LISTEN: Mark Stoops joins the KSR Postgame Show following UK's blowout victory over UofL

The Louisville football program came to Kroger Field on Saturday afternoon and went home with a blowout 45-13 loss.

And as expected, it was a result that left Mark Stoops giddy after the dominant victory.

After the dust settled a bit, the Kentucky head coach called into the KSR Postgame Show to break down the win and what it meant for the program.

Here is the entire transcript of the conversation between Stoops and Matt Jones:

On how it feels to pull off the win and how confident he was going into the game…

“I really was, I did feel good about it, I really did. It stems from the competition and what we go against all year. I know you guys talk about it and everything, but I don’t know if you can truly understand what we play against in the SEC. All year, it really prepares you for opportunities like this. I did feel good about it going into it, but that’s a good team, [Coach Scott Satterfield] does a really great job. You’ve got to give it to Coach Satterfield, they’re doing much better, they’re playing harder, they’re more disciplined. It was about us continuing to elevate our game and continuing to improve, build on all the good things we’ve been doing. We’ve been playing solid, as you know. We’ve been playing solid defense all year, and offensively, we found a niche. I give a lot of credit to Coach [Eddie] Gran, our offensive coaches. And of course Lynn Bowden and all of our offensive players. They’ve really bought in, doing all the things necessary to move the ball. You can tell it puts a lot of stress on a defense. And then you bring a guy like Lynn, as competitive as he is, and as much ability he has, he’s so talented in so many ways. It’s stressful for a defense, it’s tough. Let’s not forget, it also starts with us having that extremely physical mentality with our offensive line.”

On if he has enjoyed a ground-and-pound style of play under Lynn Bowden…

“It’s gratifying that we did what we did, truly. But believe me, I want balance. We’re going to get back to that forward pass, we’ll have some balance, I promise you. I do love the team and I think they’re really proud of themselves, because we have been through some scars, we’ve been through some tough times. That’s what helps build character within a team. It’s so easy, when these guys get beat up mentally and physically, it’s easy to cave. This team would not relent, they would not give up. They kept on fighting and playing physical. Anytime you are physical on both lines of scrimmage and play hard, you have a great opportunity to win. You have to be physical, it starts there, and it starts with playing hard.”

On Lynn Bowden’s switch from wide receiver to quarterback and Kentucky going 5-2 since…

“It really is remarkable. And with every game, what he’s doing, the confidence that he gets and he’s growing from it, and our team. I have to compliment Eddie Gran and our staff, but for Lynn to do that, it’s crazy. If you could go back and do that from day one, why in the world would he not be in the Heisman hunt, you know? Why wouldn’t he be? He just rushed the ball the most [yards] ever in the SEC by a quarterback. In the history of the SEC. And everybody knows we’re going to run it. What he’s doing really is amazing, and I said this earlier, I compared him to Lamar Jackson in this way. And don’t misquote me on this, all the people listening to this, Lamar Jackson was one of the best players I’ve ever played against. What I loved and admired about him, was that after we were fortunate enough to win the one game, maybe [he] made a mistake or two, you can tell he was like the alpha of the alpha dogs when we had to play him the next year at home. And his competitive nature, that’s what I mean by Lynn. He’s one of the few people I’ve seen in that he’s just so competitive and talented in so many different ways. He’s a true alpha dog. He’s like, “Come on team, jump on my back and let’s go.” And that’s what I mean and that’s how I compared it to Lamar, I felt like that going against him. I was like, “Wow. This dude is special, and he’s not going to let his team down again.” That’s how Lynn is. He wants to win and he wants to do well for his team. He cares about people, he cares about the Big Blue Nation. He’s just ultra competitive.”

On UK having five players (Josh Allen, Benny Snell, Lynn Bowden, Max Duffy, and Austin MacGinnis) over the last two years that might be the best or second best at their position to ever play at Kentucky…

“Yeah, you’re right. You know the history much more than I do, I try to study it and learn it, but you’ve watched it a lot longer than I have and know some of the great players. But I am so proud of the five guys you mentioned, and so many more. Guys like Calvin Taylor who nobody recruited and he’s leading the SEC in sacks. That’s the second year in a row we could have the sack leader in the SEC that were two stars or zero stars, nobody recruited them. That’s the kind of stuff that does make me proud. Those five guys you mentioned are remarkable players and there are so many more. Definitely, I’m proud of the physical nature we’re playing with, I’m proud of the fact that they can get knocked down, get back up and go compete again. It’s hard to do. These guys are courageous.”

On his players being invested in the rivalry and their L’s Down gestures…

“I’ll say this, there’s no doubt that I like Scott Satterfield. He’s a good man, and a good coach. I was kind of joking beforehand because I knew some people that knew him, I was basically saying the same thing, like, “This is gonna really suck, because I really like you.” (laughs) You normally want to hate your rival, but I like him, I like what he stands for and his team, the whole deal. He’ll do a heck of a job. After the game, I wasn’t worried about it. I just told him congrats on a good year and good luck in the bowl game. I don’t know, he tried telling me someone was saying “Ls Down” and to be honest with you, I’ll keep it between he and I, but I basically said I wasn’t worried about that. You know what I’m saying? I thought both teams really played with discipline, he really has great discipline on that team. You could tell, both of us really tried to have a good, hard-fought, clean game. Respect the opponent. At that point, I didn’t know what was going on anyway. There were timeouts and a sack, a sack fumble, our kids were just jacking around and celebrating. I don’t think anyone was being disrespectful. So I just politely said I wasn’t too worried about the Ls Down.”

On Kentucky potentially having their best recruiting class of all time…

“I feel really good about where we’re at. I felt like this year, with these seniors, I love these guys, but we got through it with a small group. We’ll probably lose a junior, I’d imagine Lynn will come out [and enter the NFL Draft], but the guys we’ve got coming back, we’ve got 16 or 17 seniors that all contributed. And the juniors next year, that’s a big class with all guys that contribute. But with this next recruiting class, I definitely think it will be the best class I’ve ever had here. I think we have a chance to close incredibly strong, my only problem is scholarships. We’re low, and it’s a bad year to be low on numbers, but we’ll make it work. There will be a few guys that jump in the transfer portal and create a little space, normal attrition happens, which is healthy sometimes. With these dudes coming in, we’ve got one heck of a class we’re putting together. And we’re going to keep pounding the pavement over the next two weeks non-stop, I’m hitting it tomorrow and I’m not stopping for two straight weeks. I think we’ll have an opportunity to close extremely strong.”

In case you missed the celebration show, you can find it in its entirety right here:

#LsDown