All Entries Tagged With: "Kentucky football"

Louisville versus Kentucky much more than just another football game

Serious Louisville and Kentucky fans have one thing on their minds today.

The U of L-UK football game is a huge deal. Even though most analysts agree UK will never be a football power. And few people outside the Commonwealth, except for Big East and Southeastern conference fans, pay little attention to the football rivalry.

The game of the year for both teams for more reasons than be cited here. Just a few of them:

• UK fans are concerned that Charlie Strong will restore the Louisville football program to the level it enjoyed under Bobby Petrino. UK fans are also concerned that under Joker Phillips, their own program won’t be making it back to Nashville bowl games.

• U of L and UK fans have to tolerate one another every day, especially in Louisville. People who agree on everything else are unable to discuss rivalry without getting into arguments and turf battles. Many a social occasion has been spoiled by insensitivity and petty bickering

• For decades, the University of Kentucky and its fans did their best to pretend the University of Louisville did not exist, refused to even consider scheduling U of L in football or basketball. The Kentucky General Assembly had to pass legislation forcing UK into the series.

• U of L and Louisville often get short shrift in Frankfort, where the state capital is dominated by blue fanatics. UK legislators, led by Larry Clark from Louisville, attempted to force an undesirable location for the new basketball arena. They also caused the delay of the expansion of Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. For no good reason. Just because they could.

• UK fans refused for many years after the series began to admit that Louisville was a rival, much less an arch rival. Now they openly admit that U of L is a bitter rival, the school they hate the most. One UK web site, run by Matt Jones, a Louisville ambulance chaser, even declared a “Hate Louisville Day” earlier this week.

• The world of the UK fan was turned upside down when Louisville defeated the Lexington football team four consecutive seasons. A typical response was that they cared more about basketball anyway. Of course, U of L fans are now reeling from three straight losses to a mediocre SEC team.

• For most U of L and UK fans, their favorite team is their own and whoever is playing the other rival team. They get just as much joy out of the other team losing as their own team winning.

• Whoever wins this game gets a jump on recruiting in a state where blue chip football players are rare. The inability of Steve Kragthorpe to recruit in his own city gave Lexington a major “in” with the best Louisville high school players, many now lining up on the other side of the line from U of L.

• UK in recent years has become a basketball recruiting mecca again with a coach U of L fans consider less than savory. U of L hired former UK idol Rick Pitino after he left the professional ranks. They will never forgive him for that.

• Kentucky fans, for the most part, have relatively few diversions, making their university a primary focus of their lives. The UK logo is plastered everywhere from their personal cavities to the roofs of their barns. They’re unable to tolerate anyone or anything who doesn’t feel the same way about their school. Louisville fans, meanwhile, see only blue when they think about Kentucky, and their fondest wish is that UK would go away.

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Froman, Louisville want best face on offense

By Paul Sykes

When you look back at the Louisville-Kentucky series, the list of quarterbacks is impressive.

Redman, Brohm, LeFors, Ragone and Cantwell for the Louisville. Couch, Lorenzen, Woodson and Boyd for Kentucky. This season’s starters don’t have  the name recognition and skills but neither coach is putting major pressure and responsibilities on them either.

Although this is his second season, Louisville fans really don’t know what to expect from Froman. He’s still pretty much of an unknown, as is Mike Hartline from the Lexington school. The coaches just want them to maintain, getting the ball to the running backs and wide receivers while avoiding costly turnovers.

• Louisville — Froman won a three way battle for the position over Will Stein and Justin Burke. U of L head coach Charlie Strong is looking for Froman to just operate the offense and get the ball to the right guys in the multiple options in Mike Sanford’s spread offense. Froman calls the Cardinal attack “fun” and likes the aggressive options available. He’ll have a strong, experienced offensive line and will help shape the “identity” that Strong says the Cards need to establish

• Kentucky — Mike Hartline returns as a starter, beating out Morgan Newton and Ryan Mossakowski for the snaps. His job will be to “feed the studs” like Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke…guys that are proven game changers. The debate on the Lexington campus is whether Hartline is the right call, and UK will probably use Cobb and Newton under center in certain situations. Joker Phillips defends his decision to go with Hartline, saying that he is “the experienced guy and he’s going fast, being more efficient with things we want to get done.”

Advantage: Kentucky. Hartline never lost to a Steve Kragthorpe-coached team, and the Cats have options in Cobb and Newton if Hartline is ineffective. Neither starting quarterback is a powerhouse.

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Charlie Strong needs to keep the lid on Cobb and Locke

Charlie Strong, the new University of Louisville football coach, has a great deal of respect for wide receiver Randall Cobb and tailback Derrick Locke, the lightning-quick breakaway threats from Kentucky.

They are feared throughout the Southeastern Conference.

However, neither of them ever scored against his team when Strong was the defensive coordinator at the University of Florida where he had considerable talent and depth at his disposal.

Here’s how the two performed against U of L and UF last season:

Cobb:

• Against Louisville, six receptions for 71 yards, including one for the winning touchdown. One pass attempt for zero yards.
• Against Florida, five receptions for 24 yards, no touchdowns. One pass attempt for zero yards.

Locke:

• Against Louisville, 15 carries for 72 yards, four receptions for 47 yards, four kickoff returns for 191 yards and one touchdown, a 100-yard return.
• Against Florida, 13 carries for 36 yards, zero receptions for zero yards, four kickoff returns for 84 yards, no touchdowns.

Of course, a Strong defense never lost a game to UK either.

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Kentucky fans from Louisville don’t feel the love at Papa John’s

The observer asked a Kentucky fan at church the other day if he and his wife were going to the Louisville-UK football game, and his response was, “No. They don’t treat UK fans very well at Papa John’s.”

Maybe that partially explains why UK had to return a few hundred tickets to U of L. Maybe not. Kentucky fans claim to be among the most loyal fans around, Big Blue Nation and all. But they are unable to sell out their allotment of 8,000 tickets for the Louisville game?

Getting back to the friend, his Louisville-based company seats are surrounded by some exuberant U of L fans. Some may be drinking beer, a few using salty language, but most simply cheering for their home town team. Sensitive types these friends, adverse to any criticism of the Big Blue.

This is a person who was born in Louisville, he and his wife raised children here. They are only curious spectators when U of L is playing any other school. Devoted to a school 80 miles away. A Kentucky flag out in front of their house, a Wildcat license plate on the car.

Many of their fellow UK fans here cheer against Louisville no matter the opponent. The day after a big Kentucky win, a visit to a Nashville bowl, often after a U of L loss, they’re wearing the blue shirts and those Kroger baseball caps and sticking blue flags on car windows.

Although they’re outnumbered in Louisville, they are a strident minority. They seem to be everywhere. Next door. At Work. At the mall. Proclaiming their loyalty to a bitter rival of the University of Louisville. Feeling superior, peering down their collective nose. They are Kentucky fans, you see, and they don’t have to qualify their preference. Fortunately for them.

And they don’t feel comfortable in Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Wonder why?

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Scalping time for Louisville-Kentucky football game

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On the receiving end: Louisville vs. Kentucky could get crazy

By Paul Sykes

Could even be an aerial circus.

With young, largely inexperienced secondaries on both sides of the ball, the wide receivers are likely to play a pivotal role in the outcome when Louisville and Kentucky line up for the opening football game for both teams.

Doug Beaumont

Louisville — Will sorely miss Scott Long and Trent Guy as wide receivers. Senior Doug Beaumont, however, is a talented receiver, ready to end his long scoring drought. Just needs to break the ice. He was second in receptions last season with 38 grabs for 465 yards.  Troy Pascley, another senior, has shown flashes and may be ready to add consistency. After scoring four touchdowns in 2008, he was hampered by injuries and failed to see the end zone in 2009.

If the Cards go to three receivers, Nevada transfer Andrell Smith could see significant action. Cameron Graham looks to have the nod at tight end along with 6-foot-9 Josh Chichester, creating an interesting scenario for opposing linebackers. Scott Radcliff, Jaques Caldwell and Josh Bellamy have also impressed in fall drills.

Kentucky — Randall Cobb is the quickest and best on the field. He will also see action at quarterback  and kick returner as well. Coach Joker Phillips will not hesitate to play Cobb everywhere on the field but the marching band.

Chris Matthews, a 6-foot-5 receiver, hauled down some nice catches last season and has the quickness to make big plays. In a three receiver set, UK may also include Gene McCaskill, La’Rod King or Matt Roark.  Nick Melillo from Louisville is the front runner at tight end but getting strong competition from Anthony Kendrick and Jordan Aumiller.

Advantage — Kentucky.  Cobb has Sunday afternoon potential and Matthews is also a constant threat.

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Much going for Charlie Strong in new era of Louisville football

While Charlie Strong’s team is picked to finish dead last in the Big East Conference, he has numerous reasons to consider himself blessed as he kicks off his tenure as University of Louisville football coach Saturday against Kentucky:

• Not following Bobby Petrino, a nearly impossible challenge for any coach. Petrino achieved exalted status with two top 10 ranked teams and the school’s first ever BCS trophy with the Orange Bowl victory. Bobby P could do no wrong even though his goal was punching his ticket elsewhere.

• Succeeding Steve Kragthorpe, who was held in such low esteem by the fan base that anyone stepping into his shoes would have been viewed as an improvement. The best possible scenario for a first-time head coach in a rebuilding situation.

• A rejuvenated fan base, eager to support him. U of L has set a record of more than 43,000 season ticket sales this season, something that would have never occurred had Kragthorpe returned, stadium expansion or not.
  

  Papa John's Cardinal Stadium (U of L photo)

• Exceptional facilities, including the newly expanded Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. As someone recently said they may not be the largest but, in terms of quality, they are second to none.

• An athletic director in Tom Jurich who rarely, if ever, says no to any request from his football coach, recognizing that a thriving college football program is integral to maintaining national respect for the school’s athletic program.

• A college president in Jim Ramsey who recognizes the importance of college athletics, whose accomplishments and connections throughout the state enable him to successfully negotiate land mines in Frankfort … plus financial skills to imagineer perilous economic times.

• A near respite from the basketball hysteria that engulfs the community and the state.  There are six weeks until construction of the new KFC Yum! Center is complete and 11 weeks before U of L and Butler inaugurate the new facility.

• A collection of players who finally have a head coach they can believe in and who will bust their collective butt to be competitive. Some of them obviously talented, others hampered by previous coaching shortcomings, all of them committed to winning for a change.

• A proven ability to recruit in talent-rich recruiting states, with natural communications skills, many carefully cultivated contacts and a 24/7 work ethic. Unprecedented access for a U of L football coach.

• A hand-picked, well-paid and hopefully loyal group of assistant coaches who have already demonstrated by coming to Louisville that they are willing to go through hell and back for their head coach.

• Confidence in his abilities to turn the football program around, knowing the boss will give him all the resources and time he needs to make it happen.

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