Stoops Expects Wildcats to be "Close to Full Strength" Against Tennessee
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For just the second time since Mark Stoops became its head coach, Kentucky opened the season with seven consecutive games without a bye week.
When looking at the injury report, it's obvious that the Wildcats haven't had any time off.
"The team's a little beat down, a little bruised and battered," Stoops said when speaking to the media after practice on Tuesday.
A grand total of 12 starters and key role players have missed some sort of time due to injury for Kentucky this season:
- OL Kenneth Horsey
- OL Jeremy Flax
- OL Tashawn Manning
- QB Will Levis
- RB Kavosiey Smoke
- RB JuTahn McClain
- RB Ramon Jefferson
- WR Tayvion Robinson
- DL Josaih Hayes
- LB Jacquez Jones
- OLB J.J. Weaver
- FS Jalen Geiger
That's not counting DB Vito Tisdale, who will miss the entire season due to a torn ACL, along with RB Chris Rodriguez and LB Jordan Wright, both of whom were held out at the start of the year. Then add in the amount of players who've been dealing with some sort of lingering pain or issue but have fought through and continued to play...the Cats were in need of this break.
It sounds as though the time off is going to be greatly beneficial, as Stoops is expecting an almost-back to normal roster upon traveling down to Knoxville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers on Oct. 29.
"Looks like by the next time we take the field, we should be pretty close to full strength," he said.
Will Levis was the prime example of a player needing some time off, when he spoke to the media with his left arm in a sling following UK's 27-17 win over Mississippi State last Saturday.
Levis has been sacked 20 times in six games, taking some nasty hits along the way, like the one against the Bulldogs over the weekend that forced him to head to the locker room to get his shoulder X-rayed.
The quarterback didn't practice on Tuesday and is currently "day-to-day" according to Stoops.
"It's a time where he definitely needs a little rest," Stoops said of his QB. "If we had to play this week, knowing him I’d think he’d be ready to go, so that’s a good sign. But we also want to give him an opportunity to heal up."
Against Mississippi State, Kentucky was without top wide receiver Tayvion Robinson. Offensive lineman Jeremy Flax returned after not playing against South Carolina, but didn't make it through a half against Miss State.
On his call-in radio show on Monday, Stoops said he expects both players to be ready to go against Tennessee:
“I hope so. That should be the plan (for Robinson to return at Tennessee),” he said. “Flax, he should be better. We have a chance to get him back for the Tennessee game too.”
In Flax's absence, Deondre Buford stepped into the right tackle spot. After struggling in his first career start against SC, there was noticeable improvement from the sophomore when he got in mid-game last weekend.
"He's getting better. He strains, he wants to be good, he really works hard, you appreciate that about him," Stoops said of Buford. "He cares about his teammates, he wants to do right, he's working hard."
Kentucky has relied on many backups and young players to play extended snaps this season. While they've done a job and played a part in getting the Wildcats to a 5-2 record, there's no denying that getting healthy and back to full strength will do Stoops and his team favors down the stretch of the 2022 campaign.
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