Kentucky shocks Louisville with takeaways and explosives

Louisville is having a banner season. Golden boy Jeff Brohm returned home and immediately has this program playing for championships. After going 7-1 in ACC plays with a ton of one-possession wins, the Cards locked up a berth in next week’s ACC Championship Game. Kentucky limped into Week 13 having lost five of six SEC games to close the year.

Throw the records out the window. Kentucky beat Louisville with a 31-14 blitz in the final 20 minutes of the game. The Wildcats have now extended their winning streak to five in the Governor’s Cup series. The Cardinals have not beaten Kentucky since 2017 and are now winless in their last two meetings in this series when ranked inside the top 15.

Things looked bleak following a 15-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that gave Louisville a 17-7 lead and ate nine-plus minutes off the clock to start the third quarter. However, the game flipped instantly from that point thanks to explosive plays from Kentucky’s offense and special teams and takeaways on defense.

Kentucky took a strong Middle 8 jab from Louisville and responded with its best run of football of the season.

Barion Brown flips the game on special teams

Jay Boulware‘s special teams unit did not have a great day on Saturday. Kickoffs were a major issue, coverage was even worse, and that forced Kentucky to go to a pooch kick strategy. There will be plenty for the third phase to work on during bowl prep.

But no one is going to remember that Kentucky had a kickoff problem on Saturday. The Wildcats flipped the game with Barion Brown‘s second kickoff return touchdown of the season.

Louisville had all the momentum of the game as the contest was slowly getting away from Kentucky. Brown’s return got some immediate momentum back on the road sidelines. Louisville would respond with another touchdown drive after another short field was set up by a long return, but Mark Stoops‘ team landed a special teams haymaker when they had to have it to climb back in the football game.

Explosives lead to scores

Kentucky is not an efficiency machine on offense. I believe everyone realizes that now. The Wildcats have some shortcomings on the offensive line that have led to an inefficient running game. Devin Leary‘s completion percentage has been a problem all season. That has caused Liam Coen‘s offense to play from behind the chains. That did not matter on Saturday.

Why is that? The Cats hit explosive both on the ground and in the air.

After Louisville responded to Barion Brown’s touchdown with a five-play, 51-yard drive to take a 24-14 lead with 2:48 left in the third quarter, Kentucky hit the Cardinals with a big-play assault over the final 17-plus minutes of the game.

Kentucky quickly cut the lead to 24-21 after Leary hit Izayah Cummings and Ray Davis on wheel routes in a 75-yard touchdown drive that lasted two plays. After the defense set up a short field, Leary found Davis on a screen pass for a 20-yard touchdown allowing Kentucky to take their first lead of the game with 8:37 left in the fourth quarter.

A bad Leary interception would lead to Louisville tying the game with 2:33 left on a fourth down scramble throw by Jack Plummer, but Kentucky would immediately respond by driving 75 yards in four plays capped by a 23-yard completion to Brown and a 37-yard touchdown run by Davis.

Louisville stayed ahead of the chains on offense all game, but Kentucky’s haymakers were what mattered most in the 38-31 win at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium.

Defense creates timely turnovers

In some big moments this season, Kentucky’s defense failed to create some timely turnovers. That was not the case on Saturday. When Brad White‘s unit was reeling in the third quarter, redshirt senior J.J. Weaver made a huge play to begin a defensive avalanche for the Wildcats.

A few plays later, Kentucky tied the game with a 46-yard field goal by Alex Raynor. On the next immediate series, Jack Plummer would put the ball on the ground on a third down scramble and a Weaver recovery would give the Wildcats a first-and-10 at Louisville 22.

Two plays later, Kentucky would take the lead.

On the next possession, Kentucky’s defense would force a turnover on downs with 5:34 left in the fourth quarter. White’s unit would get its third takeaway of the game when Jordan Lovett intercepted Plummer’s heave on the final play of the game.

Kentucky’s defense got put on its heels in the second half, but this group responded by creating some timely takeaways.