Kentucky football (4-8, 1-7) ended its season on Saturday with a 41-14 loss to the Louisville Cardinals (8-5, 5-3) in the 2024 Governor’s Cup.
Apart from it being senior day for a plethora of Wildcats including the likes of corner Maxwell Hairston and linebacker J.J. Weaver, today also served as the first career start for freshman quarterback Cutter Boley.
Louisville would win the opening coin toss, with the Cardinals electing to defer to the second half as Boley and the Wildcat offense took the field first.
The Wildcats would move the sticks on the second play from scrimmage by way of a 14-yard carry from freshman running back Jamarion Wilcox, but the following run by Wilcox would end with a fumble that set the Cardinals up on the Kentucky 47-yard line.
Kentucky’s defense would hold strong after the fumble, surrendering just four yards before forcing a Cardinal punt, with the Wildcat offense following suit shortly after with a punt of its own.
The following Cardinal drive would result in the first points in the 2024 Governor’s Cup, with Louisville running back Isaac Brown punching in a one-yard carry for six.
Kentucky would get the ball back as time expired in the first quarter, with the first play of the second quarter giving the ball right back to Louisville as Boley threw the first interception of the day.
Louisville would end up being forced to kick a field goal after reaching the Kentucky three-yard line, but it would get the ball back shortly after following a drive that saw Kentucky fail to gain any yardage.
The 10-point hole would get deeper for Kentucky on the first play after punting, with Louisville back Duke Watson breaking free for a 58-yard rushing touchdown to stretch the Cardinal lead to 17.
Kentucky would once again fail to answer a Louisville score, gaining zero yards before sending junior punter Aidan Laros out for his fourth punt of the day.
Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough would set the Cardinals up on the Kentucky three yard line with a 51-yard bomb on the following drive, but the Kentucky defense would hold to surrender the second field goal of the day.
Freshman wide out Hardley Gilmore IV would follow the Cardinal field goal by making the Cats’ first explosive play of the day with a 29-yard connection from Boley, but the drive would come to a screeching halt after Boley ended the Cats’ first trip the red zone with his second interception.
Kentucky would get the ball back just four plays later after a forced fumble was recovered by Kentucky senior Jamon Dumas-Johnson.
The Cats would fail to move the sticks after the fumble, with the subsequent punt confirming a first half shut out.
Boley would exit the game on the Cats’ first drive of the second half, with Gavin Wimsatt taking his place and leading Kentucky to its first touchdown of the game by way of a Ja’Mori Maclin reception.
Kentucky would get the ball back after forcing a punt, but would put itself in a deeper hole after Wilcox’s second fumble was recovered by Louisville and taken to the end zone.
Louisville would add to its lead after forcing a Wildcat punt, with Watson getting his second touchdown of the game.
The Cats would take a 27-point deficit into the fourth, with their opening drive of the quarter ending with a turnover on downs.
Wimsatt would follow by connecting with Maclin for a 83-yard touchdown, with Louisville following suit just two plays after with Brown taking a 67-yard rush to the end zone.
Louisville would fail to covert on fourth down with a scrum ensuing after the fact, and on the following drive Kentucky would fail to score points to solidify a 41-14 Kentucky loss.
The loss brings Kentucky’s 2024 campaign to a close with just one conference win and four in total, with the departure of big pieces such as Walker, Hairston, Weaver and Dumas-Johnson adding to the copious amounts of question marks as the Cats head into the off season.
