Sep 5, 2007, 16:09 GMT
Louisville, KY - The eighth-ranked Louisville Cardinals try to stretch their home winning streak to 20 games this Thursday, as they host the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in non-league play from Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.
The Cardinals opened up the 2007 season and the Steve Kragthorpe era in convincing fashion, as they trounced FCS foe Murray State, 73-10, a week ago. It was the team's 19th consecutive home win, marking the longest home winning streak in school history and the second longest in the nation behind USC (34). The outcome also made a winner of Kragthorpe is his Louisville head coaching debut, a feat accomplished by only two other coaches in the last 38 years at the school.
As for the Blue Raiders, they opened their season on a low note, dropping a 27-14 decision to Sun Belt Conference foe Florida Atlantic last weekend. It was certainly a disappointing start for Middle Tennessee, which earned a share of the SBC title by losing only one of eight league games in 2006.
The Blue Raiders and Cardinals met for the first time ever last season, with Louisville posting a 44-17 triumph in Nashville.
Middle Tennessee didn't have much success moving the ball in its opener against FAU last Saturday, gaining just 217 total yards of offense, including a mere 18 on the ground. If that weren't bad enough, the Blue Raiders also made several key mistakes, as they finished the game with four turnovers. Making his first collegiate start, quarterback Joe Craddock had an up and down game, completing 20-of-32 pass attempts for 199 yards and a score, but with two interceptions as well. He was under pressure all game long and he was sacked four times. Patrick Honeycutt, playing in his first collegiate game, was Craddock's top target with six catches for 41 yards. The ground attack didn't do much to take the pressure off Craddock, as DeMarco McNair's 16 miniscule rushing yards led the squad.
Defensively, the Blue Raiders were worn down by FAU, surrendering 411 total yards, including a whopping 216 on the ground. The defense allowed the Owls to average 5.1 yards per carry and score 17 points over the final 18 minutes of the contest. Middle Tennessee also failed to make big plays, finishing with just one forced turnover and two sacks. On a positive note, the team did a good job on third down, allowing FAU to convert only 2-of-12 attempts. Tavares Jones guided the Middle Tennessee defense in defeat with four tackles and a sack.
As expected, the Cardinals' high-powered attack simply dominated Murray State's defense last Thursday, as they rolled up 655 yards of total offense, including 394 via the pass. Louisville, which ranked second in the nation in total offense (475.3 ypg) and fourth in scoring (37.8 ppg) last season, scored four touchdowns on the ground and four through the air against Murray State. Quarterback Brian Brohm was nearly perfect in the game, completing 16-of-21 throws for 375 yards and four scores. It was the fourth consecutive 300-yard passing performance, dating back to last season, by Brohm, who also rushed for a touchdown. Wide receiver Harry Douglas benefited greatly from Brohm's success, as he finished with five receptions for 151 yards and two scores. Tight end Gary Barnidge got into the mix as well, posting four catches for 46 yards and two scores. As for the ground game, George Stripling led the way with 92 rushing yards on 14 carries, while Sergio Spencer added 60 yards and a pair of touchdowns on six totes.
The Cardinal defense wasn't needed much against Murray State, but the unit still did a good job in surrendering just 271 yards of total offense. Louisville really clamped down against the pass, giving up only 141 yards through the air. The UofL defense forced only one turnover and failed to record a sack, but it clearly could have done better in these areas if the game were somewhat competitive. Still, this was a solid showing for a Louisville defense which welcomed back just four starters from last year's group that ranked 17th in the nation in scoring (16.3 ppg).
© 2007 The Sports Network
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phamsoppoleJan 21st, 2008 - 06:16:01
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