The Kentucky Wildcats (5-6, 2-6 SEC) suffered a 50-16 loss to Tennessee (5-5, 2-4) on Saturday at Neyland Stadium. The Wildcats have lost five consecutive games since opening the season with a 5-1 record. Head coach Mark Stoops credited his team’s effort during his postgame, but is aware of Kentucky’s need for its upcoming bye week.

Stoops: “We need this bye right now.” Says UK beat up. “I have no problem right now with this team’s attitude and effort.”

— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) November 16, 2014

Stoops: We didn’t have a lot left in our tank after seven straight games. “Need a couple days to decompress a little bit.”

— Jen Smith (@jenheraldleader) November 16, 2014

Stoops also commented on the current state of Kentucky’s football program, answering questions of the team’s mindset moving forward.

Stoops said he knows he hasn't lost the team and hard as it is to say after that, he's proud of them.

— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) November 16, 2014

Things don't happen overnight, Stoops said. "We need to be bigger and stronger."

— Jen Smith (@jenheraldleader) November 16, 2014

Stoops says anyone who thought this would be easy "needs their head examined."

— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_CJ) November 16, 2014

Jason Hall

A former freelance journalist from Nashville, Jason covers Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky