Blue Preview: Your guide to Kentucky’s football game vs. Louisville
Louisville at Kentucky
When: Noon (EST), Saturday (Nov. 30)
Where: Kroger Field (capacity 61,000)
TV: SEC Network (play-by-play, Taylor Zarzour; analysis, Matt Stinchcomb; sideline, Alyssa Lang)
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Satellite radio: XM Channel 190, Sirius Channel 134
Records: Kentucky (6-5, 3-5 SEC); Louisville (7-4, 5-3 ACC)
Series history: Kentucky leads 16-15 all-time, but Louisville leads in the modern rivalry (since 1994) 15-10.
Last meeting: No. 17 Kentucky pulverized Louisville 56-10 on Nov. 24, 2018, at Cardinal Stadium.
Line: Kentucky is favored by 3 1/2 points.
The story line
In the final game of the 2019 regular season, Kentucky will seek to secure its fourth straight winning year; keep the Governor’s Cup in Lexington in back-to-back seasons for the first time since UK beat Louisville four straight from 2007-2010; and defeat U of L at Kroger Field for the first time since 2009.
The big threat
Micale Cunningham accounted for six touchdowns in Louisville’s 56-34 rout of Syracuse last week. The 6-foot-1, 192-pound quarterback threw for 238 yards and five TDs and ran for 60 yards and a score. Though Cunningham entered 2019 known as a “running QB,” the redshirt sophomore from Montgomery, Ala., has completed 62.1 percent of his throws this season with 19 touchdowns vs. only four interceptions.
On the spot
The Kentucky defense. Louisville’s success in Scott Satterfield’s first season as U of L head coach has largely hinged on winning shootouts. The Cardinals have won games by 41-39, 62-59 and 56-34. Conversely, no team has scored more than 29 points against Kentucky all season. The UK defense has held its last four opponents to 17 points or less. If form holds, the 2019 battle for the Governor’s Cup will come down to which unit can impose its will, the Kentucky defense or Louisville offense.
The mood
About the entire Kentucky season will largely be determined by this outcome. UK has faced much adversity in 2019, and Mark Stoops and troops have proven resilient. What the Wildcats don’t yet have is a victory that animates the UK fan base. A win over Louisville to clinch a winning record would be an animating victory. However, a loss to U of L that left UK 6-6 would leave a large sense of “meh” in the BBN about the Kentucky season.
This story was originally published November 24, 2019 at 11:38 PM.
