Nothing Charlie Strong can do now but wait and see how other Big East teams do this week to see which bowl awaits his University of Louisville football team.
“We’ve done all we can,” he said at his Monday press conference.
While obviously pleased with his team’s 7-5 finish, Strong hinted that UofL could have been in a much stronger position with a tighter focus during the season, alluding to distractions after big wins that resulted in disappointing losses.
“I’ve told them we want to never again be a position where someone else controls our destiny,” he said. “We do that by doing all the right things and taking care of business consistently.”
Strong said any bowl game will be a reward. “Wherever we wind up going, it’s going to be good for us. If it happens to be a BCS bowl that’s great and the national media is going to be critical. But we’re happy to be going to a bowl when nobody expected us to be going anywhere this season.
“If it happens to be a BCS game against a BCS opponent, we will have them ready.” Or otherwise.
Teddy Bridgewater’s progress — “I have enjoyed watching him get better and better each week,” he said. “It was amazing to watch him sometimes. I have never been around a player that was so poised.”
Bridgewater, by the way, was named the Freshman Player of the Week for a second week in a row by Associated Press sportswriters.
Will Stein’s attitude — Strong related that Will Stein has remained a positive force for the team since losing his starting position to Bridgewater. “Stein gets up and talks to the team before every game, he’s just like another coach for us,” he said. “His attitude is that he wants to do anything possible to help this team be successful.
“He feels strongly about this program. He’s grown up in this community and is a part of this university. Give me a bunch of Will Steins and I’ll go win a championship.”
DaVante Parker — “He was the only player who could have made that catch in the end zone from Teddy Bridgewater in the South Florida game … He’s only going to get bigger, faster and stronger and he’s going to be an amazing athlete before he’s finished.”