Mark Stoops has built a foundation. He has given Kentucky football an identity. He has made the Wildcats synonymous with hard noses and bulging biceps.
Next comes nuance. Next comes variety. Next, presumably, comes a bonafide passing game.
Saturday’s 23-21 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl victory over North Carolina State marked the third straight season UK finished with a postseason flourish. It was the fifth straight bowl season of Stoops’ tenure, a streak only slightly diminished by a 4-6 regular-season record against the cupcake-free SEC schedule caused by COVID-19.
But if Kentucky is to achieve the kind of success to which it aspires, major changes are mandatory.