Rogers and Bridgewater Continue to Build Chemistry
August 23, 2012 | Football
Aug. 23, 2012
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A lot can be said for having chemistry. Oftentimes, some of the best teams in the country develop a strong that chemistry that becomes immeasurable to a team's success.
With 15 players on the roster from Miami and 34 from the state of Florida, the Cardinals are very familiar with one another and have developed chemistry all over the field.
No two players are more familiar with one another than sophomores Teddy Bridgewater and Eli Rogers, who were teammates at Northwestern High School in Miami.
The two players were standouts in high school together, and both players have taken their talents and performed more than admirably at the collegiate level.
That chemistry was evident last year, as the two players teamed up to help the Cardinals win their second BIG EAST title since joining the conference in 2005.
"I feel like we could be as good as we practice," said Rogers. "Practice is the key to everything, and right now, we're practicing very well. The connection from last year to this year is even better because both of us have a better understanding of defenses this year. Once you have that feel with your quarterback, you'll just know where to sit it down in the zone defenses and beat coverages better than that, and Teddy is a mastermind."
Bridgewater and Rogers quickly became one of the top QB-WR duos in the BIG EAST in 2011. In 10 games with Bridgewater as the starter, Rogers quickly solidified himself as Bridgewater's favorite target. Rogers caught 35 passes for 396 yards during the 10 games Bridgewater started at quarterback.
"Before the play starts, I know where the ball is going and if he's coming to me or not," said Rogers. "That's just a chemistry the whole receiving corps has with the quarterback, so that's basically what we practice - knowing what we have up against us and reacting."
Rogers led the Cardinals in receiving last year with 41 receptions and came on toward the end of the year, as the Cardinals won five of their last seven games and the conference crown.
This season, with eight starters back on offense, the Cardinals are going to rely heavily on the duo of Bridgewater and Rogers, and if they can further develop their chemistry together, the Cardinals have a chance to put on a show.
Louisville cut back in practice on Thursday to about 22 periods and will hit the practice field again on Friday afternoon.
Benavides Tabbed to First Senior Bowl Watch List
Senior center Mario Benavides was selected to the first Senior Bowl Watch List on Thursday evening.The top 100 seniors in the country will be invited to participate in the 2013 Senior Bowl, set for Saturday, Jan. 26, in Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala.
Benavides, who appears on a number of watch lists, is the veteran of the offensive line. Going into his fourth season as a starter at center, Benavides has started 34 of 38 games during his career and continues to be the steadiest offensive lineman on the squad.
The Senior Bowl Watch List also includes 29 players from non-FBS schools. The showcase event has a long-standing tradition of featuring smaller school standouts, with seven FCS and Division II players on last year's roster alone.
Invitations for the 2013 Senior Bowl will be begin being extended in the next few weeks and continue throughout the 2012 season.
