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The University of Louisville football squad is coming off of a successful couple of weeks. Along with defeating in-state rival UK in a much closer game than anticipated, senior defensive end Elvis Dumervil was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week after his impressive performance against the Wildcats.
Dumervil earned a U of L record six sacks and tallied a career-high 12 tackles in the 31-24 victory on Sept. 4. Seven of those 12 tackles were for a loss of yards. The senior also caused two fumbles and obtained a fumble recovery.
“He’s got arms like a seven-footer, and he’s able to get his arms out on the offensive lineman before the guy gets set. He knows how to leverage well. He would make a good wrestler,” said U of L Head Coach Bobby Petrino.
But even after Dumervil’s impressive showing, the Cards have been actively improving their game and preparing for their next opponent, Oregon State University.
The Beavers come into Saturday’s opening home competition at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium with a 2-0 record, with wins against both Portland State and Boise State.
Cardinal fans can look for OSU to score quickly and post big numbers under the direction of Head Coach Mike Riley, who is in his fifth season with the Beavers. Even without the experience of talented players like OSU record-holding quarterback Derek Anderson, who was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens this past year, OSU rebuilds this season with seven returning starters on offense and a new starting quarterback. Junior Matt Moore, a transfer from UCLA, debuted with the Beavers as the offensive anchor, passing for 367 yards along with four touchdown passes in the 40-14 win over Portland State. In the following game, Moore was 27-38 and threw for 279 yards in the 30-27 win over Boise State last Saturday.
Another Oregon State player to watch for is senior receiver Mike Hass who was named Third Team All-American by the Associated Press last season. He is a legitimate candidate for All-America honors again in 2005-2006. In the contest with BSU, Hass brought down 11 catches for 178 total yards.
U of L’s defense will have to be on their toes against the Beavers’ passing game. With Dumervil and others putting pressure on Moore, the Cardinal secondary will be equally busy throughout the course of the game covering numerous receivers. Also, Coach Riley has said the Beavers are working on their running game, which has not been used effectively in their past two outtings.
The Beavers are anchored by their own secondary defense. Texas transfer Edorian McCullough and Oklahoma transfer Aaron Miller team up to create a solid corner tandem. Those two, along with the likes of senior linebacker Trent Bray, combine for a better-than-average defensive unit that U of L sophomore quarterback Brian Brohm will have to lead the Cards against.
U of L will again count on the running game of juniors Michael Bush and Kolby Smith in Saturday’s noon game. To ensure that the running game remains effective throughout the entire competition, Louisville will also need to count on receivers to open things up. Brohm will need to connect well with players, such as seniors Joshua Tinch and Montrell Jones, to create the effective U of L offensive scheme involving both running and passing.
The game will be televised on ESPN.
