CARDINALS

Louisville wallops Murray State, 66-21

Jeff Greer
@jeffgreer_cj

The way the University of Louisville coaches talked this past week, there was a genuine concern about Saturday's meeting with Murray State, an FCS program that scored 73 points in its season opener.

That's not to say that the U of L staff wasn't confident in the Cardinals – they were.

And U of L delivered with a 66-21 walloping of Murray State in front of an announced attendance of 50,179 at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

But having only three days of practice after Monday's win over Miami was enough of a short week to cause some uneasiness for Bobby Petrino and his assistants.

It didn't take long for Louisville to dispel any of those worries.

After punting on its first drive, U of L (2-0) rolled through 603 yards of offense and scored on nine consecutive possessions in the kind of rout expected when teams in completely different college-football stratospheres meet.

"We took care of our business," Petrino said. "We really showed maturity as a team. These games are sometimes hard to play, especially coming off of a game like Miami, where we had so much time to prepare and it was so intense."

If nothing else, Saturday's win was a chance for Louisville to play many of its reserves and young players.

Freshman running back LJ Scott, who had three rushes against Miami, took 11 carries for 126 yards and a touchdown, all in the first half.

Redshirt sophomore tailback Brandon Radcliff added 97 yards and two touchdowns. The second-string offensive line got in, too.

But no one's appearance was as anticipated or praised as much as that of freshman quarterback Reggie Bonnafon.

On a night when many thought the Trinity High School grad would play for the Cardinals for the first time, Bonnafon dazzled.

He came in with 12 minutes left in the second quarter, and his first play was an 18-yard laser of a pass to Kai De La Cruz.

Two plays later, Bonnafon faked a handoff to Scott, hesitated and then bolted to his right, through a gaping hole in the defense, for an easy touchdown.

He engineered four scoring drives, throwing for one touchdown and running for two others. He was 8 of 11 for 112 yards, and his TD pass to Michaelee Harris showed his potential.

Bonnafon found Harris in the back of the end zone with a perfectly zipped 27-yard pass that screamed over the heads of three Murray State defensive backs.

It was a good-looking pass, and it soothed some of the wonder about how Bonnafon could handle backing up starter Will Gardner.

The performance also erased any thoughts of a redshirt for Bonnafon.

Petrino said the staff spent the week debating about playing Bonnafon or saving him for the future and holding him out for the year. The season is long, Petrino reasoned, and getting the young quarterback into the game could help Louisville.

"I was going to work hard regardless," Bonnafon said. "I was just chilled out, relaxed. I put in all the work and preparation in camp. When you get to this point, you've put in so many reps, once you get out there, it's fun."

Gardner, a redshirt sophomore, was again confident under center. The Georgia native completed 13 of 22 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns.

He didn't take a sack or turn the ball over, looking far more comfortable dealing with defensive pressure. The staff spent the short week focusing on Gardner's ball protection and pocket movement after he lost two fumbles against Miami.

"I had to grow from that," Gardner said, "and just get better so tonight I wouldn't turn the ball over."

Bonnafon, Gardner and backups Kyle Bolin and Brett Nelson combined to complete passes to 12 different receivers through the course of the game.

Eli Rogers once again led the team in receptions, with five, and De La Cruz led the team with 53 receiving yards.

Seven different Cardinals scored touchdowns, and 23 defensive players recorded tackles.

"We got to play a lot of guys and I think that was the best thing about the night," Petrino said. "Guys that helped us win the Miami game (but) didn't play in the Miami game were able to play tonight, so I'm happy about that."

Now U of L gets a traditional game week, with its first road game coming next Saturday at Virginia.

The preparation process will be normal, and there won't be the deep-down discomfort with playing an FCS opponent with nothing to lose.

"It's going to be a real challenge for us – Virginia's playing real well," Petrino said. "We've got to do a great job in our preparation -- and be real businesslike."

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