After cruising through its non-conference schedule, Louisville gets ready to face one of three 0-4 AAC teams when it travels to face Temple Saturday afternoon. Coverage begins at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN3.
How to watch Louisville vs. Temple 2013: Preview, TV schedule, odds and more
Will the Cardinals score at least 70 for the second straight game?
Those three winless teams are Temple, UConn and South Florida. Those are also three of Louisville’s four AAC road games, as the Cardinals have perhaps the easiest schedule in the nation (and certainly the easiest for a title competitor). After blowout wins over Ohio (49-7) and Eastern Kentucky (44-7), Louisville came back to earth a bit with a measly two-touchdown win over Kentucky. In its last game, the fireworks erupted again in a 72-0 win over FIU.
There are few teams that have had a worse start to the year than Temple, who is 0-4 in Matt Rhule’s inaugural season. The Owls opened with a 28-6 loss at Notre Dame and a 22-13 loss to conference opponent Houston, and the close margin of both scores gave the Temple fans hope. That was summarily dashed, however, when the Owls lost to FCS opponent Fordham, 30-29, and near-FCS opponent Idaho, 26-24.
The numbers
Rankings and records: Louisville is ranked No. 7 in both polls. Temple is not. The Cardinals are 4-0 on the year, while the Owls are 0-4. The all-time series is tied at 3-3, but Louisville has won the last three outings between the two schools.
Vegas: Louisville is a 34-point road favorite. OddsShark has more.
Weather: A high of 81 and partly cloudy.
Three names to know
Teddy Bridgewater. The Louisville quarterback and Heisman candidate has a ridiculous 14 touchdowns against just one interception on the year, and is averaging 11 yards per attempt.
DeVante Parker. Bridgewater's top target is on pace to shatter nearly every one of his career highs, and has six touchdown catches on the year.
Kenneth Harper. Temple's running back will see the ball a lot early, and could play a role in the passing game as well.
Two things at stake
If Louisville wants a shot at the national title, it has to win every game in blowout fashion.
After a disastrous start to the season, a win against Louisville could ensure Matt Rhule’s job for an extra year.
How to witness
TV: Just ESPN3 at 12 p.m. ET, folks. For Temple people, try ESPN Regional on 6ABC. For Louisville, ESPN regional on Channel 11.
Radio: Here’s a list of radio affiliates for Louisville. For Temple, try 97.5 FM and 1210 AM.
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Further reading
For more on Louisville, head over to Card Chronicle.
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