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Miami Hurricanes drop season opener

 
Louisville’s Crovin Lamb runs a kickoff back 97 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter to give the Cardinals a 14-10 lead moments after the Hurricanes had gone ahead 10-7.
Louisville’s Crovin Lamb runs a kickoff back 97 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter to give the Cardinals a 14-10 lead moments after the Hurricanes had gone ahead 10-7.
Published Sept. 2, 2014

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Dominique Brown's 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and Gerald Christian's 10-yard TD catch late in the fourth followed Louisville's big defensive performance that helped beat Miami 31-13 Monday night.

The victory provided a successful Atlantic Coast Conference debut for the Cardinals and to Bobby Petrino's second coaching stint at the school.

Despite the 18-point margin, Louisville showed little of the offensive efficiency expected in Petrino's return.

The Cardinals outgained the Hurricanes 336-244 in a ragged game offensively for both teams. Louisville's new 3-4 defense provided many of the opportunities by forcing three takeaways, including one that followed a costly fumble by Cardinals quarterback Will Gardner inside his 15-yard line.

After Louisville held Miami to a field goal following Gardner's second fumble in the third quarter, Brown's TD provided a 21-13 cushion. Christian's scoring pass from Gardner with 1:43 remaining sealed the win.

In its first game with freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya at the helm, Miami took a 10-7 lead in the second quarter on Clive Walford's 2-yard touchdown catch from Kaaya.

But Louisville's Corvin Lamb returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown, giving the Cardinals a 14-10 lead.

The Hurricanes got back within 14-13 on Matt Goudis' 24-yard field goal in the third quarter, but that was as close as they got as Louisville scored the final 17 points.

A lot has changed for Louisville since it throttled Miami in December at the Russell Athletic Bowl — all but the result.

Soon after the Cardinals' 36-9 victory over the Hurricanes in Orlando, star quarterback Teddy Bridgewater departed for the NFL draft, then coach Charlie Strong left to take the Texas job.

Louisville quickly hired offense-minded Petrino from Western Kentucky, returning him to the program where he went 41-9 and won an Orange Bowl from 2003-06.

One of those wins came against Miami.

Odd as it was for two schools to face off after closing the previous season against each other, Petrino reminded players that life has changed for both programs.

"We've tried to make our players understand, they're two completely different teams," Petrino said last week. "We have a different offense, a different defense; they have a different quarterback and some of the same guys back on defense.

Despite two straight wins over Miami, including 31-7 in the final year of Petrino's first stint, Louisville entered Monday's game 0-9-1 otherwise against the Hurricanes.

The Hurricanes enter the season favored again to win the ACC's Coastal Division after finishing 9-4 last season.