Game Rewind | Look back at U of L-Syracuse

Refresh this page regularly for updates during the University of Louisville's 7 p.m. Friday game at Syracuse.

Final: U of L ran out the clock to avenge their 2012 loss at Syracuse during the Sugar Bowl season, winning this one 28-6 on the road to move to 5-1 on the season.

4:17, 4Q: The Cards took a strange route to a nice, even number of points, up 28-6 over Syracuse inside of five minutes to go at the Carrier Dome.

Backup quarterback Austin Wilson was hit in the backfield near his own 10-yard line, and the ball rolled out of the end zone for U of L's second safety of the evening.

Add those four points to John Wallace's 51-yard field goal, a pair of Brandon Radcliff scores and Reggie Bonnafon's touchdown pass to Gerald Christian.

7:45, 4Q: U of L is firmly in control of this one now that Reggie Bonnafon has his first touchdown pass of the night.

The Cardinals marched 73 yards in eight plays and 3:48 of clock, with Bonnafon capping it on a 4 yard pass over tight end Gerald Christian's shoulder in the back-right corner of the end zone.

On the drive, who else -- Brandon Radcliff -- jump-started the Cards, shedding tacklers on a screen pass for 18 yards. Later, he surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark.

It's now 26-6.

12:05, 4Q: Syracuse went with a new quarterback a play after Terrel Hunt turned his ankle. But Austin Wilson saw just one snap before Hunt returned for 3rd and 20, only to have an open receiver drop the pass.

On the same play as Hunt was originally hurt -- Keith Kelsey sacked him -- U of L lost the standout linebacker Keith Kelsey to an injury as well.

The Cardinals now have the ball back, starting at their own 27 with a 19-6 lead after an 11-yard James Quick punt return.

13:16, 4Q: U of L's offense has been anything but consistent.

On a drive that included a Reggie Bonnafon fumble (recovered by the Cards), Bobby Petrino's bunch punted away with a two-score lead at the Carrier Dome.

Running out of time, Syracuse has possession at its own 19.

15:00, 4Q: Brandon Radcliff has created some apparent separation between himself and the rest of U of L's running backs. Heading into the fourth quarter and with the Cards up 19-6 thanks to a pair of Radcliff's scores, former Cardinal George Durant suggested how the running back is doing it with a tweeted photo of Radcliff in the weight room.

0:43, 3Q: A bizarre game continued with another U of L turnover, the Cards' third.

Gerald Christian caught a 3rd down pass in the flat and was fighting to get past the marker when a Syracuse defender stripped the ball away not long after Christian caught it. After replay, officials confirmed the ruling on the field -- that Christian did have control of the ball before the fumble.

A play later, Gerod Holliman wrestled the ball back for U of L, quite literally, muscling an interception away fro an Orange receiver.

3:11, 3Q: The Cards' defense showed some vulnerability a play after Brandon Radcliff gave his team a two-score lead. But Syracuse didn't come up with much more following quarterback Terrel Hunt's 18-yard scramble.

The ensuing punt fell into the end zone, setting U of L up at its own 20 with a chance to break the game open.

5:27, 3Q: U of L had accumulated all of one yard in five possessions before its most recent scoring drive. The Cardinals marched five plays and 61 yards, with Brandon Radcliff bouncing off tacklers again to score --this time from 14 yards out.

It's no 19-6.

A 45-yard connection between quarterback Reggie Bonnafon and receiver Matt Milton marched U of L into Syracuse territory. Then, facing 3rd and 6, Radflicc delivered his second touchdown of the game.

7:48 3Q: U of L forced a three-and-out on the Syracuse offense. After a James Quick fair catch, the Cards will take over at their 39.

8:43, 3Q: The Cards had 3rd and 5 and used a timeout to talk about it. Perhaps the offensive line didn't get the message. Quarterback Reggie Bonnafon was swarmed and sacked, and U of L punted away.

In a game full of flags, Syracuse drew a block in the back penalty on the return. The Orange, with potential to tie the score down 12-6, start from their own 19.

11:14, 3Q: U of L's defense has bent but didn't really break Friday night until a 48-yard Syracuse pass play on 3rd and 3. Quarterback Terrel Hunt found a wide-open Ben Lewis for 48 yards, setting up 1st and goal inside the 5.

From there, the Cards held. Or rather, the Orange faltered.

Syracuse lost yards on a 1st down carry. The next play, it blew a scoring chance when a lineman drifted downfield on a halfback pass. Then came a holding penalty. And finally, Lewis dropped another halfback pass standing wide open in the end zone -- so open, the Carrier Dome's celebratory horn blew expecting a touchdown pass.

Syracuse settled for a field goal, closing the score to 12-6.

Halftime: Syracuse quarterback Terrel Hunt, a play after not realizing he was without a timeout, let the clock run out inside the 5-yard line on the Orange's best chance at a touchdown so far.

Hunt had just "loafed around in the backfield" -- those were an ESPN commentators' words -- before rifling a 39-yard pass to receiver Jarrod West. With just three seconds left and from the 2-yard line, though, Hunt tried to spike the ball but did it too late.

The half ended with U of L ahead 12-3.

"We've done some really good things," coach Bobby Petrino said. "We just have to quit hurting ourselves with penalties."

0:50, 2Q: Dominique Brown may have saved a touchdown.

After U of L went three-and-out, Syracuse spent its final timeout with 1:01 left and accepted a punt. The Orange's Prince Tyson-Gulley could have returned that for a touchdown were it not for Brown, who dove and tripped up the speedy runner.

1:38, 2Q: The U of L defense held strong once again, and before Syracuse could punt on its most recent scoreless drive, the Cards called timeout to save clock.

Reggie Bonnafon and company now take over at their own 35.

4:01, 2Q: John Wallace's career-long kick of 51 yards -- they had no other option on 4th and 17 -- has the Cardinals ahead now 12-3.

The scoring drive may have come at a cost. Senior offensive lineman Jamon Brown went down injured with an apparent right leg injury on the final play. Brown, a Fern Creek High School grad, did trot off the field under his own power.

The scoring drive actually measured four plays and a loss of seven yards. Michael Dyer's 5-yard carry was negated by a false start penalty. Syracuse then sacked Reggie Bonnafon for a loss of 4 and, looking for field goal range on 3rd and long, Dyer was taken down 3 yards behind the line.

No worries when Wallace is booting kicks this way.

5:59, 2Q: James Sample's second interception of the season -- and the Cards' 11th as a team -- continued U of L's defensive shutdown of Syracuse.

Sample ran 24 yards down the right sideline to the Orange 27, looking to extend a 9-3 lead before the half.

9:54, 2Q: U of L has already racked up five penalties for 35 yards, with a hold on the Cards' most recent drive leading to a punt. Syracuse has possession at its own 9-yard line.

11:59, 2Q: The Cards' defense proved its mettle again, dropping Syracuse running back Adonis Ameen-Moore in the end zone for a ruled safety. The play was reviewed and stood with B.J. Dubose credited on the tackle.

Make it 9-3, now a two-possession game.

12:29, 2Q: U of L didn't finish its drive with a turnover, but following a hold and incomplete pass on 3rd down, the Cards punted -- twice.

On the first, Ryan Johnson downed Syracuse at its own 1-yard line. That was called back for a 5-yard illegal formation penalty.

The second attempt stuck there as well, gathered in by Terrell Floyd near the goal line.

Score remains 7-3.

12:59, 2Q: It was nearly a freshman mistake for Reggie Bonnafon, who fumbled in the backfield on an option play gone wrong. But an official after the fact signaled a delay of game. The Cards retained possession.

14:55, 2Q: Out of a lengthy timeout between quarters for commercial, Syracuse needed a timeout anyway to measure up the U of L offense's formation. It made little difference. Reggie Bonnafon found James Quick for 7 yards and a first down.

By the way, ESPN's crew mentioned that quarterback Will Gardner would be available in an emergency situation this evening. And Dominique Brown took his first snap of the game on that 3rd down pass, in to block for Bonnafon.

15:00, 2Q: ESPN's commentators noted seven missed Syracuse tackles in the first quarter. Credit Brandon Radcliff for most of those. The U of L running back has the only touchdown in a 7-3 game and rushed six yards to the Orange's 44, setting up 3rd and 4 for the Cards to open the second quarter.

0:50, 1Q: Following the Cards' first score, U of L's defense forced a three-and-out. Syracuse quarterback Terrel Hunt threw a pair of incompletions after Sheldon Rankins wrestled him down behind the line on 1st down.

James Quick fielded a fair catch at his own 31-yard line, where Reggie Bonnafon and the offense will take the field again.

2:05, 1Q: U of L dodged a bullet before reaching midfield when Brandon Radclifffumbled and the Cards recovered. He later made up for it, breaking three tackles on 3rd and 1, moving the ball down to Syracuse's 4-yard line.

The next play, Radcliff rushed left, made a spin move and scored, giving the Cards a 7-3 lead.

Radcliff has 32 yards rushing so far on seven carries.

7:10, 1Q: After Reggie Bonnafon's interception -- his first of the season -- Syracuse quickly moved down the field, much thanks to a 22-yard connection between quarterback Terrel Hunt and receiver Steve Ishmael over the middle.

Defensive back Terrell Floyd jarred loose a 3rd and goal pass, potentially a touchdown, leaving the Orange to settle for a 21-yard Cole Murphy field goal and 3-0 lead.

9:50, 1Q: U of L's struggles at quarterback continued with Reggie Bonnafon throwing his first interception of the evening on the Cards' second drive.

It appeared a miscommunication between Bonnafon and another Trinity product, receiver James Quick, who stumbled on the sideline and wasn't able to fend off defender Julian Whigham, who picked it off.

11:09, 1Q: Gerod Holliman's lofty interception count has earned him a number of calls this season. It was a 1st down-saving tackle on Syracuse's opening drive that has the redshirt sophomore in the scorebook.

Holliman hauled down Adrian Flemming, who managed just a pair of yards on 3rd and 3, forcing a punt.

12:37, 1Q: U of L wasted some solid starting field position, going three-and-out on a drive capped with Reggie Bonnafon taking a sack on 3rd and 6. Following Ryan Johnson's punt into the end zone, the Orange's offense takes over at its own 20-yard line.

14:49. 1Q: Running back Brandon Radcliffe gave U of L's offense an early lift thanks to a big kick return -- 62 yards to the Syracuse 37-yard line, where true freshman quarterback Reggie Bonnafon and the Cards will go to work.

15:00, 1Q: The Cards won the toss and elected to receive.

Before kickoff, coach Bobby Petrino told ESPN of quarterback Reggie Bonnafon, "He's had a good week of practice. I think he'll come out and have a good game tonight."

PREGAME: U of L was favored in each of its previous five games this season, a trend that won't stop Friday. The Cards are 2-point favorites (down from -6.5 to open the week) ahead of kickoff at the Carrier Dome, trying to snap the Orange's streak of six straight victories in weeknight games.

Before former Big East rivals meet for the first time as ACC foes, check out pregame links and notes (http://cjky.it/1sSi2W1) as well as The Courier-Journal's game preview (http://cjky.it/1nTJKQr). Also follow writer Jeff Greer (@jeffgreer_cj) and columnist Adam Himmelsbach (@adamhimmelsbach). Both are live at the Carrier Dome.