Making your first SEC road start is never easy. For Cutter Boley, it was a nightmare.
The freshman QB was sacked six times, including two by Brian Thomas Jr., who dominated Shiyazh Pete off the edge. Even when Kentucky kept tight ends and running backs in to block, it left fewer options in the route, and South Carolina’s secondary shut them down. There was just no real answers for a Kentucky offense that could not get it going after the first quarter.
The low point came in the second quarter, when Boley committed three turnovers in a span that effectively ended the game. He finished 10-of-23 for 124 yards, with 7 of those completions going to Kendrick Law and Willie Rodriguez. He looks for the guys he is most comfortable with as do most young QB's who are under a lot of distress.
The offensive line deserves some blame, Bush Hamdan deserves some blame, Mark Stoops deserves some blame, but Boley still looked rattled. While he’s a young QB with potential, his development has stalled out, a coaching failure as much as a player one. He has not improved at all from last year, and that is a sign of bad coaching.
Grade: D (saved from an F because of poor protection and bad play calling).
Is Zach Calzada still an option for Kentucky?
To make matters worse, Kentucky’s QB situation remains unsettled. The staff could turn back to Zach Calzada for stability, but at this point, letting Boley learn through mistakes may be the only path forward. With Stoops’ $35M buyout hanging overhead, Kentucky might simply ride out the growing pains because Stoops knows he isn't going anywhere. If anyone is going to take the fall for the poor showing it will be Brad White or Bush Hamdan.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer.You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion