Whatever else one thinks of Mark Stoops’ coaching performance in No. 13 Kentucky’s dispiriting 24-14 home loss to SEC East-rival South Carolina, the UK head man got one thing very right Saturday.
In his postgame analysis, Stoops was dead-on about the most alarming thing about UK’s lackluster performance.
Yes, Kentucky (4-2, 1-2 SEC) was playing without starting quarterback Will Levis, No. 1 right tackle Jeremy Flax and defensive leader Jacquez Jones due to injuries.
Far more concerning, however, was UK’s absence of urgency, fight and grit.
“I don’t think our team played with the normal competitive character that we generally play with,” a subdued Stoops said afterward. “Obviously, the job of a head coach (is) to get the team prepared and to put them in position to be successful. And, you know, that wasn’t done. I got to do a better job.”
Nine days ago, Kentucky was unbeaten, ranked No. 7 in the country and its fans were dreaming of New Year’s Six bowls.
Now, UK has lost two straight — each in maddening, if differing fashion — and it suddenly feels like the Wildcats’ season is slip, sliding away.
Still remaining for Kentucky are games with Georgia, Tennessee and next week’s meeting with vastly-undervalued Mississippi State. All three are ranked. Also left are a road trip to Missouri and home games with Vanderbilt and Louisville.
UK backers who were dreaming of a third double-digit win season in the past five years for the Wildcats are suddenly fearful Kentucky might have to fight to finish 7-5.
“We’re going to go out there and play, just going to be who were are,” UK running back Christopher Rodriguez said. “There are some goals we have, but you can’t accomplish those goals without winning the next game.”
After a week of UK playing coy about the health status of its starting quarterback, Levis answered all questions about his playing availability vs. South Carolina when he took the field before the game in what appeared to be a gray sweatsuit — and with a therapeutic boot on his left foot.
While Kentucky backup quarterbacks Kaiya Sheron and Deuce Hogan were loosening up their arms by throwing in warmups, Levis was chatting with South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer near midfield.
When Sheron got the start, the Somerset alum became the first product of Kentucky high school football to start at QB for UK since Drew Barker (Conner) in the third game of 2016.
Through no fault of his, Sheron’s initial college start got off to a disastrous beginning when South Carolina defensive back David Spaulding blew up an attempted exchange between UK’s Rodriguez and Barion Brown as part of a would-be reverse play.
That led to a fumble, which South Carolina nose tackle Tonka Hemingway picked up at the UK 17-yard line and rumbled 15 yards to the UK 2.
That set up a MarShawn Lloyd touchdown plunge on the ensuing play — and seemed to set the tone for the entire game.
Afterward, Stoops, UK offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello and Rodriguez all took the blame for the Wildcats’ starting the game with such a calamitous play.
Kentucky’s first-half tally of miscues included the ruinous first play from scrimmage, a blocked punt and a missed field goal. Nevertheless, the Cats were tied with South Carolina 7-7 at halftime.
“I felt like we had control of it,” Sheron said of the game. “We were moving the ball, running the ball … So we knew we could push them and move the ball downfield.”
Yet, after halftime, it was South Carolina’s offense that imposed its will on a Kentucky defense that had dominated the first half. The Gamecocks (4-2, 1-2 SEC) scored two touchdowns and a field goal on three of their first four possessions of the second half.
As a result, Kentucky is left pondering some hard issues.
Last week, UK played with fight and belief in a 22-19 loss at Mississippi — but it did itself in with self-sabotaging mistakes.
Against South Carolina on Saturday night, Kentucky again hurt itself with miscues but also failed to match the visitors’ zeal for victory. “The competitive character that we generally play with, wasn’t there,” Stoops said. “There’s no excuse for it.”
In his first college start, Sheron did OK. He finished 15-of-27 passing for 178 yards with two touchdowns and a final-possession interception.
“(Sheron) did some good things when he had time, I thought, when we put him in a position to be successful,” Stoops said. “I don’t think we played very good around him.”
Whether it has been Levis or Sheron, the Kentucky quarterback has spent much of this season running for his life. Sheron was sacked six times for minus-54 yards by South Carolina — a team that had only four sacks all season entering the game.
It is not an accident that, through six games, Kentucky has now surrendered a whopping 25 sacks. UK’s pass protection has been porous all season. That’s been a constant.
What was surprising Saturday night was that Kentucky’s play did not match South Carolina’s for fervor.
“I just don’t think we sustained that intensity,” Stoops said. “And we got to find ways to win like we’ve found ways to win over the years. And we didn’t do that tonight.”
