'Everything clicking' for Bridgewater, Louisville

A LOT OF PEOPLE are saying a whole bunch of really nice things about Teddy Bridgewater these days. And why not? Louisville's junior quarterback, who won't be coming back for his senior season, might be the top draft prospect at his position. He could be a Heisman Trophy contender. And maybe he can even get the Cardinals into BCS title-game consideration, which is pretty much the only conversation he seems to care about.

So what's not to appreciate?

And Saturday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field, his immense talents will be on display when the nation's seventh-ranked team plays 0-4 Temple. The Cards, one of five teams that haven't trailed yet (along with Ohio State, Miami, Texas Tech and Washington), are 4-0 for the second straight year. Last season they got to 9-0 (and ninth in the polls) before getting upset twice. But they did beat Florida convincingly in the Sugar Bowl. So with most everybody back, the projections, individually and otherwise, were way up there.

The Cards have beaten Ohio, Eastern Kentucky, Kentucky and Florida International by a combined 192-27. Bridgewater has completed 71 percent of his passes for 1,214 yards and 14 touchdowns with one interception. Temple's pass defense hasn't exactly been a strong suit. A year ago at Louisville, it was tied at 14 after one quarter. Your final was 45-17, with Bridgewater throwing for five scores.

"He was calling out our [defenses], doing things you see Peyton Manning doing [at the line of scrimmage]," Temple safely Abdul Smith said. "You can tell he's a guy who's in the film room constantly. And he can sling it to anybody. It's not like he has a favorite target. He makes sure everybody can hurt you."

And unlike many college QBs, he plays in a pro-style scheme. Which, of course, only makes him more attractive to the pro scouts.

Still, the NFL can wait. There's too much more he wants to do at this level first.

"I live in the now," Bridgewater said the other day. "Anything can happen from today until the end of my career. I just think about the stage I'm at and let everything else take care of itself.

"Everything's clicking right now. We're performing at a high level. We also know we can be much better. We're leaving some plays on the field . . . We're a very balanced offense. We have guys who've been in the system 3 years now [under Charlie Strong]. They fully understand what we're trying to do."

We should find out a lot more when the Cards host Rutgers (3-1) next week, then Central Florida (3-1) the week after that. Last November, Louisville got derailed by 19 by a 4-5 Syracuse team, and lost at home the following week in overtime to 4-6 Connecticut. So . . .

"It's very important not to take a step backwards," Bridgewater said. "Anyone can be a paper champion. We have to continue to move forward, each week at a time.

"If you respect the game, you should never look past any opponent."

First-year Temple coach Matt Rhule, who last year was an assistant with the New York Giants, knows exactly what Bridgewater brings to the equation.

"He's got the answer to the test," Rhule said. "And he's going to go right to the answer. Most guys look to the sideline. He's running the whole show. He's ahead of the game. And he makes every throw. He does it under center or from the gun. He's got an absolute whip. He plays with tremendous confidence. And he plays really calm."

Added defensive coordinator Phil Snow, who also has NFL experience: "He doesn't want to run, but he's hard to catch. He's got good awareness in the pocket, but he's got good vision downfield when he does move. He really understands the defense. Their whole offense is called at the line. They're never in the same play. They dummy you, make you show your hand. That's Drew Brees. That's Peyton Manning. Those guys are hard to stop."

The Miami native - listed as 6-3, 195 pounds - learned on the job while going 7-6 as a true freshman. Not much has gone wrong for him since. But he has nine games left to make his farewell tour something special. For him and all those around him.

"No expectation is too high for us here," Bridgewater ackowledged. "We set the standard for ourself. It's great to hear those things [being said]. That means our hard work is paying off.

"I play the game because football is a team sport. I play for my teammates, for team awards and team success. I don't play the game by myself. Those guys also contribute to the success."

And after what happened near the end of last season?

"We know we still have a lot to prove," he stressed.

Who: Temple (0-4, 0-1 American Athletic Conference) vs. No. 7 Louisville (4-0, 0-0)

When: Saturday, noon

Where: Lincoln Financial Field

TV: 6ABC

Radio: WPHT (1210-AM)