'We will improve': Mark Stoops' message to fans rings hollow after another embarrassing loss

For the second week in a row, Kentucky fans had to watch the Cats get embarrassed by a team they got used to beating in the Mark Stoops era. The 41-0 loss to Louisville and the 45-17 loss to Vanderbilt mark the first time in program history that Kentucky has lost each of its last two games by 28 or more points. The only thing worse than losing like that is the uncertainty of what lies ahead, a $37.5 million conundrum for Mitch Barnhart and the university’s biggest donors.

The Big Blue Nation is currently consumed by two emotions: calls for change and the fear that they won’t be answered. When asked about fan morale after the game, Stoops said he only focuses on his team and not the noise, but acknowledged that fans have the right to be upset.

“Yeah, I mean, I can’t answer that. I really can’t. I don’t know. I mean, I don’t really look at anything, I mean, other than my office and our building. And I understand that, you know, I do. I own that. It is what it is. I could promise you that we care. We work hard. There’s been some ups and downs, and we will improve.”

His answer when asked what he would tell fans who are upset about the last two years probably won’t make anyone feel better.

“Well, I mean, we’re going to work like we always do. We’re going to try to build this roster. We’ve been in tough spots before, and we’re going to continue to improve.”

Quarterback Cutter Boley said he wants to stay at Kentucky after the game. Stoops told Tom Leach that there’s a “nucleus” of players who have signed contracts to return next season. Kentucky overhauled its roster with 55 newcomers last offseason. Stoops said the staff will go to the transfer portal and JuCo ranks to complement the young talent next season. Signing Day is Wednesday, and the portal opens in January.

“I love the young players that we have on our team,” Stoops said. “I have to get more. We have to get more depth. We have to be good across the board to play the schedule that we do. And I think depth is a big issue. We have to have enough players. We have a good young quarterback who’s a redshirt freshman.”

Fans have zero influence over what Mitch Barnhart will do — although one made his voice heard as Barnhart walked out of the stadium today. Instead, for the second week in a row, we’re left with another embarrassing loss, one that further cements that Kentucky is falling further and further behind the teams they used to beat on a routine basis.

“I was proud of the growth we are making,” Stoops said. “We’re improving and getting better. And we couldn’t sustain it. We didn’t play very good here these past couple of weeks. And it’s a tough situation. And I have to continue to get the depth that’s needed to hang on. We have some injuries at some positions that — we’re just not getting it done, not playing very good football. But truthfully, we didn’t play good in any area today.”

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