What Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said about Tennessee on Wednesday

Everything Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said during his appearance Wednesday on the SEC Coaches Teleconference, previewing his team’s game at No. 7 Tennessee Saturday night (7:45 Eastern Time, SEC Network) at Neyland Stadium:

Opening Statement 

“Obviously we got a lot of work to do to improve. We’ve got a great, great challenge ahead of us once again, going on the road to play Tennessee in a great environment, very hostile, very tough environment, night game once again. I think that’s our fourth straight 8 o’clock Eastern game. Thank you for that. That’s a lot of fun. But our guys are are beat down pretty good. We got to get, our guys healthy this week. We have a have to have a really strong week of practice and prepare for a great challenge ahead of us, and we have a lot to improve on. So that’s what we’re focusing on right now.”

The advantages and disadvantages of playing an FCS opponent in November and it being more common in the SEC

“Well, I think the advantages is quite obvious. If you watched it closely, and I think think you have and I know you have, you know this schedule can be brutal. And mentally and physically, there’s really no comparison when you play a consistent SEC schedule through mid-October and November. It’s very, very challenging on your organization, on your players. And that’s where you have to have extremely good depth. I mean, we’re a perfect example of that this week. Extremely thin, but (playing) a very challenging opponent. So, I think that’s pretty obvious that just the schedule, if you look at the SEC top to bottom that it’s a it’s a challenge. And I don’t care what anybody’s record is.”

How big the Tennessee-Kentucky rivalry is and how much he hears about it from Kentucky fans 

“Yeah, I think it’s a it’s a big rivalry. I mean, obviously, with Tennessee having the year that they have, and they’ve been that way that, they play a lot of big games late in the year. And we’re trying to get the program and the level a step higher to compete on a more consistent basis. But it’s important to our fan base. It’s important to myself and our team.” 

How Kentucky has responded as a team during its current three-game losing streak, which players he leans on

“I always want to have a player led team. You want to set the bar for them and give them the tools to lead and to be successful and what it takes. And demonstrate that for them. But you have to have a strong leadership within your team to get you through tough times. And we have that. We have, unfortunately, a lot of those guys are not very healthy. So it is what it is. I don’t want to keep on commenting on it. There’s no excuses. It is what it is. Everybody in the SEC is beat up right now. So I think we have to then look for guys that are on the field and other players to step up.”

How Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff has responded to getting benched

“Just exactly what I’ve always commented on Brock. He’s very, very steady. I’m sure internally, maybe he’s a touch frustrated, maybe motivated. I don’t know. But exteriorly, on the field and when he’s around us, I mean, he’s like he always is. He’s very consistent. He’s a competitor. Any competitor would be bothered internally. But for him, it’s business as usual. What can I do to improve? How can I help this team? And I have no worries in that regard about Brock. Again, he’s not a fragile young man. He works very hard. He’s a strong leader and we just need to play well and we need to help and support him with the way we play around him.”

What’s impressed him about Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson

“Just another really tough runner. Their O-line is very, very good as well. I think you’re right, when you think of Tennessee, you think about the explosive plays in the pass game and how fast they can hurt you out there. But it’s the relentless pounding that they do inside and commitment to the run game and the talent that they have at offensive line and at running back that, it’s very consistent. They can always hang their hat on that. And Nico is really you could see that the confidence that he’s getting and the more experience, every rep he takes, he’s getting better and better. Extremely talented young man. So real challenge and Dylan Sampson is a very good football player.”

His evaluation of Kentucky’s special teams

“I think we’ve been very consistent, and then we had a little stretch where we had a little problem with a snap and a hold that was so uncharacteristic. Our kicker has been so reliable and steady. And overall special teams have been pretty tough. Pretty good for us. We just need the consistency.”