The Kentucky Wildcats faced off against the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday afternoon with bowl eligibility on the line, but endured a brutal 41-0 loss in a forgettable season. Now, the big question is what’s next for Mark Stoops?
Heading into the game, Louisville was without four scholarship running backs and wide receiver Chris Bell, yet the Cardinals still pulled off their offensive game plan all afternoon. Meanwhile, Kentucky missed tight end Josh Kattus, Kam Olds, several defensive backs, and Jordan Lovett, who was out for the season.
Braxton Jennings, a true walk-on, racked up 113 yards on 20 carries. The Cardinals also got an impressive performance from redshirt freshman Shaun Boykins Jr., who ran for 101 yards and a touchdown. Miller Moss added to the big day with three touchdowns of his own through the air.
The Wildcats’ performance was pretty embarrassing. After having a punt blocked that led to a Louisville touchdown, things went downhill fast. They never really got into the game and were essentially out of it from that moment on.
Across the board, from the offensive line to Cutter Boley and the playcalling, things were rough. Early in the game, Seth McGowan, Kentucky’s leading rusher, left with an injury and never returned, and neither the running game nor the passing game ever got established.
The biggest problem was the offensive line’s inability to protect Boley. He had no time to operate, constantly facing pressure, getting sacked, and even when he did have time, his throws were off and looked awful.
It’s tough to enjoy an offense when the playcalling is poor and there’s no margin for error, like the Wildcats have dealt with all season.
Despite the defensive unit’s system failures and Kentucky’s dealing with injuries, their effort deserves recognition. The Cardinals, missing three scholarship running backs, saw a walk-on have a career day, but even so, there’s no excuse for such a performance against a rival.
This is probably the worst performance I can remember under head coach Mark Stoops and current defensive coordinator Brad White. Under Stoops, the defense has usually been rock-solid, but not this season—except for a few games. As of today, I’d call it downright embarrassing.
Simply put, it was a day best left forgotten.
This has been an ongoing issue for the past few seasons, and quite frankly, the fans have had enough. Consistent errors and mental lapses can only get you so far. Understandably, mistakes are bound to happen, especially during the regular season, but for them to continue until the last game clearly points to a problem.
From the opening kick to the final whistle, it felt like the Wildcats just stayed home, accepted defeat, and showed no energy. A fresh start might be needed, but with Stoops’ massive buyout, it’s hard to imagine a change.
Even if they run it back, how much confidence can the fans really have?
This wasn’t just any loss—last season Louisville dominated Kentucky in Lexington 41-14, This season 41-0. It’s shaping up to be a long winter for frustrated fans, with no bowl game for the second consecutive season, and it’s hard to see how things improve anytime soon.
It’s hard to understand how the offense could get this bad and the defense could decline so quickly in just two or three years. Do you make a change at offensive coordinator hoping for improvement, even though it hasn’t worked in recent seasons?
Do you fire the whole staff instead? It’s definitely a tough spot for the Wildcats’ athletic director, Mitch Barnhart.
Right now, nothing positive has been happening for Kentucky’s football program in recent weeks, so where do they go from here?
For more coverage of Jon, Click here. Another Home Loss For Kentucky: Fans Show Signs Of Frustration
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