Cutter Boley Gained Confidence in Kroger Field Debut

Entering Saturday’s game against Murray State, the eyes of Big Blue Nation were on Cutter Boley. The game against an FCS foe was the first opportunity to receive extended in-game snaps and the true freshman quarterback did not disappoint.

Boley completed his first two passes for gains of 18 and 19 yards. The Cats capped off his first drive with a touchdown.

“That first drive, I was definitely a little nervous, but as just reps and just kept getting more comfortable as the game went on,” Boley said after the win.

It’s clear he got more comfortable in the pocket. The Cats capped off that first drive with a touchdown. They would go on to score in every possession with Boley under center during the second half of a 48-6 win.

The freshman finished the day 10-14 for 130 yards and two touchdowns. That’s a little bit better than the 0-6 outing at Florida that included a pick six on his first throw.

“You can’t go much further down than what I did at Florida,” Boley laughed after today’s game. “It was nice to come out here, be confident, and let it rip. I had nothing to lose. It’s nice to get out here on the field with all the guys and get back in the win column.”

Boley has some Wheels Too

Cutter Boley is a big kid. When you see the 6-foot-5 athlete, you don’t expect him to be able to run the ball well down the field. That’s exactly how he opened his second possession, scampering 30 yards down the sideline.

“He’s always been that guy that’s sneaky athletic,” said offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan. “I think that’s the biggest thing. Anytime you have a player that’s that size, maybe sometimes you don’t anticipate it or expect it, but we’ve known that from the beginning with him. He’s got good athleticism and can make plays with his legs.”

That run was on an option play. Kentucky went back to that well later in the game. Boley made a late pitch beyond the line of scrimmage, just in time for Anthony Brown-Stephens to run the ball past the sticks.

“I think a dual threat is somebody that can extend plays with their legs. I’m not necessarily looking to make a ton of plays, but I can extend plays with my legs. I was out there just playing, knowing when the time comes, my number is called, I’m gonna go out there and do what needs to be done,” said the quarterback.

Value of Game Reps

Boley received almost all of the reps with the first-team offense during the bye week and in practices leading into today’s game. Even though he knew what he was doing in practice, there’s no way to imitate what it’s like to play in an SEC football game until you actually get on the field.

“There is no replacing game reps,” said Mark Stoops. “It was just really good to see him go out there and the comfort level, going through his progressions, his throws, his poise in the pocket, it was good.”

It took him a second to adjust, but it didn’t take very long. He connected with his roommate, Josh Kattus, for a first down gain on his first throw.

“People are just moving different in-game, people are moving faster,” said Boley. “When it’s game time, people turn the lights on, so it’s always going to be a different level of speed out there on that field. But just as I said, by the end of that game, I was super comfortable. It was just like playing ball. I was just out there having fun.”

It was just one half of football, but the experience Cutter Boley gained against Murray State is invaluable. He’s already learned a lesson that he must take with him every time he is out on the football field.

“I’d definitely say that just being vocal, being loud, and being a leader out there on the field, being kind of just a captain and just having control and command of everything out there,” said the quarterback. “If something’s not right, then I can get it right.”

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