KSR Today, presented by Eckrich: Positive Tuesday after a Grumpy Monday
Good morning, friends. Happy Tuesday to you. It was not a happy Monday for my Tennessee Titans, who got absolutely walloped by the Buffalo Bills. But, life is too short to start the day on a bad note, so here’s a message from friends at Eckrich to get us rolling.
Eckrich is proud to present the $1 Million Challenge for Teachers! This 2022 college football season Eckrich, in partnership with Extra Yard for Teachers and Kroger, will invite a local teacher (and true hero) onto the field at the South Carolina vs Kentucky game on October 8th.
These lucky teachers, randomly selected from a list of nominations, will have a chance to throw a football through a target to win up to $1 million dollars in donations to fund local classroom projects. Nominate a teacher here for a chance to throw! Make sure to nominate your teacher by September 28th.
With that out of the way, let’s run through a few football leftovers before moving to today’s agenda.
Mark Stoops is not satisfied with the offense
Kentucky is 3-0 and ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll, but Mark Stoops is far from satisfied with his team following their 31-0 win over Youngstown State, specifically the offense. Stoops started his Monday press conference by detailing the things the offense needs to improve on moving forward. Cutting down on penalties and turnovers is a good start. The phrases “undisciplined play” and “attention to detail” were used often in his opening statement. As he pointed out, Will Levis can’t do it all on his own, no matter how hard he tries.
You can read all of Fiery Stoops’ comments here or watch the replay of his presser below.
The other big news from Monday’s presser was that J.J. Weaver is week-to-week with the elbow injury he suffered vs. Youngstown State. JuTahn McClain (leg) also remains week-to-week but Tashawn Manning is expected back vs. Northern Illinois.
I am not satisfied with the Ole Miss kickoff time
Stoops wasn’t the only grumpy one around here on Monday. Kickoff times for October 1 were released yesterday and Kentucky’s much-anticipated game at Ole Miss will kick off at 12 p.m. ET, 11 a.m. Oxford time on ESPN. As someone who’s been waiting for this game for a very long time and will be attending as a fan, I am disappointed, to say the least. Drew Franklin shares the sentiment.
That said, the early kick is good news for the actual football team, who won’t have to deal with a crowd that’s been tailgating all afternoon. As for the rest of us going to Oxford, you can’t party all day unless you start in the morning, so let’s make the most of our time in the Grove.
Rich Scangarello, Kentucky offense talk after practice
It’s Tuesday, which means it’s Rich Scangarello and the offense’s turn to talk after practice. Check the site tonight to see what Scangarello and select players make of Saturday’s game after watching the tape and how they’re going to fix the mistakes ahead of this week’s game vs. Northern Illinois.
We may get an update on Northern Illinois’ injured QB
Northern Illinois quarterback Rocky Lombardi went down with an undisclosed leg injury in NIU’s 38-28 loss vs. Vanderbilt on Saturday. The 5,000-yard quarterback started the game 7/7 passing for 79 yards and a touchdown before going down midway through the second quarter. He did not return. Will he be able to play vs. Kentucky on Saturday? NIU coach Thomas Hammock holds his weekly press conference today, so we should get an update.
2023 SEC Football Schedule revealed
We already know Kentucky’s SEC foes for the 2023 season; tonight, we’ll find out when the Cats will play them. The SEC will reveal the 2023 conference schedule at 7 p.m. ET on the SEC Network. If you’re planning a wedding or big event next year, set your DVR or keep an eye on the site tonight.
Next year, Kentucky will host Florida, Missouri, Tennessee, and Alabama and travel to Georgia, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Mississippi State. I’m not getting my hopes up, but wouldn’t it be lovely to host Florida or Alabama in late November?
No. 6 Men’s Soccer hosts No. 21 Lipscomb
The Kentucky Men’s Soccer team is coming off two straight draws, the most recent being with No. 7 Marshall on Friday night. Tonight, the No. 6 Cats will look to get back in the win column against No. 21 Lipscomb. The match starts at 7:30 p.m. at The Bell. Admission is free, so get on out there to support your top-ten men’s soccer team. You can also stream it on ESPN+.
(Confession: although I’m Kentucky blue through and through, I’ll be cheering for No. 19 for Lipscomb, my cousin’s son Patrick. All the other Bison? Meh.)
John Calipari and Orlando Antigua check in on Ian Jackson
John Calipari and Orlando Antigua’s New York recruiting tour rolls on. On Monday, the pair went to White Plains, NY to visit 2024 five-star guard Johnuel “Boogie” Fland, who received a scholarship offer from Kentucky back in July. Today, they’ll go to the Bronx to check in on arguably their top target in the 2024 class, five-star shooting guard Ian Jackson.
It’s not all business, though. On Monday, Cal went to a mass led by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, and dined at actor Chazz Palminteri’s Italian restaurant.
Imagine the stories and food being shared at that table.
Now Showing on the KSR YouTube Channel
If you’re looking for some Tuesday entertainment, we’ve got you covered on the KSR YouTube Channel. Last night, the KSR Football Podcast gathered to break down Kentucky’s win over Youngstown State and look ahead to Northern Illinois.
Tonight, Jack Pilgrim and his Sources Say co-host Shawn Smith will go live at 8 p.m. ET to catch you up on the latest recruiting news. If you’re not already, subscribe to be notified when the show begins so you can ask them a question. Or, just to enjoy all of our awesome content so far.
Fleming-Neon girls team receives new shoes from Goose Givens and ’78 title team
In the days following the Eastern Kentucky floods, you may remember Goose Givens and the 1978 National Championship team pledging to buy the Fleming-Neon Middle School girls basketball team new shoes after the flood destroyed theirs. This morning, Matt Jones shared a picture of the team with their new kicks, a very cool sight.
Good on ya, Cats. I can’t think of a better way to turn the page from a Grumpy Monday than that.
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