Oddsmakers and prognosticators gave Kentucky very little chance Saturday at Louisville. After all, the Cardinals’ potent offense figured to be a headache for UK, and the Cards have won the past five games in the series. Had won.

Kentucky shocked much of the college football world with an 41-38 upset, which gives Mark Stoops’s bowl bound ‘Cats an added dose of legitimacy for their comeback season.

Austin MacGinnis provided the winning points, kicking a 47-yard field goal after the Wildcats recovered Lamar Jackson’s fumble just when it looked like the Cardinals were going in for the go-ahead score.

What It Means

Kentucky picks up a seventh win in 2016, and moves up a mile in the bowl pecking order. Also, for a struggling SEC, it’s another statement. Louisville was the clear second-best team in the ACC. Kentucky? Maybe the ninth-best team in the SEC, perhaps? It didn’t matter Saturday at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.

An x-factor is that it likely handicaps Louisville QB Lamar Jackson’s Heisman Trophy odds. With Louisville dropping its past two games and falling out of the CFP picture, voters may be scrambling to find somebody, anybody else to support with their Heisman votes. Jackson threw three interceptions and lost a critical fumble late in the fourth quarter.

What I Liked

The talk coming into this game was all about Louisville’s dual-threat star, Jackson. By the end of the game, the Cardinals, and perhaps the college football world, recognized that UK’s dual-threat QB, Stephen Johnson, is a remarkable player in his own right.

Johnson, who passed for 338 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for another 52 yards on the ground, shepherded the UK offense through some rough patches. Kentucky’s ground game was solid, but it was the passing game — and Johnson — who stole the day. Of course, on the Louisville side, Jackson was all he was known to be, which was nothing shy of impressive. He threw two touchdown passes but also was intercepted twice.

What I Didn’t Like

Kentucky’s wide receiver crew struggled with drops again, or Johnson might have his own Heisman campaign now. Too many times, Kentucky has open players in space only for them to drop catchable passes. It’s hard to imagine, but this UK team was drawn up to be a pass-heavy group with pocket passer Drew Barker. If that had happened, not only would UK have likely not won seven games, it would’ve probably led much of the Big Blue Nation to go crazy over dropped passes.

Kentucky went conservative, running the ball with Jojo Kemp and a 38-31 lead. Kemp is a fine back, but starter Boom Williams and reserve Benny Snell are both 1,000-yard backs. With the game on the line, it was puzzling to see both on the sideline.

Who’s the Man

Stephen Johnson, a two-star QB from College of the Desert who chose UK over Hawaii and Arkansas State, was the better quarterback in this game. If that doesn’t make him The Man, then what could?

Key Plays

Johnson’s deep pass to Dorian Baker in the end zone broke a 31-31 tie, and gave Kentucky an important lead. On the ensuing drive, Wildcat CB Blake McClain caught a deflected pass for UK’s second interception of the game, which snuffed out a potentially game-tying Louisville drive. Ultimately, Jackson’s lost fumble set up Kentucky’s game-winning drive.

What’s Next

Kentucky is bound for its first bowl since 2010, and that destination probably got much more prestigious (and perhaps warmer) after this victory. Next Sunday will be decision day for the ‘Cats, and for a fan base which was generally somewhat lackluster in home attendance, the bowl game may represent a statement on the program — so expect to see lots of blue wherever the game will be.