LouLife

As a big surprise to no one except Louisville Cardinal fans, the University of Kentucky Wildcats won the battle to keep state bragging rights for the next year.

It wasn’t always pretty, it wasn’t always competitive, but it was always UK all game.

I admit after the first 30 seconds, I was thinking BLOW-OUT.

To see my Wildcats take charge and score within the first minute… was amazing.

It temporarily put aside all of the anxiety and worry I’d had over the last 9 months or so about formations, plays, coaching adjustments (no, really it was only mainly about Mike Hartline), and gave all of Big Blue Faithful a sigh of relief as the transition from Paw Paw Brooks to Joker Philips appeared as seamless as we’d all hoped.

The Cardinals tried to make a game out of it in the second half, and valiantly I might add.

The Birds have a lot to look forward to this season and upcoming seasons with a drastically different feel to not only the game and the players’ approach, but also the feeling the players have the same optimism for the future.

Maybe next year the ‘Ville can bring home the trophy for the first time in 5 years… Maybe.

In the end, UK did what it had to do: they got the win, they escaped with relatively few injuries and started out both the season and the Joker Era with a big fat W.

This win wasn’t as exciting as the win in 2002 or the one in 2007, but it was no less important.

Win this one, and the Wildcats keep every goal in sight for the season.

With an ever-present tough SEC schedule ahead, every win is a big one.

This week, the Wildcats take on my Alma Mater: the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

My ‘Toppers haven’t won a game since they’ve gone D1A, and while I DO believe they’ll get their first win this season, it just won’t happen against the Wildcats.

UK 33

WKU 6