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CARDINALS

U of L, Petrino hope for usual business vs. UK

Jeff Greer
@jeffgreer_cj
Nov 8, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Bobby Petrino talks to his defense during the second half against the Boston College Eagles at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

It didn't take long for Bobby Petrino to realize the significance of Louisville-Kentucky rivalry in this state.

In 2003, Petrino's first year as the head coach of the University of Louisville football team, he arrived at the Governor's Cup luncheon for the annual preseason speeches and golf scramble and someone caught him off-guard.

"Here was a guy I thought was my buddy and he's wearing a blue sweater," Petrino said, laughing.

Eleven years later, after some time away from the Bluegrass State, Petrino is back to lead U of L into the 27th installment of its most heated rivalry game. A Petrino-coached Louisville team has never lost to UK.

The Cards and Cats kick off at 12 p.m. Saturday at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, and the Cardinals have won each meeting over the past three years.

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It's not the first game of the season, but the importance of the rivalry to both teams hasn't changed. A UK win makes them bowl eligible; a U of L win keeps them in the hunt for an Orange Bowl invitation.

"It's just unique," Petrino said. "It's great for all the sports we go against each other … There's no question that our players get energized and have a good week of preparation and look forward to the game."

The story of U of L's season has come full circle just before this regular-season finale.

The Cards (8-3) started with a juiced-up win against Miami. It was Louisville's Atlantic Coast Conference debut in front of a sell-out crowd, and it was the second time U of L topped the Hurricanes in nine months.

They've had bouts of frustration since, including a disappointing loss to Virginia and two close calls against Clemson and Florida State.

But U of L's two wins this month against Boston College and Notre Dame featured exactly what Petrino wanted all season: His team finishing off wins. And the Notre Dame victory joined beating Miami on U of L's list of name-brand wins in the past few seasons.

Now Louisville can finish off its season with a win that's significant for different reasons.

"We're just focused on winning now," U of L running back Brandon Radcliff said. "Whatever the bowl game, that's up to them. We can't really decide that. This week, we'll prepare like this is our bowl game right here. We're trying to finish strong."

Radcliff's been a big part of Louisville's success this season, and he figures to have an impact on Saturday, too, alongside tailback Michael Dyer and quarterback Reggie Bonnafon.

The trio combined for 264 rushing yards and three touchdowns against Notre Dame, excluding 32 yards lost from four sacks of Bonnafon.

Kentucky's rushing defense ranks 100th in the nation, allowing more than 201 yards a game. The Wildcats (5-6) have given 1,304 yards during their current five-game losing streak.

UK coach Mark Stoops said this week that keeping Bonnafon in the pocket is one of the Wildcats' top priorities, and how UK defends U of L's running attack could be the difference in the game.

"They're physical (and) can hurt you in the run game, and then they have the (play-action passes) off of it," Stoops said Monday. "I think Reggie has played some very good football, along with their whole offense."

That's music to Louisville's ears after the start it had on offense. The offensive line mightily struggled earlier this season, and the quarterback play was inconsistent at times. That led to the defense winning the Cards a few games.

These days, U of L's offense has been fine-tuned in time to enter the Orange Bowl race, and if the Cards run the ball like they have in recent weeks, they'll be in good shape to avoid a Kentucky surprise.

And as Petrino learned in his first lasting experience with the rivalry, he's not a huge fan of surprises.

Reach U of L beat writer Jeff Greer at (502) 582-4044 and follow him on Twitter (@jeffgreer_cj).