Stoops, Wildcats feel 'responsibility' to fans as opener arrives

Published Sep. 4, 2015 11:52 a.m. ET

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Kentucky coach Mark Stoops on Thursday made his final media appearance before Saturday's season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette, and just as is the case with most of Big Blue Nation, he's ready to see the Wildcats hit the field.

"I think the anticipation as you get closer to it and it gets closer to the end of the week, you start feeling anxious and ready to go," Stoops said, according to the Courier-Journal, when asked about whether he still gets butterflies heading into his third season.

Stoops also said that, after a massive renovation of Commonwealth Stadium, he and his team feel a little extra pressure to perform well Saturday.

"I think we all take ownership in that and take responsibility for that," Stoops told the media. "Our players know that a lot of people have invested a lot in them. We asked for support and they've given it to us and the fans are showing up, the stadium's being built and we're building our football team. This is the first opportunity to go out and show everybody what our team is like this year. So we have a great opportunity and we just gotta make sure that we're all ready to go, and I anticipate we will."

(h/t The Courier-Journal)