5 STAR SELECTION (4.5% of Bankroll)
Louisville +6 1/5 over KENTUCKY
A couple of clubs with new head coaches will meet in a bitter rivalry when the Louisville Cardinals take on the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington on Sunday. After two straight Conference-USA titles, the Cardinals failed to live up to expectations last year, finishing in third place with a 5-3 mark, 7-6 overall, which was quite a drop from their 10-win season the prior year. With head coach John L. Smith moving on the Michigan State, assistant head coach Bobby Petrino is now in charge. As for Kentucky, it replaced head coach Guy Morriss, now at Baylor, with Rich Brooks. He's a coaching veteran who will be making his return to the college game after a nine-year absence from NCAA action. He's been out of coaching of any kind for 2 years and now inherits a team that finished the 2002 season 7-5 overall and 3-5 in SEC play.
Louisville had enjoyed the services of one of the top quarterbacks in C-USA in Dave Ragone. There's no question that his departure leaves a big hole to be filled. Two-year backup Stefan LeFors brings his own talents to the table as he is one of the fastest players on the team. While most are expecting a huge drop-off in the quarterback position, we don't anticipate it being that drastic. We look for other offensive players to step up, like Florida State transfer Eric Shelton, a powerful back with speed of his own. LeFors will have some good talent in the receiving corps with Joshua Tinch and TE Ronnie Ghent, an All-C-USA player the last THREE years. Defensively, the Cardinals ranked 22nd in the nation last season. They will have to replace several top players so it'll be up to the younger guys to make an immediate impact. The biggest challenge for them in this game will be defending the pass with their green secondary.
Putting points on the board was not a problem for Kentucky last season, and with the return of the "hefty lefty" QB, Jared Lorenzen, the team may be improve upon last year's numbers. Lorenzen is back for his senior season after to dropping to 260 pounds. Lorenzen does lose his top receiver from last season, but Derek Abney is back and is a big time threat with his speed. The biggest hole this unit must fill is at the tailback position with the departure of superstar Artose Pinner. There are plenty of holes to fill on a defense that struggled last year. New defensive coordinator Mike Archer will implement a new 3-4-4 scheme, which may sound like a good idea, except he doesn't have any experienced linebackers to do it with.
This game marks the beginning of new eras for both teams and could bring with it a lot surprises. Brooks has made this much clear: He won't play it close to the vest like many coaches do in opening games. The Cats spent all spring and most of two-a-days working with backup QB Boyd and quarterback Jared Lorenzen in the same backfield using several different formations and moving both players all over the field. Louisville, and their new coaching staff, will also have some tricks up their sleeves. This in-state rivalry game marks the 16th meeting between the two schools, with Kentucky holding a 10-5 series advantage, which includes a 22-17 victory in Louisville last season. The Cardinal players are out to redeem themselves from last year's loss and will be playing with a chip on their shoulders here for "payback time". As is the case with many rivalries, underdogs and visitors usually put up a very stiff fight. In fact, the visitor in this series is 4-1 ATS. Louisville is 3-1 ATS vs. Kentucky and 3-1 SU/ATS AT Kentucky. Overall, in road openers, the Cardinals are 4-0 ATS and 11-4 ATS overall in their last 15 road games.
Coach Brooks has put his Kentucky team through a summer of unlike any they've experienced. The players were accustomed to relatively light practices in previous years, but had to "boot camp" it this year. On a muggy afternoon in Lexington, their tired legs may not hold up in a close-fought game. We like Louisville's chances of keeping this game close in a high-scoring affair, and very possibly pulling out the SU upset victory.
PROJECTED FINAL SCORE: LOUSVILLE 34 KENTUCKY 31
Louisville +6 1/5 over KENTUCKY
A couple of clubs with new head coaches will meet in a bitter rivalry when the Louisville Cardinals take on the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington on Sunday. After two straight Conference-USA titles, the Cardinals failed to live up to expectations last year, finishing in third place with a 5-3 mark, 7-6 overall, which was quite a drop from their 10-win season the prior year. With head coach John L. Smith moving on the Michigan State, assistant head coach Bobby Petrino is now in charge. As for Kentucky, it replaced head coach Guy Morriss, now at Baylor, with Rich Brooks. He's a coaching veteran who will be making his return to the college game after a nine-year absence from NCAA action. He's been out of coaching of any kind for 2 years and now inherits a team that finished the 2002 season 7-5 overall and 3-5 in SEC play.
Louisville had enjoyed the services of one of the top quarterbacks in C-USA in Dave Ragone. There's no question that his departure leaves a big hole to be filled. Two-year backup Stefan LeFors brings his own talents to the table as he is one of the fastest players on the team. While most are expecting a huge drop-off in the quarterback position, we don't anticipate it being that drastic. We look for other offensive players to step up, like Florida State transfer Eric Shelton, a powerful back with speed of his own. LeFors will have some good talent in the receiving corps with Joshua Tinch and TE Ronnie Ghent, an All-C-USA player the last THREE years. Defensively, the Cardinals ranked 22nd in the nation last season. They will have to replace several top players so it'll be up to the younger guys to make an immediate impact. The biggest challenge for them in this game will be defending the pass with their green secondary.
Putting points on the board was not a problem for Kentucky last season, and with the return of the "hefty lefty" QB, Jared Lorenzen, the team may be improve upon last year's numbers. Lorenzen is back for his senior season after to dropping to 260 pounds. Lorenzen does lose his top receiver from last season, but Derek Abney is back and is a big time threat with his speed. The biggest hole this unit must fill is at the tailback position with the departure of superstar Artose Pinner. There are plenty of holes to fill on a defense that struggled last year. New defensive coordinator Mike Archer will implement a new 3-4-4 scheme, which may sound like a good idea, except he doesn't have any experienced linebackers to do it with.
This game marks the beginning of new eras for both teams and could bring with it a lot surprises. Brooks has made this much clear: He won't play it close to the vest like many coaches do in opening games. The Cats spent all spring and most of two-a-days working with backup QB Boyd and quarterback Jared Lorenzen in the same backfield using several different formations and moving both players all over the field. Louisville, and their new coaching staff, will also have some tricks up their sleeves. This in-state rivalry game marks the 16th meeting between the two schools, with Kentucky holding a 10-5 series advantage, which includes a 22-17 victory in Louisville last season. The Cardinal players are out to redeem themselves from last year's loss and will be playing with a chip on their shoulders here for "payback time". As is the case with many rivalries, underdogs and visitors usually put up a very stiff fight. In fact, the visitor in this series is 4-1 ATS. Louisville is 3-1 ATS vs. Kentucky and 3-1 SU/ATS AT Kentucky. Overall, in road openers, the Cardinals are 4-0 ATS and 11-4 ATS overall in their last 15 road games.
Coach Brooks has put his Kentucky team through a summer of unlike any they've experienced. The players were accustomed to relatively light practices in previous years, but had to "boot camp" it this year. On a muggy afternoon in Lexington, their tired legs may not hold up in a close-fought game. We like Louisville's chances of keeping this game close in a high-scoring affair, and very possibly pulling out the SU upset victory.
PROJECTED FINAL SCORE: LOUSVILLE 34 KENTUCKY 31
