(photo courtesy Mark Blankenbaker)
Today the Cardinal Football fans at Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium said good-bye to another group of seniors. And for the first time since 2007 they got to see them go out on a winning note. The Cards beat the Tigers 24-17 and now take the lead in the all-time series 24 to 19. With the win today it marks the first time in school history that a Louisville football team has had consecutive 10 win seasons. The Cards are now 10-1 on the season with one regular season game left on the road against Cincinnati.
The way this group of seniors has played during their time at the University of Louisville I knew that they weren’t going to let this on get away from them today. This group has achieved so much over the last 4 years including a 69% winning percentage, four straight bowl games, and a Sugar Bowl win. They have also went 21-3 in their last 24 games.
This game was a bit sluggish and at times wasn’t very exciting to watch but the Cards got it done behind the play of some guys that have stepped up big all year long. One of those guys didn’t go through senior day ceremonies and most assume he will enter the NFL draft next year Teddy Bridgewter threw for 220 yards and a touchdown in what could be his final home game. This guy has the courage of a lion on a football field and no matter how difficult things get he always finds a way to pick himself and his team up. Today it appeared that he had a lower back issue but like he has many time in his Louisville career fought back and helped secure the win for his team. Bridgewater targeted 10 receivers in finishing 26 of 36 and his big receivers of the day were senior Damian Copeland and junior DeVante Parker. These guys would combine for 94 yards and Parker had one touchdown grab. Louisville out-gained Memphis 342-279 in total offense with 122 yards of that coming on the ground. Senior Senorise Perry and junior Dominique Brown combined for 105 yards. Brown had one touchdown on the day. It was good to see Copeland and Perry have a big hand in this win today. Both are two of my favorite Cardinal players. Both of these guys had to fight back from season ending injuries during their Louisville careers and both have come up big time in critical moments for this team.
No matter how you slice it Louisville is a defensive team and that has been it’s identity this season. It’s the number two ranked defense in the country and the only one that hasn’t allowed a touchdown in the first quarter of a football game this season. This defense also features two of the top sack leaders in the country in Senior Marcus Smith and Junior Lorenzo Mauldin. Both made some big plays again today. It was really an emotional day for one Senior on the defensive side of the ball. Preston Brown not only feeling the emotions from his last time playing in front of the home crowd also was dealing with the loss of his grandfather who passed away from cancer earlier this morning. He dedicated this day and this win to his grandfather who he said loved to watch the games on TV. Preston had a good game with a team high nine tackles that was topped off when he returned a fumble 48 yards for Louisville’s first touchdown. He said after the game: “It was great getting the touchdown for my grandpa. I put on a show for him.”
It hasn’t always been exciting watching this group this year but in the end they are 10-1 and going to another Bowl game. There are many fan bases in the country who would take 10-1 right now over the situations that their football program is in. In the end winning is all that matters. The group of football players that played their last game at Papa Johns Cardinal stadium understood that and because of them that’s what this program is. A WINNER! Go Cards!