Cats Eager for Challenge, Opportunity Presented by Cards
There’s no time for mourning at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility.
With Louisville coming to town for Kentucky’s regular-season finale, that won’t be any problem for the Wildcats.
“Tough loss versus Georgia,” Mark Stoops said. “They played some very good football. We had a few opportunities early, did not play our best. We knew we had to execute at a high level and did not do that. So, got to get that behind us and look forward to this week’s challenge with Louisville.”
The challenge, to be sure, is significant ahead of the noon matchup on Saturday at Kroger Field.
Winners of two straight after dismantling Syracuse by a score of 56-10, the Cardinals (7-4) don’t sport the same lofty ranking they did entering last year’s Governor’s Cup. They still have Lamar Jackson though.
“They’re still a very good football team,” Stoops said. “Really, when you have a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback back there behind center it puts a lot of pressure on you. He’s a fantastic football player. He creates plays all over the place. He’s a dynamic guy. He does a very good job.”
Jackson was the shoo-in Heisman winner in 2016, but isn’t likely to repeat this year. Nonetheless, he’s been the same player, and an even better one by some measures. His completion percentage has improved to 59.8, his quarterback rating to 149.4 and he’s on pace to throw for more yards than he did last year. He isn’t running as often as he did a year ago, but his per-carry average has improved by nearly a yard.
UK special teams ace Charles Moushey – one of the fastest players on the team – is expected to draw the assignment of imitating Lamar Jackson on the scout team.
“I said it in here in my Monday press conference last year that I thought he was the best player in the country,” Stoops said. “And certainly I don’t watch everybody all the time and I know there’s some guys playing some exceptional football, but he absolutely should be in New York (as a Heisman finalist) because you’d be hard pressed to find a more talented guy than him.”
Even so, UK overcame Jackson and his fellow talented teammates for the signature win of the Stoops era last season: a 41-38 thriller in Louisville. That gives the Cats reason for confidence. So does the fact that they are an improved team from a season ago.
“I think our approach, the way we prepare, the way we’ve played,” Stoops said. “We all want to play better every week. We’re striving for perfection, but I just think their mentality. I think we’re still more mature each and every year, we’re getting more mature to be able to handle the schedule. We’ve improved that way, just the way we’ve practiced and the way we’ve gone about our work for this entire year. I haven’t had to alter schedules and taper things back.
“That’s a good sign for the future because your guys are mentally and physically able to handle more and more. Doesn’t mean there’s still not a lot of things that we need to get cleaned up, and we’ll continue to do that, but just physically and mentally, there’s growth. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
UK will be looking for more of that growth this week and the Cats will have some added motivation to do so this week. In search of its fourth win in as many tries this season after a loss, Kentucky has its archrival coming to town.
“It’s important,” Stoops said. “Again, the last game of the year is important against our rivals. Today, yesterday, they’re long days, long weeks after a loss. Nobody likes to lose and the fact that there’s a long time between our bowl game and this game, it’s important. It’s important to our fan base. Again, y’all have heard me say that every time I’ve spoken to you since I’ve arrived on campus. I didn’t deny that this is an important game.”
