“We have to do things right to win games no matter who you play,” Stoops said. “I think you see that in this competition, and that was clearly not winning football.”

Here are three takeaways from the Wildcats’ dramatic seven-point home loss to the Commodores:

Jamarion Wilcox, a redshirt freshman running back, was carried just three times Saturday night. But every time he touched the football, positive things followed for the Wildcats’ offense. He finished with 35 rushing yards – an average of 11.7 yards per carry.

Still, that overachieving average earned him just three rushing attempts.

“Jamarion is a very good player,” Stoops said. “We are taking him with us. I am happy with him. He is running very well, but there is a lot more to it.”

Although UK finished on the wrong side of the scoreboard for the third time in six games on Saturday, the defense put in another remarkable performance. The Commodores’ 20 points were a season low. They entered Saturday averaging 37.6 points per game, which ranked them 22nd nationally and fifth among SEC outfits.

“It’s one of those games where it’s frustrating, the defense is doing a good job,” Stoops said. “We knew assets would be critical. Do you keep them at twenty? I think that’s pretty good.’

The third phase of the game, special teams, has improved since Jay Boulware started coordinating the unit before last season. But the device did not shine on Saturday.

The Wildcats had a mishandled grab on a field goal and a low snap on an extra point. They also assessed a penalty for a potentially game-changing punt return. Barion Brown returned the ball 16 yards, putting UK first and 10 in midfield. But a block in the back called on freshman linebacker Steven Soles Jr. and ensured the hosts backed up their twenty.

“(Brown) got a great return and (gave us) a big spark when we needed it, and we got a silly penalty,” Stoops said. “There’s no excuse for it. He’s a young man (Soles) who plays really hard and is a freshman and is away from the ball. It was a silly penalty.”

“And a very precious one.”

Reach Kentucky basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.