Kentucky players want to win bowl game for Mark Stoops

Kentucky coach Mark Stoops talked to injured linebacker Chris Oats during a Cat Walk this season. That concern is one reason UK players want to win the Citrus Bowl game for the coach. (UK Athletics Photo)

During his playing career at Iowa, Mark Stoops says the Iowa coaches “were like fathers” to him.

“That is what I try to be for our players and be there to support them in good times and bad,” said the University of Kentucky coach Sunday.

Stoops’ Iowa connections — his brothers also played there and Stoops’ Iowa game jersey was buried with his father — will be talked about a lot the next few weeks before Kentucky plays Iowa in the Citrus Bowl Jan. 1 in Orlando.

Stoops’ players know what his Iowa ties mean to him and also what being able to beat Iowa would mean to the UK coach.

“It is really big for us (to give Stoops a win),” UK center Luke Fortner said Sunday night after the bowl pairings were confirmed. “He talked a lot about the way he felt about the coaches at Iowa and that’s the way we feel about coach Stoops and the staff here.”

“They are like father figures and know they would do anything for us. To get a win over Iowa for coach Stoops would truly mean a lot to reward him that way.”

The No. 15 Hawkeyes are 10-3 but lost 42-3 to Michigan in the Big Ten championship game Saturday. It will be the first meeting between the teams and the second Citrus Bowl appearance for each team.

The Vrbo Citrus Bowl got the first choice of SEC teams not in the national championship playoff or New Year’s Six bowl games. The bowl took Kentucky even though the Outback Bowl in Tampa had made it clear it would like the Wildcats. However, the Stoops-Iowa storyline was way too good for Citrus Bowl officials to pass on along with the fact both teams are ranked.

“Obviously Iowa is a team very close to myself and my family,” Stoops said. “I know how tough they are and the way they play. It will be a great matchup. It was a great experience the last time (when UK beat Penn State) and I would expect nothing less this time.”

However, just getting to the bowl game is a huge plus for the program. A New Year’s Day bowl game in Florida not only gets UK the additional 15 days of practice but it is a major plus in recruiting.

“Everything helps (recruiting),” Stoops, who was on the road recruiting Sunday, said. “It does help going to bowl games and going to Florida. We are looking forward to that experience.”

Senior linebacker DeAndre Square remembers how Kentucky fans supported the team in Orlando three years ago. He expects the same again.

“You can never say enough about BBN,” Square said. “It’s one of the best fan bases in the United States. They are the greatest. They always have so much love for you. They make you feel special to be a Wildcat.”

“We never question if they are going to show up for a game,” Fortner said.

Fortner remembers what a “great time” the team had in Orlando three years ago even though he got hurt in practice and could not play in the game.

“Just to play a strong Big Ten team and come out with a victory was an awesome experience for me,” Fortner said.

So was ending the regular season with a win over rival Louisville.

“That win means a lot to me and the other veteran guys. I was able to finish my career 4-1 against Louisville’s a cool thing,” Fortner said. “It was a big win for us in terms of momentum that will carry into bowl practice and the bowl.

“The main thing about bowl practice is just staying focused with school getting finished (for the semester), going home for Christmas, and then going to Orlando for a whole week. You have to balance having a good time and making sure we also win, especially with what this is going to mean to coach Stoops.”