BTI's Rants and Ramblings: Ranking the 50 Losses of the Mark Stoops Era

Mark Stoops got the happy side of this post yesterday when I posted my ranking of the 49 wins of the Mark Stoops era. There was a lot of debate on my social media about the top of the list but overall I think people enjoyed reminiscing about some of the better moments of the past 8 seasons. Today, you are going to have to hold your lunch in as look at the opposite end of the Mark Stoops tenure. He will likely break over .500 by the end of this season but as of right now, he sits at 50 losses at Kentucky. So I broke down those 50 losses into 3 tiers: The Heartbreaking, The Frustrating, and The Forgettable.

TIER 1: MARK STOOPS’ WORST, MOST HEARTBREAKING LOSSES

#1. 2017: Florida 28, Kentucky 27 – You don’t have to say much more than 10 guys on defense. This game ripped out our hearts multiple times. Mark Stoops and the coaching staff blew it. The refs blew it. And the players take some blame too. I think most of us thought we just never would beat Florida after this game.

#2. 2014: Florida 36, Kentucky 30 (3ot) – This loss will forever stick in the craw of UK fans, not just because UK was trying to break the streak but the feeling that the refs took it away from Stoops and Co. UK would get their payback a few years later.

#3. 2019: Tennessee 17, Kentucky 13 – UK has 4 plays from inside the 10 and two plays from the 1-yard line to win and can’t make it work and the Vols take another one. The worst play-calling decisions and maybe an early sign that the Eddie Gran era was doomed.

TIER 1-B: THE BRUTUAL BUT ONLY BARELY LESS SO

#4. 2014: Louisville 44, Kentucky 40 – A brutal loss in Mark Stoops’ second season. UK had the lead with under 3 minutes to go but gave up a touchdown and couldn’t make a game-winning drive. Additionally, the loss kept UK out of a bowl that season.

#5. 2015: Florida 14, Kentucky 9 – The Gators were there for the taking and the UK offense could only muster 3 field goals. It is one of the biggest whiffs of the Stoops era on a chance for a huge win.

#6. 2018: Texas A&M 20, Kentucky 14 (ot) – Some might disagree with it being in the top tier but I think this was the loss that hurts the worst for me. Georgia was too good and UK was never in the Tennessee loss. But this game was quite winnable but for whatever reason, Benny never touches the ball in overtime and the Cats lose.

#7. 2019: Florida 29, Kentucky 21 – Man, Florida takes up a lot of space in this top tier. But UK was flat out the best team but another 4th quarter collapse dooms the Cats. The Sawyer Smith era was one amazing half and one brutal half. And it was over before we knew it.

TIER 2: FRUSTRATING BUT LESS EMOTIONAL LOSSES

#8. 2015: Louisville 38, Kentucky 24 – UK led this game 21-0. Drew Barker looked to have taken over the program. And then Lamar Jackson turned into Lamar Jackson and the rest was history. Fan morale after this game was pretty low for the popularity of Mark Stoops.

#9. 2018: Georgia 34, Kentucky 17 – Yes, the Cats were overmatched in this game but this was the chance to make the SEC title game and it was on our home field. So, still, a brutal loss to take.

#10. 2016: Southern Miss 44, Kentucky 35 – I considered putting this in the top tier because it was that demoralizing. UK led 28-7 in the 2nd quarter and it appeared that Mark Stoops had found his team. From that time on, the worst 35 minutes of UK football in Stoops time here. This was probably the low point.

#11. 2017: Northwestern 24, Kentucky 23 (Music City Bowl) – This was a wildly entertaining game but will be remembered for Benny Snell’s early ejection and UK went for 2 and then win with under a minute left. Still a disappointing loss though.

#12. 2015: Auburn 30, Kentucky 27 – This was UK’s Thursday night showcase opportunity and they gagged another one away, a theme of the 2015 season. Had almost 100 more total yards but couldn’t get over the hump. National TV audience wasted.

#13. 2017: Ole Miss 37, Kentucky 34 – I think we all became aware of who DK Metcalfe was after this game. But from 2015-17, UK just blew a slew of these types of games and this one was a chance for UK to be 7-2 on the season.

TIER 2-B: EQUALLY FRUSTRATING BUT WITH KICKERS INVOLVED

#14. 2020: Ole Miss 42, Kentucky 41 (ot) – Missed extra point gets the Cats off to an 0-2 start. Mark Stoops is scrambling to save the season after this loss.

#15. 2014: Mississippi State 45, Kentucky 31 – This was the #1 team in the country at the time and UK fought them for almost the entire game but Dak Prescott was just too much.

#16. 2016: Georgia 27, Kentucky 24 – Another chance to get over the UGA hump against one of their worst teams. But UK kicks a late field goal instead of getting a TD and the Bulldogs win at the buzzer.

#17. 2013: Western Kentucky 35, Kentucky 26 – It only lands in this section because it was Mark Stoops first loss. And the fact it came against an in-state opponent doesn’t make it any better but it was clear real fast just how much work there was to be done.

#18. 2016: Georgia Tech 33, Kentucky 18 (Taxslayer Bowl) – It’s a bowl loss and those always suck. But fans were happy to be back bowling and I’m not sure many were discouraged after the game.

#19. 2015: Vanderbilt 21, Kentucky 17 – UK is stuffed at the goal line twice in this game and Vanderbilt continued holding on tight to this rivalry.

#20. 2013: Louisville 27, Kentucky 13 – UK should have been overmatched against a Teddy Bridgewater 7th ranked Cards squad but actually were competitive. No shame in this loss and I think fan morale jumped considerably for Mark Stoops.

#21. 2013: Vanderbilt 22, Kentucky 6 – I attended this game and it was truly the worst I’ve ever seen a Kentucky team play. This game was memorable for a Mark Stoops-James Franklin dust-up following the game.

#22. 2013: Tennessee 27, Kentucky 14 – A merciful end to a 2-10 season.

TIER 3: MARK STOOPS WAS OVERMATCHED, WHO CARES

#23. 2020: Missouri 20, Kentucky 10
#24. 2018: Tennessee 24, Kentucky 7
#25. 2020: Georgia 14, Kentucky 3
#26. 2017: Louisville 44, Kentucky 17
#27. 2019: Mississippi State 28, Kentucky 16
#28. 2020: Auburn 29, Kentucky 13
#29. 2016: Tennessee 49, Kentucky 36
#30. 2014: Missouri 20, Kentucky 10
#31. 2013: Mississippi State 28, Kentucky 22
#32. 2013: South Carolina 35, Kentucky 28
#33. 2019: South Carolina 24, Kentucky 7
#34. 2019: Georgia 21, Kentucky 0
#35. 2013: Missouri 48, Kentucky 17
#36. 2020: Florida 34, Kentucky 10
#37. 2015: Georgia 27, Kentucky 3
#38. 2013: Florida 24, Kentucky 7
#39. 2015: Mississippi State 42, Kentucky 16
#40. 2017: Georgia 42, Kentucky 13
#41. 2016: Alabama 34, Kentucky 6
#42. 2015: Tennessee 52, Kentucky 21
#43. 2014: Tennessee 50, Kentucky 16
#44. 2014: LSU 41, Kentucky 3
#45. 2017: Mississippi State 45, Kentucky 7
#46. 2016: Florida 45, Kentucky 7
#47. 2013: Georgia 59, Kentucky 17
#48. 2014: Georgia 63, Kentucky 31
#49. 2013: Alabama 48, Kentucky 7
#50. 2020: Alabama 63, Kentucky 3