KSR Today: It's finally Game Week for Kentucky Football

It’s been a long, hard wait but we’re finally here. Today marks the start of the first game week of the 2023 Kentucky Football season. In just a few hours, updates will begin flowing in from Kroger Field, including our first depth chart and Mark Stoops’ first Monday press conference. Add in the fact that the dreadful heat wave broke and it’s enough to make you want to run through a brick wall, or, if you’re the more sentimental type, shed a tear.

In turn, it’s a busy day at KSR Headquarters. Here’s what you can look forward to, plus a brief recap of the weekend if you unplugged.

Our first Monday Mark Stoops Press Conference is at noon

At noon, Mark Stoops will meet with his favorite media friends at Kroger Field to preview Kentucky’s season opener vs. Ball State (Saturday, Noon ET, SEC Network). The Cats were lucky to escape camp relatively unscathed, but stay tuned for a full injury report, along with updates on who is pulling ahead in crucial positional battles at right tackle, backup quarterback, kicker, punter, and beyond.

About an hour prior, we should get our hands on the first depth chart of the season. It’s wise not to put too much stock in the depth chart — as Freddie Maggard would tell you, it’s essentially a formality in the football offices — but that’s not stopping us from poring over every detail. We’ll bring it to you the minute it reaches Nick Roush’s hands or the worldwide web. ICYMI yesterday, Adam Luckett shared the five under-the-radar names he believes could pop up on the depth chart today, and have a big impact for the Cats this season.

Watch the latest Mark Stoops press conference on the KSR YouTube Channel.

First Mark Stoops radio show of the season at 6 p.m. ET

This evening, Mark Stoops will sit down with Tom Leach for the first call-in show of the year. Tune in via 630 WLAP or iHeart Radio to hear Stoops preview the season, and likely, field questions from Bob in Jamestown and Madison.

KSR Football Podcast at 8 p.m. ET

Nick Roush and Adam Luckett will share their immediate reactions to Stoops’ comments in a Rapid Reaction early this afternoon. A few hours later, they’ll be joined by Freddie Maggard and Drew Franklin on the KSR Football Podcast to really dig into Week One. They’ll be going live at 8 p.m., but to make life even easier, subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel to receive notifications when the show starts.

The Kroger KSR Game of the Week is headed to…

Mother Nature had the last laugh on Friday night, with storms canceling many high school football games across the state, including the Kroger KSR Game of the Week, Simon Kenton vs. Woodford County. We’ll get back on track this week, at a destination soon to be announced. Check the site later this morning to see which high school football game will shine under the Kroger and KSR spotlight this week.

Speaking of high school football, future Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley put on quite a performance Saturday night. Boley tallied 406 yards and three touchdowns in LCA’s 47-38 loss to No. 1 Boyle County. Through two games, he has thrown for 748 yards on 9.8 yards per attempt. Not too shabby.

KSR’s Season Predictions are out

Last night, the KSR crew shared our predictions for the 2023 football season. The most pessimistic of us (BTI, of course) have the Cats finishing 7-5, while the most optimistic, Steven Peake, are shooting for the moon with 10-2. The rest of us settled at 8-4 or 9-3. You can hear us explain why below.

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

Here’s where you can buy beer at Kroger Field

Right around happy hour on Friday, UK released the information about alcohol sales at Kroger Field this season. You’ll be able to purchase domestic or craft beer, canned or draft. Here is the list of offerings and a map of where the stands are in the stadium:

• Bud Light
• Michelob Ultra
• Bud Light Seltzer
• Yuengling Lager
• Yuengling Flight
• Stella Artois (Craft Beer Stand)
• Big Kahuna or Neon Big Hug (Craft Beer Stand)
• Country Boy Cougar Bait (War Wagon)
• Lexington Brewing Kentucky Tangerine Cream Ale (War Wagon, September Only)
• Lexington Brewing Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale (War Wagon, October & November Only)

Sales will have a limit of two (2) per transaction. Identification checks will take place at each transaction. For football, alcohol sales will conclude at the end of the third quarter. No word yet on prices.

No. 3 Men’s Soccer hosts East Tennessee State in home opener

Your No. 3 Kentucky Men’s Soccer Team opened the season with a 3-0 victory at Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday. Tonight, they’ll begin the home slate vs. East Tennessee State (1-0-0) at 7:30 p.m. ET at The Bell. To celebrate the occasion, UK is handing out vuvuzelas. Tickets are available online or at The Bell.

No. 10 Volleyball goes 1-1 to start the season

It was an up-and-down opening weekend for the Kentucky Volleyball team. The No. 10 Cats were upset by Colorado State on Friday night, 3-1, but rebounded to beat Northern Colorado on Saturday, 3-1. Senior Reagan Rutherford had 17 kills in Saturday’s victory, followed by freshman Brooklyn DeLeye and junior Erin Lamb, who each had 13.

The Cats return home this week to face No. 5 Pittsburgh in their home opener Friday night at Rupp Arena. Craig Skinner is calling on the Big Blue Nation to break the volleyball program’s attendance record, so if you’re able, come on out to support the Cats.

KSR is stepping up our volleyball coverage this season. Hunter Mitchell has joined the squad to preview and recap games, and host “Point Kentucky,” a new show on the KSR YouTube Channel with Kentucky Volleyball legend Leah Edmond. Episodes will drop on Thursdays. Here’s their first show from last week:

Women’s Soccer draws with Valparaiso

Back in Lexington, Jordyn Rhodes brought the women’s soccer team back from an early deficit vs. Valparaiso, but the Cats were unable to get the victory, drawing 1-1. Kentucky is now 2-0-1 this season, with Rhodes scoring in all three games. She’s now just four goals shy of Kim LaBelle’s record for most goals in program history. The Cats are back in action Thursday vs. UT Martin.

Oscar Tshiebwe’s first youth basketball camp was a success

It was a big weekend for Oscar Tshiebwe. Now a professional and free of the NIL limitations from his student visa, the former Cat returned to Lexington to host a special autograph event at Rupp Arena on Friday night, and on Sunday, his first youth basketball camp with members of the current Kentucky Basketball team. The camp was a huge success, with 320 campers inside and another 100 already on the waiting list for the next event.

After the camp was over, Oscar held a private workout with 2025 star Jasper Johnson and some other big names in the recruiting world. Jack Pilgrim was in the house and will have details for you later today, along with a full recap of his weekend at the John Calipari Fantasy Camp. You can get a head start on the scoop via his thread on KSBoard.

Class of ‘25 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ G Jasper Johnson (@bruhjasperj) with the nasty ankle breaker at Oscar Tshiebwe’s private workout earlier today 👀 pic.twitter.com/Y1lnES2hSw

— Daniel Hager (@DanielHagerKSR) August 28, 2023

It’s NFL Roster Cut season

With the final preseason games in the books, it’s now time for NFL teams to trim their rosters from 90 to 53 players. The deadline is tomorrow at 4 p.m. ET, but a lot of teams are already in the process. On Sunday, the Titans waived former Kentucky tight end Justin Rigg and the Patriots waived former defensive back Quandre Mosley. We’ll bring you more updates as we get them.

Maximize football season with the KSR+ KICKOFF SALE!

With game week upon us, we’re about to go into content overdrive. In addition to our normal updates, Adam Luckett will share his in-depth scouting reports on KSR+, along with any scoop he and Nick Roush receive on KSBoard. If you’re already a member, you saw some big basketball news there from Jack Pilgrim over the weekend.

To celebrate the return of football, we’re offering a KSR+ KICKOFF SALE. New subscribers can get one month of access for just $1 or 50% off an entire year. As news and conversation heat up, now’s the perfect time to try it.

KSR, live from Boston

The boys are in Boston for a very big business venture. The trip got off to a rough start on Sunday with a fire at Ryan Lemond’s house, but thankfully, everyone is okay and the damage is repairable. Ryan had to return home to Lexington, but Matt, Shannon, and Drew are in Boston to catch you up on the rest of the happenings starting in one hour, or, right now on the KSR Preshow.

Tune in via 630 WLAP, one of the many affiliates across the state, or iHeart Radio. It’s Matt’s birthday, so send him a tweet or message on the text machine (772) 774-5254.