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2006 Season Review
Cardinals Go 12-1 in a
A SEASON TO REMEMBER
The 2006 University of Louisville football season ran the gamut of emotions.
From the low of losing superstar Michael Bush in the season opening win over
Kentucky to the high of winning eight in a row and climbing to No. 3 in the
country. However, the Cardinals hit a low the following week when their national
title hopes were dashed with a 28-25 loss to Rutgers. However, they still went on
to win their first BCS game — a 24-13 win over Wake Forest in the 2007 FedEx
Orange Bowl and finishing with a school-best 12-1 record. Two weeks later, head
coach Bobby Petrino left Louisville to become the head coach of the Atlanta
Falcons.
However you look at it though, the 2006 football season will go down in the
record books as one of the best seasons in school history.
Louisville rolled through non-conference play with a 5-0 record and entered
BIG EAST play with an unblemished record.
The Cardinals opened the 2006 season with an impressive 59-28 win over
intra-state rival Kentucky at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Senior running back
Michael Bush looked like he was going to win the Heisman Trophy in the first
half. Bush rushed for 124 yards and three touchdowns through two quarters before
sustaining a broken right leg at the 11:26 mark of the third quarter and ending his
season. It was a sad way to celebrate their fourth straight win over the Wildcats,
but the Cardinals still looked like all the pieces were in place for a special season.
Louisville hit the road for the first time to face Temple. Behind 307 yards
passing from Brian Brohm and 312 yards on the ground, the Cardinals trashed the
Owls, 62-0, at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Cardinals faced their biggest home obstacle and big test when 15thranked
Miami invaded Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Putting their 13-game home
winning streak on the line, the Cardinals had their hands full with one of the
nation’s elite programs.
Things looked bleak early when the Hurricanes opened the scoring with a
long, punishing drive. However, that would be it for the ‘Canes as the Cardinals
scored 31 unanswered points in a dominating 31-7 win over Miami. However, it
was bittersweet as junior quarterback Brian Brohm went down in the third quarter
with an injured thumb.
With Brohm out of the lineup, the Cardinals turned to backup Hunter Cantwell
to face a tough Kansas State squad on the road. All signs pointed to a let up, but
Cantwell and the Cardinals went 97 yards on their first drive and the Cardinals’
defense set the tone in a 24-6 win over the Wildcats. Cantwell was efficient, going
18-of-26 for just 173 yards, but Louisville controlled the clock by rushing for 228
yards.
Cantwell got the start again the following week against Middle Tennessee State
in Nashville. Louisville looked like it was sleep walking early, falling behind 10-3
in the second quarter. However, the Cardinals scored on a 68-yard touchdown pass
from Cantwell to Mario Urrutia to tie the score at 10-10. Two Art Carmody field
goals and another score from Cantwell to Urrutia before the half, and the Cardinals
went on to a 44-17 win and move to 5-0 for the first time under Petrino.
The Cardinals returned home the following week to open BIG EAST play with
a visit from Cincinnati. Brohm, who was scheduled to be out for about 4-6 weeks,
returned to action against the Bearcats. Brohm threw for 324 yards, but three
turnovers kept Cincinnati in the game.
Louisville led 23-10 in the fourth quarter, but the Bearcats kept battling back.
The ‘Cats scored to make it 23-17 with 4:10 to go in the game. The Cardinals had a
chance to put the contest away, but punted the football away with 2:38 to play.
Cincinnati drove down to the Louisville 21-yard line, but a Dustin Grutza pass
to Earnest Jackson was knocked down in the end zone by Gavin Smart.
For the second straight week, the Cardinals sputtered offensively in a game at
Syracuse. With a huge game against West Virginia on the horizon, the Cardinals led
just 7-6 at the half. However, the Cards received a five-yard run from Kolby Smith
and a one-yard run from Anthony Allen to take a 21-6 lead. The Orange crept to 21-
13, but a 31-yard run by Smith put the nail in the coffin. Smith had a career-high
165 yards and two scores in the win, but the Cardinals’ defense limited the Orange
to just 19 yards on the ground.
At 7-0 and ranked fifth in the nation, the Cardinals returned home to face thirdranked
West Virginia at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in a nationally-televised
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