Kentucky HC Mark Stoops - Southern Miss Postgame

that's a prop that's prop up there you want something what you oh Gator okay after [Applause] [Applause] dark that was a that was a friendly one I don't need to get anyone for he he's he's my guy he makes me laugh so I'm not I'm not jabbing him a good way okay uh coach we give a ready okay um you know very strange situation there I've been here you know 12 years and uh never been through the delays like that I was proud of our team um you know we had you know felt like that this could happen today and we talked about it all week and I talked with you about it talked with the team about being so excited uh for game one and burning all that energy too early you know with pregame warm-up and you know waiting for the game to start and lo and behold we get here and what two hour delay was that what it was 2 hours something like that and uh and then you know the players handling that and coming out and playing relatively clean we had uh I had to burn a timeout early with with a uh substitution that and uh you know that's on us but I mean honestly we couldn't one of our our players couldn't hear we had we had a cut out on what we Personnel we were trying to get in there so um overall just pleased with the operation I felt like offensively I really liked the way we were getting balanced there in the in the second quarter as we were getting more comfortable um you know I liked seeing the Run game start hitting and then you know we made some really tough catches as well you know Brock I thought did a a super job of just managing the game you know for a guy that you know play plays you know his first time starting like that and in our stadium and the way he you know and I listen to you know coach hamen a lot and the way he coaches he does an excellent job with them but he talks to them about you know a couple times a game you're going to have to make make plays with your legs you're going to have to make plays extend it and throwing the ball and you guys all watch football and you see it all the time and covered us and uh you know I thought he did an excellent job of making good decisions pulling the ball down scrambling for tough yards buying time in the pocket to throw it and uh and then throwing it on time and in Rhythm as well um we hit some shots down the field um as we were getting more plays you guys also heard me talk a lot in the offseason about just getting plays getting in a rhythm and I I think you you saw a glimpse of that today we were certainly getting in good Rhythm uh defensively played pretty solid I was frustrated giv up the uh Second and long I think it was uh early early in the game that was that was frustrating but uh but they did a heck of a job getting the turnovers um you know really played the a couple situations really good and uh you know there's a lot to build from it's a start you know what we played two two two quarters and five minutes or 10 minutes or whatever it was so um you know it's different situation but we'll make the most of it um proud of our guys and got to get back to work we got a league game next week so we got to get uh get some sleep it's late for these guys getting out of here they got to get home and try to get some sleep I'm sure they're going to go right home and get to bed right so I'll open it up for questions questions the running backs you had uh Demi did his thing and then the the rookies got in there and had a little balance there in that second quarter also yeah I think you know you saw what I've been talking about you know we felt very confident in Demi and um Jason I thought you know showed his physicality and his vision and jion you know can can go you know and I think he you know he he's going to give us something this year he needs to continue to push continue to grow and be reliable so we can trust them and uh they have some Talent Mark how important was was it for you and the players just to see that most of the stadium stay packed two and 1 half hours later yeah wait I meant to open with that thank you uh I'm going to redo my opening statement No I sincerely can't even begin to thank the fans for what they what they were like I mean to to go out there two hours after we were supposed to and see them just you know going nuts and cheering us on and rooting us that was that was truly amazing just now as we were walking down Mitch and I were walking down to discuss and we didn't know what was going to transpire we're just going down to communicate and get on the same page with them and uh and bunch of fans are still out there going nuts and I'm like easy now the game's not over you know so uh but just um you know just great appreciation for our fan base and I'm glad we played you know a pretty decent gamey you know relatively clean I know our guys played hard I know they were they were excited to play for them and and uh you know I feel like our team really really did that I feel like they played their hearts out there's so much we got to clean up on but they were excited to play and I felt like we're we're relatively disciplined as well Brock's ability to keep plays alive I assume that's hard to simulating practice since they're not live for contact but how much have you seen of that and how impressed you that it it's a great point because you know you see it and you see it simulated but it's not live you know so there's a comfort level for him right at practice CU he knows he's not going to get some from behind and all that so I really wanted to see him just go play today as well I mean let's be honest I mean you've heard me say it and it's true until that quarterback gets under Center and goes plays in that stadium and in in games then you know you don't know exactly what you have but he played like I thought he would and he's not perfect and none of our team is but I I I think there's a lot to build on that we all know that the challenge is going to step up starting this week um but I really like what I saw did you tell them himself a little better well he did he did he did look like will on a couple of those runs but uh no he's tough and he's physical and we we you know he played about like I I expected him to speaking of tough Bar's had a lot of in rounds and he's a fast guy but he's not the bigest U what does it say about him he was willing to take some shots and try to extend play yeah I thought you know you know just him you know taking those shots and having tough yards on on the on the perimeter you know it's such an important part part of the game now you know you could see us getting you know threatening with the perimeter and then hitting it inside and mixing it up and uh that that's a big piece of it when a guy can run like him you know you always have to be you know alert for that but I thought he was tough and and he and he showed maturity showed some toughness and he's he's grown up you know and uh you know again it's a great starting point for him D Miss Johnson we Haden seen him before but almost immediately he made it play has has he been doing stuff yeah that's what I was messing with him on the sidelines he's right out there right now I'm going to go quick so these guys you guys could ask them a couple questions so we could all so they could get home really more than anything um but uh yeah I was joking with one the sidelines I'm like I didn't think you had that he said I've been telling you guys you know all that so he he's a little more sudden than you think you know and uh so yeah he's he's he's done some really good things and you know I think jamori is another guy I've been telling you about in practice that I thought when the lights come on and you see him in the stadium I think you know he's a guy that can make some competitive plays and he did Mark you guys have talked about and talked about just how the de had been there for the defensive line even fighting through injuries but some top you know top guys stay healthy how impressed were you guys with him for the ability to get pressure and and and all that yeah I think you know we you know we we feel good about our our front and you know we have to get continue to work and bring guys along and develop guys but um you know we we want to continue to mix it up up and and you know with that if we can continue to improve and tighten up some coverage it gives the ability for Brad and Coach white to to mix things up more and you know bring some pressure and and tighten up some coverage you know so uh pretty good effort tonight they did a nice job we did a nice job on that interception that was uh that was well played by our defense we pushed it we anticipated that play and they pushed the zones and really really played it very well I won with a new offensive coordinator is it the most new thing in the world for you game one with the new OC isn't the newest thing in the world for you the past couple years you see just workflow wise with him obviously a little bit different when the lights come on I would imagine well you know again he operated like I anticipated he would I listen I'm on you know in the meetings and listened to him on the headsets during scrimmages and games and practice and uh you know he's he's very very calm demeanor I thought he was very decisive on his checks we missed one late um when the guys didn't get lined up and we were trying to check it and audible to what they were in and I had to call a timeout I mean some of that's going to happen we want to continue to be a little bit you know cleaner and uh clean up that operation uh but he really coaches them hard about winning that you know pre- snap with with the formations em motions and all that stuff and and I thought we were pretty clean I'm not sure if we had any pre- snap penalties any false starts or anything like that I think we were pretty clean on that Mark before you break bre down the field what was your impression of the offensive line uh I I I liked what I saw you know I think um I think we mixed up our runs well I think U you know we stretched it out we hit it downhill we you know hit hit him with some Gap schemes um I I I you know I told him that was probably my fault on the fourth and one I I that that Skirmish was going on and they left the down marker I thought it was going to be fourth in like two or three so I didn't know it was going to be fourth and one or I probably would have gone for that but once they were out there I'm like I you know if we're going to make that feel good I don't want to take points off the board and we're playing good defense so in hindsight I don't regret it but um you know our guys need to quit getting in skirmishes so I can see exactly what the heck's going on on fourth down you know see what the yardage was there okay folks thank you thank you