KSR Postgame: UK Football at Georgia – October 4, 2025

Podcast: KSR Postgame
Hosts: Matt Jones & Billy Reed
Episode: UK FB at Georgia 10/4/25
Date: October 4, 2025

EPISODE OVERVIEW

The episode centers on dissecting Kentucky’s 35–14 loss to Georgia, but the postgame show quickly pivots to the broader existential crisis around UK football. Matt Jones frames the show as a unique opportunity to check the “pulse” of the Wildcat fanbase amidst another disappointing performance and a growing sense of apathy. The discussion highlights on-field failings, critical decisions about the future of head coach Mark Stoops, the pitfalls of his contract, fan engagement, and what the path forward may—or may not—look like.

GAME RECAP AND ANALYSIS

Summary of the Loss ([00:00]–[06:33])

• Competitive but Not Competitive: Matt Jones opens by stating that despite some flashes, Kentucky "never really would have a chance to win" and that the game "never felt like a shot that Kentucky could actually win."
• Quarterback Play: Cutter Bowley delivered what Matt says is “probably his best performance as a cat,” with two passing touchdowns. But this highlights a major flaw: "In 11 SEC games in the Bush Hamden era, this is the first time we've thrown two touchdown passes." ([01:28])
• Offensive Struggles: The team’s inability to throw to wide receivers or get any meaningful passing attack is heavily criticized. Matt notes: “This team has no receivers that can get open and they just can't throw. And then when you play a defense… you're going to struggle.” ([02:35])

Critical Game Moments & Mismanagement

• End-of-First-Half Disaster ([03:35]): Kentucky squandered a double-up opportunity due to poor clock management. “Jesse Palmer correctly called him out for it, said, this is terrible clock management. It was”—they end up with a missed field goal rather than a shot at the end zone.
• Historical Problem: Matt highlights this as not just a one-off: “There are probably 15 games in the Stoops era where the end of the first halves have cost us major. Literally probably 15 games. I mean, that’s honestly only a little over one game a year. So maybe it’s 20 games, maybe 25 games.” ([04:23])
• Second Half Issues: The third quarter opens with a promising drive immediately ending in a fumble: “You go for a drive and they end up fumbling the ball. That’s poor performance and you end up losing the game.” ([05:32])

FANBASE SENTIMENT & BIGGER PICTURE

Apathy and Frustration ([06:33]–[14:09])

• Fan Disconnection: Matt asserts, “this fan base is as out as they've been on Stoops… This is the most out fans have ever been on Stoops, and he's been here a long time.” He wonders if there’s a realistic path to winning fans back.
• Lack of Excitement: “It’s a bad combination of being losing and boring, which is a horrible combination.” ([08:39])
• Fan Engagement Fails: Matt criticizes the team for making “no engagement with the fans,” making it hard to care: "It’s real easy not to care about people that you do not know." ([06:34–07:46])
• Basketball Looms: With men's basketball resurgent and engaging, fans have an easy escape.

MARK STOOPS’ FUTURE & CONTRACT DEBATE

Stoops’ Commitment & Buyout Dilemma ([09:15]–[14:09])

• Stoops Not Resigning: Stoops, postgame: “There is zero chance I’m walking away. You know what I mean? Zero.” ([09:47])
• Matt's Interpretation: “He’s kind of drawing a line in the sand with that. I’m not going anywhere.”
• Contract Analysis: Matt and Billy Reed review the consequences of Stoops’ contract:
  • "Every time we made a bowl game, he got a year added to the contract... we create a contract for him where we said it was cool for him to miss a bowl game six times." ([13:06])
  • “We are going to reap what we sow.” ([14:12])
• Executive Accountability: While Matt credits Mitch Barnhart (AD) for much, he faults him for “two horrible contractual situations”—with both Calipari and Stoops. “Now here's another one. And... we're just reliving that situation again now, but nobody's going to come and save this one.” ([12:00–13:50])
• Buyout Math: The hefty $37M buyout complicates any decision, especially with the contract automatically extending for bowl appearances.

CALLER INSIGHTS & FAN STORIES

Emotional Toll & Lost Identity

• Ford (First caller, [18:59]): "Watching this team, it's like watching like a family member get sick.”
• Jackson ([23:11]): Expresses nostalgia for Stoops’ early energy, lamenting: “Now... he’s as energized as our mascot was today at the game, just sitting down.”
• Caller Max ([26:28]): Points out difficult circumstances but notes that, regardless, “let’s not be both less talented and also less prepared and also less smart. I don't think that's too much to ask.” ([26:54])

Frustrations with On-field Play & Coaching

• Fans and host alike highlight:
  • Poor tackling and gap coverage
  • Missed fundamental opportunities
  • Repeated game management failings
  • Inexplicable lack of wide receiver production and play variety ([38:41], [42:29])
• Brad White Criticism ([41:44]): Defenders are caught playing too far off receivers on crucial downs, as pointed out by Jesse Palmer on the broadcast.

LARGER QUESTIONS FACING UK FOOTBALL

Structural Challenges & National Perspective

• Why Not Be Good at Both Sports? ([27:49]):
  • Caller Stephen: “With nil and the money… Why can't we be good at both [football and basketball]?”
  • Matt: "We can... Kentucky can now be good regularly at football. I don't think they can be championship level, but right now we're the worst.” ([28:17])
• Offensive Futility & Leadership Search: Matt and callers discuss if simply changing offensive coordinators will help, skepticism is high.
• Next Coach Wish List: Popular names include John Sumrall, Will Stein, and unnamed “young, smart, energetic” coaches who are fluent in modern NIL and transfer portal management ([30:22], [31:10]).

FAN APATHY & PROGRAM IDENTITY

Vanishing Engagement ([31:50], [64:41])

• Apathy Across the State: Callers and Matt compare UK to programs like Louisville—where even a winning football team now struggles with attendance after years of fan disconnect.
• “Section 206” Flashback ([62:47]): Matt recalls the infamous 40–0 Vandy game of 2012 as a low point, suggesting UK could be back to that same numb indifference if the trend continues.

The Economic Tipping Point

• Fan Money Talks: “At what point does the opportunity cost lost with tickets, nil donations, etc., outweigh having to pay the buyout?” ([34:10])
• Season Ticket Holders' Dilemma: Some lifelong fans are already talking about abandoning their season tickets.

QUOTE HIGHLIGHTS & MEMORABLE MOMENTS

• Matt Jones ([05:36]): “It’s a bad combination of being losing and boring, which is a horrible combination... And on the other side, you have a basketball program that is fun to watch, that is engaging with their fans and has a chance to compete for titles. So people are just gonna be like, well, football, what are you gonna do?”
• On the Stoops contract ([13:06]): “We created a contract to pay a coach top 10 money in the country and said you get six years where you don't have to make a bowl game.”
• Caller Ford ([18:59]): “Watching this team, it’s like watching a family member get sick.”
• Caller Jackson ([24:17]): “It almost feels like we have the way to get the talent. And he’s as energized as our mascot was today at the game, just sitting down.”
• Matt's Summary ([54:33]): “For Kentucky football to be Kentucky football and not be…to be successful, you really have to sit there and say Vandy, South Carolina, Missouri, Louisville—those four, when we're better than them, we're good. And when we are not better than them, we are bad… I don't know if in my lifetime…we've been farther from South Carolina, Vandy, Missouri, Louisville than we are right now.”

NOTABLE SEGMENTS & TIMESTAMPS

• [00:00–06:33]: Game summary – offensive woes, key stats, and missed halftime opportunity.
• [06:33–14:09]: Fan engagement, Stoops’ contract consequences, future scenarios for the program.
• [18:59]: Emotional fan stories, growing apathy and pain—“like watching a family member get sick.”
• [26:08]: Contrasts in head coach energy—Kirby Smart demanding excellence up 28-7; Stoops passive.
• [34:10]: Economics of fan disengagement—at what point does financial loss outweigh the cost to make a coaching change?
• [54:33]: Mark Stoops’ record against SEC East/Louisville; redefining program benchmarks.
• [62:47]: Call to revive "Section 206" as a symbol of fan apathy returning.
• [64:41]: Apathy’s effect on Kentucky and Louisville football attendance.

FINAL THOUGHTS & THEMES

• The show paints a vivid picture of a frustrated, disengaged UK football fanbase, angry not merely at losing, but at feeling bored and disconnected. Both host and callers agree a growing gap exists between fans and the program, exacerbated by poor performance, bad contracts, and a lack of effort to foster engagement.
• There is consensus that the current trajectory is unsustainable and would permanently damage the fanbase if allowed to continue through another lackluster season.
• The Stoops contract is roundly criticized as an albatross, with a buyout preventing easy action—yet the loss of revenue and spirit may soon outweigh even that massive sum.
• The need for a new approach—either in coaching or at least in offensive philosophy and fan relations—is urgent. Multiple fans and Matt himself wistfully recall past moments of fun and connection that UK football currently misses.

Conclusion:
The postgame serves less as a breakdown of the Georgia game and more an emergency town hall on the state of UK football. The bill for a decade of administrative mistakes and on-field decline has come due, and—at least for this episode—no one has any easy answers.