The Kentucky football team has had a rollercoaster of a season, from the win at Florida to push Kentucky into the AP Top 10, to the brutal home loss to South Carolina.

Entering the season, most expected Kentucky to finish 9-3, and if the Wildcats had waited a half-second at the end of the Ole Miss game and Will Levis had played against South Carolina, they would have had a great chance to do that.

With three games remaining on the schedule and sitting at 6-3, Kentucky could still do that. However, with No. 1 Georgia sill left to play, the Wildcats would have to pull a major upset.

If Kentucky were to win the next three games and the bowl game, they could still still win 10 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history.

Let’s examine the matchups and see the keys for Kentucky’s success.

Vanderbilt: Start Fast and Don’t Overlook

Winless in the SEC since 2019, Vanderbilt is not a good football team. However, in their last two games the Commodores have played Missouri and South Carolina close. If Kentucky isn’t prepared (i.e. South Carolina), Vanderbilt could catch them off guard.

With a defense that is ranked last in the SEC, Vandy has given up a ton of points this season, giving up nearly 37 points and over 300 yards in offense to be exact. On the other hand, Kentucky has also struggled to put up points – even against mediocre defenses – scoring just 23.6 points per game, which is even less than Vanderbilt’s average of 26.7.

Getting off to a fast start can put this game away early with the strength of Kentucky’s defense.

If Kentucky can get a 2-3 possession lead by halftime, it would help immensely to boost the offense’s confidence just in time for Georgia’s top ranked defense to come to Lexington next week.

Georgia: Make Them Earn It

Georgia is the best team in the country and they proved it last week against Tennessee.

The most important thing about this game is to force the Bulldogs to earn their victory at Kroger field and not giving it to them via turnovers, special teams miscues, etc.

The Kentucky defense will have one their toughest challenges of the year and will have to make Georgia fight for every point. On the other hand, if the Kentucky offense can move the ball it will take a lot of pressure off of Brad White and the defense.

Kirby Smart and Co are looking to come into this game and assert their will, but the Wildcats will have to let them know that this game won’t be an easy one.

Louisville: Control the Line of Scrimmage

In the last three meetings against the Cardinals, Kentucky has outscored them 153-44. One of the biggest reason why is that they have controlled the line of scrimmage.

It has been taken for granted that Kentucky has had several NFL-level players on the offensive and defensive lines, but the roster turnover has finally caught up with the team, especially on the offensive line.

The offensive line specifically, has been strong enough to help the Kentucky offense for an average of 491 yards in the last three meetings. In this season’s matchup, they will have to take a step up for Will Levis and Co to get close to that number.

With that said, this an improved Louisville team, who in the second half of the season, have improved their performance, primarily due to a stingy defense that is currently ranked top-20 in scoring defense.

Knowing that, it looks like this year’s Governor’s Cup will be closer than recent years. Again, this is a game that Kentucky should win, but it will come down to controlling the line of scrimmage.