"Mark Stoops literally grabbed his own hamstring" - Fans run wild over Kentucky HC's alleged attempts to buy time by asking players to fake injuries
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops is under fire and criticism for his desperate attempts to avoid a three-game losing streak against the Louisville Cardinals. In a nail-biting Week 13 encounter, the Kentucky Wildcats emerged victorious with a 38-31 win over the Cardinals.
But despite this victory, Mark Stoops is facing criticism and trolls from CFB fans for his attempts at turning the tides of the game by allegedly instructing his players to fake an injury to buy time for his team.
In a video shared on social media, we see Stoops calling out one of his players by waving his hands and then immediately grabbing his hamstring as if to mimic an injury. This would allow the Wildcats time for a fumble review. However, fans were not happy with Mark Stoops' alleged fake injury situation, with one fan stating:
"Literally grabbed his own hamstring so a player would go down so they could review a possible fumble. The call stands & 1st down UL!"
Players faking injuries in college football is not a new thing. However, allegedly being caught on camera as a coach instructing his players to do so is a whole different thing. This clip of Mark Stoops led to many fans reacting differently to it. Some went on to talk about other programs involved in the same activities, while others were not happy with Stoops' strategy.
The Wildcats end their 11th regular season under Stoops with a 7-5 overall record(3-5 in the SEC). After consecutive losses to Alabama and South Carolina, the Wildcats finished on a positive note while also being eligible for bowl games.
Mark Stoops dodges questions about possible Texas A&M candidacy
Earlier this month, the Aggies fired Jimbo Fisher after his failure to lead the team to a successful season in the SEC West. With this vacancy, Stoops became one of the hottest commodities to replace Fisher at Texas A&M. Later on, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Stoops was being viewed as the next best candidate for Texas A&M and change their fate like how he did in Kentucky.
However, when questioned about the same during the post-game press conference after their win over Louisville, Stoops did not talk about the matter directly and was dodging the question.
"This is a big win for our program and state. I'm keeping the focus and concentration on our team," Stoops said.
What does the future hold for Mark Stoops in the world of college football? Will he continue his stint with the Wildcats or be on the hunt for greener pastures with the Aggies?