By Randy Burnssports Intern
Although it was senior day at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium on Saturday, a future senior made his mark on the playing field. Junior running back T.J. Patterson rushed for 135 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries in the Cardinal pounding of the Blazers. Louisville’s offensive line played their best game as a unit since game against East Carolina 3 weeks ago. Sophomore running back Lionel Gates also added 65 yards rushing on 13 carries and scored one touchdown. The underclassmen were filling in for the injured Henry Miller who was listed as questionable before the game. Although “Miller Time” came late, the senior running back finally made an appearance in the fourth quarter and ran the ball five times for 22 yards.
Dave Ragone started off a bumpy senior day with a fumble and two interceptions by halftime. However, he would finish up his final game before a Cardinal crowd with 207 yards on 21 of 33 passing and three touchdowns. The most important stat of the game for the lefty quarterback came when the scoreboard read “FINAL.” With his 27th win, Ragone surpassed Frank Gitschier for the most wins as a quarterback in Louisville history. Ragone is now 27-9 as a starter. “I’m so happy for myself and the other seniors,” said Ragone.
After UAB put up 7 points with 5:12 left in the first quarter, the Cardinal racked up 6 consecutive scores to put the game out of reach. Ragone’s 30-yard pass to senior wide receiver Damien Dorsey started the scoring in the second quarter. Dorsey finished his senior day with 98 yards on 8 catches and one touchdown. “There was a lot of emotion and I even shed a tear before I came out onto the field,” said the senior wide out. “It’s a great day and I’m blessed to be here.”
Meanwhile, senior safety Curry Burns capped off his memories as a Cardinal with a blocked punt and an interception. “It was really emotional for me,” said Burns. “I just want to compliment the fans for being there for me.”
In a sloppy game that saw 20 penalties between both teams, Louisville gained 412 yards of total offense with 205 of those coming by way of rushing the ball. The Cards also saw the red-zone five times and scored on all of them. “We’ve had a yo-yo year,” said Louisville head coach John L. Smith. “But we sent the seniors out the way they should go.”
