With Zach Calzada's Status "unsure" for Saturday, Stoops' comments all but guarantee a heavy dose of the redshirt freshman quarterback
Mark Stoops fanned the flames of Kentucky’s brewing quarterback controversy yet again on Monday, refusing to name a starter for Saturday’s game against Eastern Michigan while making one thing unequivocally clear: the Cutter Boley era is, at the very least, looking more likely.
When asked directly if Zach Calzada would start if he is healthy and available, Stoops sidestepped the question.
“I’m not going to comment on that,” he stated. “I know this: I’m excited to see Cutter… I’m always excited for the next man up, and I’m excited to see Cutter, and Cutter will absolutely play.”
The comments came after Stoops confirmed that Calzada’s injury status is “unsure” and that he would not practice on Monday. While Stoops noted Calzada is “resilient,” he also acknowledged the reality of his performance against Ole Miss. “Zach understands there’s things that we all can do better, that he can do better,” Stoops said. “And, we probably left some plays on the field.”
Stoops praised Boley for his brief but impactful appearance, calling his one long completion “beautiful” and noting that he was put in a tough situation. The coach’s emphatic guarantee that Boley will play, regardless of Calzada’s status, signals a significant shift. The job is no longer Calzada’s alone.
At best, it’s an open competition. At worst for Calzada, the job may have already been lost. Saturday’s game against Eastern Michigan is no longer just a non-conference matchup; it’s a public audition for the future of the quarterback position at Kentucky. And that bad thing is they are not very good, so we may see fool's gold heading into the bye week.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time, he spends time with his family, and watching Premier League soccer. Psalm 121:7-8. #UpTheAlbion