U of L 44, UK 40: What we learned

Here's what we learned in University of Louisville's 44-40 win over Kentucky on Saturday.

What a game: Let's keep it simple to start. That was an incredible football game. Both teams fought and clawed and every time it looked like one would pull away the other was there to stop them. This was a tremendous chapter of this rivalry and it will be talked about for years to come.

Boom goes boom: Kentucky freshman running back Boom Williams was touch to tackle all afternoon, never so much as his fourth-quarter touchdown run with 5:31 left. Williams took a handoff, swerved right and carried three defenders a couple of yards into the end zone with him. Williams finished with 18 carries for 126 yards and two scores.

Reggie Bonnafon might be out for a while: With 11 minutes, 29 seconds left in the second quarter, the freshman quarterback was tackled and appeared to land awkwardly on his left knee. He was on the field for several minutes before being helped off, and it was later announced that he would not return. If Bonnafon's health is at all in question, there would be no reason to rush him back for a bowl game.

But it appears his replacement might be capable: Redshirt freshman Kyle Bolin came on for Bonnafon and had an immediate impact, converting a third-down pass to Eli Rogers before firing a 45-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline to DeVante Parker. At one point in the first half, Bolin's quarterback rating was above 400. Bolin made some costly mistakes, like the interception that was returned for a touchdown and the fumble that was returned for a score by Mike Douglas, making it 33-28. But Bolin's final line was remarkable. In less than three quarters, he completed 21 of 31 passes for 381 yards and three touchdowns.

DeVante Parker is leaving Louisville in style: Playing his final game at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, the Ballard High School graduate closed on a high note. He finished with six catches for 180 yards and 3 touchdowns. Afterward, UK coach Mark Stoops heaped praise on Parker before he was even asked about him.

INSTANT ANALYSIS: UK Governor's Cup Notes

INSTANT ANALYSIS: U of L Governor's Cup notes

GAME REWIND: Look back at the Cards' 44-40 win

Kentucky actually can make a big play on special teams: With 11 seconds left in the first quarter, a punt by U of L's Ryan Johnson was blocked by Javess Blue. Johnson recovered the ball and began to advance it, but Blue was also there to make the tackle.

Noon games stink: We've known this for a while, but I will continue to harp on this until the college football powers-that-be ban the noon game forever. Tailgaters came out and tried their best around 9 a.m., but that's just far too early to be tailgating, especially when it's like 40 degrees and windy outside.

This rivalry might be even testier in November than it is in September: The two teams had to be separated twice during pregame warmups. The second skirmish lingered for longer than these skirmishes usually linger, reforming several times before it was finally snuffed out. The Kentucky Kernel had a pretty incredible photo of UofL coach Bobby Petrino grabbing the collar of UK recruiting coordinator Dan Berezowitz. Then during the game, there were at least two other dustups after play had stopped.

The first installment of a UK/UofL Thanksgiving worked: This setup was about all you could have asked for: Kentucky needed one win to become bowl eligible, Louisville needed to win to keep its Orange Bowl hopes alive. Yes, it was colder than it was in September. And yes, there will be some late-season meetings when the stakes are lower, but I think this setup works.

Patrick Towles is still getting there: Kentucky's starting quarterback, after having some dazzling moments earlier in the season, has come down to earth a bit later in the season. Granted, this was against one of the nation's top defenses, but Towles scuffled for much of this game.

Louisville's mistakes could have been costly: There was a blocked punt, an interception returned for a touchdown, a fumble returned for a touchdown. And then there was Brandon Radcliff accidentally taking a knee at the 4-yard line on a fourth-quarter kickoff. Fortunately for the Cardinals, though, that misstep turned into a 96-yard go-ahead touchdown drive.

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at 502-582-4372 by email ahimmelsbach@courier-journal.com and on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach