Ten quick thoughts from the masterpiece that was Saturday's victory:

1. That may have been the least exciting BCS conference football game ever played, but it still did feel really good to win. The players deserved it and it was also nice to thrust a knife into the collective heart of a Syracuse fan base that had been rejuvenated a bit by a new head coach. That was for the last two years.

2. Kragthorpe is still so gone.

3. Josh Chichester is really tall and can catch the football. It's unbelievable that it took 21 games to properly utilize these pair of facts.

4. I was surprised that Chris Campa wasn't named a starter at the beginning of the season and am even more surprised now that it's become apparent that he's the BIGGEST BAD ASS IN ALL OF FOOTBALL.

5. It's safe to say Chris Philpott was probably the right choice at place kicker from the beginning.

6. I wasn't there but I heard the wave exhibition put on by Louisville fans was the most impressive one in sports since circa 1988 in the Astrodome.

7. The Big East Network making Trent Guy's negative one-yard punt return the "Play of the Game" was my favorite television move since Don Russell and the gang at Fox-41 made a DeJuan Wheat three-pointer their "Drive of the Game."

8. If we beat South Florida this weekend - which, even with our struggles in Tampa seems at least possible given the way the Bulls have been playing - how friggin' pumped are you going to be for a season finale against Rutgers with a possible trip to Toronto on the line? It's a little hard to get jacked at 7 in the morning (the official kickoff time, I think) but I'm sure Card fans will answer the bell.

9. Darius Ashley has the potential to be very, very good. If we can bring in a coach with any sort of offensive acumen, next year's team could at least be a lot of fun to watch.

10. Eat it, Syracuse. Eat it all.

"The Battle for the Bottom." "The Surge for Seventh." Whatever you wanna call it, it's f'ing on.

And when it's f'ing on, you know who you have to turn to...

CARDWEAR SPORTING DOG.

GO CARDS.

The Steve Kragthorpe era will almost certainly come to a close with a game played at 11 a.m. on a Friday.

Feels right.

ESPN2 has the coverage.

An additional note: my little sister (who knows nothing and cares nothing about sports) has a communication class with a football player who shall remain nameless, and just informed me via text that the player stated he is "in constant conflict with his coach" and that the cause of the conflict is "lack of respect."

Eleven a.m., Friday, Nov. 27. Go ahead and wear black.

Someone really needs to create a bad ass Louisville/Syracuse highlight(?) video in prep for the biggest game in Big East history.

This is the week. This is our time. This is our moment.

Yes, I had to look up the schedule to see who we were playing this weekend.

Think we have a shot, Will?

Will thinks we've got a shot.

GO CARDS

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (3-5, 0-3) AT WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS (6-2, 2-1)

Game Time: Noon

Location: Mountaineer Field at Milan-Puskar Stadium: Morgantown, W. Va.

Television: Big East Network/WHAS-11

Announcers: Mike Gleason/John Congemi

Favorite: West Virginia by 17.5

All-Time Series: West Virginia leads 8-2

Last Meeting: West Virginia won 35-21 last year

Excitement Level: 3.2

.07 of that is because I really don't like West Virginia, 2.5 of it is Stein Fever.

Pregame Meal: Waffles and coffee

Kragtastic Prediction: We commit a penalty none of us have ever heard of before for the third time this season.

Predicted Star of the Game: Darius Ashley

Shines in an otherwise dismal offensive performance

NOTABLE

--Louisville has not beaten West Virginia in Morgantown since 1990.

--Louisville is ranked last in the Big East in scoring offense (20.3), pass efficiency offense (117.69), sacks allowed (3.0), scoring defense (27.6), total defense (371.8), rushing defense (147.4), sacks (1.75) and tackles for losses (5.0).

-- West Virginia has failed to score just four times in 32 red-zone opportunities this year. Twenty two of the 28 scores have been touchdowns.

Quotable

--"It's about finishing up strong. We know what's in front of us with these four Big East games, and we're trying to win this conference. We know if we take care of business, we'll be in good shape." --Chris Neild

--"When you're in the Big East, they are all trap games. You let your guard down, then you are going to get beat."--Bill Stewart

--"They get after it, man – they love football! They love playing football there. They love coaching football there. They love watching football there. It’s a great football place. I’ve had friends that have gone to school there. And it’s a great football town." --Steve "Football" Kragthorpe

--"They have a rabid fan base. They all have good arms — whether they are right-handed or left-handed, they all throw those batteries extremely well. They are very accurate." --Steve Kragthorpe

CC Prediction: West Virginia 38, Louisville 13

Yeah, BUT, last year it was so cold.

--Spread check: 'Eers by 17.5

--The Parkersburg News and Sentinel takes a look at the past "unforgettable" matchups between Louisville and West Virginia.

For a while there, it looked as if West Virginia and Louisville were starting one of the better rivalries in the Big East.

Both teams were loaded with NFL talent - Pat White and Steve Slaton with the Mountaineers, Elvis Dumervil and Brian Brohm for the Cardinals, to name a few.

And the matchups were fascinating.

Who could forget that colossal fourth-quarter comeback White engineered as a redshirt freshman for WVU at Mountaineer Field. Or the next season at Louisville, when the Cardinals beat the Mountaineers in a battle of Top-5 teams back at Papa John's Stadium?

Then Bobby Petrino left Louisville for 13 games with the Atlanta Falcons before signing a lucrative deal to coach at Arkansas.

In came Steve Kragthorpe, out went Louisville's national ranking, and the Cards haven't beaten the Mountaineers since. In fact, West Virginia is 8-2 all-time against Louisville.

--The folks at The Smoking Musket somehow got a hold of Steve Kragthorpe's personal diary.

--Louisville isn't the only squad limping into action Saturday afternoon. The Mountaineers are battered and bruised following last week's 30-19 loss to South Florida.

--Despite that, WVU head coach Bill Stewart hasn't made any major changes in preparation for Louisville.

--Pat White's gone, Noel Devine isn't, and Louisville hasn't been very good on the road.

--Annndddd game notes.

Adam Froman will serve as his backup.

Catch the fever.