Mark Stoops Monday Press Conference (Sept. 25)
Mark Stoops News Conference
Post-Vanderbilt, Pre-Florida
Sept. 25, 2023
Opening Statement…
“After reviewing some of the tape from this past Saturday, I thought we made some improvements in a lot of areas. [I was] really, again, impressed defensively. We had to defend many more possessions that we are used to—I’d say it was 15 or 16 possessions. With that, we had eight three-and-outs, two touchdowns, and set up another [touchdown]. [It was] a pretty impressive performance defensively. Obviously, late in the first half there, giving up some first downs, letting them get the ball going, giving up some penalties, and gave up a couple scores late. In general, there was a bit of sloppy play at the end of the first half and beginning of the second [half], in particular, offensively.
Overall, did some really good things. I think there is a lot to build off of, still more to improve on. That’s a good thing. We’re still hungry and nobody is content with what we’re doing. We’re looking forward to a great opportunity here this week with a Florida team that we know is always extremely talented. Very good team. A team we’re used to playing for a long time, being on our side [Eastern Division]. We’re looking forward to getting back home. It was a bit of a challenging road trip this past week with all that is going on at Vanderbilt, but I thought our players handled it very well, especially with the way that we came out and started so fast. It is a good example of what we can do when we put all phases together for good periods of time, so it was a great start to the game.
“Getting back to Florida, they are a very good team. They are always talented and well-coached, you all know that. They have been dominant on the defensive side of the ball, first in the SEC. I think they’re giving up, I think it’s less than 2.9—less than 3 yards per rush. They’re not giving up very many yards at all in the pass game, so they have been very dominant defensively. Offensively, very efficient. They are going to do what [Florida Head] Coach [Billy Napier] does and that starts with being a physical football team and being committed to the run game, and then booting, play-action, and things of that nature off of the run game. Again, a great challenge, but we’re looking forward to getting home. We need the crowd packed and we need them loud. It’s going to be a big SEC East game and I’m looking forward to that challenge.”
On if there is any edge or confidence from recent success in the Florida series …
“No. I mentioned last week when I talked about [Vanderbilt] beating us the year before really doesn’t have any bearing on that game [this season]. If it does, for our players, if they come in locked in early in the week, that’s the way that I expect our team to be anyway. We’re playing Florida—you know it’s going to take a great effort. We’re playing at home. We should have a great sense of pride. I think the term that we use a lot in our program is divine discontent—we know that there’s more out there, we know we can play better, and that ought to be our motivation.”
On if a Noon kickoff impacts the crowd’s effect on the game …
“I have great confidence in the people of Kentucky that can get up very early and pound some beers. (laughter from media) Why would you disrespect this great state and the great people of it?”
On Florida Quarterback Graham Mertz …
“Graham has been very—first of all, he’s been very good with the football. They have very few turnovers in general. I want to say he maybe has one. He’s been very efficient, very smart getting rid of the football and taking care of the ball. In running their offense, he’s been very efficient. He’s playing very well.”
On the offensive line shakeup …
“Eli [Cox] was really pretty stable. We didn’t have any snap issues, which was nice. He had, Eli, maybe one missed assignment. Jager [Burton] needs to get some reps and get his feet on the ground [at right guard]. We still need to play better inside, play better at guard. I thought Marques Cox played a very good game—not perfect, but he played a good game. We’re playing better at right [tackle], we have to get playing better inside.”
On Dylan Ray at left guard …
“He’s done okay. Both he and Jager [Burton] had [their] moments. Again, they’ve done some good things. Both have played different position, with Jager playing center and Dylan playing a lot of tackle early in the season. They’re playing inside—well, they’re playing different positions out of necessity. Both need to grow and continue to get reps. I have confidence in both of them but we need to play better. “
On the potential return of left guard Kenneth Horsey …
“We’ll see. I have no updates on him at this point.”
On diagnosing issues in the run game …
“More plays and more carries. I think we’re getting 5.4 yards per carry again, in that game, it’s not horrible; there were some really effective runs in there. We were 6.1 [yards] per play again. That’s not awful. We were really rolling again late. We, defensively, put a lot of subs in and gave up a late drive. In the fourth quarter, after we sputtered a little bit, we came out really fast and came out good. We had a few possessions in there where there were some miscues. In the fourth, we were rolling good, I want to say we were 11 yards per play. I wish we could’ve kept on playing and got off the field [defensively]. I wish that had been one of our three-and-outs late but we gave up a 14-play drive, I want to say, defensively, when we had a lot of subs in.”
On the key for sustaining a fast start for four quarters …
“Just you know, the way we execute. We came out and executed, no miscues, we were clean we were aggressive, we mixed things up well. We got the run game going we had the explosive run for the touchdown, was really good to see.”
On the halftime mood in the locker room after giving up 10 points late in the second quarter…
“The team obviously was a little upset by that but Coach (Brad) White gathered the defense and told them to get back and play ball and be confident. We can’t just have the juice and energy when things are going good, when things go bad we have to refocus and execute the defense. I think there was penalties on both of those drives, defensive penalties if I’m not mistaken. That never helps and we just got back to focusing on us and executing.”
On Octavious Oxendine’s performance …
“He did well and I think Ox felt going into the game he had the tough penalty on him a year ago (hands to the face penalty that negated a game-clinching interception) that I think he felt some responsibility. None of us even brought it up, he brought it up to me and even that play, like I told him, it was not malicious. It was a penalty because the helmet popped off and it should be called. It was very quick and he got it out of there. The helmet just came off, unlucky. I think he felt like he didn’t want to let down his teammates, he wanted to play well, and he did.”
On long snapper Ronald Gaines’ status …
“Ronald will be out, it looks like for a year. Crazy, non-contact, pre-practice injury. Very flukish. The nice thing is we have a lot of depth there. We brought in Walker (Himebauch), who has been doing the short snaps (field goals and extra points), did a good job with the long snaps, he is very good. Then we have Clay (Perry) back as well to back him up.”
On what he meant during his postgame press conference regarding possible tweak in defensive philosophy, getting more aggressive …
“I just think that number one, we have some guys with some experience up front, in particular, coming back that are being disruptive and putting pressure, that always starts there. Putting pressure on the quarterback and mixing things up and that helps. Maxwell (Hairston) with the two great plays that he had and it was nice to see, even though he had a penalty or two, he responded and made big plays. That is what you have to do at that position. It’s a tough position to play, you have to have a short memory. I also think he has a lot of confidence and a lot of juice and excitement and he is always ready to play and he came back and made some really big plays for us. It’s nice that we have eight takeaways for the year, which is I want to say is tied for first in the league, so that has been good to see. We’ve been able to get some takeaways and we have to continue to do that. I like the fact that we had eight three-and-outs (vs. Vanderbilt), that is hard to do and they have been making plays”
On the challenge of Florida’s run game …
“Running back is, it always seems to be a strength at Florida, right? They always have some good backs but they have two very talented running backs. It shows they are committed to running the ball, they know a lot of their bigs and explosives (plays) come off the run game and play-action off of it. I think Coach Napier does a really nice job of being committed to that and staying with the run and making you defend him. With some talented backs and they are physical up front and that is one of the main reasons why they are affective in the run game because they are committed to it.”
On if he has to further emphasize the run fits against Florida …
“They are very similar to last year. Coach Napier does what he does and he does it well. I think he has a very good system and he is pretty committed to that system.”
On his thoughts on Pro Football Focus grading Kentucky’s cornerbacks as the best in the SEC …
“I love our guys and I love the way they are playing, but I’m not sure that is a great thing for people to read PFF all the time. I’m not knocking them, I think there is a lot of really good information that comes out of that as far as seeing reps and seeing guys. Again, I’m not demeaning our players, I like they way Andru is playing, I like the way Maxwell is playing, I really do. I think they are playing real good football, they have been very unselfish, they’re playing really good on special teams and doing everything we ask them to do. I love the way they are playing and the way they’re growing, but that’s for the media.”
On Maxwell Hairston’s maturity …
“I think he is just getting better. I mentioned it last week in here, I mentioned it the week before and I have mentioned it each week y’all have asked and it’s true that you see the growth and maturity from him. Again, I like his energy, he comes to work every day. He has a great focus about him, he’s excited to come to work and you are starting to see some of that pay off. We often talk about that and not every player buys into it, but if you constantly put in the work and plant those seeds, eventually you are going to reap that harvest and get something out of it. If you just keep on grinding and working and growing and he is a great example of that because he has been working for several years.”
On what helps Maxwell Hairston find the ball on pass breakups …
“I like how aggressive he’s playing. He was playing through the football, he was finishing the play and that’s what you should be allowed to do in this league. I watch people play, I watch other games, I watch elite defenders defend and they are aggressive, and they are strong and they play through the football – exactly what we teach them to do.”
On his evaluation of J.J. Weaver’s play …
“I think J.J. (Weaver) did a good job. He’s played a lot of snaps, gives a lot of energy, played hard. And again, if he keeps on putting his nose down, playing hard, good things are going to happen, stats are going to happen, big plays are going to happen, be disruptive – our d-line was disruptive (vs. Vanderbilt).
On how Jordan Robinson played Saturday …
“OK, he needs some more reps. He’s a little rusty, he needs to continue to get some more reps and get some play out there.”
On if Josh Kattus will be available Saturday…
“I do not, I’m hopeful.”
On gaining more consistency from Devin Leary …
“Yeah, I think just continuing to work. I thought last week as a group, our offense really worked hard with the receivers, with him getting on the same page, getting the timing down and really trying to be more precise and consistent and at times that showed up this past week. We’re going to get better, we’re going to continue to work and grow in that area.”
On the importance of Devin Leary’s pocket presence …
“I think it’s always important, it’s important with every quarterback. I was going to say college, but you better do the same thing in the NFL, you all watch it. You got to have a great awareness and be able to buy some time and whether it’s subtle movements in the pocket or whether it’s knowing when to escape and keep the eyes down the field and create. I think that’s one of the things that Graham (Mertz), you were asking me about Mertz earlier – I think he does a really good job of that as well. He’s very good at moving and being crafty in the pocket, buying time, he will escape and run for effective yards but he really does a nice job of getting outside the pocket to create to throw the ball down the field as well.”
On preparing the cornerbacks for plays from receivers such as Florida’s Ricky Pearsall and Will Sheppard at Vanderbilt …
“You got to get ready, but that catch in particular, you don’t get ready for that. That was one heck of a throw and catch. Short and relatively tight window to throw that in and to go up and make that grab and pull it down like that was very impressive and to take a big hit on top of it, he’s a very good player – impressive.”
On the biggest differences for Florida from last season to this season…
“They’re always big and aggressive, you know they have some playmakers, and they are just playing good as a unit.”
On the maturity of Dane Key and young players …
“I wouldn’t use the word maturity, I didn’t. But is that acceptable? Absolutely not. Dane was the first one after the game to tell that to me and tell me he wanted to address the team on that, which that shows maturity to me because that’s unselfish. What he did was selfish and he knows it, he knows I did not tolerate that. I addressed it last week, I’ll address it again, we’re not going to be a selfish football team in any way, shape or form and he knows that. He handled it quickly, he knows that was unacceptable and he took responsibility for it and he apologized to his team immediately after the game for it.”
