5 Takeaways: Bobby Petrino previews Wake
Two days after Louisville thumped FIU 34-3 on a rainy evening in Miami, U of L coach Bobby Petrino reviewed the victory and and provided several updates for his team.
The Cardinals (3-1) host Wake Forest as part of parents' weekend at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
Here are five quick takeaways from Petrino's chat on Monday:
1. Gardner's status unclear. Louisville's starting quarterback Will Gardner tweaked his knee in Saturday's game after a low hit in the third quarter. He had his knee evaluated after the play and team trainers said it was "stable," Petrino said. Gardner was set for a doctor's appointment again on Monday to reevaluate the injury. His status, according to Petrino, is "day to day," and they aren't sure yet if he'll practice or play this week. It's too early for that.
2. LJ Scott's OK. He hurt his ankle during Saturday's game and left on the trainer's cart. He left the locker room on crutches with a protective boot on the injured limb, but Petrino said the X-rays came back negative. Scott was doing "better than I anticipated," Petrino said Monday, when he saw him this weekend. Doesn't sound too serious.
3. Reggie's back. Freshman quarterback Reggie Bonnafon would be the likely starter if Gardner misses any time. Bonnafon missed all of last week as his family grieved his dad's passing, but he returned to campus on Sunday and participated in team meetings and workouts.
4. Better playcalling. Petrino reiterated FIU's defensive strategy on Saturday, saying it was a stop-the-run-or-nothing approach. But he insisted on running the ball, and he took the blame for that. "When I look back at it, we should've thrown more," he said. Louisville's big plays came from four passes against a diminished FIU secondary, so he's essentially taking the fall for not calling those plays sooner.
5. Defense making plays. Petrino again on Monday praised his defense, saying the unit is playing "at a very high level." Gerod Holliman's interception sparked the Cardinals to jump from a 7-0 lead to 28-0. They were suffocating vs. FIU and now rank among the nation's top 26 defenses in passing, rushing, scoring and total defense.