Mark Stoops doesn't feel Kentucky is meeting expectations despite 3-0 start

Mark Stoops isn’t quite satisfied with a 3-0 start for Kentucky this season. He said he felt the Wildcats left a lot of things on the table through three weeks.

Yes, Kentucky won 35-3 over Akron but the previous two wins came over Ball State and Eastern Kentucky, non-Power Five opponents. Have Stoops’ Wildcats looked impressive?

He doesn’t think so, at least not yet.

“You have to get better,” Stoops said of the team as a whole. “We’re going into the SEC play next week. The nice thing is, we are 3-0. And I like the work ethic and the way we have been practicing. We will continue to do so. We will get better, and, you know, I think the team will be eager to get back out to practice next week, and we have to get things cleaned up.

”We are not playing to our standard upfront on the offensive line, whether we are getting beat, whether it is snaps, holds, you know, just things of that nature. But there is enough blame to go around to all groups in all areas, so we will address it and continue to work to get better.”

Mark Stoops not satisfied with 3-0 start for Kentucky

Stoops also clarified in his opening statement that’d he rather his team be in this spot than with a couple of losses already.

“Good to get to 3-0,” Stoops said. “Really appreciate the way the defense played the entire night, really with some late yardage there. We had an opportunity to play a lot of guys, which was good to see. Gave up yards at the end. But prior to that really played one of the more complete games we have played all year in a long time defensively, appreciate that effort.

“The special teams are doing what they have to do, playing really hard. Offensively a lot of frustration again. It is a broken record, but you cannot have snaps, holds, you can’t fumble going in. And you have a chance to, you know, easily put up 42, 49 points pretty easy. And then really nobody would be as mad or as frustrated, I should say, on our end.”

As Stoops mentioned, SEC play is right around the corner and Kentucky hits the road to play Vanderbilt Saturday. The Commodores are no walk in the park despite the team’s struggles within the conference.

Stoops talked about playing well in all phases in the game. Well, with a division opponent next, that better be the case for the Wildcats if they want to be 4-0.