Our Cardinals made their very first trip into “Death Valley” today and despite a valiant effort by the defense the Cards fell short in a heart breaker to Clemson 23-17. The game today shuffled things a bit in the Atlantic Division of the ACC. The Cardinals had been in second place and now change spots with the Tigers dropping to third place. The Cardinals are now 5-2 and 3-2 in the ACC. Coach Petrino’s record is now 46-11 at Louisville.

After making it to the halfway point in the season it is pretty obvious that this Louisville team is one that is going to have to grind out ball games in order for them to come out on the winning side of things. A team having that kind of Modus operandi almost has to be perfect in execution and not have any mental mistakes especially on the road, at a place like Clemson. The Cardinals lack of execution cost them 7 points right off the start at the 13:58 mark when Clemson ran back a punt 72 yards for a touchdown. This one was big considering they only won by 6.

The offensive line did a better job for most of the first half but then started making the same mental mistakes that has plagued them for most of the season. In the first half they had 2 false starts for 10 yards, and a delay of game for 5 yards. In the second half and during some key moments they had 1 delay of game for 5 yards and 5 false starts for 25 yards. Four of those false starts came during a possession where the defense had just got an interception and the offense got to start at their own 48 yard line. A field goal would have tied it at this point.

The offense as a whole continued to struggle today. They could only muster one first down on 17 attempts. And coming into this game having a 90% success rate on fourth down attempts they were 0-2 today. Even the running game that had been this team’s saving grace was held to just 52 yards. The passing game yielded 212 yards with most of that coming on one 73 yard play.

There were really no standout performances today on the offensive side of the ball, but Will Gardner deserves some credit for coming in the game when he did and leading the Cardinals down the field for their first touchdown. He really showed a lot of composure and maturity. He threw for 150 yards and 1 touchdown in two quarters. Reggie showed that he isn’t ready to be a starting quarterback at this level yet. He threw for 62 yards before being pulled in the second half. Bright future ahead but this isn’t his time IMO.

The running game was pretty much stopped cold in this one and Brandon Radcliff who has been on a tear was held to just 23 yards on 11 attempts. Dom Brown had 47 yards on 17 attempts with a touchdown.
James Quick had the only significant yardage in the passing game with most of his 101 yards coming on one play.

Last but certainly not least I’m left talking about how great this defense is again this week. My goodness folks these guys are really a great unit and this might end up being the best defensive team in the history of our program. This Clemson team was ranked 26th in the nation in total offense and #1 in the ACC coming into the game today. They had scored 91 points on offense in the last 2 weeks before today; they scored 9 points today on three field goals. And I know we knocked their big time QB out, but they limited him to just 7 yards in the first quarter.

I’ve said it a hundred times this season and I’ll say it again these guys on the defensive unit just get it. Defense is all about attitude and these guys go all in every week. They play like their hair is on fire. It’s a joy to watch a group of guys play with such passion and desire. The guys that stood out today in another stellar performance was James Sample who had 14 tackles and James Burgess who had 11 tackles with 1 interception. Kudos around the board though… It’s a shame these guys weren’t rewarded with a win.

They lose as a team and win as a team. This Louisville football team must come together and continue to work hard to overcome some of the issues that are making them struggle every weekend. Greatness is contagious and right now some of that from the defensive side needs to rub off on the offense. And the Coaches, especially on the offensive side of the ball need to make the appropriate adjustments that give their guys the best chance at success. I think a big part of the offensive struggles is these guys not fully understanding the offense or how it works.

It wasn’t a very good day for Louisville and their fans. This one hurt pretty bad. Most disappointing loss in a long time. But I do have faith and do believe that we got some big wins left in us this season. Our players and coaches are too talented to not turn today into a learning moment. Just keep in mind that this team is 1 muffed punt, 1 fumble in the end zone, and 1 KO return from being 7-0. 3 plays from perfection. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season. Go Cards!

(Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

Cardinal fans your football team is 5-1 in their inaugural season in the ACC and have now handed three teams in the ACC a loss in their opener. Syracuse become the latest team to fall to the Cards during the conference opener. It wasn’t always pretty but our Cardinals rolled up their sleeves and got the working man’s win beating the Orange 28-6. With the win the Cardinals now take the lead in this series 7-6 and maintain their spot at #2 in the Atlantic division.

It is very apparent after watching the game tonight that the offensive line still has a long way to go. They had some moments where they looked like they had made some improvement but as far as the execution and the consistency that Coach Petrino wanted to see this week that really didn’t happen. The offensive line was responsible for 3 false starts for 15 yards, 2 offensive holding penalties for 20 yards, 1 clipping penalty for 15 yards. The offense was responsible for 1 delay of game for 5 yards, and 1 illegal formation for 5 yards. So yes these guys lacked some execution tonight.

Enough with the negatives about tonight as the offense did have a lot of positive moments. The biggest story of the night was how Brandon Radcliff continues to be so effective. He becomes the first running back to have consecutive hundred yard games since Senorise Perry and romped for 110 yards with two touchdowns. It really looks like he is going to be the featured back moving forward. His footwork and ability to get that extra yard is phenomenal. He is a guy that runs downhill and can always find a hole even if it looks like he’ll be stuffed. Can’t wait to see what this kid has for them for the rest of the year.

I really like what I seen from James Quick tonight as well. He was one of the guys that I had said in my pre-game that needed to have a good game and he did. His numbers weren’t huge but he had some clutch catches. It is going to help Quick greatly when DeVante returns.
I tell ya folks the foundation is here for this to be a great offense and there is a lot of talent here. Lord help the ACC if our offensive line figures things out.

I know I say this after every game in these online ramblings but I love our defense. This group came into tonight not allowing a touchdown in 11 quarters of football and left Syracuse tonight not allowing one. They have now played 15 quarters of football without allowing a touchdown and are only allowing 12.67 points a game. They held the Orange to 255 total yards and that #1 rushing defense in the country held a very good run offense to just 59 yards. This group will really move up in most of the national defense categories after tonight.
The guys who really stood out tonight on defense was James Sample who had an interception, and Gerod “Superman” Holliman who had added to his national lead that now stands at 7 interceptions. Keith Kelsey led with 9 tackles on the night. These three guys were flying all over the field and making big play after big play tonight. Coach Grantham take a bow sir… You got one of the best defenses in the country and it just might be the best when the dust settles this season.

Next weekend things get really serious as the Cardinals take their very first trip to “Death valley”. That is not a very friendly place to visit and that nickname was earned. I really think that our guys can go in and give Clemson a good game. With the way our defense is playing we have a shot to win against any team in the country. Devante Parker might soon make an appearance and I really feel like that will be the boost our offense needs. If it catches up we are gonna be really good down the stretch. 5-1 folks…. Enjoy this win!

(Photo Joel Auerbach/ Getty Images)

Our Cardinals moved to 3-1 on the season after beating FIU 34-3 today in a game that seemed to last forever. It really was like watching paint dry at certain points. Nothing new in this series as all of the games have been some of the most uneventful I’ve ever seen. Good news is that today will be the last time these teams meet for the foreseeable future and hopefully forever. The Cards end the series leading 3-1.

Our Cards took to the road for the first time in the ACC today, and on this day things wouldn’t go the Cardinals way. The defense played tough but the offense struggled to find their feet which ultimately lead to the Cardinals defeat. We all knew that Devante’s injury would slow the offensive yield, but today he was sorely missed because our Cards had nothing to show when throwing down field.

Our guys will come back next week ready to fight again and with many ACC battles left it’s hard not to grin. It won’t be long and I’ll be celebrating another Cards win.
The Cardinals heard a Hoo today but things are still bright and there’s a lot of football left to play. Go Cards!

Tonight was the debut of the Cardinal sledge hammer a new symbol for this Louisville football program. Senior tackle Jamon Brown will carry it to the field for every game. They sure dropped the hammer on this Murray State team tonight. This wasn’t exactly the type of blow-out that game was back in 1932, but I’ll take it. The Cards made quick work of the Murray State Racers tonight beating them 66-21. Tonight wasn’t about winning or losing this game as there was never any doubt about the outcome. Tonight was about offensive and defensive execution, and about showing maturity. All of which our Cardinals did.

Our guys came out very business like from the beginning and did execute their offensive and defensive game plan to near perfection. In the first half the Cards only had 1 penalty for 5 yards and didn’t have any turnovers. The starting unit scored 45 points, and had 357 yards of total offense. They would score 66 points and have 603 total yards on the night.
The defensive starting unit was again stellar and flying all over the field. These guys are playing on a different level. They held the Racers to 7 points giving up only 111 yards of total offense in the first half. During the second half a lot of the second team guys got to play and ended up giving up 21 points total and 292 yards total. Coach Petrino was able to give a lot of guys some PT tonight on both sides of the ball.

Will Gardner looked very solid tonight and had a lot of zip on his balls. He made some really solid completions and paced the first unit very well. He was 13 for 22 with 133 yards and 2 touchdowns.
I knew we would see Reggie Bonnafon tonight and man did he impress the hometown crowd. He really seized his moment tonight throwing a beautiful touchdown pass to Michaelee Harris and scored two touchdowns on keeper plays. After seeing this kids composure tonight in his Cardinal debut it’s obvious that the QB position will be solid for years to come.

Dom Brown had another solid outing and was mowing over the Murray defensive players like they weren’t even there. Like Bonnafon I knew that LJ Scott would get a good number of carries tonight and he like Reggie really made the most of it. He rumbled for 126 yards and a touchdown.
Brandon Radcliff also made the most of his extra reps with 97 yards and two touchdowns. Like the QB position the running back spot is going to be very solid for years to come.

Several of the Cardinal wide receivers also got in on the action tonight with Kai Dela Cruz leading the way with 53 yards and a touchdown. Gerald Christian, and Michaelee Harris also had touchdown grabs. Eli Rodgers had a solid performance with 5 grabs for 45 yards. I was really glad to see Harris get a touchdown catch. For all that he’s been through with his injury problems he deserves his moments.

As I mentioned above this Louisville defense has really been a joy to watch during the last two games. They are playing with a lot of passion. Their close out speed and hard hitting is unreal. Taking into account these guys are still learning a new system I get giddy thinking about just how good they will be. Keith Kelsey and Devontre Parnell led the way for this group tonight each with 4 tackles. Lorenzo was also very disruptive to the Murray State offense. They avoided him as much as they could.

It was another great night of football in Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium. The Cardinals are now 24-1 at home with Coach Petrino at the helm and have the second longest winning streak in the country with 8. These first two games have Cardinal fans thinking big. And I really believe these guys can deliver.

Home » Cardinals Drop The Hammer On Murray State » Louisville vs Murray State » Louisville vs Murray State

   

 

Last night our Cardinals didn’t disappoint in what was one of the most anticipated games in the history of the football program. A record crowd of 55,428 watched as the Cardinals won their fourth straight season opener 31-13, win their first ACC game, win their sixth game straight and beat Miami for the second time in 10 months.

“I thought it would be a real battle and we would have to work extremely hard,” said Petrino, who returned in January to the program he led to a 41-9 record from 2003 to ’06. “Obviously, we made some mistakes on offense and on special teams. I thought the defense really did a great job all night long, especially on third down.”

“We found a way to win the game.”

We didn’t see the high octane Bobby Petrino offense we had became accustom to during his previous coaching stop in Louisville, but we did see a very efficient and methodical performance. Will Gardner did a very good job in my opinion of managing the game. He didn’t put up gaudy numbers throwing for 206 yards with 2 touchdowns, but he did maintain his composure after a few turnovers and led his unit. There will be a few arm chair QB’s who criticize Will this week, but making mistakes is part of the game. It’s how you respond to those mistakes that define the type of player you are. I thought Gardner responded well.

I can’t say enough about the admiration I have for Dominique Brown. His physical sacrifice for his unit last night was really something. A career high 33 carries in his first outing of the season, 143 yards and a touchdown laying his body on the line with every play. He set the tone for our offense last night and is the workhorse of this team.

That Corvin Lamb score was probably the best and my favorite play of the game. The claim is that he’s the fastest guy on the team and last night he backed up that claim with a 97 yard kick-off return. It was the fifth longest in school history and was a big momentum boost when the Cardinals needed it the most.

At the end of the night the crowd was chanting Bobby… Bobby… And while I’m grateful to have him as our new head coach part of me was thinking about Coach Strong and how the discipline he instilled in the Louisville defense was still very present. They haven’t missed a beat. The Cards held Miami to 1 for 13 on third down conversions. The ball pursuit, close outs, tackling, and hard hitting was very impressive last night. These guys were flying all over the field and it was very apparent that the great defense we had enjoyed under the previous regime was just as good as ever. There is nothing more important on a football field than playing fast and physical and the Louisville defense did that and then some last night. James Sample was the standout of the group with 8 tackles and an interception, but Gerod Holliman also deserves a lot of kudos with five tackles, an interceptions, and a few big stops on Duke Johnson.

It really was a great evening and I couldn’t think of a better way to have spent this holiday. It has been a great summer and last night our Cardinals sent it out with a bang. They also give us a lot to look forward to going into this Fall. I hope the ACC is ready because last night the Cardinals arrived in town and they are taking names.

Home » Cardinal Football Is bACCk! » First ACC Game vs Miami » First ACC Game vs Miami

   

 

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

On Friday night in Indianapolis the 46th chapter of the Battle of the Bluegrass was written. For the 32nd time it was Kentucky who walked away with the victory 74-69. The Wildcats now lead the all-time series 32-15 (4-2 in NCAA). The Cardinals are 1-6 against their rivals since John Calipari was hired as their coach. With the win the Wildcats advance to the Elite 8, and the Cards season will come to a close after a great run of basketball that has included 2 Big East Titles, AAC Title, 2 Final Fours, and a National Championship. ”We celebrated an awful lot the last three years,” Pitino said. ”We’re going to be very gracious in this defeat because we’ve had a lot of celebrations, and it’s the end of an era for us, for a lot of us. So it’s something that we’re certainly going to miss.”

The stage was set for what was billed as one of the biggest games in this series as it featured both the 2012 and 2013 College Basketball National Champions competing against each other in the Sweet 16. Our Cardinals led most of the way, but It was a pretty competitive game throughout. I think the script went a different way than what most of us expected. Kentucky was supposed to be the young team that lost focus down the stretch especially with one of their best defenders in the locker room. But that’s not what happen. It was our veteran Cardinals that started taking bad shots, making bad decisions, and struggled to put the ball in the basket in the final minutes of the game.

In the final eight minutes of the game, Louisville scored two points in the paint on 1-of-5 shooting and scored just three points in the final three minutes. The Cardinals missed 10 of their 23 free throws while Kentucky was 22 of 27 at the line, and made five of its last six. Our Cards also got beat up on the boards 37-29 and that led to 8 second chance points. These stats are what sealed the victory for the Wildcats.

Luke with 19 points, Russ with 23 points, Montrezl with 15 points, 8 rebounds Stephan with his hustle/effort and Chris with 6 points all went down swinging. These starters and especially our seniors left their hearts on the floor Friday night and gave it all they had like they’ve done so many times in the past.
I was also very impressed with Mango who had 4 rebounds, 3 points, and 2 blocked shots. I am extremely optimistic about this kids future. His play has been trending upward all season and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store next season.
Wayne’s struggles continue and my comments about him are starting to be like a broken record. He played 17 minutes and had 1 rebound, 3 points, 1 assist and 1 steal. He started his Cardinal career as one of the most anticipated players ever and will now head into his senior season with very minimal expectations. Great kid but don’t know if he’ll ever get it figured out again.

The battle was lost on Friday night and I know every Cardinal fan feels the same way I have all day. While frustrated about being 1-6 to our rivals just remember Cardinal fans that we are headed into the exciting new challenge of the ACC, have the #4 ranked recruiting class and still have an excellent program. The battle has been lost for now, but the Cardinal fight lives on. I’m looking forward to another great group of young men coming into the program and hopefully we can send them away in four years like we did with the seniors this year “Champions”. L1C4

Louisville’s Russ Smith after a loss to UK in NCAA tourney:

Luke Hancock after Louisville’s loss to Kentucky in the NCAAs:

Stephan Van Treese on U of L’s loss to Kentucky:

Montrezl Harrell on his season and his future:

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

It’s been anything but sweet over the last couple of days in Orlando, but nonetheless our Cards are headed to their third straight appearance in the Sweet 16 and 20th overall after beating St Louis 66-51. With the win the Cards have won seven straight and eight straight in the NCAA Tournament. And they have now won 67 straight games when leading at half time. Louisville is just the fourth reigning title winner to win a game by 15 points since the tournament expanded in 1985. Each of the previous 3 teams reached the Final Four. This win today wasn’t that pretty from a viewing standpoint, but big picture it was a great victory. This is the worst loss that St Louis has had all season.

Luke Hancock: “We knew to win this one it was going to be ugly.” This game was ugly and as I predicted in my breakdown was pretty much a slugfest for most of the way with the key word being “slug”. Their defense forced the Cardinals into 19 turnovers, held them under 44% from the field and 35% from behind the arc. The Cardinals defense forced them into 18 turnovers, held them to 39% shooting from the field and 0-15 from behind the arc. Coach Pitino: “We had to be as good defensively, take away the 3, and wear them out with the pick and roll.” The Billikens’ 15 missed 3-point shots is the most attempts without a make in Men’s Basketball Championship history. They only made one shot outside the paint in 20 attempts, and that’s the lowest percentage for any team in the last five tournaments. Much like the Manhattan game in the Cards first round this one was a defensive battle all the way. Coach Pitino: “We grinded out a win and that is exactly what the NCAA Tournament is all about.”

Even with the offensive struggle Chris, Montrezl, Russ and Luke all had double digit scoring. Luke was the most clutch performer of the group hitting several timely three point shots at key moments in the game. He finished with 21 points and has been the answer to the Cards shooting woes for the last two games. He’s picked right up where he left off in Atlanta last year in terms of stepping up for this team. Luke has scored 79 points (14 3-pointers) in his last 4 NCAA Tournament games.
Russ had a quiet day from an offensive standpoint, but it was his 7 assist that gave the other guys the opportunity to put the ball in the basket. Hancock said about Russ after the game: “He might not be scoring a lot of points but he found me several times. He’s just a playmaker.” He has been roughed up over the last two games and Orlando hasn’t been kind to him. Russ after the game said that he needs to get treatment on his back, his knee and his fingers. He also said this…“I need to shave my callouses.”
Chris had 11 points, but he also came up with 3 big steals in the game when the Cards needed the momentum boost. Coach Pitino on Chris after the game: “Chris Jones is playing terrific basketball. He gives us big steals…He’s adjusting to all these multiple defenses.”
There wasn’t much available in the paint today but Montrezl battled his way to 10 points, but it was his work on the boards grabbing 11 rebounds that had the biggest impact on the Cards win. His rebounding effort has been a difference maker in the first two rounds grabbing 24 total in two games.

Gotta give credit to Stephan, Wayne, Mango and Terry for giving the Cardinals some good minutes off the bench in these last two tough games. Stephan said after the game that Coach Pitino called him “The Eraser”. Very fitting because he does erase mistakes with his all out hustle. Wayne had 6 points today and has provided some spark when he has played. Thats good to see and could be huge down the stretch. Mango seems to be gaining more and more confidence with every minute he plays. He’s had 3 blocked shots in the last two games. Terry has also had some timely rebounds, assist, steals and points in the past two games. The Cards got 11 points from their bench today off 5-5 shooting.

Our Cardinals will now head to Indy for their 20th Sweet 16 appearance. It is 5th-most in college hoops since 1975. And they have been to at least the Sweet 16 in 6 of the last 10 years. But as Russ reminded us after the game today: “Sweet 16 is nice, but we don’t celebrate Sweet 16s in this program.” Things get real now as they are 4 games away from another National Title and just two away from another Final Four. I am ready for next Friday and if you can be there I encourage you to get some tickets. Cardinal Nation is going to take over Luuuuuke Oil Stadium. Go Cards!

U of L’s Luke Hancock after a win over Saint Louis:

Montrezl Harrell on U of L’s win over Saint Louis:

Wayne Blackshear on his game against Saint Louis:

Louisville’s Terry Rozier after a win over Saint Louis:

Stephan Van Treese after U of L beats Saint Louis:

Chris Jones talks after Louisville’s win over Saint Louis:

Was that game March Madness enough for you? It’s about surviving and advancing during this time of the year. The Cardinals did survive a gutsy performance by Steve Masiello’s Jasper’s winning 71-64. Last year the Cardinals had their survive moment in the Final Four when they had to squeak out a win over Wichita State. Hopefully we won’t have any more close calls and can use the experience gained in this game tonight as a spring board the rest of the way. With the win tonight Louisville has now achieved its 8th 30-win season in school history, and won 7 straight games in the NCAA Tourney.

The Jasper’s were able to hang around in this game because they played some excellent defense and held the Cards to 36.5% from the field, 30.8% from the 3 point line and forced 12 turnovers. In my opinion Louisville won’t get another defensive effort like these guys thrown at them tonight.
The Cardinals had a pretty good effort tonight as well on the defensive side of the ball forcing 15 turnovers, and getting 11 steals with 8 blocked shots. This game really was like putting two magnets together. Two teams that mirrored each other at every facet of the game. Coach Pitino: “I knew this game was going to be this way. When we play ourselves in practice, it’s a nightmare.”

The Cardinals had four players in double figure scoring, but the difference was Luke and Russ’s clutch performances down the stretch. Russ got the momentum rolling the Cards way with his big three point shot, then Luke took over from where he left off in last years NCAA Tournament with two clutch threes. Luke said after the game: We’re just trying to build a legacy.” Montrezl was huge on the glass with 13 rebounds, and the silent assassins also came up big with Stephan Van Treese grabbing 7 rebounds and Wayne Blackshear providing a spark off the bench. Coach Pitino: “Russ had an off night tonight, Wayne was an unsung hero.”
It is also important to note that Russ became the all-time steals leader at Louisville with his two tonight. He has 256 for his career.

Coach Pitino: “We needed this type of game. Winning by 60 and 40 doesn’t make you a better basketball team.”
Games like this do make teams tougher. The Cardinals learned more about themselves tonight than they have in the last month in my opinion. Sometimes it takes more than athleticism and talent. Sometimes it takes grit and determination, and that’s what our guys showed tonight. We should all be proud of how they pulled it out.

One down and five more to go Cardinal fans. Next up is St Louis at around 2:45 pm on Saturday. We can now take a day off and enjoy tomorrow our guys survived and advanced. Go Cards!

Luke Hancock After The Game:

Wayne Blackshear After The Game:

Montrezl Harrell After The Game:

Russ Smith After The Game:

Chris Jones After The Game:

Stephan Van Treese After The Game: