Chattanooga no breather and Mark Stoops wants packed stadium again

Mark Stoops wants fans of all kinds to show up Saturday when UK hosts Chattanooga. (Vicky Graff Photo)

Kentucky is a huge favorite — I have seen a 30-point spread several times — for Saturday’s game against Chattanooga but that does not mean UK coach Mark Stoops is expecting a “breather” in this non-SEC game.

“You would never hear me use the word ‘breather.’ That’s not in our vocabulary. The only thing we’re interested in is pressing on and moving forward,” Stoops said. “Any great team, no matter what competition level is, plays to the best of their ability. That’s what we’re trying to do.

“No matter who we’re playing you’re always going to hear me talk about us. We have respect for everybody that we play, but it’s about us and how we play.”

Saturday is a noon kickoff against a lightly regarded opponent that will be followed by a slate of SEC games, including home games with Florida Oct. 2 and LSU Oct. 9.

Is Stoops worried that UK fans may not show out in big numbers Saturday?

“Well, our players deserve it (a big crowd). We all want a successful program. Well, that comes with some sacrifices,” Stoops said. “I greatly respect the fan base. You hear me talk about it a lot.

“I know it takes a lot to get to a game, especially early games. Getting up, parking, fighting traffic. It should be beautiful. Hopefully, the heat is gone, it should be a nice day now.

” But we give them (fans) a little pass that first weekend (against ULM) because it’s a holiday weekend but there’s no excuses now. We need to pack this place. It makes a difference.

“You see our recruits talking about it. It’s a great atmosphere. I greatly appreciate the support, but we need it. We need it all the time.”