Grantham Turns Attention to Murray State
September 03, 2014 | Football
LOUISVILLE, Ky.- There was a lot of excitement around the University of Louisville football team when head coach Bobby Petrino hired defensive coordinator to lead the defense, and it certainly was evident why with the performance of the defense on Monday night.
In a 31-13 dominating defensive performance, the Cardinals completely shut down a potent Miami attack, including holding running back Duke Johnson to 90 yards on 20 carries.
With the win now two days old, Grantham is ready to move on to the next opponent in Murray State on Saturday night at 7 p.m.
"Miami is in the past," Grantham said. "We're on to Murray State right now. You know, hey, we did what we had to do. I thought the guys played with effort and energy. I was pleased with the communication both on the field and on the sidelines. I thought we prepared. You can see the invested time we had going into the scheme and learning the game plan."
"Credit goes to the players for doing that. In reality, that's what we're supposed to do and it's only one game, so we have to build on it," Grantham added.
After the emotional win in the first-ever ACC game and the return of Petrino, the Cardinals have only five days to prepare for their next opponent
"It's a short week," Grantham said. "So it's on to Murray State. We have to get ready for another opponent. They'll come in well rested and prepared, so we have to move on and try to get better. Each week you have to move on and get better. That was our task today."
Murray State comes to Papa John's Cardinal Stadium after scoring 73 points in its season opener last Thursday against Union.
"They put the ball in the end zone," Grantham said. "They got some skill guys that can catch it and get yards after the catch. They've got some runners. Their quarterback gets them into the right plays. They're up-tempo, really fast. We'll have out hands full. We've got to execute. We've got to do our job and prepare."
The Cardinals hit the practice field again on Wednesday night after a day off on Tuesday following the win. After the 31-13 win, the Cardinals needed to come out and put that behind them, and Wednesday's practice was a good start.
"I thought it was a good work day," Grantham said. "We had a meeting this morning. Really yesterday was their off day, this morning was about cleaning up Monday's game and get that behind them so that today was about getting on to Murray State. We did the scouting report, the installation and everything. It was a grind day. I thought the guys worked hard and did what they have to do."
The Cardinals lost a lot on defense heading into this season, especially at the safety position where they lost a pair of all-conference performers, including a first-round draft pick.
One player who stood out was junior-college transfer James Sample, who earned his first career start. He stepped in to record eight tackles and an interception in his UofL debut.
"I think coach Brown did a great job with developing him," Grantham. " James is a guy that really came in and got in the notebook and learned the calls and what to do. We put him to the test in training camp about how to play. He's a guy that made plays in camp, and that translated to making plays in the game. He's a guy that likes football, he likes contact. I'm glad he's here."
After aa short week, the 25th-ranked Cardinals are ready to put Miami behind them and focus on a solid Murray State team and their high-powered offensive attack.
