Cards Roll Over MTSU, 42-23
Two possessions into Saturday’s game, it looked like the Louisville Cardinals were in for another long day facing an inspired Middle Tennessee State team. Two possessions into the second half the Louisville rout was on. Brock Bolen scored with 5:25 left in the third quarter to give UofL a 21-17 lead, their first of the game, and added two more on the day to pace a 42-23 victory over the visiting Blue Raiders. Johnny Patrick recovered a blocked punt for a score and Victor Anderson added 161 yards rushing and an 88-yard TD scamper as Louisville improved to 4-2 on the season.
The Cards overcame another rocky start by Hunter Cantwell, who threw interceptions on each of Louisville’s first two drives and put Louisville in an early 14-0 hole. But a strong defensive performance – which held MTSU to just 30 second-half yards until the final Blue Raider possession of the game – and powerful running game (252 yards, 4 TD’s) helped Louisville pull out the victory.
“It was a good win,” said head coach Steve Kragthorpe. “We found a way to get it done. I was proud of the way our team continued to battle through the course of the game after getting down 14-0. We found a way to rally the troops and get it going.”
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* Ignoring Cantwell’s early INT’s, this was perhaps the most complete game of the Steve Kragthorpe era and certainly the most complete performance of the season. The Cards allowed just 306 yards of offense Saturday (91 of which came in MTSU’s final possession as Louisville tested their second and third string players), bottling the Raiders up for much of the second half as the offense took control. While the defense did struggle at times with dual-threat QB Dwight Dasher in the second quarter, overall they managed to keep plays in front of them and make big tackles to get off the field. At one point, the Cardinal D forced six consecutive three and outs by Middle Tennessee State, allowing the Cardinal offense time to continue running the ball and take control of the game.
On offense, Cardinal fans have to like seeing Anderson’s big second-quarter run (the 4th longest touchdown run in school history) and the overpowering effort of Brock Bolen. Anderson appeared to get dinged up late in the game, but was his usual exciting self in putting up his 4th 100-yard game in six outings this year.
The only complaint, in fact, may be the continued struggles of Cantwell under center. After throwing his two early picks, Hunter managed to complete just 14 of his 23 attempts for a paltry 144 yards and a late score. The senior has now thrown as many picks this season as touchdowns and still struggles to see “in front of the play” (see: the pick six to Jeremy Kellem and the crushing hit he led TE Johnnie Burns into during the third quarter). It’s tough to pull your senior leader when the team is winning and still hunting down a bowl berth, but eventually the team is going to need stronger QB play if they truly intend to contend for a Big East title. Can we at least give Matt Simms or Tyler Wolfe a little work in the second quarter, a la freshman year Brian Brohm?
* It’s hard to knock the results, but can we put an APB out on Dexter Heyman? Little-used Stephen Garr was spotted at linebacker for a few plays in the first half, yet one of the starting LB’s in the season-opening loss to Kentucky remains sidelined for unknown reasons. For all that is good in our long-term prospects, please tell me we aren’t burning another talented freshman redshirt for one start and special teams duty?
* Several big recruits were spotted at the game today, including a pair of Seattle prospects on Pitino’s 2009 radar. PG Peyton Siva was in the house, enjoying the atmosphere for much of the first half. But perhaps more interesting (since Siva is already committed, anyway) was the presence of fellow Seattle stud Aaron Dotson. The 4-star shooting guard (Rivals) and Top 100 recruit from the Class of ’09 is rumored to be Pitino’s final target for next year’s freshman crop. Where he gets the scholarship is an issue for another day.
* Also in attendance (although I was an idiot and missed it to grab a stupid bowl of stale popcorn in the press box) was Cardinal legend and NBA Hall of Famer Wes Unseld. I’ll be kicking myself for that sideline gaffe for a while.
