Big Blue Preview: Kentucky at Louisville

Info to Know

Preview

Kentucky concludes the 2025 regular season on Saturday, travelling west on I-64 to meet Louisville (noon ET, ACC Network).

The Cats had their three-game winning streak snapped last Saturday in a loss at Vanderbilt. UK is now 5-6 on the season and will be looking to earn bowl eligibility with a win against the Cards.

Louisville is 7-4, but lost to SMU last week 38-6.

Kentucky has won 20 times in the all-time series between the teams, compared with 16 for Louisville.

Cat Scratches: Football Cats Trying to Beat Rival, Extend Season on Saturday

The annual Governor’s Cup game between Kentucky and Louisville always means plenty to players, coaches and fans on both sides. For UK, this year might mean even more.

Thanks to a late-season three-game winning streak, Kentucky sits one win away from bowl eligibility. That one win would have to come on Saturday against the Cardinals.

However, the focus remains on the game itself rather than the implications that could follow. Yes, getting to a bowl and beating a rival would be huge, but there are other factors as well. The extra practice time is one of the biggest advantages that bowl teams get. UK offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan knows how important that would be for his unit moving forward.

“I think it’s critical,” Hamdan said. “You look at the youth we have on both sides of the ball. The extra practice equates to another spring ball. It would be a lot (of good) for us.”

Kentucky senior linebacker has been in Lexington for a couple of years and he knows just how important this game is in the Bluegrass…Read More

KENTUCKY-LOUISVILLE

The Series
• Saturday’s game marks the 37th meeting between the two teams in a series that began in 1912.
• Kentucky leads the all-time series, 19-16 (on field is 20-16; UK’s 2021 win vacated by NCAA).
• In 2024, Louisville ended Kentucky’s five-game winning streak
• The Wildcats lead the series in games decided by eight points or less, 7-5.
• UK leads the series in Louisville, 9-5.
• The Wildcats have won the past four meetings in the Derby City (2021 win vacated).
• Kentucky won the first six meetings in the series from 1912-24, then the two teams didn’t meet again until 1994.
• UK and UofL have met every year since 1994, marking the Governor’s Cup era, except for the Covid-19 altered season in 2020.
• Since 1994, UofL leads the series 16-13 (UK’s 2021 vacated win not included).
• Kentucky’s largest margin of victory is 73 points (73-0) in 1922.
• Louisville’s largest margin of victory is 31 points (59-28) in 2006.

The Connections
• Kentucky has one player from the city of Louisville on its roster: DB Jackson Schulz.
• Louisville has four players on its roster from Lexington: WR Brock Coffman, DL Jayshaun Coffman, DB Anderson Mitchell and K Cooper Ranvier
• Former UK tight ends coach of 12 years, Vince Marrow, is now the UofL Executive Director of Football Personnel and Recruiting.

By the Numbers

9
Wins against six losses for Kentucky in Governor’s Cup games played in the city of Louisville

36
Pass completions for Tim Couch, the most in a Governor’s Cup game

68
Points for Kentucky vs. Louisville in 1998, the most points by either team in a Governor’s Cup game

284
Rushing yards for Lynn Bowden in 2019 against Louisville, the most by any player in a Governor’s Cup contest

801
Total yards for Kentucky in 1998 against Louisville, the most by either team in a Governor’s Cup game