Surprise Performances – Week One

I’m sure Louisville fans expected big performances from guys like Teddy Bridgewater, Hakeem Smith, DeVante Parker and Preston Brown in the Cards season opener against Kentucky. However, there were a few guys who somewhat unexpectedly played huge for the Cards on Sunday.  Here are my two surprise performers from the season opener.

Offense – Damian Copeland:

Copeland played well all summer and fall for the Cards, but in his two prior seasons at Louisville, he saw limited action due to numerous injuries. Now that he’s finally healthy, Copeland was able to showcase his talent on Sunday afternoon. He finished with four receptions for 51 yards. There was no bigger play in the game than his catch on 3^rd down in Louisville’s 99-yard opening drive. Kentucky’s defense was deflated after that play.

Defense – Terrell Floyd:

A lot of fans, including myself, were surprised when Terrell Floyd was listed as a starter at cornerback over Andrew Johnson on Louisville’s initial depth chart. After Floyd’s performance on Sunday, I think we all know why. Floyd may have been the best overall player on defense for Louisville on Sunday in my opinion. He finished with six tackles, two pass breakups and one sack. I expected Floyd to make progress from freshman to sophomore season, but I was a little surprised to see how well he played on Sunday.