UK Carrying Momentum from Latest Bounce-Back Win to UGA
Losses in the Southeastern Conference are all but inevitable.
Kentucky has suffered three this season, meaning Mark Stoops has had to field questions three times about how his team would respond. His answer has been consistent.
“Y’all have been in here and you know I haven’t wavered from that when asked how the team will respond from a tough loss or a blowout loss, my answer has always been the same because that’s what I believe, that it would not be an issue, that leadership is here within this team,” Stoops said. “There’s great pride within this team. And we’re going to go back to work and do the very best we can.”
Three times, Stoops has been proven right.
First, UK bounced back from a heartbreaking loss to Florida to down Eastern Michigan. A few weeks later, the Wildcats followed a blowout defeat at Mississippi State with a thrilling comeback win over Tennessee. And most recently, Kentucky turned in its most dominant effort of the season at Vanderbilt a week after Ole Miss stunned the Cats at home.
After falling behind 7-0, UK reeled off 34 straight points against the Commodores and eventually scored its biggest SEC road win since 2001 in a 44-21 victory. Kentucky gained 427 yards, scored on eight of its 13 drives and forced four Vandy turnovers.
“I was pleased with the way our team responded from a tough loss the week before,” Stoops said. “As I mentioned last week, it does not surprise me with the character of this football team, and again, hopefully we can continue to build on this and play our best football here down the home stretch.”
The home stretch starts on Saturday, as the Wildcats (7-3, 4-3 SEC) travel to Athens, Georgia, to face a 9-1 (6-1 SEC) Bulldog team trying to respond to a loss of its own for the first time. Georgia, previously No. 1 in College Football Playoff rankings, fell on the road to Auburn on Saturday, 40-17.
“Georgia’s a fantastic football team and there’s no doubt just like we have responded, they’ll be back at it today and Kirby (Smart) has done a phenomenal job,” Stoops said. “He’ll have their full attention and they’ll be back to work. They’re a very good football team that’s very well coached.”
The Bulldogs, already having clinched the SEC East, have plenty to play for in spite of last weekend’s loss. Fielding one of the nation’s most potent rushing attacks behind Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, the Bulldogs in all likelihood still are in control of their own playoff destiny.
“Chubb and Sony Michel, they’re both just monster backs,” Stoops said. “Those guys are just really quality players. You’ve got to respect them and the physicality of their team. That’s what they want to do: They want to pound the football. They have a very talented, young quarterback (Jake Fromm) and very explosive outside, so they always put that stress on you.”
With Saturday’s game set as the featured 3:30 p.m. game on CBS, lots of attention will surely be paid to the way Georgia will respond Saturday. Just don’t direct questions on the subject to Stoops.
“I would never, I could never worry at all about what another team’s psyche is,” Stoops said. “And I can’t control that. I have no idea what they’re doing over there. I just know what I see on film and that’s a very good football team that’s very well coached. I’m worried about us and us continuing to sustain the good things we’ve done this past week and the good things we’ve done all year.”
