5:56 p.m. – Miranda Lambert finally got on stage and gave the fans what they were waiting for. She topped off FanFest after a long, cold day for all the fans. They got to have fun with the mascots, they jumped on blow-ups and they got to watch one of the best country singers in the nation for free.
“Miranda Lambert was awesome! She made the game even more fun,” junior Sam Harper said.
The fans are starting to file in at Bank of America Stadium and attempt to stay warm while they watch the SEC and ACC clash in this year’s Belk Bowl. -Pierce Feltner.
4:54 p.m. – As game time grows near, the fans are starting to find what FanFest is all about. They have found fun things for the kids with blow-ups and remote control cars. The temperature may be dropping, but the excitement is definitely growing stronger.
“We come to almost all of the U of L games and we are excited to see Miranda Lambert then watch the Cards get a good win,” said Nathan Wimsatt. – Pierce Feltner.
3:00 p.m. – Kyle Bolin proved he can take the pressure of the big moment after taking over against Kentucky and leading the Cardinals to a victory. There are still some questions surrounding the redshirt freshman before the big match up today.
Bolin does not have a full game under his belt and is very inexperienced coming into today’s game. This could turn out to be a good or a bad thing. He may come out and feel no pressure because no one expects much from the kid hailing from Lexington.
This could easily go the other way though. Bolin could come to the big stage, against a truly formidable opponent and lay an egg since he has never been here before.
Bolin has a strong arm and a good pocket presence. He showed that he is not afraid to take a hit, and he will stay in the pocket and get his receivers the ball when he needs to. He also has been able to work with the receivers a bit longer than his counterpart. As a redshirt freshman he has had time to develop a bit of chemistry with the receiving core.
Although Bolin has shown some growth and ability, not everything about the Lex Cath kid is positive. He is a very one-dimensional quarterback. He does not give the offense the dual threat that Reggie Bonnafon will bring. Bonnafon has also been exposed to some stronger competition and may keep his composure a bit better than Bolin. Bolin was fighting for the third string position coming into the season, which also brings up the question of whether his talent is up to par to face the Bulldogs.
Coach Petrino has a big decision make in the next three hours. Both quarterbacks bring their own pros and cons to the offense. Bonnafon has shown to be shaky and Bolin only has three quarters under his belt. Pick your poison coach. -Pierce Feltner.
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1:00 p.m. – About five and a half hours from kick-off, the Belk Bowl’s FanFest has started to ready fans for the big game. Booths have been set up for fans to visit to buy team gear, food and other miscellaneous things on the street in front of Bank of America Stadium.
The fans can mingle with one another and listen to the various musical artists performing on the stage as they ready themselves for the big game.
“We’ve been to all the home games and a few away games, and we wouldn’t miss this bowl game. We love all Cards sports,” Josie, a student of the University of Louisville, said.
The fans will have plenty to do before the game at FanFest. The day will be topped off later by a performance by country singer Miranda Lambert at 4 p.m. as a last tune up for the fans before the game kicks off. -Pierce Feltner
Photos by Austin Lassell / The Louisville Cardinal. Blog entries by Pierce Feltner and Derek Brightwell / The Louisville Cardinal.
