NASHVILLE, Tenn. — There were the usual big plays, gaudy statistics and relatively wide margin of victory.

But there were also special teams flubs, an inconsistent running game and an early seven-point deficit to a 30-point underdog.

Yep, there's still plenty of work to do for No. 8 Louisville.

Don't get coach Bobby Petrino wrong. He's happy the Cardinals are 5-0 for the first time in 13 years after Friday's 44-17 win over Middle Tennessee, especially considering they've played most of the season without running back Michael Bush (broken leg) and quarterback Brian Brohm (hand surgery).

But the road gets significantly tougher as the Cardinals enter Big East play beginning next Saturday against Cincinnati. Petrino knows all the points and all the yards and all the wins the Cardinals rolled up during the first five games of the season won't matter if they can't make it through the next seven.

"We didn't play the way I had hoped we would, but it shows what we need to work on as we get ready to open conference play," Petrino said.