Governor's Cup lunch a rivalry appetizer

[WildcatRick]

Main course a long way off

By Brian Bennett
The Courier-Journal

One coach is getting his first taste of the rivalry. The other coach is hoping to gain his first victory in the series. And for the first time since the series resumed in 1994, the game won't be the first for either team.

Those were the storylines yesterday at the Governor's Cup luncheon, the annual kickoff event for the football game between the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky. Talking about the game already at the Cardinal Club seemed a bit strange, considering that both teams will play two games before meeting Sept. 15 at Commonwealth Stadium.

But UK coach Rich Brooks, who lobbied to have the game moved from its traditional opening weekend, said the rivalry won't lose importance or impact with the later date. And he is convinced that playing U of L the third week of the season will help his Wildcats.

"We'll be better prepared," he said. "They will be better prepared, too, but we'll have this year's film to go on rather than basing it on what they did last year.

"We also have some problems we need to get ironed out on our offensive line. And they have a new coach and a somewhat new system, and we don't know exactly what look that will look like yet. So it will be nice to have a couple of films on them before we play them."

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070727/SPORTS0102/707270516

[poodoo]

"We'll be better prepared," he said. "They will be better prepared, too, but we'll have this year's film to go on rather than basing it on what they did last year.

"We also have some problems we need to get ironed out on our offensive line. And they have a new coach and a somewhat new system, and we don't know exactly what look that will look like yet. So it will be nice to have a couple of films on them before we play them." QUOTE
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Thanks for the link, WildcatRick. Too, I know that some BADLY want to play Louisville the first game. Coach Brooks' points here really make sense to me. Yes, because we will now get to see how Louisville plays under Coach K, and especially because of our young, inexperienced line, I honestly think it's a bit better for us that we are not playing Louisville as our first game this season. That's what matters to me.

I think it's interesting that Lee Corso says that he, as a former coach, understands the rationale for moving the game to the third week. He explains that he would prefer to play two teams he should easily beat (well, Kent State might not fall into that category based on its games last season and its returnees) before playing a very good opponent. He also mentioned how losing that first game can POTENTIALLY ruin a team's season, citing California's loss to UT last season. I liked what Corso said in that regard since he formerly coached at Louisville and Louisville has made such a big deal about our changing the game (and is that indeed because the local media feels that way!). GO CATS! GO RICH!