KSR Today: Offense Updates, Men's Soccer, Ham Days

Good morning, friends. It’s a foggy morning here at the KSR Nashville compound as we inch closer to Saturday’s game vs. Vanderbilt. If you’re coming down for the 11 a.m. local time kick, you’ll be happy to hear that the weather forecast is just about perfect. Sunny, light winds, low humidity, and a high of 85 degrees. Let’s hope it holds.

Plenty to do before then. Here’s a brief rundown of what you may have missed from a busy Monday and what to expect today.

Monday Football Quick-Hitters

Stoops still frustrated

Mark Stoops held his weekly press conference on Monday and was still frustrated with his team for the errors they made vs. Akron. He specifically called out Jager Burton for his mistakes at center and Brenden Bates for missing a block and addressed Dane Key and Barion Brown‘s recent struggles. Catch up on the headlines below:

• Depth Chart (No changes)
• Injury Updates on Kenneth Horsey, Josh Kattus
• Stoops challenges specific players to step it up
• Stoops on Liam Coen calling plays in the booth vs. on the sideline

Check out all of Stoops’ comments below or click here for a full transcript.

After the presser was over, Nick Roush and Drew Franklin shared their takeaways — and in Nick’s case, complaints about fall weddings.

The Florida game will kick off at Noon on Sept. 30

We were hoping for a night game for Kentucky’s SEC home opener, but the TV gods have other plans. The Sept. 30 game vs. Florida will kick off at Noon ET on either the SEC Network or ESPN. We’ll know for sure after this Saturday’s games.

Kroger KSR Game of the Week is coming to Title Town

Boyle County remains the No. 1 team in KSR’s high school rankings and on Friday, they’re getting the Kroger KSR Game of the Week spotlight. The GOTW is going to Title Town for the Rebels vs. the Lexington Catholic Knights. As a proud Danville High School alum, I will refrain from commenting on Boyle County’s 5-0 start but am happy the crew is headed to my hometown.

Stoops Call-In Show Highlights

Stoops took a slightly more positive tone on his call-in show, telling Tom Leach and the BBN that after reviewing the tape, there was much more positive than negative in the Akron win. He did mention his concerns with the offensive line and didn’t rule out some changes at certain positions, specifically center. That said, he said the offense isn’t far off.

“There are things to clean up, absolutely, but let’s also not dwell on that. We’ve got to get it worked out, but let’s continue to elevate the good things we’re doing.”

Jack Pilgrim has a complete rundown of Stoops’ call-in show comments on KSBoard, which is only $1 for 1 month for new members.

Limited tickets remaining for the Vanderbilt game

If you’re entertaining the idea of coming to Nashville for the Vanderbilt game, there are tickets still available, but not a lot. Capacity at the stadium is limited to 28,500 this season amid construction. A quick search on Vandy’s website shows that there are still some open rows in Sections V and U, which are typically the visitor’s sections.

KSR Football Podcast

Last night, Nick, Drew, Adam Luckett, and Freddie Maggard gathered virtually to discuss the Akron win, Stoops’ comments, Friday’s thrilling Game of the Week in Corbin, and much more. Check it out below.

Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features, and exclusive content.

Liam Coen and Offense Day at Practice

With Liam Coen on the mend, the media schedule gets back to normal this week. Coen and members of Kentucky’s offense will chat with reporters after practice this evening. On Monday, Mark Stoops said it’s up to Coen whether or not he wants to stay in the booth to call plays or return to the sideline. I have a feeling that will come up, along with comments about Dane Key, Barion Brown, and the offensive line, and a big homecoming game for several members of the team, chiefly former Vanderbilt star Ray Davis.

Check the site and YouTube Channel around dinnertime for all the latest. We’ll also have a thread running with updates on KSBoard.

Join the KSR Club! With a KSR membership, you get access to bonus content and KSBoard, KSR’s message board, to chat with fellow Cats fans and get exclusive scoop.

BBN Monday Night Football Update

It was a tough Monday Night Football when it comes to injuries. Browns running back Nick Chubb suffered a serious knee injury and had to be carted off the field. His teammate, former Kentucky Wildcat Za’Darius Smith, also went down with an injury, to his ankle, but thankfully, returned to the game. The Browns lost to the Steelers 25-22 in the second half of last night’s doubleheader.

In the first game, the Saints (Lynn Bowden, Landon Young, and Lonnie Johnson Jr.) beat the Carolina Panthers 20-17. Lonnie Johnson registered one tackle, following up on a strong Week 1 performance.

ICYMI, Chris Stapleton performed the new Monday Night Football theme, a cover of Phil Collins’ “I Can Feel It In The Air.” Another cool moment for the Kentucky native.

A new episode of Sources Say

Everything is still quiet on the basketball front as we continue to wait for an update on Zvonimir Ivisic. This afternoon at 4 p.m., Jack Pilgrim and Shawn Smith will share the latest on the situation on a new episode of Sources Say. They’ll also discuss Billy Richmond‘s official visit to Lexington this past weekend and where Kentucky stands with its other targets in the 2024 class.

No. 24 Men’s Soccer at Ohio State

It’s been an up-and-down season thus far for the Kentucky Men’s Soccer team. The Cats are 3-3 this year but 1-3 in their last three matches, the lone win being over Lipscomb. At the beginning of September, Kentucky was No. 2 in the country before losing to Wisconsin, No. 7 Louisville, and most recently, South Carolina on Friday. Now, the Cats are ranked No. 24 and can get back on track tonight at Ohio State. The match starts at 7 p.m. ET and will air on B1G+.

Kentucky Volleyball moment going viral

No. 21 Kentucky Volleyball lost to No. 4 Nebraska on Sunday, but a moment from that match lives on. This epic rally from the fourth set went viral yesterday and has been viewed almost 2 million times on Twitter. Although the Huskers got the best of the Cats, it’s cool to see the program and sport getting some much-deserved respect.

This is nuts pic.twitter.com/zebxfvPNZS

— Chris Mueller (@ChrisMuellerPGH) September 18, 2023

Kentucky looks to snap a four-match losing streak Friday night vs. LSU at Rupp Arena. On Thursday, Hunter Mitchell and Leah Edmond will preview the match and analyze Kentucky’s 2-6 start on a new episode of “Point Kentucky” at 8 p.m. ET on the KSR YouTube Channel.

KSR is at Ham Days

Who up, Lebanon? KSR is taking the show to Marion County for Ham Days. If you’re in the area, come on out to Centre Square and Johnson Field to enjoy the show. And hopefully, some ham.