Sullivan | Don't worry, you'll hear about Lamb

Corvin Lamb's name was misspelled on Louisville's depth chart.

Arguably, it was also misplaced.

Listed as "Crovin Lamb" on the pregame flip card distributed in the press box, Bobby Petrino's fifth-string running back made a persuasive case for both better proofreading and expanded playing time Monday night. His 97-yard kickoff return marked the turning point in Louisville's season-opening 31-13 victory over Miami, and his feet moved so fast you'd think Lamb were being chased by a lion.

Dominique Brown is a solid back, a sturdy force between the tackles, and he hammered the Hurricanes for 143 yards on 33 carries — both career highs. But Corvin Lamb is gifted with gears most guys don't get.

When he broke through the tangle of bodies and into the clear late in the second quarter, what followed was not so much a footrace as a tour de force.

"Damn," tweeted Calvin Pryor, the former Louisville safety, "that boy fast."

DeVante Parker's fractured metatarsal and Michael Dyer's troubled thigh left Petrino without two of his more accomplished playmakers in his much-awaited return to Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. Additional aggravation could be found early in the game by special teams' play marked by indecision and/or poor decisions.

Yet in the 14 seconds it took Lamb to weave his way through traffic and sprint nearly the length of the playing field, the injured and the ill-advised receded in significance and Miami's fleeting and only lead evaporated. That Lamb had been allowed only one touch to that point — on an earlier kickoff return — suddenly seemed like a strange oversight.

Think of it as a preview of coming attractions. Think of Corvin Lamb as the bit player who commands a spotlight.

"He's a guy — his speed shows up every day in practice," Petrino said.

"We've got to find a way to get him the ball, get him involved in our offense as well as special teams. He's coming off an injury and we didn't get to see him a lot in the spring, but he keeps getting better every day in practice."

Corvin Lamb's speed has been a recurring source of wonder since he first arrived on campus, but it has been seen mainly in cameo appearances. Redshirted as a freshman in 2011, he returned in a limited role the following fall, touched the ball only 16 times from scrimmage, but produced two touchdowns — one of them of 53 yards. Projected to play a bigger part last fall, Lamb tore an anterior cruciate ligament in Week 2 against Eastern Kentucky.

To watch him Monday was to suspect that he lost no steps during his layoff and to assume that Petrino will find places to feature him in future game plans. A clever coach usually finds a way to make use of the most superlative speed at his disposal, and Corvin Lamb's credentials include national AAU titles at both 100 and 200 meters.

Competing in a new conference with a new coaching staff in charge and a new quarterback at the controls, Louisville's debut as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference was more of a feeling-out process than evidence of a finished football product.

Quarterback Will Gardner was generally on target — completing 20 of 28 passes, and frequently to tight spots — but his two lost fumbles burdened a defense accustomed to Teddy Bridgewater's game management.

Charles Gaines was oddly tentative in returning the opening kickoff.

Kai De La Cruz invited lectures by fair-catching a Miami punt at his own 7 yard line and, again, with a first-quarter personal foul.

Michaelee Harris dropped a deep third-down pass preceding the possession that ended with Miami taking its only lead.

Yet there were also numerous reasons for a record crowd (55,428) to rejoice. Despite the field-position challenges posed by Gardner's fumbles, Todd Grantham's defense limited Miami to one short-field touchdown, one third-down conversion in 13 attempts and intercepted two passes. Freshman tight end Charles Standberry scored a touchdown on his first collegiate reception. Transfer safety James Sample also made an immediate impact with a third-quarter interception.

The night's most memorable and electric player, however, was clearly Corvin Lamb. To watch him was to wonder how many guys can catch him.

Reach Tim Sullivan at (502) 582-4650 or tsullivan@courier-journal.com,