LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky football team hits the gridiron for its season opener against Southern Miss Saturday, Aug. 31 at Kroger Field at 7:45 p.m., hoping to extend its winning streak against nonconference opponents.
Kentucky is reloading this season with several returning players on both sides of the ball, a new quarterback and a revamped offense under the guidance of new coordinator Bush Hamdan.
The Wildcats return defensive standout Maxwell Hairston, who was SEC interceptions co-leader. He is one of 10 returning defensive starters and 21 overall from a squad who competed in UK’s seventh bowl game under coach Mark Stoops last season. Return specialist Barion Brown and receiver Dane Key will look to spark a faster-paced offense behind their new signal caller, Brock Vandagriff, a Georgia transfer.
In the lead up to Saturday’s game, Stoops said he was focusing on getting his team in a routine for game week.
“We have quite a few newcomers in our program that need to find that routine and that rhythm that I have and try to have throughout the year so that the players can anticipate and know what to expect on Monday through Friday of game week,” Stoops said in his weekly news conference.
Along with adjusting to the routine and the usual early season jitters, Stoops said the Golden Eagles make for a tough nonconference matchup.
“Obviously a night game, welcoming Southern Miss, and that’s a team that you saw very many signs and flashes, beat some good teams last year and they have a lot of newcomers,” he said. “You don’t know exactly what you’re going to get, so you have to be prepared for quite a few things heading into the opener.”
Stoops, who is entering his 12th season at the helm for the Wildcats, will once again hand over play calling to a veteran transfer quarterback. He said Vandagriff is acclimating to UK’s system and gelling with his receivers.
“I think Brock is certainly a guy that’s in there all the time, always working at it,” Stoops said.
The junior is Kentucky’s third veteran transfer under center in the last four seasons, following N.C. State transfer Devin Leary in 2023 and Penn State transfer Will Levis from 2021 to 2022.
Kentucky is hoping its defensive depth and new offense will keep the team competitive against a grueling schedule that includes No. 1 Georgia at home, and road matchups against No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 15 Tennessee and No. 4 Texas.
Vandagriff is set to make his first start as a Wildcat. Over the last three seasons, he played in 13 games for Georgia, completing 12 of 21 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns, and had 46 rushing yards. He’ll line up behind a big blue wall that is one of the most experienced in the Southeastern Conference. Kentucky’s offensive linemen combine for 143 career starts, which ranks second in the SEC.
Saturday’s matchup is a chance for Stoops to avenge a 2016 loss when Southern Miss stormed into Lexington and ran away with a 44-35 victory. Kentucky returned the favor in 2017 with a 24-17 thumping of the Golden Eagles in Hattiesburg, and the Wildcats lead the series 3-1.
Southern Miss will look to move on from its 3-9 campaign in 2023, which ended with a 35-17 loss to Troy. Fourth-year head coach Will Hall hopes to rally his team behind a duo of veteran QBs. Tate Rodemaker is a redshirt junior who transferred from Florida State after three seasons. He played in nine games for the Seminoles in 2023, including a start against Florida, throwing for 510 yards with five touchdown passes. Freshman Ethan Crawford will also be in the mix, having played six games for the Golden Eagles in 2023, including a pair of starts.
A major winning streak will be on the line Saturday night under the lights of Kroger Field. Kentucky has won its last 16 straight nonconference games in the regular season, second in the nation behind Georgia. The game will be televised on the SEC Network. The Wildcats are a 28-point favorite over Southern Miss according to BetMGM.
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