The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 17

Cards get off skids with a big rush Booker had the feeling i he'd have big game Memphis drove to the of 5 but had to settle for Butler's 22-yard field goal instead of a TD and two-point conversion that would have tied the score. On the next series, the Cards marched 70 yards to score the clincher on Gruden's 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Chad Fortune, climaxing a 70-yard drive. Two minutes later free safety Derek Hawthorne snuffed out Memphis State's last threat by intercepting a pass at the Cards' 15. By RUSS BROWN Staff Writer if it I' rv 11 I they would be able to run the football against us the way they did. I was very disappointed with the way we played.

We didn't tackle well." Schnellenberger said of was able to mix its offense because the game was close all the way. "Our defense and kicking game kept the game close and allowed us to do the things I know this offense can do quite well," he said. "Getting that solid play out of each unit allowed everything to blend together and enhance and shine off each other." of jumped to an early 9-0 lead, fell behind 15-9, then regained the upper hand at 16-15 late in the first half and never trailed again. The Cards drove 71 yards in 10 plays on their first series and claimed a 6-0 lead on Booker's 6-yard burst over right guard. Memphis was held to minus-12 yards and forced to punt from its own end zone on its first two series, and of boosted its lead to 9-0 on Ron Bell's 29-yard field goal with 31 seconds left in the first quarter.

But the Tigers regrouped. Backup quarterback Rusty Trail, playing in place of injured starter Tim Jones, ran 14 yards on a draw play 2:10 into the period to make it 9-7. Memphis State (1-2) went ahead 15-9 with an 85-yard drive capped by John Norman's 3-yard scamper. The past two weeks that might have signaled the beginning of the end for the Cards. But this time they came right back with a 68-yard drive highlighted by Cummings' diving 31-yard reception at the Memphis State 12.

Booker dived over from the 1, and Bell kicked the conversion for a 16-15 lead. of held on to the lead at half-time thanks to Ted Washington's block of John Butler's 47-yard field-goal attempt with six seconds left. The defense also came through with an important goal-line stand after Booker's 28-yard sweep around right end gave of a 23-15 lead late In the third quarter. Continued from Page 1 I've felt, because we hate these guys." This one was memorable for a number of reasons. Not only did it snap a five-game losing streak for the Cardinals, but it also avenged a 43-8 drubbing at Memphis State in the 1987 season finale.

"Last year they said they'd had a better game from their scout team," Gangwer said. "Well, we decided we weren't going to be any scout team this time, and we got after them." Furthermore, it was of L's 100th victory in Cardinal Stadium since it opened in 1957, and it gave coach Howard Schnellenberger his 50th collegiate win as the Cards bounced back with a vengeance from last week's 44-9 drubbing by Wyoming. And, hey, wasn't that quite a coming-out party for the long-hibernating of running attack? The Cards put it all together before 22,476 fans, blitzing Memphis State with one of their most balanced offensive attacks in recent years and getting an inspired performance from their defense. Sparked by senior halfback Deon Booker, of L's running attack battered the Tigers for 246 yards, 55 more than the Cards had totaled in their first two games. Booker accounted for 154 yards on 24 carries for a 6.4 average.

He scored a career-high three touchdowns on runs of 6, 1 and 28 yards. "We were able to get him in and out of the game, and I think that was very helpful" Schnellenberger said. While Booker was resting, junior Keith Stephens filled in admirably, picking up 62 yards in 16 tries. Quarterback Jay Gruden complemented the surprising rushing thrusts by completing 15 of 23 passes for 171 yards and a TD. "They did about anything they wanted to do," Memphis State coach Charlie Bailey said.

"I didn't think of summary MEMPHIS STATE 0 IS 0 31 7 7 2 FIRST QUARTER Louiiville Deon Booker, 8, run (kick missed), 10:58, Drive: 10 playa, 71 yards. Key plays: Anthony Cummings, 19, pass from Jay Gruden; Booker, 22, run. Louisville Ron Bell, 29. FQ, 0:31. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards.

Key play: Cummings, 10, pass from Gruden. SECOND QUARTER Memphis State Rusty Trail. 14, run (John Butler kick), 12:50. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards. Key play: Wayne Pryor, 19, pass from Trail.

Memphis State John Norman, 3, run (Elgin Perkins, pass from Trail), 2:27. Drive: 11 plays, 85 yards. Key play: Charles Wilson. 25, pass from Trail. Louisville Booker, 1, run (BeU kick), 0:54.

Drive: 8 plays, 68 yards. Key play: Cummings, 31, pass from Gruden. THIRD QUARTER Louisville Booker, 28, run (Bell kick), 4:54. Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards. Key play: Keith Stephens, 14, run.

FOURTH QUARTER Memphis State Butler, 22, FQ, 14:03. Drive: IS plays, 49 yards. Key play: Gerald White, 9, run; Pryor, 1, run. Louisville Chad Fortune, 4, pass from Gruden (kick failed), 7:13. Drive: 13 plays, 70 yards.

Key play: Booker. 22, pass from Gruden. Attendance 22.476. Team statistics Memphis Louisville First downs 20 20 Rushes-yards 41-120 54-246 Passing yards 249 171 Return yards 8 103 Passes 17-34-3 15-23-1 Punts FumWes-tost 1-0 2-1 Penalties-yards 5-35 9-90 Time of possession 27:54 32:06 Individual statistics -I RUSHING Memphis State, While 8-21, Pryor '18-54. Norman 5-7, Trail 7-32.

Louisville, Booker 24-154, Stephens 16-62, Ware 7-36, Gruden 4-(minua-16). PASSING Memphis State, Trail 11-20-1-157, Ferrari 3-9-1-49. Louisvrllle, Gruden 15-23-1-171. RECEIVING Memphis State, Wilson 3-62, Pryor 5-50, Craft 3-77. Louisville, Cummings 4-68, Fortune 4-30.

Ware 2-28. X' STAFF PHOTO BY DURELL HALL JR. Deon Booker couldn't sleep Frl- day night, but that didn't stop him from drifting into dreamland. The University of Louisville half-I back lay in bed and visualized what he was going to do in the next day's football game against Memphis State. He saw himself making long runs I and scoring touchdowns, and yester- day in Cardinal Stadium, 22,476 watched him do it for real.

Booker, a 5-foot-lO, 202-pound sen-I ior from St. Petersburg, scored three touchdowns and gained 154 yards to lead of to a 29-18 victo-i ry over Memphis State. "I felt I was ready to play and I show the guys the type of running jback I can be," Booker said. "I hadn't had this kind of feeling in a i long time." The three TDs were a career high, but the yardage wasn't he gained 196 yards in 30 carries in I last year's 31-10 triumph over Ak-; ron. Considering the caliber of the competition yesterday, though, 1 Booker thought it was his best game yn a Louisville uniform.

Booker gathered the offensive players in the shower room five minutes before the game for a pep talk, telling them that each should try to be a personal winner against Memphis and preaching together-. ness. "We all share everything," Booker said. "We sleep, eat, practice and play together. It was about time we shared a victory together." Booker's most impressive touch-J down run came late in the third quarter with the Cardinals clinging to a 16-15 lead.

After nearly getting tackled as he took a handoff from quarterback Jay Gruden, Booker zipped around right end, eluded a couple of defenders and raced down the right sideline for a 28-yard TD. "I thought either Jay or me was going to get hit," Booker said. "We barely got the handoff. The instant I got it I spun around and there was "nothing to the outside. Determina-; tion led me across the goal line." I Booker also scored on a 6-yard run in the first quarter and a 1-yard dive over the middle in the final I minute of the second period.

In all, he carried 24 times. In his of L's Deon Booker broke away from a Memphis State tackier in his three-touchdown, 154-yard game. "I felt I was ready to play and show the guys the type of running back I can be," he said. produced 246 yards, caught Memphis State by surprise. "We thought they'd run marginally just to keep us honest," Memphis nose guard Tony Epps said.

"We knew they were dangerous, but we didn't know they were dangerous in the running game." of apparently caught the Tigers off guard in other ways, too. Quarterback Rusty Trail expected to roll up a big lead and retire to the sidelines early. "I went into this game looking for a good 35 points or so and probably getting the second-team offense in there," Trail said. "We moved the ball at times, but we couldn't get the big punch often enough." Instead, it was Booker and Co. that landed most of the punches.

first two games he had gotten the call just 18 times and picked up 91 yards. "I'd been telling Jay and some of the other guys that I hadn't been getting the ball enough," Booker said. "I'd never thought I'd carry it as much as I did today, but I figured if I kept running like I was they'd have to keep giving me the ball. "One thing, though I couldn't have done it without the coaching staff, the offensive line and the defense. It takes everybody." of coach Howard Schnellen-berger said Booker could be a rusher given the right set of circumstances.

"If he was on a team that principally ran the ball he could gain 100 yards each week," Schnellenberger said. "If he was at the top of the I (formation) and carried the ball 35 times a game, he'd gain a lot of yards." Louisville's running attack, which Shield remains a pioneer and leader in delivering healthcare programs that benefit your business. You'd be crazy not to give Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kentucky a closer look. For more information call 1'800' 7594499 or, in the Louisville area, 426-0627 ins and outs of today healthcare industry and passed extensive national exams to be certified. Which means they can help bring you the most comprehensive, cost effective coverage available.

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