Mark Stoops’ Monday Press Transcript

Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

1. When you guys were 5‑1, we were asking you about being in contention in the SEC East.  Were you at that point cringing a little bit?

COACH STOOPS:  I have no control over what y’all ask.  I have no clue, you know what I mean?  I mean, yeah, I want to sit up here and say that’s asinine, let’s just go try to win one more game.  Let’s go win a football game.  That’s all I want to to.  It’s not coach speak.  Just want to win the next game.  More so than that, let’s go win the day.  Let’s go have a great day to prepare to win the game.  You hear me talk about that all the time.  It’s truly one week.

I don’t look at the last three, you know what I mean, ‘til I get in here and have to answer questions.  Obviously you got to be prepared.  But truly I’m worried about what we can do this week to win, get last week corrected, what we’re doing good, what we’re doing wrong, then move on.

1. How hard is it with young players to realize you have to win the day?

COACH STOOPS:  That is hard.  It is a challenge.  I don’t want to give anything to get off the hook, but it is.  I don’t want to give in to that.  Our players need to be focused and be tough enough to handle those things.

Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t.  That’s getting back to the question, I think we’re better.  Are we there?  Are we arrived?  Absolutely not.  The guys we compete against, you got to do it right all the time or we got no chance.

I tell our players this all the time.  If you do all those things, play with a high energy, great motor, as detailed as you possibly can be, you got a chance.  That’s all it gives you, is a chance.  Without it, you got nothing.

1. You seem pretty angry right now.  How is it going to be when you meet with your team today?

COACH STOOPS:  That will be for them to figure out.  That will be for them.  You can stand out in the street and you’ll hear (laughter).

1. Re: if it is awkward to be talking about your last home game, the seniors.

COACH STOOPS:  It is awkward.  Haven’t thought about that, yeah.

1. What does this group mean to you as you’ve been rebuilding?

COACH STOOPS:  Oh, they’re great.  I love them.  They’re a special group.  They’re a very good group to coach.  They’ve been a lot of fun.  They really have.

I think they’ve really helped us set the tone and change the culture and be great leaders, really trying to do everything they can to help us win.

1. From what you expected at the start of the season, where is the offensive line at?

COACH STOOPS:  I thought they’re doing some good things.  They’re doing some good things.  I thought the tackles are playing pretty hard, doing some good things.  Darrian (Miller) really played a pretty good game against some talented guys with the exception of a few plays.  Everybody sees those few plays, wants to point them out.  But he really battled pretty hard and did some decent things.

1. Is it the interior?

COACH STOOPS:  It’s across the board.  It’s who we are.  Yeah, I mean, we’re playing some young guys inside.  Again, I don’t like talking about that.  It is what it is.  I don’t care.  Playing a redshirt freshman, walk‑on, redshirt freshman inside, it is what it is.

1. What makes Georgia’s running backs so hard to stop?

COACH STOOPS:  They’re a physical group in general.  Their team is a physical group.  Their offensive line and their backs are just very powerful, very talented, great vision.  They’re a lot to handle.

1. The first week you don’t have Drew Barker listed as the backup quarterback.  You’re just not playing him at this point?

COACH STOOPS:  Yeah.

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