KSR Today: Celebrate Labor Day by looking ahead to South Carolina

Good morning, Big Blue Nation, and Happy Labor Day 2024. Today, we honor American workers and recognize labor’s role in our nation’s prosperity. At KSR HQ, we celebrate Labor Day by working on the first Monday in September, but many others have the day off to enjoy the three-day holiday weekend. They say it’s the unofficial end of summer, you know.

In Kentucky football terms, Labor Day 2024 marks the beginning of South Carolina Week. “We got to get back to work,” Mark Stoops said after the Wildcats beat Southern Miss over the weekend. “We got a league game.”

The league game is against South Carolina in Lexington, the SEC opener for Kentucky. Kickoff is Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The pregame prep is already underway.

Mark Stoops is set to speak at his Monday press conference.

Mark Stoops didn’t take Monday off. At noon, he will hold his weekly press conference to share what he saw from the Wildcats in Saturday’s season opener against Southern Miss. Stoops will also look ahead to South Carolina, the first league opponent on UK’s 2024 schedule, coming to town this coming weekend. KSR will tell you everything Stoops says in the conversation since you’re not allowed to go. You can watch KSR’s video of the entire discussion once it is over, so come back to KSR for that around 1:00 p.m.

The depth chart will reveal the new two-deep for Week 2.

Before Stoops takes questions, he will release Kentucky’s depth chart for Week 2, potentially revealing the playing status of Chip Trayanum. The new depth chart is unlikely to have many changes, but fans would love to see Trayanum’s name at running back. UK’s starter in the backfield missed the first game due to a hand injury. Stoops should provide an update on Trayanum at noon, even if the depth chart doesn’t.

A new KSR Football Podcast goes live Monday afternoon.

A new episode of the KSR Football Podcast is coming later today. Around 2 p.m., the crew of Nick Roush, Adam Luckett, Max Duffy, and I will meet at KSBar and Grille to recap Week 1 and preview Week 2 of the season. You can watch the KSR Football Podcast live on YouTube this season or listen to the audio-only version on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or whatever means you use to listen to podcasts.

Tune in to Mark Stoops’ radio show at 6:00.

Unlike Dabo Swinney, Mark Stoops will take another round of calls from fans on his call-in radio show tonight. Stoops’ second coach’s show of the season begins at 6 p.m. on the UK Sports Network. A prediction: Madison will have two questions.

Kentucky is a 10-point favorite against South Carolina.

Looking ahead to the Gamecocks, the spread on the game is currently 10 points, with a total of 45.5. You could get Kentucky laying six points on the early line last week, but the number moved drastically once each team played their first game over the weekend.

Week 1 isn’t over just yet.

There is one more college football game on the Week 1 schedule. 10th-ranked Florida State hosts Boston College at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee tonight. Florida State is a 16.5-point favorite in the game as the Seminoles look to bounce back from a Week 0 loss to Georgia Tech in Ireland. You can watch tonight’s game at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Last night in primetime, No. 23 USC scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to beat No. 13 LSU 27-20 in Las Vegas. New USC quarterback Miller Moss hit the Ls down on his way out.

pic.twitter.com/xlDX7Cntgo

— wow that was crazy (@CowardlyDoggo) September 2, 2024

Movement in KSR’s high school football rankings.

Soon, KSR will reveal its updated top 25 teams in high school football around the Bluegrass. There will be at least one change toward the top of the order after No. 3 Trinity defeated No. 2 Frederick Douglass in KSR’s Game of the Week. Check back here to see how far Douglass slid and the other moves in the rankings.

Today’s KSR show is a replay episode.

Kentucky Sports Radio’s morning radio program has the day off for Labor Day. So, Shannon The Dude dug up an old show from the archives to replay on the airwaves from 10 a.m. to noon. The show will return on Tuesday with Matt Jones back from Colorado and Ryan Lemond back from illness.

Go Cats.