What To Watch For: Kentucky Wildcats

LOUISVILLE PLAYERS NEED TO AVOID THE TRASH TALKING

I could list out at least seven different things that will factor into this game but I do that every year and it doesn’t matter. UK couldn’t throw the ball a few years ago and it didn’t matter. Their defense had flaws last year and it didn’t matter. Louisville was on a heater last season and it didn’t matter.

It doesn’t matter because, in my opinion, Louisville has too many players who lose focus and get caught up in the rivalry. Malik Cunningham, Renato Brown, and Monty Montgomery are three players who have a history of doing so either in this game or others. It’s maddening to me for one very specific reason. None of the players who get caught up in this stuff have actually won the game.

UofL will enter the game this weekend with two players on the roster that have beaten UK in a game they’ve played in. Those players are Tiyon Evans and Momo Sanogo who played them during their time at Tennessee and Ole Miss, respectively. That shows just how dominant UK has been in recent history. Even with a “Covid year”, UofL doesn’t have anyone who saw the field the last time they won this game.

So, I just want to see this team show that they understand that they’ve been humiliated in this game and humility may be the right choice. That would really be great to see from Malik Cunningham if he is the guy taking snaps on Saturday. He has let this game get into his head each year and it has affected his game. He spends more time jawing at defenders than he does getting ready for the next play or just leading his team.

My hope is that Malik and the other seniors can go out with a win in this rivalry. What has been done in the past hasn’t worked, so I’d love to see these veteran players laser-focused on winning the game or even keeping it close.