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Tuesday, Oct. 07, 2008

Rested Cards regroup for old rival Memphis

LOUISVILLE — The last time Louisville was in action, two weeks ago against Connecticut, the Cardinals seemed in command in the second half until the Huskies stormed back to score the game's final 16 points.

"That last one hurt," fiery center Eric Wood said.

Having a week off to think about it didn't make it any easier for Wood to stomach, though he said the Cardinals have used the downtime to try to regain their confidence heading into Friday's game at Memphis (3-3).

"The season is obviously not over. ... Nobody is down in the dumps, but we're a little on edge to get back on the field again," Wood said.

Being healthy certainly helps.

Wood, who got banged up during a win over Tennessee Tech on Sept. 6, said he's as close to 100 percent as he's been all season. Quarterback Hunter Cantwell, who sprained his left ankle in the third quarter against UConn, is expected to start. And wide receiver Scott Long, who has yet to play a down all season after breaking his foot in training camp, will play against the Tigers.

Long, the team's leading returning receiver, was supposed to be Cantwell's security blanket when the season began. His absence, however, opened the door for players like Doug Beaumont and Josh Chichester.

Coach Steve Kragthorpe said he's not sure how many snaps Long will see against the Tigers, though the Cardinals could use him to take some of the focus off Beaumont, whose 29 receptions in four games put him 10th in the country in catches per game.

"Any team can use a 6-3 guy who runs a 4.3 40," Wood said.

Particularly a team that is looking for a way to finish off drives. Louisville dominated UConn but squandered several opportunities to put the game away.

The Cardinals will need every point they can get against an improved Memphis squad that has reeled off three straight in the rekindling of one of the region's most enduring rivalries. Friday's game will be the 41st meeting between the schools, but the first since Louisville jumped from Conference USA to the Big East in 2005.

"There's some bad blood similar to Kentucky and Louisville," Wood said. "We know this is a big game for them, and it's a big game for us."

Black recently demoted

BOWLING GREEN — Western Kentucky Coach David Elson says the Hilltoppers have granted sophomore quarterback K.J. Black a release from his scholarship.

The release comes less than two months after Black won the starting quarterback job over senior David Wolke. Black's athleticism was supposed to be the key to WKU's spread offense. While Black played well in a season-opening loss to Indiana, he suffered a separated shoulder in a win at Eastern Kentucky the next week and struggled to regain his form.

Black sat out two weeks before returning during WKU's 41-3 loss to Kentucky on Sept. 26. Wolke replaced Black as the starter during WKU's 27-13 loss to Virginia Tech last Saturday.

Smelley earns SEC honor

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina sophomore quarterback Chris Smelley was picked Monday as the Southeastern Conference's player of the week on offense.

Smelley threw for three touchdowns and a career-high 327 yards in a 31-24 victory at Mississippi on Saturday.