Sunday, September 05, 1999

LOUISVILLE 56, KENTUCKY 28

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Cards take revenge on rebuilding Cats

BY NEIL SCHMIDT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

        LEXINGTON, Ky. — Nearly seven minutes remained in the third quarter Saturday, but tens of thousands already had passed judgment on the new Kentucky football season. They were fleeing Commonwealth Stadium as though it were on fire.

        Fanning the flames in 90-plus degree heat with eight touchdowns, Louisville burned any Big Blue bravado. The Cardinals' 56-28 victory, their largest ever over UK, avenged a 34-point defeat from last season and seemingly exposed the Wildcats as a rebuilding bunch.

        “We're inexperienced,” UK senior linebacker Jeff Snedegar said. “There's a lot we need to work on. If (fans) get down on us, I ain't worried about it.”

        No one admitted surrender in the home locker room. Though the odds of a winning season and bowl bid grew longer with the shadows Saturday, UK tried to translate rage into resolve.

        “Right now, we're all disappointed,” UK sophomore quarterback Dusty Bonner said. “But we're not going to lose our confidence. We're not going to lose our pride. We're still confident.”

        So, obviously, is Louisville. With an admittedly soft schedule, the Cardinals are dreaming of an unbeaten season, and their 518 yards of total offense Saturday seemed to suggest it possible.

        “What a difference a year makes,” Louisville coach John L. Smith said. “Last year we hoped to win, and this year we knew we were going to win.”

        The Cardinals had expressed resentment last week for UK's mention it might discontinue this annual rivalry, suggesting the state's largest institution shouldn't consider itself superior.

        “Kentucky disrespected us in the papers and on the news all week long,” said Louisville senior wideout Charles Sheffield, a Lloyd High grad. “Our scout team was better than that team.”

        Sheffield caught eight passes for a career-high 118 yards and a touchdown, igniting Louisville's high-octane offense. Heisman candidate Chris Redman completed 30 of 40 passes for 324 yards and five TDs without an interception.

        Bonner finished with Tim Couch-like numbers — 34-of-62 for 446 yards and three TDs — but appeared much more mortal. He overthrew a wide-open Quentin McCord in the end zone on the game's first drive, then did the same with Garry Davis in the third quarter. Both drives ended in field goals instead of TDs.

        Two glaring mistakes wound up twin killings. Bonner missed Anthony White on a slant pass that Bud Herring intercepted and ran 63 yards to the Kentucky 4, setting up a first-half UofL score. And in a near-identical play, Bonner misfired on a slant that Antonio Roundtree picked off and took 56 yards for a TD.

        Bonner also fumbled twice, though UK recovered both.

        “I did all right — not too good, not too bad,” Bonner said. “Some of the mistakes I made, if I had more experience maybe I wouldn't have made 'em.”

        The blame wasn't entirely Bonner's. McCord dropped a sure TD pass in the fourth quarter, James Whalen Jr. dropped a potential big gain, and other Wildcats missed possible catches.

        “It's still Dusty's first game with those guys,” UK coach Hal Mumme said. “He overthrew a few, and we had some key drops. That's just (lack of) time and playing. Dusty Bonner's a winner, and we're going to win a lot of games with him.”

        UK's offensive attack was hamstrung by its rushing game, which netted minus-12 yards on 26 attempts. The school record for least rushing yards is minus-14, in a game against Clemson on Oct.2, 1982.

        UK's defense was the unit most figured for dramatic improvement this fall. But Cardinals senior tailback Frank Moreau ravaged the Wildcats, rushing for a career-high 181 yards and two TDs on 20 carries.

        UK lost starting safety David Johnson (fractured cheekbone) on the game's second series, and defensive end Anwar Stewart (sprained ankle) left later. The Wildcats were ripe for the plucking.

        “They're a good football team, guys,” UK defensive coordinator Mike Major said. “If they keep winning, this loss may not look as bad after a while.”

        Louisville ....... 7 21 21  7—56

        Kentucky ....... 3  7  3 15—28

        First Quarter

        UK—FG Samuel 32, 8:59.

        UL—Parker 3 pass from Redman (Hilbert kick), 2:23.

        Second Quarter

        UL—Green 5 pass from Redman (Hilbert kick), 11:27.

        UL—Moreau 33 run (Hilbert kick), 8:10.

        UK—Whalen 57 pass from Bonner (Samuel kick), 3:52.

        UL—Green 1 pass from Redman (Hilbert kick), :30.

        Third Quarter

        UK—FG Samuel 27, 12:29.

        UL—Sheffield 36 pass from Redman (Hilbert kick), 8:13.

        UL—Roundtree 56 interception return (Hilbert kick), 6:49.

        UL—Green 12 pass from Redman (Hilbert kick), :32.

        Fourth Quarter

        UK—Whalen 10 pass from Bonner (Samuel kick), 12:09.

        UL—Moreau 10 run (Hilbert kick), 9:31.

        UK—Whalen 5 pass from Bonner (Whalen pass), 4:24.

        A—70,692.

        INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

        RUSHING—Louisville, Moreau 20-181, Miller 6-32, Redman 6-(minus 32). Kentucky, Shanklin 2-10, Simon 1-8, Homer 10-6, Allen 1-3, Bonner 12-(minus 37).

        PASSING—Louisville, Redman 30-40-0-324, Watkins 2-2-0-13. Kentucky, Bonner 34-62-2-446, A. Smith 0-1-0-0.

        RECEIVING—Louisville, Sheffield 8-118, Jackson 7-69, Boyd 6-77, Green 6-32, Moreau 2-28, Parker 2-7, Smith 1-6. Kentucky, Whalen 8-115, Pyatt 5-48, Homer 5-35, White 5-34, Davis 3-97, Allen 2-35, D. Smith 2-4, McCord 1-46, Beirne 1-13, Harp 1-12, Shanklin 1-7.

                     Louisville    Kentucky 
First downs                  29          23 
Rushed-yards             32-181      26-M10 
Passing yards               337         446 
Sacked-yards lost          3-36        8-52 
Return yards                119          22 
Passes                  32-42-0     34-63-2 
Punts                    2-33.5      1-42.0 
Fumbles-lost                2-2         4-1 
Penalties-yards            8-70        5-25 
Time of possession        26:26       33:34 

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