est. 1892 | Independent since 1971kentuckykernel www.kykernel.com@kykernel@kentuckykernel Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022 ISPREVIEWPIGSKINTHISSEASON?THE
JACK WEAVER | STAFF UK students cheer before the Kentucky vs. Missouri football game on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.
2 | kentucky kernel Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022 Cue up “Grove Street Party” because Lexing ton is ready for the 2022 Kentucky football season to getTheunderway.Wildcats are coming off a 10-3 season, finishing second in the SEC East while also clinching their second Citrus Bowl trophy over Iowa, something that might have seemed implau sible to Wildcat fans just one decade ago.
While many Kentucky fans would rather quit watching the sport than predict a loss to Tennessee, what about the other 11 games, most notablyMostGeorgia?students remain optimistic but many see the matchup through a more practical lens.
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“I feel like there is a chance we could go really far this year,” Louisville native and UK student Corbitt Toombs said. “I think we have a chance this year to beat Georgia, which doesn’t happen a lot.”Toombs said the fact that UK gets to host the
By Luke sports@kykernel.comFetzer
“In the east we’ll always be behind Georgia,” UK student Joey Ruchser said. “I think we will flip-flop [Doering’s prediction]. We [will] beat Tennessee and lose to Georgia.” Despite the emphasis, Tennessee and Geor gia are far from the only two teams with potential to play spoiler on a Kentucky season with high ambitions.Evenafter the heroics of the season prior, Florida always poses a threat to Kentucky as another bitter rival, and the matchup this season is in Gainesville in UF’s home stadium dubbed “TheWhileSwamp.”notpredicting Kentucky to lose, UK sophomore Julia Lundstrom sees the matchup against Florida in week two as a critical game for the success of the season.
With the new academic year underway and the football season quickly approaching, students are already gearing up for the first Caturday of the year, with Kentucky kicking off the season against the RedHawks of Miami Ohio. Despite the lows the program felt less than 10 years ago, expectations seem to rise every year, with some fans even believing this Kentucky team could win it all.
“Florida was such a big game [last year], and I feel like the momentum kind of took off after that game,” she said. “Hopefully they can do it again.”The excitement is almost palpable for UK fans and the anticipation for another successful year has found its way into every nook and crev ice on Thoughcampus.there is no consensus on how the team will do, one thing is certain: for a program that couldn’t muster more than two wins in a season a decade ago, expectations are high for Stoops’ Cats this season.
Before current head coach Mark Stoops took the reins, Kentucky saw some of the lowest lows the program has ever seen. In his three seasons at the helm Joker Phillips finished with a 13-24 record, being dismissed af ter his squad went 2-10 in 2012. His replacement would be the now locally fa mous Stoops, brother of esteemed former Oklaho ma head coach Bob Stoops, and UK fans hoped the program had seen the worst of the storm. They would have to wait. In his first three years as head coach, Stoops fell under heavy scrutiny, seemingly leading Ken tucky into the same pits as Phillips before him. This would change in 2016, however, as UK finished 7-6, earning a joint tie for second place in the SEC East and an appearance in the TaxSlayer Bowl.Since then the program has never looked back with the 2018 season in particular, seeing the Cats win not just their first ever Citrus Bowl but their first ever New Year’s Day bowl game over Penn State to finish the year 10-3. Having won every bowl they’ve made since, Kentucky is consistently looking to challenge for the SEC East on a yearly basis, frequently fending off the likes of Tennessee and Florida en route to trying to take down Georgia for the throne.
Bulldogs will play heavily into the home team’s advantage.“Because it’s a home game, the energy in the student section is going to be crazy,” he said. “It’s going to be wild.” SEC Network analyst Chris Doering also re cently gave his season prediction for the Wildcats, with his take being a head-scratcher to many un assuming Kentucky viewers.
Doering predicted UK would finish the regu lar season 11-1, only losing on the road against the closest thing Kentucky has to an Achilles’ heel: Tennessee.UKfan Brandon Miller believes Doering may have too much faith in the Volunteers’ chances.
“I think that him thinking we’re about to lose to Tennessee is a little absurd,” he said. “I think we have a really good chance to win.”
Student expectations higher than ever as football season approaches
This is Humans of UK, in spired by the Humans of New York Instagram series by pho tographer and autho Brandon Stanton. This series dives into the individuals of UK as well as their stories, strifes and pas sions. UK freshman Ben Williams started his own ice cream truck, “Ben’s Jammin Ice Cream,” in 2019, a venture which became an immediate success in his local community of Nelson County. Williams’ interests don’t just lie in his truck, but also in his pas sions that led him to beginning the business in the first place. As a highschooler, Williams was interested in agriculture. His involvement in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) orga nization, which required him to create a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) project. “I was looking for a way that I could make an impact in agri culture rather than just going for personal gain,” Williams said. “I had just recently heard about Walmart switching it’s dairy pro cessing to its own. It cut Dean’s Foods out, and they went bank rupt, and so Kentucky Dairy Farms went from 1200 to 500 in just one Afteryear.”hearing about Walmart, Williams knew that he wanted his SAE project to benefit the dairy industry.
On the front cover: Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Will Levis looks for an open receiver during the UK football spring game on Saturday, April 9, 2022, at Kroger Field.
Humans of UK:
“I started looking for a few different avenues and ended up coming into an ice cream truck,” he said.After gaining his parents’ approval and a few months of planning, Williams found a truck at a junkyard and took out a loan of $10,000, eventually turning it into the business it is today. “When I started out as a fresh man in high school and I took out the $10,000 loan, I was really scared,” Williams said. “I didn’t want to go into it and end up fail ing and being a few thousands dollars in Overcomingdebt.” his fears and challenges along the way, Wil liams persevered and created his truck, and quickly was over whelmed with the amount of community support he and his truck garnered. “I had people calling me and booking me for birthday parties, festivals, wedding events … It was really crazy that I had so much community support,” he said.Even though Williams’ truck is staying in Nelson County for the school year, it has made the trip to UK twice for sorority rush and other events on campus. Williams plans to bring the truck back to campus more throughout the school Wantingyear.topursue agriculture post-grad, Williams is unclear of where his journey with “Ben’s Jammin Ice Cream” will take him.“I’m really just interested in an agriculture job, and I love run ning the truck, and so if I have the opportunity to keep running it on the side I would love to do it,” he said.Regardless of where Williams and his truck end up, he’s thank ful for the experience and the people that have made it worth while.
kentucky kernel | 3 kentuckykernelCONTACT Rayleigh Deaton, LeeAnnaKendallAkhilaBrooklynLindseyJackeditor@kykernel.comeditor-in-chiefWeaver,managingeditorKaciMcCarthy,audienceengagementeditorkmccarthy@kykernel.comHannahStanley,newseditornews@kykernel.comDavis,asst.newseditorEmilyGirard,featureseditorfeatures@kykernel.comColeParke,sportseditorsports@kykernel.comWalters,opinionseditoropinions@kykernel.comJackWeaver,photoeditorphoto@kykernel.comNadimpalli,leaddesignerAllieHall,asst.designerStaton,newlettercoordinatorGracieMoore,TwittermanagerSavannahKennedy,Instagram/FacebookmanagerRavenRolle,TikTokmanagerBarriger,multimediamanagerKENTUCKYKERNELOFFICES340McVeyHallUniversityofKentuckyLexington,KY40506
Ben Williams is the cream of the crop
By Jennifer features@kykernel.comSadler
On the back cover: Kentucky Wildcats running back Kavosiey Smoke (0) stiff arms a defender during the UK football spring game.
STAFF FILE PHOTOS BY MICHAEL CLUBB
ABBEY CUTRER | STAFF Ben Williams poses for a portrait on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.
By Cole sports@kykernel.comParke No. 12 No. 10 No. 08 No. 07 No. 09 No. 11
Game one against Miami Ohio While a loss in week one would all but certainly tank the season, ranking games by which are most “okay” to lose is not the objective of the list.
Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022 4 | kentucky kernel
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Game nine at Missouri
The first road game on the list, Missouri should be the easiest test UK has away from Kroger Field. The Tigers could catch Kentucky slacking if the Wildcats aren’t care ful, but it’s unlikely that will happen. While it may normally have the markings of a trap game, a loss for Kentucky would be a stunner.
While this may come as a surprise with the Gamecocks’ addition of Oklahoma transfer quarterback Spen cer Rattler, it’s hard to rank this game higher than certain others this season. The Gamecocks should not be taken lightly by UK fans, nor should they have been last year, but with Kentucky winning in Columbia in 2021, it’s hard to imagine they’ll lose in 2022 with many of the same core pieces returning. Columbia is a difficult place to play thanks to USC’s home environ ment, but Kroger Field is sure to be packed with Kentucky fans eager to tip the tide in favor of the home team. Kentucky could lose to South Carolina if they aren’t careful, but it should be more than capable of get ting the win.
Game four against Northern Illinois
With a minimum of 12 games, which ones matter the most? Game three against Youngstown State
It had to be Youngstown State. While Kentucky showed one year ago that not all FCS opponents will be blowouts with Chattanooga, Youngstown State is fresh off of a 3-7 season in the Missouri Valley. Not great even by FCS standards, the Penguins should be by far the eas iest game on Kentucky’s schedule.
While NIU being this high may come as a surprise to some, this matchup has trap game written all overKentuckyit. travels on the road against preseason No. 21 Ole Miss the week after, and with the lack of respect given to most non power-five schools, it’s safe to say many don’t see Northern Illinois as a legitimate threat.The Huskies won the MAC in 2021, going 9-5 with a stout offense that averaged 32 points per game. They also return sophomore run ning back Harrison Waylee, who se cured 574 yards on 101 carries (5.7 yards per carry), with 114.8 yards per game before going down with an in jury that ended his season. Northern Illinois is far from the best team UK will play, but trap games always feature less talented squads than the ones who come after them.Watch out for the Huskies. Game six against South Carolina
The first SEC matchup to make the list, Vanderbilt poses the least challenge to Kentucky, especially in Lexington.Havinggone 2-10 the season prior and losing at home to Ken tucky, the Commodores’ goal go ing into the season has to be mere ly winning a conference game, a feat they failed to accomplish last season.The Commodores have not won in Lexington in a decade, before Mark Stoops arrived to take the head coaching job for Kentucky. Matter of fact, Vanderbilt has not defeated Kentucky since 2015 periods, losing six straight duels against the Wildcats. Suffice to say, Vanderbilt is hardly a threat in the eyes of many.
Missouri’s defensive backs may give UK quarterback Will Levi’s some issues, but Kentucky has a stur dy run game to go alongside its pass ing attack to balance that out. If UK’s defense remains sturdy, the Cats should have no problem with Missouri.
In the world of college football not all games are created equal. A matchup against a reigning champion is not the same as a match up against an FCS opponent, regard less of how many coaches will claim they see every game the same.
The only noteworthy thing about this matchup is that it could be a piv otal bounce back opportunity if Ken tucky loses on the road in Gainesville the week prior.
Kentucky should have little prob lem against Miami Ohio in week one and, while the RedHawks have an impressive starting quarterback in Brett Gabbert, there is little to no pressure in the minds of UK fans going into the start of the sea son.Miami Ohio should be what ULM was one year ago: a fun sea son-opening win for home fans to enjoy before UK travels to a tough road matchup early in the season. Game 10 Vanderbiltagainst
Which game is most important this season?
Game two at Florida
The Bulldogs were not an easy opponent in 2021 either, beating Ken tucky 31-17 in Starkville.
That said, looking back at the se ries as a whole, the last seven games between Mississippi State and Ken tucky have been won by the home team, and based on the level of the both teams, it’s hard to imagine that pattern
Game five at Ole Miss Ole Miss on the road will be a dif ficult challenge for the Wildcats, one that it may even come up short in. That said, on its own, a loss to pre season No. 21 Ole Miss may not be all that poor for UK’s season assuming the Rebels maintain the level of play expected from them.
Regardless of what questions sur round Florida’s program with a new head coach, The Swamp is a tough stadium to play in. Take that factor and add into con sideration it comes in week two of the season AND that Kentucky is forced to be without starting running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. due to legal issues, and you’ve got a recipe for a high stakes matchup.
Second, if Kentucky beats Ole Miss, Tennessee would likely be a po tential first loss just a few weeks be fore Georgia with the SEC east poten tially on the line in that game. Even beyond those factors, Ten nessee returns starting quarterback Hendon Hooker, who is already in the conversation for national player of the year.Having defeated Kentucky in Lex ington one year earlier, Tennessee gets to bring the Cats back into its stomp ing grounds in a stadium that is notori ous for its harsh atmosphere and, more recently, flying golf balls.
kentucky kernel | 5 Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022
Game seven against Mississippi State Mississippi State will not be an easy opponent for Kentucky in 2022.
Kentucky is perfectly capable of defeating Ole Miss regardless of the difficulty that comes with playing in Oxford, but even if it comes up short, the season is far from doomed. Game eight at Tennessee Starting the top three, Tennessee slots in third just above Ole Miss for twoFirst,reasons.it’s later in the season, mean ing that if Ole Miss was the potential first loss of the season, Tennessee would likely be the second loss that would drop the Wildcats out of playoff contention based on precedent.
The Cardinals are the last opponent Kentucky faces in the regular season and with a returning star QB, that alone makes the matchup significant even without the rivalry aspect.
Take all of that and add on the fact that it’s a home game for the Cats AND it returns veteran stars with a former NFL coach lead ing the offense, and this game has College Football Gameday written all over it. The Georgia Bulldogs are the reigning national champions. This will be a fight if Kentucky is to be successful, or even if it isn’t. This could be the defining game of the season when it is looked back upon for years to come. No. 06 No. 05 No. 04 No. 03 No. 02 No. 01
Kentucky.inatNov.onfootballNewthesidelinehisStoopsMarkwatchesteamfromtheduringKentuckyvs.MexicoStategameSaturday,20,2021,KrogerFieldLexington,
The Wildcats decimated the Cardi nals 52-21 in Louisville last year and, while star quarterback Malik Cun ningham returned for another season, it’s hard to imagine the opposite hap pening in Lexington.
This game sets the tone for the sea son. If Kentucky comes out flat and dull and loses to Florida, Ole Miss, Ten nessee and Georgia seem like near in evitable losses as well. If Kentucky comes out dominant and put together even without Rodri guez, those games become a lot more plausible and confidence is built. While not the most important game of the season, there’s a lot riding on week two for the Wildcats. Game 11 against Georgia This is it. This is what the whole season builds to wards.Hypothetically if Kentucky is successful in all or all but one of its matchups by this point, this game could very likely be for the SEC East and a trip to the SEC title game.
Game 12 against Louisville While Kentucky fans may balk at the notion of in-state rival Louisville just being at the midpoint of the list, rivalries aside the game is just not as significant as others this season.
The main point of importance for the matchup against Louisville is see ing how the season ends for Kentucky leading into a likely bowl game or even conference title game.
Not to mention the fact that with NIU being the trap game listed before, Ole Miss is not a sleeping bear being overlooked by the Cats.
Alternatively, if an undefeated Kentucky makes Georgia its only loss of the season, there’s still a pathway for that team to make the college football playoffs even without making the title game.
JACK WEAVER | STAFF sports Kentucky head coach
Bothchanging.teamsare seeking greatness this season, and the Bulldogs do re turn star quarterback Will Rogers, but Kroger Field’s atmosphere may just be too much for MSU to handle. Still, not a game to be taken lightly.
I hope we get to see a few deep bombs from him.
Schmelzinger: For Miami fans, this game is all about Brett Gabbert. Blaine’s brother’s name has been hot in national circles this year and for good reason. It’ll be extremely interesting to see what Gabbert can make happen against an SEC defense; last year, he was a step above the Mid-American Conference. This is a prove it game for Gabbert, especially considering he has another year of eligibility after this one (transfer portal anyone?) and likely NFL aspirations. As for upset poten tial? All I can say is Wildcat fans can sleep soundly on Friday night. Which side of the ball is going to have the stronger performance, offense or defense? Miami head coach Chuck Martin was pretty blunt last week in assessing where his team stands. “Early on our offense will have to carry us,” he said. “We’ll have some growing pains on defense.”
JESSICA MONAHAN |THE MIAMI STUDENT Miami RedHawks quarterback Brett Gabbert scored 26 touchdowns last season and will be at the helm of the Miami offense again this season.
Miami returns nine starters on of fense this season (most importantly Gabbert), but is a lot more inexperi enced on defense. Last year the Red Hawks had 38 sacks on the season, but 22 of them transferred to bigger schools this offseason. It’s still not cer tain whether Miami will find its groove on D this year, but it seems like pretty safe money to say it won’t happen this week in SEC country. That said, this of fense should be fun to watch. Give me a rundown of what I can expect from Brett Gabbert. For most of the conference schedule last season Brett Gabbert played abso lutely out of his mind. First, he tossed a near-perfect game against Ball State (20-24, 207 yards, two touchdowns), before an incredibly gutsy performance against Ohio the next week where he threw for 492 yards and five touch downs while trying to claw the Red Hawks back from a 28-0 third quarter deficit. They [ultimately] missed a last minute two-point conversion attempt that would’ve tied the game, but Gab bert’s performance was still an instant classic. He finished the season strong after that with four touchdowns in a drubbing of Buffalo and four more in the last game of the year against Kent State. Gabbert is extremely mobile and slippery. He doesn’t have Josh Allen’s size, but he has that type of escapability. When the ball leaves his hand sometimes it doesn;t even look real because he’s smaller but has such a cannon.
Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022 6 | kentucky kernel
To be honest, I doubt Kentucky will have a hard time with much this week end. If there’s one thing, it will be keeping Brett Gabbert in the pocket. He’s great at avoiding pressure, and he’s dangerous on the run, especially moving to his right. the (By)Line:
Miami Ohio RedHawks sports
The “Across the (By)Line” series will give Kentucky football fans an in-depth look at their opponent for this week — from the mind of the opposing school’s sports editor.
By Cole sports@kykernel.comParke
What are the expectations for Miami this season after a bowl-winning 2021? Do you see any upset potential?
This week: The Miami Student, Jack Schmelzinger, Miami Ohio
What is it about Miami that Kentucky is going to have the hardest time with this weekend?
Across
Entering his senior season at Kentucky, Will Levis is set to lead the Wildcats after a successful 10-3 season topped off with a Citrus Bowl victory over Iowa in his first season.
Levis’s 2021 campaign set the stage for his career with the Wild cats, as he became known for his strong arm and quick release, quick ly establishing himself as a favorite across the bluegrass with fans who had been without a true passing quarterback for years prior.
this also saw Le vis enter the company of only seven Wildcats to ever accumulate more than 3,000 yards in a single season. His efforts were good enough to land him fourth in the SEC in total touchdowns last season. His feats earned him several accolades including the Manning Award Star of the Week and the Na tional Offensive Player of the Week Award twice each.
An unclear number one target could pose a problem for Levis, though new offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello and other offen sive coaches remain optimistic with new stars such as transfer Tayvion Robinson and freshman Dane Key. Hoping to clean up several of his decision-making mistakes, Le vis was average among fellow SEC quarterbacks in QB ranking with a 76.8, throwing 13 interceptions, with Kentucky as a team ranked 45th in passing efficiency nationwide.
The Mark Stoops era has rejuve nated Kentucky football, turning a once 2-10 program into a two-time Citrus Bowl championship winning power.Bringing in Scangarello in the offseason after previous offensive coordinator Jon Sumrall was hired as the head coach of Troy, Stoops clearly looks to develop not just Le vis but future quarterbacks at Ken tucky as well. Scangarello was most recently the quarterback coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL, coach ing the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo and TreyBringingLance. over the West Coast of fense play calling and favoring key passing plays, Kentucky football looks to be going in a direction that seems to be specially tailored to max imizing Levis’ game. Kentucky starts its 2022 season against Miami Ohio this Saturday, Sept. 3, at Kroger Field, with all eyes firmly placed on Levis as he embarks on his senior year as a Wildcat.
Quarterback Will Levis poised for pivotal senior season
kentucky kernel | 7 Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022
JACK WEAVER |STAFF Kentucky quarterback Will Levis throws a pass during the Kentucky vs. New Mexico State football game on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.
Naturally, Levis is once again un der the spotlight with Kentucky fans and scouts alike placing high expec tations upon the star to put forth a strong senior Developingyear.into a highly touted prospect for the 2023 NFL Draft, Levis leads a Kentucky team that enters the season ranked No. 20 in the preseason poll. Things will not be all easy sail ing for Levis though as the departure of top receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, who was selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the New York Giants.
opinions
Throwing for 2,826 yards, 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, while also rushing for nine addition al touchdowns, the invaluable dual threat ability makes Levis challeng ing to Additionally,defend.
By Isaiah opinions@kykernel.comPinto
The win continued Kentucky’s streak of four straight bowl game wins but was the first with Levis, who transferred into the program from Penn State. Success inevitably becomes syn onymous with attention and expec tations, and this is certainly the case at an SEC school like Kentucky.
See PICKS on page 18
Gainesville is always a tough place to play, especially in week two of a season, and for a Kentucky team ranked in the top 25 before playing a game, the stadium is sure to be packed.Kentucky has won just one game in The Swamp since 1979, with only three total wins over Florida in that period as Despitewell.this, ESPN matchup pre dictor has the Gators as just a 51-per cent favorite with that number liable to change in favor of the Cats de pending on how Florida’s week one matchup with No. 7 Utah goes.
JACK WEAVER |STAFF Kentucky runs onto the field before UK’s home opener against Louisiana Monroe on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.
By Cole sports@kykernel.comParke
No matter how much excitement comes with the first game day of the year, no matter who that first match up is against, American fans can’t help but ask the same question: How is the team going to have done by the end of the season? Record predictions, playoff pre dictors and coaching hot seats lists litter Twitter feeds and forum walls in the weeks leading up to the season, it’s only natural by this point.
Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022 8 | kentucky sportskernel
American sports fans are fickle in nature and this mentality is no differ ent when it comes to college football.
With the 2022 season less than a week away, those questions are in full force and for the Kentucky Wild cats that is no different.
Editor’s picks for the 2022 season
As for a hard prediction, Kentucky has every tool to start the season 3-0 and many UK fans may struggle to imagine a world in which that doesn’t happen.Whether 2-1 or 3-0, with high potential for the latter, the matchup against Florida could very well set the tone for the season as a whole, and should not be looked upon light ly. Games 4-5: Talk about a wolf in sheep’s cloth ing.Many UK fans may be overlook ing this stretch purely based on the name’s of the team’s involved, but if UK is to take a first loss before trav eling to Knoxville, it is very likely to come from one of these two games.
With numerous storylines head ing into the season and some critical matchups even early into the sched ule, the question is fair: How will Kentucky do this season? Games 1-3: General consensus amongst pre dictors is that UK’s floor after three games is 2-1. Miami Ohio and Youngstown State may be fun games, but there’s very little reason to be lieve the Wildcats have a chance of coming up short.
As for the Penguins, while Ken tucky did struggle against Chattanoo ga, the Mocs not only had a notewor thy run game, but the consensus after the game was still that the struggle was a fluke. With those games down as likely wins, that turns all the focus of the first two games towards Florida.
The Cats have not won in Oxford since 1978, and have gone 5-10 over all against the Rebels in that time frame.While NIU should be a win for Kentucky despite the trap game po tential, Ole Miss may give Kentucky significant problems. Having said that, the possibility does still remain that Kentucky starts the season 5-0, though it will not be easy. Games 6-7: Games six and seven are home stands against SEC rivals South Car olina and Mississippi State. Both games in which Kentucky could easily lose, but will likely be
Miami does boast a notable quar terback prospect in Brett Gabbert, brother of former NFL QB Blaine Gabbert, but otherwise there’s little to be concerned about.
Florida is a program that argu ably has even more question marks than Kentucky with the Gators ready to start their first season under new coach Billy Napier, former head coach of the Louisiana Ragin’ Ca juns, after parting ways with Dan Mullen following a 6-7 season that concluded with a bowl loss to UCF. That said, Florida has one major factor going for it: The Swamp.
Northern Illinois might have some of the loudest silent trap-game alarm bells ringing that college football has thisTheseason.Huskies are coming off of a 9-5 season that saw them crowned champions of the MAC and narrow ly losing an 80-plus-point shootout against Coastal Carolina in their bowlWithgame.anumber of returning stars looking to make an impact, NIU should not be taken lightly. Moving on to game five, the prob lem with trap games is that, even if UK has no problem with NIU, they precede tougher opponents. Ole Miss enters the season ranked No. 21 in the preseason top 25 with running back Zach Evan’s having led TCU in rushing yards before trans ferring to Mississippi. To make matters worse, the game is inSimilarOxford. to Florida, Kentucky doesn’t have the greatest odds on the road against higher level SEC teams based on historical precedent.
This decision already has many Kentucky fans worried over what the outcomes could be of those three games, namely a critical matchup on the road against Florida. Questions have also arisen sur rounding who all will have to step up in this offense to fill the shoes left by Rodriguez, and whether or not the backup could even take the starter’s job once he is eligible to return.
Robinson broke the all-time re ceiving yards record at UK, finishing his career with a Second-Team AllSEC selection. Although his exit will be a tough loss for Kentucky, it also brings in a strong class of transfers along with freshman wideouts. Tayvion Robinson, a transfer from Virginia Tech, will look to fill the hole left by Wan’Dale Robinson, having started all 12 games his junior year and leading Virginia Tech in both receptions and touchdowns. His punt return average also ranked fifth in the country by the end of the 2022 season. Along with Tayvion Robinson, the Cats also bring in what some be lieve to be their most talented group of freshmen, including four-star wide
JACK WEAVER |STAFF Kentucky running back Kavosiey Smoke (0) runs the ball for a touchdown during the Kentucky vs. Tennessee football game on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.
Kavosiey Smoke, a senior running back, is coming off of an impressive junior season and will most likely re place Rodriguez in the three games he is absent, having already been named as the starter in game one against Miami Ohio. Smoke currently ranks 30th on UK’s all-time rushing yards list, having over 1,300 career rushing yards.Another running back that may step up for this Kentucky offense is Sam Houston State transfer Ramon Jefferson.AtSam Houston State, Jefferson was named as a FCS All-American following his senior season with the team. After averaging over 70 yards per game with the Bearkats, fans and coaches are likely hoping that he may be able to replicate his production in Lexington.Therunning back position is not the only one that may feel the ab sence of a star. The offense also lost a key contributor when star wide re ceiver Wan’Dale Robinson was draft ed in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Cats’ offense also brings back some vital pieces from last season, including starting quarterback Will Levis. Levis finished last season ranked top 10 in various categories in the SEC, including being ranked fourth in offensive touchdowns, fifth in passing completions and eighth in passing average per game.
First and foremost, UK brought in a new offensive coordinator after previous OC Liam Coen was hired by the LA Rams. With Coen gone, the Cats’ offense was taken over by Rich Scangarello, who had previous ly been the quarterback coach for the San Francisco 49ers for five years. Although he was most recently in the NFL, Scangarello also boasts experience at the collegiate level, previously serving as the offensive coordinator for Northern Arizo na University from 2012-2014. At NAU, Scangarello’s offense led the team with a 60.7 completion percent age and was ranked 27th in the nation for points scored per game. With the experience he already has as an OC and his expertise in the world of quarterbacks, Scangarello will likely have a huge impact on this Wildcat team.
By Katelyn sports@kykernel.comPerkins
See OFFENSE on page 19
Moving pieces and new faces: What to expect from Kentucky’s offense
He not only enters this upcoming season being watched for his unusu al eating habits, but also for being named to the Davey O’Brien Award watch list, which looks at the best collegiate quarterback alongside oth er nationally recognized awards such as the Walter Camp Player of the YearAnotheraward. key returning piece for the Wildcat offense to watch this sea son is star running back Chris Rodri guezRodriguezJr. returned to Kentucky after an important junior season where he led the SEC in rushing yards and was named part of the AllSEC first-team. Unfortunately for Rodriguez and Wildcat fans alike, this offseason saw the running back find himself in legal trouble when he was charged with a DUI. After being charged, UK decid ed to suspend him for the first three games of the season for the DUI and another unnamed legal issue.
kentucky kernel | 9 Thursday, Sept. 1, sports2022
The 2022 college football season is rapidly approaching, with less than one week away until the Wildcats re turn to Kroger Field. With mountains of excitement about the potential that this Kentucky team has, fans are especially excited about the offense, which underwent several changes in the offseason.
When: Saturday, Sept. 24 time TBA Location: Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky Series Record: 0-0 Last Meeting: N/A 2021 Record: 9-5 (MAC Champion) Key Player: Sophomore running back Harrison Waylee. 574 yards on 101 carries to average 5.7 yards per carry and 114.8 yards per game with four touchdowns in five games before suffering injury.
When: Saturday, Oct. 1 time TBA Location: Vaught-Hemingway Sta dium in Oxford, Missis sippi Series Record: 14-1-28 (Current win streak: two for Ole Miss) Last Meeting: Oct. 3, 2020 (Ole Miss won 4241) 2021 Record: 10-3 Key Player: Junior run ning back Zach Evans. Leads all power-five run ning backs in yards after contact per attempt (4.8) and led TCU in rushing yards (648) in 2021 de spite only playing in six games before transferring to Ole Miss.
Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022 10 | kentucky kernel
A WILD SEASON FOR THE CATS:
When: Saturday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. Location: Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky Series Record: 8-1-4 (Miami last victory in 1979) Last Meeting: Sept. 7, 2013 (UK won 41-7)
Game 1: Miami Ohio GameFlorida2: Game Youngstown3:State Game Northern4:Illinois Game 5: Ole Miss Game CarolinaSouth6:
2021 Record: 6-7 Key Player: Sophomore running back Montrell Johnson Jr. Transfer from Louisiana, former school of new head coach Billy Napier.
When: Saturday, Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. Location: Ben Hill Grif fin Stadium in Gaines ville, Florida Series Record: 19-53 (Longest win streak: 31 for Florida) Last Meeting: Oct. 2 2021 (UK won 20-13)
When: Saturday Oct. 8 time TBA Location: Kroger Field in Lexington Kentucky Series Record: 14-1-18 (Longest win streak: 10 for USC) Last Meeting: Sept. 25, 2021 (UK won 16-10) 2021 Record: 7-6 Key Player: Redshirt ju nior quarterback Spencer Rattler. 1,438 yards, 11 touchdowns, five inter ceptions at Oklahoma in 2021. Ranked first in the Big 12 in completion per centage (74.9-percent)
Key Player: Junior quar terback Brett Gabbert, brother of former NFL quarterback Blaine Gab bert. 2,648 yards, 26 touchdowns and six inter ceptions in 2021.
2021 Record: 7-6
When: Saturday, Sept. 17 at noon Location: Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky Series Record: 0-0 Last Meeting: N/A 2021 Record: 3-7 Key Player: Senior tail back Jaleel Mclaughlin. Amassed 893 yards on 133 carries, an average of 107.9 yards per contest while scoring 10 touch downs and caught 20 passes for 175 yards.
When: Saturday Nov. 5 time TBA Location: Faurot Field in Colombia, Missouri Series Record: 8-4 (Longest win streak: five for UK) Last Meeting: Sept. 11, 2021 (UK won 35-28) 2021 Record: 6-7 Key Player: Junior defen sive back Kris AbramsDraine. Made three inter ceptions while breaking up seven passes and had 484 yards from kick re turns. Also finished the season with 37 tackles.
Game
Mississippi7:State Game Tennessee8: Game Missouri9: Game Vanderbilt10: GameGeorgia11: Game Louisville12:
When: Saturday, Oct. 15 time TBA Location: Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky Series Record: 24-25 (Longest win streak: eight for UK) Last Meeting: Oct. 30, 2021 (MSU won 31-17) 2021 Record: 7-6 Key Player: Junior quar terback Will Rogers. Led the SEC in passing yards per game in 2021 with 364.5 and his 4,739 total passing yards went into the record books as third most in SEC history.
When: Saturday Nov. 12 time TBA Location: Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky Series Record: 48-4-42 (Current win streak: six for UK) Last Meeting: Nov. 13, 2021 (UK won 34-17)
KENTUCKY’S 2022 MATCH-UPS
When: Saturday, Nov. 19 time TBA Location: Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky Series Record: 12-2-61 (Current win streak: 12 for UGA) Last Meeting: Oct. 16, 2021 (UGA won 30-13) 2021 Record: 14-1 (Na tional Champion) Key Player: Sophomore tight end Brock Bowers. All-American and AllSEC first team member as a freshman with 56 catch es for 882 yards and 13 touchdowns.
When: Saturday, Nov. 26 time TBA Location: Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky Series Record: 18-15 (Current win streak: three for UK) Last Meeting: Nov. 27, 2021 (UK won 52-21) 2021 Record: 6-7 Key Player: Senior quar terback Malik Cunning ham. 2,941 yards, 19 touchdowns, 6 intercep tions in 2021. kentucky kernel |
11 Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022
By Cole sports@kykernel.comParke
2021 Record: 2-10
Key Player: Fifth year defensive lineman Eli jah McAllister. Made 23 tackles with a sack and interception in 2021. Was selected as Mr. Commo dore.
When: Saturday, Oct. 29 time TBA Location: Neyland Sta dium in Knoxville, Ten nessee Series Record: 26-9-82 (Largest margin of victo ry: 52-0 UT in 1994) Last Meeting: Nov. 6, 2021 (UT won 45-42) 2021 Record: 7-6 Key Player: Redshirt se nior quarterback Hendon Hooker. National player of the year candidate for 2022. Racked up 3,561 yards of total offense and set two school single-sea son records: passer effi ciency rating and comple tion percentage.
While all of that is surely exciting to fans, the spotlight giveth and the spotlight taketh away.
MICHAEL CLUBB | STAFF FILE PHOTO Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Will Levis walks down the Cat Walk before the Kentucky vs. Iowa Vrbo Citrus Bowl football game on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
With 2021 being the first year of Penn State transfer Will Levis starting under center, Kentucky fans were more willing to forgive several of his costly interceptions, because after the era of Terry Wilson and Lynn Bowden Jr, most UK fans were just happy to have a quarterback that is a threat to throw a deep ball AND rush.
Kentucky may be ready to take on the season, but it also may not, and if the latter is the case, the damage done to UK’s reputation will be hard to get past.
12 | kentucky opinionskernel
As the Kentucky football season approaches, now under one week away, the consensus on campus is general excitement and understandably so. Football Caturdays in the bluegrass are akin to a religious holiday with tailgaters arriving hours upon hours before kickoff to party and pre-game the dry stadium and cheer on the Cats.
Kentucky needs to succeed this season for its status, but with how the schedule is layed out, one unfavorable loss could snowball into three or four if UK loses confidence in its ability to play games on the road. Apart from Georgia, all three of Kentucky’s other biggest wildcard games come away from home.
This has only gotten more prominent since head coach Mark Stoops took over the program and has since led UK to four straight bowl wins, two of which were Citrus Bowls.
Stoops brought in former San Francisco 49ers quarterback coach Rich Scagarello to lead the offense, likely in
See COLUMN on page 19 Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022
Programs like Georgia, Tennessee, Florida and more can afford to take a few rough losses without being completely turned on by the AP voters, but a relative newbie to the top level likeIfNoKentucky?way.Kentucky fails this year there’s going to be millions of fans across the country ready to mock the program and claim that UK is exactly what they always thought it was: a perennial second tier SEC East team.
Kentucky football is fresh off a 10-win season, brought in an NFL quarterback coach to take over as offensive coordinator and earned a ranking in the preseason top 25 for the first time in 44 years.
Column: This season may be do or die for Kentucky football
Kentucky football has notoriously not been regarded as an elite program for decades until Mark Stoops came to town, with last season’s 5-0 start marking the first time in 70 years the program had such a successful start.
Now that national attention has turned in Kentucky’s favor, the worst case scenario would be a 2021 Washington: a team ranked in the preseason that crumbled far beyond what was expected of them and became a laughing stock in the sport for the season.
Year two, that leash is going to be a littleAstighter.awhole, with the excitement surrounding the program and Kentucky fans predicting 11-1 to undefeated seasons, many fail to see how critical this season actually is and just how destructive a poor showing could be.
There’s also the fact that Tennessee brought back Hendon Hooker, an early national player of the year candidate, who Kentucky will have to play in Neyland Stadium after losing an offensive shootout in Lexington the seasonWhileprior.Hooker may have little doubt surrounding his status as an elite quarterback, Levis could hardly say the same.Levis’s decision-making last season left some to be desired and, while it was a focus of his game in the offseason, the glimpses on display at Fan Day were not quite up to expectations.
By Cole sports@kykernel.comParke
On the other hand, John Hauck, another international student from Brazil, said that he has always been a big football fan, especially during his high school career.
"Every Latin American grows up watching American media and teenage shows/movies always show football, players and all that. I'm no exception and I always wanted to go to a game for the experience," UK student Ariane Rodrigues Patrus Almeida said. Almeida was born and raised in Minas Gerais, Brazil. She said that much more than understanding the rules of the game and knowing who to cheer for is the idea of being a part of the experience.
Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022
By Quézia Arruda opinions@kykernel.comCunha
When I think about the American football experience, it’s this exact picture I have: a giant place full of my romanticized American stereotypes.
Being involved in team performance has always been a big accomplishment.
JACK WEAVER | STAFF Fans cheer as three planes perform a flyover before the Kentucky vs. Missouri football game on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.
kentucky kernel | opinions13
From my perspective, the biggest motivation for most international students is to actively participate in something so typically American. This sense of culture can be found in football and all its complementary traditions, like the cheerleader figure. Sofia Natividad Monge Alfaro, an international student from San Jose, Costa Rica, is a big exception to other international students, who are now looking to have a favorite team and specific expectations about next week's game.She said she does not feel comfortable in an environment like an American football game. Instead, she feels like she does not belong. For her, it’s a cultural feature that doesn’t appeal to her interest in any form.
As an international student coming from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, I’ve always created the fantasy of being part of the crowd that composes not only a game but also a Theceremony.media,especially when it comes to the cinematography industry, has a huge influence on this point of view. Growing up, watching Friday Night Lights (2004) and She’s the Man (2006) made a whole generation of people outside the US develop the notion that American football symbolizes all the advancement and success not seen in their own countries.
For a Brazilian 10-year-old girl, seeing a cheerleader with a perfect body act with impeccable timing and have the leader of the football team as her boyfriend was simply the most perfect scenario to be fantasized about. Not only did I have this fantasy, but also several other girls who grew up with this great mass of American influence in their minds.
"We were ranked 25 on the AP polls, so I assume we were gonna land somewhere in there in the final pool as well,” Hauk said. “I hope we make it to the SEC final stage. A national championship would be the dream."
The culture and ceremony of football: An international perspective
For international students, being active in opportunities provided by studying abroad is more than crucial – not only for our adaptation process, but also for creating memories and new stories. However, I still believe that it is necessary for us to remember the value of our roots. I don't think the American way of life, like the famous football game, should be our only source of inspiration. I do believe that every student from all different regions of the globe has a clear power of influence.Creating fantasies doesn't hurt anyone. As a potent art lover, I see fantasizing as a great refuge. But, it is also worth adding, your experience as an international student here in the US can have the same magic by exploring other traditions from neighboring or distant countries and cultures.
"I prefer to avoid football games because I find it so overwhelming and boring," Alfaro said.
dashboard as Kentucky positivity rates increase
Jay Blanton told the Kernel in an email that the dashboard will not be published “at the institutional level.”
While Blanton said that this move is in accordance with what other institutions are doing, the University of Michigan and Cornell University continue to publish data regularly, and institutions like Ohio State (which paused its reporting over the summer) and Michigan State (which only publishes self-reported data) also offer some form of COVID numbers. Blanton said that Lexington “discontinued its dashboard in favor of the state dashboard” in response to the CDC’s reporting scheme. However, the Lexington Fayette County Health Department continues to publish new and total case and death numbers from Lexington on its website, updating the information weekly. As of Aug. 29, there were 887 new cases and two deaths in Fayette County, adding to the totals of 111,402 total cases and 654 total deaths – contributing to a statewide weekly positivity rate of 20.07%.
As of Aug. 26, 74 of the 120 Kentucky counties had a COVID-19 community level of high, according to the CDC. Blanton said the decision to stop maintaining the dashboard was also a result of UK’s move away from mandatory testing. “We don’t require either testing or vaccination as both can now be widely found in other places, so we don’t have one rigorous source of information for vaccine rates in our community,” he said.In an interview with the Kernel, UK president Eli Capilouto called dashboards “not meaningful and helpful,” as he said people can test at home and are not obligated to selfreport positive results.
By Rayleigh news@kykernel.comDeaton
A dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is injected into a patient’s arm on Saturday, April 10, 2021, at UK’s COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky.
JACK WEAVER | STAFF
However, the 90% vaccination rate was reached in December 2021, before the 6,000 new students arrived on campus this Capiloutofall.also called efforts to screen UK’s population for monkeypox “unnecessary [and] unfounded,” adding that the university will rely on the public health department to keep track of cases.Blanton said that the university is asking students, faculty and staff to continue vaccinating and self-reporting, adding that UK will be offering incentive programs to encourage vaccinations. “The moves we have made continue to be in alignment with the latest CDC recommendations,” he said. “Further, our COVID operations and START teams will continue to meet on a regular basis to monitor our response to this virus and be ready to pivot should that be necessary.” COVID
14news|kentucky kernel Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022
The University of Kentucky is no longer maintaining a COVID-19 dashboard displaying vaccination percentages and positivity rates among students, faculty and staff.
The dashboard, which was updated regularly since its creation in September 2020, included campus-wide statistics for total active COVID cases, total recovered cases, total new cases, number of students in isolation and percentage of vaccinated individuals. The information was publicly available on UK’s coronavirus website but is now password protected –and students’ and faculty members’ LinkBlue ID information does not grant themThisaccess.comes as UK welcomes the largest incoming freshman class in university history, with over 6,000 first-year students joining the campus community.UKspokesperson
“We are moving from a status of responding to the pandemic to continual management of a transmissible virus, much like the flu and other public health issues that will require community support,” Blanton said.
“There’s really no way to calculate [a positivity rate] today that is entirely meaningful with self-testing especially,” he said. “So public health departments do not recommend surveillance testing, like we were doing before when you have … 90% of your campus vaccinated, and we know from our hospital cases and those around the commonwealth that the virus is under reasonable control.”
UK discontinues
Freshman Bre Humphrey and residential advisor [RA] Gracie Keown were placed in a two-person suite together in Chellgren Hall, sharing a bathroom and common area but having their own bedrooms.Humphrey was not able to get a housing assignment before the deadline closed and began looking at off-campus housing. She was later notified at the end of July she was given a room in Chellgren Hall. “It was the end of July, and I still didn’t have housing. So my parents and I, we were looking at the Hub and offcampus, and then all of a sudden I got an email and they were like, ‘Yeah, you have housing, and it’s at Chellgren,’ and I had no idea where it was at,” Humphrey said. Humphrey said she reached out to Keown through the given email and began contacting and texting about the basic move in details, but did not know she was rooming with a RA until Keown told her. Keown however was notified by Residential Life [Res-Life] shortly before move-in of the situation.
Baser said that there is not a time to separate work from his private life in the matter that he works where he lives.
ABBEY CUTRER | STAFF Ingels Hall casts a shadow on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022, at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.
“She was stripped of the opportunity to live and grow with a fellow freshman.” Humphrey said she sees it as a friendship rather than a resident-to-RA friendship, but has not been able to meet many freshmen in the hall.
kentucky kernel | 15 Thursday, Sept. 1, news2022
On-campus housing process reveals cracks in UK’s infrastructure
An influx of 6,000 incoming students left UK Housing in a sticky situation when looking at the students-to-beds ratio.Troubles began when the UK Housing portal window opened on June 13 for the 2022-2023 school year room selection. Some rooms were deemed unavailable when open spaces remained in the other bedroom(s), as well as no rooms being available at the time, according to the UK Housing website. In order to temporarily resolve the problem, students and families were contacted with information that housing would work directly with those still awaiting a room assignment, UK spokesperson Jay Blanton said. Students were no longer able to access the portal and would be contacted, along with guaranteed a room assignment for fall 2022, if their attendance was confirmed by June 1 in addition to having a housing application on “Tofile. ensure that we are moving as quickly as possible, we temporarily disabled the online room selection tool,” Blanton said. “Our campus housing office is manually assigning rooms based on the student’s date of application.”Returning students who completed the application after the May 3 deadline could not be promised a housing assignment due to the capacity restraints. Requests were fulfilled as spaceDespitepermitted.having over 7,000 beds on campus and no requirement for students to live on-campus, nearly 88-90% choose to live on campus, president Eli Capilouto told the Kernel during an interview.“Thisis a choice of our students, and I love hearing that. Students who live on campus tend to do better,” Capilouto said. “They enjoy easy access to classrooms, dining, other amenities, the Study, working with fellow students on projects is easier and all. So we have space, if need to, we can consider more space in the Nonetheless,future.”the problem is far from solved for the current school year.
Junior RA Louis Baser also shares a room with a resident in Woodland Glen V. Baser was originally supposed to live with another RA but was told the first week of August it was being changed to a resident. Baser said the resident was not informed of the living situation.
“I think that while the intention was good, I am robbing my roommate of her freshman year experience,” Keown said.
“Personally, this seems like an unethical arrangement and power dynamic because there is not a single
By Hannah news@kykernel.comStanley
OVERWHELMED:
See OVERWHELMED on page 19
New student loan forgiveness policy sparks varying responses from UK students and alumni
President Joe Biden announced Aug. 24 that the federal government would forgive $20,000 in student loans for borrowers who received Pell Grants and make less than $125,000 per year. Borrowers who did not receive Pell Grants but still fall within this income bracket are eligible to have $10,000 of their loans Reactionsforgiven.tothisannouncement have been mixed across the country, and UK’s current and former students are no exception. Some appreciate the benefits, while others are more concerned about long-term effects on the economy and the government’s ‘Advantageous’actions.butstill
“advantageous” for him and his wife. “With us combined, we'll end up with around $40,000 in forgiveness, so that's very nice,” he said. “That's something we won't have to worry about paying off right after I However,graduate.”Wheeler said he is concerned about the ramifications of this “surprise legislation.”
By Emily news@kykernel.comGirard
“It's a transfer of wealth from the lower class to the upper class elites … Those [high-income] people still qualify for the loan payoffs, and those are coming from the taxpayers. And the taxpayers include the plumbers, the EMTs, the 911 dispatchers, the truckers [and] the electricians,” he said. “I know these people. Some of them are clients; many of them are friends. They're not happy that they're having to pay off the loans for these definitionally elite college graduates.” In a similar argument to those presented by policy experts, Burnett is also concerned about the effect these policies will have on inflation.
Burnett said he finds it “silly” that elite college graduates like himself are eligible for the program, while lowerincome people who do not have student loans will be footing the bill as taxpayers to address this now-federal debt.
16 | kentucky kernel Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022 news
‘surprise legislation’Second-year dental student
Jonathan Wheeler described himself as “financially aware” in his undergraduate career.Achemical engineering major, he became involved in MoneyCATS, UK’s financial wellness peer mentoring program, his sophomore year. He funded his education through a combination of subsidized loans, scholarships, and private donations, as well as receiving a PellWheelerGrant. said he does not think the loan forgiveness program is a “great policy” but said it was still
“Even Congress didn't exactly know how to react because they didn't have any role in it,” he said. “[The total forgiven loans] will probably end up being like 400 or 500 million dollars when all is said and done. I don't know how that'll impact inflation. I don't know how that will impact a lot of things, and really no one does at this point.”
Wheeler also said this policy might make new students more willing to put themselves in debt and cause further financial complications. Overall, though, he still sees the benefits the program is bringing. “If you don't really know how loans work, I think after this, it would be very easy to just hope that the federal government would bail everyone out again,” he said. “I think it'll be nice for a lot of people. I'm happy that I'm one of the people who it'll be nice for. I just hope that everything works out okay in the long ‘We’rerun.”not
fixing the problem’ David Burnett graduated from UK’s Gatton College of Business in 2009 and the College of Nursing in 2015. When he heard that loan forgiveness policies were most likely in the works, he made sure to pay off all his student loans –over $10,000 – before any policies went into“Ieffect.was able to earn the money because I had worked as an ICU nurse taking care of COVID patients four days a week while finishing law school in Detroit,” Burnett said. “This is my debt. I assume this debt. I'm earning money off of this debt as a nurse, and I should pay off my loans.” Burnett had heard discussion of loan forgiveness policies before they were announced, even viewing repeatedly extended loan payment pauses as a precursor. Still, he was uncertain about how these policies would work, viewing them as an overstep of executive power.
“I think procedurally, the way these things are done matters. Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution [says] the spending powers are Congress's and not the president's. But clearly, that's taken a different direction,” he said. “I didn't want to be on both sides of that transaction.”Aftergraduating, Burnett became a travel nurse before going to law school. Currently, he works as an attorney in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
“This is injecting, according to some estimates, between 300 and 400 billion dollars into an already inflated, overheated economy,” he said. “The stock market is crashing today because the [Federal Reserve] is going to have to continue to raise interest rates to keep people from spending money. Now these people have more money to spend, so we're counteracting our own influence. All of this seems galactically incompetent to me.” Burnett also touched on his experience as a nurse and the disconnect he has between government statements and reality. Despite the government using the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting public health emergency
“Universities … have a tendency to say we want to provide better resources [and] educational activities to students. But that comes at a cost, and of course, we get our costs from either state tax dollars if you're a public university like USF and University of Kentucky, as well as through actual tuition,” he said. “There's this fine balance [between] being able to provide the resources and the aspects necessary for a robust education … [and] being able to have that education attainable to the students that really want to go. I think that's something that we have to consider for the future.”
Currently, he works at the Byrd Alzheimer’s Center at the University of South Florida.
kentucky kernel | 17 Thursday, Sept. 1, news2022 to justify policy changes, he said, the emergency itself is decreasing in severity.“Having worked in COVID ICU and seen a significant amount of deaths from COVID, I think there was an argument in favor of that public health emergency, and I think good things came out of it … [but] two and a half years later, we've got multiple different kinds of vaccines, and the death rates have fallen to very minimal amounts. I'm not sure there's a rational argument for there still being a public health emergency,” Burnett said. “Unfortunately, it seems like nothing is more permanent than a temporary government policy. And that's why I'm concerned about emergency powers period being used in this way.” Burnett said he hopes the policy is taken to the Supreme Court and overturned.“Ithink it's government overreach, and it's certainly presidential overreach,” he said. “I don't know that it'll happen again. I don't think it should happen again. I don't think it should have happened in the first place.”
‘A holistic view’ With a PhD in molecular biology and biochemistry, Dr. Bradlee Heckmann knows firsthand how expensive professional degrees can be. “When I was an undergraduate student at UK, I had student loans that I had to take out and, of course, being in a professional degree program, you know, that gets expensive,” Heckmann said. “Most of the people that I know would have some level of student loans.”Heckmann graduated from UK in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, completing further training at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
Heckmann explained that this holistic approach can help people understand the general economic system that led to massive student loan debt in the first place. He said that interest rates on student loans are as high as interest rates on credit cards, knowing people who have taken out student loans with interest rates over 20%.Heckmann also described that over his collegiate and professional career, salaries in Kentucky have not increased at the same rate as Kentucky tuition.
“That is not fair to students who are trying to get their way through college to get an education to better themselves in their future family and status in life and contribute to society,” he said. If this policy had been announced when Heckmann was a student, he said, he would have seen it as “absolutely deserved.” However, he also said his views have changed as he matured, and especially in his position at USF, he now sees how student loans can be beneficial to higher education institutions.
Heckmann said he “see[s] both sides” of the debate over student loan forgiveness. He said he views the new policy as a way for students to better reward themselves for the work they put in through college. He also tied it to his own experience in medical programs, saying that people in scientific careers typically do not make significantly high incomes until 10 to 15 years after they graduate. “It can be so detrimental to a student that is so excited [that] they just graduated, and now they can't buy a house because of their student loan payment,” he said. “That's a struggle, right? When you're getting paid, you know, 30,000 to 40,000 dollars a year, and you have crushing student loan debt … that can be challenging. So … there's a nice gesture to those that have student loans and haven't paid them off.”However, Heckmann also said he understands those who are frustrated by the “Thoseprogram.thathave either not had to take out student loans or have taken them out and paid them off already, they don't benefit from this legislation,” he said. “It's a holistic view. When you look at this, there's multiple aspects that are both positive and negative.”
On top of that, Georgia at home is better than Georgia on the road, but imagining the 12year losing streak being snapped just seems unlikely this season.
Game 12: Kentucky ends the regular season at home for the annual Governor’s Cup battle against Louisville. The Cardinals do bring back quar terback Malik Cunningham who is expected to make a significant impact on their season, but Cunningham was also part of the 52-21 thrashing UofL suffered in Louisville last season. With the game being in Lexing ton, it’s hard to imagine Kentucky not retaining the Governor’s Cup, though the game should not be taken lightlySimilarregardless.toSouth Carolina or Mis sissippi State before it, Louisville is a game that Kentucky should win, but should doesn’t always mean will. With this particular matchup though, especially considering how much Levis bought into the feud last season, Kentucky should be victori ous.
With Tennessee returning redshirt senior quarterback Hendon Hooker, an early national player of the year candidate, the offense looks to pick up right where it left off one season prior.That doesn’t bode well for Ken tucky, which lost to Tennessee at home last season in a 45-42 shootout that was ultimately decided by a half time field goal. Take those factors and add the fact that the game is at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, in which Kentucky has only won once since 1984 and you’re left with a recipe for a gritty loss for a UK team with big ambitions.
State is a bit more of a wildcard.TheBulldogs defeated Kentucky in Starkville last season 31-17. Returning star quarterback Will Rogers is a big plus for MSU, though Kentucky has a returning star QB with the first name Will of their own in former Penn State transfer Will Le vis.Traditionally though, the series between Mississippi State and Ken tucky has been defined by who is home and away. The last road win against the oth er was by the Bulldogs in 2014, but since then the series has been 4-3 in favor of Mississippi State, with both teams winning every home game and losing every road game against each other.With signs pointing to Kentucky evening the score, it will be hard to imagine history doesn’t repeat itself. Expect both squads to continue passing wins back and forth like the world’s most random tennis match. Not an easy stretch necessarily, but Kentucky should go 2-0 in this stretch if all goes according to plan for head coach Mark Stoops. Game 8: Now the team arrives at a brick wall known as Neyland Stadium. The Volunteers have to be one of the, if not the toughest game Ken tucky has on its schedule this season.
The next two should both be wins for First,Kentucky.playing in its easiest road game of the season by far, Kentucky travels to Colombia, Missouri to challenge the Mizzou Tigers. While it should not be overlooked, the Missouri game is an ideal target for a standard road win for the Wild cats.
18 | kentucky kernel Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022 sports favored to win. Looking first at South Carolina, Kentucky conquered the Gamecocks in Colombia last season, though the team is not quite the same.
Conclusion: Kentucky’s schedule is not easy.Sure, there are harder one’s out there, but the Wildcats will have to maintain focus and be able to shift mindsets on a weekto-week basis if they hope to live up to the hype that surrounds the program.Kentucky has a floor of any where from 8-4 to 6-6 if it crum bles under the expectations, but the reality is probably closer to 9-3, with a ceiling of 11-1. Imagining Kentucky beating both Georgia and Tennessee on the road in the same season is the dream for many UK football fans, but mostly implausible to anyone outside of that bubble.
The Commodores did stomp the Hawai’i Warriors 63-10 in their first game of the season, but the truth of the matter is that Vandy is still not ready to be competitive in the SEC. Coming off a 2-10 season that saw the Commodores narrowly lose to Kentucky at home, the Wildcats should have little issue securing the win at home.
The game one season prior wasn’t extremely competitive as the Bull dogs stomped the then-undefeated Wildcats 30-13, but the matchup was also in Athens.
If a hard baseline prediction is required, 9-3 seems safe.
Game 11: This is it. This is what the entire season is building up to. Kentucky gets to challenge the reigning national champions at home, potentially for the SEC East as a whole assuming Tennessee is not in the Georgiaconversation.hasnot lost to Kentucky, home or away, since 2009, currently boasting a win streak of 12 over the Cats.The Bulldogs are the team to beat in the SEC East and if it wasn’t for Alabama, would be the team to beat in the SEC as a whole.
Apart from Missouri, Ken tucky has some tough road match ups this season and losing one or two against Florida, Ole Miss or Tennessee feels more like an in evitability than a worry.
Levis may have difficulties man aging junior defensive back Kris Abrams-Diane, but with a sturdy run game and other receivers to pass to, Kentucky should be alright.
USC brought in former Oklahoma prospect Spencer Rattler to start un der center, with the QB finishing last season with 1,438 yards, 11 touch downs and five interceptions in Nor man. He also ranked first in the Big 12 in completion percentage. The Gamecocks should not be taken lightly by any means, but Ken tucky is perfectly capable of getting the Mississippiwin.
As for whether or not Kentucky will break the streak and perhaps win the east, it’s hard to say.
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Next, returning home for the first time in two weeks, Kentucky gets the closest thing to an easy matchup as the SEC has to offer: Vanderbilt.
While Kentucky has the tools nec essary to defeat Ole Miss and Florida on the road, it’s hard to imagine the Cats winning in Knoxville. If Kentucky is somehow 7-0 en tering the Tennessee game, there’s a very good chance they leave it 7-1. Games 9-10:
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The difference in venue could mean the difference between a nice bowl appearance or a college football playoff appearance being on the table if Kentucky enters the game with one or fewer losses. That said, whether Kentucky is undefeated, has one loss or has more than one loss, it’s hard to predict it won’t have another one after Georgia comes to town.
receivers Dane Key and Barion Brown.Key is no stranger to the Wild cat offense, having grown up around the University of Kentucky. In high school, he was awarded the Paul Hor nung Kentucky Player of the Year Award along with recognition as one of the top 40 wide receivers in the na tion for the class of 2022.
Brown was also a consensus fivestar prospect out of Tennessee by the end of his high school career, finish ing his senior year with over 850 re ceiving yards and 10 touchdowns. He is known to be extremely quick and agile with the ball, with the star also having run track in highschool. With many new pieces mixing with some returning stars, the only question now is whether or not all of the new pieces will be able to mesh with a new system under a new offen sive coordinator.
the second there was the slight need of the job, Res-Life continuously decides to no longer care for or support their employees in every facet.”
big part because of Levis, but whether or not the lone offseason was enough is to be determined.
If Levis struggles with turnovers similar to how he did last season, it may not just cost Kentucky some games, but it may see the reputation of the offense as a whole take a hit. A collapse or even a fall back to a 7-5 season could do damage to Kentucky that is very hard to overcome.
place in the entire building where I am not working,” Baser said. Unlike Keown and Humphrey, Baser is finding himself dissatisfied with his living and workplace in that he is now quitting from the position. “As a student at the University of Kentucky within the office of Res-Life, we were consistently told that we were ‘People first, students seconds and RAs third,’” Baser said. “However,
National voters and non Wildcat fans will be significantly harder to convince of UK’s legitimacy if it falls short this year.That said, a successful season for the Cats that confirms the preseason ranking could provide a boost to the program that sees Kentucky eventually solidify itself as a national power in the same tier many regard teams like Florida, Michigan and Oklahoma.
kentucky kernel | Thursday,sports19Sept.1,2022
This season truly feels like it is do or die for Kentucky in regards to the status and reputation of the program. Kentucky football would not completely fall apart with a bad 2022, but it will be far more difficult for the Cats to gain respect amongst non fans in theAlternatively,future. Kentucky would also not be golden if it is successful in 2022, but a confirmation of its status as a preseason top 25 team would be instrumental in solidifying the Wildcats as here to There’sstay.alot more at stake than people may realize as the history of the 2022 football season begins being written this Saturday, but one thing is for certain: regardless of how it goes, it’ll surely be entertaining.
“Unless free housing is a necessity, as it was for me, I would encourage you to not apply for the RA position because your mental health is bound to suffer,” BaserBesidessaid. the resident-to-RA living situation, other residents are living in converted RA rooms. These rooms consist of a smaller living space, two twin beds in replace of the original full-XL and a smaller sink and vanity according to Keown.
Following the team’s scrimmage in the spring, Scangarello commented that he believes Key has what it takes to take his game to the NFL one day. Key is far from the only freshman who has been raved about before even playing a snap in a college game, as Brown also comes to Kentucky after being ranked the No. 2 wide receiver nationally in the class of 2022.
“These rooms have no walls separating the beds and is basically a large shared living space with a bathroom,” Keown said. Keown has two of her residents sharing one of the converted spaces but says the “honeymoon phase” is still in effect, and conflicts have been minimal.
Levis is sure to be a thrilling quarterback to watch regardless, as he was entertaining last season as well. But with early draft boards predicting him as a high first round talent, there’s worry amongst some fans that he may have become a little overrated.
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In addition to having to work almost 40 hours a week (exceeding the mandatory four hours for the position), work night shifts and room with a resident, Baser said he no longer finds the position worth it. He said he also feels Res-Life disregards the mental health and well-being of their RAs.
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