Mark Stoops Press Conference
Mark Stoops News Conference
Post-Vanderbilt, Pre-Louisville
Kroger Field Media Room
November 24, 2025
Opening statement…
“Going back to last week and addressing that situation again. As I said postgame, disappointed with the outcome and how we played. I definitely need to give a lot of credit where credit is due, Vandy played a tremendous football game. They really did. They are a tremendous team and they are a team worthy of discussion to be in the playoffs and they played that way. They came in after a bye, for their Senior Day, and played exceptionally well. Give them a lot of credit.
“For us, we didn’t play as well, but they had a lot to do with that. There is a lot to correct, a lot to work on, and it really is about our response. I trust our team that they will respond the right way. We have faced adversity throughout this year and have bounced back in a good way for the most part. We have played very good football teams. Vandy is certainly one of them. We have played other very good teams this year. Some we have played well and some not so well. We have come back and responded and regrouped and we are going to have to do the same thing.
“Looking forward to another great challenge this week, playing a big rival on the road for their Senior Day. So, a very big game. It is important to myself, it’s important to the team and to the BBN (Big Blue Nation) and the state. We are going to try to represent us the right way and work exceptionally hard this week and be prepared to play a great game.
“With Louisville, (they are) a very veteran football team. Jeff (Brohm) always does a great job. Very good offensive mind, along with his brother Brian and Ron English on the defensive side has done an exceptional job. So a very tough team and another great challenge and important game.”
On if he has talked to Vince Marrow since he left the UK program earlier this year …
“Yeah, we have talked. Very short, but we had some mutual friends, mutual tragedy, things of that nature. Some personal things, briefly.”
On if the players who played for Coach Marrow will have a little extra ‘something’ …
“I don’t know if you need any (extra), truthfully, in this situation. It feels like so long ago that there is a lot that has transpired between now and then. The game is important, the response is important. There are a lot of things that are important and that personal touch on it, I think, no. I don’t think there is anything there.”
On the secret to getting the players ready for this rivalry game …
“I wish we always knew the right buttons to push. I think it is hard throughout a year. In this game, it is the last game and you have to empty the tank, right? This is the last game of the year, both teams are hurt with important players that are down. It is always the ‘next man up’ mentality. Both of us have programs with capable players to step in. Both teams are definitely beat up and you have to respond and give it everything you have here for the last week.”
On if he thinks any of the defensive players that missed last week will be back against Louisville …
“I hope so. I don’t know. I know we have one more addition there in Kam Olds. He will be out for sure. We hope to get some back. That is eight defensive players that have been out. Maybe one or two that we hope to get back.”
On if Terhyon Nichols has been close to playing …
“He has been. I am sure he will give everything he can. I will know more as the week goes on. We will see what he can do.”
On if this game will come down to who wants it more with so many injuries on both sides …
“I don’t know. I think both sides are going to want it, I don’t think there is any question about that. It is still about the next guys up and making plays. During critical moments, critical situations during the game, who makes them?”
On if he looks at the SMU tape or because UofL had so many injuries, you look at previous games …
“Miller Moss, I would expect him to play and you have to prepare for that, but you have to prepare for Deuce (Adams) as well. Jeff has a lot of offense that he can go to and they are always hard to defend. I think they are really good in the pass game and they have a run game that can really hurt you. You have to be prepared for all of it.”
On the offense not getting momentum early vs. Vanderbilt …
“I think there are always things when you look at the tape. Again, I want to credit them. They were bringing people all over, they obviously affected our offense and certainly quarterback was a big piece of that. Making him make split-second decisions on some things, there’s things we can do better. There’s things all of us can do better. There’s certainly some plays there that we had been making.”
On adjusting from Vanderbilt to Louisville schematically …
“Yeah, I think presentation is different, but definitely Louisville is very aggressive, an in-your-face kind of defense that we have to be able to respond to and do a better job. There are things systematically – I don’t care to get into right this minute – but we have handled all of that before. Sometimes, again, we have done it well and other times we haven’t. We have to make sure we put a good plan together and be able to execute, just much like I said on the defensive side. We have to be prepared for a big amount of offense. We have to be prepared for a good run game but you know they can throw the ball around and you know we have five guys that have been down in the secondary. There is no hiding that on tape.”
On the team not laying down at Vanderbilt late …
“It doesn’t surprise me, I wish we would have played better. There is no silver lining. I know this team is going to do that. They are going to fight and they are going to try. There was no giving up in that situation. Again, I give a lot of credit to Vandy, they beat us and took things away. But our team has a lot of resiliency and they care and they will respond the right way. I trust that. Again, we had another one at the one (yard line), I wish we could get that play back as well and get another seven there and try to make it a game.”
On Cutter’s split home vs. road …
“I think it definitely is a variety of things. In an environment like that, they really got rolling and that gets hard. That gets hard. The numbers are the numbers, I know you could look at that, but I look at some road games where he did some really good things. Again, I always allude to the Auburn game most recently, where I felt like in a really tough environment against a really good defense, I thought he did some really good things there, too.”
On the run game vs. Vanderbilt …
“It was a variety of things. There are things we can do better systematically to protect. In the 11 personnel when we are spread out, there are some decisions to be made there with running or throwing it. They did a nice job of taking away some of the run and they took away the passes as well – the screens, the outlets – they blew them up on the outside and we didn’t block them very good on the perimeter, that is part of the run game. Then some long guys with some windows making it tough throws. On some of those decisions, some of those were gives and maybe didn’t read them properly. There are other ways systemically where maybe we can protect that better and get in bigger sets and block the edges better with blitzes and things of that nature, like we have done for a majority of the year. There is a combination.”
On signing day …
“Yeah, there will be irons in the fire. There is always guys that come up. It is very different now, as you know. It is different. You are having conversations with your own team right now. You have to build this team from the inside out. You have to start with your guys on your team. Some of the biggest recruiting battles that we will have are with our own team. That is no different than anyone in the country, everyone wants to retain their good players and build out from there. Yes, there are some others.”
On developing guys and what to make of this class …
“We want to recruit well all the time. I was about to give you a soundbite that I don’t really want out there (laughter). You know what I mean? Let me just bite my tongue. It’s very different now. I think we all know that you have to … we are a better football team this year than last year. I know you can write and make what you want of that – headlines, whatever you want. But I know we are a better football team and I feel confident that we will continue to grow this thing. You have to look at a roster in one-year increments right now. There are some schools that have – again, I am not afraid to talk about it anymore, let’s not dance around it – there are some schools that have a boat load of money to buy high school kids. I need to make sure those kids can help us win next year. That make sense? I only have so much money, you have to get your team, you have to get fillers for next year and then you have to be able to recruit high school kids. There is a lot to it.”
On retaining assistant coaches …
“I am already talking with Marc Hill about that right now. Obviously, Marc and Mitch (Barnhart) will work closely together with me. We’re working through that. There is a lot to still work through. There is a little more time with the way the portal sets up this year, but still you are constantly building for the future, both with your team and your staff.”
On junior college recruiting…
“Sometimes out of junior college they replace some of the high school (players), right? Because you get a guy with multiple years. Sometimes with the free agents so to speak, you don’t want all of them to be one-year guys. You would like to have some multiple, some guys (with multiple years remaining) . They are a little more mature, they have some more football under their belt, we have seen more on tape and you maybe feel a little more confident that they can come in and help you next year and have multiple years. The free agent market is awfully expensive.”
On Louisville offense and preparing with a young, injury-riddled defense…
“Basically in a nutshell, to answer your question, we have a lot of youth out there right now, a lot of guys with inexperience, and they’re going to see a lot of things. They always just have to apply the defense. It’s really impossible for us to create all the different gadgets or trick plays or things of that nature. You just have to apply your rules, and when young kids see things for the first time, you know, sometimes it’s like, I wish I could see that again (laughter).”
On relationship with UK marketing partner JMI and NIL opportunities…
“Well it’ll help me, us, tremendously, that’s the hope, right? So, we need everybody to support that. And all of us, as a university, all of our student-athletes, need that to work. And you know for me personally it takes another job off my plate. So, that in itself is enormous.”
On whether current players are helping in recruiting…
“Always, always, always has, always will. Our guys always help, they do that. They have done that for 13 years I’ve been here. They always host them, spend time with them, bring them in, introduce them, and they’re going to tell you the truth about your program. So, the players are one of the most important pieces.”
On whether he has the resources he needs to get the job done…
“We’re working on it hard. We are working hard. The university, the administration, myself, JMI, everybody is working very hard to get this done. That I really appreciate.”
On if getting deals through the CSC clearinghouse has been a problem…
“I think it’s better that I stay away from that. In general, I think the clearinghouse is getting its footing. There’s a lot of latitude in there right now.”
On DB Ty Bryant…
“He’s just the steady guy. You know I’ve said that, how many times if you go back to his freshman year and we’re sitting in here talking about it. I talked about his maturity he was mature beyond his years, and he’s kind of just stayed with that approach. He’s a guy that works really hard. He practices really hard. If he has any limitations he makes up for it for it, his film study, how hard he works, and his preparation. He’s also very high in tackles. He’s a sure tackler, and you know he’s done a really nice job. I think he better thank Grant for that one, right? I think he could give that one to Grant.”
On what a win the final regular season game would mean to program…
“It definitely helps. I said that a week ago, and unfortunately, we didn’t play very good and lost, but you know it is important. As I mentioned, just with everything. The players work really hard, they want to get the results that they want. This is a rivalry game, so it’s important.”
On whether last season’s loss to Louisville brings anything extra to this season..
“Really, without skirting the question, yes, but there’s so much. So much that’s happened between now and then, and it feels like so long ago, but yes it’s important. You go back and have to watch the tape, it is definitely not a good feeling, but for us it’s always that week-to-week. It’s pretty easy for me to compartmentalize things. It’s pretty easy just to be really excited and motivated on a Monday just for this week, because last week’s gone. Let’s just look for solutions moving forward. But it is definitely a piece of it, you can’t ignore that.”
On how his team has bounced back from games they lost…
“Without question, and we have done that, right? Again you play some really good football teams and you’re going to have some bad days. The Georgia game, and we respond – play well at Texas, come up short but play our tails off. The Tennessee game I mentioned how bad we felt that day, and bounce back and play very good the next week at Auburn, put everything into it. So, that’s what’s important to me, that the team responds. They prepare, you know, we as a staff give them the best plan, and then you go give it everything you have, and the results are the results. But, it means as much to me with how we do it, how we prepare, and, what the players are doing, and they’ve done things the right way in that department. Does that make sense? We want to play better. We want the results to be there, and we need them to be. But, how we handle our business is super important.”
On LB Daveren Rayner…
“Very much, played very well. Just in there, taking charge. We’re down a lot of bodies. Don’t really have a lot of backups in certain positions. He played the whole game and didn’t blink. Let’s be honest, he plays a physical position. A lot of snaps, long year, and in there till the last snap, playing his tail off, and really appreciate that. ”
On questions about Rayner’s physicality entering the season…
“It is really good, knock on wood. He’s been a guy that’s stayed healthy and he’s a senior. He’s playing very well, and very happy for him and for us, and he’s been a steady guy.”
On controlling emotions in rivalry game…
“There’s always a fine balance there, right? Last week, Vandy obviously plays with an edge and an attitude, and give them credit. It’s hard not to respect it, but when you’re on the wrong side of it you don’t like it, right? But, you know, there’s always a fine balance there.”
On where UK-Louisville rivalry ranks on ones he’s been involved in…
“Feels like all the ones I’ve been involved. It just really does, because it’s important, you know it’s important. This is where I’ve lived for a long time. You know as I mentioned, whether you like it or not, I’m a Kentuckian now. I’ve been here as long as anywhere I’ve been. I left home at 17, haven’t been back. So, this is home, and I care and you know it’s a rivalry that’s important to both teams. It’s important to the state, it’s important to your fans, so it’ll be important to our team.”
On WR Ja’Mori Maclin potentially being a coach one day…
“I could see that. He’s a guy that things don’t always go as perfectly as everybody wants. But you stay the course, you make a difference, you help as much as you can, and he had some injuries. We’re playing some other guys, but he’s always there, always reliable, and he stepped in in games and critical moments and made catches for us. In not this past week, but the couple previous to that he did and he’s always staying involved, and that’s a great quality. ”
On TE Willie Rodriguez…
“Really big game, yeah. We mentioned both of our players of the game in Daveren and Willie on offense. Both of them played very good football games. Willie made some spectacular catches again. Played hard throughout the entire game, made some really tough catches. That’s a quarterback’s friend when you do some of that and so it’s good to see him step up.”
On TE Josh Kattus and LB Kam Olds…
“Josh and Kam Olds will both be out for this game.”
