By Larry Vaught
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops was visibly frustrated just like UK fans were after his team’s overall play in a 20-13 loss to Vanderbilt.
“I talked all week about controlling our emotions, being disciplined,” Stoops said. “Discipline and execution wins. Emotion and playing stupid is not going to win you anything. I am as frustrated as any fan. I didn’t get it done.”
Stoops admitted that UK “reverted” back to the way it played in a 31-7 loss to South Carolina when mistakes/penalties plagued the Wildcats.
“Why we think you can just roll out on the field and win …it is because you are favored and think you just win because of that,” Stoops said. “We know very clearly as coaches that if you don’t play well, you lose. You have to play winning football and we didn’t.”
Running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye — perhaps UK’s most consistent offensive player this season — said the Cats have to “go back to the drawing board” again.
“We just can’t beat ourselves,” Sumo-Karngbaye said. “You have to keep your emotions intact. It showed tonight and we can’t point the finger at anybody but ourselves, Our true colors are about to show after this week, so whatever happens behind the scenes when adversity hits, that’s when your true character and your true colors come out.”
Kentucky plays at Florida Saturday night and redshirt freshman running back Jamarion Wilcox says enough is enough.
“I don’t want to keep repeating losing. I’m not used to that, I am not from that, and I am not trying to get used to it,” Wilcox said. “We have to make some changes, not try. We’ve got to make some changes, I’m not used to this feeling, and I don’t like this feeling.”
