Mark Stoops (Vicky Graff Photo)
By KEITH TAYLOR, Kentucky Today
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops isn’t taking winless Eastern Michigan lightly.
“Eastern is a team like all the MAC teams,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “I always say that, I always feel like they are very well-coached. They know who they are. They know what they want to be — you have to beat them.”
The Eagles (0-2) played the Wildcats close in the previous two games between the two teams. Kentucky edged Eastern Michigan 24-20 in 2017, followed by a 28-17 victory two years later in 2019.
In its first two games this season, the Eagles have suffered setbacks to Texas State and Long Island, while Kentucky carries a 1-1 mark into the contest and is coming off a 30-23 loss to Ole Miss in its Southeastern Conference opener.
Kentucky has won eight straight games against MAC foes, including a 24-17 triumph over Toledo in its season opener two weeks ago.
“We played them in 2017 and ’19, and they’ve had some big-name quarterbacks, but we played them and they had Benny Snell,” Eastern Michigan coach Chris Creighton said earlier this week. “It looks like they’re getting back to what they started (with running the football) or maybe built their program by running the football.
“It’s going to be a huge task. We’re gonna do everything we can to stop and limit their run game, but they’re really good at it.”
It has been the team’s running game, anchored by Seth McGowan and Dante Dowdell, both transfers, that has carried the team’s offense in the first two games. The Wildcats are averaging xxx rushing yards per game going into the final game of a three-game homestand to open the season.
“The backs are very talented,” Stoops said. “I think we’re getting some movement. Again, you play Ole Miss, you know they’re going to be disruptive at times.
“I think we just have to keep on cleaning up the areas where we can. There were some things that just the way we target things, the way we pull, we missed some things as well. But we’ll keep on building on it.”
Backup quarterback Cutter Boley could see considerable playing time against the Eagles, and the contest could give Stoops a chance to delve deep into the bench.
“I just want to play good football, no matter who’s in there,” Stoops said.:I want to play better and want to improve. We want to continue to work to make us the best team we can be.”
LEMASTER RETURNS
Former Kentucky tight end Tanner Lemaster will be making a return to Lexington. LeMaster is currently a redshirt sophomore at Eastern Michigan.
“It’s obviously exciting,” Lemaster said this week. “I spent a lot of time there, a lot of time with that program, but at the end of the day, I’m not there anymore, I’m here.
“We’re off to a rough start, and we’re worried about getting better. It’s going to be cool, exciting, it’s going to be fun going back to Kroger Field, but at the end of the day, we just gotta be dialed in on what we’re doing here.”
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Gametracker: Eastern Michigan at Kentucky, 7:30 p.m., Saturday. TV/Radio: ESPNU and UK Radio Network. Coverage: www.kentuckytoday.com
8 Responses
Stoops shouldn't take any team for granted. Ever.
I have always marveled at the number of times a UK football team took an opponent lightly.
Given the history, no UK team, coach, or player should ever take any opponent lightly.
The statements from Stoops are nothing but pablum.
There appears to be a national and SEC consensus that UK may be the only team that hasn't improved themselves from last year. This is the current house that Stoop's has built and hopefully it ushers him and Hamdan out the door sooner rather than later.
This should be a game to work on the plays and get everyone comfortable at there positions. The second string should play every other series. Our second string should be just as good as there first string. If it isn't we will have major problems all season. This team got beat by basically a division 2 team. Eastern Michigan is the second worst team on our schedule maybe the worst team on the schedule. I don't know who is considered better between Tennessee tech and Eastern Michigan. These are two games to get our freshman class from last year plenty of playing time. We have to get the 2024 class to lead next year. Stoops does a terrible job at getting guys ready. I look for 2024 recruit Steven Soles to get a sack. Our secondary will get a couple of ints. We had one the first game and two the second game. We should get at least one maybe two. This QB has a lot of experience that we are facing so he could make some noise early in the game. I look for both of our running backs Dowdell and McGowan to go for over 100 yards this will be the worst rush defense we will face all season. They are giving up almost 8 yards per carry. We should be able to get at least 5-6 yards up the middle. Another thing our offensive line should continue to dominate.
Eastern Michigan was just what the doctor ordered for Kentucky's football team. Boley had a decent day passing and the run game was strong too. Now, how much of this will carry over to the Georgia game next Saturday? Kentucky seriously needs to consider becoming an independent in football where they can schedule teams that are on their own level. From this point forward, Kentucky will never win an SEC championship with Stoops as its coach. For the money we are paying him, we deserve so much better than that.
Regardless who coach is UK won't win SEC anyways. I've always thought we belong to another conference. But money is too much to passed by leaving SEC in football.
If you strive to be the best, you must be able to beat the best.
If you don't strive to be the best, then why are you engaged in college football in the SEC?
If you don't strive to be the best, then why should I be interested in what you offer to fans?
UK is in the best conference, strongest conference ever assembled. To compete, you must be upper echelon of college football. To win, you must be one of the best in college football, if not the absolute best team.
UK has had no desire in my lifetime to be the best, or even competitive in the SEC. I had hoped that loser take the money and run attitude had ended 14 years ago when UKAA hired Stoops and appeared to make substantial commitments to make the football program competitive in the SEC.
That committment, if it ever was genuine, IS GONE!!!!
Professor, Back when SEC was not as strong the football program struggle to compete with the big dogs as well and it's no different today.