In his Monday press conference, Kentucky Head Coach Mark Stoops addressed the tough loss to South Carolina and looked ahead to Georgia, offering key insights on player injuries and performances that might have gone unnoticed.
Frustrating setback for DJ Waller Jr.
One of the more frustrating storylines this season has been the health of defensive back DJ Waller. He is sorely missed in a secondary that seems to get burnt at least 2 times a game with a blown coverage or missed tackle. After earning significant praise during fall camp, a nagging hamstring injury has kept him sidelined, and it doesn't sound like he's close to a return.
"It’s one of those injuries that, with a hamstring, that’s touchy. It’s very frustrating for him," Stoops said. He explained the difficulty of the injury, noting that a player can feel fine until the moment they have to "open it up" to cover a receiver at full speed. "He’s worked really hard... For guys that have never been through that before, you try to educate him and help him." That is a grim update, and it seems it may be longer than we thought to see Waller back on the field.
Tavion Gadson "played really well"
In a game with few defensive highlights, the performance of defensive lineman Tavion Gadson stood out to the coaching staff on film. Stoops went out of his way to praise Gadson's effort against the Gamecocks.
"He played really well, he did," Stoops confirmed. "He’s just a guy that really has fought through a lot... and is getting better and better and definitely showed up in that game. He was very disruptive." Gadson’s emergence is a welcome development for a defensive line that needs more players to make an impact.
Joker Phillips coached at Kentucky for 37 games
— WT - Mo D Enthusiast (@WildcatsTongue) September 29, 2025
Here is how Mark Stoops compares in his last 37 games at Kentucky pic.twitter.com/L3oxWYZAWS
Confidence in kicker Jacob Kauwe
One of the undeniable bright spots for the Wildcats has been redshirt freshman kicker Jacob Kauwe, who has yet to miss a field goal this season. His consistency has not gone unnoticed by his head coach.
"He’s been very steady," Stoops said. "I wouldn’t say perfect through camp, but definitely a guy that you say, okay, here’s a redshirt freshman with a lot of talent and he’s been very consistent and I appreciate that." In a season where points are at a premium, having a reliable kicker is a massive asset. He scored 7 and the offense scored 6 Saturday, so I would say he is important.
Offense "not overly explosive"
When asked about the offense's inability to mount comebacks, Stoops gave a candid assessment of the unit's identity right now.
"We are methodical right now and not overly explosive and therefore we have to play the game a certain way," he admitted. He explained that small breakdowns—a fraction short in protection, a slightly missed throw, a receiver not making a dynamic catch—all add up. "You put it all together and it’s not a great recipe." This acknowledgment highlights the slim margin for error the Wildcats are operating with on the offensive side of the ball.
But this has been the same since Mark Stoops has been here. He loves to talk about how he doesn't control the offense, but go back and watch game tape from any year, it looks the same. The only slight exception is Liam Coen's first go at it in 2021 but even then it was just average. That average offense had a second round QB, a starting NFL WR, a current NFL head coach, a line that was a semi-finalist for a Joe Moore award and still struggled at times.
Doesn't seem like firing an OC will fix that problem. But Stoops can't fire himself. Kentucky heads to Athens Saturday for a noon kickoff against the Georgia Bulldogs on ABC.
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