SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 9, 2013
No. 16 Louisville 31, Connecticut 10: Teddy Bridgewater threw for 288 yards and a touchdown while the visiting Cardinals also got touchdowns from their defense and special teams to cruise past the winless Huskies.
Damian Copeland finished with six catches for 83 yards while DeVante Parker added five receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown for Louisville (8-1, 4-1 American Athletic Conference). The Cardinals forced five turnovers and held Connecticut to 237 total yards.
Geremy Davis was the lone bright spot for the Huskies (0-8, 0-4), collecting six catches for 76 yards against the nation’s third-ranked pass defense. Connecticut, which matched its worst start in school history, scored its only touchdown when Casey Cochran connected with Kamal Abrams on a 14-yard pass with 35 seconds left.
The Cardinals got on the board in the first quarter when the Huskies’ Cole Wagner bobbled a snap and had his punt blocked by Charles Gaines, who scooped up the loose ball and scored from seven yards out. Following a Connecticut field goal to open the second quarter, Bridgewater found Parker for a 28-yard touchdown and Senorise Perry increased the lead to 21-3 before halftime with a 5-yard run.
One play after Bridgewater threw only his third interception of the season late in the third quarter, the Louisville defense got in on the action as Tim Boyle’s pass bounced off the hands of two Connecticut receivers and Cardinals cornerback Terell Floyd before Floyd collected it and ran it back 17 yards for a score.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Cardinals limited the Huskies to 58 yards rushing – the sixth time they have held an opponent to less than 81 yards rushing. … Boyle, who replaced Chandler Whitmer as the starting quarterback four games ago, has yet to throw or run for a touchdown. … Bridgewater, who entered the contest with an FBS-best 73.7 completion percentage, completed a season-low 56.8 percent (21-of-37) of his passes.