Hello, already to the facilities of the iHeartMedia Megaplex. This is Dick Gabriel. This is the inaugural state wide edition of The Big Blue Insider, Aaron Gershawan and Billy Rutledge alongside the kick off the Kentucky football season. It is going to be one like no other. You already know why. You've already heard Mark Stoops talking about it, and Logan Stenberg, Christy Thomas, Keith Farmer, Darren Hedrick and we will chop it up as well coming up here on the state
wide edition of the BBI Border to Border. It is the Big Blue Insider. Dick Gabriel, Aeron Gershaw and Billy Rutliss. We got the band back together. I missed a few weeks last year. I had a good excuse, got a visit from doctor Bonesaw, but Billy and Aaron held things down. But we finished. We finished the year strong and we expect to get out early this year. Let me throw
this at both of you and Aaron. You were at the news conference today and Billy you listened to sound bites from the Stoops press conference, and of course he was on tonight with Tom Leach. Somebody asked stoops today about all the excitement surrounding the team this year, And I got to be honest with you, I think Kentucky fans are kind of holding a lot of that in the bands right now, Aaron. I think they're just it's
a real wait and see. Not only back to back seven and six seasons, which, believe it or not, in the big plaination now was disappointing, but also there's just there's just so many unknowns, starting with the schedule and the QB and the new OC and all that stuff. You get talking to your mic, it's right over.
There with a turnover here, little rusty, aren't you the producer? Little rusty on me?
Sure?
Just used to podcasting at home and not just talking to the headphones. Sorry about that, but I would say, yeah, I think it's the schedule. I mean, you're gonna know kind of the trajectory of this season in three weeks, right, if they lose the South Carolina, Oh boy, if then it's too late, Yeah, it's already probably.
Oh it's great.
It might be over next week if they lose, But besides the point, now we'll see what happens. But if they go too and one play Georgia pretty tight. You feel pretty good. The fans are back in it. If you somehow start three and oh, the fans are all the way in it. You start two and one, lousy win over South Carolina like close game, we'll wait more,
wait and see. So I think it's really the schedule, And like you said, two seven and six seasons, which would have been celebrated this time six seven years ago, that's just now. The fan base expects more and it is a wait and see mode, and there's a lot of new pieces. A lot of people just don't know what to expect, honestly.
Yeah, and piggybacking on that, I don't know what to expect from Brock Vandergriff. I heard he doesn't cuss. I heard he has a cell phone clip that he wears and he likes to shoot deer. Besides that, I don't know much about the guy.
Oh, those pluses are minus well, I.
Think summer pluses.
I couldn't pull off the cell phone clips, so yeah, it more power to him. I also don't know who's going to be playing a lot of running back.
I guess it's d DSK DKs, one of those two there.
Yeah, and He's been serviceable in the past, but you've expected Chip train him to be there, and now he's got a broken hand. And if he misses that South Carolina game, kind of like Aaron said, you lose that game, the trajectory of the season really changes. So, you know, cautiously optimistic is the term I've used a couple of times now. But you know, I think people are in Kentucky are still excited to get this thing going.
And plus they're going to see.
Those new lights on that night game versus Southern miss and that's going to bring even more excitement.
Yeah. And I think that people who follow this program for so long they know now that it's okay to get excited because they have a right to get excited. You know, even if their team only wins seven. I think eight games, eight wins is a great season this year.
Nine eight is a great season.
Nine you're flirting with the playoffs, yes, right, yes, ending on your nine depending on your wins.
Yeah, exactly, and assuming that everyone stacks up how they're supposed to.
I got a chance to go to the scrimmage two saturdays back, and then the agreement is you don't report on what you see but all I will say about Demi Sumacarmby is just having seen him there and in the pub a practice where you were aaron, get him in space, you're gonna like what you see. Yeah, because he is fast, he's nimble, he's a good broken field and open field runner. He's not chip training, but that's why they went in and got chip trained.
And when they used you know, when NC State used Simil Karmbay is a traditional back in twenty two average five and a half yards from marry and a couple of yards after contact. So you know, the hope is he can discover that last year Mark Stoops either I think he said on the radio show, like last year they were they were the numbers that wide receiver weren't there and they needed help there, so they put them
in the slot. This year, numbers at running back aren't there, so he's gonna be playing his natural position.
Here's another thing I don't know, another offensive coordinator, is this the sixth the one under Mark Stoops?
Are they going to continue to run the ball to.
Do so much?
Or four and four years technically?
Right? Yeah?
Four and four years if you counting him twice, right, I would definitely count it.
So as much as we.
Talked about Stoops being the elder statesman and a symbol of continuity in the SEC, you also have some issues there. Eighth receivers coach, eighth receivers coach, something like that. Brad White, I think took some heat at the end of the year for the way that they played defense.
But they've also death second.
Yeah, so we'll see, I mean, we'll see if these guys have changed or if we're going to see the same old Kentucky back out there again.
And I don't want to see another seven and sixth season.
Well who does well?
I think some things well.
Some people say that that used to be good for Kentucky.
Did not trust me, look at me, look look at this gray hair. That used to be good. That was the cause for parties and parades and talk of a statue of Mark Stewson that he's but somebody I didn't. I didn't. I think Freddy I heard Freddy Magers say this first. But he'll tell you didn't invent it. But he didn't just raise the ceiling. He raised the floor, you know, I mean it used to be six wins. I can't tell you. And this is before you got
here admittally. That's what makes it interesting. How long have you been to this.
Mart Lexington specifically since twenty nineteen and in Kentucky, uh, well since like eight.
But because you went to Western Kentucky, right, did you hear much talk about UK back then?
Not as much?
Right?
No? Not basketball down.
Plus that was the toward the end of the rich Brooks era and then Joker everything kind of fell apart. But my point is that when you got to Kentucky, when you especially when you got to Lexington, UK football right and higher when you got to Louisville, I should say, you know. And so now you have every right as someone who follows UK football to be unhappy with a seven and six record because that's not the standard. It's not.
And look at who Kentucky's brought in. I mean, they've got an All American at linebacker, Yeah, from Georgia. They have Georgia's backup quarterback, they had Ohio States running back. I mean these are I mean, these are crazy programs that you're getting players from.
So I think naturally expectations should be higher.
Does anybody worked the portal as well or better than stoops?
Not many, not many. I mean, obviously can argue some of the top Alabamas and Ohio states of the world, but just no, I mean Mark Stoops. The percentage guys that have hit as much higher than the guys who have busted out of the portal. Like I can name just a handful of bus off the top of my hand, and I could go through ten to fifteen.
I think they they fill their needs as well as they do it, and they might not be the greatest talent, but they feel their.
Needs and I think they did it again this off season. The guys Billy mentioned. I think Jamary Macklin's a guy just because you have Barryon Brown and Dan Keyes flying under the radar a little bit.
Uh.
Dj Waller, I think is the guy they really liked. He just hasn't been healthy or consistent. They loved. When a guy's not doing exactly what they want, they always mention consistency, and he's kind of in that in that boat.
Is that the code word?
I think that Jeff German and I were talking about that at a practice last week, like, all right, if we hear this guy needs to be more consistent, they're not quite ready for fully unleashing. That's like the Jamarian Wilcox every time he was brought up the last couple of weeks, it's been consistency low Behold. Though Mark Sus didn't make a comment heul play he wasn't on the death start today.
Well, to me, that simply means there's some plays he's.
Just not very good, you know. I mean, that's that's fair. Oh yeah, it's not a knock on any of them. But when when you hear those that word from Bradley Mark Stukes rush hand and that's usually, yeah, we're not totally sold dead. If they don't use that word or they say they are being consistent, like Fred Ferrier is the guy that keeps saying is making a play every practice, they feel good about that.
In fact, it's not just the coaches, it's the other receivers talking.
Out the receivers. Yes, and corners, Oh yeah, in the corners.
Who's giving you trouble? Fred Ferrier? Billy, you mentioned Brad White and yeah he did take some heat and it wasn't just him. It was stoops down the stretch in the bowl game. But all they did was underscore what happens when your best d backs get hurt and leave the game, but it also underscored their lack of depth because nobody back there really could make a play. They weren't in a position though they had him playing soft coverage in the ball game, but they had opportunities to
make plays. So now you have to wonder, especially, I think it's safety. You know, do they have enough depth back there because they've got to rotate them. I think as good as the defense looks right now, I think that's a question mark, sure.
And the secondary's best friend is a good pass rush, and they should have plenty of that this year, right, So, I mean, I think you got to be optimistic about that, and you completely change your perception on the end of last year if they would have got to the quarterback a couple seconds sooner, and you know, maybe that debacle doesn't happen.
So it's a little give and take there.
But you know what, Maxwell Harrison ain't going to have that many interceptions again this year because you know, when a defensive back gets good, they don't throw it towards that defensive back, right, So I just don't think he'll have the same opportunities to lead the sec and interceptions. But I mean him and Dion you got to think probably two first round picks on this defense, right.
You would think if he does follow up that way, And yeah, you could if you're playing and a man and they're good enough to play man, you can put Harriston on the other team's best receiver. But to your point, you know, if they see Maxwell over there, they're gonna look elsewhere. He's not Dean Sanders, but he's gifted.
Yeah, and that's why and Mark SUPs suction it both in the press conference in this radio show today. They got to figure out who that guy across the field is going to be. I mean, I know they're gonna try to rotate guys out and they're still evaluating. You got to find a true cornerback too. You've got to find a guy that you feel comfortable down in and down out across the field. That's when we've seen Kentucky at their best. Honestly, we've seen him at their best
with three or four deep. But you look twenty eighteen, you had Bady and Lonnie always out there, and then Chris Westker you playing a lot as well. Nineteen the year after that, Cedric Dort played a lot. Trying to think Brandon Eckles was outstanding for two years. Here trying to think of the other corner on that team, Pologuice, whoever that is. I can't think off the top of what in Kelvin Joseph.
You no, that was the year after they were gonna say Kelvin Joseph is now walking through that door.
Right, Yeah, So you got to find someone, whether it's j Q, Hardaway, Jansen, Dunn, DJ Waller, to step up as that CB two. I think that that would unlock the entire defense because.
Even as good or as well I should say, as the defense might play, the schedule is going to challenge them every week. And I've said all summer long on my show. I don't know about you, but to me, it's the calendar. I mean, it's not the teams they're playing, and it's formidable. You've got Ole miss rolling on, You've got Texas rolling on. But it's when they play them. As Aaron just mentioned, second week, you've got South Carolina. There's no easing into it by playing East Nowhere State
and Georgia right after. That could be a good thing, could be a bad thing, but you you better be ready.
Yeah, I mean, if you want to put yourself in the playoff consideration. You've got to win at Ole Miss, You've got to win at Texas, You've got to beat Tennessee, something.
You haven't done a lot of in the last three decades.
I mean, you've got to take care of business and win at Florida. And if you're talking about schedules, they've got probably the hard.
Oh my gosh. Ever, yeah, I think so, though maybe Florida State's not as good as we thought.
But that's just the new SEC, though, is it not.
I mean, and I mean you've still got to take care of business against Louisville, who just had their best season in decades and had the number one I think transfer portal class this year, so that's never easy. I think that went over Louisville kind of dictated how you looked at the season last year.
Not just did Louisville have the number one, but it had it might have had the biggest. They have like twenty five kids.
Yeah, they're kind of the portal they're like ditching the high school recruit not quite, but they're taking very small high school numbers and being there a portal program and that works for something play it worked. It's working wonders in Old Miss. Now we'll see if it works for them.
I will say one benefit of the schedule is that you do get some non conference games later in the year, so it's not just a gauntlet of all SEC games. I think you get into a stretch of when you've got to play all those in a row and the last two you're beat up. I mean, there's no other way around it. So I think I actually like that they're getting into conference play a little bit sooner. But man, they lose that game versus down South Carolina team week two at home, when you're already two and six.
I didn't think they were that good lass South Carolina.
And the thing about South Carolina last year, they at least they had a first round and bide receiver and Zavil that he basically.
Beat Kentucky, and they had a decent quarterback.
Sure they don't have. Well this year, they have a quarterback just like Kentucky's never started before, even is less experience than Rock Vander Griffin. Two. If you look at their wide receiver rooms, they're all either fcs or group of five transfers. They don't have a single experience. Our five guy in that room.
By the way, Billy were talking about u of L. And I went on a trip up east up to Saratoga with some friends and my brother and their U of L fans, and I went to school there. They could not stand their quarterback last year, and I'd watch them every now and then, I know this guy's met oops. You know, he make a play and then he make a mistake, and that's what he did against Kentucky. But
they flat out did not like him. But evidently the kid they're going to start this year is a seven to You're a guy.
Who has never made it through a full season healthy.
Yeah.
Once. I don't think he's played more than seven.
That's why they my friends are are just a little confused about what they're looking at. But on the other hand, preseason way too soon. Top twenty five's Top thirties, Top fifties have UFL way ahead of Kentucky. But I think that's the mystery factor, don't you, Because of the new QB, the new OC and coming off a Bowl game loss.
Yeah, And I think Jeff Brom is the darling of the media. I love myself little.
Jeff Brom proudly Trinity Shamrock that.
In Western Kentucky hilltop or conference championships back to back years.
But it's also a rivalry game.
And even though Kentucky I believe is won the last five, it's you got to throw that out the window to a degree. I know these guys like to get up for that game. I even saw Mark Pope throwing L's down in a video.
I was surprised by that. He said, no horns down last year? Remember that?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure did so.
I don't know, we'll see, but you've got to take care of business away before that Louisville game.
We'll take a break, come back and talk more Kentucky football. The opener is right on top of us. It's a state wide edition of the BBI. Stay with us from Pike Lie to Paduca. It is the Big Blue and Sider Dick Gabriel, Billy rud Lyitch Aeron Gershan. Of course, talking about Kentucky football is the Wildcats kicked things off on Saturday. Well here on most of these same stations, the Wildcats and Southern Miss. And yeah, they've got a
history these two teams. Were you there during the comeback year before year before you got the campus year here was.
The they won in Hattiesburg.
Okay, uh, I don't have to mind you folks that yes, Southern miss came in and it was we thought the launching of the Drew Barker era when the Wildcats just ran and threw all over.
Have you done research on the I've watched the game, Oh have you?
Yeah?
All right, well do you know the numbers off the top of your head.
For all of the numbers, but they it looked like Tim Couch. The first half was thirty five points. Yeah, yeah, Well they had got outscored twenty seven zip a second half.
I don't know what was worse.
Shannon Dawson revenge game.
He had fired Shannon Dawson Soups had just because he wasn't Stoops, wasn't comfortable with that offense. It was a jail break offense. And Shannon Dawson said all the right things, you know, we want to balance, we want to run the ball, blah blah blah. He was at a function with a buddy of mine in the off season and it was late in the evening, if you know what I'm saying, And at one point he said to my buddy,
I would throw it on every down if I could. Uh, And that's the way he called plays at Southern Miss, wasn't it?
Man? He had an NFL quarterback in news.
They sure did. But yeah, I don't, I don't. I just remember watching that game unfold, thinking how is this happening? How is Kentucky not moving the ball? And how is Southern Miss dicing them up? But yeah, and then the following year to your point one, Yeah, but and it was the debut for Josh Pascal's when they had the Megahito ended up in the NFL for a little while, and Pascal destroyed him inside the five yard line. So yeah, these teams go back and forth. You might have. Yeah,
I think you do. That's a good good memories.
They're also getting paid, right, Southern Miss gets paid to play Kentucky.
Oh sure, Remember this game was supposed to be an act. Remember remember the whole.
I think I think Southern Miss is getting paid by both Kentucky and Ohio State.
Yes, because they were supposed to go to Ohio State and Kentucky was supposed to be playing at Accron.
That seems odd that you got to pay opponent like Southern Miss because they're not like low level.
The sun Belt.
You pay every knock came, do.
You every knock? Of course, there's no benefit for the other team. I guess to play.
Money, that's the benefit. It helps their budget.
And they take a loss most of the time usually.
But as we found out, what ten years ago, you don't have to take app State found.
That New Mexico State wouldn't beat Auburn last year.
And that's true. But yeah, it's uh. And I remember Rob Mullen, who's now the AD at Oregon, was the deputy here for a few years under Mitch Barnard, and he once told me, he said, the non conference team such as Southern miss or Ekau or whoever comes in and doesn't return a game, said, they have us over a barrel, and they know it because schools like Kentucky are like really any Power five school or is it Power four? Now they need these games and the other
schools know it. So I come in here, take your l and have a nice check. Here's fifty thousand. Now that's not going to do it anymore. You used to be fifty grand, and now what.
Is it mill?
Close to a million? That's right. So that's the cost of doing business. But as I said, I've said one hundred times. The day Mitch Barnard told me he has to keep an eye on the price of jet fuel, I'm like what he said. I've got teams flying charters
all over the country. And I remember Delta Airlines got out of the charter business for a couple of years, and every team that flew Delta charters scrambled to find another airline to fly, not just their football teams, but all the teams that were used to chartering and all these other outline airlines that weren't used to chartering. They had the teams over a barrel.
So how does like USC and U C, l A and Stanford survive in the Big ten?
In the ACC they.
Took massive losses and that's why they're changing conferences. Remember we talked about it when you were on my show, when you coasted my show about how poor a job that PAC twelve was doing, right and their commissioner was doing. The teams those teams you asked about were hemorrhaging money. And the Big Ten came to the Rescue TV deal. Yeah, buddy, that's gonna pay for all your jet fuel.
It's gonna pay for it better for all your sports, all your secondary sports too, that have to travel to New.
Jersey and played the US on a Tuesday night.
First thing Aaron said about being an East Coast kid, about all those schools that have to come into its Piscataway.
Right, Scatoway, New Jersey.
Yeah, and now you come from your stomping grounds.
Talking Big twelve. Yeah, yeah, they'll conference matches of Arizona and Arizona State. Super about Boston Conference at Stanford. The conference travels, you know, but they they let it happen.
Well, how about Florida State sue in the conference because they can't get out and then they lose to Georgia.
About that? Did you watch any of that game? Yeah?
Most of it.
I watched the whole thing. Florida State cuts right through I'm like, gonna be a long day in Dublin, and then in Georgia Tech comes back yep and cuts right through Florida State. I thought, Okay, this will be interesting.
Florida's off Florida State, rather they're off into line was yeah, and dj or they didn't trust them. They didn't let him throw.
I couldn't he was on, That's true, but actually I thought he was. I thought he played better than the kid from Georgia Tech. The quarterback he had been a Texas Texas A and M or Texas A and M and then one other spot of course, but made big plays when he had to and that was that was just it was fun.
It was fun.
It was fun. And yeah, Florida State. But then again, when you lose ten players, ten players to the NFL, it's hard to say, yeah, we're gonna be better this year.
Is that what happened to Florida?
Say?
Yep, yeah, ten Well I.
Know they made the league, but they ended up in camps. Yeah yeah, well, not to mention the kids had quit before the bowl game.
The whole team basically, so whole team. I mean the quarterback that Kentucky's going to play Saturday quit before the bowl game. Tate Road to Maker, that's true.
That's who Southern Missus quarterback.
Is, right, Yeah, Florida. He beat Florida Swamp last year and then he got a concussion, missed the Aces' championship game, and then he hit the portal.
All right, we're going to step out and come back and talk with Jeff Pecorro of the UK Sports Network. You already heard from Logan Stenberg and Christy And now Jeff's going to chime in. He's got his preseason TV special in the can at WTVQ, so we'll find out what's on his mind. Dick Gabriel, Eron Gershawn Billy Rutledge on the state Wide BBI from Border to Border It
is the Big Blue Insider or state Wide Edition. Dick Gabriel, Billy Rutledge, Eron Gershan joined now by a member of the UK Radio network who is in his Jeff, is this your third decade now? Is that right? Jeff pecorro Man, you're old. It's only my thirty fifth year on the network, so uh for me? By ten you were alongside today when Mark stoop spoke. Did anything jump off that podium at you or was it basically business as usual with the UK coach?
Yeah? I just think that, you know, Mark plays it so close to the best, you know, it's kind of hard to hard to tell he doesn't. I think that he's cautiously optimistic. Is that a good word to you? Okay? Well good, Yeah, I just so don't see him getting up there going this is the best team I've ever had. You know, our defense is going to be now if we did, you know, someone scores fourteen points on us, I'll be upset. Yeah, that's just not him.
You know what coach is though, especially in the SEC.
Spurrier was.
That's very well, at least when they were playing Kentucky.
Keep trying to score on us.
You you presented uh preseason, specially on WDTVQ over the weekend. Was there anything in particular that you guys highlighted in your show that you needed to share with your Well, yeah, that's true too. You can at the garage. I mean, uh, did you lean into any particular topic more than any other?
Uh? Yeah, Aaron's attire. I thought that was I thought that was pretty good. Right.
What was I wearing that day?
A T shirt?
Right now?
Well?
It was it wasn't like a graphic T shirt. It was like from old Navy. It was more more like more work business casual.
Okay, I bet you hit the wide receivers.
Have khaki shorts on that day.
No. I really think if if you want to, you know, if you're going to say, what do we got to look at this year? I think that in all honesty, it's it's the offensive line, now the defensive line is deep, the linebackers are deep, the receivers are deep, the tight ends are deep. But I still think that the offensive line is the question mark. I really do. I mean, you, you've got two guys coming in and that you are banking on being starters from the get go. Yeah, that
are transfers. And you know, this is a weird world we're in now with this transfer portal, but it's gonna be really interesting to see how they mesh with the guys that are there. I like Malachi. I think that Malachi is put on great weight. You know, they're not gonna be the Courtland Ford's not gonna play. He's still banged up. I don't know what it is, but coach said that today. But to me, that's that's the biggest
question mark, is the offensive line. And I don't think it's gonna I don't think it's gonna be a problem this Saturday, but certainly the next two weeks after that, I think it's gonna you know, we're gonna find out just how good they are.
Jeff, it's another year, it's another new quarterback from the transfer portal, and it's another new offensive coordinator for Kentucky's what's the biggest difference that we're gonna see on the field from Bush Hampden's offense to what we saw with Liam and and Rich in the past.
Well, I think the biggest thing is that it's simply the COMM system that they use now. So the plays are going to get in quicker. I mean even with Liam. I mean it was really dragged out with Ganguerello, but even with Liam there's a lot of verbiage, and that verbage has to be relayed twice and that just takes a while. But now you know, the COMM system is the players have it in their house or the quarterback and the linebacker has it in their helmet and at
fifteen seconds it turns off. But in that twenty five second, so coach could tell you a lot. You know, hey, look they've been playing this. They're playing you know whatever, a Tampa two, they're playing a three DP whatever. Look for this guy in this play. Blah blah blah blah blah. And it's just a lot quicker. So they'll be able to get more plays. Now. They're going to be Tennessee, They're not going to be sprinting up to the ball
and stuff like that. But you're going to see. I would say that if they don't break fifty five plays every game and then there's a problem.
Jeff flipping over the other side of the ball. How comfortable you're with that? We were talking about it earlier here and Mark Stubs hasn't exactly I wouldn't say given a boat of confidence, but isn't pessimistic either. But how do you feeling about that second cornerback spot across the field from Max?
Well, I think that it's gonna be like, man, you better be ready because if they those thirty passes, twenty eight of them are going to come your way.
That's right, you know.
I think whoever that is is going to be you know, you call it an island, but I really think that diff Brad will have probably shade that way. Maybe play a guy over the top to that side. You know, I'm not saying that that Max Is is Dion Sanders or anything like that, but he's really good and he's he's Heck, you remember last year he played half the season with the cast on. It's still had what five interceptions, So I think he's a ballhawk. He's he goes after
the ball like a receiver does. He doesn't play it like a defensive back. So I think the other corner is gonna at tested until they prove that they can stand up to the sec receivers they're going to be facing. They got good size. I mean, Jake, Jake, Jake Q Hardaway, Yep, thank you. I'm trying to think of as GQ or Jay. You know, they've got good size. And that's one thing that Stoops has done since he got here. And Dick will tell you, guys, I think this is the funniest
story of ever with Stoops. Is the first the first practice, he gets out there and he's talking to Neil Brown and and talking about how smallest receivers are. And then he goes over to the defensive side and uh, he's talking to Steve Brown. Was it Steve Brown? Whoever the defensive back coach was, And he says, where the safeties it's usually safeties are bigger than quarterbacks, right, and he goes, uh,
he goes, yeah, coach, this is it. He goes where like the varsity guys, He's like, this is what we got. He's like, oh my god, we got get some We got to get some size, you know, because they were all.
I remember, Jeff when they brought in Chris Westry. He was six three, Yeah, you know, and it was up in the NFL for a little while, so you just don't see that very often. But yeah, he said, he told Vince maryl we got to get longer and more athletic, and they did that. As we talked with Jeff picaor or the UK radio network. Uh so we're seeing that in the secondary and the other thing too, Jeff, I get to thinking last year I think we all did
about Hairston. Was he was in for like one play the year beforeenty two and got roasted.
Yep.
And it reminded you of the Tennessee game when Tennessee attacked Carrington Valentine h three or four years ago and destroyed him. And he came back the following year. And I've told this story before. I asked him media day, you know, what do you expect and he said, you're just gonna have to wait and see. And he puts together a season of landing him a year early in the NFL. So that tells you two things. You got to have a short memory. We all knew that to
be a cornerback. But also, Jeff, they teach cornerbacks and d backs really well at Kentucky, don't they.
Yeah, you know, Marcus is really good at that, and Chris Collins is really good at that, and I really Frank mafano. All three of those guys have done a fantastic job. I mean, you just look at the safeties that bifano Is has coached and put in the NFL. I mean, you're like, good gracious. This year, They've got really four guys that are starters, and and I don't think that they're if they have to put ty Bryant at strong safety for Zion, I don't think that they
lose anything. I think tye Is is going to be a great player, you know. If they have to go love it in Childress, which they probably will start with, I don't think they've got a problem, you got. I mean, it's just there's a lot of guys back there, there really is. It's just it's just getting them to Mesh. I mean, is a nice player. I think he's a
couple of steps ahead of Waller. DJ has been nicked up a little bit, and I still don't I think he's a little behind the other guys, But you know, he's a guy that was they said, was was, you know, gonna be in a battle at Michigan if he stayed to actually start, So you know you've got some quality depth there.
Jeff, It's a pretty tough schedule for the Cats this year. I mean, it's gonna be tough slotting to get to that eight to nine win mark. But would you like the inverse of being in a different conference and having an easier schedule like Louisville or do you like that you're in the best conference despite it being a challenge to get to a seven eight win mark every year?
No? You SEC, There's no question about it because you can't look at it as just one sport. So when you ask that question, you know, Kentucky basketball, you know, supposedly rules the SEC. You know, Kentucky baseball has become a power in the SEC. You know, they're the upper echelon. Kentucky gymnastics is in the upper echelon. So volleyball want to go to the other conference? Yeah, volleyball has been sensational. I wouldn't want to go to any other conference. I
think this. You know, you you really have two conferences that are steering everything in sports, and that's the big ten in the SEC, and it's going to remain that way for you know, for the rest of our lifetimes.
You know. CM Newton actually investigated the ACC and of course this was back when the ACC was stronger in both sports and the SEC wasn't quite the monster it is now. But CM just thought I'm going to check
this out and ultimately obviously did not do it. But and I think for a lot of that, jeffis for the reason you just said, the tradition and all because if Kentucky had joined the ACC when it came to basketball tradition big picture, yeah maybe, but in the conference, it would have been the little brother to North Carolina and Duke, you know, and so case.
Well, that's what I was gonna ask. Do you want to and do you want to bang hints with Duke in North Carolina twice a year? Uh?
Well, UK fans will say yeah, But then if they didn't win every game, they'd go nuts. Well, let me let me throw this at you. Let me throw this at you. Jeff, having grown up in Lexingon, but you've lived around the country. Here's my argument against it. With the people that be so much easier to win at football you're not going to get the same recruits to come to Kentucky Party of recruitings, come and play in the SEC.
Yes, that is a stational point because what Vince Morrow did and this is something I tried. And you know this, Dick. I told Joker. I told rich guys, you've got to get in a high. You've got getten a high. Joker just simply said, I can't. They're not going to come here.
Yeah, And he was wrong.
They will And and look what Vince has done. I mean, and now if you're gonna say, hey, come come to the a SEC. You get to play Wake Forest and you get to they're gonna go what Yeah, And we get to play where campus? Yeah? Yeah, No, I want to play Georgia, Alabama and Florida and Tennessee. I mean, it's for people who've never been there. And and I can't wait to go to Texas, Dick, to tell you the truth, you know, the the Red River rivalry has
been so good. I've been to Ohio State and I've been in Notre d.
And m was pretty cool. Was pretty cool, wasn't.
That was awesome? But we guys, Billy and Aaron, I don't know if you knew that. So I'm sitting in my room. We come back from dinner and it sounds like there's like a high school game going on next door. And I walked downstairs and it's coming from like down the street. And I asked, I go to the what in the heck is going on here? And they go, oh, that's that's the yell. I go what? He goes this? Twenty five thousand people at the stadium.
Right now, Yep, going over there.
There yells the cheers because you know, they have all boys and they do the yell stuff and they're going over there, you know, two bits, four bits and all that, kind of like you gotta be kidding me. And there were sixty five thousand people there the night before the game with the band and the cheerleader guys and nuts. Nuts. They used to have the big bonfire too.
Yeah, Jeff, how do you feel about the situation? I'm running back. Obviously we talked about a little bit on the show we did with Me, You and Dick a few weeks ago, but now that may be more in telling what Demi's watch at the table. Patterson Wilcoff, just how do you think Kentucky survives without Chip the first couple of weeks.
Well, you know what I say to that is and you guys, I don't even think we're born when this happened. But when I was at UK, Dick will remember this. There were two kids that came up by the names of Mark Higgs and Mark Logan, and they're pretty good guys as freshmen.
Not bad those two guys.
Those two guys led the team Logan and Hicke and Mark Higgs were sensational and played his freshmen. And I look at these two guys and both of them are there. They're not slight, they can run between the tackles. They've got great peripherial vision, which is exactly what you need. They have a good lean. I look what I like to see Chip train them in there. Yes, I think he'd be fantastic, especially on third downs. But I'm excited to see these young kids and what they can do.
You know, why can you play a freshman at Ohio State and nobody bothers them. Why can't you play Korum as a freshman in Michigan? Nobody says anything. You get a freshman that led Texas last year. Why does nobody say anything about that, But Kentucky has to play a freshman and oh my god, there's holes in the dike. What are we gonna do? Well?
Because you were, for one thing, those particular schools, their old line is better established than Kentucky. If you had played those freshmen behind you know, Drake and those other guys in the big blue wall some years ago, it wouldn't have been a problem. But they got a chance. The blue wall has a chance this year. Let me ask you this, though, Is this finally the year, Jeff, that we see the tight ends catch the football?
Sorry, yeah, I know, Aaron, that's what you should hear me and Dick and that during the game yelling at each other. Because what people don't know is our microphones. He and I can talk to each other and no one else can hear. Like you guys can't hear it over there. Billy can't hear. But we just it's crazy. I just think the situation they had last year with Devin. He was a little guy. He's like my size. You know, you've got to roll him, you had to move the pocket.
I just don't think he could see over the middle. Seriously, because now you're looking at offensive and defensive Lineman. Now every one of them are six four or six five plus.
They didn't run enough. They didn't run enough plays either, they ran fifty play You can't get the ball to everybody like that exactly.
Well, but the one thing that Bush, the one thing Bush has done with that like h bac which you call a tight end, you know that, that little like James Whaling, I think you're gonna yeah, I think you're going to see that a lot more and hopefully that means maybe you'll get thirty receptions by a tight end this year.
Okay, well from your mouth, you know, uh, Well, we ran out of time. We don't have time to talk about Gavin Wimsy. We'll talk about that next week when we see what the running quarterback does against Soutthern Mess, whatever happens. Jeff Picorrol will be alongside Tom Leach describing the action high atop the press box at Crogerfield. Thank your brother, see at the ball game.
All right? Boys.
That is Jeff Pecorrol WTVQ and Network in his twenty fifth year amazing back in a minute to wrap this up on the state wide BBI. Oh, here off, Mike, we're playing athletic director for a day billy would not be a benevolent.
I'd be a fine ad might be on probation for a little while.
It would be a heartless a d Yeah, maybe so.
Off for their heads. Now we're just talking kicking around about you know, is the playoff better? It's one of those deals in expanding the leagues. Uh, better for college football, but not better for the SEC or better the other way around.
Better for the football. It's great for you say it's fine because it makes sense geographically.
Well, but if you're a Kentucky fan as well, if you're a Kentucky you know, out of the one at the one side of your matter's saying, hey, we get to go to Texas, we get to watch them come here, we get to see all the teams in the league. We might go six years. It was amazing to me how many people on our side of the street. Maybe you feel this way, and you know it's it's a Kentucky doesn't play Texas and for another six years or so.
My reaction was, yeah, so you know, reason being and I know I'm an outlier on a lot of things, this is one of them. I want to see Kentucky in the SEC. Championship game. And I've told you guys before I did it. For fifteen years I covered that event for the SEC Radio network. There's nothing like it. I wish you guys could experience it. I got to go back to the College World Series. You know that was a blast. Ye didn't know if I'd ever get back.
Don't know that Kentucky now will ever get And you said before we went on the air, Billy, it's going to be easier is not the right term, but more realistic to get to a playoff game than to get to the SEC Championship.
Game, right right?
I mean, but see now it's going to be even harder for Kentucky to do that. So all these folks that wanted this to happen, well, you know, if you're Kentucky, even that's great. But now you're you're I'm not gonna say you're cheating yourself, but you're not going to get to see one of the great moments in all of college football.
Well, I'll tell you, I'm so I hate to be this play, but I'm so confident that Kentucky won't make the twenty five SEC Championship game. My fiance and I just booked our wedding for the day of the SEC championship next December. So, uh, Mark Soup's proved me wrong. But yeah, it's good. Well you can have it and you can move it to Atlanta. Yeah, we can move it to Atlanta. I was born in Atlanta, so there you go.
But did we know that?
But I did not know that now.
But the college, Yeah, the playoff is definitely more attainable. Like we just said, if they go nine to three and they have the right ninth win.
Right, they have a case and it also could happen every who else loses? What games?
And what what's for example, I'm just throwing Louisville out there. First ACC team to come to mind. What is there ten and two look like to Kentucky's nine in three?
Yeah.
So, and kind of piggybacking off of the comment I made to Jeff, would you rather be in a different conference and make these title games instead of not making it and being in the SEC? Well, you know, the ACC title games like being the president of a home school, Dick. I mean, you can call yourself a champion, but you know what, you're not playing in the SEC, and that's
what it means. It just means more in this conference, and so that's why it's probably a much more special moment for you to eventually make that season.
I wonder what U of L fans would say about that. Well, I've been and what was the crowd like? It's in Charlotte, right.
Yeah, Charlotte at the Panther Stadium.
I'd love to know what that game is like. And I'm not being disrespectful. I can tell you what the SEC Championship games like. It's insane.
Especially Georgia is there every year and eighty miles from campus.
You know what, though one game and they missed the playoffs.
Well, but here's anything more. It's it's actually, as I said, I've covered every school but Vanny Kentucky's been there. It's almost crazier when George is not there, you know what I mean, because they're only you know, there's Georgia fans don't move to Atlanta and run a hotel room and party all night and all that. They party day of the game. But it's not I would get there on Thursday.
Can either y'all remember the last one that wasn't either Georgia or Alabama.
I haven't I haven't worked at event and al I'm just.
Trying to think of the last SEC championship game period that didn't feature Georgia or Alabama.
Oh no, I think it's it's at least eight years at least, but at least when Alabama gets there, they move into Yeah, Tennessee, unbelievable.
It one year job when they get there too.
All right, that'll do it. Thanks for joining us CE you next week.
That's it.
Good night from Lexington.