Take the Governor's Cup quiz

It's not only the players who need to get into the rivalry frame of mind.

Fans have to get there, too.

In a year when many say our state's marquee football rivalry lacks its normal sizzle, I'm here to help.

Get back into a Kentucky-Louisville state of thought by taking my Governor's Cup rivalry quiz.

1 According to the Glantz-Culver Line, Kentucky is a 13-point favorite this Saturday against Louisville. Can you name the last time UK was picked to beat U of L in the odds that run in the Herald-Leader?

A.) 2000 B.) 2003

C.) 2007 D.) 2008

Answer: B. UK has not been the favorite against U of L since the Cats were a 51/2-point pick in Rich Brooks' first game in 2003. The Cardinals won 40-24.

Extra credit: Name the last year Kentucky beat Louisville as the pre-game favorite?

Extra credit answer: UK has not beaten Louisville as the favorite since 1998, when as an 11-point pick it smashed U of L 68-34.

2Know your trash talkers. What prominent University of Louisville figure in the run-up to one year's Governor's Cup contest publicly said that Kentucky treated U of L like "red-headed step-children?"

A.) Howard Schnellenberger

B.) Tom Jurich

C.) John L. Smith

D.) Bobby Petrino

Answer: C. Smith made the remark before the 1999 UK-U of L matchup. The Cardinals had their head coach's back, hanging a 56-28 spanking on UK in Commonwealth Stadium.

3 It is often said that losing the Governor's Cup ruins the defeated team's season. But is that necessarily so? How many times has the loser of the Kentucky-Louisville game gone on to play in a bowl?

A.) 0 B.) 1

C.) 4 D.) 6

Answer: C. Kentucky lost to Louisville in 1999 and 2006, but played in the Music City Bowl each season.

U of L lost to UK in 1998 and 2002, but went to the '98 Motor City Bowl and the '02 GMAC Bowl.

4 The most painful Louisville defeat in the modern Governor's Cup came in 2007, when Kentucky's Andre Woodson hit Steve Johnson with a 57-yard touchdown bomb with 28 seconds left to give UK a 40-34 upset of the No. 9 Cardinals.

Who was the Louisville cornerback that Johnson beat on the game-deciding play?

A). Richard Raglin

B). Bobby Buchanan

C.) Rod Council

D.) Woodny Turenne

Answer: D. Turenne, a junior-college transfer, cheated into the middle of the field allowing Johnson to break shockingly free down the sideline.

5 Know your trash talkers. What prominent University of Kentucky figure in the run-up to one year's Governor's Cup contest referred to the Louisville football program as "over-marketed and under-performing?"

A.) Larry Ivy B.) Mitch Barnhart

C.) Lee Todd D.) Rich Brooks

Answer: C. The University of Kentucky president made the remark in advance of the 2006 UK-U of L game. It had a powerful motivating effect — on Louisville. The Cardinals obliterated the Wildcats 59-28. It launched a 12-1 season for U of L that ended with an Orange Bowl victory.

6 Tim Couch threw four touchdown passes in a win over Louisville in 1997 and seven TD tosses in a victory against U of L in 1998.

However, his first college scoring pass came when he relieved Billy Jack Haskins in 1996 in a game U of L won 38-14. Who caught Couch's first UK touchdown pass?

A.) Isaac Curtis B.) Craig Yeast

C.) Kio Sanford D.) Kevin Coleman

Answer: A. Tight end Curtis, the son of the former Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver of the same name, hauled in a 20-yard strike from Couch in the left-front corner of the end zone.

7 The most painful Kentucky defeat in the modern Governor's Cup came in 2000. On the final play of regulation in a 34-34 tie, UK had an 18-yard field goal to win the game. It was blocked. Who was the UK place-kicker?

A.) Seth Hanson B.) Brandon Sanders

C.) Taylor Begley D.) Marc Samuel

Answer: B. A walk-on from Woodford County, Sanders had his chance at rivalry heroics blocked by Curry Burns. U of L won 40-34 in overtime. Sanders would never attempt another place-kick in a Kentucky uniform.

8 Name any coach who has coached in the Governor's Cup rivalry and has never won?

A.) Howard Schnellenberger

B.) Bill Curry

C.) Ron Cooper

D.) Steve Kragthorpe

Answer: A and D. Schnellenberger, who did so much to get the UK-U of L series started, lost to Bill Curry and UK in 1994. It was the only time "The Howard" coached in the rivalry.

Kragthorpe is 0-2 against UK — and its entirely possible that any realistic chance he has of surviving as Louisville coach depends on changing that this Saturday.

This story was originally published September 15, 2009 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Take the Governor's Cup quiz."