Mark Stoops explains why his 4th-down decision against Ole Miss was different from Georgia game
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Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats picked up a huge upset win in Week 5 over the Ole Miss Rebels.
It was probably the premier win of Stoops’ tenure, and the coach had to make some tough decisions during the game.
On Monday, Stoops made an appearance on the Zach Gelb Show to talk about the performance. Gelb asked Stoops about the decision to go for it late in the 4th quarter on 4th-and-7 from his own 20-yard line. The Wildcats converted and would go on to win, which left many wondering why the coach didn’t choose to go for it in a key 4th-down situation against Georgia in Week 3.
“There’s always the instinct in your gut, you know, to feel what you need to do,” said Stoops. “You know, every game is a little bit different, every situation is a little bit different.”
Stoops faced criticism for punting near midfield with his team locked in a close game against Georgia. The Wildcats never received the ball back in that game.
“I don’t strictly listen to analytics,” explained Stoops. “I know what they say at the moment because I have somebody feeding it to me at all times. So I knew where I was at in both circumstances.”
The veteran coach also pointed out that the defense kept them in the game against Georgia, so he didn’t have a problem relying on them to make a stop.
“We were in that (Georgia) game because of field position and defense,” Stoops said. “Yards were very hard to come by.”
Clearly, Stoops is not scared to go for it if he feels the circumstances dictate it.
The next test for Kentucky will be in Week 7 against Vanderbilt.
Mark Stoops on why his decision to punt against Georgia was totally different than going for it on 4th & 7 against Ole Miss. @InfSportsNet pic.twitter.com/jK7820UFdQ
— Zach Gelb (@ZachGelb) September 30, 2024
Bryce Lazenby covers college football for Saturday Down South. A Nashville native, his previous stops include FanSided, Dimers, and The Leaf-Chronicle.
