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Louisville-Rutgers to decide Big East lead Thursday

Nov 7, 2006 - 8:41 PM No. 3 Louisville (8-0) at No. 15 Rutgers (8-0), 7:30 pm EST

PISCATAWAY, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Third-ranked Louisville hopes to get the better of an unbeaten Big East Conference rival for a second Thursday in a row when it visits No. 15 Rutgers in the Scarlet Knights' biggest game in nearly 140 years.

Last Thursday, the Cardinals (8-0, 3-0 Big East), then ranked fifth, played just enough defense to defeat then-No. 3 West Virginia in Louisville, 44-34.

Brian Brohm completed 19-of-26 passes for 354 yards and a touchdown for Louisville, which held just a 16-14 lead early in the third quarter before scoring on a 13-yard fumble return and a 40-yard punt return. The Cardinals led comfortably thereafter to move to 8-0 for the first time since 1925.

Louisville's win reduced the number of undefeated teams in Division I-A to five, and that number will shrink by one for a second consecutive Thursday after the latest Big East clash.

While last week's game was arguably the biggest home contest in Louisville's history, this one will be the most important game for Rutgers since 1869, when it beat Princeton, 6-4, in the first college football game. This will be the first time in Scarlet Knights history that they will play a game in which both teams are ranked.

Rutgers (8-0, 3-0) has not played since beating Connecticut, 24-13, on October 29. Heisman Trophy candidate Ray Rice suffered an ankle injury and was limited to 79 rushing yards and a touchdown, but he is expected to be fine for Thursday's clash.

In an intriguing contrast, the Scarlet Knights rank second in the nation in total defense (223.4 yards per game) and third in scoring defense (8.6 points), while the Cardinals are second in total offense (492.63) and fourth in scoring offense (39.38).

The Scarlet Knights won the series' first four meetings before getting routed last year, 56-5, in the first matchup as Big East opponents.

The teams will be meeting here for the first time since 1984.