Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater threw for 212 yards and four touchdowns on Saturday as the Cardinals crushed Florida International, 72-0, in an absolute yawner of a game.
Bridgewater becomes the first FBS quarterback this season to throw four TD passes in three games.
But the issue for Bridgewater, who was 17 of 22 overall and tossed three of his TD passes in the first half, and the Cardinals is that putting up big numbers against teams such as FIU doesn't impress many folks. Florida International, for instance, was coming off a 21-point loss to FCS opponent Bethune-Cookman. Louisville's other wins have come over Ohio, FCS foe Eastern Kentucky and Kentucky.
When the best non-conference opponent on your schedule is Kentucky, the worst team in the SEC by a wide margin, you don't have a tough non-conference schedule. And when your toughest conference opponent looks to be Central Florida, how tough is your conference schedule? Next week, the opponent is Temple.
Thus, it's going to be hard for Louisville to gain traction as a legit national title contender. And if you compare schedules among the tough contenders, it will be hard for Bridgewater to remain in the top three of the Heisman hunt.
As for the pro scouts, there are few questions about Bridgewater. While he's not a dual-threat guy, he has some mobility, good footwork in the pocket, a strong arm and can make all the throws. He also has all the needed intangibles and his leadership abilities have been lauded since he was in high school.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
