WATCH: Mark Stoops recaps Kentucky's win over EMU, Cutter Boley's debut

I doubt many of us would have predicted that the offense would outplay the defense vs. Eastern Michigan, but a win is a win, and it was good to see the Cats find a groove offensively. Mark Stoops said as much in his postgame remarks following Kentucky’s 48-23 victory, praising his squad for cleaning up some of their mistakes from a week ago.

“There’s no replacing game reps, and they’ll get better with each opportunity, so that was good to see. Same with Cutter [Boley]. I thought he did a really good job for his second start and was much better prepared. He operated very good. I thought we were much more clean in our operation tonight. It was a point of emphasis for us all week. And I thought he did a very good job of managing the game, so, happy for that.”

Cutter Boley looked good in his debut as Kentucky’s starting quarterback, going 12-21 for 240 yards and two touchdowns; however, Stoops wasn’t ready to commit to him as the starting quarterback over Zach Calzada. Reading between the lines, it feels like only a matter of time, but much more concerning was the defense’s performance. After a hot start, Brad White’s unit allowed the Eagles to score 16 points and gain almost 300 yards in the first half.

“Defensively, it was really an odd game, 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, just not a good play; no way around it. And get back out there and give up an over route. We need to be better.”

Watch it all below.

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Mark Stoops transcript

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, there’s no replacing that will get better with 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.