'It was cool': Mark Stoops enjoyed being on the field with Iowa again

The Citrus Bowl matchup was personal for Mark Stoops. The Kentucky head coach has deep ties with the University of Iowa football program.

Stoops and brothers Bob and Mike all played football at Iowa under legendary head coach Hayden Fry. When Mark Stoops’ dad passed away while he was in college, Fry attended the funeral, and Stoops’ Iowa jersey was placed in his casket. Growing up, the youngest Stoops spent many fall Saturdays in Iowa City.

The matchup with Kirk Ferentz’s ballclub was sure to be a memorable one. However, sometimes it’s easy for football coaches to get lost in the shuffle of their day-to-day tasks.

“You are so busy in getting all your prep ready,” Stoops told reporters after the 20-17 victory. “My last messages to these guys and going through my protocol, really didn’t think much of it. I went out on the field early, saw some people I knew, saw the colors. I thought it was cool, you know, just to see the Hawkeyes again, but then, it was right back to business.

Mark Stoops has a lot of admiration for the Iowa football program. At the Citrus Bowl press conference on Friday, it was clear to see the admiration the Kentucky head coach has for Iowa and Ferentz.

However, the competitive juices tend to get flowing when it gets closer to game time. For Wan’Dale Robinson, it was easy to get pumped up for another shot at the Hawkeyes.

“If you know anything about Nebraska, that is a rival school for me. I have lost to them for two years in a row,” said Robinson. “So this one was a little bit more special, especially for the guys I played with out there. Then just personally, I wanted to beat these guys.

hahahahaha https://t.co/8ldxIFmZs9 pic.twitter.com/3Bt1PnQr0D

— Wan’Dale Robinson (@wanda1erobinson) January 1, 2022

In college football, the bowl season is in a weird spot. The College Football Playoff gets most of the oxygen, and the other games are just there for most folks. It’s not crazy to call them glorified exhibitions thanks to opt-outs, the coaching carousel, and transfer portal.

Yet, the Citrus Bowl was very important for Kentucky football. The opponent seemed to be a big part of that. For Mark Stoops, it’s all about the team in Lexington.

“I have a lot of respect for their program, but I have a lot of respect for these guys, too,” said Stoops.