By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops hinted earlier this week that Cutter Boley may see considerable playing time against Eastern Michigan on Saturday.
Boley and starter Zach Calzada have been sharing the load in practice this week, and offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan said both players will share time in the pocket.
“We’re in a position to have both guys ready,” Hamdan said. “Equal practice reps and get them both ready to go. Both of those guys will be ready to go.”
Calzada hurt his shoulder in the second half of Saturday’s 30-23 loss to Ole Miss but has been active in the team’s workouts this week.
“He’s out here,” Hamdan said. “He’s where he’s at with it, how healthy he is. He’s tough, he’s a competitor.”
The Kentucky offensive coordinator has also been pleased with the first team’s response to Boley in practice this week.
“I think he’s looked good,” Hamdan said. “Any time you start mixing that again, when you have a newer quarterback with the first team, there’s some nuances there. Them getting used to his cadence a little bit. He’s been in this position and he’s doing a nice job out there.”
Much like coach Mark Stoops, Hamdan said the Wildcats missed several chances to score against the Rebels and showed signs of improvement coming off a season-opening win over Toledo.
“I think it’s frustrating (and) there’s no sugar-coating (it),” Hamdan said. “We thought we could have put up 30-plus points in that game … self-inflicted wounds. We made plays.
“The reality of the matter is, the formation mix-up, the halftime issue, substitutions, we’re not going to recover from that. We know we’ve got to play better at all levels.”
Still, Hamdan said the Wildcats know the mistakes can be rectified.
“The positive is, this offensive football team can be a good team, and we’ve got to take the next step,” he said. “That’s what we’re focused on.”
Eight is enough
Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart reiterated this week that he would rather the Southeastern Conference compete with an eight-game league schedule than the nine-game slate the league will be utilizing starting next season.
“I was vocal about eight. I think that’s best for Kentucky,” Barnhart said “Having said that, I’ve heard, ‘Oh, you’re afraid to play.’ No, I’m not. I just think it’s what’s best for us. I think every team had to schedule the way they needed to schedule, what was best.
“As you watch teams compete early in the season, you’re seeing teams that are taking on some injuries. You’re seeing some teams taking on some losses, and then they’re going, ‘Oh, my gosh, I’ve still got 10 games left, and nine of those could be conference games next year.’”
Gametracker: Eastern Michigan at Kentucky, 7:30 p.m., Saturday. TV/Radio: ESPNU and UK Radio Network.