Welcome to the Big Blue and sider Dick Gabriel with you on a Thursday, one day closer, you got tomorrow, then one more sleep until UK Football Saturday seven forty five kick. We're on the air with you on the UK Sports Network at five point thirty for the Cats and Southern Mists. And of course college football kicked off last weekend on zero week, but the real slate begins tonight. You got a bunch of games going on tonight, including Rutgers at home with Howard. You've got NC State with
Western Carolina, Central Florida plays New Hampshire. Not a lot of great games, but there's all kinds of college football. If you want to check out an SEC team, Arkansas is home with Arkansas Pine Bluff.
That's going to be on the U.
Missouri with Murray State tonight at eight o'clock. That's on the SEC network. That's going to get a lot of eyeballs, I would predict. So yeah, college football tonight, a little bit tomorrow, right, and then everybody, it seems, cranks things up on Saturday. The ABC C SEC contract begins in earnest, of course, and it's gonna be weird. It's gonna be weird not seeing the SEC. We've talked about this all summer on CBS and now ABC, Slash ESPN has released
it's theme music. Earlier in the summer, there was a promo that went out basically with the phrase this is how it's done, and people began to compare it to the SEC theme song, saying it's not as good, it's not the same all it. But back then I warned it don't compare the two because they're not the same thing. One was a promo, one was a theme song. This, remember, was the CBS theme song. You would hear Uncle Vern and Gary Danielson. As soon as you'd hear this song,
you knew exactly what was coming up. It was the SEC on CBS, the three thirty game. Everybody wanted to play at three point thirty. That was where the national eyeballs popped in. And technically, Noah wasn't primetime at eight o'clock at night. I always said, the primetime on Saturdays and Sundays is the afternoon.
That's when people start watching football.
That's not how they measure viewership for advertising ratings and all that. But now instead of this song, which I guess goes to the archives forever or until maybe CBS ever gets the SEC back. I don't think they'll use this for their Big ten covers. They haven't released any info or music saying what they're going to do, but this is what it's going to sound like on ABC.
This will be the theme music.
They released this earlier today or last night for the theme music the anthem if you will for the SEC on ABC. There is a musical clip out there. One it's about a minute twenty five. It's got all the teams represented, it's got different representations.
Of the graphics you're going to see, and all that just.
To prep you for the SEC on ABC. Make of it what you will if you like it, and if you know, if you don't like it.
But it's gonna be in brain.
They're gonna you're gonna hear that going in and out of promotional spots and breaks and all that. So that's gonna be your new Saturday afternoon when you watch the SEC on ABC.
It's gonna be different, it's gonna be weird.
But in the as they say, at the end of the day, it's Southeastern Conference football, which of course includes.
Your Kentucky Wildcats.
And they are prepping like crazy for Southern Myss, including first year quarterback Brock Vandergriff, who told the assembled media last night really anxious to get started.
Just ready to go really against somebody not wearing blue and whites. The main thing, I've been hitting these dudes since spring, winter and stuff like that, in condition with them, been fussing with them, stuff like that. So I just ready to get out there. And I guess see if plays work, No, but they do. But I mean, we're looking forward to a good game. And you know, hopefully this practice is a tough practice. It's been hot out here,
but it should be. Shouldn't be as hoot on Saturday, but you know, this is just making a stronger for whenever it is hot.
Like all the Wildcats, he wants to see how this offensive attack is going to function under Bush Hampden, and it all starts with the old line, as you know, and Brock Vandergriff says he is confident and the guy's up front the lines.
The line's been doing really well. And whether it's pass blocking or run blocking, those guys are gonna get ready. They're gonna be looking forward to it obviously. Like I said, hitting somebody not wearing blue and white, so they're all jacked up.
You know.
The line is always wanted to rush, so we'll see what that's all about.
Vandergriff himself sounds pretty confident, but he will admit that on game day, especially when he first runs out onto the field. Yeah, there's gonna be nerves.
I always just kind of get pretty emotional, like just walking out on the stadium. Whether I'm the thirst string guy, four string guy, the second first, don't even matter. I think it's just kind of a testament to just like I love ball, Like walking out there, like probably get a little teary eyed and stuff, but that's just that's what's all about. Obviously, gonna be some nerves, and just that means you care at the end of the day.
So we're looking forward to that and just that's what you do it for men, your BBN, the people, your friends and family and coaches stuff like that. So it all comes full circle when you walk out there. And he also want to player.
Best for him.
John Hale asked Brock if he could recall his first start in high school, and Brock had a hard time thinking back that far. He's been to a lot of games and a lot of practices since then, but he said the nerves were pretty much the same.
It's kind of bad. I don't really tell the coaches, but like I will not sleep the night before at all, just so jacked up, the same thing like before I get hon or something like.
It's just I love it.
And he was right for him.
That is Brock vander Griffkentucky's new starting quarterback. Courtesy Jeff Drummond and Kat Illustrated. He also had some comments from JJ Weaver, who said he I can't wait to see what the defense dials up.
This little just more younger, you know, but they listen, they leave by the by example, and they eager, they ready to go. Lastly, if I've been on, they already knew it. They have been through the system already. But this my fresh brand Newton to be excited.
JJ, of course a veteran linebacker. When you think about what Kentucky has up the middle defensively, it might be a young defense, but up the middle it doesn't get much better.
Got Dion right there and then.
Me just clean everything up.
US three us for you forgot about Jerk Jackson too, so you're just adominant force should have just added pop.
For sure JJ Weaver, who needs to have I think his best season as a Kentucky linebacker. They helped that defense be what it can be. One of the swing games for Kentucky each year, it seems, has always been Tennessee. Not a whole lot of success, as you know, with the volunteers, Kentucky missing some opportunities to take down some
substandard Tennessee teams. But that standard seems to be rising again under Josh Heipel and the guy who hired him, Danny White, the athletics director, is now the highest paid ad at a public university in the country. That's according to USA Today. White apparently just signed a contract extension that pays him at least two point seven five million annually.
Evidently this went into effect on August. The first big rais from his two point four to five million, and he'll get the same five percent annual increase from his original contract. So many people believe that college sports are out of whack, if for no other reason soaring salaries, of course, mostly with the coaches, but ads are making a big chunk of change as well, and White can
get as much as six hundred thousand in bonuses. If ut it's either academic or athletic benchmarks or both, which it routinely has done, according to the story during his tenure. So Danny White gets paid down at Tennessee. Yeah, you know, congratulations to him. A couple of baseball notes. Don't run away. It's not the usual scores and highlights. I will tell you if you're a Reds fan, a frustrated Reds fan,
at least the future may be coming up close. Ret Louder, the red number seven overall draft pick, is coming up from the Miners tomorrow. He is a great pitching prospect at a wake forest, and MLB dot Com is reporting that the Reds, he's listed as their number two prospect, will start game two of a doubleheader against the Brewers tomorrow at Great American Ballpark. No confirmation yet from the team.
He was the second pitcher taken after the Pirates took Paul Skeen's first overall did not pitch in the Red system last year because he had already reached his innings limit in college. But once he makes his first appearance five at the top seven picks in the twenty twenty three draft will.
Have made their MLB debut.
Skeiens of course lighting it up for Pittsburgh, Dylan Cruz out of LSU for the Nats, Wyatt Langford at number four, Jacob Wilson at number six, and now Louder the number seven pick. Apparently we'll be pitching tomorrow in Great American Ballpark. Dylan Cruz got his first base hit the other night, it was a double, and then he follows up last night with his first home run in the NATS Series clinching win over the Yankees.
How about that.
Cruise, of course, was a teammate of Paul Skeens at LSU, part of that LSU team that won the national champion two years ago and had to go through Kentucky to get there, beat the Wildcats in the ense Super Regional down in Baton Rouge. Of course, the Wildcats got that taste of success, followed that up with the Super Regional of their own this past year. But imagine having to face Paul Skins and Dylan Cruz and company in the same weekend at a super regional the way Kentucky did.
But they just learned from it.
Shohai Otani Bobblehead Night was last night in La. Obviously you know how popular he is, and now.
His dog is too.
His dog is named deck Opin, which is Japanese for decoy, and the dog throughout the first pitch, apparently the bobblehead included an image of the dog or the dog itself. It's got show Hi holding the dog right. So Deco quote unquote threw out the first pitch. What he did was basically deliver it to the plate. He had in his mouth of course, and trotted up to the plate and handed the ball off to the catcher Shohaiotadi, his master.
So the crowd loved it. At Dodger Stadium, of course, everybody who got a bobblehead of both show Hi and Decoy, they were happy. First forty thousand fans to enter the stadium on Wednesday got bobbleheads, and by one o'clock, maybe one thirty in the afternoon, fans, hundreds and hundreds of fans were lined up at the gates, at the parking gates, at the stadium gates. Some of them got there, it says here prior to eleven am. They wanted that bobblehead.
They wanted to see show Hi and Decoy on their mantle, and they hung in there and they got it and Decoy delivered that pitch and I will tell you based on the video it was a strike. That's pretty cool. A bobblehead with a player and his dog and the dog delivers the first pitch. Coming up next, we'll talk about NFL quarterbacks a little bit later on John Clay, The Herow Leader. Forrest Tucker of WTVQ will join us as well on six point thirty WLAP Welcome back to
the Big Blue Insider. Coming up in just a few minutes, John Clay from The Hero Leader. We'll look ahead, of course to Kentucky football and the new quarterback we just heard from Vander Griff. All kinds of quarterback news from the NFL. As you might expect, the opening week is coming up fast.
To me.
The biggest story is about the former quarterback Tom Brady, who is of course joining Fox TV much money and much attention, much ballyhoo, But he is also trying to buy a piece of the Las Vegas Raiders, trying to become part of the ownership group there with Mark Davis. They have agreed in principle, but the move is yet
to be passed. By the NFL's finance committee. If the move is cleared by that committee, Brady would also need to have at least twenty four of the league's thirty two owners approve the agreement for.
It to be allowed.
It is a tight knit club, and if indeed they approve it, this could have what are being described as severe repercussions on Brady's broadcasting career, because you think about that, You've got a guy on the lead broadcast and one of the biggest platforms, and he's an owner of one
of the teams. So ESPN's Seth Wickersham, writing on the website about tuesday's NFL meetings in Minneapolis, talked about and wrote about some of the restrictions Brady would face if he would simultaneously serve as an analystic Fox and own a stake of the Raiders. Now think about it, he would be subject to the league's gambling policies. He'd be permitted to quote only strictly social communication with members of other clubs. So how's he going to do research, you know,
on the games? If he can only have strictly social communication with other teams. He could not publicly criticize game officials he couldn't publicize or critically. He couldn't publicly criticize other teams, other ball clubs, front offices, things like that. There would be some real problems logistically for Brady talking to players and coaches and general managers, which you know he's going to do. You know he's going to go and prepared. He was extremely well prepared as a quarterback.
He's not going to skate on his TV job. So this is going to be really interesting.
The New England.
Patriots had decided to keep Joe Milton as their number three quarterback, and remember him from Tennessee, a good player, but he is right now the number three guy in New England, not really a surprise. They're trying to figure out who they want to start, Jacoby Brissett or Drake May. But that meant they had to cut Bailey Zappi, and he of course spent his last college football season at
Western Kentucky. But he has landed on his feet. Bailey Zappy signs with the Kansas City Chiefs their practice squad, so he is gainfully employed. Patrick Mahomes and his backup Carson Wentz will be the only quarterbacks on the regular season roster. But Zappi on the practice squad, which means, of course, not just a paycheck, but he could also
be signed off that practice squad by other teams. And just in case you're wondering about the other Western Kentucky grad who is floating around the NFL, that would be Mike White. He was cut recently, he signed on as a practice squad QB for the Buffalo Bills, So I got a couple of former Hilltoppers out there at least
drawn paychecks in the National Football League. White was most recently with the Miami Dolphins, but he lost out in competition with Skuyler Thompson for the backup role there as they back up two Toungavaloa in Miami and one other name you might recognize as a backup QB. The Los Angeles Chargers have signed Taylor Heineke in a trade with the Falcons for a conditional six round pick. Justin Herbert's
been hurt in training camp. He was hurt last year for a little while, but he had planted our fasci itis in his right foot, and the backup qbs did not perform well apparently in camp for the Chargers, including Easton Stick I have to be honest, never heard of him. He's in a sixth year in the NFL. He came from North Dakota State. That wild offense up there. North Dakota States put some guys in the league, but apparently
he did not play well. He played well last year filling in for Herbert, but didn't play well in camp. So they went out and got Taylor Heineke, who was kind of the flavor of the week a couple times for the team in Washington, but not so much lately. So they trade him to the Chargers, and if Herbert can't stay healthy, Taylor Heinekee might be back in the starting role.
You might recall that when.
He was signed, he was going to school, he was taking college classes. He was pretty much done with the NFL, or so he thought, but there was a need in DC for a quarterback, and Taylor Heineke made a comeback and now he's still in the National Football League. While we're talking injuries, Jamar Chase may not be ready. Less than twenty four hours after Zach Taylor said that Jamar would practice this week, he did not practice yesterday, and Taylor said he may have spoken too soon, said I
might have been putting. He said, I might have put my foot in my mouth. Speaking too quickly. He said, it's day to day. We will just keep seeing after Jamar Chase now, Taylor said Chase remains healthy, but he did not practice beyond some stretching on Wednesday. He has two years left on his rookie contract, including a fifty year option worth twenty one point eight million in twenty twenty five. While we're talking people with big bucks, that's Jimbo Fisher, the former Texas A and M coach who
has paid a lot of money to go away. Well, he has a new job now on Serious XM Radio, the network announcing last night that Jimbo was going to join the network's college football coverage. He will co host Off Campus every Tuesday at three pm alongside former Florida State quarterback EJ. Manuel and former LSU running back Jacob Hester. They already got a show going on, but Jimbo now becomes one of their costs.
He served as.
LSU's offensive coordinator from two thousand to six, which is where he got to know Hester. All right, when we come back, John Clay at the Harold Leader will join us here on the Big Bluwinsiders six thirty WLAP Welcome back. Joining us on our celebrity hotline is a longtime friend and colleague, mister John Clay at the Herald Leader sports columnists who's covered a lot of Kentucky football and we'll
be there when the Wildcats open up this weekend. John, you were at the Mark Stoops news conference on Monday, and it was fairly routine. I do recall the one of the reporters asking Stoops to comment on all the excitements surrounding the program and building up to it. Fairly innocuous question and answer. But I just remember thinking, I
don't know that I've heard that much excitement. I mean, there's a lot of chatter, but I'm not knocking the program at all, But I just think Kentucky fans have got a little bit of a barrier up.
How do you feel about that?
No, I think that's right. Uh, you know, I haven't the same. It's not I haven't heard necessarily that, you know, people are down on the football program or anything like that, but I haven't heard know a lot of a lot of talk about you know, I think they're I've heard you know, people glad that football is starting, but not necessarily a lot of it, So I would dra fift team. I think there's a couple of reasons for that. I think number one, they're not sure what to expect out
of this team. You got a new quarterback, you got a new offensive coordinator. I think also people are a little concerned because you're coming off back to back seven and six seasons and then you got Texas and Oklahoma coming into the league, so in a tough schedule. The other thing I think is most of the people that I've seen the summer, they want to talk about Mark Pope. They want to talk about basketball because he's the new guy.
He's the new guy with an entirely new team. And I think that, you know, and people don't know what to expect, you know, from basketball, and I think that's kind of taken up. They have been most of the chatter. The other thing I hear from football people that I know, it's our too, and they're all talking about the Texas game. I think it's just go to They want to go to Austin because that's something new for Kentucky football. So there's been a lot of chatter. At least one people
I know about that. But as far overall, I think people are happy, they're interested to see what's going to happen with the team, and they're happy the football starting. But I think it's more if they're not sure what to expect.
Yeah, I fully agree with you.
I think that on all of it, especially the Mark Pope basketball angle. And I don't think we're going to regret unless football just bottoms out, which I don't expect. But I don't think we're going to go back to spending the entire summer talking about basketball recruiting. As you recall, that's why Schnellenberger and Curry got together on the uk U of L series as a season opener. They're retired
of hearing the basketball recruiting talk. But I also do think John that now that this league is so much tougher, and I think it is just enormously more difficult now to think about Kentucky making the SEC title game. We were talking on the show last night, on the State Wide Show. But it's going to be tougher now for Kentucky to get to Atlanta that it will be I think to get to the football.
Playoff, You know what I mean?
Oh? Absolutely, I agree with that one hundred percent, because you're talking about the Cup. You know, there's you know, the only two teams play in the SEC championship game. There could be as many as four or five teams SEC teams in the in the college football playoff, depending on how it shakes out after you get past the conference champions So yeah, I mean, you look back at the two seasons at Mark Stukey where they won ten games in twenty eighteen and twenty twenty one, especially the
twenty eighteen team. If the if there have been a twelve team college football playoff at that point, they were I don't know they would have gotten in, but they would have at least been on the cusp of getting in. So yeah, I think that probably is a more realistic goal than making the making the championship game, and.
You're not going to make the SEC title game. Of three conference losses, you might make the playoff depending on who the losses were and depending on what everybody else does. Of course, and looking back on last year, and this has been a puzzlement to me for several years, and I'm sure to you Mark Stoops has done just a remarkable job.
We all agree on that at Kentucky.
Better than a job than I thought anybody could ever do at Kentucky, with all due respect, and yet they lose those games they shouldn't lose, which I just amazing. And I know there are good players and good coaches everywhere. But you know, they lose to Missouri, which turned out to be a pretty good team, but they had that game in hand for a while and they just haven't gotten over the hump against Tennessee. Does that and then of course the South Carolina loss was the worst slash
best example of that. Does that play into your mind at all?
Oh?
Yeah, yeah, I mean obviously the South Carolinas was I mean the last two years losing the South Carolina tenne excuse two years ago because Levis was hurt, you were playing a new quarterback Kyles Sharon. The last year to lose that game at South Carolina, that was really tough. That was about doubts. I've seen mark a Soops after a game. I don't know about you. If you remember, was he like sitting after he got through with his
press conference. He was sitting on the kind of the cyborg or whatever else, Yeah, on the curb outside the locker room. I think that was as down as I've seen him. Uh yeah, in Tennessee can't get over the hump. So yeah, they got to win those types of games to have the season that they want to have. I mean those a lot of times. Those separate the uh uh you know the wind, you know, separate you know, the kind of season you have from having a great
season to haven't just a mediocre season. I thought it was funny yesterday speaking of that South Carolina game. I thought it was interesting yesterday somebody brought up the game where uh uh Southern Miss beat Kentucky in the opener back in what every year that was to that okay, and uh uh Mark said he still, oh yeah, he still remember that game. He should have called time out at the end of the first half, but he did didn't do towards you in the first half. He didn't
do it. And it reminds me of I've heard say before coaches always remember the loss of the tough losses more than the wins. I remember talking. I went over to Richmond to talk to Roy Kidd this summer when he before his ninetieth birthday, to do a story about it. You know, he was about to turn ninety and I remember asking coach, kid, who you knew very well, you know,
what do you remember for those national championship teams? He immediately started to talking about the teams that should have won that and the one where they lost that defended the back or something made a bad play, misjudged the ball, or they should have won that game. And I'm like, yeah, but what do you remember from the ones you won? No, he wanted to talk about the ones they lost, the ones they should have won.
I distinctly remember that column. It made me laugh and shake my head.
And you're right. And by the way, it was twenty sixteen, not fourteen for the USM game.
But no, I know. But the thing is successful coaches they win so many more games than they lose, so those losses are just burnished in their minds. You know, I'll never forget Rich brooks Uh took me aside when at a function one night and said, man, you've been around for a while. You've seen some and he used graphic terms bad football, and he sas he said, you've seen some pretty good football, and he kind of ruefully shook his head. He goes, but you haven't seen great football.
This is well before you know some of the gamestoops is one. And I said, yes, sir, I said, but you know what you you flirted with it. He said, yeah, we really did. And then he paused for a moment. John, and he goes, but we just couldn't recover an on side kick against Florida.
I grabbed his arm and said, man, you got to let that go.
I said, you want a lot of games, shit, you got to let that go. He goes, I know, I just can't. I said, you don't understand, so you know.
But anyway, we're talking to John Clay, the hero leader.
Kentucky football opener is coming up shortly again. It's Southern Miss And I'll tell you what. We've talked a lot about those of us who remember that game. A lot of people remember that loss, but they go down the following year winning Hattiesburg in a close one, and a youngster named Josh Pascal made himself known.
You got to remember that.
I would think, well, yeah, yeah, I remember that game. I think Kentucky won twenty four to seventeen I think or something like that. Yeah, and they win that game. They had to overcome a lot, didn't they have? They had some pumbles in that game, they had some problems on the offensive line and they ended up winning that game. That was a big That was a big win. So yes, I mean Southern Miss is interesting that I think there
were three and nine last year. But they got a lot of new players, including their quarterbacks of Florida State transfer. Their coach Will Hall apparently he's recruited pretty well the last two or three years. They just don't have the results to show for it. So they're kind of, like Mark said Yester, they have a new offensive coordinator, a new defensive coordinator. They're kind of a mystery team coming in here. I mean, I expect Kentucky to win in
Kentucky to win handily, but it's kind of it. You know, it's tough with these days with the transfer portal, you never know what to expect when these teams coming in, especially when you got a team with two different coordinators, two new coordinators coming in.
Yeah, I think said ten transfers for Southern Miss.
And I asked him about the fact that, you know.
This is a school and a football rich part of the world, and the SEC can't take every kid nearby, so and you got to I think cether Miss John is a great example of a team full of kids you believe they either should be in the SEC or maybe used to be in the SEC. So they're not going to be intimidated, are they.
No, No, they're not. And as you mentioned yesterday when were talking to market, if a lot of players in the Pro pros a quarterback, I can remember being at the top of that list. And Sun Belt teams are dangerous. I mean, you know we know that that they're dangerous teams. They play good football in the Sun Belt and I know Southern miss got a good tradition and I know they're trying to get back to that with this team. So it'll be interesting to see what kind of what happens on Saturday.
John Clay, my guests from the Herold Leader will come back and talk more football with John in just a moment on the other side of the break here on the Big Moon Siders six thirty WLAP Welcome back. We're talking with John Clay, longtime sports writer and columnists for The Herald Leader. He'll be covering I don't want to ask you how many openers you cover, John, but you've you've seen a lot of a lot of the ups and downs a you're looking forward to the lights show at the stadium.
It's a night game, Yeah.
It's a night game. Yeah, I'd be interested to see the new lights. You know, back in what I guess it was back when Sam was at CMN was ad didn't they go through a few years there, back before TV controlled everything where they wanted all the September games would be at night because of the heat and what's it going to be like ninety five ninety six during the week, although I think it's going to be a little cooler on Saturday. But but oh yeah, the opener
is always fun no matter who they play. Uh, you know, just to get it started. I know, people in the media, so we're ready for a game, We're ready to write, start writing about a game. Set of trying to come up with stuff to write with, you know, from camp and so forth on the players two years. The old thing about the players, they are just tired of hitting each other. They want to hit somebody new. So, yeah, everybody looks forward to the opener.
It's almost a journalistic equivalent of us being tired of hitting hitting the same ang r. Yeah, you know, preparing for this interview, I'm like, what am I going to ask John that I either haven't asked.
Him already, or he's written about or you know, but it is.
It is a great mystery story, this Kentucky team, which is why. And I can't remember who might have been CBS Sports dot Com at Louisville eighteenth preseason when they ranked every team in America and Kentucky thirty ninth, and I remember I was a little surprised, maybe more than Louisville was ranked highly, but not surprised was Kentucky because what do we know with a new OC and a new quarterback and you know, missing the power run games right now, and an old line and needs to take
a step forward. That's probably a fair assessment, isn't it.
Yeah, that's my biggest questions. I mean, obviously the biggest question coming in is I meanquarterback as your most important position. You got brock band of Griff who has all the tools to be really good quarterback, but three years of Georgia didn't really play. It was a five star prospect. When he comes out, I've sort of forgotten that he originally committed Oklahoma and Lincoln Riley and then when Riley left to go to USC, de committed and went to Georgia.
So obviously you know the offensive line. You got two new uh you know, new starters on the one side of the offensive line. H Eric Wolford Baptist coach, which I think offensive line coach with I think is a good deal, which will help. But the thing about you mentioned about the running game, that's that's that's a concern to me. Uh, Chip Trainham is out who I stay transferred out for a while with a broken hand. So you got some unproven guys there. You got Demi back
from last year. He was known more of a guy who could catch the ball out of the backfield. We haven't really seen him as the you know, workhorse back. And then you got the few freshmen behind him. Uh So that that's going to be kind of a mystery to me. I'm interested to see how that's going to turn now, considering Kentucky has had a string of really good running backs and really productive running backs, you know, Benny Snell, Chris Rodriguez, Ray Davis last year. No way
you kind of forget that. You shouldn't forget about Boom Williams back there, or you know Rose, I think it was Rose. Some of the aj Rose, some of the other guys who were good productive backs too. You know that that to me is a concern going into the going into the opener end the season.
I took a look at the quarterback situation at Kentucky, just curious because now it's the revolving door with with the transfers as we all know, and Cutter Bowley. You know they're hoping is the future. But we were talking about those two seasons where they played Southern Miss and John Coincidentally enough, you go back and look at that Drew Barker just did amazing things in the first half of that Southern Miss game, and it looked like the
Barker era had already begun. It was going to be a success, even with the flame out in the second half. But then it gets hurt the following week, hurts his back against Florida and was never the same and aggravated it early and in the Mexico State game, and that gave way to the brief Stephen Johnson era of two years which were very productive. But really since Drew Barker, they have not been able to really get things on
track when it comes to quarterbacks, have they. It's just kind of ironic that it goes back that far.
Yeah, I mean, obviously, you know we'll getting Levis, but they haven't been able to get like I have their own. I guess you would call it a homegrown.
Quarterback I can develop, That's right.
A lot of transfers, right that they can develop. Obviously, they developed Levis with William Cohen so forth. But he he you know, had already played at Penn State, so he had some experience. Vander Rift sort of fits in that same category, you know. He was how like I said, Ali rated. There are people who from Georgia tell me that he was neck and neck with Carson Beck last year during Falk Camp. Kirby smartwill with Beck. He played so well. He played himself into where he's one of
the favorites for Eisman this year. So vander GRIFFI left thought that was interesting during camp when we were talking to Brock and he mentioned something. But we asked him about the communication with the helmet, the new thing like the NFL, and he said he had talked to Carson about about how it was going in Georgia. And somebody asked, how often do you talk to Carson back? He said, oh, we talk almost every day, so you know, at least
have some kind of communication. You know, they still talk regularly. So I thought that was interesting. So but yeah, I mean so much of it. You know. I had somebody who's fairly close to the program in Osbroge told me this summer because I think they feel really good about the roster. It all depends on how the quarterback's going to play. And that's kind of a cliche, I guess, because of your quarterbacks, your most important position. I do think that they feel like that, and I think this
is true. This is probably the best and deepest quarterback they've had. Room. They had some stoops is there with with obviously with Vander griff and then with Gavin Winch said with the experience that he has to give her mo owensqul transferring from Rutgers. And then yeah, they love Cutter Bowlie. What little we saw Cutter Bowley and those two open practices, he looked really good to me. I know he's listened as or with whim set at number two on the depth chart yesterday, you know they really
like him as well. And then you got Beau Allen, who even if bo never gets on the field, I think Bo was a great help just being in the quarterback room and being on the team because the type of kitty is in the experience that he has.
Well, I got to go to the scrimmage Saturday this a couple of saturdays back, and obviously I can't talk about specifics of what I've seen, just.
Leave it at this.
Cutter Bowley acquitted himself well for a freshman, really yeah, and so it was it was impressive. But yeah, maybe we get to see him a little bit. But I'm curious about how they use Whimsen, aren't you.
Oh yeah, definitely.
I thought it was interesting when we first talked to bush Hamd and I forgot the job. He said made this statement about it, you know, these days a quarterback. I think it's something. I think he said, you want your quarterback to pick up at least two first downs running the ball, whether that's a scrambler design run, and so I think, you know, whim I think they're going to use wind set in uh, you know, different situations
and so forth. We might. I wouldn't be surprised if we see him maybe down on the goal line as a wildcat or a quarterback something like that. I mean, I don't think he's you know, I think brock Bandergriff is the established starter, but I think Wimset definitely adds another convention where he will help him.
You know, when we think about the two quarterbacks, I keep flashing back again to Rich Brooks. I don't know if you remember that before his first season, and he had already been working with a team and had already fallen in love with Shane Boyd as every coach he's ever had him does, because of his athletic ability, leadership ability,
But he just couldn't get past Jared the runs. And Rich was still planning on using And remember when they asked Rich something about how many quarterbacks that are you going to use? Or somebody goes only two, you know, which is unheard of in football, but it.
Can be done, you know, right, yeah, because especially because we'd just come off of how mummy, Yeah really almost didn't believe in a second string quarterback. See, but your first guy got all the reps in practice. Because that was this whole thing was you know, when the air right offentioned the repetition, repetition, repetition, and we would ask, well, what if he gets hurt? Oh, he's not gonna get hurt. I don't had a quarterback get hurt, you know, at
the starter. So yeah, you know, and Shane was a terrific athlete, and yeah I remember that well. You remember Ron Hudson of course, was the coordinator, had come from Kansas State with a big reputation with real Snyder and things didn't quite work out, but they had big plans to use the two of them together, to use Jet and Shane boy together.
Yep.
And when Shane finally got his chance to start second or third game and he went crazy against Indiana, had an incredible game, but hurt his shoulder and they had to hide that the rest of the year so they couldn't let him run the football. And I looked it up, and you know, coach, like I said, coaches just loved him. I think he signed a total of like nine different pro contracts with every league out there, including the NFL. So but I just couldn't quite break through. But anyhow,
it's a good, good guy. And his brother Aaron of course, played here at Kentucky as well. John Clay is sports comms for The Hero Leader. He and Mark Story and John Hale and the gang will be there on Saturday, and you can follow John of course on Twitter at John Clay IV and John, I don't think you'll.
Need an ivy on Saturday might rain a little bit on us.
I think I saw that. I just saw that this morning.
Yeah, well, you'll be safe and warm up in the press box. So John, thank you so much. We'll be looking for you.
I'll be it for you too. Thanks for having me on.
Up next our number two Forrest Tucker of Channel thirty six and Hunter Mitchell, who covers volleyball for.
On three dot com.
He was there on Tuesday to cover the Wildcats in the AVCA event. That's all ahead here on The Big Bull Insider.
Six thirty w.
Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider and joining us down our celebrity hotline. Is a guy who's been in the market for a little while, Forrest Tucker. He is a sports reporter and anchor at WTVQ here in Lexington, and I want to talk to you a little bit about the volleyball you covered the other night for us, but we got to talk Kentucky football of course, and now with the SEC on ABC, you guys over A thirty six are all in on college football not that you weren't before.
But that's exciting for you. Oh, isn't it?
Yeah, it is. I can't believe the turnout, whether it was prompted by everyone's full television faces or not. At Double Dogs on Wednesday night, it was really great, super fun. Kicked off the season there. Someone won four hundred dollars of parts pump and Shop Jeff Ruby's and Double Dogs. What I would do with all of that, I mean, I just wish if it was me, I would wish just four hundred dollars rubies because I could do something in that place.
Yeah, there was a promotional event at Double Dogs. You ought a great crowd. I appreciated the invite. You had a great crowd there.
I know, I know, I was very happy. I mean, we had some good fun. You know, Lafayette and Georgetown College's fine as TG shuck the best place kicker to race read lane down there at Lafayette. ET shucked and we talked about his thoughts on football. He's a fun conversation. He is a fun person to talk to. I enjoyed it. It was probably one of the best, you know, nights I've done television because everything went well.
TG probably is the last straight ahead kicker they ever had at Georgetown.
College my own mind.
How about that? That's how old he is.
And he said, I'll have all that too.
Well, And here's a fun fact for you. His first job yours truly. I hired him as a part time sports photographer at WKYT way back in the day and he did a great job for us, and then of course shifted into weather. So uh yeah, he is a passionate football fan as well. Well, let's talk about the team you covered, primarily to Kentucky Wildcats. You've been over at times getting some interviews and things like that. Is
there a particular storyline? You guys have worked inside outside every story you can for your preseason special in your newscast, But is there anything in particular? Can I assume it's Brock Vandergriff the main storyline?
You know?
When I look at the team, I think that everything that people had anxiety about week in week out last season and into the off season seems like it's been answered. Bush Hampson bringing a Temple offense, you have a quarterback to his STEC experience, and everyone seems to like, you know, Devin Larry was kind of like that not sec experience wise, but you know people liked him. Brock teams different. So yeah, main storyline there, I think is Bush and Brock's first
game together. How is that going to work? Bush will be up you know, up on high with all of us in the press box. Barrion Brown seems like he's a mature, young gentleman now. I think last year he had some hijinks that were not appreciated and his production wasn't what it could have should have been. So all these expectations that we have now, I think that this team is in a good spot. There's that's on the
offensive line, a lot of experience there. There's a ton of great options at receiver, running back to big question mark right. I think, you know, that's going to be really interesting to see how that pans out Saturday. I mean we're gonna have to watch who does that. I mean, Demi Sumo is a guy who, you know, like Ray Davis, can catch and run you know of the backfield, in motion, you know, going downfield too. So I think this team's in a good spot. You know, we're talking about offense, right,
that's the main thing. That's the main thing. You can assume Brad White has some good guys. I think i'd interest see how JJ Weaverer does this last season because last year I just don't know if I heard his name enough.
Yeah, so there's a lot.
My whole thing is it looks like on the outside everything's I are now. And can Mark Stukes make this team because it's in top twenty five, you know, just week in and week out contender and you know, and appearance wise, can he do that? I think that's the next step for him, obviously, but you would probably have a better take on that than me, just giving your you have more depth. But from where I look at it, expectations have to meet reality a bit more of this season, as much as that never easy.
Oh that's true, but the last couple of years clearly, and Mark Stuis will be the first to tell you that results did not meet expectations in the Big Blue Nation restless after back to back seven and six years. And we're always joking about how back in the day that would have been cost for celebration all day every day. But Mark Soufi raised not just the ceiling, but the floor.
Hasn't he exactly exactly? I think that he's a great coach. But for me, I just wonder, what what is the ceiling at Kentucky because again it's interesting that nil Ah this you know new conference realignment age and expansion age where you kind of just get some games, you know, how do you get some gains? And I just actually wrote up for our good buddy John Hale at the Herald Leader my prediction, and you know, you're gonna have to go out and you're gonna have to show you
the big dog. You're gonna have to be like Missou last year and a merge out of people's thoughts that you're probably not doing much special, and you know, knock off Tennessee at their place, which they should be if they came to our place and knocked us off here last season. You're gonna have to see you know about beaten Lane Kiffin or see Startisian at their place too. And I mean I would bet that if George is
gonna get upset, George is gonna take an OL. It probably the Kroger Field because with the new light, I think it's the first the second night game, the first SEC night game of the season is Georgia. So hopefully the Dogs bark is worse than their bite on that particular night. But that's kind of how I see things, is that, you know, you just you're just gonna have to do that.
But that's the.
SEC wide, though, isn't it. You know everyone have to nick something.
Yeah, no question about that.
As we talked with Forrest Tucker, WTVQ ABC has the SEC now, So that's where you're going to be watching the Southeastern Conference. Uh, you know you're talking about expectations and getting things done if you're Kentucky. Uh, it's weird how Mark stoops. It seems every year at least once his team will drop a game.
It shouldn't. You go back to that twenty eighteen team.
Which was his best, and they lose down at Tennessee, which they shouldn't. But I wonder if Forrest can this team avoid those kinds of prat claus you know what I mean.
Dick, I'm never going to pick Kentucky to beat my game.
Cocks, all right.
So that's the one we'll lose him. And that's just because the school arride. Should they win. Yet, I look at this thing on paper, maybe it's honestly better you have some non conference games, you know, mixed in right. Sometimes you're non conference schedule first a couple of weeks, you just kind of we're going through it a little bit. Uh, it's not the SEC yet, so maybe that helps because
it kind of sharpens you. But I just think, you know, in games last year Eastern Kentucky for example, at home, you know, just just just got to put the foot on the gas.
Yeah.
Yeah, you've asked about pre snap penalties, man, We've been asking about the airs. That mark every year was loathing. We're not clean, We're having all these penalties pre snat We're moving. You know, it's Eric Wolford, man, he's got to make a differences another guy. I mean, it's you think that these things are addressed. And the coaches of these like also to kill Schortz. I mean they have hands in Wilford Shorts. Great guys, great people to talk to,
and they're great coaches. So you hope that those guys are trickling down man, and we're going to see some really attractive football, some complimentary football too.
We're talking to Forrest Tucker. He is a sports reporter anchor at WTVQ. He covers the football Wildcats, covers everything really we'll come back and talk more Kentucky football, a little volleyball as well as Forrest made the trip over to Louisville as I did on Tuesday. That's all I had here on the Big Blue Sider six point thirty. Welcome back. We're talking with Forrest Tucker of WTVQ. That
is the new home for SEC football on ABC. Of course, the Wildcats kick things off with Southern Miss on Saturday night, and I guess you've heard by now, Forrest, the history of this series, with Southern Miss coming in and pulling off a big upset back in twenty sixteen, Kentucky returned
the favor wasn't really an upset the following season. But with your game Cocks and Georgia looming ahead, do you think there's a any danger that Kentucky, I don't say looks past Southern Miss, but maybe some of the younger guys might not be as focused. Or is that all a race by the fact that this is the season opener and they're tired of beating on each other.
I don't know if you got to answer that question, because I think that's all us in the air. You probably have. That's the one in the team with that. In my opinion, I think that you know what would make what would make them take Southern mister really seriously, if you know, we went back I don't know how many decades, but a couple a good few and Brett fav was under center for them, you know what I mean.
I think that's where he went to school. But you know, these guys seem like they have a good juice in them. I just don't know how the injuries are going to play out, you know, I just you know, you want to see the tempo work right. So this game, if it's a slow first half, it might be because the tempo's not right with Bush's offense yet, So that probably
takes a while to kind of work out. And you know, you got to hungry South Carolina team, a very perennial power in Georgia coming in weeks two and three, and you can't really mess around with that, right, Like, you know, South Carolina has beat Kentucky two years in a row, so you don't want to make it three because that team is going to be scraping and calling for anything it can get to try and prove itself. With a lot of young talent and a lot of transfers in that group.
We talked a little bit touchdown defense in the first segment, but it's interesting that with all the talk about the new offense and Brock Vandergriff and the transfer from Ohio State ship train them, who's now injured, all the question marks about offense, they're going to need this defense probably to lift this team for at least a little while
until the offense settles in. And there are some young players, but up the middle for us, I think you'd have to agree Kentucky's as strong as most teams in the SEC.
Oh yeah, big number zero Deon Walker. You cannot get much better than him coming across the line like that, and he is just a monster. And I think that it's great because you have a guy like Eric Jackson, you know, playing linebacker as well, and with JJ beside him, I think that that's, like you said, just probably one
of the best in the SEC for that matter. So I think it's a year where they just have to kind of overperform, you know, Mac Harrison, I'm gonna be very interested at how many interceptions he has to how many PBUs he has as well, because the guy that definitely has grown and we've all wanted to talk to him more as the months and going on in the off season.
Before I shifted a volleyball. A quick question about high school football. You all cranked up your coverage, everybody in town did on Friday. It's a lot of work, but it's a lot of fun. I know covering the high schools. Did anything surprise you? Any team jump out? I know you can only eyeball a couple of them, but you know, after you saw the highlights and read about everybody, anything jump out at you.
Well, when I went to balla Belporn Creek up in Georgetown, I think I'm very surprised Scott County didn't do as well as they did. Only scored six points, I believe on Franklin County, so really good to slay from the Flyers. And as far as Great Crossing, that was the same game. You know, I don't I think that you know they're they were pretty pretty good. You know, they shut out for a good while Madison Southern. So that was my
first kid experience. From what I've heard from the staff at our our our shop, you know, don't know if LCA and Catholic, you know the two you know private schools in town are going to do two this year. I think they've lost a lot of experience and stuff. Obviously there's there's two quarterbacks on those teams. Is Jackson Washington Cutter Bull who are playing college football. So if you want to talk about another private school, you know many are not thinking of you know, it's it's a
newer school. But that kid Loose Pennington man, his dad's not Chad Pennington for nothing. And Brock Coff is a three sport athlete, the Fallic. He's got blue on his hands. And then they had Charlie Slayball who is returning running back and I think a couple you know, dual or triple threat position. You know, he can do a lot. So they're there are a lot of good teams. Uh,
Paris the team outside of town. I love watching them because they're a team that loves to be gritty and they had their the orange turf was talk of front this week. Got it. I mean Western Hills, a team that went up to Bourbon County last week to rebuilding programs, has uk commit Jasiyon Campbell. That team's gonna be, you know, gonna be something where they have a really high standard and everyone does that.
I know.
I I don't mention Frederick Douglas or Boyle Count yet. I haven't seen them play yet, you know, I wasn't we do our blitz to previ off the team. Haven't seen them in person yet. Will be interested to see what happens with that. I said, you're Alma Modern Trinity. I believe right. You got the win last week and then they're playing Douglas this week. So I tell you what, I don't think you could be happier.
Nobody wants to play Trinnedy Holloiver loves it's a district game, so they got to come to Lexion. A couple of minutes left with Forrest Tucker of WTVQ. As I mentioned, you made the trip over to Louisville, what did you think of the atmosphere for that huge volleyball doubleheader at the YOUM Center.
I thought it was pretty good. I thought it was a really great atmosphere for the young volleyball players. The young girls earn attendance because something like that shows that there's a lot of good investment, a lot of good buzz around the sport. And as Christ sinners souls before you know they're trying to grow, if they're trying to
make sure it's better. We saw ads for a League one volleyball and Volleyball TV and everything, so you could tell that it was a pretty professionally put on event. It looked really well done. What I loved was Emma Grome whenever she was a couple feet away from Kentucky side of the net, which just softly touched the ball over kind a soft spot in the Nebraska defense and just dropped the ball pretty much in the same position where she was on the other side of the net
for a point. And I just I love watching the internases of that. Like Brooklyn delay served as something that I think is just lethal, how high she throws the ball up, how fast she runs and jumps in the air.
So this is it's a great sport to be a spectator of, and I think that it definitely for me with this team to move this conversation but forward is you know, can they avoid a early season slump and eighteen game winning street don't just happen like last year, But I would hope they can go a little bit further than that nta regional round as well, And that's my thirty thousand foot kind of views. Yeah, but I loved it.
It's gonna be tough, though. We're going to see a different brand of volleyball. When the Wildcats played Texas, which they played in the championship match, you know, three years ago, and beat Texas, I don't know that this Kentucky team is deeply talented as that one, but it's young. They got They've got a lot of new faces, including a that shirt freshman and Brooke Baltimore. But what you're that play, what you're talking about with uh with uh emmcgraham is
the uh we we call it a dump. They don't like that where they want us to call it a quick attack. But yeah, the setter dump is an exciting play and they actually Nebraska use it against them as well. But it's just a real change up and it is a lot of fun. But yeah, go ahead.
No, I was just saying, yeah, it is like kind of it's like an off speed pitch or something in basement.
Yeah.
Uh.
And then the jump serves not a lot of players use the jump serves that Brooklyn delay does, but Kentucky trying to serve more aggressively this year. A couple of minutes left with Forrest Tucker. So what are you going to be doing Friday? Do we know yet what games you're going to be covering tomorrow night?
No, not yet.
Game of the week that's pending. You know, I have to see you have to tune in, man, you just have to keep it locked on Twitter as well for everybody. So you know, it's one of those things where we'll be out five and six. I'm anchor, But I tell you what, this heat, this rain, this infinate weather. I'm not a fan of it. The same thing happened we had rain come through. It canceled all the games, we had no highlights. It was terrible. So I am just hoping we have something to go on the air with
at eleven o'clock. That's kind of what I'm I'm trying to manifest this right now.
Yeah, but are from South Carolina and they've got humidity and rain down there.
Yeah, but I have never had to deal with that canceling my football games. That will for Friday. So I take two different ways. But you know, I tell you what, it should be fun either way. We're or dressing down a bit this year, not like I'm wearing a T shirt. On air, but we are. We're doing a little bit like some competition does not not not as much tie
in soup jacket, a little more polo shirt action. So that should be good because you never I always hated changing last season to really like, you know, long sleeves and a tie and my hair's all messed up, and it's good to just kind of stroll in a little you know it, al have to do a one agent return to get on camera when you all start editing highlights up until about you know, fifty minutes before the show goes on.
Well, someday I'll give you some old guys stories about what it was like to do that under the old lights, that you could have baked the country ham under the old lights in TV studios. Now you barely feel him, but ask TG Shuck about that. He can tell you. He goes back that far. Forrest Tucker is a reporter anchor WTVQ. You can watch SEC football there. Tell everybody how to reach you on Twitter.
At Forrest Tucker TV. Dms are open. You can just tweet me directly too, but please story ideas, community story ideas, can't get enough of them. I'm the main feature storyteller for our team, and so you know right now it's just scheduling. It's the biggest thing. So get on my radar. We can try and schedule. That's the biggest deal. Just reach out to me and then we'll see. Does guarantee I'll cover something. It has to pass the I test,
but I always appreciate increase. Thank you, sir, Thank you Dick.
By the way, in case you didn't pick up on it earlier, and we've talked about it before. Forrest came from South Carolina. That's where he's from, from Charleston and went to the University of South Carolina. So yeah, when it comes to his background, he is a game cock.
But while he was down there.
Covered a lot more than just a South Carolina covered
minor league baseball and things like that. Originally from Annapolis, Maryland, actually I think I said he was born in Charleston, but originally from Annapolis, Maryland, home of the Naval Academy, but grew up spent a lot of his childhood in Charleston, and at some point in his bio it says that his family roots traced back to England somehow, and he spent a semester studying at the University of Kent in Canterbury, so I need to find out about that the next
time we bring him on. So hey, you know, it helps just to stare at somebody's bio. Up next, we'll talk more volleyball with Hunter Mitchell of on three dot com. Here on the Big one Sider six thirty WLAP. Here's Hunter in three to two one join us now in our celebrity hotline. Is a longtime friend and colleague, Hunter Mitchell. You might remember him from Cameron Mills radio show, but I know Hunter from his coverage of UK volleyball, which
he's covered for years. He's very passionate about the sports and was posting last night for on three dot com at the AVCA event. What did you think, Hunter, of the overall atmosphere?
That was so cool? I mean, such a cool way to kick off the twenty twenty four season, obviously, especially with Lowell being the hosting site for the final four the facult. We got the first serve of the season in Louisville last night and then we'll get the last nerve and Little one December was really cool just in general, but to have the fourteen to the perennial perennially be it then from the best four in the country to
last four or five years. I mean, Nebraska Conson obviously have been that way always, but Little One and Kentucky kind of joined the mix, especially the last five years or so. It was just a really cool way to start the season, and the environment was great. The fan
bases were great. Nebraska I think had the loudest fan base there, which was not surprising because Cornuskar fans and volleyball are essentially Kentucky fans in basketball, so they travel very, very well, so it wasn't surprising to see that many there. But just a really cool night with a lot of great volleyball being played between four really really good teams that they are going to do some serious things come tournament time, you know.
And it's interesting to me that all four of those teams on Wednesday. Obviously Nebraska and Wisconsin are fixtures, but of late so of Kentucky and Louisville. So it's no guarantee, but I'm certain we'll see all four NANCA tournament and none of them making the final four would surprised me.
Do you feel the same way, Oh yeah.
I mean absolutely those four are definitely going to be four of the top ten teams in the country. I think some people are little for whatever you and down Kentucky after last night, actually kin away encourage. We'll talk about that, I'm sure, but those four are absolutely going to be in the mix. Nebraska obviously as a runner up from last year, so they're absolutely going to make a push to try and defend that run to the national title game and hopefully win it for them this time.
And Wisconsin has been there it seems like the last four or five six years too, So they're all going to be in the next Louisville has been in the next the last four years, almost in every single year in the final four. So they'll all be there come to tournament. We'll just see obviously how the seating goes and what their path was. Unfortunately, some of them might have to play each other in the lead eight in order to get to a final four.
So I was talking on the show last night about the fact that Louisville for a while there just really struggled. They recruited heavily at a europe and Kentucky just had its way for the longest time with U of L but Danny Kelly gets in there and turns that program around, and she's just done a remarkable job. It says a lot for college volleyball in the entire state of Kentucky, given what UK's done. Western can Hucky's got a strong program.
There were players there from Alice Lloyd College watching last night, so it's taken off so well.
Yeah, and honestly, Kentucky's become a hotbed for the sport. So it was Western Kentucky and Kentucky. You know, about ten years ago. We're still top twenty five teams there towards the end of the poll, but not quite as high as they are now, but we're always in the top twenty five. Louisville just struggled. But once the hired Danny Bustin Kelly. She obviously came from John Cook's coaching three.
Everything every coach he touches seems to have success, similar to Craig Skinner obviously, so it wasn't shocking that once she got there and had a couple of years under her belt and got her own recruiting classes and established her own culture, that Louisville took off. And she's a great coach and the rivalry is better for it because those Louisville Kentucky games are always musty television and will be again this year wherever those two plays.
So yeah, I talked about this again last night that John Cook hired Craig Skinner on three different occasions, and of course that's where Craig was.
When when Mitch Barnard hired him at Nebraska.
But Craig said he he knew Danny Kelly when she was fifteen years old. So it's really a tight knit group, isn't it.
It is. Yeah, they've all got a good history there. And I mentioned kind of the similarity in Nebraska volleyball and the Kentucky basketball fandom, even Kentucky football fandom, just of how loyal they are. It's similar to volleyball. There's just there's so much loyalty and they take care of their own. I mean, John Cook still talks so highly about Danny Buster and Kelly, Craig Skinner, He talked very
highly about them in the postgame last night. You know, can't say enough great things about them and what they've achieved their respective programs. So it's honestly a very big similiar unit and they all speak crazy highly of one that I've all had great success, So it's really cool to see that.
Actually, let's talk about what happened on Tuesday night with Kentucky and Nebraska. The Wildcats jumped out fifteen eleven, that's what it was at the first media timeout, and then Nebraska goes on a run to finish up that set and take it, and then Kentucky bounce back in the
second step. But in that first what was the difference Hunter, did you see after that time out between the way Nebraska handled Kentucky, which you know was pretty much doing what it wanted, but it looked like a different Nebraska team after that time out.
Yeah, I think Kentucky got a little tight, They got a little unsure themselves. Craig talked about that in the post game. They started the match with that nothing to lose mentality that you have to have when you're playing a team as physical and as big and as talented as Nebraska, where you're just swinging for the fences and using the block and using defenders to score points. Once it got to fifteen eleven, that time out was called. Nebraska came out and scored a couple in a row
and Kentucky just got tight. I thought they started tipping the ball a lot, which, again, when you're playing a team as talented as Nebraska, tips don't work. Let' see, Robriguez is one of the best libarros in the country, so she was getting every single one of those tips. Lady Toeboy is a very talented sophomore defensive specialists for them, So those just don't work against a team like Nebraska unless you are very very specific with where you're tipping
the ball. And Nebraska also just ends up at serving pressure, which got Kentucky out of system. And then Brooklyn and Aaron Lamb just didn't had a lot of options outside of tipping because the sets just weren't in a great location and the block was fully formed. So honestly, I think Nebraska just tightened up a little bit. They started a little anxious, and Kentucky unfortunately went the other way. They started really loose, and then I think they kind
of tightened up towards the end of that frame. To their credit, like you mentioned, they bounced back in that second set, especially after going down by six. They were down ten to four in that second frame before coming back and taking it, which again, when you're playing a team like Nebraska, that's not easy to do. It's not easy to do that against any team, but especially a
team is talented to Nebraska. To come back and take control of that frame when you're down that big is actually really impressive.
So yeah, I agree, And it's interesting to me that Kentucky struggled in the early stages of the second set the way it did towards the end of the first. But then again, you and I have talked about this before. I've talked about this with everybody with regard to volleyball. In no other sport hunter, in my opinion, does momentum shift as quickly as it does, at least in women's volleyball. I don't know why that is, and I've had coaches telling me the same thing. They don't understand it either.
If they did, they could change it. But that's what happened Tuesday night.
Yeah, you start exerting your will from every area of the game. It's not just offense. It then turns into your blocking, Then you start digging everything. Then from the service line, you can't not miss and you can't not get an ace. Like it's just all of a sudden you can catch fire in a two point span, and like you mentioned, a fifteen to eleven deficit or advantage for Kentucky can quickly turn on you and you can look down and go, wait a minute, how do we
lose that set? You're up by six? So it kind of happened to both teams last night early until Nebraska obviously pulled away in the second half. But volleyball is one of those funky games like that. It's what makes it so much fun.
Yeah, and then the last couple of sets, as you said, too much tipping. I called it a finesse game. You know, you cannot play finesse volleyball against any really any big ten team. But the likes of the team of Nebraska just too physical, too big. Kentucky's got a big team, Hunter, But do you think Kentucky has got enough I don't know that the size has enough experience to go with it, you know what I mean.
Yeah, they kind of have a unique team. I've talked with Lee m R Podcast about this. They have a lot of experience at some of the key positions on the court. Obviously Cethern Liverero both being simmers set for seniors Inmmcgrom and Elmer Bevin, but a lot of their offensive production is very youthful. Obviously, Brooklyn Delay is only a sophomore. A just take down to the back row as a freshman. You've got brit Baltimore, red shirt freshman,
Jordan Gilly's redshirt freshman. Megan Wilson is a senior, but she's only been here for a year. Even last year she wasn't playing a lot for Kentucky because she was playing behind Regan Rutherford. So I mean there's just a lot of new pieces and offensive production. You gotta think Johnny Teeler at least Guessinger have been playing out of
the middle for four years for Kentucky. I mean, you've had those two staples inside the middle and hitting on the right pen for four straight years now they won national titles. That's not there anymore, and it's going to take a little bit of time for the entire team to adjust to not being able to throw the ball behind you in Howajianni go smack it down. So there's
gonna be those growing pains. Unfortunately for Kentucky, they just don't have one of those schedules where you can go through those growing pains and still get all these wins like you're gonna see some losses and that's okay. Again, I mentioned it earlier. I actually came away from last night's game pretty impressed with Kentucky. They had a lot to work on. But Nebraska the team that returned every starter, and obviously they had run to that national championship. They
are legitimate. And the facts that Kentucky won that second set and was competitive in two of the other three where it was really anybody's sets, was actually very impressive given how new most of their offense was. So yes, they've got a lot to work on, but I think they're going to be fine.
I agree completely. I got there.
And I have to say that given the us on this Kentucky roster, given the loss of a Johnnie who might be the most athletic player that ye to come along in the last fifteen years, With all due respect to Leah Edmond, I mean as Johanni maybe five ten and can jump out of the gym.
But and Lea would tell you that, yeah, absolutely, you know.
But so to have those challenges and yet punch Nebraska in the mouth coming out of the gate, you know, and then yeah, the Huskars warm down, but that is a that is a huge plus. I think for Kentucky going into tomorrow night's match with Northern they ought to handle Northern Kentucky. But as Aaron Lamb said after the game Tuesday night, you know, we need to take what we learned and put it to work for us. You know, in the next four or five matches, they got a bunch coming at him.
They do, and this weekend's a great opportunity. You know, you should on paper win off three of these matches. But Western Kentucky, while they're not ranked, they're sitting at twenty six and the a Peo pole, they're basically ranked. You can never look past Western The job that they've done over there. Western Kentucky is always, you know, incredibly impressive. They're always in the mix of the end of the year. So that's going to be a good game. That's going
to be a game that challenges Kentucky. All of these will be even Northern Kentucky the first game of the year, which they should win. You got to say, that's the first time this team is playing inside of the world class team and over a year that didn't played by last year Obviously it's brand new. There's gonna be nerves. You're playing at home. So some of these sophomorees Brooklyn Delay she has never played in Memorial Coliseum, even though she's played for KENTUCKI before. So there's a lot of
newness that's happening for the program right now. A lot of the old guard is just as graduated, and you're having to bring in new players, and you're getting this new building, this new facility, like all this stuff is new and it's going to take some time.
You know.
They've gone a lot of these big games at home this year, which is nice because you don't have to worry about traveling quite as much and you can just s lieve in your own bed obviously before these massive matches. But there's gonna be a lot of newness, and so
I think again the takeaway is last night. Yes, there's a lot of work on, a lot to improve on, but I think Kentucky is in a good spot for that being the first game of the year and how they perform on the national stage, I think they're going to be in a good spot and have a really good ceiling of what they could become, especially as freshmen. Like Asia Bigpen develop especially as Aaron Lambton needs to improve in Brooklyn Delay continues to get better. I think they're going to be fine.
Yeah, you've got a lot ahead of you if you're Kentucky, just like everybody in the country, but especially as Hunter said, this weekend with Northern Kentucky Tomorrow night six thirty Western Kentucky unfortunately at five thirty, so a lot of people are not going to be able to Well, maybe you can catch volleyball and then hustle over to football and then morehead stay at one o'clock on Sunday.
So a lot to like.
But again, you got the Kentucky Invitational coming up the weekend after that, and I keep saying it, Hunter, if people you know this, if people just give it a chance to go to a volleyball match, especially at the new and improved Memorial Coliseum, do you work your butt off taking pictures.
You got to be happy about that air conditioning.
I am so excited to have AC I'm excited to have brand new lights. They're just going to be making my job a lot easier. Like I cannot wait to get in that building and watch the game, but I especially can't wait to get in there and photograph. It's going to make my job a little bit easier, I think.
Yeah, what's final question? You mentioned Brooke Baltimore, she came back from the injury said it was like ripping off the bandaid, just geit and back at it. But I can't imagine what it was like for her to have to sit with that ankle injury all year long.
So how do you think she's going to fit into her plans?
I love what rot Boltimo can bring to this team. I have heard nothing but positive things from her in every practice from last year and every off season workout this summer. They are so high on Brookes' ability to block, to defend. She's physical at the net, She's got good instincts. They talked on the broadcast last night. She's not the most gifted athletically in terms of just natural ability, but
she works her tail off. I think she is going to be one of those middles that we look back on her career later on, similar to an Emily Franklin and at least get sing her just one of those physical middle blockers that was steady and you could always count on seven, eight, nine, ten kills and you know, three, four, five, six blocks, and she's just she's got a really good head on her shoulders. And even last night, though he didn't didn't do a great job of getting its middles involved,
I kind of expected that. Again, you have two brand new middle blockers. The connection with Emma isn't going to be perfect right off the bat, but she showed glimpses in her blocking ability, even in her ability to run the slide attack behind the center. She didn't always score with it, but she runs the route really well. I think as Emma gets the placement of that ball a little bit more accurate and Kentucky learns how to tool the block and kind of run their offense more efficiently,
I think that's going to shore up. I think Brooke is going to be one of those unsung heroes that we look back on, maybe even at the end of this year and just say, man, her growth, her improvement from game one to the end of the season is really what propelled Kentucky too hopefully, you know, competing for an st championship, a Final four national title. I think
she's going to have a great career at Kentucky. And Leah Sen saying he's talking to the podcast, she has talked about Brooke Boltimont and ajdig Pen in practice and how great they are and just what the two of them what they can bring to this team in terms of just how high this ceiling can be as long as those two especially reach their potential.
Honor Mitchell, tell everybody where they can find your podcast.
What's the name of it? With a great Leah Edmund Yeah, me.
And Lee Emman host podcast called Point Kentucky for KSR. So we're previewing all the big matches this year. We'll do post game for all of those matches as well, So we don't have a set weekly schedule this year, but we're going to release for all the big the big stuff and break it all down for you, and then you can follow my writing on Cancer's website as well.
So I'm sure it's fun working with Leah.
You're not harassed the way you were by camera Mills, so there is there no Lea.
Lee is a great co worker. I get a lot of texts from her just throw on a mask where she's like, hey, did you see this? I'm like, you know what, You're still teaching me about volleyball, even though I've been covering the sport for ten years. So Leah, she's got she's got a great career in broadcasting ahead of her when she decides to stop playing. She's going to take a break this fall and play professionally again
in the spring because she's her shoulders bothering her. But I've told her, you've got a great career in coaching or being a broadcaster, whatever it is that you decide to do, because you're a great teacher of the sport. So but the worker will Lee has been great, She's awesome.
I need to get her to copy me on those texts because I'm working with her all. Yeah, we've only got four matches for TV matches this year on SEC Plus, but I always look forward to that and I look forward to seeing you there.
Hunter, Thank you so much anytime day.
Thank you man.
Hunter Mitchell looked for his coverage on ON three and of course his podcast with Leah Edmund, But just follow him on Twitter at h Mitchell fourteen and you'll be covered. We'll come back and wrap up this edition of The Big Bloon Sider in just a minute here on six thirty WLAP Welcome back to The Big Blon Sider Final segment of our program, just a quick one, of course, Tom Leach and Jeff Piicorro and your surely we'll have the call of Kentucky and Southern miss on Saturday night.
As college football really cranks up everywhere, and play by play announcers get cranked up everywhere and every now and then on this program. Thanks to the awful announcing site on Twitter, I can share with you some play by play calls that are kind of fun. And last night might have been the best one of the year because it might have been the best catch of the year in the Rangers White Sox game, in of course, the White Sox have been terrible. Rangers have not.
They've not been great.
Sixty two and seventy one White Sox now thirty one and one h three, historically bad. There's kind of a double header situation going on a suspending game. The Rangers win the first game, it looked like the White Sox were about to win the second game because in the ninth inning the White Sox Andrew Vaughn comes to the play with one out, turns on a one to two pitch from Andrew Chafin, and it looks like he had dumped it into the bullpen and left field for an
apparent walk off home run. But the Rangers had put a defensive player in late in the ballgame, Travis Jankowski, and he made the catch of the year. Really, he went up and stole this home run. His chest was flat on the fence, his arm was about well, his glove was maybe three feet over the fence, plucking the ball out of the bullpen and saving the home run. So here's the call from the Rangers TV playboy play man Dave Raymond.
We'll hear him first, then we'll hear the White Sox call.
The one too. That's in the air left field.
That's trouble.
Jack Kowski back the.
Catch, goud, that's what I grab.
It brings the game back. Now that's the Rangers play by play man. You can imagine how disappointed the White Sox announcers were in this season of disappointment. Here are John Schiffren and the color man Steve Stone.
Multy strikes Dad, oh.
Man, you can't cut miss Shankowski. Justin solded for defensive purposes, just loves von On a home run that would.
Have been ball game.
You have cats to be kidding me. What a catch? By John Kowsky. He goes up way over the wall. He handles his body so he can get more extension. This is about as good a robbery as we've seen.
He's not wrong about that. You won't see much better Thanks to all my guests. That's it, good night from the garage in Lexington.
Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?