Kentucky's Resiliency Will Be Tested, Again

A tone was set on the first day of Kentucky football fall camp. Speaking from the podium at Kroger Field, Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White shared an important point of emphasis for this team: coaching players to withstand adversity.

When the Wildcats faced adversity in 2024, they crumpled. When the losses added up in early October, Mark Stoops insisted that this team had not quit. They proved it by rallying to win three straight games. After taking a thumping at Vanderbilt, they must do it again to prove that this is not a team of quitters.

The injuries have piled high, and it’s probably a big reason why Diego Pavia picked them apart, but there are no excuses. Kentucky must play better and finish the season on a high at Louisville.

“We’re gonna get tested because we’re at the end of the year here,” said Stoops. “You’re kind of on fumes. There’s some guys definitely hurting, but we have to suck it up and have a great week. We have to put this one behind us quick, like I said. There’s a lot to look at, lot of things that we need to improve on, but I’m confident in the team that will respond the right way.”

Words are Just Words: Kentucky Must Be About It

After Stoops spoke, Brad White took the podium, and I asked him about what he said at media day. Is this team ready to show resiliency one more time?

“It’s easy for me to stand up here to say, Yes, I think they’re going to be resilient. Those are words. They’re going to have to do it. We’re going to have to do it as coaches,” White said.

That last part is crucial. It’s not just the players who failed at Vanderbilt. The gameplan the coaches created didn’t work. They couldn’t run the ball on offense, and they couldn’t stop the pass on defense. They must be better.

“Resiliency isn’t just the players; it’s the coaches,” said White. “Trust me, everybody is hurting. The coaching staff, you pour a lot into a week, and you think you’ve put together a plan, you really don’t know, right? And obviously, it falls flat. So you as a coach, have to stand up and say, ‘Okay, I own that, and let’s go back.’ The players have to do the same thing, and so that’s what we’re going to do.”

Actions speak much louder than words. Tonight’s actions weren’t good enough, not even close. Kentucky has one final opportunity to play winning football. They must stay in the fight and finish.

“Am I confident that they’re going to bounce back? Yes, I do. Do I think they have character? Yes, but we got to play better. It doesn’t matter how I feel. They actually have to go do it. We have to do it as a staff,” said the Kentucky defensive coordinator.

“We have to get back in that room and not point fingers, not with this call, or this coverage, or this player, or this group, whatever. Listen, resiliency in a team starts with the gameplan, starts with the staff, and then that trickles down to players, and those players have to then feel it. They have to execute, and they have to hold each other accountable. And do I think that we have the character in that room to do it? Yes, but we have to go out and do it.”