Football Rolls Into Matchup With Grambling Following Overtime Win
September 04, 2000 | Football
Sept. 4, 2000
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LOUISVILLE, KY -- The University of Louisville returns to the gridiron one week after one of the most thrilling victories in school history taking on tradition-rich Division I-AA Grambling.
The two schools will be meeting for the first time and each enter the contest with a 1-0 mark. The Tigers posted a 29-6 home win over Alcorn State while the Cards' registered a thrilling 40-34 comeback win in overtime against UK.
Grambling is coached by former Tiger standout and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Doug Williams. A quarterback for legendary head coach Eddie Robinson, Williams took over for college football winningest coach prior to the 1999 season and led Grambling to a 7-4 record a season ago.
The Tigers put up more than 400 yards of total offense in their win over Alcorn State a week ago including 243 through the air.
Junior quarterback Micah Mays completed 14 of 38 throws for 243 yards and three touchdowns as the Tigers posted scores in all four quarters.
Senior Scotty Anderson and junior Levi Washington were Mays' favorite targets, each catching four passes. Anderson scored twice on 49 and four-yard grabs while Washington hit paydirt on a four-yard pass from Mays.
Sophomore running back Trey White averaged nearly six yards a carry in the win. He totaled 114 yards on 20 carries and scored from two yards out in the second quarter.
Defensively, the Tigers limited Alcorn to just 156 yards of total offense and registered five sacks on the night.
Following their matchup with Grambling, U of L will take its off-week and begin preparations for a trip to Tallahassee to take on the defending national champion Florida State Seminoles on Sept. 26. The 6:00 ET contest will be televised nationally on ESPN2
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
Quarterback -- Sophomore Dave Ragone directs a Cardinal offense that stands 21st in the nation after one week of play, averaging 442 yards a contest.
In his first collegiate start, Ragone showed the composure of a veteran guiding U of L back from a 19-7 third quarter deficit. On the evening, Ragone completed 23 of 30 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns. He was not intercepted in his debut as a starter.
On the ground, Ragone escaped to carry the football 15 times for a net 20 yards. Ragone totaled 61 yards gained from scrimmage but gave back 41 yards on sacks.
Following Week One, Ragone ranks as the nation's No. 12 passer with 181.35 passing efficiency points and is 18th overall in total offense at 276 yards per game.
An all-state performer at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ragone guided his alma mater to the Ohio big school state semifinals in football and state championship game in basketball.
The sophomore is backed up by veteran QB Mike Watkins. A fifth-year senior from Fort Pierce, Fla., Watkins served as Chris Redman's understudy for the past three seasons and missed out on the starting spot by a narrow margin to Ragone during the off-season.
A capable signalcaller with game experience, Watkins has competed 46 of 75 throws over the past three campaigns including a 20 of 30 performance in place of an injured Redman to close out the `98 regular season with a win over Army. Watkins threw for a career-best 338 yards and three scores while running for another in the victory.
The Cardinals pack talent all the way back to the No. 3 spot where local product Gerry Ahrens continues his apprenticeship as a redshirt freshman.
As a high school senior, Ahrens threw for almost 4,000 yards and 47 touchdowns guiding Male High School to a state title, breaking the Kentucky prep record for single season yardage once held by Redman and Cleveland Browns QB Tim Couch.
Running Back -- Junior Tony Stallings said he wanted to replace the question mark behind the U of L running game with a period. He and junior Chris Lester bypassed the period and went right for the exclamation point.
The dynamic duo combined to rush for 215 yards on 30 carries as U of L debuted a two-headed monster to replace all-Conference USA runner Frank Moreau. The pair also caught two passes for 20 yards to account for 235 all-purpose yards in the win over Kentucky.
Stallings, who rushed for more than 1,200 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior in high school, totaled 144 yards on just 15 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns after halftime in the win. His one-yard touchdown plunge gave U of L a short-lived 20-19 lead, but it was his 25-yard scoring blot up the middle in overtime that sent the Cardinal faithful home happy.
Following his 144-yard day, Stallings ranks 11th in the nation in rushing and is tied for 35th in all-purpose yardage at 147 per game. His two TDs also tie him with teammate Deion Branch for 12th in the nation averaging 12.0 points per game.
Since the arrival of John L. Smith and his staff, the Cardinals have had a running back post 100 or more rushing yards in 15 of 25 contests, including eight of 12 in 1999.
Stallings opened his collegiate career on the defensive side of the football where he earned all-C-USA all-rookie laurels as a linebacker posting 54 tackles and a pair of sacks.
Lester joined the Cardinals midway through two-a-days and was working on the Cliffnotes version of the U of L playbook prior to his 71-yard showing versus the Wildcats.
The younger brother of former Eastern Kentucky standout and NFL veteran Tim Lester, Chris also carried the football 15 times in his Cardinal debut, totaling 71 yards and scoring a fourht-quarter touchdown. His one reception for 17 yards also converted a late fourth down for U of L as well.
A blocking back most of his prep career in Miami, Lester earned all-Western States Conference honors a year ago for Hancock (CA) Junior College. Lester rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 1999 and posted a 198-yard day in the California JC state title game.
Redshirt freshman T.J. Patterson and sophomore Henry Miller provide back up to Lester and Stallings.
Miller was the team's top returning rusher after gaining 75 yards in 11 carries in 1999 while Patterson is a heralded redshirt rookie who gained more than 3,000 yards and scored 45 touchdowns in his final two prep seasons.
Patterson was recognized by the coaching staff as U of L's Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year a season ago.
Wide Receiver -- Two of the program's top 10 all-time receivers (Lavell Boyd and Ibn Green) are gone to graduation but offensive coordinator Scott Linehan welcomes back Arnold Jackson to the fold.
A gamebreaking talent with his hands on the football, Jackson earned a fifth-season of eligibility from the NCAA after opening his collegiate career as a partial qualifier.
The nation's top returning receiver for the second consecutive season, Jackson has his sights firmly set on the NCAA Division I-A all-time record for passes caught in a career.
In the first week of the `00 season, Jackson pulled in seven passes for 69 yards and a touchdown despite being dogged by double coverage all evening. Jackson's third quarter touchdown grab went for 12 yards and was the 27th of his storied U of L career.
The Jacksonville, Fla. native is tied for 12th in the nation averaging seven catches per game after finishing the past two season rated among the top 10 in that category.
Jackson, who caught a school and league record, 101 passes a season ago now owns 244 career grabs and is 55 shy of breaking Trevor Insley's Division I mark of 298 career grabs set a year ago. Fifty-eight catches will push Jackson ahead of future NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice into second place on the NCAA all-division list.
Please note - The 2000 U of L media guide states Rice holds the all-division mark with 301 catches. The 2000 NCAA Record Books lists Scott Pingel of Westminster (Mo.), a Division III school, as the all-time leader with 436 career grabs.
Jackson enters Week Two tied for 11th place all-time among Division I-A receivers with former Stanford standout Troy Walters. The current Minnesota Viking rookie, ironically, has a U of L tie. Walters' father, Trent spent five seasons as a defensive backs coach under Howard Schnellenberger from 1986-90.
A first-team all-league choice each of the past two seasons, Jackson's 101 catches in 1999 marked just the 20th time in NCAA I-A history a receiver had surpassed the century mark.
Jackson has caught a pass in all 36 of his collegiate appearances (longest streak in the nation) and has pulled in five or more balls in 25 consecutive contests.
Fellow senior Zek Parker joins Jackson as a returning starter for the Cardinals after getting the nod in nine games as a junior. Like Jackson, Parker was a partial qualifier and can petition the NCAA for a fifth season of eligibility after the 2000 campaign.
Parker saw limited playing time in the opener versus Kentucky, catching just one pass for four yards. The Alabama native experienced dizziness after receiving a hard tackle on his first kickoff return of the night.
A 1998 JC All-American, Deion Branch lived up to his preseason hype, leading the Cardinals with nine catches for 123 yards and two scores in the Cardinals' upset win over Kentucky.
At 5-9, 180 pounds, the shifty Branch spent all of the 1999 season as a member of the Cardinals scout team instead of wasting a season of eligibility amongst a veteran group of pass catchers.
Working mostly over the middle, Branch got U of L on the scoreboard in the first quarter, catching a 33-yard scoring pass from Ragone for the Cardinals' only first half score. He later added an 18-yard TD grab in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 27-27.
After one week, Branch finds himself ranked among the top 12 in three different NCAA statistical categories. His nine catches a game is tied for second in the nation, 123.0 yards per game is ninth and his 12.0 points per game ties him for 12 overall with teammate Tony Stallings.
During the `98 campaign at Jones County (MS) College, Branch totaled 69 catches for 1,012 yards and nine scores helping JCC to an undefeated 12-0 mark.
Branch added kick and punt return duties to his job description at JCC averaging 12.8 yards per punt return and 19.6 per kick return.
Sophomore Damien Dorsey and senior Allen Carroll battle for the No. 4 receiver spot in the Cardinals' multiple-receiver package.
The excitable Dorsey earned a letter in 1999 as a redshirt frosh but did not catch a pass in the `99 regular season while Carroll has totaled just four catches in two seasons with U of L.
Carroll was thrust into the starting lineup versus Kentucky after Parker had his bell rung on a kickoff return, but did not catch a pass.
Dorsey played sparingly but earned his first collegiate catch, a 16-yarder, late in the contest to set up a Cardinal score.
Tight End - The most productive pass catching tight end in NCAA history Ibn Green no longer lines up for the Red and Black but the U of L coaching staff is excited about the young depth that remains at the position.
Redshirt freshman Richard Owens gives the Cardinals a prototypical tight end at 6-4, 260 pounds while sophomore Ronnie Ghent is an impressive physical and athletic specimen with tons of raw ability.
Owens dressed for all 12 U of L contests a season ago but did not see action while Ghent sat out the `99 campaign. He did see his first varsity action versus Kentucky but did not catch a pass.
Ghent earned the starting assignment in Week One and caught three passes for 24 yards in the thrilling win over Kentucky.
An all-area player on both sides of the football as a prep senior, Owens caught 19 passes as a senior at Middleburg (FL) High while Ghent grabbed 15 passes including five scores at Lakeland (FL) HS.
Junior Chip Mattingly provides U of L with a hard-nosed blocker in short yardage and is a two-year letterwinner for the Cards.
Offensive Line -- Offensive line coach Art Valero welcomes back a veteran core at the middle of the offensive line but has a pair of virtually untested veterans at the tackle spots.
Preseason all-C-USA choice Jason Padget anchors the offensive line from the center position. A quick study a season ago in his first campaign at center, Padget was voted one of four captains by his teammates following spring practice.
Underrated guard Joe O'Shaughnessy is in his third season as a starter on the offensive front and is one of the strongest Cardinals. A native of Columbus, Ohio, O'Shaughnessy and his fellow linemen have opened holes for a pair of 1,000-yard rushers and all-league running backs in each of the past two seasons.
Junior Aaron Dardzinski continues to improve as the Cards' most agile offensive lineman and is in his second season as a starter. All three interior linemen answered the bell in 12 consecutive games a year ago.
The middle of the Cardinal offensive line dominated the UK contest allowing U of L to rush for a net 186 yards as a team. Eliminating 50 yards lost due to a pair of errant quarterback/center exchanges, the Cardinal offensive line help U of L runners post more than 230 yards on the ground.
Junior Rob Eble and senior Scott Graham carry the torch left by all-conference tackles Anthony Byrd and Mark Grivna. Neither had started a Division I contest prior to the Kentucky game but each passed their initial exam as starting bookends.
Eble and Graham are backed up by a pair of JC transfers and a redshirt freshman. JC imports Jonta' Woodard and Michael Bowers continue to learn the U of L system while 6-7, 325-pound rookie Jason Weathers enters his second season in the program.
Redshirt freshman Jason Hilliard and sophomore Antoine Sims serve as reserves at the guard slots while ever-improving Ariel Rodriguez serves as Padget's understudy.
Over the past two-plus seasons, the U of L offensive line has protected the quarterback well allowing just 42 sacks in 1,068 passing opportunities.
Defensive Line -- After a pair of seasons where depth was an issue along the U of L defensive front, the 2000 campaign see the Cardinals two-deep and then some in the trenches.
Senior captain and defensive tackle Donovan Arp returns to anchor the front four following a junior season that saw him total a team-best 16 tackles for loss. The Salt Lake City native also tied for the team lead with seven sacks in `99.
Arp's return, however, was put in doubt after the normally durable tackle suffered a ruptured Achilles' tendon midway through spring practice.
Following surgery, an aggressive rehabilitation program and some help from good genetics, Arp was back on the football field for the beginning of two-a-day drills less than four months after suffering what could have been a career-ending injury.
In his return to the competitive gridiron, Arp recorded a pair of tackles versus Kentucky, recovered a fumble and notched one quarterback pressure.
Arp is joined by another comeback kid at the starting tackle spot with senior Derrick Kennedy returning to the lineup after missing all of `99 due to appendicitis and a post-operative infection.
A three-year starter with 78 career tackles, Kennedy eases the loss of all-conference tackle Mike Gantous and gives the Cards a vocal leader on the defensive line.
Kennedy flourished in his return to competition as well. Although he recorded just a pair of tackles, the Bowling Green, Ky. native caused one fumble, recovered another and tipped a pass that was intercepted by safety Curry Burns in the third quarter.
Third-year line coach Nick Holt can now rely on a rotation system with the added depth on the line.
Redshirt freshmen Scott Lopez and Dewayne White took advantage of the added reps in Arp's absence this spring and boosted themselves into backup slots. White saw action versus UK, registering one tackle.
Junior college transfer Kobi Clark is expected to improve as the season wears on and gives U of L five solid options on the inside.
Senior Matt Sexton returns for his third season as a starter and is an unsung staple for the defensive line.
Sexton finished tied for third on the team with five sacks a year ago despite missing a month with a broken hand.
The steady senior leads a young stable of ends who are looking to improve on the 30 sacks registered by U of L a season ago.
In the 2000 season's opening weekend, Sexton topped all defensive linemen with four tackles as well as a quarterback pressure.
Sophomore Michael Josiah was honored by The Sporting News a year ago as a second team freshman All-America selection after totaling seven sacks to go with nine tackles for loss in 1999.
In week one, Josiah recorded the Cardinals' only sack of the night, pulling down Kentucky QB Jared Lorenzen for a nine-yard loss in the fourth quarter. It was his only tackle of the night but the native of Kenya did record one other QB pressure.
Josiah's classmate, Devon Thomas was hampered by injuries in 1999 but recovered to have a strong bowl performance totaling four tackles and recovering a fumble. Thomas opened 2000 as a backup but continues to push for more snaps. Versus Kentucky, he did not record a sack but did receive credit for one QB pressure.
All-C-USA freshman choice Chad Lee helped fortify an injury-depleted unit in 1999 and returns with senior Toby Dawson to give U of L five choices at defensive end as well.
Linebacker -- Senior captain Rashad Harris enters his fourth season as a starter for the Cardinals at a linebacker spot.
A starter in 25 consecutive contests for the U of L defense, Harris has surpassed the 90-tackle plateau in each of the past two seasons. He totaled 96 stops in `99 including a career-best nine for loss for the bowl-bound Cards.
Harris tied for the team lead with 10 tackles in the season opener including five solo stops and helped the U of L defense limit the Kentucky running game to just 95 rushing yards in 21 tries. Off that 95 yards, running backs accounted for just 57 in 14 carries.
Harris opened his collegiate career three seasons ago as a 17-year-old starter and has been a contributor on defense ever since.
A native of Huntsville, Ala., Harris also enters his second season as a captain for U of L.
Sophomore Michael Brown joined Josiah on the TSN Freshman All-America second team after making quite a splash in his first season as a defender.
Brown returns as the Cardinals' top returning tackler after posting 104 in 1999. Versus Kentucky, Brown posted seven stops including four solo tackles.
A record-setting RB at local Butler High School, Brown recorded 13 tackles for loss, topped U of L with three fumble recoveries and returned his only interception as a frosh for a touchdown against Chattanooga.
Along with rookie All-America laurels, Brown brought home Conference USA all-freshman honors after recording at least seven tackles in the Cards' six league games.
Sophomore Jeremy Collins handles the starting chores at the third linebacker spot after an impressive showing in the Humanitarian Bowl last December. In his first regular season action as a starter, Collins posted four solo tackles in the win over Kentucky.
Collins saw time in all 12 games a season ago getting the start in U of L's appearance in the Humanitarian Bowl and collecting 11 stops in Boise.
Junior college transfer Jeromy Freitag (pronounce FRY-tag) continues to compete with Collins for starting duties and saw action as a reserve LB and special teams player in the opener.
At 6-1, 225 pounds, Freitag was a two-year starter for Sacramento City College and helped SCC to a No. 6 state ranking.
Sophomore B.J. Steele joined the Cardinals as a walk-on a year ago and lettered as a true rookie on special teams. He and redshirt freshman Rod Day will provide depth for Collins and Harris while 1999 Scout Team Defensive MVP Michael Everett and junior Jeff Brunelli provide support for Brown at the bandit position.
Secondary -- U of L is expected to put more pressure on its senior cornerback tandem of Antonio Roundtree and Rashad Holman. The duo should see more man-to-man duty as the Cardinals try to put more heat on the quarterback in 2000.
Roundtree opened the 2000 season as a preseason all-C-USA choice by the league's coaches. Hampered by a shoulder injury midway through the `99 campaign, Roundtree recorded 38 tackles and broke up six passes a year ago. Those numbers were a significant drop from the 59 stops and 15 PBU he recorded in `98 to earn first-team all-league honors.
The 5-7 corner made the most of his one interception last season, returning it 56 yards for a touchdown in the season opener with Kentucky.
A native of Jacksonville, Fla., Roundtree opened his career as a running back for the Cardinals but was moved to the secondary with John L. Smith's arrival in the Derby City.
In the 2000 openerr, Roundtree registered two tackles versus Kentucky and provided solid coverage against the Kentucky passing offense.
Like Roundtree, Holman recorded a pair of tackles but also picked off the ninth pass of his career to snuff out a Kentucky drive. His nine interceptions now place him among the top 10 in Cardinal history.
Holman was the Cardinals' most productive DB a season ago intercepting a team high five passes and breaking up 10 more.
A pair of virtual newcomers got their baptisms versus Kentucky and man the safety spots for the Cardinals. Sophomore Anthony Floyd and Curry Burns showed big-play making ability and each had a vital hand in the Cardinals late-game heroics.
Floyd, an all-C-USA rookie choice a year ago, posted eight tackles and broke up a pass but it was his overtime interception that stopped UK and gave the Cardinals possession in OT. As a rookie in 1999, Floyd finished tied for second on the club with three interceptions.
Burns shared top tackler honors with LB Rashad Harris getting 10 total stops including seven solos. The Miami native intercepted a third quarter pass and returned it 33 yards to set up a short scoring drive for U of L. He also intercepted a first quarter Lorenzen pass but had the play nullified due to a defensive holding call.
Burns' biggest play of the night came on the final play of regulation when he leaped and blocked an 18-yard game-winning UK field goal try. His block sent the game into overtime where Floyd's INT preceded a game-winning TD romp by Tony Stallings.
Juniors Brian Gaines and Justin Thomas continue to fight for nickel back honors with Gaines holding a slight edge.
A fierce hitter and special team contributor, Gaines has seen plenty of playing time in his two previous seasons while Thomas drew four starts at safety in 1999.
Promising redshirt freshman Josh Minkins and junior Mike White serve as backups at the cornerback positions. Both saw action on special teams in the season opener.
Special Teams -- The U of L punting game is at the capable foot of sophomore Chris Sivori. An all-C-USA freshman choice following the 1999 season, Sivori averaged 38.7 yards per kick as a rookie, dropping eight of his 34 tries inside the 20.
The local St. Xavier graduate forced six fair catches and did not have a kick blocked in his initial collegiate campaign.
Sivori opened his sophomore season averaging just 34 yards a kick in three tries versus Kentucky.
Placekicking duties have been awarded to another local prep standout as redshirt freshman Wade Tydlacka (pronounced ta-LA-shka) takes over for the graduated Jon Hilbert and was a perfect five of five in extra point tries versus Kentucky.
A standout at Trinity High, Tydlacka earned the starting nod following a brief preseason competition with true freshman Brad Shushman.
Sivori and Tydlacka will not have to worry about the ball getting back to them with junior Chip Mattingly returning for his third consecutive season of standout long snapping. A reserve tightend and linebacker along with his special teams duties, Mattingly is one of the nation's finest longsnappers consistently clocking at NFL levels.
U of L's return games feature two of the most exciting players in college football with Zek Parker returning kickoffs and the ever-elusive Arnold Jackson handling punt return duties.
Including his 91-yard touchdown return in the Humanitarian Bowl, Parker brought back three kicks for scores in 1999 and had a fourth called back due to penalty.
He continues his stellar play in the 2000 ranking fourth in the nation in kickoff returns. Despite missing a good part of the first half because of dizziness, Parker is averaging 36.2 yards per return including a 69-yard third quarter burst versus Kentucky. The 69-yard return immediately followed a UK defensive touchdown and set up a game-tying TD early in the fourth quarter.
For his career, Parker averages 24.5 yards per kickoff return and has rated among the top 50 in college football the past two seasons.
Jackson averages 10 yards per punt return over his three-year career and has not signalled for a fair catch since his freshman season. During that rookie campaign, Jackson hit paydirt from 85 yards away versus Illinois and brought another punt back 70 yards in his first collegiate start versus UK.
Jackson ignored the fair catch sign once again versus Kentucky but was limited to just three yards on four returns.
