Stoops pleased with team's mindset going into Vandy game

Saturday’s loss to Tennessee was upsetting for us all, but Mark Stoops is pleased with how his team has regrouped in practice this week.

“Proud of our team with the way they’ve responded this week, they way they’ve bounced back,” Stoops told reporters in his final appearance before Saturday’s game. “I really feel like coming off a tough loss they had their focus early in the week. Anytime you come off a tough loss like that, you have to bounce back quick. I’m proud of our team and the way they’ve responded. I feel good about it. Hopefully it will carry over to Saturday and we’ll go down there and play a complete football game. We’ll need to.”

A few other notes…

All eyes on Ke’Shawn Vaughn

Yesterday, Brad White said stopping Ke’Shawn Vaughn is the defense’s top priority on Saturday. Today, Stoops raved about Vanderbilt’s star running back’s playmaking ability, telling reporters that Kentucky’s been burned by similar backs this season.

“He’s explosive. He’s a complete back. He has that ability, that toughness that you’re talking about where he hits it and he’ll find a seam. And they do a nice job with — again, you’ve heard me talk about it two or three times down the stretch here — but just hinge sets, cutting it off, getting it to the edge and that’s where he has another gear. He has good vision and then he can take it to another level. Once again, like some of these teams have been doing to us, they’re going to get the ball with him running on some smaller guys, and you have to be clean in your tackling and you have to have great pursuit there.”

They’re practicing at the Titans facility tomorrow

With the Titans on bye, the Cats will travel to Nashville earlier than usual and go through their practice and meetings at the Titans indoor practice facility tomorrow afternoon. Stoops said he hopes the changes will help the team be more rested and focused on Saturday.

“It’s just because of the bus ride, to be honest with you. Again, trial and error. I didn’t like the last time that we were in a similar situation, with the long bus ride. We didn’t play the way we wanted to, so hopefully this will help.”

Fingers crossed.