Mark Stoops explains questionable play-calling in overtime

As I type these words, it still doesn’t resonate with me, and if you’re a Kentucky Wildcats fan it won’t resonate with you.

In the crucial overtime period on the road at Texas A&M, Benny Snell did not touch the ball on UK’s possession.

It’s unbelievable. But it’s more unbelievable when you consider that the Cats All-American candidate only carried the ball 13 times for 60 total.

Along with BBN, I am at a loss for words. Snell is UK’s calling card, the face of the franchise, or whatever sports metaphor you want to use. But when the game was on the line, Snell’s number wasn’t called once.

Instead of using the Cats’ power game with Snell as the battering ram, the play calls were a four-yard pass to Lynn Bowden, a four-yard scamper by Terry Wilson, and a Wilson sack on third down that led to Miles Butler’s miss from 43 yards.

In the postgame news conference, Stoops was as confused as the rest of the Cat faithful on why Snell was not used.

“We had a play there on 3rd and 2 that we hadn’t worked that had the opportunity for a big play and had an opportunity for a guy open in the flat. There were three options there. Again, I have to see the film until I make a decision on that. I agree, I wish that, in hindsight, we had handed the thing off. Or, at worse, kick the field goal and have an opportunity again.”

We agree coach, we agree. Hand the ball to Benny.