University of Louisville
Cincinnati
Louisville Tops Cincinnati In A Shootout, 43-40
November 28, 2003 | Football
Nov 28, 2003
By JOE KAY
AP Sports Writer
CINCINNATI (AP) - Stefan LeFors threw a 54-yard touchdown pass with 70 seconds remaining, and Louisville beat Cincinnati 43-40 Friday to get coach Bobby Petrino a milestone victory during a week of controversy.
Louisville (9-3, 5-3 Conference USA) blew a 21-point lead before rallying for a victory that enhanced its hopes of a sixth consecutive bowl appearance.
LeFors avoided the rush and threw a long pass to J.R. Russell, who slipped away from cornerback Daven Holly to finish the decisive 54-yard play. LeFors was 16-of-27 for 211 yards and two touchdowns, and ran 69 yards for another.
Petrino became the first Louisville coach to win nine games in his first season. Petrino also put the school in the national spotlight on Wednesday, when he acknowledged a secret meeting with Auburn officials about their head coaching job.
Petrino, a former Auburn offensive coordinator who has a five-year deal at Louisville, conceded that he "probably made a mistake" by initially denying that he had contact with Auburn. The Tigers later decided to stay with coach Tommy Tuberville.
Cincinnati (5-7, 2-6) ended its first losing season in four years with a coach under fire. School officials have declined to discuss the future of Rick Minter, who has been targeted by disgruntled fans. A banner from the upper deck of the stadium said, "Minter Please Step Down."
The banner was gone as the Bearcats came back from a 28-7 second-quarter deficit. Chris Manfredini tied the school record with four field goals, and Kyle Koester's second touchdown run put Cincinnati ahead 40-35 with 2:20 left.
After Louisville regained the lead with the final big play in a game full of them, Gino Guidugli's desperation pass from midfield sailed out of bounds as the clock ran out. Guidugli was 20-of-40 for 336 yards.
One of the nation's top offenses needed a series of big plays to pull it out. In addition to LeFors' 69-yard run and his decisive 54-yard pass, Michael Bush ran 81 yards for a touchdown off a fake reverse.
Linebacker Brandon Johnson also returned a fumble 20 yards for a touchdown that put Louisville ahead 28-7 in the second quarter.
Louisville rolled up 526 yards on offense, one week after it set a school record with 779 yards in a 66-45 win over Houston. The Cardinals lost three fumbles, opening the way for Cincinnati's comeback.
