SPORTS

Bonnafon: "I was just chilled out" in debut

Jeff Greer
@jeffgreer_cj
UofL quarterback Reggie Bonnafon celebrates as Brandon Radcliff scores against Murray State on Saturday at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. (By David Lee Hartlage, Special to the C-J) Sept. 6, 2014.

When he spoke to the media after his first on-field experience in a University of Louisville uniform, freshman quarterback Reggie Bonnafon smiled often and laughed a few times, too.

His answers didn't catch anyone off-guard. If anything, they matched his actual performance.

"Believe it or not, I was just chilled out, relaxed," Bonnafon said.

For a young signal caller who'd committed to U of L on Jan. 6 last year, Saturday night was the actual moment when Bonnafon's life changed. And it looked like he was having fun.

He completed eight of his 11 pass attempts for 112 yards and a touchdown. His 27-yard throw to Michaelee Harris was a thing of beauty, spiraling just past the fingertips of three Murray State defenders and into Harris's bread basket.

Sure, he'd committed 20 months ago. Sure, he signed with U of L seven months ago. Sure, he arrived at college this summer. Sure, he suited up Monday night as Louisville's backup quarterback in its ACC debut and its nationally televised game against Miami.

None of those moments will match the first time the 6-foot-3, 206-pound Trinity High grad trotted out onto the turf at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium and took his first snap.

In his hometown.

In front of 50,000 people.

"I put in all the work, preparation, camp -- everything," he said. "When you get to this point, you've put in so many reps that, once you get out there in front of all those people, it's fun."

His two rushing touchdowns showed the kind of attributes that freak out message-board fans and spark faux quarterback controversies.

The first one took eight yards. He faked a handoff to LJ Scott, hesitated and sprinted through a gap on the right side of the line, splitting two defenders and dragging another into the end zone.

The second one took 16 yards. He broke down the left sideline, absorbed a hit and carried the defender toward the end zone. Just before his left foot hit out of bounds, he reached out and knocked over the pylon with the ball.

Touchdown.

"He ran the ball real well and had lot of confidence," Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said. "That's the thing I liked so much -- the confidence. You could see the players rally around him."

That kind of moxie is probably why Petrino decided to play Bonnafon on Saturday.

The staff talked this week, Petrino said, about redshirting the freshman quarterback and saving him for the future.

Don't crack the seal on a potentially good Bourbon if you don't need to, right?

But Petrino hopes that playing Bonnafon early this season will help him down the line. And, in the worst-case scenario, prepare Bonnafon to step in if needed this year.

"It was up to the coaches," he said. "I'm going to work hard regardless. I thank them for the opportunity and putting me in, and we'll see where it goes from here."

If Saturday night's any indication of the future, Bonnafon's talent can take him pretty far. He won't be the starter for the foreseeable future.

The staff stuck with Will Gardner for a reason through the past nine months, and Petrino said Saturday that Gardner was "much more confident" in his second start.

So consider Saturday night a glimpse, a preview of what Bonnafon can do when he plays at his best.

"Right now, it's just helping the team win, whatever that is," Bonnafon said. "Wherever the coaches think I need to be on the field, I'm willing to do that to see our team win."

Follow U of L beat writer Jeff Greer on Twitter (@jeffgreer_cj).