Mark Stoops Press Conference
Mark Stoops News Conference
Post-Tennessee Tech, Pre-Vanderbilt
Kroger Field Media Room
November 17, 2025
Opening statement…
“Very pleased with our team’s effort and our execution this past Saturday, got quite a few players in the game. Played relatively clean from start to finish. There’s always things to improve on, but also a lot to build on. So, some good things are happening. Obviously we’ve got to continue to do the things we’ve been doing well the last several weeks and improve on them.
“We have another big opportunity here for us this week to go on the road to Vanderbilt and take on a team that’s playing extremely good football, obviously a team that’s very well coached in all phases and very physical. They play the game the right way, with great energy, great emotion, and very tough, led by Clark Lea and his staff. And of course, Diego Pavia, can’t say enough good things about that young man. He is one heck of a ballplayer, is tough as nails, and makes plays when he has to. It will be a great challenge, but once again, for us, as I’ve said each and every week throughout this season, it’s about us. It’s about our preparation. Continue to build on the good things and get better each and every week, so I’m looking forward to getting started with the team this afternoon. ”
On Kahlil Saunders status…
“We’ll see as the week goes on. I was very encouraged with seeing Khalil yesterday and talking to our trainers.”
On the pressure Diego Pavia puts on the defense…
“It puts great pressure on the defense, and it doesn’t matter what defense it is. It doesn’t matter who you are, any of it. He makes plays, and he does it in every game he plays in. For us, great team defense, of course. He’s going to make some plays. We just have to make ours as well.”
On if having played Tennessee Tech’s scrambling quarterback last week will be helpful in preparation…
“Yes and no. I think somebody’s asked me that. We played quarterbacks like that. It’s impossible to totally just think you’re going to just completely contain him (Pavia). Watch every game he plays, he makes plays. We just have to make enough on top of it. Yes, we have to be very organized in our pass rush lanes and be very disciplined, win (matchups), play very hard, play all the way through the whistle, cover guys down the field. Probably gets understated a little bit because Pavia is such a good player, and he ad-libs and makes plays off schedule, but their offensive line is extremely good as well, and they’re very good across the board. You have to give credit to (offensive coaches) Jerry Kill, Tim Beck, and Pavia, they’ve been together for about four years, so they know the system. They know what they’re doing. They can add and tweak to it all the time. Do quite a bit of formations, a lot of different unbalanced (formations), put a lot of different pressure on you. But it starts and ends with being physical. They are a tough, physical team.”
On Brad White not being happy after the game, how did the defense look on the game video…
“I think there’s just ways we could finish better, there’s plays out there where we just didn’t finish the plays. If we finished the plays, we finished the series and gave up less points than we did. There’s a lot of things we could do better, across the board and execution. I appreciate our team’s effort. They’ve been playing well but there’s things we could have done better.”
On playing four first-time defensive starters vs. Tech…
“Yeah, they played well. (I have a) Lot of confidence in those guys. They played a lot of football for us, so we trust them. Going into it, it starts trickling down to your depth, of course, but good players. I think one guy that stood out, that played a very good game, would be Cam (Dooley). Cam played really well, but again he’s played a lot.”
On redshirting decisions, especially at cornerback…
“We will see how it goes. A lot of our players are unselfish and do what we ask them to do or what they want to do to help the team down the stretch. So, we’ll manage it this week.”
On Tennessee Tech quarterback’s mobility, does that help you prepare for Pavia…
“As I said, in some ways, it does. But, in others, when plays break down, there’s no coaching that, on either side. There is as far as plastering, finishing coverage, finishing rushes, of course, you could coach and build on that, but when these quarterbacks create, they just create. And the things that Diego does, again, you’ve heard me say it many times, but that’s between him and God.”
On Vanderbilt’s running game and growth this season…
“Well, they’ve always done a lot, they do a lot. They are very good. They can create many different sets, like with the unbalanced sets. They can do a lot of different things. Of course, you’ve got a quarterback that can run that puts stress on you. Again, I give them credit because a lot of it is dressed up and everything, but it comes – the root of it is being physical. They’re a physical football team. Very, very good at the offensive line, very good at running back, very unselfish. They block extremely well on the perimeter. The running backs block very well. So, just good and multiple. ”
On Kentucky’s running game…
“I think we’ve done a nice job of, when we get the balance, we can put pressure on teams as well. With the receivers stepping up and making big plays down the field and being able to run the ball, it could create some opportunities.”
On the wide receivers taking steps this season…
“Without a doubt, extremely important, especially the young guys, but they’re playing really good as a group. So, really pleased with their effort.”
On if potential bowl eligibility will be discussed with the team…
“No, no. One game at a time. We’re worried about trying to go 1-0 here this week, so there’s no point in talking about that. We acknowledge the importance of it, but what does it matter if we don’t take care of business this week? It’s about us just handling our business here this week.”
On receivers’ progression and Coach Washington…
“Without a doubt, LD’s done a remarkable job, he really has. He does a great job at recruiting. He handles the room extremely well. They’ve been very unselfish and they’re getting better. They’re developing. I mentioned the group, I didn’t probably single out when you asked me the question before, but Kendrick (Law) really stood out in this last game. Just exceptional. Again, he’s one of those guys that sets the tone, because he’s very unselfish, he’ll block, he’ll do anything you ask him to do. He’s the first one down on a gunner on punt team. That guy would play anything. He’d play every snap. He’s just strong, he’s physical, he’s unselfish, and he’s playing at a very high level at receiver.”
On Malachi Wood’s development…
“He’s definitely on track, definitely getting better, working extremely hard. As I mentioned in here maybe a few weeks ago, even if he’s not getting all the game reps, we’re coaching the heck out of him and getting a ton of reps on the field and getting better.”
On Vanderbilt’s defense and physicality…
“Without a doubt. When you talk about a physical football team, you’re certainly including their defense. And, very disruptive, very multiple. They can do a lot of things. They’ll dabble in the three down (linemen), like us, they’ll get in the four down, many different pressures. They’re not afraid to bring a lot of pressure. So, they can be very aggressive when they want to be. Very good.”
On Kendrick Law’s strength and physicality, in addition to his speed…
“I’m not sure in the media or the public or things like that, I’m quite sure opposing coaches and teams recognize it, and we certainly do, because he’s, as I mentioned, he’s very strong. He plays very physical and he’s been extremely durable. He’s just a guy that could, he’ll do anything we ask him to do. And I’m not sure I couldn’t put him out there and he’d be a good safety without much practice.”
On the importance of a clean game against Vanderbilt…
“Extremely, extremely important. That was the difference last year. It goes fast, they possess the ball. They’re very good in short yardage. They’re very creative, they’re physical. They control the football. We did last year – last year, there’s many things. But, you know, a penalty at the wrong time, a turnover, things like that, and the game’s away from you in a hurry. Because they can control the ball and they’re hard to get off the field, and I give them credit because they’re one of those teams that, just like the other day, when they need to score a lot of points, they can. They’re throwing it much more effectively this year than they ever have. So, they’re very good.”
On Vanderbilt’s tight end…
“Eli (Stowers) is the best, I would think, I haven’t seen them all, but arguably the best tight end in the game. This year he’s a guy that makes tough catches, and again, is very unselfish. They have playmakers across the board, but when the game is on the line or a critical play, he’s a good target because he’s very reliable and he’s a tough matchup.”
On the pressure Stowers puts on the defense…
“We have to play our rules and you have to win one-on-ones. He’s a guy that has the length, he has the body control. Diego throws it in good spots for him so he can body you out, but you have to try and win. You can’t necessarily always put two on him or things like that. You have to play within the system and play your rules and you have to make competitive plays.”
On the performance of Cam Dooley…
“Cam is a very good player and he’s a guy that’s gotten a lot of reps this year. He was definitely our third safety (entering the season) so we’d consider him almost like a starter. I know with the other two (Jordan Lovett and Ty Bryant) playing very well, maybe didn’t get a ton of reps but when he slid in there, we felt confident and sure enough, he went and performed, played very well. Had a very physical play, caused a fumble, had the interception of course, and was reliable throughout the game.”
On the safety position as a whole this season…
“Very good and I thought they settled in. I think early in the year, it goes to what we talked about, maybe pushing, pressing too much. They care, they’ve worked really hard, maybe trying to do too much, but settled in and really played very well.”
On Cutter’s touchdown run…
“I saw him yesterday, he was in the building yesterday and he wasn’t getting ice on his shoulder, so he looked fine.”
On the effect three straight wins has on the team…
“There’s no question. That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen but yes, it definitely helps. I said that after the first one, because you want that for the team. They’ve been investing, they’re working hard, their bodies are beat up and they’re just hurt and they’re tired. They’ve worked really hard for a long period of time and we’ve got to go, so hopefully the wins will help them, give them a little extra juice and a little extra motivation to get their butt in bed an hour or two early, get treatment and just get prepared for the last two weeks that are big games for us.”
On the parallels between Vanderbilt’s season and Kentucky’s seasons in 2018 and 2021…
“Yeah, in some ways. Last year, first bowl game in a while, a win, of course, and certainly built on that. I think, 7-6 last year, and certainly better already, this year. Give them credit, four SEC wins already this year, is impressive and they look good even in the losses they’ve had. They looked very good. I thought it was a really impressive game with Alabama in particular, but certainly building on that. And yeah, I know how hard it is, hopefully, for Clark (Lea) and his team, they’re looking at it one at a time and I know he is and I’m sure they’re wanting more. I know how hard it is to get 10 (wins) at a place like that. When you come into the league, whatever rung you’re in, whatever spot you’re in, gaining on teams is quite challenging because nobody is interested in this league in going backwards. It’s very hard and everybody does an excellent job with recruiting. You’re playing good people every week.”
On Grant Godfrey in his first start…
“Grant has been steadily getting better. He’s a reliable guy, he cares, he practices right and getting better with every opportunity.”
On the update of Alex Afari…
“No, not at this time. I do hope he can play this week, but we will see.”
On Josh Allen breaking the Jaguars’ sack record…
“Oh, did he? I shot a video for him. I was waiting for him to (do that). Shot a video congratulating him. Did you release that for me? (Jaguars are going to.) It does not surprise me. We anticipated that. And you can’t say enough good things about Josh. Unbelievable human being, the way he kind of came in here and set the tone, certainly during my era of not only being a great player, but doing things right and being a tremendous leader. And I said it when he was coming out of the draft. He’s a franchise player. He’s a guy that you want on your franchise, and sure enough to be the all time sack leader at a place is not easy. And congratulations, we love him, and it does not surprise us.”
On Josh’s impact on recruiting…
“Absolutely and whenever Josh is around, he’s always wanting to give help and input and influence guys any way he can, whether it’s just talking to the team, talking to the group, he’s always willing and always has time, and he’s always around. So yeah, he’s had a big impact on our program, and he continues to.”
On the young players’ development…
“Yeah, I think it’s a good group. And we have a mixture, a little balance of some guys, some really fast guys, maybe a little smaller, really quick, and then some guys that are your prototypical edge guys that can grow into that type of player. And so there’s a good nucleus of guys. Again, I hope you don’t get sick of me saying that, because I like saying it, but they’re really good kids, like they care, they work hard, they want to be great, they want to help the team. They want to do whatever they can do. And you know, you love having guys like that.”
On the potentially negative effect NIL has on team chemistry and yet UK’s team seems to genuinely like being here, like each other and like what the coaches are doing, it has to make your job easier …
“It definitely puts a smile on your face. And you know, when you’re dealing with all the external things, that’s not the happy place for coaches, I think everybody will tell you that. Every coach that is going to be a head coach, or in this league, is a ball coach first, and want to spend your time coaching ball and developing young men in all areas, and the other stuff is what it is. I’ll never say, going back to that, and just get the record straight, since we’re having a nice conversation in here today. But like, I’ve never been anti-anything, like, I want to pay the players, the portal should help us. It does. I just want money, money to spend on (players), make sense? You know what I mean? Like, it’s good for us. It’s just anything in the past, maybe it was a way to shake some trees to see if some money will fall off. You know what I mean? Because the more money you’re able to buy, you’re able to retain the players that deserve that money, and you’re able to fill spots. Let’s just call it the way it is now, like I told you in here a couple times before, was uncomfortable talking about that in 2001, 2002, you don’t want to sit here and say, ‘Man, I don’t have any money, you know what I mean, I don’t have enough money.’ But like, first of all, and another thing, nobody cares. It’s not an excuse. It’s over with. I’m done with it. So it’s just just kind of factual, make sense? Please don’t misquote me on that, we’re having a good conversation. Sometimes people take a little thing and say, well, he’s crying about it again. No, I’m not. No, I’m not. I’m like, glad we’re trying to move past it.”
On the importance of money for player retention, not just player acquisition…
“It’s absolutely huge. It’s what’s most important. Let’s keep the ones the fans want to see, these young men that I’m bragging on, that are good kids that are playing their hearts out, win or lose, through good times and bad, those are the ones we want to start with, right? That retention is huge, to have the dollars to keep them.”
On where Kentucky is with revenue share and legitimate NIL deals…
“Yeah. I don’t want to give any headline on that right now, we have good momentum, and we’re really doing things, and we’re working the best we can. It’s very complicated on how you can spread that money around and I mentioned it before, I’m on the record, I thought it helped us in recruiting with the guys we have locked in. We need to retain and then we have to have some money to get some free agents. So, we’re working through that as hard as we can.”
On a clip from Kirby Smart that went viral …
“I didn’t hear, I didn’t see anything about that. I’m a little off social media right now (laughter from media). Fill me in on it. Yeah, I think it’s fair until you get it in here and you try to vet it as best as possible. You try to get ultra-competitive young men, and you want to keep them here at a price that they want to continue to work hard to elevate. In the past, going back many years, I’ve had players, it’s like, are you ready – I’m just picking out a position – are you ready to start at this position? ‘No, sir, I’m not.’ I’m like, then why are you leaving? Just stay here and develop like we’ve done for a long time, but it’s easier to say now, I’ll go to some lower place and play. It’s just kind of the way it is.”
On recruiting out of the portal with it not opening until January…
“Oh, yeah, you see it. You’re gonna see it. Kids are like, I’m going in or whatever. That won’t stop young men from declaring. I think it is good to let you get your feet on the ground. Get your roster straightened out here, get the retention, get the meetings with your players, and get a plan for your own team and then move on to the portal. And I also think this is the first year since, the first year since I’ve been coaching, and it’s been a long time, I’m old, old, son of a gun as you know. But like, going back to my assistant days and everything, you’re used to getting done with the season and getting right on the road. Maybe I said that last year, did it delay it a week last year or something? I don’t remember, I think that maybe it delayed. Was December dead (period for recruiting)? It’s running together with me right now but December dead and the portal backed up a little bit should help a little bit. Again, just meet with your team, meet with your players, and have those good conversations and make sure everybody’s on the same page.”
On Vanderbilt’s increased fan support…
“Well I’m sure, I haven’t been there since the stadium’s been completed. So I know they were doing the renovations and everything, and with the program and what Clark (Lea) has done, it doesn’t surprise me. So I’m sure it’ll be another great environment, and they’ve worked really hard, invested a lot to make it that way. You could tell this by watching the games, that it is fun and it’s always a challenge, going on the road to an SEC stadium.”
