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Kentucky could reach bowl eligibility and even its record at 6-6 with a win at Louisville Saturday.
What a would win over the Cardinals, who are a slight favorite despite a three-game losing streak mean to Kentucky?
“It definitely helps. I said that a week ago (before UK lost 45-17 at Vanderbilt), and unfortunately, we didn’t play very good and lost, but you know it is important,” said Kentucky coach Mark Stoops. “The players work really hard, they want to get the results that they want. This is a rivalry game, so it’s important.”
Kentucky has had too much practice the last two seasons bouncing back from losses. The Cats are 9-14 over the last two years, including a beatdown from Louisville to end a 4-8 season in 2024.
Stoops has no doubt his team will bounce back in the rivalry game.
“We have done that, right? Again you play some really good football teams and you’re going to have some bad days. The Georgia game, and we respond – play well at Texas, come up short but play our tails off,” Stoops said. “The Tennessee game I mentioned how bad we felt that day, and bounced back and played very good the next week at Auburn, put everything into it.
“That’s what’s important to me, that the team responds. They prepare. We as a staff give them the best plan, and then you go give it everything you have, and the results are the results. But it means as much to me with how we do it, how we prepare, and, what the players are doing, and they’ve done things the right way in that department. Does that make sense?
“We want to play better. We want the results to be there, and we need them to be. But how we handle our business is super important.”
While last year’s team did seem to quit on Stoops the second half of the season, that has not happened this year and Stoops does not expect effort to be an issue against Louisville.
“I wish we would have played better (at Vandy). There is no silver lining. I know this team is going to do that. They are going to fight and they are going to try. There was no giving up in that situation. Again, I give a lot of credit to Vandy, they beat us and took things away,” Stoops said.
“But our team has a lot of resiliency and they care and they will respond the right way. I trust that.”
11 Responses
2023 Cats 38 -31 #15 dirty birds
2022 Cats 26-13
2021 Cats 52-21
2020 no game
2019 Cats 45-13
2018 Cats 56-10
Larry done said it was a beat down. What he failed to mention is all the beat downs the Cats gave Louisville as of late. He just wanted to mention last year. It's going to be a pleasure to hear everyone on here whine like a little girl who didn't get a puppy for Christmas all next year when Stoops is still coach.
How about 2024?
We flushed 2024
I have stated on this page before that KY just cannot compete with the rest of the SEC financially. We don't have enough car dealerships! 🙂 Bargen hunting at the JUCO level may be the only strategy left to get players who have been overlooked, need another chance or need a bigger family. In other words hungry players. Take the KY kids that can make the grade and want to play for KY regardless of the money but beyond that, go shopping for players that look good on tape and want a chance to compete at a higher level. At the very least you will get desire and heart; something we seem to be missing out on of late.
No they cannot RJohn
Whats crazy about this game is Kentucky is very thin at defense. Louisville on the other hand is very thin on offense. Louisville actually has a solid defense, but when your offense can't move the ball and give your defense a rest eventually the dam breaks. Our offense needs to have it's best game of the year. Not just to beat Louisville but to prove that they have actually turned a corner. When I look up and down Louisvilles schedule It puzzles me that what is considered a good team and a playoff team just a couple of weeks ago. That team has quit on Brohm. They were 7-1. Lost to California in overtime and then lost to a Clemson team that isn't like the usual Clemson teams they are also on a down year. After the Cali game the team basically quit on Brohm. There best Receiver Bell isn't playing not because hes hurt but because he has been told he's a first round or second round draft pick. Once a player hears that towards the end of the year there season is over. Then another receiver who's third or fourth on the team in yards is also hurt. They have 3 running backs on the roster. All 3 are hurt. I think Moss seen the writing on the wall and faked a injury before SMU. Both Brohm and Moss have lost the locker room. We were 2-5 and Stoops didnt lose the locker room. Brohm was 7-2 and lost the locker room. It shows that our team has a closer bond than Louisvilles team. Louisville will have to hit the reset button for the third time in a row under Brohm. New QB New Rbs New Wrs new Offensive line. Everything will have to be replaced at the end of the year. We should get most of our offense and defense back besides the seniors and guys who didnt play much. With Cutter coming back and being someone who could have went anywhere with blank check. It shows he is committed to making Kentucky a playoff contender. As long as our young weapons come back we will be great.
I did not realize the Cats did not quit against TN or Vandy. Can’t imagine the score if any players quit.
The PLAYERS have risen to the occasion to beat UL 6 years in a row. That was before Stoops hired an inept OC who corrode the years of fight vs UL with the lack of player development, lack of plays and absolute lack of play-calling ability.
2025 – can the players overcome the lame excuse for play-calling?
We shall see. This year UK has a QB who has overcome the adversity that comes with bad play-calling.
Imagine how well UK would start the game of the regular “trance-talk” before the game was stopped due to a 1/2 hour of laryngitis!
The team dosn't quit…Stoops coaches not to lose and often does as a result.
We are getting drummed to a down and depleted Louisville team. A rival a acc team. With all there playmakers hurt. They have a wide receiver playing running back and still gashing us. Stoops look defeated before the game started. He's hoping Cutter Boley saves his job but what's scary is we are losing our whole offensive line. Which might be a good thing but a bad thing for having to start over on the line every year. Burton and Wollshlaeger both suck very bad. Between the two of them they alone have allowed 5 sacks to Louisville. Our whole team look defeated before we even played
Everyone looks like they are barely running. This is what happens when you get paid to lose .
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