Mark Stoops ‘really wanted to push’ Kentucky football players during early off week
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kentucky uses early bye week to emphasize physical practices and corrections
- Stoops confirms no long-term injuries as Wildcats prepare for South Carolina
- Freshman QB Boley, RB McGowan, and others fuel 48-23 win over Eastern Michigan
This season ties the mark for Kentucky football’s earliest bye week during the Mark Stoops era and is the first time since 2014 that the Wildcats (1-2, 0-1 SEC) will not play a game during Week 4.
Though Stoops and his staff will devote Saturday to recruiting visits and scouting South Carolina — which will welcome the Wildcats to Williams-Brice Stadium next week after a battle with No. 23 Missouri — Kentucky is also banking on the bye week to focus on necessary improvements; Stoops told reporters Wednesday that the program must “maximize it, and do the very best we can.”
“It’s a little different,” Stoops said. “Each bye week, it just depends on when it falls. And so, this one is fairly early in the season. Our guys are still relatively fresh. Of course, we have some injuries and guys that are down with injury, but, outside of that, our guys are in pretty good shape and pretty good position. So I really wanted to push them this week.”
Stoops confirmed that there were no long-term injuries previously undisclosed to the public.
“No,” Stoops said. “If I had something to tell you that was gonna be, you know, three, four, five weeks, I’d tell you. No, nothing like that.”
The Wildcats, now staring down the barrel of a schedule featuring five opponents currently ranked in The Associated Press Top 25, are still in search of consistent momentum on offense and defense.
UK opted to start redshirt freshman Cutter Boley over initial starter and veteran transfer quarterback Zach Calzada after two disappointing showings and a shoulder injury — unfortunate, but not thought to be serious — the seventh-year senior against Ole Miss in Week 2.
Defensive coordinator Brad White was visibly angry following the Wildcats’ victory last week over Eastern Michigan (0-3) — a lopsided 48-23 win — after UK gave up a touchdown each late in the second and fourth quarters and 461 total offensive yards to a team that showed up to Kroger Field after losing to FCS program Long Island University.
“They’ve responded,” Stoops said. “In the game Saturday, it was quite aggravating. Because I think we got off to a really good start defensively, and then a couple plays can just shift that momentum so quick. And it did. And I really felt like, offensively during the game, myself, I felt frustrated.”
Stoops did note that, upon rewatching the tape, he’d realized his offense was more efficient than he’d given it credit for in the moment. Against the Eagles, the Wildcats scored touchdowns on four of the first six first-half drives.
“That’s pretty efficient,” Stoops said. “And I’ll take that. But then, defensively, giving up those plays just set us back a little bit. And really, the same thing in the second half of not being able to get stops, not keeping them off the field.”
Stoops went on to say that his defense is typically more efficient, but said UK football as a whole struggles when the team fails to “play on that edge.”
“There’s always stuff to work on, stuff to learn from,” Stoops said. “And we’re not very good if you don’t play on that edge. You know, you get off to a good start, and we’re scoring points and defensively, I don’t know what it is. Whether it’s a mentality or just mentally slipped up a little bit.”
The staff, then, required “a good, physical practice” from the Wildcats, he said, in order to keep hammering out improvements. Stoops said he was appreciative of the work his team had put in during Wednesday’s practice and voiced his hope that “practicing with the intent to improve,” would continue throughout the bye week.
Ahead of Boley’s first start of the season versus the Eagles, Stoops challenged his team to “play well around somebody,” given the fact that “a young guy” was under center. Despite the missteps and frustrations, several Wildcats did step up to ensure a victory.
Senior transfer running back Seth McGowan rushed for 104 yards and three touchdowns (one score shy of the program’s single-game record) on 18 carries, while redshirt freshman running back Jason Patterson, who stepped up following a minor thigh injury sustained by Dante Dowdell in the third quarter, rushed for 84 yards and his first career touchdown.
Tight ends Willie Rodriguez and Josh Kattus each found the end zone on touchdown passes from Boley, their roommate. Kicker Jacob Kauwe continued his perfect season with a pair of second-half field goals, one from 51 yards in the third quarter and another from 24 yards in the fourth.
“Everybody needed to step up and play sharper,” Stoops said. “That was the point of emphasis all last week, anyways, and same with this week.”
