On Friday afternoon at Paul’s Market, I ran into a doc, who was a U of L football team physician for years, until his group from Jewish was replaced by one from Norton’s for reasons having nothing to do with quality of care.

I see him now and again in the ‘hood and he’s always been forthcoming about behind the scenes stuff with the Cardinals. I was hoping to get more perspective on last season’s meltdown, which I really did not, but he made one comment which gave some perspective to yesterday’s victory over the Hilltoppers.

Relying on what he observed at field level during last year’s game, he’s of the opinion that U of L’s talent level is not much different than Western’s.

Frankly, I’m not sure if I agree. But, if so, Scott Satterfield and his staff may be doing an even better job than the hyped up Red & Black Faithful already believe. Louisville kept WKU measured throughout in Saturday’s 38-21 W.

What I do know is they’re at Final Four level when it comes to injury report obfuscation. Saturday at 12:27, U of L advised the media that Jawon Pass would miss the game due to a “lower extremity injury.”

A knee? A foot? A toe? Thigh? Calf?

Whatever, it meant that Malik Cunningham got his first start of the season. Which commenced with the look of just the same as it ever was. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Western Kentucky →

Yes, it was Eastern Kentucky, a school that toils a division down, with a smaller squad in stature and depth, an FCS directional in-state “rival” come to town for the paycheck and experience, with but faint hope to prevail.

All true, and certainly a perspective when considering the mean.

Buuuuuuuuuuuut . . . when a group of players hasn’t celebrated the thrill of victory for a week short of 365, when a gang whose coaches inexplicably gave up on them last year causing them to give up on themselves, when a squad under new tutelage to address both systemic and psychological issues, when that team pulls it together and does what it’s supposed to do, it’s reason for celebration.

Forgive the purple prose, if you can. The first win in a long while can instigate excessive verbiage.

The Louisville Cardinals manhandled EKU as they were supposed to. Never for a moment think that’s a given. (Ask Willie Taggert how it felt yesterday to escape when that poor kid from Louisiana Monroe shanked an extra point in OT?)

U of L 42, Eastern Kentucky 0.

It’s a start. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Eastern Kentucky →

I have come to praise the Louisville Cardinal defense, and its play in the opener against Notre Dame.

Especially Russ Yeast (7 tackles), Nick Okeke (7), Rodjay Burns (6), Khane Pass (6), C.J. Avery (6), P.J. Mbanasor (4), and Cornelius Sturghill (4). Dorian Etheridge recovered a fumble.

Kudos also to the D coaching staff, Bryan Brown, Cort Dennison, Shadon Brown, Dale Jones, and Mark Ivey.

Yes, against Notre Dame’s Top Ten Fighting Irish, Louisville gave up 35 points, and 423 yards of total offense.

Because perspective is required, those raw numbers don’t tell the whole story.

That same bunch — with a few others who decided to continue their education elsewhere and matriculated at other institutions of higher learning — let us be gentle and say, were somewhat more porous last season. OK, significantly more giving.

In U of L’s final seven games last season, from October until the final insult against UK, the Cards surrendered 66, 38, 56, 77, 54, 52, and 56. Continue reading A Tip of the Hat to U of L Cards’ Defense →

“If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a Merry Christmas.”

So heartened am I by the University of Louisville Cardinals’ energy and effort against a truly good Notre Dame team, I’m in touch with my inner Don Meredith.

Before contemplating the reality of this opening 35-17 setback, allow me a bit of fantasy.

With just under three minutes to play before halftime, the score is knotted at 14-14, and it is not a fluke. The Cards had taken a hit on the Irish’s opening drive, but fight back and compete toe to toe.

U of L forces another ND three and out, and has the ball on its own 20, with the opportunity to run out the clock and thereby go into halftime even, or be even more emboldened with a score.

Instead, there is that comedic, decimating sequence of fumble, fumble, fumble, resulting in an Irish go ahead TD.

What if U of L heads to the locker room even at 14-14 . . . Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Notre Dame →

On the morning of an autumn day of the week traditionally set aside for looking back at the weekend’s pigskin results and their ramifications, there are still twelve hours and nineteen minutes until my team the Louisville Cardinals kick off.

The Notre Dame Knute Rocknes are in town, and the Ghost of the Gipper hovers.

The Era of Scott Satterfield beckons.

The ACCN’s inside look at U of L football was given short shrift during its first showing Sunday night. It started late because of a soccer game, and those in charge felt compelled to cut off the ending so a replay of Boise State’s comeback against Willie Taggert’s Seminoles could start on time.

The doc, featuring a passionate Good Ol’ Boy pep talk by LB coach Dale Jones, as well as a cameo shot of yours truly at the Media Day presser, is on again today, at, I believe, 1:00 and 7:00. Check the listings to make sure.

To kill at least some of the time until kickoff, let’s consider a few takeaways from Week I. Continue reading MMQB: Finally, It’s Game Day →

Last week, as one is too often wont to do with a bit of idle time on his/her hands, I found myself surfing aimlessly across the Google.

I arrived at a light bulb moment of sorts after hangin’ ten from a B/W video of Nina
Simone’s simmering “Sinnerman” to an illuminating video comparison of Jackie Chan’s exemplary work in Asian films with his lesser American movies, ending up somehow at a highlight reel of what is generally regarded as the college pigskin equivalent of Chaminade over Ralph Sampson and UVa.

Appalachian State 34, Michigan 32. In the Big House. In the first game ever televised on the BTN.

New Louisville Cardinal coach Scott Satterfied mentored the QBs on that overachieving Mountaineer squad. On App State’s first score, their southpaw signal caller found a wideout in a hole in the Maize and Blue zone. He then blew past several Wolverine DBs who thought they had him cornered, and crossed the goal line for six.

What immediately popped into my mind was this name: Tutu Atwell, U of L’s seriously speedy wideout. Continue reading U of L Football Media Day Musings →