Mark Stoops makes passionate defense of late punt vs. Georgia: 'We got to that point by playing field position'
With 3:03 to play in Saturday’s game against Georgia, Mark Stoops had a decision to make. Down one point to the No. 1-ranked Bulldogs, Kentucky could punt the ball on 4th-and-8 and play the field position game, or go for it to potentially set up a game-winning field goal.
Stoops ultimately chose the former. The Wildcats punted the ball away, and Georgia went on to complete the 13-12 victory at Kroger Field. That decision drew plenty of scrutiny – and Stoops offered a passionate defense while speaking with reporters on Monday.
Stoops said playing for field position helped get Kentucky to that pivotal moment in the first place. As a result, he wanted to win the game the same way the Wildcats played the whole game.
“How many people are saying, ‘Hey, Coach Stoops, you’re dumb. We had the ball on the plus-47, why didn’t you just pound it three more times? We’re moving the ball really good against a good defense. What if we’d have got those three instead of gotten sacked, instead of gotten sack-fumbled and went all the way back to the 22 on the other side?'” Stoops said. “Think about that swing. Nobody talks about that, do they?
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“When I had the ball three times around the same zone and went negative, negative and on second down, damn near had a fumble. Third down, damn near had a fumble. We got to that point by playing field position and playing defense. We had a chance to win that game just the way we played it – we came up a play or two short. I stand by that.”
Mark Stoops: ‘I don’t take offense to the criticism of not going for it’
Kentucky’s decision to punt generated a strong response from fans who thought the Wildcats should’ve been more aggressive. Sitting on their opponents’ 47-yard line, they could’ve gone for the 4th-and-8 and drain the clock from there. But after making the decision to punt, a false start pushed the ‘Cats back five more yards.
Stoops understands why fans were hoping to push the envelope and go for the pivotal fourth down. He also remembered some turnovers in that same area and the role they played in his decision-making.
“I don’t take offense to the criticism of not going for it, whatever,” Stoops said. “Again, I told the coaches on the headset on first down, I had every intention of going for it. Wish we would’ve gained some yards and had a manageable third down, manageable fourth down.
“But you’ve got to realize, in that same zone on the plus-48, I want to say we had two sack-fumbles – one sack … and then the next one went back from the plus. Think about if we get three there. Think about if Coach Stoops goes conservative and we just run it three plays in a row and kick the field goal there, right? Again, and if you’re gonna report this, report the whole damn thing.”