KSR Gameday: Kentucky vs. Louisville in the Governor's Cup, presented by Monticello Bank
Cats vs. Cards. It doesn’t get much better than that. The regular season reaches a conclusion today at noon when Kentucky travels down I-64 to duel Louisville for the Governor’s Cup.
“I would desperately like to keep that trophy here. It’s been here for a while and I hope it stays here.” Mark Stoops ain’t wrong. Louisville has taken home the Governor’s Cup trophy only once in the last seven years. The Cards have not won this rivalry game at home since 2014.
This Louisville team looks a little different than its predecessors. In Jeff Brohm’s first year back in town, the homegrown head coach has guided the Cards to a 10-1 start and a first ever ACC Championship Game appearance. Even though many of those wins have come against inferior ACC foes, the results are the results. Louisville ranks No. 14 in yards per play and No. 17 in success rate.
Meanwhile, success has been hard to come by at the University of Kentucky. The Wildcats’ only win since September was against a reeling Mississippi State team who is now in the middle of a coaching search. The Cats let a fourth quarter lead slip away at South Carolina. This year they just haven’t been able to get in sync at the same time. Will all of the stars finally align for a season-salvaging win over a Top 10 rival? We’ll find out this afternoon at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium.
How to Watch Kentucky vs. Louisville
The Governor’s Cup is receiving the bright spotlight on broadcast television. ABC will host Kentucky vs. Louisville at Noon. Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer and Katie George will be on the clock. You can also stream the action on Fubo (Try for free) Fubo’s holiday offer just kicked off — For a limited time, new subscribers can save $40 on Fubo’s Pro, Elite, and Premier plans ($20 off the first and second month). If you can’t attend the game or stream the Cats, you can always listen to the Voice of the Wildcats, Tom Leach, and Jeff Piecoro.
- AM: 840 WHAS, 630 WLAP
- FM: 98.1 WBUL
- SiriusXM: 162 or 192
An Important Message
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Kentucky Football Gameday Schedule
- 9:00: KSR Pregame Show on 630 WLAP
- 9:45: The Cat Walk near Gate 2 on Floyd Street
- Noon: Kickoff on ESPN
Kentucky vs. Louisville Gambling Angles
Like so many times in recent history, Kentucky is an underdog, but spread is a little larger this year. The Cards are 7.5-point favorites with a total of 50.5 at FanDuel. The visitor is 10-3-1 ATS in the last 14 meetings of this series with nine outright wins. Mark Stoops is 6-2-1 ATS in this series.
No Red vs. Blue
Cats and Cards fans don’t agree on much, but this is the exception. Kentucky should wear blue and Louisville should wear red when these two teams meet. It happens in rivalry games across the country — even Arkansas and Missouri were wearing primary colors — yet these two schools can’t get it right. Louisville will have all-red uniforms, while Kentucky rocks white jerseys and pants with chrome domes.
Governor’s Cup Hype Video
Rivalry Weekend TV Schedule
No. 2 Ohio State at No. 3 Michigan | 12 p.m. | FOX
Texas A&M at No. 14 LSU | 12 p.m. | ESPN
Indiana at Purdue | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Southern vs. Grambling (in New Orleans) | 2 p.m. | NBC
BYU at No. 20 Oklahoma State | 3:30 p.m. | ABC
No. 15 Arizona at Arizona State | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
No. 8 Alabama at Auburn | 3:30 p.m. | CBS
Vanderbilt at No. 21 Tennessee | 3:30 p.m. | SEC Network
Northwestern at Illinois | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Georgia Southern at Appalachian State | 3:30 p.m. | ESPNU
Virginia Tech at Virginia | 3:30 p.m. | ACC Network
Washington State at No. 4 Washington | 4 p.m. | FOX
No. 5 Florida State at Florida | 7 p.m. | ESPN
West Virginia at Baylor | 7 p.m. | FS1
No. 1 Georgia at Georgia Tech | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
No. 24 Clemson at South Carolina | 7:30 p.m. | SEC Network
North Carolina at No. 22 NC State | 8 p.m. | ACC Network
Iowa State at No. 19 Kansas State | 8 p.m. | FOX
Cal at UCLA | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN
Fresno State at San Diego State | 10:30 p.m. | FS1
Kentucky Basketball Hits a Higher Offensive Gear
The Cats scored SIXTY-NINE points in the first half against Marshall, running away from the Thundering Herd with a 118-82 victory. It’s the most points scored by the Wildcats in the John Calipari era. The first half was the fourth-highest scoring half in Kentucky basketball history. The last team with comparable scoring half? Rick Pitino’s untouchable 1996 squad.
DJ Wagner scored a career-high 28 points and Antonio Reeves drained five three-pointers in the final tune-up ahead of the inaugural SEC-ACC Challenge. Relive the best moments from the victory with more than five minutes of explosive highlights.
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