LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville football team, after nearly two weeks of practice, conducted its first major scrimmage of the fall Monday night at Cardinal Stadium.
Playing under the lights, the Cardinals ran approximately 125 plays, with the 1s facing the 1s, and the 2s also squaring off against each other in the controlled scrimmage. The Cardinals began most of their drives on their own 30 or 35-yard line.
Head coach Bobby Petrino switched the format in the second half, putting the first groups against the second units.
Sophomore quarterback Jawon Pass, the starter heading into the Sept. 1 opener versus Alabama, was solid in his first major tune-up of the fall, running for a pair of scores and hitting tight end Micky Crum with a short touchdown strike for his only touchdown pass.
The Cardinals took the first drive of the scrimmage and went down the field, scoring in nine plays – capping the drive with a five-yard run by Trey Smith.
The offense raced out with six first-half touchdowns, five coming on the ground, including a game-long 68-yard burst by freshman Javian Hawkins. Placekicker Blanton Creque also added to the scoring with a 44-yard field goal in his only attempt.
Robert Hicks scored the lone touchdown for the defense, picking off a tipped pass and racing into the end zone for a score.
Petrino talked extensively about the speed and athleticism of the young freshmen class, and that was on display Monday night. Wide receivers Marcus Riley and TuTu Atwell were among the top receivers on the night, while running backs Javian Hawkins and Hassan Hall showed off their burst in the open field.
Defensively, cornerback Chandler Jones made a couple nice plays on the ball in the secondary.
Backup quarterbacks Malik Cunningham and Jordan Travis also accounted for scores, while Smith and Colin Wilson were two of the top rushers over the course of the evening.
Wide receiver Devante Peete made an athletic play in the corner of the end zone for a long touchdown reception late in the scrimmage.
The Cardinals return to the practice field on Tuesday morning at 9 a.m.
