic in Dallas Saturday night. BSU quarterback Kellen Moore threw for three touchdowns and completed 28 of 34 passes for 261 yards, picking apart the Georgia defense throughout the game. Couldn’t the Dogs see this coming? Boise State has started its last three seasons with victories over Oregon, Virginia Tech and now Georgia. Playing Boise State in the season opener is becoming something akin to getting involved in a land war in Asia. The only thing worse than starting the season against the Broncos? Try being sent to play them in a bowl game on their home (blue) turf. Louisville fans can tell you all about that.
UGLY
We know Louisville’s game was no beauty pageant, but what transpired in Nashville Thursday night was as UGLY as any college football game we’ve seen in a long, long time. AOL FanHouse columnist Clay Travis said it best: “Western Kentucky vs. Kentucky was the worst game featuring an SEC team in the modern era. It’s also the worst game I’ve ever seen in person. And I watched it all.” As Courier-Journal columnist Rick Bozich noted, Kentucky was the only offense (of the 20 teams that played on Thursday night) to gain fewer than 200 yards. Kentucky eventually won 14-3, but by that time most the fans in the stands had left and most of the fans watching on television had long ago switched to another channel or fallen asleep. “It’s a win,” Kentucky coach Joker Phillips said. “We’re excited to come away from here with a win.”
GOOD
What a strong weekend for the Big East. Often the punching bag for national analysts and SEC honks, the league gave those guys nothing to criticize in Week 1. On Thursday, Louisville beat Murray State 21-9, Rutgers beat North Carolina Central 48-0 and Syracuse came from behind to beat Wake Forest 36-29 in overtime. The Orange scored 22 unanswered points to win. On Saturday, Connecticut beat Fordham 35-3, Pitt beat Buffalo 35-16, Cincinnati pounded Austin Peay 72-10 and South Florida knocked off No. 16 Notre Dame 23-20. Then on Sunday, West Virginia beat in-state rival Marshall 34-13 in the Friends of Coal Bowl to make the conference 8-0 for Week 1.
GOOD
It looks like there is a GOOD chance the Big 12 will completely disintegrate over the next couple of months. First, Nebraska went off to the Big Ten. Then, Colorado went off to the Pac-10. Then Texas and several other schools made googly-eyes with the Pac-10 before calling off the marriage. Now Texas A&M appears headed to the SEC, and administrators at both Oklahoma schools are making it evident they plan to leave the conference if a deal they like comes up. That deal could come in the form of a four-team invitation to the new PAC-12. Those four teams would presumably be Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas Tech. Oklahoma president David Boren said last Friday that the Sooners were being proactive in deciding their conference future, had interest from multiple conferences and expected to make a decision within two weeks. “We’re at the sensitive point of discussions among schools,” Boren said. Oklahoma State administrators told reporters they’d be heading wherever Oklahoma goes. In a report in the Daily Oklahoman Saturday, Missouri athletic director Mike Alden admitted Boren’s comments were sobering to those who want to keep the Big 12 together. “It’s somewhat surprising that comment came out, because I know everybody’s been working together,” Alden said. “You put something like that out there and it just reinforces that image of being unstable. How do you recover from that? I don’t know.”
GOOD
Could the Big 12’s woes be GOOD for the Big East? The league has reportedly reached out to Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri in the past. If the Big 12 is destroyed by the Pac-12, er 16, the Big East could pick up those three schools plus maybe Baylor and Iowa State and have a 14-team football league. In that scenario, Louisville and TCU could join the five former Big 12 schools for one seven-team division, while the rest of the current Big East could be an Eastern Division. The trouble would be the Big East basketball league, which would be 22 teams if five Big 12 teams join. Twentytwo teams? I guess at that point you could just grant the Big East its own NCAA Regional.
BAD
Unfortunately, it was a BAD weekend for former UofL coach Howard Schnellenberger, who not only had to deal with pain from a surgicallyrepaired hip but also suffered through Florida Atlantic’s 41-3 loss to Florida in Gainesville. Schnellenberger watched the game from the press box, opting to rest his hip, but said he’ll be back on the sideline for Saturday’s game at Michigan State. “I don’t like it at all and I’m not going to be up there any more,” said the 77-year-old Schnellenberger, who had never watched a game from anywhere but the field in 28 seasons as a head coach. “On the sidelines I want to make sure I have enough quicks to protect myself and stay alive.” Schnellenberger had been rushed to a hospital Friday for X-rays when the hip replacement acted up. Schnellenberger, who was walking with a cane before the game, blamed himself for Friday’s episode, saying he started doing exercises on the bus. “I crossed my legs across two seats,” he said. “Like an idiot I continued to rehab while we were on the bus and bang I got a major cramp in my leg.”
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
PAGE 11
GAME TWO PREVIEW - FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
DATE Sept. 1, 2011 Sept. 9, 2011 Sept. 17, 2011 Sept. 24, 2011 Oct. 1, 2011 Oct. 8, 2011 Oct. 18, 2011 Oct. 25, 2011 Nov. 5, 2011 Nov. 12, 2011 Nov. 19, 2011 Nov. 26, 2011
OPPONENT North Texas at Louisville (ESPN) UCF Louisiana-Laf. Duke at Akron at Arkansas St. Troy at Western Kentucky Florida Atlantic at ULM at Middle Tenn.
TIME/RESULT 41-16 7:00 pm ET 6:00 pm ET TBA 6:00 pm ET 2:00 pm ET 8:00 pm ET 8:00 pm ET 4:00 pm ET TBA TBA TBA
WR T.Y. HILTON
2010 RESULTS DATE Sept. 11, 2010 Sept. 18, 2010 Sept. 25, 2010 Oct. 2, 2010 Oct. 9, 2010 Oct. 16, 2010
OPPONENT Rutgers at Texas A&M at Maryland at Pittsburgh Western Kentucky at North Texas
TIME/RESULT L 19-14 L 27-20 L 42-28 L 44-17 W 28-21 W 34-10
Oct. 30, 2010 Nov. 6, 2010 Nov. 13, 2010 Nov. 20, 2010 Nov. 27, 2010 Dec. 4, 2010 Dec. 26, 2010
at Florida Atlantic ULM at Troy at Louisiana-Laf. Arkansas St. Middle Tenn. vs. Toledo
L 21-9 W 42-35 W 52-35 W 38-17 W 31-24 L 28-27 W 34-32
FAST FACTS Almost all of FIU’s players are from Florida, and many of them will be familiar with UofL’s players, 29 of whom are also from Florida. Coach Mario Cristobal and UofL’s coaching staff are very familiar with each other from the recruiting trail in Florida.
TEAM BREAKDOWN BY RICK CUSHING University of Louisville football fans could be in for a treat – although it could be a nightmarish one – when Florida International (which prefers to be called FIU) visits Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium HEAD COACH Friday night. MARIO CRISTOBAL That treat goes by the name T.Y. Hilton, a wide receiver/kick returner extraordinaire who is being promoted as a Heisman Trophy candidate by FIU, the first in the 11-year history of the school’s football program. While Hilton is a definite outsider in the Heisman race, the senior’s credentials are not. The 2010 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, Hilton (5-10, 183) began this season with a Heisman-worthy effort in FIU’s 41-16 spanking of North Texas State last Thursday. He accounted for 283 all-purpose yards, catching seven passes for 132 yards and a TD, running twice for 49 yards, returning two kickoffs for 92 yards and two punts for 10 yards. “How many times in your lifetime will you have a player like that?” FIU coach Mario Cristobal said of the school’s Heisman campaign for Hilton. “You’ve got to call it what it is.” The Golden Panthers led the Mean Green 31-7 at the half and cruised. They racked up 401 total yards, averaging 6.4 yards a play, and were 6 for 6 inside the red zone, with four TDs. Hilton touched the ball only four times in the second half, the Panthers knowing the game was comfortably in hand., “It’s a message on how good we can be,” Hilton said. “Let everybody on the schedule know that FIU is back and we’re nothing to be messed with.” Last season Hilton caught 59 passes for 848 yards (14.4yard average) and five TDs, rushed 30 times for 282 yards (9.4 average) and four TDs, including a 75-yarder, and returned two kickoffs for TDs, including a 95-yarder. For his career he now is responsible for 30 TDs – 18 as a receiver, six as a rusher, four as a kick returner, one as a punt returner and one as a passer. The Cards will have to mark his presence at all times. FIU is more than Hilton, however. Last year the Panthers had the first winning season (7-6, 6-2) in the 10-year history of the program, their first Sun Belt Conference title and their first bowl victory (34-32 over Toledo in the Little Caesars Bowl). They won seven of their last nine games after an 0-4 start against a tough out-of-conference schedule (Rutgers, Texas A&M, Maryland and Pittsburgh), although FIU played all but Pittsburgh tough. Sixteen starters return, including eight on offense. Among those are Hilton, senior quarterback Wesley Carroll and senior running back Darriet Perry. With three starters returning on the offensive line, the Panthers should improve on their No. 46 ranking in the nation offensively. The defense was not so stout last year, surrendering 27.3 ppg, 65th in the nation, and ranking 61st overall, although it ranked first in the high-scoring Sun Belt. Six starters return, and Cristobal has continued to impress as a recruiter. FIU’s class ranked No. 1 in the Sun Belt. Several of the incoming players figure to see considerable playing time on the defensive side of the ball this season. OFFENSE: Carroll (6-1, 202) directed an explosive offense last season (school-record 374 points) and is off to a good start this year. Against North Texas he was 16 of 22 (76.3 completion percentage) for 193 yards and a TD, a 60-yarder to Hilton. Last season he completed 61.6 percent of his passes (226 of 367) for 2,623 yards (202 a game) and 16 touchdowns. He also threw 14 interceptions, a number that needs to come down. Another starting wideout who returned is junior Wayne Times (5-11, 178), who had five catches for 34 yards against NTU. Also back is senior tight end Jonathan Faucher (6-3, 233), who didn’t have any catches in the opener but is used primarily as a blocker. Nevertheless, he caught three TD passes last season among his nine receptions. FIU’s top four rushers from last season are back, headed
by Perry (5-9, 202), who rushed 15 times for 94 yards and two TDs against NTU. He rushed for 839 yards (4.9 average) and 16 TDs last season. Sophomore Kedrick Rhodes (5-11, 175), who averaged 7.3 yards a carry last season, rushed 16 times for 77 yards and two TDs against NTU. Three starters on the O-line return, headed by junior RT Rupert Bryan Jr. (6-7, 276). The O-line allowed just 20 sacks last year and has more depth this year. NTU had one sack. FIU has a good kicking game, with junior place-kicker Jack Griffin and junior punter Josh Brisk back. Griffin, who made 17 of 20 FG attempts last year, including two in the final 3:18 to beat Toledo in the Little Caesars Bowl, was 2 for 2 against NTU with a long of 45 yards. Brisk, who averaged 39.2 yards a punt last year, averaged 49.2 yards on five punts against NTU. DEFENSE: Heading the returnees are junior LB Winston Fraser (6-2, 227), who was third on the team with 72 tackles, nine for a loss, last season and led the team with 11 tackles against NTU; junior all-Sun Belt strong safety Jonathan Cyprien (6-0, 205), who led the team with 113 tackles last year and was second with six against NTU; and junior CB Junior Mertile (60, 197), a converted wide receiver who led the team with three interceptions last year and had four tackles in the opener. Among the new starters are sophomore DE Gregory Hickman (6-1, 274), who had two of the team’s three sacks against NTU, and JUCO transfer Jordan Hunt (6-1, 228), a linebacker who had six tackles last Thursday. The defense is young – only one senior starter – but that’s because Cristobal has done such a good job of recruiting the past three years. He also brought in a new defensive coordinator, Todd Orlando, who is very familiar with UofL, having been the DC at Connecticut the past six seasons. PLAYER TO WATCH The speedy Hilton bears watching any time he is on the field. He can catch, run, return kicks and throw. He doesn’t have to block because the same effect is caused when he’s used as a decoy. He may be overlooked by the national media, but he’s on the Fred Biletnikoff watch list for the nation’s top receiver. If you take binoculars to the game, isolate on this talented player at least for a series or two. He’s more likely than not to take you to the ball. TEAM STRENGTHS The offense, with so much talent at the skill positions returning, figures to be potent. The dangerous Hilton makes the special teams frightening. It will be interesting to see whether UofL kicks to him. TEAM WEAKNESSES The defense needs to stiffen, having ranked 77th in the country in rushing D last year at 168.7 ypg. The Panthers stifled NTU, but UofL will pose a test. COACHING RESUME Cristobal, 40, has become a hot commodity in the coaching ranks, and continued success at FIU likely will see him moving on. When he took his first head coaching position at FIU following the 2006 season, he inherited a team that had gone winless in 2006 and was saddled with NCAA sanctions. But he won five games in 2008, his second season, and last season he led the Golden Panthers to their first winning season. His overall record is 18-33. An all-Big East offensive tackle at his hometown school, Miami, Cristobal began his coaching career with three seasons as a graduate assistant at Miami (1998-200) after playing professionally in Europe for a couple of years. He then was an assistant for three seasons (2001-03) at Rutgers, which did not face UofL during those years, before returning to Miami for three seasons (2004-06), where he coached the offensive line. He then took over at FIU.
BOTTOM LINE FIU figures to be a test for UofL, which had best not overlook the Golden Panthers.
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9,2011
LOUISVILLE VS.
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY 7 PM, ESPN
FIU PANTHERS
2011 SCHEDULE
PAGE 12
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
TAILGATING PHOTO GALLERY PHOTOS BY HOWIE LINDSEY
The Young and Duggins tailgate included plenty of fried chicken and all the fixin’s prior to Louisville’s season-opening win.
This group of tailgaters described themselves as the “Trainer’s Wives Party.”
A group from Kern’s Korner on Bardstown Rd. shared some food and beverages before the Murray State game.
Louisville President James Ramsey, UofL fan Alisa Zanetti and Bellarmine’s National Championship coach Scotty Davenport posed for a quick picture while waiting for the Card March to begin in the Green Lot.
The John Boy Tailgate party was excited to see the Louisville SportsReport cameraman. The group included nearly two dozen die-hard Louisville fans.
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
PAGE 13
PAGE 14
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
CARDINAL FOOTBALL DAY PHOTO GALLERY WOMEN’SGAME BASKETBALL Senior Vic Anderson pointed to the sky after he scored a touchdown against Murray State. - photo by Gail Kamenish
Teammates congratulated Greg Scruggs (6) after he sacked Murray State quarterback Casey Brockman. - photo by Howie Lindsey
Vic Anderson stiff-armed Murray State defender Kevin Robinson. - photo by Chuck Feist
Freshman DeVante Parker caught a pass over Murray State’s T.J. Denson for Louisville’s third touchdown. photo by Darrell Russell
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
PAGE 15
BIG EAST NOTEBOOK RECRUITING NOTEBOOK
CARDS LAND THIRTEENTH COMMITMENT By Jeff Wafford University of Louisville football picked up its 13th verbal commitment for the 2012 class last week when linebacker Patrick Jean (6-3, 200) chose the Cards over offers from South Florida, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Florida Atlantic, Kansas, Purdue and Western Michigan. Jean, a product of Treasure Coast H.S. (Port St. Lucie, Fla.), is rated as a threestar player, and he is the third player from Florida to commit to the Cards in the 2012 class. On film, Jean appears to be an explosive player, showing the ability to come up from linebacker to stop the run. At times he also lines up as a defensive lineman and comes off the edge to rush the passer. Treasure Coast H.S. has been kind to the Cardinals since Charlie JEFF WAFFORD Strong arrived at UofL, as he has signed two other highly touted players from the program – linebacker Deon Rogers chose the Cardinals over Georgia in Strong’s first class in 2010, and offensive lineman Mike Romano signed with UofL in February. Those two also were rated as three-star players. Strong would like to add another prospect from Treasure Coast in the 2012 class, Travares Copeland. The Cardinals already have offered the three-star wide receiver/ defensive back who also has offers from West Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, South Florida, Michigan State and many others. Although UofL opened its season last Thursday night, making it difficult to plan weekend visits, several prospects were able to make the game. Among them was Hunter Bowles (6-6, 245), a tight end/offensive lineman from Glasgow H.S. (Ky.). Bowles, who is rated as a two-star player, does not have an offer from the Cards yet, but he is hearing from them often. Louisville’s opponent last Thursday – Murray State – has offered Bowles a scholarship, as has Marshall. He also is hearing from Kentucky, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Alabama, Tennessee and Western Kentucky. Bowles said he does not have a leader at the moment, but his top five are Kentucky, Louisville, Marshall, Tennessee and Vanderbilt, which he noted are in “no specific order.” Another player who visited Louisville over the weekend wasn’t able to make it in time for the Cards’ game against the Racers, but he was able to make it in town by Saturday and spend a couple of days on a visit. Mike Roberts (6-5, 245), a three-star tight end/wide receiver from Benedictine H.S. (Cleveland, Ohio), made the drive down to visit UofL’s campus and learned more about the program. “It was great; I loved the place,” he said after the trip. “It’s everything I expected and more.”
Port St. Lucie LB Patrick Jean
Glasgow TE Hunter Bowles
When asked what made UofL so attractive to him, Roberts replied: “I liked their facilities - they obviously put a lot of money in what they do. And everything’s close together. You come right to the practice field to the study table and then to where you eat. “And I talked to Coach Strong, and he’s a very intelligent man. His players can’t skip class or they’re up and running at five in the morning and doing the weight room. You need that discipline in college because you have so much freedom you would go crazy if you didn’t have that.” Roberts, who also has offers from N.C. State, Cincinnati, Bowling Green, UConn, Kansas, Kent State, Ohio and Toledo, said his visit wasn’t focused solely on athletics, but academics as well. “It was pretty
much both,” he said. “I missed practice by a couple of minutes, but we sat down and talked about my grades and what I could do to improve my GPA. Then I got a tour of the campus and saw the dorms. They are really nice and up to date, like little apartments.” The visit was an unofficial trip for Roberts, who said he plans to make a return trip at the end of October. The Cardinals are looking at Roberts as a tight end, especially considering that they have a senior starter graduating and two back-ups who have been with the program for some time. “They showed me highlights from the guy who just graduated – number 83 (Cameron Graham),” Roberts said. “...They were saying how he had the most catches in the Big East. And they showed me a couple of
2012 FOOTBALL COMMITS PROSPECT Sid Anvoots
POS OL
HOMETOWN Indianapolis, IN
HIGH SCHOOL Bishop Chatard
HT. 6-4
WT. 285
East Limestone
6-3
230
Brunswick
5-10
174
Coffee County
6-5
190
6-5
325
Brush
5-11
175
Treasure Coast
6-3
200
Banneker
6-5
218
Elder
6-4
270
Bowling Green
6-7
307
Fairfield Central
5-11
163
Palmetto
6-0
225
Carol City
5-11
160
Big, tough offensive lineman from a strong program in Indianapolis.
Joshua Appleby
K
Harvest, AL
Rated one of the top kickers in the Southeast. Appleby figures to replace senior Chris Philpott.
Demetrius Frazier
ATH
Brunswick, GA
Extremely quick athlete could play any number of positions at the collegiate level.
Will Gardner
QB
Douglas, GA
Louisville’s top choice at quarterback in the 2011 class. Also had offers from Alabama and Mississippi State.
DeAndre Herron
OL
Avon, IN
Avon
Big, heavy and mean offensive lineman just set a school record with seven pancakes in one game.
Kevin Houchins
DB
South Eucid, OH
Fast with speed to burn. Likely a cornerback, but could also return kicks.
Patrick Jean
LB
Port St. Lucie, FL
Three-star linebacker with great size and speed from a program that produced UofL players Deon Rogers and Mike Romano.
Larry Jefferson
DE
College Park, GA
Reminds fans of BJ Dubose or Aaron Epps. Tall, athletic lineman who will gain weight, strength.
T.C. Klusman
OL
Cincinnati, OH
Clone of Eric Wood? Maybe. Same height, same weight and same high school.
Joe Manley
OL
Bowling Green, KY
Has a long way to go to live up to his massive potential. Raw but huge frame.
Devontre Parnell
DB
Winnsboro, SC
Four-star defensive back is among the best cover men in the nation for 2011.
Daqual Randall
LB
Palmetto, FL
Short but strong linebacker with speed to play outside at Louisville.
Brandon Snell
WR
Miami Gardens, FL
Could he be the fastest wide receiver in Florida for 2011? Maybe. Scouts really like him.
plays they do and how they flex their tight ends out and how they are such a big part of the offense, how they can be the quarterback’s best friend.” Aside from Louisville, Roberts said he also has contacted Kansas, Bowling Green and Ohio University about taking official visits. “Hopefully, I’ll have everything I need by the end of the season,” Roberts said when asked when he planned on selecting a school. “I don’t really want to make a decision during the season.” PITINO EXPECTED TO VISIT HARRIS IN SEPTEMBER One of basketball coach Rick Pitino’s top targets for the 2012 class, if not the top target, is Gary Harris, a five-star guard from Hamilton Southeastern H.S. (Fishers, Ind.). Rated as the No. 3 shooting guard in the class of 2012 and the No. 25 player overall, Harris is starting to get into the stretch run of his recruitment, and the Cardinals may have some ground to make up on several Big Ten schools. The 6-5 playmaker will make official visits to Purdue (Oct. 1), Indiana (Oct. 15) and Michigan State (Nov. 5), and he has not ruled out taking more trips if he deems them necessary. The fall signing period runs Nov. 9-16, and Harris has stated many times that he wants his recruitment complete before the high school basketball season begins. “It’s consistent with what we’ve been saying. He knew three schools for sure,” Harris’ father, Gary Harris Sr., told Rivals. com. “That’s not saying he won’t take two others, but those three are set. “The fact that those schools are in the mix are the schools obviously he has interest in. It’s tough. There are a lot of good schools that for a lot of good reasons make a lot of sense, where he could play and excel. Not to use a bad cliché, but it’s a marathon, not a sprint.” Harris has an in-home visit with Louisville scheduled in September but doesn’t have an official visit scheduled at this time. “That’s not to say he won’t,” Harris Sr. said. The Cardinals have been recruiting Harris since early in his career, and he has visited the UofL campus and the Yum! Center on numerous occasions. While it’s unlikely, it’s possible Pitino could convince Harris to play for the Cards even if he doesn’t take an official visit. Harris also is considering Stanford, although Harris Sr. admitted during a recent interview that distance was a factor for the family and they would prefer to stay close to home. With both of Harris’ parents being Purdue alums, it seems the Boilermakers are the frontrunners for his services, although Indiana has made a strong push and Bloomington is closest to the Harris’ home. Also, Tom Izzo and Michigan State have an excellent track record with big guards. All signs seem to point to Harris’ staying in the Big Ten at this point, but you never really know in the world of recruiting.
PAGE 16
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
CARDINAL FOOTBALL
2011 FOOTBALL ROSTER NO 1 2 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 18 19 19 19 20 22 22 23 24 25 26 27 27 28 29 29 30 31 32 33 33 34 35 35 36 37 37 38 38 39 39 40 40 41 42 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 49 51 53 54 55 56 57 59 62 65 66 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 78 80 81 82 83 84 85 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 99
NAME Josh Bellamy Michaelee Harris Preston Brown Charles Gaines Will Stein Teddy Bridgewater Greg Scruggs Damian Copeland Darius Ashley DeVante Parker Dominique Brown Josh Chichester Chris Philpott Preston Pace Andrell Smith Andrew Johnson Marcus Smith Matthew Nakatani Titus Teague Terell Floyd Joe Castaneda Jerry Arlinghaus Victor Anderson Jordon Paschal Corvin Lamb Terence Simien Daniel Brown Calvin Pryor Zed Evans Mike Addesa Jermaine Reve Jeremy Wright Stephen Goodwin Hakeem Smith Kamal Hogan DeMarcus Topp Senorise Perry Grant Donovan Mike Evans George Durant Andrew Fletcher Anthony Conner Shenard Holton Lincoln Carr Tyon Dixon Rashad Stewart Ryan Johnson Kenneth Jaboin Chris Zelli Agyei Williams Josh Bleser Stephan Robinson Champ Lee Jalen Harrington Deon Rogers B.J. Butler John Wallace Dexter Heyman Malcolm Mitchell Deiontrez Mount Patrick Grant Jarel McGriff-Culver Mike Privott Jake Smith Mike Romano Mario Benavides Tarik Rollins Nick Heuser Zach Perkins John Clark Dylan Kupper Alex Kupper Kamran Joyer Chris Walker John Miller Chris Acosta Hunter Stout Hector Hernandez Ryan Mack Ryan Kessling Chase Petersen Aaron Epps Stephon Ball Chris White Eli Rogers Jerrell Moore Aaron Nance Nate Nord Kai Dominguez Jarrett Davis Scott Radcliff B.J. Dubose William Savoy Brandon Dunn Roy Philon Lorenzo Mauldin Randy Salmon Jamon Brown Jamaine Brooks
HT 6-0 6-2 6-0 5-11 5-10 6-3 6-4 6-1 5-8 6-3 6-2 6-8 6-0 6-1 6-3 5-9 6-3 5-8 5-11 5-10 5-10 6-4 5-9 5-8 5-9 6-3 6-1 6-2 5-11 5-11 6-0 5-11 6-0 6-1 6-0 5-10 6-0 6-1 5-10 6-0 5-8 5-11 6-1 5-9 5-11 6-0 5-11 6-1 5-11 5-11 6-1 5-10 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-3 6-2 6-5 6-4 5-11 6-0 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-0 6-4 6-2 6-5 6-3 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-5 6-5 6-4 6-7 6-4 6-4 5-10 5-10 6-3 6-5 6-0 5-9 5-10 6-5 6-1 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-6 6-4
Wt 206 198 258 176 185 205 285 186 186 196 221 240 198 199 210 174 251 160 170 170 186 197 188 180 203 218 221 200 173 200 180 199 190 183 209 180 192 213 187 231 162 190 190 158 208 183 175 203 201 184 213 170 204 205 200 276 180 238 230 219 236 190 224 315 275 300 223 229 290 305 265 285 292 306 304 279 291 294 316 314 291 250 228 243 185 169 197 230 172 171 183 238 246 308 272 225 291 325 329
EXP WR WR LB CB QB QB DT WR CB WR QB TE K CB WR CB DE K CB CB DB QB RB CB RB S LB S CB LB S RB WR S RB WR RB LS S LB K CB S WR LB DB P DB LB S P CB LB LB LB DE P/K LB DE DE DL RB LB OL C C LB LB OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OT OL OT TE TE WR WR WR TE WR WR WR DE DE DT DT DE DT DT DL
HT/WT SR RS FR SO FR JR FR SR SO JR FR SO SR SR SR JR FR SO RS FR SO FR FR FR SR RS FR FR SR JR FR SO FR FR SO SO SO RS FR JR SO RS FR SR SO RS FR SR JR JR SO SO RS FR SR FR JR SR RS FR SO FR SO SO FR SR SO FR JR RS FR SO RS FR FR JR SO JR SO SR FR JR SO SO FR RS FR SO SR FR SR FR FR JR SO FR FR SO JR SO SO JR FR SR SO SO FR JR FR RS FR
HOMETOWN (PREVIOUS SCHOOL) St. Petersburg, Fla. (Butte CC) Miami, Fla. (Northwestern) Cincinnati, Ohio (Northwest) Miami, Fla. (Central) Louisville, Ky. (Trinity) Miami, Fla. (Northwestern) Cincinnati, Ohio (St. Xavier) Bradenton, Fla. (Palmetto) Cincinnati, Ohio (St. Xavier) Louisville, Ky. (Ballard) Cincinnati, Ohio (Winton Woods) West Chester, Ohio (Lakota West) Atlanta, Ga. (St. Pius X Catholic) St. Petersburg, Fla. (Butte) Miami, Fla. (Palmetto) Miami, Fla. (Southridge) Columbus, Ga. (Hardaway) Shelbyville, Ky. (Shelby County) Pomona, Calif. (Pomona) Port Pierce, Fla. (Port St. Lucie) Covington, Ky. (Covington Catholic) Louisville, Ky. (Holy Cross) Louisville, Ky. (St. Xavier) Trotwood, Ohio (Trotwood-Madison) Miami, Fla. (Northwestern) Sacramento, Calif. (San Mateo) Atlanta, Ga. (Douglass) Port St. Joe, Fla. (Port St. Joe) Seagoville, Texas (Seagoville) Bradenburg, Ky. (Meade County) Miami, Fla. (Northwest) Clermont, Fla. (East Ridge) Louisville, Ky. (St. Xavier) Jonesboro, Ga. (Riverdale) Montvale, N.J. (St. Joseph’s Regional) Paducah, Ky. (Paducah-Tilghman) Summerville, Ga. (Chattooga) Louisville, Ky. (Male) Los Angeles, Calif. (Nevada) St. Petersburg, Fla. (Boca Ciega) Nashville, Tenn. (Montgomery Bell) Houston, Texas (Butte CC) Bowling Green, Ky. (Warren East) Crestwood, Ky. (Oldham County) Cincinnati, Ohio (Colerain) Marietta, Ga. (Drake) Louisville, Ky. (DeSales) Miami, Fla. (NIACC) Jeffersonville, Ind. (Jeffersonville) Louisville, Ky. (Trinity) Park Hills, Ky. (Covington Catholic) Louisville, Ky. (Central) Lakeland, Fla. (Lake Gibson) Fern Creek, Ky. (Fern Creek) Port St. Lucie, Fla. (Treasure Coast) Kissimmee, Fla. (Osceola) Cecilia, Ky. (Central Hardin) Louisville, Ky. (Male) Stone Mountain, Ga. (Dunwoody) Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (Fort Walton Beach) Sunrise, Fla. (Boyd Anderson) Downers Grove, Ill. (Downers Grove North) Norfolk, Va. (Lake Taylor) Jacksonville, Ala. (Jacksonville) Port St. Lucie, Fla. (Treasure Coast) Los Fresnos, Texas (Los Fresnos) Hollywood, Fla. (Clemson) Louisville, Ky. (St. Xavier) Shepherdsville, Ky. (North Bullitt) Louisville, Ky. (St. Xavier) Louisville, Ky. (Trinity) Louisville, Ky. (Trinity) Tampa, Fla. (Wesley Chapel) Louisville, Ky. (Ballard) Miami, Fla. (Central) Miami, Fla. (Hileah) Tampa, Fla. (Wharton) Naples, Fla. (Naples) Memphis, Tenn. (Wooddale) Tallahassee, Fla. (Chiles) Bentonville, Ark. (Bentonville) Tucker, Ga. (Tucker) Cincinnati, Ohio (St. Xavier) Elizabethtown, Ky. (John Hardin) Miami, Fla. (Northwestern) Fern Creek, Ky. (Fern Creek) Louisville, Ky. (Seneca) Boca Raton, Fla. (West Boca Raton) Montvale, N.J. (St. Joseph’s Regional) Tyrone, Ga. (Sandy Creek) Louisville, Ky. (Trinity) Oakland Park, Fla. (Northeast) Elizabethtown, Ky. (John Hardin) Louisville, Ky. (Pleasure Ridge Park) Lexington, Ky. (Bryan Station) Atlanta, Ga. (Maynard Jackson) Atlanta, Ga. (Hutchinson CC) Fern Creek, Ky. (Fern Creek) Miami, Fla. (Palmetto)
FIU DEPTH CHART OFFENSE LT 71 Caylin Hauptmann (6-4, 311, Jr.) 58 Prince Matt (6-4, 275, Fr.)
WR 5 Wayne Times (5-11, 178, Jr.) -or- 1 Willis Wright (6-1, 200, So.)
SS 7 Jonathan Cyprien (6-0, 205, So.) 23 Terrance Taylor (6-1, 185, R-So.)
WR 10 Glenn Coleman (6-2, 205, So.) 88 Jacob Younger (6-2, 175, R-Jr.)
FS 21 Chuck Grace (5-9, 185, Sr.) 14 Demarkus Perkins (6-2, 200, So.)
C 53 Giancarlo Revilla (6-2, 268, Jr.) 59 Donald Senat (6-2, 271, R-Fr.)
DEFENSE DE 97 Tourek Williams (6-4, 247, Jr.) 94 James Jones (6-1, 250, Sr.)
CB 39 Sam Miller (5-10, 180, Jr.) 2 Junior Mertile (6-1, 200, R-Jr.)
RG 61 Curtis Bryant (6-2, 283, R-Sr.) 77 Jordan White (6-4, 305, R-Fr.)
DT 75 Andre Pound (6-3, 281, R-Jr.) 98 Jerrico Lee (5-11, 270, So.)
RT 54 Rupert Bryan (6-2, 276, Jr.) 50 David Delsoin (6-6, 288, R-Fr.)
DT 99 Isame Faciane (6-5, 260, So.) 96 Joshua Forney (6-2, 262, Jr.)
QB 13 Wesley Carroll (6-1, 202, R-Sr.) 12 Jake Medlock (6-3, 210, R-Fr.)
DE 92 Paul Crawford (6-9, 250, So.) -or- 55 Greg Hickman (6-1, 270, So.)
RB 28 Darriet Perry (5-9, 200, Sr.) 9 Kedrick Rhodes (5-10, 190, So.)
LB 41 Kenny Dillard (6-0, 220, Jr.) 46 Luis Rosado (6-2, 210, Fr.)
TE 30 Jonathan Faucher (6-3, 233, Sr.) 15 Colt Anderson (6-4, 220, R-Sr.)
LB 34 Winston Fraser (6-2, 227, R-So.) 56 Chris Edwards (6-1, 217, R-Sr.)
KR 4 T.Y. Hilton (5-10, 183, Jr.) 5 Wayne Times (5-11, 178, Jr.)
WR 4 T.Y. Hilton (5-10, 185, Sr.) 84 Michael Curry (6-1, 185, R-Fr.)
LB 25 Jordan Hunt (6-1, 235, Jr.) 22 Markieth Russell (6-1, 210, Jr.)
PR 4 T.Y. Hilton (5-10, 183, Jr.) 5 Wayne Times (5-11, 178, Jr.)
LG 67 Kevin Van Kirk (6-3, 285, Sr.) -or- 76 Shae Smith (6-4, 281, R-Jr.)
CB 27 Jose Cheeseborough (5-9, 160, R-So.) 3 Richard Leonard (5-9, 170, Fr.) SPECIAL TEAMS PK 38 Jack Griffin (6-1, 200, Jr.) KO 49 Dylan Lynch (6-3, 215, So.) 38 Jack Griffin (6-1, 200, Jr.) P 40 Josh Brisk (5-10, 200, Jr.) LS 65 Mitch MacClugage (5-8, 200, R-So.)
Three things you may have missed By Rick Cushing
PHILPOTT Senior place-kicker/punter Chris Philpott had said during summer camp that he had been working diligently on strengthening his leg. That was evidenced on his four kickoffs against Murray State Thursday night. All four reached the end zone, two for touchbacks, and wind was not a factor because there was no wind on the stiflingly hot night. The two that were returned went for 17 and 24 yards. Fans should look forward to some long field goals this season, too. Philpott also made a bruising tackle on one of his kickoffs. Following UofL’s second touchdown, he booted the ball a yard or two deep into the end zone. Murray’s Pat Robertson received the kick and ran up the right sideline. Just when it appeared he was in the clear and headed for a big return, Philpott came flying and knocked Robertson out of bounds at the 24-yard line. You can add another category to UofL’s depth chart: Designated Fake Punter. That would be Philpott, No. 12. The Cards ran two fake punt plays against Murray State, with Philpott gaining 40 yards on the first and eight on the second. The five other times UofL lined up in punt formation, Josh Bleser took the snap and punted. Coach Charlie Strong said the coaches had seen something in Murray’s punt-coverage scheme that convinced them a fake punt would work. On both tries, Philpott ran off the left side.
THREE-DOWN ALIGNMENT The Cards employed just three down linemen on defense the entire game against Murray. Two linebackers played standup ends, with one of them usually rushing the quarterback. Strong was asked after the game about the alignment and whether fans could expect to see it down the road. He replied that the three-down alignment was due to Murray’s passhappy offense. The 3-3-5 alignment, which actually more resembled a 5-1-5 configuration, caused the Racers to throw the ball only 34 times, far below their per-game average of 47 passes last season, for just 148 yards (they averaged 271 yards last year). They did have some success running the ball, gaining 143 yards on the ground. They actually gained 197, but punter Kienan Cullen lost 21 yards on a fumbled punt snap, and QB Casey Brockman was sacked twice and lost 20 yards. Three other backs combined for 13 yards in losses.
DISPARITY IN NUMBERS
It was known going in that the Cards would have an edge in number of players on the sideline because Murray plays at the FCS level and awards fewer scholarships than UofL. The Cards list 99 players on their roster, the Racers 82. But a look at the benches before the game made it look like UofL had almost twice as many players in uniform. Perhaps Murray didn’t bring its full complement of players to the game. UofL dressed everybody.
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
PAGE 17
CARDINAL FOOTBALL HEYMAN, BROWN LEAD THE WAY IN WIN OVER MURRAY
DEFENSE COULD BE NAME OF THE GAME FOR YOUNG CARDS
Senior linebacker Dexter Heyman tipped a Casey Brockman pass to himself for an interception in the third quarter of Louisville’s 21-9 win Thursday. - photo by Gail Kamenish
By Russ Brown The pressure appeared to be mounting on the University of Louisville defense in last Thursday’s season opener, much as it had been all evening -- only to an even greater extent. With the Cardinals’ offense struggling -- to put it nicely -- Murray State had scored a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to trail 21-9 and, just a minute later, had the ball on its own 8-yard line after yet another empty offensive possession by UofL. If Murray could pull off a few big plays and put together a long drive here, suddenly it would be game-on, with the Cards staring at a possible embarrassing loss to a mid-level Football Championship Series (FCS) team on their own turf. Were you worried, Dexter? “No,” said Dexter Heyman, UofL’s senior middle linebacker. “It’s very hard to drive the ball 90 yards against a good defense and score. More often than not, that won’t happen.” Sure enough, the defense held, just as it had most of the night, forcing a Racers to punt from their own 8, and UofL’s season-opening win was virtually assured in sweltering Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. In the fourth quarter, with the game still hanging in the balance, RUSS BROWN UofL’s defense stuffed Murray on a three-and-out, forced the aforementioned punt and then put the finishing touches on the victory when senior cornerback Mike Evans intercepted a pass at midfield in the final minute. When it was over, the Cards had limited Murray to 291 yards total offense while holding quarterback Casey Brockman, the Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, to 148 yards passing, with three interceptions. Heyman, Evans and senior cornerback Anthony Conner each picked off one of Brockman’s passes. “Overall, I was pleased with the way our defense played, but we can get better on defense,” UofL head coach Charlie Strong said. They’ll have to, with offensive-minded FIU looming Friday night in PJCS. The defending Sun Belt Conference champions opened the season with a 41-16 romp over North Texas State and have multiple weapons, including do-everything speedster T.Y. Hilton, who racked up 283 all-purpose yards and is being billed by FIU as a Heisman Trophy candidate. “It’s going to be a big step up (from Murray),” Strong said. “They have speed like we have. It’s going to be a good matchup.” Three defensive players who figured to see action against Murray -- sophomore end B.J. Butler, sophomore tackle Roy Philon and starting nose tackle Brandon Dunn -- missed the game with injuries, and starting end Greg Scruggs saw limited duty due to a foot injury. Strong was particularly pleased with the play of freshman end B.J.Dubose, who had 3.5 tackles and whose hit on Brockman resulted in an interception by Heyman in the third quarter. “DuBose played well,” Strong said. “He was the guy who hit the quarterback and caused the ball to flutter out on Heyman’s interception. And he made some really long runs where he ran the guy down from behind.” Strong also singled out sophomore ends Marcus Smith and Malcolm Mitchell, along with junior tackle Randy Salmon. And he said he was pleased with the way the inexperi-
Heyman tracked down Murray State running back Duane Brady for one of his 12 total tackles. - photo by Chuck Feist
enced cornerbacks played, referring to Conner, freshman Andrew Johnson and redshirt freshmen Jordan Paschal and Stephan Robinson. Still, Strong stopped short of saying that the defense will have to carry the Cards until their offense comes around, but that’s certainly the way it looked against Murray. Heyman said he was encouraged by “young guys making plays,” adding: “You talk about guys like Dubose, Andrew (Johnson) -- those guys are really stepping up for us and becoming players. You can look at our talent and know that our D-line is going to be great for years to come and our secondary’s going to be pretty good for years to come. Just having that security and to know those guys aren’t shy or afraid of the big lights either makes it a lot easier knowing they can get the job done.” Heyman had especially high praise for Dubose, out of Oakland Park, Fla., and Johnson, from Miami. “DuBose definitely runs to the ball, and that’s something you like to see from a young guy who has talent,” Heyman said. “He flies to the ball. I like his arrogance, and I don’t mean arrogance in a bad way, but he comes out and plays with a certain cockiness you have to have to compete -- that ‘can’t block me’ attitude so to speak, so you can really appreciate that and how hard he plays. “And Andrew Johnson played really well tonight. He’s really good technically. His (back)pedal’s good, his brake is really good and he has exceptional instincts. He’s going to be really good for us this year and make a lot of plays.” Heyman made a few plays himself. In addition to his first career interception, the Louisville Male High product had 12 tackles, including 1.5 for loss. It marked the fifth straight game in which he has notched at least one TFL. Sophomore LB Preston Brown, making his first collegiate start, also had 12 tackles, including two for loss. But Heyman preferred to downplay his performance. “Anybody who knows anything about football knows you can get a dozen tackles and still have a bad game,” he said. “So I feel like there are things I need to work on as well as things I did well. Really, most of those tackles came on pursuit, and that’s a good thing getting-to-the-ball wise, but we still need to get back to the fundamentals and more technical things of playing our positions.” Heyman’s interception came with the Racers threatening on Louisville’s 34-yard line with 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. He returned it 5 yards. “I was just trying to make a play,” he said. “The coaches always tell us when you’re close to making a play, you’ve got to make it. I looked very awkward doing it, but somehow I made it happen.” There’s no mystery about how UofL made its win over Murray happen -- with defense. But like Strong, Heyman was reluctant to predict that’s the way it’s going to be for a while. “It’s really hard to gauge,” he said. “This is just the first game of the season. I know we played Murray State, but it’s really no different than when we played EKU (Eastern Kentucky) last year. We had a shaky performance, and everybody was asking similar questions. “We have a lot of moving parts right now, a lot on the offensive line, a lot at wide receiver. Talk about Michaelee Harris coming back from an injury, Josh Bellamy moving from outside receiver to slot, you’ve got a lot of guys rotating at the running back position. So there’s just a lot of things we need to figure out. But the best way to cure that is experience, and playing games will take care of itself.”
PAGE 18
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
CARDINAL FOOTBALL TAILGATING PHOTOS
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
CARDINAL STARS OF THE MONTH
HOWIE LINDSEY’S
Larry Roberson developed a special tailgating trailer at Lancaster Cabinets for Louisville games. He and Bazel Clark, his tailgating neighbor, arrived early and were well prepared for the Murray State game. - photos by Jack Coffee
ANDRE BOUDREAUX - MEN’S SOCCER
BORDREAUX
The redshirt senior from New Orleans had five saves and recorded a shutout to help No. 1 Louisville (2-1) beat No. 24 Wake Forest 2-0 late last Friday night in Winston-Salem, N.C. The game, which was delayed until 10:15 due to weather, was a scoreless tie until the 64th minute when Greg Cochrane crossed to Michael Roman, who headed the ball into the goal to put Louisville up 1-0. All five of Boudreaux’s saves came before the initial goal. Boudreaux gave up a pair of goals Sunday night at No. 2 North Carolina, but he had four saves. The Cardinals fell 2-1. He was named Big East Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year after starting all 24 games for NCAA runner-up Louisville last season. He finished his junior season with a 0.76 goals-against average, ranking second all-time for a season at UofL. He registered eight shutouts and owns the school record for career shutouts with 26.
LOLA ARSLANBEKOVA - VOLLEYBALL
A large group of Louisville fans including (seated L. to R.) Karl Eisenmenger, John Childers, Carl Zimmerman, Terry Fox, (standing) Debbie Rosenberger, Scott McDonald and Nellie Childers were enjoying the tailgating atmosphere at the Boy Scout Lot off of Central Ave.
ARSLANBEKOVA
WILL STEIN - FOOTBALL
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The 2010 High School Under Armour All-American helped the U.S. Women’s U-19 National Team capture its fourth straight U-19 World Championship recently in Hanover, Germany. A highly touted freshman from Stevensville, Md., Lazo was a key part of the team’s success. In three games against Japan, England and Haudenosaunee (the official team of the Iroquois Nation), the midfielder’s combined totals were five ground balls, one draw control and one caused turnover. “I’m extremely proud of Dani for all that she accomplished with the U-19 squad,” UofL coach Kellie Young said. “She represented the United States with such poise and certainly represented Louisville with tremendous pride at the world championships.”
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The junior quarterback from Louisville Trinity completed 17 of 32 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns during Louisville’s 21-9 victory over Murray State last Thursday. Stein, making his third career start, also had a couple of nifty runs for first downs. He helped the Cardinals get off to strong start, leading them to touchdowns on three of their first four possessions.
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The junior outside hitter from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, was named Crowne Plaza Cardinal Classic Tournament MVP Sunday after a dominant weekend against three foes. Arslanbekova had 19 kills and a block to help Louisville (5-1) sweep Ole Miss 28-26, 25-19, 25-18 in the home opener Friday night at Cardinal Arena. “Lola Arslanbekova gave us offensive stability throughout the night,” coach Anne Kordes said. “She was there taking care of business until the rest of the team settled down. With the first home match and a sold-out arena, it can make for a lot of distractions. Ole Miss is going to be a great SEC team. We are excited to get the first win at home.” She then had 18 kills to lead Louisville to a 25-12, 25-17, 25-15 victory over Eastern Illinois on Saturday, and she had a career-best-tying 26 kills and a .537 hitting percentage to help Louisville beat Wichita State 25-20, 21-25, 25-17, 25-16 on Sunday. Arslanbekova has been named Honorable Mention All-American the past two seasons and first team All-BIg East both years.
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The sophomore from Georgetown, Ind., won the individual title at the MidAmerica Opener in Evansville, Ind., Saturday. Byrne finished the 6K course in 18:30, 14 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, junior teammate Gordon Dooley. “Tyler really ran the race the way it was planned for him to run it,” new UofL coach Joe Walker said. With Byrne finishing first, Dooley second, Mattias Wolter fourth and Andrew Stewart 10th, Louisville ran away with the team title, outpacing Indiana State, Evansville, Southern Indiana and Kentucky Wesleyan. Byrne is a former prep star, having been named the 2009-10 Indiana Gatorade Runner of the Year.
The senior from North Sydney, Australia, scored a pair of goals to help Louisville beat host Davidson 5-3 Saturday. “I am so proud of this team right now,” said coach Justine Sowry. “Today’s game was such a battle and full of massive momentum shifts.... We grew as a program today.” On Sunday UofL (2-2) battled No. 11 Wake Forest to overtime before falling 3-2. Turner scored both of the Cardinals’ goals. Named first team All-Big East last year, Turner started 18 games and was second on the team with eight goals, eight assists and 24 points. Through four games this season she has four of Louisville’s 10 goals and an assist for nine points.
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
PAGE 19
LOUISVILLE VOLLEYBALL
FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT FOR KORDES, VOLLEYBALL TEAM By Russ Brown Anne Kordes could have taken the quickfix route when she took over the University of Louisville volleyball program in January and saw that the Cardinals were short on depth for the 2011 season. But that wouldn’t have fit into her longrange plans, so Kordes decided to try and get through this year. Not that the Cards lack talent -- they’re picked to win the Big East Conference -- but a glance at the bench during matches is all it takes to see that they’re shorthanded. There are only 10 active players on the roster. Six are on the court at one time, so that leaves only four reserves. Which is fine with Kordes -- for the time being. She even sees some advantages in the situation. “I’m excited about what we have,” she said. “We’ve got a very small team for D-I volleyball. It’s good because we don’t have a whole lot of people we have to share a game plan with, but bad in that we don’t RUSS BROWN have a whole lot of options. But I like our team -- they’re very gritty, lot of fun to watch, and I think we’ve got a great season in store for us if we keep playing this way and getting better.” Kordes, a Louisville native who starred at Assumption High before playing for the Cards, was hired in January to replace the retired Leonid Yelin, her former coach at UofL. She inherited a team with promise, but no freshmen. By that time nearly all of the outstanding high school players had already committed to colleges, so she explored the possibility of signing transfers, junior college or foreign players but decided that wouldn’t be a good idea. “By January it’s a kid’s senior year, and there’s nobody that could help you out,” she said. “Really, we were even late in the game getting in on juniors. We looked at some transfers, but there was nobody who was going to help us for what we had to use a scholarship for. We wanted to use those scholarships for 2012-13. “We also looked at JUCO kids, but January is pretty late, they’ve already made their decision. Then we looked at a couple of foreign kids, but nobody that was going to be able to help us at the level we wanted to get to. They could maybe put a BandAid on us for this year and help us out with depth, but if we would have had to take those scholarships and use them for the next three years, we think we’d be further behind. “We’ll take her if she’s going to be able to break into the lineup, but there wasn’t anybody we felt could. Although we have small numbers, we do have a lot of underclassmen, some seasoned players, some girls who are very, very good. We liked the connection and chemistry we’ve been able to build.” There are only three seniors on the team -- middle blocker Gwen Rucker, defensive specialist Maci Wachtel and setter Gosia Lech. The rest of the squad consists of four
Junior star Lola Arslanbekova was named MVP of the Crowne Plaza Cardinal Classic over the weekend. - photo by Shelley Feller
New coach Anne Kordes has lofty longterm goals for the Louisville volleyball program. - photo by Dave Klotz
sophomores and three juniors. Sophomore Hannah Kvitle is redshirting. There will be no shortage of players next season, however. Kordes and her staff already have signed five girls, and she says she’s excited about UofL’s recruiting prospects for the next several years. “We’ve got five kids coming in next year, and they’re very, very good,” Kordes said. “So I’m much happier knowing those kids are coming in than thinking we could only bring three of them in because we used those scholarships on other kids who are with us now. “In the future, we’re going to bring in great players. Our 2012 class is going to be phenomenal, (it) could be a top-5 class, and our 2014 class we think is going to be one of the tops in the country. The only problem is next year we’ll be playing with a very, very young group of kids ... but, you take that into 2014-15 and you have all those kids that are phenomenal athletes coming out of high school or club and have played together for a couple of years and we could have a top-10 program in that time.” The Cards have gotten off to a fast start, winning five of their first six matches, including a three-game sweep in last weekend’s Crowne Plaza Cardinal Classic. The only loss came at Georgia Tech, 3-2, on Aug. 27. The Cards face a formidable test Wednesday when they meet Kentucky in Lexington, then they’ll have five more nonconference matches before starting Big East play by hosting St. John’s on Sept. 23 at the KFC Yum! Center. “There are opportunities for us to learn and grow,” Kordes said. “We’re new to them and we have a brand new lineup, even from the spring. So we’re working out some kinks.” Enthusiastic and energetic, Kordes, 35, has created so much excitement over the volleyball program that UofL athletic director Tom Jurich has moved six home matches from always sold-out Cardinal Arena, which seats fewer than 1,000, to the KFC
Yum! Center. Kordes loves the idea of playing in the new arena, but even more, she believes it will boost recruiting. “The Yum! Center could be huge for us,” she said. “When people come down there and see it, they’re going to be blown away. Just the outside of it.... If we just took (prospects) down there and said, ‘This is where we play,’ we’d impress a lot of people. But to be able to show people how volleyball is being treated as one of the top programs on this campus says a lot. “Especially to the parents, because the kids don’t get it. They just want to go out and play, they’re not used to big-time recruiting. A parent would see that his daughter is going to be treated like no other volleyball program in the country. “Then you take the fan experience down there. The fact that we can grow the sport and grow the fans. I think the Yum! Center is going to pull people who just like to go down there. That place is addictive; it’s the greatest place in the world to sit and watch anything. I’d watch a chess match at Yum!. It’s just a nice place.” Kordes led Saint Louis to three NCAA Tournament appearances, was a three-time Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year and was College Volleyball Update’s National Coach of the Year in 2008. Julie Hermann, UofL’s executive senior athletic director, said that when Yelin departed, “Anne was absolutely the heir apparent,” noting her success in building the Saint Louis program and also her ties to the Louisville community. Her father, Ron Kordes, is the longtime coach at Assumption. “I wanted so bad to be back here, and now here we are,” Anne said. “This is a dream job and a dream situation for me. It’s been an amazing homecoming.” CROWNE PLAZA CARDINAL CLASSIC Led by tournament MVP Lola Arslanbekova, UofL beat Ole Miss 28-26, 25-19, 25-18, Eastern Illinois 25-12, 25-17, 25-15, and Wichita State 19-20, 25-21, 25-17,
25-16, to extend its home winning streak to 11 matches. Arslanekova had a career-high-tying 26 kills on a .537 hitting percentage against Wichita -- the most by a Cardinal since 2005 -- and 63 for the weekend at a .473 clip. “Lola turned in a dominant performance,” Kordes said of the junior outside hitter from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. “Everybody in the gym knew where it was going, and she was still able to put it down.”
2011-2012 SCHEDULE DATE OPPONENT / EVENT Georgia Tech Tournament 08/26/11 vs. Tennessee Tech 08/27/11 vs. Kansas State at Georgia Tech
LOCATION
TIME / RESULT
Atlanta, Ga. Atlanta, Ga. Atlanta, Ga.
W, 3-0 W, 3-0 L, 3-2
Crowne Plaza Cardinal Classic 09/02/11 vs. OLE MISS 09/03/11 vs. EASTERN ILLINOIS vs. WICHITA STATE
CARDINAL ARENA CARDINAL ARENA CARDINAL ARENA
W, 3-0 W, 3-0 W, 3-1
09/07/11
Lexington, Ky.
7:00 p.m. ET
Ohio Bobcat Classic 09/09/11 at Ohio 09/10/11 vs. Virginia vs. Marshall
Athens, Ohio Athens, Ohio Athens, Ohio
7:00 p.m. ET 11:00 a.m. ET 7:30 p.m. ET
BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge 09/16/11 vs. Purdue 09/17/11 at Illinois
Champaign, Ill. Champaign, Ill.
5:30 p.m. ET 8:00 p.m. ET
09/23/11 09/25/11 09/30/11 10/02/11 10/07/11 10/09/11 10/14/11 10/18/11 10/22/11 10/23/11 10/28/11 11/02/11 11/05/11 11/06/11 11/11/11 11/13/11
KFC YUM! CENTER KFC YUM! CENTER Chicago, Ill. South Bend, Ind. South Orange, NJ Piscataway, NJ CARDINAL ARENA Nashville, Tenn. CARDINAL ARENA KFC YUM! CENTER Tampa, Fla. KFC YUM! CENTER KFC YUM! CENTER KFC YUM! CENTER Philadelphia, Pa. Washington, DC
7:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 8:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:30 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET
Milwaukee, Wisc. CARDINAL ARENA
TBA 2:00 p.m. ET
at Kentucky
vs. ST. JOHN’S # vs. CONNECTICUT # at DePaul # at Notre Dame # at Seton Hall # at Rutgers # vs. CINCINNATI # at Lipscomb vs. WEST VIRGINIA # vs. PITTSBURGH # at USF # vs. TENNESSEE (W) vs. SYRACUSE # vs. MARQUETTE # at Villanova # at Georgetown #
BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP 11/18/11 TBD # 11/26/11 vs. OVC CHAMPION
PAGE 20
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
BIG EAST NOTEBOOK
USF ISSUES A WARNING TO BIG EAST WITH WIN OVER IRISH By Russ Brown The college football season is only one weekend old, and already it may be time to reassess the Big East Conference in general and South Florida in particular after the Bulls’ stunning 23-20 upset of No. 16 Notre Dame Saturday in South Bend. The league, with only one team in the preseason top 25 -- West Virginia at No. 24 in the AP rankings -- and having taken a beating over last season’s dismal performance, was badly in need of a marquee vicRUSS BROWN tory. The Bulls delivered. They also showed they’re ready to mount a serious challenge for their first Big East championship after receiving only one vote as the probable titlist in the league’s preseason poll, where they were picked to finish third behind WVU and Pittsburgh. Now USF is likely to go into Pitt for a Sept. 29 showdown with a perfect record because its next three opponents -- all in Tampa -- will be Ball State, Florida A&M and UTEP. The Panthers have a tougher road, meeting Maine, Iowa in Iowa City, then hosting Notre Dame. USF’s win over the Irish took six hours and the first two weather delays in 123 years of Notre Dame football, but the Bulls and coach Skip Holtz made history as Holtz made a successful return to his alma mater. Holtz, who played as a walk-on at Notre Dame in 1986 and then coached on his father Lou’s staff from 1990-93, became the first ND graduate since 1940 to go into South Bend and leave with a win. The last time it happened was 71 years ago when Iowa coach Eddie Anderson -- who played with the legendary George Gipp -- pulled it off. “I have not alluded to, in any way, shape or form, my coming back to Notre Dame,” Holtz said. “...I never talked about it, and as I said, our players weren’t even born when I was here. “I think it speaks volumes about these players and the way they have bought in and competed their tails off when so many people on the outside wouldn’t believe in them. It’s nerve-wracking enough to come in here and play the tradition and everything else with this university, but to throw everything else on top of it.... The way they stayed poised, calm. There were a lot of opportunities to flinch, but I’m really proud of the way they handled themselves. It’s a step in the right direction for us.” The Bulls, 10-point underdogs, held on despite two momentum-sapping delays, with a two-hour break after they built a 16-0 halftime lead, then a 45-minute delay with less than five minutes left and leading 23-13. On the first play back after
Storms caused an early end to the West Virginia-Marshall game Sunday. Fans and teams were evacuated from the playing field and stadium due to lightning strikes. - photo by Michael Carvelli, WVUSports
the second break, USF senior safety Jerrell Young intercepted a pass deep in USF territory. He also forced a fumble that Kayvon Webster returned for a 96-yard touchdown in the first quarter to set the tone for the game. Notre Dame easily outgained the Bulls, 508 yards to 254, but USF took advantage of five Irish turnovers, three in the red zone. USF quarterback B.J. Daniels engineered a clutch 80-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter for a 23-7 lead. “We really wanted this win for the program,” Young said. “We knew Coach Holtz really wanted it. It’s a big step, with Notre Dame and their history and all.” Said Daniels, “This is definitely big, to continue to take that next step, to solidify ourselves in the nation as a good team.” Overall, the Big East flexed its muscle by going 8-0 on the opening weekend, although three of the wins came over FCS teams and the others, with the exception of USF’s victory, were against low-level FBS squads. So the jury is still out. MOUNTAINEERS COME TO PASS It’s been more than a decade since West Virginia has relied more on the pass than the run during the course of a season, but if the Mountaineers’ storm-shortened 34-13 victory over Marshall Sunday in Morgantown is any indication, new coach Mike Holgorsen is going to reverse that trend. WVU’s passing game under quarterback Geno Smith generated 249 yards while the winners gained just 42 yards on 26 rushing attempts. True freshman Andrew Buie started at tailback and got most of the workload
but managed just 30 yards on 15 tries before leaving with what was called “an injured upper extremity” just before lightning initially delayed the game late in the third quarter. Smith completed 26 of 35 passes for 249 yards, including first-half scoring tosses of 4 yards to Ivan McCartney and 15 yards to Stedman Bailey. “At times, I didn’t like our tempo and didn’t like our aggressiveness,” Smith said. “But I think the thing that I liked the most was they were all on the same page and knew what to do.” The offenses that Holgorsen built the past three years as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State and Houston produced average scores of 58-9 in season openers. The first delay lasted three hours. Play was stopped again with 14:36 left. But another hour went by before the game was called, giving Holgorsen a soggy, successful debut. “I understand the situation,” he said. “Everybody wants to play a full game and everybody needs the snaps and it’s the first game.... I think common sense takes place at some point.” BEARCATS POUND PEAY With Tennessee looming this weekend, Cincinnati needed a cupcake opponent to open its season, and the Bearcats got one, enticing Austin Peay with a $325,000 payout, then hammering the Governors 7210. The 72 points were the third-highest total in UC history and the most since the Bearcats racked up 115 vs. Kentucky Wes-
leyan in 1921. “It’s a great way to start the season,” said second-year UC coach Butch Jones. “Tonight was very beneficial with the amount of reps the second team was able to get, especially up front in the offensive and defensive lines. We talked about this being a ‘block’ game, getting out of the blocks in our sprinter’s stance. And I thought we did that.” A 60-yard return on the opening kickoff by true freshman Ralph David Abernathy IV got the Bearcats off to a fast start, and they went on to lead 20-0 after one quarter and 41-0 at halftime. UC rolled up 351 yards of total offense in the first half, 217 on the ground, led by senior running back Isaiah Pead, who scored two TDs, one on a 60-yard run. Zach Collaros completed 12 of 19 passes for 134 yards and four touchdowns in one half of work. “You just want to go out there and execute,” Collaros said. “It’s on us to not make mistakes and execute the plays. I thought we did a pretty good job. Tempo-wise we could definitely get better. We protected the ball, which we’ve been preaching, and we played pretty disciplined football.” Cincinnati will be Louisville’s opening Big East opponent on Oct. 15 in Paul Brown Stadium. PITT’S OFFENSE DISAPPOINTS It wasn’t exactly the debut fans expected for new Pittsburgh coach Todd Graham, who for months had promised speed, efficiency and a high-scoring offense. Instead, the Panthers’ alleged high-octane motor sputtered to a 35-16 victory over visiting
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
BIG EAST NOTEBOOK Buffalo. “We should have dominated a lot more than we did, I can tell you that,” said Graham, whose team was a 31-point favorite. “I am not satisfied at all. We had a lot of missed opportunities. We ran 43 plays in the first half and only scored seven points. That might be a record. Every player in that locker room knows we have to get a lot better.” Ray Graham did his share, and more, however, rushing 29 times for 201 yards and three touchdowns, including a 75-yard run in the fourth quarter that set up the final score. Pitt quarterback Tino Sunseri struggled early but settled down to lead the Panthers to TDs on four of their five second-half possessions. He finished 16 of 28 for 179 yards and a TD. “He has the hardest job on the football team,” Todd Graham said. “He has a harder job than I have.” Said Ray Graham: “It took us a while to get going, but once we did, we got rolling. Once we get our offense going, we are going to be good, we’re going to be a force to be reckoned with. I think if we get started earlier, we can put up a lot of points.” Pitt’s defense didn’t play well either, allowing Buffalo to run 93 plays and score two touchdowns in the second half on drives of 76 and 64 yards. “You give up 93 plays and you ought to get 50 points scored on you,” Todd Graham said. Sunseri said his receivers were able to easily get open. “That’s just pitch and catch,” he said. “That is the intriguing thing. The second half, I put the ball on people. The first half I didn’t. That’s very correctable.” McCOMBS STARS FOR UCONN Lyle McCombs and Paul Pasqualoni both made successful debuts. McCombs, a redshirt freshman running back and last-minute starter, rushed 24 times for 141 yards and four touchdowns as Connecticut trounced FCS foe Fordham 35-3 in Pasqualoni’s first game as the Huskies’ coach. The win was the 108th for Pasqualoni -- who previously coached at Syracuse -as a Big East coach and tied him for No. 1 with Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer. (The Hokies are now in the ACC). “I’m very, very happy with the win and will also add we’ve got a few things to work on, but anytime in Division I football you’re able to get a win you have to be happy,” said Pasqualoni, who returned to the college sideline for the first time since leaving Syracuse in 2004. “I thought it was a good start. I liked the kids’ focus and demeanor, and my hat’s off to Lyle McCombs.” McCombs started in place of injured D.J. Shoemate (ankle). Asked when he found out, McCombs said: “While we were stretching. I had no idea. They were like, ‘You get the start today, so make the most of it.’ I said, ‘All right, let’s go.’” UConn’s defense dominated, holding Fordham to 20 yards rushing and 149 passing compared to the Huskies’ 434 yards total offense. “We can play a whole bunch of kindergarteners, we’re still going to play our defense,” safety Jerome Junior said. “We don’t let up for anybody.”
2011 BIG EAST FOOTBALL SCHEDULES A USF defender clobbered a Notre Dame receiver during the Bulls’ 23-20 win at South Bend, Ind., Saturday. photo by Irish Illustrated
‘CUSE COMEBACK BEATS WAKE Syracuse overcame a rugged performance with a stunning comeback to overtake Wake Forest 36-29 in overtime last Thursday and avoid its fifth straight loss in the Carrier Dome. The Orange made numerous mistakes, including missed field goal tries and numerous key penalties, before scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 29, then got a touchdown on the first series in OT on a 4-yard pass from Ryan Nassib to senior wideout Van Chew. “It’s not rocket science,” Syracuse coach Doug Marrone said. “You have to make plays to win.” Trailing 20-7 at halftime, the Orange had managed only 52 yards and two first downs against an aggressive Wake Forest defense. “They came out and pressured everybody on every play,” offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said. “At halftime, I took the whole game plan and threw it out.” “I still can’t believe it,” Hackett added of the late rally. “Amazing,” said senior running back Antwon Bailey, who gained 114 yards on a career-high 25 carries. CALHOUN MAKES IT OFFICIAL Jim Calhoun is resisting any urge to go out on top, especially when he has the opportunity to reach the top once more. Calhoun, 69, will return for a 26th season as basketball coach at UConn, telling university president Susan Herbst of his decision last week. “Obviously, we are thrilled about that. He’s been working hard on the upcoming season,” said Herbst, who had urged Calhoun not to retire since she assumed the presidency in June. Calhoun declined to comment. His contract, signed in May 2010 but retroactive to 2009, runs through June 2014. He is to make roughly $3 million this season. If he were to retire, his contract calls for a $1 mil-
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lion one-time payment and the offer of another job at the university for five years. While UConn has been successful on the court, the past three years have been tumultuous for Calhoun, the program and the athletic department, which lent credence to the perception he might retire after winning his third national championship last spring. NCAA violations concerning the recruitment of Nate Miles surfaced as UConn reached the 2009 Final Four, which cost the Huskies one scholarship. Following an investigation, the NCAA suspended Calhoun for the first three Big East games this season (South Florida, St. John’s, Seton Hall). Also, UConn’s Academic Progress Report score was a subpar 893, which by the terms of his contract cost Calhoun $187,000 and the program two more scholarships. Calhoun has had health issues over the years, including three separate battles with cancer. But he looked healthy and energetic late last season as the Huskies won five games in five days to win the Big East Tournament before winning six more to take the national title. Calhoun’s 855 victories in 38 years at Northeastern and UConn are third among active coaches behind Mike Krzyzewski (900) and Jim Boeheim (856). Calhoun was elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2005. Despite losing their best player, Kemba Walker, the Huskies return a strong core, including starters Jeremy Lamb, Alex Oriakhi, Shabazz Napier and Roscoe Smith. They’ve also got three top recruits coming in --— Ryan Boatwright, DeAndre Daniels and Andre Drummond. With the 6-11 Drummond in the fold, UConn is likely to be a preseason favorite to reach the Final Four again. UofL, which beat UConn twice last season before losing in the Big East tourney championship game, will host the Huskies in the KFC Yum! Center on Feb. 6, their only scheduled meeting in 2011-12.
CINCINNATI Thu., Sept. 1 Sat., Sept. 10 Sat., Sept. 17 Thu., Sept. 22 Sat., Oct. 1 Sat., Oct. 15 Sat., Oct. 22 Sat., Nov. 5 Sat., Nov. 12 Sat., Nov. 19 Sat., Nov. 26 Sat., Dec. 3
Austin Peay at Tennessee Akron North Carolina State at Miami (Ohio) LOUISVILLE at USF at PITTSBURGH WEST VIRGINIA at RUTGERS at SYRACUSE CONNECTICUT
W, 72-10
CONNECTICUT Thu., Sept. 1 Sat., Sept. 10 Fri., Sept. 16 Sat., Sept. 24 Sat., Oct. 1 Sat., Oct. 8 Sat., Oct. 15 Wed., Oct. 26 Sat., Nov. 5 Sat., Nov. 19 Sat., Nov. 26 Sat., Dec. 3
Fordham at Vanderbilt Iowa State at Buffalo Western Michigan at WEST VIRGINIA USF at PITTSBURGH SYRACUSE LOUISVILLE RUTGERS at CINCINNATI
W, 35-3
LOUISVILLE Thu., Sept. 1 Fri., Sept. 9 Sat., Sept. 17 Sat., Oct. 1 Sat., Oct. 8 Sat., Oct. 15 Fri., Oct. 21 Sat., Oct. 29 Sat., Nov. 5 Sat., Nov. 12 Sat., Nov. 19 Fri., Nov. 25
Murray State Florida International at Kentucky Marshall at North Carolina at CINCINNATI RUTGERS SYRACUSE at WEST VIRGINIA PITTSBURGH at CONNECTICUT at USF
W, 21-9
PITTSBURGH Sat., Sept. 3 Sat., Sept. 10 Sat., Sept. 17 Sat., Sept. 24 Thu., Sept. 29 Sat., Oct. 8 Sat., Oct. 15 Wed., Oct. 26 Sat., Nov. 5 Sat., Nov. 12 Fri., Nov. 25 Sat., Dec. 3
Buffalo Maine at Iowa Notre Dame USF at RUTGERS Utah CONNECTICUT CINCINNATI at LOUISVILLE at WEST VIRGINIA SYRACUSE
W, 35-16
RUTGERS Thu., Sept. 1 Sat., Sept. 10 Sat., Sept. 24 Sat., Oct. 1 Sat., Oct. 8 Sat., Oct. 15 Fri., Oct. 21 Sat., Oct. 29 Sat., Nov. 5 Sat., Nov. 12 Sat., Nov. 19 Sat., Nov. 26
North Carolina Central at North Carolina Ohio at SYRACUSE PITTSBURGH Navy at LOUISVILLE WEST VIRGINIA USF at Army CINCINNATI at CONNECTICUT
W, 48-0
USF Sat., Sept. 3 Sat., Sept. 10 Sat., Sept. 17 Sat., Sept. 24 Thu., Sept. 29 Sat., Oct. 15 Sat., Oct. 22 Sat., Nov. 5 Fri., Nov. 11 Sat., Nov. 19 Fri., Nov. 25 Thu., Dec. 1
at Notre Dame Ball State Florida A&M UTEP at PITTSBURGH at CONNECTICUT CINCINNATI at RUTGERS at SYRACUSE Miami (Fla.) LOUISVILLE WEST VIRGINIA
W, 23-20
SYRACUSE Sat., Sept. 3 Sat., Sept. 10 Sat., Sept. 17 Sat., Sept. 24 Sat., Oct. 1 Sat., Oct. 8 Sat., Oct. 22 Sat., Oct. 29 Sat., Nov. 5 Fri., Nov. 11 Sat., Nov. 26 Sat., Dec. 3
Wake Forest Rhode Island at Southern California Toledo RUTGERS at Tulane WEST VIRGINIA at LOUISVILLE at CONNECTICUT USF CINCINNATI at PITTSBURGH
W, 36-29 OT
WEST VIRGINIA Sat., Sept. 3 Sat., Sept. 10 Sat., Sept. 17 Sat., Sept. 24 Sat., Oct. 1 Sat., Oct. 8 Sat., Oct. 22 Sat., Oct. 29 Sat., Nov. 5 Sat., Nov. 12 Fri., Nov. 25 Thu., Dec. 1
Marshall Norfolk State at Maryland LSU Bowling Green CONNECTICUT at SYRACUSE at RUTGERS LOUISVILLE at CINCINNATI PITTSBURGH at USF
W, 34-13
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LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
SELECTED CARDINAL FALL SPORTS SOCCER SCHEDULES KFC Yum! Center OPENING PHOTO GALLERY
TOP-RANKED CARDS WIN ONE, LOSE ONE ON CHALLENGING ROAD TRIP Before the season began, University of Louisville soccer coach Ken Lolla announced that he’d planned one of the toughest schedules in the nation because he wanted to challenge his top-ranked team so it would be a ready for a title run in November and December. Those challenges started early, with an exhibition against No. 8 Michigan, which Louisville won 2-0. Then, Louisville’s home opener was against No. 2 UCLA, a team Louisville eeked by in the Elite Eight of last year’s NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals handled the Bruins well on Aug. 27, winning 2-0. Last Friday night the Cards took on No. 24 Wake Forest (0-2) in Winston-Salem, N.C. Despite a lengthy weather delay and hostile territory, UofL again won 2-0. But Sunday, facing the new No. 2 team in the nation, North Carolina (3-0), Louisville’s streak of 12 straight regular-season wins came to an end. The Cardinals hadn’t been defeated in the regular season since losing to St. John’s 3-2 in overtime on Oct. 17, 2009 (they had two ties last season). Lolla said the tough two-game road trip achieves what he hoped for - outside of the win column, of course. “We got exactly out of the weekend what we wanted in that we played two really good games on the road, home games for both of them, and it really stretched us,” he said. Lolla continued his focus on making his team better for the post-season. “The championships, whether it’s Big East or NCAA, are not won at home,” he said. “They’re won on the road, so you have to be able to deal with that.” WAKE FOREST Louisville dealt with the road - and wild weather - effectively Friday night in Spry Stadium. The match kicked off at 10:15 p.m. after a weather delay, more than two
Senior Nick DeLeon scored Louisville’s first goal against No. 2 North Carolina, but the Tar Heels came back to win 2-1 Sunday. photo by Howie Lindsey
hours past the scheduled game time. The Cardinals also dealt with the frustration of not converting a number of early scoring chances. Senior midfielder Nick DeLeon had a shot on goal three minutes into the game, but Wake’s keeper, Michael Lisch, came up with the save. DeLeon challenged the Wake defense again in the 14th minute, but Lisch came up with his second save. UofL keeper Andre Boudreaux was tested in the 12th minute on a shot by Luca Gimenez. Gimenez got another shot off inside the box in the 33rd minute, but Boudreaux collected the save. He held again a minute later for his third save of the half, which
ended in a scoreless tie. The Demon Deacons held a 6-4 shot advantage in the half, while both teams had two corner kicks. In the second half, Louisville junior defender Greg Cochrane had a shot on goal in the 51st minute, and Kenney Walker had a shot on goal in the 52nd minute. Just a minute later, Wake had its best scoring chance of the night on a header off a corner kick, but an athletic save by Boudreaux kept the Deacons scoreless. Boudreaux picked up his fifth and final save three minutes later. Louisville got shots on goal by Paolo DelPiccolo (60th minute), Colin Rolfe (62nd and 64th) and Buck Tufty (63rd) before finally breaking through when Cochrane sent a cross to junior transfer Michael Roman, who headed the ball past Lisch and into the goal in the 64th minute. Fired up by the goal, the Cardinals had three more shots on goal in the next eight minutes - Tufty (67th), Roman (70th) and Ryan Smith (72nd) -- but it wasn’t until the 84th minute when the Cardinals found the net again. Rolfe scored his second goal of the season on a pass from Smith to make it 2-0. The Cardinals outshot the Demon Deacons 13-9 in the second half to finish with a 17-15 shot advantage. The Cards also finished with a 7-6 corner-kick advantage. Boudreaux finished with a season-high five saves, while Wake’s Lisch had eight. TAR HEELS Louisville traveled to Chapel Hill, N.C., on Sunday for a rematch with last year’s College Cup semifinal opponent. North Carolina got revenge for its loss nine months ago with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory. After an active and physical first 30 minutes that included several shots on goal by both teams, Louisville got on the board first on a strong diagonal pass from Walker to DeLeon, who rocketed a shot from the corner of the 18-yard box past UNC keeper
Scott Goodwin in the 33rd minute. It took UNC just five minutes to score the equalizer on a 20-yard shot by Rob Lovejoy in the 38th minute. “Robbie’s got a big heart. He’s got guts,” UNC coach Carlos Somoano said of Lovejoy. “Robbie went for the kill (on the goal). He sharpened his knife and just stuck it in.” The teams went into the locker room tied at 1. The physical nature of the game was reflected by seven first-half foul calls, with Louisville collecting five. For the game, three Louisville players got yellow cards. It remained 1-1 until the 74th minute when Billy Schuler scored the game-winning goal on a broken play inside the box. “I drifted underneath and just held my line… and Enzo (Martinez) just played me through,” Schuler said. “The goalie was coming out, and I just hit it with the outside of my right, just tried to curve it around to the far post and got it in.” Louisville had a flurry of shots in the final 15 minutes but couldn’t convert. Shots on goal by Walker (78th), Berry (85th), Rolfe (86th and 89th) and DeLeon (88th) couldn’t find the net. Boudreaux finished the match with three saves, while Goodwin had two. MORE TESTS COMING Louisville will be back in action for the start of a three-game homestand on Friday against IUPUI in Cardinal Park at 7 p.m. The Cards will face Central Arkansas Sunday at 1 p.m. and Butler on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. Then they’ll go on the road to face No. 23 Ohio State on Sept. 21 and No. 10 Notre Dame on Sept. 24. A home game against No. 5 Connecticut on Oct. 1 will be followed by a road game at No. 18 Indiana on Oct. 5. At that point, six of Louisville’s first 10 regular-season games (Michigan was an exhibition) will have come against teams in the current top 25.
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APRIL 21, 2011
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
LOUISVILLE BASEBALL
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LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT’S CARDINAL KIDS
Daniel and Robert Woods had their Victor Anderson jerseys on for a picture. Sydney Blair, the daughter of John & Chandra Blair, got a thrill when she was helped to the top of a pyramid by UofL cheerleaders.
Stella Thorpe is playing Xbox360 in her UofL chair. Her parents are Matt and Victoria Thorpe.
Mackenzie and Braeden Cockerill are huge fans of their cousin Derek Self and the entire baseball
Four-year-old Ciara Henderson likes to cheer for the Cardinals.
LOUISVILLE SPORTSREPORT • PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID
CARDINAL HEROES
DO YOU KNOW A CARDINAL KID? SUBMIT A PICTURE OF YOUR CARDINAL KID BY SENDING AN EMAIL TO: MYCARDINALKID@GMAIL.COM
This week’s Cardinal Hero is Drew Poynter, MSgt 165th Airlift Squadron with the Kentucky Air National Guard in Louisville. Drew took this picture while serving with the Guard at the Guantanamo Detention Center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. If you know a UofL fan serving our country, send a picture to howielindsey@gmail.com and they might be our next Cardinal Hero.