Mark Stoops points to South Carolina as an Example of a Quick Turnaround in the SEC

Kentucky fans do not like South Carolina. They aren’t traditional rivals, but animosity has simmered over the years between the SEC foes. That’s why it felt odd when Mark Stoops used that program as an example of what Kentucky could become after a disappointing season.

The Gamecocks went 5-7 last fall. One of those wins was in late November over Kentucky. Right before Mark Stoops went to the podium, he watched South Carolina knock off Clemson to complete a 9-win campaign. Stoops believes Kentucky is capable of a similar turnaround.

“We feel like there are really good pieces in place and let’s be honest, we’ve seen other teams do that, right? I just caught the end of one team in there that didn’t go to a bowl game last year that just finished with nine wins in our league,” he said. 

“You have to make sure that you have the resources to move forward in this landscape to really make a big jump and I really feel like that’s in place.”

Following his postgame press conference, he spoke with Tom Leach for a couple of radio segments. He once again brought up South Carolina’s turnaround.

“That’s impressive. But I mean, they sat there and didn’t go to a bowl game last year and turned it right around,” said Stoops. “When we lost to them earlier, everybody thought they were terrible and they’ve done a very good job.”

We can all understand the point Stoops is making. In the current college football climate, things happen much quicker, for better or worse. If South Carolina can improve by four wins in one offseason, why can’t Kentucky?

The issue is that it’s South Carolina. Kentucky fans believe they should have been the team that won nine games this fall. Instead, the Gamecocks played a part in taking that from Big Blue Nation.

When you look at the recent history between these two programs, they cannot successfully co-exist. Kentucky knocked them down the SEC pecking order, but that has been flipped with three straight losses to the Gamecocks. Now Kentucky is at the bottom of the SEC. If Stoops is going to succeed in 2025, he can’t just be like South Carolina, he has to beat South Carolina.

Want more coverage of the Cats? Join KSR+

KSR has been delivering UK Sports news in the most ridiculous manner for almost two decades. Now, you can get even more coverage of the Cats with KSR+. In the middle of a busy summer of recruiting for the basketball and football programs, now is the perfect time to join our online community. Subscribe now for premium articles, in-depth scouting reports, inside intel, bonus recruiting coverage, and access to KSBoard, our message board featuring thousands of Kentucky fans around the globe. Come join the club.