Until…the script did not play out–again–for a disheartened home crowd for the third time this season.

What can one say?  Apparently the young psyches of these Cards just can’t handle great success well…

Vic Anderson leaps into the end zone to pull Louisville to within 14-7 in the third quarter.

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Preaching from the coaching staff about avoiding a letdown similar to what occurred after the UK win started almost immediately after the WVU celebration had died down some.  But apparently the Cards were still partying in their minds all week long, because from the get go, the team looked flat and distracted.

In fact the coacges, by all accounts, saw this coming in practices and tried re-starting practices twice during the week–and then again in warm-ups just before game time!

Maybe some of the coaches were infected too. Even the offensive play calling was uninspired, bordering on quite predictable, particularly on first down.  Hey–we passed on first down a few times the last few games, why the hell stop now , coaches ?

Teddy Bridgewater was not sharp, and the Card offense never got in rhythm all day...

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And when it was obvious we couldn’t run the ball–which it was ALL first half– why not have opened up the air game sooner, like near the beginning of the second half, instead of when it neared panic time. Yes, in the post game presser, Coach Strong was pointed in emphasizing the receivers did not run crisp routes, forcing Teddy Bridgewater to scramble more than normal.  But, when you simply can’t run the ball, you must throw it.

True enough, disappointingly this was a total  team breakdown –even the usually stellar D gave up more than 200 yards rushing, only the second time during Charlie Strong’s reign here.  And this allowed Pitt to control the game.

The D sacked Pitt's veteran QB Tino Sunseri three times. But Sunseri and Pitt ran for over 200 yrds on the Cards-- move than any allowed this year.

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Still, the silver lining is that there is still some madcap football left to play in a still wide open Big East.  Plenty of room left for a jumble of things to happen.

And the gold lining is that we will most probably will be Bowl-ing this year.  Which absolutely no one would have predicted just four games ago.

This team seems to play better on the road anyway, so on to Connecticut !

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(BTW-  Sam Hunter took pics for Hell in the Hall,  and here is the link to his full set of over 200 pics of the game http://www.flickr.com/photos/fpos/sets/72157628113128494/detail/   )

U of L football Coach Charlie Strong gets the victory ride of his life !

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Forget just Bowl-ing.  We’re fighting for the Big East title and BCS bowl spot!

Streaking Louisville racked up it’s third straight win and  it’s first victory over WVU  in Morgantown since 1990, propelling it to 3-1 in a tight conference race.

Just weeks the Cards were 2-2 and wondering where their next “w” would come from.

Now, the rapidly improving Teddy Bridgewater and the Card O line are opening up possibilities no one would have dreamed of….

And now ….Pitt at home.  Bring ‘em on !

Some cool wallpaper from frankly the King of wallpapers--Brandon Pry. Ck out his new website Card Shout http://cardshout.com/

Teddy Bridgewater abused the 116th ranked pass defense in the country–for a 44 yd completion  on the second play of the game even ! — and then with  two aerial TD strikes in the first quarter to lead the Cards to a 27-10 decimating of the ACC-bound Orange .

And that alone–even without Vic Anderson glorious 61 yd  TD run to put it away at the beginning of the final quarter—was enough for victory given the clampdown again by Charlie Strong’s  17th ranked defense (in total points allowed per game.)

Chants of “Big East, Big East”  boomed out of the Crunch Zone after Vic’s run.

Bridgewater’s scoring passes were  to DeVante Parker just two  minutes into the game and to Josh Chichester at the end of the first quarter.

This was the second week in a row that the Cards’ D held a Big East offense averaging over 30 pts/game to well under their average.

What made the game even more of an eye-opener:   The Cardinals held the Orange  to a season-low  total yards in a game, just a week after after Syracuse pounded then # 11 West Virginia 49-23.

Speaking of new Big XII member WVU….we will be paying them a visit in Morgantown next weekend.  Given the schools’  Big XII struggle  this week, this game now has a special spice to it.

I believe Bowl-ing –and the Big East title –is wide open and ready for the taking.

Of course, I’m drinking while I’m writing this.

But, hey!  Let’s just see…..

Contrary to reports just yesterday, apparently the Big XII has voted this morning to accept WVU– and no others.

Bad news….but as the post below on the SEC indicates, the college conference realignment game is far from over.

http://brett-mcmurphy.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/29532522/32980106

But the big dog dragging this whole sled stated clearly through its commissioner today that it plans to go to 14 members ultimately.

And this does not even include any potential plans by the ACC, which has been quiet now after its dramatic raid of Syracuse and Pitt.

What does this all mean?  Don’t hold your breath, or necessarily die if we are not taken by the Big XII in this round.  Until the big dogs are done, nothing will be totally settled.  And that frankly may take another year or two of this twisting in the wind bu schools like U of L, who are simply on the fringe because of their supposed smaller football footprint nationally.

http://eye-on-collegefootball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/24156338/32961199

Several national sources today  stunned the  college sports world with news that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell–and staunch U of L alum–has apparently halted the assumed imminent crowning of WVU as the next member of the Big XII conference, with a  last -minute  intervention with Oklahoma President David Boren, who was a U.S. senator from 1979 to 1994.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/7152071/west-virginia-mountaineers-move-big-12-hold-reports-say

Late today, both Senators from West Virginia fired back, one with threats of a Senate investigation:

“If the story that we have been told has any merit to it, I’ve been very clear,” Sen. Joe Manchin said. “If somebody, a U.S. Senator would intervene after the process took place, that’s wrong and it’s unacceptable. And at that point in time if that happened, I will ask for a Senate investigation…”

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2011/10/west-virginia-jay-rockefeller-joe-manchin-big-12-louisville/1

Sports Illustrated now reports that the issue will not be resolved before next week….

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/football/ncaa/10/26/big-12-expansion.ap/index.html?sct=hp_t2_a4

Meanwhile, there has been not a peep out of U of L AD Tom Jurich for days now…..that usually means TJ is working hard.  Apparently, he had to call in reinforcements.

Now…

Will we see Mitch and Joe tangle on the Senate floor ala Hatfields and McCoys?

Will the Big XII (IX?)  add just that last  one more coveted spot…or more.

What for God’s sake must be done to just get this seemingly never-ending soap opera to end??!!

Stay tuned….you have no choice….

when a large, powerful man–  his face contorted with anger and disgust–strides quickly into the room and YELLS that he IS EMBARRASSED,  small sprays of spittle peppering the first row of press in the rushing torrent of his words and emotion.

Thank god I was in row two.

QB Teddy Bridgewater dives for the end zone in what was the highlight of an off game by the Cards.

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And  the video 

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As the press near him shifted a bit uncomfortably in their seats, Charlie Strong spoke as loudly and forcefully as I have ever heard him.  It caught us all a bit off guard, even given the  upset by the 11 pt underdog Herd.

To his credit he called out both the coaches and the players–because truly the coaches failed to motivate the players past the fleeting glory of last week’s rival victory over a truly pitiful UK team.  And the Cards just aren’t good enough to give less than their all to win ANY game.

(BTW-  Sam Hunter took pics for Hell in the Hall,  and here is the link to his full set of over 200 pics of the game .http://www.flickr.com/photos/fpos/sets/72157627796016450/detail/      )

Here's our other highlight: Vic Anderson scampers in for a TD.

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Be sure of this: Marshall is not a good football team.  It was 1-3 coming into this game for a reason.  It ranked abysmally low nationally  in both offensive and defensive categories.

But also be sure of this:  Marshall was better than the Cards today. The Herd manhandled us in the second half 11-0.

It was disquietingly like the FIU loss.  Just plain beaten soundly AT HOME by  supposedly lesser opponents, definitely ones that Vegas sharpies saw us winning.

Don't worry...The Ladybirds are here to cheer you up--again...

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In this game, Louisville really only “won” one quarter–the second.  Marshall won the others statistically.

You can talk about stats, but frankly the whole team stunk.

Now, it must be said:  I lived in the Huntington, WV area for several years and I can tell you they take their football VERY seriously–as the movie on that tragic plane crash of their football team in the past attests to .

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And I can tell you Marshall had beaten us the last 3 times we have played–and that they fully expected to beat us today– or at least give us a game.  That I knew.

And I also knew it was a natural “trap” game– one where the Cards were coming off an emotional victory over a rival and likely to take a lightly -regarded, but gritty, proud foe lightly.  In fact, I can personally assure you that this  foe looked upon us as a bit of a  rival!  While we did not view them as such….

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I knew all that…but I thought we’d win …at least.

But that tells you what I–and Charlie– know during this “roller-coaster” season.

Lacking other spots in the 4 Super conferences shaping up, this is what I want the most— and may be the  most likely of the scenari0s– a Big East – Big 12 mash-up……

An incredible statistical analysis of WHY things are shaking out as they are……(From Eric Crawford’s link)

http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/the-geography-of-college-football-fans-and-realignment-chaos/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nyt%2Frss%2FSports+%28NYT+%3E+Sports%29&seid=auto&smid=tw-nytimessport

From Rick Bozich:  What former Big East impresario Mike Tranghese thinks about the ACC playing its tournament in the Big East’s home, Madison Square Garden:

http://blogs.courier-journal.com/rickbozich/2011/09/19/former-big-east-commissioner-tranghese-wants-to-throw-up-about-acc-coming-to-the-garden/

And ….finally…from Eric –and ESPN- again… on what may well become of Louisville in all this……………..

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/6993604/big-east-big-12-talking-possible-merger-report-says

UPDATE: 8:20 pm EST ……………Texas and OKLA make their moves: http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/6992952/regents-oklahoma-sooners-texas-longhorns-ok-presidents-act-pac-12

Hint from Editor:  Monopolies are still illegal, lastI ck’d…..don’t be surprised  if the teams left out demand a federal inquiry:http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/15606444

http://vimeo.com/29254947

The Governor's Cup comes home, as U of L uses all its 3 QB's to take the Cup! (Photo courtesy of Rockchickpeg at Card Chronicle)

The Cup comes home !   Wait til the end for the C-A-R-D-S chant !

Teddy Bridgewater’s first college TD pass …completed to emerging star freshman Devante Parker, after Will Stein had given the Cards the early lead on a TD pass to Andrell Smith (before Stein was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury.)

Head Coach Charlie Strong "feels" it....as UK surrenders its last drive on downs with seconds left. (Pic courtesy of Card Chronicle)

Defensive team leader, Greg Scruggs manhandled UK...then babied the Cup....:-) (Photo courtesy of noobmaster at Card Chronicle)