This week’s task is much tougher: The Wildcats need to stymie Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson if they’re to break a five-game losing streak to their archrivals.
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J.T. hasn’t had the year statistically that many thought he would.
Playoff and national title talk seems like ancient history. Online sports book BetDSI opened the host school as a 23.5-point favorite over the Wildcats.
Houston and Clemson have supplied the defensive game plan to stop him – attack, attack, attack.
Kentucky (7-5, 4-4 SEC) closed the regular season by winning seven of its last 10 games after an 0-2 start. “Be smart. Just go out there and win a game and not play scared, or chicken”.
LOUISVILLE – Gov. Matt Bevin awarded his first Governor’s Cup trophy after the University of Kentucky’s 41-38 win over the University of Louisville on a last-minute field goal on Saturday, and he said the rivalry game represented the best of “Kentucky football”.
It looked like he was ready to drive Louisville in for another touchdown, and perhaps one final Heisman moment, as the Cardinals had the ball inside the 10 with two minutes left.
“It shouldn’t dampen everything he’s done”, said Kentucky assistant coach Lamar Thomas, who recruited Jackson for Louisville. “This year, I want to be the one to carry the trophy off the field”.
The Wildcats kept coming in the second half and forced Jackson into two interceptions.
“Give Kentucky credit”, Petrino said. And then in the third quarter defensively we couldn’t get off the field.
Okay, we all know that’s a bit of an overreaction, but the Cardinals’ defense played absolutely bad. The ball should have been called down as the fumble appeared to be caused by the ground. “As a quarterback, you can’t get too high or too low”.
Such blasé play certainly won’t fly against UK. Keep your focus on the work you must do Monday through Friday and eventually the games bring your rewards. You have to learn from it.
But this must also be said of U of L: We now know that either the national media Cards vastly over-rated the Cards throughout the season, or else something inside the team began to go terribly wrong after its near-miss on the road against mighty Clemson on October 1.
It was obvious that the late-season collapse took his players by surprise.
“I remember the first time I was really able to run the ball was against Wake Forest”, Radcliff said.
“You know I’m a tough guy from Youngstown”. This never even came up in my mind. The competitive spirit he’s got, he’s always going to put it on himself. “Whatever happens I know how this program operates”.
“I feel the same way that all my other brothers feel”, said Louisville safety Chucky Williams. We’re pissed, we’re mad. The Cardinals boasted this year’s probable Heisman Trophy victor in quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Finalists for the Heisman Trophy will be named on December 5.
Jackson tallied his school-record eighth 100-yard rushing game and broke the Lsouisville mark for rushing yards.
In the last two games, Houston and Kentucky punished Louisville by completing 43 of 73 throws for 650 yards and six touchdowns and one interception.
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But ultimately his two turnovers in the fourth quarter cost Louisville a chance to beat its arch-rival. In UL’s last two losses, Jackson had five giveaways. “It’s our rival. Our seniors didn’t go out right”. “We’ve got to make a stand right here. I’m just going to tell my teammates to ‘move past it'”. “But really happy with the offense and what we did today”.
