Mark Stoops’ Monday Pre-Louisville Cardinals transcript

Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

1. One guy with 13 interceptions in the secondary, how do you combat a guy like that?  Is it possible to throw away from him?

COACH STOOPS:  Yeah, (Gerod) Holliman, I remember him coming out of high school.  Very good player there from Florida.  I remember the other safety, No. 2 (James Sample), just as good.  He doesn’t have the numbers, but they’re good football players, both of them.

1. Talking about the run game and how they scheme it.  They run unbalanced line and stuff like that.

COACH STOOPS:  They do some.  They mix it up, but he likes certain run plays versus four downs (down linemen), certain versus three down.  Certain guys are going to pull.  Once again, just a variety of things.

I think it’s a credit to them sometimes when you look at their whole body of work, they do quite a bit and execute it very well.  So what and how they want to feature each week is something you’ve got to keep an eye on.  But he likes certain plays versus four down, certain versus three.  And again, I think they execute them.  The key to them and their success is they execute them very well.

1. It’s a rivalry game, you’re playing for a bowl.  Are you concerned at all that you guys might get a little too caught up in the moment, especially the start?

COACH STOOPS:  I hope not.  I don’t think we’ll be tight.  We shouldn’t be.  We’ve got a lot to play for.  Guys are excited and energized.  Like I said, it’s been a good, tough stretch against some quality teams down the stretch here.  We’ve got time for a bye, and we’re playing our rival on the road for an opportunity to go to a bowl game.  So it is what it is.

We’ll prepare and be excited to go play.  But there is no reason to be tense or to go play tight.  I don’t anticipate that.  I’d like to see us play with that great passion and energy that we did for most of the season.

1. Will it be extra gratifying to get it against your rivals?

COACH STOOPS:  I really don’t care who we get it against.  (laugher) It really doesn’t.  No, I think, no, I’d just love to get it.

1. (Question regarding Reggie Bonnafon.)

COACH STOOPS:  Yeah, I think I’m just impressed with him.  I think you can see that he comes from a great high school program.  You can see that he’s won a lot of football games.  I think, again, it’s a credit to their coaching staff and the positions that they put him in.

I think that’s the nice thing when you have balance in your offense.  So they don’t have to necessarily just put it all on him to win a game.  They have good players around him and a good scheme.

1. Has Patrick (Towles) had any lingering effects from the ankle injury at Tennessee?

COACH STOOPS:  We’ll see how he is today.  Hopefully he’ll be out there at full strength today.  So we’ll see.