(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The Battle of the Bluegrass turned out to be a pretty good battle after all. I think it was a great representation of this game on its rivalry weekend debut and the state of Kentucky showed the college football world that we are more than just a basketball crazy state. Although after the game today UK fans can turn their attention to the hardwood. They won’t be going bowling unless they rent a lane.

For the fourth straight year our Cardinals win the Governor’s Cup and end UK’s season beating them 44-40. This win closes the gap in the overall series 14-13 and extends the Cardinals modern-day lead to 13-8 since 1994. Coach Bobby Petrino is now 50-12 all-time at Louisville, 10-0 on Senior Day, and 5-0 against Kentucky as the Cardinals head man.

There could have been many story lines today and these games have had some great ones. My favorite was the game in 2011 when a true freshman named Teddy Bridgewater was thrust into the game in the hostile Commonwealth stadium to replace the injured Will Stein. Teddy led the Cardinals to a victory that evening ending what was then a UK winning streak. On that day then head coach Charlie Strong exclaimed that they would never lose to UK again.

Fast forward 4 years and those same players had their senior day ceremonies this afternoon. That proclamation made by coach Strong rang true for them and they never lost to Kentucky. And how they would win the last game was reminiscent of how they won the first one. This time it was a third string quarterback who grew up playing in the University of Kentucky’s back yard that would save the day and the streak. Kyle Bolin a red shirt freshman became the third Louisville QB this season to have his moment. He was called on after Reggie went down with a leg injury at the 11 minute mark of the second half. Down 13-0 it took Bolin just two plays to get the Cards in the end-zone for the first time and he never looked back. Playing with the confidence of a veteran starter and great moxie Bolin would complete 21 of 31 passes for 381 yards and three touchdowns.

The game where Teddy came in and ended the UK streak was my favorite in the series. But after watching Kyle Bolin take a drive that started on his own 4-yard line and lead the Cardinals 96 yards down the field for a touchdown and gutting it out to keep the streak alive I have a new favorite. It was a performance that a lot folks in this state will never forget. I know I won’t.

Another guy that deserves a lot of credit is DeVante Parker. One of the best if not the best wide receiver in the history of Louisville football has had his fair share of big moments in this game over the years. Today just might have been his best ever as he was the MVP with 180 yards and 3 touchdowns. This kid has made a huge contribution to this team and this program over the years. He stayed home and laid it all on the line for his hometown. You couldn’t have scripted a better ending.

Our defense didn’t have their best effort today. They did have some great stops in the red zone when their backs were against the wall. Might have been a different outcome had they not forced those early field goals. For all of the excitement I felt for the offensive performances it was incredible watching Gerod Holliman have the walk-off interception to tie the NCAA record and ice the game. The UK fan sitting in front of me got to here “he just tied the record on Ya” as he stormed away in disgust.

This one really did have it all today. The brawl between the players and coaches during warm-ups carried over into a game that was full of hard-hitting and competition. It was great to be there and to take it all in, and it was great to walk away on the winning side of things. It has been a great football season. I’d like to thank all of the coaches and players for all of their hard work and sacrifice. To go 9-3 in a new conference, after losing several star players including the starting QB. And under the guidance of a new coach is pretty solid. Can’t wait to see what Bowl game we get to go watch. Go Cards!

It hasn’t been pretty on the offensive side of the ball this season for the Cardinals, but they have bought into Coach Pitino and his defensive philosophy. That has helped them move to 5-0 in the early part of the season and that defense tonight helped them get a hard fought win over a pesky Cleveland State team. The Cards beat the Vikings 45-38 giving Coach Pitino his 700th win as a college coach. With the win the Cardinals are now 70-9 and have won 30 straight games against non conference opponents at the Yum Center.

It was another huge milestone tonight for a man that has left a mark on the game of basketball that will live on for many generations. At 700-245 all-time as a collegiate head coach Rick Pitino has seen and done it all. He’s a Hall of Fame coach who has built programs from scratch, returned programs to their glory, and now he’s just enjoying his life and teaching and molding players for their time between the lines and after. It has been a pleasure to watch Coach Pitino during my time as a college basketball fan, and even when he was on the enemy’s sideline it was hard not to respect his knowledge and understanding for the game. Pitino is just the sixth active coach with at least 700 career victories. I hope to see him win many more before he’s through.

It hasn’t taken very long for this Louisville Basketball program to feel the effects of losing their best shooter in Luke Hancock and their best scorer in Russ Smith. I don’t think the fans realized that the offense would take as big a step back as it has. Louisville’s 45 points tonight is the lowest score since 1997 vs. Temple, and the fewest points for the Cardinals in a winning effort since 1981. We do have some good offensive players in Wayne Blackshear, Terry Rozier, Chris Jones, and Montrezl Harrell, but we are going to need some guys on the bench to be developed throughout the season in order for the offense to improve. Louisville had 0 points off the bench tonight; first time since Dec. 5 2000 in a 70-63 loss to Georgetown. Guys like Quentin Snider and Shaqquan Aaron are pure scorers and have a ton of skill. When they learn the plays and get stronger it will help. Anton Gill is a good scorer but he is slumping right now… He will also come around. We didn’t have a very good night on the offensive side of the ball but got to give credit to Cleveland State they played a very good game and that zone defense really confused our guys tonight.

The good news is that this team is playing very good and very hard on the defensive side of the ball. They are also rebounding the ball very well at both ends of the floor. They are currently 5th in the country in FG% defense, 10th in scoring defense, 4th is steals per game, 5th in 3PT Defense, and 10th in total steals. They are currently 20th in the nation in defensive rebounds per game and 4th in the nation in offensive rebounding per game. The Cards are currently ranked #2 in Kenpoms Defense Adjustment Efficiency. The 59 points the Cardinals have allowed in two consecutive games is the lowest two game total since 1937. So right now defensive is the name of the game and it looks like that could be the identity of the 2014/15 group. The defense will also get stronger as more guys are developed.

Montrezl was marathon man tonight playing all 40 minutes of the game. His double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds really helped his team get over the hump tonight. He was the MVP of this game no doubt.

Terry Rozier is the most poised and mature player on the college level that you will ever see. Guys his age shouldn’t be able to see the big picture the way he does sometimes. That poise and big picture thinking carries over on the court and this kid goes out and does what he needs to do night in and night out. He had 11 rebounds tonight along with 9 points.

Wayne Blackshear has been able to string together a very good start for himself and he has also been a big lift to this team on the offensive side of the ball. Tonight he had 8 points and 5 rebounds.

I realize that there are going to be those fans that start freaking out and think the sky is falling especially after such a dismal offensive performance tonight. Coach Pitino tried to warn us that this game was going to be ugly and none of us listened. Yes the offense was bad, but this won’t be the norm. It will get better and this is a great defensive team. It is going to be fun watching the man that has 700 wins work his magic again this season and get the most out of this group of players. I’m ready to play some of the better teams on the schedule to see what our team is really made of. Tuesday will be a good test as Ohio State comes to town for the ACC/Big 10 Challenge. Go Cards!

The Global Sports Challenge has claimed its latest victim and it was the Savannah State Tigers tonight. The Cardinals led the game 23-0 with about 6 minutes to go in the first half and everyone in the building tonight knew that this one wasn’t going to be pretty. The lead at halftime was 41-7 and is the fewest points allowed by a Louisville team in a half in the last 34 years. When the final buzzer sounded it was the Cardinals 87-26. With the win the Cardinals move to 4-0 on the season, 68-9 all-time at the Yum Center, and Coach Pitino is just one win away from 700.

There’s really not much you can say about a game like this. And that was kind of the vibe in the post game press conference and the post game locker room. Coach Pitino didn’t have much to say about it and the players were hesitant to say much about the win other than they were happy and that they felt they had stuff they needed to improve on. It was a very professional and mature approach by the entire program. I don’t think anyone likes to win one like this so you just take it and move on.

It was a good game from a standpoint that some guys that normally don’t get to see much action got to get in the game. I thought Jaylen Johnson came in and gained some positive momentum. He had 5 rebounds and 7 points. I think that out of the freshman class that Jaylen along with Quentin and Chinanu really could contribute this season. These easy early games have at least helped these guys build up some confidence before they get thrown to the wolves later on.

Some of the stat lines are staggering… The 26 points allowed to Savannah State are the fewest since vs Georgetown College in 1947, Savannah State’s 19.6% Field Goal is the 2nd lowest by an opponent since 1972, Savannah State was 0-16 from the three point line. Louisville’s opponent in the NCAA last season St Louis was 0-15.

This one was just a massacre… Like Coach Pitino said it is really hard to know what to say about a win like this. I’m just glad to see the Cards get another victory, and do think that their defense is looking very good for this early in the season. Usually the offense is slightly ahead at this point but that’s not the case with this group. They are really getting after it on the defensive side of the ball and seem to have bought in early to what coach Pitino wants them to do. This can only be a good thing for later in the season especially when the offense catches up. After four games I am really confident that this team is going to do some great things this season and they are going to be fun to watch. Go Cards!

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In sports, just as in life it’s all about the moments, and it’s up to the members of the team and their fans to seize those moments. Then there are just a few times in a lifetime that there is that one really special moment. There is that moment for the team that makes all of the practice time worth it, all of the sacrifice worth it. That moment for the fans that made all of the dedication worth it, all the traveling worth it, all of the ups and downs worth it. Yesterday was one of those moments for the Louisville Cardinal Football team and the Cardinal Nation. The Cardinals and their fans made their very first trip to the beautiful, historical and legendary Notre Dame Campus yesterday and left last night celebrating their first victory over a legendary team. The Cardinals beat the Irish 31-28 in a game that will never be forgotten.

Demolition of old Cardinal Stadium began last week and I can only imagine the looks you would have gotten if you had looked over at someone on one of those cold Saturdays in the ’80s and told them that someday a ranked Louisville Football team would go into Notre Dame Stadium on senior day and beat the Irish. I hope that some of those players and fans from back during some of those darker years of the program got to be at Notre Dame last night. Those players and fans deserve moments like this more than anyone.

When I arrived on the campus of Notre Dame yesterday I took in all of the great sights and sounds. It was The Golden Dome, the Grotto, and Touchdown Jesus. The whole day leading up to the game was incredible and that whole place just oozes history… Then was the pre-game pageantry in Notre Dame Stadium. From the band taking the field to the raising of the American flag it was all pretty great. And seeing my Cardinals come out of that legendary tunnel and take that field sent cold chills down my spine. I was just so happy to be in that moment and to have had the experience up to that point and we hadn’t even played the game yet.

From Kick-off to the final horn this was a great football game. It went back and forth and both teams really gave their best efforts. On the offensive side of the ball it was a Red Shirt Sophomore and a true freshman that lead the way for the Cardinals. Talk about seizing their moment Brandon Radcliff and Reggie Bonnafon did just that.

Reggie accounted for 247 total yards of offense with three of Louisville’s touchdowns two rushing and one passing. He really showed a lot of poise under some very bright lights. He had some extra motivation from up above as he was playing to honor his late father. One of his father’s last messages to him came in the form of a wrist band that said to “Own Your Destiny”. I think Reggie did just that last night.

Brandon Radcliff has ran hard all season long coming up big in clutch situations but perhaps had his biggest moment last night grinding out some tough yardage when the Cards needed them the most. He had 136 yards and a touchdown. Time of possession was important in that game last night and Radcliff was called on many times to keep the ball in the hands of the Cardinals.

The offensive line did a really good job last night and I think they held their own in the trenches especially went it counted the most. They did a really good job run blocking and pass blocking which led to both Brandon and Reggie’s success last night.

Our defense has also held up in clutch situations all season long. And that unit also had their biggest moment of the season when the Irish had 1st and goal with 1:42 left in the game. The Cardinals stood strong holding them out of the end-zone especially when Brown sacked Golson for a 6 yard loss that eventually led to an incomplete pass and the missed field goal that sealed the game. The Defense was led by Terrell Floyed who had 8 tackles and Keith Kelsey who had 6 tackles on the night.

It really is funny how sometimes things tend to come full circle. Tom King was the first coach to attempt to build a football program at Louisville. King played at Notre Dame under Knute Rockne. Louisville football would see their first sign of success under the guidance of King. And last night the Louisville football program had one of their biggest successes in Notre Dame Stadium. It was a great moment and one that I hope every Cardinal Fan young and old got to enjoy and will never forget. Go Cards!

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I know these exempt games are good for practice and to prepare the teams for the season ahead, but it really is like leading the lamb to slaughter. And tonight Jacksonville State was the sacrificial gamecock. The Cardinals were dominate in every aspect of the game and won the game in big fashion 88-39. With this win the Cardinals move to 2-0 on the season and are now 14-0 in home openers under coach Pitino. Their record at the KFC Yum Center is 67-9 and Coach Pitino is now just 3 wins away from 700.

The Cardinals were about as sharp tonight on the offensive side of the ball as you could ask for. Yes the other team was at a total mismatch but when you look at this game from an execution standpoint the Cardinals did a great job. Instead of coming out and coasting through this game the Cardinals came out and played hard on every possession. Ball movement was the thing that stood out the most in this win. The Cardinals had 15 assist in this one, 13 of those came from the starting unit. Wayne had 5 (his career best) and Chris had 5. All five starters were in double figures. A hustle stat that stands out in a big way was the fact that the Cards out-rebounded them 60-26… It was the most rebounds that a Cardinal team has had since January 19th vs East Carolina.

On a day where he was named in the first Top 50 of the Wooden watch-list, was named player of the week by CBS Sports, ESPN, and the ACC Montrezl Harrell came out and led the Cardinals in scoring tonight with 15 points and he also grabbed 7 rebounds. He played very hard and will do so in every game this season. I’m going to enjoy it all that I can.

It was great to see Wayne Blackshear exit the game tonight for the final time with a big smile on his face. If anybody deserves some things to go his way it’s Wayne. He had a great night having a career high 5 assist, grabbing 9 rebounds and scoring 12 points. Coach Pitino said that he wanted to see “Chicago Tough” Wayne this season and so far he’s getting just that out of his senior.

Mr consistency Terry Rozier is a player that is going to give you what you need of him every time he hits the hardwood. Tonight he had a very efficient performance scoring scoring 13 points on 5-7 shooting. Watching him tonight it just amazes me at how hard he plays and how effortless he makes it look.

Coach Pitino called Chris Jones the best player on the floor tonight. He raved in the post game about how Chris has matured both on and off the court. He was very disruptive on the defensive side of the ball tonight and had 5 steals. He also had 6 rebounds, 10 points and 5 assist.

And what about our phenomenal freshman Chinanu Onuaku… This kid might end up on the list of most impressive freshman at Louisville. He recorded his first double-double tonight in his early Louisville career. 10 rebounds, and 12 points to go along with 1 assist, 1 block and 2 steals. Oh yea and he was 5-5 from the field. We really needed one of our freshman to step up this season and so far Nanu is answering the call.

Mango came off the bench tonight and played really hard.. He had 10 rebounds himself. I was critical of he and Nanu last week but tonight they both gave the kind of effort that this team needs from them in that 5 spot.

As I said above this game really had no chance at being competitive and I would have felt really sorry for the Gamecocks had it not for that big paycheck they will get for that beating tonight. It was worth it for them and it was a good night for our team as well. They really showed some moxie tonight and came out very business like and took care of what they had to and now they move on down the road. It was another great night at the KFC Yum Center.

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