Isaac Brown, Duke Watson each rush for 2 TDs, Louisville gets 5 turnovers in 41-14 rout of Kentucky

Updated Nov. 30, 2024 5:19 p.m. ET

Associated Press

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Isaac Brown and Duke Watson rushed for two touchdowns each, Ramon Puryear returned one of Louisville's five takeaways for a score and the Cardinals blew out rival Kentucky 41-14 on Saturday to win the Governor's Cup for the first time since 2017.

Brown's 1-yard TD run started the Cardinals (8-4) toward a 20-0 halftime lead before he busted a 67-yard, exclamation-point score midway through the fourth as they halted a five-game losing streak against the Wildcats (4-8). He finished with career highs of 178 yards on 26 carries to surpass quarterback Lamar Jackson and become Louisville's first true freshman to rush for 1,000 yards. Jackson ran for 960 yards in 2015, a year before winning the Heisman Trophy.

“I wanted to beat the record, so I had to stay focused and not let the outside get to me," said Brown, who has 1,074 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Watson, another freshman, rushed six times for 104 yards. He exploded down the left sideline for a 58-yard TD in the second quarter before breaking a 24-yard scoring run late in the third to make it 34-7. Louisville totaled 358 yards rushing in freezing temperatures, notable for a team that entered the game with the nation's 13th-ranked passing attack.

Puryear preceded that score with a 20-yard fumble return for a TD to blunt Kentucky's momentum after Ja'Mori Maclin caught a 4-yard TD pass from Gavin Wimsatt for its first score. Wimsatt, who started the second half in relief of Wildcats freshman Cutter Boley, also connected with Maclin for an 83-yard score in the fourth and was 4 of 9 for 125 yards.

Kentucky finished with its sixth loss in seven contests after having its school-record eight-year postseason streak stopped.

Defensive back Tamarion McDonald recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass for Louisville, which outgained Kentucky 486-328, denied all nine third-down situations and one fourth-down chance.

“We did a good job pressuring the quarterback," Louisville defensive end Ashton Gillotte said. "They have a good run game, so they’re going to run at any stage, any part of the game and keep running. ... Our DBs capitalized on the moments and we capitalized in terms of sacks.”

Bluegrass hardware

Louisville’s reward was the Governor’s Cup, a 33-inch-high, 110- pound trophy comprised of marble, crystal and 23-karat gold-plated brass and pewter. Brown was awarded the Howard Schnellenberger MVP award.

Milestone trifecta

Brown helped Louisville earn a rare achievement with its first 1,000-yard rusher to go along with a 1,000-yard receiver and 3,000-yard passer in the same season. It’s just the third time the Cardinals have done so and first since 1999. Receiver Ja’Corey Brooks previously surpassed 1,000 yards while quarterback Tyler Shough broke the 3,000-yard passing plateau last week against Pitt.

The takeaway

Louisville: The Cardinals actually could have put it out of reach in the first half if they hadn't settled for field goals near the goal line. No big deal, as Brown and Watson broke it open in the second half with Puryear highlighting their huge defensive performance that created chances. They also had two sacks.

“We talked about tackling," coach Jeff Brohm said. "Everybody tackling with your eyes, with your shoulders, with your arms, your body, not going for the ankles and swarming the ball. when you do that, that’s when you get extra arms and hands on the ball and you can knock things out.”

Kentucky: Boley was supposed to offer a peek into the Wildcats' future in his first collegiate start but tossed two interceptions and completing just 6 of 15 passes for 48 yards. Jamarion Wilcox's two fumbles also hurt and Wimsatt was picked off, but his relief effort sparks offseason questions about a QB battle next spring.

“I have a lot of confidence in Cutter,” coach Mark Stoops said. “We’ve got to make sure we build a very good team around him. We have to make sure that we have strong competition.”