Making their head coaching debuts in a big intra-state rivalry, Kentucky's Joker Phillips trumped Charlie Strong's Louisville Cardinals with a top pair of running backs.

Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb combined for three touchdowns and more than 200 total yards to lift the Wildcats to a 23-16 victory over the host Cardinals on Saturday.

Louisville rallied from a 17-point third-quarter deficit to make it interesting at the end, but the Wildcats held on to record their fourth consecutive victory in the series.

Locke broke loose for a 32-yard touchdown run just 35 seconds into the game and added a 1-yard score near the end of the first quarter to put Kentucky up 13-0.

Louisville settled for a pair of Chris Philpott field goals in the first half, while Cobb went on a 51-yard touchdown romp to give Kentucky a 20-6 advantage at halftime.

Bilal Powell brought the largest crowd in Louisville history back to life in the third quarter with an 80-yard touchdown run, cutting Kentucky's lead to 23-13. But Louisville managed only another Philpott field goal; the Wildcats eventually ran out the clock.

Kentucky rolled up 464 yards of offense and no turnovers for their former offensive coordinator. Locke rushed for 103 yards on 22 carries, and Cobb added 80 on only four attempts. Cobb added three receptions for 21 yards. Locke caught a pair of passes for 19.

Powell led all rushers with 149 yards on 16 carries, but Louisville committed a pair of turnovers and broke down on defense under former Florida defensive coordinator Strong.