Sports

SEC Football Coach Blames Star RB’s Lack Of Playing Time On Refusal To Tie His Shoes

#Kentucky Wildcats
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Kentucky football player Jamarion Wilcox runs the ball vs. Georgia.

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The Kentucky football team currently ranks 11th in the SEC in rushing at just over 153 yards per game. The offense has bested only two conference rivals when it comes to yards per carry.

With that in mind, many around the program are looking for a spark in the Wildcats backfield.

Freshman rusher Jamarion Wilcox is the obvious answer for most who follow the team. The former four-star tailback has been plenty productive when given the opportunity.

Wilcox has appeared in five games throughout the 2024 campaign, logging carries against SEC rivals Georgia, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt.

Across those five appearances, he’s recorded 29 attempts while totaling 191 yards on the ground, good for an average of 6.6 yards per touch.

He’s a big play threat with the ball in his hands, and he’s shown explosiveness each time he’s been on the field. He signed with Kentucky with hopes of showing off his talents early on in his career.

He’s done so in limited action, but despite leading the team in YPC, he ranks third on the roster in carries (tied with reserve QB Gavin Wimsatt).

Kentucky football fans are calling for more opportunities to be given to the talented youngster, but thus far, his playing time has been sporadic.

Head coach Mark Stoops was asked about the running back this week in a press conference following a loss to Vanderbilt. He blamed the lack of consistent usage on a rather silly reason.

Stoops says he needs to tie his shoes!

“Well, here’s a simple thing, tie your shoes,” the coach said about Jamarion Wilcox’s frequent absence from the backfield. “He doesn’t tie his shoes. So, he runs it, but his shoes fall off, so he’s got to come out. That would help.”

It seems silly, but Stoops might have a point!

Wilcox carried the ball three times in the loss to the Commodores, averaging just under 12 yards a pop. On at least one of those attempts, he lost his footwear and had to exit to the sidelines.

Mark Stoops says it’s occurring much too frequently!

It seems the Wildcats want to get Jamarion Wilcox into the game on a more consistent basis. He’s the only one responsible for the playing time issues.

We’ll see if he heeds his head coach’s advice when the Wildcats play Florida on Saturday.