KSR (Kentucky Sports Radio) Hour 2 — November 20, 2025

Podcast: KSR
Host: Matt Jones, with Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin, and Shannon Dawson
Date: November 20, 2025
Platform: iHeartPodcasts and Sports Talk 790 (WKRD-AM)

Episode Theme & Purpose

This hour of Kentucky Sports Radio delivers a live, wide-ranging discussion of University of Kentucky (UK) athletics—primarily focusing on basketball and football—with topical detours into sports culture, local Kentucky stories, and community connections. Host Matt Jones and the KSR crew bring their signature lively banter, local flavor, and listener interaction as they dig into team updates, injuries, unique fan stories, and a touch of international sports news.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. UK Basketball & Fan Engagement

• Mark Pope’s Body Language and Press Conference Anticipation

  • Early discussion pokes fun at body language analysis, with Ryan Lemond saying he wants to “open his eyes and listen to Mark Pope,” leading to a running joke about needing all the senses for proper coach evaluation.
    • “He comes out and he's hanging his head all mopey. How am I going to see it if I don't open my eyes?” – Ryan Lemond (03:47)
  • High anticipation for Coach Pope’s upcoming press conference with hopes for lineup updates and team insight (39:43).

• KSR Karaoke Nights and Community Spirit

  • KSBar’s karaoke events, led by Cam (“Cam’s got a mullet”), are highlighted as a way the KSR community connects off air.
    • “Every good karaoke singer's got a mullet.” – Matt Jones (04:44)

• Local Kentucky Talent in College Basketball

  • Discussion of standout Kentucky players at other colleges:
    • Colin Porter (Liberty): From Ashland, scored 35 points and sang Morgan Wallen post-game.
      • “He, like, has a good game, then they interview him, and he just is like... starts singing in his post game.” – Matt Jones (05:58)
    • Brett Decker (Liberty): From Elizabethtown, currently lighting it up from three-point range.

2. Notable Kentucky Sports Memories & Tributes

• Kelsey Brothers’ Tribute to Jared Lorenzen
  • Travis and Jason Kelce discuss UK legend Jared Lorenzen on their podcast, delighting both the hosts and fans.
    • “They put the famous throw behind his head, and they both went nuts... even though it’s just a minute or two to give a shout out to Jared, I think one of them said when they were growing up, he was, like, the most exciting player they could watch.” – Matt Jones (07:10)
• Lorenzen’s Son Making Headlines
  • Tayden Lorenzen pulls off a “called shot” lateral after intercepting a Hail Mary, demonstrating "bleeding blue" and football IQ.
    • “He said, ‘I'm checking in to intercept this Hail Mary, be ready for my lateral.’” – Drew Franklin (08:15)
  • Discussion of college recruitment options.

3. World Cup Qualifying & Underdog Stories

• Matt Jones shares emotional underdog soccer stories from world qualifying:
  • Scotland qualifying for first time in 30 years (impromptu national day off; scenes of “running and singing at 5 in the morning”).
  • Haiti and Curacao making historic World Cup appearances (Curacao with just 155,000 people).
    • “It's half the size of Lexington. And they're playing in the World Cup. That's kind of awesome, isn't it?” – Matt Jones (12:13)
  • Ryan Lemond: “Pro team Curacao right now, for sure.” (12:44)

4. Pop Culture Notes & Podcast Shout-Outs

• Jordan Hudson and the Podcast Smack
  • Jordan Hudson, often maligned figure, throws playful shade at Pablo Torre after his podcast (which featured her story) gets a 2025 Podcast of the Year nomination:
    • She retweets it and goes, ‘You're welcome.’ That's a boss move.” – Matt Jones (13:28)
    • “I do like going ‘You’re welcome’ if you’re Jordan Hudson.” – Matt Jones (14:01)

5. Community & Generations of UK Fandom

• Caller Jerry pays tribute to his late father, the “greatest UK fan” he knew, reflecting on generations connected through UK sports:
  • “He started taking me to all those UK football and basketball games in the 70s... And one of the last things I got to do with him last Saturday was listen to the Cats win.” – Jerry (15:17)
  • Matt responds with empathy about how UK sports bridge families and generations (15:49).

6. UK Football: Vandy Game Preview & Injury Report

• Drew Franklin expresses concern about the upcoming Vanderbilt game given a depleted secondary, noting many defensive injuries:
  • “It's the injury report that's really hurting me. The defense is pretty depleted. Alex Afari, he’s questionable. If he ends up playing, that's a huge difference maker.” – Drew Franklin (23:37)
• Matt attempts optimism, observing Vandy may be overvalued despite recent success.
• “I'm, I don't know, I feel weirdly confident about it. We're not going to have our usual pocket of fans, but I kind of feel like we've got a shot.” – Matt Jones (22:43)

7. Soccer Insider Segment ft. Gavin Colton (31:07–37:23)

• UK Soccer’s Tournament Prospects
  • Gavin Colton gives analysis on UK's NCAA men's soccer tournament chances, highlighting the need for leadership in absence of key player Max Miller (31:32).
  • Explains the brutal, bittersweet reality of penalty kicks:
    • “At least penalty kicks are final... It’s a great way to win. If you’ve been on the winning side, it is quite a way to win.” – Gavin Colton (34:06)
• Irish Football Hopes & Lexington Food for Irish Expats
  • Gavin is "beyond excited" to see Ireland in World Cup playoffs and plans to return home to watch.
  • Recommends “Falcha” for Irish goods in Lexington and picks his favorite pizza (Pearls), although the show spotlights Parlor Pizza this week.

8. Listener Interactions

• Lineups & Kentucky Boys
  • Callers propose fun Kentucky basketball lineups (all-Kentucky players), leading to conversations about local player history (47:18–49:19).
• Coach Stoops’ Future
  • “Is Mark Stoops Kentucky's coach next year?” All four hosts say yes; sentiment has shifted recently (47:09).
• Grounding Meditation & Matt’s Shoes
  • Unique caller meditates barefoot and asks if he can get Matt’s shoes—Matt agrees to send them (50:26).

9. Local Food and Lexington Shoutouts

• Big plug for upcoming KSR remote show at Parlor Pizza and its “hot honey pepperoni” pizza, with Drew recounting, “I think I ate everything on the menu” (17:39).

10. Lighter Moments & Culture

• Hosts rib on Stephen A. Smith's “delusions of grandeur,” react to ESPN talk show personalities, and share that no one in the room would’ve known Cam Newton is on First Take if not for it being on during their show (44:17–45:45).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On UK Fans & Generations:
  “The reason I love Kentucky sports is it connects people and it connects generations... All of you have somebody who introduced you to this.” – Matt Jones (15:50)
• Podcast Smack:
  “She retweets it and goes, ‘You're welcome.’ That's a boss move.” – Matt Jones (13:28)
• On Small Countries in the World Cup:
  “It's half the size of Lexington. And they're playing in the World Cup. That's kind of awesome, isn't it?” – Matt Jones (12:13)
• Caller Memorial Tribute:
  “He started taking me to all those UK football and basketball games in the 70s... And one of the last things I got to do with him last Saturday was listen to the Cats win.” – Jerry (15:17)
• On Podcast Overinflation:
  “Don’t tell me you an athlete and you don’t know Cam Newton’s on this show. You’re lying.” – Quoting Stephen A. Smith, mocked by Matt Jones (44:44)

Important Timestamps

• 03:20: Show returns post-commercial; banter about listening/watching Mark Pope and senses
• 04:13: Invitation to karaoke at KSBar
• 07:01: Kelce Brothers' tribute to Jared Lorenzen
• 08:14: Tayden Lorenzen’s highlight play recap
• 09:15: World Cup qualifying stories: Scotland, Haiti, Curacao
• 13:04: Jordan Hudson “you’re welcome” story
• 14:47: Caller Jerry’s live tribute to his late father, UK's biggest fan
• 22:04: Football injury woes; Vandy game preview
• 31:07: Soccer insider Gavin Colton joins; UK men’s soccer and Irish national team talk
• 44:17: Stephen A. Smith/First Take cultural segment
• 47:09: Hosts unanimously believe Mark Stoops returns as UK football coach
• 49:19: All-Kentucky boys basketball lineup discussion

Episode Flow & Tone

The conversation is loose, lively, local, and camaraderie-driven—blending humor, nostalgia, analysis, and heartfelt community moments. Frequent asides demonstrate the KSR hosts’ close connection to their listeners and the Kentucky sports community, both in joking and in earnest.

“We love you and I’ll be praying for you and your family. And God bless you, man.” – Matt Jones (15:39)

Wrap-Up

This episode encapsulates what listeners value most in KSR: a Kentucky-focused sports conversation with plenty of heart, history, and humor. Local sports heroes, community stories, underdog victories, and even international soccer dreams all find a home in the hour—a testament to KSR’s mix of sports talk, local culture, and fan-first spirit.