Hello everyone. Hope your Monday is off to a good start. We’ll have UK head coach Mark Stoops meeting with us today at Noon ET to review the Chattanooga game and preview this week’s matchup with South Carolina. The Cats are hitting the road for the first time this season and coming off a shaky performance, so it should be interesting. Stay tuned for the latest news and notes…
MARK STOOPS Q&A:
* Stoops says there were quite a few good things on film from Saturday, “believe it or not.” Obviously a lot of stuff to clean up, but the main thing he kept coming back to is the units not complementing each other. O started fast, and D wasn’t ready to go. D would get several stops in a row, and O would not match. Stuff like that. A much closer game than they wanted, but also one that a lot of teams wind up losing.
* South Carolina should be a fun game in a great environment, Stoops says. Beamer has Gamecocks playing with a lot of energy.
* On Coen’s comments about going into the game thinking they could just work on throwing the ball, Stoops says a lot of that still could have worked. They were close to being 10/10 at one point in the “quick game” passing attack. But the defense didn’t allow the offense to do much of anything in the second half. Only 20 plays run.
* Asked if he sees a theme from the mistakes being made over the first three weeks, Stoops doesn’t believe so.
* On lack of sacks… If you watch film, they’re getting the ball out really fast. Credited the defensive pressure for getting the game-clinching INT. “Glad we didn’t have a sack there.”
* LB Jordan Wright is expected to be back this week, Stoops said.
* Asked about Coen saying he sucked, Stoops jokes that he’s got to get on Liam about being that open with us because sooner or later we’ll use those words against him and throw him under the bus. Halfway joking, at least. Stoops says it’s just the nature of the team/media dynamic. They try to be open and honest as possible, but sometimes you have to be careful.
* As a defensive guy, Stoops says he looks at some of the stuff that Coen’s doing and saying, “Wow, that’s really good.” Even though it wasn’t always executed on Saturday, some really good design.
* On playing in front of a truly hostile crowd for the first time in a long time, Stoops said you have to be ready to get back up if you get hit in the chin early. That has obviously happened before at SC.
* Asked if he sees any comparisons to what Beamer is doing now at SC and what his dad did at VaTech, Stoops says he’s sure there are some similarities from growing up around him, but a lot of what he’s doing is being his own person.
* Asked if Eric Wolford’s knowledge of the SC personnel could give them a bit of an edge, Stoops shrugs it off. “Very little. Different team, different mentality.”
* On prep for QBs, two guys, Stoops says they’re pretty balanced no matter who is in there. Similar to UK’s offense in some ways. Some difference-makers at wide receiver. Good backs.
* Great design by Coen on the TD to Cummings and beautifully executed, Stoops said. Cummings is definitely coming on and becoming a bigger factor.
* JJ Weaver is probably carrying more of the load than Stoops anticipated going into the season. May need to back up a touch and be careful with how much is on him. Want to make sure he has his legs in critical moments.
* On fielding punts… Lost some yardage on those. Had a penalty cost them yards, too. “Overall, some things to clean up in that area.” Wan’Dale has to realize that, even if they’re not going for a big return, he still has to field it and not lose a lot of yards on those.
* SC front 7 is impressive, Stoops said. Good challenge for UK O-Line this week. “Definitely, we have to be better.”
* Asked about Mike Edwards with two Pick 6s yesterday, Stoops said he heard it in the office while he was working. Someone said Mike had a Pick 6. Then a bit later, someone said, hey, Mike had a Pick 6. Stoops said, yeah I already heard that. (Laughs) But it was another one.
* On Flax getting more snaps at LT… Flax has been doing well, and Rosenthal needs to be better, Stoops said. They think it might be better over the course of a long season “against some big dudes” that they get a little more of a breather from time to time.
* On White saying the D needs to start faster, Stoops said sometimes that’s on the coach to change some things up and get them attacking faster. “There’s a variety of things we can get fixed.”
* Roster management is something of a challenge between the transfer portal and freshmen, Stoops said. But if a guy is good enough to help them, his philosophy is unchanged. They’ll play. But he’s not going to coddle a guy who isn’t good enough to play because he’s worried about the portal.
UPDATED UK DEPTH CHART:
MARK STOOPS Q&A:
* Stoops says there were quite a few good things on film from Saturday, “believe it or not.” Obviously a lot of stuff to clean up, but the main thing he kept coming back to is the units not complementing each other. O started fast, and D wasn’t ready to go. D would get several stops in a row, and O would not match. Stuff like that. A much closer game than they wanted, but also one that a lot of teams wind up losing.
* South Carolina should be a fun game in a great environment, Stoops says. Beamer has Gamecocks playing with a lot of energy.
* On Coen’s comments about going into the game thinking they could just work on throwing the ball, Stoops says a lot of that still could have worked. They were close to being 10/10 at one point in the “quick game” passing attack. But the defense didn’t allow the offense to do much of anything in the second half. Only 20 plays run.
* Asked if he sees a theme from the mistakes being made over the first three weeks, Stoops doesn’t believe so.
* On lack of sacks… If you watch film, they’re getting the ball out really fast. Credited the defensive pressure for getting the game-clinching INT. “Glad we didn’t have a sack there.”
* LB Jordan Wright is expected to be back this week, Stoops said.
* Asked about Coen saying he sucked, Stoops jokes that he’s got to get on Liam about being that open with us because sooner or later we’ll use those words against him and throw him under the bus. Halfway joking, at least. Stoops says it’s just the nature of the team/media dynamic. They try to be open and honest as possible, but sometimes you have to be careful.
* As a defensive guy, Stoops says he looks at some of the stuff that Coen’s doing and saying, “Wow, that’s really good.” Even though it wasn’t always executed on Saturday, some really good design.
* On playing in front of a truly hostile crowd for the first time in a long time, Stoops said you have to be ready to get back up if you get hit in the chin early. That has obviously happened before at SC.
* Asked if he sees any comparisons to what Beamer is doing now at SC and what his dad did at VaTech, Stoops says he’s sure there are some similarities from growing up around him, but a lot of what he’s doing is being his own person.
* Asked if Eric Wolford’s knowledge of the SC personnel could give them a bit of an edge, Stoops shrugs it off. “Very little. Different team, different mentality.”
* On prep for QBs, two guys, Stoops says they’re pretty balanced no matter who is in there. Similar to UK’s offense in some ways. Some difference-makers at wide receiver. Good backs.
* Great design by Coen on the TD to Cummings and beautifully executed, Stoops said. Cummings is definitely coming on and becoming a bigger factor.
* JJ Weaver is probably carrying more of the load than Stoops anticipated going into the season. May need to back up a touch and be careful with how much is on him. Want to make sure he has his legs in critical moments.
* On fielding punts… Lost some yardage on those. Had a penalty cost them yards, too. “Overall, some things to clean up in that area.” Wan’Dale has to realize that, even if they’re not going for a big return, he still has to field it and not lose a lot of yards on those.
* SC front 7 is impressive, Stoops said. Good challenge for UK O-Line this week. “Definitely, we have to be better.”
* Asked about Mike Edwards with two Pick 6s yesterday, Stoops said he heard it in the office while he was working. Someone said Mike had a Pick 6. Then a bit later, someone said, hey, Mike had a Pick 6. Stoops said, yeah I already heard that. (Laughs) But it was another one.
* On Flax getting more snaps at LT… Flax has been doing well, and Rosenthal needs to be better, Stoops said. They think it might be better over the course of a long season “against some big dudes” that they get a little more of a breather from time to time.
* On White saying the D needs to start faster, Stoops said sometimes that’s on the coach to change some things up and get them attacking faster. “There’s a variety of things we can get fixed.”
* Roster management is something of a challenge between the transfer portal and freshmen, Stoops said. But if a guy is good enough to help them, his philosophy is unchanged. They’ll play. But he’s not going to coddle a guy who isn’t good enough to play because he’s worried about the portal.
UPDATED UK DEPTH CHART:
