Vicky Graff Photo
Just when you want to believe in this Kentucky football team, it lays another egg.
Sure, Vanderbilt was coming off a win over then No. 1 Alabama but the Commodores got a lot of help from host Kentucky to pull off a 20-13 win Saturday night.
Former UK linebacker Kash Daniel didn’t mince words on social media the Cats lost at home to Vanderbilt for the second straight time.
“This is what happens when you have zero leaders and an opposing team that would rather die than lose,” Daniel posted.
It’s easy to understand how he feels that way after the Cats stopped themselves way too often. Kentucky was penalized 12 times for 106 yards and throw in the hidden yards wiped out by the penalties and it would be closer to 150 penalty yards.
A personal foul for taunting/pushing after a catch by Dane Key took UK out of field goal range to open the game. In the second half Key, who led UK with eight catches for 83 yards, fumbled deep in Vandy territory after a catch to wipe out a scoring chance.
Kentucky had second down and inches inside the Vandy one-yard line trailing 17-7 in the second half but then had a penalty, one-yard run, incomplete pass and muffed hold on a field goal try to end up with no points from the one-inch line. Later when UK did score on a TD pass to Key to cut the lead to 20-13 a low snap on the extra point led to no points.
Kentucky just is not good enough to do that and win.
Remember the preseason talk about the potent offense UK would have to go with its big-time defense? Kentucky now has four touchdowns in four SEC games. No matter how good the defense is, that makes it hard to win.
Many fans are questioning what coach Mark Stoops has been doing. Kentucky is 2-10 in its last 12 home SEC games (Joker Phillips was 4-8 in his last 12 home SEC games when he was fired). Kentucky has now lost SIX STRAIGHT SEC HOME GAMES.
Kentucky Radio Network analyst Jeff Piecoro said not to blame coach Mark Stoops, offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan or defensive coordinator Brad White.
“This was on those 85 guys who stunk up the place. Why are you pushing and shoving after every play? You have to keep your head about yourself?” Piecoro said. “Every facet of this team broke down. It was also the defense not able to get off the field on third down. The whole game was like that.”
Kentucky did not play as focused and sharp as Vanderbilt did. The Commodores handled the prosperity of beating Alabama with another strong effort while UK could not handle either the prosperity of its huge road win at Ole Miss or a bye week.
Kentucky fans have been resilient this season and did not bail on the Wildcats after the embarrassing 31-7 home loss to South Carolina earlier this season. But this performance may be difficult for the fanbase to bounce back from.
“Our fanbase has been amazing. Sellout crowd. The Georgia game environment was incredible. We want and deserve a better performance than what we saw tonight. How does a team look so undisciplined and unprepared after beating a top 6 team on the road?”
That was a social media post from @PaulPipper94681 on X. Sure, it’s basically an anonymous post but that sort of seemed to sum up the feeling of a lot of fans after Stoops admitted on the SEC Network that it was an “embarrassment of errors” by his team and my guess is that fans will 100 percent agree with that assessment.
13 Responses
I don’t understand the extra curricular activities after the plays. The objective is to win the game . Anything else like huffing at each other or shoving each other isn’t winning football and is a total waste. Imagine the investment these coaches players training staff everyone concerned with getting this team ready to go all to keep doing stupid stuff that doesn’t help you win. They are hard to watch.
Players reflect the focus, energy, vigor, resilience, fire & heartfelt desire to win for UK which the coaches instill into them. Not just words, but genuine heart.
The leaders, the elite managers of any company, will inspire their subordinates to perform in a way which reflects their boss. I’ve seen it & experienced it for decades, from when I first worked for a big corporation in a co-op arrangement with an industrial leader, to when I had a team of engineers working for me. The impact my boss(es) had and the impact I made on those reporting to me was always displayed in the end result. Fortunately, my projects were successful, within budget and on-time – thanks to those above me and those working for me.
UK lacks leadership – in practices, in games, on the sideline, on the field. The leadership &/or lack of leadership trickles down to include everyone.
Nick Saban was like a power plant sending electricity to his coaches which continued into their players.
Stoops may be a very nice man, but he is a DC who has been pretending to be a real HC. Marrow & Stoops led the recruiting to bring in better talent, but the heart & soul of the UK program lacks the much needed leadership.
Disagree? Fine. Just look at the unfinished product on the field.
Why do cars made in Japan hold up & run for 150,000 to more than 200,000 miles compared to cars made in the USA begin to have probs at 60,000 miles? Or even at 10,000 miles? My experience has been exactly as described at those mileages.
Leadership. Qualified folks.
Raise your hand if you prefer to fly in a product fabricated by Boeing, made up of tens of thousands of workers under hundreds of managers who all reflect a lack of integrity in their jobs.
UK peaked under the Stoops era with Coen & Levis and will struggle to win 6 games henceforth. It’s over.
It was a long-winded “comment” but may be worth your time to read it.
It appears that the players don’t respect coach Stoops or don’t believe in him because they surely don’t listen to him. Penalties are the result of a lack of discipline which comes from a lack of focus which comes when players tune out their coach. Our supposed NFL like defensive line got knocked off the ball all game long. Our offensive line got push around all game long. The penalties and bad snaps came at such crucial times that it would make one wonder if point shaving had found its way to Lexington. Vanderbilt has beaten us in back to back games on Kroger field. That can’t happen if we are going to play in the SEC. Georgia is not the Georgia of years past. This was the year to beat them, especially on our home field…we didn’t get it done. Losing to Vandy and the fiasco with South Carolina is making the close Georgia loss and the win at Ole Miss look like flukes. Florida, Auburn, and Murray State are must win games now if we are to go bowling. In his postgame show Stoops didn’t have a clue about where this disappointing effort came from which makes me wonder how is he going to fix it. Florida is playing better and they have a score to settle with us. Maybe the road Kentucky team will show up in Gainesville because the home Kentucky team is not getting it done.
Your first sentence says it all.. And ill add with no repercussions for doing it obviously what’s to stop them ? Playing time is what a player covers. Sit them.
Covets
It is difficult to disagree with any of the above comments. Lack of focus on defense was apparent all night. No discipline on either side of the ball. And the trash talk and pushing and shoving all night demonstrates that the players were not focused on the game at hand. And the O line continues to be our Achilles heal. Griff looked like what he is, a very gifted 1st year starter who needs a lot more reps to be consistent. And the play calling, oh my word.
Last night falls on the 85 players. Coaching has never been our strong suit but these players have no clear direction and not one leader is stepping forward to control the locker room.
Last night, KY football was exposed plain and simple.
Last night, KY football was exposed plain and simple
Nice summary!
I have to agree with all the comments above. So disappointing.
I disagree 100% with those claiming the coaching staff deserves no blame, and that it’s all on the players. The ONE consistency of Stoops’ UK teams from the very beginning has been a lack of discipline. Call it his "hallmark", if you will.
You’re right Brian. This team was not ready to play. The players stunk it up on the field, but the coaches didn’t have them ready nor did they make any adjustments during the game. You can’t lose to Vanderbilt two games in a row on your own field. For $9 million, we deserve better and I think we can get better at our season’s end.
Absolutely Agree 👍
I am glad basketball starts in a couple of weeks. This football team is sucking the life out of me.