For the second year in a row, Kentucky is bringing the Governor’s Cup Trophy back to Lexington.
Also for the second year in a row, the Wildcats destroyed Louisville to close the regular season as Kentucky beat Louisville 45-13 on Saturday. The game was won on the ground as Kentucky piled up 517 rushing yards on 40 carries. The Kentucky defense did its part by shutting out Louisville in the second half.
The star of the game, and for the season for that matter, was once again Lynn Bowden as the Wildcat quarterback rushed for 284 yards and four touchdowns against Louisville.
Following the game, Mark Stoops was asked to share his thoughts on his team’s dominant rushing attack.
“Really just amazing, so proud of those guys,” Stoops said. “Lynn has been so tough all year, our offensive line, the running backs, you name it, they’ve done a heck of a job. Our coaches have done a heck of a job putting them in position. Really proud of them.”
The win was Kentucky’s seventh of the season and helps improve the program’s bowl stock heading into the postseason. Finishing the season with a 7-5 mark is impressive considering this team was had only three wins just five games ago.
Thanks to a 4-1 close to the season, the lone loss was a narrow defeat at the hands of Tennessee, Kentucky is returning to the postseason for the third season in a row.
“It means a lot. We have faced adversity but every team does. It’s about how you respond to it and how you handle it,” Stoops added. “Proud of this group, just like most teams, there’s a lot of what-ifs, a lot left out there we’d like to have back, but you can’t. It will just motivate us more in the offseason to come back next year and get some more.”
Of course, few wins mean more in Lexington than beating on Louisville and that’s something the Kentucky coach touched on after the game.
“It’s always important. It’s a rivalry game, it’s important to our state and our fan base and of course our players and coaches,” he said. “It’s a good win.”
Finally, on how long he will celebrate this win, Stoops said he won’t spend too long before hitting the road to recruit the next generation of Wildcats.
“Well, I have to get on the road, it’s time to get on the road tomorrow,” Stoops concluded. “I’m actually going in-state of course. We will celebrate for 24 hours.”
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
