What do u think about the over, this game is usually a shootout, I know the cards lost Bram
Maybe Kentucky +3.5
Maybe Kentucky +3.5
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Louisville has a solid QB, UK is playing a nobody, Louisville will have good field position all day take the Cards -3 at homeComment -
Louisville opens the 2008 season with a new quarterback in senior Hunter Cantwell
and two starters back on the offensive line in senior center Eric Wood and senior offensive tackle
George Bussey. The Cardinals return senior Brock Bolen, sophomore Bilal Powell in the backfield.
Defensively, the Cardinals do return eight starters led by senior Earl Heyman, who led the Cardinals
in sacks a year ago. Junior L.D. Scott and seniors Adrian Grady andll Maurice Mitchell
also veteran defensive linemen. The Cardinals lost all three starting linebackers and will rely on two
junior-college performers and an incoming freshman. In the secondary, senior Woodny Turenne
and sophomore Johnny Patrick are back at the corners and seniors Bobby Buchanan and Richard
Raglin are back at the safety positions.
UK leads the
all-time series, 11-9, but the Cardinals have won seven of the last nine meetings. Kentucky won last
year’s contest, 40-34, at Commonwealth Stadium with a 57-yard pass in the closing seconds. Louisville
has won the last two meetings at home between the two teams and are 3-2 against the Wildcats
all-time at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
The Cardinals average margin of victory in the last two home games is 29.5 ( UL won 28-0 in 2004 and 59-28 in 2006)
The Wildcats return 57 lettermen from that squad, including 13 starters. The strength of Kentucky could be their defense with eight starters, including three of their front four in Jeremy Jarmon, Corey Peters and Myron Pryor. Cornerback Trevard Lindley is widely considered one of the top players in the SEC
Offensively, the Wildcats lost one of their alltime great quarterbacks in Andre Woodson. Sophomore Mike Hartline takes over at the quarterback spot, but hasn’t seen much game action. Senior Dicky Lyons is an experienced wide receiver after catching 56 passes for 655 yards. On the offensive line, senior offensive tackle Garry Williams and Zipp Duncan return. Tony Dixon and Derrick Locke are the two top returning running backs. Locke rushed for 521 yards, while Locke added 411 yards last year.
Louisville will be playing its seventh game all-time and its second straight contest in the month of August. Louisville is 5-1 all-time in the calendar’s eighth month.
New defensive coordinator Ron English faces a new challenge at the University of Louisville.
English takes over a defense that yielded 31.4 ppg, ranked 84th in total defense, 91st in scoring
defense, 72nd versus the run and 87 in pass defense. While at Michigan a year ago, Michigan’s
defense ranked 24th in total defense and 23rd in scoring defense. The Wolverines were also ranked
eighth in the country versus the pass.
The Cardinals were 3-0 last season when having a player rush for more than 100 yards in a
Game
The Cardinals return eight starters on the defensive side of the football, heading into the 2008
season-opener versus Kentucky.
�� The Cardinals have to do a better job of keeping their opponents out of the end zone. Last
year, the Cardinals allowed seven teams to score 30 or more points in a game, including a seasonhigh
55 versus South Florida.
�� The Cardinals recorded just 18 sacks last season, which ranked 101st in the country. Senior
Earl Heyman led the team in sacks with four last season.
The Cardinals lost a lot of production from the wide receivers with the loss of Harry Douglas, Patrick
Carter and Mario Urrutia. Douglas caught 71 passes for 1,159 yards to lead the team. Louisville does
return a stable full of wide receivers, but the group is unproven. Junior Scott Long is the top returnee
at the wideout spot. Long caught 27 passes for 358 yards and averaged a healthy 13.3 yards a reception,
but will miss the first couple of game after having surgery on his foot. Senior Brock Bolen and junior
Trent Guy are the only other players returning who have caught 10 or more passes from last season.
Bolen recorded 14 receptions for 121 yards, while Guy caught 11 for 177 yards for a team-high 16.1
yards per reception.
Under Steve Kragthorpe, the Cardinals were once again explosive on offense, averaging 35.2 points
per game. The Cardinals were a perfect 3-0 last year when scoring 40 or more points and just 3-4
when scoring 30 or more points.
The Cardinals lost a lot of production from the tight end position with the loss of Gary Barnidge and
Scott Kuhn. The two combined for 68 passes for 826 yards and nine touchdowns. Heading into the
2008 season, the Cardinals don’t have a player with a reception at that position.
First Time Starters
The Cardinals will likely have 10 first-time starters when they take the field against Kentucky on Aug.
31. Here is a list of possible first time starters.
RB — Bilal Powell
WR — Doug Beaumont
WR — Troy Pascley
OG — Mark Wetterer
OT — Jeff Adams
LB — Chris Campa
LB — Dexter Heyman
LB — Jon Dempsey
LB — Antwon Canady
Cantwell’s Career Starts
2006
Kansas State (W) 26-18-1 173 1
Middle Tennessee (W) 32-17-1 340 3
2005 Att-C-I Yds. TD
Connecticut (W) 25-16-1 271 1
Virginia Tech (L) 37-15-3 216 3
Cantwell on Numerous Watch Lists
Senior quarterback Hunter Cantwell is up for numerous national awards despite entering the 2008
season with just four career starts. The 6-4 signal caller is on the watch lists for a number of national
awards. Cantwell is on the watch lists for the Davey O’Brien (top QB), the Unitas Golden Arm (top
senior QB) and the Maxwell Awards (top player).
As reported by the C-J last week, junior receiver Trent Guy was fully back in the fold during Tuesday's practice. Though the team did not practice in full pads, Guy joined the action on the field. He ran plays and caught passes as if he'd been in fall camp the entire time.
Coach Kragthorpe continues to say Guy will be a game time decision on Sunday. But it's still pretty remarkable. Just last month Guy was hospitalized a week with a gun shot wound to his back, now he's back on the field.
U of L averaged just 6.7 yards per return last season, which ranked ahead of only Syracuse (4.6 ypr) in the Big East.
Antwon Canady at middle; Jon Demsey at will; and Dexter Heyman at sam will be making their first collegiate starts when the Cards face Kentucky on Sunday. Canady (one year) and Demsey (two years) have junior college games under their belts. Heyman is a true freshman.
The Cats enter tomorrow's game with a guy under center who's thrown all of six collegiate passes. And though Mike Hartline's teammates are professing confidence in the first-time starter, UK knows that an effective running game might be the best way to ease the pressure on their green QB
Since the renewal of the football series between the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville, the team with the most rushing yards ends up grabbing the Governor's Cup
Senior Tony Dixon is expected to start at tailback, and with Smith, Derrick Locke and Moncell Allen backing him up, UK expects the running game to be a strength.
"We've been talking about how we have the best (group of) four running backs in the SEC," Dixon said. "We've got to come out and prove that. We've got to come out and have a great rushing game, and it's all depending on our offensive line. I think they're going to come through."
And for all Hunter Cantwell's experience at quarterback -- he has four career starts -- U of L likely will try to establish a ground game of its own with bruiser Brock Bolen and burner Bilal Powell.
"I think even with an experienced quarterback, they have inexperienced receivers," Brooks said. "By and large, we have inexperienced receivers. So the running game, I think, is going to be vital to both quarterbacks having success."
If you're a U of L fan, you can look at UK's quarterback and receivers and sleep a little better at night. If you're a UK fan, you can look at U of L's young secondary and unproven receivers and wake up feeling pretty good.
Brooks has never beaten U of L in an opener. But more than that, in four years of playing the Cardinals in the first game, his UK teams have managed just one first-quarter touchdown. And they weren't facing blockbuster U of L defenses, either.
Even last season -- when it was the third game -- UK got its first two scores gift-wrapped by U of L turnovers but still led just 13-7 at the end of the first quarter -- and that was with a veteran and talented Wildcats offense.
But we must also look to the ground. For eight straight years, the winning team's top rusher outgained the entire opposing team. Rafael Little did it last year.
Because both teams figure to use multiple backs, that streak might be in jeopardy. But let's say that UK's defensive line -- its best unit -- stuffs the U of L run. Now the Wildcats are free to try to control things with their own running game, something their talented backfield is capable of doing. But they can do that only if they can keep U of L honest through the air, and that's a shaky proposition.
UK has the better defense and probably the better running game. It also should have a special-teams edge. And unlike in past years, the speed factor is beginning to turn in UK's favor.
The Wildcats enter the 2008 season with an active streak of nine consecutive non-conference wins,
Five players – offensive tackle Garry
Williams, defensive end Jeremy Jarmon, cornerback Trevard Lindley and linebackers Braxton Kelley and
Micah Johnson – were chosen for the 2008 Coaches' Preseason All-Southeastern Conference Team.
After years of building size, speed, and experience,
Coach Rich Brooks believes that this year’s
edition of the Wildcat defense could be the best
in his six years at UK.
Jeremy Jarmon, DE
Watch list for the Ronnie Lott Trophy for nation’s best defensive player
Watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award for the nation’s best defensive
end
All-SEC (first team) by Athlon
All-SEC (second team) by Phil Steele’s SEC Football, Birmingham
News, Lindy’s, SEC Coaches, SEC Media
Micah Johnson, LB
All-SEC (fourth team) by Phil Steele’s SEC Football
Nation’s #24 inside linebacker by Phil Steele’s College Football
Braxton Kelley, LB
All-SEC (third team) by SEC Coaches
All-SEC (fourth team) by Phil Steele’s SEC Football
Trevard Lindley, CB
Watch list for Chuck Bednarik Award for nation’s best defensive player
Watch list for Bronko Nagurski Award for nation’s best defensive player
Watch list for Jim Thorpe Award for nation’s best defensive back
All-America (fourth team) by Phil Steele’s SEC Football
All-SEC (first team) by Phil Steele’s SEC Football, Athlon
All-SEC (second team) by Lindy’s, SEC Coaches, SEC Media
Nation’s #7 cornerback by Phil Steele’s College Football
Dicky Lyons, WR
All-SEC (third team) by Phil Steele’s SEC Football
Garry Williams, OT
Watch list for Outland Trophy for nation’s best interior lineman
All-SEC (second team) by Birmingham News, SEC Coaches, SEC
Media
All-SEC (third team) by Phil Steele’s SEC Football, Athlon
In the commonwealth's biggest game, Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline will make his first collegiate start. The redshirt sophomore from Canton, Ohio, has thrown only six passes in his college career. In the modern history of the Governor's Cup rivalry, UK QBs in their first starts against Louisville are 2-4.
A year ago, Louisville's defense allowed opponents to score 35 or more points seven times. Last season, Kentucky's defense allowed foes to convert on third down a whopping 45 percent of the time (worst in the SEC). This season, UK believes its defense is ready to be its team strength.U of L knows its bounce-back hopes depend on a stouter defense. Which defense steps up in this one?
In the four years Bobby Petrino coached Louisville to victory over Kentucky, the Cardinals ran for a combined 1,073 yards to UK's paltry 243. Last year, when Rich Brooks broke through in the rivalry, Kentucky had 185 rushing yards, U of L 101. In this rivalry, recent history says win the ground war and you win the game.
UK vs. U of L matchups
<>
Matchups
Quarterbacks
Nobody knows quite what to expect out of Kentucky's Mike Hartline, a third-year sophomore who's never been in the spotlight. The Wildcats will likely ask Hart-line to just manage the offense and limit mistakes. U of L has a much more proven commodity in Hunter Cantwell, who stood in admirably as Brian Brohm's backup on several occasions during the past three seasons.
Advantage: Louisville
Running backs
This might be the strongest position for both teams. UK can come at you with four different options in Tony Dixon, Derrick Locke, Alfonso Smith and Moncell Allen, while U of L's Brock Bolen and Bilal Powell provide the Cards with a bruiser and a slasher. Kentucky has a little more depth and experience.
Advantage: Kentucky
Wide receivers
This might be the biggest area of concern for both teams. The Wildcats aren't quite sure what they have outside of senior Dicky Lyons Jr., and neither of U of L's projected starters (Doug Beaumont and Troy Pascley) have made a catch in a college game. At least the Cats have a legit go-to guy in Lyons, who has 108 career catches for 1,488 yards and 16 TDs.
Advantage: Kentucky
Offensive line
Both teams are solid in some spots and have holes in others. The Wildcats have a pair of quality tackles in Garry Williams and Justin Jeffries, but guard play was a concern in fall camp. For Louisville, center Eric Wood and left tackle George Bussey are on several pre-season watch lists, but left guard Mark Wetterer and right tackle Jeff Adams will be making their first career starts.
Advantage: Even
Tight ends
The Cats and Cards lost a lot of production from last year, with Jacob Tamme (56 receptions, six TDs) and Gary Barnidge (53 catches, seven TDs) now in the NFL. Kentucky moved Louisville native Maurice Grinter over from fullback, and T.C. Drake and Ross Bogue have combined to play in 51 career games. The Cards will start Tates Creek product Pete Nochta, with Johnnie Burns and junior-college transfer Rock Keys in reserve.
Advantage: Kentucky
Defensive line
Kentucky has talent and quality depth here. End Jeremy Jarmon and tackles Corey Peters and Myron Pryor could all contend for All-SEC honors, end Ventrell Jenkins is experienced and tackle Ricky Lumpkin and end Nii Adjei Oninku are solid reserves. The line should be the strength of the Louisville defense as well. Tackle Earl Heyman is the leader and is joined by fellow seniors Adrian Grady and Maurice Mitchell.
Advantage: Kentucky
Linebackers
For Kentucky, senior Braxton Kelley moves from the middle to the weakside to replace Wesley Woodyard, with junior Micah Johnson taking over in the middle. Senior Johnny Williams will line up at the strong side and move up to defensive end in the nickel package. The Cards might have the country's most inexperienced linebackers. True freshman Dexter Heyman will be joined by first-year junior-college transfers Antwon Canady and Jon Dempsey.
Advantage: Kentucky
Secondary
The Cats have a top-notch cover corner who's capable of shutting down one side of the field in junior Trevard Lindley. Lindley is surrounded by veterans in senior cornerback David Jones, senior free safety Marcus McClinton and junior strong safety Ashton Cobb. Louisville's secondary struggled mightily last year but should be improved in 2008. Bobby Buchanan and Latarrius Thomas are a nice safety combo, and corner Woodny Turenne should be better acclimated in his second year out of junior college.
Advantage: Kentucky
special teams
UK needs kicker Lones Seiber and punter Tim Masthay to conquer their past inconsistencies and provide stability to a unit that will need to give support to the young offense. Dicky Lyons and Randall Cobb are a dangerous punt return tandem, and there's plenty of speed on the kickoff return team also. U of L punter Cory Goettsche was up and down in 2007, and the Cards are also breaking in a freshman kicker in Chris Philpott.
Advantage: Kentucky
Chip Cosby
GL on this game as there are so many ifs and key 1st time starters for each.
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Went with the CArds -3, dont like going against the sec, i think i have a better qbComment -
LOUISVILLE -3. Lots of value here. Hunter Cantwell is a stud. I havea more extensive write-up if anyone's interested"You Can't Outfox a Fox" -Dapper Capper
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Kentucky +3.5 ~ sketchy bet so I'ma need some luck
Under 55.5 ~ Supposed to happen so I'ma need a ton of luckComment -
I agree with Cantwell being the differenceComment -
I have to disagree...I think the UK defense is gonna hold UL down...UK has one of the best corners in the country and will shut down their only good reciever..I think the only play here is gonna be the under 65.5. I think both teams are gonna run the ball a tonComment -
Kentucky wins by 10+Comment -
What will this second half line be? Louisville is just horrid.Comment -
Well, I'm wrong so far. I didn't think Louisville's offense would be this inept"You Can't Outfox a Fox" -Dapper Capper
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wow, both offences
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Louisville offensive coordinator has no imagination... run on first down, bubble screen that kentucky is too fast to run that against. I dont think they are going to score on offense. Starting to think Louisvilles Head coach isnt very good either .... change it up a lil bit try something new.Comment
