Cutter Boley (8) during Saturday's game. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Former all-SEC defensive back Van Hiles is one of the best around at analyzing college football games. The former University of Kentucky standout has a podcast with former UK teammate Anthony White, has a segment with Tom Leach each Monday on his radio show and offers analysis for Kentucky Sports Radio.
He was on WLAP Sunday Morning Sports Talk this week and didn’t shy away from Kentucky’s quarterback situation.
He believes Kentucky will sit starting quarterback Zach Calzada against Eastern Michigan even if he was ruled able to play after hurling his right shoulder in Saturday’s loss to Ole Miss.
“We will probably blow out Eastern Michigan, so you will sit him knowing the next week is a bye,” said Hiles. “So this is a chance for you to get Cutter (Boley) a chance to play.
“Now here’s the thing, in my opinion, that Cutter should do. This is his chance to permanently take those keys out of Zach’s hands. No one is happy with the passing offense at this point. If you go out there and show some competency and some efficiency in the passing game, you can now be the quarterback from now until whenever because this is your chance to do that.”
Boley, a redshirt freshman and Lexington Christian product, could take the reins at quarterback from Calzada, a transfer and seventh-year player.
“Everything has played out perfectly for you (Boley) to be able to be the starting quarterback for the rest of the year. If you show right now, and you show your preparation Monday through Friday, then you might be a starting quarterback from now to the end of the season.”
WLAP Sunday Morning Sports Talk host Anthony White, a former all-SEC running back, felt Calzada was not “shuffling his feet” and moving up in the pocket to take advantage of his protection.
Hiles agreed that was “running” out of the pocket considering the lack of push the Ole Miss defensive front was getting.
“There was no shuffling. He was just gone which made it harder for the offensive line to protect him. Receivers downfield were working to get open and that just happened way too often for me,” Hiles said. “I don’t understand why he’s doing it now because he never did it before.
“Coaching has nothing to do with this. But let’s just say it is coaching. Cutter Bowley came in the game, he stepped up in the pocket. Zach is just reverting back to a bad habit. The guards and the center are doing a really good job consistently of not getting pushed up the middle, so he has a pocket to step into. I don’t know why he’s not (stepping up). I wish I could answer that.”
One Response
My advice to Cutter is to just do your job. Take what the defense gives you (the defense will always give you something) and keep pushing the ball forward to score. That's the QB1's job.