Coach Mark Stoops expects Kentucky to make significant strides from the first week to the Southeastern Conference opener against Ole Miss on Saturday
Coach Mark Stoops expects Kentucky to make significant strides from the first week to the Southeastern Conference opener against Ole Miss on Saturday at Kroger Field.
The Wildcats (1-0) opened with a 24-16 win over Toledo, and Stoops liked the way his squad performed in the trenches, especially on the offensive line. Kentucky rushed for 220 yards and committed just one penalty in the first four quarters of the season. Kentucky also didn’t surrender a sack.
“They were awesome,” Kentucky quarterback Zach Calzada said. “The offensive line was great. They have done a great job all off-season, all summer, and we ran the ball really well because of them.”
In his debut, Calzada threw for 85 yards and completed 10 of 23 attempts. Calzada threw five deep passes and failed to connect on any of them, but Stoops said the wide receivers were within reach of those missed passes.
“He put the ball in some places that we need to convert,” he said. “And then there were some that he missed … there’s a lot that he can improve on, but a lot around him as well. We’ll get it fixed. … We know we need to create some explosive plays.”
Despite the struggles in the opener, Stoops is sticking with Calzada, giving him a chance to prove he can lead the Wildcats to more victories.
“We still have a lot of confidence in Zach, and we have confidence in Cutter (Boley) in there,” Stoops said. “It would have been premature to pull the plug (in the first game). I really believe Zach’s going to do very well.”
In addition to the passing game, Stoops would like to see the Wildcats protect the football better than they did against the Rockets. Kentucky had two fumbles, with one lost and one interception. Stoops is confident they will make the necessary improvement.
“Ball security is an issue we’ve got to improve on,” Stoops said. “…I think there are many different reasons why you can make a big jump. I also believe in this team — the way they take coaching, in the way they take criticism, look at and try to get their mistakes corrected. I have no reason to believe that our team won’t handle it that way.”
Ole Miss opened with a 63-7 victory over Georgia State on Saturday. The Rebels will be coming to Lexington looking for revenge after losing to UK last season, a defeat that may well have kept them out of the College Football Playoff.
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Gametracker: Ole Miss at Kentucky, 3:30 p.m., Saturday. TV/Radio: ABC, UK Radio Network. Coverage: www.kentuckytoday.com
5 Responses
It doesn't get easier on Saturday. Stoops keeps thinking he can resurrect quarterbacks who could not make it at other SEC stops. Stoops is not a quarterback "whisperer" as has been evidenced by the last 3 portal quarterbacks who have come to Kentucky. LOTS OF TALK, but very little production. Maybe Stoops is the problem…
It makes no sense to have not used Boley in the Toledo game. None at all from any perspective. Giving Boley a series or two was nothing but gain for UK. I know Stoops never gives another QB a chance, but that is why when #1 gets hurt, he has no where to turn that allows for any hope.
How can someone be either that totally ignorant or hard headed, when he has seen it over and over?? How many years has the season ended and then the fans find out the QB was hurt early in the year, but because of Stoops, the QB never got a chance to heal and the backup never got game experience?
Mark Stoop reached his ceiling just prior to the NIL madness and the game has passed him by in the slow lane. You can see it, I can see it and Barnhard can see it and we can hear it in the way Stoops speaks and approaches the game. But coach Stoops ego won't let him see it. Football is no longer managed and played the way you learned to coach.
You hit the nail on the head. Stoops coaches the way he was taught. Which was ok until about the 2020s and after covid these players have become softer than ever before. You have to have a Mark Pope like coach. A coach that doesn't blow a head gasket over anything and everything that happens. The one play Ive watched a couple of times. JJ Hester makes a great catch and it will be a 50/50 call by the refs. Instead of lining up real fast and handing off the ball. What does Stoops do? Scream from the sideline were the whole team looks at him and it gives the refs just enough time to blow the whistle for a review. Yes it's good to get the call right, but if your a winner you have to try to win any way you can especially with this Kentucky team. We went from making a 40 yard reception which would have been a huge spark of motivation. To 4th down and punt the football. Stoops is also terrible at engaging with his players. It's like he only knows them from practice or something it's a weird relationship. You have to get closer than ever with the players. Having all this new money to spend. They are going to make a lot of bad decisions. He has to be there to help guide them which he will never do. That's why I love Sumrall and think he will be one of the best coaches in college football in about 3-4 more years. We need to get him while we still can. This needs to be Stoops last year regardless. This is like his last ride. He needs to have fun and make a music bowl or a 6-6 bowl and leave and say he left Kentucky much better than he found Kentucky and that would be a true statement. Now if Sumrall can get the 2024 and 2025 classes to stick around and get some plug and play transfers to buy a year we could be a playoff team in year 2 with Sumrall. Maybe start out like Brohm did with Louisville and win 9-10 games. I do believe Sumrall connects much better with the players and he knows how to motivate them to get the best version of that player. Something Stoops lacks. You don't think it pissed Wilcox off to be the leading rusher last year. You would expect with a year in the weight room and training he would improve on last year's performance and be a 1,000 yard rusher. Nope Stoops recruits 2 running backs over him. Then puts Patterson even ahead of him. It's like Stoops wants to win his way or no way.
On August 20th Wilcox was allegedly the leading rusher in a woman's bedroom without consent and has domestic violence charges against him.