Chance to see our QBOTF for real...
 

On ESPNU Thursday night at 6:30 PM Central time. So watch him for a half hour before switching over to see the Chiefs/Rams game.

Murray St.-Louisville Preview

Individual Leaders
Louisville Passing
CMP% YDS TD INT
Brohm 63.6 3049 16 5

Louisville is coming off the most successful season in the program's history, and under new coach Steve Kragthorpe, the Cardinals are looking to take the next step.

Tenth-ranked Louisville begins its quest to reach the national title game with its highest preseason ranking ever when it opens 2007 by hosting Murray State on Thursday.

The Cardinals finished a school-best 12-1 last year, capped with their first Big East championship and a 24-13 victory over Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl -- the program's first BCS bowl appearance.

The only blemish on the season was a 28-25 loss to Rutgers on Nov. 9, as Louisville was outscored 14-0 in the second half. The loss cost the Cardinals a possible shot at a national championship.

"We were close last year," said returning starting quarterback Brian Brohm. "You get a little taste of that and you want to come back and try it again and give it your best shot."

Just days after Louisville's Orange Bowl victory, coach Bobby Petrino left for the head coaching job with the Atlanta Falcons and soon after Kragthorpe was hired away from Tulsa.

In Petrino's four seasons coaching the Cardinals, the program rose to national prominence, but never made it to the BCS title game.

Kragthorpe believes Louisville has the talent to contend for the championship this year.

"I told our guys that on August 30th, 119 Division (I-A) teams start the tournament," Kragthorpe said at the team's annual preseason luncheon on Aug. 16. "At the end of it all, there will be two teams playing for the championship. I don't think it's too bold to say we want to be one of those teams."

The Cardinals were ranked 13th in last season's preseason poll, and climbed as high as No. 3 before their loss to the Scarlet Knights. They finished the year ranked sixth.

Louisville had one of the nation's most prolific offenses -- gaining the third-most yards (6,179) and averaging the fifth-most points (37.8) -- and Brohm is back to lead the unit filled with playmakers.

Brohm, who was named to the All-Big East second team, threw for 3,049 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions as a junior, despite missing time with a hand injury. He went 84-of-124 for 1,263 yards, 10 touchdowns and one pick in his final four games.

Brohm is a Heisman Trophy hopeful, and has arguably one of the best receiving duos in the country.

Senior Harry Douglas caught 70 passes for a school-record 1,265 receiving yards and six touchdowns last season, while junior Mario Urrutia had 58 receptions for 973 yards and six TDs.

"Hands down I think we are (the best tandem)," said the 6-foot-6, 228-pound Urrutia. "We just want it so bad, we feel like we're the total package."

Running back Anthony Allen led the Cardinals with 13 rushing touchdowns as a freshman last season, and caught the team's only TD pass in the Orange Bowl.

Louisville has won 18 straight games at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium dating to 2003. Murray State, meanwhile, has lost 11 of its last 12 on the road, and is coming off a 1-10 season.

The Racers played 18 true freshman last season, and they will be very young again this year as they have 73 freshmen and sophomores and just 14 upperclassmen on the team.

"That's how we do it, that's the way we do things," coach Matt Griffin said. "We recruit and develop, recruit and develop. It's a little scary that we're actually younger than we were last year, but the sky is the limit for these kids athletically."

Quarterback Zach Barnard threw for 1,583 yards, 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as a freshman last year, but Griffin said the starting job is wide open, with Jeff Ehrhardt and Chris Franklin also battling for playing time.

Sophomore Charlie Jordan ran for a team-high 448 yards, but scored just one of the team's seven rushing touchdowns. The Racers were outscored by an average of 17.4 points last season.

Louisville hasn't faced Murray State since a 68-0 victory on Sept. 8, 1990, and is 10-6 all-time against the Racers.

Wow, opening game against a power house like Murray State?? I hope Brohm can handle the 5 minutes of pocket time he'll have on each passing play.

Personally, I'm not big on Brohm.

If we're gonna draft a QB on the first day of the draft, I think I'd rather take a flyer on Kentucky QB Andre Woodson.

I would be happy with Brennan from Hawaii as well. :D

58 TD's 5549yds and 72.6 completion percentage is nothing to sneeze at.

Just has to keep out of trouble is all.

Keep dreaming, folks. You know the Chiefs will be playing with Huard or some other cast-off as long as Carl is in charge.

Actually, I'd rather have Brohm than Brennan.

Brennan plays in an EXTREMELY friendly offense in a 2nd-tier conference. Reminds me of Ty Detmer and the like. I don't think he'll ever be a top-tier NFL QB.

Sadly, tis true.

But he is not on TV Thursday at 6:30 Central is he?

ROFL

Too bad we won't be drafting high enough to get either of them :)

Of course not. Picking 21st is about where we'll be after getting embarrassed in the playoffs.

I'm hopeing for at least one playoff win this year, but that might be unrealistic for this year.

I'm hoping for an AFC Championship sometime before I have grandkids. I'm not counting on it though.

I'm hoping for a Super Bowl win before I have grandkids, good thing I don't have any kids yet.

Why would the Chiefs waste their time with a player who is essentially a poor man's Casey Printers? Then again considering how wet you are getting over Brodie Croyle's prospects it is pretty obvious you have an odd obsession with crappy SEC QBs