KSRMatt and Billy recap the Cats' 20-13 loss to Vandy.
Welcome everyone. It is the local Toy Dealers KSR postgame show. It's late at night and it's a grumpy night around the Big Blue Nation. We'll open up the phones. Uh, I'm gonna be honest with you. In a long day, so it's probably not gonna be the longest postgame ever. Excuse me, and I want to hear from you all eight five ' nine two eight zho twenty two eighty seven. I'm sure you have frustration, so feel free to call an air it. I think this may have been the I don't think it's the worst loss of the Stoops ere I actually think that was two years ago to Vandy, because I think that Vandy team two years ago wasn't even good and this one is at least decent. But I do think this is in terms of it's sort of a culmination of a series of problems that we've seen with Stoops teams for thirteen years. I think sort of tonight was probably the worst performance wise that a Stoops team has played. And the three things that I think are the biggest problems with Stoops they all reared themselves in this game. Number one is end of half. I mean, I feel like We've talked about this on this show twenty five times, but end of half management it was it was awful. I mean I could break down play by play where I think they screwed up. I mean, you start with the fact that you want to clearly they wanted to do a drive at the end of the first half, and you just let them run thirty seconds off the clock without calling a timeout. So if you didn't want to have a drive, you screwed it up. But then when you got the ball instead of as I thought the announcers, who did a very good job tonight, Tom and Jordan Rodgers noted like, instead of running the ball, which you're able to do because of the new two minute warning, they throw it three times. They make throws that are difficult throws. They need at least one completion to require Vandy to call timeouts, they don't get them, and they end up giving Vandy the ball still though you get him in a third and long and you have a chance to hold him to a field goal, and you give up a twenty two yard touchdown, which is you know, you just can't have a worse result, and it's the difference in the game. Honestly, honestly the end of the first half. And it's even especially bad because they get the first ball in the second half so consistently. During the Stoops era, clock management and specifically end of the first half management has been pretty much atrocious his entire time here. I think he has a lot of strengths as a coach, but I think he is just really really bad at clock management, and it's never it's not gotten better during those during these years. The second thing is disciplined, and well, actually, let's say the second thing is penalties, which is kind of an offset of discipline, but eleven penalties over one hundred yards, As Tom Leech pointed out in his comments when he was talking to Stoops, it's actually more than one hundred yards when you consider the In the NFL, oftentimes they'll they'll show you how long the play would have been without the penalty. If you did that. For Kentucky, it's probably one hundred and fifty to one hundred and sixty yards in penalties. The offensive line, you know, I sort of feel bad for Mensi and Cox because they're just not good enough. And I clearly Kentucky doesn't feel like they have other options because I mean the coaches see that too. Between the two of them, five holding penalties, five three of which were backbreaker penalties where if they don't get the hold, it's a big play and just just terrible penalties and they just get beat consistently. And I you know, there's an old saying in foot, well you could call a hold on every play. That's probably true, but I'll be honest with you, they could call twice, two times or three times as many on those guys. They're just I think in Cox's case it's injury. I feel bad for him, honestly. I think he's not really healthy and doesn't have a lot of movement, but he has to play, and then Menci has it's been an issue since he's been here, So I mean, you just I think Bush Hampden is sort of limited as a play caller because he can't keep Brock in the pocket. Brock has to roll around. He's not really great throwing on the run, so and even when he rolls around, there's a decent chance there's gonna be a hole because they can't keep up with their men. So it's just it's a disaster. So penalties, But what's more frustrating to me than even the holding penalties are just the discipline penalties. Dang key with a horrible penalty early in the game. I don't totally think the Doomus Johnson call was right, but it still was an important penalty. The special teams penalty. I mean, if you don't get hold there number thirty five and I don't even know who thirty five is, to be honest with you, but he had two. I mean, how you only play on special teams plays? How do you have two penalties for holding? And he did? You know, that's that's awful. So double digit penalties, one hundred yards and penalties huge problem. Discipline again has been an issue often in the Stoops era, which is my number three thing. I mean, it is hard for me to not get extremely frustrated at how a group who I'm not gonna say they haven't had accomplishments. They have, but this current group playing right now. I talked last year about undeserved arrogance often during the year, and while they did beat Old Miss, you know, you're coming off a bye and you're playing a andy team and you're showcasing sort of undeserved arrogance again, And when I say discipline, though I don't just mean like acting in bad behavior, I mean discipline of playing disciplined. Two snaps on special teams that are you know, botched. I think one was probably more on the holder, one was probably more on the snapper. So actually Jordan Rodgers thought Alex Rainer should have kicked it. I'm not blaming that kick because he's been perfect this year, but just in general, I mean, how do you have two of those snap errors? I think had scored there at the end, would you have even felt comfortable given them the extra point kick there? I don't know. I mean I was sitting there thinking because I always try to think two or three plays ahead, like what are they going to do if they score? I don't know if you could have trusted him to kick a field goal which is which is a disaster. And I think if this is the second game like this in the stoops there, I believe was it Old Miss Billy a few years ago where we had the same problem We couldn't snap, we couldn't hold the ball, and I think we lost because of that. Maybe I think that was the Coche. Yeah, I think that was the COVID year, though I think we lost to Ole Miss solely because of snapping. So you know, look, I listen to supers of postgame comments. He does always take responsibility, but you know he doesn't have answers as to why this stuff happens. And Alpha bye week. Mark Stoops is five and eight, and three of those wins are against really bad bandy teams. So but now lost five and eight off of by Kentucky is zero to six in their last six SEC home games, two and ten in their last twelve. I mean, there's nothing you can say about that. Coaches get fired for being two and ten in their last twelve SEC home games. So, I mean, this has been a season where if you just hold servant home against teams that in theory you should be better than, you would be five and one and instead now you are three and three. You let's just assume you beat Murray State, so that's four. You got to get two wins out of Florida, Auburn and Louisville and just even be boweligible. I mean there's a legitimate chance they won't even be Bowl eligible for the first time since Mark Stoops what second third year, and when you consider the resources that have been put into the program, when you consider the way that Stoops obviously famously said pony up, but also has admonished fans to get there, show up, be loud. You know, these performances are just they're just not acceptable. So you're at the halfway point of the year. You're gonna play Florida next week. Florida lost their store at the starting quarterback tonight, but their backup might even be better. Who knows. I think their backup will give us problems because he moves around like Diego did. But you know, winning at Florida, like Florida almost won at Tennessee tonight. So it's it's very, very frustrating, and you know you're in a situation. I know what they're to what people are going to say, Well, you got to replace coach. First of all, we're halfway through the year. There's still another second half. But also for the same reasons in the conversation we talked about cal even if you want to do that, you cannot financially. So you're just in a tough spot. And I don't know, I don't know what they do right now. I will say one of the things Stoops is good at is after bad performances, they usually come back and play well. So I actually expect expect Kentucky probably to play well next week. But this you can't lose at home to Vandy two straight times. Terrible performance and probably the most undisciplined and disappointing one that Mark's had since the one two years ago against Vandy eight five nine two eight zero twenty two eighty seven. It's very late. I want to hear what you all think. Let's take a break. This is the Local Toy Dealers KSR post game show. Appreciate, uh, I said, appreciate its call. Billy and I we're talking, and I almost appreciated Billy. Billy asked me about uh, well, actually you just ask on the air here. Well, we would tell him what you asked me.
Well, I thought a lot of tonight was about the penalty Stoops didn't accept. There was the one that Kentucky got stopped on the goal line. There was an off sides call that they could have taken.
Yeah, let's talk about that one first or.
A false start maybe it was it was.
Nose and offsides Kentucky. It was first and goal from the six, they get to the one, it's off sides. They declined the penalty, so it's second and goal, and of course then we had the false start. He should have taken the penalty because then they would get it. Then it's first and goal at the three, but you get an extra play. I think in that situation, the extra play is more important than being on the goal line. Clearly, in hindsight, if you have the false start, you want to take it. But to be fair to him, he didn't know there was going to be a false start. But I still think I'm with you, Billy. I still think you take it because you get four shots from the three, right, so you want to do that. And so yeah, I didn't understand that. I'm sure he thought, well, we're at the goal line, we'll just punch it in. I don't want to back up to the three. But then you the false start shows why you can't do that. And by the way, that false start. I was complaining about Mensi and Cox on their holds, but it was also Cox that got the false start, right or was it Mensi? It was one of them, Like the fact that they're not great blockers does not excuse a false start, right there.
Yeah, false start, then a bad throw and then I mean, if plus they're.
Gonna be running through the middle like the tackles should not be getting a false start. That's a huge mistake by those guys. And then what was your second one?
Uh, the second one was after the key touchdown, there was an off sides call. They could have gone for two, and I don't.
Think you go for that. To your point, here's why I don't. Okay, obviously he doesn't know they're gonna miss the extra point. You go for two in that situation if it's a fourteen point game, but if it's a thirteen point game, you are assuming and you should assume you're gonna make the extra point. And so going for two takes away the advantage of only being down thirteen instead of fourteen.
But it allows them to allow a field goal on defense.
Yeah, but you're sitting there thinking you're gonna get a stop. The analytics on that This happened in the NFL, I think, not that long ago, on a thirteen point game and they put up the analytics, and the analytics there says kick the extra point. With if it's a fourteen point game, the analytics say go for two. But in a thirteen point game, because you assume you're gonna get a stop and then you're gonna score and you have a game winning touchdown instead of a game time. Of course, when you botch the snap, none of it matters anyway. So all right, who's up first, Larry? Larry, go ahead, Larry, Hey, Matete, Yes, what's up?
Just Colin say, you know, it's just another embarrassing loss. I mean, I don't use the call of these colling shows that after leading to Bandy twice at home the past two years, I mean, it's just another undisciplined Mark Steps football team. I mean, I know in the post game he said that, you know, you know I told them all week we've got to be disciplined. So therefore they go out and they be disciplined. That doesn't work that way.
Yeah, No, you're right. I mean he says that after every undisciplined game, and at some point it's a pattern. I mean, how many how many other coaches, Like there are a lot of coaches who might have one undisciplined game, Larry, every ten years, we have two or three a year.
Oh yeah, and you know the defense played well enough to win the ball game. The offense, I mean, they just they just shut themselves in their foot, That's all you can say. And he's got to do something with the discipline. I mean, you got to take players out, put them on the sidelines. You're not going back in. You put them back in for not disciplined enough, take them back out again.
To your point about the defense in the offense, So they what did they They scored twenty, we scored thirteen, we scored thirty. I'm gonna give you a stat, Larry, that'll drive you crazy, and it Vandy has not allowed this few points to an SEC team since twenty eighteen. So we scored the fewest points against Vandy since any SEC team since twenty eighteen. That's six seasons ago. So I'm with you. The defense was not great. This was not the best, but it's good enough to win. You gotta I think I said on the pregame show today Van I think I literally said, Billy, Vandy's not gonna score more than twenty, and they score exactly twenty. They scored the high end. And I appreciate the call, Larry for what I thought they could score. But you gotta be able to score twenty one against Vandy. You certainly can't just score thirteen.
Who's next, Sean, Sean, what's up?
Sean?
Hey, Matt just wanted to say, I'm more old school than March two says, And after Dame Key gets that penalty, he's not playing the rest of the night. I mean, until the bench is the best motivator and it's a way to get disciplined back. And I mean, and then he had to fumble later, but I mean, I'm he's not playing after that early in the game. Catch the ball and get back to the huddle and let's do it again.
Well, you know what I mean. We love Dame, but Dame cost Kentucky six points tonight at least maybe more, but certainly yeah, I mean, like he cost.
Me the fumbles the two that's what.
I'm assuming, though I'm assuming they get three. They could have gotten seven to your point, on both drives, so it could have cost him fourteen. But at a minimum in both situations, if he doesn't get the fumble and the penalty, years you should get three. So he at least cost him six. And it is him. And while he is a great player and a great talent, like that's just a reality, You're right, I mean, I don't know that I would agree with you. He should he should not play again. But those are two massive mistakes, right.
But I mean, we've got you talked about we got to get disciplined. Well, the way you get disciplined is consequences for your action, and that's true, and there doesn't appear to be any consequence for bad actions.
I think that's a fair point. Appreciate the call. I think that's a fair point, and I think that's been If you listen to Max, he'll say one of the reasons players love stoops is they can kind up be themselves. They don't walk on eggs eggshells, and there's a positive of that, but the negative may be what you're saying right there. Who's next? Ryan? Ryan? Go ahead, right, y'all doing tonight.
I know it's kind of tough, tough loss night, But I'm like you all in the diehard blue fans, you know, you when you're born into this when in Kentucky.
You're either blue or you're red.
I'm blue.
You look in my veins, they're blue.
I blue blue. But I just got to say I'm I called in after that George loss, and I said that Kentucky needs to do something from the top down because we're stuck in neutral with this.
I mean, let's say you want to do that, the conversation hang on a second, because there's some version of this guy say, there'll be some version of this conversation, uh, you know for the next few weeks. The same thing I said when Cal was here. They can't do anything. They don't have the money to pay a bye. So I'm interested in what people think they can do even if they wanted to, which I'm not even saying is a good idea. But let's say you wanted to. They don't have the money to pay a bye.
So can I ask you this?
Then?
So Stupents has been here for what twelve years? Has been in the twelfth season, right, and Cal was here for what fifteen? Yes, yes, something like that. Okay, So Cal had his last three years were kind of like sour.
But we didn't fire, we didn't fight right, right, and maybe Mark would decide to do that, but but.
We That's where I was getting to, right, So I went, all, So here's my thing. So Stoope's had we've had with him, we've had what he's been here for twelve seasons, He's took us to a ball quite a few years. I gave him that we've had uh what one ten win season with him.
Or two two two?
Okay, to ten win seasons with him. But if you think and look at his overall record, we've had a sour it like it's been sour with our football. Like why I said, we've kind of been stuck.
I mean, look, I'm gonna have this. I'm glad to have this conversation with you. And the stuck in neutral I think is a fair point to say it's sour. He's the winning this coach in the history this school, and he's had more success. He's had more success than any coach that hasn't cheated here since Bear Bryant. So I do think, I do think you have to I do think you have to have ballance now have it. So, So I mean it's fine that the stuck in neutral comment. I think is fair to act like, well, I don't know, or do.
You think or do you think their program or do you think they'll you know, because I'm like no, I'll give him like if Kentucky goes and you know, let's say we win next week against Florida, we win against Aubury, you know, of course everybody's gonna have a different.
Mindset after that.
But then again, if we go on the next losing streak and we don't win again into Marry State, you know, then we're at au.
I totally agree. That's why I don't know that you can say I appreciate it, Caul. I don't know what's gonna happen. You know, we're halfway through the season. If they beat Florida in Auburn, it looks different than if they lose to Florida in Auburn. If they lose to Florida, I mean, my view is if they lose to Florida in Auburn and the only game they win for the rest of the year is Murray State and they go four and eight, which I don't think will be what happens, but if it does, I don't think he'll want to be here, to be honest with you. If they go six and six, which I think might be the most likely scenario at this point, then I don't know. I think you're kind of in like a you're in a weird situation. But I do think it's important to note whatever happens at the end of the year will be Mark Stoops's decision because of the nature of the contract. Who's next.
He almost left this past off season.
He did, but he's not gonna have the opportunities he had last season. Right like last season, A school like A and M wanted him, you know, who knows. Everybody has a different view of what happened that night, but A and M clearly at some point wanted him, and maybe wanted him till the very end. That's not gonna happen again. Now, if Mark left, I do think he could definitely get a job at a power school. But he's not gonna get a school like A and M again, especially if he doesn't have a good year, you know what I mean. So I don't know, it won't be like it was last year. But go ahead.
Yeah, and one of those ten win seasons is vacated. Now we'll go to Casey.
That is true, but I but that's vacated. I mean, to be fair, not filling out your expense report. Damn it, it's I'm still counting that. Go ahead, Casey, Casey, Yes, go ahead.
First time caller, who a long time listening. I was just wondering. I understand about the buyout situations. There's just why to talk on social media, you know about fire and the stups.
Well, those people have to pay it, you know, it's easy for people to say it if you don't have to pay it.
I'm on your team, best coach you've ever had. But assuming we keep him, and assuming we get rid of him, how can we take from coming from you? How can we take the next step?
Kind of like it's very difficult, Like that's the problem, And we talked about this after the South Carolina game. The problem is, let's say this season finishes five and seven or six and six. You are to use the other callers terms stuck in neutral, and I don't know exactly how you get out of it. You know, like Dion Walker will be gone. I think there's a good chance Barrying Brown and Dang, he'll be gone. Vander Griff's probably back, but your offensive line is still a disaster. You're gonna have to I mean, I think they have five or six seniors on defense. Like you're gonna have to rebuild your team and coming off a not so great year in a New Nile world where you're competitive but you're not at the top, it'll be very, very difficult to be honest with you, and that is what worries me. What worries me is like I don't know what the next step is if this year doesn't go well, and right now it's not really right.
Yeah, that's what worries me too, But we gotta stay competitive, do something.
Yeah, appreciate the call. I mean, that's the thing, Like, none of this is getting any easier. I mean, right now in the SEC, with the exception of Mississippi State, nobody's bad. And even Mississippi State played Texas competitively today Texas George excuse me, Georgia competitively. I mean they weren't going to win, but so nobody's bad. And that's and you know, Kentucky's schedule does not have like I don't think they'll even play Vandy next year, and I and and they, you know, I think, what what's next year's schedule gonna be. It's gonna be like Oklahoma, LSU, Alabama.
You know, are you getting all the teams you didn't play this year is up there?
Basically next year will get I think Tennessee, South Carolina and all the teams you didn't play this year, I think is how it is.
So who's next, Ethan, Go ahead, Ethan.
Hey, I just got a couple statements. I understand that forty million is a lot of money, obviously not something that's realistic. But I don't see how you can go from fans actually wondering what that number is to dig out of the hole because we just maybe had one of Mark Stoop's best wins of his career, and yet one week later, for one game later, we're still wondering, you know, if that's even on the table. Obviously it's not. I don't see how you dig out of that hole after one of your biggest wins.
Yeah, it's hard, and it's still it's hard. Yeah, and no, it's I think that's a fair point. It is hard. It's hard to see how you make that transition. Now. At the same time, they could beat Florida and Auburn beat Louisville, finished seven and five and kind of be where they were last year, you know, so, but I thought they were gonna finish seven and five or eight and four, and I was counting Vandy as a win. So now like, you can't. You gotta win next week against Florida, you gotta beat Auburn here and you gotta beat Louisville. And you know, all three of those games are losable games, you know, right, And.
That's the thing. It's like, if we get in the same situation where we're coming up against Louisville, I mean, potentially five wins going into Louisville.
By the way, that's what I think. Is that happened. Let me tell you what. This is just my prediction. I think we're gonna lose next week. I think we're gonna beat Auburn. I think we're gonna lose to Tennessee, beat Murray, lose to Texas, and we're gonna have to play Louisville to make a ball And I actually think we'll beat Louisville, as crazy as that sounds, because this team just hates Louisville so much, But that is a tough situation to be it. It really is, right.
And that's the thing. It's if we lose that game in Louisville last year, I.
Mean, it's a different world.
It's a different world.
It is a different world if we I think, uh, and I appreciate the call. I think an interesting alternate history, Billy, is what does the world look like if we lose to Louisville last year. So remember A and M was in theory going to hire Stoops regardless, And it would have been interesting to see if we lost to Louisville and he took the job immediately, what would have happened? You know what I mean?
Yeah, I mean that that win saved the season in hindsight for him. I mean, that was a top ten road win, but it may have.
Saved the season and kept here at the A and M job.
I mean, I don't know, it's it's hard to know. It's it's a different world. A five nine, twenty two eighty seven. We will take a break, come back, take more of your calls. It's a Local Toy Dealers KSR post game show. Walker back, it is the Local Toy Dealers KSR postgame show. Uh not surprisingly, I get something wrong. I'm told by multiple people, including Billy, that our schedule next year is just this season with the home and away flipped. So we will play all these same teams just flipped. So we will at home play Old Miss uh Tennessee, Florida and Texas, and we will go on the road to Vandy, South Carolina, Georgia and uh who am I missing here? Vandy, South Carolina, Georgia and Auburn, which actually is a doable schedule if you have a good team, because you get the good excuse me, you get the good teams at the on the at home and the bad teams on the road, with the exception of Georgia, which means if you're good, you could take advantage of them. But nobody's bad if you play like we did tonight, where we could lose to any team in the SEC, including at home to Vandy for the second straight time.
Who's next, Travis?
Is that?
Travis? Go ahead?
Travis Hey, Matt Hey, just a couple of things, man, uh the tend the corp or then a half from Simon and play calls, clock management. To give up the touchdown is just unacceptable, man. You know, time and time again. We see it every.
Game, every game, Okay, it's almost every game. They actually handled it decently well against Old Miss and I complimented him because it was rare that that happened.
But going to our offensive line, man, I thought they played a good game. There was a one or two holding calls that was their fault.
One or two. There were five, No, there were.
Five but also you got Rock scrambling around in the pocket holding onto that ball.
He did, he doesn't agreed to save his life. He does hold it too long. He doesn't hold it too long. And I thought Jordan Rodgers did a good job. You remember that one play he pointed out that the ball was supposed to just go out to burry On quickly, and he held it and then nobody's.
Open, right, Yeah, he just runs the ball when he doesn't need to, and when he needs to run the ball, he doesn't.
Yeah.
But another thing too, on stoops Man. Every time they show Stoops on the on the TV man, he's sitting there with his dumbfounded look on his face. He's not talking to his team, he's not motivating them, he's not giving them the brute, honest truth. And then the one time they show him talking to a player, he's talking to number thirty five on special teams.
Well, I did have two penalties a lecture.
This was before the second the last penalty on the Berry and Brown return at the end of the game there and uh, he was lecturing them before and then he goes out there and makes the same call. But you know, it's just like, what do we need. Why isn't Stoops in our huddle, you know, talking to these kids, man, and boosting them on and giving.
Them doing that. I mean, just because you don't see it on television doesn't mean he's not doing it. But but I think your point about and I appreciate the call. Your other points I think are valid. I think they're completely valid. And uh, Brock, this was not a good game for Brock. I mean, Oh, what's weird though, is Brock actually makes some good throws. That throw to berry On, what was a great catch by berry On. I mean he put it in the only spot he could put it. But man, he makes some bad I think when he makes the right read, he makes a good throw, but he makes some bad reads. He hones on the ball too long. I think all that's very very fair. Five nine twenty two eighty seven. Billy, They the refs did screw us out of twenty five seconds, didn't they? There at the end? I mean I didn't matter, I don't think, but they did right so because they ran the clock down from three minutes to whatever it was right two thirty five.
I missed this part of the game, but I did hear the fans booing when they continued.
It could be wrong, but I think I think they I think they messed up and ran the play clock twice on a play and nobody. Maybe I'm wrong. I didn't complain a lot in the moment because I actually thought it helped us because it would make sure Old Miss wouldn't get the ball back if we scored a touchdown. But of course we didn't score touchdown, so it didn't matter. Who's next?
Philip is next, Philip?
Go ahead, Philip, Hello, Matt, Thank you's taking my car?
First time caller?
Who I Matt?
I have been a fan thirty two years and for the first fifteen years of my life, we was able to save up enough money to go to one football game, and that was a Georgia game where Kentucky got beat fifty six to six. And that I was becoming an older man, been able to work and you know, get season tickets for myself and for my son. It's hard driving three hours to Lexington every Saturday to watch them get beat over the same issue I worked in.
The mines for.
I worked in the mines for fifteen years, you know, been injured, trying to provide for my son, give him the life I didn't have, just to go and be disappointed every Saturday by the Cats. No, and one thing we love to do.
We love to watch the catwalk. He loves he's got this white Nike football.
He loves getting autographs and for whatever reason, for four weeks straight or four home games trade I'm sorry.
We've tried to get.
Rock Vandergriff, barry On Brown, dan Key, Anthony Brown Stevens to sign his football and for whatever reason, they will not. Is that part of like maybe they're Nio deals, is that, hey, they can't sign for autographs.
I mean I don't First of all, no, I don't think so. I don't know why they haven't. And I'm sure and you know they I'm sure they would. I don't know the scenario, so I can't really answer that. Let me let me go to your first point for a second, though. What I love about UK football turn your radio down just behind you because I can hear my voice in the background. What I love about UK football is that guys like you go, meaning like you know, basketball tickets not everybody can get them, and to buy a season is very is a lot, but you save up your money to go and I bet you. I mean, I would think you really treasure those trips with your son, right.
Oh, yeah, absolutely, And I understand, like I think oftentimes people like people in athletics or whatever, they complain about fan mindset sometimes, but.
A guy like you, you know, you're you're looking forward to this and you deserve, I think, to feel like what you're watching is putting in as much into it as you are. Is that kind of what you're saying. Yeah?
Absolutely, And like one point too, is season football tickets.
That's it for us?
Season basketball tickets is not an option for the simple fact well, obviously you know the price of them is crazy at times, but logistically, for a blue collar worker like me, it is not feasible for us to go buy these season tickets, play all this money and might be able to make it to thirty to forty percent of the home games because we got to work nine five dogs during.
The wet That no, I get it, And that's what I love about UK football games. It's what you're saying, but it also makes it disappointing. I mean, you've been We're two and ten in the last twelve sec home game, so I appreciate you calling and sharing that because I do think it's a perspective it often gets forgotten. Be careful going home.
Okay, thank you, Bat, I appreciate you taking my call.
Thank you. I think that's important to remember. There's a lot of people that go to those football games that are like that guy and that are listening right now and their drives home, and you know, it's just important for everybody involved, or remember who's next.
Noah, Noah, go ahead, Noah.
Hey guys, how y'all doing good? All right, that's good. I want to, you know, not to piggyback off the last guy, but I gotta I got a story to tell too. When I was seven years old, my dad, uh he was the president of our youth football league, and we finally had an open Saturday to go. And it was back in twenty twelve. And the first and up until last year, only game I.
Went to was when Vanderbilt beat the breaks off of Kentucky. I think it was forty to zero.
That was your first game, Yeah, that was my game?
Yeah, yeah, And I think I was the saying we lost to Western Kentucky too.
That was a good year. It was, yeah, it was yeah.
But I feel like tonight's loss, and really just this season in general. It might be a lower point than that for what our expectations are, right, because we've got this roster that is just I mean compared to yours past. This roster is Alabama compared to what we had back then, and we just we can't seem to get anything done. I feel like there's a a level of complacency that we've reached that is just unacceptable.
Well, there was a there was a sense of doom for that game in particular, because we stunk and we were like playing out in the string. Right. Yeah, I will say this, like tonight, if Kentucky just plays disciplined and plays the last two minutes of the first half better, they win, and that that that's very frustrating. I actually find that more frustrating than when the other team is just better, you know, Like this game is more frustrating because honestly, Vandy, outside of like Vanny didn't even really play well in the second half. Pavia could barely walk, and defense really couldn't stop us. We just stopped ourselves for the most part. So I I kind of agree with you in some ways, it's more frustrating that game was more embarrassing the one you're talking about. But in some ways I would agree with you. This is more frustrated.
Yeah, and I feel like the clock management this year is just I mean, obviously Stoops has not been, you know, notorious for good clock management, but the clock management this year has just been abysmal compared to years past. I mean, we saw what happened.
I mean, yes, he's terrible at it. He's just terrible at it. I mean, he's just terrible at it. I mean, they're you know, and I appreciate the call. There are things he's good at. I think he's put a good defense on the field pretty much every single year he's been here. I think they I think his team's pretty much maximize their defensive ability almost every year, going back to Matt House and Brad White and even before then, the even when his teams were bad those first couple of years, their defense, you know. But when it comes to clock management, he is not good at it and hasn't been good at it really since he's been here. Who's next? What's up?
Edward?
Hey, Matt, how are you?
I'm good?
Good?
Yeah, So, just just driving home from the game. On the way back to Louisville here, and I don't mean to pile on the Stoops train like I don't. I don't want to crap on the guy at all. I mean he liked the Last Caller. My earliest memories are kind of the transition away from uh from Joker and that forty oero band. He lost two Stoops and he's done some great things. I asked the question in The Athletic this week in a mail bag article. I'm not going to read the response, but pretty much what I asked was, has Stoops taken Kentucky as far as it can go? And do you first see him looking at other opportunities after this?
Have they taken him as far as they can go? Okay? So, do I think Kentucky can win a national time? No? Do I think Kentucky can win an SEC title? Probably not. Do I think Kentucky one out of every five years could have a real shot at a playoff in the new format? Yeah? What worries me is these last two years have not been encouraging. You could make a strong argument that these last two years have been some of the best talent he's had. And we were seven and five and we'll see what happens this year. So I do think there's a worry that it's kind of stuck in neutral. Do I think he'll pursue other options? I have to tell you, me and you talking, I've kind of thought, no matter what, that was gonna happen. And that's not inside knowledge. Okay. I honestly have not talked to Stoops this entire season. I really haven't talked to him since I got back from Europe. I talked to him once, So I I don't know what's in his mind, but I've kind of just always thought in the same way that last year, I kind of thought it was gonna be Col's last year, even before they struggled. I've kind of thought this was gonna be Stoops's last year, just for no reason than just feeling. And I would say to you nothing's happened to change that view, But I can't say I know it's a guess.
Yeah, no, no, sure, And I appreciate your insight. Like I said, that kind of coincides with what the writer in the Athletic wrote back to me in the article, And like I said, you can you can find.
It pretty easily.
But yeah, I appreciate coach Stoops a lot. I think he's elevated us and you know, we may be stalling out now, but that's okay. I mean, all good stuff has to come to an end. But to echo your point, there's no reason every handful of years, especially when they expand the playoff to sixteen, that we couldn't maybe claw.
Oh, I definitely, definitely. I mean, look, yeah we should. And I appreciate the people sometimes online talk about expectations. Matt Jones's expectation for UK football is you make a Bowl almost every year, if not every year, like maybe one in ten, you don't make it. You seven is the base to be happy. You once every five years have a shot at a playoff in the current format, And I think if you look at Stoops's career, that's kind of what it's been. Is exactly what I just said, because I think the two years we won ten games, if the playoff format existed, we would have either gotten in or been one of the first two teams out. But this year has not been like that, and I'm worried this might be the first year he doesn't make a Bowl since his second year or third year. He if I'm nine two eighth, twenty two eighty seven. Let's take a break. We'll do our final segment. This is the Local Toy Dealers KSR Post Game Show looking back. It is the Local Toy Dealers KSR Postgame Show final segment here on KSR. Thanks for standing up. I gotta go to bed here in a minute, Billy, because I gotta do the NFL show tomorrow. And I haven't even looked to see who plays. Usually on Saturday night, I try to see what's the big game? Yeah, Lines, Cowboys, I guess. Now the point though, I can just say something about all these teams. You know, I may not know much, Like, just give me a team. I'll just show you real quick. Just give me a team.
Okay, tell me about the Cowboys.
Oh, first, all that was easy. Dak Prescott. You know, Dak Prescott. They got absolutely blown out at home twice, but then bounce back the last couple of weeks and get to win. This a big chance gets Detroit to show that those fluke game games against the Saints at home and the Ravens those were flukes, big time chance for them to get a big victory to markets Detroit.
Hmm, that's right. I forgot you did all that dark contract talk.
I've done so much years, could talk about Dak in my sleep.
Who's next, Tyler's.
I will dream tonight. I'm sure I'm your text name, Tyler. Go ahead, Tyler.
Hey, thanks man, Thanks Billy for having me on.
Appreciate it.
I'm a New York Giants fan talking about football leading in for Sunday. I'm a New York Giants fan too, and a UK football.
Who do you all play tomorrow? Just to help me get ready the Bengals. Oh, the big game for the Bengals. Gotta win that one, must win seasons over.
Well, I'm like I said, I'm a New York Giants fan and a UK football fan, so I'm a glutton for punishment flash.
Yeah.
But now you know, some of your earlier callers were talking and I kind of have mixed feelings as well about the legacy of stoops. Like you know, I took my twelve year old son with me tonight and he was at the game with me earlier in this season with that South Carolina when we played them as well, and you know, it's just one of those like the South Carolina walls felt like an all systems failure, like all the way around. This one didn't feel that way, but it was probably more frustrating because you could just see little things here or there that would have made the difference in the game.
At the time. I totally agree with that. The South Carolina game, we got dominated. This was a game. I don't want to say we beat ourselves because they played well, but we should have won. I mean, if we just do what we're supposed to do, we win. Yeah.
I just think at the end of the day, you know that we allowed them to sustain drives. We did shoot ourselves in the foot. But after twelve years, and this is why I think the legacy of Stoops is kind of complicated, and it's kind of you know, you hate to always compare the things with col but that's kind of what you know most recent, so you kind of see what happened there. The same thing. Mark Stoops is responsible for a lot of people's great memories for UK football. You know, I've been a fan since you know, Bill Curry was here and he sucked and so you know, but Mark suits was, you know, has been responsible for some great memories for UK football fans. But I think going back to the pony up comments. Now you're kind of like, do we need a pony up for Vandy. I mean, it's just there's these there's these little things that just add it up over the last couple of years and at the end, at the end of the day, over you know, if you do this time and time again, it feels like the discipline it's not just a discipline and undisciplined problem, it's a cultural problem.
And yeah, I've often thought with Cal just because I know you're right, it's it's just natural to do the difference. I think Cal hit a lower low than Stoops has hit. To be honest, Now, granted he got a higher high, right, we won a national championship, but I also think we got a lower low. I mean, for Kentucky basketball to lose to Saint Peter's in Oakland is pretty terrible. But I think in both situations there was a moment where things changed. I think for Cal that moment was COVID, right, Like I think if you go back and you look post COVID, he was a different coach and team. I do wonder if when it's all over, to be honest with you, Tyler, we'll say pony up was that moment for Stoops. I mean, I don't know if it will be, but it does feel like things have been different since he since that happened.
I think that was just a reset moment for a lot of fans because I think the expectations have been so high and then to get that, get that statement, and then not see those expectations and the attitude. I think Stoops has instilled a gritty attitude with these guys, but that attitude doesn't seem to be translating into success on the field. Again, you can see all these undisciplined things. The clock management stuff's still an issue. You know, if you expect fans to step up, you've got to change the way you do things in order to do it fair.
That's tollly fair. I appreciate the call. And remember after the pony up statement. That was the Monday after the Georgia game, a game where if you remember, they had gotten blown out, and then they lost at home to Missouri the next game, and it really that was a that was a big loss. We're at fourteen to nothing in the fake pun, I mean that was that was a big turning point game in a lot of ways.
What's next, Matt's next, Matt, go ahead, Matt.
Hey, Matt. The losing to Vanderbilt twice in a row at home is absolutely unacceptable. But let me just read you a couple of things here. First downs Kentucky twenty three Van nineteen total yards three twenty two to two eighty eight. We outrushed them. It's just penalties, twelve of them for one hundred and five yards. It's unbelievable that with a twelve year most tenured coach in the SEC, we're having that many penalties and that many just costly mistakes.
I agree. That's why I say South Carolina we can say we should have theoretically won, but we just got completely whipped. So I should have won this game if we had just done basic things. And that's really frustrating to me. Yeah.
Another thing I want to say is I'm not here for any name King Slander. I know he had one really bad penalty and he had a fumble where a guy dove his helmet into the ball. But that kid, for three straight weeks, three straight weeks, that kid has caught every single thing.
But both of those things can be true, right, So, Like, I don't like when fans take a mentality that someone is either great or they're terrible, and there's no middle ground. Dane has been awesome these last three weeks. Awesome. Dane cannot get that personal foul penalty. It costs us three points. And I agree with you, that was a good play the guy made. But you also can't fumble that both those things can be true. You can say he's been awesome and criticize him when it's not. My frustration over the years has been this idea that everything has to be they're awful or they're amazing. It can be both and not. It can be in the middle. And Dane has been awesome, but those those were huge mistakes he made to.
Not I think it's fair to be frustrated with those couple plays. But again, that kid has called everything that's come his way, and I think when you're coming down the stretch and you need a score at the end of the game, I'm throwing everything I can to number six.
I agree. I totally agree with that. I appreciate the call. I don't think those two things are mutually exclusive. Let's do three more Billy, and then I'm gonna try to go to sleep. Who's next?
JR.
JR. Go ahead, JR. Interception Colorado? Wow, look at this? Are they gonna win this game? Oh? My goodness? Oh he fell? Oh he fell? Wow? All right, go ahead JR.
Hey man, I'm gonna try it out to be overly negative. Okay, a little frustrated this evening.
Go for it.
So so a couple questions and then just.
Kind of one point. Really, the biggest thing is is everything that we love about Soups does it feel like it manifests itself in negative plays? Buyer? And do we feel like Mark Soups might be the prime meridian of college football?
Okay, I don't know what you you tell me what you mean by the second one. I do think the things that frustrated stuff about stoops do manifest itself in players. I mean, like, how would you know everything a coach does comes through their players? So yes, but what do you mean by the prime meridian of football? I'm interested in what that means?
Yeah.
So I'm a Bengals fayan. And when we had Andy Dalton, I remember reading an article several years ago and somebody wrote him and basically put him as the eighteenth overall quarterback in the NFL, and said.
He was saying, like he's the median, okay, the prime marin. Yeah, I mean I think he's above average because I think to win here is hard.
I mean, I get, how old are you, I'm thirty six.
Okay, we sound younger, that's good. Uh yeah, I mean like we haven't won to here my entire life until Stoops. So I think where you have to be on the scale of coaches to win at Kentucky like he has is above average, right. I think if you have an average or below average coach here, they lose. So I think he's above average. But is he, you know, top fifteen or twenty. Probably not. I think when it comes to recruiting, they're probably honestly top ten or top fifteen when you consider what they do recruiting here. Uh but yeah, I would put him above average because I just think it's harder to win here than it meant at most schools in America because of the conference, right, I appreciate, I think, or go ahead, go ahead real quick?
Oh yeah, I think that's That's the hardest thing is Stups has always had an elite defense, and it always feels like the common denominator has always come down to quarterback play in the offense.
Yeah, I think that's fair. I appreciate the call when we've had good we've had good quarterbacks. But as we've talked about, look, we're in the SEC. I've got over this many times. But no state in the SEC produces less talent than us than Kentucky, and so to win here is like even harder than it is in the other SEC school because you don't even produce homegrown town. And then when it comes to nil of the sixteen schools, we're probably like twelve maybe eleventh in anile. So like all of those things means if you can get a top half of the SEC program here, you're really doing well. But you shouldn't lose to Bandy twice and row at home Let's do too. Colorado takes the lead. Gosh, we're gonna have it. The Colorado hip train is gonna start again in two more. Who's now? Hunter? Hunter? Go ahead? Hunter?
Hey, how are you guys?
Tonight? Good?
So I've been thinking, like ever since the game's over, there's been a million different thoughts going through my head, and honestly, like I usually like to look at these games analytically, like what do we do wrong. Honestly came down to two things. It came down to o line. You know, they had the illegal formation problems with South Carolina and then these holdings just killed us. And then the other thing is stoops is stubbornness. I told my dad, and I joke with him. I said, I are you sure he's not from eastern Kentucky because of how stubborn he is and how stuck in the ways he is.
That's not that's that's an unfair slide to eastern Kentucky. So okay, oh well if you okay, if you're from there, then then you can stay. Uh. Yeah, he is stubborn. It's interesting he's I think he he is stubborn and stuck in his ways, but then he also will change stuff. But the thing that he won't change is sometimes the thing that's the most frustrating about him. Like I think he's tried to be more flexible on offense, but like he's still pretty stubborn and not being able to manage the clock, you know, I mean, like, so you know, I don't know.
He is.
He's definitely, he's definitely stubborn. I appreciate the call he's stubborn. In a different way than Cal is like Cal was stubborn too, but in a different way. But no, he's he's certainly stubborn. But I don't think that's the issue so much. I think the discipline and sort of the clock management, to be honest with you, is the thing that drives me the most because it's so easily fixable. I mean, everyone on that staff, every single person knows infinitely more about football than I do. But I do think Billy I could manage the clock at the end of the day.
You can run.
Not the plays, but just what they do from a time perspective, because it's just math, you know what I mean, It's just math. It's not football. It's math. And they just don't do the math. And any dork could do the math, and they just don't do it. And it drives me crazy. All right, last one, who's that?
Kendall?
Kendall? What's up? Kend Hey? Man?
I guess what I was upset with the most is I mean, I I just don't understand some of the play calls.
I mean, what are we.
Doing at the end here where they're just.
I don't know.
I'm just really disappointed tonight.
Uh oh, what whoa, whoa, whoa whoa? Oh wait a minute, watching to say you were ahead of me? I was like, why is he going? Whoa? All right, I got you Kansas State with a big drive. Go ahead, you were ahead of you're ahead of me by a few seconds, but go ahead.
Yeah, anyway, I was disappointed in uh comments.
Did you listen to him?
I did? I did, so, Like, all right, so I'm glad you said that. Let's let's talk about Stoops's common So, uh, Stoop said, I think you're talking about where He says, well, what which ones bothered you the most? You're talking about his comments with Tom Leech? Yes, yes, yes, absolutely so, yeah, Stoops go. Tom says something to the effect of, it was very frustrating out there.
You know what did you I just lost by the way, Oh, there's flagging her ahead.
I'm about to hang up on you. I appreciate the call. You're ahead of me on the feet. I think you're talking about. Tom says something like, hey, what did you see out there? And he says something like, I don't know right in that kind of what happened? Billy? What what were the words? Because the words were odd?
He's very frustrated we had to use the dump button on him.
And he well, you didn't dump him. I heard it.
Well, were you connected on the comments?
Oh so you did get those words? Yeah, okay, all right, gotcha, I'll read you what he said. Stoop said. Stoops was asked by Tom Lee, what's your assessment of what happened tonight? And he said, I wish I knew. It's extremely frustrating. I think what bothers people, at least online, was that I wish I knew Billy. That actually doesn't bother me as much because I think he's just being honest. I don't think he knows why. I don't think he knows why those guys make the errors they do. And I don't know if that's good or bad. I just think he's being honest. You know.
Yeah, he's probably withholding judgment till he can watch the tape, and that's what a football coach should do.
But it bother you that he said I wish I knew.
No, I mean, I thought he was extremely honest, to the point where I felt like he was blaming players more than he normally does.
I think that's probably right. And then what you're talking about is, So I guess what I heard is not what went over the air.
Correct, Yeah, okay, because I think you tweeted it out.
I tweeted out exactly what he said. I thought it went over the air. I didn't realize I was getting the uncensored version he said. Believe me, I'm as frustrated as any fan out there. It is complete bull blank. I am as blanked off as anyone. But I know it's on me. Billy and I actually got to hear the actual words, but I guess you all didn't. I was a little shocked at his words, Billy, like I've never heard him cuss on the radio before.
Yeah, extremely frustrated, talked about the players not controlling their emotions.
And yeah, well now I want to see the end of this game, but you want to go home, so I'll let you go home. Thank you all very much for staying up. For those of you not home yet, please be careful on your way. If you're listening on podcasts, have a good rest of your weekend. Billy's also going to put up the Patino interview on podcast, so if you miss that, you can hear it. We'll be back on Monday. A bad loss for stoops in Kentucky to Vanderbilt twenty to thirteen Kentucky and Florida next week. We'll see you later. This has been the local toy dealers KSO our postgame show
