Putting the app in Apollo

We'll tackle the elusive keg on Monday. Till then, check out this incredible video of a father and son that sent their Iphone into space using fairly low-tech equipment. Really makes me re-think how I spend my Saturdays. Not really, but cool nonetheless.


Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.

Louisville falls to Cincinnati 35-27

It hurts -- mother of mercy it hurts -- to play that well, to be carried on the shoulders of Bilal Powell, to come so close, and lose.

Cincinnati exploited our defense. Zach Collaros threw for a career high 5 touchdowns and 275 yards. Armon Binns clocked in for 175 yards on 8 receptions, averaging 21 yards a catch. Almost as an afterthought, Isaiah Pead ran for 130 yards. On a late third and short play, with the game hanging in the balance 28-27, the Cardinals couldn't stop the Bearcats but were bailed out by a UC penalty. So given another shot, this time 3rd and long, the Cardinals surrendered a long touchdown throw. Johnny Patrick's injury earlier in the game was never more strongly felt. On the flip side, the defense won the turnover margin 3 - 0 -- you tell me that statistic before the game is played, and I'd tell you the chances of winning are high.

What's heartbreaking about the outcome was how much this game belonged to Bilal Powell. He rushed for 209 yards on 24 carries, 8.7 yards per carry. Louisville's football program has only seen ten 200-yard rushing performances in its history; Powell is the owner of the last two of those performances now, earned in the past two weeks. When he broke for that long touchdown run last weekend, I texted Mr. Red that it had to be among the top ten greatest Louisville plays of all time. Tonight in the second quarter, Bilal tore through two-thirds of Cincinnati's defense, emerged on his feet and then turned on the jets for another 80-yard touchdown dash. I texted Red that that one was top five. We are witnessing an incredible season by a remarkable running back. Bilal Powell is in flourish. And the young man deserved a victory tonight.

But Powell's dominance also masked the maturity and execution challenges faced by our offensive unit. When Powell slowed down (if that's what you want to call it) in the second half, those shortcomings became painfully obvious. Too many penalties for one (though seriously, what was with all the "no flag" flags?). Our red zone offense was/is miserable; at this point, when we're inside the twenty, I hope a penalty will take us out of there so that we can try to score from beyond. Josh Chichester is going to put me on medication if he keeps dropping balls, redeeming himself with a clutch play, and then dropping more balls -- especially when one of those drops is the potential game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter. And could someone drop Froman a memo that on third and long, you gotta throw long -- and not decide early to scramble for a two yard gain?! (Of course I have no one to blame but myself about Froman's so-so performance; clearly I jinxed him with foolish pre-game nominations. Sorry buddy.)

Those are a sample of the mistakes that the coaching staff must work with the players to correct. Nonetheless, this offense is head and shoulders beyond where we expected them to be, and led by Powell, they executed an exciting game-plan tonight. Mike Sanford's trick plays these past few games have been outstanding.

I watched the game on ESPN from my undisclosed location outside Jefferson County, so I can tell you that the stadium looked beautiful on TV in the autumn night. The commentators remarked several times about how gorgeous was the stadium, how loud were the fans, how completely engaging was the overall atmosphere created on this October evening. No doubt Mr. Red will be forthcoming with details about the game atmosphere as witnessed from his perch. But from the outside looking in, it appeared that the program put on an excellent showcase.

Yet all of that wasn't enough. The stadium, the packed house, the turnover margin, Bilal's record performance, the combined effect -- none of it could not carry us to victory. And that's what is killing me. We left so much on the field, but in the end it was Cincinnati that knew, instinctively, how to win.

Dammit!

...and predictions

I've underestimated our offense for three weeks now, so this time I'm predicting powerful offensive production and touchdowns galore. Unfortunately, the touchdowns will come aplenty from both sides. Our defense -- especially the secondary -- will remind us that it still has a long way to go. If Cincinnati's receivers get open, they will not drop the ball as frequently as we saw Memphis' receivers do last week. Despite all our excitement as of late, (cue cliché) in football, there simply are no quick fixes. (End cliché)

However, the defense will make critical plays as needed, allowing the offense to build a decent lead in the second quarter. Bilal Powell will play huge; the week following will serve as his national introduction. But he cannot fumble and CANNOT fumble in the red zone, otherwise the attention he attracts will be less to all our liking. I think many are guessing that Adam Froman is due for a shaky game -- so what the hell, I'll say he's going to put together one of his best efforts yet. Will the Dominique Brown experiment continue? I will guess so, though I would not expect the coaching staff to allow him to put the ball in the air too many times.

The game might teeter a bit in the third quarter, but our offense will begin pulling away in the fourth. If Froman can limit interceptions to one or less, and the defense plays a better second half than they do in the first, call this one for the Cards in what will be chronicled, when we look back, as "the game that made 'em real"... 45-30 Cards over Bearcats, the Keg of Nails reclaimed. Player of the game: Adam friggin' Froman. Yeah, I said it.

I haven't anticipated a football game like this one so much in a long while. Good luck tonight fellas. We'll be doing our part -- cheering as loudly as we can, nestled snugly in our seats (8 p.m. starting time fans! Aim for your seats by 7:50 at the latest), and doing what we do best -- drinking beer. Like Coach Strong says, everyone has their role. Go Cards!

Predictions, predictions...

I think tonight, for the first time, the Cardinals come to believe that they're a good football team. Though they've been saying all the right things to the media, I think there has to be some lingering doubt.

I think this game will mirror the UK game. The Cards get punched in the mouth first and give up two scores, one from a breakdown in the secondary, before they know what hit them. The offense will struggle in the first quarter, missing Doug Beaumont's presence after several third-and-long drives sputter. The Cards rally before the half with a nice TD drive and take a 17-7 deficit to the locker room.

In the second half the Cards dig deep, and like against UK, the defense inexplicably gets better as the game goes on. Froman finds Cameron Graham for a TD, and a big play on special teams nudges the Cards ahead in a hard-fought battle. 24-20 Cards, and the Keg of Nails comes home. Book it.

Out of the Woods

Tony Woods will be taking a visit to the Louisville campus this weekend. The 6'10'' center from Wake Forest is seeking a transfer after being booted from the Demon Deacons following a domestic violence incident where he allegedly beat-up the mother of his 8-month old son, kicking her so hard as to fracture her spine.

I'm stunned by this, mostly by the fact that Pitino thought this move would be palatable to the Louisville fanbase. Didn't the spin master used to be good at PR? When did he become so tone deaf? He really comes off as grossly out of touch sometimes.

Scouting Report

The Cinci Enquirer has an excellent scouting report on the game here.

This line jumped out at me:

The Bearcats have struggled against the pass this season, allowing 267.6 yards per game, last in the Big East.

Haiku for the Keg of Nails, cont'd

Twilight but a trick

The dawn carries a great weight

Warrior's duty



.

Haiku for the Keg of Nails, cont'd

A leader followed

Magnetic like lunar tides

Froman shall emerge



.

Haiku for the Keg of Nails, cont'd

Bearcat, no creature

As false as a pagan god

Dao is cardinal



.

Haiku for the Keg of Nails, cont'd

A sister city

Prideful as a fallen king

Sacred treasure, lost



.

Haiku for the Keg of Nails, cont'd

Kragthorpe forgotten

Enemy falls like a leaf

Beauty is cardinal



.

Haiku for the Keg of Nails

A full moon awaits

Contrived prize, much coveted

Would bring us great peace



.

TheHoff's Top 25 Breakdown

Note: TheHoff is a special contributor to Cardinal Laws.

Wow, there were some good games this past weekend! I didn't dedicate all of my Saturday to only watching football. Instead, I spent most the morning/afternoon at Keeneland. My wallet, in retrospect, would have liked my ass on the couch with a 12-er. With that disclaimer out of the way, let's take a look at the new top 25:

AP Top 25
RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS
1	Ohio State (34)	6-0	1453
2	Oregon (15)	6-0	1427
3	Boise State (8)	5-0	1395
4	TCU (1)	6-0	1304
5	Nebraska	5-0	1236
6	Oklahoma (2)	5-0	1225
7	Auburn	6-0	1104
8	Alabama	5-1	1021
9	LSU	6-0	999
10	South Carolina	4-1	978
11	Utah	5-0	926
12	Arkansas	4-1	813
13	Michigan State	6-0	806
14	Stanford	5-1	732
15	Iowa	4-1	648
16	Florida State	5-1	547
17	Arizona	4-1	472
18	Wisconsin	5-1	410
19	Nevada	6-0	376
20	Oklahoma State	5-0	348
21	Missouri	5-0	298
22	Florida	4-2	209
23	Air Force	5-1	187
24	Oregon State	3-2	186
25	West Virginia	4-1	141

• Dropped from rankings: Miami (FL) 13, Michigan 18

• Others receiving votes: Michigan 137, Miami (FL) 63, North Carolina State 31, Virginia Tech 17, Northwestern 5, Texas 5, Kansas State 1

I'm going to stick with the AP for now, but the BCS rankings are due to come out soon. Once the official BCS rankings are out we can discuss, but in reality, does anyone know how the hell that thing works?!

#1- Ohio State- Beat Indiana. Whatever. Now it's getting interesting this Saturday when they play at Wisconsin (18). I've heard that Wisconsin is home to a pretty amazing tailgate/college football atmosphere. That said, I'm hoping the crowd gives the Badgers a little extra juice and helps pull off the second straight #1 dropping in consecutive weeks. The Badgers only loss this year was at Mich. St., so there's that. I hate sweater vests.

#2- Oregon- The Ducks are closing the gap on OSU pretty quick, receiving 15 1st place votes this week. The #1 offense in the country just keeps rolling, but I was a little shocked to see them give up 23 to Washington State last week. Saturday, we also saw Oregon's second lowest scoring game, only putting 43 on the board...that's a good problem to have. They face UCLA at home this week. I'd still consider the Bruins dangerous despite their .500 record.

#3- Boise State- The Broncos made the move one spot up to #3 with a 57-14 win over Toledo. The rest of their schedule is pretty pedestrian until they play #19 Nevada in late Nov. What really sticks out to me is that we will have lots of opportunities (surprisingly) to see them on national TV. How do you get games against teams like La Tech, Fresno St, and Idaho on ESPN?? Schedule them on a Tuesday, Friday, and Friday, respectively (Sound familiar Cards fans?). Play in a better conference and you don't have to do that. The hate is palpable, right??

#4 TCU- This team's defense continues to be stout. They pitched their second straight shutout this past week against Wyoming. TCU plays the Fighting Mormons this Saturday. Barring a miracle from Joseph Smith IV, or whatever number they're up to now, we might see a third straight goose egg. I haven't been able to catch many TCU games this year, and that streak will continue as the game is on Versus. Don't they show wakeboarding and hacky sack on that channel??

#5 Nebraska- Dude can run, I mean really run. Of course I'm talking about the Husker QB Taylor Martinez. He ran for 241 yds against Kansas State last week. His lowest rushing game (75 yds)was against the Fighting JackRabbits of South Dakota State. No... Seriously, they are the JackRabbits (insert Favre joke here)(actually, this came in yesterday. Karma, she's a funny lady). It seems that if you can stop the run against the Huskers they might be in trouble with passing offense ranking at 106. With games coming up against Texas, @ Oklahoma St., and versus Mizzou, the next three weeks are critical for Nebraska to gain a spot in a BCS bowl.

#6-25

#7- Bama- Dropped the A-Hole Bowl at South Carolina. Now they look to get back on track against Ole Miss. With LSU and Auburn still to come they could possibly climb back into the BCS chase or be eliminated from it with one more loss.

#8- LSU- Did this to win, also a WWE match broke out. Les Miles is like that crazy drunk uncle everyone has, except somehow he is coaching a D-1 football program...

#10 South Carolina- Spurrier is still a dick. Ohhh, and they beat #1 Bama. They still haven't won an SEC road game since winning @ Kentucky in 2008.

#13 Michigan St.- Big win at The Big House. They proved that they could handle the Heisman hopeful Denard Robinson. The next big challenge is coming in three weeks @ #15 Iowa.

#14 Stanford- Took out USC in a close one with a field goal late. They should have a couple cruiser games until Nov. 6th versus #17 Arizona.

#16 Florida State- Completely manhandled the U, who showed us who they really are. I don't think anyone else in the ACC will take them out. Wait till the last game of the year against the Gators. Should be a great matchup...

#25 WVU- The Mountin' ears climbed into the top 25 with a quality (cough, cough) win versus UNLV. Their defense is the only thing that jumps out, but then again, besides LSU they haven't played anyone. They start Big East play against South Florida.

What to Watch:

Friday 8pm- Cincy @ Louisville- ESPN (real ESPN, get excited folks!!)*

* go to the game, that would be nice!

** unless you are one of those guys sitting behind Mr. Red

*** actually, you guys go to the game anyways , he's more entertaining when annoyed

Saturday 12:00- The early games look terrible. Go golfing, fishing, camping, or go volunteer somewhere... as long as it doesn't have to do with sick, old, young, poor or smelly people. Or you could tune in to Illinois @ #13 Mich. St., whatever....

3:30- Texas @#5 Nebraska- Potentially really exciting game, dude for Nebraska is fast...

3:30- #12 Arkansas @ #7 Auburn- Slugfest, offensive slugfest.

3:30- #15 Iowa @ Michigan- Robinson is the only reason Big Ten football is watchable.

7:00- #1 Ohio St @ #18 Wisconsin- Just hoping that the Badgers make this a close one, potential second straight loss for a #1 team...

Nothing too enticing on the later games. I'm sure at this point half your attention will be on the hot chick at the bar who won't talk to you. And no, she isn't checking you out... she has something in her eye. Don't waste a drink on that one. Lower your standards, it will get you much farther.

Have a Happy Football/Drinky Day! Aren't Saturdays just the tits!!?!!

Karma?

Watch below to see Brett Favre take a football to the junk during a practice yesterday. By the way, I meant karma for the Hail Mary toss in '89 that downed the Cards, not the dong pics.

On Cincinnati: Head Coach Charlie Strong

We need that stage. I think our players deserve that stage; the way they've played and they've come out, as hard as they've worked, they deserve that right now. And I told the guys, it's the national stage, you're on Friday night, everybody's going to be watching you. So you get to show the world what we're made of. Everybody in the country will watch you guys on Friday night. And we'll see what we're made of.

A case of the empties

Fan attendance at Papa John's is all the rage this week. Charlie Strong brought it up at his news conference, Eric Crawford wrote it up in his column, and all the blogs, including this one, have had a take.

Now it had occured to me, as it had to Crawford and to Charlie Springer at Card Game, that no small number of empty seats might be explained by the hundreds of spectators watching the game from the newly-built mezzanine. Besides the supposed "social atmosphere" it provides, the mezzanine is partially shaded by a series of tent-like structures -- no small enticement on a hot sunny day like we saw last Saturday. The wimpiest/puniest/least worthy of Louisville fans could hardly resist watching, what, the entire first quarter up there? So it stands to reason that everyone on the mezzanine has a seat somewhere in the stadium, and that many of those seats are the empties that the players/coaches have acknowledged perturbs them.

What doesn't stand to reason, I think, is the number of concentrated zones of missing people in the stands, especially early. Rather than noticing occasional empties sprinkled throughout, the missing-fans-in-the-stands phenomenon seemed to occur in clusters, leaving entire sections only two-thirds filled while other sections are filled to the brim. In total fairness, I will say that many of these areas fill in as the game gets older -- the infamous U of L "latecomer" fans.

As it happened, I had with me my camera last Saturday, and so I tried to target these problem areas so that we could identify them later. And if there's a valid explanation for any particular section missing quantum number of fans, I will be relieved to hear it. These photos were taken, to the best of my recollection, midway or toward the end of the first quarter. Exhibit A is the east side of the stadium:

Okay, don't get me wrong -- there's lots to like here. I am especially impressed with what looks like a near full house up in the UPS FLIGHT DECK -- the proletariats are ably fulfilling their obligations to Cardinal Universe. What concerns me -- and confuses me quite frankly -- are some of the empty seats below it:

What going on in section 204? Was there a bus crash? Emergency at the power plant? Saturday evening midterm? Fall break? (actually, as my colleague pointed out, that's true... but it 204 student section?) Pockets of empties in sections 203 and 202 are also noticeable. Seriously, how do you explain that many empty seats in prime real estate? It's horrid.

How about a glance at the other side of the stadium.... Exhibit B is the stadium's west side:

Okay, okay... I like the enthusiasm I'm seeing in the seats close to the field. Still too many random empties, but at least no ghastly patterns down low. Looking a little higher, however:

What the hell? The upper tiers of sections 228-230, in the shade no less, are half-filled. Why? Are Cards fans getting chilly from lack of sunlight? Bring a friggin' coat! Trying to work on their tan? Go to Sun Tan City, hell they're a sponsor! Still hanging out with the high-rollers in the Brown and Williamson Club? Grab your chardonnay or cognac or whatever non-beer you're drinking and get your asses outside! What am I missing? Where are these people?!

I don't understand why some fans -- select minority that they are -- wouldn't want to watch these games from the seats they purchased. Football fandom is more than this supposed notion of supply and demand attitude that Crawford referred to among some fans, who apparently believe that the purchaser has fulfilled his/her obligation once the tickets are bought. We're football fans. We're emotionally tied to these kids, who are playing their hearts out and could be on the cusp of something special...

Okay, okay, I promised I wouldn't get into it -- just post the pictures and get it out of my system. But let it be known that if your seats are any of the empties above, well, you suck. Unless you make it out on Friday and help us take down Cincinnati. Then you rock again.

Toppling the head Bearcat

Cincinnati has given up 19 sacks this season, which puts them at 118 out of 120 FBS teams in sacks allowed. Louisville is tied for first in the Big East, and third nationally, with 18 sacks recorded. If you're looking for a phase of the game that will likely spell the difference on Friday, look no further.

But don't start licking your chops just yet. The Cinci Enquirer takes look at the rejuvenated O-line of the Bearcats today; after making some personnel adjustments, in the last two games the front line has only given up 4 sacks, as compared to 15 in the first three. And Collaros has the nimble feet that can punish overpursuit.

Even with their improvement, however, the Cards need to exploit this weakness, it's one of the few areas where our personnel is simply superior. Dial it up and bring him down.

On Cincinnati: Defensive Lineman Greg Scruggs

I believe that both teams are coming out to compete to win the Big East [championship]. That's with every team in the Big East. And it's going to be a show on Friday night. Just make sure you're watching and make sure you're here.

Turd in the punchbowl

The one sticking point from the Cards feel-good romp over Memphis is the issue of fan attendance. Charlie Strong expressed some dismay in his press conference yesterday about the number of empty seats in the stadium, especially at kickoff. He even mentioned that some of the players had noticed and said something about it. Strong didn't understand why the place wouldn't be packed considering the sunny weather and the old foe.

This led to a discussion on the Early Birds on 790 this morning, with some irritated fans calling in, some not pleased with being told how to use the tickets that they spent their hard-earned on in the first place.

Here's me take. I think Saturday's game was a little bit of an anomaly. For some reason, the homecoming game was scheduled on Fall Break, when many UofL students go home for the weekend. Second, the lines at the turnstiles have been exceptionally long this season, and many fans wait helplessly for a half hour or more before being able to get in. Third, it looks like many fans underestimate the walk it takes to get up to the UPS FLIGHT DECK, and haven't adjusted their time-schedules accordingly.

This Friday I think we'll get a more accurate representation. Night games carry an energy and ambiance all their own. If there are noticeable empties during the first moments for the Keg of Nails battle, then we may very well have a problem on our hands.

If we do, however, I think you can guess what side I come down on. And I love my tailgaiting and cheap beer as much as anyone, but Charlie Strong has been given the task of changing the culture of UofL football. These are wholesale changes, and the fans bear the responsibility of delivering a formidable home-field advantage.

Plus, there are numerous recruits in attendance for all of these home games, and running onto the field to a packed house is supposed to be the biggest jaw-drop moment of the day. I don't think it carries quite the same weight for an assistant coach to lean over to a 4-star and whisper, "Don't worry, they're all killing their last Miller Lites outside right now, it'll get loud in 15 minutes, just wait."

It's a culture change. Do your duty. And, heaven forfend, if you can't make it, give the ticket to someone who will.

Get. In. Your. Seats. Except for the five jerkoffs that sit behind me; you guys can sit it out.

On Cincinnati: Offensive Guard Greg Tomcyzk

It [the Big East] is wide open right now. Our offense has shown it can play, and defense keeps getting better and better with each week when they get more and more comfortable. Until we play a Big East game we won't know where we stand, but that's coming up real quick, and we're excited for it. We're real, real excited for it.

Game highlights from a beautiful day

In the past year, I've tried to post game highlights from football out of a sense of duty, but it has rarely been pretty. Today was the first time in a long while that I searched them out with anticipation. And they are beautiful. Enjoy.



P.S. -- I continue to be impressed with young Matt Hobbs (the WHAS sports guy)... "yeah, like his life isn't already wonderful?" I cracked up.

Inside the blue bubble

A new feature I'm debuting, and will be utilizing as necessary. There's many a UK fan that's becoming isolated and obtuse, receiving news solely from KSR that's been filtered and adjusted to please (Fox News corollary anyone?).

And that's fine with me, but I will refute lies, misstatements and flatout bullshit as it relates to our program, because it's becoming increasingly difficult for me to get drunk and have a proper sports-argument while at bars.

So let's take a peak behind the blue curtain, as our rival's grip on reality grows fainter and fainter. Here's Matt Jones' take on UofL basketball's stellar 2011 class that's still getting better...

Feel free to make fun of Louisville. Actually dont make fun of them…feel a bit sorry for them. I really sense a sentiment developing from my Louisville callers to the radio show of potential “Rick Pitino fatigue.”

Card fans had themselves convinced they were getting Tony Wroten, Quincy Miller and Deuce “Bigalow” Bello, and visions of national championships dancing in their heads. Now they are unlikely to get any of those players and are left to console themselves with “well at least we dont cheat” chants that are not only lame, but also delusional.

Rick Pitino is hanging by a thread with many in the Cards base and if either Blackshear or Behanan were to decommit, things could get ugly. So dont hate, have sympathy. It is the right thing to do (or you can hate, either way will be funny).

From my understanding, this outburst of opinion was prompted after Tony Wroten's commitment to UW last week, though Jones had also been advocating Wroten-to-UofL as part of some kind of reverse comedy thing. I'm sure he had a celebratory post in reserve in case Wroten had gone Red, to describe it as the best thing that could have happened for UK fans. It's tough to keep it all straight.

Color me naive, but I thought I remembered a time when sports dialogue in the Commonwealth was still somewhat grounded in objective reality.

To call UofL's 2011 class that already consists of Wayne Blackshear, Chane Behannan, Zach Price, and Angel Nunez, with the possiblity of adding another of Quincy Miller, Rodney Hood, or Deuce Bello, as anything less than formidable is truly to try and create your own reality.

There's plenty that exists in the real-world for this rivalry to flourish. Let's stick to that.

Recappin

We needed that. A stress free, beautiful afternoon of good fun and and good football. There's not a whole lot more to elaborate on, but I'll give it a whirl...

Thumbs UP: Bilal Powell. If the Cards can make some waves in the next few weeks, and the national pundits begin to take a look at Charlie Strong and his rebuilding progress, then maybe Powell will start getting the recognition he's earned. I'm most impressed by his quick-thinking. He's patient enough to wait for the play to develop, but the instant he decides his path he's through it. What a talent.

Thumbs DOWN: Memphis. As Captain Hook said to Robin Williams at the beginning of the movie: "Is it you? My great and worthy opponent? But it can't be. Not this pitiful spineless pasty codfish I see before me."

Needless to say I expected a little bit more from the Tigers. Even Kragthorpe would be a blessing for that program right now.

Thumbs UP: Darius Ashley. He seems to have come a long way from the brash kid leaving profane Facebook posts about his coaches and his program. For a running back of his talent to make the transition to one of the toughest and most thankless positions in football, shows maturity and selflessness. And he's making huge strides back there by the week. I can't wait to watch him grow into the position the next couple of seasons.

Thumbs DOWN: The fans sitting behind me in the UPS FLIGHT DECK. I can't really describe what makes them so objectionable, but they are. Five dudes just cuttin' up and cussin', cracking one another up. Except not one is funny and not one knows anything about football.

Thumbs UP: Vance Bedford. Coach Strong keeps things pretty close to the chest, so it's tough to pick out exactly the sideline-dynamics. But once the game was out of hand, I used my new binoculars to glean as much as I could between plays. Bedford is a focused and intense presence, hands on with each player that he feels needs to hear something. Strong is there too, stalking not far behind within earshot, giving Bedford space to do his thing, but listening to make sure everything gets covered.

It seems like Strong does most of his coaching of the D in private, and then trusts his assistants to hammer it home during games. And the results are already evident. Bedford has taken an undermanned unit and turned into something more than the sum of its parts.

Thumbs DOWN: Global warming. It was hot out there! I know, I know, it was a beautiful afternoon, but we won 56-0, I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel here. I like my October football in the 60's.

Thumbs UP: Being 3-2 heading into conference play. Suddenly no game on the schedule seems out of reach, and whispers of a bowl game are beginning to be spoken, unafraid and unashamed.

Ahhh...

There's not many pleasures in life as serene as sitting outside on a fine October morning, sipping coffee, and reading in the local paper of the Cards dominance over an ancient rival, another heartbreaking loss for UK, and a special section on our dazzling downtown arena.

Kudos Courier Journal.