Quick hitters from the Governor's Cup rehash:
21. Lou Holtz. Joker Phillips and Charlie Strong were both on Holtz's coaching staff at South Carolina in 2002. So ears perked up when ESPN analyst Holtz picked Louisville and Strong to beat Kentucky and Phillips before Saturday's UK win.
20. Joker's response. The Kentucky coach said Monday he hadn't called Holtz to thank him for providing motivation for the Cats. "I expected that," Phillips said of Holtz picking U of L. "Charlie was with him longer than myself. Charlie is a second (Holtz) son."
19. UK coaches in their first game vs. Louisville: 3-2. Bill Curry, Hal Mumme and Joker Phillips won; Guy Morriss and Rich Brooks didn't.
18. Randy Sanders. Thought the work of the new UK play-caller was exceptional Saturday — with one exception. After Kentucky recovered the fourth-quarter fumble at the Louisville 28, would have liked to see the Cats go for the kill on the first play. Instead, UK ran Donald Russell up the gut for 3 yards.
17. Steve Brown. We said the Kentucky defensive coordinator needed to show that he could stop a Florida-style spread offense. It might not have been against an especially potent version of that offense, but UK allowed only one touchdown against U of L.
16. Mike Hartline. Most impressive part of Hartline's sharp effort (17-for-26, 217 yards) against the Cards was his ability to elude rushers by scrambling and then make accurate throws on the move.
15. Records of UK starting QBs vs. U of L: Mike Hartline 3-0; Tim Couch 2-0; Jeff Speedy 1-1; Andre Woodson 1-2; Jared Lorenzen 1-3; Billy Jack Haskins 0-1; Dusty Bonner 0-1; Shane Boyd 0-1.
14. Luke McDermott. How about the UK walk-on defensive tackle from Trinity High going home to Louisville to make his first college start and recording a sack and another tackle for loss?
13. Should a walk-on starter get a scholarship? "I was on (scholarship) for a little bit in the summer, but I got taken off," McDermott said Monday. "I think I should get back on it. I expect to. If I don't, it's not that big. I'm just glad I'm playing."
12. Matt Roark. For a guy who didn't get much pre-season buzz, the Kentucky junior receiver (three catches, 47 yards) was big against Louisville.
11. Randall Cobb. Have you ever seen a better catch than the one-hander No. 18 made in the first half Saturday?
10. Road, sweet road. With Kentucky's win Saturday, visiting teams are now 10-7 in the modern Governor's Cup.
9. Win one for the expected. With the victory by three-point-pick UK on Saturday, favorites are now 10-7 straight up in the modern Governor's Cup.
8. At least a plaque? Now that UK has secured possession of the Governor's Cup for another year, if the Cats beat the commonwealth's other FBS team, Western Kentucky, on Saturday night they would have a legitimate claim on a state championship trophy.
7. Records of U of L starting QBs vs. UK: Stefan LeFors 2-0; Jason Payne 1-0; Dave Ragone 2-1; Brian Brohm 2-1; Marty Lowe 1-1; Chris Redman 1-2; Hunter Cantwell 0-1; Justin Burke 0-1; Adam Froman 0-1.
6. Expanded Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. Is nice. I especially like the new deck in the end zone opposite the U of L football complex.
5. Louisville optimism. Best thing the Cards did in Charlie Strong's debut was this: In a game in which they were on the verge of being blown out for an extended period, the Cardinals didn't quit and made the fourth quarter tense.
4. Louisville pessimism. Other than running backs Victor Anderson and Bilal Powell, I didn't see much playmaking potential on the field for the home team.
3. U of L coaches in their first game vs. Kentucky: Are 2-4. Ron Cooper and Bobby Petrino won; Howard Schnellenberger, John L. Smith, Steve Kragthorpe and Charlie Strong didn't.
2. Brad Durham: In 2006, then-Louisville coach Bobby Petrino accepted a verbal commitment from Rockcastle County star offensive lineman Durham, only to pull the offer months later. At that time, U of L had beaten UK four in a row and seven out of eight.
1. The Curse of Brad Durham? Since the jilted Durham wound up at Kentucky, the Cats have won four in a row over Louisville.
Is there a "Curse of Brad Durham" on the Cards?
"With everything I went through, (beating Louisville) is real emotional for me," Durham said Monday. "It's a good curse, if there is one."
