Editorial
31-6.
If you had just told that score to a Kentucky fan on Saturday morning, most would have believed that Kentucky would have put on an impressive performance in a win against the South Carolina Gamecocks. But that was not how it played out, as Kentucky was on the receiving end of the blowout.
But like Lee Corso says, “Not so fast my friend.”
The thing I keep coming back to under Coach Stoops is consistency. He brought the Kentucky football program to a level of expectedness that I had never seen nor thought possible in my lifetime. His program in and out can be described with the word “consistent”.
Thinking back to Austin MacGinnis’ game-winning field goal against Mississippi State in 2016. His stepping up to boot that kick through the goalposts was one of the most important moments of the Stoops era in my opinion, and it was done with consistency. Keep looking through his career and that “C” word will keep coming up again and again. Stephen Johnson, Josh Allen, Benny Snell, Lynn Bowden, the list goes on and on about these Stoops players whose drive, and focus have led to consistent results for the Kentucky football program.
Coach Stoops’ Wildcats have been in perilous positions before starting the season. Starting the season 0-2 in 2016, with a home loss to Southern Mississippi on record, everybody thought the year was a wash. However, Coach Stoops rallied the Cats and got big wins against South Carolina, Mississippi State, Missouri, and Louisville to go on to play in the first bowl game of the Stoops era.
Looking at the 2019 season you see much of the same. A team that got the short end of the stick with injuries. Forced to play Lynn Bowden, the previous wide receiver at quarterback that season could have been looked at as just a bit of bad luck, and let’s try again next year. But in Mark Stoops’ fashion, he rallied the troops and went to work. Lynn Bowden the QB led Kentucky to 8 wins and put himself in the history books.
The list goes on and on about Coach Stoops rallying his team to do the impossible at Kentucky. He has embraced the underdog role with slogans like “Why not us”. Is it hard to be optimistic after last week? Yes. Will this season turn out the way we fans have hoped for? Only time will tell, but let’s not forget the man on the sideline who has been in this situation before and leads his team with a consistency Kentucky football had never seen.
Related