The long wait is nearly over for Kentucky football, and a few Wildcats made it clear on Wednesday that they’re ready to stop practicing against each other and finally hit somebody else.
Linebacker Grant Godfrey said the chance to get in front of the home crowd has been building for months.
“I’m so excited to be in front of the fans,” linebacker Grant Godfrey said on Wednesday. “Remember, y’all wear white!
But I’m excited to finally be out here with a new staff, new players, man. We’re excited, and we’re just ready to go.”
Defensive tackle Tavion Gadson echoed that feeling, saying the grind of camp has made the opener feel overdue.
“I’m tired of seeing my same teammates, playing them every day,” added defensive tackle Tavion Gadson. “Getting to the game is something we’ve been waiting on for just way too long. It’s August, so a little over eight months too long.”
For quarterback Kenny Minchey, the season opener will also mark a personal milestone: his first start after three years on the sideline at Notre Dame. He said he expects the nerves to be there early, but only for a moment.
“I think just after the first play, that’s when I tend to just like relax and breathe,” the Kentucky quarterback said after Wednesday’s practice. “I can remember even back to high school, there was probably some jitters, some butterflies heading into a game, and then after the first play, it was always good from there.”
Minchey said the message from Will Stein and Joe Sloan throughout fall camp has been layered, but he’s keeping his focus simple.
“There can be a lot of coaching points, just in general. But just focusing on executing each play is probably the best advice I give myself,” said the quarterback.
Gadson said spending a month going against Kentucky’s offense has left him feeling good about what the defense can do once the games count.
“It’s reassuring. It gives me confidence that it should be a better turnout for us this year, and I feel like it’s gonna really show once we hit game one this Saturday,” said Gadson. “I feel like everybody can go out there, do what they got to do, and show that we’ve got a lot of dominance on our side.”
Kentucky opens the season Saturday at Kroger Field against Youngstown State at 1 PM EST on SECN+.
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Youngstown State arrives in Lexington with added intrigue because of the newness on both sideline and huddle, but the bigger picture extends well past that game. The weekend also brings a marquee national matchup involving a familiar coaching name in a new place, and for Kentucky followers trying to size up the early landscape, there is one storyline in the opener that will be impossible to miss. [Read more 🡒]