Font ResizeLouisville coach Charlie Strong had concerns about how his team would start the season, despite a No. 25 ranking and the top spot in the preseason Big East picks.
If the opener Sunday against visiting Kentucky were any indication, Strong had nothing to worry about. Starting the game on the 1 turned out to be no trouble for the Cardinals, who simply drove the length of the field for a touchdown that set the tone for a 32-14 victory.
How easy was it? Louisville's next two scoring drives covered 85 and 93 yards and how quickly it happened depended on whose hands were on the ball.
"I do not know if I expected the offense to perform as well as they did," Strong said after his team outgained Kentucky 466-373. "A lot of the time you just don't know how well guys will play together and get in sync."
Credit sophomore Teddy Bridgewater for getting things going on that first drive, taking the Cardinals from third down on their 2 up to the 42 with consecutive completions to Damian Copeland and Andrell Smith.
Jeremy Wright and Senorise Perry took the cue and then took off, with Wright rushing for three touchdowns and Perry adding a 47-yard touchdown run.
Baylor 59, SMU 24: Nick Florence, taking over for departed Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns as host Baylor beat SMU in the opener for both teams. SMU has lost 10 consecutive games to Baylor dating to 1986.
Cal: Starting right tackle Matt Summers-Gavin will undergo an MRI on his left knee Tuesday, coach Jeff Tedford said.
Regarded as the Bears' top offensive lineman, Summers-Gavin injured his knee during the team's 31-24 season-opening loss to Nevada on Saturday.
Georgia: Freshman tailback Todd Gurley might make his first start in No. 6 Georgia's Southeastern Conference opener at Missouri on Saturday. Gurley ran for 100 yards on only eight carries in Georgia's 45-23 opening win over Buffalo.
He had touchdown runs of 10 and 55 yards and scored on a 100-yard kickoff return. Starter Ken Malcome left the game with a left hand injury.
South Carolina: Coach Steve Spurrier said starting quarterback Connor Shaw can barely lift his right arm and will miss the next few days of practice. Shaw was injured in the ninth-ranked Gamecocks' season-opening, 17-13 victory at Vanderbilt last Thursday night.
Notre Dame: Redshirt freshman quarterback Everett Golson exceeded modest expectations with a 12-for-18, 144-yard performance Saturday in a 50-10 blowout of Navy in Dublin, Ireland.
The highlight: A short jump-ball TD toss to tight end Tyler Eifert in the second quarter. The lowlight: A foolish interception minutes later when he tested double coverage in hopes of hitting Eifert again near the goal line.
Golson was more than good enough with Notre Dame running 46 times for 293 yards, averaging 6.4 yards per carry, and scoring five touchdowns.
Staff writer Jeff Faraudo contributed to this report.
