Mark Stoops, Bye Weeks, and the Kentucky Football Conundrum
The Kentucky Wildcats find themselves at a crossroads early in the 2025 season. After just three games, the program enters its first bye week—a scheduling quirk that head coach Mark Stoops admits presents both an opportunity and a challenge. Historically, bye weeks have not been kind to Kentucky under Stoops’ leadership. Since he took over in 2013, the Wildcats are just 6-10 after bye weeks overall and an even less encouraging 5-9 against SEC opponents.
This year, the early break offers Stoops a chance to reevaluate, adjust, and perhaps rewrite the narrative. However, the coach is not taking this challenge lightly. Rather than relying solely on his usual approach, Stoops is seeking external perspectives, reaching out to coaching colleagues across the country to gather new ideas on how best to handle the downtime.
“I’ve really tried to talk to quite a few of my colleagues and friends,” Stoops admitted during Wednesday’s SEC Teleconference. “I just don’t want to stay stagnant. After 13 years here, I know we have to find ways to get better. This bye week is earlier than normal, but it gives us the chance to reset, improve, and prepare for the tough stretch ahead.”
A Different Strategy for 2025
Kentucky’s coaching staff is taking a more aggressive stance than usual this time around. Instead of prioritizing rest and light drills, the Wildcats are pushing through an intense practice schedule. Players who are nursing injuries—like defensive back Terhyon Nichols, running back Dante Dowdell, and defensive back DJ Waller—are getting some recovery time. But the majority of the roster is hitting the practice field and weight room with increased intensity.
Stoops described the approach as a “combination” strategy. “It’s about finding balance,” he explained. “Yes, we need to heal, but we also need to work. We’re putting in heavy practices this week because improvement is essential. We’re also making sure guys are lifting, running, and doing the little things so that their bodies are ready for the grind ahead.”
The team’s schedule reflects this new philosophy. Monday was a standard practice with lifting and film study. Tuesday and Wednesday featured highly physical, full-contact sessions. Players will get the weekend off, but only after laying down a demanding workload. Meanwhile, the coaching staff will hit the recruiting trail, using the bye week not just for internal reflection but also to strengthen the program’s future.
Preparing for Brutality: South Carolina, Georgia, and Beyond
Kentucky’s first test after the bye week comes next Saturday on the road against South Carolina, a pivotal SEC East clash. From there, the Wildcats face an even steeper hill: a trip to Athens to battle the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs. That daunting stretch sets the tone for October, where Kentucky’s second bye week will precede a brutal run against four ranked opponents—No. 8 Texas, No. 15 Tennessee, No. 22 Auburn, and Florida.
“It’s unrelenting, that’s for sure,” Stoops admitted. “Life in the SEC has always been difficult, and it always will be. You just have to embrace the challenge. That’s what we’re doing—staying focused on the moment and working week to week, day to day. I believe we have a better football team than what we’ve shown so far, but there’s still a lot of work to do.”
Kentucky enters the bye at 2-1, which on the surface appears respectable. Yet, with such a daunting stretch ahead, the margin for error is razor-thin. Bowl eligibility remains the goal after last season’s disappointing campaign, and six wins will not come easy given the schedule’s back half.
The Stoops Setup: A Dream Job or Comfortable Plateau?
The bye week conversation around Kentucky football doesn’t stop at practice routines. National voices are weighing in on the broader state of the program under Mark Stoops. Josh Pate, a prominent college football analyst, recently argued that Stoops holds the best job in college football—not because it offers the chance at championships, but because it offers the perfect balance of resources and expectations.
“Mark Stoops makes close to $10 million a year,” Pate explained on The Colin Cowherd Podcast. “At Kentucky, the goal is to win seven games. That’s it. He’s in a position where he gets all the SEC benefits—money, exposure, recruiting opportunities—without the pressure cooker expectations of places like Georgia, Alabama, or Ohio State. It’s the ideal setup. Honestly, I think Stoops has figured it out better than anyone.”
Stoops’ contract certainly supports that view. His deal runs through 2031, and if Kentucky were to part ways with him early, the school would owe 75 percent of his remaining salary, paid out within 60 days. That buyout is creeping toward $40 million, making it financially difficult for the university to move on even in the face of stagnation.
A Program of Steady Progress
Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart has often highlighted Stoops’ ability to bring stability to a historically middling football program. Under Stoops, the Wildcats have reached eight straight bowl games, with two 10-win seasons sprinkled in. While expectations in Lexington don’t revolve around championships, there’s no question that the Wildcats are far from the SEC bottom-feeders they once were.
“We talk about two things: diplomas in hands and rings on fingers,” Barnhart said. “We’ve had championships across our athletic department, and football has done its part. We’ve proven we can win here, and Stoops and his staff know how to get the job done. Now, we just need to stay focused on finding more wins.”
For Kentucky, “more wins” doesn’t mean a playoff run—it means clawing to bowl eligibility and occasionally springing an upset against a ranked rival. That modest ceiling may frustrate fans who dream of bigger things, but for Stoops, it has been the foundation of a long, secure tenure.
Looking Ahead
As the Wildcats prepare for South Carolina, the storyline is less about their past failures after bye weeks and more about whether Stoops’ new approach can change the trend. With physical practices, early scouting, and renewed focus, Kentucky is betting that the early bye week can be a springboard instead of a stumbling block.
The SEC gauntlet is waiting. If Kentucky can manage even a split against South Carolina and Georgia, optimism will rise. If not, the Wildcats may once again be scratching and clawing their way to six wins by November.
For Stoops, however, the formula remains the same: consistency, resilience, and measured expectations. Whether Kentucky fans accept that as success—or mediocrity—may be the most interesting storyline of all.
