
Mississippi’s defense could put a lot of “stress” on Kentucky Saturday. (Vicky Graff Photo)
No matter what questions Mark Stoops was asked or how many questions he was asked on the Southeastern Conference coaches teleconference, the UK coach always found a way to come back and talk about the “stress” Ole Miss would put on the No. 7 Wildcats Saturday in Oxford, Miss.
“Playing with a quarterback that’s getting better with every rep and their running backs are a handful, as talented arguably as anybody in the country at that position,” Stoops said about Ole Miss. “They put a lot of stress on you offensively with their tempo, the run game, and then of course the play action off of it.”
On defense, Stoops said the Rebels create stress with the way they “rotate, pressure and mix up coverages” in the secondary.
Here is more of what Stoops had to say on the SEC teleconference:
Question: How will Kentucky keep Ole Miss’ No. 4-ranked rushing offense in check?
Mark Stoops: “Well, that’s difficult. I mean, they’re committed to it. They’re powerful runners with an offensive line that’s doing a very good job of working together. And then you add in the tempo and you add in the deception. It puts a lot of stress on you.”
“So, there’s no way around that when you play an offense like this. You’ve got to be clean, you have to execute and then you have to win some one-on-ones. And the way they put you in space, with the run game and with the pass game, you have to be able to make plays.”
“It’s definitely a very big challenge. And I think if you asked Ole Miss and by looking at film, the only people that stopped them this year were themselves, so we have to really step up and be very disciplined and very precise.”
Question: What does he think of Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, wide receiver Jonathan Mingo and the Ole Miss’ pass rush?
Mark Stoops: “I’d say, with Dart and Mingo, two very good football players. They’re very talented and playmakers. Dart can run and throw and with the pressure they’re putting on you in the run game, it opens up for a guy like Mingo to make very big plays. So, you’ve gotta compete. You’ve gotta win some one-on-ones.”
“And then with their defense in general, they’re putting pressure on other fronts, doing a very good job. They play very hard and, you know, it’s a good football team.”
Question: How does Ole Miss’ success in the running game sets them up for success in the passing game?
Mark Stoops: “It sets up quite a bit and they’ve been committed to it this year, I think. But Lane’s very bright. Lane is gonna play to his strengths. And I know that they have plenty in their passing attack and they can unleash that at any time they want.
“And so I think with the run game and being committed to it, much like we are, opens up some things and so I think Ole Miss, they did what they had to do to take care of business in these first four games, but I know there’s still quite a bit left in their playbook and off their play actions and set up off their run game that they can let go of it at any time so you still have to play both.”
“The bottom line is they put stress on you. You’ve got to play both the run and the pass.”
One Response
I prefer to think that UK’s defense will put stress on Ole Miss’s offense.