Vicky Graff Photo
Brian Roark of Letcher County seems like a typical Kentucky football fan to me and my feeling is that a lot of UK fans believe the same thing he does.
“This gives me hope for next year,” Roark posted on X after UK’s 31-14.
That hope comes from what true freshman quarterback Cutter Boley did the second half after UK fell behind 24-7 at halftime and had only 99 yards of total offense in the first half
Boley got tackled for a loss on his first play on a bootleg run but hit Barion Brown for a 43-yard gain on his second play. He completed 10 of 18 passes for 160 yards and one interception in the second half but UK still did not score any points on his five offensive drives. He was sacked four times, fumbled a snap, and had a minus-57 rushing yards.
Yet Boley did create a spark. He had one long completion wiped out by a UK holding penalty. He had another big gain vanish when an open receiver dropped the ball.
“He has been aggressive tonight throwing the ball on the run, including when he is going to his left,” ABC-TV analyst Jesse Palmer said. “He is making a great audition for himself to be the guy going into next year.
“He has done a lot of really good things in the second half against maybe the best defense in all of college football.”
Yes he did. Was Boley perfect? No. But he just looks more natural and decisive than starting quarterback Brock Vandagriff has. Both have been hindered by inconsistent offensive line play but Boley seems to have more answers.
“I thought he did a very good job,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said on the UK Radio Network postgame show.
Stoops said the interception on Boley’s final pass was a desperation attempt that the coach would take the blame for the interception. However, Stoops really liked the way Boley handled a blitz earlier, backed up and completed a 40-yard pass that was called back by a holding penalty.
“Cutter did a nice job buying time but that (completion) will not show up on the stat line,” Stoops said. “You can certainly see his talent and presence. Very good experience for him to come into this situation and do a pretty good job.
“If you give him a little time … it is hard. Our O-line is going to take a lot of heat. I can’t defend some of it. We know we have to get better.”
But what about the season finale against Louisville? Will Boley get the start or will Stoops go back to Vandagriff in the rivalry matchup?
“I don’t think it would be right for me to make any comment on that,” Stoops told Tom Leach on the postgame radio show. “I got to go soak my head in a show, get my wits together, talk to the coaches and make a decision when we have a chance to watch film.”
Tight end Josh Kattus caught a first-half touchdown pass from Vandagriff, who completed three of seven passes for 51 yards and one score. He said both quarterbacks are talented but admitted Vandagriff “struggled” in the second quarter and Boley “lit a spark” in the second half.
“I think Cutter showed a lot of progress and a lot to look forward to in the future,” Kattus said.
The question now will be whether that future starts against Louisville or the 2025 season or whether Stoops sticks with Vandagriff.
16 Responses
This may be a “ filiment of my amalgamation “ but isn’t there a deal where a bowl game can invite a five win team if all the six plus teams are taken ?
I think so. Good point! However, unless UK gets some new coaches (IC, OC Line coach, Secondary Coach, … HC ?) on the staff before the bowl game, it would probably the 3rd straight bowl loss.
I think the OL has not had a good coach for the 3rd year in a row. No opponent had to break through the Big Blue Wall because the UK coaches caused it to crack and finally crumble.
These OL players have not been taught how to adapt to pass protection.
Even if that were to happen, we should politely decline. Simply, we have not been good enough this year to deserve a bowl bid.
Don’t be too quick to throw Cutter Boley to the wolves. He still has a lot to learn, if for no other reason than self protection, and I’m not sure that Louisville is where you want to be teaching him.
I agree. Wqs very concerned against FL when they were on a roll and against TX with that tough DL.
Is the future now for Cutter Boley? Is the pig’s butt pork? At least he looked liked a QB out there yesterday for the most part. Brock really showed very little leadership, confidence, accuracy, and overall ability while back there, but of course the season long underachieving OL was of no protection to either. The 2nd biggest shock and disappointment yesterday came off the lips of Stoops when he basically gave Hamdan a vote of confidence.
So glad I did not hear Stoops’ nonsense saying anything good about the inept OC.
Stoops is accountable for the OC revolving door and the OL collapse by hiring incompetent OL coaches:
There is only one game left, so playing Boley against Louisville wouldn’t exactly be throwing him to the wolves. I think it would be a great experience for him. He definitely shows more promise than Vandagriff for next year. I would not be surprised to see Vanda hit the portal again. Stoops needs to find some offensive linemen or it won’t matter who plays.
Stoops needs to either hire an assistant to do the hiring of coaches or just pack it up and retire. He has a very low % of success picking coaches to hire and when he has some good OC’s he managed to run them off.
Brock has been out in a pathetic position with an inept OC and completely lost OL coach. The secondary coach deserves to join those 2 as the biggest losers on the staff — unless Stoops gets that award.
Losing is one thing – but having players not show up and be an embarrassment for 60 minutes as has been the case too many times (especially this season) is totally unacceptable!
I’d say he’s already been “thrown to the wolves.” It can’t be worse than playing him on the road vs Texas (with our offensive line).
This team has reverted to a lot of “old Kentucky” issues.
Losses by self-inflictions and being over-matched up front.
Signature win vs Ole Miss was sparked by a very questionable & lucky 4th down play.
I think we’ll be lucky if Boley stays. If he does, we better find a line that can protect him.
Coach Stoops doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. He needs a new age person to handle a new age system. Not a new position coach.
For my 2 cents.
Let Cutter play the whole Louisville game.
At least we’ll see what we got with him.
Otherwise we still don’t know.
He’s a big boy and will soon be a big man.
He’ll be ok.
What’s the difference in letting Cutter play and what Florida had to do. Their true freshman qb saved the coaches job and now they are respectable. What Cutter learns now, he doesn’t have to learn later.
How true.
Stoops has had several OC’s with the same results. The problem is a defensive minded coach meddling in the offense. The same common denominator. Until he lets the OC call the plays and he just worries about a defense good enough to limit the other team, we will have the same results.
Absolutely nailed it.
He hasn’t learned that he is clueless about offense after a dozen seasons, so he won’t change. He ended his own HC career by being unwilling to just face the facts.