Zach Calzada: Motivated 'might not be the best word' to describe UK players

Big Blue Nation has heard rumblings that Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops has been motivated throughout the offseason. Following a 4-8 finish in 2024, Stoops and company are looking to turn things around in Lexington in short order.

Zach Calzada, the Wildcats’ presumed starting quarterback this fall, believes that while that may be the correct way to describe his coaching staff — Kentucky’s QB1 thinks of two different words to better describe the current mindset of him and his teammates.

“A lot of our guys are focused. I think motivated might not be the best word for our players, but I think it’s discipline and urgency,” Calzada said during an appearance on the SEC Network on Monday. “As a team, that’s been a big motto for us.

“I wasn’t here last year. A lot of these guys weren’t here last year, but  we can see and feel the pressure that’s with this upcoming season. I think just coming every day and putting our best foot forward from January to now, and as we roll into camp is important for us.”

Discipline and urgency — for a player that wasn’t around Lexington last fall, its says a lot about Calzada’s mental fortitude as a leader of the program. Kentucky fans weren’t thrilled with how their program played last fall and Calzada believes those two words perfectly describe the mindset of UK’s roster.

It will be four seasons removed since the program’s last 10-win season this fall as Kentucky failed to win a single power conference game at home in 2024. In fact, they’re 2-11 in SEC home games since beating LSU in 2021.

Moreover, Kentucky’s four-win season saw them finish two games shy of bowl eligibility. This ended an eight-year bowl streak for the Wildcats under Mark Stoops — the longest in program history.

Following the unceremonious end to last year, Kentucky lost much of its production on the offensive side of the football. The Wildcats are hoping Calzada, in his final year of eligibility, will help UK surprise a few people this fall.

Calzada has prior SEC experience as a quarterback for Texas A&M — where he has a win over Nick Saban’s Alabama — as well as Auburn before playing two seasons for Incarnate Word. Calzada had a breakout season for them last season throwing for 3,744 yards and 35 touchdowns, with only nine interceptions. He also rushed for 332 yards and five scores.

He’ll start his UK career during Week 1 against Toledo on Aug. 30. Kickoff is set for 12:45 p.m. ET live on the SEC Network.