LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
at
Florida International Golden Panthers
FIU Stadium (20,000/FieldTurf)
Miami, Fla.
Saturday, September 22 • 7 p.m. • ESPN3
Television - WATCH LIVE
ESPN3 — Drew Fellios, Rene Ingoglia and Anastasia Saunders
Louisville Radio
WHAS-AM 840 (flagship)
Sirius 85; XM 85
THE GAME
Louisville meets Florida International for just the second time … It will be the teams’ first meeting in Miami … The Golden Panthers were 24-17 winners last year in Louisville, despite a 446-293 advantage in total yards and a 24-9 margin in first downs by the Cardinals … Florida International had three scoring plays of 71 yards or longer, however, including a pair of long touchdown receptions by WR T.Y. Hilton … Louisville has nine players who attended high school in Miami.
20/18 LOUISVILLE (3-0)
Head Coach
Charlie Strong (Central Arkansas ’82)
10-6, second season at Louisville
10-7, second full season as collegiate head coach
NOTES
Louisville plays on the road for the first time in 2012 after the Cardinals opened with home wins against Kentucky (32-14), Missouri State (35-7) and North Carolina (39-34) … The Cardinals are 3-0 for the first time since the 2006 season, when Louisville won its first eight games on its way to a 12-1 season, its first BIG EAST title and a win against Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl … Louisville is 28-12 in nonconference games as a BIG EAST member … The Cardinals lead the BIG EAST in scoring (35.3 points per game) … QB Teddy Bridgewater has generated some early Heisman Trophy talk with his play thus far … Bridgewater has completed 72 of 88 passes (81.8 percent) for 855 yards and five touchdowns without an interception … His pass efficiency rating of 182.2 ranks seventh nationally … Bridgewater was 16-for-19 for 218 yards and three touchdowns in the first half against North Carolina … RB Senorise Perry ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in rushing (88.7 ypg), while RB Jeremy Wright is sixth (87.3 ypg) … The Cardinals rank 15th nationally in rushing defense (79.7 ypg) … S Calvin Pryor has a team-high 23 tackles and three forced fumbles … Louisville has punted just six times.
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL (1-2)
Head Coach
Mario Cristobal (Miami ’93)
25-40, sixth season
NOTES
Florida International fell to 1-2 with a 33-20 loss at UCF last Saturday … The Golden Panthers lost to Duke (46-26) in the first week of the season before scoring a 41-38 win against Akron … Head coach Mario Cristobal, a former All-BIG EAST offensive tackle at Miami, inherited a team that was 0-12 in 2006 and has steadily improved the program, including an 8-5 showing last year … The Golden Panthers have reached the postseason in each of the past two years and were the favorites in the 2012 Sun Belt Conference preseason poll … QB Jake Medlock has thrown for 711 yards and four touchdowns without an interception this season … Medlock is averaging 237.0 passing yards per game … RB Kedrick Rhodes has a team-high 225 rushing yards, while RB Darian Mallary has scored five rushing touchdowns on 35 carries for 164 yards … WR Wayne Times has caught 17 passes for 182 yards … S Jonathan Cyprien leads the squad with 32 tackles … DE Tourek Williams has 15 tackles, including a team-high 4.5 tackles for loss.
