Kragthorpe Previews Saturday Night's Game at USF
November 12, 2007 | Football
Nov. 12, 2007
Audio Clips
- All audio files require the latest version of the FREE Real Player.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville football head coach Steve Kragthorpe, junior defensive lineman Earl Heyman and junior center Eric Wood met with members of the media on Monday to preview this week's BIG EAST road game at USF. The Cards and Bulls will meet on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., and the game will be televised nationally by ESPNU.
The Cardinals, which will be playing their final road game of the season, are making their third visit to South Florida and have yet to win on the Bulls' home field. In their last trip into the Raymond James Stadium, the ninth-ranked Cards fell to USF 45-14 in 2005.
Louisville is coming off a disappointing 38-31 loss to seventh-ranked West Virginia in Morgantown, W. Va. Patrick White scampered 50 yards for the game-winning score with 1:36 to play after Art Carmody tied the score with a 37-yard field goal. The loss was the Cardinals fifth loss by 10 points or less. The Cardinals battled back from a 31-14 deficit on touchdowns by Brock Bolen and Mario Urrutia to close the gap to 31-28.
Senior quarterback Brian Brohm broke the BIG EAST record for 300-yard games in a season with seven after throwing for 345 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Running back George Stripling caught a career-best eight passes for 105 yards. Senior wide receiver Harry Douglas also caught seven passes for 98 yards. The Louisville defense held the potent West Virginia offense to 397 yards of total offense and forced three fumbles. Steve Slaton was limited to 60 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
USF enters the game at 7-3 overall and 2-3 in BIG EAST play following a 41-10 win at Syracuse on Saturday. Quarterback Matt Grothe threw for two touchdowns and ran for another and freshman tailback Mike Ford ran for a season-high 134 yards and two touchdowns as the Bulls snapped a three-game losing streak.
The Series - U of L and USF
This is the fifth meeting between the two schools with the overall series tied at 2-2. The home team has won each of the first four meetings, including a 31-8 win for the Cards last year at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in Louisville. Louisville and USF have met just twice as BIG EAST members. Louisville is just 0-2 all-time in Tampa. The Cardinals held the Bulls to just 286 yards of total offense last season, including just 49 on the ground. Brian Brohm threw for then career-high 389 yards in his last visit to Tampa.
GAME FACTS - Louisville (5-5, 2-3 BIG EAST) at USF (7-3, 2-3 BIG EAST)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 17
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Site: Raymond James Stadium (65,000), Tampa, Fla.
TV: ESPNU will televise the game.
Radio: Paul Rogers and Craig Swabek will call all the action and Marty Lowe will report from the sidelines on WHAS 840 AM
Also: SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Ch. 125
Rankings: USF is among the team's receiving votes in this week's Associated Press Poll while the Cards are not ranked in any of the major polls or the latest BCS standings.
Coaches: Louisville's Steve Kragthorpe is 34-26 in four seasons as head coach and 5-5 at Louisville. USF's Jim Leavitt is 77-46 as the only coach in school history for the Bulls.
Series Info: This is the fifth meeting between the two schools with the overall series tied at 2-2. The home team has won each of the first four meetings, including a 31-8 win for the Cards last year at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in Louisville.
