The Best Louisville Game of the Decade Tournament Final Four: 2 vs. 11
by Mike Rutherford on Jan 8, 2010 1:19 PM EST
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PrintTime to find out if the slipper still fits...Gus Johnson.
2. No. 5 Louisville blacks out No. 3 West Virginia (11/2/06)
HOW IT GOT HERE:
Defeated No. 15- 2007 Big East tourney victory over West Virginia (Stats unavailale)
Defeated No. 7- The miracle comeback against Tennessee (81%-18%)
When I'm 177-years-old and my mind is finally starting to go, I will still always remember that the '06 Louisville/West Virginia game was played on Nov. 2. It was a game that was talked about so much, from the moment the Big East schedule was released up until the opening kickoff, that the date should forever be etched into the memory of any Cardinal fan who experienced the Orange Bowl season.
With all due respect to the Final Four run the year before, this was the most alive the city was for a sporting event in the 2000s. You couldn't go anywhere without seeing someone in card wear or having someone tell you about their tailgating plans or their struggle to land tickets. There were "beat West Virginia" spots on both local television and radio. The game was THE sports story of the week at the national level, and every possible detail was scrutinized for the four work days leading up to it.
It was Louisville taking its biggest step yet towards a national championship...in football. It seemed at times that week like the city might burst.
In the biggest game of his Cardinal career, Brian Brohm tossed for 354 yards and a touchdown as Louisville took advantage of several Mountaineer mistakes to notch a 44-34 victory. The crowd, dressed in all black, stormed the field as U of L stood just four victories away from (probably) playing for the national championship.
Perhaps the biggest case for this being the game of the decade is that it seems to be the "where were you" moment brought up the most by Cardinal fans.
11. LOUISVILLE STOMPS PERENNIAL POWERHOUSE MIAMI AT PJCS (9/16/06)
HOW IT GOT HERE:
Defeated No. 6- Reece Gaines' bomb buries Marquette (73%-24%)
Defeated No. 3- The 2007 Orange Bowl (57%-42%)
The game wasn't competitive, but this was the moment Louisville football really captured the attention of the American public.
After the Cards had suffered a crushing three-point loss in Miami two years prior, this statement game was hyped all summer by Louisville fans and local media. The intensity was ratcheted up a notch when a war of words broke out between U of L linebacker Nate Harris (a UM transfer) and Hurricane quarterback Kyle Wright in the days leading up to the contest, and then set ablaze when players from The U elected to stomp on the Cardinal bird during pregame warm-ups.
After falling behind 7-0, Louisville ripped off 31 straight points to score one of the biggest victories in program history and establish themselves as a legitimate contender for the national championship.
"Well it was pretty obvious today we were embarrassed," Miami coach Larry Coker said after the game. "Our players are embarrassed. Our coaches are embarrassed. We thoroughly got whipped."
Everyone knows the details: Harris' fumble recovery, Brohm's injury, Cantwell's first pass, George Stripling's ridiculous speed and, of course, the Mario stiff-arm.
What an ass-kicking and what a day to be a Louisville football fan.
Vote or be forced to host DeMarcus Cousins for a formal dinner.
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Wow, what a tough one.
I think the FSU game might win over both of these, and I’m not sure which one I am going to vote. Without the Miami trash talking and stomp on the bird, I don’t think it would be close. I miss the WVU rivalries and it’s always great to win over the mountaineers. I remember when blackouts used to work… can’t wait for that swagger again.
I like the butt stomping we laid on the U
It was our “We have arrived moment”.
by RB in Bardstown on Jan 8, 2010 2:46 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Got to give the Big East credit
For playing football games on Thursday nights. Easy exposure to the entire country. That’s one of the reasons that I like the WVU win more, everyone in country was watching that game, as it was the only one on.
I liked both equally.
WVU was a bigger game at the time, but the whole pregame card stomping and thrashing we gave Miami was fun too. Both are two of my favorite football memories forever.
-Dustin
Close, but gotta go with WVU
Funny how our ‘big time’ rival is Kentucky (whom we’ve beaten at their finest hour), but the bigger memories you hear about are the games with WVU. The Elite Eight b-ball game in ’05, the Black Out football game in ’06, the double-overtime Big East tourney game from ’07, and so on. These guys are our true rivals. And what awesome memories the two teams have made together.
As great as the thrashing of Miami was, the WV win a few weeks later was the better game. It was more competitive in a year when the Big East was a great conference (five bowl games, five victories), and definitely meant more in terms of bowl positioning for the Cards.
________________________________________________
~LK
www.myspace.com/lordkayoss
www.youtube.com/lordkayossrippro
www.welcometomynightmare.tk
WVU
The atmosphere at the WVU game was nuts, and the feel of it being blackout was crazy, the miami game was a day game and had much less or a big game feel.
It looks like the championship matchup is going to be two wins of West Virginia in different sports
Maybe Kentucky isn’t our biggest rival anymore.
I was at both games (both were electric)
and I agree with another poster, without the pregame trash talk and stomping of the bird by Miami, this isn’t close. But, because of that pregame bulls**t, the Miami game was the choice for me. Mario’s stiff arm is still one of my favorite plays of all time!
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