Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) - September 15, 2025, Hour 1

Hosts: Matt Jones, Ryan Lemond, Shannon Dawson
Episode Theme: Kentucky Football's Quarterback Shift, Defensive Concerns, and Weekend Recaps

Episode Overview

This episode centers on Kentucky's convincing football win over Eastern Michigan, the emergence of Cutter Bowley as the team's likely starting quarterback, and some persistent issues with game management and defense. The KSR crew spends significant time breaking down Bowley’s performance, Mark Stoops' looming quarterback decision, and what the win means going into a bye week before facing South Carolina. The hosts also intersperse NFL player updates, festival stories, and playful banter throughout.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kentucky vs. Eastern Michigan Recap and the Rise of Cutter Bowley

[03:04–11:15]

• Big Win, Quarterback Questions: Kentucky triumphed 48–23, a feel-good, "get right" game. Early conversation framed this as the start of the "Cutter Bowley era."

  • Matt: “It’s the beginning of the Cutter Bowley era to me. He’s your quarterback. He’s the guy you gotta go with.” [04:49]
  • Ryan: “I’m also excited about the Cutter era. Cutter looked good… He just looks like the better option right now.” [05:40]
  • Shannon: “Overall, I think things were good, not great…Gave up too many first downs, gave up over 300 passing yards…But to your point, I think that probably moving forward, he is going to be the guy.” [06:20]

• Offensive Rhythm & Tight End Utilization: Cutter Bowley showed composure, confidence, and better command of the offense than his predecessor, Zach Calzada.

  • Bush Hamdan (offensive coordinator) called plays that suited Bowley.
  • The offense flowed with fewer mistakes and more rhythm, especially involving tight ends.

2. Mark Stoops’ Quarterback Dilemma

[08:12–11:18]

• Indecision, Delicacy & Strategy: Stoops avoided committing to Bowley as the starter postgame, possibly out of respect for Calzada's journey and to maintain depth in SEC play.

  • Matt: “You want to keep Calzada engaged, but also you want to prop up Cutter and get him confident, especially if he’s your future quarterback…” [09:05]
  • Shannon: “If you truly feel that as Mark Stoops, I think you gotta stop worrying about how Calzada feels. You gotta win games, right?” [09:33]

• Importance of Depth: The hosts highlight that Calzada could be needed due to the physical toll of SEC play, praising Calzada’s sideline support for Bowley.

• Fan and Host Sentiment: Overwhelming support for Bowley starting after the bye week vs. South Carolina, though the need to keep Calzada engaged is acknowledged.

3. Defensive & Game Management Issues

[11:21–13:43]

• End of First Half Collapse: Kentucky surrendered 10 points in the final two minutes of the first half, rekindling old frustrations about Mark Stoops’ end-of-half game management.

  • Matt: “...the defense, they looked kind of their worst right then. Like they just packed it in.” [11:21]
  • Ryan: “…it's happened too many times to blame the defense. This one time…when Eastern Michigan scored…I even tweeted, would anyone be surprised if they got the ball back and scored again?…and they did.” [12:19]
  • Shannon: “I'm just convinced at this point that those things aren’t going to fix themselves and we're just going to have to just somehow find a way to win with in-game poor management basically.” [13:14]

• Recurring Theme: Late-half breakdowns and confusion are seen as consistent weaknesses under Stoops.

4. Offensive Trends: Tight Ends Take Center Stage

[14:04–16:08, 44:10–44:44]

• Statistical Leap: Tight ends had a 34% target rate, a drastic increase and the highest in over a decade.

• Player Highlights:

  • Willie Rodriguez, Josh Cattus, and others had touchdowns. Cattus nearly had two.
  • Matt: “When is the last time two tight ends scored a touchdown in a game? Maybe never.” [14:25]
  • Past tight ends (Jacob Tamme, CJ Conrad, James Whalen, etc.) and their lack of similar opportunities noted humorously.

• Room for Growth: Need to involve wide receivers more; some, like Jamari Macklin, were "non-existent."

5. Weekend Recap: Bourbon & Beyond, Cover Zero, and Fan Anecdotes

[19:11–30:47]

• Concert/Festival Stories: Team attended Bourbon & Beyond, with banter about aging, festival fatigue, and borrowing spouse’s merch.
• Meeting ‘Rick the Legend’: Ryan recounts running into KSR’s producer Rick at the iHeart studios.
• Cover Zero Podcast: NFL pod cast with a segment about host Matt’s humbling yogurt adventure in South Africa. Humorous take on being offered (and declining) an escort just to cross the street.

6. NFL: Kentucky Alumni and Weekend Action

[25:09–39:23]

• KSR “Key” Watch: Matt attended Colts–Broncos to watch Devin Key on special teams; his brother Dane Key is starring at Nebraska.
• NFL Standouts: Wandale Robinson had a huge game. Carrington Valentine (Dru Phillips), had a key interception and a fun rivalry with CeeDee Lamb.
• Wild NFL Endings: Colts–Broncos featured an unusual “leverage” penalty on a game-winning field goal attempt.
• Pat McAfee Jerseys: Surprising amount of McAfee jerseys seen at the game.
  • Matt: “I am not kidding…the Pat McAfee jersey was like the second most jersey I saw at the game.” [33:21]

7. Looking Ahead: South Carolina Preview & Vandy Upset

[45:11–48:21]

• Advantageous Timing: Kentucky faces South Carolina after a bye; SC’s QB injured.

• Vanderbilt’s Rise: Vandy, led by Diego Pavia, shocked South Carolina, prompting fun discussion of the “Theo Von mom date” sideline storyline.

  • Shannon: “Theo Vaughn is tweeting out, ‘where should I take her?’” [47:06]
  • Ryan: “It’s a little weird, but it’s a fun bit for college football. That’s why it’s the best sport.” [47:40]

• KSR Parlay and Pick ‘em Mishaps: Playful ribbing over failed bets, especially over South Carolina–Vandy and Old Dominion.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Bowley Era:
  • Matt: “The Cutter Bowley era is here. Run with it. Make the announcement.” [09:05]
• On Stoops’ Quarterback Handling:
  • Shannon: “You gotta stop worrying about how Calzada feels. It’s kind of blunt, but you gotta win games, right?” [09:33]
• On Defensive Struggles:
  • Shannon: “I'm just convinced at this point that those things aren’t going to fix themselves and we're just going to have to win with in-game poor management.” [13:14]
• Tight End Emergence:
  • Matt: “When is the last time two tight ends scored a touchdown in a game? Maybe never.” [14:25]
• Funniest Sideline Story:
  • Shannon: “Diego Pavia said to Theo Vaughn, ‘if we beat South Carolina, I'll get you a date with my mom.’” [46:42]
• NFL Jersey Sighting:
  • Matt: “The Pat McAfee jersey was like the second most jersey I saw at the game.” [33:21]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:04 – Show opens, big Kentucky win, Bowley era discussion begins
• 05:40 – Ryan and Drew’s first reactions to Cutter Bowley’s play
• 08:12 – Stoops’ delicate quarterback management, keeping Calzada engaged
• 11:21 – First half defensive collapse, game management gripes
• 14:04 – Tight ends shine, discussion of offensive shift
• 19:11 – Bourbon & Beyond festival recaps and studio anecdote
• 21:20 – Yoghurt shop ‘escort’ story from South Africa
• 25:09 – Recapping seeing Devin Key, Nebraska trip for Dane Key
• 32:19 – Peyton Manning & Pat McAfee jersey sighting at Colts game
• 39:23 – NFL: Wandale, Dru Phillips, and Kentucky players’ performances
• 44:10 – Tight end target stats, Kentucky offense historical context
• 45:11 – South Carolina preview and Vanderbilt’s upset
• 46:42 – Theo Vaughn “mom date” viral story from Vandy game
• 48:21 – Finish on KSR Parlay results and playful banter

Final Takeaways

• The hosts and most Kentucky fans are riding the “start Bowley now” train, believing his upside is too great to ignore.
• Defensive lapses and Stoops’ well-documented game management flaws remain a major talking point and source of frustration.
• The offense’s new tight end focus represents a significant, much-appreciated shift.
• NFL and SEC alumni stories, plus quirky anecdotes (like the Theo Vaughn bit), provide classic KSR flavor and humor.

For more—catch the full podcast or check out the next hour as the KSR crew dives further into fan calls and more SEC football talk!