By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops isn’t letting the Wildcats get ahead of themselves as they head into the Southeastern Conference finale at Vanderbilt on Saturday.
Although Kentucky (5-5, 2-5) is one game away from bowl eligibility with two games remaining, Stoops is focused on the Commodores instead of a postseason bowl opportunity.
“One game at a time,” Stoops said. “We’re worried about trying to go 1-0 here this week, so there’s no point in talking about that. We acknowledge the importance of it, but what does it matter if we don’t take care of business this week? It’s about us just handling our business here this week.”
Stoops and his squad lost their first five conference games, including four in a row, before ending the skid at Auburn on Nov. 1. Since then, the Wildcats have won three straight and outscored their opponents — Auburn, Florida and Tennessee Tech — by a margin of 90-20.
The biggest difference since the calendar flipped to November has been the team’s offensive production, led by redshirt freshman quarterback Cutter Boley. Under Boley’s direction, Kentucky has scored six touchdowns in its last eight possessions and has scored at least 38 points in two straight games for the first time since 2021.
“I think we’ve done a nice job of it. When we get the balance, we can put pressure on teams as well,” Stoops said. “With the receivers stepping up and making big plays down the field and being able to run the ball, it could create some opportunities.”
On the flip side, Kentucky’s defense has limited the opposition to 10 points in three straight games for the first time since the 2018 campaign. The task will be more difficult against the Commodores and their standout signal caller, Diego Pavia.
“(I) can’t say enough good things about that young man,” Stoops said. “He is one heck of a ballplayer, is tough as nails, and makes plays when he has to. It will be a great challenge, but once again, for us, as I’ve said every week throughout this season, it’s about us. It’s about our preparation. Continue to build on the good things and get better each and every week.”
Stoops added that Pavia has a knack for breaking down the opposition defense, with both his feet and arms.
“It puts great pressure on the defense, and it doesn’t matter what defense it is,” Stoops said. “It doesn’t matter who you are, any of it. He makes plays, and he does it in every game he plays in. For us, great team defense, of course. He’s going to make some plays. We just have to make ours as well.”
Stoops added, “It’s impossible to totally just think you’re going to just completely contain Pavia” and added the Wildcats can’t overlook his ability to make plays as a dual-threat quarterback.
“Watch every game he plays, he makes plays,” Stoops said. “We just have to make enough on top of it. Yes, we have to be very organized in our pass rush lanes and be very disciplined, win (matchups), play very hard, play all the way through the whistle, cover guys down the field.”
The Commodores (8-2, 4-2) are undefeated at home this season and will be looking to go undefeated at FirstBank Stadium for the first time since 1982.
Gametracker: Kentucky at Vanderbilt, 3:30 p.m., Saturday. TV/Radio: ESPN, UK Radio Network.