The Kentucky Wildcats (5-1) travel to Baton Rogue, LA., to face LSU (5-2) on Saturday. The Wildcats look to extend their three-game winning streak and capture a signature road win against a tough SEC West opponent. Head coach Mark Stoops commented on his team’s upcoming matchup during his weekly press conference Monday.
“Really excited and looking forward to the great challenge of going to LSU this week,” Stoops said. “Typical LSU team, extremely physical, well‑coached team. We’ll have our hands full, but again, looking forward to it. It’ll be a great challenge and a great opportunity.
Kentucky’s last win over LSU came in 2007, as the Wildcats provided the eventual BCS champions with one of their only two regular season losses. The two teams last met in 2011, with LSU winning 35-7 at home. The Wildcats hope to see a different result Saturday, playing in one of college football’s most hostile environments.
“We’ll do what we do on the road,” Stoops said. “Same communication that we used in the swamp (at Florida), you know. So of course, you know, each of these challenges going on the road in the SEC, it’s going to be loud and all that, so we gotta deal with it. We’ll be OK.”
Stoops also noted several key areas in which his team must improve before Saturday’s game. The second-year head coach wants his team to play a physical, balanced game against the Tigers in Death Valley.
“We need to do a lot of things better,” said Stoops. “As coaching staff (we have to) do a better job of putting them in position to be successful and so scheme-wise, we have to be good and on point. And we need to continue to play great technique up front and we’re going to need improved play from the linebackers and we’re going to need great support from our secondary as well.
“So it’s always team defense. You know, obviously starts up front with the technique of the D line and the linebackers. So it’s a combination of things that we’re ‑‑ you know, they keep you off balance. They know what they’re doing. They can run the ball a lot of different ways, and it’s not just about brute brawn. They’re big and physical, but they also know what they’re doing.”
A former freelance journalist from Nashville, Jason covers Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky
