Syracuse takes on Louisville on Friday at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. To learn more about the Cardinals, The Daily Orange spoke with Jeff Greer, a football beat writer from The (Louisville) Courier-Journal.

The Daily Orange: What can we expect if we see both quarterbacks entering the game?
Jeff Greer: I would be surprised if they both do. I think it’s going to be mostly Reggie Bonnafon. He’s kind of a dual-threat-type guy. He’s skinny, but he’s really fast. He can throw a little bit, don’t get me wrong, but they kind of found out on Saturday that they can run a lot of read-option stuff with him. So I think what Syracuse should expect is to probably see more of that on (Friday) night.

The D.O.: What’s key to Louisville’s run defense?
J.G.: I think it starts with their pass rush. They really make it difficult for teams to pass on them, so obviously the run defense is the higher rated of the two. But with the ability that they have to get into the backfield, I think they kind of feed off one another. The linebackers have played really well, across the entire linebacking corps. The outside guys and the inside guys have done a good job of tackling. They’re shooting gaps, they’re getting off blocks really well. They did a great job against Miami doing that and slowing down Duke Johnson, who I covered in high school. He’s from Washington College, I think he’s one of the best running backs in the country. And they slowed him down pretty significantly. And the secondary obviously has helped … making plays and making tackles once they set the edge and kind of force guys to find other ways.

The D.O.: How well is Louisville equipped to deal with a mobile quarterback?
J.G.: I think that’s a big question going into the game. They haven’t really had to face one yet. Miami’s quarterback Brad Kaaya was more of a passer. Wake Forest with John Wolford was more of a passer, so they really haven’t had to try to figure that out yet. I do know for a fact that is their No. 1 concern it seems like, from what the defensive guys were talking about this week was trying to figure out … if Terrel (Hunt) does step up and find a lane and get going, are they prepared to kind of limit how much space he can actually find and stuff like that. I guess the answer right now is the jury is out. That’s going to be the big thing that we’re all watching (Friday) night.

D.O.: How largely does the 2012 game loom within this Louisville team?
J.G.: … They had 43 of the guys who are currently on the roster were on the roster two years ago. Seventeen of them played in that game. So those guys have mentioned it, they’ve talked about it, I think they’re certainly hoping this trip up there ends with a little bit of a different result.