Nick Saban, Mark Stoops on Kentucky's improved passing game

Devin Leary will play vs. Alabama on Saturday, which is a huge relief given the strides that Kentucky’s passing game has made in recent weeks. The senior quarterback threw for 372 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to Tennessee on Oct. 28, and before leaving the Mississippi State game last Saturday with blurred vision, threw for two more scores. Whether or not the Cats can pull off the upset vs. the No. 8 Crimson Tide remains to be seen, but their chances are definitely better with Leary available.

On today’s SEC Teleconference, both Mark Stoops and Nick Saban were asked about the improvement in Kentucky’s passing game. In what feels like coach-speak, Saban said he’s been impressed by Leary and the receivers all season long, giving special mention to sophomore wideout Barion Brown, who held an offer from Alabama in high school.

“I think they’re really good players,” Saban said of Leary and Kentucky’s receivers. “I think they’ve played well all year long. They’ve got a very diverse group. Barion Brown is obviously a really good player. He’s a really fast guy. He’s a good returner as well.

“Devin Leary is tough, competitive, and a good passer. Does a great job of managing and doing what he needs to do to make their offense work, run and pass. The guy’s a really smart player and has done a great job of executing in everything I’ve seen all year long.”

Stoops said Kentucky’s improvement in the passing game can be attributed to a number of factors, starting with the offensive line.

“I think it’s a combination of things. It always starts with protection. We’ve been protecting better. The receivers and the quarterbacks, they’ve been working hard and starting to see the results.

“Just trying to be more detailed, making sure we’re on the same page, and just executing at a higher level. I think part of it is we got some couple of young wideouts that are really working hard to mature and to get better and you’re starting to see that growth on the field.”

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More from Stoops on the SEC Teleconference

The passing game wasn’t the only thing Mark Stoops talked about during his turn on the teleconference. Here are the rest of his comments, including thoughts on Alabama’s defense and his respect for Nick Saban.

Opening Statement

“Really proud of our team for getting a victory this past week on the road at Mississippi State, a place that we hadn’t played very good and a game that we really needed coming off three losses in a row, so really needed that win and it felt like we’d been playing well in certain areas the past couple of weeks. Feel the same now. It’s been a solid week of practice so far.

“Obviously, a tremendous challenge having Alabama come in here, a team that, when I look at it, is a typical Alabama team. Just extremely physical. Great depth, playmakers at every level on both sides and a very, very physical football team so we have to make sure we have great practices this week and really physical practices and have to play at a very high level. So, great challenge, lot of respect for Coach Saban and what he’s done for a really long time, and our team will be up for the challenge and looking forward to it.

On linebacker Dallas Turner:

“Yeah, he’s definitely a guy that can wreck the game very quickly, so he’s a guy that you have to account for. We have to be very smart with our protections and the quarterback’s got to be smart with holding on to the football and making sure we’re not holding on to it too long. He’s the guy that could change it in a hurry. So yeah, I think you got to be very conscientious about where he’s at and try to have a great plan for him.”

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On Alabama’s secondary:

“Really special. You know, you expect that. It seems like it’s year in and year out with Bama, always having high picks and even with the addition of [Caleb] Downs, the freshman, just adds another level. I think their nickel is a fantastic player as well. And [Malachi] Moore, you know the corners can always cover so just really tremendous group.”

On Kentucky defensive lineman Kahlil Saunders:

“He’s getting better and he’s a guy that has some ability, that has a quick twitch and some length, so we need him to Kahlil to continue to improve and he’s getting better.”

On roster management heading into the last stretch of the season:

“We internally work on it and talk about it and look at it all year. There are some things that are out of your hands but you try to have the best fix on it you can. You’re correct. It’s on our radar, it’s something we look at, something we think about internally. We don’t have any of those discussions with the players until it gets to be you know, after the last game of the year.

“At least the schedule they have in place for us now allows us coaches to be on campus following our last game. That’s a change I think just the last year, if I’m not mistaken. Last year was the first year, but that’s a good thing to let us sit here in-house and have meetings with our players and our coaches and get a fix on our own roster before we start hitting the road and closing on guys for the December signing period.”

On his respect for Nick Saban:

We could talk about it at length. It’s truly amazing what he’s done and you have to give a lot of credit to him. I’m sure he’d be the first one to tell you that there are a lot of people who have sacrificed for a long time to help in that support but he is truly the best and has done it at a high level for a long time. Just pretty remarkable what he’s done. And myself coming up through the ranks and watching him and he’s always been good to my family and I just have a lot of respect for him.”

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