Five Things Mark Stoops Said After The Game

There’s a lot going on here on Kentucky-Sports-Radio-dot-com with the big win and the Quade Green decision, so I’ll do my best to put the key comments from Mark Stoops’ press conference into one short summary for you to digest and then be on your way.

Ah hell, who am I kidding? You’re all out partying right now anyway. But here’s a few notes if anyone is out there…

It was an “exciting locker room” and “a lot of ups and downs.”

Stephen Johnson did not practice this week.

Stoops said his starting quarterback did not practice at all outside of some extremely limited action in Wednesday’s practice.

“So he is tough as nails,” Stoops said of Johnson’s ability to play with a banged up knee. “He was banged up and was not able to practice, was not able to be on his leg very much. He fought through it and came in there tonight.”

Stoops hopes the swelling is limited after tonight and he expects Johnson to go at Louisville.

Luke Wright was put in a bad spot.

The debut start of Luke Wright’s career did not exactly go like everyone had hoped for the sophomore quarterback. Kentucky went three-and-out on its first drive of the game and then he threw a devastating pick-six on his second possession, which sent him straight to the pine in favor of Johnson.

After the game, Stoops defended Wright, saying, “I feel bad, we didn’t put him in the best situation. That was not the way we wanted that to go. I wanted to take the ball — they got it and took it and possessed the ball. And we put him in a bad situation to start the game. And that’s on the team, not on Luke. So, that was tough for him to start that way.”

He wants bowling to become the norm at Kentucky.

Stoops called tonight’s game a big change in the culture of the program and that he wants bowling to become the norm.

“I’ve been just proud of the guys just really, just grinding it out and listening, and taking the coaching, taking the counseling, and a lot of the hard work that they do in the offseason is starting to pay off.”

Louisville’s next.

“Fortunately we have another game left this season and it’s against our rival. And we’ll be fired up and ready to go for that.”