How Kentucky Football and Louisville Match Up – Game Prediction
Quarterbacks
Kentucky’s Coach Mark Stoops has named true freshman Cutter Boley as the starting quarterback for Saturday’s Governor’s Cup. Boley, a 6-foot-5, 214-pound former Lexington Christian Academy player, has shown improvement since his rough debut against Florida in October. After completing 20 of 32 passes for 290 yards and 2 touchdowns in his two appearances since, Stoops praised Boley’s confidence and vision on the field.
Louisville’s Tyler Shough, in his sixth year of college football, has been exceptional, throwing for a career-high 3,067 yards. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound quarterback has completed 63.3% of his passes, with 23 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions.
Advantage: Louisville.
Running Backs
Kentucky’s Jamarion Wilcox has been a key player, rushing for 524 yards this season, averaging 6.6 yards per carry. Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, a senior, has also had a solid season with 535 yards and five touchdowns.
Louisville’s freshman duo of Isaac Brown and Duke Watson has been impressive. Brown has rushed for 896 yards, averaging 7.4 yards per carry, while Watson has 410 yards and five touchdowns.
Advantage: Louisville.
Wide Receivers
Kentucky’s Dane Key has 47 receptions for 715 yards and 2 touchdowns this season. Ja’Mori Maclin, another key receiver, has made 103 yards in the past three games.
Louisville’s Ja’Corey Brooks, a transfer from Alabama, leads the Cardinals with 61 receptions for 1,013 yards and 9 touchdowns. Chris Bell and Ahmari Huggins-Bruce also provide a strong receiving core.
Advantage: Louisville.
Tight Ends
Kentucky’s Willie Rodriguez, a freshman, had his best game so far against Texas, with 3 catches for 53 yards. Josh Kattus has made 6 catches for 77 yards and 2 touchdowns this season.
Louisville’s Mark Redman, a transfer from San Diego State, has 23 receptions for 239 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Advantage: Louisville.
Offensive Line
Kentucky’s Eli Cox, a seasoned senior, will play his final game at Kroger Field. Louisville’s Michael Gonzalez anchors a strong offensive line that has allowed only 15 sacks this season, compared to Kentucky’s 33.
Advantage: Louisville.
Defensive Line
Kentucky’s senior defensive linemen, including Tre’vonn Rybka, Octavious Oxendine, and J.J. Weaver, will play their last game at home. Deone Walker, expected to enter the NFL draft, is also a key player for the Wildcats.
Louisville’s Ashton Gillotte leads the team with 39 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Jared Dawson has been disruptive, with 4 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Linebackers
Kentucky’s Jamon Dumas-Johnson, with 62 tackles, and Alex Afari, with 52 tackles, have been key contributors this season.
Louisville’s T.J. Quinn leads the Cardinals with 75 tackles, while Stanquan Clark has made 67 tackles, with 2 interceptions.
Advantage: Louisville.
Defensive Backs
Kentucky’s Maxwell Hairston, along with safeties Ty Bryant and Jordan Lovett, has been strong in the secondary. Senior Zion Childress will play his last game on Saturday.
Louisville’s Corey Thornton and Quincy Riley have been standout cornerbacks, with Riley recording 12 pass breakups and Thornton intercepting two passes.
Advantage: Even.
Special Teams
Kentucky’s Alex Raynor, despite a missed field goal last week, has been reliable, making 15 of 16 attempts this season. Aidan Laros has also had a solid punting year, averaging 45.6 yards per kick.
Louisville’s Brock Travelstead has been effective, with a long field goal of 56 yards this season. The Cardinals have struggled with consistency at punter.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Prediction
Louisville 28, Kentucky 17.
