The University of Louisville football team boasts the best rushing defense, as well as the third-best total defense, in the nation.
The Cardinals’ D will likely be put to the test Friday night, when Louisville plays at Syracuse in its second Atlantic Coast Conference road game of the season. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
The Orange (2-2, 0-0), who are led by dual-threat quarterback Terrel Hunt, rank 24th nationally in rushing offense. Syracuse won its first two games - beating FCS member Villanova 27-26 in double overtime and Central Michigan 40-3 - before losing its last two - 34-20 to Maryland and 31-15 to Notre Dame.
For the second straight game true freshman Reggie Bonnafon will start at quarterback for UofL (4-1, 2-1) as sophomore Will Gardner continues to come back from a knee injury he suffered against Florida International. Bonnafon was good, but not great, in the Cards’ 20-10 win over Wake Forest last Saturday. How Bonnafon plays, as well how effective Louisville’s rushing attack is after last week’s breakout game by Brandon Radcliff, will be keys in the Carrier Dome, which historically hasn’t been the easiest place for the Cards to play.
Here’s a quick look at what else there is to watch (or follow) in UofL sports this weekend:
Men’s tennis players Sebastian Stiefelmeyer and Albert Wagner continue play in the 2014 ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Okla. Stiefelmeyer, No. 110 in the ITA preseason rankings, won his first round match in the singles main draw, upsetting No. 59 Bruno Semenzato of Duke 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 Thursday afternoon. Meanwhile Wake Forest’s Romain Bogaerts, No. 20 in the ITA preseason rankings, beat Wagner 6-2, 6-4. Both will play Friday (Stiefelmeyer in the main draw, Wagner in the consolation bracket).
The baseball team, which is in the midst of its fall workouts, will host an open scrimmage at 3 p.m. Friday at Jim Patterson Stadium. The team also host one Thursday afternoon.
The 12th-ranked field hockey team (8-2, 2-1) has a pair of big home matches this weekend. The Cards host No. 4 Duke at 6:06 p.m. Friday night in an ACC contest at Trager Stadium. Then, two days later they host 15th-ranked Michigan at 1 p.m. Sunday. Friday’s match is a “Black Out” and Sunday’s match is the program’s annual “Pink Game.”
The eighth-ranked men’s soccer team (5-2-1, 3-0-0), which lost 1-0 to visiting Ohio State on Tuesday night, plays at North Carolina State at 7 p.m. Friday night in Raleigh, N.C.
The volleyball team (9-5, 1-1) takes an ACC road trip to Virginia this weekend. The Cards play at Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. Friday night before playing at Virginia at 5 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
The men’s and women’s cross country teams will host the Greater Louisville Classic, which begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park.
The women’s rowing team will host its eighth annual Red & Black Regatta at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the G. Garvin Brown III Rowing Center along River Road. It is the team’s only home event of the season.
The women’s tennis team will take part in the Purdue Invitational, which runs Friday through Sunday, in West Lafayette, Ind.
The women’s soccer team (4-5-1, 1-1-1) plays at Duke at 7 p.m. Saturday night in Durham, N.C.
Photo courtesy Louisville Field Hockey Facebook Page. Cover photo courtesy of University of Louisville Field Hockey Alum Roz Ellis
