Hell, everybody to the facilities of the iHeartMedia Megaplex. It's is Dick Gabriel. This is the state wide edition of The Big Blue in Siety. You have heard comments from Mark Stoops and Jeremy Jarman, and tonight you'll be hearing as usual from our panel of experts, Aaron Gershan and the Cats Boss and our own Billy Rutledge from the UK Network. Stay tuned for the state wide BBI Border
the Border. It is the Big Blue Insider Dick Gabriel, Billy Rutledge, Aaron Gershan looking ahead to Georgia, but you gotta look back at South Carolina, as we have heard for the first couple of hours of programming tonight and Aaron, we sat here last week wondering how that game went unfold. Never did the scenario come up that South Carolina would come in here and completely disrupt what Kentucky was trying to do offensively, never crossed my mind.
Yeah, one of my buddies who cover South Carolina came up to me in the press box on Saturday before, about two hours before kickoff. He's like, South Kentucky's going to blow them out right, like even their beat thought at least he did, and he told me A lot of his colleagues thought it was going to go the other way. And I could have if you were to tell me, Oh, Kentucky and South Carolina, low scoring game, Carolina is going to pull it out, I wouldn't have
been shocked. Yeah, I thought Kentucky would win the game. I thought they'd actually do it pretty handedly. But no, this was worst case scenario. All hell broke loose, perfect storm of awfulness and a lot to take away and a lot to be concerned about.
Billy, you were here running the network and keeping an eye on the TV, and it just never got any better, did it?
It didn't.
I wish we could air the off air conversations between you and Pick and Tom, but we can't.
Oh you don't. We can't need to hear what we were saying in the press box.
All right, this was a game.
Kentucky was a nine and a half point favorite, ten point favorite that it opened at opened. This is a game that was going to get you college game day the next week with Georgia's supposed to be coming into town, and now they're going to South Carolina and not only fair and well, and.
This is the third year in a row you've lost to Shane Beemer.
I mean, he's got more wins at field or as many as you do in the last what two years. So it's just it's crazy to take a step back and look at the last few years. This game completely I think flipped our expectations for this entire season.
Yep, and did so last year. You know, it is a pivotal game. It is a swing game, and now that's taken on a different connotation. Swing used to be you know, could go to either team. Now it's could
affect the fortunes of your season. And I told you all before the show, I'd never been one to think that, well, this loss and the season's over, you know, And people usually talking about the scenario last week, people used to say that, Yeah, about when they played Louisville if they lost the first game of the year, Well, the players just pack it in. No, they don't. The fans pack it in. But this particular game, I'm hoping for their sake, it's not a window to the rest of the season.
Specifically O line prop which can just uncork an avalanche of problems.
Yeah that. I mean, Look, we've seen some really bad offensive line play since the start of the twenty two season. They give up forty seven sacks in twenty twenty two. But I can't remember a performance that was as bad as this one. I mean, yes, you have to give South Carolina's d line their flowers, especially Canard and Stewart off the edge. They were as advertised, if not better. But to have a guy we were talking before the show, we're not PFF. Grades are what they are, they mean something,
they mean nothing that's up for debate. You get an offensive line and a seventh year guy and Marcus Cox, who on one hundred point scale graded out at five point one pass blocking gave up six pressures, two sacks, four quarterback HiT's like and brought a lot of discourse about Brock Vandergriff after the game. Was there a bad read on an RPO? Yes? Were there like one or two clean pockets where he looked rattled? Yes, But it was unoperable. I mean, the offensive line just stunk it up.
And what was so mind boggling about it is they moved dudes in the run game and can Tuckey was running downhill just fine all day. And they had one drive where they handed it off to either Sumo, Karbay and Patterson on eleven straight plays and that ended up being the field goal drive. So it was just a mind boggling, mind bogglingly bad performance in the past block game probably old line.
It was also a little jarring to hear Stoops immediately after the game said say that there was nothing to build on.
I mean he was down.
Oh that was brutal.
And then he came into his press conference today and said that they played hard but not smart. And I guess there is something to take away from the game. But when your immediate reaction is that was not one thing to build on. Is a guy that's been in football his entire life. I don't know if he's ever had a loss like that one.
Yeah, I know he clearly he had just been punching the gun and stepped on But like Aaron said, I think you can build on that run game. I was very surprised pleasantly by Demi Sumo Karmbay running between the attackers. I just did not know, did not know if he could do that. I knew if he got to the edge, he has that speed, but ironically enough, he couldn't get to the edge. They were too too smart, not too smart, but too athletic to let him do that. So he ran it up between the tackles and he took.
People with him and sort of the freshmen. Jason pattis, Oh, I like him too. They were great, and that's what's you know, that's frustrating. We can't talk about them more. But that part of it from the offensive line standpoint was just brutal. And then on the defensive side of the ball, like you want to feel pretty good they held South Carolina. I think it was two point eight yards per carry. Uh, not that much more if you
had the sack yards. They forced three fumbles, didn't grab any of them, and outside of a couple breakdowns that are a big deal. Obviously, I thought the defense played a good enough game to win. So just infuriating that those things.
Two of the breakdowns on communications issues lead to easy touchdowns. You had to pick six. So when you look, yeah, at yardage and points actually giving up, you can say, yeah, the defense, that's something to build on. But you right, Billy, when Stoop said, boy, you I'm sure you could tell because you can hear during the breaks how down He was on the postgame show with Tom just you know, that blank look in his face.
It wasn't anger, it was.
Strang Yeah, exactly, despair, despair, I did think, Billy, and you just brought it up at his news conference today when he said upon and he's always talking to every coach says, it's not as bad as you think, it is not as good as you think. It is the fact that he did say they played hard, because I wondered what he was seeing as I was down there on the field. I can't tell, uh, because I'm not a professional coach. Plus you got a better look at
that kind of stuff, Aaron than I do upstairs. But the fact that he said they did play hard, because if they hadn't played hard, and to me it was it's hopeless, right, But they did, So that's something that's encouraging. It is.
And talking about Stoops a little bit. He's taken a lot of blame for that fourth and one call early in the game.
That starting with himself, right.
And credit to him for singling himself out.
Are you surprised when he did it? Oh?
Yeah, the worst. I've covered stoops for six not as long as you, but for six years, and that was the worst fourth time, Remember.
But his interview with you before halftime, he basically called out the play calling. You sure did, and you know Bush Hampden, I mean barry On Brown. Did he have a catch in the game?
First game and his zoop CA career without a catch.
And we had that situation with the jet sweep on second and one turns it into third and.
Nine missed ai.
Uh.
Do we sound like a broken record yet with play calling and offensive coordinators and sixty year with a six different one continuity.
Yeah, but nobody two years ago. Nobody ripped Liam Cohen two years ago. He was the darling at the SEC. Remember, yes, when he was first year. But he had one Dale Robinson, he had Will Levis, he had a better old line radio line. That's the key. But he brought that up again today, the RPOs of he kind of dwelled on that didn't the erin. Yeah, he seriated him, he said,
but either hand off or throw it. Yeah, he clearly doesn't like the reading element of it, at least in that game, which I thought stuck out of the news conference today.
Yeah, he was livid at that. I forget what was the situation on the on the end around Billy? Was it a second in short.
The Jets sweep, Yeah, it was second one.
Blew up more than one.
Yeah. And there was also the one that one play call that killed me was you finally you have not even finally. Early in the game, you get hit the danky on the sideline, beautiful throwing cash thirty two yards, You hurry the line, which I like, and then you throw a wide receiver screen. Yeah, like that is that a Rich Scanguerrillo's playbook? Like what are we doing?
So? I don't know what the defense was shown.
I don't know what they were showing, but.
That, to me, it's it's it's always all right, what's the defense doing. Maybe that's the right call, maybe it's not. Clearly it wasn't for that that moment.
And it's different.
You know, if you lose by a field goal or they make some spectacular plays, but for like your lineman to line up wrong, two plays in a row.
Same guy and then you have a hold. It's just three plays in a row called back in the game forty six yards.
See, I really wondered, because we did if they took South Carolina, for granted, their nineteen year old kids, we're growing ass men and we're up here talking about a bad South Carolina looked last week and was lucky to win.
They were, and.
Then Kentucky comes out and plays as though they had just spent the week looking at video of that game, like, oh we got this, you know. Yeah, in an SEC game.
Well, the perception of every team in the SEC is when Kentucky's on the schedule, it's a win.
True.
I mean he used to be. I don't know if it still is.
I would say it is the game as an achievable win.
Yes, it still is.
I think for them to make the season, and now.
It's a swing game for the swing teams, there's no question. Yeah, uh but I think. I mean, I have told you the buddy Mine went to Vandy and for the law. You know, there were there have been streaks, Vandy said, streaks against Kentucky. But he told me every year we would circle Kentucky. Well that's a win right now. That started to change with Stoops. He was beating these teams that ordinarily you'd expect maybe they'll win, maybe they won't. Not lately, and that starts with South Carolina.
It starts yeah, absolutely, Now three in a row to them. Uh, you know, Missouri last year got him. Uh, and then two years ago Vandy got him. And look at the way those Commodores are playing. Man, that game at Kroger Field ain't gonna be no U, no layup this year. And uh, it's just and when it's just hard to be that optimistic when the offensive line, it just all goes back to that. I think there are things on defense that you can clean up, those communication issues. You
know how good this front seven is. They still played great in the run game. Uh, they'll probably be fine. You still I think have optimism if you could have a pocket for Brock Vandergriff and those receivers and the running backs gave you something. But if if they're not gonna be able to press protect, you can't. You don't have lin Bowden like there's no way out of this. You have to have a balanced offense.
So yeah, I don't know if probably they'll be fine, I would ever come out of my mouth after what I saw on Saturday.
No, they may not get to six wins.
No, that's what I'm saying. I'm saying there that offensive line makes it where you can't say that. Yeah, everything I'm saying every other area I think the defense will be fine. I think Brock can be fine.
Behind that line if you can be if it weren't for ye oh yeah.
Yeah, I'm saying I'm not giving up on him as a player individually, but without those five well, no.
He showed last week against it and mentally an inferior team what he can do if given time. You know, and he's gonna make mistakes. It's his first year as a starter. It's not an excuse. That's a reason.
No, it's legit.
But if you think it's an excuse, you know, try it yourself.
Well, if you're gonna blame anyone for that, you blame Kentucky's coaching staff for putting him in that situation that he has to be a first year starter. And they picked it. They picked their poisoned with that. And I'm not saying it's a bad decision. I'm just saying, like, you can't get on him for being a first time starter.
Who else do you play?
Well? They haven't recruited and developed well enough to have someone.
Well that all that all goes back to Drew Barker getting hurt.
It does, but they it just there's.
Destroyed everything on their quarterback timeline.
This is true.
You know, there's an argument that, you know, keeping somebody in the school for more than one year would be beneficial and coordinator wise, coordinator wise or quarterback wise. But like coordinator wise, this Eric Wolford thing is just head scratching, Dick.
I mean, yeah, is he coaching?
Is he just recruiting because it doesn't feel like the offensive line should be making those kind of mistakes with Alabama's offensive line coach from last year.
Well, just because he was good enough to coach at Alabama doesn't mean they're good enough to play well at Alabama. How good are these guys? That's the question, right, true?
But they were historically bad at Alabama last year. We say that they were very good in the run game, but they were terrible.
Was that was that Wolfer's fault?
Or I can't fig that level.
I don't know enough about twenty South Carolina same thing. They were in the top five in the SEC and rushing with a three and seven roster. They were the worst pass blocking unit. So like, at one point, is
that okay? In twenty twenty one, when you were here, the offense line was good, but you inherited Schlarman's guys except for Dari Rosenthal, right, And and remember at the end of twenty twenty one they lost Eli Hawks and they lost Rosenthal for the bowl game, and they were terrible against Time, you know what, Oh they were?
And then one are the other knocks on Wallford, not to be piled on the guy was when he was here. He didn't play anybody else but the same. That's why I said that he didn't build, that he didn't develop, right, That's right. You know now I can't remember who was there, if they had anybody worth developing. But it does go back to the terrible situation with John and when he was sick and you didn't know who was going to be here next year. You didn't know who you know,
who was recruiting. It was just tough on them to recruit o Ligneman. It all, like you said, Billy, it all starts with the O line. And if it doesn't get any better, it doesn't matter how good your defense is, no matter who your quarterback is. We'll take a break, come back and try to think of some cheerier things to talk about a little bit later on. Ji Pecorol will get us revved up again here on the state wide BBI. In case you wonder what we talk about
during the commercial breaks, it ain't Kentucky football. We've been talking about the NFL because Billy's Buccaneers played well, looked good in one behind Baker Mayfield.
They did, and Liam Cohen and Liam Cohen our teams, well, my team, your team fought and was competitive, and it was a slipping slide down in San Paolo. It was the Giants the kind of similar to Kentucky, where the defense show you things, the run game showed you things. In the quarter well, the offensive line actually was good. The quarterback not so much.
Not so much.
What did Wandale do?
He had twelve targets, so he's a feature. Six catches, a couple of balls that were thrown with Andrew Phillips had to play, Yeah, forced to fumble that Giants were covered. He was good and he had to stop at the goal line. That made it fourth down. But there you go.
Give a touchdown and fourth Carrington Valentine I think is still her did not play.
Yeah, a rough one. Will Levis, Yeah, I.
Will Levis had a rough one. Are there any former Wildcats on the on your Buccaneers right now.
I don't think Mike Edwards. Mike Edward's not there.
To be team now four?
Fourth team no third, You're right, I'm sorry, Chiefs. What you go, Tampa case now.
Buffalo you got it. You got a ring with the Chiefs. So uh, I don't know how many future pros are on this Kentucky team.
And the Bucks. By the way, he's two, that's tried.
He did get one back to back. Yeah.
Uh.
But now with Georgia, that's the bad news. Well, you got a week to work on things, and you know what, they could be one hundred and fifty percent better and you won't know.
Yeah, you kind of hope that you just show play. Look, they've played Georgia at home really well the last couple of times they've come here. I mean it was both were I think two score games. Defensively held them to sixteen or less point in both those games. I think it stinks that you have to say it that way and you're kind of hoping for some moral victory Saturday. But that's that's just a testament and respect to how good Georgia is. And they've given up six points so
far this season through three weeks. They have what I was talking to some people down there on their beat. They think it's the best secondary Kirby's had yet. Wow, so that they said the d line might be his weakest in a few years, but the secondary is the best he's had yet. Carson Beck proved last year though statistically he's the best quarterback he's had yet. So they have weapons every It's just look, they're the National champion favorite for a reason.
Carson Beck. And and also they're now going blank on the kid that he that he replaced Bennett. Yeah, they have both, Billy, I think it's erased the stigma of being a game manager. George is you know, so good. But they can make plays. I mean, Bennett can make plays. He's an NFL quarterback now and Beck's can't. So that's gonna be a real challenge. I felt like Kentucky did a pretty good job against this kid from South Carolina. He has got big talent and he's got a bright future.
But he didn't hurt Kentucky the way I thought he might, especially with his legs.
The quarterback for South Carolina with the rexpecs on. Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's not that great.
So well, he's a freshman it's a second game.
So now you're gonna get the complete in verse and probably get that my point, the best quarterback in college football.
So you think he is, Yes, I would say.
I think he's gonna be the quarterback in the New York Giants next fall.
Well, look at this guy. They must have the number one overall pick too.
Well, Carolina is let's see, let's see Bryce Young improved. So take him there.
It's tough.
I mean, they've got that back etn he transferred from Florida, I believe so. And his brother's doing some pretty good stuff at Jacksonville right now. So they've they've they've always had the weapons. And have they lost one game in the two years or something like that, and they're being held out of the playoff last year because they lost Obama in the SEC Championship.
So Georgia's last regular season loss, so not counting the SEC Championship, which they've lost twice since then, was November of twenty twenty against Florida November one, the COVID shortened year. They lost two regular season games. They lost to Florida and they lost the year.
They're still in the garage, Dick, I mean.
I was still a student at UK I wasn't graduated yet. So it's just they're dominant and what they're doing. They've won forty one streat regular season football games and their only losses are both the Nick Saban and Alabama and the SEC titles since then.
And Tim Couch was on the Collin Show now he was talking about throwing an interception too.
When Champ Bailey was on the other side of the field.
Pick your poison there, I.
Guess, yeah, yeah, I remember that. You know Chris Hatcher, who's Aaron Rodgers hurt.
His first completion as a jet was fumbled by Breisee Hall. It's a turnover, fantastic. His first pass was dropped by somebody. That's his first jet completion because he was over one last.
While anyway, Uh, I lost my train of dot. No. Tim was talking about Chris Hatcher, one of the offensive assistants, and Hatches now the head coach at Samford down in Birmingham, but when he was the head coach at Valdosta D two, two of his defensive assistants were must Champ and Smart Really and yeah, he said, yeah, I wouldn't paying him as much as they're making now. But yeah, those guys are good football coaches. But Kirby Smart has figured it out.
And really, before NIL became huge, he had because Georgia under Mark Rick, who was a terrific coach and a great guy, got tons of talent and won a lot of games, but couldn't quite close the deal on an SEC championship, or if he did, he couldn't get that national title. And Kirby Smart has broken through that way. Now NIL is only making the strong stronger, isn't it.
Yeah, And he learned from the best. He was right there with Nick Saban for many a years. Yeah, he branched away and you know is going on his own run.
Now.
If Georgia could just control their players from speeding on the interstate or in the roads, I mean.
You know what, that's fixable, That's easily fixable.
Yeah, we first don't do it. We've heard a lot of the word fixable the last forty eight hours. That one's legitimately fixing.
That is, there's fixable football and then there's fixable off the field stuff. But it puzzles me as to why they haven't fixed it yet. And I was going to say, somebody might get hurt somebody has gotten hurt already. Yeah, you know, so that is that is a puzzler. But the one thing about Georgia too is I'm sure it's happened because we don't obviously cover them every week, But
you're gonna have to catch them. Aaron, maybe looking a little bit past Kentucky, maybe looking at the videoing we got this game already.
You got a hope. But look, Kirby runs that program to where they're just they seem bulletproof from that. I was listening to his press conference today, is talking about just how it's a battle every time they played Kentucky going there, it's one of the toughest trips in the SEC. And you know, I mean, this is the coach that told them that they're going to finish five and seven when they were everyone predicted them to win the national championships. You hope that's going to be the case, but I
just don't see that happening. I think Kentucky to win this game, they're going to have to play unbelievable football. But honestly, like I said, just just show compete and keep it, keep it interesting, and you know what, circle the wagons get ready.
For a while one of the championship years for Georgia. I recall, and you've got better recall than I do on this because you have to write about it every week. Kentucky played Georgia tougher, really, I think it was.
That's where we left two games two years ago here at Krogerfield.
No, no, no, I'm thinking of the one at Georgia because that's what Oh okay, that's what put Will Levis on the radio. A lot of scouts exactly, and you know they're like, Kentucky played Georgia and Levis didn't make any bad decisions, and you know it was it was never a game in doubt, but it was a tight game. And then you know, the boating game was incredible. They had their tredibly fun They did have chances but lost it.
Max Duffy's only bad punt in his career here.
Yeah, you'll always wonder what might have happened if c Rod had just caught that pass.
But it's usually a good game when they come here. So you just hope that they can they can battle and show you something because right now fans are on at their wits end.
All right, we'll come back and talk with Jeffichorro, the U can't at work, and more here on the state wide Big Blue Insider. Well, we are trying, we are efforting. The word is efforting to reach mister Percoro. Not always easy, I can tell you that, as you might expect. Now we're keeping an eye. Aaron Rodgers is still upright, my friends.
Yes, but his first completion of his get career, because remember he was oh for one last year, was fumbled by Sorry.
Was on my fantasy team last year and people kind of scoffed at me when I drafted and when we finally got healthy and started eighty yards. But I had a terrible fantasy weekends because just simply because of Joe Burrow. Oh you know, and Bengals fans know what I'm talking about.
It must be a brutal on s. I mean, it was brutal weekend covering Kentucky and being Giants fan. I can't imagine the Bengal Kentucky fan this weekend. Not many had it worse than them.
No, and that killed so many people in their survivor pools.
Oh yeah, but you know the two I think probably the two most popular picks and the survivors this week, we're Cincinnati and Buffalo and Buffalo. Arizona had them on the brink all day long too.
Yeah, I had half my Survivor pool get out on Cincinnati. I took New Orleans, which was a great pick in hindsight, but now it's maybe a little bit more difficult this week. A lot of bad teams playing bad teams. So you know that's why, that's why you win the money.
Well, you know, you could always say, well just take whoever's playing New England.
Yeah, but that proved to be Aaron last week. Who's playing Carolina's another series.
They are just fade them all year them.
They might not win a game. Maybe, you know the Giants the Giant jump up and the Giants and Panthers playing Germany. Poor people over there are going to have to watch that.
Well that's a tough one even you.
Know, it's Giants Carolina in Germany.
Later.
Yeah football, yeah, exactly, American football. You know, we'll have fun, but yeah.
I feel bad for those people. They have no idea what real football.
Well did you hear any of Tom Brady in the booth?
I did?
I did on red Zone. I didn't watch the game in full. I didn't. I heard. I saw he was getting a lot of criticism.
Buddy of mine texted me and he said, mashed potatoes over white bread. But you know how one game exactly, it's not just one game, but his first game.
Yeah, I'm not going to kill him yet.
Three hundred and seventy five million dollars.
That's exactly right.
And Greg's better.
I was going to say, that's the one thing that stinks is Greg Olsen. I thought was fan fantastical.
But see, I remember when Greg Olsen started, he wasn't that great pride. Well, but here's the thing, Romo's the unicorn. Because Romeo kind of burst on the scene and he had the play calling thing going on, and that really I think lifted him in the eyes of a lot
of people because it worked. Now, uh, he quit doing it that second year, and I had read something Aaron, you followed the NFL as much and more than I do, where NFL coordinators were complaining about that and why they would It's not like there's a pipeline from Romo's booth
to the other team. But for whatever reason, he kind of backed away from that, and there was a lot of stuff in the trades about how Romo's not working hard enough and they had to sit down with him and have a do better talk or something like that. Nance came to his rescue. So but to your point, Billy, I got to wonder which bean counter at Fox Sports said, this is a good deal. This is good for us, It will turn into dollars for US viewers, therefore better
ad sales, therefore more because we can absorb it. Was it a ten year deal? Yeah?
I think so.
Yeah.
I just you know, all the stuff coming out about him not being able to criticize referees and if.
He indeed gets to buy a piece.
Of a team, right which should be approved in the middle of this year, at the end of the year, I think is a time which.
To me is a smart move by the NFL. Why would you not approve it?
Well, that's fine and dandy, but he's also still broadcasting. And if you can't criticize officials and you can't go to pre production meetings with Fox, I mean, I feel like you're you are missing out on what a color commentator should get do.
We're missing out. Fox is missing out. But if you're Roger Goodell, got it where you want him?
Yeah, you accept tom ownership.
He's the greatest of all. No, I feel bad because Olsen has developed into a really good broadcast. And yeah, I watched a little bit. And my question has always been this, does he bring people? Will I turn on a game? And I looked in on it the other day because it's his first and I wanted to sample it and I didn't stay with it. But I don't even remember what else was on. But will he bring people? Will it? Will the numbers be markedly bigger the viewership
with Tom Brady? Maybe they will, Maybe they'll prove me wrong. I don't think they will.
You, I think they'll just as the NFL is going to get viewers if you and I are calling the game, right, I don't think it'll actually No, And.
Here's my theory on that. No, because they're going to be people regardless. But I don't believe people tune into any broadcast because of the broadcasters. Routinely they'll turn it off. If that's true, this is true, you and I would annoy people no end like we do every Monday night. But I think I truly believe that, and I think people would turn that off or mute it.
Maybe, Yeah, I'd talk too much about the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers for the NFL audience. We're still waiting for Ku to score Dick and all that bs about the uniform.
And no, no, we're actually gonna wear white, so.
You can't do your white. Angry about that?
I was, I guess the rules of rule, but you poked the bear.
I mean, there's a reason why the game hadn't been played in sixteen years. Irrelevant out because they got left in the FCS and then they couldn't get approved into a conference in Division one because Western didn't allow them to get approved.
So I'm gonna get.
UK.
You had a chance to join the Conference USA.
They were turned down. I thought they were.
And part of it was because the.
Hilltoppers didn't know that. Really, what did they do?
They spoke against them?
Why?
Wow? Because they're Eastern.
Yes, that's true.
They hadn't played that game in sixteen years. I believe.
I was told it's because their stadium wasn't up to speed. Oh, and that's why they poured a bunch of money into it. And it is now, but there there are no openings right now.
Yeah, I don't doubt that WK. You did, didn't they take like, didn't conference you.
That's a recruiting thing.
The problem with Western is that there's their town doesn't support them. Bowling Green just doesn't go to the games. The TV market's not big enough, so they don't get accepted into bigger conferences.
No, and it's gonna be the same for Richmond, you know. But my point I made. Channel twenty seven interviewed me for a story they were doing, and what I said was this, Western Kentucky basically said to Eku, listen, we want to wipe out at our game to get our fans fired up so we can further kick your butt. Would you mind helping us out? And e k you said no, I don't think we will.
Ek you got paid over three hundred thousand dollars to play the game, so so listen to your big brother. And where are the uniforms that we tell you to wear?
Give me a break.
When does the road team decide what uniforms that they're gonna wear?
I just said by rule? I know.
I learned that last week. What a stupid rule. The road team gets to decide if they want to wear white or not?
See I am. I think it's a different rule of the NFL because the well no, But my point is the home team has for several years in some places forced the Dallas Cowboys to wear blue and not white, because traditionally the Cowboys always wear white even at home. The busy don't like wearing blue.
The Bucks always wear white in the earlier the year.
Well, and you would think that that would be the case with the Cowboys with Texas heat, although in some of the old school clips they're wearing the Navy blue. But yeah, trust me, having lived down there, that's a real point of contention for them. And you know what, LSU is the same way. They wear white at home. But that's I guess that the visiting teams come in
to baton rouge. They like wearing their colors, because if that indeed is a case, if it's up to the visiting team, LSU wears white at home and every once in a while when they're on the road, they are forced to wear purple, which for whatever reason they don't like, which I don't understan because I think they're good looking, beautiful.
Yeah, Northern Illinois too with a big upset.
How about that Notre Dame.
I mean, that'll probably keep him out of the playoff since he can't win a conference championship and you've got such a bad schedule.
A and M is going to be their biggest win. They got it.
I watched the interview with their head coach. It was just compelling, that postgame interview. And then there's a clip on Instagram that somebody I think it was his mother heard her husband who had played it in IU in the man cave and she fires her camera off the video and walks down the hall and it reveals this guy all by himself standing in front of the TV with the postgame celebration going on within IU, screaming and
yelling about that win. So was that the worst loss in American Division one?
Do you think besides Kentucky?
Just in terms of what should have happened, that's worse. That was worse the day Kentucky's was bad.
I'll tell you a really bad one too, And it gives you some hope. In October, I guess is offered and lose it to Kala.
You know, it's funny. I was listening to a podcast and there was a guy who is an odds maker, uh, you know, has a gambling podcast or whatever. And one of the studies they made was week one to week two, teams that were predicted to win by a blowout and struggled, so everybody was down on them in terms of betting, and they won big the next year. And conversely, teams that skated at Waltz to a win like Kentucky, so we all thought, well, you know they're gonna I didn't
think they'd blow out Southronin never did. In fact, I said, you said it tends too much. I said it may come down to the last possession. Totally wrong. But in their study, teams that one easily struggled the next week and didn't cover action week. Yeah, exactly, right now. I don't know where you go with that from week two to week three, but there's something to that, not just in the fans clearly, but the players as well.
And we've heard the old adage, have you heard the cliche yet this week? Or that you learn the most between week one and week two?
Not a cliche if it's true. True, But it sure didn't work out this week, did it. Yeah? Not for Kentucky. Yeah, but you know so, That's that's what shocked me the most, was so many mental errors, not just the defense, but there were mental errors on offense as well. They just they weren't mentally sharp.
And it was what was so infuriating about it. And we talked about Minci, who's fifth year guy in the two illegal formations, but it was so many older guys like Octavier the fourth and one South Carolina was just hard counting they were gonna punt because they saw what Kentucky did earlier in the game. Just trust your defense there. So they come up to the line of scribbage fourth and one around midfield, hard count, hardcount, hard count. Octavius
Ockens on a fifth year senior jumps. I mean, you can't have that from a fifth year guy in your home stadium. And then the MINSI the two illegal formations, Marcus Cox and Eli Cox both had a holding those guys are old players, Like it's just so many bone headed mistakes from guys who have been around the block. It was that was probably the thing that surprised me the most of anything.
I agree, and I felt like Oxen Dines was was the turning point. Oh yeah, when it came to do they have a chance to climb back into this game? Well, the thing because I felt like if they held there, maybe they can go back to the run game. They were still time sure to grind something out and get back in.
It was it when that happens, okay, And well the thing is they got another chance. It was thirty three plays later. South Carolina's got third and fourteen.
Yeah, and it's like, Okayti pointed out today they converted only three, but they were all killers.
And one was I know it was fourteen, yeah, I think nine, and then I don't know what the other one was.
They were bad.
And you know what, that was the one thing from the Southern Miss game. They'd allowed a third and eighteen and a third and nine in that game too.
And Brad White, I'll never forget this, or at least throughout this year. First thing he talked about Billy at media day, yep, first thing they brought up. He brought up the stat about giving up too many third down plays and especially third and longs, and which which I thought, Okay, well, that's that's noble if you and I assumed they would cut down on those. And so far, no good.
I've heard a lot about dirty eyes over the last couple of weeks and guys trying to make plays when they should be doing their job. And that goes back to what Stoops wants about playing with discipline, right, I mean, not not having penalties and doing your job and allow it's they called it the ultimate team game on The
Stoop Show quite a few times. And while there's been a lot of blame, blame on the offensive line, sometimes it's there's something wrong with the helmet communication that causes this cornerback to go this way and then the other that led to one of the wide open touchdowns. Things like that. So it's always not one position group. But boy, was the offensive line bad.
Yeah, and the dirty I had the safeties, you know last year they didn't I know, there were injuries, Love It missed some time, Zion played banged up all year, Geiger missed most of the year. But they they struggled when they were healthy. And then you know, I asked Brad White about that when we did our one on one for the yearbook, and he kind of corrected me. He's like, no, they were just banged up. We'll be fine.
You go look at you go watch the games back in these safeties out Zion I think has made some place I have. Zion played a really did and he had the scriptsack for In fact, I.
Was thinking about him as our post game player, but Demi just has such a good game.
But you know, Ty had the pick kind of right place, right time. He struggled Minor League Jordan Lovett got cooked. I mean, the Safeties have had a had a rough go the last two years. It's kind of kind of surprising.
I was really surprised, Billy, like you said, and when stoops, he kind of glossed over it. But the technology was a problem apparently, uh, you know, whoever had the green dot helmet heard one thing and they signaled something else
in from the sideline. So I don't know if that was sideline miscommunication or you know, he said that whoever had the helmet is it is it pop, whoever is, whoever might have been, whoever was you know stuff said he heard what he heard and then everybody else saw what was on the sideline, and so either way, it's a breakdown in communication.
Yeah, and no wonder there is I know, the headset communication goes off when they're fifteen seconds left for play clocks. I don't know if it's something like came in with twelve seconds. So yeah, well you wonder does that make a difference.
I don't know.
I don't know.
Well, apparently we're not gonna be able to find mister Picoro. So we will take a break and come back and talk more college football in just a minute here on the state wide BBI. Well, what else is left to say about Kentucky's lost to South Carolina? Not much. Got to look ahead to Georgia, and you got to wonder, too, Aaron, will they tweak the play calling? And I don't know enough about bush Hampden's offense, and I haven't seen enough
of it. Obviously. I did wonder why we didn't see draws or screens or something that might have helped the gate. Like Jarman talked about on the show tonight, those hard rushing ends. South Carolina came off the edges. Georgia is gonna come, I think, just off the edges, up the middle. They're gonna come everywhere. Yeah. Yeah, I don't think they'll blitz much because I don't know that they'll have to out that's a problem.
I think you're gonna have to. You're gonna see them get really creative, especially in the run game, and they're gonna have to because I just don't think I don't think you can fix what happened on Saturday in six days with the best team in the country. I think you're gonna see wildcat formations. Sorry, I think you're gonna see you got two three backfield looks, tight ends lining up a full backs. I think they're gonna do whatever
they can to get some creative looks. And I think they're gonna try to run the damn ball because that's what was working for them last week. And if you know, Billy made the point about Mark saying there was nothing to build on. If there was anything to build on an offense, it was being able to run uphill and do some things. And like I said, this is not this is a young for the most part Georgia defensive line. When their best player, Michael Williams, he will be on
that availability report. You didn't go this past week, so and he was in a boot watching the game. So like the one area of George's defense that might be suspect could be to Kentucky's advantage, and there, I think you're gonna see them try to try to hit that because and they're also if anyone knows Brock Vandergriff, it's going to be these Georgia defenders who want to against them in practice.
I wanted to ask Stoops about that, and I'm sure he would have downplayed it. But you got to wonder with a guy on your roster, in fact, you're starting QB who knows George's playbook as well as Georgia knows it. Is that an advantage of any kind? I'm guessing no, because I mean, having played against Georgia and coached against Georgia, I'm sure Stoops and Brad White and they all know their playbook. Anyway, what you need to know is when is it coming right? You know? And nobody's going to
be able to figure that out. But they know the personnel, there's no question about it.
Yeah, you want to ask Jeff Pikra about that.
Who He's dead to me?
He left us hanging.
Sorry, I forgot completely. I tried to.
I texted you to her mind, I'm old, no excuse.
Should just let them vent. What'd you see on the field there Saturday, Jeff, Oh.
Boy, I just I saw a lot of Look, they they just have to figure out something, Aaron. I mean, we you give a baseball analogy like a pitcher when they're hitting the he's got to be able to throw a strike with something of change up, a curveball, fastball. They have to be able to move the football somehow, somehow, you cannot play a football game and throw for forty yards in nowadays football, it just can't happen.
Yeah, I mean, have you ever seen anything like that, Jeff? I mean even against number one Georgia, they'll throw for more than that many passing yards.
Yeah, even when we when when we when I played in the ten and one year we were we were pretty bad, but we still moved the football. We still got about three hundred yards a game and offense that we ran a lot more. But they've got it. Look, this offense is also predicated on running the football and everything stems off of that. And if they can't run the football, this isn't like people said we wanted. Did he just get out there and just really quickly sew it.
That's not this offense. This isn't the West Coast style offense. And you can't change it. Now. This is what you've got. But they got to figure a way.
A blot to your point about running the ball, I don't know about how you felt, but after that drive where like eleven to twelve plays, was running between the tackles, they moved people, they grounded it, got the third and four, they had this throw and it didn't work and they settled for a field goal. But at that point, Jeff ten to six, and I felt like Kentucky made the
kind of statement you were just talking about. Did you feel like at that point they were back in it or were you still pretty concerned?
Yeah, because the way that you can nullify that great speed that those guys have on the end and their quickness is run right at them.
Yeah.
Right, You've always heard people say that, go right it both. You know all the great rushers, you know Henry, all these guys run right at them. That way, you're taking that quickness away and now you're just playing bully ball. And once an offensive lineman gets his hands on guys, then it's really tough for them to get away, and they can't use their speed because if they try to use their speed go outside. You just run inside of them.
You're running back smart enough to know how to make those cuts.
Well. I don't know much about the edge rushers for Georgia, but I know that they are talented at every position. That's Swyder here.
It's their best secondary.
All right, we're going to catch up at you on the local show this week, mister Brook or are you are dismissed? Thanks so much, Aaron and Billy, thanks so much for joining us Kentucky, Georgia on most of these same stations.
That's it.
Good night from Lexington.