UK-MSU Rewind and locker room reaction

Kentucky swung and missed (too many tackles) against No. 1 Mississippi State on Saturday, but it was nonetheless an impressive showing and bounce back after an ugly loss at LSU the week before. Quarterback Patrick Towles outplayed Heisman candidate Dak Prescott, produced almost 500 total yards, including a catch, and accounted for four touchdowns. He gave the Cats a chance, had them within a touchdown with 2:31 to go.

In the end, though, it was a 45-31 loss and Kentucky (5-3, 2-3 SEC) has lost two in a row. That means there are four games left -- in order, at Missouri, Georgia, at Tennessee, at Louisville -- to win one and get to the program's first bowl game since 2010. More on that soon, but for now here's a roundup of all our coverage from yesterday's game and a ton of postgame quotes from the Cats:

Not full yet? Feast on all these quotes from the Cats after the loss.

QB PATRICK TOWLES

On the loss: "We fought and it wasn't good enough. They're a really good team. They're the No. 1 team in the country for a reason. We made a lot of plays, but we just didn't make enough. All-around, a good day, but we didn't make enough.

On him running: "We got some good looks, good ideas, watching their film. They're kind of susceptible to it. Those looks kind of carried over, obviously, to the game. It worked early, so we kept doing it."

On two three-and-outs with chances to tie in third, fourth: "We just didn't make plays. That's the whole theme of the night: we got opportunities to make plays, but we didn't. I'm sure either I missed a throw or something like that."

On a lot of drops: "It's a whole combination of things. I gotta throw the ball better. There's no getting around that. We'll get better. We'll improve. We'll get ready to go next week."

On what this effort after that LSU loss told him about the team: "Well, really, it didn't tell us anything, because we knew that we could be here. We knew that we could play with anybody in the country. I'm not sure the country knew that we could play with anybody in the country, but we fought like I knew we would. Just didn't make enough plays."

On seeming angry: "We're not happy, by any means. There's some peace in the fact that we gave all we had and we went right at them. But not good enough. We're not happy. Not happy."

On three of the next four on the road: "We'll take it week by week. We got a good team coming up here next Saturday at Missouri. They got a really good defense, good offense, so we gotta get back to work on Monday and get ready to beat them."

On his mindset: "It's the mindset you have to have every game: go out there and do everything you can to win. Whatever Coach Brown or Coach Stoops asks of me, it's my job to do what I can to win the football game."

NEAL BROWN (O-coordinator)

Opening statement: "Obviously the No. 1 team in the country for a reason. I thought they dug down when they needed two. We had two – you all would know more than I do – we had two, maybe three opportunities there in the second half were we went to a 7-point game and the place was loud. It was a great atmosphere: South Carolina or better as far as the atmosphere goes. I think both of those possessions we go three-and-out. That ended up being the difference in the game. That being said, I thought our guys really competed. We had our issues, don't get me wrong. We didn't protect as well as we needed to protect, obviously dropped some big balls that came back to haunt us. We've got to run the ball better with our running backs. A lot of that has to do with those guys. They're a group that has a bunch of four- and five-year players.

"And unfortunately you'd like to go from where we were last year all the way to the top – that's where we'd love to be – but there' some stepping stones sometimes. I thought today they're maturity showed. They're maturity showed. They're length got some hands on some balls. I told you going into the game I thought their front seven was as good as anybody in our league. Obviously I hadn't played everybody, but I thought their front was really talented. We had some issues with them. They're big. They've got girth and length, and linebackers a load. I thought we did some really good things in the secondary. I haven't even opened that stat book – we threw for 400 yards at least, I know, and there's probably 550 out there to be had.

"So, again, proud of our guys. Patrick competed. He competed. Really excited about how he raised his level. He's had two weeks where -- Monroe he played so-so, last week not very well -- and to bounce back against the No. 1 team in the country. He (threw) for 400. I don't know what he rushed for, 75-plus I would say. I don't know what the sacks, and all that stuff, how that ended up, but he did some good things running the football. We're close. We've just got to continue to get better. We've got to find a way to get (win) No. 6."

On if this is as good as Towles has played: "Yes. Yes. This is as good as he's played. He played really well the first half against UT Martin. Here's the encouraging thing: He played really well at Florida and he played really well today, but – he probably said this, he's got a good feel for how things go most of the time – he was was decision here, a decision there from having a really big day. And the thing that he's got to learn – and listen, I'm proud of him, this is the best he's played so I'm nitpicking here – he's got to take what's easy, what's easy, and not try to force the big play. Now, we made some big plays today. I think moving forward we have to do that to move the ball against really good teams."

On how this performance will help confidence for the stretch run: "Well, I don't think our confidence – one of real positives of being young is they don't know any better. So it wasn't like they ever lost confidence. It was, 'Hey, I didn't get the ball.' Not in negative ways. Just like, they never lost confidence. We just looked at that today. That's a really bad matchup (vs. LSU). We didn't do a good job coaching, didn't do a good job playing. Let's make the corrections, let's move on. This was a much better matchup for us. I thought we had our best week of practice all season. That's something that we've got to continue to do: playing hard and practicing well, that gives you and opportunity. It doesn't guarantee it, but you've got no opportunity if you don't do either of those."

On how Ryan Timmons responded to the challenge this week: "I'm proud of him. He had over 100 yards. Obviously he left two plays out there. He's a big-time player. We really count on him to be a big-time player. As far as how he played without the ball, that's my main concern. I can't really evaluate that till after the game. I know he's capable of making big plays. I know that. He's done that. We've got to get him using is hands. The last one in the end zone, that's a difficult play. I'd love for him to make it, but that's a difficult play. The 3rd-and-4 is the one I think if he just puts his hands in front, catches it with his hands rather than his body, I think that's one he makes. But I will not lose confidence in him. Hopefully when I turn on that video I see him blocking, I see him playing the way we want to be played. Here's what I tell him: the video tells your story. You are who you are on video. That goes out to everybody we play."

On how much of the sacks were because of Mississippi State's talent and how much was offensive line struggles: "Nah, they're good. They're good. I mean, they're good. They got some push on us. How many times did we throw it today? 43. I mean, they're going to get their share. They're long. They got good push on us. There at the end of the fourth quarter we had to throw it obviously, so they knew that was coming. So they're a tough match. What are they? They're in the top 10 in tackles for loss and sacks, and they've played three top-10 teams."

D.J. ELIOT (D-coordinator)

On getting stops: "We do get worn down at the end, but we've got to rotate them more, maybe, keep guys fresher, it's our job to stop them and we've got to go out there and get a stop. We have to be better on third down. We've got to tackle better, gotta coach better, too."

On tackling issues, how much was them and how much was UK's fundamentals: "I haven't seen the film, but I bet it's a combination of both. A big quarterback, big receivers and I'm sure there are some things we could've done better, too."

On stopping Robinson: "He hit a long run on us. We had him wrapped up, maybe for a loss, then he got out and once he got out, we didn't have anybody to run him down. So it's discouraging but give the kids credit with their effort. They never quit, got some stops there at the end, and that was based off of their effort and their fight. So we just gotta get them better, gotta coach better, gotta play better, but Mississippi State's a good team. They played well all season and they've got a talented offense. You can see why they're the No. 1 team in the country."

On run D: "Well, to stop the quarterback run, you gotta load 'em up, OK? You gotta get everybody in there to stop the quarterback run, and the hard thing with that is if somebody gets out, there's nobody to get them on the ground. That's the challenge and we didn't play good enough and we didn't coach good enough, and they're a great team, too. So a combination."

DE BUD DUPREE

On the loss: "It's real frustrating. We had a lot of chances to make stops on defense and score on offense and do our job. Sometimes we got a little carried away, and we just gotta come and correct it for next week at Missouri and make sure we finish in the SEC East."

On run D: "Too many guys were trying to rip the ball and not enough trying to tackle. That happens. If everyone's to trip and no one's trying to tackle, you see what happens: big plays. Just gotta get it corrected."

On Dak vs. Towles: "Pat Towles is a great quarterback. He stepped up big in the offseason and during the season this year just to make sure that he makes plays happen. And Dak, everyone knows he's good. He's in the Heisman contention. Both quarterbacks put on a show, so I just hope Pat keeps doing better than Dak."

On a missed chance: "We just had to make sure we made (LSU) water under the bridge and didn't think about it, even though we got blown out by LSU and they blew out LSU. We went out with a mentality that we wanted to win, had a chance, just couldn't pull it off."

On whether UK will just try to quickly forget this: "Being the No. 1 team, we don't want to forget it. Just think about the opportunities that we had to finish the game, close the deal, and just take all the momentum that we'll have to Missouri next week."

* For instant updates on the Wildcats, follow me on Twitter @KyleTucker_CJ. Email me at ktucker@courier-journal.com.