Sept 1, 2002
By CHRIS DUNCAN
AP Sports Writer
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kentucky defensive tackle Jeremy Caudill slammed into the back of Louisville quarterback Dave Ragone and drove him to the turf late in the fourth quarter Sunday night.
Ragone lay motionless for several seconds as Caudill stood over him and punched at the air like a boxer.
One play later, Mike Williams intercepted Ragone near midfield to cap a dominant night for the Wildcats’ defense in a 22-17 win over the No. 17 Cardinals.
Louisville mustered only 248 total yards against a Kentucky defense that ranked 109th in the nation in yards allowed last season.
The Wildcats snapped a three-game losing streak to their in-state rivals by battering Louisville’s revamped offensive line, which had only one starter back from last season.
Louisville coach John L. Smith rotated in eight different linemen, to no avail. Ragone was sacked three times and finished 14-of-39 for 193 yards with a TD pass and an interception.
“They beat him to a pulp,” Smith said. “They brought a lot of things at us, and we just didn’t pick much up. If you can’t block anybody, it’s tough to win.”
Taylor Begley kicked three field goals and Jared Lorenzen threw for 195 yards and a touchdown as Kentucky snapped a 10-game losing streak to ranked opponents.
The win was the biggest of Kentucky coach Guy Morriss’ brief tenure. Morriss replaced Hal Mumme in February 2001 in the wake of an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations. The Wildcats went 2-9 last season, sparking questions about Morriss’ future. UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart embraced Morriss on the field after the game.
“I am so pleased and proud for these kids. They have worked so hard for this,” Morriss said. “We talked about taking the next step, and we did that. This game will help us with our confidence, because we beat a very good team.”
The Wildcats’ defense took control from the start. On Louisville’s first four offensive series, Kentucky sacked Ragone twice and held the Cardinals to minus-3 rushing yards.
Louisville’s more heralded defense, led by Conference USA defensive player of the year Dewayne White, also asserted itself early, holding the Wildcats to minus-8 yards on their first five plays.
The Cardinals blitzed on Kentucky’s sixth play, but Lorenzen dumped a short pass to Ernest Simms before taking a hit. With most of the Cardinals chasing Lorenzen, Simms sprinted untouched for a 64-yard touchdown.
Jared Lorenzen threw for 195 yards and a touchdown. |
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The Wildcats put together a nine-play drive later in the first quarter, and Begley, a redshirt freshman, kicked his first career field goal, a 40-yarder, with 4:32 left.
Meanwhile, Ragone continued to scramble and struggle. Running for the sideline, he was hit by sophomore safety Claude Sagalle and fumbled at the Louisville 18 with 6:01 left before halftime. The turnover set up Artose Pinner’s 8-yard touchdown run with 3:58 left in the first half.
“We were not ready to go in the first half at all,” Smith said.
Ragone either passed or ran on Louisville’s final 15 plays of the first half, and that finally got the Cardinals moving. His best pass of the half was a 29-yard strike to Damien Dorsey that set up Louisville at the Kentucky 14 with 1:11 left.
Ragone found tight end Ronnie Ghent in the end zone with 18 seconds left. In apparent exhaustion, Ragone sank to his knees after the pass and eventually walked slowly to the sideline, his shoulder pads twisting out of his uniform.
Broderick Clark, a redshirt freshman from Alabama, temporarily turned the momentum toward Louisville when he returned the second-half kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.
Ragone led the Cardinals 84 yards to set up Nathan Smith’s 24-yard field goal that put Louisville up 17-16 with 5:51 left in the third quarter.
The Wildcats chewed up almost five minutes on their answering drive, and Begley restored Kentucky’s lead with a 32-yard field goal. He added a 31-yarder with 4:09 left for a 22-17 lead.
The Cardinals got the ball back deep in their own territory, but Ragone’s desperate heave on third down was intercepted by Williams with 3:09 remaining.
Ragone limped off the field and crouched down on the sideline after the decisive turnover.
“I tried to tell myself it was a nightmare after the game,” Ragone said. “Adversity tests your character,” he said. “We’ll see about our team.”
