If it was a movie sequel it would’ve been entitled The Prodigal Coach Returns.
The University of Louisville football team’s season-opening victory over Miami - in the first game of Bobby Petrino’s second stint as the coach of the Cardinals - Monday night proved that Petrino can still helm an offense much better than he can a motorcycle.
UofL racked up 336 yards of total O - led by workhorse-back Dominque Brown’s 143 rushing yards and one touchdown on 33 carries and quarterback Will Gardner’s 206 passing yards and two TD tosses - in its Atlantic Coast Conference debut. Meanwhile Louisville’s defense made the Hurricanes’ offense look more like a low-level tropical storm. If Petrino and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham weren’t getting along before, if you believe the SI.com-induced preseason rumors, you can bet they’re BFFs after the Cards forced three turnovers and limited Miami to 1-for-13 on third-down conversions.
And although it’s still too early to put this sequel in the same class with Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Dark Knight or Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, you have to admit the Petrino re-do began with a bang (think T-800 vs. T-1000 in the shopping mall or the battle on Hoth).
UofL’s humbling of the Hurricanes, however, wasn’t the only bright spot for Cards' athletics this week. Here’s a quick look at what’s happened already since Sunday, and what Louisville fans have to look forward to this weekend:
- The 15th-ranked UofL field hockey team capped off an unbeaten opening weekend with a 4-2 victory over visiting New Hampshire on Sunday at Trager Stadium. Senior back Alyssa Voelmle scored the Cards’ first and last goals.
- On Monday, UofL’s Maggie DeJong, a middle blocker for the volleyball team, was named ACC Freshman of the Week. She had 11 kills in the Cards’ 3-1 upset of 12th-ranked Minnesota last Saturday in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and finished the weekend, which also included a 3-0 loss to No. 6 Wisconsin last Friday, with a .567 hitting percentage (including .700 against the Badgers). Also that day, Louisville moved into the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 poll, in a tie for 24th.
- On Tuesday, UofL’s Andrew Brody, a sophomore midfielder, was named ACC Men’s Soccer Player of the Week. Brody scored the lone goal – on a header – in the Cards’ 1-0 triumph over then-No. 2 Maryland last Friday night in their season-opener and their opening match at the brand new Lynn Stadium. In the wake of that win Louisville vaulted to No. 2 (from 14th) in the National Soccer Coaches Association of American (NSCAA) Top 25, which was released Tuesday. It’s the highest ranking for the team since it opened the 2011 season ranked No. 1 nationally. UofL also moved from No. 9 to No. 5 in the Soccer America Top 25.
- Also Tuesday, UofL football players James Sample and Corvin Lamb earned ACC honors. Sample, a junior safety, was named co-Defensive Back of the Week while Lamb, a junior running back, was named Co-Specialist of the Week. Sample, a transfer from American River College in California, led the Louisville D with eight total tackles and also had an interception in the Cards’ win over Miami. Meanwhile Lamb sparked the Cards with a tide-turning 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the second quarter. He finished with two kickoff returns for 116 yards. UofL was also voted into the Associated Press Top 25 poll that day, coming in at No. 25.
WEEKEND PREVIEW
- The UofL volleyball team (1-1) hosts the two-day Active Ankle Challenge presented by The Galt House beginning Friday morning at Cardinal Arena. The Cards meet Tennessee State at 10 a.m. and Cincinnati at 7:30 p.m. Friday before facing Appalachian State at 11 a.m. Saturday in preparation for Tuesday night’s showdown against archrival Kentucky at the KFC Yum! Center.
- The UofL women’s soccer team (2-1), coming off its 1-0 victory over Mississippi in the inaugural match at Lynn Stadium last Friday, hosts archrival Kentucky at 6 p.m. Friday and Miami (Ohio) at 1 p.m. Sunday on its new home field.
- The UofL men’s soccer team (1-0) hosts Cornell at 8:30 p.m. Friday at Lynn Stadium.
- The UofL field hockey team (2-0) plays two matches at Northwestern this weekend. The Cards face Dartmouth at noon Saturday before battling the host, and 14th-ranked, Wildcats at 1 p.m. Sunday.
- The UofL football team hosts Murray State in a lamb-to-the-slaughter game at 7 p.m. Saturday night.
- The UofL cross country teams have this weekend off after the men finished first and the women second at Dayton’s Flyer 5K on Aug. 30.
Photo courtesy of the University of Louisville Football Facebook Page.
