Vicky Graff Photo
Most Kentucky fans were delighted when Saturday’s season-opening game was a night game rather than what has become a traditional noon kickoff for the first game.
That way fans had more time to tailgate and enjoy the new season — or at least that was the thought.
Instead, a projected 7:45 p.m. kickoff was delayed by over two hours due to a lightning delay before being halted again around midnight by another lightning delay. Finally the game was suspended and made an official 31-0 Kentucky win around 12:30 a.m. Sunday.
However, Big Blue fans didn’t go away and SEC Network announcers Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic constantly pointed out during the win over Southern Mississippi the faithfulness of UK fans to stay and wait. They even joked that the UK managers got their moment in the spotlight because they got huge ovations each time they came on the field with gear only to be called back to the dressing room as the game delay continued.
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops had a lengthy opening statement after the game that did not mention the fans. Later in his 1 a.m. press conference Sunday, he corrected that.
“I meant to open with that. Thank you,” Stoops said when asked about fans not leaving the stadium. “ I’m going to redo my opening statement. I sincerely can’t even begin to thank the fans for what they were like.
“To go out there two hours after we were supposed to and see them. Going nuts and cheering us on and rooting us. That was truly amazing. Just now as (UK athletics director) Mitch (Barnhart) and I were walking down we were discussing that we didn’t know what was going to transpire. We were just going to go down and communicate and get on the same page with them. A bunch of fans were still out there going that’s and I said be easy, the game is not over.
“Just great appreciation for our fan base. I’m glad we played a pretty decent game, relatively clean. I know our guys played hard and they were excited to play for them and I felt like our team really did that, they played their hearts out. They were excited to play and I felt like we were relatively disciplined as well.”
Kentucky-Southern Miss Football
Photos by Vicky Graff
