U of L's Scott ready for bigger role in bowl

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – At one point during Louisville's third day of Belk Bowl practices, sophomore running back Brandon Radcliffe turned to L.J. Scott between plays.

"What did your high school field look like?" Radcliffe asked.

Standing in the middle of Patten Stadium at Charlotte Latin, with the sun high overhead on an unseasonably warm day, Scott diagrammed it out.

"We went on and on. 'This was here, our concession stand was here, my mom always sat up here," Scott said following the practice held at a Charlotte-area high school.

Scott, a freshman, should remember what it was like playing at Marion Harding High School in Marion, Ohio, very clearly. It's only been a year since Scott was packing his bags to move to Louisville to start school in January.

"I definitely reminisce every time I step out here," Scott said. "It's fun to be on a high school field. It's really fun to be on the grass, because I actually prefer grass over turf."

At the high school level, where he was a three-star recruit according to Scout.com, Scott says he never got the chance to play in any big games. A year later, Scott will cap off his freshman year with his first bowl game, against Georgia.

When this season started, Scott said he tried not to set any personal goals for his first year at the collegiate level so he wouldn't be disappointed if failed to reach a mile marker.

"I just told myself to go out here and play the game of football like you know how to play, work hard like you know how to work hard like you know how to work hard," Scott said. "Let your work ethic show itself and go out here and be the type of player your coaches can trust anytime that they need you."

Though he's played in all 12 games this year, Scott has only 199 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Now with senior Michael Dyer ruled academically ineligible to play in Tuesday's bowl game, an elevated role and the big stage, Scott believes in his ability to rise to the occasion.

"I pride myself on being the type of guy Coach Petrino can trust in any scenario," Scott said. "Regardless of where he needs me, my role is to give him that trust in me that he doesn't have to worry about me stepping on the field and messing up reps or missing a beat as far as going in as a running back."

Playing against Georgia in an NFL stadium on national television would be a big deal for anyone. Scott, a native of a town of 36,000 people, received advice throughout the year on how to handle these situations from someone who has been on even bigger stages: Dyer.

"He told me how to keep great poise in great situations and not get too confident or not get caught in the moment," Scott said. "Stay in your playing zone and keep a level head so you can play the best game possible."

Against a Georgia defense that averages 175.6 rushing yards allowed, Louisville will be without the 53 yards Dyer averaged over his nine games in 2014.

Scott doesn't seem phased about this predicament created by a lack of poise off the field.

"Week in, week out, something I learned from Coach Petrino, our finishing result against their defense will be more about how we play, not how they play," Scott said. "If we go in and focus on the things we have to go best, I think we'll be OK."

Radcliffe, who has 648 yards and 11 touchdowns, believes the offense is in the right place going into Tuesday.

"Our offensive line is clicking and the running backs are clicking with the offensive line," Radcliffe said. "I feel like we're ready to get out there and run the ball however many time Petrino wants us to do it. I feel we have the players to do it."

For the two weeks before the Cardinals arrived in Charlotte, the team practiced in their indoor facility, away from the cold. Scott feels the three days spent on high school fields, like those he left a year ago, has his body and his team properly attuned for whatever it will need to win against Georgia.

"You can definitely, or at least I can feel, that my lungs have adjusted to being indoors and warmer [air]," Scott said. "So you get out here and you get fresh air and you get nice sun. So we're not really as winded. We're definitely going to get into the fourth quarter and be able to play a lot of good ball."