What way will Kentucky go at Missouri after bad beat at Tennessee

Offensive line coach Zach Yenser and his players have to play better for Kentucky to be able to win at Missouri. (Vicky Graff Photo)

Mark Stoops says the Southeastern Conference has some “elite” teams in both the Eastern and Western Divisions. Then there are other teams “fighting” for respect and a chance to move up.

Kentucky has been one of those teams. So is Missouri, the team Kentucky plays Saturday.

“I give Coach Drink (Eli Drinkwitz) a lot of credit, because they had a brutal loss a few games back, with the Auburn game, where they were essentially an inch from winning the game. The team could’ve went any which way, and they turn around and play an incredible game, play Georgia as good as anybody has played them and had a tough loss, and go to Florida and play incredibly well,” Stoops said.

“You could take a few plays out of that one and they can win. Then they beat Vandy and beat South Carolina. They are playing extremely hard. He got those guys regrouped, and they could very easily be 5-3 just like us, and right in the middle of the pack with the rest of the SEC, so this is obviously a big game for us to not let one (loss) turn into two.”

Kentucky got clobbered 44-6 at Tennessee last week when it was inept offensively. Stoops said Missouri recovered from its bad beat to play winning football again and now his team has to do that.

“Much like us, after a tough loss or bad beats, you can go either way, and they’ve responded the right way and I expect our team to do the same,” Stoops said.

However, Stoops knows it won’t be easy, especially knowing how close Missouri came to beating No. 1 Georgia in Columbia — and with UK’s track record of not playing great at Missouri.

The Tigers have a playmaker in receiver Dominic Lovett.

“I see a very good player, just a sophomore and making plays, and explosive. I think they do a nice job of being creative of finding ways to make sure they’re going to get their touches,” Stoops said. “So, you could see him and Luther Burden continuing to be guys that are playmakers.”

Stoops said Missouri quarterback Brady Cook is also improving each game, another reason the Tigers continue to improve and are just a 2-point underdog against UK.
 
“I think Eli (Drinkwitz) and their staff does a nice job of kind of doing what they do, but they give you a lot to look at — a lot of eye candy and different things, and then they execute. It’s a very evenly matched game,” Stoops said.

“You sit there and look at them defensively and us, we’re neck and neck, offensively we both are dead (even) the same, 23, basically 24 points a game. It’s definitely a game that is important to both of us.”