Everything you need to get ready for U of L-UK
This week flew by, and sure enough the annual Louisville-UK rivalry game is here. The teams kick off at 12 p.m. Saturday at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, with Louisville hunting an Orange Bowl (or other solid bowl) berth and UK needing a win to become bowl eligible.
The game's on ESPN2, so you can watch it there or on your WatchESPN app. Beth Mowins, Joey Galloway and Paul Carcaterra will be on the call. You can listen on WKRD-790 or WHAS-840 (I believe). But your best bet is to follow your trusted, beloved CJ writers on Twitter and our live blog as we cover the game from every angle. We'll also be live at PJCS at 10 a.m. Saturday morning, and you can watch at courier-journal.com.
For wit and in-game commentary, follow @TimSullivan714and @AdamHimmelsbach. For recruiting info and general awesomeness, follow @SteveJones_CJ. And then for in-depth analysis and news on UK, follow @KyleTucker_CJ. As always, I'll be your fearless leader for in-depth info and news on Louisville, and you can follow me here. And @JonathanLintner handles the live blog, posting regular updates throughout the game.
You can join the fan discussion thread here.
First things first, a few primer notes for Saturday's game:
Pregame skirmish: The UK and U of L players met at midfield for some pregame antics about 30 minutes before kickoff. Probably not ideal for either team.
Pregame presentation: The U of L senior day ceremony starts at 11:36.
Game weather: The forecast as of Friday night calls for 47-degree temperatures that "feel like" 41. There's a 15-percent chance of precipitation and 14-15 mph winds are expected. In other words, wear layers.
Vegas spread: The line opened at 14 on VegasInsider.com, dipped into the 12s, but is back up to Louisville by 13 as of Friday evening. Given the recent run of results for both teams, that seems about right. The over/under is 52.5.
Stat of the day: Louisville coach Bobby Petrino's teams are 9-0 on senior days with him at the helm. He's also one win away from victory No. 50 as U of L's coach.
Bowls and NFL teams represented: The Orange, Independence and Russell Athletic bowls received credentials today. The New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders, Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions have reps credentialed for today's game, too.
OK, here's the pregame preview content you need:
The big game preview for U of L:Cards hope Saturday is business as usual
The big game preview for UK:Cats facing "playoff" situation at Louisville
Sullivan:A rivalry game worth the wait
Big recruiting day:Huge list of visiting prospects for UK-U of L
Watching the game:TV info plus six key matchups and the key stats for Saturday
Tickets:Governor's Cup tickets in lower demand this year
Video:U of L defensive coordinator Todd Grantham offers final UK preview
Your predictions:What do you think happens Saturday?
Now that you're ready for the big game, you can scroll back through this week's coverage. I did the best I could to still cover the buildup to the game while traveling north to visit my family for Thanksgiving. Hope everyone had as wonderful a holiday as I did ...
History:The U of L-UK rivalry through the years
History:Ex-Louisville players remember intense, heated rivalry
History:UK coaches ramp up rivalry's excitement
Grantham:U of L DC nominee for prestigious assistant coach award
ACC debut:First season in new league a "great gauge" for U of L
Switched loyalties:Louisville native Hatcher plays rivalry in UK blue
ACC power rankings:Louisville inching toward second?
TV ratings boost:U of L helps Notre Dame's ratings on NBC
Moving past ND:Cards turn focus to UK after big win
Transcript:Stoops's pre-Louisville press conference
Transcript:Petrino's pre-UK press conference
Video:Petrino's weekly press conference
Analysis:Thoughts from Petrino's UK preview
Himmelsbach:Was the Notre Dame win historic for Louisville?
Week Ahead:Detailing U of L's path to the Orange Bowl
The primer:The history of UK-U of L
After Notre Dame:Louisville's persistence pays off in win