LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For the first time since 2017, the Governor’s Cup resides in the hands of the Louisville football program. The Cardinals thoroughly embarrassed Kentucky this past Saturday, leaving Kroger Field with an emphatic 41-14 win.

Before we close the book on the game and transition to the to-be-announced bowl game, I wanted to provide some closing thoughts and observations from the game against the Wildcats:

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A 52-15 loss at Texas Tech was the nail in the coffin for Neal Brown at West Virginia, who has officially been fired after six seasons in Morgantown. The Mountaineers finished the 2024 campaign with a 6-6 record that included a 5-4 finish in the Big 12.

Brown wraps up his time at WVU with a 37-35 overall record and three bowls — four including this cycle. He won the Liberty Bowl in 2020, then the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in 2023, his best season with the program at 9-4 overall and 6-3 in the conference. He had two losing seasons in Morgantown, going 5-7 in 2019 before hitting that same 5-7 mark again in 2022.

West Virginia will have to pay 75 percent of Brown’s contract after firing him without cause, good for $6.5 million. The two sides could also negotiate his buyout.

A Danville, KY native, Brown started his playing career as a wide receiver at Kentucky (1998-2000) before closing out his eligibility at UMass (2001-02). After stops as a position coach at UMass (tight ends), Sacred Heart (quarterbacks and wide receivers), Delaware (wide receivers) and Troy (inside wide receivers), he got his first offensive coordinator gig with the Trojans (2008-09) before making the move to Texas Tech (2010-12) and Kentucky (2013-14) for the same position.

He returned to Troy as head coach from 2015-18 (35-16, 23-9) before landing the West Virginia job. Now, he’ll look for his next gig after leaving the Mountaineers.

Where? Keep an eye on UMass — FootballScoop is reporting that Brown is “high on the wishlist of his alma mater” after the program fired Don Brown in recent weeks. Elsewhere, “other athletic directors have made calls to do background work” on the former Kentucky wide receiver and offensive coordinator should he be looking for a job.

If that doesn’t work out for him, I’m sure Mark Stoops can find an open office somewhere at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility. The Wildcats can use all the help they can get right about now.

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — — Lucas Carneiro kicked four field goals and his last one from 50 yards with three seconds left gave Western Kentucky a 19-17 win over Jacksonville State on Saturday.

With the win, the Hilltoppers (8-4, 6-2) secured a trip to the Conference USA title game on Dec. 6 which will feature a rematch between the same two teams.

Jacksonville State (8-4, 7-1) secured the top seed and the right to host the conference championship game last week beating Sam Houston 21-11. Against Western Kentucky, Gamecocks’ starting quarterback Tyler Huff left the contest due to injury and never returned. He plays a critical role in the Gamecocks’ run-based offense and left after rushing for 97 yards on 13 carries.

Carneiro kicked two field goals from 50 yards and from 35 and 21 in the win. Caden Veltkamp threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Young to give the Hilltoppers a 7-0 lead.

Jacksonville State got its first lead at 10-7 when Tre Stewart ran it in from the 8 with 3:42 before halftime. The Gamecocks’ last lead came when reserve quarterback Logan Smothers ran it in from the 17 with 9:44 left to play.

Smothers threw for 62 yards and ran for 32 yards in relief of Huff.

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