Hell everybody through the facilities of the iHeartMedia Megaplex. This is Dick Gabriel. It's a state wide edition of the Big Blue and Society. He heard comments from Mark Stoops and Tom Leach, Darren Hedrick and Jeff Pecoro. And now's your chance to get involved with Billy rut Aaron Gershan yours truly be a part of the state wide BBI Border to border. It is the Big Blue Insider. Dick
Gabriel in studio with Billy Rutledge. Aaron gershawan, thanks to these gentlemen for carrying the show last Monday night as I was busy with UK Pro Day. We are going to talk basketball tonight because we do have Pro Day to talk about. Of course, we have Madness to talk about the return of Rick Patino, which didn't set well with fifty percent of the two gentlemen I just mentioned, so we'll find out more about that. And we've got to talk football obviously. And Aaron and I both attended
the news conference earlier today. Billy was busy with his day job, but Aaron, it really wasn't much tonight that Mark Stoops talked about that he didn't talk about with us had a chance. I think, probably to look at more videos since then, of course, But any way you slice it and dice it, Kentucky played stupid football, just just played really, I mean, I don't understand at the bonehead plays, the penalties. Stoops himself admitted he made mistakes. Sure it was a comedy of errors.
Yeah it was. It was a pathetic performance. I mean it was. It was as batter, if not worse than the Week two game against South Carolina. Twelve penalties over one hundred yards more hidden yards that that even accumulates in the yard totals, even the hidden yards like big plays take them. Wow, Yeah, unaccepted.
Puts him at like four hundred jars.
Two well, one drop polled, one bad snap, a terrible interception. Oh no, it came off the board, I guess trying to think was of the turnover fumble by Dame Key in the high rid right, the interception that was terrible did, luckily for Kentucky come off the board. Just just terrible.
And this is all with reviews going their way.
Yeah, a lot went their way. I mean, look, Vandy scored forty points last week and it was Kentucky's defense great in this game. No, but they only squeak it up. You should win games in the SEC if you hold your opponent to twenty points. Diego Pavia was was he good? Yes?
He was human.
He threw a pick like and they got to him. They got three sacks like Kentucky's defense did enough to win this football game. Offense terrible and the special teams, I mean not just the drops hold barry On Brown puts you in position to win the football game or at least tye it where the pot returned to get to the forty eight and a illegal block.
In the back nowhere near the football by a freshman year. And I thought, the offense, if you should, you can't do this. But for the sake argument, you can so track the penalties. I thought the offense was really good.
Well, they moved the ball, but every time they.
Do something good, they turn around. And I mean, if you heard the broadcast, and Billy you did because you're the network half to sir, yeah, you're you're pinned in here. But how many times did you hear Tom and Jeff and even me say not another flag?
It was frustrating, Oh god, it really is. And I'll use a line that I think I've heard already three times today and it came from Stoops. It's a thin line between success and failure in this league and in football and boys, he right, I mean, Aaron and I had a great time hosting the show after talking about a win versus Old Miss and coming off of bye and getting to talk about the Alabama or Alabama Vandy game, and now Vandy was the talk of college football.
Couldn't reach each other to pat each other exactly.
And they'll be hungover for this game. There's no way they'd come in to beat Kentucky again like two years ago. But sadly this has become the norm lately and the record of what two and ten in the last twelve home game.
You make a great point though, credit Vandy for not being hungover. Yeah, no, absolutely, But you know what, I got to thinking about that during the game. If Vandy were a big play chunk, you know, exciting down the field kind of play, that might have been an issue. But the way they play just grind it out even if you're hungover from again. But you know, yeah, that's a great guard against that, isn't it. It is?
You also had an extra week to prepare for an offense that you were probably going to see once this year, so you thought you'd be very well prepared, and for the most part you were. You held them to twenty Pavia even got hurt in the game and wasn't as effective.
But part of the game plan.
But yes, story is that you weren't able to get it done when you were across minfields. You it is, but you know, how many years are we going to say that? How many years in a row has it been that discipline has been an issue on this team? I mean, we have to start looking at who these players are being coached by and why that's the case.
But weren't they the same coaches? You've got them ready for all miss and Georgia.
That's that's why it's a That's why we're called fans stick it's short for fanatic, and we have to somebody has to answer after every loss.
I feel like, you know, I think you disagree with with Pcoro and man, I'm not sure about you, but most of those penalties, if not all, I blame on the players, the guys who do it. And here's part of my reasoning is we have just a baffo NFL game up on the wall tonight Buffalo and the Jets, and you are huge NFL fans, we talk about our teams.
A nice win by the Packers. By the way, if that game were an NFL game and players committed those penalties, how many I'm sure some fans might because it's easy to throw barbs at coaches, But you know as well as I do, that an overwhelming majority of the criticism would have been heraled at the players. That that's the difference between pro and college. Coaches are just worshiped in college and in the pros they're just I get rid of them, move on. You know, the coaches are hired
to be fired in the pro game. So and I realized professionals who played a lot more and all that time stuff. But you're talking about I mean, do you have to be coached? Hey, man, don't line up offside? That's wrong. You know how many more times did Jerrow Mincay had to be called for holding?
You know?
No, that's not easy. I get that I was an offensive tackle for about a minute. It ain't easy. But to play so beautifully in Oxford and so well against Georgia, and I agree with Corol, you know, yeah, it's mental, but I think it's bogus to have to expect a coach to say, hey, guys, let's go, let's go. I mean, if somebody has to tell you that you shouldn't be playing football.
I completely agree with that, especially when you only have twelve thirteen games a year. You should be able to get up for sall all week long.
And it's game day.
But I don't necessarily agree with you can blame it on the players because the coaches aren't the ones that committed the penalty. I mean that's always going to be you know, the coaches aren't playing in the game. So yeah, you know, it's I think it's tough to equate that. But if it keeps happening over and over again, then I think you have to find the common denominator.
Yeah, but this year, how many other games were played out of.
The You know, that's the strangest thing, Dick, because they were the least penalized team in the SEC going into this game. So, but there is common denominators like Stoops's record after bye weeks and Stoop's record at home the last four or five years. I mean, these cannot be ignored because these fans keep spending their hard money to buy tickets to go to Kroger Field to continually get let down.
Yeah, the home thing is what's mind boggling. I don't understand. And Mark and you know he brushed off when he was asked about it on Monday, and his Monday press conference before the game. After the game, he acknowledged, yes, like I have had conversations with the guys. Is it distractions, ticket problems, getting too amped up with family in town? Like what is the problem? Why what is going on? And it's just you're two in ten and it's not like we were talking for the show. Yes, you have
two losses of Georgia and there most teams do. But you have two to Van. Do you have two to Seveuth Carolina? One to Missouri when you're up fourteen to nothing and then up by seven going.
Out half fours.
It's half those games. They're one in five against Vandy in South Carolina the last three years when they were eleven and one when they got the things rolling from sea.
There's the thing, Bandy I think has improved. I don't think South Carolina is that good. And they then they turn around and play well against other teams. Yeah, I still think Kentucky's better the South Carolina, and I thought Kentucky was better than.
Vander That's another indictment.
Yeah, it is another indictment because they are better than both those teams. Especially. I still think, look, Vanderbilt, they're definitely much improved, but I think a lot of it is not necessarily talent scheme, Like their scheme is really good offensively, Yeah, was there defense anything special at all? Not really exactly, and they were ranked near the bottom in the country and past defense, you know what, I think we overlooked.
We talked about it on the radio a little bit, but our heads were swimming from all the yellow flags. But you could probably see it upstairs as well. Aaron, He's O line, I thought set the tone as much as anything for Vanderbilt. Those guys are huge. You got a center who's three sixty and now Dan Walker's got his hands full. I thought the push their O line
got was really good. And then you look at Tim Beck's offense, where he's got a midget for a quarterback who happens to be a magician, and what does he do half the time? He rolls him out. And we talked about that Vandergriff has been more effective rolling out to protect Kentucky's O line. But Vandy has been doing it since July, you know, working on that offense. So credit uh Vandy. Credit Clark League, good coach for who
would want that job? Who would leave Notre Dame? Well, guy who played there there, Yeah, he goes in too, hire Tim Beck and comes home with Diego Pavia and Jerry Kill.
It was a home run. I mean, yeah, safe might look it's Vandy. The really have a pretty long leash. But it might have saved his job in the long run, right, I mean that move is a it's a program changing move, and you know, credit to them for making it. But again into this year ten and twenty seven was at it something terrible? They were two and ten and twenty one and twenty three and I think they went five and seven there. They came in here in one because
they beat Florida the next week. But just that's a program saving move. But again Kentucky. Credit to Vanderbilt. But Kentucky beat themselves worse than there's no question about it.
And there's bigger problems of foot here. I mean, it's four touchdowns and four sec games. Like, no matter how many offensive coordinators to have been through, I mean, that's some that teams get in one game. So I mean there is.
This gave one away which he went away absolutely from when they're four inches from the goal.
Oh yeah, yeah, and didn't accept that penalty to go closer and have an extra down, have the extra down.
Yeah, they would have been Yeah, I don't know what was it. It would have been half the distance. They wouldn't have been closer, but they'd have first and goal play, they would have an extra play.
But then again, would you really think the way you can run the ball, would you need that when you're four inchers from the goal line.
I mean they literally ran in a one yard run earlier.
Yeah, and when the flag was thrown, they had run it into the end zone.
And that's another thing, the flags. But the offensive tackle play this year's been terrible. Like I'm not trying to rip into two individuals, but Gerald Mincy hasn't played to the level that they were expecting him to. And Marcus Cox's seventh year senior's playing bad football and it's frustrating. And I did think better last year, much better last year.
And I did Mark Stoups didn't say much new on the radio show tonight that he didn't say already, But one thing that caught my ear was that he mentioned Courtland Ford, who was active this past week, he's active again this week, that he might be a guy that can come in and play. And I do wonder which one of those tackles might lose their job if they're really going to give Courtland a shot.
Well, it all starts up front. Yeah, And as I said, Vandy gave that Kentucky the vaunted Kentucky delon and I say that with respect. They played well all year, but it was I think a battle that not many people expected. I do think Kentucky expected it. Rarely do you see a Brad White defense go into a game. You know, every once in a while it happens. But Terrence point Vanny moved the ball between the twenties, but again twenty
points and the touchdown late was a gift. And that again was because and Stoops admitted it was poor clock management at the end of the first half.
Oh, and I was a really reoccurring theme. I don't want to be too negative. I will say one thing about Stoops is that he doesn't throw a lot of guys underneath the bus when it comes to press conferences. He talked a lot about leaders and you know, maybe they made some bad plays in this game, dan Key, and he didn't say them by name.
He handed he said, our best player this.
Year is the most consistent player on and off the field, things like that. But then he also said one guy doesn't keep his shoes tied.
And that was a question about a specific player.
Yeah, So, I mean I could sense the frustration in stud It's not only did I have to dump him during the interview with Tom after the game, but also he got cut off tonight because he was, you know, trying to get it all.
In with with coach.
Obviously it's on his mind and and you know, kind of like how we started the conversation. It's just such a razor thin margin between you being the hero that deserves a statue and the guy that might get run out of town. It's unbelievable.
Yeah, it depends on which Twitter account you're.
That's just the type of you're working for. I still think they're gonna win games where there may be an underdog in these last six and they're gonna win games where they're the favorite, I will.
Say, And and again Stoops himself kicked himself for and he said trying to be aggressive, which I found interesting talking about the late move to throw, throw a throw and then have to punt, because he knew going in that it was going to be a ball control, possession kind of game. So do you run the ball, run the clock, force Fandy to use time outs, or do you throw the ball and if something goes wrong. Now,
Vandy's got the opportunity. When he first got here twelve years ago as a first year, second year, even into his third year head coach, I thought he made mistakes with clock management. I thought little by little he had gotten much better at that. And that's why this one kind of surprised me because he has talked at length about the four minuted offense, winning the last four, winning the first four, that kind of thing, and I always said I felt like, well, clearly with his better teams,
they did a great job at that. So that's why I was kind of shocked at the end of that first half. And again, maybe Vandy settles for three, but Kentucky's defense makes a rare mistake. There's a guy wide open.
Yeah, I think he's it's in his head a little bit. It's in my head.
I know that.
Oh yeah, you never really feel good about it going into the middle eight.
Now they go down to Gainesville, and I think it's amazing to me. I'm any Kentucky fans had that one circled pre just because of the confidence when it comes to playing Florida and how poorly Florida had been playing going in this year, and there have been signs of life in Gatorland.
Yeah, they played Look, they always they always played Tennessee. Well, it's one of those things we all know that Kentucky has played Tennessee in years they're much better than Tennessee and not played well. It's just one of those things, same thing that happens in that in that series. But I think this is still a game Kentucky should win. I really do when I I haven't watched Florida to too closely, but they're they're bottom. I think they're ninety seventh. I checked today in rushing defense.
No quarterbacks, there are no starting.
Yeah, they've been playing two quarterbacks. Now they have to go to the freshman full time. Unfortunately, Graham Wortz towards ACL their wide receivers have been in and out with injuries. They're often the protection hasn't been good. Like this is not a very good Florida team.
You have to be.
They're favored by three, you get three for being at home, So it's basically a pick them game. Kentucky's played with Florida really well. I think they're going to get up for this game. They always seem to do so. And look, I was saying it before the show. My prediction is they win this game and they're gonna lose to Auburn at home next Wow.
How about that?
As far as anyone.
You freeze.
Kroger Field, that's true, that's true. I mean it is an advantage for Kentucky to be on the road or whatever.
Yeah, and they, I mean, if they think about this, if they lose to Auburn at home, it would be their first zero to four and sec play at home since twenty thirteen.
Yikes, that was not a great year.
All right.
When we come back, we'll talk about a little bit of a happier subject. That is Kentucky basketball. It is a statewide edition in a big Blue insider from Pikeville to Paduca. It is the Big Blue insider Dick Gabriel, Billy rutlives Aaron Gershawan and it is overlap time, this time a week ago Pro Day and then of course Friday was madness and a certain former coach showed up. First of all, let's talk about the floor.
That was pretty cool, very cool, very very cool. I think the only time it had been used before was the NBA All Star Game, so it was incredible. I mean from all the I thought the coolest thing that did the football field was cool when Stoops came out. But the coolest thing was when and we'll get to Patino in a second, but when when they had all the ex players come out and they shifted the floor from different generations in Kentucky basketball. I thought that was a right.
I wish they would introduce the players. Yeah, that was.
Crazy to I mean, there were a lot, so itd have taken time, but I think everyone in Rubbery would have taken that five minutes to go through the list of the sixty something.
What did you think you've been to several of those?
Oh?
Well, I purposely didn't go. I wanted to watch it on TV because of the floor. Yeah, I wanted to see that's good point.
Well, to be honest with you, I stopped going because there was nothing to cover the same thing everything. So I went my freshman year as a student at UK and then I think I covered one and that was it. I just stopped going because it was like, all right, we're not getting interviews which didn't happen this week, but we know what's going to happen, we know the exact format,
what's there to go see. Sometimes I wouldn't even watch it, to be honest with you, but this year, you know, I only I didn't really I saw the floor thing, so I was like, okay, that'll be cool. But it was Mark Pope's first one to see the differences, and I just thought from the floor to I really thought it was a really cool idea to have the players come out from the crowd and interact with the crowd that way.
Pope's in the cheapest of cheap seats. Absolutely was it the worst seats and a half.
And a lot of the players were too, Like Trentonoah being up in two forty probably watched games they're growing up not you know, it's just really cool stuff. So that from that whole aspect, I mean yeah, some of the drill stuff got is boring and stale still, but overall best madness in my time in Lex by a mile.
Yeah, besides Lamont Butler wrapping to a track that's right, like all of them do.
Yeah.
I thought it was the coaches entrances that did it for me, not only Mark Pope at the top, but Kenny Brooks. I mean, he's still walking that hallway trying to get that was very big blue madness. I was like, what are we doing at first? But it did kind of I did kind of like it by the end of it. Besides the TV broadcast being awful them cutting off right before coach brook talks and you know, them showing the shooter in the three point contest, but not
the bast it. There was a couple of times that it was just a little puzzling.
Direct some directing.
Yeah, but so is the video? Is that is that floor now? Kentucky's like, do they just have that permanently or is that something they rented out? There is one time thing.
For now, it's a one time thing. I don't know exactly if they there is toxic for that to be implemented permanently in the future. Or not at the moment.
Can you play a game on that service?
Apparently you can't. I mean they did at the NBA All Star Game. So yeah, but I think there needs to be I was gonna say there needs to be some testing.
I asked Travis Perry about it on Friday because he was at our remote and he said it was too slippery. He's not going to jump. He's not going to even try to jump.
Wow.
Smart.
Yeah, So that says a lot. So there's a lot of work that needs.
All Right, Rick Potato shows up, how do we feel about that?
I'll let Billy go first.
Oh yeah. In fact, Billy is I think unique to this situation because having worked in Louisville and now Lexing, and he's a western Kentucky guy. That's so you really don't have an emotional arrow in the.
Quiver, right, no allegiance, no emotional connection to the past of ninety six championship teams. And maybe I was being a little facetious show the pre show talk, but it really was all about Rick Patino. And I do question if he was actually invited by anybody at Kentucky to come to this, because he did publicly say that he
called Mark Pope up and said I'm coming. And then there was also an instance in which he said he moved around the Saint John's practice schedule so he could show up to Big Blue Madness the day before the day he was supposed to be in town for Mark Stoops and football. I think Patino saw Cow wasn't there anymore. It's a place he's always yearned to get back to, so he used it as an opportunity to get back
and receive the love of the people. I mean, who would not want it more than self absorbed Rick Patino.
I refuse to believe that he just called Pope and said I'm coming. I firmly believe that that came from a conversation those two had. They've spoken more than once. But Yeah, the time he was on the court was all about him, But I don't think the fifty six minutes leading up to that was all about Rick Patino.
Oh, we will remember this for a long time. Sure, it's actually changed the way I think he had come out.
You know, here's the thing. I'd be willing to acquist to all that if he had been out at the very beginning and stood on the court the whole time.
Well, he can't do that.
No, But that's my point though over him all the time he was out there, and you're right, he soaked up some love. And how many people wondered would he show A and two? Would he be boot? You know? And but I didn't. Did you guys have people say you think he's gonna get booed?
Oh?
It was a whole week at sports talk radio.
I had people just assume he'd be boot.
Yeah, I didn't. I didn't question.
To me, it would be like, we're on our best behavior because coach Pope is here. You know, the.
Way that the crowd reacted up whenever he brought him up at the press conference, I knew it wasn't going to be boops.
Yeah, that's probably true. And now the question is, does he at some point make an appearance as Kelsey bring him over to U of l uil Oh? So maybe never, I think Louisville.
Yeah, I mean, look, this is a guy who spent time at Louisville saying, man, I should never have left Kentucky, and he said it several times.
So I don't think that one he said we and they and he left compared to Kentucky Louisville this weekend.
Obviously, neither Chris Mack or Kenny Paynes had a good tenure there, especially Pain. But Patina left that program in a mess, and they're not gonna He didn't leave Kentucky in a mess. He left them with a roster that ended up championship.
One program he sued, the other he did not.
Yeah, I'm sure he holds a grudge forced down exactly. So I think he'll retire a cat if you will.
All right, Jeff Cory, you heard him once, you'll love him again. Here all in the state wide BBI from Pikeville to Paduka. It is the state wide edition of the Big Blue Insider. Dick gabrielle erin Gershawn Billy Rudlet's join on our celebrity hotline. You heard him earlier tonight with Darren Hendrick playing every club in his bag, both at the Keith Madison Golf Tournament today and on the radio with Darren. But he promised me that he saved
some good stuff for us. Jeff Acoro of the UK Sports Network And uh, I know you venagers pleaying with Darren, but you've got something left.
Right, Yeah, I had to play it close to the vest I mean, Joe and Kelly Craft. There's I couldn't really get to upset so very nice. I couldn't. I really couldn't get real, real angry. But I will tell you, I will tell you, you know, playing in playing in that event. There's some there's some former players. Joe Fettersfield was there, Billy Ramsell, some other guys, and yeah, they weren't happy.
Yeah, and none of them has ever committed a penalty, right, No, you ever wonder what's here's a reugh. You gotta wonder though, how many of those guys played in a game. There was a festival of yellow flags like that one Saturday. It's ridiculous.
Well, if you played ten years in the NFL, and especially for the New Orleans Saints, I'm sure he probably played those games, are you're right? I mean, Dick, you and I and Todd we talked about it, especially in breaks, guys. It's you know, you're taking one step forward, two steps back every single drive. And to only have seven drives in a game, that's remarkable.
And so did Vandy No, I mean yeah, yeah, uh, and we expected that five.
Of those five of those you were scoring position. If you only had what what they end up with? Thirteen points?
What did Yeah? What did you think of the way Kentucky's defense played against a Vandy team has scored forty against Alabama and had to work it got almost almost got not a free one but a cheap one at the end of the first half, and scored only twenty against Kentucky.
Dick, you know what this reminds me of and all seriousness, and I know I go back to when I played, but this reminds me of a lot of games that I played, you know, when we played with Jerry Clayburn, because our offense wasn't you know, a dynamic offense. It was we're running the football with four guys that ended up in the NFL and another guy Blocket for him that's in the Hall of Fame. You know, it's we're running the football. And that's what he said the first
day Jerry Claybor took the job. He too, we don't run the football, boy. Oh yeah, and we didn't score. I mean our games were seventeen tens from twenty to seventeen. That was every game we played. And I just thought our defense was fantastic. I mean, they played really well. You know.
So inversely, what's been going on with the offense, Jeff, I mean, is there anything to buy weeks? Throwing off your mentality of you just came off a big win against Old Miss, now you have an entire week off. Is there anything to that or is it there's twelve games you should be able to get up for an SEC game.
You know. You know, it's interesting real you said that because after the game, I think I told I don't remember if it was when you and I were talking, or was when Tom and I were talking, when you were getting ready, Dick, I prefer not to have a bye week, especially coming off a big win, because you're hyped up, You're amped up. I want to get back out there, right, I mean, yeah, Look at Vanderbilt. They had the biggest win in the history of their football program,
the biggest win. They'd never beaten the number one before, and to beat them as emphatically as they did and score forty points, they couldn't wait to get the Lexington. Yeah, you know, And they played that way. And even though they scored forty against Alabama and were as high as they could be, and Kentucky's offense had so many penalties it was still a one possession game at the end. So that tells you somebody's doing something pretty good. And
I think it's the deep they were. I'll tell you what the most valuable coach and it's and it's not even close. It's not even close as Brad White. He's done a phenomenal job.
Jeff Kentucky's two and ten in their last twelve home games. They're oh and six in their last six. Two losses to Vandy two to South Carolina included that twelve. Yet they're six and four in SEC road games in the same span. What is why can't this team win at Krogerfield?
You know, it's interesting. Aaron he he Mark asked the same question to the players. What do we need to do differently? What? What? What is it? Is it your family being around? Is it you being around?
You know?
The campus? Is it when you go on the road trip? There's only one real thing to worry about, and that's that's basically football. I don't know, I don't have the answer for that. It's it's crazy. You look at how well and this goes back years. I mean, look how well they played the last time Kentucky was at Old miss. You know, they they just play really well. Look at
look at what they did to Vanderbilt last year. Could have won that game fifty to nothing, right, I mean, vandibul could move the football and Kentucky even had a couple of stutters in offense, and still it was an easy win. You know, I just I don't understand it.
Jeff, me, let me throw something at you. I kind of thought about this about midway through the first half when they were doing the silly penalties, and I kind of forgot to bring it up in the post game because there was just so much the process. But I started to wonder were they a little too amped up?
Because Stoops later said they played hard, but I felt like the sloppiness might have come again again to Billy's point, from not being sharp thanks to that bye week, but and to your point again, you know you're rolling, you're focused, h you're polished. I felt like that polish wasn't there perhaps because of that, and therefore they weren't clicking as he unit, especially in the old line. You know, you had pre snap penalties and holding and you know what
I'm saying. I know it sounds weird to say that after a game. But it's not that he didn't play hard. Subtract the penalties. We were talking about this before he came on, and the offense looked pretty good. But every time he did something great, they do something stupid. So does that mean you see where I'm going with that.
I understand what you're saying, but I think that you said the last the last word you said, did something stupid. Yeah, I mean, look, Dave Key is a great is a great ballplayer, right, yep. He can't have that penalty. You can't do that. Barryon Brown is Barrion Brown is possibly going to be in the NFL next year. Right. You can't on the first play of the game get up and try to, you know, man up against the entire defense. You just can't do that, you know what I mean,
You can't do that. You just have to have your head about yourself. Why is it? Why do you have to prove how mainly you are by by you know, you know, because he's from Nashville.
Yeah, but.
You know, catch seven footballs and then say look what I did? You know?
Yeah, Jeff, when I was in high school, I got the yips and I forgot how to putt completely not even I couldn't make a putt. I couldn't even make the putting stroke.
It was bad.
That's what I'll attribute to my bad golf season that year. But I want to ask you, Jeff, do you think Mark Students has the yips when it comes to the middle eight. I feel like whatever happens the opposite is what he should have done.
George, you know, it's an interesting question. I really don't know how to answer that. I just I don't know, man, I I can't answer that question. I think that I think Mark's a better coach than what we've seen at times, you know, But I don't. I don't. I don't know how to answer that. I I don't know if it's
the middle eight. It just seems that the middle eight seemed to be games that are are winnable games that they lose, right, I mean you look at these these three games, and that when I say these three games, I mean Vanderbilt, Florida Auburn. There are three games that I think would would We're going to turn the season for him, right, they win those three games, then they got a possibility of going, you know, winning eight or maybe even nine games. Now you've already lost one of those,
plus you lost to South Carolina. It's going to be hard to get the six wins now.
But they're gonna they'll win on the road because what they always you can't count on that. I'm at text to your point, but to your pointer, And they're going to have to start winning at home. Yeah, they have to, and though they only won sec opportunity left to do so. But Jeff, what do you make of the whole situation with Jamry and Wilcox? Obviously, every time he touched the ball, he seems like an explosive play average I think eleven and a half yards per carrying this game, but apparently
you can't tie his shots. So what do you make of the whole ordeal?
Crazy, isn't it. I just think that I think you have to look a little bit deeper than that air and I think you have to look at the fact that it's almost like last season, what do they have fifty two plays something like that? Yeah?
Have something?
Yeah too, they only had fifty Yeah, they only had fifty some uplates because you only had That's that's why. Because look, and I don't know if nil is but look, okay, Demi's you're starting running back and he and look he runs, well, he does a nice job blitz pick up and things like that. Right, So that's the reason he's your starter. Okay, so he's probably going to get his hands on the ball ten or twelve times. Okay, So now that fifty
two is down to forty. Right, and then you say, okay, we got to get the ball to Dame te five or six times a game, and we got to get the ball to barry On five or six times a game because there's such you know, playmakers. Now you're down to thirty. You see what I'm saying, there's not enough snaps in a game when you only have fifty some on play. Well, yeah, if you're up in the seventies, if you're up in the seventies, now everybody gets to eat.
That's what you expect in that game of van they're averaging close to seventies.
Yeah, well he's gotten the ball more.
But yes, and now Mark Stuke said on the show today thinks they have a really good shot of getting Trip chain him back too, So it could complicate that even further.
Mm hmm. Yeah, it's gonna be really interesting in the next couple of weeks to see how if they want to go to the other thing that when you when you watch the game, and I don't know, Aaron, if you feel the same way and Billions, there was no rhythm at all for either either team offense, no one right.
Yeah, but Kentucky was was self inflicted.
I felt yes, And I know, Look, I know what his thinking is because you have to you have to understand Soups first. He's defense first, right, I mean, he's a defensive coach. So his whole mindset is let's keep the ball away from Vandy's offense. But look, he has to trust his defense. His defense is really good, man. You know the Look what they did to Georgia, Look what they did to Ole Miss and really look what they did to Vanderbilt. J Jeff, Yeah, that that that
was huge because their first downs were awesome. They were second and short all the time. But what I'm getting at is trust your defense a little bit and let that offense. Let just let it go a little bit more.
I know, uh Stoops didn't allude to a certain player, but he did say it was it is more difficult to instill discipline in the NIL era. Would you agree with that?
Jeff Yeah, oh yeah, oh yes, yeah, And that's what I was getting before. And I said, you got to keep people happy, you know what I mean, because they're saying, hey, if I don't get six touches, then I'm not going to get what I think I'm worth from this guy or this place or this place, you know, and everybody worrying about the next page exactly. That's what Nick Saban said. It's not about the problem with Ni l Is. It's not about what Mark Cope says the front of the
jersey anymore. It's what's on the back of the jersey.
Yeah, a few more minutes before we turn you loose, I need to ask your opinion. We've already discussed the return of Rick Patino. Billy found it terribly distasteful. He hates Rick Patino with every fiber.
Was being exactly, but it was about him a lot.
Yeah, the last four and a half minutes of madness, we're all about Rick Patino, and that's that didn't set well with mister Rutledge. Your thoughts.
I thought it was very interesting. I was wondering how the crowd was going to react when he walked into the building because the last time he walked into that building as a coach at a different school. People didn't like him too much in Lexington, but I think that the return. Rick has always said when he left Boston, had you know he he had looked. I don't care what anybody says, Kentucky's the greatest job in basketball. With Kentucky, fans will say, well, guess what, it's not. He got
a percentage of the Boston Celtics. Yeah you're not. No one is turning that down people. But he said it's the greatest job. It was camelot. Okay, he leaves Boston, he wants to coach, right, he wants to coach again. He was still young at that time. Louisville caught him and said made a hell of an offer. He had to take the Louisville job. He's back in Kentucky. He thought, you know what, I've got friends, I'm in horse country. He did a great chop at Louisville. You can't deny that.
If only he'd won a championship.
He bleeds flu I mean when he walked out in the Kentucky and look, I thought it was really cool that instead of having NBA players there, And I'm not knocking what Calip Perry did. Drake wasn't there. It was Pope's teammates. It was the Kyle Macy's and Jim Andrews's and Kenny Walker's and those guys. It was Kentucky basketball. It's the same thing he did when he walked into the practice at the Joe Craft Center said, why are all these NBA guys up here? I want the banners.
It's banner week, you know what. That's what people from Paduca to Pike full Covington, de corbyin want to hear. They want to hear about Kentucky winning championships. But they also like Kentucky sending guys of the NBA.
But they also liked bragging about having the best recruiting class in America. Remember when they finished one year, Oh my god, they were like third or fifth or something. What's wrong with our recruiting? Well, they weren't getting enough of those guys who are the potential lottery picks, you know. And and Caliperry, of course, I think.
Championships.
Well that's that's my point, is that they liked it when it was working for the first five or six years, and then unfortunate injuries or whatever, COVID whatever. A lot of circumstance piled up and it all fell apart. Not that it was a house of cards or anything, but I'm just curiously how Mark Pope incorporates because he's gonna have to get and he's getting them already, you know, with the Alakai Moreno and the other kid. Who's the other kid they've got Jess Johnson, Jasper Johnson. Yeah.
Yeah. But we remember when Rick was there, he would bring in one or two great players and then the other guys are role players, right, I mean this one he had Mercer. Those were great guys, but the rest of the guys were you know they that's right, you know, you filled roles and everybody knows what their role is. And here's you got fourteen new players. I think I think it's awesome.
It's gonna be fun. Jeff piicorl listen for him on the UK Radio Network, watching him on WTVQ channel thirty six here in Lexington. Thank you, brother, We'll see you in Gainesville.
Thanks boys, have a great day, all.
Righty, I come back with more of the Big Blue and cider and just a few Aaron's beloved Yankees are ahead, Jets are leading the Bills. I need that Jefs defense to do well.
Go Buffalo.
That's all I can say. We're back in a minute here on the state wide BBI. Thanks again to Jeff Pricoury. We let him go before asking him about as I forgot his beloved Buckeyes. He grew up in Oio State fan becaus his dad played baseball there, and I get that. I think they still have season tickets in the family.
But I wisely predicted on more than one media out let the Ohio State would destroy Oregon, which was bad karma for me because A. My cousins have a ton of cousins who grew up and live around the Portland area. They're all Ducks fans and b what's the name of the Oregon quarterback? Uh? Exactly right? How stupid BG? That's exactly right?
Uh?
Man, What a wild finish?
Did Will Howard not know? There was no time on the clock to slide?
But not only that, but twelve men on the field.
Yeah, and twelve they let that go because it's only a five yard Well, Oregon does that on purpose because it's only a five yard penalty?
Smart?
And then you could just Ryan, you can run more clock. You can run more clock with ten seconds left. And then, like you said, Will Howard, what are you doing so much for?
That?
Was it twenty five million dollars roster?
Aaron?
Is that what they've been calling Ohio State?
I mean just a running backs alone and then the safety Caleb Downs and quin Shawn Jenkins cost him like eight mil together apparently.
You know, it's just a classic Big ten matchup Oregon, Ohiose.
States in proximity and everything. No Oregon, I mean there was I think they played a game in Columbus a couple of years ago, and I think Oregon one with a backup quarterback, So maybe maybe they just have their number up there.
Oregon pulled off the on side kick I would do every game though, Oh my god, just kick it right and it bounces back. I mean, you're not gonna get all of them, but you might get one a game.
Why the guy jump?
I mean, if that thing is getting fired right at you, you might do the same thing.
But isn't there why he's out there?
What they're to block?
Right?
If you're if you're on the front, you're on the hands team. If you're on the return team. Yeah, for the most part. Hand Yeah, but if.
You're on the hands team, everybody up front is there because they can recover or catch or whatever.
In theory, I guess for a surprise on side if that's the case, or but yeah, he just drilled it right at him, and then an Oregon receiver was ejected for spitting on another player. That's the one thing that would get me fired up, Dick, if you're talking about a fight outside of the studio. Yeah, somebody spits on me like that.
Man. A million years ago, a million years ago. My junior year in high school, uh, Trinity's basketball team was okay, wasn't great. Our senior my senior year, the team was really really good and blew the first district game, so
did Niven get Sweet sixteen. But anyhow, we had one really good shooter and we were playing flage A before they went out of business, and one of their bench players was their quarterback who was a good quarterback and a strong, muscular guy, not a great, you know, basketball player, but they put him in to start a fight with our best guy and get him kicked out of the game. And that's how he did it, and he got him
kicked out on him. Yeah, and then you know Rick Texas swing and they knew the quarterback would handle himself in a fight. It was a heck of a fight, not just one of these pushing things hold me back, you know. Yeah, and got our I think we may have still won, but they sent down. They set that guy in to get him kicked out of the game, and that's how he did it.
That's that's amazing. I've had that thought before too. Why not say a backup player to go injure Aaron Rodgers or get him in a fight.
I thought you were about one of your golf matches.
No, I'm serious about those yips though. I mean my senior year of high school, I just forgot how to play the sport. Like, yeah, I got new irons so I couldn't hit those, and then I just I just lost. So just putting, Uh, putting was the bad part. But like just my entire game.
Well you you currently enjoyed golf. How did you turn it around?
I took a break. It's not how long it was like over a year.
Wasn't because you're in that car wreck?
Was it?
No? No, much later the car wreck came. But yeah, I went to college and pledged a fraternity and was too big. Yeah, at a disagreement, and then I came back to it and when you're drinking beer, when you're playing and you know, not worried about where the ball is out of bounds like that.
Sport.
Aaron, do you play golf? You don't play golf.
No, I'm not a golf guy. Adult softball guy.
Yeah, that's a good buddy of minst one of two. Yeah. In college it was a self taught scratch golfer. I said, man, give me some golf advice. He goes you ready, Yeah, don't play. That's pretty tone me. Great struggle, probably right, Thanks so much to Jeff, to Billy, Aaron, that's it. Good night from Lexington,