Game Day: Louisville vs. Kentucky

Game Day: Louisville vs. KentuckyStory byMike RutherfordSat, November 29, 2025 at 5:00 AM UTC·19 min read

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (7-4) vs. KENTUCKY WILDCATS (5-6)

Game Time: Noon

Location: L&N Stadium: Louisville, Ky.

Television: ACC Network

Announcers: Jorge Sedano (play-by-play), Rodney McLeod (analyst) and Victoria Arlen (sideline reporter)

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Favorite: Louisville by 3

All-Time Series: Kentucky leads, 20-16

Modern Series: Louisville leads, 16-14

Last Meeting: Louisville won 41-14 on Nov. 30, 2024 in Lexington

Series History:

Statistics:

Depth Chart:

Louisville Uniforms:

View Link

Kentucky Uniforms:

Relevant Videos:

About the Governor’s Cup:

The Governor’s Cup was created in 1994 as the trophy for the winner of the Louisville-Kentucky game. The cup was designed by Kendall Costner and sculpted by James Corcoran of Bruce Fox, Inc.

Donated by The Kroger Company at a cost of $23,000, the Governor’s Cup stands 33 inches tall and weighs 110 pounds. The trophy’s base and upright columns are hand-milled black marble. The glass components are optic-grade crystal. All metal parts are 23-karat, gold-plated brass. The cup itself is made of pewter with a 23-karat gold-plated finish. It currently resides in Louisville.

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About Kentucky:

via Keith Wynne

OFFENSE

Mark Stoops is coaching for his job for what seems like the fifth straight year, but his team has shown up for him lately when things seemed to be at their worst. The Cats showed fight against a Tennessee team that punched them in the mouth before going on a three-game winning streak to put themselves in position to get to a bowl game. The difference in the team in those games was the play of the offense. The group has found a way to make some big plays while leaning on the run.

Quarterback is always a key position for any team, and the success over the last month for the Cats has started there. Cutter Boley didn’t begin the season as the starter, but he has shown why he can be the face of the program going forward. Boley has put up some record numbers, starting with the game against the Vols, and the staff has started to let him play with some freedom as the year goes on. The guy that Louisville faced last year seems to be long gone, but it will be interesting to see how he handles the moment with so much on the line for the Cats.

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Boley has shown a solid ability to run the ball, which poses a problem for the Cards. Kevin Jennings was able to extend plays with his legs last week, as well as execute designed run plays. It has stood out to me when watching film that Boley has a clear mindset to push the ball down the field. He will look for deep shots, and he will extend plays with the intention of creating a big play.

The running game has always been a staple of Stoops’ offenses, and the staff went out to replenish a backfield that has had some losses. Donte Dowdell and Seth McGowan have been revelations for the offense all year, but they have been much more effective lately, with Boley being a real threat in the passing game. This offense goes as the run game goes, but the balance of the offensive output over the last handful of games is a big part of the improved play of the offense.

Both running backs have good size, with McGowan being the quicker of the two, as well as being the primary back. McGowan is a well-rounded player with good speed and a tough running style that allows him to get extra yardage on runs. Dowdell is a big back in the mold of T.J. Harden, who gashed the Cards last weekend for SMU. Either of these guys getting into the second level on a regular basis would be a problem for UofL. The Cards have struggled with tackling in the back half of the season, and these two guys will make you tackle on every carry.

The weak spot of the offense is at wide receiver. The Cats don’t have a lot of consistent options outside of Kendrick Law, who is not a player that I would consider a number one guy. Law does have sprinter speed, which he has been able to show off at times, so the Cards will have to account for him on screens and other short routes. He can take a short pass and turn it into a touchdown.

The other receivers are a bit of a crapshoot when it comes to production. Hardley Gilmore has 21 catches on the season, and Josh Kattus at tight end has been a consistent option during his career. The wildcard players at this spot are Jamari Maclin, who is a deep threat from a speed standpoint, and DJ Miller, who has shown some promise as a true freshman. The Cards can’t allow Boley to spread the ball around, as the lack of options has been a real issue for the Cats.

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There were a lot of jokes this offseason about UK’s offensive line being so bad that it made Brock Vandagriff quit football, but those issues seem to have been addressed. The Cats have an offensive line that ranks at a respectable level in the PFF blocking rankings, and the offense tends to have more issues outside of the line as opposed to because of the line. The staff went out and brought in some players through the portal who have done a good job of stabilizing their line. For weeks, Louisville has had an advantage up front, but they have failed to take advantage of it. This is a solid group, and it would be nice to see the Cards get over the hump and be the better group.

DEFENSE

The most underrated defensive coordinator in the country might just be Brad White. The Kentucky play caller has spent the last half of the decade putting the Cats in a position to win a good amount of games that they had no business winning. With the offense struggling through multiple coaching changes, White has been a consistent presence on the defensive side of the ball. After a very rough outing against Vanderbilt, White will look to shut down a struggling Louisville offense this weekend.

One of the most impressive things about White’s defenses, in my opinion, is that he can do more with less. Khalil Saunders has been a steady presence up front for him, but they’ve had to use the portal to try to fill some gaps this season. UK’s defensive line is mostly utilized to eat up blocks to let the linebackers run free, but they also have had some players in recent years who have been able to make disruptive plays.

The Cats don’t have that this season, though Saunders has 22 pressures on the season. David Gusta is also a massive nose tackle on the inside who plays his role pretty well. UofL would do well to handle these guys in the run game, so that they don’t kill the running game. They will also need to keep Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace at bay on the edge, as he is the best pass rusher on the team. UK only has 20 sacks on the season, so allowing them to have success as pass rushers can’t happen.

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Linebacker is a position that the Cats had to replenish this year after losing some high-level talent to graduation and the draft. Alex Afari is the lone returner, and he has put in another strong season for the defense. Afari is a former safety who was moved down into the box as a weakside linebacker. Afari is a player who can cover, blitz, and get downhill against the run. He and Deverin Rayner have made plenty of plays this year while leading a strong run defense. I would expect these guys to be a key in the storyline of this game on how UK’s defense plays.

Kam Olds and Steven Scales are also solid players on the edge for the Cats. The two edge defenders have combined for 40 pressures on the season, and they both play with the type of speed and athleticism the Cards have struggled with at times this year. UofL will need to find a way to push the ball down the field in this game, and these guys will be a factor in that if they can have success as pass rushers.

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UK has had an up-and-down season from a pass defense standpoint. South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vandy all blew the doors off of the UK secondary, but they did it with big plays. The Cards haven’t shown the ability to do that, so I think JQ Hardaway and Tehryon Nichols could hold up well against UofL’s receivers. Hardaway has the size to battle Chris Bell, while Nichols is one of the fastest players in the SEC. Quay’sheed Scott will also be a factor in the slot. He has been solid in coverage this year, allowing a passer rating of 88.8 on the year.

Injuries have been an issue at safety for the Cats, but Ty Bryant has been a ballhawk in the back end. Bryant picked off two passes against Ole Miss and had an interception last week as well. Bryant has been a good player for the Cats, but the other safety spot is very light on experience. Cam Dooley will get the start for the third time this season, and he will be backed up by Martels Carter, who is a true freshman with two games under his belt. It would be nice to see Jeff Brohm find a way to exploit the lack of experience here.

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Motivational Tweets:

Excitement Level: 8.7

It’s still the Governor’s Cup, and I’m still fired up, but man … between the three straight losses and a level of injury that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before from a Louisville football team, the excitement level still isn’t where it should be for the rivalry.

Game Attire: Red Louisville Cardinals sweatshirt

The hoodie’s reign of success ended last week, so we’re going with a throwback classic.

Pregame Meal: Bagel, coffee

I’m off cereal.

Bold Prediction: Louisville has over 250 yards passing in this game

We hit last week … so that was nice. This feels especially bold given what we’ve seen at the QB position for the last month and who we won’t have at the wide receiver position in this one.

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Jeff Brohm Tick Play Alert Level: Red (moderately above average)

I can see it happening.

Predicted Star of the Game: Clev Lubin

It’s hard to see Louisville winning this game without the defense leading the charge, so here’s hoping Clev ends a very solid first season as a Card in style.

Notable:

—Louisville has lost four consecutive home games to Kentucky. The Cards have not beaten the Cats inside L&N Stadium since 2014.

—A win would allow Louisville to finish a regular season with eight wins for the third consecutive year and the 25th-time in program history.

—Louisville will say goodbye to 26 seniors who will be honored during Senior Day festivities before Saturday’s game.

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—The home team in this series is 3-12-1 against the spread over the last 16 meetings.

—Favorites have won nine of the last 12 games and are 19-11 overall in the modern era of the Governor’s Cup rivalry.

—The road team has won seven of the last nine and 19 of the 30 games overall in this series since it resumed in 1994.

—This will mark the 19th time in 31 games between these two programs that neither team has been ranked. Louisville has been ranked 10 times in games against Kentucky, and the Wildcats have been ranked twice. The two teams have never met with both owning a national ranking.

—The team that has scored first has gone on to win 18 of the last 23 times these two teams have met.

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—Kentucky and Louisville are both 6-6 against each in other in games decided by eight or less points.

—The team that has rushed for more yards has won 24 of the last 28 meetings in this series. Kentucky losing in 2014 and Louisville losing in 2016, 2022 and 2023 are the three exceptions.

—Kentucky’s 2021 win over Louisville was technically vacated, but both sides still recognize it in their official series records.

—Louisville is 5-10 all-time in home games against Kentucky.

—Kentucky has one player on its roster from the city of Louisville — senior defensive back Jackson Schulz who played at Trinity.

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—Louisville has four players from the city of Lexington on its roster in placekicker Cooper Ranvier (Frederick Douglass), DB Anderson Mitchell (Lexington Christian) and brothers Brock (Sayre) and Jayshaun Coffman (Frederick Douglass).

—Former Kentucky tight ends coach of 12 years, Vince Marrow, is now the Louisville Executive Director ofFootball Personnel and Recruiting.

—Kentucky has won 22 of its last 23 regular season non-conference games. Their only loss over that span is last season’s defeat against Louisville.

—The team that has won the turnover battle has won 19 out of the last 25 games in this rivalry series. Kentucky had five turnovers in last year’s game, against just 1 by Louisville.

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—Mark Stoops is the SEC’s longest-tenured coach, currently in his 13th season at the helm of the Wildcats in 2025. He also is UK’s all-time winningest head coach with 72 wins.

—Louisville is 2-0 all-time in games against Kentucky where the Wildcats need a win to be bowl eligible.

—Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops is 6-5 in games against Louisville after beginning his career 1-4.

—Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm is 1-1 all-time in games against Kentucky.

—Brohm never faced Kentucky as a player at U of L. The Battle for the Governor’s Cup series began the year after he graduated.

—Kentucky is tacky and we hate them.

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—Louisville is 22-43-1 all-time in games against SEC opponents.

—For the second consecutive season, Kentucky will start Cutter Boley at quarterback against Louisville. The Hodgenville native completed 6-of-15 passes for 48 yards with a pair of interceptions in last season’s loss to the Cardinals.

—Louisville has won 49 consecutive games when shutting out its opponent in the second half, something the Cardinals did three weeks ago in their 28-16 win over Virginia Tech. Louisville’s last loss in such a situation came in 1996.

—Louisville will honor the No. 9 of former wide receiver DeVante Parker on Saturday. Parker, a Louisville native who starred at Ballard High School, was 4-0 in games against Kentucky through his college career.

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—Louisville is 167-179-5 all-time in the month of November.

—Louisville is 7-5 in the month of November under head coach Jeff Brohm, but just 1-3 this season.

—Louisville is 3-0 all-time in games played on Nov. 29. Their last appearance on the date was a 44-40 win over Kentucky in 2014.

—Kentucky is 22-30 all-time in November games under the direction of head coach Mark Stoops, but 3-1 this season.

—Kentucky has forced 16 turnovers on downs so this season, tied for first in the SEC.

—Kentucky has had at least one interception returned for touchdown in each of the last five seasons (2020-24). The Wildcats have not returned a pick for a score so far in 2025.

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—Louisville is riding a three-game losing streak for the first time since losing its final three games of the 2023 season. The Cardinals haven’t lost four games in a row since the COVID-shortened season of 2020.

—Louisville had scored at least 24 points in 23 consecutive games before failing to hit that mark in each of its last two games.

—Louisville hasn’t lost by more than 7 points in 23 consecutive games before last week’s 38-6 loss at SMU.

—The Kentucky defense has been active in the secondary, ranking No. 2 in the SEC in passes intercepted with 12, led by defensive back Ty Bryant with a conference leading four interceptions of his own.

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—Under Jeff Brohm, Louisville is 13-1 in games in which it rushes for 200 yards or more.

—Louisville has not allowed an opponent to rush for 200 yards in a game this season.

—Louisville is one of eight FBS teams to score in every game it has played for the last 25 years, joining Boise State, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, Southern California, Texas Christian, and Virginia Tech.

—Louisville is 12-0 under head coach Jeff Brohm when it doesn’t commit a turnover.

—Louisville is 16-0 under Jeff Brohm when it wins the turnover battle and 10-12 when it doesn’t.

—Louisville has a 17-game winning streak when committing fewer turnovers than its opponent, last losing 31-16 at Clemson on Nov. 12, 2022.

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—The Cardinal defense has forced just one turnover during its current three-game losing streak.

—Louisville is 24-2 over the past five seasons when shutting out its opponent in the first quarter.

—Louisville has won 38 of its last 43 games when holding teams to less than 300 yards of offense. The Cards lost to Virginia earlier this season despite holding the Cavaliers to 237 yards of offense.

—Louisville has won 17 straight games when holding its opponent scoreless in the first half.

—Since 2019, Louisville is 35-4 when winning the turnover battle, and just 8-27 when losing it.

—Louisville is 23-3 under Jeff Brohm when allowing fewer than 30 points.

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—Louisville is 209-16 all-time when scoring 35 or more points in a game.

—Louisville is 142-4 all-time when scoring 40 or more points in a game, including an 83-3 mark since 2000. The Cards are 6-123 all-time when allowing opponents to score 40 or more points.

—Louisville is currently riding a consecutive game scoring streak that spans 325 games dating back to a 31-0 loss to Florida State during the 2000 season. The streak ranks as the second longest in the ACC behind only Virginia Tech, and the 8th-longest nationally.

Quotable:

—“This is just an unusual year. We’ve just, unfortunately, had some key guys go down. Some years that happens, some years it doesn’t. This is probably the most we’ve ever had in terms of key contributors. So, we’re a little shorthanded. It’s unfortunate.” —Jeff Brohm

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—”It’s going to be real special. I’ve been here five years, and it’s been good. I’m excited to see how we finish this thing. That’s what I’m telling the guys; “End it on the right note, do it for the seniors.” —TJ Quinn

—“Not only does it mean a lot to everybody in this building, it means a lot to everybody in this state. You get bragging rights for a year. There are no NFL teams here. Everybody in this state is either U of L or the University of Kentucky. So to have bragging right on a yearly basis is something we take huge pride in.” —Kentucky LB Daveren Rayner

—”Anytime you lose, it’s not fun, especially when you lose a couple in a row; it’s not fun, it’s not supposed to be. At this time last year, we had the same record that we have right now, and it’s what you do with the games ahead of you. We’ve got a good Kentucky team coming in that’s won three of their last four, that’s playing well.” —Jeff Brohm

—“I went to a Louisville-Kentucky football game when I was little and Kentucky lost and I guess it was at Louisville and I spent the whole time on the car ride home crying. Ever since I can remember, it’s been a big deal and I know how big of a deal and I know how big of a deal it is to people in the state for both sides. That motivates us to want to play and want to win. We want to win, they want to win but there is that extra notch being an in-state rivalry and playing for a trophy is always a big deal.” —Kentucky C Jager Burton

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—“It is important to myself, it’s important to the team and to the BBN (Big Blue Nation) and the state. We are going to try to represent us the right way and work exceptionally hard this week and be prepared to play a great game.” —Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops

—“Tough times will test your will. You’ve got to show what you’re made of and come out even tougher, and hopefully it makes you stronger. We’re definitely being tested now, but I but I think our guys will respond and they’ll play hard.” —Jeff Brohm

—“You know as I mentioned, whether you like it or not, I’m a Kentuckian now. I’ve been here as long as anywhere I’ve been. I left home at 17, haven’t been back. This is home, and I care and it’s a rivalry that’s important to both teams. It’s important to the state, it’s important to your fans, so it’ll be important to our team.” —Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops

—”We are blessed to be able to play this game and one of the caveats of playing this game, is that you never know when your last snap is going to be. So obviously you treat every game as an opportunity. We have a mission to complete this Saturday, and that is to beat Kentucky.” —Pete Nygra

Go Cards.

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