CARDINALS

U of L notebook: Mauldin shakes off scare, gets 3 sacks

Lorenzo Mauldin's path to his seat was blocked. A horde of media stood in the University of Louisville football team's classroom on Saturday night, clogging the doorway and the walkways.

They were all there to talk to Mauldin, the star outside linebacker whose three sacks came after a shoulder stinger sidelined him briefly in the second quarter. His arm dangled at his side as he walked off the field. But a wrap and some attention from the training staff were all he needed to get back to doing what he does best.

"They doctored me up and God said they needed me, so I chose to step it up," Mauldin said after finally finding his seat.

When he first clutched his shoulder, he thought he'd torn his labrum again. The senior with an NFL future had surgery to repair that injury last winter and missed five months of football as he recovered.

But the pain receded and Mauldin thrived, leading U of L's defense to eight sacks and 10 tackles for loss in the 20-10 victory over Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons totaled just 100 yards of offense.

"We have a lot of guys who are older in the game," Mauldin said. "Now that the younger guys have come along, I feel like we're playing faster."

First career starts

Reggie Bonnafon wasn't the only U of L player to make his first college start. Running back Brandon Radcliff, a sophomore, and freshman tight end Charles Standberry also made theirs.

Radcliff was the Cards' most valuable player, carrying 17 times for 129 yards and two touchdowns.

Bonnafon lost two fumbles and was a key figure in losing a third, but he also threw for 206 yards and ran for 71, not counting his four sacks.

"I can't even put it into words," Bonnafon said. "It's a blessing to be able to get this opportunity."

Holliman keeps rolling

Louisville safety Gerod Holliman kept up his charge toward the national interceptions title by snatching his sixth of the season. The junior leads the FBS in that category, and five of them have come in the past three games.

As a team, the Cardinals have forced 13 turnovers. That's the most they have had through five games since 2005, when they had 14.

Rushing record

Wake Forest had minus-22 rushing yards, the lowest total by a U of L opponent since Grambling State's minus-56 in 2000.

That stat can be a bit misleading. Rushing yards in college and high school football include sacks, and Wake Forest lost 57 yards on eight sacks.

But even without those sacks, the Demon Deacons had just 40 yards on 15 carries.

— Jeff Greer