Jeff Brohm: Louisville has to "find a way" to win Governor's Cup

The Governor’s Cup rivalry between Kentucky and Louisville was a one-sided affair during the Scott Satterfield regime. Winless in three attempts, the Wildcats outscored his Louisville teams 123-47. Satterfield bailed out to Cincinnati, handing the keys to someone who knows a little about the rivalry, Jeff Brohm.

The former Louisville quarterback predates the modern history of the Governor’s Cup. However, he’s faced the Cats before as an assistant coach at UofL and Western Kentucky. He was 4-2 in the rivalry back in the mid-00s and was a part of Mark Stoops’ first loss, a 35-26 WKU win in Nashville.

After years and years of suffering, Louisville fans are desperate for a Thanksgiving weekend win. In a conversation with WHAS-11’s Kent Spencer, Brohm shared his thoughts on the Wildcats.

“Rivalry games are great. At Purdue we had the opportunity to play Indiana, our main rival. We had Illinois as well. We always enjoy those games. When it’s the last game of the year, there’s always a lot riding on that football game and hopefully you find a way to play at your best when you play in that football game,” he told Spencer.

“I respect our opponents. We respect the school up the street. Kentucky, they do a great job. They’ve had a lot of success. But we’ve gotta find a way to win that football game. It’s going to start on our home field this next year and we better be able to piece some things together as the season goes on that by the last football game we’re playing our best, find a way to win and make these fans happy.”

Asked Brohm about getting back in the rivalry with Kentucky and the Battle for the Governor’s Cup. @WHAS11 pic.twitter.com/1LMLmU7JEl

— Kent Spencer (@WHAS11Kent) December 9, 2022

A Day Late to the Governor’s Cup Question

The Governor’s Cup question should have been asked at his introductory press conference. Everyone in the audience was too afraid to ask it, except for one bold Kentucky Sports Radio reporter. As you might expect, UofL officials were not willing to hand over the microphone. Instead of asking a question, I cursed on live TV.

Any lip readers out there? Someone tell me what my guy @RoushKSR says here😂 pic.twitter.com/1OWCzFaUfB

— Sean Baute (@sbauteWAVE3) December 8, 2022

Rivalry Recruiting Angle

Brohm did not get asked about the rivalry, but one reporter raised the recruiting question. Louisville’s last two head coaches seemingly abandoned in-state recruiting, allowing Kentucky to get first dibs on the Commonwealth’s top players. Jeff Brohm was a bigger threat at Purdue than Scott Satterfield or Bobby Petrino at Louisville. That pressure will only be intensified now that he is the Louisville head coach.

“That’s always important to me. I think there has been a lot of great football teams here at the University of Louisville that were built around a lot of great in-state players and players from this city. I have a relationship with a lot of the coaches throughout the state, probably a lot of the coaches that are coming will as well,” he said.

“We’re going to make sure that we’re going to every school if we can and make sure that they get to know us and what we’re about, get to know their players and prospects, and if we feel that they can help the University of Louisville win we’re going to make sure that happens and we’re going to give them that opportunity. It doesn’t always work or they decide not to come here, but I think there are a lot of coaches around here that trust the things I tell them and believe in what we’re all about.”