KSR Hour 2 (September 2, 2025) – Episode Summary

Podcast: Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR)
Date: September 2, 2025
Hosts: Matt Jones, Drew Franklin, Bennett
Location: KS Bar & Grill
Topic: Latest UK (University of Kentucky) sports news, views, and fan discussion

Episode Overview

The KSR team delivers their lively signature blend of Kentucky Wildcats sports commentary, humor, and calls from passionate fans. This hour focuses heavily on the fallout from the weekend’s college football action, particularly Kentucky’s game and broader national storylines. The hosts dissect the Wildcat’s offensive issues, debate music choices at Kroger Field, marvel at Lee Corso’s College GameDay sendoff, and explore community drama—including a horse sighting in downtown Lexington. The discussion is characterized by good-natured ribbing, inside jokes, and the show’s familiar candid, conversational tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. UK Football & College Football Recap

• Arch Manning’s struggles ([03:34]–[05:13])
  • The team discusses the underwhelming performance of Texas quarterback Arch Manning. While experts hyped him as a "generational prospect," his play disappointed.
    • Drew Franklin: “I mean there was a chance that he's wildly overrated, but I didn't think he would look that bad in that game.” [04:06]
    • Matt Jones: “If his name was Arch Jones, I would have said, hey, do you have a backup you can go to?” [03:55]
  • They note that media expectations were likely overblown, with pundits like Paul Finebaum and Dan Orlovsky contributing to the hype.
• Lee Corso’s Iconic College GameDay Farewell ([05:13]–[06:58])
  • Hosts praise Corso's final College GameDay segment, calling out his perfect picks and the heartwarming tributes from across college football—including competitors FOX Sports airing his last pick.
    • Matt Jones: “If you parlayed his six picks, it was 187 to one.” [05:34]
    • Drew Franklin: “Couldn't scripted a better ending.” [06:48]
  • Corso’s impact as an ambassador for college football is warmly remembered.
    • Bennett: “They should celebrate a situation like that. When he steps away, Herb street got a little misty eyed. It looked like too right there.” [06:49]
• National Upheaval: Alabama Upset ([07:08]–[09:04])
  • Alabama is blown out by Florida State, sparking joy and schadenfreude from the crew and Finebaum listeners.
    • Bennett: “Florida State had that awful year last year and their new quarterback called his shot... And now he just beat him, beat him bad.” [07:53]
    • Drew Franklin: “And Bama fans are already talking buyout and who's next? And will Saban come back? He has not lasted very well there at all.” [08:05]
  • Alabama’s tough schedule and fans’ over-the-top reactions are lampooned.
    • Matt Jones: “We gotta find 70 million. Like just yelling. And it was, it was kind of brilliant.” [08:36]

2. UK Football: Atmosphere, Offense, and Fan Frustrations

• Music Selection & Stadium Vibe ([11:48]–[14:19], [18:12]–[20:44])
  • Listeners and hosts debate whether "My Old Kentucky Home" kills pre-game atmosphere.
    • Caller Dennis: “I've always said that song belongs at the end of a football game, not the beginning of it.” [12:12]
    • Matt Jones: “I love the song... but My Old Kentucky Home right before the game starts is a buzzkill.” [12:19]
  • They agree that atmosphere and music matter for energy, recruiting, and attendance, pointing to SEC rivals as benchmarks:
    • Bennett: “I would assume that dude has never been to a game at Georgia, Tennessee, at South Carolina, at Florida. Go to one of those games and see...” [19:29]
  • The solution? More dynamic music choices, and the hope that “Shannon the Dude” could run the playlist.
    • Matt Jones: “[Shannon] is the best I've ever seen at picking the song based on... emotion. He'd be the best.” [13:36]
• On-field Performance and Coaching ([14:25]–[15:56], [24:25]–[25:38])
  • Callers voice frustration with offensive play-calling and quarterback performance, even expressing fatigue with Coach Stoops despite his overall success.
    • Caller Dustin: “It's just the same old thing, Matt. It's rinse and repeat. It's offense, this offense that we're going to slow the ball down.” [25:11]
    • Matt Jones (defending Stoops): “…We've won 10 games, like, twice in history... we had 110 games. We've won 10 games, like, twice.” [25:41]

3. Kentucky Football: Analytics & Depth

• Film Breakdown with Van Hyles (VStyles) ([26:23]–[29:07])
  • Hosts praise former player Van Hyles’ Twitter breakdowns, explaining how he helps dissect blame and highlight strengths/weaknesses missed by casual viewers.
    • Matt Jones: “He kind of is able to say, like, for instance, he showed one play that I thought where it looked like Calzada made a bad throw...But the receiver is supposed to protect Calzada by sealing him off and he doesn't.” [27:36]
    • Drew Franklin: “He does a great job explaining individual plays and if you watch it, you'll—my initial inclination which was feel really good about our defensive line, be very worried about our receivers.” [28:23]
• Defensive Standouts ([29:12]–[29:39])
  • Kentucky’s defense receives praise for top-rated pressure rates:
    • Caller Ed: “...Kentucky defense graded higher than any team in the nation for that day.” [29:12]

4. Fan Life, Community, and Offbeat Local Color

• Neighborhood Dramas & Horses in Lexington ([31:56]–[38:37])
  • Matt describes an upcoming neighborhood meeting about parking problems, delighting in the personalities of local residents (e.g., fiery Wanda) and parking debates.
    • Matt Jones: “I nearly called in the National Guard. Okay, I'm pretty anti-Trump, but if he had brought in the National Guard to my street yesterday, I might have actually cheered it on.” [31:57]
  • Surreal moment: Matt reveals his surprise at finding a neighbor with two horses downtown—discovering, shockingly, that horses are allowed inside city limits but goats are not.
    • Matt Jones: “There is a person that lives a block and a half from Rupp Arena that has a horse in their backyard. Actually, I think it's two horses.” [35:15]
    • Matt Jones (follow-up): “Horses are allowed in the Lexington city limits. Apparently one of the mothers of a Backstreet Boy got the city to change their code. Horses are allowed. Goats and sheep are not.” [38:07]
  • Asides include hidden mansions near Rupp Arena, a famous musician potentially moving in, and the sense of old Lexington urban quirkiness.

5. UK Volleyball & Other Sports Notes

• Nebraska Volleyball Fans Dominate Nashville ([21:52]–[23:53])
  • The hosts express amazement at the travel dedication of Nebraska volleyball fans as Kentucky nearly upsets the #1 team.
    • Matt Jones: “Kentucky basketball, our fan base maybe travels better than everybody but the Nebraska volleyball fan base might have something to say about it.” [22:14]
    • Drew Franklin: “That Bridgestone arena was full of Nebraska fans.” [23:01]

6. Quarterback Play & Stoops Era Reflection ([40:55]–[44:48])

• Fans rehash long-standing issues with UK’s passing game, lack of 3,000-yard passers, and how Stoops has “overachieved” given limited quarterback excellence.
  • Caller Luke: “I’m just saying we have not had a 3,000 yard passer in Stoop’s entire tenure. A single season. 3,000 yard passer. And none of them have hit 30 touchdowns either in a single season. That’s awful.” [41:37]
  • Matt Jones: “...It is kind of amazing we’ve had this success because I think there’s only one, I think there’s only one year of the Stoops era where you could say the quarterback was a significant plus.” [41:59]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Music at Kroger Field:

  • “I love the song... but My Old Kentucky Home right before the game starts is a buzzkill. It just is. Play it after the game.”
    — Matt Jones [12:19]

• On Lee Corso’s Farewell:

  • “If you parlayed his six picks, it was 187 to one.”
    — Matt Jones [05:34]

• On Alabama’s Troubles:

  • “Florida State had that awful year last year and their new quarterback called his shot... And now he just beat him, beat him bad.”
    — Bennett [07:53]

• On Stoops Era & Offensive Frustrations:

  • “We have not had a 3,000 yard passer in Stoop’s entire tenure. A single season. 3,000 yard passer. And none of them have hit 30 touchdowns either in a single season.”
    — Caller Luke [41:37]

• On Horses in Downtown Lexington:

  • “There is a person that lives a block and a half from Rupp Arena that has a horse in their backyard. Actually, I think it's two horses.”
    — Matt Jones [35:15]
  • “Horses are allowed in the Lexington city limits. Apparently one of the mothers of a Backstreet Boy got the city to change their code. Horses are allowed. Goats and sheep are not.”
    — Matt Jones [38:07]

• On Addressing Neighborhood Problems:

  • “I nearly called in the National Guard. Okay, I'm pretty anti-Trump, but if he had brought in the National Guard to my street yesterday, I might have actually cheered it on.”
    — Matt Jones [31:57]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:34 | Arch Manning’s debut and QB media hype | | 05:13 | Lee Corso’s GameDay sendoff and impact | | 07:08 | Alabama’s blowout loss and SEC shockwaves | | 11:48 | Caller debate: Music & atmosphere at Kroger Field | | 13:36 | “Shannon the Dude” as potential in-game DJ | | 18:12 | Why atmosphere, music, and energy matter at UK games | | 21:52 | UK volleyball vs Nebraska—fan travel stories | | 26:23 | Van Hyles' (VStyles) analytics & game breakdowns | | 31:56 | Neighborhood meeting/parking drama; horses in the city | | 38:07 | Lexington city code: Horses yes, goats & sheep no | | 40:55 | UK QB history & Stoops’ surprising success |

Conclusion

This KSR hour typifies why the show remains a staple for Kentucky fans—a fast-moving, funny, often self-deprecating take on the Wildcat fan experience and Southern sports culture. The hosts swing from local color to national storylines, fielding passionate calls, mixing analysis, nostalgia, and humor in equal measure. The episode offers UK fans a blend of reassurance, venting, and community that’s as much about the people as the plays.