“ALL RISE!!! Court is now in session. The honorable Bucket Hat King LJ tha Fiasco presiding. Please be seated and come to order”
I wish I could tell you that the Louisville football team turned the corner, and the fans would be optimistic this morning. I wish I could tell you that. But our reality is no fairy tale . I wish I could tell you that Puma seized the QB1 spot and the fanbase and staff would be fully confident in his abilities this morning. I wish I could tell you that. But our reality is no fairy tale. I wish I could tell you that we had a competent coaching staff, led by a offensive genius who puts his team in the best position to win a game with the lead and under two minutes to play. I wish I could tell you that. But our reality…..is no fairy tale.
Saturday was set up to be a great stage for a great football game. Perfect weather, big name opponent who is in a down year, a chance to right every single wrong that occurred the week before in the Virginia game, and in the end our head coached pissed it all away. It will mark the second time in nearly eight months that a Louisville team with a 99.9% chance to win managed to lose and send an exhausted fanbase home wondering if it had indeed, gotten worse. The last time we saw a Louisville team rip our hearts after we were certain we had the W in our column:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ODafMZxQzk
Sorry to bring that back up but I couldn’t think of another time Louisville had a lead, with the ball, and still managed to lose a game. I wrote after the WKU game that we were out of excuses. After the Virginia game I wrote that we were out of options. After what occurred on Saturday afternoon, we are possibly out of a coach.
After all the festivities on Friday night that surrounded the Louisville basketball team, the fanbase was euphoric. That carried over to the next afternoon for the football team. The crowd was loud, the team was energized, the past four weeks seemed like an afterthought. And then the second half started. Wide open receivers were overthrown. Big scores were wishful thinking. And in the end, a coach who has been heralded as having a brilliant offensive mind called one of the dumbest plays that we have seen since the Kragthorpe era.
Lets get to the notes and try to think of better days when we had a competent staff that doesn’t gift wrap games for the visiting team.
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Any outbursts from the court and you will be removed by the bailiff Carson Jones (@CarsonJones1). Carson is needed because I would not want to rant with anyone else after a game as we are leaving Cardinal Stadium other than him. Did we draw a scene, yes. Was it warranted, absolutely.
- Puma earned the starting job yesterday completing 24 of 45 passes for 306 yards and two scores. He also ran for what was the team’s first offensive score in the first half this season (it only took 5 games). To say Louisville left a ton of points on the field is an understatement. Complete just one of those passes to Jaylen, Dez, or Tutu and the Cards win easily. I can’t help but feel that had Puma not been pulled in the Indiana State game, or allowed to finish the WKU after only throwing 3 passes, or allowed to start the Virginia game, then maybe just maybe his chemistry and timing issues could be worked out by now. That might come off as a lame excuse but that is my thoughts on the matter.
- So happy for the big day that Micky Crum had on Saturday. 8 receptions for 47 yards and a score may not seem like much but we got to see a glimpse of what we got from Crum in his freshman season. After battling injuries the last few seasons I am just glad he is once again a big part of the offense. Just wish the ending was one he would have wanted.
- Hassan Hall is your starting running back, Trey Smith is your backup. Debate is over. There is no way you can look at the game film over the past few weeks and say that Hassan is not the better running back out of all of our guys. He sees the field, he hits the opening the line creates, and he has the speed to get past defenses. Trey Smith does the same and is reliable when you need him. Unfortunately, their head coach didn’t trust either enough to give them the ball to salt the game way in the last 2 minutes.
- It took 5 games, but we finally got to see Dez 6-Patrick again. I was glad to see him get a first half score (his first of the season) and catch 4 passes for 45 yards. He was not targeted enough in my opinion but that doesn’t matter now. Hopefully in the next 7 games we see more of him and Jaylen Smith who caught 5 passes for 100 yards.
- Glad to see London Iakopo back on the field yesterday after a scary neck injury two weeks ago. He recovered a fumble on special teams. Hoping that he stays injury free for the remainder of his senior season.
- I have accepted that Van Halen on 3rd down is a part of Louisville football culture now. We can place it up there with “CARDS 1ST DOWN” and the Pass Punt and Kick competition. With all the new things with the stadium this season, we refuse to let this tradition that none of us asked for die. The piano riff from “Right Now” is the herpes none of us wanted, but we have no choice but to accept and live with it”.
- You can only say “that’s on me” so many times before it costs you your job. You can only promise to get better so many times before it falls on deaf ears. You can only talk about practicing hard before it becomes a cliche. Bobby sounds like a 2nd year coach instead of a vet.
- Shout out to the fans who sat in front of me dressed head to toe in FSU gear but had no idea who Nyquan “Nooney” Murray was. When I pressed they admitted they were actually Ohio State fans but only there to support their kid who was an FSU fan, it was a birthday gift for him. The BHK cannot be upset with that but I can be upset about the beer one of the spilled while simply clapping for a good FSU play. Alcohol abuse as its finest…..
- Shout out to the UK fan who dresses as a UofL fan all year except for when the Governor’s Cup comes up. If you have followed me the last two years you know that I sit with a group who have family members they invite for only the big games. So on cue, I had to hear this UK fan complain about Louisville’s play-calling like he gives a damn. I love my seats so this is my hell a few times a year. They both left early because their team was playing later that night. Whatever.
- The state of the program in one tweet.
https://twitter.com/LJthaFiasc0/status/1046420598069563393
Backwards and disoriented sums up our season after five games.
- So all week long I heard that Florida State’s offensive line was terrible and that Louisville should be able to exploit it. Deondre Francois was not sacked one time on Saturday and was hurried only 3 times. Stop me if you’ve heard this before but, that is coaching. How do you not attack a terrible offensive line? Each blitz was picked up with ease it seemed. Francois had time to pick apart our secondary which he did to a tune of 294 yards and 4 touchdowns. Similar to last week when the Louisville defense let the backup QB (wearing #98 mind you) run for a big gain on 3rd down.
- Congrats to the couple who got engaged on the jumbotron during the game on Saturday. Too bad that it happened during a official review to see if Louisville had fumbled. Happy for you two, marriage is a great thing, but is it Louisville’s ball or not??
- Louisville’s corners and secondary were burned for each of the FSU scores on Saturday and it wasn’t even close. It has happened in every game this season minus Indiana State and that is not only a problem but it’s coaching. Guys are beat badly off the line each time and there is no excuse for it. On one of the FSU scores a Louisville defender was in position to break the play up or even get an interception but instead it was a score.
- At what point do the assistant head coaches or the co-offensive coordinators step up and stop Bobby from making a bad play call? I could be wrong but there are several coaches that are there and could try to persuade him to either call timeout or change the play. Who am I kidding, it’s not like Bobby would listen.
- Bud Kilmer, Ed Genero, Kevin O’Shea, Danny O’Shea, Tony D’Amato, Sam Winters, Molly McGrath, and Nate Scarborough. These are all fictional coaches in some of the most well known football movies ever made. And they all would have ran the ball, with the lead and under two minutes to play.
The court will now be opened for questioning:
Robert Holt (@eldiablodubob): For all the positive steps taken today, and there were a whole lot of them, the last 2:00 damn near wipes them out. Team is balanced on a knife. Can go either way. I am there Friday with Indi’s wings and ready to go!
This was not a question at all Robert and I am not sure you know how this works. The fact that you added Indi’s at the end is the only reason I am answering this. Try again next week bud, and save me a 10 piece spicy with a large pink lemonade.
@iWILLrepTheVill: Honestly, what do you think has to happen for Bobby to get fired at the end of the season? 2-10? 3-9? Can we even afford a buyout?
It’s happening now homey. Bobby is doing everything to get fired. Lack of preparation CHECK. Horrible use of talent and speed…CHECK. Being a coach no one in America wants to work with…CHECK. Costing your team a sure victory by calling a pass play….CHECKMATE. BALLGAME. THANKS FOR PLAYING. And no, we don’t have the money for a buyout, but I am willing to bet the donors put some money together for one. I have a feeling if Louisville continues to plummet down the ACC standings we will find the money to buy out Bob like you find spare change in couch cushions.
Mango (@Mango61): Is it bad that I am not even really that mad?
Nope, you’re numb to it by now because it has been in Louisville’s DNA for the past 4 seasons. And that is a huge problem.
Tanya Cowan @CardsBballFan: Can it get any worse?
Nothing I have seen this year suggests that it won’t. And this is coming for a glass half full guy. I fully suspect that this loss broke a lot of fans and possibly some players. Louisville would have to win out to get any optimism going for the future. I think even the biggest Bobby supporter is questioning his future this morning.
Josh Eberenz: (@josheberenz): Worse loss …FSU football or basketball vs UVA?
Welp, both could have been avoided had the coaching staff ran. Had Coach Padgett told Anas or anyone with legs to run the length of the court we win with ease because surely UVA would have had to intercept the pass and then shoot a nearly full court shot in 0.09 seconds. Had Bobby ran the ball it would have forced FSU to use timeouts and then you either get another first down (which seals the game), a touchdown (which seals the game), or kick a field goal and give them the ball with about 30 secs left and no timeouts down by 6 points. Instead, neither happened and both games left fans wondering what the hell the staff was thinking. To answer your question, the Virginia game will haunt my dreams till my dying days.
Timothy Tungate (@TimothyTungate3): How much can we afford to throw at Brent Venables to come coach here?
He is not leaving a wonderful, championship program to coach here. He is making 2 million to coach a defense which is unheard of and Clemson has even more talent behind this years defensive line which are all projected to be 1st round NFL picks. Venables is like Chris Peterson. He was loyal to Boise State for years and only left when the right team came along. Louisville is not that team in my opinion and I truly think Venables is happy not being a head coach right now.
cardsfanrva (@Alissamoore16): If you’re getting paid 4 million dollars a year, is “my bad” a good enough excuse for making poor decisions at your job on multiple occasions?
Eating grass and starring in Dr. Pepper commercials looking for another shot in college football.
Person(s) who earned a shot of top shelf liquor this week:
Mickey Crum, Dez Fitzpatrick, Jaylen Smith, Hassan Hall, and Trey Smith. All had good offensive games that should have been the talking point after what was supposed to be a hard fought win over a ACC foe. Instead they had a good offensive game overshadowed by a coach who second guessed himself to a loss.
Person(s) who earned a can of room temperature Natty Light:
Bobby Petrino. Drink up coach, you earned this one as well as the jeers that follow it. Sometimes we can think too much and end up messing things up. Like both of the Matrix sequels. Like the latest Star Wars movie. Like the series finale of The Sopranos. As Big Boi reminded us on his Boomiverse album, overthinking is a drug. Run the f*****n ball.
In closing, this sucks and there is nothing else to add on my part. I will be there for the last 4 home games hoping we can find 4 wins somewhere on this schedule to get a bowl game out of the deal. This is the year that all the bad teams are having great seasons, all the traditional power teams are even more dominant, and my team is catching friendly fire. Unreal.
Friday is a “blackout” game but after hearing the “Fire Bobby” chants in the tunnel on the walk back to the car, they should really make it a “black and pink” out game to match the number of empty seats that are sure to be present. What a difference two years makes.
Be cool in this hot city.
Court adjourned (bangs gavel)
LJ Nesbitt
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