By Andrew Hornback

It was only two years ago that Doug Beaumont and Victor Anderson were high school seniors competing against each other for the Kentucky Mr. Football award.
Now the two are University of Louisville teammates looking to  resurrect an offense many once viewed as being one of the most prolific in the nation just a few seasons ago.
“We were always good friends, even back in high school,” Anderson, freshman running back, said. “But we always knew we had to watch out for No. 25 when we played Male [High School]. We used to text each other here and there. It was fun back then.”
Beaumont, a sophomore wide receiver, had similar feelings on the relationship between the two.
“In high school we knew it was a big rivalry but we were still friends,” Beaumont said. “But now that we’re playing with each other we have a chance to help the team win and we know what we have to do as players to make that happen.”
Anderson, a product of Louisville’s St. Xavier high school, is playing his first season for the Cards after redshirting last year. Anderson used his year on the sidelines to benefit his play this season.
“It was kind of hard at first, but I had the opportunity to learn a lot,” Anderson said. “Now that I’m playing I just want to help the team win games.”
For Beaumont, being a running back ended after his senior season at Male. He was moved to wide receiver at U of L, but he said he doesn’t feel like the switch has hindered his play any.
“I knew, coming in, I’d probably play a different position,” Beaumont said. “But I knew I’d still be on the field and that I could work hard at receiver so I could execute and get the ball.”
So far both players have produced solid numbers for the Cards in their first year of significant playing time. Anderson has 421 rushing yards through four games and is averaging nearly eight yards per carry. He has improved his total rushing and rushing average in each of the first three games of the season. His best game so far was against Kansas State when he rushed for 176 yards on 18 carries, averaging almost a first down every time he touched the ball.
Beaumont’s numbers have continued to rise every game as well. Through the first four games, he leads the team in receptions with 29 and in total receiving yards with 385, more than doubling anyone on the team. The Kansas State game was almost his most notable, as he reeled in 119 yards on nine receptions.
The play of both former  high school stars will have to continue as the Cards as they try to rebuild an offense that averaged 37.8 points per game in the final year of former U of L head coach Bobby Petrino’s tenure with the team. However, Anderson is confident they can cause a multitude of problems for opposing defenses when they are on the field together.
“Now that we’re teammates I think our relationship is a lot better,” Anderson said. “It’s kind of hard for teams to have to guard both of us.”