Big Blue Preview: Kentucky at Louisville
Info to Know
| Kentucky at Louisville | When: Sat., Nov. 25, Noon ET | Where: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, Louisville, Ky. | TV: ABC | Radio: UK Sports Network |
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Preview
The Kentucky football team will complete the regular season at the University of Louisville for the annual Governor’s Cup game. Game time is noon EST and it will be televised on ABC.
Kentucky has won the last four matchups against the in-state rival. The Wildcats hope to extend their regular-season non-conference win streak of 19 games and extend their school-record streak of victories in the regular-season finale, currently at five games.
Cats Hope to Channel Emotions on Saturday
When Kentucky and Louisville get together on the football field, emotions run high. The intrastate rivals will each lay it all on the line with the winner taking home the Governor’s Cup.
Being emotional can be good, if it’s done with composure, according to Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White.
“I don’t think you take the emotion out of it,” White said. “I think that’s something you have to keep them in check when you play but I think that’s something that helps fuel what makes a rivalry good. I hope our guys come fired up. The way the practices have started Monday and Tuesday, they’re excited. Within a rivalry game, it’s about keeping composure. You’ve got to play smart, you’ve got to execute but having a little fire in the belly is a good thing.”
UK offensive coordinator Liam Coen thinks that both teams have something to prove in the 2023 edition of the rivalry…Read More
Kentucky-Louisville Series
• Saturday’s game marks the 35th meeting between the two teams in a series that began in 1912.
• Kentucky leads the all-time series, 19-15 and has won the last four meetings.
• Kentucky leads in games played in Louisville, 8-5.
• Kentucky won all six meetings from 1912-24.
• After a 70-year hiatus, the Governor’s Cup era began in 1994. Since then, UofL leads the series 15-13. No game was played during the 2020 Covid-altered season.
• Biggest UK win: 73 (73-0, 1922)
• Biggest UofL win: 31 (59-28, 2006)
• Games decided by eight points or less: UK leads 6-5.
The Governor’s Cup
• The Governor’s Cup was created in 1994 as the trophy for the winner of the KentuckyLouisville game. 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 23-karat, gold-plated brass. The cup itelf is made of pewter with a 23-karat gold-plated finish.
Kentucky-Louisville Connections
• Kentucky has six players from the city of Louisville on its roster, including:
• TE Izayah Cummings, DBs Elijah Reed and Jackson Schulz, LB J.J. Weaver, RB La’Vell Wright, FB Jack Varga
• Louisville has one player from Lexington, DB Devin Neal.
By the Numbers
4
Consecutive wins for Kentucky over Louisville
8
Wins for Kentucky all-time against Louisville in the Derby City, compared to five for the home team
10
Yards needed for Ray Davis to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing this season
68
Points scored by Kentucky in the first game ever at Cardinal Stadium (now L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium) by Kentucky, the most points scored by either team in the modern era of the rivalry
110
Pounds, the weight of the Governor’s Cup trophy
