Before the season opener, Coach Mark Stoops stated he wanted his team to “change the narrative.” After a sluggish, mistake-filled 24-16 victory over Toledo—a game where Kentucky was outgained by their MAC opponent—it’s clear that the old, frustrating narrative is still very much alive.
While Stoops was glad to escape with a win, his post-game press conference was not a victory lap. Instead, it was a frank assessment of a team that was, in his own words, its “own worst enemy.”
“We can’t shoot ourselves in the foot”
The story of the game was Kentucky’s inability to get out of its own way, a theme Stoops hammered home when talking about the offense. From an untimely fumble by tight end Willie Rodriguez to a general lack of rhythm, the self-inflicted wounds were glaring.
“I felt like we were going to get in rhythm and we hurt ourselves,” Stoops said, perfectly summarizing the offense’s disjointed day. He was particularly displeased with the lack of ball security…