Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops addressed the media after the Wildcats' 31-0 win over Southern Miss on Saturday night at Kroger Field.
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KENTUCKY FOOTBALL POSTGAME QUOTES
KENTUCKY VS. SOUTHERN MISS
KROGER FIELD – LEXINGTON, KY.
AUGUST 31, 2024
UK Coach Mark Stoops
Mark Stoops: A very strange situation there. I've been here 12 years and never been through the delays like that. I was proud of our team. We had felt like that this could happen today. We talked about it all week and I talked with you about it and I talked with the team about being so excited for game one. And burning all of that energy too early. Whether it is pregame warm-up or waiting for the game to start. Lo' and behold we get here and what, two hour delay, is that what it was? Something like that. And the players handling that and coming out and playing relatively clean. We had to burn a timeout early with a substitution, you know, that's on us. Honestly, one of our players couldn't hear. It cuts out on what personnel we were trying to get in there. Overall, just pleased with the operation. I felt like offensively, I really liked the way we were getting balanced there in the second quarter. As we were getting more comfortable, I like seeing the run game start hitting. We made some really tough catches as well. You know, Brock, I thought did a super job managing the game. For a guy playing his first time starting like that in our stadium. I listened to coach Hamdan a lot and the way he coaches he does an excellent job with them but he talks to them about a couple of times a game you have to make plays with your legs. You have to make plays extending it and throwing the ball and you guys all watch football and you see it all the time. I thought he did an excellent job of making good decisions. Pulling the ball down and scrambling for tough yards and buying time in the pocket to throw it. And then throwing it on time and in rhythm as well. We hit some shots down the field as we were getting more plays. You guys also heard me talk a lot in the of-season about just getting plays, getting in a rhythm. I think you saw a glimpse of that today and we were certainly getting in good rhythm. Defense, we played pretty solid and I was frustrated giving up the second and long early in the game. That was frustrating. But they did a heck of a job getting the turnovers. You know, really played a couple of the situations really good. There is a lot to build from. It’s a start and what we play, two quarter's and five minutes or 10 minutes or whatever it was. A different situation but we will make the most of it. I'm proud of our guys and we got to get back to work and we got a league game next week so we got to get some sleep. It’s late for these guys getting out of here. They got to get home and try to get some sleep. I'm sure they're going to go right home and get to bed. I will open it up to questions.
Q: The running backs, you had Demie do his thing and then the rookie got in there and had a little balance there in that second quarter also?
Mark Stoops: You saw what I had been talking about. We felt very confident with Demie and Jason I thought showed his physicality and vision and Jamarion and can go and I think he is going to give us something this year. He needs to continue to push and grow and be reliable so we can trust him. And they have some talent.
Q: Mark, how important was it for you and the players to see most of the stadium packed for 2.5 hours?
Mark Stoops: I meant to open with that. Thank you. I'm going to redo my opening statement. I sincerely can't even begin to thank the fans for what they were like. To go out there two hours after we were supposed to and see them. Going nuts and cheering us on and rooting us. That was truly amazing. Just now as Mitch and I were walking down we were discussing that we didn't know what was going to transpire. We were just going to go down and communicate and get on the same page with them. A bunch of fans were still out there going that's and I said be easy, the game is not over. Just great appreciation for our fan base. I'm glad we played a pretty decent game, relatively clean. I know our guys played hard and they were excited to play for them and I felt like our team really did that, they played their hearts out. They were excited to play and I felt like we were relatively disciplined as well.
Q: The flexibility to keep playing the line. It's hard to simulate in practice since its not live contact . How much have you seen of that and how impressed are you?
Mark Stoops: It's a great point because you see it simulated and it's not live. There is a comfort level for them in practice because you know you're not getting someone from behind. I really want to see them – just go play today as well. Let's be honest, you’ve heard me say it and it is true until that quarterback goes to the other center and goes plays in that stadium and games, you don't know exactly what you have. He played like I thought he would. He's not perfect and none of our team is. I think there is a lot to build on that. We all know that the challenge is going to step up starting this week. I really like what I saw.
Q: [Question regarding Brock looking like Will Levis on some of his QB draws]
Mark Stoops: He did look like Will on a couple of those runs. He's tough and physical and he played about like I expected him to.
Q: Speaking of tough, – is a fast guy but he’s not the biggest. What does that say about him willing to take some shots?
Mark Stoops: Just him taking those shots and having tough yards on the perimeter. It is such an important part of the game now. You can see us getting threatening with the perimeter and hitting it inside and mixing it up. That is a big piece of it when a guy can run like him. You always have to be alert for that and I thought he was tough and showed maturity and he showed some toughness. He's grown up. Again, it's a great starting point for him.
Q: Something we haven't seen before but almost immediately. Even doing stuff -
Mark Stoops: Yeah, we are always messing with him on the sidelines. He’s right out there right now. I am going to go quick. You guys can ask them a couple of questions so they can get home more than anything. I was joking on the sidelines saying I didn't think you had that in him and I was telling you guys. He's a little more sudden than you think. Yeah, he's done some really good things. I think Jamora is another guy I’ve been telling you about in practice, in practice that I was talking about. When the lights come on and you see him in the stadium, he’s a guy that can some competitive plays, and he did.
Q: Mark, you guys had talked about the depth that is in there for the defensive line and fight through injuries. How impressed were you guys with the ability to get pressure and all of that stuff?
Mark Stoops: We feel good about our front. We have to continue to work and bring guys along and develop guys. You know, we want to continue to mix it up. With that, if we can continue to improve and tighten up some coverage it gives the ability for Brad and Coach White to mix things up more and bring some pressure and tighten up some coverage. Pretty good effort tonight. They did a nice job on that interception. That was well played by our defense. We pushed it and anticipated that play and they pushed the zones and really played it really well.
Q: With a new offensive coordinator, is that the most new thing in the world for you? Is it the newest thing for the world for you the last couple of years. Like work a little bit different when the lights come on?
Mark Stoops: Again, he operated like I anticipated he would. I listened in the meetings and listened to him in the headsets starting scrimmages and games and practice. He is a very calm demeanor and I thought he was very decisive on his checks. We missed one late when the guys did not get lined up and we were trying to check it audible to what they were in I had to call a timeout and some of that's going to happen. Whether we want to continue to be a little cleaner and clean up that operation. He really coaches them hard about winning that pre-snap with formations and motions and all of that stuff. I thought we were pretty clean and I'm not sure if we had any pre-snap penalties or false start or anything like that. I thought we were pretty clean on that.
Q: When you break down the game, what was your impression of the offense?
Mark Stoops: I liked what I saw. I think we mixed up our runs well. I think we stretched it out and hit it downhill. We hit them with some gaps games. You know, I told them and that was probably my fault on the fourth and one. That scrimmage was going of and they left the down marker and I thought it was going to be fourth and like two or three and I did not going to be it was going to be fourth and one or I would have probably gone for that. Once they are out there, if they are going to make that field goal, I don't want to take points of the board. We were playing good defense. In hindsight I don't regret it. I guys have to quit getting into skirmishes so I can see exactly what the heck is going on fourth down, you know, see what the yardage was there.
