Running back A.J. Rose and the UK offense never got untracked against Missouri. (SEC Photo)
After Kentucky lost at Missouri 20-10 Saturday, coach Mark Stoops certainly indicated changes might be coming. The Cats ran 36 plays while Missouri ran 92 — and had one running back carry the ball 37 times.
So has anything changed with pregame planning or sideline coaching for the offense going into Saturday’s game against Georgia?
“Nothing has changed. There is certainly some frustration when things don’t work and Saturday was one of those games,” Stoops said.
Not sure about you but I can sense even more frustration from UK fans over that answer on Monday.
“Obviously, we didn’t execute our bread and butter (running the football) and when we did we were effective at moving the ball but it was few and far between. When we were able to be physical and run the ball and get ahead of the chains, we were efficient,” Stoops said. “Part of that is on the defense, we let them control the game and control the clock and they controlled field position.
“A lot of our drives were backed up where normally at times we are trying to get ahead of the chains and get first downs but again we always second-guess ourselves – need to be more aggressive, not aggressive enough, we need to throw it more, need to throw it less.”
Fans are doing a lot of second-guessing, too, and clamoring for personnel changes along with philosophy changes. Stoops did look back at what the offense tried to do with the key word being tried because almost nothing worked.
“I looked at the beginning of the game when the game was in balance and were 50-50 and that wasn’t effective. I want to look at our two (scoring) drives, both of our (scoring) drives we were efficient at running the ball. On the field goal, we were three runs and two passes and one of those was a drop. On the touchdown drive we were six runs and two passes and one of the passes went for a touchdown,” Stoops said.
“Again, it is driven off of positive run plays. We were not able to do that in a lot of the drives and again that is across the board. There is enough blame to go around as far as defense giving up field position, giving up time of possession. They were able to see that. They beat us and they beat us convincingly but kind of beat us at our own game. They were more physical.
“I felt like defensively at times you put on that tape and see how hard our guys were playing to the bitter end but there were times when we just weren’t sharp. A two-yard loss turned into a three-yard gain. That is kind of the story and that is not being on-point across the board. When that happens obviously it’s on me.”
Haven’t UK fans heard that after other disappointing losses?
“I know people are going to say, ‘Ah, yeah, there he is saying that,’ but it is true. I have to somehow reach these guys to get them on point. They are strong men that are trained, that have enough in their tank. And they have to do their part. They have to sleep, they have to get their rest, they have to come prepared to practice because it is going to be a grueling year. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us,” Stoops said.
“You are going to play Georgia this week and I told them after a victory and told them after a loss, go get in an ice bath and get a bunch of ice on your body because you are all banged up because we have to go back to work, that is just the way it is. That is what I said after the Tennessee game and we didn’t respond. I can tell you this, Missouri wanted it more Saturday and that is on me.”
