All About Kentucky: Streak, Florida Secondary
A win over South Carolina on Saturday was cause for celebration for Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats. Victories on the road in the Southeastern Conference always are.
Come Monday, that celebration had long since ended. Considering what the Cats are facing on Saturday, there’s just no time.
“We’re excited about that win and we’re excited to get back to work,” Stoops said. “It’s very short-lived and we’ll have our hands full this week. We’re excited to be back home and playing a great Florida team. We’ll be excited and ready to go.”
That Florida team is 1-1 on the season, its only loss coming to No. 8 Michigan. The Gators are fresh off a heart-stopping 26-20 win in which Feleipe Franks unleashed a 63-yard bomb to Tyrie Cleveland with zeroes on the clock to stun Tennessee.
“I’ve watched them play and they’re the same Florida team,” Stoops said. “They’re a very, very good football team.”
A very, very good football team that also happens to have an ongoing 30-game winning streak over Kentucky, the longest current single-opponent streak in the country. Stoops doesn’t bury his head in the sand when it comes to that, particularly with how often he hears about the streak from fans.
“I take it personally,” Stoops said. “I do. I care. I care about our fan base, I do care about the history, even if I wasn’t here. I want to make our people happy and supportive of our team. Past players and all the tradition, the whole deal. It’s important. That’s part of what motivates you every day to get up and do the best job you can.”
But ultimately, the streak and even the challenge presented by a talented Florida team are secondary. What comes first – what always comes first – is Kentucky.
“Like always, it’s really about us and our preparation and how we play,” Stoops said. “Our team heard that all last week: All we need to be is the best version of ourselves. We need to worry about us and how good we can play.”
That starts early in the week, just as it did last week leading up to the win at South Carolina. That approach is why the Cats were able to withstand an early knockdown on the road last weekend.
“Emotion is big in this game, but it’s daily,” Stoops said. “It’s not on Saturdays. It’s the will to prepare to win. That’s what we’re trying to instill in our guys. Our guys, it’s about the preparation and getting in position to win games and having the confidence that you’re gonna do it.
“That doesn’t mean you’re gonna win every time, but that’s what we’re striving for. We’re trying to be perfect, so the minute bad things happen, we’ve been there before. Just get back, regroup, fix the problems and move onto the next play. Our team has that mentality and I love that about them.”
That mentality has led to constant improvement through three weeks of the season. Now, the 3-0 Cats will look to take another step forward.
“I’d like to believe we’re better right now in game four than we were in game one,” Stoops said. “I hope we’ll play that way. I think our team has made progress each and every week. Hopefully we’ll put our best game together this week because we’re going to need to play our best.”
Stoops is also hoping for the Big Blue Nation’s best come game day. With tickets selling quickly – fewer than 2,000 were left as of Monday evening – excitement is building ahead of Saturday night’s game at Kroger Field. Remaining tickets are available at UKFootballTix.com.
“I hope our fan base is energized,” Stoops said. “I know our team is looking forward to that and being back home, being in front of them. Again, we all take it serious to put out the best product we can for our fan base. They’re a big piece of what we do and we need their support. They make a difference.”
