Remember all of that unnecessary division separating the Kentucky basketball and football programs? Those days are long gone with Mark Pope and Mark Stoops going out of their way to show a united front since the former took over as head coach back in the spring. They’ve supported each other at public and private fundraising events, attended games and even helped on the recruiting trail — remember when Vince Marrow helped the Wildcats land Jasper Johnson?
My personal favorite was when Pope took the Wildcats to Kroger Field for conditioning and came out in a helmet with a football to get a full-on scrimmage rolling in the heat of the summer.
“Coach came out with some footballs and was like, ‘We’re gonna play football now!’” Ansley Almonor said at the time. “So we played football [laughs].”
Conditioning with a little @UKFootball twist pic.twitter.com/OTPg0iCmHu
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) July 11, 2024
Clearly a pigskin-friendly program under Pope, something the players have certainly embraced. Need proof beyond their regular attendance at Kroger Field on Caturdays or sharing their support on social media? Look no further than their reaction to Kentucky’s historic win at No. 6 Ole Miss yesterday afternoon.
The Cats gathered at the Joe Craft Center to watch the matchup in the players’ lounge, feet kicked up in recliners in front of the projection screen going crazy with each play.
Assistant coach Mark Fox posted a clip of Gavin Wimsatt’s fumble at the goal line, recovered by Josh Kattus for the game-winning touchdown in the final minutes. And as you can probably imagine, the team’s reaction was similar to yours watching it in real time.
“Go! Oh, he fumbled! Touchdown? YEAH!” — Andrew Carr, along with everyone else in Big Blue Nation.
Loved seeing our team excited for our 🏈 squad https://t.co/SocuhEHAvQ pic.twitter.com/R1zQYhbvuL
— Mark Fox (@coachmarkfox) September 28, 2024
The same can be said for Ole Miss’ 48-yard field goal to tie it up in the closing seconds, Caden Davis sailing the kick wide left to all but seal the 20-17 victory in Oxford for the Wildcats.
History made, a moment captured by assistant coach Mikhail McLean with his squad in the lounge.
“YES SIR!”
Kentucky Basketball’s reaction to Ole Miss’ shanked field goal 😂 pic.twitter.com/HiU5Hds0ZW
— Kentucky Hoops (@kentuckyhoopsig) September 28, 2024
On Saturday, Kentucky was a football school. And I’m sure the favor will be returned once basketball season rolls around.
