Will Muschamp and players on Sugar Bowl loss: Florida football coach Will Muschamp and players Jeff Driskel and Omar Hunter talk about the Gators' 33-23 loss to Louisville in the 2013 Sugar Bowl.
U of L fans celebrate at Cluckers on Cardinal Blvd. after a 33-23 win against Florida in the BCS Sugar Bowl on Wednesday night. January 2, 2013
Muhammad Ali, second from right, and Tom Jackson take part in the pregame coin toss. / Rusty Costanza/Special to The Courier-Journal
Louisville legends Ali, Jackson take field
Former University of Louisville linebacker Tom Jackson, who played in 1970-72, joined Muhammad Ali to represent the Cardinals during the pregame coin toss.Ali sported a red No. 5 jersey, which is worn by quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Jackson wore his old No. 50, which is one of only 19 honored jerseys in program history.
Jackson said since head coach Charlie Strong’s arrival, he knew the program was on the right track. But he was left almost speechless that the Cards were able to reach a Bowl Championship Series game in just Strong’s third season.
“I don’t know anybody who is not surprised,” Jackson said. “But it’s very gratifying. I mean, Louisville is in the Sugar Bowl.”
Jackson, who is now an NFL analyst for ESPN, played on a team that made just the second bowl game in school history. The Cards played Long Beach State to a 24-24 tie in the 1970 Pasadena Bowl. That’s why even had they lost, he was still proud of the achievement.
“I don’t know what people will remember about tonight, but just the fact that we are here is one of the more gratifying things in the history of U of L and the accomplishment is unbelievable,” Jackson said. “Unbelievable.”
Unlucky uniform
Florida wore blue jerseys and orange pants for the first time since Nov. 20, 1999, against Florida State. The Gators lost that game, too, 30-23.Strategy change
The Gators clearly weren’t ready for the Cards’ defensive players on offense. Defensive end B.J. Butler and linebacker Jalen Harrington each had lined up at tight end during the regular season. But both took on more dynamic roles against Florida.Butler lined up at fullback on the Cards’ first drive, and Florida clearly wasn’t ready for him to go out on a pattern. Butler caught a pass wide-open in the flat, flashed and didn’t get hit by a Gator defender until 23 yards later at the UF 1. It set up Jeremy Wright’s 1-yard touchdown and made the score 14-0.
Like Butler, Harrington also caught his first pass of the season. His was a 16-yarder that set up a first-and-goal for the Cards. They ended that drive having to settle for a second-quarter field goal and 17-3 lead.
Poll projections
Louisville’s Sugar Bowl performance should help it greatly heading into next season, as it will most likely lead to a high national ranking in preseason polls. And if the Cardinals hold national championship aspirations, starting high will be crucial, according to BCS guru Jerry Palm, an analyst for CBS Sports.“That’s important for Louisville, because they’re not going to be getting help otherwise,” Palm said by phone Wednesday night. “Their schedule isn’t going to help, and their league is not going to help them. They need to start high to finish high.”
Trash talking
The Sugar Bowl sparked some friendly trash-talking among some U of L and Florida basketball players.Louisville point guard Peyton Siva said he called his friend Florida power forward Patric Young, whom Siva had played with at the adidas Nations summer camp, to let him know “we were going to beat their Gators.”
“He started laughing at me and told me, ‘No way,’ but I told him we’re feeling lucky tonight,” Siva said after the Cards’ 80-62 victory over Providence.
Siva said safety Hakeem Smith and wide receivers Kai Dominguez and Damian Copeland are some U of L football players he’s friends with.
Heisman help
Florida’s 1996 and 2007 Heisman Trophy quarterbacks, Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow, showed up for the site of their last college games. Tebow sat with friends and family, along making a appearance on ESPN in pregame. He threw for a Sugar Bowl-record 482 yards and three TDs in a 51-24 win over Cincinnati on Jan. 1, 2010.Wuerffel participated in the pregame coin toss. He threw for 306 yards and three scores in the Gators’ 52-20 win over FSU to claim the school’s first national title on Jan. 2, 1997.
Source: http://www.courier-journal.com
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