By Andrew Hornback

The University of Louisville football team defeated the University of Syracuse Orange, 10-9, on Saturday, Nov. 14, at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
It was the first conference win by Louisville since defeating then No. 16 University of South Florida Bullfrogs, 24-20, on Oct. 25, 2008. Both Louisville and Syracuse entered the game winless in conference play, and 3-6 overall.
Senior quarterback Adam Froman returned from a shoulder injury to start for the Cardinals, while redshirt sophomore running back Victor Anderson also returned from an injury, but did not start. Anderson only played one half before leaving the game with an additional shoulder injury.
The Cards gained momentum on the first play of the game, when senior wide receiver Trent Guy returned the opening kickoff for 53 yards, but were unable to capitalize, as Froman was sacked, for a loss of 10 yards on third-and-19, forcing the Cards to punt.
Senior linebacker Chris Campa forced Syracuse quarterback Greg Paulus to fumble on the first Orange possession, with sophomore defensive end Greg Scruggs recovering the fumble for the Cardinals. The fumble was the fifth forced by the Cards this season.
Neither team scored in the first quarter, as both defenses kept their opponent out of the red zone. The Cards only managed 10 total yards of offense in the period, as the Syracuse defense pressured Froman with a variety of blitzes. Froman finished the quarter with 0 passing yards.
The weak offensive play continued for both teams throughout the second quarter, as the score remained 0-0 at halftime. The Cards recorded only 39 total yards in the half, their lowest total on the season. Froman finished the half with 3-of-9, for only 24 yards through the air, while redshirt freshman running back Darius Ashley gained 21 yards on the ground.
Defensively, the Cards held Orange running back Delone Carter to only 11 yards on 5 carries in the second quarter, after allowing Carter to rush for 58 yards on 10 carries in the first quarter of action. Campa finished the half with 7.5 total tackles, including 2 sacks, for losses of 8 and 9 yards. 
Syracuse scored first, with 8:51 left in the third quarter, on a 42-yard field goal by kicker Ryan Lichenstein. This came after a 13-play, 61-yard drive by the Orange, to take a 3-0 lead.
The Cards continued their string of injuries, as senior wide receiver Scott Long left the game in the third quarter with a back injury, although he returned late in the fourth quarter. Long leads the Cardinals in total receptions and receiving yards for the season.
Sophomore kicker Chris Philpott, who made all three of his field goals in his first start of the season, against West Virginia University, in the Cards’ previous game, tied the game with a 31-yard field goal at the 3:54 mark in the third quarter. Campa added 5.5 tackles in the quarter, including one for a 4-yard loss on a screen pass to the Orange’s running back Mike Jones.
Carter’s 3-yard touchdown capped off a 4-play, 30-yard drive for Syracuse, at the 12:58 mark in the fourth quarter, to give the Orange a 9-3 lead. However, the extra point attempt was fumbled by the Orange.
Two Cardinal possessions later, a potential game-tying 94-yard touchdown by Guy was overturned, after the officials ruled that Guy’s knee was down at the 6-yard line prior to returning the Syracuse punt.
On the ensuing play, Guy continued to have an impact, receiving a 36-yard pass from Froman, to bring the Cards to the 42-yard line. However, the Cards would eventually punt on the drive, as the offensive line continued to struggle, allowing Froman to be sacked twice, to put the Cards in a fourth-and-13 situation.       
On the Cards’ final drive, Guy once again fueled the attack, with a 44-yard punt return to put the Cards on the 45-yard line. Froman led the Cards down into the Orange’s red zone, and finished off the drive with a touchdown to sophomore wide receiver Josh Chichester on a fade route to the right corner of the end zone. Philpott gave the Cards a 10-9 lead, by converting the extra point.
Senior wide receiver Andrew Robinson, who had been out due to injury since the Cards’ Oct. 10 game against Southern Mississippi University, clinched the game for the Cards, by intercepting Paulus, with the Orange driving into Louisville territory. It was Robinson’s first interception of the season.
Next up for the Cardinals will be the University of South Florida, in Tampa, Fla., on Saturday, Nov. 21. The game is set to kick off at noon.