Louisville Cardinals vs Cincinnati Bearcats Preview

If Tony Pike hadn't been injured, the Louisville Cardinals would have virtually no chance of beating the No. 5 Cincinnati Bearcats this Saturday at Nippert Stadium. Now, however, the Redbirds have a shot... just not a good one.

It's still going to be a decidedly uphill battle for Steve Kragthorpe's club as it travels north of the Kentucky-Ohio border to play Brian Kelly's bunch. Cincinnati has routed Rutgers, ousted Oregon State, fought off Fresno State, and subdued South Florida on the way to an unblemished record and a top 10 national ranking after the first seven weeks of the 2009 campaign. The Bearcats stand atop the Big East thanks to a resourceful pass defense headed up by cornerback Aaron Webster, and buttressed by an active defensive front. Even more imposing is a Cincinnati offense that features an elite, NFL-ready receiver in Mardy Gilyard, who has decimated opposing secondaries all season long. With Kelly keeping defenses off balance, the Bearcats have consistently posted big point totals to rise to the upper reaches of big-time college football. It's plainly futile to pretend that Louisville can keep pace with a fully loaded Bearcat lineup.

There's just one problem in Kelly's camp: Tony Pike, UC's starting quarterback and a dynamic downfield thrower, isn't likely to play this week against the Cardinals. Zach Collaros, who performed admirably in UC's last win over South Florida, is capable of creating big plays under center, but with that said, the No. 2 quarterback in the Bearcats' system isn't anything close to the polished passer Pike most definitely became. With one bad day at the office, Collaros could gift-wrap turnovers and keep Louisville in the thick of the fray until the latter stages of competition.

Naturally, the Cards must max out on offense and do whatever they can to exploit the Bearcats' weaker side of the ball. Yet, the ultimate key to victory for Kragthorpe and Co. will be the ability to make life miserable for Collaros. By forcing enough turnovers from a quarterback who isn't used to playing on a weekly basis, Louisville's defense can turn a potential track meet into a grind-it-out affair with scores low enough to enable the Cards to stay close. In the event that the visitors can create enough timely defensive plays against an elite offense that's lacking its main trigger man, UL could cause enough confusion and conflict to prevail on the road.

The magic of college football lies in the fact that a severe underdog needs to be great for only three and a half hours on one day. If a heavy favorite is missing a star player at a key position, the whole house of Cards could come tumbling down. Actually, in this case, Louisville partisans would love it if a house of Cards fell on the homestanding Bearcats. With enough hustle and heart from Kragthorpe's kids, who knows exactly what could happen?

Louisville faces a tall order at Cincinnati. Then again, if the Redbirds play their hand just right, they'll have a chance to rattle Zach Collaros, and set about the business of shocking the college football world.

> Find a great selection of Louisville Cardinals hats & merchandise and more online along with Big East football gear from Big East Fans partner sites.

By Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer