Kentucky seeks turnaround season with Zach Calzada at QB; Toledo up first

All eyes will be on graduate transfer Zach Calzada in Kentucky's season opener against Toledo on Saturday afternoon in Lexington, Ky.

A seventh-year senior, Calzada won a camp competition with redshirt freshman Cutter Boley to earn the starting quarterback role for the Wildcats.

"I'd say the last 10 days, (Calzada) just seemed so much more comfortable, so much more confident and played at a higher level (than Boley)," Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said.

After stints at Texas A&M (2019-21) and Auburn (2022), Calzada recorded two prolific seasons at Incarnate Word (2023-24). He finished No. 2 in the FCS last season in passing touchdowns (35) and No. 5 in passing yards (3,744).

Boley played in four games last season for Kentucky, completing just 49.1 percent of his passes for 338 yards and two touchdowns with four interceptions.

Those numbers weren't the best, and neither are these: The Wildcats limped to a 4-8 record overall and a 1-7 mark in Southeastern Conference play.

"If we want to change the (negative) narrative (around Kentucky football), then we have to go play well, and our performance will dictate what's said about us," Stoops said.

As for the Rockets, they were picked to finish first in the Mid-American Conference by the league's coaches. That said, Toledo coach Jason Candle knows his team will have a fight on its hands Saturday.

"Going on the road in the SEC is another set of challenges," Candle said. "Really happy with our team, going through camp and where were at and what we're looking ahead to. I think it will be a great game for us, a great measuring stick to see where we're at."

Toledo fared well last season, posting an 8-5 record overall (4-4 in MAC) following a 48-46, six-overtime victory over Pitt in the GameAbove Sports Bowl.

Rockets quarterback Tucker Gleason threw for 351 yards with three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in that game. He passed for 2,793 yards with 31 total scores (24 passing, seven rushing) last season and has standout wide receivers Junior Vandeross III and All-MAC transfer Trayvon Rudolph from Northern Illinois as targets.

An intriguing aspect to Saturday's game will be the presence of former Kentucky running back Chip Trayanum on the Toledo sideline. The 5-foot-11, 227-pound Trayanum transferred from Ohio State to the Wildcats last season and was projected for a big workload, but injuries limited him to three games.

--Field Level Media