KSR Postgame UK Football at Vanderbilt (11/22/25)

Date: November 23, 2025
Host: Matt Jones
Producer/Co-host: Billy
Podcast: KSR Postgame Show (iHeartPodcasts and Sports Talk 790 - WKRD-AM)

Episode Overview

This postgame episode centers on Kentucky’s (UK) crushing 45-17 defeat to Vanderbilt in Nashville—a loss that wasn’t as close as the score reflects. Matt Jones and the KSR team field calls and discuss the state of the UK football program as it heads toward a critical matchup with Louisville, debate the future of head coach Mark Stoops, and reflect on issues of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) and program direction amid growing donor and fan frustration. The tone is frustrated, candid, and analytical, with Matt emphasizing the pivotal crossroad facing UK football.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Postgame Reactions: Total Annihilation by Vanderbilt

• Kentucky was “never in it” after the first quarter (03:03).
• Star Performance: Diego Pavia had one of the greatest individual performances ever against UK—second most passing yards allowed since Peyton Manning in 1997 (04:00).
• Offensive Ineptitude: UK’s offense was non-existent until mop-up time in the fourth quarter.
• Defensive Collapse: Injuries in the secondary exposed, but even veteran players were beaten.
• First Time Blown Out by Vandy: This was Vanderbilt’s first major blowout of the season, typically they play close games.

“Kentucky got completely annihilated and it's really the first time Vandy is annihilated a team this year.” — Matt Jones (04:28)

2. State of the Program: Morale, Direction, and the Stoops Dilemma

• Only a few weeks ago, morale around the program hadn’t been lower since the Joker Phillips era.
• Recent wins alleviated pressure—but this blowout restored fanbase anxiety regarding Stoops and the trajectory of the program.
• The next Louisville game is framed as the season—and perhaps program—defining pivot.

“For Mark Stoops, the Louisville game is probably the difference between a frustrating, ultimately mediocre season ... and a fan base that likes would like to see a change most likely and then won't get it." — Matt Jones (06:22)

• Stoops’ Future: Matt doubts Stoops will be fired regardless, citing economic and donor realities.

Notable Quotes:

“I don't think Mark Stoops is going to get fired regardless. But I also wonder if at 5 and 7, especially if you lost to a Louisville team that is now reeling, I don't know how you build up a fan base in that off season.” (07:44)

3. Immediate Program Concerns: Fan Experience, Team Culture, and Broadcast Frustration

• Fan Apathy: “Not that happy and uneasy Kentucky fan base.” (09:17)
• Women’s Team a Bright Spot: UK women beat Louisville for the first time in Louisville since 2014, but “besides that, it’s... uneasy.”
• Dissatisfaction with the game broadcast and the excessive focus on Diego Pavia’s mom.

“By the end of the game, I'm not sure I'd ever… I was ever more ready to stop listening to two people talk…” — Matt Jones (10:13)

4. NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) and Roster Building Realities

• Caller Discussion: Questioned why Vandy outperformed UK in the transfer/NIL space.
• Matt’s Take: UK has not failed due to lack of money, but by spending money on the wrong players.

“We just picked the wrong guy. Or they came and he, they coached him up better than, than we did. I mean, that's the answer.” — Matt Jones (16:55)

• Future Parity: Starting next year, the revenue-share era levels the playing field financially; success will hinge on how money is spent.

“And how you choose to spend it is going to be huge. And right now, we haven't done a good job spending our money the last few years.” (17:39)

5. Calls for Change: The Stoops Buyout Dilemma

• Many callers express frustration, some calling for Stoops to be fired.
• Matt repeatedly highlights the reality—the $37 million buyout (due in 60 days), the lack of an obvious donor willing to pay it, and a donor base that largely supports Stoops.

"Who's going to pay that money? Because everybody skips over that piece... I don't know where that money's coming from..." — Matt Jones (32:17)

Even as fans want a change, Matt stresses the practical limitations:

“I think a very reasonable opinion is to be upset at Mitch Barnhart for that contract because the 60 day provision is kind of, I don't think any other coach in the country has that provision.” (64:24)

6. Modernization and Future Vision for UK Athletics

• Matt advocates for a shift to “visionary thinkers” in the athletic department—"modernization" at Vandy (light shows, fan experience) is contrasted with Kentucky’s stagnation.
• Suggests current AD Mitch Barnhart is unlikely the person to lead into the “post-NIL” era.

“We are not a modern athletic department... that needs to change quickly.” — Matt Jones (27:06)

7. Cutter Bowley and Player Development

• Callers praise true freshman QB Cutter Bowley’s effort and toughness, dubbing him the future of UK football.
• Matt: Bowley will be “the whole thing” UK sells to fans in the offseason.

“He is the Kentucky football going into next season... Because he is and he is exciting.” (13:58)

• Discussion around whether offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan will survive, hinging on Cutter Bowley’s preferences.

8. Fan/Booster Sentiment vs. Reality

• Matt explains the gap between the message board/social media fans (often more reactionary), and the donor base, which, in football specifically, dictates major changes due to the scale of their financial support.
• Many donors are personally close to Stoops; Matt highlights the practical difficulty of firing a coach given this dynamic.

9. Long-Term View: Impact of NIL and Next Era of College Football

• Matt ranks NIL/revenue share as the second most transformative thing in college sports after integration (21:23).
• Projects that successful programs/coaches in the NIL era may be totally different from previous eras.
• Warns that decisions next 6 months (coach, AD) will decide UK’s future for 20 years.

“Next five years are going to decide the next 20 years of college sports, of what programs are good and all that. And I don't want us to be in the wrong place.” (24:53)

10. Special Segments and Memorable Moments

Excessive Coverage of Diego Pavia’s Mom

• Nearly 20% of listener texts were about her being continuously shown on the broadcast.

“That was more than Taylor Swift, wasn't it?” — Matt Jones (12:33)

Stoops’ Press Conference

• Caller notes that Stoops said, “Cutter Bowley’s got a great future ahead of him” (47:05), raising concerns about whether Stoops sees an immediate UK future.

Important Timestamps

• 03:03 — Matt’s immediate postgame summary and breakdown.
• 13:58 — Cutter Bowley as the future of UK football.
• 16:55 — Matt on NIL decisions and “picking the wrong guy”.
• 21:23 — The impact of NIL in college athletics.
• 27:06 — Modernization: Vandy’s game day experience vs. UK.
• 32:17 — Stoops’ buyout reality and fan/donor divide.
• 64:24 — Criticism of Mitch Barnhart's contract decisions.
• 69:00 — Matt: “I think it would be better for the program for [Stoops] to be somebody else.”
• 74:05 — Comparison to Joker Phillips' firing; lack of fan revolt this year.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Exchanges

• On the season’s pivotal moment:
  “It’s kind of a week where there’s a pivot where Kentucky football can go one of two sort of dramatically different directions.” — Matt Jones (07:22)

• On NIL spending:
  “We didn't fail because we didn’t have enough money. We failed because we spent money on the wrong people.” — Matt Jones (15:55)

• On program modernization and fan experience:
  “We are not a modern athletic department. Football program. I think basketball, we are closer to it, but football… just not.” — Matt Jones (27:06)

• On the challenge of firing Stoops:
  “Everybody skips over that piece… Who’s going to pay that money?” — Matt Jones (32:17)

• On the call-in audience:
  “On these calls, this is the most… whoever calls is on… I did expect people to be more negative on this.” — Matt Jones (40:43)

• On Cutter Bowley:
  “He is the Kentucky football going into next season... Because he is and he is exciting. And kudos to him for coming back. I'm really shocked that he did.” — Matt Jones (13:58)

Representative Callers and Perspectives

• Rooney (17:51): Frustration over ESPN switching off the UK game, concern that repeated embarrassments may force Stoops’ ouster.
• Scott (20:54): Asks about NIL’s impact and Stoops’ ability to re-adjust.
• Ryan (25:41): Expresses embarrassment about Kentucky’s standing vs. even "the Vandy’s of the world."
• Walker (65:26): Questions about UK’s transfer/NIL player evaluation—“Who’s making the final decision?”
• Joe/Joel (56:17; 58:40): Vents anger, threatens fan disengagement, challenges Matt on possible solutions, illustrating fanbase’s emotional fatigue.

Conclusion: What’s Next for UK Football?

This episode paints a picture of a program in limbo—successful enough to stoke expectations, but not enough to create satisfaction among fans, nor to make necessary change financially feasible. The balance of donor power, massive contract buyouts, and NIL realities has UK at a crossroads. The looming game against Louisville carries outsize importance: win and salvage momentum (and bowl eligibility), or lose and risk a “5-7 purgatory” that could poison fan enthusiasm and cast a critical spotlight on the leadership and vision at every level of UK athletics.

Summary Prepared For:
Listeners who want a thorough understanding of UK football’s post-Vandy loss mood, NIL realities, Stoops’ job security, and the passionate, conflicted dialogue around the program’s future.