Site: Papa John's Cardinal Stadium (55,000), Louisville
Records: UC 2-3 (0-0 Big East), Louisville 3-2 (0-0)
TV: ESPN
Radio: WLW-AM (700)
Line: UC by 3
Series: UC leads, 27-21-1
By the numbers
UC Team stats U of L
416.4 Offense avg. 461.4
178.6 Avg. by rush 218.0
237.8 Avg. by pass 243.4
352.4 Defense avg. 329.4
84.8 Avg. by rush 147.6
267.8 Avg. by pass 181.8
29.4 Avg. points for 31.4
19.8 Avg. pts. against 19.0
When Louisville runs
Behind running back Bilal Powell, the Cardinals lead the Big East in rushing with 217.8 yards per game. Powell averages 137.8 yards, which ranks eighth nationally, and is coming off a career-high 204-yard effort against Memphis. The Cardinals gained 299 yards on the ground in that game. But Louisville is likely to find the yards harder to come by against a UC team that leads the league in rushing defense, allowing only 84.8 rushing yards per game. The Bearcats held Miami to 42 yards rushing last week and limited Oklahoma to 82 in their previous game against Oklahoma.
When Louisville passes
In his past three games, quarterback Adam Froman has passed for 831 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 277 yards and completing 62.1 percent of his passes. Wide receiver Josh Bellamy has caught 15 passes for an average of 17.7 yards per catch, with four touchdowns. Froman also likes to throw to tight end Cameron Graham, who has 14 catches for an average of 13.8 yards with two touchdowns, and Josh Chichester (Lakota West), who has nine catches for 168 yards and one touchdown. The Cardinals are playing without Doug Beaumont, their leading receiver, who is out for the season with a knee injury. The Bearcats have struggled against the pass this season, allowing 267.6 yards per game, last in the Big East. They have only 10 sacks. Louisville has allowed only six sacks this season.
When UC runs
Isaiah Pead gained 366 yards in his past two games, including 197 in one half last week against Miami. Backup running back Darrin Williams will miss his second straight game with an ankle injury. Louisville has allowed an average of 144.2 rushing yards per game.
When UC passes
Zach Collaros leads the Big East in passing because in recent games he has had plenty of time to throw. But the Louisville has a pass rush that has produced 19 sacks in five games, ranking third nationally. Defensive end Rodney Gnat leads the Big East in sacks with 61/2, which ranks fourth nationally. Complicating matters for UC is the absence of right tackle Alex Hoffman, who has a knee injury. UC's line has put together two solid efforts after a rough start to the season.
Special teams
Louisville's Vic Anderson averages 30.8 yards per kick return with a long of 67 yards. Josh Bellamy returns punts at a 10.8-yard clip. The Bearcats' D.J. Woods seems to be improving in returning both kickoffs and punts, ranking in the middle of the Big East pack in both categories. Louisville kicker Chris Philpott has made five of six field goal attempts this year and 10 of his last 11 overall, with a long of 46 yards. On 29 kickoffs, he has 11 touchbacks. UC's Jake Rogers is 5-for-7 on field goal attempts with a long kick of 48 yards. UC's Pat O'Donnell ranks fourth in the league with a 42.5-yard punt average and Louisville's Josh Bleser (Covington Catholic) is seventh at 40.9.
Game keys
UC begins defense of its two Big East titles with a 12-game conference winning streak, the third-longest in league history. The Bearcats are coming off a 45-3 victory over rival Miami. The Keg of Nails rivalry with Louisville might be even more intense because of its ramifications in the conference race. The Cardinals, after two bleak seasons, have shown signs of recovery under new coach Charlie Strong with an offense that ranks at the top of the Big East and a defense that specializes in rushing the passer. Both teams boast running backs who have put up big numbers the last two weeks. The Bearcats must control the Cardinals' passing game and give Collaros time to throw.
