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Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008

Cardinals plan to surprise skeptics

LOUISVILLE — Last month in Rhode Island, the media mavens that cover the Big East Conference put their collective gray matter together and determined that Louisville would finish seventh in the eight-team league.

Which begged the immediate question: Could Louisville really be that bad?

“Last year people were picking us to win the national championship game, and we went 6-6,” said U of L quarterback Hunter Cantwell at the team's media day yesterday. “We don't pay much attention to predictions.'

Oh, really.

“We don't pay too much attention to it,” said wide receiver Scott Long. “But it does give you motivation to burn.”

“I think,” said offensive coordinator Jeff Brohm, “this is a hungry football team.”

Once beasts of the Big East, Louisville had the torque to compete with college football's big boys. It won an Orange Bowl, was in the BCS title game conversation.

Then last year, even with a nice nucleus returning from a 12-1 dream team, it was as if ace Athletic Director Tom Jurich had finally lost his golden touch. Steve Kragthorpe, Jurich's quick choice to replace the departed Bobby Petrino, produced a water slide of an opening campaign, which included a tough loss at Kentucky, a startling loss to Syracuse and a 55-17 blister of a loss at South Florida.

“Last season,” said running back Brock Bolen with something just shy of a spit. “I just want to forget about last season.”

Steps have been taken to erase the taste. Pink-slipped was co-offensive coordinator, Charlie Stubbs, in favor of hometown hero Brohm, who will move from the coaches' box he occupied last year back down to the sideline where he can practice the same sort of tough love (wink) he used to dish out to sibling, Brian.

“I thought I was pretty gentle with him,” joked Jeff.

Out went defensive coordinator Mike Cassity, whose dazed and confused unit left the end zone open for most anyone. The Cards finished 94th nationally in points allowed. In came Ron English, the former Michigan defensive man, who is, as more than one Cardinal stressed yesterday, “intense.”

Question to English: Who will be your leaders?

“I'm the leader,” shot back English, with a look of stone. “I'm the emotional leader.”

Will the coordinator changes coordinate a difference? It won't be easy. After all, gone to Green Bay is Brian Brohm, the record-setting quarterback who for so long was the face of the university. Gone, too, are playmaking receivers Harry Douglas and Mario Urrutia, as well as underrated tight end Gary Barnidge. The defense has a new attitude, yes, but is bluntly suspect at linebacker and dangerously thin.

“I do see that we can improve rapidly,” countered English.

There is one big plus. While Brohm will be missed, successor Hunter Cantwell is a fifth-year senior who has played in 18 games, with four starts, and has thrown for over 1,400 yards. He's no novice. In fact, when U of L welcomes rival UK on August 31, the Cards will be the lone team with the quarterback who has the benefit of a previous college start.

That could be huge, especially in a game that is huge for both teams — maybe even more so, given the expectations, for the Cards.

“It's absolutely a huge game,” admitted Kragthorpe. “We're playing a team that has garnered an awful lot of momentum the last two years.”

Opposed to a team that badly wants its momentum back.

“We can't control where people pick us,” Bolen said. “But we can control how we play.”