Behind Enemy Lines: Five Questions for the Courier-Journal's Ryan Black

Ahead of Louisville's matchup with Kentucky, Louisville Cardinals On SI sat down with Ryan Black of the Courier -Journal to find out more about the Wildcats.

Nov 16, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver Ja'Mori Maclin (9) runs the ball during the third quarter against the Murray State Racers at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Rivalry week has arrived. The Louisville football program is set to cap off their regular season against their hated rival, marching into Lexington for the annual Battle for the Governor's Cup against Kentucky.

Ahead of the matchup, Louisville Cardinals On SI sat down with Ryan Black of the Courier-Journal to find out more about the Wildcats.

1. Obviously, Kentucky has not has the season they expected to have, and the fanbase seems as fed up as ever with Mark Stoops. What is BBN’s overall mood heading into this game?

The mood is about as dour as you can imagine. The end of the eight-year bowl streak is one example of the step back Kentucky took this season. Stoops frequently makes comments fans view as whining or complaining. And recall he seemingly had one foot out the door on the same day as last year’s Governor’s Cup before Texas A&M’s fan base revolted. A good portion of UK backers are ready to move on, hoping to bring back former player and assistant Jon Sumrall – who’s been a hit at Troy and now Tulane – before another power-conference program hires him. So yeah, you might say the fan base’s vibes aren’t immaculate at the moment.

2. Kentucky has been a complete and total mess on offense, despite bringing in a new OC and transfer QB. What has led to that side of the ball being so down?

As one might expect, when an offense struggles as mightily as Kentucky’s has this fall, it’s not as if it’s only one issue holding it back. The offensive line play has been poor (the Wildcats allow 3.0 sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss per game). The usage of the team’s most explosive running back, Jamarion Wilcox, has been baffling. Aside from Dane Key (especially) and Barion Brown (to a lesser extent), identifying consistent targets in the passing game has been a problem. It’s become a running joke among the fan base how often UK has gotten inside an opponent’s 5-yard line without scoring. And first-year coordinator Bush Hamdan’s play calling, he readily admits, hasn’t done enough to patch over all these mistakes. Speaking of the quarterback play …

3. With Stoops making a QB change, what is it that Cutter Boley can do that Brock Vandagriff can’t?

As a reporter, Vandagriff is a joy. He’s polite. He listens to every question and tries to answer as truthfully as he can; he’s never made excuses about his own performances, or those of his unit. That being said … there hasn’t been much in the way of positivity to cite this fall. Consider this: in eight SEC games, he has almost as many sub-46% completion efforts (three) as outings of 60% or better (four). His overall numbers: 1,593 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. That’s simply not going to cut it against top-flight competition. With the Wildcats benching Vandagriff in favor of Boley, they’re hoping the infusion of young blood will be exactly what the doctor order. What Boley lacks in experience he makes up for in talent. Though he doesn’t necessarily have a bigger arm or bring more of a running component to the table than Vandagriff, one thing that immediately was evident in Boley’s two halves of play (against Murray State and Texas, respectively) the past two weeks is he knows how to keep plays alive -- but not for an interminable period. One of the most justifiable criticisms of Vandagriff this season was that he too often held onto the ball too long, leading to costly sacks that should have been easily avoided. That’s not to say anyone should expect Boley to throw for 400 yards and four TDs Saturday. But after less-than-stellar returns from Vandagriff – who, it should be noted, has battled nagging injuries for much of the season – this fall, it can’t hurt to give Boley a shot in the Governor’s Cup. 

4. While Kentucky has struggled on offense, they have excelled defensively. What makes this unit so overwhelming, and who are so X-Factors to watch for?

While there certainly are games the Kentucky defense would rather forget (Florida and Auburn come to mind), you’re correct that the unit has been far more consistent than the offense in 2024.  You’d be hard pressed not to start with Deone Walker. Though the star defensive tackle hasn’t had the type of dominant campaign he (or the Wildcats) likely hoped for this fall, he’s still the team’s best NFL draft prospect. And he still should be one of the top players selected at his position assuming he enters the 2025 draft. He gobbles up so much attention from opposing offenses, it helps others shine. Stoops specifically praised the progress he's seen from fellow defensive lineman Tre’vonn Rybka. Elsewhere, linebacker (and Louisville native) J.J. Weaver will end his Kentucky career among the school’s all-time leaders in sacks and tackles for loss – and will try to finish his time as a Wildcat without losing to the Cards (he’s 4-0 entering Saturday). Another linebacker, Jamon Dumas-Johnson, has had a stellar season after transferring from Georgia, leading UK in total tackles (62) and tackles for loss (7.0) to go along with 3.5 sacks, an interception, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. Zion Childress, JQ Hardaway and Jordan Lovett have had solid seasons in the secondary, but the Wildcats unquestionably missed star corner Maxwell Hairston for a good chunk of the season; he sat out five straight games (Ole Miss through Tennessee) as he recovered from an ailment. Needless to say, if UK notches yet another win over U of L, the Wildcats’ defense likely will have played a prominent role.

5. What is the one thing that Kentucky has to do in order to continue their rivalry winning streak?

This sounds more comical than it is. But to continue the winning streak in the Governor’s Cup rivalry, Kentucky’s offense needs to actually score points. Take out the three nonconference games and focus solely on the contests in SEC competition. In those eight matchups versus league foes, the Wildcats’ offense crossed the goal line just 10 times. They never scored more than two offensive TDs in any of those games. Given the usually-stout play of its defense, if UK’s offense manages to find the end zone three times Saturday, I’d fancy their chances of a victory.

(Photo via Jordan Prather - Imagn Images)

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