LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (5-4, 1-3) vs. CINCINNATI BEARCATS (7-2, 3-1)
Game Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Papa John's Cardinal Stadium: Louisville, Ky.
Television: ESPN2
Announcers: Sean McDonough/Chris Spielman/Rob Stone
Favorite: Cincinnati by 4
All-Time Series: Cincinnati leads 25-21-1 (For the record, U of L says 26-20-2, but we'll go with the mark that makes us look the best)
Last Meeting: Louisville won 28-24 in 2007
Excitement Level (1-10): 5.8
Only because there's a friggin' keg of friggin' nails at stake.
Game Attire: Black Zack Stoudt jersey
Whatever. It's got more w's than anything else this year. Plus, it's awesome.
Predicted Star of the Game: Victor Anderson
Every single person who's talked about this game has stressed Louisville's need to establish the run. There's a reason for that.
Obscure and Bold Prediction: Hunter Cantwell doesn't throw an interception.
Lose your dreams and you will lose your mind.
Notable and Quotable
--Louisville has won the last five in this series, and nine of the last ten. Cincinnati's lone win over that span was a 24-14 victory at PJCS in 2002.
--The UC defense has produced 16 sacks over its last six games.
--The last two Big East players to return a kickoff 100-yards for a touchdown are UC's Mardy Gilyard (last week vs. West Virginia) and U of L's Trent Guy (last season against Kentucky).
--Steve Kragthorpe is 2-2 against ranked foes at U of L.
--Mike Mickens is really good.
--"It's not much of a rivalry when you don't beat the other team. We need to make this a rivalry." --Brian Kelly
--"(The Keg is) one thing I'd really like to get before I leave." --Adam Hoppel
--"We're going to fight. I'm convinced we have a team of fighters. They're frustrated, but they're frustrated in a good way. I think they're fighting their butts off. ... I still feel good about this team. I feel good about our chances." --Steve Kragthorpe
--"We still have goals ahead of us; we still want to get to a bowl game. We can't stop fighting. You have to have pride." --Adrian Grady
--"Because of the way we played in the last two weeks, we're not in the Big East race right now mathematically. But there's still a lot of season to play. We want to take our team to a bowl game. We want to continue to play well. We want to win these last three games of the season." --Steve Kragthorpe