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Day After: Ole Miss Loss

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I thought we were passed this. The depressing Sunday after an awful Kentucky football loss. Yesterday’s game wasn’t only a let-down, but it was a game you needed/should’ve won. Good thing is, we as a fan base should be used to this. We thought we were passed this, but hey, we’re not.

Kentucky came into this season with a lot of hype. Probably the most since the 2015 season. Rightly so since the Cats have one of the best O-Lines in the country, a stacked running-back room, a QB with a ton of talent, but a lot to prove, and a promising defense with a good mix of experience and very talented youth.

The “talking season,” as Mark Stoops calls it, saw Kentucky earn their first preseason ranking since 1978. Although the ranking came because the Big Ten and PAC12 weren’t playing, the ranking still meant something. It meant for the first time since Mark Stoops has been in Lexington, the Cats were finally getting some national attention.

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The one difference about this season is that there’s a little thing called a pandemic going on. Changing the way every American lives. Changing how every sport is played. Shortening Kentucky’s season by two games, making every game an SEC opponent.

People often complain about the “cupcake games” at the beginning of a season. Those games are boring to watch, but are great warmups for the power five teams. Giving them an easy win, preparing them for better opponents in the future, and giving second and third-stringers quality minutes. Well, we didn’t get those this year and we all saw the negative impact against Auburn.

Kentucky always has a lot of rust in the opener, but normally ends up winning the game, which is all that matters. We saw the rust last weekend, but Kentucky was playing the eighth best team in the country. Not a directional school. Thus making the rust more obvious and us fans not being able to okay it with “oh well, we won the game.”

Not great, but not the end of the world. Maybe even a good thing, right? You really quickly see what you need to improve on.

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The one bad thing is Auburn got thumped by Georgia yesterday. I’m hoping that’s just an early sign of how difficult an all-SEC schedule will be. Mostly just to make myself feel better.

The Cats had ten SEC games. Five games you should lose and five games you should win. Well, one of the games you should’ve lost, you lost. Now one of the games you had to win, you lost, yesterday’s game against Ole Miss. Now you’ve got a problem. You’re 0-2, when at worst, you should’ve been 1-1.

Even though Mark Stoops is the second best coach Kentucky has ever had, his tenure has been filled with a lot of disappointment. In Stoops’ seven seasons, four of them have started with a lot of promise and have ended with disappointment. 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018. Now you can add 2020 to that list.

Five out of seven seasons.

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The Cats were supposed to make a serious run at winning the SEC East. Now, with an 0-2 start, you’re going to have to do a lot just to finish the season 5-5. By the way, that would be a great season. A .500 record in the SEC is something Kentucky has achieved only twice in 20 years. But now, 5-5 is not guaranteed. At all.

The preseason hype was at an all-time high. Now the hype is gone and the fan interest will decline a ton. With the way the schedule is, things won’t get any easier from here. Kentucky could easily start the season 0-5, because the next game you should win isn’t until Missouri. The Cats have three ranked opponents before then. Mississippi State, Tennessee, and Georgia. Oh boy.

This has happened too many times in the Stoops era. A lot of hype and promise seems to always end in disappointment.

Now we’re back to square one.

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REPORT: Liam Coen Leaving Kentucky for NFL Offensive Coordinator Position

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UK Athletics

On the eve of a huge recruiting weekend for Kentucky football, the program has received some bad news. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen is leaving for the NFL again, this time taking the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator position.

When Coen returned to Kentucky last offseason from the Los Angeles Rams, for his second stint as offensive coordinator, he talked about Lexington being a place that he and his wife had missed. In his return press conference, on January 12, 2023, he went as far as saying he wanted to be somewhere for a “few years”, at least.

“I want to go somewhere, make a real impact. Plant some roots for a little bit. Be somewhere for a few years — at least — that you feel really good about. I’m excited about being back in Lexington… I’m not in a rush to go anywhere.”

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That “few years” was just a year, but to be honest, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. After many games last season, Coen talked to the media with frustration about fundamental things such as lack of discipline and dropped passes. Even then, it always felt he was holding his words back. With his name circulating around multiple NFL jobs, it was clear this was the direction it was heading.

Now for Kentucky, it’s about getting the next hire right. In a time where offense is becoming the premium in college football, going through five offensive coordinators in ten seasons is not ideal. Paying $1.8 million to Coen, they have shown they will pay amongst the top in the country. Now, go get someone who keeps this core of offensive talent, can recruit, and brings much-needed consistency.

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A Piece of Will Levis’ Historic NFL Debut Displayed in NFL Hall of Fame

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Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis after his NFL debut.
© Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

During last year’s NFL Draft, Will Levis was one of the last players left in the green room after dropping to the second round. That moment fueled Levis, and he’s since earned the starting quarterback spot with the Tennessee Titans, appearing to have a bright future with the team.

Entering the season with no shortage of motivation, Levis entered the franchise as QB3 and wasn’t even on the active roster for the first six weeks of the season, being deemed the “emergency quarterback.” However, following an ankle injury to Ryan Tannehill in Week 6, the Titans gave their rookie quarterback an opportunity.

Levis certainly capitalized and had one of the best debuts in NFL History, throwing for 238 yards (19/29 passing) and four touchdowns. From the game, Levis has been put in the Hall of Fame. Well, at least his Houston Oiler throwback helmet from the performance has been placed on display in the Hall of Fame’s “Pro Football Today Gallery.”

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Levis started his career with a bang and had his moments. The former Kentucky Wildcat will look to build on his rookie campaign, going into a year where he should be the starter under new head coach Brian Callahan.

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

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Cutter Boley Opens up on Playing for Kentucky, “This Is Where My Heart’s Always Been”

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Four-star quarterback prospect Cutter Boley signing with Kentucky football.
© Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

With the early National Signing Day for the class of 2024 being over, Kentucky’s newest signed quarterback Cutter Boley discusses why he committed to play at Kentucky.

“Just growing up in the state, you know, I’ve grown up a fan I feel like this is where my heart’s always been, and just the offense that Liam Coen runs and the job coach (Mark) Stoops does as head coach is phenomenal and I wouldn’t want to play for anybody else,” Boley tells Kentucky Insider.

Kentucky needed to get some quarterbacks after three players either graduated or transferred with Devin Leary graduating, Destin Wade transferring to Colorado, and Kaiya Sheron electing to transfer as well.

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Kentucky was able to load up in the quarterback room by landing the Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff, Georgia Southern transfer Beau Allen, and then signing Boley in the class of 2024. Boley is ready to compete against them and he recognizes their talent.

“I couldn’t be any more excited to learn from them. They’re two really good quarterbacks, like I said, and they’ll have countless things to teach me from the places they’ve been and the offense that they’ve been in,” Boley tells us. “I just can’t wait to learn the things they know and just be able to work and get to work with them.”

One of the reasons why Boley committed to Kentucky is due to him having a connection since he has lived here his whole life.

“Just growing up in the state, you know, I’ve grown up a fan I feel like this is where my heart’s always been, and just the offense that Liam Coen runs and the job coach (Mark) Stoops does as head coach is phenomenal and I wouldn’t want to play for anybody else,” said Boley.

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As for finally signing his National Letter of Intent, Boley feels relieved to have it finished.

“It’s definitely a relief to finally put the pen to paper and make it official,” said Boley. “It’s been a long time coming so I couldn’t be any more excited about my decision and where I’m going to be for the next four years.”

What Boley is most focused on is how the offense is run, as at this time he feels like his play style is made to play professionally.

“I’m really hoping to develop into that pro-style quarterback, but I feel like I’m definitely a pro-style quarterback right now, but really develop into just being able to play in that offense at a very high level and get really comfortable in the offense, and I just want to develop all parts of my game and really be a quarterback that the NFL looks for and that type of quarterback they want to have,” Boley tells us.

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With Kentucky having a chance to develop within instead of the transfer route, fans will have a chance to see a quarterback finally develop into potentially starting in the future.

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