A week after Kentucky had physically manhandled visiting Florida in a dominant win, the Wildcats were bludgeoned through four quarters on the road at two-time defending national champion Georgia.
While 11th-year Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops has elevated that program to a middle tier in the rugged Southeastern Conference, Stoops has not gotten the Wildcats over the proverbial hump.
True, Stoops has helped Big Blue win three-straight games in the series with Florida for the first time in decades. He has emphatic losing records against Georgia and Tennessee.
And after the most recent beatdown by the Bulldogs, Stoops heard plenty from Kentucky fans Monday night on his radio show.
Stoops acknowledged the Wildcats's shortcomings -- and told fans to pony up the cash that he believes Georgia and coach Kirby Smart are using to fill out the Bulldogs's recruiting classes.
"It is what it is; fans have that right (to complain)," Stoops said. "I give it to them. I just encourage them to donate more.
"Because that's what those teams are doing. I can promise you in Georgia, they bought some pretty good players. You're allowed to these days.
"We could use some help. And that's what they look like, you know what I mean, when you have 85 of them. I encourage anybody that's disgruntled to pony up some more (funds for Name, Image and Likeness deals)."
The Wildcats host Missouri Saturday night at 7:30, have an open date the following weekend and then play back-to-back games against No. 19 Tennessee and No. 11 Alabama.