Kentucky finishes school’s best rushing season with rout of rival Louisville
A couple of big plays weren’t enough to derail another dominant performance by what might be the greatest team to ever run the football at Kentucky.
UK defeated Louisville, 45-13, for the second straight year to keep the Governor’s Cup in Lexington. It was the first time the Cats won consecutive games in the series under head coach Mark Stoops, and it was the first time under him that they won at home.
Lynn Bowden carried 22 times for 284 yards, the second most by a UK player in school history. He rushed for four touchdowns, tying the school record. Chris Rodriguez also crossed the century mark, going for 125 yards and a TD on just nine carries.
Kentucky set a new school record for rushing in a single season with 3,293 during the victory, topping the 1974 team’s mark of 3,124 yards. That team, Fran Curci’s second at the school, finished 6-5.
It also set a new single-season mark for rushing touchdowns (32), besting the 30 scored by Stoops’ 2016 team. The Wildcats rushed for 517 yards, setting a new single-game record a week after breaking it against Tennessee Martin.
The game
Louisville opened the game with a touchdown drive. Cardinals quarterback Micale Cunningham, facing fourth-and-10 from UK’s 33-yard line, delivered a strike to Tutu Atwell in the corner of the end zone to put their team up 6-0 early (the PAT failed).
Bowden and Rodriguez each picked up 18 yards on their first carries of the game. Following Rodriguez’ gain, a personal foul penalty was assessed to U of L that moved UK to the Cards’ 14. A.J. Rose three plays later punched the ball in and Matt Ruffolo’s PAT gave UK the lead, 7-6.
Jamar “Boogie” Watson sacked Cunningham for a 6-yard loss to force a fourth-and-11 punt on Louisville’s second drive. A 70-yard run by Kavosiey Smoke set the Cats up in the red zone; Bowden rushed for a 6-yard TD on the Cats’ next play.
Calvin Taylor deflected a pass at the line of scrimmage to force another Louisville punt, but the Cardinals attempted a rush out of the formation; it failed, setting Kentucky up at U of L’s 34. UK settled for a field goal, a 45-yard conversion by Matt Ruffolo to swell the lead to 17-6.
The Cards’ next drive lasted just three plays: they gained 10 yards before a deep pass from Cunningham intended for Atwell was tipped briefly into the air and retrieved by Jordan Griffin. Kentucky went three and out before forcing another Louisville punt.
Bowden failed to convert a fourth-and-1 run at Louisville’s 43 with 35 seconds left; it only needed 16 for Javian Hawkins to score on a 56-yard run, bringing the score to 17-13 before halftime.
It didn’t take long for UK to re-seize momentum: A 5-yard gain by Rose preceded a 60-yard TD scramble by Bowden to extend its lead to 24-13 less than a minute into the third quarter.
Bowden on UK’s next offensive series suffered an ankle injury; a U of L defender landed on his leg and Bowden stayed on the field for a couple minutes before walking off with assistance from two trainers. He was treated on the sideline and returned for Kentucky’s next series after the defense forced a fourth punt; he rushed for a 46-yard TD on the fourth play of that drive to put UK up 31-13.
Evan Conley took over for Cunningham on U of L’s next drive but it didn’t change its fortune; the Cardinals punted again, and Rodriguez rushed for a 64-yard TD on Kentucky’s next play from scrimmage. Conley’s second series lasted a little longer but ended in another punt. Bowden rushed for a 32-yard TD, Kentucky’s last, on the subsequent possession.
Notes
▪ Bowden finished the regular season with 1,235 rushing yards, giving Kentucky a 1,000-yard rusher for the fourth straight season, the longest streak in program history.
He attempted only two passes — a 4-yard completion to Clevan Thomas and a flea-flicker throw to Josh Ali that came off Ali’s fingertips.
▪ Eleven seniors were recognized as part of UK’s Senior Day ceremony prior to the game: Elijah Barnett, Blake Best, T.J. Carter, Kash Daniel, Jordan Griffin, Phil Hoskins, Ben Logsdon, Logan Stenberg, Calvin Taylor, Ahmad Wagner and Mason Wolfe.
▪Linebacker Josh Paschal suffered a thigh bruise during the third quarter and did not return.
This story was originally published November 30, 2019 at 3:11 PM.
