A Kentucky Governor's Cup Wish List

The 2022 Kentucky football season has featured plenty of ups and downs. It can end on a high with a victory over Louisville Saturday afternoon. There are a myriad of ways it can happen, but completing this wish list can take the Wildcats to the promised land.

Score Touchdowns in the Red Zone

Kentucky has not had any problem moving the ball all season long. Things get difficult for Red Zone Rich when the offense loses space to operate. Kentucky has one of the worst red zone scoring offenses in America, scoring touchdowns just over 54.7% of the time (98th in FBS). They’ll be facing a defense that ranks 19th in red zone defense, allowing touchdowns 48.7% of the time.

The Wildcats’ kicking game has not been good, and that’s putting it nicely. Kentucky can’t afford to attempt field goals. They must put the ball into the end zone and the earlier, the better.

Let Chris Rodriguez Eat

When in doubt, let Chris Rodriguez put the team on his back. Playing in his final game at Kroger Field, Louisville has not faced a running back like C-Rod all year. Not only is he a bruiser, he’s shown some explosiveness in recent weeks. Chasing Benny Snell‘s rushing record, it will take a tall task to average 175 yards over his final two games, but if there’s anyone that can do it, it’s Chris. He can provide the answer to the Wildcats’ red zone woes if Rich Scangarello wisely chooses when to use Rodriguez.

Limit Louisville Explosive Plays

Louisville’s offense is not efficient. They rank 92nd in overall offensive EPA and 100th in rushing EPA. They don’t consistently pick up yards on the ground, but they do pop big plays. The Cards are tied for first in the ACC with 12 rushes of 30+ yards. The good news: limiting big plays is the name of the game for Brad White’s defense. However, they’ve been more porous than usual as of late, allowing Vanderbilt to pop a pair of big runs before Georgia took it right to Kentucky. The BBN needs to see the defense that gobbled up Anthony Richardson, not the one that let Mike Wright run wild.

Don’t Lose Governor’s Cup Momentum

The series between Kentucky and Louisville goes back and forth. One team will take the Governor’s Cup for a few years, then another holds the trophy for 3-4 more before it bounces back. Kentucky has won four of five Governor’s Cups, on the heels of a UofL 5-game winning streak that followed a Kentucky 4-game winning streak.

Louisville is gaining some momentum under Scott Satterfield. They’ve won five of their last six games and have a top 25 recruiting class. Kentucky can stop that momentum on Saturday. Moving the Governor’s Cup to the end of the year gives each team an opporuntity to end the year on a high note and enjoy a relatively optimistic offseason. It’s imperative for the Wildcats to stop the bleeding and give the Louisville fans another year to wonder if Scott Satterfield is built for this job. The alternative reality is one that’s dangerous for the BBN all across the Commonwealth.