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Louisville looks to avoid dramatic finish at Syracuse

Oct 17, 2006 - 7:24 PM No. 6 Louisville (6-0) at Syracuse (3-4) 12:00 pm EDT

SYRACUSE, New York (Ticker) - Syracuse has played multiple dramatic games in the Carrier Dome this season. Louisville hopes it will not be the opponent in another.

The sixth-ranked Cardinals visit the Orange in a Big East Conference matchup on Saturday.

Syracuse (3-4, 0-2 Big East) has played a pair of double-overtime thrillers here this season, losing to Iowa and beating Wyoming.

Louisville (6-0, 1-0) surprisingly was involved in a close game last weekend, holding on to beat Cincinnati, 23-17, when Gavin Smart batted down a pass to the end zone with three seconds left.

The game marked the return to the lineup of starting quarterback Brian Brohm, who had missed two games with a sprained thumb ligament. He completed 20-of-37 passes for 324 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The Orange were blown out by West Virginia last weekend, 41-17. Syracuse surrendered 562 yards, including a school-record 457 on the ground to the Mountaineers, who received a Big East-record 247 yards and four TDs from the legs of quarterback Pat White.

Syracuse is 3-2 all-time against Louisville but has lost the past two meetings, 30-20 in 2003 and 41-17 in the first Big East matchup between the teams last year.