Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops addressed the media after the Wildcats' 20-13 loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday night at Kroger Field.

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UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 12, 2024

Lexington, Kentucky, USA

Coach Mark Stoops

Press Conference

Vanderbilt 20, Kentucky 13

MARK STOOPS: You know, another disappointing loss. And when I turn on the film tonight and I'm

going to see a lot of the same mistakes that we made in another loss earlier this year. I tried to head

it o1 as best I could. I obviously didn't get it done. About our team and controlling our emotions and

executing. You know, you don't win games by being all psyched up or just being irrational. It comes

down to disciplined execution. I tried like hell to beat that into our heads and to play winning

football in all areas. When you continuously hurt yourself with penalties, turnovers, missed

assignments, not making plays, I’m obviously not getting through to them. You know, I understand

what winning football looks like and I know what it doesn't look like. We certainly didn't do that

today and I'm very disappointed in myself and our sta1 for not getting this team ready. And I have to

do a better job. I can promise you it wasn't for lack of e1ort. You know, I need to challenge them

some more and I need to call upon some leaders on the team and hopefully, you know get some

help in some di1erent areas and have some guys step up. Because we can play winning football.

I’ve told you many times. You guys have seen it. We have to play very good. We have to play

complementary football. We have to do things right to win games no matter who you are playing. I

think you've seen that across this league. Very clearly that wasn't winning football. With the

penalties and turnovers and missed assignments. Basic stu1 that, again, it's going to go back to a

loss that we had earlier in the year. It's going to look very similar in a lot of ways. Obviously, that's

not very good on my part to let that happen again. Again, I can promise you I tried like heck not to let

that happen.

Q Mark, We talked so much about the possible momentum since that South Carolina game,

did you see signs of this during the buy week or do you feel like we are still competing?

MARK STOOPS: No. I really didn’t. Since week two our guys have gone about it in a businesslike

approach. It comes down to doing things right. Nobody is going to be perfect but we are striving to

be and we've been playing some good football. And we go back to playing non winning football

today. That is very frustrating on all of us. Unbelievably amazing environment. Great support, you

know, beautiful night. We go play like that. It's very frustrating and, obviously I've got to do a lot

better job.

Q Mark. You have been able to move the ball offensively, but the red zones were touching on

been an issue all year. Tonight – is there a common theme or anything?

MARK STOOPS: Well, penalty really killed us tonight. It's one, you know we should have came up

with at least three and drop that one so that’s obviously very frustrating. To have the ball at the half

yard line and come away with zero points. It comes down to discipline. Getting the penalty. And

getting backed up and knocked Burton. I don't know if I can point it to any one thing. Just lack of

execution in the critical moments. I think when you are a play caller and it's probably a fine line

when we're getting it down there and hammering it and pounding it and getting some good yards,

you know, call the shots, do you run it, you know, if we could have that one back over again, we

would get under center and sneak the thing and we’ve been pretty e1icient with that.

Q Would you consider taking the offsides before that – they got offsides on the – first and goal

versus second and goal for one?

MARK STOOPS: The ball was on the 6 inch line. You know, the ball was on the 6 inch line, I guess I

don't even – I mean I guess we should have in hindsight give it to the center and sneak the ball into

the end zone. We got I want to say 2 to 3 yards on that play. So, it still would have been, instead of

being at the 6 inch line or 4 inch line, it would've been at the 1.5 or 2 and I thought we could get 4

inches, 6 inches, whatever that is.

Q Mark, it felt like a struggle to find a way to get some explosive plays at times in a couple –

What do you think you guys have to do to be able to break some of those off?

MARK STOOPS: I think getting into a rhythm and getting plays. We knew going into this game that

possessions were going to be at a premium. I don’t have that final stat line. I think it we had six at

half and there was not many possessions at this game. With way they possess it. Just looking at

the final. I just got a quick copy here of the stats. We have 23 first downs and that's pretty good.

They usually have a boatload too because of the way they move it and they had 19 and we had 23

but they obviously made the most and scored some points and we came away with a goose egg in

the red zone there and we also fumbled in the high red and didn't help us as well. You know, as bad

as we played, we still had opportunities.

Q Mark. It felt like a lot of the big momentum shifting plays were on special teams tonight. The

field goals, the extra points. What did you see out of those groups?

MARK STOOPS: Very uncharacteristic and frustrating. You know, I felt like Barion had the big kicko1

return. He's going to be kicking himself because I felt like one cut and he might've had a touchdown

there. That is if's and butts and I'm still grateful he got it out to the 50. And then on the punt return

he got a great return and a big spark when we needed it and we had a foolish penalty. There is no

excuse for it. It's a young man that plays very hard and is a freshman and is away from the ball and

it was a foolish penalty. And a very costly one.

Q Mark, it seems like in the last couple of weeks you been able to get off the field – but tonight

it wasn't the case. What do you think went wrong?

MARK STOOPS: I think it was, they kept them- I see the final statistics here. 8 of 13. I would imagine

if you looked at that a lot of the ones that converted were pretty reasonable. Probably three or less.

And they do a nice job with their o1ense of executing. I bet you our number was pretty high if it was,

5, 6, 7, 8. We had some critical stops in some critical moments. I felt like later in that game again

we put ourselves in a bad position.

Q Mark. How would you assess the best overall player tonight?

MARK STOOPS: It is one of those games that frustrating and they do a nice job and we knew that

going into it and we knew possessions were going to be key. You know, you hold them to 20. I think

that part is pretty good but there was clearly some frustrating yards in there. And as you mentioned

some critical first downs that were hard and keeps you off balance and they do a nice job of

converting and – was a playmaker and does some really good things and he’s been doing it all year.

Q What conversation do you think – receptions – fumble –?

MARK STOOPS: You know, it's just like the whole team. I talked, clearly tried to get our players to

control their emotions and be disciplined in what we are doing. On defense, it is the eye discipline

and in control of our eyes because of all of the deception and fall back plays and all of the di1erent

options and di1erent things they do that we have to be very clued into. And then just overall as a

team, I knew I think the guys were excited coming o1 of a big win and coming and playing at home

and you asked me that question last week, Mark, about playing at home. It's a fair question and I've

looked at it too and thought about it and talked to the guys and talked to them about coming here

and having our composure, having our control. I talked to them about it openly. Like what is it man,

like no distractions? Do we have a lot of people coming in? Do you have ticket problems?

Whatever it is, like – put it away and dial in and commit to doing the things necessary to win in this

game and obviously I did not do a good enough job. I tried to addressing it and addressing all of it

about really focused and disciplined and like I said emotion doesn't win you games. Execution,

discipline execution wins you games.

Q You had a long discussion with official before you called the timeout. What happened with

that situation?

MARK STOOPS: I was trying to buy time to see if they were going to look at it but they were

telling me that they couldn't get a clear view why they didn't buzz it in and my guys upstairs thought

that it was a fumble. I was buying time in our discussion. And then ultimately, I got feedback that I

should. So, I did. I felt like that was a pretty critical moment. I ended up with 3 there but it was a

critical time in the game.

Q Mark. It’s easy to cherry pick staff, when you go back out and plan on -average of 12 yard

carry and 3 touches?

MARK STOOPS: Yeah. I think overall rushes, what we had today. 31. A lot of them are going to be

Brock. I think it just depends. I mean, Jamarion is a good player, we are bringing him along and I’m

happy with him and he does run very good but there's a lot of other things that go into it.

Q Mark. Do you think there was a big emphasis on – the offense got a slow start – consistently

this year?

MARK STOOPS: I think if I'm not mistaken that first one we had a pretty good chance to get points

and we got a stupid penalty. That didn't help. And you know, I believe, was that the opening drive?

We were in the 4 down territory right there and I already told them. Again, we didn't play winning

football today. Bottom line. Whether it was the first drive or last drive. We didn't play winning

football. We were not very smart in any way. You know, we didn't play well enough period.

Q What do you think the voice is not getting through?

MARK STOOPS: I don’t know. They hear me talk a lot and I clearly have tried to work extremely hard

on messaging and getting through to them. I think they have responded since earlier in the year and

I hope they have the same response right now. This league is very di1icult right now. If you haven't

noticed, I think it's pretty tough on a lot of people. If you don't come and play well you will lose.

Everybody, we all know that and feel that as coaches. So, I don't know if it's not being heard. I

wouldn't say that. You said that and you are allowed to say whatever you want. I still feel like this

team will respond the right way and I will continue to grind over this team to put them in a position

to be successful.

Q I think you were the least penalized team in the SEC coming into the game. When you get

into a situation like this. How many – frustration in a game behind and you are trying to catch

up?

MARK STOOPS: I think it's a fair point. I think our guys were frustrated. Things happen in games in

that pile and commotion. I will just leave it at that. That part of it had no bearing on the game.

There was some things going on that were really frustrating for our guys.

Q You had to can keep your composure?

MARK STOOPS: Yeah, we do. I don't think that changed the outcome of the game – it could have, it

can, and it could rear its ugly head at any time. If you are undisciplined. There was some frustrating

aspects of it. And I think I'm sure I'm going to look at it and I'm sure I will feel like some of the fouls

could have been very touchy or 50-50 and I will feel like some of them are clearly warranted.