Wins for the University of Louisville football team over Kentucky don’t come any sweeter than the one witnessed by 50,634 fans on a cold Saturday afternoon at L&N Stadium. Total domination from beginning to end, the Cardinals humiliating the Wildcats with a 41-0 thumping that neither side will forget anytime soon.
The heated rivalry is headed in the right direction again, Louisville winning for a second straight season. Hard to describe any win over UK as an upset, but this one was an unexpected surprise. UofL, you see, was playing with limping quarterback Miller Moss and hobbling wide receiver Caullin Lacy but without its leading receiver Chris Bell, its three leading running backs Isaac Brown, Duke Watson and Keyjuan Brown and minus a linebacker or two.
Just to name a few. Louisville had no chance, according to any analysts outside of Las Vegas. UofL had no choice but to show up and get clobbered. The outlook was more bleak than in recent memory. The only options were to play well above your talent level or simply roll over.
What unfolded was the last thing anyone expected — UofL introduced a couple of running backs few people knew existed.
Ladies and gentleman, let us introduce you to Braxton Jennings, a 5-foot-11 walkon redshirt freshman from Ashland, Ky. Please get to know Shaun Boykins, Jr., a 6-foot-1 redshirt freshman from Radcliff, Ky. Most of their experience has been with the scout team, keeping the starters occupied during practice sessions. If they were lucky, they were in games for mop up duty during the closing seconds.
As quarterback Miller Moss mentioned after the game, Kentucky was all but daring Louisville to run the ball.
To the delight of UofL fans, these two UofL’s newest stars, Jennings and Boykins, responded. There they were running around, over and through Kentucky’s vaunted defense time after time, all game long, they could not be stopped. Jennings rushing for 113 yards, averaging 5.6 yards on 20 carries. Boykins running for 109 yards and averaging 4.6 yard on 22 carries.
Miller Moss himself looked better than he had all season, setting the tone by thrusting his body over center for UofL’s first touchdown. He would add 24 yards on the ground, complete 12 if 20 passes for 180 yards and three touchdowns.
The Louisville defense embarrassed the Kentucky offense, allowing the Wildcats only 40 yards on the ground and 100 yard passing. A measly 140 yards for the game. The sacks kept coming, one, two, three, four, five and six, a total of six for the day.
To add to the Wildcats’ miseries, UK quarterback Cutter Boley was never a factor. He drew a 15-yard penalty for unsportmanslike conduct after a pass interception, plowing into a crowd of UofL players on the sideline. He had tough time trying to get back to the field. He completed 13-of-26 passes for 100 yards, his lowest total in a start this season.
Coach Jeff Brohm had reason to be be concerned after losing three straight games. His team turned adversity into jubilation, providing one of the most rewarding wins in the rivalry’s history.
