In third try, Louisville football coach Scott Satterfield out for first win over Kentucky

Alexis Cubit, Louisville Courier Journal
·3 min read
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Scott Satterfield came to Louisville from Appalachian State in 2019 following one of the Cardinals’ worst seasons. He quickly won over the fanbase by going 8-5 in his debut and finishing second in the Atlantic Coast.

There was one blemish on his record that stood out, though: a 45-19 loss to rival Kentucky. Now three years later, a blemish has become a stain — Satterfield is 0-2 against the Wildcats after the Cardinals were trounced 52-21 last year. (There was no game in 2020 because the SEC opted to play a conference-only schedule in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

In his third attempt, Satterfield is determined to win the Governor’s Cup trophy for the first time in his tenure and end Louisville's four-game losing streak in the series. Louisville travels to Kentucky for a 3 p.m. kickoff Saturday in the 34th Governor’s Cup.

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Satterfield acknowledged in 2021 he didn't know the depth of the UL-UK rivalry prior to taking the Cardinals’ head coaching job or in his first season. He’s learned.

“We're in the state of Kentucky. There's a lot of people running around this state that bleed that color, blue, and there's people in this city that bleed that color, blue,” he said of Kentucky fans. “We represent all the people that bleed red and Cardinal Nation and so, there's a lot of things that go into that game.”

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The Cardinals have 15 rostered players who grew up and attended high school in Louisville, including safety Josh Minkins and tight end Marshon Ford, both of whom attended Ballard High School, and wide receiver Jaelin Carter, a Manual High School graduate.

If ever there was a time for Louisville to break the losing streak, it’s this year. The Cardinals put their 2-3 start in the rear-view mirror and have won five of their last six during what was labeled as the hardest part of their schedule. They have beaten two ranked opponents in then-No. 10 Wake Forest and most recently then-No. 24 NC State and outscored them both 73-31.

In contrast, Kentucky has lost three of its last four games, which included a 24-21 defeat to Vanderbilt on Nov. 12 and 16-6 loss to top-ranked Georgia on Saturday.

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“They do an unbelievable job on defense,” Satterfield said. “This year hasn't been a great year for them on offense, but they play great defense. They don't have to be great on offense. They can still be just as solid and be good.”

A win would go a long way: as the finishing touch on an impressive turnaround and for re-establishing Louisville's status against its rival.

And Satterfield knows it.

“It's a huge game,” he said. “I mean, there's no other thing to say other than that.”

Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @Alexis_Cubit.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville coach Scott Satterfield seeks first win over Kentucky