KFC doesn't stand for Kragthorpe (or Kyle) Fan Club

LOUISVILLE — And you thought Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham had problems. Try life in the Big East Conference.

When you're coaching a team with hopes of a national championship, you get a 10-minute honeymoon period. Then the cold winds blow.

Five games into his career at Louisville, Steve Kragthorpe is already under siege. His team is 3-2, with wins over a hodgepodge of States — Murray (who?), Middle Tennessee (huh?) and North Carolina (ugh!) and losses to rival Kentucky (ouch!) and downtrodden Syracuse (oooh!).

"All anyone can judge is what happens on the field. And off," wrote Eric Crawford in the Louisville Courier-Journal, after linebacker Willie A. Williams was arrested recently for possession of marijuana and allegedly trying to swallow the evidence. "And though it's far too early to make a final judgment, the circumstantial evidence doesn't look good."

Welcome to today's Disappointment Bowl between Utah and Louisville, teams that haven't lived up to expectations. The game will be held at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. What can you say about a place named after a pizza chain, other than "I thought you said you deliver."

Today's contest could have far-reaching ramifications for the coaches. An early disappointment, the Cardinals were supposed to contend for a title in Kragthorpe's first season. Meanwhile, Whittingham is trying to turn around what began as a 1-3 season, including consecutive conference losses.

The loser of this game will be as popular as head lice with the hometown fans; the winner could use it as a springboard to salvage a disastrous season.

While nobody has dedicated a Web site to firing Whittingham (though there is one for offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig), someone has already launched www.firekragthorpe.com. It used to be coaches got five years before anyone got restless; now they don't even get to unpack.

The aforementioned Web site argues:

UL home game winning streak ended.

2-0 (start) and from the Top 10 to nowhere in a matter of 30 days.

First loss to UK since 2002.

UK's first (win over a) Top 10 team in 30 years.

Kragthorpe is responsible for all of this.