18 years!

My oh my has time flown by since that game.

Rich Rod turned down Bama, ended up at Michigan, turned in for violations by his own players and fired, went to Arizona where he also was fired, and now he's finally back coaching at Jacksonville State. WVU as a program the next year was a game out of competing for the national title. A few coaches later and they're a Big 12 program today.

And as you all see Bobby Petrino and our 2006 Cards. Rutgers killed any BCS title hopes a few weeks later. Bobby went to the NFL and then quickly back to Arkansas, fired by Arkansas for an embarrassing scandal, goes to WKU for a year, then we give him a huge contract, he brings in Lamar and we reach new heights, he's fired after he tanks our program, he goes to Missouri State and a stint as Texas A&M OC, and now he's back at Arkansas as OC. Louisville? Well we won the Orange Bowl, Kragthorpe's era wasn't good, Charlie brought us back to the Sugar bowl, we went to the ACC, and had a Heisman winner since.

Oh and in that 2006 game? Our QB coach was Jeff Brohm. And our QB was Brian Brohm who is now our OC (A BIG DUH FOR ALL OF US FANS). I just wanted to type that out to show how crazy time can fly.

Want to know an interesting point about the difference of 2024 to 2006 of 18 years?
18 years before the 2006 was the 1988 season, where a man named Jay Gruden was our QB and it was Howard's first winning season at Louisville. Jeff Brohm was a senior in high school and had not committed to UofL. We hadn't won the Fiesta Bowl yet. We were still an independent program along with ND, Mami, FSU, WVU, Syracuse, South Carolina, VT, Pitt, BC, Penn State, and a school then known as Memphis State. We were a decade away from playing in Papa John's Cardinal stadium.

What a magical night in that stadium. The peak of my college years at UofL was that night. The way the stadium was 43,000, it just felt so packed and that night was the biggest example. And those Thursday night ESPN games bring back so much nostalgia.

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Looks like in year two in FBS football, Jax State is struggling defensively. They gave up 552 yards to Coastal Carolina, 298 rushing.

Louisville should shred this defense Saturday. I'm amending my game by game prediction for this game.

Cards 52
Jax St. 13

Who is going and have you bought or tried to buy tickets from U of L for it? Just wanting to know if they are being sold yet, what section and if our section is any good. Thanks.

Cal beating AU at their house. I thought they were the weakest team we added, but came out of the starting gate HOT. Great win for Cal and our conference.

Will people finally admit that team and that program is vastly overrated? Year in and year out it's the same shit with them. Some here on this board said this team was their strongest roster ever.

#5 in the polls was a travesty. Louisville would have to go 9 and 0 and beat three ranked teams to ever get ranked that high. Wonder how far the Irish fall in the polls? Bet they're still in the top 15.

Northern Illinois people. What a joke. It sucks because Louisville kicking their asses won't mean as much now.

Completely embarrassed our band yesterday. Our band looks, and has always looked like a midling high school band.. Really surprised to see a small school like J State show up with a band that big..

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Another win for Louisville! Top 20 NIL flexing their muscles a little bit this week!

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..

In honor of Sultan and bdnewton, I thought I would throw this thread in … it’s 55 days until November 4th, when we officially tip off the Pat Kelsey era with a home game against Morehead State.

And coincidentally, Jersey #55 will be worn by College of Charleston transfer Spencer Legg, a 6-7 junior guard.

It occurred to me that our FB Cards MAY be the last P4 team to finally play another P4 opponent this season when we play GT on Saturday Sept 21 at 3:30pm. Long time for us to wait to see how this season's players and coaches will fare against a Major opponent.

This situation is of course caused by Indiana bailing out on us. I think they did the dirty deed in January.

New walk on:
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Figured that would be the case given Bourbon and Beyond that night.

What a glorious day for football it was Saturday; from the sky divers to Jacksonville State's band...high marks across the board and a good time had by all. I am amazed sometimes when I go to the game that 45,000 people can sound so loud down on the field even against an outmatched opponent.

Causes for concern:

1. Last year the first month complaint was we were getting to the QB but it was a step late. The adjustment became the Bears front where we added a body to the line of scrimmage with all blockers covered and some exotic line games with stunting and bringing a fifth rusher from among the LBs delayed; that bore fruit until November.

Saturday we went Plain Jane straight base defense; not much in the way of stunting as best I can tell, some clear coverage busts (sorry but we got bailed out by the incomplete pass call down to the 2 yard line; that was a catch and fumble out of bounds). Their QB had a name more suited to being the Rush Chairman for an Ole Miss Lambda Gamma Douche fraternity than for running over our safeties. But hats off to him, there were times I thought I was watching Tim Tebow. When he was tackled he was the one delivering the blow. MJ did plant him a couple times, but it was disconcerting to see four broken tackles in front of him. It was shades of Ga Tech 2nd quarter last year when Alderman and Minkins looked like matadors.

2. My second cause for concern is I'm hooked on Tyler Shough's downfield ability. It's addictive. Inject it in my veins.

3. C'mon Irish. C'mon Cats. C'mon Rambling Wreck. When we need you to win, you lose. It's becoming a Toxic Relationship.

....and you're right there with them Pony Express. Two games in and they out to call you the Gelding Express.

4. Nothing in the two games so far has given an indication of the quality of a punter. Ok that's a reach for a concern but I'm really just spitballing now.

Causes for optimism:

1. It reminds me a little bit of 2000 when we had a question at Running back with the graduation of Frank Moreau when on Media Day Tony Stallings was asked how he felt about being "part of a question mark at Running Back". Stallings straightened up, looked into the camera and said "I'm making that position an Exclamation Point!"

...that's where we are at Running Back now. Preseason it was the unquestioned biggest question mark of all of the position rooms, and the response from the whole group has been resounding. A good running game and a good defense is something that every coach wants to pack for a road trip.

I was asked Saturday if I thought they should redshirt Isaac Brown or Duke Watson...not only no but Hell No. We saw in spades last year what it means to be talented and experienced but shallow at RB; our production diminished with Jawhar's hamstring but was bailed out by Guerendo. Give me deep and talented with some inexperience all day every day and I don't care if they are freshmen or have to be in the program five years; the shortest shelf life of any position in all of sports is the football running back. Well, that and a Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher. They aren't built to last any more and these aren't well bred two year olds who have already broken their maiden. Ride 'em and ride 'em until the wheels fall off. Beyond that it becomes easy to recruit the position in the future because it becomes the one position you don't have to wait to get onto the field.

2. And right behind is the entirety of the receiving corps. After watching Ga Tech get carved to bits at Syracuse our WR's are going to be flying into their routes waving their arms like a flag man on an aircraft carrier deck to get Shough's attention. Blue Hicks' catch was as good a catch under duress as I've seen from a Louisville receiver in years and probably a completion we wouldn't have had with prior Louisville QBs going back to Lamar. In fact I can say uncategorically Puma Pass, Malik Cunningham, Plummer, Doman, Conley, et al wouldn't even have thought about making that pass. I was counting it off and Shough planted to throw at the 16 and the completion was to the 25. That's 59 yards in the air and it dropped in over the shoulder perfectly. Brooks' is getting more and more involved in the totality of the offense and I'd put him as the co-star in the Documentary Film "Offensive players that just ooze Talent" with Isaac Brown. Jamari Johnson is creeping into that category; I mean a leaping catch on a deep corner route from a TE? As I said last week with the Redman TD, those aren't routes and completions you associate with tight ends. The ball was spread around more with the tight ends and when you run the football well it opens so much up for tight ends because linebackers have to be more aggressive in attacking gaps. I believe all but Skinner got receptions. The TD for Bell was off the Max Protection that I was referring to that wasn't really used against APeay but with a wrinkle where he ran a deep Crossfield flag route rather than the deep corner he scored with in the Spring Game.

3. Less protection leaks than we saw against Austin Peay. There was one time when instead of taking a coverage sack Shough tucked it for a first down and you could get a nervous sense from the crowd when he looked like he was in between sliding or diving for the marker. He did have the nice dump off to Isaac Brown rather than taking a coverage sack.

4. Brock Travelsted...I didn't think he had a 60 yarder in his tool bag. I guess technically he doesn't but I thought his range was 54 at best.

5. Has the offense turned the ball over yet? I don't believe they have.

Cause for personal euphoria (non-Sidney Sweeney Version):

Lastly and wholly unrelated...but my faith in Mankind was restored when the Children of the Corn rose from the ashes and whipped the hated Buffaloes in Lincoln. Felt like Old Times. All I needed to complete the euphoria would be for Keith Jackson to have been doing the play-by-play. I really don't know if Deion Sanders is coaching Colorado or angling to wedge Samuel L. Jackson out of his role as Stephen in Django Unchained 2 with that whole white beard thing he has going on. Whatever draft stock Shadeur had slid with that mind boggling dumb throw out if his endzone that edged out Brock Vandergriff's stunner against South Carolina as Worst decision in Football Week Two edition. But alas that lasted 24 hours before being outdone by 'Ol L's Down himself where he Roid Raged a shovel pass to the eager arms of a Chicago Bear. Yikes.

that's all

OFFENSE

Cummings 91.1 (7)
K. Brown 79.9 (16)
J. Thompson 79.3 (21)
Shough 78.1 (67)
Kurisky 74.3 (20)
D. Watson 73.1 (6)
D. Martin 73.0 (14)
C. Hicks 72.5 (15)
M. Turner 71.9 (21)
Chaney 69.8 (5)
A. Collins 69.2 (67)
J. Brooks 68.7 (60)
M. Gonzalez 68.6 (55)
I. Brown 68.1 (26)
R. Miller 67.8 (33)
Mendoza 66.9 (39)
Nygra 66.0 (72)
M. Mills 64.6 (67)
C. Bell 64.5 (58)
H. Bailey 63.9 (7)
J. Johnson 61.8 (31)
V. Cutler 59.5 (18)
M. Redman 54.2 (32)
Skinner 53.8 (6)
Huggins-Bruce 51.2 (22)

DEFENSE

J. Dawson 81.8 (27)
Hutchinson 79.0 (25)
Kinley 78.2 (3)
Quinn 74.1 (41)
D. Foster 73.8 (8)
Konga 72.5 (28)
Gillotte 71.9 (47)
D. Tell 68.2 (35)
McDonald 67.9 (37)
T. Griffith 65.8 (16)
A. Watts 65.6 (38)
Puryear 65.0 (30)
A. Green 64.5 (11)
M. Griffin 64.5 (40)
B. Perry 63.8 (27)
T. Logan 63.3 (32)
S. Clark 62.7 (51)
T. Halloway 62.6 (7)
Jernigan 62.6 (7)
W. Spencer 61.7 (3)
S. Clements 59.4 (2)
T. Nicholson 58.6 (36)
C. Thornton 54.2 (29)
D. Neal 52.6 (34)
J. Davis 42.2 (11)
Capers 40.0 (7)

A look around the country here: