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Kentucky fans ready to bail on Mark Stoops after disastrous first half vs. Louisville
Published:
Kentucky is limping to the finish line of the 2024 football season.
The Wildcats went into the halftime break on Saturday trailing Louisville 20-0. It marked just the second time in the last decade that Kentucky has been shut out in the first half of a game at Kroger Field.
The Wildcats (4-7) had just 107 yards of offense in the first half and more turnovers (3) than third-down conversions (0-for-7). Quarterback Cutter Boley went 6-for-5 passing for 48 yards and was picked off twice. The ground game averaged 4.7 yards per carry if you adjust for sacks, but the Wildcats gave up 2 of those and also fumbled twice.
Louisville popped a 58-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and generally dominated at the line of scrimmage in the first half. The Cardinals put up 256 yards with an explosive play rate of 17%.
At the end of a disastrous season in Lexington, the tide is starting to turn on head coach Mark Stoops.
Barring a dramatic second-half comeback, Kentucky will fall to 4-8 and finish with its worst record in a season since 2013 — Stoops’ first year in charge. The 1-7 record in conference play is also the worst since 2013.
Stoops has been at Kentucky since November of 2012. With Nick Saban retiring this past offseason, Stoops officially became the longest-tenured coach in the SEC. And some fans on social media are ready to pull the plug.
https://twitter.com/DerekSTerry/status/1862919572132692303
Mark Stoops couldn’t motivate Joey Chestnut to eat a hot dog.
— Adam Griggs (@businessraptor) November 30, 2024
The team quit
The coaches quit
The fans are about to quit
— Karl Townes (@Karl_Townes) November 30, 2024
I will not be attending another Kentucky football game until Mark Stoops is gone.
— Trillie Cauley-Stein (@SeaOttersFan27) November 30, 2024
It's come full circle for Mark Stoops. The program is now as bad as the one he inherited.
— Larry Glover Live (@larrygloverlive) November 30, 2024
So stoops turns Cutter loose against Texas but decides to play conservative against Louisville? This man is actively trying to get fired.
— Jark Pope (@jarrprice) November 30, 2024
Pathetic
Thanks for everything Stoops, time for you to go
— Matt Sak BBN (@MattSakR2NG) November 30, 2024
Fire Stoops. It’s time.
Regardless of how bad we are this year, it doesn’t excuse a culture of ZERO effort. In a rivalry game of all things!
Fans pay too much for this performance. @UKFootball @MitchBarnhartUK #BBN— Josh Helton (@jheltonUK) November 30, 2024
Mitch Barnhart and Mark Stoops next week pic.twitter.com/2KiWO0qzKy
— J Vince (@_VinceCali) November 30, 2024
If Stoops had any self respect he would walk away and save Kentucky $40 million.
— Karl Townes (@Karl_Townes) November 30, 2024
Kentucky going to have to do something about Stoops. No way you can bring him back after the offseason flirting into this disaster of a season. His run is over.
— Stephen A Turner (@StephenATurner) November 30, 2024
This Kentucky team is such a shell of its former self. Completely unrecognizable compared to the gritty, blue collar teams of years past that did more with less.
— Chris Fisher (@ChrisFisher247) November 30, 2024
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
