Louisville rolls into national picture

Grasping for a way to describe the most-hyped football game in Louisville history, some locals compared it to something they’re more familiar with, a Final Four.

What the Cardinals have their hearts set on after a 44-34 Big East Conference victory over previously undefeated West Virginia is college football’s final two, the Bowl Championship Series title game.

They have a ways to go, even after handling the No. 3 team in the BCS standings relatively easily Thursday, inspiring fans to storm the field as security quickly lowered the goal posts.

Even though the game was entertaining, it didn’t particularly look like championship football as the unbeaten Cardinals, No. 5 in the BCS standings, took advantage of the Mountaineers’ trouble with fumbles and penalties and survived some problems of their own.

To get to the BCS title game, Louisville probably would have to overtake the loser of the Ohio State-Michigan game Nov. 18 and possibly a one-loss Southeastern Conference team as well.

“If we win out, there’s no way they should leave us out,” running back Kolby Smith said.

To have any chance, Louisville (8-0) would have to go undefeated, and the next big step, odd as it sounds, is a road game against still-unbeaten Rutgers next Thursday.

“Now the biggest game in Louisville history is this Rutgers game,” said quarterback Brian Brohm, who passed for 354 yards and a touchdown.

Even with the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs on Saturday, Louisville football was the biggest story in town this week.

Thursday before 8 a.m., a local TV reporter stood in temperatures in the 30s and reported from an empty stadium.

By nighttime, a crowd of 43,217 -- a record for Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium -- packed the stands, most of them wearing black to take part in what Louisville promoted as a “blackout.”

Despite the running of speedy, slippery running back Steve Slaton, who rushed for 156 yards, and elusive quarterback Pat White, who ran for 125 yards and four touchdowns, West Virginia couldn’t keep up with Louisville.

“They have two players who are as good as anybody in the country,” Louisville Coach Bobby Petrino said. “That’s why we had to stay aggressive on offense, to keep them off the field.”

Plays such as Slaton’s 42-yard touchdown run kept West Virginia in the game early.

But big mistakes helped do in the Mountaineers.

Slaton, his left arm temporarily weak after a blow in the third quarter, fumbled on consecutive carries.

“I think he couldn’t grip it with strength,” Coach Rich Rodriguez said. “He’s not a fumbler. We dropped it on the ground way too much.”

West Virginia fumbled six times, losing three.

Louisville’s lead after halftime was only 16-14 after the Cardinals settled for field goals on three trips inside the 20.

But in a bizarre sequence, Slaton fumbled near midfield and Louisville recovered.

Louisville turned the ball over three plays later when Jimmy Riley fumbled after a catch.

But then Slaton fumbled again on the next play when he was stripped by Brandon Cox, and Malik Johnson returned the fumble 13 yards for a touchdown and a 23-14 lead.

West Virginia couldn’t do anything on its next possession, though, and when Louisville’s Trent Guy took a 26-yard punt by Scot Kozlowski back 40 yards up the left sideline, the lead was 30-14.

Remembering the 17-point fourth-quarter lead it lost in last year’s 46-44 triple-overtime loss to West Virginia, Louisville didn’t let up, and West Virginia never got closer than nine.

“Last year’s game hurt bad,” Smith said. “It stayed with us.”

The Mountaineers’ last touchdown came with 2:10 left, and an onside kick failed. Only 45 seconds remained when West Virginia got the ball back for the final time.

Louisville -- which has overcome the loss of Heisman Trophy hopeful Michael Bush to a broken leg and played two games without Brohm because of a thumb injury -- is 8-0 for the first time since 1925.

West Virginia (7-1) saw its 14-game winning streak and national title hopes end.

“It seemed like we kept shooting ourselves in the foot,” linebacker Jay Henry said. “You’ve got to give it to them, they played hard.”

robyn.norwood@latimes.com

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Still undefeated

Louisville -- fifth in the BCS standings -- improved to 8-0 after defeating No. 3 West Virginia, 44-34, Thursday night. A look at the Cardinals’ remaining games.

*--* * Thursday at No. 15 Rutgers (8-0) * Nov. 18 vs. South Florida (5-3) * Nov. 25 at Pittsburgh (6-2) * Dec. 2 vs. Connecticut (3-5)

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