Game Notes: Kentucky 26, Louisville 13

Game Notes: Kentucky 26, Louisville 13

Below are game notes from the Wildcats' big Governor's Cup victory over the No. 25 Louisville Cardinals: 

Team Records and Series Information

• Kentucky finishes the regular season 7-5 and Louisville is 7-5.
• Kentucky leads the all-times series with Louisville, 19-15, and has won four in a row.

• Louisville leads the Governor’s Cup era (since 1994), 15-13.
• The two teams are split in all-time games played in Lexington, 10-10, while Louisville leads in games played in Lexington in the Governor's Cup era, 10-6.

• Next, Kentucky awaits its bowl destination, which will be announced Sunday, Dec. 4.

What the Win Means for Kentucky

• Extends UK’s school-record nonconference win streak to 20 games, the longest active streak in the nation.
• UK has won the regular-season finale in five straight seasons, first time in school history that has been accomplished.
• UK has won at least seven games in six of the last seven seasons (also 2016, ’17, ’18, ’19 and ’21). The only season that the Wildcats didn’t win at least seven was the Covid-shortened season of 2020.
• Coach Mark Stoops extended his school records for wins (66) and home wins (46).

Team Notes

• Kentucky has limited its opponents to 24 points or less in 15 of the last 16 games, posting an 11-4 record in those contests.

• UK allowed 24 points or less in every home game this season, first time that has happened since 1987.
• UK has allowed 24 points or less in nine straight home games, longest since a 10-game streak from 1986-88.

• Kentucky has limited its opponents to 400 yards or less in 14 of its last 16 games, going 11-3 in those contests.
• Kentucky honored 28 seniors in pregame ceremonies.
• Louisville entered the game leading the nation in turnovers created but UK won the turnover battle 3-0.

• Kentucky has not committed a turnover against Louisville since 2018.

• UK has had a 100-yard rusher in five straight Governor’s Cup games.
• UK has won each of the last four Governor’s Cup games by at least 13 points, first time in Governor’s Cup history (1994-present) that a team has done that.
• UK has allowed 21 points or less to Louisville in four straight games, first time UK has accomplished that since the first eight games of the series, 1912-95.

• Matt Ruffolo was named the 2022 Governor’s Cup’s Howard Schnellenberger Award as Most Valuable Player of the winning team, voted on by Kentucky and Louisville media members. He is the first kicker to be named MVP since the recognition began in 2010.

• Ruffolo’s four field-goal attempts and four field goals made ties the Governor’s Cup records for most field attempts and makes in series history (since 1994).
• He tied Taylor Begley (2002) and Austin MacGinnis (2014) for the most field-goal attempts.
• He tied MacGinnis (2014) for the most field-goal makes.

Player Notes

• Quarterback Will Levis completed 11 of his 19 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.

• Levis has 5,233 passing yards at Kentucky, improving to sixth on the program’s all-time list.
• He needs 331 more passing yards to tie for fifth.

• Levis has 43 touchdowns passing at Kentucky, which remains the fifth on the program’s all-time list.
• He needs seven more touchdowns passing to tie for fourth.
• Levis has a 17-7 overall record as Kentucky’s starting quarterback, tying Terry Wilson for the second-most quarterback wins since 1993 (starting lineups available since 1993).
• Levis is the third starting quarterback to defeat Louisville in back-to-back games, joining Tim Couch (2-0) and Mike Hartline (3-0).

• Running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. led the team with 24 carries for 120 yards.

• It marked the 20th 100+ yard rushing game of his career, breaking the school record set by Benny Snell Jr. (19).
• Rodriguez Jr. has five 100+ yard rushing games this season.
• He is the first UK player to have three 100-yard rushing games vs. Louisville.
• He has 3,644 career rushing yards, remaining in third place on UK’s all-time career rushing list.
• He needs 191 more rushing yards to tie for second.

• Junior running back JuTahn McClain had a career-high tying 10 carries for 50 yards.
• Freshman wide receiver Barion Brown had four receptions for 44 yards and one touchdown.

• Brown recorded his fourth touchdown receiving of the season on a three-yard catch to help Kentucky lead Louisville, 22-7, in the third quarter.
• With his four touchdowns receiving, he broke the four-way tie for the second-most touchdown receptions by a freshman in program history.
• Brown has had touchdown receptions in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.
• Brown remains the freshman record holder for most receiving yards in a season with 604 and most pass receptions in a season with 45.

• Freshman wide receiver Dane Key had three receptions for 37 yards and one touchdown.

• Key, who already holds the freshman record for most touchdowns receiving in program history, recorded his sixth touchdown receiving of the season on an eight-yard catch on Kentucky’s second drive of the game.

• Freshman tight end Josh Kattus had two receptions for a career-high 76 yards.

• Kattus had a career-long, 70-yard catch on Kentucky’s second drive of the game, setting the Wildcats up for their first touchdown of the game.
• Kattus has had at least one reception in four straight games.

• Having missed the last six games, senior inside linebacker Jacquez Jones returned to game action against Louisville and made three tackles.

• In the first quarter, on 4th-and-1 from the UK 13, he tackled the runner for no gain to turn over the ball on downs. It was the 300th tackle of his collegiate career, including his three seasons at Ole Miss and two at Kentucky.
• He has 302 tackles in his career.

• Having missed the last three games, senior inside linebacker Deandre Square returned to game action against the Cardinals and made three tackles.

• He also joined the 300 tackle club in tonight’s game, with 302 tackles in his career.

• Junior outside linebacker J.J. Weaver had seven tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and a pass breakup.

• In the second quarter, he sacked the quarterback, causing a fumble that he recovered and returned to the Louisville six-yard line. It is his third fumble recovery of the season, returning it for 15 yards that set up Kentucky for its third score and second field goal of the game.

• Sophomore linebacker Trevin Wallace intercepted a pass in the third quarter, returning it 19 yards to the Louisville 15.

• It is his second interception of the season and set up Levis’ three-yard touchdown pass to Brown.

• On Louisville’s final offensive possession, redshirt freshman defensive back Jordan Lovett had a 36-yard interception returned to the UofL 46 under two minutes in the game. He added six tackles.

• It marked the second straight interception of his career after intercepting a pass against top-ranked Georgia last weekend.

• Freshman defensive lineman Deone Walker tied his career high with six tackles.

• It is the second straight game he has recorded exactly six tackles.

• Kicker Matt Ruffolo made field goals of 43, 29, 35 and 40 yards, and two extra points in the game, giving him 245 points in his career and moving him into fifth place on the UK career scoring list. He needs one more point to tie for fourth.

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