BucketHatism: Duke

“ALL RISE!!! Court is now in session. The honorable Bucket Hat King LJ tha Fiasco presiding. Please be seated and come to order”

Happy Monday folks, the BHK is happy to be back on the throne after what seemed to be the longest bye week in Cardinal football history. The BHK is also happy that the Cards are back in the win column despite how it looked and felt on this past Friday night.  I wrote a piece last week detailing Friday games in Papa John’s and how the crowd is normally on another level which is always good. What isn’t good, or welcome for that matter, is something called “bad juju” (pronounced joo-joo).

Every, and I do mean EVERY card fan knows what bad juju  is. We have all seen one game, no matter the sport, where Louisville has a game where everything around said game feels off, or weird, or unsettling. This normally translates into a loss against a team we should normally destroy. Which is why Friday’s game was different, because we finally won a bad juju game. Below are my notes that I always take detailing the weekend that was. Any outburst and I will have the bailiff remove you from the court.

• The BHK is extremely superstitious when it comes to Cardinal football and basketball. One of the superstitions is I never wear anything new to the game. Shirts and hats are normally broken in at random times and gradually introduced as the season goes. Each time something new is worn, we lose.  Case in point, the Auburn game last year, new bucket/new shirt ….loss.   Houston game, new bucket…loss. Clemson game last year, old bucket new shirt….loss.  So for Clemson this year I decided to play it safe and wear an old bucket and old shirt and we lost so I figured I was good since the streak had ended. For the Duke game I broke out a new black hoody and a new black and red bucket.  You will never see either again……..once  a bucket is associated with bad juju, it is forever retired.

• Sign #2 of bad juju, friends of the BHK attending their first Cardinal football game when normally they are at home watching.  You brought the jinx with you Marcus. Not really but I am blaming you.

• Sign #3 of bad juju. I didn’t go to party deck for the Charlotte or Florida State game. No reason, just didn’t go.  Guess where I found myself Friday night.  I had the eerie feeling while I was up there and left. Damage was already done.

• Sign #4 of bad juju. My stepfather was already sitting in his seat when I got down to our section. He told me something was in my seat so I had to clean off old, dried up food which I guess came from Trinity/St. X game a few weeks ago. I got napkins from a nearby fan and had to use some of my beer to saturate the spot enough for cleaning (gosh). Found out my stepfather was in wrong seat and I had just cleaned a strangers seat off using my beer.  Sonofab*tch……..

• Sign #5 of bad juju.  The trumpet player sets the tone for pregame when he or she plays “Call to the Post”.  I knew bad juju was present when he had a few issues hitting the notes once before game and again after halftime. Juju is a mean b*tch at times, hang in there kid.

• Sign #6 of bad juju. Crowd enthusiasm.  Now before I begin I know there are some sensitive fans out there that will cry “leave the fans alone” but the BHK cares not for your feelings nor does he care that your parents wouldn’t sign the permission slip back in elementary school which would have allowed you to participate in Field Day activities. You are an adult, act like it.  You want better as fans, act better as fans, plain and simple. The crowd enthusiasm before the game SUCKED. No energy, no motivation, just flat.  And this was before the game!!! The team is walking out, the Ali intro video is playing, and I see our fans sitting and looking uninterested like they were watching an episode of Fear the Walking Dead. It was apparent before the opening kick and it carried over the entire game. I think there was a bigger applause for Papa John and his ozone destroying tire burnout than there was for a Cardinal first down. If you don’t like what I am saying, prove me wrong next Saturday. Otherwise sell your seats to fans who would appreciate them.  If your feelings are hurt by this, well….good, that means I did my job.

• Sign #7 of bad juju. Seats beside me are normally open so we get a mix of every type of fan. Friday night it was the cast from Sex and the City who were only there because the ticket was free and Samantha thought her work crush was in our section. Thank God for the rain shower in the 2nd quarter which cleansed the stadium of all things un-football.

• Sign #8 of bad juju. The UK fan who dresses as a UofL fan made an appearance on Friday. This was a Blackout game, but guess who comes in wearing a grey and red UofL hoody with red undershirt. May you get a case of aggressive diarrhea in stand-still traffic on your way to an important job interview sir.  Now, on to the game……

• First drive had me thinking this was going to be a blowout. We moved through Duke’s defense like KFC moves through Louisville residents who eat it. Fast and easy with a expected outcome.

• Quiet as kept Jalen Smith is having a hell of a sophomore  year. He is being out shined by Lamar of course but he has some nice catches and racking up TD’s.

• Does anyone know what is going on with Mickey Crum?  Not sure if he is hurt or if Cole Hikitini is just playing better. Either way I miss seeing him out there decleating folks.

• See juju sign #6.  Read it again.  Now, I say that because James Quick’s first catch brought out all the negativity we have heard since the end of the Clemson game two weeks ago. I heard “should have done that at Clemson” and “at least you got the 1st down this time”.  Once again, your fat a** is not going to beat Quick in a footrace. You are not going to catch bullet passes from Lamar. You wouldn’t have started in high school let alone at Louisville. And James Quick would whoop your a** plain and simple if you ever got in his face. Grab a beer, have a seat, and STFU.

• Where oh where has our defensive pressure gone?  Deshaun Watson was not sacked and only pressured a few times.  Daniel Jones was not sacked at all and I think we only got pressure on him a few times. He leads the ACC in turnovers so I really thought we could rattle him to throw a few. To Duke’s credit, they made him a game manager and had him keep it limited to short quick passes and screens. Hard to sack a QB who is getting the ball out in 2 secs.

• Still seeing way too many arm tackles being made. Vance Bedford would crap his pants if he wasn’t already doing so at Texas. Wrap the guy up, run to the ball and don’t go for the strip all the time. We have seen way too many opposing running backs and receivers get extra yards because our defenders are trying to strip the ball rather than tackle.

• Duke was 8/16 on 3rd down conversions, most of those were 3rd and 1 or 3rd and 3 but we had issues getting off the field Friday night. Defense has to do better in that area.

• Kudos to David Cutcliffe who had a brilliant game plan though it made for ugly football.  He knew he couldn’t match Louisville score for score. He knew his defense would wear down. So what do you do? Play slow tempo, keep-away football. Use every single minute of play-clock and limit the time Lamar Jackson and the offense is on the field. Smart man, he is not a great coach for nothing.

• Look I am not saying Jeremy Smith and Eric Shelton are the same guy. But have you seen them in the same room. Makes you wonder after that 80 yard run by Smith.

• Speaking of Smith, looks like the fumble bug is off him and now affecting Radcliff which sucks. He had a awful fumble in the Clemson game and again in the redzone against Duke. Here’s hoping that damn bug gets some Raid soon.

• Seth Dawkins is gonna be a stud. True freshman WR who is playing great. Gonna be fun seeing him and Dez Fitzpatrick next season.

• Jamari Staples had some great catches. Dude is a great athlete.

• Lamar did nothing to hurt his Heisman chances Friday night. NOTHING. Yes he missed wide open passes, yes he threw some balls in the dirt. But he still was the talk of the sports world on Saturday morning. Let’s face it, Lamar’s game is going to be dissected week in and week out until the end of the season. He has put up so many wild numbers it is weird when he doesn’t score 5 TD’s a game.

• We got lucky on that Cole Hikitini fumble.  But, Grayson Allen trips people so…..

• Gorgui Dieng could end racism, war, hunger, and crime. You cannot convince me otherwise.

• Before leaving the field last night Gorgui blocked Mason Plumlee again just cause.

• Jaire Alexander is gone after next season.  I can’t see him playing his senior year here with how well he is playing now. He is making a case for 1st team ACC defense as well as special teams POTY. Plus I am still looking for that block in the back that cost him a 90 yard punt return.

• Shout-out to DJ K-Dogg and the people who pushed for new 3rd down music. It was refreshing and I hope it continues going forward. I am a big fan!

• That wasn’t TBG you saw leaving  JB’s Pub before the game. Put the beer down.

• I am booing all weathermen from any channel for the rest of the year. All week I heard no showers, then it was a small chance for a pop up shower, then it was late showers after the game. So why am I sitting here drenched ?? They ask “What’s Jay Say” well I will tell you the BHK says Jay and his team are full of sh*t.

• Shoutout to the guy  in the row behind me who drank too much and vomited at the FSU game before having to be carried out. He made up for it at the Duke game by buying me and everyone around us that day a beer. He could have just said sorry or nothing at all but instead he apologized and brought a peace offering.  That is a true fan, I salute you.

• Congrats to the young couple in the marching band who got engaged on the field Friday. I was in line at the bathroom but I heard the proposal over the sound system. The BHK is also engaged so if you want to help pay for my honeymoon I will show up at your wedding for free. No?  Dammit…….

• Saw Deion Branch before the  game wearing teal and black. I can’t be mad at Deion though. He is a SuperBowl MVP and all I ever did was have perfect attendance all 4 years of high school (Facts).

• Saw James Burgess and Gerod Holliman when leaving the stadium. Amazes me those guys are not on a NFL 53 man roster right now.

• Is it time to retire the Pass, Punt, and Kick challenge?  I mean, don’t we all want to see Frisbee Dogs anyway?

• I saw a smedium bucket hat while leaving the stadium. You guys are really trying lol.

• Most fans ask players at the end of the game for gloves, headbands, hats etc. I saw with my own eyes, a fan in section 104 ask Khane Pass for his mouthpiece…..his mouthpiece. Khane being awesome, obliged. He took the mouthpiece out and handed it to the fan. No harm no foul right?? Wrong, the fan proceeded to place the saliva filled mouthpiece right in his own mouth much to the discomfort of everyone. Even Khane Pass stopped and was like “WTF”.  I have seen some crazy sh*t in my day. I have even seen an albino squirrel. I have seen a grown man eat an entire block of Velveeta cheese in one sitting. I have seen a man get knocked out in the club and crap his pants while unconscious. But my friends I have NEVER seen that nor do I care to again.

And in closing the BHK will be on edge this entire week waiting for the NC State game. Their defense is legit, and they gave Clemson all they wanted. I will be interested to see how Petrino will attack them. I think NC State’s front 7 on defense is better than Clemson’s so this Saturday’s game will be a dogfight. Crowd support will be needed all 4 quarters. The BHK is also interested in learning how to hang drywall. I have a shower in my house that I would like to destroy but I don’t want to do it alone and I need your help. If any of my faithful followers has a clue, and a free Saturday this winter then let me know. I will supply food and drink and sit back while you work for free. Getting paid in pizza and beer is not a bad thing.

Court adjourned (Bangs gavel)