Kragthorpe Previews Sunday's Season-Opener Against Kentucky
August 25, 2008 | Football
Aug. 25, 2008
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville football head coach Steve Kragthorpe, senior quarterback Hunter Cantwell and senior defensive tackle Earl Heyman met with members of the media on Monday to preview this week's season-opener against rival Kentucky. The Cards and Wildcats will meet in the annual showdown for the Governor's Cup on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in Louisville and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN.
The game returns as the series opener after the two teams played in the third game of the season a year ago -- a 40-34 win for UK. The Cardinals are coming off a 6-6 season and missed a bowl game for the first time since the 1997 season. Louisville opens the 2008 season with a new quarterback in senior Hunter Cantwell and two starters back on the offensive line in senior center Eric Wood and senior offensive tackle George Bussey. The Cardinals return senior Brock Bolen, sophomore Bilal Powell in the backfield.
Defensively, the Cardinals do return eight starters led by senior Earl Heyman, who led the Cardinals in sacks a year ago. Junior L.D. Scott and seniors Adrian Grady and Maurice Mitchell are also veteran defensive linemen back for 2008. The Cardinals lost all three starting linebackers and will rely on two junior-college performers and an incoming freshman. In the secondary, senior Woodny Turenne and sophomore Johnny Patrick are back at the corners and seniors Bobby Buchanan and Richard Raglin are back at the safety positions. Kentucky finished 8-5 last season and were Music City Bowl champions for the second straight season.
The Series - U of L and Kentucky
Sunday's game at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium will be the 21st meeting between Louisville and Kentucky, and the 15th time the two will play for the Kroger's Governor's Cup. UK leads the all-time series, 11-9, but the Cardinals have won seven of the last nine meetings. Kentucky won last year's contest, 40-34, at Commonwealth Stadium with a 57-yard pass in the closing seconds. Louisville has won the last two meetings at home between the two teams and are 3-2 against the Wildcats all-time at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.
Red Out the Wildcats
Fans are encouraged to wear red to Louisville's 2008 season-opener against Kentucky as the Cards look to "Red Out the Wildcats" at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. In advance of the event, Cardinal Fans are encouraged to support their local U of L retailers for game day merchandise for the game, which will be televised nationally on ESPN. This will be the Cards' first ever "Red Out" after hosting "Black Out" events the last two seasons. Last year, the Cards earned a 41-38 win over Rutgers, while in 2006 U of L hosted its first ever "Black Out" promotion as the Cards knocked off previously unbeaten West Virginia 44-34 in front a national television audience on ESPN.
GAME FACTS - Louisville (0-0) vs. Kentucky (0-0)
Date: Sunday, Aug. 31
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Site: Papa John's Cardinal Stadium (42,000), Louisville, Ky.
TV: ESPN will televise the game with Joe Tessitore (play-by-play) and Rodney Gilmore (analyst)
Radio: Paul Rogers and Craig Swabek will call all the action and Doug Ormay will report from the sidelines on WHAS 840 AM
Also: SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Ch. 119
Rankings: Neither team is ranked in this week's major college football polls.
Coaches: Louisville's Steve Kragthorpe is 35-28 in six seasons as a head coach and 6-6 in his second year at Louisville. Rich Brooks is 116-144-2 in his 24th season as a head coach and 25-35 in his sixth year at Kentucky.
