Mark Stoops speaks on the resiliency that defines Cutter Boley

It was a tough lesson for Cutter Boley on Saturday in Columbia. The freshman quarterback faced a relentless pass rush and a hostile SEC road environment, resulting in a performance marred by turnovers. But as Kentucky looks to rebound, Head Coach Mark Stoops is standing by his young signal-caller, emphasizing that growth comes from these exact moments of adversity.

"With every opportunity you have to learn from that, whether it’s success or failure... you just have to get better," Stoops said during his Monday press conference. "The nice thing about him, he’s very resilient and has a strong belief in himself and the players believe in him as well."

Navigating the inexperience at QB

Stoops didn't sugarcoat the performance. He acknowledged that the team simply cannot overcome the kind of turnovers they had against South Carolina. He pointed to one late-game interception, a ball heaved up under pressure, as "absolutely inexcusable," but framed it as a learning experience for a young player trying desperately to make something happen for his team. And you can understand that, sometimes as a QB you feel desperate and you just hope your guy can make a play.

"That comes with him being young and really trying to make a play and help his team, but you know we can’t have that," Stoops explained.

He also broke down the nuance of other mistakes. A tipped pass that led to a pick-six was unfortunate, while a missed slant on an RPO was off by "a half-yard," a mistake that Stoops believes will be corrected with more reps and experience. The key, he says, is not to make Boley tentative.

"I don’t want to slow him down on that," Stoops said. "We have to continue to be aggressive and get him better in that area." Balancing the aggressiveness with accuracy is the key to develop a young qb, something this coaching staff has not really shown they can do very well at this time.

It's not all on the quarterback

While Boley has to learn from his mistakes, Stoops made it clear that the issues run deeper. The offensive line's struggles in pass protection were a central theme.

"We have to play better around him, too, give him that time," Stoops stated bluntly. He mentioned that technique and assignments broke down at critical times, putting Boley in impossible situations. "The first turnover, with the protection, there’s things we could do better there."

The coaching staff also took responsibility, with Stoops noting they have to put Boley in better positions to succeed, especially against the blitz. "We as a staff have to make sure we’re putting him in a position that he understands, if pressure comes, where he can evade and where to go with the football." That sounds like they really aren't doing a good job at helping their young quarterback understand the intricacies of playing one of the toughest positions in sports.

Belief in the midst of a setback

Despite the rough outing, the message from the head coach was one of unwavering belief. Stoops described Boley as a player who won't be rattled by one bad game.

"He is very resilient. He has a strong belief in himself. The players believe in him. He has the talent, so he’ll continue to work and get better," Stoops affirmed. "I don’t anticipate he’s the type of player that will get affected by that."

For Kentucky fans, the immediate results are frustrating. But the long-term development of Cutter Boley is paramount, and it's clear the coaching staff is committed to weathering the storm with their young quarterback. I mean, what do they have to lose at this point?

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