ESPN College Football

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- It looked a lot like 2007 when the Louisville defense gave up a pair of 50-plus yard passing touchdowns in the fourth quarter against Kansas State.

The difference was, this time the Cardinals could merely wince instead of panicking. Leading up to then, they had turned in yet another surprisingly strong defensive effort.

"I thought we played really well for three quarters," defensive coordinator Ron English said. "It's hard when you play a game like that and you don't finish. The thing I like is our guys are disappointed about the way we finished. They're not satisfied."

English did not change water into wine after saying that, though some Louisville fans might believe he could. It's early still, of course, but the former Michigan assistant has turned last year's laughingstock of a defense into something fairly formidable.

Even with those two long passing touchdowns, Kansas State managed only 343 total yards and 22  points on offense (one score came on a punt return). The Wildcats ran for only 30 yards, continuing a promising early trend. Kentucky had only 53 yards on the ground in the opener, while Tennessee Tech mustered just 33 rushing yards.

"We're stout up front and we have a good defensive line," English said. "We're going to be good against the run."

Unlike last year, Louisville is getting pressure on the quarterback. Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman found success early on with play-action passes, but English quickly made the adjustments. Freeman had only 37 yards passing in the second and third quarters.

Cornerback Woodny Turenne was the symbol for much of last year's defensive struggles. He got burned for several big plays, including the game-winner at Kentucky, in his first year coming over from junior college. So far this season, he's been a standout cover guy, and he picked off two passes Wednesday night.

Turenne was asked how much difference English has made.

"A lot," he said. "He's taught us a lot of good techniques."

The Cardinals also recovered a fumble and have created six turnovers in three games, something last year's team struggled to do. They're playing with more emotion and with far better fundamentals this season despite losing some of their top playmakers from '07.

English said he thought the defense "let up a little" in the fourth quarter after building a 35-14 lead. He can live with that if it's his biggest problem.

"Our guys have a lot of confidence," he said. "We're getting better."