Ad Disclosure
What Mark Stoops said after Kentucky’s Music City Bowl loss to Northwestern
By Cody McClure
Published:
Kentucky lost a heartbreaker to No. 21 Northwestern on Friday.
Mark Stoops’ Wildcats lost to Pat Fitzgerald’s Wildcats 24-23 in Nashville’s Music City Bowl.
Kentucky scored near the end of regulation to pull within one point of Northwestern. Stoops elected to try a 2-point conversion for the win, as opposed to kicking the extra point and taking the game to overtime.
The ‘Cats head coach addressed that decision and more in the post-game press conference.
Here’s what he had to say on coming up short at the end of the game:
Stoops: “We came up inches short and that hurts. I hurt for these players more than anything because they laid it on the line.”
— Nick Roush (@RoushKSR) December 30, 2017
Stoops: “We came up fractions off. … I appreciate our team’s effort.”
— Jen Smith (@jenheraldleader) December 30, 2017
Stoops on two-point conversion: “I’m good with it.”
— Jen Smith (@jenheraldleader) December 30, 2017
On his seniors:
Stoops: “I’ll remember these seniors for what they’ve done for us.”
— Jon Hale (@JonHale_CJ) December 30, 2017
On Benny Snell Jr.’s ejection:
Stoops on Benny Snell’s ejection: “I really didn’t see it at all. The official told me that Benny grabbed him and shoved him. If Benny grabbed him and shoved him, then he deserved to be ejected. I don’t know.”
— Tyler Thompson (@MrsTylerKSR) December 30, 2017
Stoops says the game plan didn’t change at all when Benny Snell left the game.
— Chris Leach (@chrisleachKYK) December 30, 2017
Stoops says they had a good meeting at halftime. Guys were upset, but everybody was still confident they could win the game.
— Kernel Sports (@KYKernelSports) December 30, 2017
On QB Stephen Johnson’s toughness:
Stoops says Stephen Johnson will always be remembered for his toughness and his guts.
— Kernel Sports (@KYKernelSports) December 30, 2017
“If there’s any way he can play, he will play.” Stoops says the doctors won’t let them play if they shouldn’t, Johnson knows the line between pain and injury but Johnson pushes it to the limit, will be remembered for it
— Big Blue Banter (@BigBlueBanter) December 30, 2017
Stephen Johnson said he hurt his AC joint in his shoulder and got an injection, came back. “Doesn’t surprise me,” Stoops says of his senior leader.
— Jen Smith (@jenheraldleader) December 30, 2017
Cody McClure is an SEC Football Writer for Saturday Down South. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he also co-hosts a midday sports radio show for FOX Sports. Cody previously worked for Athlon Sports.
