Stoops pleased with team's focus ahead of South Carolina

Given the hype and attention they’ve received this week, it would be easy for Kentucky to overlook Saturday’s game vs. South Carolina, but Mark Stoops said he’s been pleased with his team’s focus in practice.

“They’ve been good,” Stoops told reporters tonight. “They’ve been fine. It’s been a good week. Really, just like I expected. We had a lot going on over the weekend with the late game. I had them a little busier than normal on Sunday and had a few things going on early in the week, but they’ve been great.”

Unlike previous opponents, South Carolina hasn’t provided any bulletin board material, but Stoops is confident they don’t need it.

“I know we have a mature enough team to worry about ourselves and that’s always it. As I’ve mentioned to you a hundred times, if they need some little piece of them to motivate them, then so be it. That’s not all of us and that’s not the majority of the team. The team takes pride in the way they play and all the work they put in in the offseason and so on. So, it’s about our preparation and what we do. Emotion usually goes out the door pretty quickly. What’s most important is how excited you are to practice on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.”

Saturday night’s game is the first sellout since the Florida loss last year, and Stoops said he’s looking forward to another rowdy crowd.

“It makes a huge difference. I thank them and can’t wait to see them again there this Saturday. I know our team is excited and has really worked hard to go and execute and play a good game.”

KSR was unable to make it to practice today, but you can view Jeff Drummond’s excellent video of Stoops’ remarks here. 

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