College football’s rivalry week heads down to the Bluegrass State for the annual battle for the Governor’s Cup, as Kentucky (5-6, 2-6 in the SEC) hosts the Louisville Cardinals (6-5, 5-3 in the ACC) at Commonwealth Stadium.
How to watch Louisville vs. Kentucky on TV or online, plus 3 things to know
The Bluegrass State powers battle for the Governor’s Cup.
The game offers the Wildcats a shot at getting bowl-eligible for the first time in Mark Stoops’ tenure in Lexington. And while that may seem like a fairly minor goal in the day and age of six-win bowl teams, the extra practices could be incredibly crucial for a team that will return almost every offensive skill-position talent in 2016, which could be make-or-break for this coaching staff. Kentucky broke a five-game losing streak last week with a 58-10 win over Charlotte -- an FCS opponent to be sure, but still the kind of confidence-builder a young team could use before a rivalry game.
The Cardinals had a four-game winning streak broken themselves last week by Pitt, but there's some solid things to build on for a team that's been in a rebuilding mode with a pair of young quarterbacks. Still, Bobby Petrino's squad rebounded relatively well from an 0-3 start to finish with a winning record in the conference for the second season in a row.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: Saturday, Noon ET, SEC Network
Radio: Kentucky, Louisville
Online streaming: WatchESPN Link
Spread: Louisville is favored by four points.
Make friends: Card Chronicle has all the chatter on this game from the Louisville angle, while Kentucky fans can get what they need over at A Sea of Blue.
Three big things to know
1. Boom goes the Williams
Kentucky sophomore tailback Stanley “Boom” Williams averages 11.3 highlight yards per opportunity, one of the better totals in the country. He’s 182 yards short of the 1,000 mark on the season, so it would take a heckuva game against a relatively strong Louisville run defense, but if Williams could get there it would be pretty impressive given how much the passing game has struggled here.
2. Quick finish
Neither one of these teams is all that proficient throwing the football, so don’t be surprised if they stick with the ground game. Which means this could be one of the faster finishes on Rivalry Saturday.
3. Fifth time’s the charm?
Louisville has won four in a row in this rivalry. If they get No. 5 and deny the Cats a bowl bid, there’s going to be some real heat on Stoops, who seems to have recruited well and brought solid organization to Lexington, but with very little to show for it to date.
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