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Aug. 31, 2009

• Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Audio Clips
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• Head Coach Steve Kragthorpe
• Senior WR Scott Long
• Senior LB Jon Dempsey
• Sophomore DE Greg Scruggs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville football head coach Steve Kragthorpe met with members of the media on Monday to preview Saturday's 2009 season-opener against Indiana State. The Cardinals and Sycamores will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium and the game will be televised locally by WHAS-TV.

Louisville returns 15 starters and 48 letterwinners from last season's 5-7 team, including eight starters on the offensive side of the football. Kragthorpe has plenty of experience returning on the offensive side of the football, including plenty of firepower back at the skill positions with sophomore Victor Anderson, Bilal Powell, Trent Guy, Troy Pascley and Scott Long, who missed the final five games with a torn ACL.

Defensively, linebacker Jon Dempsey and Johnny Patrick will lead a young defense into the 2009 campaign. Dempsey recorded a team-high 80 tackles, earning second-team All-BIG EAST accolades, while Patrick has been a solid contributor in the secondary. Seniors L.T. Walker and L.D. Scott are two returning starters along the defensive line, while Cardinals return two other linebackers.

The Sycamores opened their season on Thursday, August 27 with a 26-20 overtime loss to Quincy.

Quick Notes
- The Cardinals are 48-55-3 all-time in season openers. Under Steve Kragthorpe, Louisville is 1-1 in season openers. Since Papa John's Cardinal Stadium opened in 1998, Louisville is 54-15 all-time at home.

- Louisville is 1-1 in home openers under Kragthorpe. This will be the third straight season that the Cardinals will open the season at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. Louisville was held to two points in the 2008 home opener.

- Kragthorpe is 7-3 against non-conference foes in his first two years at Louisville. Last season, the Cardinals went 4-1 against non-league opponents. Kragthorpe is 5-2 at home against non-BIG EAST teams.

The Series - U of L and Indiana State
Louisville is 5-3-1 all-time against Indiana State in a series that dates back to 1939. The Sycamores won the last meeting, 44-21, on Oct. 23, 1984 in Louisville.

GAME FACTS - Louisville (0-0) vs. Indiana State (0-1)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 5
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Site: Papa John's Cardinal Stadium (42,000), Louisville, Ky.
TV: WHAS-TV will televise the game with Drew Deener (play-by-play) and Doug James (analyst)
Radio: Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Craig Swabek (analyst) will call all the action and Doug Ormay will report from the sidelines on WHAS 840 AM
Also: SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Ch. 158
Rankings: Louisville is unranked in this week's AP Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll.
Coaches: Louisville's Steve Kragthorpe is 40-35 entering his eighth season as a head coach and 11-13 entering his third year at Louisville. Trent Miles is 0-13 entering his second season at Indiana State.