In moments like this, Denny Crum had a go to line.

“We didn’t have a healthy respect for our opponent.”

The University of Louisville Cardinals obviously did not for the Stanford Cardinal.

Singular 38, Plural 35.

More often than not, you get what you deserve.

Like Saturday afternoon in Silicon Valley.

Stanford persevered. They deserved to win.

Louisville did not. And didn’t.

 * * * * *

When considering why games are won and lost, a factor always to be considered is statistical disparity. On occasion they are dispositive of the outcome.

While, of course, there are always other factors.

The Cards were offside on the victor’s first play from scrimmage. They committed a hold on the Cardinal’s kickoff after their opening FG.

Soon enough U of L committed a potpourri of penalties on both sides of the ball.

While the home team — the winners — played a relatively clean game.

So, I started keeping track of the penalty yardage differential as this game progressed.

Or, more correctly, regressed for the Cardinals.

U of L had committed five infractions by the beginning of the 2d.

At one point early in the 3d, U of L was -40 in penalty yardage, 55 vs. 15.

Upon Louisville taking what should have been an unsurmountable lead at 28-13 with a smidge over 19 minutes left, a face mask kept a Singular scoring drive alive. Within minutes it was a one score game.

But Louisville scored again to go up 35-21, which should have sealed the deal.

Then a lack of focus, lack of detail, lack of intensity, some unforgivably horrid playcalling, allowed the eventual winners — a 20 point dog — to come back.

I’m not going to go into the details of the last minute.

Let’s just say that a ridiculous, immature unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, followed by an offside, gave Stanford’s Emmet Kenney a makeable distance to attempt a game winning FG.

Which he did from 52 yards away, as the clock struck 00:00.

Those 20 yards of giveaway yardage put Louisville’s numbers at 13 infractions for 101 yards. Including a major one yard gaffe on the a two point conversion attempt, allowing Stanford to convert.

The victorious Cardinal perpetrated only three violations for 30 lost yards.

-71.

 * * * * *

The other major contributor to this unfathomable defeat was Jeff Brohm.

This one’s on the Head Coach.

The team wasn’t ready from kickoff.

Time Zone. Week Off. Weak crowd.

Yada yada yada.

He didn’t have his team ready.

He didn’t have his team prepared.

He didn’t instill a healthy respect for the foe.

And, my oh my, how I disliked his playcalling.

He called a 35 yard pass play on 3d &15.

He dialed up another long shot downfield on 3d & 7.

He did it again on a 3d & 9, which failure to convert gave Stanford the ball for their game tying drive with under five minutes to play.

Dude, manage the game. Close the deal.

Ignore your inclination to imitate Slingin’ Sammy Baugh.

 * * * * *

Duke Watson was a bright spot for U of L, filling in for Isaac Brown, who walked off the field in a shoulder harness.

117 yards. 10.6 per carry. Three TDs.

 * * * * *

This. Was. Bad.

— c d kaplan