Transcript of what Mark Stoops said Wednesday on the Paul Finebaum show
Miss Mark Stoops' appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show on Wednesday?
Here's a full transcript of everything Kentucky's coach and the television/radio personality said.
Paul Finebaum: I'm sure this is the first time you've heard this but what a difference a year makes. Last year you guys were struggling along and this year, I'm not saying it's perfect yet but 2-0 sounds pretty good.
Mark Stoops: Definitely Paul, much better. We're off to a better start. There's still many areas that we need to improve on but the nice thing, it's nice to go to work and improve after victories. We're looking forward to another great week and excited about this week's challenge.
Finebaum: So far what have you learned, I know you're the head coach but I'm sure every day's a learning experience, what have you learned about this football team?
Stoops: Well I think this is a, I really like this team. They like to go to work. They like to take the medicine, so to speak. They love being coached. They want to be better. They've got a great attitude. We've got to quit making self-induced mistakes. You know, we're just shooting ourselves in the foot too many times and we're looking to get some of those things corrected.
Finebaum: Let's talk a little bit about this trip because South Carolina has been a very surprising team. They've been underdogs in two games, they've won both. They have a great quarterback and they have one of the most exciting players in the country in Deebo Samuel. So what do you see?
Stoops: Yeah, just like you're talking about. The quarterback is getting better with every opportunity. He's just a true sophomore and really is mature beyond his years. He really looks very poised out there. He's very good at creating plays. He's very good in the pocket. He's got a big arm. And of course Deebo, he's dangerous. You have to know where he's at every time he's in the game. And, you know, it's hard just to give him all your attention because they have quality receivers on the other side as well. Very dynamic team offensively. Defensively, just getting better with every game just like you would expect with Will coaching them. So, very good football team. We'll have our hands full. It will be a great atmosphere down there and we'll have to play a good football team.
Finebaum: Not asking for inside information but do you kick to Deebo? I mean, it hasn't worked out too well so far for the opposition.
Stoops: No, it hasn't worked too well. I'm going to have to keep them guessing on that one, Paul. I can't give away that info. But, let's put it this way. We're very aware of what he's done.
RELATED: TV slots, tip times set for most Kentucky basketball games
Finebaum: (laughing) I didn't think you were unaware, I just wanted to bring that up.
Stoops: I got you.
Finebaum: Not to harp on the difference between last year. You had a really close loss and a tough game in the second, but what does winning do to the young players in terms of confidence and where they feel differently about themselves.
Stoops: Well it is so much different in so many ways. You know, sometimes the difference isn't as big as everybody thinks it is. Because we were very close in some cases. But where it's so different, I think, (is) in the coaching part of it. It's much easier on us, I think, to come in and be very hard and very critical on the team and on the players after a victory. After a very difficult loss you've got to get the team back right and get 'em confident and get 'em playing and that's a very fine line and that was the challenge a year ago. I was very proud of the way our team finished the season and the way we did block out the noise and just concentrate on ourselves and get better. This year, our team knows that. They know we're far from a finished product. They know we have a lot of work to do and it's nice doing that after a victory. So as a coach it's easy to lean on them, to be critical and push them because they realize there's a lot of things out there that we need to clean up and we have to work on to become the team we want to be.
Finebaum: Talking to coach Stoops here about this weekend's game in Columbia. I'm interested in your feeling about the quarterback play so far because that was a hotly debated, not with people like you, but among fans before the season.
Stoops: Yeah, I've been pleased with the way we're playing. Stephen (Johnson) is the same as he's always been. Very steady. He's going to make football plays. Sure, he misses plays here and there like most guys do. But he's very steady, very calming, he's making plays. He's putting us in a position to win every game we play. And, you know, in the first game he missed a couple of easy throws. It was game one. There were some critical third downs. Just a couple of throws, he missed. And I think he improved in that area in game two. When we gave him time in the pocket and we had good protection he threw the ball very well in game two. We gave the opportunity to Drew (Barker) to play a couple of snaps and it takes 11 guys. I was very disappointed, we got off to a penalty with each of his possessions. And he didn't have great possessions but it was good to get him in there, get his feet wet, get his confidence back. He's been doing very good in practice and I'm sure the next time he plays in a game he'll play even better.
Finebaum: I want to close by asking about, I always apologize for asking about your brother, but I was watching him and I don't know where you were Saturday night, but that was just pure joy watching Bob Stoops celebrate that victory.
Stoops: It really was. If you know anything about him, that's just vintage him. He couldn't be more proud of that team and wants them to win every game and he's still a big part of it, but I was tuned in. We had the early game. It was nice. I was on my couch watching it with some family and we were rooting the same way. It was a big victory for the Sooners. We were very proud of Mike and the way his defense played and hopefully they'll have a great year. But yeah, Bob seems to be very comfortable. He's enjoying what he's doing. Seems like he's had no regrets and he's always there pulling for the Sooners, that's for sure.
Finebaum: It's interesting because games are played at different times every week and when you have that type of time, is it relaxing, I realize this is a tough job, but when you're able to get home do you flip around on those nights when you play early?
Stoops: Yeah, definitely. It's a double edged sword. Sometimes you love the night games because of the atmospheres and the crowds and all those things, and sometimes it's nice to, for us, when we play the night game like this week we're on the road at South Carolina, I don't know what we'll get home (at), 2 or 3 in the morning, and then you're right back to work Sunday morning. So, when you play a home game and you play early and you get a half day off you feel like you're stealing a day there. So it is good to go home and watch somebody else sweat a little bit and put some stress on somebody else especially after a victory. But those days are few and far between. But it was certainly a great day Saturday. I think all three of the brothers won. Youngstown State won, we won and of course Oklahoma capped it off with a big victory Saturday night. So momma Stoops was pretty happy Saturday.
Finebaum: I guess it's probably a pretty safe assumption that you flipped over and watched South Carolina-Missouri.
Stoops: Absolutely. Yeah, we had a lot of TV's going on. We were watching a bunch of games Saturday night.
Finebaum: Well congratulations to you and your entire family and we'll be certainly watching Saturday night. Coach, many, many thanks.
