Louisville-USF Postgame Notes
October 26, 2013 | Football
Oct. 26, 2013
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Louisville Postgame Notes
No. 18/16 Louisville 34, USF 3
Raymond James Stadium
Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013
Game captains for Louisville were senior linebacker Champ Lee and senior wide receiver Damian Copeland.
Louisville moves to 7-1 overall, 3-1 in the American Athletic Conference.
The Cardinals have won five-straight games on the road dating back to last season. Louisville has also won eight of its last 11 league games.
Series Notes
The Cardinals are now 2-4 all-time in Tampa and have won two straight at Raymond James Stadium after losing four-straight to open the series. Louisville now leads the all-time series 6-5.
Head coach Charlie Strong is 2-0 in Tampa and 3-1 vs. the Bulls. Louisville has won three straight in the series.
Offensive Notes
The Cardinals opened the game with a nine-play, 90-yard drive that resulted in a 20-yard touchdown pass from Teddy Bridgewater to Damian Copeland. It marked the seventh time in eight games that the Cardinals opened the game with a score and the sixth time scoring a touchdown.
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater hit Damian Copeland with a 20-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive to extend Bridgewater's streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 20.
Bridgewater threw for 344 yards, completing 25-of-29 passes and three touchdowns. It was the 12th 300-yard game for Bridgewater in his career and his sixth this season. He completed passes to 11 different receivers in the game. It was also the fourth time Bridgewater has tossed three or more touchdown passes this season and the eighth time in his career.
Damian Copeland made his 21st-consecutive start at wide receiver and also caught a pass for the 21st-straight game.
Making his first start of the season, running back Dominique Brown responded with 18 carries for a career-high 125 yards, his first career 100-yard rushing performance. He also caught a career-high six passes for 61 yards and a touchdown, marking only the second receiving score of his career.
Tight end Gerald Christian recorded the longest touchdown reception of his career and the longest of the season when Bridgewater connected with him for a 69-yard touchdown pass.
Bridgewater threw two or more touchdown passes for the 21st times in his career and the seventh time this season.
Wide receiver James Quick caught a pass in his third-straight game.
Defensive Notes
Safety Hakeem Smith started his 46th-straight game at safety, while safety Calvin Pryor started for the 28th-straight time and linebacker Preston Brown the 26th-straight time.
Defensive end Marcus Smith recorded two sacks to give him 17.5 for his career, which ranks eighth in school history.
Louisville limited USF to just 25 total yards on 17 plays in the first half, its best defensive effort for the first half and the fourth time this season the Cardinals have held its opponents under 100 yards in the first half (also FIU 33 yards, Eastern Kentucky 76, Ohio 88).
Preston Brown forced a fumble for the Cardinals, who have forced a turnover in all eight games this season.
After giving up a season-high 38 points and 446 yards of total offense to UCF, the Cardinals defense responded by limiting USF to three points and 133 total yards, second-lowest for a UofL opponent this season (FIU totaled 27 yards). Louisville, which gave up 196 yards rushing last week vs. UCF, limited USF to just 38 yards.
After being held without a sack in the loss to UCF, the Cardinals responded with four against the Bulls.
Cornerback Charles Gaines recorded his second career interception and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown. It was the first interception returned for a touchdown since Terell Floyd returned one 38 yards for a score in last season's Sugar Bowl. He has scored a special teams touchdown and a touchdown on a kickoff return this season.
