D-coordinator let go, O-coordinator resigns for Louisville

Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe released defensive coordinator Mike Cassity, and offensive coordinator Charlie Stubbs resigned on Sunday just days after the Cardinals stumbled to a 6-6 season.

Jeff Brohm, a former Louisville star whose brother Brian just finished his career with the Cardinals, was promoted to offensive coordinator. Jeff Brohm served as assistant head coach, quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator this season.

"I think Jeff and I are on the same wavelength and I also want to keep some continuity," Kragthorpe said. "I thought we did some very good things offensively [but] certainly we fell short in some situations."

Cassity was released after spending four seasons with the Cardinals, three of them as defensive coordinator. Louisville struggled stopping opponents all year, finishing 84th nationally in total defense and 93rd in scoring defense, allowing 416.5 yards and 31.4 points per game.

Though Louisville finished eighth in the country in total offense, averaging 488 yards per game, the Cardinals couldn't seem to generate a consistent running game and had trouble protecting Brian Brohm.

"The biggest change is that Jeff will call the plays on game day," Kragthorpe said. "I thought we did a good job as an offensive staff of developing game plans together, then Charlie took the lead on game day. Now Jeff takes the lead."

Louisville began the season ranked in the top 10 after winning the Big East and the Orange Bowl last year under former coach Bobby Petrino, but plummeted after consecutive losses to Kentucky and Syracuse.

Louisville's problems weren't limited to the field. Willie Williams was kicked off the team in September after being arrested on drug charges and ended up pleading guilty to possession of marijuana, one of several players to run into trouble.

"We have had some challenges," Kragthorpe said. "From an accountability standpoint, I think the guys are starting to understand that the way I operate is if you follow the rules and do the things you're supposed to do and you're a good person then you're going to get a chance to play."

The Cardinals never factored in the Big East race, and needed an 18-point rally in the season finale against Rutgers on Thursday to avoid their first losing season since 1997.

Louisville Rallies to defeat Rutgers 41-38 in thier final game of the season

Brian Brohm and Louisville finally got a little revenge on Rutgers.

Art Carmody kicked a 33-yard field goal with 20 seconds remaining to lift the Cardinals over the Scarlet Knights 41-38 on Thursday night.

Brohm, making his final collegiate start, threw for 237 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score as Louisville (6-6, 3-4 Big East) salvaged a disappointing season by rallying from 18 points down to stun the Scarlet Knights (7-5, 3-4).

The Cardinals absorbed a difficult 28-25 loss at Rutgers last year when the Scarlet Knights roared back from 18 points down to win, ruining Louisville's shot at a perfect season.

This time, Brohm and a couple of late stands by the defense set the stage for Carmody.

The senior, who set an NCAA record for career points by a kicker, had never made a game-winner during his career. He went out in style though, calmly drilling the ball through the uprights.

Carmody finished his career with 433 points, breaking the old record held by Houston kicker Roman Anderson, who had 423 points for the Cougars from 1988-91.

Brohm and Carmody had plenty of help. Brock Bolen ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns and Bilal Powell added 91 yards and a score as Louisville rallied from a 35-17 deficit.

Ray Rice ran for 120 yards and three scores for Rutgers. Mike Teel threw for 265 yards and two TDs, both to Kenny Britt, but Rutgers couldn't find a way to stop Brohm and the Cardinals in the second half.

Offensive tackle Jeremy Zuttah rumbled 13 yards on a lateral pass, and little-used freshman quarterback Chris Paul-Etienne came in to throw a bomb to Britt. The pass was incomplete, but Rod Council was called for pass interference - one of nine Louisville penalties. Rice strolled in from 14 yards out to put the Scarlet Knights up 21-3 late in the first quarter.

Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe had hoped the Cardinals would rally around the team's 17 seniors, many of whom helped propel Louisville to unprecedented heights during their career.

Instead, the Cardinals played most of the first 45 minutes with inconsistency.

In the end, however, the Cardinals finally played with the urgency they've lacked all year. The defense slowed down the Scarlet Knights in the final quarter, and Brohm went to work.

Bolen ran in from 5 yards out to cut it to 35-24. A Jeremy Ito field goal pushed the lead to 38-24 early in the fourth quarter, but the Cardinals kept coming.

Powell streaked in from 18 yards get within 38-31. Another stop led to Bolen's second touchdown, which tied it at 38 with 8:37 to go.

The teams traded punts, but Louisville wasted little time once it got the ball back with 3:22 to play. Brohm hit Harry Douglas for a 46-yard pass to the Rutgers 18, setting the stage for Carmody.

Greenwich gets its payback against Staples

Westport,Conn- In a record-setting span of three hours Thursday, the Greenwich football team defended its FCIAC title, secured a state playoff home game and got its long-awaited payback.

Highly motivated by two seasons worth of shutouts at the hands of Staples, Greenwich took care of business in a big way, putting on a performance for the ages in the 42nd FCIAC Championship at jam-packed Staples Field.

The Cardinals' 37-0 rout of the rival Wreckers was the most lopsided score in the history of the league final. The convincing win gives Greenwich three FCIAC crowns in four years, and 12 overall — tops in the FCIAC.

Previously unbeaten Staples (8-1) had outscored Greenwich (9-1) by a combined 30-0 the past two seasons, but was no match for the state's No. 2 ranked team on this day.

Greenwich's defense set the tone, forcing Staples to go three-and-out on the first series of the much-anticipated contest. All the Cardinals did on their first possession was march 98 yards on just four plays, punctuated by John Kavanagh's 40-yard run into the end zone.

Four more touchdowns and one field goal later, the Cardinals celebrated their statement victory on live TV (MSG) with friends, family members and former teammates.

Never has coach Rich Albonizio's Thanksgiving Day turkey tasted so good.

"We've been stuffed the last two years, so it feels great to knock the stuffing out of us," said Albonizio, still wet from a Gatorade shower during the final minute of the fourth quarter. "There was a lot riding on this game, but really it was all about Staples. We wanted this one, and the way we won makes it all the more satisfying. We did it on both sides of the ball and dominated the game. You couldn't ask for anything more."

To top off the day, the Cardinals soared to the top spot in the Class LL playoff rankings, setting up a state semifinal showdown at home against No. 4 Central on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Defending LL champion Greenwich opened the season with a 21-12 victory over Central in Bridgeport.

A blow to their pride, the loss nearly cost the Wreckers a state tournament spot as well. Staples fell to No. 4 in the Class L rankings and will battle unbeaten and No. 1 rated Bunnell in the semifinals in Stratford.

"Fortunately for us, it's a short turnaround," Staples coach Marce Petroccio said. "This is a tough one to take, but my hat's off to Greenwich. We're not used to losing by 37 points. They did a great job of executing and we just couldn't stop them. I feel bad for the seniors, but we've had a great season and its not over yet. We just have to put this one behind us in a hurry."

The Cardinals rushed 43 times for a FCIAC championship record 435 yards, including 323 in the first half to take a 20-0 lead into the intermission. The old mark was 383, set by Greenwich in a 42-7 victory over Darien 20 years ago.

Senior quad-captain Jonathan Meyers was among the beneficiaries of Greenwich's strong offensive line play. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound blue-chip prospect gashed the Wreckers for 152 yards on 13 carries, highlighted by touchdowns runs of 13 and 4 yards in the first half.

Meyers earned MVP honors, an award that could have been given to any number of Cardinals.

Vegas trip was a learning experience for Cardinals

In a city full of fake pyramids, phony replica skylines and celebrity impersonators, the University of Louisville basketball team learned some truths about itself.

The Cardinals went 2-1 on their Las Vegas swing, but the results weren't as important as the early-season education. They began to figure out their new identity without senior center David Padgett.

Edgar Sosa said. "David's our vocal leader on the defensive end, he guards the other team's best player and if our offense breaks down, he's there to pick it up."

Padgett, who broke his right kneecap, won't be back until late in the season, if at all. Senior forward Juan Tello Palacios remains out with a torn knee ligament, an injury that was originally diagnosed with a recovery period of 4-6 weeks.

"If we get a break and somewhere down the road one of the two guys comes back, that will be a big lift to us," Pitino said. "(But) I'm a doubting Thomas with both guys. I'm planning that they're not coming back. It's been six weeks since (Saturday) that Tello has been out, and he's nowhere near coming back."

Pitino stuck with an eight-man rotation most of the past three games and could have to deal with a short bench the rest of the season. But he at least likes the potential of the available Cards (4-1).

Sophomore forward Earl Clark has emerged as a star. He averaged 14.7 points and 11.7 rebounds in the three games, earning a spot on the All-Las Vegas Invitational team. He also played at least 37 minutes in each contest.

"Earl Clark never had to have stamina to his game before, and he's developing stamina," Pitino said. "He's about 30 to 40 percent of how good he can be. Down the road, in the months and years to come, he's going to get much better."

Derrick Caracter also showed flashes of brilliance on the offensive end, scoring a career-high 24 points in Friday's loss to Brigham Young and adding 13 points in Saturday's 64-53 win over Old Dominion. But Caracter only averaged 23 minutes in the three games because of foul trouble and defensive mistakes.

"Derrick is fundamentally not sound, and he's got to get sound," Pitino said. "He does a lot of good things, big things, but he doesn't do the little fundamental things."

Maybe the most important development last week was the re-emergence of Sosa. The sophomore finally appeared to recapture his freshman form in the second half against Old Dominion, scoring eight points and dishing out four assists. His penetration skills and playmaking ability can take the Cards to another level.

"We're a much different basketball team when he's playing well," Pitino said.

Depth remains a major concern, but U of L won't have many stretches like it just experienced. Pitino said the team expended all its energy to win a game at Nevada-Las Vegas on Wednesday. Two days later it lost a high-tempo battle against BYU 78-76, a defeat that looked better when the Cougars went toe-to-toe with top-ranked North Carolina for most of the game Saturday night before losing 73-63. Then the Cards pressed full court for 40 minutes against Old Dominion.

But Louisville will have a full week off in between each of its next three games, consecutive Saturday dates against Miami of Ohio, Dayton and Purdue. The Cardinals likely won't face a ranked opponent until Jan. 17, when they'll host Big East Conference rival Marquette, though there will be several challenges before then.

The Cards spent a week together in Las Vegas, which forward Terrence Williams said helped improve team chemistry.

"We bonded well," he said. "I think this was good for us."

The players didn't have much time for anything except basketball until after Saturday night's game. Several planned to walk the strip of casinos on Las Vegas Boulevard, where they could check out fake versions of Venice, Paris, New York and ancient Rome. For Louisville, though, this trip was about reality.

"We got an awful lot out of it," Pitino said. "We played great competition out here. And to do that this early on with a young team was a great learning experience for us."

One more extra point

Kicker Art Carmody had modest goals when his locker rested in the University of Louisville's walk-on alley.

Certainly the senior from Shreveport, La., didn't think he'd be one point shy of tying the highest-scoring kicker in major-college history. While the Cardinals (5-6, 2-4 Big East) look for a silver lining to an otherwise disappointing season Thursday night against Rutgers (7-4, 3-3), they can send Carmody out atop the record books.

He has also set the record for career extra points with 248.

That probably would not have happened had he attended the only other college he seriously considered out of high school. The Air Force Academy offered him a chance to be a preferred walk-on just like U of L, but Carmody felt his best fit was with the Cards.

It didn't take long for others to notice. Jason Horton, a walk-on when Carmody arrived, coined what has become a popular and appropriate nickname.

"I was kicking in spring ball and got off to a good start," Carmody said. "He was just sitting back watching the kicks and was like, 'You're Art-o-matic.' Guys picked it up, and it just kind of stuck."

Carmody won the Lou Groza Award, which recognizes the nation's best kicker, as a junior. He also holds many of the school's kicking records. But as much as he has had success, he remembers the failures.

Carmody has missed only two extra-point tries in four years at U of L, but he can tell you about both of them his sophomore season against Cincinnati and Connecticut.

"The misses always stand out more than the makes," he said. "Usually something didn't feel right, or when you look up and it's not going through you get that sickening feel that you haven't done your job."

Carmody hasn't had that feeling often, although he admits he should already own the career scoring mark. Not because of a failed kick -- but a failed catch.

His sophomore season against Pittsburgh, the Cards ran a fake field goal. Wide receiver Harry Douglas was the holder, and the two ran an option play.

"He flipped it to me, and it went right off my hands and out of bounds," Carmody said. "We looked back on film, and I would have had an easy touchdown if I would have caught it. That's probably my one and only chance, and we didn't get it done."

It still doesn't stop him from plotting. Carmody said he often designs trick plays with junior long-snapper Dane Mattingly, just in case he gets another chance.

With one game left, it's unlikely Carmody will run a trick play. He's shifting to another dream now. Carmody, whose longest field goal is 51 yards, believes he can play in the NFL.

With modest goals, all Carmody wants is an invitation to an NFL team camp.

"Hopefully I get a shot," he said. "That's all you can ask for is to get a shot to show what you can do. Basically that will be my goal -- just get an opportunity just like I got the opportunity here, and hopefully good things will happen."

Kragthorpe Previews Thursday's Season Finale Against Rutgers

Louisville football head coach Steve Kragthorpe and senior quarterback Brian Brohm met with members of the media on Monday to preview this week's season finale against Rutgers. The Cards and Scarlet Knights will meet on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in Louisville and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN. The Cards' 17 seniors will be honored prior to the game.

The Cards dropped their second straight game on Nov. 17 when they fell to USF 55-17 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. It was the third straight loss at USF for U of L since the two schools began playing each other in 2003. USF forced seven turnovers in the contest and intercepted quarterback Brian Brohm three times. Brohm was held to 213 yards passing - his lowest output of the season.

Rutgers enters the game at 7-4 overall and 3-3 in BIG EAST action following a 20-16 win over Pittsburgh on Nov. 17. Sophomore cornerback Devin McCourty intercepted a pass from Pittsburgh quarterback Pat Bostick in the end zone with 19 seconds remaining to seal the win, while junior Ray Rice rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown. The Scarlet Knights are in search of their third consecutive victory to close out the regular season. Rutgers is bowl-eligible for the third straight season and will play in the post-season for the first time in school history for the third consecutive year.

The Series - U of L and Rutgers
This is the seventh meeting between the two schools with Rutgers holding a 5-1 lead all-time. Rutgers won last year's meeting 28-25 in Piscataway, N.J., to give the Cards their only loss en route to a 12-1 season and a win in the FedEx Orange Bowl. The Scarlet Knights lead the all-time series 2-1 in Louisville, though the Cards won the last meeting in Papa John's Cardinal Stadium 56-5 in 2005.

BLACK OUT THE SCARLET KNIGHTS

On Thursday, Nov. 29 at 7:30 p.m. ET Uofl will host its second Black out game. Fans are encouraged to wear black to Louisville's 2007 home finale against Rutgers as the Cards look to "Black Out the Scarlet Knights" on Thursday, Nov. 29 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

In advance of the event, Cardinal Fans are encouraged to support their local U of L retailers for game day merchandise for the game, which will be televised nationally on ESPN. The "Black Out" event will be the final home game for Louisville's senior class, which will be honored prior to the game.

Last year, U of L hosted its first ever "Black Out" promotion as the Cards knocked off previously unbeaten West Virginia 44-34 in front a national television audience on ESPN. So this is why Uofl will hos its second "Black Out Game" on ESPN. This is the biggest game of their season and this can tell us if Uofl Will go to a Bowl Game Plus, This is SENIOR Night for Brain Brohm and Fellow Teamates. Best of Luck To Brain Brohm and

GO C.A.R.D.S!!!!!!

No Vegas hangover; Cards down ODU

Sixth-ranked Louisville (4-1) avoided a hangover with a strong second half performance to down Old Dominion 64-53 Saturday in the Findlay Las Vegas Invitational consolation game.

Terrence Williams and Derrick Caracter led the way for the Cardinals, who played their fifth game in eight days. Williams scored 20 points, 15 in the second half, while the 6’9 Caracter added 13 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocked shots.

“Coming out of halftime, I told them ‘I know you’re tired and gasping for air, but you’ve just got to give us twenty great minutes.’ And they played terrific in the second half and I’m real proud of them,” Rick Pitino said. “It was not an easy trip for us and it was a very difficult game for both of us. Our guys responded in a good way.”

Caracter’s play sparked Louisville, who trailed ODU 28-27 at halftime, in the second half. His hustle and two key second half blocks energized the Cardinals , who built a 45-38 lead with 11:26 left in the game.

But Caracter picked up his fourth foul just under the ten minute mark and ODU went on a 6-0 run to claw back into it at 45-44 at the seven minute mark. The score remained close for the next four minutes.

Then Williams came up big for Louisville, nailing a three-pointer with 3:32 left to put Louisville ahead 55-48. After an ODU three-pointer cut the Cardinals lead to 55-51, Edgar Sosa hit deep three from the baseline with the shot clock running out to put Louisville back up by seven at 58-51. On the next possession, Williams scored on an alley oop to give Louisville a 60-51 lead with 1:49 left and in firm control of the game.

Caracter’s break away layup in the final minute put Louisville up 62-53 and sealed the win.

“We got a lot out of the (trip) but we’re really fatigued,” Pitino said. “We’re in good shape but to put any team through what I put them through is unfair. We had to play really hard last night and we had to play really hard today. We didn’t get the gold (medal) but we’ll take the bronze and move on.”

Louisville opened the game with a 10-0 run. The Cardinals were active and intense on defense early in the first half as ODU didn’t get their first field goal until the 13:19 mark in the first half.

Once ODU found the basket, though, the Monarchs countered Louisville’s opening spurt with a 13-5 run of their own over the games next five minutes and finished the half on a 28-17 run.

A day after falling to BYU, the Cardinals turned in a solid defensive performance. Louisville held ODU to just 33. 9 percent shooting, blocked seven shots and made steals.

“We just had to survive in the zone,” Pitino said. “We didn’t play any man-to-man. We had to make them shoot a low percentage and take a lot of challenged shots and rebound the ball well. We played great defense in the first five minutes. We’re just playing too many minutes for these guys to sustain that effort.”

Earl Clark finished with a game-high 15 rebounds. Clark also scored 11 points.

Jerry Smith scored 11 points and Sosa added 8 points, four assists and one steal.

Matt Sims, Louisville Red-Shirt Freshman

Here is a scouting profile on Matt Simms, a standout quarterback during his four-year high school career at Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey before starting his career at the University of Louisvlle.

Simms is an accurate pocket passer who understands timing and rhythm. Obviously comes from a solid QB pedigree and understands the game. Has solid size. He gets set quickly and works through his progressions. Sees the field well and does not hold onto the ball. He is at his best in the short-to-intermediate passing game where he can dink and dunk and get rid of the ball on time. His release is relatively quick, and he anticipates routes well, particularly underneath. He is the type of quarterback who is tough and gutsy and shows good command of the offense. Has a calm feel in the pocket. Is a good ball handler and does a nice job on bootlegs -- throws accurately on the move. Is an above average athlete, but when rolling out, he is a crisp passer. Shows very good touch on the deep ball and although he lacks a powerful arm, he can drop the ball in over coverage. Unfortunately, Simms does not have the natural physical tools of his brother or father. He lacks great athleticism and the arm to drive the ball downfield on a consistent. He is a touch passer who lacks zip and power to fit the ball into tight spots downfield although he shows good zip on underneath routes. Low delivery point may get balls batted down in college. At the college level, the further downfield he goes with the ball, the less effective he will be in our opinion. He has above average feet and is not going to be able to buy many second passing chances with his legs, but can avoid, re-set and deliver. Overall, Simms needs to be in an offense that is predicated upon timing and a short-to-intermediate passing game to be at his best. He has a good understanding of the game and solid leadership skills. He had some problems when he committed to Louisville but he decommitted when Bobby Petrino left for Falcons, but them recommitted in late January.

A sea change for Kragthorpe

The concerns follow Dave Kragthorpe all the way back to his hometown of Logan, Utah.

"People come up to me and say, 'Your son's in some pretty deep water now,' " he said. His son is Steve Kragthorpe, who will open his first season as the University of Louisville's head football coach tonight against Murray State. And, it's safe to say, he'll be swimming in a whole different sea.

The 42-year-old Kragthorpe worked miracles the past four seasons at Tulsa, but there's no need to turn water into wine at U of L. The challenge here might be tougher: taking a program already near the top even higher.

The team he inherits went 12-1 and won the Orange Bowl last season and is ranked 10th this preseason. Fans and players are talking about a national championship. Anything less than another BCS game might be viewed as a disappointment.

But Kragthorpe insists the task ahead feels no different than the 51 games he coached at Tulsa. Or when he was calling plays at Texas A&M. Or when he was supporting a wife and young son on an $8,000 salary at Northern Arizona.

Those who know him don't think the pressure of expectations will affect him. He might be new to this level as a head coach, but his history suggests he won't be in over his head.

"Somebody had to come in here and follow Bobby (Petrino)," athletic director Tom Jurich said. "I don't think anybody in the country is more equipped to take that on than Steve."

Knee Injury Could Sideline Padgett For The Entire Season

Unfortunate Basketball News Out Of Da Ville: A knee injury to David Padgett could sideline the University of Louisville 6'10 seinor center for the entire 2007-2008 season, and possibly the rest of his career. Padgett, who averaged 9.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while blocking 50 shots on his way to All-Big East honors as a junior a season ago, sustained a broken right knee cap in the No.6-ranked Cardinals' 84-53 victory over Jacksonville State on Sunday, just the team's second game of the season.

"We're all devastated for David," U of L Coach Rick Pitino told reporters. "This young man has worked so hard to come back from injuries in the past. Because of his leadership ability, his intelligence and fortitude, there are a lot of roads that lead to prosperity for him, and not just in basketball. He has an extremely bright future.

The Reno, Nevada native, who orginally signed to play basketball at the University of Kansas, has been Louisville's primary starting center over much of the past three seasons. But knee injuries have plagued Padgett since the start of his Cardinals career.

Tonight, Friday, the Cardinals square off against Brigham Young University in the next round of the Las Vegas Invitational.

Brian Bennet, the U of L beat reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal, had an interesting column on the implications of Padgett's loss and the effects his abscence will have on the rest of the Cardinals' season.

This is what Louisville forward Terrence Williams had to say about the loss of Padgett, my favorite quote from the article.

"After David got hurt, a lot of critics put us down and said we don't have enough talent now," the junior forward said. "But I feel we were overtalented. If you take him away, that just equals us out with the rest of the country."