LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -Not much fazes Louisville wide receiver Scott Long.
The senior has endured a pair of potentially career-threatening injuries in his star-crossed time with the Cardinals, and done so with grace and patience that has won over his teammates.
Long credited much of his demeanor to a pair of books written by former NFL coach Tony Dungy. Long was so moved by one of his motivational works: ``Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance,'' that he organized weekly meetings during the summer where he and his teammates would focus on a chapter and the lessons that can be learned from it.
``Tony Dungy gave us great insight on ... how to be a better person, how to be a better man,'' Long said. ``It gave us the opportunity as a football team to grown and trust one another. We were able to be vulnerable in front of one another and be transparent.''
And it also caught Dungy's attention.
Dungy visited the Cardinals on Tuesday, giving them a motivational talk about dealing with tough times. There's plenty to go around these days for Louisville (3-5). The Cardinals travel to West Virginia on Saturday amid speculation that coach Steve Kragthorpe's job is on the line.
It's a place Dungy has been before. He lost his first five games as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1996.
``You have to dig deep and stay focused,'' Dungy said. ``My team in 1996, we lost our first game and eight of our first nine, but really that's where the groundwork lay for that 2002 Super Bowl team. Those guys stayed determined, they stayed the course and they stayed focus. At the end we got it going, we won some games and developed some momentum for the following year.''
It won't be easy for the Cardinals, who finish off the season with road games against the Mountaineers and South Florida and home games against Syracuse and Rutgers.
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SURE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A FRESHMAN: Drew Frey doesn't mind the label.
Cincinnati's starting strong safety missed most of what were supposed to be his first two college seasons because of injuries. Even though he's 20 years old, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound safety is technically a redshirt freshman.
And, he doesn't mind it.
``I always tell my parents and people I'm close to that I don't want to grow up, I want to stay here as along as I can,'' Frey said. ``So to be given the term 'freshman' doesn't hinder me at all. I actually like the term.''
Frey made an end zone interception and a tackle that led to a fumble inside the Cincinnati 10, preserving the lead and a 28-7 victory over Syracuse last Saturday. The win left the fourth-ranked Bearcats (8-0) one victory shy of matching the best start in school history.
Frey and free safety Aaron Webster - the only returning starter on the defense - were important factors in shutting down Syracuse's offense.
``I thought we played our best game at the safety position, Drew and Aaron together,'' coach Brian Kelly said. ``It's the first time both safeties played their best, and it made a huge difference. No big-play runs, no big-play passes.''
It was particularly gratifying for Frey, who spent most of his first two years injured. He dislocated his right shoulder and tore the labrum before the start of what was supposed to be his freshman season in 2007, and last season played four games before breaking both bones in his right forearm. Two plates were installed and there are parallel scars on the arm.
``It's given me three years to be a freshman,'' he said. ``In that time period, I've been able to learn the system and get to know all the guys, so I feel I can take more of a leadership role even though they give me the title 'freshman.' I've got quite a few years left to play.''
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UCONN PRIME TIME: Connecticut coach Randy Edsall remembers when folks would have laughed at his Huskies playing prime time football on network television.
On Saturday, UConn plays No. 4 Cincinnati at 8 p.m. on ABC. It's one of three games the network is offering across the nation. Brent Musburger will be doing the play-by-play.
Edsall knows Connecticut won't get top billing, but said it marks another milestone in the development of a program that has only been playing in the Bowl Subdivision since 2000.
``The exposure, you can't put in dollars,'' he said. ``If you had to take out a three-hour add in prime time, just imagine what it would cost you.''
UConn will be playing the role of sympathetic underdog, with the subplot of how the Huskies have handled the death of teammate Jasper Howard adding to the national appeal.
Edsall is hoping to put on a good show for recruits across the country. The Huskies are just 4-4 this season, but the losses have come by a total of 13 points.
``We could be 8-0 right now, and we could probably be number five in the country if we just learn how to finish,'' tackle Mike Ryan said.
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WHERE'S BYHAM?: Going into the season, No. 14 Pittsburgh was supposed to have one of the NFL's best tight end prospects.
The Panthers still do, only it's not the player they expected.
Dorin Dickerson, a highly recruited high school player who couldn't seem to settle into a position at Pitt, has emerged as the nation's most productive tight end with 32 receptions, nine for touchdowns. He tried wide receiver and linebacker before becoming a tight end.
Nate Byham was the first-team all-Big East tight end last season - one scouting service listed him as the top player at his position in college football - but has settled into a role as a blocker and situational player. He has only six catches for 76 yards.
Byham has remained a team player despite the drop-off in his production - he had 20 catches last season - and praises offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. for a balanced offense.
``I'm very excited about what the team has accomplished overall, but especially on offense,'' Byham said. ``Our running game is among the best in the country and our passing game is really clicking now, too. And I've played an integral part of that success.''
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SIESTA FOR MCCOURTY: No one is enjoying the bye week more at Rutgers than Devin McCourty.
The cornerback was on the field for 111 plays in the Scarlet Knights' last-second 28-24 victory over Connecticut on Saturday.
The fifth-year senior played all 86 plays on defense and 25 plays on special teams, where he participates on both punt teams and both kickoff teams.
What made the performance even more impressive is that McCourty scored on a 98-yard return on the opening kickoff, had six tackles and broke up two passes.
``That's probably the most tired I've ever been after a game,'' McCourty said. ``When we got back to the locker room I just sat on the floor for like five minutes just to rest.''
The 86 plays that the Rutgers' defense faced was two shy of the 88 run by Temple in 2002, the most since Greg Schiano became the Scarlet Knights coach.
``Devin is really a great college football player,'' Schiano said. ``He's played very well at the cornerback spot and he has done everything on the special teams. He's blocked punts, he's returned kickoffs, he's been a flier on the punt team. He really serves so many roles.
Rutgers returns to action next Thursday at home against South Florida.
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STEAMED STEWART: West Virginia coach Bill Stewart is normally light hearted at his weekly news conference. Getting thoroughly outplayed at South Florida changed his mood.
The Mountaineers (6-2, 2-1) still hold faint hopes of a conference title. Stewart is asking his players to have short memories, trust the coaching staff and focus on the difficult task of winning their remaining four games, starting Saturday at home against Louisville.
There's also tough tests at No. 4 Cincinnati, against No. 14 Pittsburgh and at Rutgers.
``All my life I have been in tough situations,'' Stewart said. ``You jut your jaw, you bow your back, you shut your mouth and you go play as hard as you can play. And if you do that in life, be it in your daily walk, in your job, in your marriage or whatever phase of your life, you will be OK.''
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AP Sports Writers Joe Kay in Cincinnati, John Raby in Morgantown, WV, Alan Robinson in Pittsburgh, Tom Canavan in Piscataway, N.J. and Associated Press Writer Pat Eaton-Robb in Storrs, Conn., contributed to this report.
