Louisville Cardinals

Big East Football: Two BCS Bids? Why Not?

2006-11-21T08:55:00.000-08:00

One way to silence Big East football critics would be to place two teams in BCS bowl games. It might happen.

Cincinnati's 30-11 win over then-No. 7 and undefeated Rutgers paved the way for Louisville and West Virginia to be those teams if they win out, the key for the Mountaineers being a victory over the Scarlet Knights Dec. 2 in Morgantown.

No. 7 West Virginia, No. 8 Louisville and No. 14 Rutgers are in a three-way tie for first at 9-1 overall, 4-1 in the league.

"I think there is a chance, and a good chance without studying it - and I really don't care to or need to, I guess, until after the season is over," West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said. "But there is a chance that there could be two Big East teams in BCS bowls, and I think that would speak volumes for the growth of the league."

The Big East has an automatic bid for its league champion at least until January 2008, when the BCS committee reviews conference affiliation again.

If West Virginia and Louisville run the table, the Cardinals would get the automatic bid by virtue of their 44-34 win over the Mountaineers.

However, the Mountaineers, ranked seventh in the BCS, have a good chance for an at-large bid.

The Mountaineers' chances should improve since Southern Cal and Notre Dame, Nos. 2 and 5 in the BCS, play this weekend. Florida, fourth in the BCS, plays rival Florida State next, followed by No. 6 Arkansas in the SEC championship game.

What could also increase West Virginia's chances of an at-large bid would be a Boise State loss. The Broncos (11-0), 12th in the nation and 11th in the BCS, have a tough game left with Nevada. They must finish in the top 12 of the BCS or in the top 16 and ahead of a BCS conference champion to gain an automatic berth.

If Rutgers wins out, which means beating West Virginia, the Scarlet Knights win the league and get the BCS bid. Louisville becoming the second BCS team would be a stretch, not impossible, but a longshot. They're ninth in the BCS.

If Louisville gets the automatic bid and West Virginia an at-large bid, then Rutgers, with two losses, would probably be headed to the Gator or Sun Bowl. If the league gets only one BCS bowl bid, then Rutgers, according to Big East sources, would probably go to the Texas Bowl. In that case, Louisville or West Virginia, whichever does not win the league title, would go to the Sun or Gator.

The Cardinals played in the Gator last season so bowl officials might not want to have Louisville two years in a row.

Many scenarios remain, but what's certain is the Big East could have as many as six teams in bowl games: Louisville, West Virginia, Rutgers and South Florida are in and Cincinnati and Pitt could be, too.

South Florida (7-4, 3-3) will probably go to the Papa John's.com Bowl in Birmingham, Ala., because of proximity. Cincinnati (6-5, 3-3) became eligible with its resounding win over the Scarlet Knights. If the Bearcats beat UConn, they might end up in the International Bowl in Toronto. If Pitt (6-5, 2-4) beats Louisville, the Panthers also will go to a bowl. If the Panthers lose, they'll be 6-6 and on a five-game losing streak. Any bowl official would frown on that ending.

Of course, Notre Dame, because of its affiliation with Big East bowls, could shake up where everyone goes should they lose big to Southern Cal.

Statement Game

Bearcats coach Mark Dantonio on the game in which the Bearcats beat their highest-ranked opponent. "For us, being new members in the Big East, it was a statement for our players to be able to compete at this level. I think we gained a little respect. Our players as a whole played very well. It was a great environment, the students came out. It was a great night for Cincinnati football." ... If the Scarlet Knights are going to win the conference title, they're going to have to get better production from quarterback Mike Teel. Teel threw four interceptions, bringing his total to 13. ... West Virginia's Pat White (22 carries for 220 yards) and Steve Slaton (23 for 215 yards) became the third set of teammates in NCAA history to rush for more than 200 yards in the same game (45-27 victory over Pitt Thursday night) and were named co-Big East offensive players of the week. Syracuse punter Brendan Carney and Cincinnati cornerback DeAngelo Smith won the special teams and defensive honors.

FBC Cincinnati Louisville Preview

2006-10-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm is proving to be a quick healer.

Brohm, who has progressed rapidly after spraining the thumb on his throwing hand last month, says he's prepared to play when the seventh-ranked Cardinals host Cincinnati in a Big East matchup Saturday.

The Heisman Trophy candidate said that his surgically repaired right thumb feels so good he's optimistic he'll be able to lead Louisville (5-0, 0-0) in its first conference game. Coach Bobby Petrino said he'll wait and see how Brohm progresses during practice this week before determining whether he'll take any snaps against the Bearcats (3-3, 0-1).

``If he's ready to play, I'll probably play him. Sounds like a good idea to me,'' Petrino said.

Brohm had surgery on Sept. 17, a day after he sprained the thumb in Louisville's 31-7 win over then-No. 17 Miami. Doctors had originally said Brohm would be out up to six weeks.

``I could play, it's the matter if that's what would be in the best interest of the team,'' said Brohm, who will wear a splint over the thumb until it is fully recovered. ``I think I could probably play a game right now, but it wouldn't be the normal Brian Brohm you're used to seeing out there, so we've got to work on getting that strength back.''

The Cardinals have played well without Brohm, posting relatively easy road wins over Kansas State and Middle Tennessee. The Cardinals' offense remains the top-ranked unit in the country, averaging 530.6 yards and 44.0 points.

Backup Hunter Cantwell threw for a career-high 340 yards and three scores in a 44-17 win over the Blue Raiders last Friday. Petrino said he's not sure whether he would platoon Brohm and Cantwell against Cincinnati.

The bigger concern isn't throwing the ball - Brohm said he can make most of the throws he needs to make - but how the thumb will react when it takes a snap or a hit.

The thumb problem cut short Brohm's remarkable comeback from a right knee injury sustained last November. Doctors doubted that he would be ready for the start of the regular season, but he was taking snaps with the first team in preseason camp, less than nine months after surgery.

Brohm threw for 742 yards and three touchdowns in his first three games this year.

Cincinnati will be facing its third ranked opponent of the season, all on the road. The Bearcats lost 37-7 to No. 1 Ohio State on Sept. 16 and 29-13 to then-No. 11 Virginia Tech on Sept. 23.

The Bearcats, however, have since won two straight and are looking to win three in a row for the first time since posting four consecutive victories from Oct. 23-Nov. 20, 2004.

Dustin Grutza passed for a season-high 230 yards and led all rushers with 72 yards to lead Cincinnati to a 20-14 win over Akron last Saturday. Grutza has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes in his last four games.

``It takes us to 3-3 and allows us to go to Louisville in control of our own destiny in terms of bowl game implications,'' Bearcats coach Mark Dantonio said.

Cincinnati has limited its last two opponents to 36.0 yards per game on the ground and is ranked 20th in the nation in rushing defense, allowing 91.0 yards a contest. They will be tested by a Louisville offense that is fifth in rushing offense with 236.8 yards per game, despite not having injured running back Michael Bush.

Cincinnati is 26-18-1 against Louisville, but has lost seven of the last eight meetings, including the previous three by an average of 30 points. The Bearcats' lone win in that stretch was a 24-14 victory in Louisville on Nov. 7, 2002.

Three Cardinals Drafted on Second Day of the NFL Draft

2006-05-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

Senior defensive end Elvis Dumervil, linebacker Brandon Johnson and defensive tackle Montavious Stanley of the University of Louisville football team were drafted on the second day in the National Football League Draft on Sunday.
Dumervil was the 29th selection in the fourth round and the 126th player taken overall by the Denver Broncos. Johnson was the ninth pick in the fifth round and the 142nd overall selection by the Arizona Cardinals and Stanley was the 13th pick in the sixth round and the 182nd overall by the Dallas Cowboys.
I like the siutation in Denver," said Dumervil. "I'm in a good position with them. I was hoping to go in the first day of the draft. They told me they wanted me to play defensive end so I'm excited about that. I'm just thankful for the opportunity to continue my career."
Last season, Dumervil was one of the most dominating players in collegiate football, leading the nation in sacks with 20 and was named the Bronko Nagurski Award winner as the nation's top defensive player. The 6-0, 255-defensive end was third on the team in tackles with 66 and had 10 forced fumbles.
A native of Miami, Fla., Dumervil was tabbed the BIG EAST's Defensive Player of the Year, as well as being named a first team All-American by the AFCA, Walter Camp Foundation and the Associated Press. He set an NCAA record with six sacks against Kentucky and for sacks in consecutive games with nine.
Johnson, a gifted athlete, also had an outstanding season for the Cardinals. He led the team in tackles with 72 a tied for the team lead in interceptions with two. He had three games of 10 tackles or more last year, including a season-high 11 against West Virginia and Connecticut. He earned second team All-BIG EAST honors a year ago.
Stanley played in 11 games for the Cardinals before injuring his shoulder after the Conbecticut game, which forced him out the Gator Bowl against Virginia Tech. The 6-2, 321-pounder from Albany, Ga., was fifth on the team in tackles with 46 and third with 5.5 sacks. He was a second team All-BIG East honoree.
Dumervil, Johnson and Stanley are the fourth Cardinals to be drafed after Jason Spitz was a third round selection by the Green Bay Packers.