Wildcat Blue Nation
Fansided

Kentucky Football: Four Reasons Mark Stoops and Company are Primed to Make Big Statement in 2017 Campaign

By Alex Jensen

Sep 5, 2015; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops during the game against the Louisiana Lafayette Ragin Cajuns at Commonwealth Stadium. Kentucky defeated Louisiana Lafayette 40-33. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 5, 2015; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops during the game against the Louisiana Lafayette Ragin Cajuns at Commonwealth Stadium. Kentucky defeated Louisiana Lafayette 40-33. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next
Kentucky Football
Oct 24, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; Kentucky football Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops celebrates after a replay confirmed a touchdown during the first quarter of the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /

As a Kentucky Football fan, the faithful has dealt with mediocrity for decades.

Kentucky Football hasn’t won nine games in a season since 1984. A lot has happened since 1984. The Internet was invented, we have cloned animals and I have aged 33 years. The men’s basketball team won three NCAA National Championships. People are living longer due to advances in medical technology. Unfortunately, those people lived through 33 years where The Wildcats have struggled to make a name for itself.

Better Days

The Cats won seven or more games in five seasons since 1984: these came in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2016. They appeared in nine bowl games with an underwhelming record of 3-6. There were a total of seven coaches at the helm with a combined 150-223 record.

During his first two seasons, Mark Stoops had two first round picks on his roster alongside other players who could not quite match the talent level common to the Southeastern Conference. To achieve five wins in his second season, with that roster, was nothing short of remarkable.

Kentucky Football
Aug 9, 2015; Canton, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Bud Dupree (48) looks on against the Minnesota Vikings in the 2015 Hall of Fame game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Wishful Thinking?

Coming off a 5-7 season in 2015, the team and fans made their desires known for a preferred bowl game target that seemed destined to happen. Everyone, including myself, saw the possible march (sorry, I am still in basketball mode) that Kentucky football could make in order to reach the elusive bowl game.

Then the Southern Mississippi game happened. Being at the game helped me to understand how quickly our expectations of this team could drop. Some fans stayed the course, and some fans checked out. However, Kentucky showed tremendous fight throughout the season against Mississippi State, Missouri and Georgia, which propelled them to a season finale matchup with that one team to the west.

Fast forward to November 26, when Kentucky secured a program-altering win against archrival, Louisville. By then, even the most pessimistic fans were all in for this staff and football team. Looking ahead, certain traits of this year’s team tell me that we are destined to win the elusive ninth game.

Home/Kentucky football