For the first month of the SEC season, Kentucky football was, to borrow a phrase from KSR's Matt Jones, "bad and boring." In college football, you can occasionally survive being bad if you're exciting. You can certainly be boring if you're good. You cannot be both. Kentucky's offense under Bush Hamdan was just that: a slow, predictable, and ineffective unit that showed little sign of life.
Then, the calendar flipped to October, and something changed. Whether out of desperation or revelation, the coaching staff finally "unlocked" freshman quarterback Cutter Boley. The results speak for themselves.
Cutter Boley in October
— Adam Luckett (@AdamLuckettKSR) October 29, 2025
82/118 (69.5%)
813 passing yards (6.9 yards per attempt)
7 total TD (6 pass, 1 rush)
3 INT
48.7% passing success rate
15.6% explosive pass rate
884 yards on 137 dropbacks (6.45 yards per dropback) pic.twitter.com/TYntmuqg5C
The "bad and boring" era (September)
In his first three significant appearances (Ole Miss, Eastern Michigan, South Carolina), Boley's performance was shaky, hampered by questionable play-calling and a struggling offensive line. The offense was horizontal, risk-averse, and completely out of rhythm.
Boley (Sept. games vs. MISS, EMU, SC):
- Record: 1-2
- Stats: 23/43 (53.5% completion)
- Yards: 402
- TDs/INTs: 2 / 2
- QBR (avg): 20.3
The team was 1-2 in those games, scoring just 13 points against South Carolina. The identity was non-existent, and the future looked bleak.
The October offensive explosion
When October began, facing a brutal stretch against Georgia, Texas, and Tennessee, the playbook suddenly opened up. The Wildcats started spreading the field, pushing the ball vertically, and snapping the ball with more tempo. They finally let Cutter cook, and he proved he was more than ready.
Boley (Oct. games vs. UGA, TEX, TENN):
- Record: 0-3
- Stats: 82/115 (71.3% completion)
- Yards: 813
- TDs/INTs: 7 / 3
- QBR (avg): 81.1
Yes, the Wildcats lost all three games, but the offense was no longer the primary reason. The team was competitive, exciting, and explosive. Boley's QBR quadrupled, his completion percentage skyrocketed by 18 points, and he averaged 2.3 touchdowns per game against elite SEC defenses.
A glimpse of the future
His five-touchdown performance against Tennessee set a new Kentucky freshman record. While it's true the Cats were playing from behind, those are numbers simply unheard of in a Mark Stoops-coached offense.
Why it took Bush Hamdan so long to tailor the offense to his quarterback's strengths is a question many of us will be asking for a long time. But one thing is clear: Cutter Boley ain't afraid of no ghost. He's seeing the field, and when given the chance, he's proven he can sling it with the best of them. The "bad and boring" days seem to be over, even if the defensive struggles continue.
Now the wins have to follow.
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