Caullin Lacy shows off entire arsenal versus Bowling Green
It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
Okay, but actually.
Caullin Lacy’s worst play in his Louisville career came in the first quarter of the 40-17 win over Bowling Green when he charged forward on the far sideline as the ball ricocheted off his chest and into the hands of the Falcons. It resulted in an extra possession and a field goal for BGSU as the Cards found themselves trailing 3-0.
But Lacy continued to chip away through the passing and return game, eventually finishing with one of the best stat lines in his career.
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound wide receiver trotted back deep to return punts as he normally does with eight minutes left in the first half. After backpedaling and catching the ball like an outfielder, Lacy split the coverage, made a couple miss, and then found himself in the open field. The 75-yard punt return for a touchdown not only made up for his and Louisville’s turnover, but also gave the Cards a 14-3 lead.
Lacy is one of the most dangerous returners in the country with breakaway capabilities. In eight games wearing the red and black, he’s returned a kickoff for a touchdown (Miami), and so far this season, he’s found the endzone twice returning punts.
In yesterday’s win, Lacy was also quarterback Miller Moss’s favorite target. Hauling in nine passes for 110 yards, it was the senior’s best offensive game as a Cardinal, adding 87 yards after the catch. His 281 all-purpose yards are the most by a player this season and the seventh most all-time by a Cardinal in a single game.
“The return yardage we got and punts and kickoffs with Caullin and the team blocking well, that is just a huge plus. All of that was a huge difference maker for us,” head coach Jeff Brohm said postgame.
The limitations of running backs Isaac Brown and Duke Watson, as well as fellow wideout Chris Bell, certainly forced Lacy to be a big part of the offensive game plan. However, going forward, the Cardinals must find ways to get the receiver the football in open space and down the perimeter.
“Everybody on the team got to step up when their name is called, cause we don’t know who gonna go down,” said Lacy postgame. ‘Everybody gotta know what’s going on and make the plays when their name is called.”
The Mobile, Alabama, product is elusive in open space. His fast-twitch change of direction makes him difficult to tackle, and his speed can take over at the defense’s third level.
“We do want to make sure he’s heavily involved in the offense and the return game,” said Brohm. “Like I said, we were a little short in some other areas that we didn’t publicize, but that definitely made his role increase. He is someone that we need to get touches – whether he’s in the slot, on the outside, or in the back field and the return game. In all four spots, we need to utilize him because he’s strong, he runs well with the ball, he’s a competitor, he’s tough and he is someone that has to hopefully contribute like this every game for us to win.”
Louisville moved Lacy behind the line of scrimmage and into the backfield across different points of Saturday’s game. This kind of confusion and gadgetry bodes well for Louisville’s offense, which displayed a balanced attack against the Falcons. The Cards totaled 452 yards with 329 coming through the air, not to mention the big chunk of return yards Lacy can provide.
Even NFL and Ohio State legend, BGSU head coach, Eddie George, stayed on the field after the game to wait for Lacy to finish his postgame duties and congratulate him.
On Saturday, Lacy had the memory of a goldfish.
