Archive for February, 2008

Cards Have 8 Home Football Games

Saturdays return in a big way to the University of Louisville’s home football schedule this fall, with five Saturday games at home and two on the road. The Cards also will have a record eight football games in the friendly confines of Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. The not-so-great news is that there are some Wednesdays and Fridays in the mix. Oh well, it’s football, can’t complain too much.

No Folding These Cards

Maintaining their poise these Cards in some tough situations and hellish venues. Not about to cave in, give games away. Not in their makeup, mastering Pittsburgh 75-73, first team to beat Pitt twice at home in that arena.

Who to give the game ball? Edgar Sosa, scoring 15 points in the first half, Andre McGee, hitting two free throws to seal the win, or David Padgett, leading all scorers with 21 points? Not that difficult a decision: ball goes to Sosa, playing with confidence, hitting his shots, not taking bad shots, hanging on to the ball, turning in his best game this season.

Nobody plays tougher defense than Jerry Smith, no uncontested breathing, passing or dribbling while he’s around. Making all three of U of L’s steals today, from a team that made only four turnovers the entire game. Two out of two threes on offense helping, too.

Padgett continuing to set the tone for the Cards, despite turning the ball over six times, forcing obscenities from even his most ardent fans at times. Double teamed under the basket, at the top of the circle, making tough shots look almost easy at times, hitting three of four free throw attempts in the final 32 seconds.

Nice to see some different faces officiating the game for a change. Neither Padgett (with three fouls) or Derrick Caracter (with only two!) came close to getting into foul trouble.

Peterson Arena has a strange interior layout, corporate donors occupying one entire side of the lower level, the students consuming all seats on the other. These donors obviously had to dig deep to merit such prominence while mucking up the arena’s site lines in a big way.

U of L has won its last 12 games in February, including seven this month.

Message From Pitt

Warming Up To The Task, Cards Sweep Doubleheader On Opening Day

The idea of starting the college baseball season in February had to have originated in Florida. Makes no sense otherwise. With temperatures hovering in the high twenties, the foot warmers were useless. Toe-numbing weather.

Former U of L base thief Boomer Whiting on hand but staying warm in the heated press box. This guy, finally home, trying to get thawed out two hours after the Baseball Cards sweep a doubleheader over Cleveland State, winning by scores of 13-5 and 4-2. 

Cards collected 12 hits in a slugfest the first game, five runs in the sixth inning and seven runs in the eighth.  Zach Pitts pitched five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts to pick up his first win.

Cards had only two home runs in the two games, both of them by senior second baseman Justin McClanahan, including a two-run blast in the first game and a solo in the second.

U of L pitcher Justin Marks had no-hitter going into the fourth inning in the nightcap before giving up a walk and Cleveland’s State’s only hit — a double that drove in Cleveland State’s two runs.

  Gabriel Shaw, who relieved Marks, was among the impressive newcomers to the Cards lineup. With great form and speed, the Paducah native may emerge as the stopper. He allowed no hits or base runners while striking out seven batters in five innings.

Crowd estimated at 600, probably a record for a U of L baseball opener. Froze their buns off.

Don’t Pity Pitt

The Pittsburgh basketball team apparently has trouble finishing. Jaunted out to a 12-point lead over Notre Dame in its most recent outing. Fizzled, wound up losing by the same margin.

Started the season like national contenders, winning their first 11 games, including games with Duke and Oklahoma State. Then they lost at Dayton by 15 points. They’ve won eight, lost seven since then.

Their 19-7 record is making fans nervous in Pittsburgh. Speculation ranges from sixth or seventh seed to whether their team is still on the NCAA bubble.

The players and fans will be pumped up, part adrenaline, part fear and part self preservation on Sunday. Looking for a fast start on their part. Whether they can finish is the question.