KSR Today: October is finally here

September ended on a high note with Kentucky’s upset of No. 6 Ole Miss and the ensuing celebrations. Now, October is finally here, bringing fall, football, basketball, and Keeneland. Some may argue March is the best month of the year because of the NCAA Tournament, but for me, it’s hard to top October.

Because the Cats are on bye, the schedule is a little different this week. We normally speak to Bush Hamdan and members of the offense after Tuesday’s practice. Instead, we’ll only hear from Mark Stoops this week. In addition to last night’s radio show (which we’ll talk about in a minute), Stoops will take his usual turn on the SEC Teleconference tomorrow afternoon and chat with reporters after Wednesday’s practice.

Let’s start today’s rundown by catching you up on what Stoops said last night.

Quick-hitters from a happy Mark Stoops Show

As you might expect, Mark Stoops was in a very good mood on last night’s call-in show. Due to the early kickoff, the team arrived back in Lexington in time to enjoy Saturday night, which for Stoops, meant watching some more college football and enjoying “a few adult beverages.” I have a feeling those may have been of the RD1 variety. He also spent the weekend responding to 250-300 congratulatory texts.

Other topics covered:

No injury updates: The hour came and went without updates on Chip Trayanum (hand) and Maxwell Hairston (shoulder), who were both out vs. Ole Miss. JQ Hardaway said the team dedicated the win to Hairston, who watched the game from the hospital due to a complication. Hopefully, we’ll get more on Hairston’s status from Stoops tomorrow.

Georgia vs. Ole Miss 4th Down decisions: Kentucky beat Ole Miss by throwing it deep on 4th and 7 from its own 20-yard line, a gamble that paid off. Contrast that with his decision to punt it on 4th and 7 vs. Georgia two weeks ago. Stoops once again defended his decision to punt vs. Georgia and explained why the scenarios are so different. I’m just glad one of them worked out.

Bye Week good for everyone: The bye gives Kentucky’s starters a chance to heal up after five straight games. In turn, it also gives the young guys a chance to shine in practice. Stoops said that the team went through a light practice on Monday, with a focus on many of the younger and redshirt players, including Cutter Boley, who got 40-50 reps. Stoops had a lot of praise for Boley, whom he confirmed is the future of the program.

Reaction to late kick vs. Vanderbilt: Kentucky will face Vanderbilt after the bye week on October 12. On Monday, it was announced that the game will start at 7:45 p.m. ET on the SEC Network. While the late start time will allow fans to attempt the Keeneland/Kentucky Football doubleheader, Stoops and I had the same reaction. “Might as well kick it at midnight,” he quipped to Leach.

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Brock Vandagriff might win an award

On Monday, Alex Raynor and Octavious Oxendine won SEC Special Teams Player and Defensive Lineman of the Week for their performances vs. Ole Miss. Today, Brock Vandagriff could take home some hardware too. Vandagriff is one of eight players in the running for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week award. Vandagriff was stellar vs. the Rebels, completing a career-high 18-28 passes for a career-high 243 yards and a touchdown. On non-sack rushing plays, Vandagriff ran or scrambled 12 times for 48 yards, including five first downs.

We’ll find out at Noon ET if he wins it. There are a lot of great nominees this week, including Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and USC’s Miller Moss, but it’s cool to see Vandagriff get some much-deserved recognition for his performance in Oxford.

No Sources Say tonight — for a good reason!

Sources Say occupies the Tuesday night slot on the KSR YouTube Channel, but this week, it’s moving to Thursday. I won’t spoil it, but Jack Pilgrim has a very special guest lined up for this week’s episode and we’re accommodating his schedule. I promise you it will be worth it.

On Monday, Jack also shared what he’s hearing about Chris Cenac and Mikel Brown‘s official visits to Lexington on KSBoard (Cenac update, Brown update). Both went very well, but neither five-star is expected to decide during the early signing period, which leaves the door open for Caleb Wilson and Acaden Lewis. Brown recapped his visit with Jacob Polacheck over, praising Kentucky’s new coaching staff and the pitch they presented. You can find all of this content on KSR+, and lucky for you, we’re running a Flash Sale right now. Use promo code BBN for 50% off the annual price.

While you wait for a new Sources Say, catch up on the latest episode of the KSR Football Podcast, which dropped yesterday afternoon:

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

A Sad MNF for Will Levis

The Tennessee Titans finally got in the win column with a 31-12 victory over the Miami Dolphins, one of the worst games of football to ever be played. However, it may have come with a price. Will Levis injured his right throwing shoulder on a scramble in the first quarter. Levis attempted just four passes before leaving the game, one of which was an interception, his sixth of the season. He’ll undergo an MRI to assess the damage; as long as the injury isn’t serious, Titans coach Brian Callahan expects Levis to remain the starter after using the bye week to heal up.

Hopefully, Levis puts all of his focus on recovery and not on social media, because the streets are mean out there.

Will Levis's reaction to his INT throw 😂 https://t.co/NcmooKa1jh pic.twitter.com/jNmTCEySdN

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 30, 2024

October: A very busy month!

The news is admittedly a little light today. That won’t last. Crossover season is almost upon us, bringing with it boatloads of content from the gridiron and hardwood. How busy will this month be? I wouldn’t dare screenshot the KSR Google Calendar, but here is a list of the big events:

• Oct. 4: Keeneland Fall Meet begins
• Oct. 7: Kentucky Basketball Pro Day
• Oct. 8: Kentucky Basketball Media Day
• Oct. 11: Big Blue Madness
• Oct. 12: Vanderbilt (7:45 PM)
• Oct. 18: Blue/White Preseason Event
• Oct. 19: at Florida
• Oct. 23: Kentucky Wesleyan (Exh.)
• Oct. 26: Auburn
• Oct. 26: Keeneland Fall Meet ends
• Oct. 29: Minnesota State (Exh.)

Enjoy the bye week while you can, friends. It’s about to get crazy.

RIP Pete Rose, Dikembe Mutombo

The sports world lost two greats on Monday. Former Cincinnati Reds star Pete Rose passed away at the age of 83 and NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo at the age of 58, the latter from brain cancer. Tributes are pouring out for both this morning, with Mark Pope sharing his memories of Mutombo, whom he played against during his time in the NBA.

“Dikembe Mutombo was one of the greatest global ambassadors of our game,” Pope said. “I was blessed to have the opportunity to compete against him and he was one of the toughest to go against!

“What I admired most about him was for as good as he was on the court, he was a better man off of it.”

Dikembe Mutombo was one of the greatest global ambassadors of our game. I was blessed to have the opportunity to compete against him and he was one of the toughest to go against!

What I admired most about him was for as good as he was on the court, he was a better man off of…

— Mark Pope (@CoachMarkPope) September 30, 2024