Kentucky Football: Mark Stoops Still Has Work To Do

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Mark Stoops has helped the Kentucky football return to .500 at 3-3 by revitalizing the defense. Encouraging as that may be, he still has work to do.

When news broke that Mark Stoops was increasing his role and responsibility with the defense, intrigue immediately surfaced. Having made his name as one of the better defensive backs coaches in the country, the potential for a turnaround was clear.

The results have been promising, but it’s far too soon for Stoops and the Kentucky football program to breathe a sigh of relief.

Kentucky opened the season at 0-2, but it’s since won three of four games to reach 3-3 on the season. It won a 62-42 shootout against the New Mexico State Aggies and played dominant defense in a 17-10 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Kentucky lost 34-6 to the Alabama Crimson Tide—a closer result than most expected—before getting win No. 3 by a count of 20-13 over the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Winning three times in four tries is an encouraging sign, but Kentucky is still three wins away from securing an appearance in a bowl game. That’s the bare minimum requirement for what can be deemed a successful season in Lexington.

Until Kentucky has qualified for a bowl game, Stoops is still walking on egg shells.

The Kentucky football team hasn’t made a bowl game since 2010. It hasn’t won a bowl game since 2008. In other words, the Wildcats have yet to go bowling under coach Stoops.

Considering this is his fourth season at the helm, that’s a concerning reality.

Next on the agenda is a slate of SEC games that are both winnable and far from a guaranteed victory. That starts with a home game against the 2-4 Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday, October 22.

One week later, Kentucky will hit the road for a battle against Drew Lock and the 2-4 Missouri Tigers.

The Wildcats will go on to face the Georgia Bulldogs in a home game on November 5 and the No. 18 Tennessee Volunteers on November 12. Austin Peay should be a win on November 19 before Kentucky closes the season out against No. 7 Louisville on November 26.

Thus, while it may be fair to be excited about the progress Kentucky has made, the season is far from over.

An appearance in a bowl game is far from clinched.