Mark Stoops was quick to diagnose how his team pulled off a 10-3 upset win at Auburn, and it wasn't just about the quarterback. After weeks of one phase failing another, Stoops finally saw a complete performance.
"Tonight I told the team this, this is, you know, one of the, you know, first games in a while where I really feel like... we played good on offense, defense, and special teams," Stoops said.
It was that long-awaited complementary football, the classic Stoops blueprint, that suffocated Auburn and sealed Kentucky's first SEC win of the season. Now if that blueprint can actually work long-term or not remains to be seen. I think most tend to think it will not, but for one night it did.
How Kentucky's defense and special teams won the game
The defense, humiliated just one week ago by Tennessee, responded with arguably its best game of the season, holding Auburn to just 3 points and 241 total yards. They were disruptive, totaling 7 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. "The defensive line was disruptive. We played short in the box some against a very physical offensive line and held up," Stoops said. "You know, they got some yards but didn't just gut us."
While the defense dominated, the "critical" element, according to Stoops, was special teams. Specifically, the punting of Aidan Laros. In a game defined by field position, Laros was the clear MVP. "Special teams was critical tonight. They they were they were awesome, you know, with the punt and pinning them," Stoops praised them.
A reporter noted that Laros punted six times, pinning Auburn inside the 20-yard line on all six attempts. "The punts were key and the coverage units were key. Yes. Big part of it," Stoops affirmed. This allowed Kentucky's offense, which did just enough on its one 75-yard touchdown drive, to play with field position all night. They were actually outgained by an Auburn team that is struggling to move the ball. It was not great, but good enough for now.
The offense, led by Cutter Boley, executed on that key drive. "We created some explosives," Stoops said. "I know that one to Fred [Farrier II]... it was just a good steady drive." But the win was ultimately secured by a defense that "bounced back" with pride and a punter who perfectly executed the field-position battle.
Long-term thinking is not on the mind of Mark Stoops right now, he just needs to win one game at a time. And last night his team hit the trifecta.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion