Mark Stoops has had no answers for UK's poor offensive play this season. (Vicky Graff Photo)
By JOHN REITMAN, Contributing Writer
Since the college football transfer portal closed last spring, the message from Kentucky’s coaching staff has been clear — this season’s roster was the best assembly of talent in Lexington since Mark Stoops was named head coach in 2013.
Best-ever?
Even at a historically hapless program like Kentucky, that is a mouthful. After all, Stoops has led Kentucky to a program-best eight straight bowl games and two 10-win seasons — even if some of those wins exist only on paper after a handful of forfeitures during the 2021 season.
Seven games into the season, either the Kentucky coaching staff is wrong in their assessment of the team’s talent, or they have failed in coaching them, or both.
With inexplicable losses to South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Florida in the rearview mirror and pending games against Auburn, Tennessee, Texas and Louisville on the horizon, that string of eight consecutive bowl games probably is over.
When assigning blame, the offensive line has been an easy target, and rightfully so.
The offensive line has been a sieve since the beginning of the season. As a result, Kentucky is last in the 16-team SEC in at least 11 offensive categories: points per game (20.4), touchdowns (16), points scored by kicking (47), passing efficiency, passing yards (1,175), passing yards per game (167.9), passing completion percentage (54.5), passing yards per attempt (6.7), pass completions (96), passing touchdowns (6) and passing first downs (50).
So, who gets “credit” for that level of offensive success?
It seems there is plenty of blame to go around. Blocking on the offensive line has been abysmal. Blocking on screens and what seem like an endless barrage of unproductive sweep plays has been equally poor. And while quarterback Brock Vandagriff, an offseason transfer from Georgia, has not been terrible, he is hardly an electric playmaker.
Kentucky’s offensive line was consistently one of the nation’s best under former Wildcat and OL coach John Schlarman. The offensive line production has steadily declined under Eric Wolford in 2021, Zach Yenser in 2022-23 and Wolford again this season.
Wolford left Kentucky under questionable circumstances when he interviewed for the same job at Alabama while on a recruiting trip for UK. When he took the Alabama job it appeared he had done UK a favor by leaving under his own wind.
Offensive line production continued to decline the next two seasons under Yenser. When Yenser was released after the 2023 season, there was renewed hope for a floundering Kentucky offense.
Instead, for reasons that fail to make sense, Stoops went back to the well and rehired Wolford after Nick Saban retired. Aside from the obvious ethical concerns surrounding Wolford and how he came to be offered the Alabama job, offensive line production continued to slip to the point where UK now is dead last in the conference in nearly a dozen offensive categories and is in the bottom half of the league in most of the others.
With Wolford in charge of the Alabama offensive line last season, the Tide ranked 11th in the SEC in rushing offense, 10th in passing offense, eighth in total offense and eighth in first downs. Given the resources and personnel at Alabama, that hardly seems like a success.
Stoops was half right when claiming this team was the most talented during his UK tenure — this is likely the best defense he has fielded, however, it is clear the same cannot be said for the offense.
Kentucky has had success recruiting high school players and those in the transfer portal on defense, including several players on the current roster who likely will be future NFL draft picks. Kentucky is third in the SEC in passing yards allowed per game (178.9), fourth in rushing yards allowed per game (104.7) and fourth in total defense yards allowed per game (283.6).
When Stoops was hired to replace Joker Phillips after the 2012 season, Kentucky was at the bottom of the SEC standings. A dozen seasons later, Kentucky is in danger of finding itself in the same position, and that is not acceptable.
Stoops once was a darling of fans due to his teams’ on-field success and his ability to connect with fans. However, that relationship is close to being irreparably damaged. It remains to be seen whether UK will be able to recapture its former winning ways under Stoops in a time now dominated by NIL and the transfer portal coupled with a much more difficult schedule in an expanded SEC.
Stoops’ status at UK is protected by a lucrative buyout clause, but he still remains answerable for his team’s awful offensive performance and squandering the best defense at UK since Fran Curci’s 1977 squad.
Without some changes in the offseason to address these offensive woes, Stoops will lose the fanbase forever, and when that happens no coach can survive such a failed relationship. How he fixes things will be up to him.
21 Responses
Stoops has been thinking that he was the John Calipari of football. His two 10 win seasons and his $9 million salary had him pretty comfortable and that shows from last season and this one…a steady downward trend in effort and wins. With the sudden departure of The Fraud, Stoops may be looking for another landing place too.
Barnhart messed up when he gave Cal the lifetime contract and Stoops gets a extension for every bowl game even if we’re 6-6. I think he has 6 years or so left on his contract. That’s ridiculous. I would never give more than 3 years. He should also get a evaluation after every year. Our program is back at the bottom right were Stoops found it. Stoops first 5 years you could see we were getting better every year. The years 5-10 was his peek. He won 10 games twice and to a bowl every year. The last 3 years have been terrible to watch. We can never pass the ball. Even Levis second year when he was supposed to be at his best the line was horrible and he was getting killed. You have to protect your quarterback. I think Brock looks nervous because he is nervous. He’s been getting killed all year long. Another thing is its not going to change. It hasn’t in 7 games. We need a dual threat quarterback who can escape the pressure by rolling out and finding someone open. We even use pur tight ends to block and we still suck on the line. That’s were the problems start because that’s only 2 receivers going out for passes. Its hard to find a open receiver when you have 4 people in the secondary and only 2 people running routes. That’s double coverage. Then Brock forces a throw to Key. They have there best corner and best safety guarding him. Then Brock panics takes off running only making it to the original line of scrimmage. It pisses me off when he does get time. He either Telegraphs his pass or he holds onto the ball to long and either forces a bad pass or runs nowhere. We need a change at quarterback. Were already in a hole see if Gavin can do any better. What do you have to lose at this point? I think we would actually do better with someone who can run faster and get away from the defense. We put Gavin in and everyone knows he’s going to run the football. Its so stupid. He actually has made some good passes this year. Let him get a quarter of playing time and see what happens. I think he would do better than Brock he has 2 years experience of starting in the ACC. Yes its nowhere as good as the SEC, but he’s gotten better every year. Why not give him a chance. Its not like he’s never started a game like Brock.
Stoops days "There’s no crying on the yacht. "
Says
U are 100%
Correct
Stoops needs to be fired yesterday
USC, VANDERBILT,UF
could have been wins. All Stoops does is argue,fuss,cuss refs,players and assistants
I like the premise of this article: will Stoops make changes to save the fanbase. But, then the article fails to deliver. What changes are you suggesting? Does the author posit that Stoops will make the changes?
The only thing that Stoops can do to keep the fan base is to tender his resignation EOY.
Stoops is going nowhere soon, to much money owed him. I agree with the suggestion that UK should insert another QB to get him experience; maybe even young Boley. This season is a bust. I will be surprised if this team wins another game. I believe there are problems in the locker room we don’t know about because this bunch has folded. Play UGA like they did and then look so sorry against USC, Vandy, and UF. The head coach never can seem to get a team prepared for a must win game. A blind hog will find a acorn every now and then, i.e. the Ole Miss win. Prove me wrong team. On On UK!!!!!
I agree that there is a problem in the locker room. They ain’t buying what stoops is selling.
I think they don’t care anymore. Stoops don’t care any more.
The only ones that still care are the unbelievable, long suffering fans that come to the games no matter what.
They’re unbelievable.
The Grand Canyon now stands between UK staff & players. It also separates some of the discontent players.
The major collapse BEGAN when Stoops lost Coen after the10-win season & he hired the OC with “complex schemes” & UK is still slipping downward! Stoops should have stepped in as soon as the OC began to tamper with a successful offense. But he does not know enough about offense to do anything helpful, just enough to run off every OC.
UK FB is over, The locker room is filled with some discontent players and it has infected both sides of the ball.
Yeah. There is a lot of evidence on the field that the locker room is in disarray. Anyone who has any football experience can see it.
I have my doubts , but if he can run the table – alls forgiven.
If not, he’s still there next year, so don’t scare off recruits with a lot of negativity. You can buy a great deal of recruits with a $50M buy out.
If he runs the table then somebody will want him and I think he’ll leave Lexington.
Even if UK spends mega-millions & brings in recruits at the Nick Saban level, the best Stoops could do with his HC ability & many questionable staff is:
Record in 8 years:
⬇️ Bowl Chance
6-6 – 1 yr 70/30
7-5 – 2 yr 70/30
8-4 – 3 yr 50/50
9-3 – 1 yr 40/60
10-2 – 1 yr 25/75
Stoops is finished.
He TRIED to leave UK !!!
He is not a real HC, just a DC
Top talent would quit going to UK after couple of flops
Little Baron I have been saying this same thing since he got here. First, I thought maybe he’d grow into a head coach. Everyone has a first HC job and there is a learning curve. He’s had 12 years and he is not a H.C. he is a D.C. Pure and simple. How he lost the locker room is beyond me but one thing is clear, he can not retain or attract O.C that will stay for any length of time. The track record of some of them he’s ground up speak for themselves. Frankly, to me we need to simplify and execute. That is our problem. Too complex of a system is more detrimental than anything. When Lynn Bowden was here, 5 million people watching on TV and live knew Bowden was going to run the football every play, or at least 90 percent of the time and there was not a damn thing they could do about it. When C-Rod and Snell were in there, everyone knew it was going up the middle and nothing they could do about it. It was execution at the line. We have none of that.
Bob, I like the concept to keep it simple. Excellent point & proven to work in the past! Maybe some of the players are not smart enough to do more than a few basic plays without missing an assignment.
It’s not a matter of being nice or being mean. Not a matter of how much one knows, although a certain level of knowledge is needed.
Many managers, directors and lead persons are not effective because they were promoted 1 or more levels above their capacity to succeed. The Peter Principle rendered insight to me while in college and bosses over me, people under me and peers in other departments were easy to recognize – either they had or they did not. I worked for both types & learned how to manage by diligently observing & analyzing.
When a group of engineers from multiple areas (Chemical, Electrical, Civil, Mechanical, Industrial) were assigned to work for me on my 1st multi-million dollar project, as well as Architects & various sub-contractors, I was told by the most experienced ones that I was the toughest they had ever worked for but also the best – because I demanded high accurate performance/ design/ interaction/ etc but they always knew exactly what they were to do because I knew and made it clear.
Stoops is not qualified. Nice guy, tough guy, it does not matter. He will NEVER be a successful HC. He is one of the best DC’s in the country.
Since Stoops has stated many times that he hates dealing with NIL, our best chance for him to leave is that he has a desire to JUST coach and takes a DC position somewhere. This would allow him to just coach and enjoy his job once again. No school in a power conference is going to hire him as a HC. Stoops hire Wolford back as the OL coach may be the nail in his own coffin as a HC. Friends and family will cause your failure as a leader quicker than anything else. We see it everywhere where a person has been promoted way above their ability and we are seeing that with Stoops. I hope he proves me wrong, but I think he is just too sure of himself to see what actually needs to be done.
UK FB self-imposed the death penalty when Barnie once again gave away a lottery ticket worth $9 Million/year as long as Stoops is still kicking.
How many folks will walk away from $9 Million even when their inability to be HC is fully exposed game after game. Stoops won’t leave and no sane AD would hire him.
I wish we were recruiting as had been done by everyone. It sounds like these kid are so good we’ve got to be better. BUT!!! These are kids who weren’t happy where they were and for what ever reason now they’re getting paid…..and its not incentive pay. Looks like there could be a lot of "fat and lazy", they don’t have to work for their pay.
Something is wrong with this system. I would rather we didn’t take these kids….work on recruitment. Those kids bring dreams with them. They bring determination to work to reach their goals at the place that wanted them. What happens….loyalty to team. A good work ethic. A determination to succeed at the place that has given them a place.
With the problems we’re having it looks like these issues are problems for our team
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