Deone Walker calls out Louisville fans, players, adding fuel to Governor’s Cup rivalry

When Kentucky football’s best player stepped to the interview podium after practice Tuesday, it did not take long to remember rivalry week brings its own emotions regardless of the teams’ circumstances.

“I never liked Louisville, even while I was getting recruited,” sophomore defensive lineman Deone Walker said when asked what the Governor’s Cup rivalry means to him. “I just don’t like the Cardinals. Their fans are kind of snobbish. Their players act entitled. A lot of pent up aggression toward them.”

So much for Kentucky playing out the string in a season that has fallen short of preseason expectations.

With the Wildcats finishing SEC play with a losing record and yet to beat a team that has clinched bowl eligibility, the rivalry game against the No. 10-ranked Cardinals is the last chance for Mark Stoops’ team to add the statement victory the season currently lacks. Despite Louisville’s status as a seven-point favorite who has already clinched a spot in the ACC championship game, Kentucky brings confidence to the matchup too thanks to four straight wins in the series.

“It’s one of those things I think there’s probably a mutual respect for where both teams are at because of us winning the majority of the games recently but them having a better record and ranking,” offensive coordinator Liam Coen siad. “... We need to go in there and focus on us and compete. But also, we need to go in there with our hair on fire and have the right mentality and attitude of going in, on the road again, to go play a very quality opponent.”

Later in his interview session, Walker acknowledged his respect for Louisville’s coaching staff and players before adding the caveat, “but I always want to win, no matter what.”

Perhaps rivalry emotions can be a boost to Kentucky’s chances considering there is little else for the Wildcats to play for at this point in the season, but there is a real risk of letting those emotions get out of hand. Kentucky ranks 100th nationally in penalties. Many of those penalties have been the result of undisciplined play at key moments in games.

“Within a rivalry game it’s also about keeping composure,” defensive coordinator Brad White said. “You’ve got to play smart, you’ve got to execute, but having a little fire in the belly is a good thing.”

Prior to Kentucky’s recent dominance in the Governor’s Cup — the Wildcats have won the last four games by a combined 179-57 margin — it was not uncommon for emotions to get the best of Stoops’ teams in the series. There was a pregame altercation between players and coaches in 2014 before a 44-40 Kentucky loss. In 2017, UK linebacker Jordan Jones set off a fight in the first quarter after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in what ended up a 44-17 blowout Louisville victory.

Walker at least is coming off perhaps the best performance of his career with nine tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack at South Carolina. Another showing like that against the Cardinals would make up for any bulletin board material he might have provided Tuesday.

But Walker also was responsible for one of the ill-timed penalties in the blowout loss at Georgia — a late hit that negated a third down stop — that led to the game getting out of hand early. It is that type of play that Kentucky must avoid to keep its rivalry streak alive.

“Our players really have to be disciplined,” Stoops said on his radio show Tuesday. “The intensity level is always elevated. We have to handle that. The bottom line is execution. We have to execute in critical moments. The intensity level will be there. I want us to play well.”

Next game

Kentucky at No. 10 Louisville

When: Noon Saturday

TV: ABC-36

Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1

Records: Kentucky 6-5 (3-5 SEC), Louisville 10-1 (7-1 ACC)

Series: Kentucky leads 19-15

Last meeting: Kentucky won 26-13 on Nov. 26, 2022, in Lexington

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