Louisville QB Will Gardner practices, no decision made for Friday's game
Louisville starting quarterback Will Gardner returned to practice Monday in full pads but was limited to individual drills, head coach Bobby Petrino said in a press conference.
Gardner's left knee was injured Sept. 20 against Florida International and he sat out last week's win against Wake Forest. Petrino said Gardner has an evaluation Tuesday morning that will give the team a better idea about his availability for Friday's game against Syracuse.
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"I think we'll know a lot more tomorrow, how much he can do in practice, how it responded. He would need to get some work to be able to get in and play. Whether that's in an emergency role or if he's on the sideline, I'm not really sure. I was encouraged that he was out there today and that he was throwing the ball."
In four games this season, the sophomore quarterback has completed 63 of 112 passes for 798 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions.
Petrino said the team's medical staff will determine Gardner's status for Friday's game.
"That's not my call. Just like last week, they'll tell me where he's at, where he's ready to go, if it's safe to put him on the field, if he's ready to play or not. The whole deal will be how he responds to being out there today, how much swelling there is and what the doctor says in the morning."
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Freshman quarterback Reggie Bonnafon started for Louisville against Wake Forest and threw for 206 yards on 16-of-32 passing and also ran for 46 yards on 14 carries.
Louisville has opened the season 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the ACC during Petrino's first season back at the school.
The Cardinals take on the Orange in the Carrier Dome at 7 p.m. on Friday.
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- Paul Palladino
