SPORTS

Himmelsbach | Who's U of L's quarterback?

Adam Himmelsbach
ahimmelsbach@courier-journal.com
Sep 13, 2014; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Will Gardner (11) throws the ball as Virginia Cavaliers defensive tackle David Dean (55) chases in the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Almost three years ago to the day, Louisville suffered a puzzling loss to Florida International and there were murmurs that the team's intriguing freshman quarterback should get a chance.

A week later, starter Will Stein injured his shoulder in the second quarter of the Kentucky game. The reins were handed to a shy kid from Miami named Teddy Bridgewater. He threw two touchdowns and won the game and we all know what happened after that.

For a fleeting moment during U of L's 23-21 loss to Virginia on Saturday, it felt like we were witnessing a similar beginning.

After leading a powerful opening touchdown drive and completing his first five passes, starting quarterback Will Gardner suddenly looked like he was throwing a football that had been dipped in vegetable oil. He went 2-for-15 over the rest of the half and tossed a pair of interceptions.

And one question reverberated across the social media ether: Isn't it time for Reggie Bonnafon to get his chance?

Bonnafon, the athletic freshman from Trinity High School, had sparkled late in U of L's win against overmatched Murray State last weekend. But coach Bobby Petrino quickly dismissed the notion of a quarterback controversy.

But in this moment, clearly, the past did serve as prologue. In came Bonnafon, who completed three passes in a row, including one in which he deftly eluded a sack.

"We thought maybe we could get a spark and get something going," Petrino said.

As it unfolded, it felt like Bonnafon's Teddy moment. It felt like perhaps this chapter should have been dog-eared, because perhaps it was the beginning.

Bonnafon started the second half, but the magic vanished quickly. Beset with bad field position — including a possession that started at the U of L 1 — he guided three consecutive drives and mustered just one net yard. And so Petrino was forced to make another difficult choice. He reinserted the quarterback whose confidence he had surely wounded, and he told him to get back to work.

It was a difficult spot for Gardner. He reentered the game knowing he could be pulled at any moment. Another major stumble could very well have cost him his starting job.

But during his second try, we saw a calm and cool quarterback who'd had time to gather himself and assess where things had gone wrong. He led two consecutive touchdown drives of more than 50 yards and improbably helped U of L surge back from a 10-point deficit.

"He showed some poise in the pocket, competed hard," Petrino said, "so it was good to see him come back."

In the end, though, it wasn't enough. In the end, Gardner had one final chance with his team down by two points, and the drive went like this: incomplete pass, sack, incomplete pass. The long, strange and mercurial road opener came to a stop at a low point.

U of L declined to make Gardner or Bonnafon available to the media after the loss, despite requests to speak to them. I think when you have two young quarterbacks like this, standing in the spotlight after a loss can actually help them grow.

But anyway, where do they go from here? Gardner's second-half renaissance was probably enough to keep his job. But there are issues to correct across the offense. Virginia's defenders got their hands on far too many passes near the line of scrimmage. The offensive line needs to patch up some holes.

Gardner's mostly redemptive second half could be beneficial to him and his team as this season plays out. He'll continue to learn and grow. Still, his brief benching shows that the gap between the starter and the backup might be narrower than we thought.

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at 502-582-4372 by email ahimmelsbach@courier-journal.com and on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.