
Louisville Tops New Mexico State 45-24
August 23, 2001 | Football
Louisville 45, New Mexico State 24
By CHRIS DUNCAN
Associated Press Writer
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Louisville coach John L. Smith has been disgusted by how his team has been practicing lately.
He wasn't much happier after the Cardinals' first game.
Louisville held New Mexico State scoreless in the second half to win 45-24 Thursday night in college football's season opener, the John Thompson Foundation Challenge Classic.
"We could've played much, much better," Smith said. "If we go to the practice field and we don't have a sense of emergency, that's exactly how we're going to play. I'm disappointed, to say the least."
Michael Brown and Devon Thomas returned fumbles for touchdowns, Dave Ragone threw three TD passes, and Louisville scored four touchdowns following New Mexico State turnovers to win despite the Aggies' 544-373 edge in total yardage.
Smith was afraid the Aggies' option running attack might dominate his young defense, and it did. New Mexico State rushed for 407 yards and held the ball for more than 37 minutes.
"Hopefully, we can learn from this," Smith said. "Our defensive tackles and ends got hammered."
The Aggies led 24-23 at halftime and were marching for another score early in the third quarter, but Kenton Keith fumbled a pitch from quarterback K.C. Enzminger at the Cardinals' 19. Brown, a linebacker, picked up the ball and ran 81 yards untouched down the sideline with a convoy of teammates.
"We had some momentum, but after halftime, we were a little too excited," New Mexico State coach Tony Samuel said.
Louisville defensive end Michael Josiah blindsided Enzminger and forced another fumble on New Mexico State's next possession. Thomas, a defensive end, recovered at the Aggies 39. A minute later, Ragone hit Deion Branch for their second scoring connection of the night, a 16-yard touchdown.
The Aggies were driving again early in the fourth quarter, but Enzminger fumbled on a sweep. Several players had chances to recover before Thomas scooped it up and ran 87 yards for another score. The Aggies didn't threaten again.
"We did some good things, but we gave the game away," Samuel said. "Take away the two defensive runbacks, and we would've given them a game."
Ragone, the Conference USA player of the year in 2000, finished 18-of-31 for 272 yards. Branch, Louisville's top receiver last season, tied a career high with two touchdown catches.
Not even Ragone escaped Smith's criticisms after the game.
"Ragone could've played much, much better," Smith said.
Keith rushed 22 times for 137 yards for New Mexico State. He left in the third quarter with a left shoulder injury.
Louisville appeared on its way to an easy win, building a 14-0 lead in the first seven minutes.
Ragone completed his first four passes and easily drove the Cardinals 65 yards in nine plays on their opening drive. Henry Miller scored Louisville's first touchdown on a 2-yard run with 10:39 left in the first quarter.
Two plays after an Aggies punt, Ragone found Branch on a deep crossing route for a 44-yard touchdown.
The Aggies' defense stiffened after the sluggish start, holding the Cardinals to just four first downs the rest of the first half. Their running game started clicking, too.
Keith had a 12-yard touchdown run and New Mexico State killed the first 4{ minutes of the second quarter with a 15-play drive to the Louisville 3. Aguinaga kicked a 21-yard field goal with 10:23 left in the half to cut the Cardinals' lead to 14-9.
That's when the miscues started haunting the Aggies.
Dewayne White recovered Keith's fumble at the New Mexico State 11 and J.R. Russell made his first career catch in the end zone a minute later for a 20-9 Cardinals' lead.
Keeon Johnson finished another long Aggies drive with a 3-yard touchdown run with 3:33 left in the half.
Louisville's best drive of the second quarter ended with Nathan Smith's 26-yard field goal, but Enzminger hit a wide-open P.J. Winston in the end zone in the half's final minute for the tying touchdown. Aguinaga's extra point gave the Aggies their first lead.
Keith had 109 rushing yards at halftime, and the Aggies had 302 total yards to the Cardinals' 216.