By: Noah Allison #5 QB Teddy Bridgewater Big East Offensive Player of the Year Sugar Bowl MVP 3,718 yards and 27 touchdowns Junior quarterback Teddy Bridgewater leads the No. 9 Cardinals into this season not only as the team’s unquestioned leader, but also as arguably college football’s top quarterback. The 6-3, 200 pound junior showed the nation what a true prostyle quarterback was when he dissected the vaunted No. 3 Florida Gator defense in the BCS Sugar Bowl completing 20 of 32 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns against one of the nation’s top defenses that featured two first round NFL draft picks.
Bridgewater also showed U of L and the city of Louisville a new meaning of Cardinal Strong when he came off the bench at Rutgers with a broken wrist and a sprained ankle, facing a second quarter 14-3 deficit, Bridgewater completed 20 of 28 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns to claim the Big East title on the road.
Returning his top three targets from 2012 and adding new weapons to the receiving core has many pro scouts interested in what Bridgewater can do his junior year. But all Coach Strong and Card Nation wants to see him do is lead this team to new heights in only the way that Teddy can.
#7 WR Damian Copeland Last season as a junior Damian Copeland led the team in receptions with 50 proving to be a constant go to for the sophomore quarterback. Copeland was second on the team in receiving yards with 628 and had caught two touchdowns amongst that. Copeland is a move the chains, control the pace type of receiver that is perfect for the balanced offensive attack Offense Coordinator Shaun Watson is going to have in store for opponents. As a senior it is Copeland’s year to perfect his craft and give Bridgewater a reliable target to get the ball to in 2013.
#9 WR DeVante Parker The hometown hero from Ballard High School lived up to expectations during his sophomore campaign when he became the offense’s most explosive threat. Parker, a 6-3 209 pound receiver was named First-Team All-Big East after leading the Cardinals in reception yards with 744 and receiving touchdowns with ten on 40 receptions overall. Parker averaged 18.6 yards a reception and caught a touchdown one in every four receptions.
# 82 WR Eli Rogers Junior wide-out Eli Rogers has been junior quarterback Teddy Bridgewater’s goto-guy since they went to Northwester High School in Miami, Florida. Rogers isn’t the biggest target or the fastest weapon, but when you needed someone to rely on, it was Eli who Teddy was throwing to. Rogers finished second on the team with 46 receptions, second on the team with four receiving touchdowns and third on the team with 505 reception yards. Caught the game winning 11-yard touchdown reception with 1:35 left in the fourth quarter against USF. On the opening offensive drive of the Sugar Bowl, on a 3 Bridgewater, Rogers would finish the Sugar Bowl leading the team in receiving with four catches for 62-yards. Teddy and Eli enter their junior year of college and you best believe the best has yet to come from the dynamic duo. rd and 14, Rogers hauled in a 25-yard laser pass from
