Connect with us

Football

Lane Kiffin Calls Out Mark Stoops For Aggressive Play Call, “That’s Not Anything He’s Probably Ever Done In His Life”

Published

on

Lane Kiffin commends Mark Stoops for out of character playcall as the Kentucky Wildcats upset the sixth ranked Ole Miss Rebels.
Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Just a few weeks ago, analysts and fans across the country criticized Mark Stoops for being conservative as Kentucky fell short in an upset bid of then No. 1 Georgia. Down just one point, he made the decision for the Wildcats to punt it on 4th-and-8 in Georgia territory with three minutes to play.

This past Saturday against Ole Miss, the opposite could be said.

Going into the game as 17.5-point underdogs, Kentucky was trailing 13-17 with four minutes left. With the ball at their own twenty-yard line, Stoops made the call to go for it on 4th-and-7. The result, a 63-yard reception by Barion Brown.

Advertisement

The decision caught many off guard, even Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin. “I have to credit Stoops. That’s not anything he’s probably ever done in his life. He got out of his character with three and a half minutes left,” Kiffin said. “I commend him for doing that.”

“I’m sure the ESPN percentage had us 98 percent winning at that point. Good throw and good play by them.”

ESPN actually had Ole Miss with a 93.4 percent chance of winning.

This win is one of the biggest of Mark Stoops’ career, and it is certainly his highest-ranked win. Ole Miss was No. 6 in the latest AP poll. Since the beginning of the AP poll in 1936, Kentucky has only defeated four higher-ranked teams.

Advertisement

It was possible because Mark Stoops made the aggressive call.

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

Advertisement

Football

Kentucky Wide Receiver Calls for “A Lot” More Leadership and Accountability from Staff

Published

on

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops walks onto the field before the game against the Louisville Cardinals.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

A poor offensive line. Inconsistent quarterback play. A lot of things led to Kentucky football’s abysmal 2024 season. However, they had the talent to finish better than 4-8, only defeating one power opponent this season. So what could have helped?

Kentucky wide receiver Ja’Mori Maclin was asked that question after the Wildcats’ loss to Louisville on Saturday. To his credit, he answered honestly and professionally.

“A lot more leadership,” Maclin said. “Holding guys accountable for things. A lot more discipline for all the guys… All around, players and coaches. We’re still a team, I don’t want to point at any one person or specific group. All around we need better leadership.”

Advertisement

Maclin is a junior and could return for another season. Despite talking about Kentucky taking the next step, he has not made his decision and will be returning home to talk to his family to do so. If Maclin does return, it sounds like Kentucky will have a leader in the receiving room.

Despite being a 1,000-yard receiver at North Texas, Maclin was not targeted often. However, on his 13 receptions, he caught four for touchdowns, the most of any receiver on the team.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Football

REPORT: Vince Marrow to Stay at Kentucky Amidst Louisville Rumors

Published

on

Kentucky associate head coach Vince Marrow on the sidelines at Kroger Field.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

Vince Marrow is considered to be one of the best recruiters in college football, which is why he is often mentioned when recruiting positions come open at other schools, most recently Michigan and Michigan State. Both of these openings led to Marrow becoming one of the highest-paid non-coordinator assistants in the nation.

On Sunday evening, rumors began to swirl that Marrow may be considering taking a similar position at Louisville. While an official offer was never made public, Marrow will remain in Lexington according to Matt Jones.

With Marrow staying, as of now, the football program is still working under the assumption that Mark Stoops will be on the sideline next season for the Wildcats.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Football

Lousville Crushes Kentucky in Governor’s Cup Matchup

Published

on

Ethan Rand | UK Athletics

Slow Start for Cutter Boley

It was a rough start to the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry for Cutter Boley. The Cards would jump out to a 10-0 lead thanks to a Boley interception. Boly would start 1 for his first six with just nine total yards. Boley wasn’t helped much as the Kentucky offensive line struggles would continue to plague the Cats early in the first half. To close out the first half the freshman quarterback would throw another interception. The throw was in the red zone to halt a potential scoring drive for the Cats.

Louisville Dominates the Opening Half

Louisville running back Issac Brown would punish the Cats on the ground. The Cards would total 149 yards of rushing offense in the first half. The season-long woes of stopping the run proved to be worrisome yet again. Louisville would total 256 yards at the half compared to just 107 for Kentucky. The Cats were held scoreless for the first time all season going into the half.

Offensive Line play still plagues the Cats. The lack of time in the pocket allowed Louisville to win the battle in the trenches against an inferior Kentucky offensive line. The young Kentucky quarterback had an insufficient amount of time to drop back and pass. When provided time Boley did not answer the call. The freshman found himself throwing balls into tight double coverage. The Cats were unable to move the ball against a more dominant Louisville front.

Advertisement

Wimsatt Provides Spark in the Second Half

Gavin Wimsatt sparked the Wildcats with a much-needed boost. After a targeting call midway through the third quarter sidelined Boley, Wimsatt stepped in and led the Cats on a seven-play scoring drive. He connected with Ja’Mori Maclin in the back of the end zone. The spark faded quickly as Kentucky continued to turn the ball over, resulting in Louisville scoring. Fans found the exits early, as Kroger Field became empty as restlessness occurred.

The Cards thumped the Cats with a final score of 41 to 14. Louisville finished with 358 yards rushing on the night. Kentucky’s rush defense woes were a concern all year.

What Does the Future Hold?

Going into today’s game the future of the Kentucky program was in question. Stoops continues to feel pressure from the fanbase after a pair of lackluster seasons. The Kentucky head coach will be in interesting territory headed into next season. On top of this, former Kentucky assistant John Sumrall continues to be a trending name in national coaching searches.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending