Sat Nov 07 2009
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) " Eric Wood heard his mom tell him all about the way the TV announcers spotlighted Louisville's fiery center during a game two weeks ago against Connecticut.
Yet Wood didn't bother to check tape or search for himself on YouTube. Looking back would have meant more than hearing some guys in a booth chatter on about Louisville's unquestioned emotional leader. It also would have meant going back to the painful final moments of a stunning 26-21 loss.
"That last one hurt," Wood said. "I didn't want to watch that one for sure."
Louisville seemed to be in total command in the second half until the Huskies stormed back to score the game's final 16 points, including the game-winner on a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown by linebacker Lawrence Wilson with 2:45 remaining.
Having a week off to think about it didn't make it any easier for Wood to stomach, though he said the Cardinals have used the downtime to try and regain their confidence heading into Friday's game at Memphis (3-3).
"The season is obviously not over. ... Nobody is down in the dumps, but we're a little on edge to get back on the field again," Wood said.
Being healthy certainly helps.
Wood, who got banged up during a win over Tennessee Tech on Sept. 6, said he's as close to 100 percent as he's been all season. Quarterback Hunter Cantwell, who sprained his left ankle in the third quarter against UConn, is expected to start. And wide receiver Scott Long, who has yet to play a down all season after breaking his foot in training camp, will play against the Tigers.
Long, the team's leading returning receiver, was supposed to be Cantwell's security blanket when the season began. His absence, however, opened the door for players like Doug Beaumont and Josh Chichester. Coach Steve Kragthorpe estimated Long is now probably stuck somewhere in the middle of the depth chart after the injury, which Kragthorpe said says more about Beaumont and Chichester's progress than Long's potential.
Kragthorpe said he's not sure how many snaps Long will see against the Tigers, though the Cardinals could use him to take some of the focus off Beaumont, whose 29 receptions in four games put him 10th in the country in catches per game.
"Any team can use a 6-3 guy who runs a 4.3 40," Wood said.
Particularly a team that is looking for a way to finish off drives. Louisville dominated UConn but squandered several opportunities to put the game away. Part of the blame falls on the kicking game. Kragthorpe twice bypassed lengthy field goal attempts against UConn to go for it on fourth down because he didn't have a lot of confidence in kickers Chris Philpott or Tim Dougherty.
"In those situations, I'm basing my judgments on what happened in practice," Kragthorpe said. "At that point in time, I just felt like our best chance of putting points on the board or our best chance of moving the chains was to go ahead and try to go for it on fourth down."
Kragthorpe is optimistic the kicking game is getting better even without Dougherty, who has been suspended for two games for conduct detrimental to the team. That leaves Philpott and barefooted specialist Ryan Payne to compete for the kicking duties against Memphis. Kragthorpe said both could see action against the Tigers. Philpott has struggled, with just 1-of-3 success on field goals this season while Payne has yet to attempt a field goal.
Payne's problem hasn't been length but accuracy, though Kragthorpe said he's been pleased with Payne's progress in the last week.
The Cardinals will need every point they can get against an improved Memphis squad that has reeled off three straight in the rekindling of one of the region's most enduring rivalries. Friday's game will be the 41st meeting between the schools, but the first since Louisville jumped from Conference USA to the Big East in 2005.
"There's some bad blood similar to Kentucky and Louisville," Wood said. "We know this is a big game for them, and it's a big game for us."
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