Louisville football: 10 predictions for the Cards in 2020
10. Louisville football gets revenge, beats Kentucky
Jacob Lane
While Louisville football still holds the advantage over their arch-rival Kentucky in the Governor’s Cup in the modern era, the Wildcats own the bragging rights after dominating the Cards in each of the last two seasons and it freaking sucks.
What’s even worse is that as of the time I’m writing this, there’s no guarantee that Louisville and Kentucky will be able to face off in 2020 due to the ongoing effects of the global pandemic. With both the ACC and SEC considering only playing league schedules in an attempt to limit travel, that means that non-conference rivalry games like this one could be postponed for a year.
Another scenario on the table for the 2020 season, assuming there is one, is a conference only schedule with a “plus one” game. This would allow for schools within the ACC, SEC, and Big 12 to add non-conference matchups, meaning that Louisville football and Kentucky could keep the rivalry going, assuming they both would want to do that.
Only 60 some odd miles separate Louisville and Lexington, making it a very easy and safe travel situation, that would allow one of college football’s best rivalries to avoid skipping a year. That’s why I believe the game will be played, and in that matchup, the Louisville Cardinals will get long-awaited revenge.
Back-to-back losses against any opponent suck, but when it comes in massive blowouts against the program who has traditionally been “little brother” it makes it worse. This season Louisville’s guys will get their opportunity to remind Kentucky who the best program in the state really is.
Even after losing stars Lynn Bowden Jr. and Kash Daniel, Kentucky is set to be a top 25 program in their own right capable of competing at a high level in the SEC. Terry Wilson will return at quarterback, giving Kentucky another dynamic rushing threat – something they took advantage of wholeheartedly last year against Louisville.
A lot of starters return to Lexington and with momentum on their side, it’ll be one hell of a challenge for Louisville late in the season (assuming that’s when the game is played). However, there’s no convincing me that they can stop an offense capable of putting up video game numbers for the second season in a row behind Javian Hawkins, Tutu Atwell, and Micale Cunningham.