Football Looking to Expect the Unexpected
August 29, 2012 | Football
Aug. 29, 2012
Vance Bedford | Preston Brown | Brandon Dunn
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - College football coaches are sneaky creatures. Sure, they all have tendencies that they might stick to, but when they begin the football season, especially against a rival, the amount of tricks up one's sleeve can be endless.
That is exactly what defensive coordinator Vance Bedford is facing when his defense squares off against Kentucky on Sunday at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in the season-opener.
"We expect everything," said Bedford, who is entering his third season as the defensive coordinator. "We really don't know who is going to be the starting quarterback. They could play three quarterbacks. We have to get ready for everything. If (Patrick) Towles is in there, we expect the Wildcat. If (Morgan) Newton is in there, he was the Wildcat guy for them last year. We have to prep for everything and once the game settles down, we should have an idea of what we need to defend."
While the coaches don't know what the Wildcats are going to do in the passing game, they are strongly preparing against the running game.
"Defensive mind, you think they'll run the ball a lot more," said junior Preston Brown. "We just have to be able to make tackles when it's wet and slippery; you just have to hone down and not miss tackles."
The Cardinals return 10 starters from last year's defense, but still have a lot of youth on that side of the football. Bedford will likely trot out a new strong side linebacker in George Durant, and cornerback Terell Floyd and B.J. Dubose had a few starts between them. There are also three sophomores in the starting lineup and most of the freshmen in the two deep are on the defensive side of the football.
"We are still looking to find out what we are on defense," said Bedford. "We are young. We have young guys with a lot of talent. We know we are going to play hard. We are looking for leadership. We only have two seniors starting on defense and we have to count on those guys to step to the forefront and lead these guys in the right direction."
The defense is going to have to be ready, facing a quarterback they have never seen before in Kentucky's Max Smith. Louisville faced Morgan Newton in last season's 24-17 win at Kentucky.
"We have a lot of depth on front for the first time in the two years we have been here," said Bedford. "We are looking for those guys to step up and make some plays. We are bigger, faster and stronger. Hopefully, on game day, that shows, but we are still young."
The Wildcats have a solid offensive line with two solid players in Matt Smith and Larry Warford, so junior defensive tackle Brandon Dunn knows he has to be ready to play for 48 minutes.
"We treat every offensive line - we give them respect because we haven't played against them yet," said Dunn. "We treat them like they're top notch. We have to go out there and execute our defense."
One element that seems inevitable to become a factor on Sunday is the weather. Rain is in the forecast for the opener, which may be severe and extremely heavy at times, but the Cardinals know they have to be ready for whatever they face from Mother Nature.
"Me coming from Cincinnati, all my high school games were in the rain," said Brown. "I'm fine in the rain. I like rain games. I haven't really played in one besides the spring game here, but it should be fun."
Whatever the elements may be, throw everything out the window in a rivalry game like this. Both teams are playing for pride and the opportunity to be 1-0 and get their season headed in the right direction. However, for now, there is a lot of uncertainty on both sides, which should make for an interesting season opener.
