By Brandon Davis And Billy Garland

 On Friday, the University of Louisville Cardinals and University of Cincinnati Bearcats duked it out in the annual ‘Keg of Nails.’
U of L entered the game having won nine of their last ten against the Bearcats. This record did little to aid the efforts of the Cardinal team however, as the No. 22 ranked  Cincinnati team won the match with a score of 28-20.
UC quickly jumped to a lead as quarterback Tony Pike threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Derrick Goodman on the seventh play of the opening drive.
Hopes of a quick rebound for the Cardinals were fast erased as the offence, led by senior quarterback Hunter Cantwell, were forced to punt after only three plays on their first drive.
Both teams dealt with kicking problems throughout the game. U of L’s barefoot kicker Ryan Payne missed more than one attempt on Friday, including one 45-yard attempt which would have given the Cards a 24-21 lead late in the fourth quarter. The kick followed a series of penalties against U of L which left the team in the second half alone with six penalties for more than 40 yards.
The game left U of L with their first loss in the ‘Keg of Nails’ since the 2002 season. The loss also leaves the team with a record of 5-5 after losing three consecutive games for the first time in 11 years.
In the 2008 season home finale, the Cards will welcome in “new” rival West Virginia.
Since joining the Big East in 2005, the hard fought battles between the Card’s and Mountaineers have been very competitive and exciting, including their first meeting as members of the Big East in 2005.
Both teams delivered thrilling performances in Morgantown that needed four overtimes to decide the outcome. After spotting the Card’s a 17-point lead, the Mountaineers rallied behind key performances from Pat White and Steve Slaton.
West Virginia owns the all time record against the Cards, including a 2-1 advantage since U of L joined the conference. The last three games between the two have been decided by an average of just more than six points.
After the Mountaineers (6-3, 3-1) struggled at the start of the season losing two of their first three games, there were those who thought this was the year West Virginia would fall apart under the guide of new head coach Bill Stewart.
But the Mountaineers were able to recover and win five of their next six games, including five in a row.
West Virginia comes into this game after their five game winning streak ended with a 26-23 home loss to Cincinnati in overtime. Down 13 to the Bearcats, the Mountaineers stormed back in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter to tie the game at 23 before eventually losing in overtime.
“We’re upset about it,” Chris Neild, WVU defensive lineman said. “We feel like we had a very good comeback in the end but not to come out with a win was heartbreaking, but that is in the past and we have to look toward Louisville now.”
The West Virginia offense is ranked in the top 30 in total yards gained and is averaging more that 33 points per game. The Mountaineers are led by the 1-2 punch of senior quarterback Pat White and sophomore running back Noel Devine.
The emergence of Devine has made up for the loss of their previous backfield standout in Slaton.
Devine has averaged more than six yards a clip and his ability to break for long passes forces defenses to account for him every time he steps on the field. White and Devine have combined for more than 2,500 total yards of offense.
The key to stopping the Mountaineers remains in slowing down White, who has gained close to 1,700 total yards, while scoring 19 touchdowns.
Not only has White been one of the most consistent big-game college players in the country during his career, but he has a knack for breaking down U of L defenses.
In the games against the Cards, White has gained close to 800 total yard offense and scored seven touchdowns. 
The Mountaineer defense has been tough to figure out all season. Though WVU ranks among the top five in the country defending the pass, their defense against the run has struggled as the Mountaineers have given up more than 178 yards a game to their opponents.
Though the dream of national title has been shattered, West Virginia is still in the hunt for the Big East conference title and it’s third BCS bowl bid in the last four seasons.
“We still feel like it’s right there but we just have to do what we have to do and win the rest of those games,” defensive back Brandon Hogan said.
But in order to accomplish that goal the Mountaineer defense will need to prove that they can stop U of L’s running game and force the Cards to beat them through the air.
They’ll also have to beat a team that is sure to give a strong effort in the seniors’ last game at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.