The Kentucky football team has the weekend off, a second bye week in the 2024 season. The Cats will use this week to do a couple of things that are very important to head coach Mark Stoops – getting healthy and getting reps for young players.

Kentucky has dealt with a rash of injuries this season. In Saturday’s loss at Tennessee, the Cats were without a number of standout players, including defensive back Maxwell Hairston, linebacker D’Eryk Jackson and running back Chip Trayanum. Against the Vols, a couple of other UK players were injured, including starting quarterback Brock Vandagriff. Stoops knows that getting players healthy this week is crucial.

“Trying to get the other guys healthy,” Stoops said. “The team that we have, the ones that are healthy, we’re just trying to get better.”

The UK staff is also allowing some of the younger players to get reps in practice this week.

“Definitely. We always, even early in the year, when we’re in a little better shape physically, there’s always a balance of making sure we’re developing the young guys and getting them ready for the future,” Stoops said. “A lot of players may double up and play special teams, we may use them in some roles but they’re not getting all of the ones and twos reps. So during each bye week, we try to give them more reps and they’re certainly getting that.”

One player that Stoops was asked about following Wednesday’s practice is true freshman quarterback Cutter Boley.

“He’s an option. I’d like to see him, like I’d like to see a lot of the young guys,” Stoops said. “Any game reps you can get somebody, especially at the quarterback position, is important. But we want to go look good, build on what we’ve done and get better. You watch him every day and you see the talent, in seven on seven, you see the talent. Getting in there in a game, getting him a feel and getting him some reps in a high intensity environment.”

The Cats will also use part of this week to begin preparations for the final three games of the season. UK plays Murray State on Nov. 16, followed by games against Texas and Louisville. Kentucky must win all three of those games to extend its streak of eight consecutive on-field bowl games. Stoops believes the streak is important.

“I take pride in that,” Stoops said. “It’s not as easy as people think. Just look at the number of people have done it.”

However, Stoops knows that his team must focus on the task at hand.

“Our current situation is what it is. We can’t look ahead,” Stoops said. “For us, it’s one game at a time. Right now, it’s concentration on this bye week. I know that fans think about big picture and future and so do I. I have to. But right now, it’s about this team getting better, getting healthy and getting better, trying to go get a win and finish really strong, one game at a time.”

For now, the Cats are focused on getting healthy, developing young players and looking to finish strong.