Kentucky football (4-7) is set to close out its 2024 campaign with a Governor’s Cup clash against the Louisville Cardinals (7-4).
The Wildcats enter the matchup following a 31-14 road loss to No. 3 Texas, whereas the Cardinals come into the game following a 37-9 win over Pitt.
In this installment of the rivalry, Kentucky will be going for its sixth straight win over Louisville as it won a 38-31 thriller last year in Louisville.
The all-time record in the series also favors the Wildcats as they hold a 20-15 series advantage.
As for the 2024 edition of rivalry, BetESPN has Louisville favored to win on the road by four points and ESPN’s matchup predictor is giving the Wildcats a 29.9% chance to win at home.
This matchup will feature one quarterback making his first ever career start, while the other is making his final collegiate start.
Kentucky will be led by true freshman Cutter Boley, who will become the first ever freshman to have his first start against Louisville. However, this will not be his first taste of action as he has appeared in three games this year for the Wildcats.
In those games, Boley has thrown for 290 yards along with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Cardinals will be led by Texas Tech transfer Tyler Shough, who has thrown for 3,067 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Moving over to running backs, the home Wildcats have two backs that are very similar in stats and are expected to share time.
That duo is Demie Sumo-Karngbaye and Jamarion Wilcox. Sumo-Karngbaye has been a staple in the backfield for most of the season and has accumulated 535 yards and found the end zone five times.
Wilcox has only seen his role grow as the season has moved along and he has rushed for 524 yards and two touchdowns this season.
The Cardinals are a bit different as they are led by Isaac Brown, who has accumulated 896 yards on the ground and has scored nine touchdowns.
When it comes to receivers, Dane Key is the lead man for the Cats, as he has team-leading 715 receiving yards along with two touchdowns.
Louisville’s receiving leader is Ja’Corey Brooks, and he leads the ACC with 1,013 receiving yards. The Alabama transfer has hauled in nine touchdowns this season.
Looking at the overall offensive numbers for both teams, Kentucky is scoring 21.2 points per game and the Cardinals are averaging 36.2 points per game. In terms of yards, the Wildcats are averaging 330.6 yards per game, whereas the Cardinals are accumulating 453 yards per game.
Shifting over to defense, the Cats are giving up 20.4 points per game and the Cards are allowing 24.1 points per game. When it comes to yards allowed, Kentucky is giving up 332.7 yards per game and Louisville is letting up 363 yards per game.
With the stage now set for the next edition of the Governor’s Cup, all that’s left is kickoff between Kentucky and Louisville, which is set for noon ET at Kroger Field on Saturday, Nov. 30.
