Kentucky squeaks by Louisville

If the defense gets better, we have a shot at a few wins, but it will just be another disappointing season I predict.

I say that we showed more heart and ability than most people were giving us credit for. We moved the ball somewhat effectively against a team that definitely had a defensive advantage. We were playing our 2nd game of the season, on the road, against the in-state rival, with a new QB, and still had a chance to win at the end. Granted we missed opportunities, but what football game doesn’t come down to that? I was impressed with the improvement over last year. If we continue ot improve we can be a force in the Big East.

Wouldn’t it be a hoot if we can win the Big East and go to a BCS bowl, While UK doesn’t even though they beat us? Sweet Justice!

Much to my disbelief, I actually enjoyed watching this game (minus the Calipari interview). I thought that UK may have given us the game, but then we gave it right back. The loss does not irk me as much as others have.

Today we saw a quarterback and football team gaining a collective identity. This is perhaps what I enjoyed most. For the past weeks, I have dreaded a season where players refuse to perform in order to sabotage a coaching staff which they do not support. This theory still may hold true, as rivalry games are an exception, but today’s performance at least gave me hope that it may not.

All positive things aside, I can’t help but note that my own conception of our program has changed dramatically over the course of the Kragthorpe Age. If this were three years ago, I would be saying to myself, “We should have won that game,” quite resolutely. At the end of the game today, however, I found a slight hint of comfort thinking, “Hey, we could have won that game.” This is a problem, and I still feel that hope itself is becoming more and more unattainable as an avid fan of the UL football program. Perhaps next week’s showdown at Utah will show us something that makes a glint of hope seem more realistic.

I’m on the West Coast now, and I had to wake up early to watch this game, and I will say this: I’m glad football is back, and I care about Louisville Football again. That is a wonderful thing.

I have to say, the time management towards the end of the game and the weak side option call on 4th down were not inspired. But I was behind the idea of going for it on 4th down, and the offense for the most part was effective against UK, minus the red zone. I don’t think it was necessarily coaching that killed us in this game, as much as I would like to say. They were just a better team, and we just missed a couple of opportunities. It sucks that we came so close to end up losing, but I’m proud of the guys. We just don’t have the talent, and that comes back to recruiting. I’ll at least be cheering for these guys.

I don’t know how true it is, but that’s what they said.

in front of our face and we gave it away. the punt fumble and late int is what really cost us. mass props to burke.i love the scrambling and a few great passes. vic is the man. we made mistakes for sure but every team does.the problemis that uk made more mistakes and we dint put them away. im overall happy that i think this team will be fine. i repredict a 6 and 6 season with wins over isu ark st southern miss syracuse uconn and rutgers. lets go bowlin. we will win this game next year

There are no moral victories. Losing sucks, and I won’t patronize you fine people by blowing sunshine up your backside.

I will say that Justin Burke was very impressive to me, and if you had a better d-line and a few less mistakes, the result would have been different. Victor Anderson and Trent Guy were exactly what I feared they would be, but inexperience and a couple of questionable play calls down in the red zone really cost the Cardinals.

I honestly expect this season to exceed expectations for you guys. For us, I am not as sanguine as I was. I can’t evaluate what we have in the context of our league. We were unable to get anything downfield in the passing game. The UK offensive line was the difference, overall, but our much-vaunted secondary was shredded.

I can say that the UK defense played some serious minutes and managed to hold the Louisville offense down just barely enough to overcome turnovers, two of which were just awesome plays by the Louisville defense — the kickoff forced fumble and the jumped out route.

I warned my readers that Louisville would be prepared, and they were. This rivalry is still alive and kicking no matter what the journos say, and the basketball game will be the game of the year in college basketball, I believe.

Good luck, Cardinals. I appreciate the effort your team gave today.

Another crushing loss. More penalties at inopportune times. More bonehead play calls. The option on 4th and 1 has to be by far the worst possible play call in that spot. Anyone have a dumber play they can think of? Even the jet sweep gives you a chance to get outside. Just worthless.

The offense looked a lot better than it did against ISU, and frankly, a lot of last year. Vic is a superstar, Burke made plays but also still has a long way to go to be mentioned in the same sentence as Brohm, Lefors, Ragone, etc. Long and Guy both made plays, even Chichester caught the ball thrown to him.

I saw a couple nice plays – wheel route with Vic out of the backfield, the double move where Long beat Lindley, etc. But still a lot of the same, and nothing I would call “imaginative”, “creative” or even “likely to result in a TD when run correctly.”

The defense didn’t play that well. Any games we win from here on out will be shoot-outs, because they weren’t stopping UK. Patrick was a bright spot, but I didn’t see anyone else do much of anything. No one got anywhere near Hartline.

UK’s defense did not impress either. They got pressure a couple times but overall the o-line gave Burke time, and Burke’s scrambling helped keep drives alive.

At the end of the day, we had a 3 TO margin that we let get cut to +1, we kept the ball the entire 3rd quarter and scored only 6 points, and we had to try to win the game with a :50 second, 50 yard drive with no timeouts led by a QB making his 2nd start ever and a coach who has shown an inability to manage the clock or make good in-game decisions throughout his career at UofL. That it ended how it ended was not really a surprise.

Sure we looked improved but we were still held back by the same mistakes and inability to score TDs as we have been since, I dunno, Sept 2007. I find myself crushed but also numb after that game. I love UofL football and I actually got into the game and started to get my hopes up. Bring on Utah.

Kragthorpe sucks.

Credit where credit is due. I expected a 35 – 3 beating, ESPECIALLY at Commonwealth. Bad clock management at the end or we may have actually won this one.

That 3rd quarter was pathetic.

utah is gonna come out blazin. i do have hope though. although a small chance i think we have the talent to pull off that kind of upset.

Every one of us expected a blow out but that didn’t happen. I spot a bit more heart than what we saw last year. If we keep this up then we can do SOME damage in the big east. GO CARDS!

But that is not saying much.

Anderson was HUGE. Powell continues to struggle running the ball. It took him until the 4th quarter to get plus in yards gained. I hope Ashley sucks because it is clear that Coach K is not going to play him. He is gone (perhaps before the season is gone).

It was a decent performance againt a team that will be at the bottom of the standings in the SEC East.

I must admit I enjoyed the Georgia / Arkansas game. That Petrino guy can really coach offense. Maybe we should take a run at him after K goes.

Im reading that botched 4th and 1 option in the first half was Burkes fault..because he didnt check it. I guess it was his fault that Powell was in the game as the back instead of Anderson as well? Wow..what a complete joke..