Mark Stoops, Brock Vandagriff, and Pop Dumas-Johnson talk Kentucky's 31-0 win over Southern Miss

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 their pregame warmup and you know waiting for the game to start and lo and behold we get here in what 2hour delay was that what it was 2 hour something like that and uh and then the you know the players handling that and coming out and playing relatively clean we had I had to burn a timeout early 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 hen 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 extending 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 U 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 giving 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 5 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 I'll open it up for questions questions 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 J 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 him and uh they have some Talent Mark how important was it for you and the players just to see that most of the stadium stay packed two and a half hours yeah wait I meant to open with that thank you uh I'm going 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 game 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 as well Brock's ability to keep plays alive I assume that's hard to simulate and practice since they're not live for contact but how much have you seen of that and how impressive 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 because he knows he's not going to get somebody 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 goes plays in that Stadium 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 protect 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 too speaking of tough baram has had a lot of in rounds and he's a fast guy but he's not the biggest um 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 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 do Miss Johnson we had seen him before but almost immediately he made a play he been doing stuff 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 can 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 one want to sidel 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 death had been there for the defensive line even fighting through injuries but some of the top you know talk to 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 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 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 isn't the most new thing in the world for you one game one with the new OC isn't the newest thing in the world for you the past couple years one with what did you see just workflow wise with him obviously a little bit different when the lights come on I would have well you know again he operated like I anticipated he would I listened I'm on you know in the meetings and listen 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 but we want to continue to be a little bit you know cleaner and uh clean up that operation uh but he really coaches him hard about winning that you know pre- snap with with the formations emotions 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're pretty clean on that Mark before you break down the film what was your impression of the offensive line uh I I I lik what I saw you know I think um I think we mixed up our our runs well I think uh 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 them that was probably my fault on the fourth and one 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 and hind said 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 to wait a little bit longer so's going oh yes sir it was kind of the first time I've ever had like any like monster delay like this so it definitely different you know like there was several times we getting up uh putting our shoulder pads on getting ready to walk out oh you got to go back uh that happened two or three times so then finally people just took off their shoulder pads like laying on the ground and stuff uh it's just different uh definitely like with mentally like trying to get mentally ready for like three different times stuff like that but uh at the end of the day um both teams had to do it uh so same circumstances and and that was kind of how it was for me as well did you think it took longer to settle into the game what you got up there wait so long uh yes sir I I wouldn't say if that had like um something to do with it or just first game stuff but uh there was definitely some stuff we had to figure out in that that first uh quarter uh first first and second drive just Personnel um kind of just being lack ofical with that um just um not lack ofical but just some stuff with the the technology that we hadn't ran into yet with crowd noise stuff like that so uh definitely getting into that was good but um you know obviously it's week one we're going to have some stuff to clean up and we'll be looking forward to doing that for week two the QB draws you took a couple of shots that get you loose and kind of all right we're ready to go now oh yes sir um definitely um uh two rules like going all the way back from high school with my dad and stuff third down and for a touchdown obviously you're going to try to go get that but other than that try to protect yourself so just uh maybe I was just a little amped up going inight or something but uh just you know just trying to get some some yards for the boys that ability to keep plays alive in the pocket is that something you've always been able to do or you have to that uh you know it's just kind of just taking like basically what the defense gives you um wouldn't say it's something I pride myself on or try to do we're just constantly thinking about you know uh first and second read all right if I have time for my third read is he there if not obviously try to uh expand the play if um if the rush allows that if the coverage allows that then obviously those dudes are doing a great job of getting open on the perimeter third quarter you all were taking some shots the third time was the Char what went right on that that long play to maybe didn't ear uh jamori um he uh he did his job basically uh win his one-on-one on the perimeter uh give us your best release and then go catch the ball uh I kind of had had ball faked and put my eyes in the middle of field try to see where that safety was um actually kind of went to like a little four so he was playing down to the boundary but uh jamor he he did his job he's he won on the outside for a split second he was so wide open I was like just don't overthrow him like he's he's he's he's done a really good job at the line just try to put it on him and he'll make a play and uh yeah as y'all saw tonight just put anywhere near those dudes and they're going to go they're going to go get it for you it didn't take long for everybody to see be on there was a concerted effort to get him the ball early in the game oh absolutely I mean that's one of the best players in college football I mean it'd be it'd be remiss if you're not trying to get number seven the ball but uh there's definitely playmakers all over the field out there and uh it's tough I mean I'm glad I'm not calling plays cuz I mean here you're going to try to get the ball to with all those dudes out there so uh really fortunate to have a bunch of those guys that are are can go and make plays at any given time you said earlier in the week that you going to be so excited you didn't think you can sleep so two parts you're eight did you sleep since this game is going so late oh yeah how how how tired were you going to be then uh yeah I mean it's going to be it's going to be tough waking up for church tomorrow uh to say the least but no last night wasn't the best night's sleep but uh that's it's normal at this point but uh obviously this is way past my bedtime even on a normal night so uh yeah it'll be it'll be rough waking up for church but I mean we'll be there last one Brock uh you is there uh when when you finally kind of started going getting into that Rhythm could you could you feel like a change at all um and do you have any unfinished business knowing like how it's getting going and then they they kind of took the game away from me there yes sir um basically just it's kind of just grooving as offense is the thing that I was thinking about and uh just when whenever we're like we want to play fast on offense whenever we're able to get lined up fast um cuz some of those stuff like there's checks on different plays stuff like that and we were able to line up lined up or line up fast and get ready to go then we're able to to get in in different plays and Prime looks that we're looking for so uh whenever we were able to get going fast and moving I mean you can just tell the offense like the O Line's fired up skill guys are fired up we're running the ball better in those occasion so uh kind of just trying to get trying to just find that Tempo that we're looking for and uh there's definitely a happy medium but uh you saw the huddles the fast break huddle stuff like that so just just whatever is working for us is what we're going to try to do all right thanks Brock we'll have that Jo Johnson questions foram it like getting that interception being back on the field you're in a different uniform this time welome through that oh yeah definitely feel good uh they was dragging me up uh I don't know how to say it uh they was riding me down uh two plays in a row I know the second one uh they were trying to get it with my head cuz they had the tight in first time so uh just try to get a hand on it and know when I seen it stood in the air I was uh know I had a chance to get it it's kind of like deja vu my freshman year at Georgia uh when I second played the game I could interception it was a pick six but I ain't get it this time you've seen as bunch of Brock as anybody here is what we saw tonight what you expect from him and how he's play uh yeah you know um Brock first game starting his career um you know I didn't really had no expectations for him just wanted him to go out there and play freely you know saying uh you know first game first start uh you know he had lot of lot of practice reps but to be live I think he did a good job you know interceptions happen um things like that so you know it only go up from here expectation go on up for here uh SEC opponent next week you know you got to uh tighten it up just a little bit and you know just keep moving on after your you all gave up some third down plays but really after the I saw second and grab you all tighten up did did you all change the H third down what what really started working with third Downs later on uh n you know uh you know first first half you know two hour delay know I think that's what got us but you know come come back to the sideline figure fig figuring out what they figuring out what they uh figuring out what they doing um come to the Seline make a few adjustments and you know take it from there how did you try to stay locked in during that two hour delay it's a game it's a game right right record on the line right stay locked in ball is ball we was going to S out here to midnight to play we had to you all were pretty walked in against the Run they only had five rushing yards but what was going right for uh you know our key one of our key points this week was uh low line of scrimmage you know the line you go to you got to win it you know we you win a line of screen win a game simple anything else from pop okay thank you