“We did some dumb stuff.”

I confess that I didn’t watch the TaxSlayer Bowl because I had to wash my hair, but it sounds like Stoops and Johnson did their damnedest to give people a reason to tune in besides watching two mediocre teams play.

Little Game Mike probably gave the Kentucky faithful reason to wonder what the big deal is about bowl eligibility as his team turned in a fairly lackluster performance on the field.  But he did get some yelling in while he was there.

Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said he yelled at the Georgia Tech bench in the first quarter of the TaxSlayer Bowl because someone on the Tech side had said something to him during the game.

“I was upset with somebody saying something to me,” Stoops said. “I have great respect for coach (Paul) Johnson, but nobody else over there is going to say a word to me.”

Stoops was seen shouting at the Tech sideline early in the game as he went on the field to check on an injured Kentucky defensive player. It was widely presumed that Stoops was angry for Tech’s use of cut blocks on Wildcats defensive players, but Stoops clarified that that wasn’t the problem.

Asked to elaborate on what specifically had happened, Stoops declined.

“I will say this,” he said. “I care about my players, and I’m going to check on them. I didn’t accuse anybody of doing anything illegal. I have great respect for coach Johnson.”

While cryptic, Stoops’ comments suggest that perhaps someone on the Tech bench may have issue with Stoops being on the field after the injury.

Welcome to the wonderful world of cut blocking.  Like you didn’t know it was coming, right?

You would think a simple “stay classy, Tech” would have sufficed. but what do I know?

Meanwhile, the genius’ troops contributed to the general merriment by getting called for three unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and scuffling throughout the game.  Evidently, that’s what men do.

“We’re 21-, 22-year-old men,” defensive tackle Patrick Gamble said. “You get to pushing and shoving. There’s always going to be some talking.”

Tech’s gonna Tech, in other words.  In that sense, it’s been a great year on the Flats.  I think Paul Johnson deserves a contract extension.