WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.760 --> 00:00:02.799 Welcome to the Big Blue and sider Tot Gabriel with 2 00:00:02.839 --> 00:00:05.559 you on a Tuesday of game week. I have got 3 00:00:05.599 --> 00:00:09.560 another one coming up, Kentucky and Ohio You Saturday at 4 00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:14.080 Kroger Field twelve forty five pm kickoff ten thirty am 5 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:18.480 broadcast time as Christy Thomas, Logan Stenberg and Jeremy Jarmin'll 6 00:00:18.480 --> 00:00:21.320 be up and Adam early and then yours truly along 7 00:00:21.359 --> 00:00:24.320 with Tom Leach and Jeff Pcorrel Cats versus Cats, Blue 8 00:00:24.399 --> 00:00:27.559 versus Green and Ohio You, team that came in here 9 00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:31.320 in twenty oh four and upset the Wildcats who were 10 00:00:31.320 --> 00:00:34.159 struggling under Rich Brooks and wash Keef, struggling for another 11 00:00:34.200 --> 00:00:37.200 couple of seasons, meaning middle of four to the middle 12 00:00:37.240 --> 00:00:39.840 of O six. But we talked to rich Brooks last 13 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:43.640 week about how the Wildcats turned things around and six 14 00:00:43.679 --> 00:00:47.200 and got things rolling. Maybe that'll happen this weekend. But 15 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:50.600 Kentucky needs to match the effort that it showed against 16 00:00:50.679 --> 00:00:53.240 Georgia to get a win. I'm not saying that Ohio 17 00:00:53.240 --> 00:00:56.399 You is going to provide as much of a challenge 18 00:00:56.399 --> 00:00:59.280 that Georgia did, but we've seen Mac teams for the 19 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:02.320 years go all over the Country and pull off upsets, 20 00:01:02.359 --> 00:01:06.000 including one this year, and Toledo goes down to Mississippi State, 21 00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:10.760 was paid one point two million to go to Starkville 22 00:01:11.719 --> 00:01:17.319 and beat the Bulldogs and their quarterback Tucker Gleason through 23 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:19.799 twenty three of twenty eight for two eighty five, three 24 00:01:19.879 --> 00:01:24.359 touchdowns and no picks. The Rockets scored twenty one points 25 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:28.319 in the second quarter alone and pulled off that upset. 26 00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:31.000 So things happen when you bring in a MAC team. 27 00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:33.239 And as I've said over and over for years and years, 28 00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:37.480 the difference between the MAC and other Power five conferences 29 00:01:37.519 --> 00:01:41.799 oftentimes is depth. They've got good players. They put players 30 00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:45.280 in the NFL, they just don't have as many, you know, 31 00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:47.760 not up and down the starting lineup, and clearly not 32 00:01:48.680 --> 00:01:52.560 through the first forty four. But they've got kids who 33 00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:56.560 either used to play for the powerhouse teams or believe 34 00:01:56.640 --> 00:01:59.959 they should be playing, or maybe they should have been 35 00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:02.040 and then they were overlooked and recruiting or the lay 36 00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:07.200 bloomers whatever. So MAC teams are dangerous, and Kentucky needs 37 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:12.439 to be ready on Saturday. If it isn't, imagine the backlash, 38 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:15.639 and there's been backlash already to Mark stoops and he 39 00:02:15.759 --> 00:02:18.400 knows that. He referred to it at a press conference yesterday, 40 00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:20.520 and he talked about it at Link last night with 41 00:02:20.599 --> 00:02:24.319 Tom and I'd love to know why he knows, or 42 00:02:24.319 --> 00:02:27.000 how he knows, and how much he knows about that, 43 00:02:27.080 --> 00:02:31.800 because he clearly was referring to people's second guessing. Him 44 00:02:31.840 --> 00:02:34.479 may have just been referring to media people because a 45 00:02:34.520 --> 00:02:37.039 lot of any people did second guessing for that punt. 46 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:39.800 I personally did not. And I know anything I say 47 00:02:39.800 --> 00:02:41.800 people are going to take and they should with a 48 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:44.080 grain of salt because I'm on the UK network. But 49 00:02:44.599 --> 00:02:47.319 I will tell you this, prior to the punt, I 50 00:02:47.400 --> 00:02:49.639 thought that was the right move. And I always say, 51 00:02:49.960 --> 00:02:52.639 second guess all you want, but what was your stance 52 00:02:52.759 --> 00:02:56.599 prior to a decision being made? If it was counter 53 00:02:56.639 --> 00:02:58.800 to what happened and what happened didn't work, you have 54 00:02:58.879 --> 00:03:01.960 every right second guess, and then that's what fans do 55 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:05.400 and I get that. But prior to that play, and 56 00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:07.199 we talked about it on the State Wide Show last 57 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:11.479 night with Aaron Gershan and Jeff Pikoro, I believed that 58 00:03:11.479 --> 00:03:14.639 that was the right thing to do. Why because the 59 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:18.759 approach he was taking at that point play conservatively played 60 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:21.599 for field position and let your defense put you in 61 00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:24.639 a position to win. The game had worked all the 62 00:03:24.680 --> 00:03:28.680 way up to that very moment. So do you abandon 63 00:03:28.759 --> 00:03:33.360 that and throw the football in fourth and eight, which 64 00:03:33.400 --> 00:03:36.960 obviously you'd have to against a team that had done 65 00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:41.199 a great job against your passing game, not so much 66 00:03:41.240 --> 00:03:44.240 against your run game. Wildcats rushed for two hundred yards 67 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:48.120 against Georgia. When you throw out all the sack and TfL, well, no, 68 00:03:48.199 --> 00:03:50.159 you got to keep the TfL yardage, throw out the 69 00:03:50.199 --> 00:03:54.879 sack yardage and then the rushing yards or even more impressive, So, no, 70 00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:58.120 you don't do that. Georgia had gotten to Vandergriff, they 71 00:03:58.159 --> 00:04:00.840 had knocked his passes down that this is not the 72 00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:03.520 smart play. The smart play was to kick and then 73 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:06.520 put your faith in your defense. Now, Kentucky had a 74 00:04:06.520 --> 00:04:09.680 breakdown on a big pass play and it was, I'm 75 00:04:09.719 --> 00:04:12.840 told by mister Procoro it was a similar pass play 76 00:04:13.400 --> 00:04:16.839 to how South Carolina burned the Wildcats last week. They 77 00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:20.439 got to clean that up, obviously, But hold there, make 78 00:04:20.519 --> 00:04:23.519 them punt. You get the ball probably within the thirty 79 00:04:23.519 --> 00:04:25.879 five forty five yard lot. Although Georgie had a great punter, 80 00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:28.839 but still he's not going to pin you near your 81 00:04:28.839 --> 00:04:32.120 goal line, which he could have done if you give 82 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:35.439 the ball up on an incomplete pass and then hold Georgia. 83 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:38.279 That's what Stukes was playing for. And you all know this, 84 00:04:38.360 --> 00:04:40.879 you've heard him talk about it. But it's interesting to 85 00:04:40.920 --> 00:04:44.360 me how many people second guessed him and ridiculed him 86 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:47.319 for not gambling and not quote unot playing to win 87 00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:51.759 and all that nonsense. He played the game plan he 88 00:04:51.879 --> 00:04:56.480 and his coordinators had prepared. And the first thing he 89 00:04:56.519 --> 00:04:59.439 said to Tom Leach in a postgame show, we felt 90 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:03.639 like we had the right recipe. They had the right 91 00:05:03.720 --> 00:05:08.000 game plan. And we know this because Kentucky had a lead, 92 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:12.439 Kentucky was down a point because of that game plan, 93 00:05:12.519 --> 00:05:15.639 and because it wasn't a fluke in that game. You 94 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:17.720 were there, you watched it, or you watch it on TV, 95 00:05:17.879 --> 00:05:20.920 listen to the radio. It wasn't all these fluky plays. 96 00:05:20.959 --> 00:05:24.480 There was one fluky play that resulted in a Kentucky touchdown. 97 00:05:24.519 --> 00:05:27.240 It was called back. Still, I will never understand it, 98 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:32.000 but I mean, these teams were arm wrestling. They were 99 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:36.439 like mountain rams knocking heads. This is old fashioned SEC football, 100 00:05:37.720 --> 00:05:40.279 But it wasn't good enough for a lot of Kentucky fans. 101 00:05:40.680 --> 00:05:43.439 One guy in particular tweeted how much he quote unquote 102 00:05:43.639 --> 00:05:47.160 hated Mark Stoops. But it just kind of makes me 103 00:05:47.199 --> 00:05:49.000 smile and shake my head because, as you know, I've 104 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:52.000 been around here for a long time. I go back 105 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:54.839 to the seventies with Kentucky football. I covered my first 106 00:05:54.879 --> 00:05:58.199 game in nineteen seventy five, seeing the ups and downs, 107 00:05:59.000 --> 00:06:03.279 and it's really interesting to me. And obviously I'm a 108 00:06:03.319 --> 00:06:06.360 bit older than most of you. So you've got different 109 00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:09.680 generations of Kentucky football fans, and there are some fans 110 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:14.040 who know I won't say only success, but mostly success 111 00:06:14.120 --> 00:06:17.639 when it comes to Kentucky football. Are they spoiled? You 112 00:06:17.639 --> 00:06:21.160 could call it that. But what happens when you change 113 00:06:21.160 --> 00:06:24.959 the culture is you change expectations for Kentucky football. And 114 00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:28.079 that is what Mark Stoops and company have done. They've 115 00:06:28.079 --> 00:06:30.839 done it within that dozen years. And it wasn't instantaneous. 116 00:06:31.720 --> 00:06:34.160 What did it take four or five years to where 117 00:06:34.199 --> 00:06:38.120 Kentucky fans now expect to win every game, which is 118 00:06:38.120 --> 00:06:43.040 not realistic, but they do. Kentucky basketball fans are like that, 119 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:47.800 that is realistic because generally Kentucky has a roster that 120 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:51.639 is good enough to beat anybody on a schedule. But 121 00:06:51.720 --> 00:06:55.680 that's what I find interesting about when you compare basketball 122 00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:02.720 and football. There are Kentucky fans who believe that Kentucky 123 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:06.279 should have not just could have, but should have beaten Georgia, 124 00:07:06.519 --> 00:07:09.879 the number one team in the country. That it should 125 00:07:09.879 --> 00:07:15.000 have happened, hands down, all right. Those same fans, for 126 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:19.279 the most part, believe that their favorite basketball team should 127 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:23.279 never lose. Why because they're either one of or the 128 00:07:23.319 --> 00:07:26.199 top ranked team in the country. We're good enough to 129 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:31.160 where we shouldn't lose ever. So now your football team 130 00:07:31.199 --> 00:07:35.079 is playing a football team that, by the same standards 131 00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:38.959 shouldn't lose ever, even though Georgia is now number two 132 00:07:39.480 --> 00:07:43.560 to Texas. But still you get my drift. But that's fans. 133 00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:47.160 That's the fans. They are short for fanatic, and they 134 00:07:47.160 --> 00:07:49.839 pay their money and they show up. For the most part, 135 00:07:49.879 --> 00:07:52.319 a lot of you showed up Saturday and it was 136 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:54.839 so much fun. Although a lot of you soldier tickets 137 00:07:55.120 --> 00:07:58.279 to Georgia, fans can't say as I blame you because 138 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:00.079 I thought it would be a blowout. Some of you 139 00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:03.439 you did too, and you can help fund your entire 140 00:08:03.480 --> 00:08:06.600 season ticket fund. By selling tickets, I hope you got 141 00:08:06.600 --> 00:08:08.560 good money for it. But there were a lot of 142 00:08:08.600 --> 00:08:13.040 Georgia fans. But what was so interesting was how quiet 143 00:08:13.120 --> 00:08:15.959 they were. Georgia fans. Ever, times they had things to 144 00:08:16.040 --> 00:08:19.120 cheer about, but for the most part they sat there 145 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:21.879 looking all these confused looks on their faces, like what 146 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:26.879 is going on here? Because their team couldn't convert third 147 00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:31.639 downs and Kentucky did. Time of possession in the first 148 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:34.480 half was two to one. It was almost twenty minutes 149 00:08:34.519 --> 00:08:39.200 for Kentucky and ten minutes for Georgia. They literally took 150 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:42.799 that crowd out of the game. Kentucky won the last 151 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:45.360 four minutes of the first half, won the first four 152 00:08:45.399 --> 00:08:48.879 minutes of the second half, plus a few more because 153 00:08:48.879 --> 00:08:52.080 they held george That's another thing. They start the game off. 154 00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:56.039 Kentucky does pinned on its own one yard liner inside 155 00:08:56.080 --> 00:08:59.000 the one I'm sorry there was no such thing as 156 00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:01.919 a half yard line, but anyway, and I thought, oh, 157 00:09:02.039 --> 00:09:04.919 this is going to be ugly. Next thing, you know, 158 00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:09.320 they've moved the chains a couple times and get it out. 159 00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:11.759 They didn't score, but they flipped the field and on 160 00:09:11.799 --> 00:09:17.240 the next possession they scored. And then in the second half. 161 00:09:17.399 --> 00:09:21.799 They hold Georgia early in the first couple of minutes, 162 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:25.080 get the ball back and drive again, unfortunately for a 163 00:09:25.120 --> 00:09:28.519 field goal, but they scored. They kept putting the pressure 164 00:09:29.080 --> 00:09:33.200 on Georgia. But no, people are unhappy with stoops. And yeah, 165 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:36.000 the last couple of seasons of been mediocre by the 166 00:09:36.120 --> 00:09:41.840 new Kentucky standards. Seven wins in a ball game, and 167 00:09:42.279 --> 00:09:44.919 you know, many of us go back, and I keep 168 00:09:44.919 --> 00:09:47.480 saying it over and over again to where that would 169 00:09:47.480 --> 00:09:50.879 be caused for a parade down Main Street, and many 170 00:09:50.879 --> 00:09:54.399 of you, and again of a certain age, never thought 171 00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:58.159 you would see this happen. And people can shrug it 172 00:09:58.200 --> 00:10:01.080 off by saying, wow, that's just a product of scheduling. 173 00:10:01.159 --> 00:10:04.960 Well in terms of the Bowl game record and how 174 00:10:04.960 --> 00:10:08.720 many times Kentucky's gone consecutive years. If it's that easy 175 00:10:08.759 --> 00:10:11.879 to schedule ball games or victories that get you there, 176 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:16.240 why aren't more teams doing it. Kentucky's doing it, just 177 00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:20.519 not doing it impressively enough to satisfy fans, And I 178 00:10:20.600 --> 00:10:24.840 get that, but it's really interesting how people have just 179 00:10:25.000 --> 00:10:28.360 turned on Stoops. But I said this during the broadcast 180 00:10:28.360 --> 00:10:31.679 Saturday night, maybe more than any other probably the NFL 181 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:35.200 is the same way. But college football, the community goes 182 00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:38.559 as the home team goes. If it's a community that 183 00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:43.399 likes it's college football. If the home team has lost, 184 00:10:43.440 --> 00:10:45.879 the whole seems like the whole week. Everybody in town's 185 00:10:45.960 --> 00:10:49.320 kind of sullen if they win, if they're on their 186 00:10:49.320 --> 00:10:51.879 toes just a little bit more. Aren't they bouncing on 187 00:10:51.960 --> 00:10:54.320 their toes on their way to the grocery store? So 188 00:10:54.480 --> 00:10:57.440 maybe they'll be bouncing after They'llhio You game coming up. 189 00:10:57.440 --> 00:10:59.960 We'll hear from Mark Stoops a little bit later on 190 00:11:00.120 --> 00:11:03.759 Mark's story. Keith Farmer of LAX eighteen will join us. 191 00:11:03.960 --> 00:11:06.919 Emmac Grolmes is going to set up the Kentucky Louisville 192 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:10.320 volleyball match coming up tomorrow night. That's all I had 193 00:11:10.360 --> 00:11:14.279 on the Big Blon Sider six thirty WLAP Welcome back 194 00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:17.240 to the Big Bluon Sider. Coming up Saturday, Kentucky football, 195 00:11:17.240 --> 00:11:21.279 the Wildcats and the Bobcats of Ohio You twelve forty 196 00:11:21.320 --> 00:11:25.320 five kickoff ten thirty am broadcast time for the UK 197 00:11:25.440 --> 00:11:28.639 Sports Network with Christy and Jeremy and Logan Kegs and 198 00:11:28.679 --> 00:11:31.200 Eggs for you folks out there. And it's supposed to 199 00:11:31.240 --> 00:11:33.200 be nice, Solough, I think we're supposed to get rain 200 00:11:33.720 --> 00:11:36.159 all week, but I think it's supposed to be nice 201 00:11:36.200 --> 00:11:39.639 on game day. So the Cats and the Cats, and 202 00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:42.000 it's an Ohio You team that came in here, as 203 00:11:42.039 --> 00:11:45.879 we all know, during the Rich Brooks era, which happened 204 00:11:45.879 --> 00:11:49.759 to be the Brian nor era at Ohio You. Brian 205 00:11:49.799 --> 00:11:52.639 nor was an assistant to Jim grob who took over 206 00:11:52.759 --> 00:11:55.879 Ohio You in nineteen ninety five and did a nice 207 00:11:55.960 --> 00:11:59.080 job there, helped turn things around, and then left to 208 00:11:59.120 --> 00:12:01.759 go coach Wake four And in fact he was the 209 00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:04.279 head coach at wake Forest, which went to the Orange 210 00:12:04.279 --> 00:12:07.919 Bowl with a defensive coordinator by the name of Dean Hood. 211 00:12:08.279 --> 00:12:13.039 But Brian norra only lasted for four seasons, and in 212 00:12:13.080 --> 00:12:15.960 his fourth year in twenty oh four, they went four 213 00:12:15.960 --> 00:12:19.440 and seven. It included a win over the Kentucky Wildcats 214 00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:23.639 on homecoming here in Lexington, but too little, too late, 215 00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:27.240 he got fired. That brought in Frank Solich, who had 216 00:12:27.240 --> 00:12:30.480 been at Nebraska. He was part of their program for 217 00:12:30.559 --> 00:12:33.639 a long time as an assistant coach and a head coach. 218 00:12:33.720 --> 00:12:36.399 From ninety eight to twenty oh three. They went to 219 00:12:36.440 --> 00:12:39.960 six straight ball games including a national title game, but 220 00:12:40.600 --> 00:12:42.679 wound up getting fired. So he comes to how You 221 00:12:42.799 --> 00:12:45.360 and he does good things. He was there for fifteen 222 00:12:45.480 --> 00:12:50.960 sixteen years. But Ohio You has played in I think 223 00:12:50.960 --> 00:12:54.240 it's a dozen bowl games. And it's interesting when you 224 00:12:54.279 --> 00:12:57.440 go back and look at the bulls in which Ohio 225 00:12:57.480 --> 00:13:00.519 You has played, and it's a lot of those bulls 226 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:03.240 that well, some of them aren't here anymore, and you 227 00:13:03.320 --> 00:13:07.840 wonder why in the world are there indeed bowl games 228 00:13:07.879 --> 00:13:10.679 with these names, and some of these I don't even 229 00:13:10.679 --> 00:13:12.320 know if they're still around. But in O nine they 230 00:13:12.360 --> 00:13:14.919 played in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. They played in 231 00:13:14.919 --> 00:13:18.519 the New Orleans Bowl. In twenty ten, they played in 232 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:24.159 the famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Utah State. Back in 233 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:26.960 twenty twelve, they played in the Independence Bowl, which is 234 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:29.919 still around, Beef O. Brady's Bowl. They played in the 235 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:33.799 Dollar General Bowl in twenty sixteen. I wouldn't mind going 236 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:36.320 to the Bahamas Bowl. They went there in twenty seventeen, 237 00:13:36.360 --> 00:13:39.919 and the Frisco Bowl in twenty eighteen. There's so many 238 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:41.919 bowl games, and if you've got a winning record, or 239 00:13:41.960 --> 00:13:44.600 maybe even just a five hundred record, you're going to 240 00:13:44.679 --> 00:13:47.279 get there. But Ohio You has been fodder. In fact, 241 00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:50.840 Ohio You lost its first five bowl games before breaking 242 00:13:50.919 --> 00:13:55.000 through with a victory Bobcats two and one, losing to 243 00:13:55.080 --> 00:13:58.480 Syracuse and their opener up there in Upstate New York 244 00:13:58.519 --> 00:14:01.679 thirty eight twenty two, came back and beat South Alabama 245 00:14:01.720 --> 00:14:04.480 twenty seven to twenty Morgan State twenty one to six. 246 00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:09.639 So you would think Kentucky would have the upper hand 247 00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:13.720 by far in this one. But will the Wildcats bounce 248 00:14:13.799 --> 00:14:17.039 coming off that close one with Georgia. We talked about 249 00:14:17.039 --> 00:14:20.039 that and nour number one, Mark Stoop, still knows about 250 00:14:20.039 --> 00:14:23.399 Ohio You. Any coach is going to fear any other team. 251 00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:26.600 But Mac teams have done well this year, and Stoops 252 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:27.799 knows about the Bobcats. 253 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:30.799 A team that's a very good team. And I know 254 00:14:31.960 --> 00:14:33.720 most of the time when I say that, most fans 255 00:14:33.759 --> 00:14:35.679 don't believe me, but I think this year you could 256 00:14:36.120 --> 00:14:38.240 tell by looking at the Mac and some of the 257 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:43.559 very big victories that they've had this year that they're 258 00:14:43.639 --> 00:14:46.639 not a joke. And people think it's coach speak when 259 00:14:46.679 --> 00:14:49.480 you sit there and say they're very it's just a 260 00:14:49.519 --> 00:14:52.600 good league. Good team's good coaches. This staff has been 261 00:14:52.600 --> 00:14:56.519 together a long time. The head coach. I think it's 262 00:14:56.559 --> 00:14:58.399 going in the year four, but he's been there forever. 263 00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:02.360 There's a lot of annuity. And they played very well, 264 00:15:02.519 --> 00:15:07.360 extremely bounced on offense, almost two hundred and two hundred, 265 00:15:07.399 --> 00:15:11.759 I think right right around there, so very bounced offensively, defensively, 266 00:15:12.519 --> 00:15:16.039 very very tough. They played very hard. They mix things 267 00:15:16.120 --> 00:15:19.159 up up front. They played both four down, three down, 268 00:15:19.639 --> 00:15:22.080 and they make you earn every yard. 269 00:15:23.120 --> 00:15:25.679 It's been a minute since the bobcast came in here 270 00:15:25.720 --> 00:15:28.039 and pulled off that upset. What's have been twenty years, 271 00:15:28.679 --> 00:15:30.919 But anybody who was there that night knows that that 272 00:15:31.039 --> 00:15:32.480 was not And I just said that was a team 273 00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:34.879 that ended up four and seven. And Kentucky, of course, 274 00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:37.919 was in the second year of the rich Brooks era 275 00:15:38.360 --> 00:15:43.039 and was just decimated by NCA penalties and scholarship limitations, 276 00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:46.200 but still should have walked all over that Ohio team 277 00:15:46.240 --> 00:15:49.360 and did not because they weren't ready to play. A 278 00:15:49.399 --> 00:15:54.000 lot of guys were still chafing against rich Brooks. But 279 00:15:54.039 --> 00:15:55.799 a lot of them too, just didn't think of how 280 00:15:55.879 --> 00:15:58.480 you had it in him to beat the Wildcats, and 281 00:15:58.519 --> 00:16:01.639 they learned a hard lesson. So obviously the lesson inn 282 00:16:01.720 --> 00:16:04.799 should have been what it is now for Kentucky in 283 00:16:04.840 --> 00:16:08.279 that the Wildcats need this week the same focus as 284 00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:11.960 they prep for how are you that they showed for Georgia. 285 00:16:12.120 --> 00:16:14.840 So it goes back to what I always say, it's 286 00:16:14.879 --> 00:16:17.639 about us, just like last week, It's about us and 287 00:16:17.720 --> 00:16:20.360 our preparation and what we do throughout the week to 288 00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:24.639 put ourselves in a position to win and to have 289 00:16:24.759 --> 00:16:29.720 confidence by our preparation, you know. And so it's back 290 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:33.879 to work and we're looking forward to the opportunity again. 291 00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:36.919 I think the crowd that was here last week, I 292 00:16:36.919 --> 00:16:38.600 think that made an impact to put us in a 293 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:40.960 position to win that game. I wish we could have 294 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:45.279 done it for him. We're very close and look forward 295 00:16:45.279 --> 00:16:47.000 to coming back home here again this weekend. 296 00:16:47.960 --> 00:16:50.720 And if the crowd turns out anything like it was 297 00:16:50.799 --> 00:16:52.919 Saturday night, that's going to be a huge advant It's 298 00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:55.679 going to be tough to replicate that for obvious reasons. 299 00:16:56.080 --> 00:16:59.399 It's not the big time seven thirty game. It's not 300 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:04.079 I know why. But the crowd clearly helped the Wildcats 301 00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:08.799 Saturday against Georgia. But so did the way obviously Kentucky played, 302 00:17:09.160 --> 00:17:12.559 getting up and getting ready and I wondered. I really 303 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:14.200 thought I wouldn't have been surprised if it had been 304 00:17:14.200 --> 00:17:18.200 a blowout, quite frankly, but they were ready. The Wildcats 305 00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:21.480 look back on that South Carolina game, use that as motivation. 306 00:17:21.960 --> 00:17:24.359 Zion's childers talk to us about it after the game, 307 00:17:24.920 --> 00:17:28.039 about how he knew as a leader he needed to 308 00:17:28.119 --> 00:17:31.240 show his guys quote unquote that he wasn't phased by 309 00:17:31.240 --> 00:17:33.359 what happened against South Carolina and he was ready to 310 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:37.079 move on. And obviously they need to do that this week. 311 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:40.000 And I asked Stoops about comments like that from Zion 312 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:42.359 and would it meant to get stuff like that, to 313 00:17:42.440 --> 00:17:45.480 get a reaction like that from one of the team leaders. 314 00:17:46.119 --> 00:17:48.279 You know, that's the response we're looking for. That's the 315 00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:52.880 leadership we're looking for. You know, I'll be honest. I mean, 316 00:17:53.240 --> 00:17:55.240 let's not get ourselves. I mean it was it was 317 00:17:55.279 --> 00:17:57.839 a challenging week. Like I said that, you know, a 318 00:17:57.880 --> 00:18:01.079 post game, it was a challenging I mean, none of 319 00:18:01.119 --> 00:18:03.000 us were very happy. We're still not happy. We're not 320 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:06.519 happy because we're lost by one, make no mistake about it. 321 00:18:06.880 --> 00:18:11.519 But again, we're happy with growth. I'm happy with the response. 322 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:15.319 I'm happy with the improvement that we made, and that's 323 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:17.960 what I'm looking for. Yeah, I wanted to win the game. 324 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:22.440 I mean, you know, heck, I mean you know, that's 325 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:25.839 what we're here for. But I am, you know, pleased, 326 00:18:25.880 --> 00:18:28.279 And if we continue to take that attitude and have 327 00:18:28.359 --> 00:18:31.799 that leadership and that growth, then we'll find the results 328 00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:32.480 we're looking for. 329 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:37.319 Question is will they be as emotionally ready as they 330 00:18:37.319 --> 00:18:41.000 were against Georgia. My answered probably not, because it's hard 331 00:18:41.319 --> 00:18:46.000 to replicate that without it being real, you know, I mean, 332 00:18:46.039 --> 00:18:50.119 they aren't coming off a horrible, embarrassing loss to South 333 00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:53.119 Carolina as they prepare for Ohio. You they're coming off 334 00:18:53.240 --> 00:18:56.799 a great but disappointing effort against Georgia. So focus will 335 00:18:56.839 --> 00:19:00.200 be there and hunger for winning will be there. Might 336 00:19:00.279 --> 00:19:03.680 be the same, but what they learned last week is 337 00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:07.359 what they look like when they execute much much better, 338 00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:10.519 not by anywhere near what they need to be, but 339 00:19:10.680 --> 00:19:14.079 clearly played their best football. I think they played better 340 00:19:14.079 --> 00:19:16.680 against Georgia than they did against Southern Myss. With no 341 00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:20.039 disrespect to us M, but that's not a great football team. 342 00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:24.119 And Georgia is and is better than Kentucky. But Kentucky 343 00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:27.799 was better than Georgia that night. And that's what happens 344 00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:31.079 in sports. On some nights, it could be the nine 345 00:19:31.119 --> 00:19:32.799 out of ten, it could be the ninety nine out 346 00:19:32.799 --> 00:19:37.119 of one hundred factor, but the week team can jump 347 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:39.440 up and beat the good team. To the point I 348 00:19:39.480 --> 00:19:43.400 mentioned earlier that down in Athens and in whatever they 349 00:19:43.400 --> 00:19:47.000 call it bulldog Nation or whatever, they think their team's 350 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:50.960 in trouble from what happened here in Lexington. Well maybe 351 00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:55.400 it is. But what happened was Kentucky played really well. 352 00:19:55.799 --> 00:20:00.599 And I think Georgia's struggles Saturday it might have been 353 00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:03.799 play calling, might have been guys making mistakes or whatever, 354 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:07.599 but they were prompted by Kentucky. Kentucky had so much 355 00:20:07.640 --> 00:20:10.880 to do with that. So we'll see, we'll see how 356 00:20:10.880 --> 00:20:15.559 it shakes out. But clearly Wildcats need to pay attention 357 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:18.279 to things this week. I think they will. We'll come 358 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:20.279 back and talk to Mark's story the Hero Leader. In 359 00:20:20.319 --> 00:20:22.160 just a minute, you're on the Big woon Sider six 360 00:20:22.279 --> 00:20:24.960 thirty w Welcome back to the Big Bluonsider, joining us 361 00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:27.359 down a celebrity high line. As a guy who's covered 362 00:20:27.359 --> 00:20:31.039 more than his share of Kentucky football games, Mark's story 363 00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:33.880 of the hero leader, a sports columnist who's been added 364 00:20:33.960 --> 00:20:36.960 for a while, and Mark, I had a feeling you 365 00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:39.720 were going for something like this when you asked a 366 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:43.359 question at the news conference yesterday of Mark Steops. You 367 00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:46.799 asked him if he second guessed himself about the play 368 00:20:46.799 --> 00:20:51.240 calling prior to the controversial punt, and your column I 369 00:20:51.319 --> 00:20:56.240 thought was really intriguing today you said the main criticism 370 00:20:56.319 --> 00:21:00.759 of Mark Steups these days is completely backwards. Tell everybody 371 00:21:00.759 --> 00:21:02.680 withou given away the store because we't want people to 372 00:21:02.720 --> 00:21:05.079 read your column. But I thought that was a really 373 00:21:05.079 --> 00:21:07.400 interesting take. Well. 374 00:21:07.400 --> 00:21:11.160 I thought there's kind of a micro criticism of Stoops 375 00:21:11.759 --> 00:21:14.920 arising specifically from the Georgia game, and then kind of 376 00:21:14.920 --> 00:21:19.599 a macro criticism, and I think they're both kind of backwards. 377 00:21:20.599 --> 00:21:22.960 And you know, obviously there's been a lot of you know, 378 00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:25.519 scrutiny on the decision to punt on fourth and eight 379 00:21:25.680 --> 00:21:31.319 from the Georgia forty seven. You know, I wish Kentucky 380 00:21:31.319 --> 00:21:33.480 had gone there. I think sometimes you just reach a 381 00:21:33.519 --> 00:21:35.799 point where you need to put your chips in. But 382 00:21:35.880 --> 00:21:39.880 I think Mark's explanation for why he did what he 383 00:21:39.960 --> 00:21:45.039 did has been highly defensible, you know, very logical. I 384 00:21:45.079 --> 00:21:49.039 mean they could not pass block Georgia. The odds of 385 00:21:49.079 --> 00:21:51.839 them converting a fourth and eight were not high. You 386 00:21:51.920 --> 00:21:54.559 still had three timeouts, you had the two minute time out. 387 00:21:54.920 --> 00:21:58.160 Your best This is me saying it's not Mark Stoops, 388 00:21:58.200 --> 00:22:01.000 but the best unit on the Kentucky team is the defense. 389 00:22:01.160 --> 00:22:04.039 You're basically putting them out there, giving them a chance 390 00:22:04.079 --> 00:22:07.000 to to put you in position to win the game. 391 00:22:07.559 --> 00:22:10.079 And the other point he makes, if you go for 392 00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:12.480 it and don't get it, even if you force Georgia 393 00:22:12.920 --> 00:22:14.559 three and out, you're going to have to drive the 394 00:22:14.720 --> 00:22:17.960 entire length of the field in a predictable pass situation, 395 00:22:18.359 --> 00:22:20.319 and there's just no reason to think Kentucky can block 396 00:22:20.400 --> 00:22:25.400 Georgia in that situation. So, you know, I think, you know, 397 00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:28.559 you were probably twelve yards from giving your field goal kicker, 398 00:22:28.599 --> 00:22:32.559 who was having the night of his life, a realistic 399 00:22:32.680 --> 00:22:37.119 chance to win that game. You know, I think probably 400 00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:40.359 if were my decision, I would have gone just feeling 401 00:22:40.440 --> 00:22:43.000