LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (3-3, 0-1) vs. CONNECTICUT HUSKIES (3-3, 0-1)
Game Time: 3:35 p.m.
Location: Papa John's Cardinal Stadium: Louisville, Ky.
Television: ESPNU
Favorite: Louisville by 3
All-Time Series: Tied at 3
Last Meeting: Connecticut won 38-25
Excitement Level: 7.8
I've circled this game on my calendar since the schedule came out. I'm not playing or anything, but still, I'm excited.
Game Attire: Grey Louisville football shirt
We are now 3-0 with it and 0-3 without it.
Pregame Meal: Tailgate food
Titus Teague Playing Alert Level: Laser Lemon (Does not look good)
Predicted Star of the Game: Cameron Graham
Predicted Number of Times ESPN Will Reference the Unfair Catch: 0.
First time in three years
Bold Prediction: Cameron Graham catches more than one touchdown pass.
Time to get a correct bold prediction streak going.
Notable
--The Cardinals have dropped three straight games to the Huskies by a total of 22 points (4, 5 and 13).
--Bilal Powell needs just 102 yards to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, becoming the first back since Victor Anderson ran for 1,047 yards in 2008. He has run for 413 yards and four touchdowns in the last two games. Powell is averaging 149.7 yards per game and 7.8 yards per carry. He ranks fourth nationally in rushing and second in the BIG EAST Conference.
--Louisville is out-scoring the opposition 102-35 in the second quarter this season, but are being out-scored 61- 51 in the second half.
-- Louisville is averaging 3.17 sacks per game, which is tied for eighth nationally. Louisville didn’t record a sack in the loss to Cincinnati on Friday night.
--Randy Edsall and I have the same birthday...so does Pee-wee Herman...damnit.
Quotable
--"Any time you take over a program, the first stage is to get guys to be competitive, and I think our guys know how to be competitive because they competed in each game up until now. The next stage is to teach guys how to win. We just do not know how to win yet." --Charlie Strong
--"Mike Box is a guy who we have a lot of faith, a lot of confidence in. He just doesn't have experience." --Randy Edsall
--"One of the things that we always want to be able to do is run the football; that's something that I believe in and we've been successful. We've had some offensive lines who have been able to open some holes, but then we've had some great backs to go with that, and Jordan is just another back along those same lines." --Randy Edsall
"We have to bounce back and come through by playing good football. When we play good football, we are going to win and that is our focus." --Adam Froman
--"That wasn't no fair catch, that was a fair play out there. The referee didn't call anything, he said it was a fair play. I felt I didn't fair catch it anyway." --Larry Taylor
CC Prediction: Louisville 27, Connecticut 21
I thought we would lose before the season, I thought we would lose heading into the week, but I've changed my mind.