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Kentucky

Mark Stoops gifted spurs, cowboy hat in first trip to Texas

Barkley-Truaxby:Barkley Truax•11/23/24•

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Kentucky coach Mark Stoops at Ole Miss - Mont Dawson, Kentucky Sports Radio
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops at Ole Miss - Mont Dawson, Kentucky Sports Radio

The Texas Longhorns presented Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops a cowboy hat and spurs to match during his first trip to DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium as a head coach.

The kind gesture was caught on video by BBN Tonight’s Maggie Davis. Stoops shook the hands of the Silver Spurs, who were the ones to gift him the specialized items, and thanked them before heading into the Kentucky locker room.

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The gift-giving is something Texas is doing for each of its first-time SEC opponent’s head coaches this season who visit DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mississippi State’s Jeff Lebby was the first to receive the hat-spurs combo. He was followed by Georgia‘s Kirby Smart and Florida‘s Billy Napier.

Stoops will be the last SEC head coach to receive the gift from the Silver Spurs during the 2024 regular season, as they’ll round out the regular season at College Station in Week 14. The tradition will likely continue with each new SEC head coach who steps onto the field in Austin moving forward in 2025.

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The gesture is one of respect for Stoops — which is a name that many aren’t historically fond of in Austin as his brother, Bob, was the longtime head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners.

However, this is Mark Stoops’ first crack at downing the Longhorns in Austin. A win for the Wildcats would cause a massive shift in not only the SEC Championship race but would shake up the College Football Playoff race entirely.

Kentucky has already proven they can come into a CFP contender’s home stadium and emerge victorious, and it would be extra sweet for the Stoops family for Mark to do it again — this time in a place where his brother coached several classic Red River Rivalry games.

The opening kickoff between the Wildcats and the Longhorns is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and will air live on ABC and ESPN+. Texas is an 18.5-point favorite as Kentucky needs to pull off an upset to keep its historic bowl streak alive.