DJ Eliot learned all he needs to know about Kentucky-Louisville rivalry

By: LARRY VAUGHT

LEXINGTON — Kentucky defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot has learned all he needs to know about the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry going into Saturday’s game in Louisville.

“One thing that I’ve learned is, this is as big a rivalry as anywhere I’ve been. The players want to win, the fans want to win. It’s something that is special and it’s something that you really look forward to, to get an in-state rival,” said Eliot after Wednesday’s practice.

Kentucky needs a win to become bowl eligible. Louisville needs a win to likely secure an Orange Bowl berth.

Here’s more of what Eliot said going into the game:

Question: What is the key to containing Louisville quarterback Reggie Bonnafon?
Eliot: “Well, you got to keep him in the pocket on pass plays. That’s the thing is, you get guys covered and you got a mobile quarterback and all of the sudden he pulls it down and takes off running. Now they got a new set of downs. On pass plays, you have to keep a mobile quarterback in the pocket, and that’s always a challenge.”

Question: Did facing Missouri quarterback Maty Mauck help prepare for Bonnafon?
Eliot: “It’s comparable because they’re both athletic guys, guys that make a lot of plays with their feet, not just with their arm. That’s always a challenge, and we’ve got that one this week.”

Question: How does Louisville receiver DeVante Parker compare to other receivers UK has faced?
Eliot: “He’s really good. Fortunately for us in this league, we see a lot of good receivers and big receivers. But he’ll be one of the best that we’ll go against. He’s got size, he’s got speed, he’s got great hands, he gets open. So it’ll be quite a challenge.”

Question: Does Parker remind him of anyone else Kentucky has played this year?
Eliot: “In this league, I could name a handful of guys. He’s got his own skill set that a lot of people don’t have in the fact that he’s not only big but he’s got speed too. He’s got speed and he’s a veteran player.”

Question: What about Louisville going with an unbalanced line against Notre Dame?
Eliot: “The first part on those kind of things when they’re unusual is, you have to get lined up. They get people where they’re not used to seeing something and they don’t get lined up. So that’s the first step. And then on any heavy set, you’ve got to be physical and stout in the run game. You can’t give them those extra yards that they get in those type of sets.”

Question: Has UK got enough pressure on the quarterback in recent game?
Eliot: “We’ve gotten pressure, but we haven’t always gotten sacks. There was a handful of situations in the last game where the defensive linemen won their one-on-one with the offensive lineman and then the quarterback made them miss. So the emphasis for us has been more on getting that guy on the ground than it has been on our pass rush.”

Question: Are there different approaches to Louisville’s running backs?
Eliot: “They’re all big, which, for us fortunately in this league we’ve had our opportunity to play against backs like that. I don’t see much of a difference in the style. I don’t see much of a difference in the game plan. So we’re gonna have to play good against all of them.”

On Stoops stressing the importance of being physical and how much of that is a mindset: “Well, physical mindset, that’s the first part. There were times earlier in the season I thought we had a physical mindset and went out and played physical. And then, this league is — like Coach Stoops said — such a physical league that you’ve got to make sure that you’re ready to play every week, not only physically but mentally.”