A derailment of a clobberation at the RR Yard.
Louisville 41, Kentucky 0.
In ping pong we’d call that a skunk.
In the Commonwealth, we call it a beatdown, a gubernatorial landslide of epic proportions.
Cards total of 41 matched that from last season’s Krogering shopping spree.
Last eight quarters: U of L 82, UK 14.
Before the season, and throughout when things have been going well, Louisville’s heralded position group was Running Backs.
Best RB Room in the Land, the Cards’ was heralded before that opening kickoff twelve games back.
And yes those rushers dominated an admittedly decimated Wildcat defense.
Then again it wasn’t the Cardinal triumverate of Isaac Brown, KeJuan Brown and Duke Watson, none of whom played because of injury.
Walk on true rookie from Ashland. A guy who wasn’t even on the roster I printed out before the opening game.
Shaun Boykins Jr.. A redshirt Freshman wideout from North Hardin. Formerly a wideout, I guess you could say.
22 rushes for 101 yards and a TD.
Game balls to both of those dudes who stepped up bigly.
The guy I’m happiest for is Miller Moss.
Who proved himself a gamer of the highest order.
He hasn’t met the fans or coaches expectations this season. Both of those factions were dazzled by his career game against U of L in the Holiday Bowl, and projected a higher threshold than warranted.
He’s borne the most grief for the Cardinals’ recent travails.
Plus he had the audacity to say publicly what any astute observer could easily discern. That this Louisville squad is seriously undisciplined.
He sat out last week with a bad wheel.
He was obviously hobbling from the get go and throughout on Saturday.
12/20. 182 yards. Three touchdown tosses.
Another score on the ground.
Hurt during the game when rolled up on, he returned after sitting out only one play.
Good on you, Miller Moss.
Though his contributions were minimal, I’ve got to mention Caullin Lacy. Who was hurting even more than Moss.
But still rushed it twice on end arounds. For 18 yards. And received three punts.
Gamer is the proper descriptor for him also.
I loved Jeff Brohm’s game strategy.
Aware of U of L’s RB issues, UK’s defensive plan was to protect against the aerial game.
Cards rushed it 50 times. Moss hurled it 20 times.
U of L’s manly man drive starting in the 3d, and ending 10:27 later was a game defining beauty.
17 plays covering 99 yards, after gaining possession on Tayon Holloway’s gorgeous pick.
One of the plaints about Mark Stoop is he’s a run first guy, in a new world.
Wildcats ground game was held to 40 yards by Ron English’s oh so tough defense.
D fashioned 6 sacks, 8 TFLs. Two interceptions.
In these game stories, aimed at the Cardinal fan base, I rarely mention the foe.
But, here are a couple of things about Kentucky.
One, my eyes tell me they got jobbed on that sideline skirmish after a Boley interception. Seems like Cardinals at their bench were the instigators of the fray.
Two unsportsmanlike penalties on UK and none on U of L seemed like a jive hummer.
Gave the Cards a thirty yard field to go up by the final margin.
Second, I thought Stoops was classy at the end.
UK got the ball deep in their own end late. Long field. Short clock.
You know he wanted to avoid a shutout.
But accepted reality. Didn’t sling it downfield. Ran out that clock.
One more time allow me to lobby for this rivalry game to open the season.
Instead of a third empty stadium — announced attendance of 50,634 was BS — the joint would have been jammed like Penn Station during rush hour had the game been contested on August 30.
With the loss, Kentucky’s season is over.
Louisville awaits word whether it will be traveling to the Fenway Bowl or Pinstripe Bowl or some such.
