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The return of Bobby Petrino to the Louisville Cardinals has been a success. And on Saturday, Petrino and the Cardinals put a bit of icing on this successful cake.
Louisville went into one of college football’s most historic venues and beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 31-28 on Saturday in South Bend.
This was not a fluke by any means. While Notre Dame’s Kyle Brindza did miss a potential game-tying field goal inside the last minute, this game was clearly dominated by the Cardinals. Louisville had 351 yards of total offense led by true freshman quarterback Reggie Bonnafon, who passed for 180 yards and a touchdown.
The Cardinals also got a big effort from sophomore running back Brandon Radcliff, who rushed for 136 yards and a score to lift Louisville past Notre Dame in the first-ever meeting between the schools.
Petrino, who was Louisville’s coach from 2003-06, returned this season after Charlie Strong left to be the head coach of the Texas Longhorns. Petrino was the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks before personal issues led to his dismissal from that position. However, U of L athletic director Tom Jurich gave Petrino a shot to return to the Derby City as head coach this season.
And, to this point, Petrino 2.0 has worked extremely well. After the win at Notre Dame, the Cardinals are now 8-3 on the season, with just the rivalry game against the Kentucky Wildcats remaining in the regular season. The Cardinals seem to be a good fit in the ACC, and having a coach like Petrino has made that transition easier.
Petrino’s coaching pedigree has never been questioned. And he’s proving once again this season that he’s one of the brightest minds in college football.
Tim Letcher is a contributing writer for www.RantSports.com and a member of the Football Writers Association of America. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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