Vicky Graff Photo
Preseason practices are not supposed to be fun.
Normally the weather is a lot warmer and more humid than it has been in recent days but even with “cooler” temperatures coaches still push players to get them ready for the upcoming season.
Kentucky football has no margin for error. The opening game Aug. 30 against Toledo, the favorite to win the Mid-America Conference, is no gimme and Kentucky is only a 10-point favorite.
ESPN has already put UK on “upset alert” because Toledo is 73-40 since 2016 — the last time UK lost a home game to a non-conference team — with two MAC titles and three bowl victories.
“We’ve got a big game in week one,” Stoops said. “I’m not just saying that and it’s not coach speak. I think you all could recognize that [Toledo] is a team that’s been picked to win the MAC and is a very, very mature football team and well coached. So that’s going to be a big game and that’ll get us prepared. We have to be prepared for week one.”
Offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan didn’t sugar coat what the players are facing daily in their second week of practice.
“We’re asking them to embrace the suffering because you need to. As it gets hot out here, as the practices stack on top of days, as the bodies get worn down, it’s no different than what it’s going to feel like in the middle of the year, in the middle of the season,” Hamdan said.
“It’s a daily mental battle. Guys are pushing through and we’re happy about where they’re at.”
Kentucky players didn’t push through a lot during last year’s 4-8 season, especially the second half of the season. Stoops knows that cannot happen again.
“If you want to be great, you gotta suffer,” offensive guard Jalen Farmer told the media after Tuesday’s practice.
3 Responses
It's time move on and don't looked back what happen last year. Got a chance to prove the critics wrong this season as the opener is near.
No pain no gain
Work work work!