By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Kentucky will have a new starting quarterback when the Wildcats close out the season against Louisville on Saturday.
Cutter Boley will make his first start against the Cardinals, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops announced at his weekly press conference. The freshman signal caller threw for 160 yards in the second half of the Wildcats’ 31-14 loss to No. 3 Texas Saturday.
“I thought he handled himself very well,” Stoops said. “I thought he had a lot of poise in the pocket, had the vision to hit open receivers. You saw a lot of good things. He deserves the opportunity to get a start here this week.”
Stoops said Boley, a Lexington Christian graduate and Paul Hornung Award winner, has progressed during the season.
“Seeing him from his first game experience until the next time he got that opportunity prior to Murray (State), just something a little different with his approach,” Stoops said. “He’s always very serious, he wants to be great, he’s committed with his time. But I think maybe a light or switch went off. I feel like he’s really tuned in and I think part of that is opportunity. Ever since the bye week, I think you’ve seen him go out there and execute at a higher level.”
Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff started the team’s first 11 games and threw for 1,542 yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Kentucky (4-7) hopes to finish the season on a high note after a 1-7 finish in the Southeastern Conference. Louisville (7-4) will be looking to improve its postseason bowl positioning and end a five-game losing streak to the Wildcats.
Stoops said the rivalry between the two teams has always been “important.”
“You’ve heard me say that the first time we played them,” Stoops said. “I never shied away from the importance of this game. It doesn’t really matter what the records are or anything like that. I have a lot of respect for Jeff (Brohm) and the way he coaches and their program. But it’s important to our fan base, it’s important to our players, it’s important to me that we go play well.”
Gametracker: Louisville at Kentucky, noon, Saturday. TV/Radio: SECN, UK Radio Network.