Mark Stoops sat down with the media following Kentucky’s 48-23 win over Eastern Michigan last night.
Stoops gave his thoughts on the victory and talked about Cutter Boley’s first start of the season at quarterback.
“You know, good win for us,” Stoops said in his opening statement. “I was glad that we were able to play quite a few
players and get some guys that have been working extremely hard and get them in and get them some snaps. Like I told those guys that got in, there's no replacing game reps and they will get better with each opportunity.”
Stoops was pleased with Boley’s performance, wasn’t ready to name him the starter moving forward.
“I was pleased with the way he [Boley] operated; I really was,” Stoops said. “I don’t think it would be right for me to make that decision right here and now. I was pleased with the way he played. We will get some time and look at it and get back on the practice field.”
Check out his postgame press conference here:
Here’s a transcript from UK Athletics:
MARK STOOPS: You know, Good win for us. I was glad that we were able to play quite a few
players and get some guys that have been working extremely hard and get them in and get
them some snaps. Like I told those guys that got in, there's no replacing game reps and they
will get better with each opportunity. So that was good to see. The same with Cutter. I thought
he did a really good job for his second start. Was much better prepared and he operated very
good and I thought we were much more clean in our operation. Tonight, it was a point of
emphasis for us all week. I thought he did a very good job of managing the game. So, I'm
happy for that. I thought we were physical running the ball for 252 yards was good to see and
was also good to see Cutter hit some very good passes and throw for 240. Overall good effort.
Offensively, I felt like we really moved the ball pretty consistently all day. A couple of third downs
there, we had one drop and some possessions that weren't as clean as we'd like, but that's
going to happen and we have to be able to overcome that. Defensively it was really an odd
gang because you felt like you played extremely well for most of the first half until the end. And
then we got beat on the double move, you know, just not very good, not a very good play. No
way around it. And get back out there and give up and over route and just we need to be better
and play some of that better at the end of the first half. Obviously the double move, but then the
second possession where they got some points as well. We need to just be cleaner in the way
we were playing some of those plays. We were matching it and should have carried the over
route and just a couple of things that frustrated us. They moved the ball very efficiently, give
them credit. They had us a little off balance and those are things we need to work on. You
know, obviously, kind of frustrating that way. I will open it up.
Q On Cutter Boley’s performance
MARK STOOPS: I was pleased with the way he operated; I really was. I don't think it would be
right for me to make that decision right here and now. I was pleased with the way he played.
We will get some time and look at it and get back on the practice field.
Q What stood out to you about Cutter's pocket presence and just the way he carried
himself?
MARK STOOPS: Yeah, I thought he was really good with his operation and his presence. As I
mentioned with some of the defensive players, the same with Cutter, game reps, theres no
replacing that will get better with that each opportunity and each snap. I thought his awareness
was very good. There was some plays where there were some other things out there, like we
mentioned in the first two games, that he will look at and know that he can play better as well
and get more comfortable. But overall, very pleased.
Q How do you think he handles pressure whenever the pocket was played or not?
MARK STOOPS: I didn't, you know, just watching it without watching the film and everything. I
felt like his awareness seemed to be pretty good. I think when he buys time and scrambles and
has a lot of time it will be different against different opponents. That's something we've got to
look out for. You know, but overall he looked pretty comfortable back there.
Q Any update on Dante?
MARK STOOPS: He should be fine. He got hit a couple of times in the same spot. It maybe
was something where he could go back in but if you got hit again it may lead to something more
drastic.
Q.[INAUDIBLE]
MARK STOOPS: CJ, we repped it the other day and he was a little iffy on it and we wrapped the
exact, if not the exact, I'd have to look at it but it seemed to be exactly play and his eyes were a
little funky the other day in practice and Coach J does a remarkable job, Jay is relentless and he
will get after those guys. He made his intentions clear. We got it fixed and we gotta big stop.
Q.[INAUDIBLE]
MARK STOOPS: Yeah. I thought Josh was very close to catching the one in the endzone too. I
looked like maybe he had it for a moment but then didn't clear the ground. But Josh had some
very tough catches and been close too, same with Willie and all those guys. It's been good, we
need to get them involved. They are good players. It's been fun to get them more involved. If
Cutter doesn't snap the ball a little too soon on the one we have another touchdown by a tight
end there, right? He was just a little quick on the draw there.
Q The night that Seth had tonight with three touchdowns, I don't know, what can you say
about what he did?
MARK STOOPS: Seth has been very steady. I think you know that. He's been very efficient this
year and he runs very tough. He's a guy that runs with a lot of energy. He's kind of wild with the
way he runs. I don't know what's gonna to come out, you know? It's between him and God.
He's been running very tough, you know, very tough yards when he has to. But also will make
some very drastic cuts and moves. I'm very pleased with the way he's playing too.
Q How did you feel about your defensive depth right now and how important is it to
develop that?
MARK STOOPS: You know, I mentioned that. I said that earlier here and I'm sure you guys
would put that out to me. I said that secondary could be a strength and I still think that. I did
back it up that day by saying, well, if you get an injury or two, you know, all of a sudden you
could be not where you want to be. Right now, we have a couple that was to Ryan was the
same thing. He was battling an injury and we just didn't want to push it. You know, It led to
some points but we need him healthy. He was tight and he's been battling something that we felt
like if he went in there and pulled something then he'd be out for weeks. We couldn't afford that.
Q You guys talked about the off-season, getting that offensive line to a new place and
improving getting it better. You are a quarter way through the year. What is your analysis
of how they improved?
MARK STOOPS: Yeah, without question, I think it's pretty obvious that they are playing much
better. I really have talked about it, but I really like that group. It's not just Coach B and me up
here blabbing. I like those guys; they have a great mentality. They care, they fight, they work
well together. They are bringing along the younger guys and getting them in there. I could tell it
was only two snaps and I could tell that group got in there, the twos, that they were trying to
move some people as well. I like the mentality that they are working with. Like I said, they are
just a very mature group and physical, you know, they are playing well.
Q You attempted a lot of shots downfield and the first couple and you weren't able to
connect. Just how much easier does it make the offense if you connect-?
MARK STOOPS: Yeah, without a doubt. I thought the guys made some competitive catches
today. We even left a few more out there. There was some more plays out there. It was a good
starting point with Cutter starting his first game of the season. It definitely could loosen it up. I
think at halftime, I looked at the stats at halftime and just looked at the quickie stats and we
were dead even with runs and passes and if you can get that kind of balance, we could have
some efficiency that we are looking for.
Q I think the word you would probably use is leaky in some of the stuff in the first half.
After halftime, in the locker room. What did you say in the halftime locker room to get
their attention?
MARK STOOPS: It was kind of little aggravating for us. Give them credit, I thought they did a
nice job with their presentation and some of the stuff they did. They just hit the plays late and
got some momentum and got some big plays. We worked all week, you know, we talked about
last week last week. We wanted to detail some things up and worry about us. The guys had a
great mentality all week as far as their effort, their attitude, and their attention to detail. It
doesn't always carry over to games. That's why experience matters, that's why games matter,
that's why you want to get better as a season goes on because you are seeing things just
presented different and things move fast out there. Guys want to do well. But they've got to play
with clean eyes.
Q Zach was in uniform. Was he available for an emergency situation?
MARK STOOPS: Zach was very good about that, you know, dressing and being available in an
emergency situation. I had confidence in Bo and I have confidence in the other quarterbacks.
You can't rep them all. Zach has all those reps banked and you might be out there to be able to
throw something short and hand the ball off and operate. I appreciate him doing that. A lot of
quarterbacks with their arm, you know, they don't want to mess with that. He was great and he
tried to throw each and every day this week after Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. Just wasn't
feeling great and wasn't worth it to hurt him worse. But he was great, you know, he wanted to
dress and be there if we needed him.
Q How do you approach this by week with the extended time with kind of the teeth of the
SEC schedule?
MARK STOOPS: We've got to have a great week. Much like last week, we've just got to really
attack the week and worry about us and get better. The early part of the week we will play ball,
play fastball, we will have a normal practice Monday and give Tuesday off and coaches will
prepare and we should have a full game plan and be ready to put that in for practice on
Wednesday and Thursday and that would be a Tuesday and Wednesday practice. We will have
a good week. Get one extra day with Tuesday, you know, getting in the weight room and trying
to get their bodies right for the next game and for the season. Keeping their weights up and
really lifting and trying to get them as healthy as they can be.
Q Are you telling your guys to pick off the first pass of every game?
MARK STOOPS: Yeah, it would be nice, I'd like to see them. Maybe I should have them pick off
the last two minutes of the first half. It was a really nice start. You know, it was nice to get the
fans involved. I thought it was good offensively, was efficient defensive, it was efficient early
and got some energy in the stadium and played well. We gave up some late that took a little air
out but we came back and responded, like you said in the third.
