What is it they say, it’s a game of runs. (Whomever “they” are.)
Oh yeah, that’s basketball. Uh, nevermind.
But, yeah, in a game that started out curious and morphed curioser and curioser than an Unbirthday Party, there were runs.
Pitt 17 in a row.
Louisville 17 in a row.
Pitt 10 in a row.
And, ladies and gents, that was before intermission.
After the break, the how’dtheydoit victorious Louisville Cardinals ran off 17.
Unanswered.
I dunno.
This was as mondo bizzaro a gridiron encounter as one could possibly
fathom.
Frankly, to my long psychedelicized mind, it’s hard to make any sense of it.
But U of L’s fourth W of their unblemished if hard to figure out season it is. With surprisingly good UVa comin’ to town next weekend.
I’ve presented random takes on Cardinal games in the past. Here we go again.
* * * * *
Game Day morning I got a missive from my gridiron whisperer, expressing dismay with the Cardinals’ OL play after watching the film from last time out.
We didn’t know until game time which if any of the Cards premier RBs were going to compete.
Isaac Brown and Duke Watson did get action early on. Brown grimacing between plays. Watson injured and limping off the field. (Both were troopers in the second half..)
So, thanks to a combination of those two factors, hurt runners and egregiously underwhelming OL play, Louisville rambled for a grand total of 13 yards in the opening half, on 15 carries. Frankly, one guy’s opinion, it was more on the lack of running lanes than the injuries..
The Cards yet again perpetrated way too many rule transgressions. Six infractions for 72 yards certainly contributed to Pitt’s 10 point halftime advantage. Not bad for the home team which fumbled it twice and was 0/6 on 3d downs (before the break), 1/10 for the game.
* * * * *
I’m a bit surprised I’ve gotten this much on the game without mentioning the word, fluky.
Which this pigskin encounter most assuredly was.
But for those two Panther special team gaffes, the Cards wouldn’t have survived.
That punt interference/ fumble/ flag/ or was it no flag absurdity of a play gave the Cards, then down 0-17, a 1st and Goal at the Pitt three. After which U of L finally scored on a Miller Moss sneak. Tush push? Sorta.
Then Pitt’s punter dropped a snap. On the first play after, Moss fired a strike to Chris Bell for a 30 yard tying TD toss.
Did I mention the Panthers scored earlier on a 75 yard Pick Six? So I didn’t.
This game would have worked as a Firesign Theater skit? Written by Cheech and Chong. (If you’re too young to get the references, ask your stoned uncle.)
* * * * *
At one point in the back and forth battle, Moss had attempted twice as many passes as there had been running plays.
It evened out some in the second half. But it still ended up 51 air mails, 33 made their destination for 339 yards, against 34 rushes for a just enough for the victory 53 yards. (Louisville’s in need of serious work OL surrendered 10 TFLs and a couple sacks.)
* * * * *
Nick Keller kicked another 57 yard FG, and fell just short on another.
* * * * *
TJ Quinn had two interceptions. After dropping an opportunity earlier for another.
* * * * *
Antonio Watts had a magnificent Top 10-worthy one handed pick. After Eli Holstein had just completed a 56 yard pass on the opening play of a drive to the Cardinals’ 4 yard line.
* * * * *
Carter Schwartz’s 32 yard pooch punt with :18 to go was a kick of beauty. Went out of bounds at the Pittsburgh 8 yard line.
* * * * *
U of L ended up with 92 yards in penalties.
Not good.
* * * * *
To underscore how very incomprehensible the W was, there’s this. Miller Moss, it seems fairly obvious, likes to pas from the pocket.
The Cards winning TD came on a Moss roll out to Nate Kurisky.
* * * * *
I have no explanation for the game I just watched.
What I know: Cards won. Cards have a lot to clean up. A whole lotta lot. Next week’s game against UVa is going to be a lot tougher than we ever expected.
— c d kaplan
