The Mark Stoops era is over. The only person who doesn’t seem to realize it, or simply doesn’t care, is Mark Stoops.
Kentucky
Officials shift focus for London shooting suspect. What to know about the new approach
London, Kentucky shooting update: Search for Joseph Couch continues
Kentucky State Police Trooper Scottie Pennington updates the media on the third day of the search for suspected highway shooter, Joseph Couch, in Laurel County.
Sam Upshaw Jr.
Kentucky officials are pivoting the focus of their search for Joseph Couch, the man accused of shooting five people and 12 cars on Interstate 75 on Sept. 7, away from the Daniel Boone National Forest and toward community centers, according to a Kentucky State Police news release issued Tuesday.
The announcement comes 10 days after the shooting occurred, which spurred a manhunt that sprawled 28,000 acres of rugged, dense forest and utilized helicopters, drones and on-the-ground search techniques. The manhunt is now called off, and law enforcement officials will focus on increasing their presence in nearby residential areas.
“In the beginning, the best way to find the suspect was in the forest. As that has become less likely over the past several days, our best plan to provide safety now is to augment law enforcement in this community to where our people are,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in the news release. “Beginning this afternoon, we will begin transitioning state and local law enforcement and agencies from a manhunt to a larger presence in the community. We stand united in this approach and our commitment to protect people of this region.”
The Kentucky State Police will continue leading the search effort in the Daniel Boone National Forest, albeit with scaled back methods, according to the release. The agency is withdrawing its personnel and will use aircraft and cameras that have been placed throughout the forest.
The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office will continue leading the shooting investigation, and state and local law enforcement presence in public areas, like along roadways, at schools and at sporting events, will increase.
“This will include moving patrols onto roadways, increasing security and visibility at local schools and bus routes and increasing the presence of law enforcement at local sporting events,” Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. said in the release. “We feel the best way to prioritize community safety is to use technology and aircraft while transitioning the bulk of our state and local law enforcement resources out of the forest and into our communities.”
U.S. Marshals consider Couch a fugitive
The U.S. Marshals Service is considering Couch a fugitive, spokesperson Jeremy Honaker said in the release. The federal fugitive task force, a law enforcement body focused on capturing wanted violent criminals, will continue to provide resources to local and state agencies in the search for Couch.
Couch, 32, was identified by Laurel County officials as a person of interest in the I-75 shooting the night of the incident. He was named a suspect a day later.
He’s been charged in the incident by Commonwealth’s Attorney Jackie Steele, the felony prosecutor for Laurel County, with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault.
Officials are offering a $35,000 reward for information leading to Couch’s arrest.
What happened in the London shooting?
Laurel County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched around 5:30 p.m. Sept. 7 following reports of a gunshot victim on I-75 near Exit 49 and U.S. Route 25, roughly eight miles north of London. Officers noticed multiple vehicles parked on the side of the highway with broken windows and visible bullet holes when they arrived. Twelve vehicles were found shot on both sides of the roadway and five individuals were injured — all of them survived.
The shooting caused an hours-long closure of I-75 as the search for a suspect commenced.
Authorities located Couch’s car, a silver SUV, the night of the shooting. On the afternoon of Sept. 8, police found an AR-15 in the wooded area near Exit 49 of I-75, along with fully loaded magazines. Authorities said at the time that the weapon may have been used in the shooting.
An employee of a nearby gun shop, Center Target Firearms, confirmed to police that Couch had purchased an AR-15 and 1,000 rounds of ammunition from the store the morning of the shooting, according to an affidavit released by the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office. The firearm discovered by police matched the description of the one Couch purchased that day.
Couch also told the mother of his child via text that he was planning to “kill a lot of people” less than an hour before the incident, according to the affidavit. He added that he planned to kill himself afterward.
Kentucky
It is time for Mark Stoops and Mitch Barnhart to leave Kentucky now
And because of the man who gave him that contract, Kentucky might be stuck in this nightmare.
Mitch Barnhart has been the Athletic Director since 2002. He has done great things for the university. But his refusal to adapt to modern college football, his obsession with “loyalty” over results, and his decision to hand out a lifetime contract with a massive buyout have crippled this program.
Stoops and Barnhart are now tethered together. If one goes, the other has to follow.
Stoops won’t make it easy on Barnhart
In the postgame press conference, after getting shut out 41-0 by Louisville, Stoops was asked if he would consider stepping down. His answer was defiant, bordering on arrogant.
“You think I’m going to walk away? You kidding me? Zero percent chance I walk away. I’m gonna be here as far as I’m concerned.”
He doubled down, adding: “Zero means zero. Zero percent chance I walk.”
Translation: Pay me my money.
Stoops knows the math. He knows he is owed roughly $37 million. He isn’t going to quit and leave that cash on the table. He is daring Mitch Barnhart to fire him.
The Mitch Barnhart problem
This is where the Athletic Director has failed. Barnhart created a situation where a coach who just lost 86-17 over the final two weeks of the season holds all the cards.
Barnhart prioritizes finances over winning. He took away tailgating to sell parking. He moved student sections to sell suites. He has treated the football program like a piggy bank rather than a competitive entity.
Now, that piggy bank is empty, and the bill is due.
There is zero reason to bring back a coach who just presided over the first shutout in the Governor’s Cup since 2004. Absolutely zero.
If Mitch Barnhart can’t figure out the money, if he can’t find the donors to fix the mess he created, then he isn’t the right man for the job anymore, either.
Clean house. Start over. Because what we watched on Saturday wasn’t just a loss; it was the death of a program’s culture.
While there’s mounting pressure to get rid of both, it remains a long shot that either one of them is relieved of their duties. Unless someone at UK other than Barnhart has both the ability and the courage to tell Stoops to leave, then it’s likely both will be back next year. And Kentucky football will be all the worse for it.
Kentucky
How to Watch Kentucky vs Louisville: Live Stream NCAA College Football, TV Channel
The Kentucky Wildcats face the Louisville Cardinals in this rivalry week college football matchup on Saturday at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium.
How to Watch Kentucky vs Louisville
- When: Saturday, November 29, 2025
- Time: 12:00 PM ET
- TV Channel: ACC Network
- Live Stream: Fubo (try for free)
Louisville comes into the game in 2025 with a 7-4 overall record (4-4 in ACC play). Their offense has produced 29.2 points per game, and having outscored their oppoents by nnearly a combined 70 points. On the other side, Kentucky sits at 5-6 overall (2-6 in the SEC) this year. Kentucky’s offense has averaged 25.1 points per game, and it also gives up the same number to opposing offenses.
As for rivalry history, Kentucky leads the all-time series 20–16. Interestingly, Louisville enters this year’s game as a slight home-favorite, with oddsmakers giving them about a 3–3.5 point edge over Kentucky. This game isn’t just about bragging rights; for Kentucky, a win could get them to 6–6 and bowl eligibility, while for Louisville, a win would be a chance to wrap up the season on a high note. A lot will come down to which team controls momentum, executes under pressure, and perhaps who handles the rivalry intensity better.
This is a great college football matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.
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Kentucky
Kentucky May See Multiple Quarterbacks Against Louisville
The Louisville football team is limping into the last game of the season. After losing to Cal in overtime, they suffered a one-point loss to Clemson at home, then took a beating at SMU. In the middle of those losses, the Cards have lost quite a few players.
Louisville will be without its top three running backs and leading receiver Chris Bell. They also could be playing a backup quarterback.
The maligned Miller Moss dropped a dumbbell on his foot in the weight room, forcing him to miss last week’s game at SMU. He’s considered questionable for the Governor’s Cup against Kentucky.
“We’ll try to get him healthy,” head coach Jeff Brohm said earlier this week. “I could see multiple quarterbacks possibly playing again.”
If Moss is unable to play, the Cards will turn to redshirt freshman Deuce Adams. In last week’s start, the Texas native completed 12-17 passes for 94 yards, and he carried the ball five times.
“Miller Moss, I would expect him to play and you have to prepare for that, but you have to prepare for Deuce as well,” said Mark Stoops. “Jeff has a lot of offense that he can go to and they are always hard to defend. I think they are really good in the pass game and they have a run game that can really hurt you. You have to be prepared for all of it.”
If Moss plays, he may not play the whole game. Brohm is a believer in gadget plays, and with so many injuries on offense, you can expect plenty on Saturday. In the upset over Miami, the Cards put three quarterbacks on the field for a single snap. The Kentucky defense is preparing for anything and everything.
“Gadget plays are hard if you don’t know what you’re looking at. It can be hard to see what you’re looking at, but there’s always little tells,” said Kentucky linebacker Daveren Rayner.
“Maybe if they line up in a certain formation, they might bring in the slot a little bit closer, and in this formation on this part of the field, that’s not what they normally do. There are certain ways that you can see it, but it’s always something that you gotta just trust your keys. You might get caught in a bad situation, but you rely on what you’ve been coached to do.”
No matter who is taking snaps for Louisville, the Kentucky defense cannot have a repeat performance from last week’s game against Vanderbilt.
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