Netflix exposes Wildcats crushing rivalry loss in SEC doc
Episode 7 of the SEC docuseries pulls no punches—and neither did Louisville.
In Netflix’s new SEC docuseries Any Given Saturday, Episode 7 takes viewers deep into the build-up and fallout of one of the lowest moments in recent Kentucky football memory: a 41–14 embarrassment at the hands of rival Louisville.
Titled The Rivalry, the episode is supposed to showcase the grit and pride of SEC football. But for Kentucky, it became a case study in collapse—emotional, physical, and symbolic. Andy Staples, the longtime college football voice and on-camera host of the series, spent time in Lexington in the lead-up to the showdown with Louisville, capturing exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes preparation.
The tone? Hopeful. Maybe even redemptive. Staples spotlights defensive stars Deone Walker and Maxwell Hairston—two potential NFL Draft picks—with heartfelt moments and pro-style insight. Walker reflects on his upbringing and his dream of a 10-year NFL career. Hairston, locked in on film the night before kickoff, talks about the bond he’s formed with Walker and insists, "Don't come to Kentucky thinking it's not going to be a dog fight."
Then the cameras roll on the game.
Louisville punched Kentucky in the mouth—and kept swinging. The Cards dominated from start to finish, racking up a 20-0 lead and a 41-14 final score rattling off 358 rushing yards. By the time the fourth rolled around, the game was no longer competitive. The emotions, however, were real.
Staples says, “that tells NFL teams exactly what they want to know.” Even on a 4–7 team, with nothing left to play for but pride, Kentucky’s top players were still trying to “ball out.” And that makes what happened next even harder to stomach. Hairston had never lost to Louisville, and now he had.
The film doesn’t hide it: the body language, the blowout, the boos. In what should’ve been a pride game, Kentucky was outclassed, outcoached, and outmuscled. The loss didn’t just end a disappointing season—it almost ended the Stoops era.
BBN, we watched it so you don’t have to. There are moments of inspiration, sure. But the ultimate takeaway? The gap between words and results was never wider than it was that night in Louisville.
And now, thanks to Netflix, we all get to relive it in 4k.