Mark Stoops Press Conference
Mark Stoops News Conference
Post-Texas, Pre-Louisville
Nov. 25, 2024
Opening Statement
“As I mentioned postgame at Texas, another difficult game. Very good football team on the road, very challenging environment. Once again very inconsistent. I thought we did some good things at times, but overall not good enough. Need to play a complete game against a team like that and that didn’t happen. So I’m looking to get back on track this week.
“Another big game, rivalry game, be excited to be back home, Senior Day. A lot going on, a lot to play for and excited about this opportunity with Louisville, a team that is always very well coached. I think Jeff (Brohm) does a very good job, they’re good on both sides of the ball. Ron English, their defensive coordinator, Jeff, Brian Brohm do a great job offensively. We will have our hands full and I am excited for this opportunity.”
Based on the last couple of weeks, does it mean that Cutter Boley start at quarterback…
“He does, he does get to start, yes.”
On what he liked about Boley playing in a difficult environment…
“I thought he handled himself very well. He had a lot of poise in the pocket, I thought he distributed the football, had the vision to hit open receivers, the arm strength to get the ball down the field on the second play, you saw a lot of good things. Even the play that was called back for a hold, an all-out pressure, gave some ground, threw it to an open area and completed a very difficult pass there. I thought he did some really good things and he deserves the opportunity to get a start here this week.”
On how Kentucky players always get up for the rivalry game regardless how the season went…
“I think it has been important. You have heard me say that the first time we played them. We hadn’t done very much and they were a Top-5, Top-10 team at the time and I never shied away from the importance of this game. Told you that game one, day one and I’ll say it again this year. It doesn’t really matter what the records are or anything like that. I have a lot of respect for Jeff and the way he coaches and their program. It is important to our fan base, it’s important for our players, it’s important to me that we go play well.”
On the learning process of how big the UK/U of L rivalry game is…
“It didn’t take long. Early on, the minute I got here I felt that from the fan base. Once you are in these rivalry games you get a good feel for it right away. Certainly the intensity is there and it’s important, so it didn’t take me long.”
On Louisville offense…
“I think they really have done a nice job built around a quarterback with a ton of experience. As I mentioned, I think Jeff and Brian both do a great job, Brian being the offensive coordinator. Of course, Jeff, I’m sure, heavily involved. They always do a good job. I think they have a very balanced offense. It starts, like any good offense, starts with some run game. They are committed to the zone scheme, but he mixes in enough gap scheme with counters and even a little two-back influence to make sure you are committing to the run game and mixing up the run game to set up the pass. Pass game, they are always very efficient. Can spread it around when they have to horizontally but they also always are going to set up the deep shots with the run game. So, you can count on them trying to push the ball down the field once again.”
On evaluating the portal class from this past season…
“I think you just learn from any situation, any type of recruiting, whether it is high school or portal or any situation like that. I think you always have to do the best you can, evaluate it and make sure we get some problems fixed.”
On the long-term future of the offensive line…
“I think we have to get in the portal with some positions, but I feel good about the inside pieces. We need some depth at center, obviously losing Eli (Cox) is a big piece of it. He has been really steady for us. It is no mystery that we need some help at tackle. Inside, with Jager (Burton), Jalen (Farmer) Aba (Selm) and Dylan (Ray) are all guys that have played good football for us inside. We need to go get some help at tackle for sure.”
On seeing Cutter Boley progress in practice…
“I think just right away we saw a lot of talent, but as I mentioned I think it was last week’s press conference, seeing him from his first game experience to the next time he got that opportunity prior to Murray, just something a little different with his approach. He’s always very serious. He wants to be great and is committed with his time and all that, but I think maybe a little light or a switch went off, that there’s a lot of little details that I talk about all the time with all the players, and I feel like he really is tuned in. I think part of that is opportunity, right? It is hard to get QB1 reps. It is really important for that starting quarterback to get reps and to get enough reps. That’s the problem when you go to quarterback two, three or four. I feel like there’s good players on our team, I’ve said that before, even with Beau (Allen), but it is very difficult to get them the reps. Even in games, it’s tough. We made it a conscious effort to get Cutter some reps the past couple of weeks and get him time in practice, during that bye week, to get him prepped and ready for it. Ever since the bye week, I think you’ve seen him go out and execute at a higher level.”
On Cutter saying it was really beneficial for him to redshirt this year…
“Yeah, we talked about that, even coming into it, with his recruitment and him being ready. If you look at him the way he has mentally grown, even physically with the weight he has put on and things like that. It doesn’t take you guys long to see how physical and how hard it is to play in this league. I am not sure there is a perfect way to do any of that. When a young man is ready, he’s ready. This is his first start and I feel like he is ready for that and I am excited for him and excited for our team.”
On what makes the players want to rally around Cutter…
“He’s just got that feel, he’s got the moxie. He is the type of guy, he gets along with absolutely everybody on the team. He fits in with everybody. He has a very good personality that way. I think they know he’s got that moxie or swagger or whatever you want to call it, that when he gets in there he has a strong belief in himself and he sees the field well also.”
On Cutter’s patience in the pocket, is that a learned skill or something either you have it or you don’t…
“I think it is fair to say a little bit of both on that. Definitely, experience matters and that internal clock. As I mentioned the other day in a tough environment against a top-five team in the country on the road and all-out pressure, give a little ground and throw it to a space. I’m not for sure that TV does it justice, I don’t know, I didn’t see the TV copy. I look at it on film and you see the way he had the awareness, the presence, he was calm, backed up and threw it to an open space. It was pretty impressive play and there are many more like that in there. I would like to see us give him a little more time so he can operate more efficiently. The same goes for Brock (Vandagriff), I always have to defend and stand up for Brock because I think the absolute world of him. He has given us everything he has. We know we have some areas that need to be improved and that falls on me. I know Bush (Hamdan, offensive coordinator) gets a lot of heat and the offense and the quarterback and everybody, I understand that. It is not just coach-speak, I’ll take that and I’ll also work to get it fixed. We’re very excited to get it fixed and move forward.”
On evaluating Barion Brown’s season, with the numbers not being as high…
“I think frustration sets in with that. We all can do a better job of that, of getting that balance between getting excited to play a game but also play within ourselves and operate within what we are all capable of doing. That is something that I truly need to look at and reassess and make sure we are prepared. I think our guys get very excited. You have always heard me talk about playing with an edge and an attitude, but it comes down to disciplined execution all the time. I think we always need to be prepared and ready to play at a high level, it’s just how disciplined can we execute. That’s not just on him, hat’s on everybody, myself and the whole group. We just need to do a better job of that.”
On Cutter being from Lexington and getting him ready for a rivalry game…
“Just the same way we have been prepping with him. When Brock [Vandagriff] was down during the bye week, he [Boley] got all of the ‘number one’ reps. Brock was hurt heading into the next week as well with Murray, so he got a lot of the ‘number one’ reps and was prepared. I think that carried over into the game. Last week, I said Brock was starting, and he was, and he got probably 80 percent—or more—of the ‘number one’ reps, but Cutter got all the twos and was getting prepared and it carried over. For him, it will be business as usual. He will be the starter. You have heard me comment on his demeanor for a long time and I expect that to carry into this week. He is very mature. He is very calm and I expect him to be the same way. Just go in there and play ball and trust the people around him. We have to make sure we have a good plan and try to protect him and get rid of the football and do the things necessary to play well around him. I said the same thing for Brock. It is not all on any one person. We have to do a good job around him.”
On not always putting a starting decision out there publicly ahead of time, which benefits the opponent, but doing so today by telling the media now about Cutter starting…
“You guys are going to find out tonight anyway (laughter). Truthfully, when he is under center today at practice, it’s going to get out. I don’t see any reason to withhold it. I think I’ve always been forthright with you guys. Sometimes, I truthfully (would) not know until we worked through it. It’s actually not listed that way [on the depth chart] because I did not tell Susan [Lax] or Tony [Neely] until we worked through it. It’s not for any other reason other than we were working through things. Last night and into today, they’re doing their job and we were doing ours. I did not see them. I told Susan and Tony maybe 30 minutes ago and they did not have time to switch it.”
On the challenges of playing in the first cold weather game…
“I think it does [bring additional challenges]. I think it does with the grip and ball security and things of that nature. It does change. It is harder. We just have to work it. We will be out there all week and have to make sure we do the best we can. It is the same for both teams, but we do have to be prepared for that. It is a little bit different.”
On being tied in the second quarter at Texas and if he is seeing more on-field leadership…
“I told you last week that I did not think our team would have in problem with being prepared and being ready. Now, executing all the way through the game and playing a perfect—we had to play a good game, we had to play the best we had played all season and that did not happen. But I still love their attitude, their effort and the way they prepared. I expect the same thing this week.”
On the Louisville defense taking a huge step forward this season…
“Ron English has been around him a long time. I really like Ron, I think he is a very good coach, very solid. You can see that in the way they play. They are fundamentally sound, they play hard, and you have to beat them. You have to go win, get them blocked, make them miss, make tough throws, tough catches—the whole deal. Same thing, we are used to it, playing a lot of good defenses. This will be another one.”
On keeping your best players out of the transfer portal…
“We’ve been very successful at that, but it’s always a different time and a different age. We will get into all that. Behind the scenes, we have to anticipate, look at things, have a feel for that. Quite honestly, we need some attrition, but we obviously want to keep our best players here and build that foundation and take care of those players and then go out and supplement and bring in some as well.”
On if there are things happening behind the scenes, structurally, to change how Kentucky football handles NIL and the transfer portal…
“Yes. We’re in a better position right now than I have ever been. Hopefully that will carry over. That doesn’t mean it’s an end-all, be-all, but we’ve worked hard behind the scenes to put ourselves in a position to try to catch up.”
On what you think Chip Trayanum got out of this season…
“Well, Chip was injured 90 percent, 80 percent of the season, so it’s pretty hard to truly get a great evaluation of somebody that really had two injuries that were pretty tough.”
On how Chip Trayanum’s injuries affected the season…
“Yeah, I mean, it is what it is. We had to deal with it. I think one thing that came from it is you saw Jamarion (Wilcox) and Demie (Sumo-Karngbaye). I felt like we knew what we had in Demie, and Demie gave it everything he has, and he gives us everything all the time. I really appreciate Demie and the role that he had. With Jamarion, you saw a youngster get pushed into some playing time and we saw some real ability there.”
On how well your defense played at Texas after looking at film…
“It was hit and miss, hit and miss. That’s just kind of how I felt after the game. I felt like it was going to be hard. It was one of those games that, as I have mentioned, Coach (Brad) White does a great job, but we just felt like we were going to take some shots, if you will, take some chances, and sometimes it worked and sometimes it’s going to backfire when you’re playing a really good team like that and a good play caller, there are going to be some hit and miss. Again, you know that going into it, give them some credit, they can make you miss. They blocked really well, they picked up a lot of different pressures. They can make you miss and their quarterback did a nice job at times hitting his checkdowns and moving the chains. So, it was a tough task.”
On how he would evaluate Deone Walker’s season …
“Again, I don’t want to get into like summarizing any one player, what they did or didn’t do. That’s not fair to any of them, but Deone’s a great player and a great leader and has given us everything he can. I think he would be like any player on the team saying that there was some good, and some things that he could improve on. I can say that about anybody. I think he did a really good job of trying to battle through not being 100 percent, without trying to make excuses for him, but that’s just keeping it real. It’s just like Brock (Vandagriff) when I tried to defend him when he wasn’t 100 percent. And Deone went through some problems, injury-wise, where he wasn’t quite 100 percent.”
On if it’s fair to say other players have stepped up on the defensive line …
“Yeah, Tre’vonn (Rybka) in particular. I thought Ox (Octavious Oxendine) really had a fantastic game this past week. Tre’vonn’s been playing exceptionally hard, doing some really good things. Always good to see those guys stepping up.”
On Willie Rodriguez …
“Willie, you’re seeing a very talented young player. He gives us some size, some much-needed size at that position with his height and his weight. He’s physical. He can make some people miss, make tough catches. So, he’s been playing good.”
On national signing day being a week away …
“The high school class is very good. We like the players that we have in there. It’s different. It’s a different time, again. So, we’ll see whether we add a few more. We’ve got to continue to massage the numbers and try to hit it right on the head. You’ve got the departures. You got your seniors. You got guys that may leave. You may have some guys that maybe need to leave and find some places where they can get more playing time. There’s a lot of moving pieces, so we’ll continue to work through that.”
On if moving national signing day moving up to the first week in December means he’ll miss traveling to recruit at that time of year …
“It’s so strange. Also, on that note, it really sucks that we’re not going to a bowl game because normally December is completely the most busy month of the year for me. Soon as we’re done in years past, they didn’t even have the ‘dead week.’ But now because of the portal we have the first week is to get your own house in order. Who’s coming back? Talk to your players, see what their plans are, so they give us that week and then normally you’re right on the road. Two or three years ago, I was on the road on Sunday. I get done on Saturday and hit the road and then come back and bowl prep. Very, very hectic, living on a plane. It’ll be much different this year. I can’t answer that because I haven’t gone through it yet, but it’ll be a much different, but equally as busy, just not in a plane. Because you have to, again, work on your own roster. Figure out what’s going on there. Sign the guys on the 4th (of December), which is very strange, and then hit the portal. The portal opens on the 9th so there will be a lot going on.”
On if he has any idea which players might enter the transfer portal …
“No. We all, listen, it’s part of the game. I don’t know, somebody just brought up the fact, but we’ve lost one portal starter. Again, that was kind of mutual. He was offered a lot of money, and I said, ‘You ought to go take that.’ You know what I mean? I felt like it was a position where we had some depth at the time. We’ve been fortunate, that’s not to say it’s always going to stay that way. Whatever it is, nobody needs to panic. We have an opportunity to get this roster fixed, and work hard, and that’s my plan – to work hard, to get the pieces in place. I’ve worked hard to get resources in place and I have to do that. We have to get it done. So that’s the plan.”
On if he still enjoys recruiting high school prospects on the road or if the transfer portal has changed that …
“No, I absolutely love doing that. That is when you get to know your players the most. Your incoming guys – when you get to go to their home, and sit in there, and visit with them. But that has changed. That’s gone. And the head coaches – we’re not allowed to go out in the spring, so it’s totally different for us right now.”
