Three lessons learned from a terrible Kentucky football season finale
At Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky, on Saturday, November 30, 2024, the Louisville Cardinals defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 41-14 in the Governor’s Cup. By the Head of Photography Staff READ MORE Louisville 41, Kentucky 14 on game day For additional coverage of Saturday’s Kentucky-Louisville football game at Kroger Field from the Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com, click here. EXPLAIN ALL THREE key lessons from Saturday’s Governor’s Cup college football game at Kroger Field, where Kentucky lost to Louisville 41-14. A FANTASTIC END TO A FANTASTIC SEASON It could have been appropriate for Kentucky’s football season to conclude with some thought.
The Cats ultimately had their worst win-loss records since coach Mark Stoops’ debut in 2013, finishing 4-8 overall and 1-7 in the SEC. They suffered their first defeat in six seasons on Saturday in the yearly Governor’s Cup rivalry game. They did so in a way that was almost non-competitive. On its first possession, Kentucky fumbled the ball away on the third play. In his first collegiate start, true freshman quarterback Cutter Boley was knocked out in the second half after throwing two interceptions in the first half. On the sunny but chilly afternoon, the cats turned the ball over five times. Louisville made one mistake. Louisville, meanwhile, ran for 358 yards. Duke Watson, the Cardinals’ backup running back, scored on runs of 58 and 24 yards. Isaac Brown, a first-stringer, scored after running 67 yards. For another U of L touchdown, Ramon Puryear of the ‘Ville recovered Jamarion Wilcox’s second fumble 20 yards.
Louisville had its biggest lead since 2017, when it led 31-10 en route to a 44-17 victory in Lexington, including a 20-0 halftime advantage. Lamar Jackson, a young player, was the quarterback for the Cardinals that afternoon. 2. CUTTER BOLEY’S INITIAL START WAS REMARKABLE As was already noted, Cutter Boley’s first day of college did not go as expected. Boley’s second-half performances over the past two weeks have been so spectacular that, particularly in last week’s 31-14 loss to No. 3-ranked Texas, he appeared more like an overwhelmed rookie than a definite star.
In the first quarter, Boley only completed one of five throws for nine yards against seasoned Louisville defensive coordinator Ron English. From there, it became worse. English tricked Boley into making two interceptions in the second quarter. The UK’s solitary successful drive of the first half was destroyed by the second, which took place in the end zone. Boley was injured and had to leave the game in the second half after a Louisville player was dismissed for a contact that was called a targeting foul. Boley will be alright. He possesses every quality you look for in a quarterback.
Like many quarterbacks, he needs stronger help around him. In order to use what he has learnt from these previous three games and get ready for 2025, he will have a complete offseason to study. Mark Stoops, head coach of Kentucky, during the football game versus Louisville on Saturday. bsimms@herald-leader.com Brian Simms 3. There is enough to fix at Mark Stop. Going into his 12th season as head coach of Kentucky, you knew that Mark Stoops had a tough job ahead of him due to a demanding schedule in an expanded SEC. But few thought he would fail so miserably to fulfill that challenge. South Carolina defeated Kentucky 31-6 at home, their third straight defeat.
Vanderbilt defeated it at home for the second time in a row. It was defeated at home by an Auburn squad that was having trouble qualifying for the bowl. In Gainesville, a mediocre Florida squad blew it away. And it lost badly to its bitter rival on its home turf on the last day of the season. Stoops stated that he is certain he can correct the roster this week. Not only will that assignment be challenging, but it will also be unique. As everyone is aware, college football is currently playing in a different environment. You have to account for NIL and the transfer portal. Recruiting is no longer the same. While you may be able to attract stronger players, you may also lose some of your best players. Is Stoops able to handle the shift? He will need to do that in order to get his program back on track. And more.
