Vince Marrow still feels good about where Kentucky football is with five games to go

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Vince Marrow was impressed by the Georgia defense before Kentucky played the No. 1 Bulldogs. After UK lost 30-17 at Georgia Saturday, Marrow was an even bigger believer in the Georgia defense.

“Make no mistake. That is the No. 1 team in college football,” said Marrow. “I have been in this league nine years and that is probably the best defense I have seen. They are good everywhere. These guys have got NFL guys at each level.

“But we had a 14-play, 75-yard drive and scored. We had a 22-play drive and scored. (Georgia coach) Kirby (Smart) said they played a good team and we are a good team.”

Kentucky dropped from 11th to 15th in the Associated Press rankings and 14th in the coaches poll.

Marrow knows Kentucky has doubters despite being 6-1 overall and 4-1 in SEC play with the only loss at No. 1 Georgia — a team that had allowed just two touchdowns in six games before UK scored twice Saturday.

Marrow said he heard “somebody on CBS (TV)” say Kentucky was not a top 10 or even a top 20 team because of the Georgia loss.

“Look across the country and have any team play at Georgia and see how you do,” Marrow said. “We were playing the best football team in college football. We went toe for toe with them but they showed why they are the No. 1 team.

“I can tell you this. (Kentucky coach) Mark (Stoops) has done a really good job. He does not need me to blow his horn but he does not get enough credit. I still feel good about us. Our guys are very hungry. I was listening to guys in the locker room (after the Georgia loss) and they were wishing we did not have a bye this week.

“I am not worried about our football team. Our guys will be ready. BBN (Big Blue Nation) needs to get ready. We thrive off adversity. We don’t get caught up in rankings. If somebody told you halfway through the season we would be 6-1 and our only loss at No. 1 Georgia, you would be happy. There is still a lot of special stuff out there. We should be playing in a New Year’s Day bowl. That is the plan now.”

Marrow emphasized — as he often does — that this is not “your old Kentucky football and everyone needs to get used to it.” Kentucky has away games at Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Louisville left along with home games against Tennessee and New Mexico State. Today Kentucky would be favored in all five games.

“We are going forward and going to keep knocking down doors. We get some needed rest this week and then we will be ready to go and get back to breaking down doors,” Marrow said.

Marrow is confident Kentucky has the right players to not let a Georgia hangover impact future games.

“We have an older team. They will police themselves,” Marrow said. “The greatest thing I like about Mark’s message is win or lose, and they pay him and us other coaches a lot of money to make sure guys are ready to go, is that you go hard for the next game. Being ready will not be an issue for this team.

“These guys are smart guys. We recruit a lot of good kids. They will get things we did not do right corrected and the head man (Stoops) will make sure of that.”