For a lot of SEC fans, the week doesn’t really close until Cole Cubelic gets his “Sunday Takeaways” out on X.
Cubelic’s thread has become a familiar ritual: one pass through every Southeastern Conference team, posted only hours after the final whistle. This week, after Kentucky’s 31-21 road upset of then-No. 9 Texas A&M, the former Auburn center had plenty to say about the Wildcats.
“Massive win on the road. Loved the plan on off(ense).
Stubborn enough with the run. Used play action and pre-snap movement to split the defense.
Nice use of formations. Gave themselves options.
Protection a bit shaky at times. Liked how they moved the pocket.
QB operates things well, took check downs. Nice on move.
Hit shots. Good leaving pocket.
No hero ball. TE inserts were big in run game.
OL gave great effort, extra in run game. 53 really good in short yardage! 72 had a nice game. 2 a big takeaway. 94 dominant again.
DL cranked it up later in game. Kept LBs clean to make plays.
Knocked ball down. Tackled well on intermediate routes.
Gave up quick throws but not many YAC. 8 was active, good rush reps. Overall looked to be on same page with both plans.”
Cubelic’s style is part of what makes the posts work: the jersey numbers do the talking. In this one, No. 53 was UK left tackle Lance Heard, No. 72 was center Coleton Price, and No.
2, No. 94 and No. 8 were defenders Sam Greene, Tavion Gadson and Lorenzo Cowan. Quarterback Kenny Minchey also drew praise in the thread.
The routine has become Cubelic’s own, but it didn’t start with him. Before X was X, former LSU defensive lineman and SEC Network analyst Anthony “Booger” McFarland was doing the same kind of breakdowns. Cubelic said he used to text McFarland his own observations from SEC games, and when McFarland moved to the “Monday Night Football” booth in 2018, he passed the torch.
“When ‘Booger’ went to ‘Monday Night Football,’ he called me, and he was like, “Hey, I want to hand (the Twitter Takeaways) off to you. I think you’d be great to do it.
Do you want to?’” Cubelic recalled Tuesday.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, man, (it would) be great. And, so, (McFarland) kind of announced (the hand off) on Twitter. ...
And I’ve just been doing it ever since.”
The work behind those posts is anything but casual. Cubelic, who lives in Alabama, finishes his Saturday assignment, then flies to Charlotte, where the SEC Network’s “Read & React” is produced. After checking into his hotel, he spends Sunday buried in video from every SEC game.
Some games are quicker than others. Cubelic said the lower-profile non-conference matchups can take 35 to 45 minutes to sort through, but Kentucky-Texas A&M was a much bigger lift.
“Some of the lower-tier, non-con games, I can get through those in 35, 45 minutes,” Cubelic said. “But, say, Kentucky at A&M, I’m not getting (through) that in less than an hour, an hour and a half.
“It’s just very lengthy because you’re not watching one person, you’re not watching one position. You have different things you’re trying to accomplish on every play. You might be watching for formations; you might be watching what the left tackle is doing; you might be watching the quarterback; and then when it’s those two, I might be watching A&M, and I need to know what the linebackers are doing; or what a certain D-lineman did; (or) what the coverage was.”
He’s also liked what Kentucky has put on tape so far under Will Stein.
“I love them,” he said of Will Stein’s Wildcats. “I think the defense has played hard.
I’ve liked what I’ve seen over there. Offensive line is a little inconsistent, but think they have a chance to be pretty good.
I think it’s the most-talented offensive roster (at UK) that I can remember. And, as you know, I’ve done a lot of Kentucky games.”
Cubelic’s plate is crowded beyond Saturday nights and Sunday film study. He also co-hosts a daily morning radio show in Birmingham with former Alabama quarterback and ESPN analyst Greg McElroy, works on “Read & React” with Roman Harper, and hosts three podcasts, including “Tuesday Date Night” with his wife, Katherine.
“I tell kids all the time in this business, you better find more than one thing,” Cubelic said.
Even with all that on his calendar, the posts on X still matter to him.
“My wife would tell you that (the Takeaways) probably cause me more stress than anything else I do during football season,” Cubelic said. “But, the No. 1 thing is, people seem to enjoy those. And I appreciate that.”
In Other News...
Kentucky Faces One Early Test It Cannot Afford To Misread
Through the first three games, Lance Heard has given Kentucky exactly the kind of stability and edge it wants up front. The offensive lineman has played well and emerged as a voice for keeping the group grounded, which matters for an offense that has started to build some momentum without giving itself permission to relax.
South Alabama is the next chance to prove the Wildcats can carry that approach into a game they are expected to handle. Heard and his teammates have stressed the need for consistent effort no matter who is on the other sideline, and Kentuckys challenge now is making sure the habits that fueled those recent wins do not fade when the matchup looks more manageable. [Read more 🡒]
Kenny Minchey Just Changed Kentuckys Quarterback Conversation
Kenny Mincheys rise has started to draw more attention than most Kentucky quarterbacks get this early in a tenure, and the interest makes sense after the way he handled Texas A&M. The CBS Sports spotlight on his path from high school to Notre Dame and then Kentucky gave some background to the moment, but the performance itself did plenty of the talking, with Minchey completing 14 of 18 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns.
Minchey also opened up about the people and places shaping the latest chapter of his career, from his relationship with coach Will Stein to the rougher lessons he took from past games against Alabama. Returning to Lexington clearly carried some extra weight for him, too, and the fan reaction showed how quickly he has become a player worth watching as Kentuckys quarterback conversation gets more interesting. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Just Added Another Quarterback Piece For Its Long-Term Future
Kentuckys long-term quarterback board picked up another name this week with the commitment of Marcus Washington Jr., a California prospect who gives the Wildcats another arm to build around for the future. The addition fits a growing trend around the program, which has been steadily lining up quarterback help for upcoming seasons as it tries to keep its depth chart stocked well beyond the present.
Washingtons decision also says something about the momentum Kentucky has been able to generate on the trail. He was influenced by the Wildcats upset win over Texas A&M, and his pledge gives the staff another early piece in a quarterback pipeline that already includes other committed players for future classes. Even with this commitment in hand, the bigger picture is still how Kentucky keeps stacking those wins and whether more of them are coming soon. [Read more 🡒]