Kentucky's defense dominated Louisville for most of Saturday's game. (Vicky Graff Photo)
If you watched Kentucky beat Louisville 52-21 Saturday night it seemed pretty obvious that UK had the bigger, more physical team. The UK offense rolled up over 500 yards and had two 100-yard rushers — Chris Rodriguez and Will Levis. The UK defense gave up two meaningless touchdowns in the fourth quarter but dominated most of the game.
It was Kentucky’s third straight one-sided win in the rivalry but after the game, the Cards didn’t seem ready to accept UK’s physical superiority.
“Everything went their way tonight. Things weren’t clicking for us tonight and you saw the result,” Louisville senior defensive back Owynnterrio Cole. “We wanted to win that game, but it didn’t click, and it didn’t go our way. We need to keep our heads up. We need to make sure we end the bowl game the right way, so we can get this taste out of our mouth.”
The taste of being overpowered? That’s not easy to get rid of.
“Their physicality wasn’t the issue. They are physical, it just didn’t go our way tonight. In all phases of the game, special teams, offense, defense, it was all Kentucky. Physicality wasn’t an issue,” Owynnterrio said.
Not an issue? Please.
“We missed assignments. Touchdowns, offense missed blocks, big plays on defense. It was at all phases of the game, Kentucky won them. That was the result,” the Louisville defensive back said. “We came in expecting to dominate the same way we did the past two weeks. Again, things just didn’t go our way.”
Louisville dominated Syracuse and Duke. But those teams don’t play in the SEC like Kentucky does.
“I don’t think it was a physical mismatch. I think we did not fit well,” Louisville coach Scott Satterfield said. “I know there were guys running free and their quarterback ran. One of the plays on third down, we bought pressure and he spins out of a tackle, and he picks up a big first down and they end up scoring on that drive. That’s not a physical mismatch, that’s a missed tackle.”
Maybe. Maybe not.
But Satterfield was also partially realistic.
“I just think they were better than us tonight,” he said after the one-sided loss. “They put it on us, they blocked us better.
“I just think they executed a lot better, they blocked us a lot better than we blocked and they tackled a lot better than we were tackling tonight. I just think we just got beat all the way around.”
No argument there and with the way this rivalry is going and the difference in the way the two teams are recruiting, Kentucky may just keep beating Louisville for the next few years, too.
6 Responses
I think the UL football and basketball programs are each paying the price of shortcuts they took a few years ago when their coaches were Pitino and Petrino.
The administration looked the other way at the least, and may have supported those shortcuts at worst, but they cheated, got caught, and are paying the price.
And yes, they were manhandled on the field despite their punky attempts to taunt UK players into more than football at the conclusion of many plays.
While the cheating associated with Pitino and Petrino may have been cleaned up, their dirty bird ways persist.
Coach Stoops made a point earlier that anger is not a motivation for the game, but outright hatred is, and I hate those dirty birds nearly as much as the puke orange down in Knoxville.
And yes, I still believe the annual series with the dirty birds should be terminated. UK still has nothing to gain by sharing the big stage with those cheaters.
Good points Professor
Maybe change the U of L mascot to an ostrich?
Even know he keeps saying he’s not leaving, this going to be interesting. I really think he’s committed to UK due to fact the recruits that he’s got coming and telling there parents that he’s not leaving.
How do you block better and tackle better but not be more physical?
This game looked exactly like a 8-3 SEC team vs a 6-5 ACC team should.