Mark Stoops previews rivalry week matchup against Louisville
By Jason Hall
Published:
The Kentucky Wildcats (5-6, 2-6 SEC) face the No. 24 Louisville Cardinals (8-3, 5-3 ACC) Saturday at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Louisville is coming off back-to-back wins against Boston College and Notre Dame. Kentucky looks to earn bowl eligibility for the first time since 2010.
The Wildcats are coming off a bye week that followed a 50-16 loss to Tennessee in Week 12. Head coach Mark Stoops commented on the extra week of preparation and how it will benefit his team this weekend.
“It was good just to get out,” Stoops said. “After a couple days’ rest, get out and do some good, competitive work. Get back to some fundamentals. Do some things that we do through camp where we go good against good, do some one on ones. We do some half lines where we just technique wise need to get better sometimes throughout the season.
“You get so enamored with the X’s and O’s and assignments that you drift from some of the basics. We obviously try not to. We constantly have individual (practice periods) in certain things, but it was good to spend more time with that last week.”
Louisville ranks No. 3 overall in rush defense with 88.5 yards allowed per game. Stoops commented on the Cardinals front seven and what stands out bout how they attack and pressure opposing quarterbacks.
“Well, they play extremely hard,” Stoops said. “They play very hard. I think if you look at Coach (Todd) Grantham and what they’ve done defensively, I think in certain ways may be simplified maybe in certain ways. Their guys are playing very hard. I think that’s the thing I’ve noticed the last two years playing Louisville.
“To their credit, I think they play very hard. And their guys, their front gets after it, and plays, like I said, plays relentless, as does their whole defense. They’ve played really well.”
Stoops also noted the importance of the in-state rivalry with Louisville. The coach said that his team is ready for Saturday’s game, but treating the matchup just like any other.
“I think the whole staff and everybody’s excited about it,” Stoops said. “We’ve talked about that right after the last game. It’s a beautiful thing, as we have this opportunity in front of us to get the sixth victory against a big rival. A lot of people would believe in this state that it’s the most important game of the year. So it’s important and it’s exciting. I think every game is important. I really do.”
A former freelance journalist from Nashville, Jason covers Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky
