For Stoops and troops, there are many ‘doors’ left to be knocked down

In the giddy aftermath of Kentucky’s 28-7 throttling of No. 14 Mississippi State, Mark Stoops took a moment to relish his team’s defiance of some pregame story lines.

During the run-up to UK-MSU, a Courier Journal article pointed out Stoops had yet to win a draw-a-line-in-the-sand home game as Kentucky head coach.

A Herald-Leader column, written by someone who bears a remarkable resemblance to me, had noted that UK defenses under Stoops had never been able to contain a run-oriented, dual-threat quarterback the caliber of Mississippi State’s Nick Fitzgerald.

On Saturday night, Stoops and UK emphatically flipped those pregame scripts. Before a lively crowd in an almost-full Kroger Field, Kentucky delivered a memorable victory.

The Wildcats defense flat stoned Fitzgerald. The QB who had run for over 100 yards in both of his prior starts against Kentucky finished Saturday with a net of 20 yards on 16 attempts.

“We’re knocking the dang doors down one at a time,” Stoops said. “So we’re going to knock a door down every seven days is what we’re trying to do, because one of you will come up with something ... I don’t want to hear anything about this running quarterback, I don’t want to hear anything about teeing it up for a home game and not playing good. What other doors do you guys got?”

For the record, I was optimistic about Kentucky’s 2018 football season before it began. I picked the Cats to go 8-4, which would rank as the best UK regular-season win total since 1984.

Having seen four games, I’m more optimistic about what Benny Snell, Josh Allen and Co. can accomplish in 2018.

However, if the request is for UK football “doors” that still remain to be knocked down, well, we do have some.

Opponent: South Carolina

The door to be knocked down: On Saturday night, Kentucky will be going for its fifth straight victory over the Gamecocks. In its entire football history, UK has never beaten an SEC foe not named Vanderbilt in five consecutive seasons.

Opponent: at Texas A&M

The door to be knocked down: As Kentucky head coach, Stoops has never beaten an SEC West team other than Mississippi State. Overall, the UK coach is 2-9 against the West.

Opponent: Vanderbilt

The door to be knocked down: When the Commodores come to Lexington on Oct. 20, it will begin the second half of the UK season.

Since the start of 2014, Kentucky is 17-7 combined in the first six games on its schedule. The Wildcats are 7-17 (not counting two losses in bowl games) in the final six games on their schedule over the same period.

Is this the year UK finally combines a quick start out of the blocks with a strong finishing kick?

Opponent: at Missouri

The door to be knocked down: The trip to Columbia will be UK’s third SEC road trip of 2018. Kentucky has not won three SEC road games in one year since 2009 when Rich Brooks and Co. won at Auburn, Vanderbilt and Georgia.

Opponent: Georgia

The door to be knocked down: Kentucky has lost eight straight games to the Bulldogs.

With UK having snapped its 31-game losing streak against Florida in this season’s second game, Georgia is now the Wildcats’ longest losing streak against any SEC foe.

Opponent: at Tennessee

The door(s) to be knocked down: Kentucky has not won in Knoxville since 1984. UK has not beaten Florida and Tennessee in the same season since 1977. The Wildcats have not beaten the Volunteers in back-to-back seasons since 1976 and ‘77.

A win in Neyland Stadium Nov. 10 would achieve all of that.

Opponent: Middle Tennessee State

The door to be knocked down: In the Stoops era, teams from Southern group-of-five conferences — in other words, teams similar to Conference USA’s MTSU — have given Kentucky fits.

Western Kentucky (2013) and Southern Mississippi (2016) beat the Cats. Louisiana-Lafayette (2015) and Southern Miss (2017) played the Cats within a touchdown in defeat.

Is this the year UK finally drops the hammer on one of those teams?

Opponent: Louisville

The door to be knocked down: Kentucky has not won on back-to-back trips to Cardinal Stadium since 2008 and 2010.

In its entire football history, UK has never beaten Florida, Tennessee and Louisville in the same season. The chance to do so could be available to Stoops’ troops Nov. 24 in The Ville.

If the Cats stay healthy, their head coach is apt to have a chance to boast about knocking down many more “doors” in 2018.

Mark Story: (859) 231-3230; Twitter: @markcstory