Game Day Links in the Quest for the Governor’s Cup!
By Wayne
Just how important is this game? Well that depends where your allegiances lie. You see, it’s really not a huge deal for Kentucky because for all intents and purposes Mark Stoops and Co. get a mulligan this season so if we compete, the Big Blue Nation should be very satisfied. Now I’m not saying we are going to get waxed but even if we do and compete, all is not lost. Louisville, on the other hand has a lot to lose if they lose today. Like, say, their already outside shot at a BCS TItle shot. However if you’re the mayor of the cities (Lexington and Louisville), there is a small something to be gained or lost, according to The Courier-Journal’s Kyle Tucker.
"It might be the Governor’s Cup, but mayors are people, too, and the leaders of Louisville and Lexington have put a friendly wager on Saturday’s Cats-Cards rivalry football game. If Kentucky wins, Louisville mayor Greg Fischer owes Lexington Mayor Jim Gray a personalized Louisville Slugger bat, one of the city’s signature exports. If the Cardinals win, Gray owes Fischer a bottle of Town Branch Bourbon, named for the creek that runs under downtown and is produced by Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co. “There’s a lot of excitement about Coach Stoops and his team,” Gray said in a news release. “The Big Blue Nation is looking forward to taking back the Governor’s Cup!”"
The other significance to this game is actually farther reaching than the actual game and that is the slew of UK recruits and commits expected to be on hand. This is tantamount to Big Blue Madness for football recruits. It’s a rivalry game almost of the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s stature so the atmosphere will be electric.
"Five-star John Hardin defensive tackle Matt Elam and several well-regarded players from Ohio are on the long list of potential recruiting visitors for the University of Kentucky’s home game against the University of Louisville at noon Saturday. Elam, a 6-foot-5, 360-pound player ranked as the nation’s No. 10 overall prospect by 247Sports.com, is down to UK, U of L, Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Tennessee. He said he plans to announce his college decision in January during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Cleveland, Ohio, prospects Marcelys Jones, a four-star offensive lineman from Glenville High School who is committed to Ohio State, Marshon Lattimore, a four-star Glenville safety, and Dorian Baker, a three-star Cleveland Heights High wide receiver, are other top UK targets who might also visit for the game. Multiple UK commitments in the 2014 class are likely to attend, including Conner quarterback Drew Barker, Georgia running back Stanley Williams and Ohio prospects Jarrett LaRubbio, Nick Richardson, Mikel Horton, Thaddeus Snodgrass, Dorian Hendrix, Darius West, Tymere Dubose and Mike Edwards. In the 2015 class, four-star Warren Central linebacker Emmitt Smith, who has offers from UK, Indiana, Ohio State, Western Kentucky, Purdue, Vanderbilt and Tennessee, said he’ll be in Lexington. So will four-star Cincinnati offensive lineman George Brown, who has offers from UK, U of L and many others. He is Edwards’ teammate at Winton Woods High School. C.J. Conrad, a four-star tight end, and linebackers Nick Conner and C.J. Stalker are other Ohio juniors with UK offers who may attend. One of Kentucky’s best junior offensive linemen, Fairview’s Cody McPeek, plans to be at the game, too."
"In the 2016 class, UK’s only commitment, Lafayette offensive tackle Landon Young, will be back at Commonwealth Stadium for the second straight week. Last week, for the Wildcats’ game against Miami (Ohio), Young wore a red Lafayette shirt to the game. His father, Randall, said some of the family’s friends who were sitting on the other side of the stadium spotted him during the game and didn’t realize he was wearing his high school colors. They said, “We’re taking up an offering so that Landon doesn’t have to wear red next week,” Randall Young said with a laugh. He said his son will be wearing UK blue on Saturday. Dozens of other players, including many sophomores and juniors from Kentucky and Ohio, will likely be in the stands."
And if this Kentucky Wildcats Intro Video doesn’t get you hyped, you better check your pulse!