Cardinals Soar Into House of Scarlet Knights

No. 3 Louisville Cardinals invade Piscataway, N.J. for a date with the No. 15 Rutgers Scarlet Knights for a huge game Thursday evening.

Rutgers (8-0 SU & 4-2-1 ATS) will need to have a solid ground game to pull off the upset. The tandem of RBs Brian Leonard and Ray Rice is averaging over 180 yards on the ground per game this year for the Scarlet Knights. But, Louisville limited the two to a combined 79 yards on 20 carries last season.

The Cardinals will be attempting to keep their title hopes alive. If Louisville can finish the season unbeaten, it will have a good chance to play for the national title.

Louisville (8-0 SU & 5-3 ATS) vaulted to No. 3 in the Bowl Championship Series standings after last Thursday's 44-34 victory over then-No. 3 West Virginia. The Cardinals, who have never opened 9-0, are behind Ohio State and Michigan, which meet in Columbus on Nov. 18.

Reigning Big East offensive player of the week QB Brian Brohm is rounding into form for the Cardinals, who are generating nearly 500 yards of offense per game -- the second-best mark in Division I-A. Brohm, who missed two games with a right thumb injury, threw for a season-high 354 yards and a TD against the Mountaineers.

Last year, Brohm threw for 315 yards and three TDs in a 56-5 victory over Rutgers. But in this game it may be a different story considering the Scarlet Knights rank No. 2 nationally in total defense (227.38 ypg) and pass defense (135.3 ypg), and they've allowed only four TD passes in eight games, second fewest in Division I-A.

Rutgers enter this contest as the puppies which may bode well for their backers, because the Scarlet Knights are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as an underdog