Mark Stoops analyzes play of QB Kaiya Sheron

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops was quick to take the blame for the 24-14 loss to South Carolina on Saturday. Although backup quarterback Kaiya Sheron didn’t have a banner day in the place of Will Levis, Stoops pointed to the team’s failure to “play well around him.”

“He did some good things when he had time,” Stoops said post-game. “I don’t think we played very good around him. One thing that I put on all of us — myself, the coaches and the team — I told the team that I don’t think we responded and played very well around him.

“I thought we played as poorly as we have all year in certain positions around a first-time starter and I don’t think that’s right for that young man. There are things that he did very well and there are areas where we didn’t do a good enough job around him.”

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Versus the Gamecocks, Sheron completed 15-of-27 passes for 178 yards. He had a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Dingle, as well as another score and an interception late in the fourth quarter.

Offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello also defended his backup quarterback after the loss, claiming responsibility for his preparation of the second-year player.

“First start so you’re trying to get someone to settle in. You never know how you’re going to react. I didn’t feel like it was too big for him,” Scangarello said. “I felt like he was seeing it, composed and all that. We just got off to a poor start and never found a rhythm. I don’t know if we had a good enough plan to give him a chance to be successful the way it played out, so that’s on me.”

Stoops reiterates Levis’ status as ‘day-to-day’

Stoops gave a brief update following the loss about Levis’ status over the next few days. The Wildcats have the No. 16 Mississippi State Bulldogs up next. Mike Leach’s squad is averaging 12 more points per game than Kentucky, so the sooner Levis returns, the better.

“I’m not sure. You know, I really don’t. It’s been day-to-day and it’s day-to-day,” Stoops said. “So I can’t tell you how that’s going to respond.”

Levis will most likely be back next week after a few more days of recovery from his foot/lower leg injury.