By Andrew Hornback
The University of Louisville football team will look to get its first conference win of the season on Saturday, Nov. 24, on the road against No. 5 University of Cincinnati (6-0, 2-0).
Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike missed practice on Tuesday and Wednesday after having a plate in his left arm repaired. As of now, Pike’s status for the game is unknown, but he will attempt to practice on Thursday.
Pike, who ranks eighth nationally with 298.6 passing yards per game, has helped the Bearcats become the fourth most prolific offense in the country, averaging 40.7 points per contest.
While the Cardinals are only allowing 201 passing yards per game defensively, they haven’t faced a quarterback of Pike’s caliber this season. The Bearcats are sixth in the Big East in rushing, and without Pike would most likely have to rely more on a rush-oriented attack offensively, favoring the Cards statistically.
As for the Cards, the health of starting running back Victor Anderson is uncertain. Anderson saw limited action last week against the University of Connecticut, as junior reserve Bilal Powell got the start. Third-string running back Darius Ashley is also suffering from injuries.
With Powell averaging only 3 yards per carry against the Huskies, quarterback Adam Froman recorded a season high 31 pass attempts. The Huskies have a better rush defense than the Bearcats numerically, but the health of Anderson could determine how well the Cards exploit the Bearcats on the ground.
The meeting will be the 49th between the two schools, with Louisville holding an overall advantage at 27-20-1. The Cards haven’t lost in Cincinnati since 1997, but will be a huge underdog this weekend. The Bearcats were victorious last year at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium, 28-20.
