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Kentucky "Focused on Improvement" During Losing Streak

Nick-Roush-headshotby:Nick Roush10/30/23

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(Photo by Dr. Michael Huang | Kentucky Sports Radio)

The month of October can’t end quick enough for the Kentucky football team. The Wildcats started the month undefeated and ranked in the Top 25. Kentucky did not record one win in October, reeling in the middle of a three-game losing streak.

Times are desperate, but this is not uncharted territory for Mark Stoops. The last time Tennessee won a one-possession game at Kroger Field, it was in the middle of three-game losing streak for the Wildcats. They bounced back in 2021 and did not lose another to finish the year with a 9-3 record.

Could it happen again? That might be wishful thinking with Alabama coming to Kroger Field and three road games. However, Mark Stoops saw his team to take steps forward in the loss to Tennessee, particularly on offense as Devin Leary threw for 372 yards to eight different pass-catchers. After the game Dane Key attributed that improvement to the way the Wildcats practiced, a sentiment Stoops shared on Monday.

“I think the big thing for us is just to continue to really focus on that improvement,” Stoops said Monday afternoon. “There’s a million ways that you get tired of hearing about and we talk about all of that, doing those things, but it’s true. For me, I look at the preparation. Did we have a good plan? Was the team ready to play? Are we you in a good mindset? Hopefully our team will continue that because they’ve been working really hard and we need to just stay on that path.”

To snap the three-game losing streak, Kentucky will have to beat a 4-4 Mississippi State team in Starkville, a place Mark Stoops has never won.

No Transparency on Missed Catch Call

Two-minute defense gives the Big Blue Nation anxiety, but the Wildcats were on the verge of getting a stop with about a minute to play in the second quarter of Saturday night’s game. On third and long, Joe Milton fired a ball down the field. It did not appear to be a catch near the sideline, but the stripes gave the Tennessee wide receiver the benefit of the doubt. On replay it did not look like a catch at all, yet the call stood.

That crucial play served as a catalyst to a drive that ended in a field goal. Mark Stoops still has not received an explanation from the SEC. It’s clear he believes the process should be more transparent.

“I turned it in (to the league office). I have not heard back from them yet, and when I do, I cannot tell you. Whether it’s to my liking or not, I can’t. There’s no transparency there with the outside world, or I will be fined, even if I say it in a calm manner, can’t do it. Can’t say anything.”

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No Word on Injured Players

They describe it as “midseason form.” Well, it’s in the middle of the season. If you expected Mark Stoops to shine a light on Kentucky’s injury situation, I got some bad news for you.

He changed Kenneth Horsey and Jordan Lovett to an “OR” on the Kentucky depth chart. When asked if they’ll be long-term problems, Stoops replied, “We’ll see.”

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2025-01-26