Larry Brown Sports

Louisville came to play against Florida in the Sugar Bowl on Wednesday night, and that was evident from the first play of the game from scrimmage. Cornerback Terrell Floyd intercepted a pass from Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel and returned it for a touchdown to start the game, and the Cardinals never looked back on their way to a stunning 33-23 victory.

Hardly anyone gave Louisville a chance against the No. 3-ranked Gators — including myself. One analyst who was particularly outspoken in bashing the Cardinals was ESPN’s David Pollack, who said before the game that he expected Florida to come away with a 15-point win that actually felt like 30. According to Louisville head coach Charlie Strong, Pollack’s prediction served as a major motivator.

“{ESPN analyst David] Pollack got us fired up earlier today, when he said it was going to be a 15-point game in their favor and it was gonna feel like a 30-point game,” Strong said after the game, via CBSSports.com. “And then he said our defense hasn’t played well all year. So this is for him.”

In his defense, Pollack was quick to admit how wrong he was after the game:

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Louisville lost at home to Pitt Saturday 21-14, and coach Charlie Strong believes his players were not properly focused on the game because they were too concerned with the new video game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was released last Tuesday and reportedly generated over $400 million in sales in its first 24 hours.

Strong had to pull his players off the field during pregame warmups to help their focus. He also described his players as not very mature after the game.

During his Monday press conference, Strong continued to rant about the video game. The Courier-Journal said Strong believed “his players seemed to be more enthused about playing Call to Duty than preparing for Pittsburgh.”

Before we start going off on the players, put yourself in their position. These are college boys aged 18-22. They like video games, hanging out, and partying. They’re not professionals, and some of them are irresponsible. They’re kids.

When I was in college, I made some irresponsible decisions too. My roommate and I once went on a 36-hour Madden bender freshman year. They may have used poor judgment, but how many of us can say we haven’t done the same thing?

Chest bump to Deadspin