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KSR Today: One sleep till Kentucky football

Jack PIlgrimby:Jack Pilgrim•09/02/22
Mark Stoops, practice, fall camp
Photo by Dr. Michael Huang | Kentucky Sports Radio

College football season is back — that’s been the case for a week now. Week Zero was a hit, with 11 FBS games taking place to kick things off on the first Saturday of the season. Then on Thursday, a strong slate of games, including 16 FBS matchups and three ranked teams taking the field. Friday? Eight FBS games with one ranked team.

The season that matters, though, is just one day away: Kentucky football season.

The Wildcats are set to take on Miami (OH) on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, with the game streamed live on ESPN+ and SEC Network +. Mike Morgan, Tom Ramsey and Coley Harvey will be on the call. Or you can head to Kroger Field and catch the team’s season-opener in person, as a limited number of tickets are still available through Ticketmaster.

Going into the weekend, Kentucky holds firm as a 16-point favorite, with ESPN’s Football Power Index giving the Wildcats a 93.3% chance to beat the RedHawks. The over/under has been set at 54.

What do you need to know about Kentucky’s opponent to open the season? KSR has been breaking down Miami (OH) and previewing the matchup all week long. In case you missed the coverage, check out some of the links below:

Not enough for you? No more game-week media appearances for UK before kickoff, but there’s still more pregame coverage coming your way throughout the day.

KSR is your one-stop shop for reading material before Kentucky’s season-opener.

Kentucky transfer M.J. Devonshire wins it for Pitt (and other Thursday scores)

No. 17 Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl was the headliner on Thursday, and it was a matchup that lived up to the hype. In the high-scoring, back-and-forth matchup at Acrisure Stadium, former Kentucky defensive back M.J. Devonshire won the game for the Panthers with a go-ahead pick-6 to take a one-touchdown lead with three minutes to go.

Elsewhere, No. 12 Oklahoma State underwhelmed defensively, but shined offensively in a 58-44 win over Central Michigan, while Penn State took advantage of some awful late-game clock management by Purdue to take home the 35-31 victory.

The complete list of game results from Thursday evening can be found below:

  • No. 12 Oklahoma State def. Central Michigan 58-44
  • No. 17 Pittsburgh def. West Virginia 38-31
  • No. 22 Wake Forest def. VMI 44-10
  • Penn State def. Purdue 35-31
  • Tennessee def. Ball State 59-10
  • Missouri def. LA Tech 52-24
  • Minnesota def. New Mexico State 38-0
  • Arizona State def. Northern Arizona 40-3
  • Northern Illinois def. Eastern Illinois 34-27
  • UCF def. South Carolina State 56-10
  • Fresno State def. Cal Poly 35-7
  • Akron def. St. Francis (PA) 30-23 (OT)
  • Toledo def. Long Island University 37-0
  • San Jose State def. Portland State 21-17
  • UAB def. Alabama A&M 59-0
  • FIU def. Bryant 38-37 (OT)

Beau Allen gets win, 3 TDs in his first start

It wasn’t just FBS teams taking the field on Thursday. FCS programs did, as well, namely Tarleton State and its new starting quarterback, Beau Allen.

Making his first start for the Texans, the Kentucky transfer led his new team to a 29-13 victory over Mississippi Valley State to open the season. He wrapped up his debut with 294 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions through the air on 23-39 passing.

Allen entered the transfer portal at the end of July and committed to Tarleton to open the month of August. He then won the starting job on August 24.

The former four-star recruit out of Lexington Catholic appeared in five games during his two-year career at Kentucky. He completed 11 of 19 passes for 132 yards (6.9 yards per attempt) to go with a rushing touchdown against New Mexico State.

As for his former team in Lexington, Deuce Hogan is officially listed as QB2 on the depth chart behind Will Levis, followed by Kaiya Sheron at No. 3.

A major step for Kentucky with NIL

UK Athletics took a huge step forward in the new world of name, image and likeness (NIL) on Thursday, announcing the BBNIL Exchange, described as “a student-athlete NIL business registry, custom-designed for businesses, donors, alumni, and any other interested NIL dollars wishing to connect with student-athletes.” 

The exchange will allow businesses to apply for registration where, once approved, they can search through a catalog of UK student-athletes, reach out to them, and discuss potential NIL deals.

“We are committed to working on behalf of our student-athletes in every way we can, including and especially in the NIL space,” UK AD Mitch Barnhart said in the release. “The BBNIL Exchange is another exciting step for both our student-athletes and the local businesses that are such an important part of our community. Our young people are leaders in our region and therefore great brand ambassadors.

“This next step in building on our NIL empowerment programs will be beneficial for our great student-athletes and local businesses looking for excellent leaders to serve as their representatives.”

How does it work? Once a student-athlete and business agree upon a NIL deal and complete it, the payment will then be sent directly to the student-athlete, says UK Athletics.

Significant news.

Enjoy your Friday, BBN — but not too much. It’s going to be a busy Saturday and we need you on your A-game.

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2025-01-23