By Keith Taylor
Special to NKyTribune
Auburn’s players and coaches walked into the visitor’s locker room at Commonwealth Stadium shaking hands, exchanging fist bumps and high fives following a 30-27 triumph over Kentucky Thursday night at Commonwealth Stadium.
They were jubilant and very vocal about beating the Wildcats.
“Big win,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn told one of his assistant coaches on his way to address his squad following the three-point victory.
How many times have teams such as Auburn, which has an all-time 26-5-1 record against Kentucky in football, walked off the field relieved after defeating the Wildcats?
Although a win would have been a major stepping stone for a Kentucky squad that won two of its first three conference games, taking the Tigers to the wire after being down double digits not once, but twice, is a sure sign the Wildcats are closing the competition gap, especially against SEC opponents.
The margin is so close the Wildcats (4-2, 2-2) have yet to lose a game this season by double digits, and the outcome of each game has been determined by less than eight points. Kentucky’s two conference setbacks have been by a combined margin of eight points.
More than once, especially in the past two years during the first half of the season, the Wildcats have come up short, including the showdown against the Tigers.
“I can think of a couple games in particular that stick out to me that were missed opportunities — several in the last two years,” Stoops said. “That’s what I told the team is that is the glass half full or is it half empty? We know we can make those plays, and I don’t fault our team. They’re prepared, they believe they can make them, they know they can make them and it comes down to a few plays here and there.”
Just two years removed from an appearance in the national championship game, the Tigers were in desperation mode after dropping their first two Southeastern Conference encounters. The first win in the league came at the expense of the Wildcats, one of the up and coming programs in the league.
Kentucky linebacker Jason Hatcher knows how far the Wildcats have climbed the proverbial ladder under Stoops and took a realistic approach following the team’s second loss of the season. Hatcher, an all-state performer at Louisville Trinity, is well aware of the team’s past struggles, especially against teams of Auburn’s caliber.
“It’s bittersweet,” Hatcher said. “It (the close loss) just shows weren’t not too far off. It’s a bittersweet moment.”
Kentucky senior Josh Forrest agreed, but was more disappointed in the close call. Along with missed plays on offense, including a dropped pass in the end zone and an interception in the first half at the goal line, Forrest said the defense deserved its share of the blame.
“I do feel like we let one slip away from us,” he said. “We had plays we should have made and there were some things we did wrong on defense.”
As Stoops and the Wildcats know, growing up can be painful at times, but the Kentucky coach is confident his team will bounce back in a road encounter on Oct. 24 at Mississippi State. The Wildcats are also two wins away from becoming bowl eligible with six more games remaining, with three of those at home.
“I think this team knows that we prepare and play to win each and every week and we’ll go back to work on Monday,” Stoops said.
The quicker the Wildcats look ahead, the easier it will be to prepare for future foes.
Keith Taylor is a columnist and senior sports reporter who covers UK sports for the NKyTribune