Himmelsbach | Bilas for Vitale is right move

Adam Himmelsbach takes his regular look back at the sports week that was.

1 ESPN announced last week that Jay Bilas would replace Dick Vitale as commentator for its primetime Saturday night broadcasts. There are a lot of Vitale haters out there, but I'm not one of them. I think his enthusiasm is good for the game, and he remains a knowledgeable observer. Having said that, this is the right call. I think Bilas is the best basketball analyst in the nation right now, so more Bilas is a win for everyone. Also, Digger Phelps and Jalen Rose have been replaced on College Gameday with Jay Williams and Seth Greenberg. Phelps retired after last season. Rose does good work, but it was difficult to expect him to stay in tune with the college game while being so focused on the NBA.

2 It can be hard to quantify national statistics at this point in the season, because some teams have played tough teams and some teams haven't. Regardless, Louisville's run defense has been an absolute force. The Cardinals are allowing an average of just 2.01 yards per carry, second only to Penn State (1.99). The third-ranked team, Texas Christian, is nearly a full half-yard behind U of L at 2.47. Furthermore, the Cardinals are tied for first in the country, having allowed just one rushing touchdown. Now you see why Bobby Petrino acknowledged on Monday that this team's identity will be its defense and its running attack. But…

3 The team's identity thus far has been forged without wide receiver DeVante Parker. The senior could return against Clemson after missing the first six games of the year with a broken foot. He is the rare player a quarterback can essentially fire the ball high into the air toward when plays break down, and more often than not, he will make a play. With a foot injury, though, Parker's conditioning has probably been limited. If he plays this weekend, it will be interesting to see how long he can go.

4 It's pretty remarkable that an SEC team could play its first seven games without facing a ranked team, but there is a very real possibility Kentucky could do just that. South Carolina's freefall from the rankings was followed by LSU's plunge. It's also pretty remarkable that when UK travels to Baton Rouge on Oct. 18, it will probably be playing for bowl eligibility. After facing the Tigers, UK plays three consecutive games against teams that are currently ranked.

5 We'll close with a rare Take 5 salute: Last week, Courier-Journal sports copy editor Dave Roos retired after 31 years at this newspaper. When you saw a clever headline in the sports section, it was probably written by Dave. And when you saw a story that was written on a tight deadline yet had no typos, there was a good chance it was because Dave caught the typos. His thoroughness and attention to detail will be missed.

• Too-early predictions: Clemson 28, Louisville 17; Kentucky 35, Louisiana-Monroe 13

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at 502-582-4372 by email ahimmelsbach@courier-journal.com and on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach