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Former Kentucky offensive lineman David Hopewell had an eerie feeling as he left Kroger Field after UK’s 31-6 loss to South Carolina last week.
“We stayed to the bitter end and I do mean bitter,” said Hopewell on WPBK-FM Thursday. “I really felt like an era came to an end. It felt like (former UK coach) Joker Phillips walking off the field against Vanderbilt (when the stands were nearly empty).
“I felt like we really took a step back in this game. To see our offensive line struggle … l we have some mainstays who have been through this before and these guys ought to know what they are doing and teach others around them. To see an offensive lineman look at a teammate like he’s saying what happened. To me, it says they really did not know what they were doing.”
Hopewell, an Alabama native, played on Kentucky’s Peach Bowl team in 1976 and 10-1 team in 1977. For years he’s preached that UK football needed to have higher expectations than barely getting bowl eligible. He feels coach Mark Stoops has raised expectations but “has to do better” than what he did against South Carolina.
“I was so mad Saturday night I was ready to fire them (UK coaches) all,” Hopewell said. “I appreciate what Stoops says about having faith in his OL coach (Eric Wolford) but I lost faith and have got to see it get better to believe it. I don’t see progress being made. I just don’t see communication on the football field and I just don’t understand it.”
Like a lot of former players, Hopewell got to watch a UK preseason scrimmage. After watching he made his preseason prognostication.
“I pegged us 6-6 with South Carolina being one of the wins,” Hopewell said. “I am really concerned. We have reached a dead spot. I am not saying Mark cannot revive the program but I don’t see the fire under Mark we once did. Maybe he feels he has reached his maximum here and what happens just happens. I want that fire back in him.
“I want to see us be in national contention year in and year out and have a chance to be in the playoffs. I want to see that fire in the belly again.”
Hopewell felt it was “weird” when Stoops brought Wolford back after he bolted for Alabama after one season at UK in 2021.
“I know once he left me I would not have hired him back and with the way he left I definitely would not have hired him back,” Hopewell said.
The former UK offensive lineman worries about the national perception of the UK program after the dismal performance against underdog South Carolina, especially with No. 1 Georgia a 24-point favorite in Saturday night’s game.
“I have talked to former players and friends who turned the (South Carolina) game off (on TV) in the third quarter,” Hopewell said. “In the middle of the third quarter fans were just streaming out of Kroger Field. It was practically empty by the end of the fourth quarter. That just is not a good look for a program and I thought we were past those days.”
12 Responses
I have supported Stoops from day one. I even stated it would take him 5-6 years to get UK going in the right direction and stayed on his boat when things didn’t look good the first 3-4 years. I have now come to the point that I think it is time for a change.
I truly do not believe Stoops actually wants to be here, and we know for a FACT that Wolford doesn’t want to be here. I think the grind and the expectations of the SEC have worn Stoops down to the point that he just doesn’t feel like there is anymore he can do at UK. Maybe I’m wrong, but I do know Stoops evidently has some coaches that are not doing a good job. If I can see it, he can see it. It’s time for him to do something about it unless he has already thrown in the towel.
IMO the UK football program has been in steep decline since halftime of last years Missouri game.
Talk about fans streaming out and an empty stadium!
Stops has lost his edge and that’s what happens when you don’t have to look over your shoulder and a bowl game is all you need to keep a coach forever. Stoops is terrible at hiring offensive coordinators and since john scholar man or however you spell it stopped coaching the line it has declined every year since then. Wolford rode schlarmans line to success. We have different coaching philosophies at every position. One coach might be a hot head. Another coach might be a little soft on them. Our position coaches are terrible. Kentucky never looks game ready. They never look prepared. There game preparation is terrible. How can lineman who have played college for 6 and 7 years not be completely dominating the trenches its now or never. Kentucky acts like a inexperienced team and that is just not the case. We have the most returning starters in the SEC Georgia is second in that category. How does South Carolina out class Kentucky. Kentucky also always has alot more injuries than any other team. I’ve always heard that’s bad conditioning. If we aren’t competitive against Georgia I’ll watch the rest of the season from the couch. I’m not donating no more money to Kentucky football until I see major improvements and most people should follow my tune. Why donate to this shit show of a team. Our secondary is terrible and our offensive line is even worse. The last 3 years have been hard to watch. Something needs to change and this needs to be a make or break year for stoops. Everyone said this is Barion last year and this is Dane keys last year. They need to go somewhere that has a quarterback who can get them the ball. This o line ruins everything.
Also Louisville will best us. Jeff Brown is a much better coach than stoops. I used to want him as our coach.
As a 69 UK grad, I could not agree more with the David Hopewell article. He was on target with every comment. I announced a week or so ago that I was off the Stoops train and desperately hope he departs after this year and takes many of the coaches with him. The product we put on the field for the USC debacle has been building for a couple of years. The only strength of our team is the DL and Receivers but they are neutered if no one can get them the ball. A earlier comment was made that the Big Blue Wall has transitioned into the Big Blue Gate. With the exception of Mr. White most of the other coaching hires have been totally underwhelming. Stoops continues to show that he does not know WTH he is doing and Barney should be on the "hot seat" as well for drastically over paying the 2 main contributors of the athletic program.
UK only started to invest in football about ten years ago. The top teams have invested forever. It’s like spraying for termites after the walls are falling in. Stoops has done more than any coach EVER at Ky. It doesn’t matter to me who is coach at Ky because it’s not change anything One Damn Bit.
Hello yoursportsedge.com owner, Keep up the good work!
Ditto! 👍
No fire.
How many teams nearly always start a game with players in a trance, appearing to not be interested in playing FB, zero focus, basically asleep.
Stoops is NOT HC material. UK peaked with Coen & Levis on offense.
The ship started to sink when Stoops hire the OC with “complex” schemes and UK has never recovered. Fans knew he was an inept OC after 1 to 3 games. Stoops should have known after the Spring game but instead was still was clueless the full season.
I echo Jimmy’s comment we were 10 years behind with top tier teams in SEC when Stoops took over and were still years behind even know we have gain some talent. Stoops has done more good than bad, Ky football will always be in a up beat battle to hang around the big dogs regardless who’s the coach is.
I’ve seen this in the corporate world and college football does not vary from it. They call it the Peter Principle. Take a very good Coordinator make him a head coach. He does not change his stripes just because he is HC but he hires people around him to fill the void in his talent base. When Stoops was able to get good hires, he was successful. Now; not so much. Most of the good hires are gone now and he has to make up the deficit. Stoops is not an Offensive mind. That should be evident by his inability to develop key offensive players. His well is running dry and he has no answers.
Exactly right! 👍