How Louisville football can reclaim Governor's Cup after stumbling in recent games vs. UK

During Jeff Brohm’s introductory news conference in December, one fan’s message rang loud and clear in the packed Angel's Envy Bourbon Club on the third floor of L&N Stadium.

“Beat Kentucky!” the man said.

In the last four Governor’s Cups — all won by UK — the Wildcats have won by an average margin of 30 ½ points. Kentucky’s smallest margin of victory in those contests was last year, when it won 26-13 at home. The Wildcats lead the all-time series, 19-15.

Louisville and Kentucky began this season 5-0, but the Wildcats dropped five of their next six games. The No. 9 Cardinals have one loss. They’re ranked No. 22 in total offense and No. 28 in rushing offense. U of L is No. 21 in total defense and No. 11 in red zone defense.

The Cardinals, with Brohm in his first season leading his alma mater, are having one of their best seasons since 2016. Though the Louisville-Kentucky rivalry resumed the year Brohm graduated from Louisville in 1994, he was the quarterbacks coach under Bobby Petrino (2003-06) and the assistant head coach under Steve Kragthorpe (2007-08). The Cardinals went 4-2 in that span, winning four consecutive games before losing in 2007 and 2008.

Getting the rivalry trophy back has been high on the Cardinals’ agenda. Here are three reasons why Louisville can beat Kentucky this year and get the Governor’s Cup back for the first time since 2017:

Comparing run games

Jawhar Jordan and Ray Davis have been among the nation’s best running backs this season, with 11 and 12 rushing touchdowns, respectively. Despite dealing with a hamstring injury for most of the season, Jordan has been a driving force for Louisville’s offense, ranking eighth nationally in yards per carry (6.7), 22nd in total rushing yards (1,009) and 26th in rushing yards per game (91.7). He also became Louisville’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Javian Hawkins (2019) and the program’s 23rd player to achieve the feat.

Though Kentucky’s rushing offense ranks 89th in the country, Davis ranks 26th with 990 rushing yards. He is averaging 90 yards per game (29th) and 5.8 yards per carry (36th). The Vanderbilt transfer’s best game was in a 33-14 win over Florida on Sept. 30, when he rushed for 280 yards, third most in a game for a Wildcat. Davis averaged 10.8 yards per carry and had three touchdowns.

Davis doesn’t have the same kind of depth behind him as Jordan. UK’s next-leading rusher is Ramon Jefferson, who has come on stronger during the last stretch of the season. Jefferson has 165 rushing yards.

Jordan, on the other hand, is part of a running back trio that includes Isaac Guerendo (585 yards, eight touchdowns) and Maurice Turner (210 yards, TD).

Louisville’s dominant D-line

Before the season, Cardinals defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte was reluctant to share his goals.

"If you were talking about specific stats, I won't divulge that," he said during the ACC Kickoff in July. "We'll keep it a little bit general."

Instead of telling, the junior showed it by tallying a team-high 10 sacks this season, eighth most nationally, with 13 tackles for loss. The Cardinals have 28 ½ total sacks and 72 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Gillotte is one of the main pieces of Louisville’s defensive line, which is averaging the 23rd-most sacks per game in the country (2.7). The group’s depth allows for each rotation to be as strong as the others. Reserve defensive lineman Mason Reiger has the second-most sacks with five and six tackles for loss. Jermayne Lole’s improved health has allowed him to start over the last month as another key piece of Louisville’s dominant line.

The Cardinals’ success getting into the backfield will be a large factor Saturday. The Wildcats are tied for 41st in sacks allowed per game (1.6). South Carolina got to UK quarterback Devin Leary twice in the Wildcats' 17-14 loss.

Home-field advantage

Louisville has yet to lose at home this season, putting on some of its best performances at L&N Stadium. The Cardinals are on an 11-game winning streak at home and have a chance to make it 12, which would be the program’s second-longest home streak. The record is 20 games.

The Cardinals have been dominant at home, including two shutouts and two wins against top-25 teams. U of L defeated Murray State, 56-0, and Duke, 23-0. The Blue Devils were ranked No. 21 when the teams met, and Notre Dame was No. 11. In the closest game this season at L&N Stadium, Louisville defeated Virginia, 31-24.

Despite Kentucky’s 9-5 record at Louisville, the Cardinals’ recent history of protecting their home field should be an advantage. The game is sold out, which will add to the noise level to distract the Wildcats, who are 2-2 on the road this season.

C.L. Brown: Enjoy the 2023 Governor's Cup in Louisville. There's no telling when it'll be back

Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: How Louisville football, led by Jeff Brohm, can reclaim Governor's Cup