Nobody wearing the Cardinals’ Red and Black needed reminding of their bowl woes as the 2001 Louisville team headed to Memphis for a second straight Liberty Bowl.
Waiting was the high-powered BYU offense, which led the nation in scoring (46.8). BYU was ranked No. 19, the Cardinals No. 23.
Odds were not in favor of the Cardinals ending their bowl-game losing streak. Louisville had gained plenty of respect in its conference, but not much nationwide.
All that changed On Dec. 31.
The Cardinals’ defense, ranked 10th in the nation in points allowed, shut down the BYU offense and rolled to a 28-10 victory. The Cardinals held BYU 14 points below its previous low scoring output.
After the game, Smith could hardly contain his emotions.
"It’s an emotional time, but not for the reasons you might think," Smith said in the post-game press conference. "We’re losing some seniors, and I’m going to miss these guys. I’m happy for these players. I’m happy for my staff. And I’m glad we were able to help them have this experience."
Now, the Cardinals and Smith are poised for a three-peat in Conference USA.
Don’t bet against them.
QUARTERBACKS
When you talk about the Cardinals’ offense, it all starts with senior left-hander Dave Ragone (6-4, 250), one of the nation’s top quarterbacks. Ragone continues Louisville’s quarterback tradition after taking over for Chris Redman for the 2000 season.
Smith knows what Ragone can do -- carry the team—but he spent the spring trying to secure a backup.
Sophomore Stefan LeFors (6-0, 190), red-shirt freshman Adam Ellis (6-1, 220) and junior Gerry Ahrens (6-1, 197) were the top three backups, respectively, entering spring workouts.
In the spring game, Ragone completed 7-of-17 passes, including a 7-yard touchdown to tight end Ronnie Ghent .
It was a difficult spring for Ragone, who for the first time as a Cardinal was not surrounded by veteran players.
"This is completely different for me, but it has been good for me," Ragone told The Courier-Journal. "I’ve had to learn to keep myself from getting down, to work through some adversity and deal with some things I haven’t dealt with before. In the long run, this is going to be good for me."
In the spring game, Ragone and the first offensive unit didn’t move the ball in six series against the first-team defense. Ragone wasn’t the only Cardinal frustrated. Smith was just as miffed.
"When Dave has time to throw the ball, he’s the best quarterback in the country," Smith told The Courier-Journal. "And right now, we’ve got him tremendously goofed up."
LeForts was 4-of-12 for 34 yards and a touchdown and Ellis was 4-of-12 for 64 yards and a touchdown.
LeFors threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Keshan Fudge. Ellis threw a 23-yard touchdown to Tiger Jones.
RUNNING BACKS
The Cardinals know they can rely on the strong arm of Ragone, but they’re hoping to find some consistency with the rushing game.
It looks like the competition for the starting job in the one-back offense will continue in the fall. Sophomore Lionel Gates (5-11, 224), junior T.J. Patterson (6-0, 219) and senior Henry Miller (6-0, 220) are contending for the job.
Patterson led the Cardinals in rushing last season with 576 yards and the team-high seven rushing touchdowns. He averaged 4.9 yards per run and also caught nine passes for 69 yards, splitting time with Miller and departed Tony Stallings.
Miller was third on the team in rushing, averaging 5.7 yards per carry and finishing with 217 yards and three touchdowns. He played nine games. Miller is a bruising back. He rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns against Tulane and scored early in the Liberty Bowl game against Brigham Young on a 1-yard run.
Gates played only three games and had 30 carries for 87 yards and one touchdown. The Cardinals had planned to red-shirt Gates last season, but he was pressed into action when Patterson was hurt against Memphis. He rushed for 68 yards on 16 carries and scored a touchdown against the Tigers, but in his third game of the season suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against Southern Miss.
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
The receiving corps has a whole new look with the loss of Deion Branch and Zek Parker, one of the nation’s top receiving duos.
Branch had a spectacular senior season, earning All-C-USA first-team honors. The Sporting News listed Branch as a third-team All-American, and he was honorable mention All-America by College Football News and the Football News after finishing second in the league in catches (72) and leading in receiving yardage (1,188). Branch was second in touchdown catches with nine.
Parker also ranked in the top 10 in catches with 55 and receiving yards with 757.
The receivers must mature quickly, and at times during the spring, it was a painful process. There were four drops in the spring game, which left Ragone a bit frustrated.
"We’re just going to have to keep working through the summer and run a lot of routes, throw a lot of passes and get on the same page," Ragone told the Courier-Journal. "But that’s something I’m committed to doing."
One of Ragone’s top targets this season will be senior Damien Dorsey (5-7, 171), fourth on the team in catches with 16. He averaged 17.9 yards per catch but played in only seven games because of foot and wrist injuries. After making several key catches in the Liberty Bowl, Dorsey was chosen as the team’s most inspirational player.
Other probable starters at wide receiver are junior James Taylor (6-2, 175) and sophomore Jones (5-11, 178). Jones had five catches for 56 yards last season. Taylor was the third-rated junior college wide receiver prospect by JCFootball.com. At Fort Scott (Kansas) Junior College, Taylor had 30 catches for 594 yards and five touchdowns last season in only six games, ranking fourth in the NJCAA with five catches per game.
In the spring game, Taylor led all receivers with five catches for 52 yards.
Sophomore J.R. Russell (6-3, 190) was slotted behind Taylor in the spring, but experience will help him log playing time. Russell played in all 12 games and had 14 catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns.
Among the other receivers who will vie for playing time are red-shirt freshman Greg Tinch (6-2, 211), sophomore Urias Mends-Cole (6-0, 193), sophomore Robert Haskins (5-6, 143), and red-shirt freshman Broderick Clark (5-11, 184).
Slotted behind Jones in the spring depth chart were junior Victor Glenn (6-1, 171), red-shirt freshman Domonique Dunbar (6-1, 182) and Fudge (5-10, 201), a junior.
Sophomore Antoine Harris (5-11, 184) will also be a factor. He had seven catches for 88 yards in nine games last season.
Tight end is one spot that won’t change this season.
Ghent (6-3, 237), a senior, has been the league’s best tight end the last two seasons, chosen to the All-C-USA first team. His backups will be junior Richard Owens (6-4, 268) and senior Tone’ Slater (6-2, 270).
Ghent was third on the team in catches last season with 34 in only 10 games. He was third in receiving yards with 330 and second in touchdown catches with five.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Once the 2001 season ended, Smith started focusing on the offensive line. It was his primary concern through the preseason and into the spring practices.
For starters, Smith had to replace Art Valero, his assistant head coach and offensive line coach. He did that with Hope, a 1981 Eastern Kentucky graduate. Hope assumed the same duties as Valero.
The only returning starter is junior Dan Koons (6-4, 281), who should become an all-conference player as he develops. Koons earned a starting job for the last seven games, including the Liberty Bowl. Sophomore Will Rabatin (6-1, 303) was his backup at the start of spring ball.
Aside from Koons, the Cardinals were starting from scratch, for the most part, in the spring.
Junior Jason Hilliard (6-6, 340) was slotted as the starter at weak-side tackle in the spring. Senior Chris Thigpen (6-4, 316) was his backup.
Juniors Jason Weathers (6-7, 343) and Jerry Spencer (6-3, 311) were first and second, respectively, on the depth chart at weak-side guard when spring started. Red-shirt freshman Fred Nolan (6-3, 304) was third string.
If the Cardinals start Hilliard and Weathers on the weak side, it would give them a massive look. Both players have backup experience and played special teams in the past.
Red-shirt freshman Jason Spitz (6-4, 289) doesn’t have experience, but he has been impressive enough in practices and the off-season to be slotted as the starter at strong guard. Senior Antoine Sims (6-2, 291) and sophomore Edrick Contreras (6-1, 317) will push for playing time at strong guard. Sims started seven games last season, while Contreras comes to the program after a solid junior college career at Palomar (Calif.) Community College.
Red-shirt freshman Travis Leffew (6-4, 284) has the edge at strong-side tackle ahead of junior Brian Devine (6-4, 296).
KICKERS
Junior Nathan Smith (5-9, 190) returns as the starting kicker and shouldn’t have much of a problem holding the job.
Midway through the 2000 season, Smith won the job over junior Wade Tydlacka (5-11, 212), who doubles as the punter.
A former Cardinal baseball player, Smith made 13-of-18 field-goal attempts and was 39-of-40 on point-after kicks. In the last six games of the 2001 season, Smith made eight of his 13 field-goal attempts. He made all three of his attempts in a Oct. 16 victory over Southern Miss, including a career-long 48-yarder.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Led by defensive end Dewayne White , the defensive front returns intact and should cause opponents fits in 2002.
White (6-3, 277), a junior, was the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2001 when he led the league in sacks with 15, which ranked second nationally. In only two seasons, White ranks third in career sacks at Louisville and fifth in C-USA history with 23. He set a school record and ranked seventh nationally in tackles for loss last season with 27.
Junior Devon Thomas (6-1, 260) is slotted as the starter at the other end. Thomas started the last eight games last season and finished with 30 tackles, two for losses, and should flourish as offenses focus their attention on White.
Two red-shirt freshmen, Jeremy Seguin (6-1, 266) and Montavious Stanley (6-2, 285), will be White’s backups.
On the other side, sophomore Marcus Jones (6-2, 233) and red-shirt freshman Brandon Johnson (6-5, 207) are the backups for Thomas.
Bobby Leffew (6-4, 270), a sophomore, was the starter at one defensive tackle in the spring with junior Scott Lopez (6-4, 265) at the other tackle.
Seior Keeshan Lowe (6-1, 281) is Leffew’s backup and junior Chad Pinkston (6-0, 290) is Lopez’ backup.
Leffew had a great freshman season and was chosen to the C-USA All-Freshman team and The Sporting News All-America first team. He had 11 tackles for loss and five sacks. In the Liberty Bowl, Leffew had four tackles, including two sacks of BYU quarterback Brandon Doman.
Lopez started 13 games last season and was solid against the run. His role could be even greater this season as teams attempt to double-team White.
Sophomore Tyrone Saterfield (6-2, 307) won’t be lost in the tackle shuffle, either. Smith has high expectations for him.
LINEBACKERS
The linebacking corps was the only unit to lose a starter to graduation, and Jeremy Freitag, the team’s second-leading tackler, will be missed.
However, it does open a spot for junior Rod Day (6-1, 204), a talented player with good speed and quickness. Red-shirt freshman Jonathon Jackerson (6-1, 209) and freshman Chad Rimpsey (6-3, 225) will be Day’s backups.
Seniors Chad Lee (6-2, 254) and Michael Brown (5-10, 215) return as the other starting linebackers. Brown has started all but one game over this three-year career at bandit back. He’s a combination of a linebacker and safety, and last season had 50 tackles, including six for loss.
Lee played on the defensive front his first two years but had little trouble making the move to linebacker in 2001. He started all but one game and was third on the team with 95 tackles, including nine for loss and three sacks. Lee is one of the team’s hardest hitters.
Sophomore Robert McCune (6-0, 228) will likely be Lee’s backup with senior B.J. Steele (6-1, 230) behind McCune. McCune is an outstanding athlete and was the team’s special teams player of the year in 2001.
Red-shirt freshman Brent Johnson (5-10, 198) is the backup bandit.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
It didn’t take long for the new cornerbacks to answer the questions in 2001. Sophomore Ronnie Gallishaw (5-11, 202) quickly adjusted to the job at one corner, as did junior Josh Minkins (5-10, 180) at the other corner.
Minkins will be challenged for the starting job by senior Chris Johnson (6-0, 187), and that should make the Cardinals even better on the corners. Johnson took over as the starter for Minkins before the Liberty Bowl and responded with an interception and a pass breakup.
Gallishaw, who finished with 43 tackles, had a team-high five interceptions and was chosen to the C-USA All-Freshman team. He started all 13 games last season. Sophomore J.T. Haskins (5-10, 171) will likely be Gallishaw’s backup after starting two games on the other side last season.
The safeties may be the strength of the Cardinals’ defense.
Senior Curry Burns (6-1, 215) returns as the starting strong safety and junior Anthony Floyd (5-10, 200) is back as the free safety.
Burns has been the team’s leading tackler in each of the last two seasons. He had 107 tackles last season and four interceptions and four breakups and was chosen to the All-C-USA second team.
Red-shirt freshman Jon Gannon (5-11, 197) and sophomore Ray Childs (6-0, 193) were Burns’ backups in the spring, while Floyd was backed up by sophomore Kerry Rhodes (6-3, 186).
Ragone said he’s thankful not to be throwing against his own defense—particularly the secondary—in the fall.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Parker will be missed, not only as a receiver but as a kick returner. As a four-year starter on the kick-return unit, Parker combined great speed with moves that gave the Cardinals a threat on every kickoff.
In 2000, he ranked second in the nation in kickoff returns, averaging 28.9 yards per return, and he finished his career with 2,558 yards on kick returns and three touchdowns—both C-USA and school records.
Floyd, the safety, and wide receiver Clark and Haskins will enter fall practices as the likely candidates to take over the job as kickoff returners.
The Cardinals could give Floyd the dual role as kick returner and punt returner. Last season, he was the top punt returner, averaging 14.1 yards on 14 returns with one touchdown.
RECRUITING CLASS
Smith signed 18 high school seniors and five junior college transfers, and although he’s not one to brag too much on newcomers, he’s confident it was a good recruiting season.
"It was a good year," Smith told the Courier-Journal. "We’ve got a class that not only has some size, but mainly the ability to run. … I’m really going to have to give this group a C-plus. We’ve been C’s before, but these are quality guys who have great character. And the most telling thing was we filled the class earlier than we did in the past."
Louisville’s recruiting class was rated No. 62 nationally, tied with Georgia Tech. Smith won’t worry too much about how others rate his class. Louisville’s graduating class wasn’t rated in the top 100 four years ago, and it was a group of seniors who helped the Cardinals climb to No. 17 in the final AP poll.
One of the more notable newcomers is sophomore running back Eric Shelton (6-3, 230), who transferred after one season at Florida State. Shelton was fourth on the team in rushing with 130 yards and was a Parade All-American as a high school senior at Bryan Station High in Lexington, Ky.
Several of the new Cardinals were recruited for their abilities at two positions. Renardo Foster (6-6, 250) and Brandoon Cornell (6-4, 242) played both tight end and defensive end in high school, while Brinson Harley (6-1, 278) was recruited as a lineman for either side.
Phil Minifield (5-11, 174) of Gainesville, Fla., played wide receiver and defensive back and James Jackson (6-1, 220) played wide receiver and linebacker.
Once Smith and his coaches get five players on the field, they will determine their positions.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
In the spring, the Cardinals’ losses to graduation were apparent when the offense sputtered and misfired more often than not in practices.
Ragone, who will be one of the nation’s premier quarterbacks, was back in preparation for his senior season, but was surrounded by a new offensive line and several youthful receivers.
Of course, Ragone was facing one of the best defenses in Conference USA during spring scrimmages, and that wasn’t lost on Smith.
"The offense wasn’t ready to go again," Smith told the Louisville Courier-Journal after one spring scrimmage. "We dropped balls, we didn’t protect, we didn’t run it well. We didn’t do anything good. That tells me as coaches we didn’t get them ready to play very well. The defense is good without a doubt, but they’re playing hard. In certain positions, we don’t battle hard offensively. We’ve got to learn to fight."
That is vintage Smith, whose dedication to the program is a big reason it’s the best in Conference USA right now.
Smith has 10 starters returning from a defense that shut down high-powered BYU in last year’s Liberty Bowl, and with Ragone leading the offense, the Cardinals should put some points on the board.
Their first three non-conference games are certainly winnable—at home against Kentucky and at Duke and Colorado State—and the Cardinals will look to pull off the big upset Sept. 26 against Florida State in Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
Smith and new offensive coordinator Pettas will work overtime fine-tuning the offense before the opener against Duke. After winning the Liberty Bowl, the Cardinals will enter the 2002 season brimming with confidence.
Watch out C-USA. The Cardinals are back.
