Hell, everybody through the facilities of the iHeartMedia Megaplex. It's Dick Gabriel. This is state wide edition of The Big Blue Inside. You've heard Mark Stoop's comments, now's your chance to talk some football and hear us talk about football as well. Billy Rutledge in the studio, so is Aaron Gershawn. After the Wildcats win over those Southern Mystic Golden Eagles and now the game Cocks are coming to town, it's already must win situation. We'll come back and chop it
up here on the state wide BBI border. The border. It is the Big Blue Insider. Dick Gabriel, Billy Rutligiaron Gershawn. I think we've cut up in our sleep. But Bill, let me start with you. I think the guy had the most interesting evening of all when it comes to media,
was mister Rutledge, our studio manager, producer man. He was trying to keep things straight, keep things on time, communicate with us, communicate with the network, and we were trying to communicate with him, passing along with it for information we had, which wasn't a whole lot like what's gonna happen next, and just trying to figure out how much weak time literally we had to fill. There's nothing else you could do.
It was an interesting night when it comes to that side of stuff. You know, you guys can only fill for so much time. Yeah, you pick and Tom and the booth.
Thank goodness for Cole Koublik.
Yeah, Mitch barnhart Man, Oh yeah, yeah. So after we had exhausted our options there, then we replayed the Stoop Show from last week BBN Radio. Half of it made it on the air, and then Aaron when we got lightning delighted.
In the game.
I just threw on the uk U of l game. I was like, you know, people get excited for that so and thank god they ended it, or you know, I would have probably slept in the studio that.
Yeah, we were getting ready to do the same thing in the press spot, no doubt.
In fact, some of the network people brought hot dogs and hamburgers up to our booth. Yeah you guys, you know, did they take care of you guys? Absolutely not. Well, I guess you had to go.
I went to Tako Beut one in the morning or one forty five in the morning, is what I did.
I will say this. I was a little well, obviously, I think everybody was disappointed. And Aaron and I were talking about this before we went on the air. I was so curious to see the new guys, the backups, the new faces, you know, the guys who came through the portal who were looking for reps, and it looked like we were going to see quite a bit of that. And then the next thing, you know, everybody sent home.
Yeah, especially after that fake punt that Southern Myss tried and failed. Good sign they could stop a fake punt. Joking mostly, but all that was almost all true freshmen on the field. I don't know if you caught that. Cam Dooley is the one who made the tackle. He's
a true freshman. Steven Soles is right there, uh, gerrod Smith, Willie Rodriguez, Antoine Smith, all those guys were on the field so and honestly, something the last two years that has been kind of a sign of early concern is they haven't been able to put these openers away to the point where they could get the backups, these adequate reps that kind of keep them happy, keep them progressing
in their development. And they were definitely on pace to have that, and maybe then some get some second third, four stringers, and I was excited to see some of those guys too, especially in the secondary, but it just didn't happen. Why my mother nature wasn't having it now?
And I also want to see Billy what happens from here on with Southern Miss to give us context. Does his team go on to have a halfway decent year or are they going to be three and nine again? And we'll know more about what Kentucky did against that team.
Yeah, and I don't know if it's the same football program that it was maybe five six years ago when it was given Kentucky fits.
But it wasn't last year.
You know, what I wanted to see from this game was what I saw. It wasn't close. Kentucky handled it early on Rock Vandergriff was running the ball, and that was just really awesome to see. I don't know if it was just me thinking about will Evis's second year and him not running and how great that looked. It just it was honestly refreshing, and I saw enough to where I am really confident and excited about what this guy can do this year.
That was some of the most exciting offensive football in the last since twenty one. I mean there are a few games here and there, like the Louisville game last year, where there's some really exciting plays explosives, But I just thought the balance, the tempo that every time you know, they handed off the running back, you felt like he was gonna have a big game instead of get stopped for two yards. I thought Sumo Karnbay was excellent. Patterson
was fun to watch. Some of the three straight shot plays. I think it was toward the in the third quarter they finally hit on the one to Macklin. I just thought it was a it was a relentless attack, it was balanced, it was you know, quicker, It wasn't fully maybe the exact temple they want.
Week one kinks.
I think Mark Stups mentioned something today about their headset going out early. Maybe so some kinks there, but I was, you know, outside of the pick the first drive, which you'd never want to see, but you know, first career start plays, it's going to happen. I was as impressed as I think.
I think they also time out.
Yeah, sure, those two things, you know, stink, But overall like that, I was pretty pretty impressed anywhere, Yes, and I thought the offensive line. I know Mark Stoops said today things to clean up. He's going to say that if they run for six hundred yards. But I thought the offense line was so much better than we've seen the last two.
Years and again against US. Yeah, but definitely got to have challenge, that's right. You guys know. I've been around here since they pumped up the first football, and I can tell you I have never that I can recall. I have never seen a Kentucky team throw deep like that three times. I mean deep deep, you know. And the two seasons that I was gone down in Texas were Clayburne's best years. And he's sure didn't throw the ball, and if he did, it wasn't deep like that, but
he had. The first one was a little bit forced, but it's like Macoro said on the air, that's just kind of loosen up to do something. But then they come right back and it would have been completed, you know. And then after that it was a perfect throw. Good. Yeah, I think the third throw was better than the first two.
Oh, it was his best one in Jamori.
That's what you wanted when you sign him out of the portal at North Texas. He was a big play machine. He was second in the country last year in average yards per catch and that was on full display right there.
He was great.
Yes, I loved watching him. I mean, go along, get Barry on the ball as much as possible. They seem to do that with two touchdowns, even Patterson and will Cox.
In the run games, he made some tough plays in the middle of the field.
Like that's just maybe depth that Kentucky hasn't had in the past. That it's You've had a Benny Snell at Chris Rodriguez that does a lot of the hard work, but with train him out, I feel like this was an opportunity to see what kind of depth you have.
But it was a different place too that you know, generally they'd go to the Jets sweep once maybe twice a game, not repeatedly, but why not Right with Barrion bo was working. You know, I'm really curious to see train him whenever he gets back. I'm still not entirely convinced of Demishue McCarn bay running between the tackles when he's got to carry people with him. Now he hits holes quickly and if there's a crease, he'll get to that second level right now. I really like that about him obviously.
No, it's the tough, gritty Yeah.
When he starts running into SEC lineman, what happens.
Right and even And it was brought up in the press conferences today and they think they're only third and short play, which is a good sign. They only one third and short. I know it is a shortened game, but still it was a Jet sweep. They didn't go up through the tackles, so it'll be interesting to see. And look, South Carolina will get into them, I'm sure
throughout this hour there they looked awful against Old Dominion. Ye, there may be the worst team in the SEC this year the way Vandy played on Saturday, But the strength of their team is the defensive line and outside backers.
So he'll help. We'll see.
That'll be the first big test for Demi in those backs running through the tackles.
Well, speaking of the D line is like I just said to Darren talking to Jeffikoro in our abbreviated postgame show about the fact that in terms of the stats, Dion didn't show up, but it was because of Dion getting so much attention that the other D linemen were having a big day. And that's that's not by.
Surprise, and that's just NFL evaluators see that, right, And that's just like a common knowledge. Oh, the sacks weren't there. That's probably because the focus was on him entirely, kind of like a number one defensive back where you don't get the ball thrown your way as much when you're that number one guy. But you know, didn't Ribke have a big play in the stand as well? I mean,
that's j that was the circle. I had a big circle around the defensive line this year, and they got some depth through the transfer portal, but this could end up being the strength of the team this year.
Yeah, and you know Dion didn't like like a stat but the pick that Jami and Dumous Johnson had to just see who was chasing down road to Maker and forced him to get rid of that ball, Big Number zero was Freeze. So uh luck, he's gonna make his plays throughout the year. They're gonna double and triple team them. Last year South Carolina was his best game of the season. So and that offensive line still suspect, So well, we'll see plenty from zero. But yeah, like like you said,
Billy Trey Ripkam making a huge play. I thought Clail Saunders popped. Really the best four players though in the defense in my opinion, and Stoops said the same thing today. Were those four inside backers. Uh Pop we just talked about with the pick and some of the plays he made at a quarterback hurry d Jack tipped the ball up in the goal line led to a pick, Alex Afari was over the place, two tackles for lost and David Rayner looked a lot better than did a year ago.
So Front seven as a whole, it was as advertised. But again, uh let's see it against you know, an sec fo here on Saturday.
I don't see any reason why those guys can't keep doing that. They absolutely went against SEC and Afari I love watching him last year as always around the football exactly and that's why he said he'd be applauded and approved of that move because you know, it literally puts him closer and he's he's just a hybrid lineback and we have seen this through the years at Kentucky and folks, I'm not going to say he's as good as but
Wesley Woodyard was a similar hybrid player. Wesley Woodyard came in as a safety and put on muscle and became one of the best linebackers in the history of Kentucky football. So you know, in this day and age, and Brad White has talked about it a lot, you got to have defenders who can do a lot of different things.
You don't always want, if ever a guy like Dean dropping back and coverage even though it worked last year once, but uh no, you've got to have in the back seven guys who can tackle in the run game and make passes and make plays in the pass game. And Afari man, he fits that.
Yeah, he reminds me of I don't know if you watched him much in college. It hasn't worked as great in the pros, but Isaiah Simmons when he was at Clemson was a guy that moved around linebacker, safety, nickel, corner. He just made plays everywhere and he ended up being a top ten pick in twenty twenty with Cardinals, Nyes
with the Giants. It hasn't exactly reflected in the NFL, but that's the guy I keep thinking of with the far just he plays well at every place you line him up, and the closer to the ball the better because he has such speed and pop to him that he's gonna make plays. And he made two chaos plays, two tackles for loss.
I will say, I can't wait until dian Walker drops back into coverage again. Oh he will, can't wait to.
Save it for I wonder because even after that play where that it helped turn that Florida game. Oh yeah, last year deflated them. Brad White said that Stoops came up to him on the sideline said, don't ever do that. But oh yeah, it lobbied for it so much I would let him do it, you know, once every six weeks.
Find it, save it for gains. Speaking of it for the right time you see Florida this weekend.
I was going to say that and and some of the other SEC games for a little bit later on the show.
We'll get back to it.
But man, it's uh, it's always interesting. It's you know, everybody calls it overreaction Monday, but because of the way the Kentucky game was truncated, Billy, I don't think I don't think you can overreact. But you're still not sure what you saw, you know what I mean?
Yeah, I was overreacting when they called the game. I didn't know if my my bets were gonna cash or how exactly that was all.
Gonna Actually how did that work?
Yeah, well it depends. So like if you had the normal spread with like Kentucky minus twenty five, it cashed and then that counted. But if you took an alternate line, if you were betting the total, which it clearly you probably would have hit the total if it would have kept going. No, that is a I think it's considered void.
Okay, so you get your money back.
Yeah, So well we'll see how people react over the coming days. I'm sure everybody will have a calm response to it all.
Oh yeah right, yeah.
You see, the couldn't sell beer during the delay because of the aluminum cans.
Oh I did not know that.
Is that what I thought it was just because they didn't want everybody getting routed.
I was told aluminum cans.
That makes sense because as I would I had to go. I went back and forth to the press box maybe three times, and each time I would, I had to you know, like excuse me and cut through the beer line. And I couldn't understand why people were just standing their patient waiting, waiting, and waiting. I remember it. It looked that way of course before they opened the first time at six thirty or whatever. You know. But now now, okay, I did not know that.
Yeah, I just kept getting text from my fiance was in the crowd, some of her friends.
They're like, why are they doing this? I did see a message online, a post on social media from somebody that we went home. We were getting absolutely no information. Well guess what, there wasn't any information.
There really wasn't.
We weren't getting much more.
All the information we were getting was from Twitter, just like everyone else in the crowd. The problem is we had better service than they.
The thing is, it was all hurry up and wait. Sure you know it was and you know you've covered baseball and then I have obviously as well. Every time there's a lightning strikenutes restart the clock, and I don't know that they were supposed to come on the PA and say, oh, there's another lightning strike.
That would just rile them up more than you want to do that, you know.
So I thought they did the best they could trying to keep people in formed. But you know, I grabbed Mitch Barnut at one point, ye put him on the air, he explained the process and then later on he didn't want to come back on because everything was so so many moving parts. But it was game officials, conference officials.
This is when they eventually called the game off, and you know, UK had little to say about it except to agree with Southern Miss. Look, we're willing to go home if you all want to call the game, and the UK said, yeah, let's do that.
Well, I heard that there weren't places for Southern Miss to stay if they wanted to play the next day, so they were going to get it in no matter what. I don't know if if they did agree to it or not. I feel like, you have hotels, you could get them to stay out.
Well, they stated they were in their hotel rooms until well beyond check at Yeah, so they're no their rooms were still I hope.
So.
I mean, I feel like that had been an orm natural solution than waiting until two am, which is what the alternative would have been. Yeah, you know, something you missed being on the field was the television broadcasts. You know, because of the lightning, they had to send all their cameram Oh yeah, oh they watched we watched it on the TV on the ALL twenty two UK Scout camera that went zoom in randomly after a playge.
Was in disaster. Here's here's the thing I found out today about that they UK there are two different standards. If the UK standard is if if the lightning is a eight miles out or closer, everybody scatter. Okay, the SEC network, when it comes to their camera people that are up, it's twelve miles. So when they found out that the lightning was that close, their guys are required in gals are required to abandon their posts, lock their cameras down, cover them up, and get the hell out
of there. But the Kentucky people were still at their cameras. And you're absolutely right. It was the ALL twenty two. The end Zone cameras were the UK camera people, and I thought they did a great job. ALL twenty two is what it is. What that means, folks, is the camera what you saw is so wide because that's what the coaches used to break things down and teach, you know, and yeah, that's what a zooming wasn't quite as smooth
as it might be. But here's the other thing. Those guys didn't know that their cameras were being used by the SEC network. They didn't know that during the game because there was no communication with the truck. With the SEC truck, how could there be There was no you know, it's not like they're going to run some headsets up to them up to the sixth floor and say, oh, by the way, you're live on the air. Now, you know a good thing.
They weren't zooming in on people in the crowd and doing just random counts on Yeah.
Well no, because that's the video that goes to the coaches. So now it's going to be disciplined, Yes, but I tipped my cap to them for hanging in there sure and making it work. Somebody may have gotten words somewhere, hey you're on TV, but officially no, So everybody kind of pulled together. And Tom hard benched I watched the replay.
He mentioned it that they're up camera people, and I flashed on the tornado night in the Georgia Dome all those years ago when I saw those people, their camera operators, the up high people locked their cameras down when the tornado tore the roof open, and Buddy, they came scrambling down like mountain goats.
So safety first, now, worth it for Southern Miss Kentucky.
Anytime, anytime, we'll step back on back and talk more football and weather. It's the same wide edition of the BBI from Pikeville to Paduca. It is the Big Moon Sider Dick Gabriel, Billy Rutledge, Aaron Gershan. I don't know if I did. I ask you what time did you get to sleep Sunday morning?
Well, I left the studio at like three tens, and I can't just go to bed after no, no, so it was like four thirty.
Wow, I think I left the stadium at one thirty.
I left.
Yeah, you just kind of had to put everything to bed.
Well, yeah, there's a there's a postgame show after your network post game, and then you got to save the eight hour broadcast file that we had the other night. So it's there's a couple of things to go into it.
Yeah. I don't know if I'll be putting together a highlight melt this week or not. I have to talk to you about that. That's gonna be that's gonna be tough to do. But we talked a lot about the offense and deepense special teams. They go to fake a punt as you mentioned all freshmen.
Punct of them.
Yeah, they kicking game clean. And you know what else we pointed out on our broadcast. I don't know if you guys noticed it. Upstairs, Wilson Barry rescued three kind of shaky snaps. They weren't terrible, but they could have been disaster.
Yeah, it was an interesting honestly, the depth chart. We didn't see too many surprises when it first came out, but one was that they changed the long snappers because hindback, I thought last year, I don't remember anything drastically terrible, and he was a true freshman All SEC freshman team might have been the only freshman locksnapper and fairness, but still, you know, acknowledged guy. And they went to a transfer
and Alex McLaughlin who won the job. So I do wonder if maybe we see a change there if the snaps were a little faulty. I did notice on one, but Barry, you know, had a pretty good punt his only one.
He penned them inside the ten.
So you know a lot of fans were carry on why Adan Larros, who was an fcs AL Americans, didn't win that job, but you know, Barry got the job. Done, Rainer made his kick and you know his a clean special Teams night.
Well, Tom had talked to Stoops on his show both last week and on the pregame about the fact that the new Kids got a better leg. Probably yes, because Barry, of course, as we all know, is adapting to American style punting. But he's more accurate Barry is, and and there's more of a premium onment.
There's a kick down the middle factor with Lars that scares them. Yeahs like so, and also some inconsistency where he'll what I think Stoops was saying during his Thursday short one, uh not verbatim, was you know he'll of his seventy five yard boot, but we won't see that for a couple more after that.
So yeah, uh we got a I got a text from a friend of mine wants to know who pays for hotel rooms. Uh, the team that's staying there pays. That's that's that's where it comes out of their pocket.
So Southern miss pays the Hyatts.
Far as I know, Yeah, where they stay.
I see team buses a lot of them downtown lexing that Hyott.
So yeah, I don't know if it was that at Griffin Gate.
I know they're all over the play.
Down at the who always got the better deal in.
The Lexington Green at the hotel that's over there.
So oh yeah, Embassy site.
Sweet I said, yeah, it's all about the meeting rooms with football teams, It's all about the meeting rooms. That's why Kentucky. When Kentucky plays in Gainesville, yeah, okala, yeah, and we stay with them obviously because nowhere in Gainesville is there enough space for what one hundred plus people and meeting rooms and they got to have uh like a ballroom where they can go through a walk through. Yeah, exactly.
I wouldn't want to be in Gainesville right now.
No, I don't know if Billion Naper will be there along either.
Do you think he's there by the Kentucky game?
No?
Wow?
For what he said today. Did you see what he said today?
I know he couldn't get his uh.
Well, but he made a comment about needing needing to ignore fans in central Florida on Twitter from their basements. First of all, there's no basements in Florida.
But second of all, yeah, your mom.
Yeah, that's not a thing in Florida. And to anytime you start picking a fight with the fans. Yeah, not doesn't go over the Mars six million.
I mean, I know you're getting a lot of new TV money, but twenty six million you gotta find.
Yeah.
He ran out Dan Mullen because he said he doesn't recruit during the season.
Yeah. Well, and Napier apparently was a very good recruit recruiter.
Actually, but things.
Ain't happening right now.
Not a great ball coach.
Former UK assistant Adie Scott Strickland. Now the ad down to Florida. All right, we'll talk MORRISCC football coming back here on the state Wide BBI. It is a state wide Big Blue insider. Dick Gabriela are and Gershaw and Billy rud Ledge. We're joined now on our celebrity hotline
by a true celebrity. He is our color analyst on the UK Network and he is just now drying out his socks from the walk, the long walk through his car in the orange lot Saturday night, Jeffichoor Or was there a limo waiting Jeff at the at the back gate to take you to your car in the rain.
Of course there was.
We We've just talked about the fact that we were so disappointed so as stoops he mentioned it that we didn't get to see the backups a lot of the new guys. But what anything specifically jump out of you other than the weather Saturday.
Well, you know, the one thing that stinks about the game is you know, it counts and all the stats to which is good and bad, because now your your offense which was starting to click and really getting into it, and now you're you're stuck. And people think, well, they didn't play that really good because it doesn't say you only played two quarters and five minutes. You know, so those things kind of stink, but it's good for the defense. No, I thought, I thought that the guy started to get
into a little bit of rhythm. It was a little choppy at the start, and Mark alluded to that today. But I thought as the game went on, I thought that it looked like Bush and Brock were much started to get on the same page a little bit.
You've been around forever as I have, Jeff. You grew up watching Kentucky football, you played at Kentucky, and as I told these guys, the two years I spent in Dallas or you're all his best two years under Clavern, I guarantee you you guys, never I can I think I can say without fear contradiction. Ever through deep three consecutive plays, do you ever remember Kentucky going deep three straight times like they did the other night?
No, no, I know that you just brought that up. I was even starting to think it's ten casts. But they never really threw deep.
No, you know no, because everybody played two deep safeties like you're not gonna beat us deep Tim Couch, and Couch said fine, I'll carve you up like a Thanksgiving dam underneath. So what did you think when you saw that?
I thought the first play I even said, well, you know, they're just showing them to try to loosen up the safety says. And then I think they thought, look, it takes about a two or three series until you figure out the speed of the other team. And what I mean by that is, Okay, can my receivers beat them their defensive guys one on one? Can my defensive guys cover those guys one on one? And once you get that set, you started thinking, okay, let's we're going to
take a shot. And what they started doing is they started playing a single high safety because Kentucky was running the ball okay. Yeah, they didn't run it great, but they ran it okay. So they were really bringing down this strong safety and kind of rotating the single thing. So they only had a single safety. So you're basically, you know, you've got the whole sideline, you run down the numbers and that's a long way for him to run to try to make a play. And so that's
that's why they did that. And then it loosens them up too, because now they're thinking, oh, these guys can you know, they can throw the ball and so you know he can throw it deep. Yeah, but it's going to be interesting to see if they, you know, you start hitting on some of those those big, long passes.
You got to wonder how much of that, Jeff was a message to South Carolina.
You know, Yeah, I think that once Kentucky scored a couple of times, Bush wasn't about to show anything. And the cool thing about the way this offense is and it's almost kind of like what how mummy had they only called twelve fifteen plays maybe, and then everything's a derivative of those twelve or fifteen plays. Okay, does that make sense? Yeah?
Yeah, So there's a lot happened formation.
A lot more. Yeah, And the thing that I know kind of gets some people a little shaky, uh that are Kentucky fans, is there's so much movement, but all they're trying to do is make one guy on the defense make one bad move or get you know, just he becomes late, you know, he takes an at a bad step, and that's all you're trying to do. You're trying to move their eyes around. So now they're starting to think instead of just reacting. And and and that's that's the neat part of that offense.
Jeff, Just second, with the offense, what'd you think of Brock Vandergriff's debute and how much fun did you have just watching him move around that pocket? Something we haven't seen at the quarterback position since Levi in twenty one.
Tougher guy than I thought. You know, he's he's not as big as Will you know, I mean muscularity, you know why size, but tough kids because he got he got walloped a couple of times and he jumped right back up. And that's one thing that we had heard is that, you know, he's not afraid to tuck it.
And the one thing he said after the game. He says, my dad, who was his coach in high school, is going to be mad on two plays because the only time you lower your shoulder or go for extra you know, yards, is if it's you're going in for a touchdown or if it's what third down? And that one wasn't he and he took a shot. But he'll learn because you don't do that against Georgia. You don't do that against you know a lot of SEC teams because you can get hurt. But he's tough. He showed it.
Yeah, what's that conversation like on the sideline, Jeff, does he take those big hits on the first drive and you tell him to start sliding or do you want to keep the aggressiveness there or does he just know that understanding?
Yeah, you keep you wanting to keep the aggressing this. But hey, when they come up to you, just get down. And that's the beauty of college football is you start to slaw they can't touch you, and if they do, it's an added you know they'll tackle the team more.
Well, your former receiver was it? I know that barry On Brown scoring two touchdowns was the highlight, but Jimory Macklin and what he does I thought I thought was impressive.
Yeah, really liked what Macklin. What Ferrier growth bought uh to the offense. And again, you didn't really get to see all of it, and I think it's the beauty of that. I'd love to seeing another twenty plays. But it's gonna be really interesting this week. I mean, I know a lot of people are saying, oh, Seth K and I look like crap. They didn't show me anything. You know, they had problems all day. But again, this is a team that's beat you two years in a row.
It's a coach and a team that thinks they can beat you. You know, that's half the battle. So it's gonna be it. Don't think that because you won thirty one to nothing and they battled the whole game, that it's gonna be easy, because it won't.
V Station has the game this Saturday on the beloved time slot. It's going to be it's just gonna be odd. I mean, I know you guys are rejoicing that you've got SEC football and you had the usc LSU game last night.
Yeah, it's the cool part of Uh. You know, Dick, you knew this all those years working at CBS, it's uh, you know, ABC and CBS is really cornered the market on the college college football and uh, the great thing, and I think it's not just for Channel thirty six, but the great thing about ABC getting it is that they have allotted three games every Saturday instead of just the one, one major one that CBS always had when
you were there from the SEC. The cool part, you're gonna yeah, we're going to see a lot more correct.
Yeah. Uh did you get a chance to watch much of the s C LSU game?
I did. I watched pretty much the whole game, and uh, I just think LSU is their own worst enemies again. I mean, just too many stupid penalties. Uh, you know, they they're just they they they I think. You know, I'm not a big fan of Brian Kelly, never have been and never will be. He's he's a snake oil salesman, and I just think his team kind of takes the persona the coach and then you see him, you know,
pounded on it. He's like Bobby Knight, you know, he's pounded on the table and trying to you know, look how mad I am and upset I am about this game. You know, just that's that's just not becoming of a coach. You know, I think you have to your your team takes on the persona of their leaders, and if you're that way, then that's just not the way to be. I think, I think you need to be calm and cool and collective, especially at a place like l s U.
I mean that this is a team. They've got a lot of great players and they want to be coached. But you know, I just think that there's other ways to do it. But LSU, you know, they've got talent. This myer did okay, But you know I was I was. I was actually support in that game by USC's defense, which the big knock on most of those teams from the Pac Ten, and you look at Oregon, it's the same way. Everybody says the only reason Oregon beat you
is because they can score fifty points like that. But USC has always been kind of like the Western Conference and basketball, where it's no defense in all offense. But boy, I thought their defense really played well last night.
Speaking of Brian Kelly, would you rather have him or Dabo Sweeney as your coach?
Right now?
I can throw billiy Naper in there too.
Oh yeah, I mean you look at these three those those are those are some pretty big programs that you just mentioned, the three of them at the Aaron chiming in on that one too, And boy, there's not a good start for those you know, it's it just shows you the parody that that now is in college football, especially for the power power for schools because of this transfer portal.
Yeah, and Dabbo doesn't want to be a part of that, that's art.
Nope, the game's passed them by that case.
Yeah, did you see this number guys that he said? Thirty two of the starters across the Big four were transfer portal guys. Guys that is transferred into that school. Zero at Clemson and he hasn't taken any and he says he won't. But I mean it's like you said, I mean, at the end, what did what he hates do?
He went out and got Archleistern through the ball, right, h you know, look at what look at what you well, we can go back through the ages of what Bear Bryant did to the game by bringing in the black athlete.
And well Saban Saban tried to have he tried the strong arm college football into changing the rules to slow things down because he was getting his butt kick and he did not succeed. So what did he do? He joined him, changed his offensive started winning more national titles.
Yep, well I think that. You know, you just have to look at Mark Stut's brother, Bob, you know, Yep, was always a great coach and a great teams that he said, you know what, I can't beat this Mike Leach's offense. So you know what, we're bringing him in and they won the national champions exactly.
Jeff, going back to Kentucky, well, I guess half of football we got whatever it was. What did you think of the going to the defense? What'd you think of the corner as opposite Max? Obviously the run defense, we know what they were able to do, kind of did what we thought they would. But what do you think of those guys hard Away done and the other corners that mixed in there?
I did, okay, whenever somebody's light me up like that, you know again, you got to get off the field on third down?
Yeah, that was okay.
And the first couple of series, it was that one I think was what was it third and nine?
Eighteen and third and eight yeah, third.
And eighteen, you're like, what is going on here? But they'll I think they'll settle in a little more. I thought that the one stat though, on the defense that a lot of people, I think around the country is going to look at and go what happened is the guy that everyone says is you know, all the all American on the defense, he didn't show up at all in the stats. But then you look at say, okay, but how long said they run for five total yards?
And we were just talking about the first.
Double Yeah, the double team the entire game.
Yeah, and we're just talking about in the first segment there, Jeff, that the pick that jam and Dumas Johnson had in the first quarter, second played from scrimmage. Did you see who's chasing Roddamaker and you had a free rush number zero?
Yeah? Yeah, And that's you know, that's what he does. And by him taking up two and sometimes three blockers, look at the other guys, you know, those guys were able to get in there and make plays. And that's that's how this system works.
A couple of the big plays Southern Myths did have were seemed like long third down conversions and kind of a similar conversation we had to of last year of getting off the field was a struggle for Kentucky. Is there anything to that, Jeff, or did you think those were just outliers in a good game for the defense?
No, I thought that, yes, exactly what you said. They were three for three for the first three third downs and then zero for four for the next four. They finished the game three or seven. And I would have liked, like I said, I would have liked to see another ten or twenty plays on defense, just to see how they would have reacted later in the game, when you know Southern miss was probably going to throw the ball a lot more. I would have liked to see that.
But no, I think that it's guys. Well, if Billy, you're used to covering these guys in practice and now you're in your game, you're going to be a little more cautious, especially if you're hard away, especially if you're designed. You don't want to get beat. You know, the one thing they don't want is to get beat, So you might give them a little more of a cushion. And I think they did that, and a couple of times, you know, they paid.
For it well. And you pointed out Jeff, though, I will say this, when USM was three for three on third down, Yeah, and you made it a point to bring that up and say this was a point of emphasis, and you know, especially in the big plays, Brad White said, this is going to be something we've really got to get better at. But from that point on they were zero for five.
So you know, no, I just that's what I just said that they looked like they got a little more comfortable and understood. Jake Q said, Okay, this guy can't beat me, so I'm not. All I have to be weary of is don't try to jump that first move. You know, don't try you know, don't don't get the double move. But you can play a little a little tighter because you're as fast as you're or faster than they are. And but yeah, I thought, like I said, I thought they calmed down a lot as the game more on.
Billy made a point earlier about the linebackers maybe being the most impressive part and you and you and Aaron just touched on that, but generally speaking of that defense, and I guess we kind of expected that, didn't we. When you've got a transplanted Georgia Bulldog, former All American moving in along with guys who have played a lot of football for Kentucky. Do you think that could become the identity of this Kentucky defense.
I do. And and you know, we didn't get to see him at the start of practice. He was a little banged up Dubis Johnson I'm talking about, But man, he really can can cover some ground. And when he gets there, he gets there with authority. You know, he's not gonna miss tackles. He can put guys on their back. I thought, yeah, he played really well. And the thing was, you didn't hear much from the Eric and you didn't hear too much from him, but the outside guys played
really well. I mean, when you look at the way this game was played, I think Southern Miss thought the only way we have a chance to win this is to try to get the ball to the outside. Uh, you know, throwing the ball, throwing it to the outside. And when that happens, you really take the middle linebackers of those you know, those two guys are there pretty much out of the game.
It's gonna be interesting against those game Cocks. And Tom Leach will have a call with Jeff Picorrel and yours truly watch for Jeff's coverage on ABC thirty six here in town, and of course you'll be listening folks to your radio while you watch it on WTV. You Jeff Bro, thank you. We will see you later on this week as we put together the Wildcat Whip whipp It Baby, See you man. We'll come back and talk more sec in Kentucky football in just a minute here on the
state wide BBI. Coming up Saturday, it is Kentucky South Carolina and coming up well on my show tomorrow. An interview I recorded with Jojo Camp who what had a huge game against those game Cocks back in twenty fourteen when he ran through the game Cox thanks to the Wildcat formation. Were you in college?
No, it was before I was not, But I've seen that game.
Yeah, the three touchdowns, that was the Bud Dupree interception pick six.
The first war.
Well it was, and that's that's what I was getting too. That was the first signature win. And I remember two or three years later somebody said, you know, stoop truly is another signature winn as well. First of all, they beat Spurrier that year. Secondly, they beat Lamar Jackson, and I talked to Jojo about that, and that was the game where he, of course was interviewed by TV and by US after the game. But that's when he first kind of blurted out, why not us? Why not Kentucky?
And I said, had you've been sitting on that? He said, Now, it just kind of came to me. And it's been repeated, how ever, many times since then. So it's interesting, Aaron, how the South Carolina game has evolved, has turned into something really special. But then he said, the next year, were you at no You were again? You were okay?
Fifteen is when they won at South Carolina last year spurts and man, I told him, I said, the wall of noise when I walked in that locker room, music, screaming, cheering, dancing. It was such a big win. Yeah, it was phenomenal. That's what this has become.
Yeah, it's beam run in his mouth.
Now.
Now those two don't like each other, Well, they'll admit it publicly or not. They do not. They do not like each other. And look, Kentucky the last two years, I think would tell you off the record they were the better team and they lost.
They were.
Last year.
Ye, I mean twenty two South Carolina did finish hot. You have to give him credit for that. Will Levis wasn't on the field. You have to take that into account. But still that Kentucky was the number twelve team ranked the country was basically a salout at home and you lose. And then this past year just played awful football and third down and cost him a game. So and I think both teams know right here like there are seasons already, it's pretty much on the line, especially for Kentucky.
Yeah, no, the season is.
But here's the here's the reason I say that Kentucky would probably be two and three to start the year if they lose this one, because they're gonna play Georgia next week and they're gonna go to Ole Miss in.
A couple of weeks. That doesn't to loss Miss.
Number six team the country that just put up seventy six and looks like they're going to be a top five offense in the nation.
Yeah, so you you believe that Kentucky will finish either one game above or below five hundred.
If they lose this game. I think they're going to six and six, five and seven. That's where I'm at I think it's if they win this game. I think the path eight and four, which is where I kind of think their goal should be at mid them.
I agree. Is so I thought you were going to go to that the team will collapse or something. I never believe the nonsense. Wow, I don't think they'll check back. When they played Louisville first game, people loved it. Well, if the loss of that game, the whole season's lost. It was never.
Yeah, I've had a lot of people say, oh, they'll check out if. I don't think that'll happen, but I do Louisville, right, I think the way the schedule sets up, then you look at Auburn as a harder game, I'd say five and seven, six and six.
Sorry, Billy, No, you're fine.
I just I'm gonna wear my sunglasses and do my TikTok.
Dances this week.
I'm going to get it all in because remember the SEC media days, it blew up. And then after South Carolina won last year, I think Shane Beemer specifically put sunglasses.
On and they were playing the song that Soldier Boys song in the Stay and they started dancing to it.
So, I mean it is a rivalry and when you're you're doing stuff like that in the locker room.
I talked to the players from Carolina media days last two years and they told me such that this is a huge game. Oh yeah, I'll tell you shared up in Kentucky's players you wrote about that last year. Ye And in Missouri to Missouri games will become the games. Absolutely, They're always close in there, you know. Like Main said, that means your team is relevant, absolutely no doubt.
Thanks so much to Aaron Gershom, Thanks to Billy Rutledge, thank you for joining us. We'll be back, same time, same place next week on the state state wide bb I. That's a good night from Lexington.