Quarterback Zach Calzada does not figure to have a lot of designed run plays this season. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Kentucky offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan knows that transfer quarterback Zach Calzada’s physicality could “help” UK in various ways, including the run game, this season.
However, Hamdan also admitted at Friday’s Media Day that running Calzada is not a priority based on what happened in 2024 with quarterback Brock Vandagriff when UK struggled to a 4-8 finish.
“I do think mistakes were made with Brock probably early on and running him too much,” Hamdan said. “I certainly own that from a standpoint of in this league, that player is going to get hit enough and take his shots and we gotta be extremely smart in not adding to that.”
Vandagriff, a Georgia transfer, was already at Kentucky when Hamdan was hired as offensive coordinator after Liam Coen left for the NFL. Vandagriff was being counted on to resurrect the UK offense with Hamdan. Instead, he suffered a shoulder injury in the opening game win over Southern Mississippi when he ran for 35 yards on five carries.
That was the start of trouble for the UK offense as Vandagriff got hit often and even suffered a concussion. He gave up football after the season ended, something not expected from a five-star player with collegiate eligibility remaining.
The 230-pound Calzada likes to run the ball and proved he could scramble both at Texas A&M and Incarnate Word. Hamdan knows he has to balance when, or if, to run Calzada or Cutter Boley, the current No. 2 quarterback.
Calzada has been taking about 75 percent of the snaps with the No. 1 offense but Hamdan is “always looking for opportunities” to give Boley time with the No. 1 unit, too.
7 Responses
The first mistake he made was putting him behind a porous offensive line. Vandagriff never had a chance. In some jurisdictions, Hamdam could have face charges for attempted murder for trying to get Vandagriff killed.
Haha. Absolutely.
The most accurate statement since he was – admitting blowing it with the QB.
No many coaches admit mistakes Little Baron
A rookie coaching a rookie in the SEC. Really bad combination.
I was going to say the same thing. We had a offensive coordinator with no sec experience and a starting QB with no experience and the worst offensive line I've ever seen. That is definitely a recipe for failure. I think if we have a down year you fire the whole football staff at the end of the year. 6-6 or better I guess you give him another year to take his contract down another 9 million dollars. I think Mitch will fire him the next time we miss a bowl. Stoops could go 6-6 for 3-4 years in a row and keep his job. I doubt he gets a contract extension, but we will never fire a coach after a bowl season here at Kentucky. Ol Sun Belt Billy has had a couple of chances at Florida because they mustered a bowl game. They have a way higher football pedigree than Kentucky does and they didn't fire him so I doubt we fire Stoops unless we miss a bowl game for the next couple of years. I think this is the situation we are in with Stoops. I would rather win then Stoops get fired and we get a better coach. Sometimes being a fan makes you feel idiotic.
it was not a good combination Terry