What Scott Satterfield, Louisville Players Said After 52-21 Loss vs. Kentucky

The latest edition of the Battle for the Governor's Cup ended the same way as the previous two, with Louisville falling to Kentucky in spectacular blowout fashion.

Here's what head coach Scott Satterfield, safety Qwynnterrio Cole, running back Jalen Mitchell and wide receiver Jordan Watkins had to say following the loss:

Head Coach Scott Satterfield

(Opening statement)

“Credit to Kentucky and Coach Stoops and his staff. They did a great job tonight, they came out and right from the start, they got the ball first, drove down the field and in about five or six plays, scored a touchdown and that was pretty much what was going to be happening the rest of the game. Our offense answered, which was great. We came back down and put together a nice drive and tied it up 7-7 and we really didn’t do much after that offensively. Defense couldn’t get off the field on third down and couldn’t tackle the quarterback. The difference in the game was their quarterback’s legs, which he hasn’t done much of that this season, but he did a great job running the q-draws and some scrambles for first downs and I think he ended up with four touchdowns tonight running the football which, obviously is not good. I think it just wasn’t our night tonight. Give them all the credit for that.”

(What led to this result? Lack of preparation, lack of execution?)

“No, I just think they were better than us tonight. They put it on us, they blocked us better. We didn’t tackle well - we couldn’t get off the field on third down. Offensively we couldn’t get any rhythm. They had the ball most of the first half. It was just one of those nights. It was just snowballing at that point. If you’re not doing something well on one side of the ball, you hope the other side picks you up, and that didn’t happen tonight. Minus the first drive, it was a little bit of snowballing with both sides not doing what they needed to do. I thought we had good prep this week. I thought our guys were focused. They came in and I thought we had a good plan. I just think they executed a lot better, they blocked us a lot better than we blocked and they tackled a lot better than we were tackling tonight. I just think we just got beat all the way around.”

(On Kentucky rushing up the middle)

“We’ll have to go back and watch the film on that. Were we not in the gaps, were we not where we were supposed to be? I don’t know… I know one of the things that they were doing, with a very controlled passing game. They were hitting a lot of those hitches out there and we were playing too far off when they were hitting the hitches and getting 10, 12, 14, 16 yards on a hitch and that’s too easy. And that was just keeping them on track. The next thing you know, you’re right down the field and you’re in the red zone and then you’re scoring. But we’ll have to go back and watch the film on that. I think they were blocking us well up front. I do know there were times when we were out of our gaps and the linebacker doesn’t fit right and there it goes to the next level. That happened on a couple of those touchdown runs. We’re playing pass, our linebackers are running out and their running a draw right up the middle. It was a good scheme on their part and we probably need to do a lot better with our scheme.”

(On Kentucky’s variety of formations)

“I don't know if there's any one particular thing. They just executed. They did a good job with their zone scheme, the counter, that's what they run. I think they probably ran the quarterback more tonight than what they normally run their quarterback. I think that's probably the big difference. That's something that they saw on film where they felt like they could do that, to get him loose, and ultimately, four touchdowns was a huge impact on this football game. Again, give them credit.”

(On the physicality of Kentucky over the last three years)

“I don't know about three years ago. The first year it was. I think that was a mismatch in that first year for sure when we played them down there on their side. They couldn't throw the football then; we knew that they were going to run it and just didn't stop it and didn't tackle well. It was different tonight. I do think they blocked as well tonight, but I don't think it was a physical mismatch. I think we did not fit well. We'll go back and watch the film. I watched it just like you did tonight. It's hard to sit here, and I know there were holes and I know there were guys running free and their quarterback ran. One of the plays on third down, we bought pressure and he spins out of a tackle, and he picks up a big first down and they ended up scoring on that drive. That's not a physical mismatch, that's a missed tackle. We had several of those this evening and I thought that we didn't tackle well.”

(On if this game changes his outlook on the season)

“It was a bad night for us. I hate the fact that it was senior night against Kentucky and that it was a bad night, but it was. This night does not speak of what we've done this season. We've been in most every game we've played, minus the two SEC games we played when you think about Ole Miss and Kentucky, but everything in between we've been right there. We won six, we lost three by a slim margin, so I think we're getting better as a football team, as a program. We have a lot of young players. It will be great for us these next three or four weeks to practice with these guys and continue to get better. I think these guys will be eager and hungry to get out there and work and continue to improve. It was bad night. It wasn’t good.”

(On being satisfied with the team’s progress this season)

“No, I'm not satisfied. I want to win every game just like everybody else. We're working hard every day to get better, and we got better this year. Compared to the last year, we got a lot better. We're still not where we want to be, we want to continue to get better, we want to continue to improve, continue to get players in here that can play and help us compete. I don't think you're ever satisfied unless you win it all.”

(On the difference in playing Kentucky as opposed to other teams)

“That's a good question. I don't know what the big difference is. We didn't play well tonight. That's the bottom line. It wasn't just one side of the ball. I think had it been one side of the ball that didn't play well, then you're still going to be in the game, but it was both sides that didn't play well. When that happens, it snowballs on you and it’s not going to be a good outcome. For whatever reason, we didn't put it together on offense or defense, and this is what ended up happening. We'll go back and watch the film and have a little bit more to say about it after that to see exactly where we were at with what happened tonight, but nothing went well for us tonight and everything went well for them. But I give them the credit, those guys played better. They came and outplayed us tonight, so it's disappointing, but we'll get better, and we'll look forward to the bowl practices.”

Safety Qwynnterrio Cole

(What went wrong with the defense tonight?)

"Certain people were missing assignments and missing their gaps, Kentucky capitalized on that. It goes back to execution. They executed more than we did tonight, and the game spoke for itself."

(What was missing today from the two good games before this?)

"Everything went their way tonight. Things weren't clicking for us tonight and you saw the result."

(How was the locker room after the game?)

"We know what we are capable of doing, and this was the last game of the regular season which we let slip away. We know what this rivalry means in this organization. It's one we wish we could have gotten."

(How were the emotions in the locker room post game?)

"We wanted to win that game, but it didn’t click, and it didn’t go our way. We need to keep our heads up. We need to make sure we end the bowl game the right way, so we can get this taste out of our mouth."

(What can you say on Kentucky’s physicality?)

"Their physicality wasn't the issue. They are physical, it just didn't go our way tonight. In all phases of the game, special teams, offense, defense, it was all Kentucky. Physicality wasn't an issue."

(Can you speak more on things not going your way?)

"We missed assignments. Touchdowns, offense missed blocks, big plays on defense. It was at all phases of the game, Kentucky won them. That was the result."

(How was practice this week?)

"Practice went the same way it did the last two weeks, and we came in expecting to dominate the same way we did the past two weeks. Again, things just didn't go our way and it was a tough loss.”

Running Back Jalen Mitchell

(What is the preparation throughout the week and what was different today?)

"I think it all came down to execution: executing calls, making the right adjustments. We plan to adjust in the game. When we saw those different things in the game today, we didn't make those adjustments like we were coached."

(What was it against Kentucky that when they answered, you guys didn't have an answer for them?)

"We just got behind in the game. It's hard playing from behind. When momentum is not going your way, it's hard to get back on your feet."

(What were they doing to disrupt with your run game in the outside zone?)

"I can't say they stopped our outside zone. We got about four to five yards per carry on our outside zone today."

Wide Receiver Jordan Watkins

(What didn't click tonight for the team?)

“We didn't execute our assignments. We didn't play well on both sides of the ball, and this was the outcome of it.”

(What was it about Kentucky that you guys couldn't answer, what they were doing?)

“They are a good team, and you have to respect their weapons on offense. They executed better than we did tonight.”

(What is the message to the team after a loss like this, with three or four weeks now before your bowl game?)

“We want to get started for next season with the bowl win. So that's just pretty much what our mindset is right now.”

(Photo of Scott Satterfield: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports