Matt Jones (2:45)

Welcome everyone. It is Kentucky Sports Radio Monday, October 20th. I am Matt Jones here. I'm in Louisville, Kentucky. The guys are in Lexington after what was a big Weekend in Lexington. Such a huge weekend. I ended up having to get out. It's the Clark's Puppet Shop phone line, 859-280-2287. A Vision Auto Glass text machine, 772-774-5254. In this edition, sponsored by the TJ Smith Law Office. If you call TJ he'll make them pay. So, Ryan, I'm going to do. I think I'm going to make it to where I'll make this easy for the fans because there's two different things we could talk about. We could talk about what happened Friday night with the basketball, the Blue White game, the Jalen Lowe situation, or we could talk about Saturday night. We're going to talk about both these. But whether we want to start with Saturday night and all that happened with UK football and Texas. So I'm going to throw it out there on the text machine. 772-774-5254. Do you want to lead off with basketball or football? That will be easy for me to judge and then we'll do the other one later on. Ryan, if it were up to you.

Ryan Lemond (3:52)

Basketball or football, I would probably pick football. I'm still not over the game Saturday, so I would probably go with football.

Matt Jones (3:58)

Drew.

Drew Franklin (3:59)

Absolutely.

Matt Jones (4:00)

Football, Shannon, Football. All right, well, if it's unanimous, I'll still see if the fans. If the fans change course, we will. But then we got to talk about football. I went into detail on the post game show with my thoughts. It ended up being a top 10 podcast in the US yesterday, so I'm assuming a lot of you heard it. Very frustrating loss, even though I think it was maybe Kentucky's best overall performance in two years in terms of like the product on the field, but nevertheless found a way to be a loss that highlighted a lot of the problems of the Stoops era. You somehow had a situation where I think every fan came away saying this team played their hearts out. These players gave everything they had. It was awesome to have a chance to win. The environment was great and nevertheless, I'm very frustrated because of special teams issues. But more importantly, probably some play calling down the stretch. Ryan, you and Drew didn't really get a chance to address it like I did Saturday night. Where were you after watching the game?

Ryan Lemond (5:08)

You're right, man, that that game was so Kentucky football. I mean, it had us believing, had us feeling good in the team, proud of what they were doing on the field, gave yourself so many positions to chance to win the game, and then they just rip your heart right out at the end of the game. And that's just Kentucky football in a nutshell. Was Saturday night. I think Drew.

Drew Franklin (5:26)

Yeah, I'm with Ryan and everyone else. I actually late in the fourth quarter, even before the overtime, even when Kentucky had just tied it up and before Texas had another field goal, I convinced myself Kentucky was winning. It just had that feeling. The fan base in Kroger Field started to believe. I didn't think the fan base was capable of getting back on board for a moment, but at least the people that, yeah, you could feel it. It felt like one of those nights where the ball was going to bounce Kentucky's way and just to end the way it did, it's just another. Another bang your head against the wall moment. I outside for my rapid reaction. I hung around a little bit after we were done talking to people because everybody had something to say and it was an ugly scene out there with people complaining about, well, I'd be interested.

Matt Jones (6:06)

Let's come back to that. I'd be interested in what people had to say because I was at the game. It's the first time, like probably on the second game I've been to since COVID and I really sat in the crowd and I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the atmosphere. I didn't think for most of the game, none of the crowd, I think, felt like we were going to win. There was one lady that was trying to get people to stand up throughout the game. But then in the fourth quarter when they come down and score and tie the game with that drive, that was a great drive that took them all the way down the field. I did. You did get a sense that people were kind of getting into it. And then I personally started believing. I knew they were going to come down and kick the field goal to go to overtime or. Excuse me, I knew Kentucky when they kicked the field goal to over go to overtime. Then I did think we were probably going to win because I just thought Texas offense couldn't do anything and. But, but Ryan, I have to tell you, this was the Kentucky football part of it. When we get 22 yards on the first play of the overtime, I thought to myself, they're not going to get in. He already knew. Well, because if you go back even to last year, I went and looked up a stat last year, Kentucky seven times through the course of the season last year got inside the five and came away with zero point.

Ryan Lemond (7:31)

Oh my goodness, that's so awful.

Matt Jones (7:34)

Seven times last year. And it felt like we were there again. Of course, at the beginning of the game. It wasn't inside the five, but you had a third and one and a fourth and one and you didn't get it. I think. I actually think I said this on the post game. I think Bush Hampden called a pretty good game for the most part of the game. Until then, I mean, you get 400 yards against that defense. I don't know how. You can't say that's positive. But then when it came down to it, you saw the same old, oh, I don't know if we trust Cutter. Let's hand it up off the, you know, up the middle and hope it works. And Ryan, it was destined to not work because you were going right into the teeth of their defense.

Ryan Lemond (8:13)

I'm with you. I think Hampton did a pretty good job most of the game, but then you get, like you said, you get down to the goal line. What made them think they were going to gain a yard up the middle when they haven't done it all game long? Especially did like the first drive of the game, they get stonewalled at the goal line on third down, stonewall to the goal line. Why not try something different? Because, you know, that is just not going to work.

Matt Jones (8:35)

It was. I mean, that's. Everyone on that defensive line is going to play in the NFL, every single guy that Texas has. And so I don't know why you thought that was going to work. In some ways, Drew, it was a perfectly set up Mark Stoops game to win the way he wants to win. He still believes we could win in the SEC, 16 to 13. Now, I don't know that I think we can do that consistently, but we did it last year against Ole Miss and it was set up like we could do it in this game. Except, and maybe most importantly, Drew, it just didn't happen. So when you were outside after the game, what were people's reactions as they were walking out?

Drew Franklin (9:17)

I can't say a lot of the words on radio.

Caller/Listener (9:20)

I think.

Drew Franklin (9:20)

I think there had been a lot of Keeneland doubleheaders that wanted to come talk to me, but people were fired up a lot with the play calling. I actually, it was weird because I would talk to two different people and they would be making different. Like, some people earlier in the game wanted to settle for the three on the first drive. Others, you know, wanted to go for it. It's like fans weren't even agreeing on what they were mad about. And some of the other. But everyone was just so mad about the play calling. And there I heard the thing I probably heard the most. Other than Fire Firebush Hammond was. People were just saying the players deserve this one. Like, of all the games the players lost, they should be walking out with a smile. And the coaches let them down. I heard that the most.

Matt Jones (9:56)

Yeah, they did deserve this one. I thought the players, I mean, I thought Cutter was great. I thought if you watch against a really good defensive line, except for on those short drives, our offensive line held up really well.

Ryan Lemond (10:09)

They did.

Matt Jones (10:10)

I thought our receivers played pretty good. And I think our defense, that was. That was maybe a Brad White master class.

Caller/Listener (10:17)

Now.

Matt Jones (10:18)

I know Arch Manning, by the way. Arch is Shannon, just awful.

Shannon Sharp (10:22)

He is not as they are clearly trying to make him like the story of college football and it's just not.

Matt Jones (10:28)

Well, I mean, that's. That's done now.

Shannon Sharp (10:29)

Yeah, I mean, it's the story, but for the wrong reason.

Matt Jones (10:31)

I was amazed at how poor Arch was, but nevertheless, I thought the defense was great. When they needed to make an open field tackle, they made the tackle. And if it's not for those two punt returns, maybe it's not for those two punt returns. They really don't have much offense at all throughout the entire game. So they did deserve it. They do this chart, Ryan, every week where they say win expectancy. Basically they look at the stats and go, how often should you have won this game? Texas should have won the game 13% of the time. How did they win it then? We had the highest win expectancy last week of any team that lost was us. And it was by a pretty significant margin. So that's bad. It also felt like, Drew, that the fan base kind of bought in a little bit and was like, stoops, I'm giving you one more shot. And then it falls apart.

Drew Franklin (11:36)

That's what really stinks about this. I'm not going to try to pump some sunshine into this situation, but if it wasn't the now 10th straight home loss to SEC teams in Louisville, you could look at this and be like, man, Bowley, second year. Gilmore, second year. Rodriguez, second year. There were some young defensive players looking good. You'd think, man, they're going to have something down the road. But the issue is we don't have it down the road right now because it's been so bad for so long and they just cannot seem to win a game in Kroger Field that matters.

Matt Jones (12:01)

And then when you heard Mark Stoops after the game, he sounded like a. I mean, he. Now Ryan references how the fans feel about him in, like every other comment, you know, I mean, it clearly weighs on him.

Ryan Lemond (12:18)

I.

Matt Jones (12:21)

It was a frustrating loss. But I guess my bigger picture question is do you think yet Saturday changed anything one way or the other long term? For what? How this season ends or how the Stoops era continues or ends?

Ryan Lemond (12:40)

A great question. You're right. He sounded totally just beat up and defeated on the post game show. And to answer your question, I don't think it changes anything long term. I don't know. I don't even know where they can go from here to try to get.

Shannon Sharp (12:54)

Us back on board because beat Tennessee, but that ain't going to happen.

Matt Jones (12:57)

But that this was the one to win. Yeah, Tennessee style is going to be much harder for us because you're not going to be able to keep Tennessee out of the end zone, which means we're going to have to score. And I just don't know that this team is built to score in the 20s or in the 30s.

Shannon Sharp (13:11)

No, last three games is 13, 14, 13.

Matt Jones (13:14)

Yeah, I mean they're built to Drew, they're built to win like we did. We just didn't win.

Drew Franklin (13:20)

No, this was your game. It's like Georgia last year. They play the style where you could actually pull off the score was almost identical to Georgia last year.

Matt Jones (13:27)

Year.

Drew Franklin (13:27)

And even adding to the Georgia comparisons, they went out and got Dante Dowdell because against Georgia and several other teams last year, they could not punch it in from the goal line. So he literally was a go to the portal. Pay this man to come in and punch it in from the one. And then we saw how the game ended.

Matt Jones (13:44)

Yeah, I mean, but they're just stronger than us down, up the middle. I mean, I don't, I don't, I don't really blame anyone. It's kind of like it's a play calling situation. So let's talk about decisions. Okay. What about the decision in the first half to go for it? I was good with it. First drive of the game, you're rolling down the field, you think we're going to need points. I was fine going forward. On fourth down. I hated the play calls, especially on third down, but even on fourth down. But I was fine with the idea of going with it. What about you, Ryan?

Ryan Lemond (14:16)

I am also okay with going for it because at that time when you know Kentucky's, you're a two touchdown underdog, you're thinking, man, if you got down on the goal line, you got to score getting the end zone while you.

Matt Jones (14:24)

Got a chance and they had driven it all the way down the field. I mean they had had a good drive. Drew, were you good with it?

Drew Franklin (14:30)

Definitely. I mean, in this game, this is one where you want to get three wherever you can. We knew it'd be low scoring, but being the first drive of the game, you already had Texas on their heels. I think you got to roll the dice there and try to get it and really light that place up early. Just.

Matt Jones (14:42)

Shannon, were you good with.

Shannon Sharp (14:43)

I'm good with it as well. It's early in the game. Let's put the pressure on Texas and try to score early. So I'm totally with you.

Drew Franklin (14:48)

Yeah.

Matt Jones (14:49)

Overtime. It's fourth and one. You're actually about fourth and a half yard. Yeah, I'm good with it. Even though I hate the play call, I'm good with it. Because if you kick a field goal, Texas has got a guy who's a really good field goal kicker. You have to assume they will get a field goal and you're going to be right back in the same position again in the second overtime. Ryan, I was okay with going with it in overtime. What about you?

Ryan Lemond (15:17)

I'm also okay with it. I said the play call stinks and I don't know why they didn't try something different. You knew that wasn't going to work up the middle. When I got 45 guys in a box, it looked like the idea of.

Matt Jones (15:27)

Going for it, you're okay with.

Ryan Lemond (15:29)

I'm definitely okay with it.

Matt Jones (15:30)

What about you, Drew?

Drew Franklin (15:31)

I don't even think you have to think about it. You have four chances from the three to beat Texas. My brain would not even thought one second about sending a kicker out. You go win a football game.

Ryan Lemond (15:40)

Win the game.

Drew Franklin (15:41)

You just didn't do it.

Matt Jones (15:42)

Yes.

Drew Franklin (15:42)

And you four shots at it for, for you.

Matt Jones (15:44)

Also, in my opinion, Texas has struggled. I think if you score a touchdown there, you probably win the game. Right. Like, I feel pretty, I feel pretty good that you win the game. Shannon, were you good?

Shannon Sharp (15:53)

I'm good with it as well. You're not going to get in better, better scoring position than one foot away from the goal. So I think you got to go for it there.

Matt Jones (16:01)

That's the way I look at it. You're one foot away with one play. You got a better chance of scoring there at being first and 10 at the 25 in the second overtime. I mean, I, I. And they have a chance to score a touchdown and beat you anyway, so.

Drew Franklin (16:14)

And in overtime, you have to start going for two in the second period. Wonky. Like when the game there.

Ryan Lemond (16:18)

Win the game.

Matt Jones (16:19)

Totally agree. So we're all on the same page with that one. One thing I didn't like the first punt to the guy that's the great returner. Well, okay, you test your coverage, Drew. I hated the second one. Okay. He's already burned you once. He's already taken you inside the five once. Second time you got to kick that out of bounds, right?

Drew Franklin (16:39)

Yes. Complete failure. I mean, laros needs to know better on his own, but Bulware should have been in his ear for five minutes before they went out there. That got his never touches the ball again because as we said earlier, I mean, this is a Kentucky easy win without two punt returns.

Matt Jones (16:54)

Yeah. And also I think the guy and I don't know who it was Ryan that ran down there, the gunner or the first person down. I thought he thought he was going to fair catch it. I mean, I think he just stood there. I think he had a maybe a brain fart or something.

Shannon Sharp (17:10)

Oh, I think we lost connection.

Matt Jones (17:12)

Yeah, yeah, they've been having Internet problems there in Lexington for a while. Well, 859-280-2287 we will take a break. Hopefully get back connected in Lexington and get ready to rock. I'm in Louisville, thankfully, Shannon, or else you'd be hosting the show by yourself. We will take your calls and be right back. This is ksr.

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Matt Jones (20:11)

It would have been so nice to get that win, just beating Texas. You would have ended their playoff hopes, probably ended Arches draft hopes at least for one year.

Shannon Sharp (20:20)

Entered their coaches 10 years, maybe ended his tenure.

Matt Jones (20:24)

That's exactly right. I mean, that. That would have been such a. And we deserved it. I mean, that's the other thing. Is it like last year when we beat Ole Miss? That was kind of a fluky win, Ryan. I don't know that we outplayed them last year. We just kind of won. We outplayed Texas this year. And to beat a team like that when not only you won but you definitively outplayed them, I think would have been like kind of an extra special win, you know.

Ryan Lemond (20:51)

Yeah, you checked a lot of boxes where you put yourself in position to win that football game. And I know we're going to talk about. If you look at the stat sheet, you're going to look at that like, how in the world did Kentucky ever lose that game?

Matt Jones (21:01)

396 yards to 175 yards, 26 first downs to eight first downs.

Ryan Lemond (21:10)

That's amazing.

Shannon Sharp (21:11)

Time of possession was dominated.

Matt Jones (21:12)

I mean, double double, 40 minutes to 20 minutes, basically. I mean, it was. That was our game and we just, we lost it. I think in some ways, maybe it's payback for Ole Miss last year because that was kind of their game. But we want it, I think. And this was game where it was our game and we lost it. Let's go to a couple of text messages. One person writes, matt, we got screwed with the Cutter Bowley spot in the first half with the slide. I agree with that. Yeah, he. I don't know if he's. You know, it's where you start the slide. I think he might have been like a hair short of the first down, but he was not two yards short of the first down. Drew. I'm just guessing, but I think part of the reason they ran that quarterback snap on third and two is I think Bush thought we had a half yard and we had two yards. Now that's on him to make sure that you do. But a third and two quarterback sneak like that doesn't make sense unless you think you have a half yard. And that's what I actually think happened.

Drew Franklin (22:06)

I'm gonna have to agree. I hated that call maybe more than any. The game and where I sit on the field, it was like I had the perfect. It was like I was on the line of scrimmage. I even turned to the people next to me is like, do they have a clue how far away they are from getting a first down here? Because you could see that it was a full 2 yards. And I don't know how Bush somehow didn't get that memo because even a good quarterback sneak wouldn't have picked it up.

Matt Jones (22:26)

This is just a gas because watching it in real time, I thought he got it. And then when they showed the replay, I was like, okay, he was about a half yard short. And my guess, this is just a guess, is that Bush saw the slide, was like, okay, we got a half yard, called the play, and then when they lined up, maybe they realized it was 2 yards and maybe they didn't want to call a timeout. I don't know. One person writes, Matt, I don't blame Bush, Hamden for the calls. This is a Stoops consistency throughout his career. I don't know why we always blame the OC. We run all these OCs out. There's one consistency, which is the conservatism of Stoops. What do you think? I mean, the natural reaction with people is we got to replace the oc. I think that's going to happen at the end of the year no matter what happens with Stoops. But is there anything to. Look, we have all these guys over the years. And we always end up complaining about them and maybe somebody else is telling them to run those calls, you know.

Ryan Lemond (23:20)

Beside the play calls there on the go line. You and I both said early in the show that I think Bruce Hamden did a pretty good job. You know, they installed, they went up tempo a little bit.

Matt Jones (23:28)

You know, the first time they've done that all year. And I thought it went really well. Went very well.

Ryan Lemond (23:33)

You know, I think Cutter got into a rhythm and we got to see the what the future of Cutter bowling could be like. I don't really fault Bush Hampden. What I want to know and we'll never know the answer to this question is who. Who dictated those calls at the end of the game, like the Stoop say punch it in. Punch it in.

Matt Jones (23:47)

Because that's when he does. When he does usually intervene or on calls like that. Right when it's like third and one. Don't get cute. Like that's kind of his. That's when he does. So I don't know. I mean, we don't know. I actually thought the up tempo thing went great. And one more time we got screwed a little bit. Drew was when they called the false start on us where I thought Stoop going to spontaneously explode. But they had 13 guys on the field and we did not fall start. I thought that was a terrible call, that one.

Drew Franklin (24:15)

If Stoops had said, I'm not doing the Monday press conference today because I'm driving to the SEC offices to do this face to face, I would have said go do it. Because that was ridiculous. The slide, we can nitpick of where the spot was. And they did it to Arch later. I didn't. I don't agree with it.

Matt Jones (24:28)

Yeah, they did do it to Arch later. He had a first down on that one too. Yes, Def.

Drew Franklin (24:32)

That's not a light up the office situation. But that false start was ridiculous also because when he's. When he moved, there was a Texas defensive lineman standing on the other side of the line of scrimmage. If anything, it should have been offsides if they were calling something.

Matt Jones (24:45)

Yeah, I agree totally with you. I don't know. I don't know what that call was. It was annoying. And it also hurt with our tempo at the time. Matt Van Hiles says they should have kicked. I think he knows more than you. Well, he may know more than me, but I still disagree with him. The kicking is not football. It's not like football X and O. It's just a time management and a risk. Factor. And I just think Kentucky's much more likely to score a touchdown at fourth and a half yard than they are at first and 25. And I still believe. I still believe, Shane, if we score a touchdown there, we win. I do think that. I think, yeah, if we score, we win.

Shannon Sharp (25:27)

Yeah, because defensively they locked Texas down then. That's why you go for it right there. You don't want to get into a field goal kicking competition.

Matt Jones (25:34)

And you have to remember they have a good kicker. They have a really good kicker.

Shannon Sharp (25:37)

One of the best in college football.

Matt Jones (25:38)

One of the best in college football. Now, ours is pretty good, too, but theirs is better. And so, Ryan, I don't think you want to get into a kicking contest.

Ryan Lemond (25:44)

Yeah, I heard Van's argument. He did it on the Leech Report this morning. Why they should kick the field goal rather than go for it on that fourth down. Because he's saying your defense is good enough, you can probably hold Texas to a field goal. Now in the second overtime, you actually go second.

Matt Jones (25:57)

Fair enough.

Ryan Lemond (25:58)

But then it's still.

Matt Jones (25:59)

What's more likely, fourth and a half a yard or first and 10 from the 25? Yeah, I'm going to say fourth and a half a yard. I think we got a better chance of getting that than we do from first and 10 at the 25. That's just my view. Who's up first?

Shannon Sharp (26:11)

Jay and Lyndon.

Matt Jones (26:12)

Jay and Lyndon. Go ahead, Matt.

Caller/Listener (26:15)

Thirteen years ago, you and I agree the Mark Stoops was the answer to move UK football forward. I feel like we've come full circle. For younger fans, that was an old school football loss. The only way we could have won that was to play a perfect game, which is about impossible. I think the only way out of this is without Mark Stoop. So I got two questions. Where do you think or do you know Mitch Barnhart's head is in all this? And second, I think the fans issue is not with the extensions of Cal or Stoops. It's the terms of those extensions. How do you think extensions are going to be affected moving forward, specifically Pope's?

Matt Jones (26:54)

Well, totally fair point on the second part. Pope's a unique circumstance if we ever get to that, because I think he is very unlikely to ever leave here. But as far as, as far as where I think Mitch's head is, I can't say where Mitch's head is. I can say, though, they're going to be left in an untenable situation. You know, Justin Roland wrote last night that he thinks for the first time conversations are being had or the money is being talked about. I agree with him. Except, you know, we said that two weeks ago. Nothing. I think that's been happening since the South Carolina game. Not with Mark Stoops, but with other folks. I think they'd all still like to save it, Mark Stoops and Mitch Barnhart. But if it doesn't happen, you're not going to be able to continue if it's 3 and 9 or 4 and 8, but they, you know, they almost won. So it could have been saved. We'll be right back. T.J. smith, personal injury attorney.

Ryan Seacrest (27:54)

Call T.J. he'll make him pay.

Shannon Sharp (27:57)

Now more of Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Here's Matt Jones.

Matt Jones (28:01)

Welcome back. Tucking sports radio, 859-280-2287. Text machine 772-774-5254. One person says, Matt, you can say what you want about Stoops, but give him credit. He was man enough to come out after the game and talk to the media. You know, if it had been Cal Perry, he would have sent an assistant coach out. Well, that may be true, but I mean, that's his job. He's supposed to come out and talk to the media. So, I mean, I give him credit for doing his job. I don't know that, you know, when Cal didn't do it, that was just his weakness. But I give him credit for doing his job. And Ryan, I give him credit for the game itself out. You know, one of the reasons I'll never really accept people who say, like Mark Stoops isn't a good coach, he's a disaster, is because, I mean, they could have come out and gotten destroyed last night or Saturday night. Really, I mean, two weeks off, he's actually not been very good off buys. Texas has got more talent. They beat a top, what, 12 team last week by, by three possessions. You could see a world where we get crushed. But they had a good game plan. Players were motivated. I actually think they played well the vast majority of the game. In game decisions were an issue, but they're always been an issue, I think with Stoops. But I, I do think you also saw Saturday in some ways the good part of Stoops with the fact that we even had a to win the game, period.

Ryan Lemond (29:24)

Totally agree. That was a Mark Stoops kind of game. The game where you're trying to out tough the other guy and really you take away two punt returns. Two punt returns and Kentucky wins that game probably. That's amazing.

Matt Jones (29:36)

I agree. But those Punt returns happen, right?

Ryan Lemond (29:40)

Why'd we punt to him the second time? I just.

Matt Jones (29:42)

Why we did second time. I also think, Drew, if we're going to be fair, we had a little good fortune. We fumbled the ball four times and we recovered all four. That doesn't usually happen. And then Texas gave us a gift when that dude ran out of bounds at the end of the, like, if he stays in bounds, we probably lose Drew in regulation.

Drew Franklin (30:01)

One of those fumbles could have been a scoop and score, but big guy, he was trying to scoop and score and said just falling on it. There were also a few plays I don't want to take away from the defense because they're awesome, but there were a couple times where Arch had a dude wide open and missed him. Wasn't even remotely close. Late in the game. I think even in the fourth quarter, his tight end sat in the middle of the field and Arch almost bounced it to him. I mean, we got bailed out on a couple of throws that Arch had too.

Matt Jones (30:25)

I can't get over how bad he is. I really can't. Like, we got a lot of pressure on him. Our defensive line played really well.

Ryan Lemond (30:31)

They really did.

Matt Jones (30:32)

But I can't believe how bad he is for a guy that had that. I mean, Paul Fine bomb. Shannon said he was the best college player since Tebow before the season.

Shannon Sharp (30:41)

Please. Paul Fine Bomb again, him just trying to make that the narrative. I know he did. Yeah, but he couldn't be more wrong. You look at his numbers versus Cutter Bowley. Cutter dominated him.

Matt Jones (30:51)

All right.

Drew Franklin (30:51)

If you're. If you're Sark, I think you have to have a difficult conversation with the Mannings. I think you have to burn the Manning bridge because it could be your job. If he doesn't pan out, you have to say, listen, I love your endorsements. I love that he's this big name, but I got to win football games match.

Ryan Lemond (31:06)

Twin Dave Fleming made a couple.

Matt Jones (31:07)

Like, really stop with the mats.

Ryan Lemond (31:10)

Your twin brother, he really set a couple critics things about Arch Manning during the broadcast.

Matt Jones (31:17)

Yeah, well, I mean, that may be true, but he doesn't. He's not my.

Ryan Lemond (31:20)

He's not identical.

Shannon Sharp (31:22)

Separated at birth.

Matt Jones (31:24)

What did you. So did you hear. Did any of the three of you hear the story that the guy called into the post game show to talk about Mitch yelling at the fan? Did you all hear this story?

Drew Franklin (31:35)

It's been relayed to me, but I didn't hear it from the caller's mouth.

Ryan Lemond (31:37)

Same. Yeah.

Matt Jones (31:38)

Okay, so a guy called in and said that there Was a fan yelling about stoops, who need to be fired. And Mitch, towards the end of the game, began to jaw with the fan back. And then when we hit the field goal to send it to overtime, he came running towards the fan, pointing at him and yelling at him, telling to eat it.

Shannon Sharp (32:06)

I could just try to picture Mitchell top button hanging off.

Matt Jones (32:09)

You want to picture it? Yeah. Now, if you go online and you watch the field goal, go look at ESPN's thing on the field goal and look at the bottom right of the video. You will see Mitch running towards somebody in the crowd, pointing. All right, now, I can't verify that any of that happened. Obviously, this was just a caller to the show. He said it. I have no reason to think he lied. I also don't have any reason to think he's telling the truth. Like, I don't know the guy. But I will say, if you go look at that video of the field goal that ties it, you will see a little Mitch Barnhart in the bottom right corner running and pointing at someone. What do you make of that, Ryan, of just the story? And, like, what if it happened? Like, what do you make of all that?

Ryan Lemond (33:02)

Okay, I didn't see it, but I want it to be so true. I want that story to be true.

Matt Jones (33:07)

You want our ad yelling at fans?

Ryan Lemond (33:10)

You see, you've been around him. And then when he sits in the corner of a basketball game or a football game, that man is intense.

Drew Franklin (33:16)

I saw the clip where he runs over to the fans like you. I mean, that could be anything. But since we have some context from the caller for to believe him, it does look like Mitch. The moment it goes to the upright runs to go give somebody the business in the crowd.

Caller/Listener (33:30)

I'm not.

Matt Jones (33:31)

Listen, I'm not saying that what the caller said is true, but the video that we have does seem consistent with what his story said. And I have seen Mitch do the point when I've seen Mitch do it. It's a ref. I haven't seen him do it to a crowd member, but I've seen him do that running point to a ref before in basketball. So I don't know, Shannon, Mitch needs.

Shannon Sharp (33:57)

To calm down a little bit. He doesn't to be yelling at our fans. And if he's celebrating, he's celebrating a tie. It's not like we won the game.

Matt Jones (34:03)

If we won the game.

Shannon Sharp (34:04)

Okay, maybe, maybe. But I don't want my ad just yelling.

Matt Jones (34:08)

So do you buy the story? Here's my question. Do you buy the story?

Ryan Lemond (34:13)

No. No.

Shannon Sharp (34:14)

But I Don't know why the guy would lie about it, though.

Matt Jones (34:16)

See, I'm buying the story. I. I didn't buy it when he first said it. Yeah, but there is video proof of him running and pointing at somebody. Yeah, I buy.

Drew Franklin (34:28)

I'm all in on buying.

Ryan Lemond (34:29)

I believe it. Cause like I said, we've seen him in action before on the court at Rupert, a football game. So I am totally in this story.

Drew Franklin (34:35)

And I think Mitch is pretty thin skinned, respectfully. Like, even just like at a press conference. Yeah, really, though.

Shannon Sharp (34:42)

Checkerboards can imagine what he does when somebody says they should fire the coach.

Drew Franklin (34:48)

In his, in his press conferences. We get every leap year, if there's a question he doesn't like, you can see him.

Ryan Lemond (34:53)

Oh, yeah.

Drew Franklin (34:53)

Kind of get red and worked up. So if somebody were yelling at him, I could see Mitch losing his cool. I don't think he handles criticism too possible.

Ryan Lemond (34:59)

This fan had been yelling at him.

Lenovo Advertiser (35:00)

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Ryan Lemond (35:00)

The whole.

Matt Jones (35:01)

Yes, I completely. And it's right there next to the student section. Right. So I could see it. I could see it. But go look at that video. Just look at the bottom. You just see him look like you. It's there. Who's next?

Shannon Sharp (35:17)

Adam.

Matt Jones (35:17)

Adam. Go ahead, Adam.

Caller/Listener (35:20)

Hey, what's up, guys? I wanted to give kind of a glass half full. Glass half empty. I like Stoops. I appreciate what he's done and, you know, great effort by the team to come out, get up off the mat after, you know, South Carolina and Georgia to come out and dominate the game. First of all, have you ever seen statistics like from a Kentucky football game.

Matt Jones (35:45)

That you dominate the game, not against a good team? I was thinking that even I don't. I can't think of the last time we beat. And I'm not saying Texas is great, but I can't think of a time we've. We didn't win, but we've dominated statistics against a good team. Like you saw in that one.

Caller/Listener (36:03)

Yeah, yeah, I think, yeah, the preparation was there. You know, the, the team responded. But on the negative side, even though I like Stoops and I think he's a good coach, he has to be one of the worst at situational football. You know, we've talked about time management, but, you know, if, you know in your gut to go for it, then why isn't that a consistent practice? I, I don't, I don't understand what they do. A lot of the times I don't know if it's, if it's Stoops calling the, you know, pulling the strings or if it's Hampden, I'm okay if, you know, we happen to put together a couple wins and bring back Stoops. You can't bring back Stoops and Hampden.

Matt Jones (36:43)

Well, I do, you know, I do agree with you situational and I appreciate the call. Situational football, which I will also say is management has always been his weakness. And I don't think it's gotten better really at all. I mean, early in his tenure it felt like they had no. No understanding of the clock. That's gotten a little better, although it still rears its head. But it's almost always situational football. That is what is frustrating with Stoops. Who's next?

Shannon Sharp (37:14)

Let's go to John Short.

Matt Jones (37:18)

John Short, how are you?

Caller/Listener (37:21)

How you doing?

Matt Jones (37:22)

Good.

Caller/Listener (37:26)

I know we played Texas real well and we lost about three points in overtime. But we'll bounce back to be Tennessee by 10. Biggins. I know we will because that beat Tennessee since 2020 when we had a. We won. That was a Jim Danny of a game. And we're gonna beat Mississippi State and all the team in volleyball. Great. When we had it over Florida volleyball yesterday.

Matt Jones (37:48)

Well, it is worth noting. Nice to hear from you, John. I appreciate the call. We did beat Florida yesterday in volleyball. They were. They're one of the top ranked teams. And now November 2nd. Ryan, what the heck? When is that? November 2nd is a Sunday. UK will play Texas in volleyball. Texas is number two right now. US Kentucky is number four. And that'll probably be for the SEC title. We're going to have a watch party at KS Bar the volleyball team, I think, because I think the game is there. So just keep that in mind. UK Texas November 2nd. And if Kentucky wins that game, they could situate to where they could host Ryan all the way through the final four.

Ryan Lemond (38:32)

Nice. I mean that's a huge win they got yesterday against Florida. Always one of the best teams in the sec. So they continue to. The volleyball machine that Craig Skinner has built over there to continues to roll trying to win another SEC championship.

Matt Jones (38:42)

Dominated that game I think yesterday as well. So UK Texas on November 2nd court physical therapy. You know, if you are not. Let's say you have pain. Shannon, do you ever have pain? You know when you have the wrestling or something. You do and all of a sudden you can't move.

Shannon Sharp (38:58)

Carrying Billy through the pre show. My back's killing me.

Matt Jones (39:02)

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Matt Jones (42:06)

Welcome back, Techie Sports Radio Channing. We have some breaking news. You ready to rock? They just announced the lineup for Rail Bird 2026, June 6th and 7th. It'll be headlined by pretty good group, Tyler Childers. They're bringing back for the Sunday show, the Lumineers on Saturday. Zach Top, that's the guy I like. If you remember, Ella Langley and then someone called Mount Joy. But the headliners, Tyler Childers, the Lumineers, and Zach Top. So there you go, Drew. I think they know the one thing that will definitely sell tickets is Tyler. So he's the headliner.

Ryan Lemond (42:45)

Yeah.

Drew Franklin (42:45)

And they gave two. Gave me two of my other favorites with Tyler I seriously like. The only three people I'm listening to right now are Tyler Childers, Zach Top, and the Creekers. They're a little farther down the list, but all three of those are on Sunday, so I will be there all day. And I like the Lumineers too, so I'm really looking forward to this one.

Matt Jones (43:02)

Can I ask you about a name that's on this list?

Drew Franklin (43:05)

Who's that?

Matt Jones (43:06)

If you look at the. Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but if you look at the Saturday schedule, it says the Lumineers, Camp Mount Joy. There's the Wallflower, Shannon.

Shannon Sharp (43:16)

Oh, yeah, I'd like to see them.

Matt Jones (43:17)

Robert Earl Keane. And then it says Ken Pomeroy. Is that Ken Palm?

Drew Franklin (43:24)

It is Pomeroy.

Shannon Sharp (43:26)

He's just gonna come out and just read the stats.

Matt Jones (43:29)

What would Kim Pomeroy be doing? The Ken Palm stats? Yeah, that. That. There cannot be Shannon to Ken Pomeroys. Right.

Shannon Sharp (43:39)

Well, I mean, there could be. And maybe we'll find out what Kentucky's chances are winning the title will be.

Matt Jones (43:44)

But what? Yeah, what would they be doing with Ken Pomerol?

Drew Franklin (43:50)

Talking about adjusted offensive efficiency with the crowd.

Matt Jones (43:53)

Know what Ken Pomeroy looks like?

Shannon Sharp (43:56)

No.

Matt Jones (43:56)

Have you ever seen him?

Ryan Lemond (43:58)

No, I've never seen him.

Matt Jones (44:00)

Okay, so there's one of two things I've seen him.

Drew Franklin (44:02)

He's pretty nerdy looking.

Matt Jones (44:04)

So which is more likely, that there is also a singer named Ken Pomeroy or that they're bringing stat. Ken Pomeroy.

Ryan Lemond (44:16)

There's definitely a singer named Ken Pomeroy.

Drew Franklin (44:18)

I think because he rated them higher than anyone else in the preseason, they booked him to just come out.

Matt Jones (44:24)

Have you ever met a person whose last name is Pomeroy, besides our kin Pomeroy? Nope.

Ryan Lemond (44:30)

Don't know.

Matt Jones (44:30)

How can there be two Pomer.

Shannon Sharp (44:32)

I've got your answer. In plot Twist, Ken Pomeroy is actually a female. It's a woman.

Matt Jones (44:37)

No, it's. Stop it. There is not a female Ken Palmer.

Shannon Sharp (44:40)

Well, there is, and that's who's on the list. It's not Ken Pomeroy. With his stats of the week coming out to sing an auto tune about.

Matt Jones (44:50)

About why Yukon has such great defensive efficiency.

Shannon Sharp (44:53)

Efficiency. It's. It's a lady named Kim Pomeroy.

Matt Jones (44:56)

So there's a woman named Ken Pomerol.

Shannon Sharp (44:58)

Yes.

Matt Jones (44:59)

How does she have the same name? But she should just. That's amazing to me.

Shannon Sharp (45:03)

Yeah, she should be. Yeah.

Matt Jones (45:04)

All right, well, we'll play Ken Pomeroy later. The. The woman singer, Ken Pomeroy.

Drew Franklin (45:09)

I kind of want her adjusted ratings throughout the season. I think this basketball season, I might try to do a feature where she.

Shannon Sharp (45:14)

Just rates the team likelihood of a number one hit.

Matt Jones (45:19)

Bomber Royce. Okay. Also, Ryan, what do you think about Ocho Cinco sitting in the student section during the game?

Ryan Lemond (45:27)

Well, I'm sitting by his new best friend Mario here in the studio.

Drew Franklin (45:30)

So.

Ryan Lemond (45:31)

Yeah, I.

Caller/Listener (45:32)

We.

Ryan Lemond (45:32)

We know he's had kids that go to school here. He took. He went all in, man. Tailgated. Went to a couple. When he went to the basketball practice, went to the football game set in the student section. I love the guy. I've always liked the guy.

Matt Jones (45:43)

Did an interview with Mario. Then on his show last night with Shannon Sharp, Drew criticized the UK play calling. So he fit right in as a Kentucky fan.

Drew Franklin (45:53)

Yeah, he got the whole experience. He was talking about storming the field, had that ripped away from him. And then he just spent his Sunday night complaining about running three draws on. On from the goal line in overtime.

Ryan Seacrest (46:03)

Welcome.

Drew Franklin (46:04)

Welcome to the family.

Shannon Sharp (46:04)

Ocho, first time he ever watched Kentucky football.

Matt Jones (46:09)

He really. He really. He really got it all. Got his heart ripped out. He got. He got everything. Nobody was happier than Mario, though. I think Bronnie Ryan has been passed for favorite Mario athlete. It's now, I think, Ocho Cinco, don't you?

Ryan Lemond (46:23)

Mario had a heck of a week. He had John Wall early in the week. They ended up with Ocho Cinco at the end of the week.

Matt Jones (46:28)

So maybe he'll get Ken Pomeroy here afterwards and get the trifecta. Who's up next?

Shannon Sharp (46:34)

LL Cool Tay.

Matt Jones (46:35)

LL Cool Tay. I hate that name, but I'll take it. What's up?

Caller/Listener (46:40)

Hey, man. Crew. Hey, I just want to talk about the last two plays in overtime. I mean, same formation, you. And even before you hiked it on the fourth down, Texas shifted to the middle and you still run the same play. I mean, what are we doing?

Matt Jones (46:56)

Yeah, I didn't even, I don't know, I didn't even process the shift. So they shifted to the middle right before the play.

Caller/Listener (47:03)

Yeah, yeah. And then you run the same play. I mean, he could have done any combination of two plays to end it and you do the same play. I mean he just pretty much just nailed the head. Nail the head of the hand in the coffin.

Matt Jones (47:16)

Yeah, well, I appreciate the call. I, I, I, it's, it's, you know, it was a chance to, if not win people back to come close and didn't happen. And unfortunately you get 95% of an effort that really could have had this fan base excited and even motivated to watch the rest of the season. And then you get a loss. And I worry next week against Tennessee is going to be, is going to be worse. Who's next?

Shannon Sharp (47:42)

Mike?

Matt Jones (47:43)

Mike. Go ahead, Mike.

Caller/Listener (47:47)

I want your opinion on this. Kind of like the last caller there, we got four chances to get in one or the two and it's the same thing. I feel like Stoops doesn't know his personal. You're trying to play power football against a front four that is pretty close to top in the country and you keep doing the same thing when it.

Matt Jones (48:10)

Didn'T really work the whole game.

Ryan Lemond (48:11)

Right.

Matt Jones (48:11)

I mean like, you know, they got some in between the, you know, in the middle runs. They had a few of them, but they were usually on play action. I mean just the sort of general, you know, hand the ball off and pound it down. That was not how they had success. I mean, they had success kind of, you know, they, they had success going to the outside. They were throwing to the tight ends throw. You know, they did a lot of like quick throws to and then get let receivers go. Cutter ran the ball. I'm just surprised things had, they had done so many unique things throughout the game. I thought the offensive play calling was creative. I'm with you, sir. I don't know why they decided to go back to something. Our offensive line in the center is not as good as their two first round picks on the defensive line and it showed right there.

Caller/Listener (49:01)

It's not power football. We don't have power football on that line.

Matt Jones (49:05)

Appreciate the call. Now you made a good point, Ryan, where you said though had they won the game it would have been a Mark Stoop signature win. And he would have been like, see, we can win. My what? Because they played the game the way Stoops likes to play.

Ryan Lemond (49:18)

That was a Mark Stoops game, the Georgia game last year. That's why they're gonna give it to Mark Stoops game. Texas plays the way that Stoops wants to play the football game. But while we're talking about those last two plays, I mean Dowdell took off him like the four yard line.

Matt Jones (49:32)

I don't understand dial down. He was like he was jumping. He looked like an NBA player trying to jump. It was unbelievable.

Drew Franklin (49:40)

If there's any way to defend the play calling, well, sorry, we're going to break but Dowdell, you can't do that. It's not 1990. The defense is standing upright waiting for yes.

Matt Jones (49:49)

I mean he was, he took, he took a leap from the four yard line.

Ryan Lemond (49:53)

He did.

Matt Jones (49:53)

Not sure what he thought he was going to do. We'll come back, talk a little basketball. Back to the game.

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