Redshirt freshman Eli Brown has spent most of the season rotating in at will linebacker with Jordan Jones. When Jones left during the first quarter of Saturday’s game with back spasms, Brown was forced into a role he hadn’t seen before, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Stoops said he was put “in a bad position” after dealing with a personal loss during the week leading up to the game.
The lack of reps during practice showed during the game. The same also applies to Mike Edwards. The safety has been one of the Cats’ best defensive players, but an injury prevented him from taking any snaps during last week’s practices.