By Andrew Krumme
Sunday’s battle for the Governor’s Cup will be one of the biggest rivalries in the state, perhaps even the nation. The University of Louisville and University of Kentucky football programs will battle it out Sunday afternoon, marking the 12th consecutive year the two squads have met, but with the Cardinals’ highly touted offense, it may not be a nail-biter.
The U of L and UK football programs view the in-state match-up in completely different ways. A win for U of L won’t prove anything, as the Cards are already ranked 12th in the nation. UK, in comparison, is at the bottom of the SEC polls.
The Wildcat outlook:
Kentucky needs this game a lot more than U of L does. It is very important for Head Coach Rich Brooks to get his team started off on the right foot. If the losses start piling up early, it’s only going to get worse for UK as they enter the heart of their SEC schedule. After last year’s dismal 2-9 record, just being able to stay in the game could be a moral victory for the Wildcat program.
While Louisville has the much-heralded Brian Brohm on its side, Kentucky has their own sophomore taking over the helm, quarterback Andre’ Woodson. The Radcliff, Ky., native is the man to watch for with the Cats, and depending on how he does, will most likely be a barometer to gauge the Wildcats’ success. In limited action last year, Woodson completed over 60 percent of his passes, throwing just one interception in almost 90 attempts.
Woodson, though inexperienced, isn’t on his own. He has three senior receivers returning, along with a veteran offensive line. However, his biggest asset may be handing it off to sophomore halfback Rafael Little. Little will see a bulk of the carries if his knee can hold up and if he has the moves to make defenders miss in the open field.
On the defensive side of the ball, junior Durrell White is the man to watch. The coaching staff loves his physique and overall athletic ability, but he has yet to turn that into great success on the field. With a little more work, White could be a force on the defensive line much like Dewayne Robertson was for the Cats several years ago.
Obviously Kentucky is still several years away from seriously competing in the brutal Southeastern Conference, but Brooks is happy with his squad’s improvement from last year. He told The Courier-Journal, “I think we’re a better football team going into this season than the two teams that preceded it. I think we’re an improved football team attitude-wise.” Still, Brooks realized there will be some growing pains with all the young talent he has on this team. “At this point, we’re still going to be a little young but we’re also going to be a faster edition of a football team with more team speed than we’ve had,” he said.
The Cardinal outlook:
The Cardinals come into this game with a different mindset. They are clearly a better team in every facet of the game and will likely use Sunday’s game to work out the kinks (much like NFL teams use preseason games). The biggest area of concern will be getting Brian Brohm comfortable as the starting quarterback. Brohm is the key to this highly touted team, and ensuring his transition into the lead role on offense has to be Head Coach Bobby Petrino’s number-one priority.
While Brohm knows as well as anyone that starting full-time is going to be a huge adjustment from last year when he backed up Stefan LeFors, he has a very talented offense around him which will ensure an easy transition.
“I’m excited about it. The great thing for me is that there’s so much talent on this offense, I don’t have to go out and do a bunch of spectacular stuff,” Brohm said.
Michael Bush, Montrell Jones, Joshua Tinch and Borderick Clark all figure to help Brohm ignite this offense into another national powerhouse.
Mario Urrutia, however, could end up being the difference-maker. The 6-foot-6 redshirt freshman has the size and speed to be a great player in this offense and looked solid during the spring season.
The offensive line returns four seniors, including several NFL prospects, and will be the anchor that keeps this offense on top of its game.
The defense may be the only cause for concern for the Cards come Sunday. Gone are the household names of Robert McCune, Kenny Rhodes and Marcus Jones, but some younger players waiting in the wings will now have their time to shine. Male High School product Matt Sanders has rehabbed himself through countless surgeries and will take McCune’s spot in the middle. Abe Brown and Brandon Johnson were named to the preseason list for the Butkus Award, given out to the nation’s top linebacker. Waiting in the wings is the talented JUCO player Nate Harris, who could also see some time as a safety.
The biggest name to look for on the field, though, should be third-year corner William Gay. Gay had a great sophomore year and, while he only registered around 20 tackles, he prevented some big plays over the course of the year.
The Bottom Line:
The Wildcats may keep it close early on, but both teams will probably show signs of rust considering it is the first game of the season. The Louisville offense will overpower the Cats and blow the game wide open. Brohm and Woodson will duel it out through the air, providing a preview of what could actually turn into a great rivalry over the years with these two young quarterbacks at the helm.
