Merry Christmas. Everybody did Gabriel with you. Hope you're enjoying a great day, and there are still a few hours left. We thought we would bring you an encore presentation of our postseason football special. Not a great year, but there were some great moments. Please enjoy the best of the Big Blue Insider. Usually this time of year, we're preparing coverage of Kentucky in a bowl game, but as we all know, it ain't gonna happen this year and in
the year's past. During Bowl week, at some point, either before or right after the game, I have put together a special that I presented that relives all the highlights of the football season. Well, there weren't that many this year, as we know, there were only four wins. So we're gonna do something a little bit different this year. We're going to look back on some of the fun we did have presenting these games to you because we did
something different this season. And if you listen to our radio broadcast, which we appreciate, I know every game's on TV, but there's plenty of pregame programming, and then of course a lot of you try to sync things up and listen to the radio and watch the TV. We did something different and it goes back to what we used to do gosh, about fifteen years ago, maybe when the
network was held by different rights holders. It's kind of an inside baseball thing, but we would have kind of a big, dramatic opening with music and a guy with a big voice. It's a voice that you hear on ESPN and other promos and things like that, and we really missed that, so we decided to get back to that, only with a bit of a twist. We decided to use what we were calling celebrities to open the broadcast. Former players, former coach Rich Brooks, even an actor Josh Hopkins,
who lives in Austin, Texas now. Grew up in election in the son of Congressman Larry Hopkins, big UK fan, but his work as an actor led him to Texas, where he lives now. So we had a lot of fun of writing them producing them. I had to try to chase these folks down, but when we did, they were more than happy to do it. So they turned out really well. I think I think everybody who did
it pitched in and did a great job. So we're going to go back and listen to those and I'll have some highlights from the games, even the ones that didn't go so well, the games that went in the wrong direction, because there were some good plays, some big plays, but just not enough of them obviously, So it was a different season. It was an odd season. One we haven't dealt with much in this part of the football world for the last what eight years, nine years since
Kentucky started going to bowl games. So that's why this show will be unlike the others. We won't be presenting melts from all the wins. We will present one melt. I'm going to play for you, the melt that I put together after the Old Miss game. The melt, of course, is like eight or nine minutes of all the great plays and moments strung together, because that was obviously the biggest win of the season, one of the biggest wins
in all the college football this year. And when you think about what happened with Ole Miss football this season, that loss to Kentucky is probably I would think what kept Old Miss out of the playoff because when you're up in that rarefied air, when people are talking about you and thinking about you, that one loss, especially to a team with a losing record could really be damaging to your resume. So Kentucky played a bit of the spoiler role a little miss this year. So we're going
to relive that one. But first we're going to start with, of course, the season opener, and that came against Southern Mississippi. Our first celebrity monologue came from former UK quarterback Bill Ransdell, and Tom Leech suggested this because this was the fortieth anniversary of the nineteen eighty four Kentucky team that won the Hall of Fame Bowl, and of course Bill was
the quarterback. They celebrated with the reunion to the former players, and Bill actually came to the garage and sat down helped us open the broadcast.
It's the season, the first step on a journey to do something special and memorable. Here's UK Hall of Fame quarterback Bill Ransdell.
Hard to believe it's been four decades since the Kentucky Wildcats. My Wildcats put together a special season that was a long time coming. The year before, we had set an NCAA record for victories by a team that had gone winless the season prior, and now we wanted both. In nineteen eighty four, we won nine including the Hall of Fame Bowl, our second straight postseason appearance.
All right, let's see if they go through with it.
Jones down on one knee as a snap.
They're going to try it, and it is long enough. It is I believe yees think he got it good? No, Joey Warling jush hid a Kentucky Bield gold distant runner heavy a joke up the Cats and luck for the first time to night. It is Kentucky twenty Chris Hunt in nineteen.
Today, forty years later, Mark Stoops and his Wildcats begin their quest for a ninth consecutive Bowl bit only three other teams in the SEC and save that.
First up on.
The ruling scheduled the Southern Mississippi, a team that is always dangerous. But the Cats have a new look offense and a talented defense, and they say they're ready to go. It's the Wildcats and the Golden Eagles on game day here at Kroger Field.
Coming up next to Wow.
Of course, the Wildcats for a brand new quarterback, Brock Vandergriff. He had a great time. He passed for three touchdowns. The UK defense pitched a shutout in a thirty one to nothing game. And of course it was weather shortened. There were all kinds of concerns about the weather, lightning and thunder and rain, and long story short, it shortened
the game by nine minutes and fifty six seconds. They you know, after a long rain delay, they decided the lightning's not gonna let up, so we're just gonna shut it down. Team officials, game officials in communication with the SEC.
But not before vander Riff, in his first career start after transferring in from Georgia, hit on twelve at eighteen passes, one hundred and sixty nine yards, three scores, Demi Sumo Carnbay eight carries for fifty nine yards, and the defense holding Mississippi or Southern Mississippi to just one hundred and thirty one yards. So yeah, it was a fun day. The scoring got started when Rock Vandergriff hit Barrion Brown first touchdown of the year, twelve yards and it's seven nothing Wildcats.
And a Griff retreats looking left, padding the football, now scrambling back to the right, throws for the end zone and did he get it touchdown? Kentucky.
There was ten to nothing when Demi Sumo Krnbay capped off a drive with a touchdown, his first of the year.
First and goal at the one and off Subo Carnbay touchdown Kentucky. He goes in up the middle, standing up.
And then Brock Vandergriff went right back to Barrion Brown, this time from twelve yards out. That made it twenty four to nothing.
Here's the pitch ahead to Brown sweeping right across the ten, break set tackle headed to the far side. Touchdown. Kentucky broke the tackle of the five and Baryon Brown snuck in just in front of the right front pylon. Full of Cats. Twelve yard touchdown run or passes, we'll go.
That was a score at halftime. Kentucky would have a scoring possession in that third quarter. Rock Vandergriff hit Jimori Macknan for forty six yards set up the Cats at the southern miss eight yard line. Two plays later, and a griff to Jordan Dingle from five yards out.
Three receivers in a triangle outside the right tackle, tight end left, and a griff with a fake holy right man Whine open touchdown Kentucky to It's Dingle, big boy just inside the right front pylon. Fitzbarrow is happy tight end's gonna touchdown and that.
Made it thirty one to nothing, and that would end up being the final score as Kentucky opened the season with a win over Southern Mississippi. We'll come back with more of this special edition of the Big Blue Insider as we look back on some of the highlights and some of the celebrities who helped us open broadcasts this
year of Kentucky football games. Here in the Big Boon Sider six thirty wlap Merry Christmas, everybody that gave her with you in the special edition of the Big Moon Sider, an encore presentation of our football special looking back on an odd year, there were some highlights in the lot of celebrities joined us as they opened our broadcasts on the UK Sports Network. This was a year, as I
mentioned earlier, where we had celebrities open our broadcast. We had a lot of fun with that, even though there wasn't a lot of fun involved with watching the Wildcats go four and eight, but it did kind of lift our spirits. South Carolina was the second game on the schedule, and as you recall, that game did not go too
terribly well. But the guy who opened up our broadcast with Jojo Kemp, and he came to the garage and he helped us recall a night when the Wildcats ran literally all over Steve Spurrier's game Cocks, and Jojo was one of the biggest reasons.
Week two for the Kentucky Wildcats the start of SEC play and a matchup that brings to mind a phrase that has two meetings. Jojo Kemp was a Wildcat. He wrote it was.
Ten years ago.
Back in twenty fourteen, West South Carolina game CAUs came to town and got a taste of the wildcat for a mission. I had a lot of fun that night.
Wildcat formation, snapped the camp and he goes in touchdown Kentucky straight up the little on the Wildcat formation.
My office A line was super. They helped me run for one hundred and thirty one yards and three touchdowns.
Direct snap the camp man. He goes in standing up. It's crazy for the touchdown, that's amazing. I'm amazed at that kid.
My third score tied the game thirty eight thirty eight, and that's when our defense came up.
He steps up of the pocket. It's deflected up into the air.
It's dinner up in tuck down the tucky, but the pre caught it.
Runs. Wow. He flipped it into the air and the pre caught it in full stride.
A man budd the three put us up a touchdown. Then our defense held again. So it was up to us the offense to kill the rest of the clock.
Kemp straight ahead and he's got the first down. I think there's the chain stretched out. Put down the stick, first down. Kentucky. The Wildcats defeats South Carolina forty five to thirty eight. Game over.
The Big Blue Nation stormed the field.
And it's party time as the fans come on the field a Commonwealth Stadium, we sent the game calls home.
We need to do that again tonight.
We're changing the game. Why not Kentucky? Why not us?
I'll say it again what I said back then, Why not us?
Why not Kentucky?
Wow?
And as I said, nothing good to remember about that game. Wildcats lost it thirty one to six, even though they had twelve tackles for loss in three sacks. The defense acquitted itself. Well finally it just kind of collapsed. Ty Bryant did have an interception.
Sellers drops the throw all day, dancing around, fires into the middle and it's intercepted across the thirty and falling down at the twenty eight yard line, and making the interception was Ty Bryant. The sun board from here in Lexington, the son of former Wildcats Cisco Bryant, sets up the Wildcats inside the South Carolina thirty yard line.
Biggest play for the Wildcats offensively was Brock Vandergriff hooking up with Dane Key forty two yards And there was something we saw all year as Brock tried to go to Dane, who became his favorite receiver, play fake.
He's throwing deep down the near side for Key and he pulls it in and didn't he make the catch? Yes, who want to throw and catch? At the South Carolina thirty nine yard line. Vandergriff dropped that in like a directional punt and Key fielded it over his shoulder and got knocked out of bounds at the thirty nine yard line of South Carolina.
But that's all the Wildcats could muster a couple of field goals losing to the game Cocks. So it went on to have a pretty strong season. Next game, what might be the most puzzling game of the year, maybe even more so than the Old Miss game, which of course was an upset win by the Wildcats. On the road, Georgia comes to town and we still weren't sure what we were seeing with Kentucky. But of course whatever confidence we might have had as fans as media was shaken
by that loss. They just did not look good at all against South Carolina and their edge rushers. We thought, what in the world is Georgia going to do to this team? Well, big bad Georgia came in and Kentucky played the Bulldogs right out of their cleats to that one point lost, And I still look back on that as a sort of a reminder of what might have been. If the Wildcats had stayed together, had stayed healthy, they could have won that game. Wasn't it should have, but
could have. As you recall, there was a controversial decision at the end of the game by Mark Stoops to punt the ball and put everything on this defense to get the ball back, which it did not, as Georgia converted on a big third downplay and that was the game. Kentucky had moved the ball between the thirties basically and just could not get into the end zone. But the Wildcats kicked four field goals and made it as difficult on Georgia as any team could in a long, long time.
We started the game with a cold open, as we call it, from a guy who knew what it was like to beat the Georgia Bulldogs, and that was former coach Rich Brooks.
Beat a team like Georgia, it takes great players making big plays and clutch moments. Coach Rich Brooks knows it can be done.
It's always tough to get a win when you're chasing Georgia Bulldogs, but it's not impossible.
I should know.
My Wildcat pulled together and beat the Dog's wife in twenty six with a Jason on the line, we fought him on with a big en zone interception.
Say the good man interested to be the zone. It was Trevard Linley who made the play. He's batted the fad pattern up into the air Leo's content and then.
The cloaking seconds Trevard Lidley pick pop of path, brought down the gold Coat and chuck us to a.
Bulking Stafford retreats mony of time out of the protection is breaking down. He slides right. He throws the Georgia forty one line. The bands are coming out of the end zone on each side. As the Wildcats have beaten Georgia for just the eleventh time and sixty tries, the police could just say the heck with.
A let go in twenty oh nine and nafas we made big play after big play.
He don't touch. He can get it on lockdown Derek Luft report or eternal.
Chests down to the Pulldogs seven yards has been seen the cord with the what's aception.
The Wildcats went down to Georgia.
We were looking for a win to steal and we did it. It won't be eighthing, but Park Stoops and his cats, they can make it happen tonight at broker Field.
Wow.
I had a lot of fun putting that together with a coach and reminiscing ofvia his first zoom. We couldn't get that to work, so we did it. I guess we did it over the phone as I recall. Anyhow, the game, you know what happened. Kentucky just couldn't quite punch it into the endzine as I said. But boy Alex Rayner, who won a bunch of awards at the end of the season, came through he gave Kentucky the first lead with a fifty five yard field goal.
Alex Rayner out there to attempt a fifty five yard field goal. It would be a school record if he makes it. As we took under three minutes to play in this opening quarter, Kentucky trying to get on the board first, good step kick is long enough, it's gone just clear the crossbar. Fifty five school record and personal best fifty five yard field goal by Alex Rainer at Kentucky strikes first.
Georgia eventually pulled ahead by thirteen to nine. Kentucky drove into scoring position, had to once again settle for a Rainer field goal, this one from fifty one yards out.
A fifty one yard attempt right footed. Rainer's got to pull it back to his left a little bit, good snap, enough leg God With eight oh one to play, Alex Rainers having a night's four for four.
And unfortunately that would be it for the scoring of Wildcast, losing thirteen to twelve. But once again they were the talk of college football for how well they played those Georgia Bulldogs. But Wildcats at that point were one and two. Needed something good to happen. Needed it soon want to come on this special edition of The Big Goingsider here
on six thirty wlap Harry Christmas. Everybody did Gabriel with This is an our core presentation of our football special as we look back on the highlights, and there were some this season. Also the celebrity monologues that opened our broadcasts. This year we had former players, we had coach Rich Brooks, we had celebrities help us open the broadcasts and they really came off well. I thought, Ohio You was a bit of a quandary because Kentucky had only played the
Bobcats a couple of times through their history. But we did find a game back in the mid eighties when a future Hall of Famer, I mean UK Hall of Fame Football Hall of Famer DERMANI Dawson was part of that game and I was able to connect with him many helped us open the broadcast.
Bobcats and Wildcats tangled today for just the seventh time, and there's a UK Hall of Famer who remembers the nineteen eighty seven match up quite well, Dermonty Dawson.
The first time the Ohio Bobcats came to Lexington, they pulled off an upset. They beat Kentucky thirty five to six. That was in nineteen seventy one.
Line.
They came back in nineteen eighty seven, and this time we were ready.
Upfront, we blocked for guys like Mark Higgs, Ivy, Joel Hunter, and Andy Murray. On defense, we had Albert Barnette, Jerry Reese, Tony Massey, christianaut and a lot more.
We shut them out. Kentucky twenty eight Ohio nothing a team effort top to bottom. The Wildcats need that today. Last week our defense was solid.
Were done builders, thanks, going to drop and grow, getting harder, getting deep, growing, gell hands one in, good wait, great Hunne.
And the offensive line opened hose all night.
Blip coming avoid it and he's got a lot of rulers left the.
Part time fifteen twenty five down up here the twenty two yard line short the gumps with the bull in and once they take it up, the whole side is open and Brocka is the part thing. It gets don after a heat bido.
The Cats need another victory and the time is now wow.
And of course everything went well for the Wildcats, as you might expected a game like that, totally overmatching Ohio You. It was a huge day for Rock vander Grip two hundred thirty seven yards passing, Demisumo, karn Bay with a couple of touchdowns. Jamerion Wilcox with a career high eighty two yards rushing, and he showed early that we could expect a lot from him. Some explosive plays.
Hand off to will Cox sweeping right, has it out out, cross up, back out across the forty and he can't break away in there. And a big game for Jamry and will Cox, left, Brown and key to tight ends right, Caddis and Dingle hand off will cockspur and hit clips of tackle angles right twenty five uses the.
Stiff arm, gets inside the twenty and out of bounds at the seventeen yard line.
Wildcat's got a touchdown, and then Ohio you began to put together a drive and actually got into the red zone, but the Kentucky defense came a big. JJ Weaver recovering a fumble, takes the stat.
Balls, knock loose ball. Then Kentucky's got it.
Oh and then it pops out of JJ Weaver's hands and did Ohio get it back?
JJ?
No, Kat's got it.
So the offense went back to work. Didn't look like it was going to do much until Vandergriff went to his favorite receiver.
Vandergriff against a four man rush, rolling out to his right, fires back into the middle. He's got kid inside.
Of the twenty there sideline ten Pearls. Tiler buckets down to the two yard line.
Sidney but luck letting love Ronny.
Would like that move, and after that it was Demi Sumo carne Bay covering the last couple of yards to give the Wildcats a seventeen to nothing lead. They would take into the locker room at halftime.
Off the right hash mark, they give it to Subel karn Bay and he's got his second touchdown right up the middle.
Wildcats added a field goal in the third quarter. There was about five minutes left to go in the period. Maxwell Harston strikes again with a pick six that tied the UK school record. That was his third as a Wildcat.
It's gonna be a pick six, Henni's Maxwell Harriston Tye dallasss with his third career pick six.
Harriston was a preseason All Conference pick, and why not after the year he had last season, but spent much of this season on the sideline injured, one of the many reasons the Wildcats struggled this year. Wildcats kept scoring though against the Bobcats, Barry and Brown made the Jets sweep work and they.
Give it on the jet sweep to Barry and Brown trying to get outside across the twenty gott An alley.
At the tent at the fun touch Wow Kentucky that finally hit on the.
Jets sweep around the left edge.
Dum did that looked like those TVs were running in quicksand I mean they had him dead to rights and he just out ran up to the end zone.
He hit the gas and it was goodbye.
And the Wildcats added one more Gavin whims that took it in for his first touchdown as a Wildcat.
On the two. Gotta keep it himself and he goes in standing up touchdown Kentucky, the first one for Holinsborough High Schools Gavin Whimson.
So that meant the Wildcats were two and two, and most prognosticators really thought that at this point Kentucky would be three and one, because well most of us predicted win over South Carolina, seeing us how the game was here in Lexington. But as you know, South Carolina better
than we thought it would be. That's why the Wildcats were two and two after their first four games heading into a trip to Oxford, Mississippi, and it looked as though the Rebels had put together a pretty good football team, which in fact they did, but the Wildcats pulled one out, and as I said earlier, if it hadn't been for one other game, it was a bit of a surprise,
Kentucky would have dominated the headlines. But that was the same day Alabama beat Georgia, handed the Bulldogs their first conference loss in forever, forty one to thirty four, So that kind of nudge Kentucky's upset win down just to tick. When the talking heads across the country were going through the highlights, it was still a huge win for the Cats. And when we come back, we'll revisit it, as I
have a melt for you. Yeah, we're going to relive all the highlights of the Kentucky Ole Miss game on the other side of the break here on this special edition of The Big bloom Siders six thirty wlap Merry Christmas, everybody. This is an on edition of our football special, which of course included a full melt of the highlights of the upset of ole Miss that takes us to a trip to Oxford, Mississippi.
Did you know Kentucky has taken down top ten ole Miss teams in the past, including one in nineteen sixty nine quarterbacked by Archie Manny. The Kentucky quarterback was Bernie Scruggs.
Back in nineteen sixty nine, nobody expected us to beat on Miss and we were playing in Stonefield. The Rebels were ranked ninth in the country. They opened the season with an easy win over Memphis State. The Wildcats. Well, we were coming in after a wild.
One with Indiana.
We put it up thirty points, usually good enough to win. Trouble is the who's you scored fifty eight? That's why Scuts were such underdogs when over Miss came to town. But believe it or not, we pulled off one of the biggest of sets in the history of UK football. The Rebels took an early in the second quarter on the field goal in a sixty four yard run by the great Archie Many, but our Dave Hunter blocked the extra point and that came up big down the stretch.
In the third quarter, we were down nine to three in driving at the Old Miss twenty three, Houston Hogg made a big run for us.
Later on the drive, Houston Hogg makes this fine. I put on a big third.
Down play for Kentucky.
He got the first down at the all.
Miss six and then I was able to slip it to the end zone.
Bernie Scruggs rolls out to take it in part of Kentucky.
When Bobby Jones came in and kicked the crucial extra point. In the fourth quarter, we forced an ole miss funneled at the three yard line and picked off an Archie Manny pass. We held off for a ten to nine win over the Rebels, who would belong to win the Shigar Bowl, but that day belonged to the Wildcats. It can happen again today.
Wow, good afternoon from Vought Hemingway Stadium on the campus of the University of mississip Be in Oxford. I'm Tom Lynch along with the former wildcad white out Jeff Pikoro, Dick Gabriel down on the side lines dark with a plate faith. Now he's pressured, moves up into the pocket, throws down the middle line over and he's got Harris, and he is going to get closer to the touchdown. No, he's down a one yard line first and goal to go for ole Miss at the one and all Parrish straight ahead.
He got out all of this. That is just four defense right there. You're walking to the line of privage. Nobody was even ready for Kentucky and ole Miss just walked into the inZone.
Vandergrim On a keeper, heads off to the right, gets across the thirty, breaks a tackle across the twenty five, still going, and knock out of bounds over on the far side at the twenty two yard line. It's eleven yards and another first down for Kentucky. Cabin into the game now. As Brock gets a brillier after that run fake by wim said, he goes straight ahead, breaks a couple of tackles, get us inside of nifty, and has a first down to the eleven yard line. Rainer twenty
seven yarders. It's gonna be spotted at the Old Miss seventeen yard line to try to get Kentucky on the board. It's good, I'm thirteen left to play here. At the opening quarter, each team scores on its opening drive, but it's Old Miss seven in Kentucky three on the UK sports Edward Dart and empty backfield heading the football and he's out of the sacked.
Nice if Tom Kentucky was playing when we call it cover seven, they're five hunder in two team and there was no place for Darden to throw him when he stepped up as swallowed him up.
That brings the first quarter to an end. It's seven three rebels, third and seventh Kentucky showing blitz off the edges. They bring six. Dart in trouble dancing around and he sacked ea back of the forty one yard line. Dion Walker and Jamon Dumas Johnson drop him for a loss of five. Bill Hurst out for Kentucky. Vandergriff sliding left on the option makes the pitch Cosumo Karme's got grow him up the far. He has the first down cost out of bounds, out of the thirty one yard line
after a game of fourteen yards. That's a new look and Kentucky makes it work. Dark play fake. He has throwing deep up the near sideline and it's broken up at the Kentucky forty yard line by Waller and Bryan. They were both there going step for step with Juice Wells in South Carolina.
Transfer and there you see they you know, they take that deep shine again all the way down to the forty yard line where that ball came down, but no pressure on dark.
Lander grip bakes it to Sumocarnbay quick throw into the middle. He's got key. First down into Ole Miss territory at the Rebels forty nine yard line.
He picked up sixteen.
Boy really liked dandy.
He knows going over the middle he's gonna get clocked, but man, he has gotten some guts to do that.
He comes right into the teeth of.
The defense, finds it opening and Rock double clutches and puts it on the money.
Two whiteouts right, one tight end each way for Vandergrift. Let's coming up the plaything. Vandergrid's setting deep fires into the middle of the Family's got key inside the Old Miss forty pulled down close to the thirty five yard line on the Rebels twenty four yard game.
Turning in on the tackle again, Key gets inside the corner.
A beautiful move to the post. Second down five the Ole Miss fifteen two tight ends right, two wideouts left hand off. Sumo Carba bounces it out left he's got space at the ten, cuts back right and drives his way down close to the five yard line. First down. Maybe it'll be first in Gold to go after a ten yard run by Demi Sumo Carnbay, but.
Great blocking on the outside by Day Key could have held, but he did it. He stayed in front of his van, beautifully done. He'd love to get seven here instead of three numbers.
Vander Griff fires into the middle, broke it up, Black Hunter down pass interfers. They were trying to get Key in the middle of the end zone, right under the Gold Boats, and they're gonna call holding first down, automatic first down either way. Seven penalties forty eight yards today whistled against Ole miss one for ten for Kentucky. Vandergrift play Fame retreating, throwing it to the back of the n.
Zone, touch Toouchcasser tasty.
K tracking the back line of the intone is Vandergriff just floaded it out there to him and Keith breached down and snatched it with two hands. The Wildcats are in front. Twenty seconds play in the hand, the trips to the left, one white out right dark for sure coming again. He shidy Oxen done, got it. Yep, big fella got a little ticked off. He just said, you won't call it. I'll just go get it. He did. Boy, loss of six back to the twenty ole miss out
of timeouts. That's it. Kentucky is going to take the lead into the locker room at halftime on the home field of the number sixteen in the country, A Wildcat's ten, the old miss rebels seven and inspired first thirty minutes for Kentucky. Nick Gabriel is gonna catch up with coach Mark Students. Coach, I gotta think you love the pace of this game.
You've really controlled it.
We have controlled the pace of the game and both sides. Defense has to get stopped. We've been disruptive, we've covered well. As we talked about all week, the pace of play early got us and then we settled right in and offensively, it really kept us in the game controlling it. Obviously we knew we had to score there, but you know, so it's really important to get in the end zone. We got to continue to play aggressive. I went forward a couple of those fourth downs and you know, it's worked out.
So you know, so far, so good. A big, big half here and the Wildcats take a ten to seven lead into the locker room here in Oxford. Two minutes gone in this third quarter, three and out for Kentucky and off the Paris straight ahead breaks away, got a big game in the Kentucky territory to the forty nine yard line, Jeff. They had it for a game of a yard or two. Yeah, they had a right at the line of scrimmage. But he just ran through two arm tackles. Jackson, Dart Hump Bake Rights. He is gonna
run and left, and he is in trouble. He's gonna be hitting dropped for a loss Walker Dumas, Johnson time Bryan not fooled. They drop him for a loss of three, fourth and six, trying to tie the game with nine fifty four to play here in the third quarter, Suns back under the clouds now here in Oxford. It's that way up high and it's good and the game is tied. Old Mits ten and Kentucky ten. Bandergriff receivers each way,
fakes left, throws rights, complete the key. Thirty five forty breaks through a tackle up the far sideline, out of bounds up at the Kentucky forty six yard line. Twenty one yard game. They give it to Wilcox running left, got an alley across the fifty forty five, runs over a tackler, knocks an old list defender. Back goes inside the forty to the rebels thirty seven yard line. Donnery finally made the tackle on him a game of seventeen, so it'll be a forty eight yard field goal attempt.
Or Rainer, I'm gonna pull this back to the left a little bit. He'said already from twenty seven today on you a leg. It's good. Thirteen in a row. Kentucky retakes the lead with six thirty one to play in the third Kentucky thirteen ull Miss ten on the UK Sports Network, fourth and seven, two receivers each Way or Dart coming down to the end of the third quarter, Blitz coming. Dart throws it into the middle and his pack for the first down, and it's a lot more.
Harris running through the middle of the defense, cuts left. You'll go in for the touchdown. Kentucky brought everybody and all out. Blitz Ole Miss picks it up Harris on a deep slam the catch, and I don't know that anybody ever touched it. Forty seven yard touchdown pass on fourth and seven.
Well, when you give it up like that, you've got to get on your guy. And he was wide open, streaking right through the middle of the field of post pattern, if you will, skinny pose. And once they picked up the Polinz Dart was able to pat it and then fire it right.
To em and and that kid when he gets in the open field, you can get about ten seconds to play the third quarter and ole Miss goes back in front here at Oscar seventeen to thirteen on a forty eight yard touchdown pass on fourth and seven, So fourth and ems from its own nineteen Mark stoops, pushing the chips to the center of the table. The four h four to play, trailing seventeen thirteen. They don't make it. Ole misses and Minimum starts in field goal range. Vander
Grip drops, let's coming. He's throwing it up the far sideline and it's god Brown at the thirty four. He stayed himself. He comes back across the near side of the thirty and to twenty down of the seventeen yard line of Old Miss wanna throw. Vander Griff dropped it in and right into the hands of Brown streaking down the left side. There's the chunk play you were looking for. And Ivy is down back.
In the fifteen yard line. He started to run up the field and he just fell down. He's gonna give the team a blow. But Kentucky has an inside the red zone. Now, wow, he tiptoed the sidelines top stadium bounds and got himself an extra ten or twelve yards.
Sixty two yards on the completion to Baryon Brown. As the Cats are back in the red zone, first and ten, Kentucky just inside the left hash mark of the old miss seventeen yard line. They give it the Sumo Carbay bouncing that left. He's got room fifteen ten carry us a tackler for a first down to the six yard line. Wimsen. Now the quarterbacks will Carnvay to his left. Whimsit on a keeper running left at the five, drops his shoulder, caps to the two bubble the football did it go
into the Enzo touchdown? Kentucky on the recovery in the enzoe trying to see who got it. Cattis Josh Cattis recover the ball. It popped down of Wimsit at the two. It went right to Canis in the end zone. Kentucky twenty oh Miss seventeen with two twenty five to play in the game. Here in Oxford, Mississippi dart set Steve stunted up front, Ole Miss kicks it up. He scrambles off to the right, throws it deep into the middle of the field. Life and good damn what you mother? Time?
Kay raise corn Christen story, Christen's story got lost?
What are you doing? Makes the catch at the Kentucky thirty four yard line. You got, Kayden Davis. The ball's gonna be spotted just shine of the thirty nine yard line of Kentucky. Just get big, boys. We'll call this a forty nine yard field goal attempt off the right Hashmark Davis is a right footed kicker, so we have to pull this back to the left a little bit to try and tie the game. With fifty three seconds left, a little bit of a low stap and they get
it down. Kicks on the way, No, not holdly forty eight seconds to play, an old Miss comes up empty. Yes, how about that? The sideline's FD and Mark Stokes in is Kentucky Wildcats have shot the comments foot more worldt it go? Bubba a miracle in the Magnolia State. We're Kentucky Wildcats twenty the Old Miss Rebels seventeen.
More to come in I Remember two. This special Christmas edition of the best of the Big Boone Sider, we look back on those elusive football highlights from the season here on six thirty w dolap. Merry Christmas, everybody, Welcome back to our number two of the Big Blue Insider, an encore presentation of our football special. When we look back on some of the highlights, there were some not nearly enough from this past football season, as well as the upset win over Old Miss, which you just heard
about in our number one. But we also look back on what we call the celebrity monologues that opened our broadcast this past season. Sad to say, too many times that ended up being the best highlight of the broadcast. After the Old Miss victory, the Wildcats were home with Vanderbilt. This was supposed to be a win for Kentucky. Of course, as you know, it didn't work out that way, but it started with a great performance by a former Wildcat, former Kentucky defensive back Van Hiles.
In nineteen ninety six, our season was heading in the wrong direction. We lost six off first seven games before we current things around in a big way.
Quarterback Van Hiles, arguably one of the best players on Kentucky's defense.
We started forcing turnovers. In fact, we finished second in the SEC that year and seventeenth.
In the country.
Van Hiles off the job.
We put it together in late October with an upset of the Georgia Bulldogs. The next week more Bulldogs, we knocked off Mississippi State and then came Van.
We mentioned Van Hiles one of our standing job he is gone.
At corner.
We had lost five straight to the commodore We needed something good. That happened, and it did.
We shut them out.
It was twenty five to nothing, our third straight SEC win. We picked off two passes and forced the pumber at the.
Camp stopped after twenty yard line.
The Commodore's are confident after that upset win over Alabama.
Vandert takes down number one Alabama.
But our Wildcats up coming off a big win of there on two weeks ago at Old Myth.
The sidelines ept in Mark STOKESI is Kentucky Wildcats have shut the college football world. I'd go bulla.
We're won eight of the last ten over Bandy and it's time to slam the doors again tonight.
Wow.
But as you know, it didn't work out that way. Vanderbilt would win six games this season, including a huge upset win over Alabama, first in the history of the school, and the Wildcats just could not generate much offense. They did, though, managed to drive for a touchdown down seven to nothing early in the second quarter. Got a TV from Demisumocarnbay, Andy Griff.
Out of the shotguns, set back right Atsumo Karna who gets the call touchdown Kentucky. Following Eli Coxon Jaggerbert.
What Kentucky gave up a touchdown at the end of the first half, trail fourteen to seven, gave up two more field goals to fall behind twenty to seven before the Cats put together a long drive rock Vandergriff finding Fonte Key from twenty two yards out.
Falling the left Hashpark. Now Here comes Keith in motion to the slot of the near side, so trip right for Vandergriff, who was done upfront. Five man rush throw into the middle of the field. It's caught by Key, touchdown Kentucky right down the seam on the right side that.
Made it twenty thirteen. Kentucky blew the extra point, never got the ball back close enough to get it into the end zone, and the final was the Wildcats falling to the Commodores by seven. After that was the trip to Florida, and this one was frustrating because the Gators were struggling at the time. They had quarterback issues. DJ Lagaway was the new starter because ram Mertz was injured and out for the rest of the year for Lagway, a freshman, but Kentucky just made too many mistakes, did
make a lot of big plays. Wildcats were in the game in the latter stages, but just couldn't quite hold it together. We turned to a Florida native who had played well against those Gators in a couple of victories during his Kentucky career, former UK offensive lineman Kenneth Horsey.
Kentucky has dominated the series with Florida in recent years, and the reversal form began in twenty eighteen. The Cats won that night at the Swamp and ended a long losing streak to Florida. Offensive lineman Kenneth Horsey was a freshman on that team.
In twenty eighteen, we went to Gainesville to play the Gators. Back then, Kentucky had lost thirty one straight to Florida. But we were tired of here and all that, so we did something about it.
Poor man Russias Wilson setska throw looking down field, throwing down field, touchdown Kentucky. David Booby ad.
The Gators led by three at half, but after that it was all wild Cats.
Fabian flitzing off the edge of stranks dropped to throw down here they come up and then on a.
Towny of Fact touchdown Terry Wilson was incredible.
Wilson takes the pitch on a keeper at the twenty at the fifteen ten five touchdown Kentucky.
He ran for a touchdown and brew for two more.
He is throwing deep. Bote's out there, got it tuck down Kentucky.
Our defense hut him down in the second half and even scored a touchdown on the last place with them mentioned.
He's head as he throws it flutters incomplete with five seconds to plage touchdown Kentucky. Devonte Robinson I think, was who picked that ball up, and they signaled touchdown for Kentucky. After further reviewing the ruling on the field of a fumble is confirmed. The streak is over. After thirty one long games, the streak ends.
The streak was over, and now we've won four to the last six, including three straight.
We need to make it four in a row tonight.
In the one Wow, Kentucky held Florida to a couple of field goals before the Wildcat offense got kicked in the gear on the flea flicker Vandergriff and Barry and Brown forty five yards out.
Two white outs, left tight end in a wide out to the right, new Anderson going in motion right. They give it to s flee flicker Brown's wide open touchdown Kentucky. The fleet flicker works perfectly for the Cats.
Great call by bush Ham Dan, perfectly executed by Brown and Vandergriff, really by everybody but Kentucky mishandles the snap on the try for the extra point, and it's tied at six apiece. In the second quarter, Wildcats with a defensive highlight. Second player of Florida drive UK's Christian Story picks off Lagway and returns the ball sixty three yards to the eleven yard line.
Like Wayne, dropping the throw into the middle of the field and its stepped it by Kentucky coming the other way across the floor. Its story across the Florida forty, across the thirty, cuts left at the twenty, boks through a tangle and gets down to the ten yard line.
You know, I love the way Tom calls touchdowns. Everybody does, but I think a close second is the way he calls interception because they're so sudden and so welcome. Unfortunately, this particular interception didn't lead to any points and the Gators took over. They were actually able to drive for a touchdown and let it twenty to six. Late in the half, they added another touchdown. I go have twenty seven to six, but Burying Brown took the ensuing kickoff ninety nine yards.
The kick is high, but it's not going to make the end zone. Brown fields that at the goal one. It's up the numbers on the right side. At the twenty twenty five thirty cuts right, tries to get outside cuts back to the left. He's got an alley across the fifties, still upright across the thirty. Across the twenty fifteen ten to five touchdown, Kentucky, Barry and Brown get six back.
Well, I made it twenty seven to thirteen. That was your halftime score. Kentucky actually came out and put pressure on the Gators. Gavin wimsed moving the Wildcats to a touchdown and it was twenty seven to twenty.
Midway through the third quarter, block ticking at eight forty five, second and goal at the one. It's still wimset up the controls. He takes the snap, he's gonna run it, lowers his head and dives across signal. Touchdown Kentucky.
But that was as close as the Wildcats could get, and Kentucky had fallen in Gainesville by a final of forty eight to twenty. After that, when the Cats came home to take on Auburn, and Kentucky hasn't played Auburn a lot, hasn't beaten Auburn in quite a while. But in fact, we went to a guy who helped quarterback the Wildcats to a victory on the road at Auburn back in the Rich Brooks era. Morgan Newton opened the broadcast for him.
The last time Kentucky beat Auburn was two thousand and nine on the Tigers home field. Game came a week after starting QB Mike Hartline went down with an injury, and Morgan Newton, a freshman, took the controls with some help from Randall Common Will Findler.
There haven't been many wins for my Wildcats over the Auburn Tigers, but the game I like to remember happened in twenty oh nine. The Wildcats were struggling when we went down to the plane. We had lost three straight, each one to a top twenty five team, so we decided to turn things around. Auburn jumped out to an early league. The Cats came back behind three different quarterbacks.
It was like we took turnerment first down at ten Newton the sky.
In the second quarter, I ran one in.
For a touchdown.
How the Wildcasts rising their Crestsman's quarterbacks.
Morgan Newton scores in the second half while our defense was busy completely shutting out the Tigers.
Will Fidler got one too.
Findler's gotta keeping him sut touchdown Kentucky.
And with the score tie three minutes to play, Randall Cobb ripped off an explosive line and then out of the Wildcat formation, he scored the winning touchdown.
To Tucky.
That's right, three Kentucky quarterbacks scored that night as we upset the Tigers on their home field. Now they're on our curve and we need to take them down tonight.
Wow.
In hindsight, this was one of the most frustrating losses.
Of the year.
This came in a three game swing where the Wildcats had a shot at wins at all of them Vanderbilt, Florida, and Auburn. Some of us at Kentucky would get at least two out of three. The most optimistic people thought the Wildcats could take all three of those games going into Knoxville. Of course, as we know now, Cats didn't win any of them, but Vandy was a surprise. Yes, Florida,
it's always going to be tough in Gainesville. But I really believe that with Auburn struggling the way it was, that Kentucky would get the Tigers and kind of right itself. But the Wildcats wasted. A really good performance by Dane Key four catches eighty seven yards. Defense did a great job until it just kind of ran out of steam. The Wildcats with six tackles for loss, including four sacks Jordan Loved at nine tackles. Jam and Dumas Johnson had
eight tackles, including his sack. The one thing they could not do, though, was keep joh Quest Hunter from running over and through the Cats. He had twenty three carries for two hundred and seventy eight yards, including a fifty yard run and a pair of touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Kentucky
offense just wasn't getting much of anything done. Auburn with twenty seven first downs, three hundred and twenty six net yards rushing and another one seventy two through the air, and Wildcats only thirteen first downs two hundred and twenty four total offensive yards. That means Hunter out gained single handedly outgained the Kentucky offense, an Auburn team that went on to be five and seven, and a Kentucky team that desperately needed a win but just couldn't make anything
happening on that one. So what that meant was Kentucky going into the Tennessee game with all kinds of injuries, had lost three straight. After the upset win overall, miss Wildcats lose to Vandy, Florida and Auburn, So we thought Knoxville might get ugly, but it was just the opposite.
We'll talk about that on the other side of the break here on The Big Blue Insider six thirty WLAP Welcome back to this Christmas edition of The Big Blue Insider encore presentation of our look back at the Kentucky football season that included not nearly enough UK highlights, but some great performances from celebrities, former players, and coaches to
open up our broadcasts each week. It was a banged up Kentucky team to travel to Tennessee, and not many Wildcat fans were optimistic because this was a volunteer squad that was putting together a pretty good season. With all the holes in the Kentucky lineup. Out of Kentucky fans, media as well, we all braced ourselves for what might be a beat down, and we had seen a few of those in Knoxville, but we had seen Kentucky as well be competitive with Tennessee, and that's exactly what we
saw that night. In fact, Kentucky made a statement on the very first play, but not before our broadcast was opened by the widow of the late great Kentucky offensive line coach John Schlarman.
As good as John Schlarmon was as a player, he may have been a better coach in the o line. He walked the sidelines for the final time here in Knoxville four years ago as alma mater do something it had not done since nineteen eighty four. They beat the Falls. Here's Leanne Schlarmer.
When Kentucky plays the Big Orange today at Knoxville, it will bring back happy memories of the day. The Walkats scored one of their greatest wins over Tennessee and dedicated the win to my husband John. The UK defense stole the first two touchdown.
He looks righty to dinner set PA's could be a pick six. Hit the whole way, Joseph to five touchdown. Kentucky fires over the middle eighty six, said Davis at the twenty.
Cuts left, gets up left ten stuggling.
Falls into the ends on touch down. Kentucky. Who my goodness.
Then they turned the game over to the offense and the big Blue Wall that day made coach Sliman proud along with the rest of the BBN.
The Gibda Rodriguez running left, he hesitates and follers his way in touchdown. Kentucky. Let's tackle.
Kentucky beat Tennessee and Knoxville for the first time since nineteen eighty four. Later on, in a noisy UK locker room, the game ball went to the man who inspired the Wildcats that day, John Schlarman, own job.
Guys, you come together. Nobody could stop.
Yeah.
Wow.
The response to that piece on social media was tremendous, and John Schlarman would have been proud of the way the Wildcats played that night, despite being down so many injured teammates. Kentucky fought from the opening.
Play, Brown in motion, left hand off Willcox, Damn big hole, cuts right and it's a foot race down to their sideline. Across the forty, across the thirty, it's a Marion Willcox has pushed out of bounds at the Tennessee twenty seven yard line by the last line of a defense, Andre Turrantine.
The Wildcats moved all the way to the Tennessee five five yard line, but once again stalled in the red zone. Didn't get any points, but Kentucky did take.
The early lead.
With about five minutes left to play in the first quarter, it was Brock vander Riff finding Josh Kattis who made a terrific play from twenty seven yards away.
Empty backfield tight end Rice Vandergriff quick throw it to the millis, got Cannis across the tent, across the five, touchdown Kentucky. He bounced off the tackle attempt inside the five, and Josh Cannis puts Kentucky on the board first.
Vaulves would tie the game. Kentucky retook the lead at ten to seven, but eventually Tennessee led at twenty one to ten in the third quarter, but that's when Gavin Wimsen came on for the injured Rock Vandergrift and led Kentucky on a seventy five yard six play touchdown drive. Kentucky cut it to three points. Just inside the fourth quarter.
Wimbsit throwing down the far sideline, He catch it, cut it, touchdown goodness Jimry Macklin over the shoulder of a Tennessee defender and right into the hands of Macklin. With thirteen thirty one to play in the fourth quarter, at Kentucky get seven back or get six back quickly, but.
That was as close as Kentucky could get, the Wildcats finally succoming twenty eight to eighteen down in Knoxville. After that came an open date, and the Wildcats made good use of it, with all the injured players. Next on the schedule was Murray State, which still competes at essentially the old one DOUBLEA level FCS and under new management, the Racers are trying to rebuild, but quite frankly, they're one of the worst teams in MBV, worst at the
FCS level. Wildcats were able to get well physically and emotionally. The guy who opened it up for us played against the Racers not too long ago.
Kentucky and Murray State last played in twenty eighteen. The Cats won decisively after a bit of a slow start. Perhaps we should have seen that coming, since the Cats were coming off that win at Florida that ended a long losing streak. Here's Cash Daniel.
When we hosted Murray State back in twenty eighteen, we were rolling. We had just come back from an upset win at Florida when we snapped that ugly thirty one game losing street. Some people thought we might not be ready for the Racers.
No chance.
We came out firing and our quarterback lit the fuse. Terry Wilson broke one for forty two yards and our first touchdown.
Wilson with a play fake and he's sitting up deep, looking down the middle of the field. Then he's gonna pull it down and run straight ahead across the forty breaks, attack across the thirty wide open cuts left of the tent. He'll go in standing up touchdown Chittucky touch down Terry Wilson and Benny Snell.
Well, he just couldn't be stopped to give.
It to snail straight ahead at the five breaks away to the one, turns it in touchdown Kentucky. Benny Snell Junior and the deep. Yeah, we had some fun too.
We were deep and talented, including a guy who'd go on to win a Curple super Bowl.
Range swing pass nearside, can steal tackle, win a loss, Mike Edgars ridd It flew down all to make the stunt for a loss of five on the completion.
We rolled over the racers back then, and we need to do it again to day at Kroger Field.
Wow.
And as you might expect, the wildcatch raced off to a great start, beginning with defense.
Johansson rolling out to his right and he throws and it's intercepted. Love It down at the thirty two yard line. Jordan love It picks it off.
And the offense took over with a spectacular play from Rock Vandergriff to a freshman receiver.
Pumps throwing deep. He's looking for Hartley Gilmour and it's called foot touchdown. Goodness. It went right through the hands of a Murray State defender k von Reid and right into the hands of Hardley for a touchdown. His first one as a Wildcat is going to be especially memorable.
The offense would add a field goal, another touchdown, and the defense came through again.
Drops to throw fires into the middle. It's flipped up into the air, tapping, intercepted by Kentucky love It. Love It got another one off the deflection of the Murray State receiver. Pops up into the air and love It tips it to himself and intercepts it at the nine yard line to thwart the drive by the.
Racers, and the offense took advantage, this time Vandergriff throwing to a veteran receiver.
Vandergriff drops, he is looking left. He throw it to the far side and it's caught touchdown in the back left corner of the end zone. Jamoori Backland well thrown ballt dropped it right over the defender that.
Made a twenty four to nothing halftime. Kentucky came out with its first drive in the third period, wins seventy five yards for a score.
They handed off to Wilcox's spin and stretches touchdown Kentucky. He got hit at the three and he spun and stretched the ball out across the goal line. Well done.
Late in the game, Cutter Bully made an appearance. We thought we would see him, and he actually threw a couple of touchdown passes to the same receiver.
Bully holding the ball, fires Man wide open at the five, slips a tackle, touchdown Kentucky. Anthony Brown Stevens on fourth and one from the twenty two yard line, two receivers each way. Rodriguez on the hashmark to the right, Bully looking left, he guns it caught touchdown Kentucky.
And once again it was Anthony Brown Stevenson. Cutter Bully had a lot of fun that day. So did the Wildcats. They went at forty eight to six. Kentucky needed something good to happen, and of course it did, but it had to expect that in a game like that. Now. The following week, the Wildcats went to Austin, Texas, and with Rock Vanderriff banged up, it was Cutter bowleye who
got to start against the Longhorns. Well, come back and tell you all about that one on the other side of the break here on this special edition of The Big Blu Insider six point thirty WAP. Welcome back to the Big Bluinsider. Hoping you're having a great Christmas Day, and we thought we would share with you an encore presentation of our look back at the Kentucky football season. If you're just joining us, we have moved up to the trip the Wildcats made to Texas down in Austin.
The casts played back in the fifties down there, so this was their first trip in modern times. And again the Wildcats were kind of limping through the tail end of the season and they ran into a Texas team that at the time was fighting and still is for a shot at the national championship. Before the game began, we opened the broadcast with a monologue from a Kentucky fan who lives in Austin now, Josh Hopkins, the son
of the late Congressman Larry Hopkins. We prevailed upon him to open things up for us, and as you might expect an actor did a pretty good job with the script.
There's one Kentucky fan living here in Texas who believes that Cats can shock the college football world today, and it's not an act. Here's Lexington native and actor Josh Hopkins. I can't wait for the Wildcats to get to Austin. My Wildcats now.
Don't get me wrong, Austin is.
A great place to live. But I missed the Cats and they looked good last week. They handed off to Wilcox, spins and stretches touchdown Kentucky to wait. He got hit at the three and he spun and stretched the ball out across the goal line. Well, it was a feel good.
Game, I mean, just what we all needed, the players and the fans.
Vandergrift drops, he is looking less, but he throw it to the far side and it's cot touchdown. Offense was explosively holding the ball. Fires Man wide open at the five, swips a tackle, touchdown Kentucky. Anthony Brown Stevens a fourth and one of the twenty two yard line defense made plays all day. Johansson rolling out to his right and he throws and it's intercepted. Love it down at the
thirty two yard line. Jordan love It picks it off, and now we take on the mighty long Hoards and they're good.
We've got a real shot.
I got a bunch of Longhorn friends here, and all I hear about is the burnt orange.
Well, I'd like to turn this down blue, big blue.
It was a warm day and a packed house down in Austin. The atmosphere was incredible. And of course this is a Texas team that is still in the running for a national championship, so every game vital. And that's the way the Longhorns played. In fact, they took that opening kickoff and marched to a touchdown, putting the Wildcats behind seven to nothing. But Kentucky opened up with a big player in its first play, eighteen yard run by
will Cox. Couldn't get much done until late first half, early set or late first quarter early second quarter, after the defense had stopped a pair of Texas drives, Kentucky put together a drive of his own nine plays, seventy three yards. The biggest play of the drive was Vandergrift to Macklin for forty two yards.
Now soon will Karbay coming back in motion left four man rush Vandergriff getting pressure, scrambles.
Right Rose He's got Taxlan open, makes the Cats. He's across the twenty, inside the fifteenth, out of bounds. It'll be first down Kentucky in the red zone, powered by Toyota at the Texas twelve yard line.
The final four yards Brock Vandergrift to Josh Katis, who made a terrific play.
Fourth down the season, Kentucky nine for twenty.
He sprint up to the line. Vandergriff playfake looking right, man's not open.
He retreats. He throws touchdown Kentucky.
Josh Cannis nice catch chocks.
He made a tumbling grab in the end zone that tied the game at seven apiece. Unfortunately, the rest of the half belonged to the long Horns. They let it twenty four to seven. Late in the half, Rock Vandergriff was sacked, ended up being injured and was not able to go in the second half, so Cutter Bowley started for the Wildcats in the third period. His first play from scrimmage, sacked for a loss of thirteen. Defender came clean and crushed him. Very next play, he drops back and looks deep.
Bully drops into the end zone. He has thrown deep up to the near sideline.
He's got brown up and pulls it in and stumbles out of bounds up near midfield.
A couple plays later, it was bully again to Macklin for thirty eight yards, which would have taken Kentucky down to the twelve yard line, but the Wildcats were called for holding, so they had to punt it away. Later on in the quarter, Texas made a mistake and the Wildcats capitalized.
Yours leaves it with flute ball fumbled away. Kentucky's got it at the Texas thirty two yard.
Line, so now the momentum was starting to shift toward the Wildcats, and from the Texas thirty two cutter Bowley goes deep down the right sideline to Rodriguez, who makes the catch at the Texas twelve, carries it to the seven yard line. On first down, Wilcox picks up six yards from the one. He loses two yards on third down,
Bowlie sacked for a loss of twelve. Wildcats going backwards, but they line up for a field goal by the reliable Alex Rayner, but he missed his only miss of the year from thirty three yards out, and Kentucky gets nothing out of the turn and over, but on the very next possession for Texas, the Longhorns on their own thirty one yard line made another mistake. This time the Wildcats made them pay.
Crystal formation play fake viewers, balls.
Close, Kentuchy go down Thumas Johnson touchdown. Kentucky defenses, We'll do.
It for you.
It popped right into his hands after was dislodged from the right hand of yours by Octavius huns and dives.
That made a twenty four to fourteen late in the third. The team swap punts a couple of times. Kentucky gets the ball back early fourth quarter and is able only to get it to the Texas forty three. Wildcats punted away with eleven and a half minutes to play, still time if they could get some stops, but it just
didn't happen. As Texas began to grind out yardage on the ground, the Long Orange put together a fifteen play eighty six yard dry It took eight minutes and twenty two seconds in every play was on the ground, led to a touchdown made of thirty one to fourteen. Wildcats get the ball back with about three minutes left and could not score. Kentucky played well, acquitted itself well down in Austin, just not good enough Wildcats, followed by a
final of thirty one to fourteen. Season finale came up after that the Louisville Cardinals, and some of us thought Kentucky still had a shot at it. In fact, with the harrowd Leaders survey, I said Kentucky would win by a point if the Wildcats won the turnover battle and if they protected the quarterback. They didn't neither. They got
off to a terrible start. I'm not even going to bore you with the plays from that game, but what I will share with you, by the way, Kentucky losing that one forty one to fourteen after falling behind twenty to nothing. But what I will share with you is the analog that opened the broadcast from Stevie Johnson. He was an obvious choice to open this one, of course, because of Stevie got loose back in twenty oh seven.
On my birthday, September fifteenth, when Rich Brooks's best team, that twenty oh seven team to set records for offense, really showed the Kentucky faithful that this was a team that was better than the team before and six. That team went to the Music City Bowl, but it lost to the Cardinals, and it looked like they were on their way to another loss, this time in Lexington. But late in the game Wildcats kept it close finally made
a big play that turned things around. And that's what Stevie talked about when he opened our broadcast of ukul.
Kentucky versus Louisville. One of the greatest memories of my career as a Wildcat. Twenty oh seven was a special season.
Baby.
We handled business and had a lot of fun, and that left.
Steedee Johnson wide open. He just ran to the back of the enzode. They turned around and Andre.
That was the easiest touchdown fast he's gonna throw.
People might remember to catch I made in the LSU game, Derek Locke picking up a blitzing linebacker and Andre Woidson had just enough time to throw that sweet down.
What's a pumpache he flups it. Man wide open up it is Steedee Johnson.
Brashton Kelly made a huge tackle to stop LSU and we beat the number one team in the country. But most folks might remember me from a game earlier that year against those Cardinals, and you might not recall this, but I scored the first touchdown of the game.
Plenty of times fires touchdownucky, somebody got lost and Steedee Johnson was one open in the back quarter of the inso.
I know that's not the touchdown you remember, though, it's this one.
What's up from the gun play? Fake? Step it up? He's throwing d Devin the.
Wow thirteen you ain't lucky number?
Yeah, that's the nice Stevie got loose and we partied all night in Commonwealth Stadium, my teammates.
And I dug in and laid it on the line that night.
And the cat needs to do it again today at Kroger Field.
It's time to get loose.
Let's get it Wildcats.
Wow.
Stevie did a tremendous job. And in fact I had set up a zoom call with him, but he jumped into this project before I even had a chance to connect with him via zoom. He recorded his part on I guess on his phone or whatever. He sent me the audio files and it had kind of that echoey effect that I thought added to it. And if you were paying attention, you noticed that Tom Leach would open
the monologue and introduce the speaker. But Tom and I talked about this when in the way Stevie opened it up with that chuckle and immediately talking about the Stevie got loose, everybody knew who it was going to be. We thought that worked out really well. Unfortunately, that was probably the best part of the broadcast. As I said, as you know, the Wildcats got off to a poor start and just never really could make any headway against the Cardinals. The good news is all the teams would
beat Kentucky this year. They're on the schedule for next year. We'll talk about that on the other side of the break here on this special edition of The Big Bloon Sider six point thirty WLAP Welcome back to the Big Bloon Sider, this Christmas edition of our program, as we look back at the Kentucky football season with an encore presentation of our Highlights show. And yeah, I know it's not the greatest of names, but there were some highlights, and we had the upset win over Old Miss to
talk about. But now we got to wonder about next season. And as I mentioned earlier, and you know this, if you're a Kentucky football fan. In terms of the conference games, you're gonna see the same opponents, just in different places. Home and away swaps off. Now the rest of the schedule different. But how do you figure out what's gonna happen next year? Because we thought we had it kind
of nailed down this year, didn't we. When you looked at that South Carolina game in the second week, you thought, all right, if you can get back to beating South Carolina, that's gonna go a long way. Boy, did that not happen. You know, you had that suttern Miss game, an easy game for the Wildcats, washed out in the middle of the third quarter because of weather, and it looked like Brock Vandergriff was going to be the guy that Kentucky needs. But he ran for his life against South Carolina's edge
pressure and that was predictable. Jeff pi Coorl talked about that before the game. That was his number one concern. But he edged rushers for South Carolina, and you know what,
they were really good all year. So they lose that one and take a step back in terms of projected wins, and then Georgia comes to town, and you know, Georgia had had its way with Kentucky for so long, and that game ends up being a one point game, and you remember the controversy, should just punt, should to try a long field goal, try to get the ball back? Will Stoops chose to punt and then couldn't get the ball back. There was a huge third down conversion by
Georgia that ultimately cost Kentucky the game. But if Kentucky converged defensively there and has a shot at a short field and moving down the field and kicking a game winning field goal. But what it did was it gave everybody hope. You're one and two, but you're looking pretty good now. And then they destroyed Ohio, which turned out to be a team that won ten games, including its conference championship, and went to a bowl game. And so now Kentucky, maybe if not back on schedule, made everybody
feel a little bit better. And then of course you go to Oxford and you pull off the biggest upset in recent UK history against the top ten team on the road. Now everybody's flying high because the next three games were the swing games, the winnable games, whatever you want to call them. But we all agreed that the schedule rested on this clump of games, this cluster, Well, you lose to Vandy by a touchdown. Avandy team to
won six games, but Kentucky should have won. You go to Florida, you get inside, you get to the one yard line, you can't score, end up getting blown out. And then a really ordinary Auburn team comes to ten, Nothing good happens and you lose that one. And so down the stretch, you know Tennessee, Texas, Louisville. Now you know even Louisville. You know they're not gonna have much of a shot. They destroyed Murray State, but played well in Knoxville, played well at times against Texas, did not
play well against Louisville. So now what about next year? Who knows? Who knows? Because of the portal. Kentucky's made a lot of moves like everybody has. But we have tried to predict for the last three years how well this team would play based on transfers and not just quarterbacks. That's the next biggest question. Who's going to be the starting QB? But how do you know who's going to perform? Well, you don't always get Will Levis, you don't always get
a Wandale. You don't always get you know, the guys who have come through that portal and helped Kentucky media lee in a big way. You open up with Toledo, then you get Old Miss here at home next year, and then Eastern Michigan at home, and is Old Miss going to be good? Probably? They go full out with the portal and they've been really good the last couple of years. And then you got to go to South
Carolina to Georgia. Then after that here comes Texas and Tennessee and then the Auburn later on Florida Vany Louisville. So this is going to be I think a turning point in the Marx Troops era. Some thought it was this year. I think it'll be next year. But whatever happens, we'll be there. And we hope you enjoyed our celebrity monologues that opened our broadcasts this year. And I know
you want to hear more about basketball. We'll talk about basketball tomorrow night and Friday, but for now, enjoy the rest of your Christmas evening, the rest of your holiday week. Thanks so much for joining us here on the special edition of The Big Boo Insider. That's it. Good night from the garage in Lexington.
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