Before Russ Smith was a Louisville legend and before “RUSSDICULOUS” he was up in Connecticut’s Northwest hills at the South Kent Prep School grappling with his studies, and trying to get noticed by big time college programs. He chose to go there for a year to get stronger, work on his academics and learn the point guard position.
Tonight Russ returned to his old stomping ground to give back to some of the folks and the school that helped him reach his dreams. He was the keynote speaker for the Roundball Scholarship kickoff dinner.
South Kent School’s Roundball Scholarship hosted a kickoff dinner on Friday evening. The scholarship benefits student-athletes who dream of playing basketball on the prep school level, in the NCAA and beyond. In the last 10 years, South Kent has sent 6 alumni and 8 former students to the NBA, over 60 alumni to NCAA Division I universities and numerous alumni to professional leagues overseas for basketball.- Press release
The notable South Kent alumnus Russ Smith ‘10, who was recently drafted to the NBA team the New Orleans Pelicans, was keynote speaker and also made himself available for photos and autographs. Before Smith was part of the 2013 University of Louisville Cardinals team, who won the Division I NCAA Championship, before he was named to the 2013 All Big East First Team and a Preseason All-American he helped South Kent to a 20-12 record, averaging 19.7 points, 3.9 assists.
Russ has always been a guy that has had a clear vision about where he was going, but it’s great to also see that he is a guy that never forgot where he came from. I sure will miss seeing Russ in a Cardinal uniform this season but am glad that he is out there being a great ambassador and still making us all very proud. L1C4
This has been a season of first for the Louisville Football program. They played their first game with a new coach, they had their first ACC home game, and this weekend they will play their first ACC road game. This team has shown us they can win a big ACC home game and they have also shown us great maturity by executing and maintaining their focus while playing a game where they are overwhelming favorites. This weekend our Cards will have to show us and the ACC conference that they are ready to handle a hostile crowd on the road and get a win.
Miami has a solid team, but playing on the road against a solid Virginia team might be the Cardinals biggest test early on in the season. These teams have met two times on the gridiron with the series tied at 1-1. Virginia won the last meeting 16-15 back in 1989. Our Cardinals will take an eight game winning streak to Charlottesville on Saturday winning their last 16 of 17. While the Cavaliers just ended a 10 game losing streak by beating Richmond last weekend.
The Cardinals defense will be big in this game as is the case most of the time on the road. Lorenzo Mauldin, Keith Kelsey, James Burgess, James Sample and company will face a Virginia offense that hasn’t looked great in the first two weeks of the season. They were out gained in total yardage last weekend against Richmond 422-330. Their offense has produced 227 yards rushing with 3 touchdowns, and 439 yards receiving with 4 touchdowns. They are ranked 97th in the country in total offense.
Kelsey, Burgess, and Sample all have a team-high nine tackles this season and they are a big reason why UL is No. 6 nationally in run defense and 19th in total defense.
Their top offensive guys appear to be their two QB’s Greyson Lambert who has completed 29 of 38 passes for 214 yards and 1 touchdown and Matt Johns who has completed 17 of 29 passes for 219 yards and 3 touchdowns. WR Darius Jennings who has caught 7 balls for 118 yards and 1 touchdown, and RB Kevin Parks who has rushed 30 times for 107 yards and a touchdown. In order for the Cavaliers to even have a shot in this game this group will have to control the ball and the clock to keep the Louisville offense off the field. They currently rank 50th in the country in time of possession.
The Louisville offense has shown that they have a good mix of young and experienced players. Will Gardner has done a great job managing the offense and has shown great execution, Dom Brown has been incredible proving that he can be the go to guy with a game on the line. While our young guys Reggie Bonnafon and LJ Scott have shown they are ready when needed. The Cardinals offense ranked 45th in the country also has a pretty solid group at the WR spot.
This group will face a pretty good Virginia defense. The Cavaliers have forced 9 turnovers in the first two games and gave up less than 170 yards rushing. The have got some very good defensive ends in Eli Harold and Max Valles who love to come off the edge to create havoc. And their linebacker duo of Daquan Romero and Henry Coley are some of the best in the ACC. They lead the team with with 20 and 22 tackles, respectively. The Cavaliers had five sacks against UCLA and four versus Richmond.
This game will be the biggest challenge yet for our Cardinals but as good as this Virginia defense appears to be early on they’ll be no match in the end for a very methodical Louisville offense. Coach Petrino will find a way to crack their defensive Game Plan. And this Louisville defense gets better every week. They will get it done against a struggling Cavalier offense. A lot of folks have this game circled as a upset watch. I just don’t see it.
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.
We are headed into one of the most hopeful and exciting eras in the history of Louisville football. A program that has had many ups and downs and one that had very humble beginnings. Due to financial difficulty Louisville did not participate in the 1917-1921 seasons. When they did return to football they were members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. The Cardinals would be competing against all the smaller state schools. By smaller I mean what are NAIA and FCS level today.
One of those schools was Murray State. The Cardinals won their very first match-up against the Racers 14-0 in 1927, but they would come back with a vengeance 5 years later in 1932. The Cardinals would travel to Murray and suffer what is the worst defeat in school history losing to the Racers 105-0. And the Racers would beat up on our Cardinals the following year 54-6.
They have laid claim to four other victories over the Cardinals in the last 81 years with their last win 26-23 coming back in 1984 in Louisville. Since that loss to the Racers the Cardinals have won four straight against the in-state foe. The last time these teams met was in 2011 with the Cards winning that one 21-9. Louisville leads the all-time series 12-6.
The Murray State Racers haven’t had much success over the FBS opponents and their last win against an FBS program was that win against the Cards in 1984. The following year they were able to tie Memphis and since have lost 22 straight games to FBS teams.
The Murray State program has a lot of pride winning eight conference titles and ranks 4th in total conference championships among OVC schools. They are a program that is used to winning not surprising when you look at some of their former head coaches. Mike Gottfried, Ron Zook, Frank Beamer, Ralph Friedgen and Houston Nutt all got their starts in Murray Kentucky. Like I said above the Racers have a lot of pride and you best believe that they are coming into Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium on Saturday evening thinking they have a chance to knock off the Cardinals. Last weekend they beat Union 73-26 and are receiving votes in the Sports Network Top 25 Poll.
They run a spread offense called the “Hatch Attack” after their head coach Chris Hatcher and love to throw the football around. Their guy under center is South Alabama transfer CJ Bennett. He was 13-22 for 167 yards and five touchdowns last weekend. By all accounts he is a heady QB that fits well into that system. His favorite target is talented WR Janawski Davis. He caught three of those touchdown passes last weekend. This guy also added a 62 yard punt return for a touchdown and finished with 135 all purpose yards.
They have a very balanced rush attack and had four players rush for more than 50 yards last weekend. Nick Taylor is the guy the Louisville D will need to stop here rushing for 82 yards last weekend.
On special teams it appears that they have a guy who is going to be big for them. First time junior newcomer Shaun Samuels-Connell returned two punts for TD’s last weekend one for 68 yards and another for 13 yards. He averaged 17.5 yards on two kickoff returns.
Defensively they have a great sophomore linebacker Jonathan Jackson who last weekend recovered a fumble that led to a touchdown, blocked an extra point and ran back 98 yards for 2 points, added seven tackles and a sack. Not too shabby.
For our Cardinals it is all about execution this week. Staying disciplined at each position and going through their reps trying to be perfect. I expect to see Reggie Bonnafon get some reps after Will Gardner has done his part to put the game away. I also expect to see more of LJ Scott at running back after Dom Brown gets enough reps. This will be a good game for the QB and Wide Receivers to get more comfortable with each other in a game environment. I expect to see a healthy dose of passing to multiple guys. On the defensive side of the ball this will be a good week to get some practice against a team that likes to play fast and throw the ball all over the field. It will give our line backers a chance to get more comfortable with the 3-4 and their reads. Our secondary should get a good workout also. Execution…. Execution…. Execution this weekend is the name of the game on both sides of the ball.
Murray State won’t back down, but this one will be a game situation walk through for the Cardinals. Great weekend for the guys with nagging injuries to get better, and a great weekend for guys to get more comfortable in their roles. I’d love to see us redeem ourselves from that 105 point ass whipping of 81 years ago by getting a 112 point win Saturday. Don’t think that’ll happen but should be a lot of touchdowns.
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.
As I grow older I have come to realize that life is a series of beginnings and endings. I believe that much of this is to prepare us for some of life’s greatest challenges. We tasted the bitterness that came along with saying good-bye to some great players and a great coaching staff during the off season. But on Monday night Cardinal fans will get to taste the sweetness of new beginnings. Monday night starts a new era of Louisville football, and one that will surely be full of success.
So here we are Cardinal fans heading into a new season. We made it through our transition year and now will embark on what will be a game changer for the Louisville football program. We won’t have to wait weeks to play our first ACC opponent. The Cards will play Miami on Monday to kick off what will surely be the first of many battles between these teams. This game has so many story-lines. From the Godfather of both programs Howard Schnellenberger who went 41-16 at Miami, winning the ’83 national title and went 54-56-2 at Louisville, winning the ’91 Fiesta Bowl.
To what has previously been named one of the top recruiting battles in the country, and with the current coaching/player’s connection between these schools this one has got it all. There will be 14 Louisville players from the Miami-Dade county area featured in this game, and 30 Louisville players from the sunshine state all together. Some of these guys have played against each other since they were little kids. This just adds extra fuel to an already heated rivalry that has developed between these teams.
Our Cardinals have walked away with a win the last two times out against the Hurricanes. A win in 2006, when the Cards beat the visiting Canes 31-7, and a win just a few months ago in the Russell Athletic Bowl 36-9. Miami leads the all-time series, 9-2-1.
This game is really a tough one to break down as both of these teams have several new variables to consider. Both of these teams lost some very good players but also have some great ones back. Something that may come into play though is how well the Cardinals have learned the new offensive and defensive schemes. Mind you we do have an offensive genius on our sideline.
-At the QB spot both teams have a question mark. I do think Gardner has the edge even though he’s learning a new offensive scheme. Brad Kaaya by all accounts is a very good player, but starting a true freshman on the road in what will be a very hostile crowd will be tough.
-Both QB’s will have the luxury of handing the ball off to some very talented running backs. I think this part of the game gives a slight edge to Miami. With Dyer not 100% Dom Brown and LJ Scott will have to carry more of the load. Miami has Joe Yearby, powerful sophomore Gus Edwards, and Duke Johnson who will return for another year. Johnson has rushed for 16 touchdowns in his first two seasons, despite missing the last five games of the year in 2013. Cards defense will have their hands full with this group.
-Both QB’s will also have some great talent to throw it to as well. Listed by ESPN as the potential #1 and #2 WR units in the ACC. Both teams lost their leading receiver from last season. Our Cardinals return four of their top five leading receivers when factoring in TE Gerald Christian. Even with Parker out we still have plenty of weapons. Look for Eli Rodgers, Matt Milton, Kai De La Cruz and James Quick to fill the void.
The Hurricanes return five of their top six receivers from 2013. Stacy Coley will be their top guy, Clive Walford a very good tight end, Phillip Dorsett, Herb Waters and Beau Sandland will be among some players the Cardinals secondary will have to stop.
-One of the biggest keys to a football game is what happens in the trenches especially on the O-Line. We’ll have to see what unit wants it more Monday night, but I like our group with veterans John Miller and Jake Smith leading the way. Miami lost a few of their O-Linemen but they still have a very talented group also. Left tackle Ereck Flowers, left guard Jon Feliciano and center Shane McDermott will hold down their side.
-On defense the Cardinals will have to adjust to life without some very good players especially in the secondary. And had to learn a whole new system. The Cards return 5 starters from the 2013 defense. Specifically, the defensive line has only 1 returning starter, Lorenzo Mauldin, who finished with 9.5 sacks last year. Charles Gaines and Terell Floyd are back in the secondary, the duo combined for 9 interceptions in 2013. The defensive newcomers will need to step up.
The Miami defense has the athletes but have lacked discipline on this side of the ball. Denzel Perryman, the leading tackler from last year, will return along with CB Tracy Howard, Anthony Chickillo and Al-Quadin Muhammad. The Hurricanes hope to create some pressure up front as 7 of their top 8 sack leaders from 2013 return.
-Special teams could also play a big role in this game if things play out evenly in the other aspects. And I really like our kick and punt return guys Charles Gaines, Corvin Lamb James Quick, Kai De La Cruz and Eli Rogers. Turnovers could also decide a game that is even all the way around.
I’d be a blind homer if I were to say definitively that Louisville was going to win this game. It really is a close match-up when looking at it from a unbiased perspective. I do know definitively that it is one of the most anticipated opening games in Louisville’s football history, and maybe the most. And I do think the home crowd will help our Cards. I think that the home field advantage may be what determines a close one. I know I’m looking forward to it.
We are always writing stories about our athletes when they are scoring baskets, making touchdowns, hitting homeruns, ect. However, we often miss the other important things these folks do while off the field of play. Tonight at a Fellowship of Christian Athlete meeting some of our athletes gathered to talk about the ultimate prize.
We sometimes forget that the trophies we win here on earth are not anything compared to the one we get when our work here is done. Yes, Salvation is the ultimate trophy. Tonight was the first meeting of the year for the University of Louisville FCA and this gives our athletes a great opportunity to share their testimony in an attempt to help fellow athletes reach that ultimate prize. Several athletes have accepted Christ into their lives and have been baptized thanks to this program.
I want to send out kudos to all those involved with the FCA at the University of Louisville and Chaplain Chris Morgan for the work he is doing for the student athletes on campus. Also to those athletes who are being spiritual leaders on and off the field of play using their gifts to bring glory to Christ. We have a great group of athletes to cheer for at the University of Louisville and things like this should not go unnoticed. Kudos again guys!
Be sure to give the University of Louisville Chaplain Chris Morgan a follow on twitter @UofLfca to follow the great work he is doing on the campus and with our student athletes. And I’m sure they would also be thankful for our prayers as well.
The Under Armour Elite 24 is a celebration of streetball’s past, present and future. This event has existed for 8 years and has become one of the premiere events of the summer. The first four were at Rucker Park, and then three at Venice Beach. Last years event was back in New York for the first time since 2009 and was literally played under the Brooklyn Bridge. The 9th annual game tonight will be played outside at Pier 2 of the Brooklyn Bridge Park. It is in my opinion one of the coolest venues for a basketball game that I’ve ever seen.
Among the 24 high school prospects playing are Louisville commit Donovan Mitchell, and Louisville top targets Antonio Blakeney, Derrick Jones, Brandon Ingram in the 2015 class.
(Photo Kelly Kline)
The above picture is a shot of Donovan Mitchell in the Elite 24 dunk contest last night. If you missed the Dunk contest it will be re-aired at 12pm on ESPNU today. This kid has been one of the hottest players in the country this summer. He has been compared to players like Dion Waiters, Dwayne Wade and Tony Allen with his rim attacking mentality, abilty to score off the bounce and defensive presence. He will bring a lot of versatility to the Louisville backcourt when he arrives both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
Blakeney has remained at the top of the list and a top target for coach Pitino this summer. He trimmed his list to seven schools back at the end of July. Louisville did make the cut and will get a visit from Antonio on Labor Day weekend. He has established himself as one of the elite scorers in the class of 2015 and would be a great addition to a already stellar Louisville recruiting class.
Ingram has said he plans to cut his list to seven schools at the end of August. It looks more and more like Louisville will make the cut and Ingram recently told SNY.tv that he plans on making the trip to Louisville sometime in October. He would be a great addition to the class and give the Cardinals a great wing player for the future. Ingram has broad shoulders and long arms and he is a smooth operator at the offensive end. His first step is impressive while attacking off the dribble and he can post up as well.
Jones recently cut his list to nine schools and Louisville made the cut. Jones is supposed to visit the Louisville campus sometime in September. He is known as an incredible finisher. He put his great athletic, leaping and finishing ability on display Friday night winning the dunk contest at the Elite 24.
Thon Maker, Terrance Ferguson, Dennis Smith Jr, and Tyus Battle are the 2016 Louisville targets who will be playing on Saturday night. It is really way too early to say just how high on the priority list these 2016 guys are, but the staff has watched these guys and been in contact with them.
It is a slow sports weekend as we all prepare for the college football season to begin, and tonight will be a great chance to see some guys that could be wearing the Cardinal red in the future. It will also be the last major event for these underclassmen as the next time most of them will be on the court in competition will be for their high school teams this fall. The game airs live on ESPNU at 7p.m.
It hasn’t even been a year since I was standing in a cold and rainy Nippert Stadium watching Teddy Bridgewater play his last regular season game as a Cardinal. On that December night Teddy reminded all of us and the ESPN television audience just how special he was. On that night he was part QB and part escape artist scrambling and breaking tackles. It was Mr. Clutch, who would throw two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to give Louisville a chance to win in overtime. One of those touchdown drives very similar to his game winning drive last night in Minnesota.
http://youtu.be/vjvbtMi-mMg
Just several months removed from that heroic performance and his stellar play in the Russell Athletic Bowl the naysayers came gunning for Teddy Bridgewater. After a less than impressive Pro Day the mud slinging really started. His hands were too small, could he be a pocket passer, and my favorite of all: “His calves are small”.
Those folks have to feel pretty silly today. Minnesota fans are feeling the same way we all did back on September 17th in 2011 when Teddy made his college debut leading our Cards to a long awaited victory over Kentucky. He breathed new life back into our program that evening in Lexington and had us yelling Teddy… Teddy… for the first time.
I don’t know if he will get the starting nod this season in Minnesota or not, but I do know that Teddy is ready to physically, mentally, and emotionally challenge the big boys. And he’s ready to make big plays and to show those fans in Minnesota what we’ve know for years. Teddy Bridgewater is a winner.
Watching that game last night took me back to that evening in Lexington, the night in New Jersey, the night in New Orleans and that night a few months ago in Cincinnati. I had seen that heroic drive in the final minutes, those clutch touchdown passes many times, and had been a part of that crowd who was yelling Teddy… Teddy… Teddy…. for the first time.
I had the privilege of going to Valhalla today to watch the opening round of the PGA Tournament. I really loved watching the guys who have mastered the toughest sport ever invented. I also loved being out there today knowing that this PGA event allowed the great city of Louisville to showcase one of the many things that make it so special.
Whoever wins the tournament this weekend will be embraced by some of the most passionate sports fans in the country for the rest of their lives. I seen a lot of Cardinal fans out there today and I was wearing my Cardinal hat with pride. Nobody loves and embraces all sports like the folks who wear red.
Louisville is the city of champion’s horse racing champions, boxing champions, Ryder Cup champions, PGA Champions and the Champions at the University of Louisville. I was already very proud of Louisville, but when I came home this evening I was watching the Golf Channel getting my recap from the day when they played one of the coolest promo videos you’ll ever see. It is awesome!
I recorded the promo and you can check it out here:
-At the QB spot both teams have a question mark. I do think Gardner has the edge even though he’s learning a new offensive scheme. Brad Kaaya by all accounts is a very good player, but starting a true freshman on the road in what will be a very hostile crowd will be tough.
