The Running Game Will Be Crucial On September 2nd

For more than a decade, the running game has been the difference maker for both Louisville & Kentucky in the annual battle for the Governors Cup. The team that has rushed for more yards has won the last 13 meetings between the two schools. In 10 of the last 12 meetings, the leading rusher for the winning team has as outrushed the entire losing squad. In fact, in Louisville’s 24-17 win last season in Lexington, Dominique Brown, Jeremy Wright and Victor Anderson all had more individual rushing yards than Kentucky’s entire team.

If history repeats itself, the ground attack will once again be a difference maker in this rivalry. The running back position is one of the deeper positions for both Louisville and Kentucky. We could see as many as nine different running backs on September 2^nd.

Personally, I’d take Jeremy Wright or Dominique Brown over any of the three Kentucky running backs. Kentucky junior Raymond Sanders was injured during last season’s meeting and has the most experience out of all the Wildcat backs. Senior CoShik Williams showed some promise for Kentucky last season, but most of his solid games came against the weaker opponents on the Wildcats schedule, such as Ole Miss and Jacksonville State. Sophomore Josh Clemons is likely the most talented running back on the depth chart, but he is recovering from offseason knee surgery.

It’s hard to be certain that Louisville will have one player rush for more than 100 yards, but even if it’s not one guy that runs all over Kentucky, the combination of Jeremy Wright, Dominique Brown, Senorise Perry and Corvin Lamb will be too much for the Wildcats to handle. Louisville’s solid depth at the running back position is just another reason why they are projected as a two touchdown favorite.