CARDINALS

Bonnafon improves, but no U of L QB decision

Jeff Greer

@jeffgreer_cj

Reggie Bonnafon's ongoing recovery from the knee injury he suffered in the University of Louisville football team's Nov. 29 win over Kentucky has coach Bobby Petrino "encouraged" that the freshman could play in the Cardinals' Dec. 30 bowl game.

Bonnafon, who has a bone bruise in his left knee, worked out with the team on Friday, Petrino said. He threw passes and showed progress in his range of motion and running ability, but he didn't take full dropbacks from under center.

How Bonnafon handles the next two weeks of practice and treatment will determine whether he or redshirt freshman Kyle Bolin starts in U of L's Belk Bowl matchup against Georgia.

"(Bonnafon) has some pain in there … so it's really going to be determined on how quickly the pain goes away," Petrino said.

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"We're just going to see how it plays out. We're encouraged that he'll be ready for the game, but we don't really know yet."

U of L offensive coordinator Garrick McGee said Bonnafon must be able to "do what he naturally does," which includes running read options and using his speed to escape pressure.

And don't count out the long-term impact on the decision.

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Bonnafon was 4-1 as a starter this season, and his relief appearance at Boston College after starter Will Gardner injured his knee helped Louisville seal an important 38-19 win.

He completed 51.3 percent of his passes this season for 850 yards and five touchdowns, and he ran for another 173 yards and five scores.

With Gardner's uncertain status after the third torn ACL of his career, McGee and Petrino would like to have a healthy Bonnafon set to go when offseason workouts and spring practices begin.

"We don't want to put him at risk," McGee said. "The offseason's going to be really important for Reggie to get ready to play for us next year."

Bolin's breakout game against UK gave U of L confidence that it won't be lost without Bonnafon. Once Bonnafon left the game in the second quarter, Bolin completed 21 of 31 passes for 381 yards and three touchdowns in guiding Louisville to a shootout victory.

The performance surprised U of L fans and the media. Bolin was a popular figure on message boards, where many fans had suggested that the Lexington native and former four-star recruit should transfer after Bonnafon surpassed him on the depth chart.

But inside U of L's walls, Bolin's big game wasn't all that surprising, Petrino said.

The redshirt freshman had worked his way back from his own knee injury, which he suffered in spring practice. Petrino said Bolin wasn't truly "full speed" until about halfway through the season, but he was always focused in game preparation and practice.

"He was very calm," Petrino said. "He's always worked hard, pays attention and does a good job in the meeting room."

So now the waiting game begins anew for U of L, and it feels so typical for this season.

In addition to Gardner and Bonnafon's health issues, U of L's also dealt with injuries to star receiver DeVante Parker, running back Michael Dyer, linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin, defensive lineman Pio Vatuvei and safety Jermaine Reve, among several others.

But, McGee said, the questions surrounding the quarterback position won't change what U of L does in the bowl game, at least not that much.

"There could be more of an emphasis on certain things if Reggie's in or when Kyle's in, but these are the same plays that we were running when I played for (Petrino) way back in the day," McGee said. "We're not going to change what we're doing."

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