By Keith Taylor
Special to NKyTribune
Kentucky’s season-ending loss to instate rival Louisville in the Governor’s Cup summed up a roller-coaster season for the Wildcats.
Kentucky built a big lead but failed to seal the deal in a 38-24 setback to the Cardinals Saturday that gave Louisville its fifth straight win in the series and bragging rights for another year. The loss also likely kept Kentucky out of the postseason for the fifth year in a row.
“It’s a setback — it is,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said after watching the Cardinals score 31 unanswered points in the second half to erase a 24-7 halftime deficit. “It’s disappointing. I know people have been patient even through a tough third year here and tough second part of this season. People were hanging in there. The fans were there, supporting us, and everybody wants to see a change. Nobody wants to see a change more than myself and the staff and these players that are working hard. It hurts.”
The ending was all too familiar for the Wildcats, who opened with a 4-2 record, but lost five of their last six games to finish 5-7 for the second consecutive season. Two of Kentucky’s first two losses were by a combined margin of eight points, but four of the last five were double-digit setbacks, including blowout losses to Tennessee, Mississippi State and Georgia.
BOXSCORE: Louisville 38, Kentucky 24
“I’m obviously very frustrated with the result,” Stoops said. “And the result wasn’t good enough, in my opinion. So I’m not pleased with the result. Five wins are not good enough. And I’m tired of the would’ve, could’ve, should have, just as the fans are. We’ve got to make those plays. And that’s when our program will grow, when we make those plays to win games.”
Unlike last year when Kentucky’s five victories were a sign of progress after just four wins combined during the previous two seasons, this year was a disappointment. More was expected and the Wildcats failed to live up to the preseason hype.
“I understand the frustration — believe me — very clearly,” Stoops said. “We’ve got to do a better job, but we’re going to do that. We’re going to go back to work. And we need to get a lot tougher in the offseason. It starts there. And it starts with the way we go about our business right away here in this offseason program.”
Before hitting the weight room, Stoops will evaluate the program from top to bottom, but has no plans of changing offensive coordinators, despite the criticism that has followed Shannon Dawson for most of the season.
“I absolutely have confidence in Shannon Dawson,” Stoops said. “He’s a very good coach, very knowledgeable. It gets frustrating for him, believe me. It’s the same way, as a defensive play caller, when things aren’t going well. It gets difficult. Let me put it to you that way. It gets hard and it gets frustrating and guys need to step up and make plays.”
Stoops said the players share in the blame for Kentucky’s lack of success and isn’t pointing fingers at Dawson for the inconsistency on offense.
“Whether you’re an offensive coordinator or defensive coordinator, there’s only so many good play calls,” Stoops said. “At some point, you have to win some one-on-one battles. I have a lot of confidence in Shannon. He’ll get the ship corrected and straightened out and get the guys competing at a higher level and we need to play better across the board.”
Despite the finish, Kentucky senior A.J. Stamps is confident the program will turn the corner under Stoops.
“I know it didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but as everyone can see, the program is going in the right direction,” Stamps said. “I have faith in the coaches and also the players. I feel like they’re going to do the right things.”
Drew Barker, who made his second collegiate start against the Cardinals, expects the off-season to be a grind.
“We just have to go into the off-season and hit it harder than we ever have,” he said.
Keith Taylor is a columnist and senior sports writer who covers University of Kentucky athletics for KyForward.com