The Governor's Cup is a trophy awarded to the victor of the annual college football game between the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville in the commonwealth of Kentucky; it is also used as a reference to the rivalry itself.[1]
| Sport | Football |
|---|---|
| First meeting | October 26, 1912 Kentucky, 41–0 |
| Latest meeting | November 25, 2023 Kentucky, 38–31 |
| Next meeting | November 30, 2024 (Lexington) |
| Stadiums | Kentucky – Kroger Field Louisville – L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium |
| Trophy | The Governor's Cup |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 35 |
| All-time series | Kentucky leads, 19–15 |
| Largest victory | Kentucky, 73–0 (1922) |
| Longest win streak | Kentucky, 7 (1912–1994) |
| Current win streak | Kentucky, 2* (2022–present) |
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History
editThough the teams first played in 1912,[1] they only played six times until the rivalry was suspended after the 1924 season and wasn't renewed for another 70 years. The rivalry resumed in 1994 with a new Governor's Cup trophy which has been awarded every year since.
Kentucky leads the series 19–15.[1] Since the modern series started in 1994, Louisville leads 15–13. From 1994 to 2006, the game was played on the opening weekend of the college football season. In 2007, the game was moved to the third game of the season when played in Lexington but remained the first game when played in Louisville. Starting in 2014, which marked Louisville's inaugural season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Governor's Cup became the last game of the regular season for both teams on Thanksgiving weekend,[2] which coincided with several other ACC-SEC same-state rivalries.[3]
Because the Southeastern Conference, of which Kentucky is a member, decided to play a conference-only schedule for 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition of the Governor's Cup game was canceled.[4] The rivalry will continue until at least the 2030 season with Kentucky hosting in even years and Louisville hosting in odd years.[5]
Notable games
editSeptember 2, 2000: In the only overtime game in series history, Louisville outlasted Kentucky to win 40–34. A walk-off touchdown from running back Tony Stallings would seal the game for the Cardinals.[6]
November 26, 2016: Kentucky upsets #11 Louisville in a shootout. Kentucky recovered a fumble by Heisman candidate Lamar Jackson with 1:45 to go in the game. Kentucky would kick a field goal to win the game 41–38.[7] Lamar Jackson would go on to the win the Heisman Trophy.[8]
November 25, 2023: Kentucky upsets #10 Louisville. Louisville was the 7.5 point favorite. This game extends Kentucky's win streak to 5 in a row and 6 of the last 7 meetings. [9]
Game results
edit| Kentucky victories | Louisville victories | Tie games |
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Howard Schnellenberger Award
editThe 2010 game was the inaugural year for the award. The award is given to the Most Valuable Player on the winning team by the Louisville Sports Commission. It is named for Howard Schnellenberger, who played under Bear Bryant for Kentucky and was Louisville's head coach when the modern football rivalry began in 1994.
| Date | Player | Team | Position | Statistics | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 4, 2010 | Derrick Locke | Kentucky | RB | 23 carries, 104 yards, 2 TDs, 3 receptions, 21 yards; 1 kickoff return, 23 yards | [12] |
| September 17, 2011 | Dexter Heyman | Louisville | LB | 12 tackles & 1 forced fumble | [13] |
| September 2, 2012 | Teddy Bridgewater | Louisville | QB | 19/21, 232 yards | [14] |
| September 14, 2013 | Teddy Bridgewater | Louisville | QB | 16/28, 250 yards, 1 TD | |
| November 29, 2014 | DeVante Parker | Louisville | WR | 6 catches, 180 yards, 3 TD | |
| November 28, 2015 | Lamar Jackson | Louisville | QB | 8/21, 130 yards, 1 TD; 17 carries, 186 yards, 2 TDs | |
| November 26, 2016 | Stephen Johnson | Kentucky | QB | 16/27, 338 yards, 3 TDs; 8 carries, 83 yards | [15] |
| November 25, 2017 | Lamar Jackson | Louisville | QB | 15/21, 216 yards, 2 TDs; 18 carries, 156 yards | |
| November 24, 2018 | Terry Wilson | Kentucky | QB | 17/23, 261 yards, 3 TDs; 10 carries, 79 yards, 1 TD | [16] |
| November 30, 2019 | Lynn Bowden | Kentucky | QB | 1/2, 4 yards; 22 carries, 284 yards, 4 TDs | [17] |
| November 27, 2021 | Will Levis | Kentucky | QB | 14/18, 149 yards; 14 carries, 113 yards, 4 TDs | [18] |
| November 26, 2022 | Matt Ruffolo | Kentucky | K | 4–4 FG 43 Long, 2–2 PAT | |
| November 25, 2023 | J. J. Weaver | Kentucky | LB | 2 fumble recoveries, 8 solo tackles, 1 sack | [19] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Louisville Cardinals vs. Kentucky Wildcats – Recap – September 17, 2011". ESPN. September 17, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2021.[dead link]
- ^ Mallory, Laurel (August 21, 2013). "Governor's Cup moved to last game of season starting 2014 – wave3.com-Louisville News, Weather & Sports". Wave3.com. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
- ^ "Louisville vs. Kentucky Governor's Cup football series extended through 2022". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
- ^ Robinson, Cameron Teague; Hal, Jon (July 30, 2020). "Governor's Cup put on hold after SEC goes with conference-only scheduling model". Courier Journal. Louisville. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
- ^ Hale, Jon. "In response to 2020 cancellation, Kentucky-Louisville agree to extend football rivalry". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ Black, Ryan (November 21, 2023). "5 memorable games between Louisville and Kentucky since the Governor's Cup rivalry resumed". Louisville Courier Journal. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
- ^ "Kentucky beats No. 11 Louisville 41–38 after Jackson fumble". ESPN. November 26, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
- ^ "HEISMAN TROPHY WINNERS LIST". Heisman.com. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ "Ray Davis has 3 TDs, Kentucky tops No. 9 Louisville 38–31 to win fifth consecutive Governor's Cup". ESPN. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ "Winsipedia – Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals football series history". Winsipedia.
- ^ "Kentucky will vacate wins as NCAA investigation finds football players received 'impermissible benefits'". August 2, 2024.
- ^ "Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals – Box Score – September 04, 2010". ESPN. September 4, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ [1] Archived March 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "UofL QB Teddy Bridgewater earns Howard Schnellenberger MVP award | WHAS11.com Louisville". Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
- ^ "Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals – Box Score – November 26, 2016". ESPN. November 26, 2016. Retrieved November 26, 2016.[dead link]
- ^ "Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals – Box Score – November 24, 2018". ESPN. November 30, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
- ^ "Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals – Box Score – November 30, 2019". ESPN. November 30, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
- ^ "Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals – Box Score – November 27, 2021". ESPN. November 27, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2016.[dead link]
- ^ "J.J. WEAVER EARNS 14TH ANNUAL HOWARD SCHNELLENBERGER MVP AWARD". LouisvilleSports.org. Retrieved November 26, 2023.