Kentucky
Kentucky vs Southern Miss score today: Live updates, highlights from Week 1 game
Why Wilson Berry will be Kentucky football’s punter for the season opener
Kentucky football special teams coach Jay Boulware talked to the media after practice on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. Boulware said Wilson Berry will be the punter for Saturday’s opener against Southern Miss. Aidan Laros is also challenging for the job.
McClatchy – Lexington Herald-Leader
LEXINGTON — Story lines abound for Kentucky football heading into Saturday’s 2024 opener against Southern Miss.
Brock Vandagriff, a transfer from Georgia, will make his first-ever start as a collegian after winning the Wildcats’ starting quarterback job. Bush Hamdan is in Game 1 as UK’s offensive coordinator. And Kentucky coach Mark Stoops acknowledged earlier this week he hasn’t forgotten the last time Southern Miss came to town: The Golden Eagles rallied from a 25-point deficit to hand the Wildcats a 44-35 loss in the 2016 opener.
Watch Kentucky football vs Southern Miss live on Fubo (free trial)
Despite all the focus on the UK offense with Hamdan and Vandagriff making their debuts Saturday, it’s the defense that might make this fall a special one for the program. Led by sixth-year coordinator Brad White, the defense returns 10 starters from last season. None more important than Deone Walker, a likely first-round pick in next year’s NFL draft.
After reaching a bowl every year since 2016 (though the 2021 season’s Citrus Bowl appearance has been vacated due to NCAA violations), Kentucky hopes to take the next step this fall and work its way into College Football Playoff contention in the first season of the 12-team format.
That journey begins Saturday night at Kroger Field.
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
- Time: 7:45 p.m.
- Location: Kroger Field
- TV channel: SEC Network
- Streaming: Fubo (free trial)
- Radio: UK Sports Network (840 AM in Louisvillel 630 AM and 98.1 FM in Lexington)
Kentucky vs. Southern Miss will be broadcast nationally on SEC Network. Tom Hart and Jordan Rodgers will call the game from the booth at Kroger Field, with Cole Cubelic reporting from the sidelines. Streaming options for the game include FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
- Series record: Kentucky leads, 3-1
- Kentucky’s last win: 2017 (24-17)
- Southern Miss’ last win: 2016 (44-35)
Kentucky 34, Southern Miss 10: The Golden Eagles added numerous players from power conferences via the transfer portal during the offseason. Those additions won’t be nearly enough to send Kentucky to a season-opening loss, however, as coach Mark Stoops and Co. begin the 2024 campaign 1-0.
Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Saturday:
- Spread: Kentucky is a 24 ½-point favorite at home
- Over/under: 50
- Moneyline: Kentucky, -5000; Southern Miss, +1800
Kentucky has its share of players dealing with injuries. Presumed starting running back Chip Trayanum is out with a hand injury. A trio of UK defensive linemen (Josaih Hayes, Tavion Gadson and Darrion Henry-Young) are out indefinitely. Kentucky offensive lineman Courtland Ford also will miss an extended period of time.
The high is 94 degrees with thunderstorms and an 92% chance of rain in the forecast.
- Aug. 31: Southern Miss ∣ 7:45 p.m.
- Sept. 7: South Carolina ∣ 3:30 p.m
- Sept. 14: Georgia ∣ 7:30 p.m.
- Sept. 21: Ohio ∣ 12:45 p.m.
- Sept. 28: at Ole Miss ∣ Noon
- Oct. 12: Vanderbilt
- Oct. 19: at Florida
- Oct. 26: Auburn
- Nov. 2: at Tennessee
- Nov. 16: Murray State ∣ 1:30 p.m.
- Nov. 23: at Texas
- Nov. 30: Louisville
Record: 0-0
Buy Kentucky football tickets this season with StubHub
- Aug. 31: at Kentucky
- Sept. 7: Southeastern Louisiana
- Sept. 14: USF
- Sept. 21: at Jacksonville State
- Oct. 5: Louisiana
- Oct. 12: at Louisiana Monroe
- Oct. 19: Arkansas State
- Oct. 26: at James Madison
- Nov. 9: Marshall
- Nov. 16: at Texas State
- Nov. 23: South Alabama
- Nov. 30: at Troy
Record: 0-0
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
Kentucky
Cyclospora parasite cases in Kentucky, health officials warn
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Health officials are warning residents about a rise in Cyclospora cases, a parasite that causes an intestinal illness known as cyclosporiasis and can leave people sick for weeks.
The Kentucky Department for Public Health reported 67 cases between June 14 and July 2 — nearly double the approximately 35 cases the state typically sees in an entire year. While cases normally rise in the spring and summer months, Kentucky is among several states seeing a larger-than-typical increase.
Cases likely undercounted, health official says
Cassie Prather of the Woodford County Health Department said the reported numbers are likely an undercount.
“At this point, we have an underreported number of cases because a lot of people will deal with this and their immune system can kick it in a few days,” Prather said. “For those with a suppressed immune system it can lead to quick dehydration or even a hospital visits if they’re dealing with symptoms that don’t go away for 3-5 days.”
How the parasite spreads
People can become infected after eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Fresh produce has been linked to outbreaks in the United States, but the CDC says it is still working to pinpoint the cause of the current increase.
Symptoms and timeline
Symptoms often begin about a week after exposure but can appear as soon as two days or more than two weeks later. The most common symptom is watery diarrhea. People may also experience stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue, bloating, and weight loss. Symptoms can last weeks and sometimes return after improving.
“You’re going to endure stomach cramps, nausea, sometimes you can have a low-grade fever with that,” Prather said.
Prevention guidance
Public health experts urge people to follow food-safety guidelines to reduce the risk of cyclosporiasis and other intestinal illnesses. That includes washing hands with soap and water before and after handling raw fruits and vegetables, and refrigerating cut, peeled, or cooked fruits and vegetables within two hours.
Health officials say people whose symptoms last more than a few days, keep returning, or cause signs of dehydration should contact a healthcare provider for evaluation and possible testing.
Copyright 2026 WKYT. All rights reserved.
Kentucky
Kentuckians deserve honesty about McConnell’s health | Letters
What is going on with Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell’s health?
The 84-year-old senator is still hospitalized after nearly three weeks, according to staff. Staff members still have not said why he was admitted.
Like many Kentuckians, I have been following the recent questions surrounding Senator Mitch McConnell’s health and ability to carry out the responsibilities of his office. Every elected official deserves privacy regarding personal medical matters. But when legitimate questions arise about an officeholder’s ability to serve, the public deserves transparency.
Unlike the presidency, the Constitution provides no mechanism for addressing the incapacity of a sitting member of Congress. That makes accountability even more important. At a time when every vote and committee decision can have significant consequences, Kentucky cannot afford uncertainty about whether one of its two senators is fully able to represent the Commonwealth.
Governor Beshear, Senator Rand Paul and Kentucky’s six members of the U.S. House should insist on transparency on behalf of their constituents. Kentuckians deserve an honest assessment of whether Senator McConnell is able to fulfill the duties of the office to which he was elected.
If he is well enough to continue serving, that should be communicated clearly. Weeks of unanswered questions are not fair to Senator McConnell, nor are they fair to the people he was elected to serve. I hope my fellow Kentuckians will join me in urging our elected officials to be transparent and put the interests of Kentucky first.
— Kate Caverno, 40245
Kentucky
US 51 Cairo bridge to remain closed for period of time
By West Kentucky Star staff
Jul. 07, 2026 | 10:07 PM
| PADUCAH
The US 51/Cairo Bridge will remain closed for a period of time.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced Tuesday the connector between Wickliffe and Cairo was closed Monday as crews conducted a special inspection and identified a problem with a bearing pad on the Kentucky approach.
A bearing pad shifted out of place, causing the bridge deck to become misaligned by approximately two to three inches at an expansion joint. A repair is needed.
Bearing pads function like cartilage between joints, supporting steel beams while accommodating the bridge’s natural expansion and contraction.
There are no concerns about the bridge’s overall structural integrity.
The repair will require crews to lift a heavy section of the bridge deck to replace the bearing pad. State engineers are working with the contractor and design team to finalize a repair plan as quickly as possible.
There is currently no estimated timeline for reopening the bridge. Motorists should continue to use alternate routes and expect the bridge to remain closed until the necessary repairs have been completed.
-
Business3 minutes ago
Commentary: Trump wants to let companies make fewer disclosures, thus keeping investors in the dark
-
Entertainment10 minutes agoJustin Baldoni and wife break silence after ‘It Ends With Us’ legal battle with Blake Lively
-
Lifestyle12 minutes agoA meal with an animated Mona Lisa? Immersive dining goes high tech — but will L.A. eat it up?
-
Politics18 minutes agoNexstar launches its first digital subscription service with The Hill Insider, aimed at political junkies
-
Science25 minutes ago
Not everyone is leaving California. A new commercial battery maker just landed in Sacramento
-
Sports28 minutes agoMookie Betts’ eighth-inning single gives Dodgers the win over the Rockies
-
World40 minutes ago
From sewers to swimming sites: how Europe's cities reclaim their rivers
-
News1 hour agoThree more people charged with damaging Reflecting Pool after Trump’s multimillion-dollar restoration | CNN Politics