Jeremy Wright breaks loose for a 32-yard jaunt late to Temple’s 4 yard line in the third quarter, setting up Teddy Bridgewater’s fifth touchdown pass of the day, a nine-yarder to Andrell Smith (see video below) two plays later. Smith had two of those touchdowns and Wright would rush for 100 yards in Louisville’s 45-17 win. (Click on photo to enlarge)

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As Charlie Strong says, the best thing about his University of Louisville football team being undefeated after nine games is how much better this team can become.


What he’s not going to say is that having an exceptional quarterback like Teddy Bridgewater offsets many of his team’s weaknesses.

A lot of good quarterbacks have come and gone at UofL. Johnny Unitas, Jay Gruden, Chris Redman, Stefan Lefors, and Brian Brohm just to name a few. Bridgewater not only continues that tradition but he could well be the best in the program’s history.

Bridgewater would throw for five touchdowns in the 45-17 win over Temple, a new career best for him. He would again connect with nine different receivers and accumulate more than 300 passing yards for a third time this season.

His offensive abilities overshadowing some potentially consequential deficiencies in the kicking game, offensive and defensively. The opening kickoff being returned 93 for a Temple touchdown. The defense allowing the opposition 36 yards per kick return, the offense starting most of its drives from behind the 25 yard line.

Opposing running backs are racking up some major statistics against UofL’s defensive unit, the latest Montel Harris, with 117 rushing yards. He managed only six in the second half but six other teammates combined for 183 yards in the game.

As an equal opportunities quarterback, Bridgewater makes little distinction between highly touted receivers and the others, giving Ryan Hubbell his own personal highlight reel with that catch and run covering 72 yards for a touchdown. He would find Andrell Smith for two more touchdowns, and DeVante Parker and Eli Rogers for the other two.

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The shaky start, a 93-yard kickoff return, going hand-in-hand with breakfast tailgating, a noon time kickoff and cold, wet rainy conditions, all but guaranteeing at least 11,000 no shows at another UofL sellout, the final attendance coming in at 44,609. The early morning stuff and the wet conditions finally taking a toll on a portion of the fan base.

 

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By Charlie Springer

Charlie Springer is a former Louisville editor and sportswriter, a public affairs consultant, a UofL grad and longtime fan.

3 thoughts on “<strong>So far to go but Louisville is 9-0</strong>”
  1. We have a new postgame tradition at our house now: Once home, dried out and warmed up, we hang our ponchos to dry. Getting to be almost as good at that as at preparing a tailgate meal to eat from the front seat of our car. But the thrills of the victories make that really just an afterthought, part of the game-day routine. Go Cards!

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