Kentucky football fans are among the most resilient in all of sports. Mark Stoops brought a level of success to the program that some believed was impossible. That four-year run of excellence has evaporated over the four years since. How are we supposed to handle this see-saw of emotions? By applying the five stages of grief to what has transpired.
Denial
Late-season wins served as bandages on program wounds. The program was in danger of significant deterioration at the end of the 2023 campaign. After the South Carolina game, Stoops was spotted in a state of disarray underneath Williams-Brice Stadium, seemingly at a loss for how they fell so far to lose to a team that was that bad.