Stoops wanted to "change the narrative." His post-game comments tell a familiar story

Before the season opener, Coach Mark Stoops stated he wanted his team to "change the narrative." After a sluggish, mistake-filled 24-16 victory over Toledo—a game where Kentucky was outgained by their MAC opponent—it’s clear that the old, frustrating narrative is still very much alive.

While Stoops was glad to escape with a win, his post-game press conference was not a victory lap. Instead, it was a frank assessment of a team that was, in his own words, its "own worst enemy."

"We can't shoot ourselves in the foot"

The story of the game was Kentucky's inability to get out of its own way, a theme Stoops hammered home when talking about the offense. From an untimely fumble by tight end Willie Rodriguez to a general lack of rhythm, the self-inflicted wounds were glaring.

"I felt like we were going to get in rhythm and we hurt ourselves," Stoops said, perfectly summarizing the offense's disjointed day. He was particularly displeased with the lack of ball security.

"You know, we had the ball on the ground too much for my liking. We can't shoot ourselves in the foot," Stoops stated bluntly. "There is no excuse for fumbling the ball in the open field."

When asked about quarterback Zach Calzada, who was responsible for a safety and an interception, Stoops was honest in his assessment. “He will get better. I don’t think this was his best effort.”

Confidence tempered with accountability

Even when praising his players, Stoops' confidence was clearly paired with a demand for better execution. He backed his tight ends, who were responsible for drops and a key fumble, but made it clear that improvement is expected.

"I have a lot of confidence in those guys, Willie [Rodriguez] and Josh [Kattus], they'll learn from those mistakes," he said.

Even the defense, which played well for most of the day, wasn't immune from critique. "I think we have some things to clean up," Stoops noted. "You know, we have more bodies this year, I think we can keep them fresh, you know, on 2-minute drills."

An unsatisfied victory

Ultimately, the tone from the head coach was one of relief, not satisfaction. He knows this level of performance won't be enough as the schedule gets tougher, starting next week with a visit from Ole Miss.

"I don't think they're satisfied, but we will take the victory at any time," Stoops concluded. "We all know what Toledo is capable of. There's things we did that shot ourselves in the foot. We all know we need to get better, but it's one game, it's a step in the right direction."

It’s a step, but as Stoops’ own words confirm, the narrative is far from changed. And by the way, there is a pattern there. It was just one bad year last year, one bad game this week. I am beginning to think Stoops has a different definition of bad than everyone else does.

Quick hits from the presser:

• Stoops revealed that running back Jamarion Wilcox did not play due to a "violation of team rules" and more information would be available Monday.
• He praised the student section for creating a great environment on a hot day for a non-conference opponent. But the stadium was mostly empty in the 4th quarter of the home opener.

This was not the start that Kentucky needed, it was a win though.

Jordan Owens is a contributor to Wildcat Blue Nation and a lifelong UK fanatic who has watched every UK game since 1995. Jordan is no stranger to college athletics as a former college athlete. Jordan brings a unique mix of fandom and insight that helps make WBN the go-to source for all of your Kentucky news.