Louisville Running Back Michael Dyer Will Not Play In Russell Athletic Bowl

Michael Dyer's first season as a Louisville Cardinal is over. The former BCS championship game offensive MVP will not play in U of L's Russell Athletic Bowl game against Miami, according to a report by Cardinal Authority's Jody Demling.

Dyer, who previously starred at Auburn and was an extremely high-profile transfer over the summer, has been battling a hip injury all season. He saw a specialist for the injury earlier this month.

Expectations were unfairly high for Dyer in his first season as a Cardinal, especially considering the fact that he arrived at U of L just before the start of fall camp. Those expectations only rose when Dyer ripped off a 46-yard touchdown run near the end of Louisville's season-opening romp over Ohio.

That would prove to be the highlight of the season for Dyer, who started twice for the Cards in September, but rushed for more than 50 yards in a game just once. He did not record a statistic in Louisville's last five games, three of which he did not dress for. Dyer finished the season with 44 carries for 223 yards (5.1 ypc) and a pair of touchdowns.

I still think this is a guy who could have an enormous impact on U of L's 2014 season. For now, however, it'll be the Brown & Perry show in Orlando.