Mark Stoops discusses lack of discipline vs. Georgia
From unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, to false starts, to hitting unsuspecting players — Kentucky put on a clinic of what not to do against the No. 1 team in the country on Saturday. The result, a 51-13 tail-whipping by the Georgia Bulldogs.
Kentucky’s lack of discipline was on full display between the hedges. Head coach Mark Stoops did not mince words after the loss.
“I just didn’t have them ready for that moment. The moment was too big for them. We didn’t play very well, we didn’t play very disciplined, we didn’t play very tough. We didn’t get it done,” Stoops said postgame. “It’s not coach speak, but we as a staff and I have to do a better job of getting them ready and getting them prepared. That’s a very good football team. I know some guys on their staff. They’re putting it together and they played a complete game tonight.”
The two main culprits — offensive lineman Jager Burton and defensive tackle Deone Walker. On top of his holding calls, Burton committed a dirty personal foul by jumping on top of an unsuspecting Georgia defender on the ground. Walker made the decision to crack-back block a Bulldog offensive lineman after the play was dead, unprovoked.
Those weren’t the only issues Kenutcky faced, either. The Georgia offense had its way with the UK defense, which was spear-headed by quarterback Carson Beck, who had over 300 passing yards in the first half alone. Star tight end Brock Bowers caught seven passes for 132 yards and a touchdown — most of which came on broken coverages and wide open passes.
“I saw a lot of missed tackles. I saw them making us miss, and then I saw also us uncharacteristically undisciplined with dirty eyes,” Stoops continued. “I also complement them with the way they were creating some plays that we all look at and say, ‘How in the world does a guy like [Bowers] get so open?’ Well, some of it they’re creating, they did a nice job and they got us bad vision.
Even on some of the big ones you see 19 running down the field wide open and you’re like, ‘How in the world you going to leave that guy open?’”
Stoops said during the presser that this is only one game and that there’s a lot of football left to be played before the end of the season. Kentucky will turn its attention toward a team in a similar position as them — the 5-1 Missouri Tigers. Kickoff from Lexington between the two SEC East foes is set for 7:30 p.m. ET live on the SEC Network.