Bonnafon Continues to Live Out His Dreams
November 19, 2014 | Football
LOUISVILLE, Ky.- When University of Louisville quarterback Reggie Bonnafon was a kid he never dreamt that he would be the starting quarterback for the Cardinals, but he really never thought he would be the starter at UofL, and playing at Notre Dame.
Bonnafon's wishes have both come true as the talented freshman from Louisville, Ky., will make his third career start when the Cardinals travel to Notre Dame to take on the Irish on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
"It's a dream come true," Bonnafon said after Tuesday's practice. "Growing up as a kid I never thought I would be playing at Notre Dame Stadium, but it's a big game. All of us are prepared and ready to put on a show."
Despite being named the starter after Will Gardner suffered a season-ending injury last week, Bonnafon is no stranger to being the starting quarterback.
A former standout at Trinity, Bonnafon has made three starts versus Wake Forest, Syracuse and Clemson. He is 2-1 as a starter and is ready to assume the starting role in the final three games.
I was ready," Bonnafon said. "I go out and prepare in each practice as I was the starter. There is no pressure. I just have to be ready to operate the offense."
Head coach Bobby Petrino, who has had plenty of experience in developing quarterbacks, thinks Bonnafon is a superior athlete and needs to call plays to fit Bonnafon's ability.
"Well, I think you have to play to his strengths," Petrino said. "He's a great athlete and he did a really nice job the other night of running with the football. At the end of the day, when you look and you get 86 yards rushing from your quarterback, that's a significant difference in the game."
The problem facing the Cardinals this week, with Gardner being out, is the Cardinals are thin of quarterbacks with any game experience, which is a challenge that confronts Petrino this week and the offensive staff.
"We are asking Reggie to be smart, to make sure that he gets the first down and takes care of himself, knows how to get out of bounds or get down on the ground," Petrino said. "He's a really, really good athlete. In those runs the other night, he never got hit hard one time. It was great to see, something we really look at. But he's also a good thrower, I think he can do a good job of, particularly, throwing the ball down the field."
Offensive coordinator Garrick McGee isn't looking for Bonnafon to be something he is not. He wants his quarterback to be with he has been all season, but realize what is at stake for the Cardinals.
"Be himself," McGee said of Bonnafon. "He is a special guy. He has to be himself and have fun with it He has to understand how serious this is. This is a huge game for us. He has to take his preparation serious and perform when he gets the opportunity to perform."
Bonnafon is going to have the luxury of playing behind an offensive line that is playing the best it has all season. With three seniors on the line, the Cardinals are finally seeing the advantages of having such a veteran group.
"We stuck to our plan," McGee said. "When things weren't looking good, we didn't change the way we coached them or coach Klenakis doubted the way he was coaching them."
"We have a plan that has always worked for us. We have won a lot of games together. Coach Petrino is the one who told us both to stick to the plan. Eventually, the light will come on and they will start to understand concepts and understanding our terminology. We have been fortunate the last couple weeks that they are playing really good ball."
The Cardinals will need an entire team effort on both sides of the football to move get a win at Notre Dame and continue its quest for a top-flight bowl game.
However, for Bonnafon, he just continues to live out his dreams.
