Mark Stoops Considers Jeremy Flax, Courtland Ford Both Starters

One of the storylines from Kentucky’s 44-14 win over Ball State that probably did not get enough attention was right tackle Jeremy Flax.

He’s the returning starter but was also blamed for a lot of last year’s offensive line woes. Kentucky brought in transfer Courtland Ford, a left tackle at USC with starting experience, to challenge Flax and many assumed he would be the starting right tackle.

Instead, Flax not only won the starting job against Ball State but he played most of the game and some analysts think he had one of his best games at UK.

So what did Stoops think of Flax and Ford?

“When Jeremy was in there, I love (how he) really tried to play physical, and he really improved, and he had a good game,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “And Courtland, we had been rotating. They’re even, they could both play equally.

“Courtland one time, he didn’t mis-ID, he tried to do too much.  He came down and was helping, and then somebody came late and gave up a pressure. When you’re in the moment, sometimes you’re unsure until you watch the film exactly what happened. You could almost understand it, you don’t just see it a little quicker.

“Cortland did some good things as well. He passed some things off. He was physical. He did a nice job on a twist that shouldn’t be routine, that he made look routine and Eli (Cox) one time missed one, and he’s been around, you know what I mean? He’ll get that fixed quickly and easily.

“And so Courtland did some good things, but there was a pressure or two. And at the time, we felt like we were driving the ball with Flaxie and so we stayed with it. But they’re both starters. They’re both interchangeable and playing well.”