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Kentucky and New Quarterback Brock Vandagriff Open Season Against Unpredictable Southern Miss
As Kentucky prepares for its season opener against Southern Miss on Saturday night in Lexington, Ky., the Wildcats are facing an air of uncertainty. With new coordinators on both sides of the ball and a fresh starting quarterback, Southern Miss presents a puzzle that Kentucky will need to solve on the fly.
Kentucky’s New Look Under Stoops
Kentucky, coming off a 7-6 season, has made some notable changes. Head coach Mark Stoops has brought in Bush Hamdan from Boise State as the new offensive coordinator and handed the starting quarterback role to Brock Vandagriff, a graduate transfer who spent three years as a backup at Georgia.
“You have to worry about yourself and how you execute, how you play, how cleanly you operate,” Stoops emphasized, highlighting the importance of focusing on the Wildcats’ own performance amid the uncertainty surrounding Southern Miss.
The unpredictability of the Golden Eagles’ new schemes is a concern, but Stoops is confident in his team’s ability to adapt.
“You don’t know exactly what you’re going to get, so we have to be prepared for quite a few things,” Stoops said. “We’ve got to handle things in stride. Nothing ever goes as smooth as you want it to. We have to be able to adapt and make adjustments and have nobody panic.”
Southern Miss’ Rebuilding Effort
Southern Miss, under head coach Will Hall, is coming off its second three-win season in Hall’s three years at the helm. To spark improvement, Hall has brought in new defensive coordinator Clay Bignell and offensive coordinator Chip Long. The Golden Eagles have also added former Florida State quarterback Tate Rodemaker, who is expected to start against Kentucky.
Rodemaker, a pocket passer with 23 games and two starts under his belt at Florida State, will lead an offense that Hall believes has the potential to be explosive. The team may also use sophomore quarterback Ethan Crawford, who brings a running threat, alongside Rodemaker.
“I think we’ve got a chance to be explosive on offense,” Hall said.
Last season, Rodemaker made a relief appearance against Southern Miss, completing all three of his passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns in Florida State’s 66-13 blowout victory. Southern Miss will be looking to improve on a defense that allowed more than 40 points in five other losses last season.
Despite the challenges, Hall remains optimistic about the Golden Eagles’ potential.
“I think we’re not a completed product yet,” Hall said, “but I really think it’s going to be a competitive bunch week in and week out that has a chance to do some really good things.”
Game Outlook
Kentucky will rely on their new quarterback Brock Vandagriff to lead the offense and execute efficiently against an unpredictable Southern Miss team. For the Golden Eagles, Tate Rodemaker’s experience and potential for explosive plays will be key as they aim to pull off an upset. With both teams undergoing significant changes, Saturday’s game will be an intriguing test of adaptability and execution for both sides.
