Louisville Postgame Notes

September 07, 2014 | Football

Sept. 7, 2014

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Louisville Postgame Notes
No. 25 Louisville 66, Murray State 21
September 6, 2014
Papa John's Cardinal Stadium - Louisville, Ky.

TEAM NOTES

Louisville is unbeaten in its last eight games, dating back to Oct. 26, 2013. The streak started with a 34-3 win over USF in Tampa, Fla.
- With Michigan State's loss to Oregon, Louisville now has the second-longest active winning streak in the country (Florida State leads with 18-consecutive victories).

Louisville led Murray State 45-7 at the half, marking the Cardinals' most points in an opening half since scoring 49 against the Racers before the break on Aug. 30, 2007.

Louisville has reached 50 points under head coach Bobby Petrino on 10 occasions at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium (most recently Sept. 9, 2006, against Temple).

Louisville finished the game with 66 points, the first time the Cardinals have reached the 60-point plateau since posting 72 against FIU on Sept. 21, 2013.

The Cardinals' offense totaled 603 yards, the most since Louisville tallied 615 against Ohio on Sept. 1, 2013.

Between Reggie Bonnafon (2 TDs), Brandon Radcliff (2 TDs), Dominique Brown (1 TD), and L.J. Scott (1 TD), the Cardinals combined for six rushing touchdowns. It is tied for the fourth most by a team in school history (6 vs. Army in 2004; 6 vs. East Carolina in 2004).
- The last time that Louisville had two players rush for at least two touchdowns apiece in a game was on Oct. 21, 2006, when Kolby Smith and Anthony Allen each rushed for two scores against Syracuse.

Louisville's stable of running backs netted 325 yards on the ground, the most since 2008 against Kansas State (Sept. 17), when the Cardinals combined for 303 yards.

After 43 rushing attempts against Miami in the season-opener, the Cardinals logged 49 attempts on Saturday. It's the most attempts since Louisville totaled 50 against Southern Miss on Sept. 29, 2012.

Of Louisville's 10 scoring drives, the Cardinals collected points on less than 10 plays seven times. Louisville reached paydirt three times on just three plays.

Louisville has been solid through its first two games on fourth-down conversions. After going 2-for-2 against Miami in the season-opener, the Cardinals went 4-for-5 against Murray State.

Murray State's touchdown in the first quarter (6:17 remaining) broke the Cardinals' 15-game streak of holding opponents with a score (started against Rutgers on Nov. 29, 2012).

Murray State rushed the ball for just 41 yards (19 carries, 2.2 average). The Cardinals now have held both opponents this season to less than 100 yards on the ground.
- Under head coach Bobby Petrino, Louisville's defense has stifled opponents to less than 100 yards on the ground on 23 occasions (2003: twice; 2004: six times; 2005: seven times; 2006: seven times).
- The last time Louisville's defense held an opponent to less than 50 yards was on Oct. 26, 2013, stifling USF to just 38 rushing yards.

The Racers went just 4-for-12 on third downs. Through two games, opponents are just 5-for-25 (20 percent conversion).

As a team, Louisville has gone 24 straight games without throwing multiple interceptions, the second-longest active streak in the FBS.

PLAYER NOTES

Kai De La Cruz caught his first pass of the game for a 12-yard touchdown reception, giving Louisville a 7-0 advantage. He finished the game with four catches for 53 yards.

In his limited playing time, Dominique Brown rushed five times for 40 yards - a long of 33 - along with his 14th career touchdown. He also had one catch for five yards.

L.J. Scott had a long rush of 68 yards with less than six minutes remaining in the first quarter. He finished the game with 126 yards on 11 attempts - 11.5 average - and one touchdown.
- Dominique Brown rushed for 143 yards against Miami in the Cardinals' season opener.

Freshman quarterback Reggie Bonnafon completes his first career passing attempt, goes 18 yards to Kai De La Cruz.
- Both Teddy Bridgewater and Reggie Bonnafon each attempted their first career pass at the collegiate level against Murray State (Bridgewater's was on Sept. 1, 2011).

Quarterback Reggie Bonnafon finished the game with three touchdowns - two rushing and one receiving. He is the first freshman quarterback to have three scores in a game since Teddy Bridgewater had three against USF on Nov. 25, 2011. Bonnafon's two rushing scores are the most by a first-year quarterback since Bridgewater had a pair against Connecticut on Nov. 19, 2011.

Charles Gaines registered his sixth career interception - first of the season - with less than nine minutes remaining in the first quarter.

John Wallace connected on his lone field goal of the day, a career-tying 45-yarder. He previously hit a 45-yard field goal against Missouri State on Sept. 8, 2012.