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Saturday, Sep. 06, 2008

Louisville bounces back for 51-10 win

LOUISVILLE — A quarterback deftly finding open receivers. Running backs slicing through wide-open holes. Yards and points in bunches.

For a week anyway, it was back to normal for Louisville.

Hunter Cantwell threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns and Victor Anderson ran for 114 yards and a score as Louisville routed Tennessee Tech 51-10 on Saturday.

Brock Bolen added two touchdowns on the ground and Louisville's defense continued its dominant play as the Cardinals bounced back following a loss to rival Kentucky in the season opener.

"We can't keep looking back to the past, we've got to march forward to the future," Anderson said.

The future looks a little brighter for the Cardinals thanks to the play of an offense that looked more like the unit that spent most of the decade among the most potent in the nation.

Louisville (1-1) rolled up 451 yards of total offense and added touchdowns on defense and special teams. The Cardinals had 202 yards in the first quarter alone — just 3 less than they managed in the loss to Kentucky — and manhandled the overmatched Golden Eagles (1-1), who remained winless against teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision.

"I thought we ran physically," Louisville Coach Steve Kragthorpe said. "We did a good job of making sure we were running downhill, striking them."

The Cardinals ran for 234 yards, and the improved running game helped settle things for Cantwell, who appeared much more relaxed than he did against Kentucky. Showing the kind of touch he lacked against the Wildcats, Cantwell completed 15-of-23 passes and threw touchdowns to Troy Pascley and Pete Nochta.

Louisville, which failed to score a touchdown last week for the first time in eight years, wasted little time taking control. The Cardinals reached the end zone on three of their first four drives, jumping to a 20-0 lead before the game was 17 minutes old.

"It was very important for us to come out quick and get a lead," Cantwell said. "The running backs ran hard, blocked well. When they do that, it makes it easier when the running game is going."

Louisville wasn't perfect. The Cardinals turned the ball over twice and Cantwell was hit hard more than once. Louisville also played the second half without its two most experienced offensive linemen when center Eric Wood and left tackle George Bussey went down with minor injuries.

Still, the Cardinals were hardly bothered by Tennessee Tech's spread attack, ruining Golden Eagles quarterback Lee Sweeney's return to Louisville. Sweeney spent a year with the Cardinals in 2005 before transferring, but his chances at leading the Golden Eagles to an upset ended early. Sweeney completed 14-of-25 passes for 93 yards and an interception before giving way to Josh Lowery in the third quarter.

Louisville held the Golden Eagles to 176 yards, including just 33 on the ground.

"It was good to see us attack the way we did," Kragthorpe said. "The way we played well early was impressive."

Though the Cardinals hardly needed the help, the Golden Eagles gift-wrapped two touchdowns thanks to a pair of mental miscues by running back Henry Sailes.

Trailing 27-0 in the second quarter, Sailes took a short pass from Sweeney and tried to cut up field but lost the ball. Louisville defensive tackle Adrian Grady picked it up and rumbled 19 yards to make it 34-0.

Things didn't get any better for Sailes in the second half. He was blocking during a Louisville punt when the ball bounced at the Tennessee Tech 1-yard line and scooted back up field, glancing off Sailes before rolling into the end zone. Louisville's Brandon Heath fell on the ball for a score that made it 51-3.

"This will help us, you can't get caught up on the score," Tennessee Tech coach Watson Brown said. "It's good for our kids, but you can't get hung up on the outcome. When you play someone this good you have to do all the things right to have a chance, and we didn't."