Louisville Preseason CFB25 Preview Series: Game 12 at Kentucky

The Cardinals cap off the virtual regular season with their annual rivalry matchup with Kentucky.

Louisville Cardinals defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte (9) brings down Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Devin Leary (13) for a sack in the first half Saturday. / Matt Stone/The Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Welcome to the 'Louisville Preseason CFB25 Preview Series.' Here, we at Louisville Report are CPU simulating each of the Cardinals' games for their upcoming 2024 season using the video game 'EA Sports College Football 25.'

Wrapping up the series, we're looking at Louisville's road matchup at Kentucky.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program is back in the virtual win column.

Returning to L&N Stadium to face Pitt in their final home game of the season, the Cardinals were able to avenge last season's real-world loss, and secure a last-minute 38-31 victory. With one game left, Louisville now stands at 7-4 overall and finishes at 5-3 in ACC play.

Louisville got a balanced effort from their offense in the virtual win over Pitt. QB Tyler Shough went 28-of-37 for 407 yards and three touchdowns to one pick, while RB Donald Chaney Jr. ran for 97 yards and two scores. WR Chris Bell had nine catches for 151 yards, while Ja'Corey Brooks had five for 194 yards and two touchdowns.

The Cardinals' defense didn't have a great day at the office, giving up 461 yards of offense, but it was enough to get the job done. STAR Benjamin Perry had a team-best 11 tackles, while DT Thor Griffith had four tackles for loss plus 1.5 sacks, and DE Ashton Gillotte had three TFLs and half a sack.

This week, Louisville heads east up I-64 for their regular season finale against Kentucky in the annual Battle for the Governor's Cup. In College Football 25, the Wildcats sport an 85 overall rating, with their defense being a 84 overall their and offense coming in at 80 overall.

Kentucky's real-world defense has playmakers a-plenty, and the same can be said in CFB25. Like Louisville, Kentucky has two top-100 players in the game on this side of the ball, with defensive end Deone Walker being a 93 overall and cornerback Maxwell Hairston rated as a 91 overall.

While the Wildcats' offense certainly lags behind their defense, they still have some weapons. Wide receiver duo Barion Brown and Dane Key are both 85 overals, while quarterback Brock Vandagriff is regarded as an 80 overall.

So how does College Football 25 have the game between Louisville and Kentucky playing out? Check out the Cardinals vs. the Wildcats on the virtual gridiron, with time stamps for each segment of the game, below:

• 0:00 - First Quarter
• 16:09 - Second Quarter
• 36:29 - Third Quarter
• 53:25 - Fourth Quarter
• 1:09:29 - Stat Breakdown

(Photo of Devin Leary, Ashton Gillotte: Matt Stone - The Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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