KSR Postgame Show: UK Football vs. Tennessee (10/26/25)

Podcast: KSR (iHeartPodcasts/Sports Talk 790 WKRD-AM)

Date: October 26, 2025
Hosts: Ryan Lemons & Billy Rutledge (No Matt Jones tonight)

Episode Overview

The KSR crew, led tonight by Ryan Lemons and Billy Rutledge, discuss Kentucky’s crushing 56-34 home loss to Tennessee in a game that exposed ongoing problems for the program. Callers express mounting frustration with Mark Stoops’ tenure, defensive breakdowns, and broader issues in the team's direction and administrative leadership. Despite another stellar game from young quarterback Cutter Bowley, the show’s tone is defined by anger, disappointment, and calls for change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Game Recap and Defensive Collapse

• UK Defense Breakdown: Kentucky gives up 56 points to Tennessee at home; explosive plays and defensive lapses dominate the discussion.
• Failure in Critical Moments: The "middle eights" (final 2 minutes of 1st half and first 2 minutes of 2nd half) once again prove disastrous for Kentucky.

  "It's almost like the middle fours. The last two minutes of the first half and the first two minutes of the second half just seems to spell doom time and time again for Kentucky." – Ryan Lemons (04:06)

• Defensive Coaching Scrutinized: Repeated reference to Brad White’s defensive schemes failing, particularly three-down linemen, allowing Tennessee’s QB Aguilar to pick apart the secondary.

  "There were just a lot of holes in it tonight, Billy." – Ryan Lemons (19:27)

2. Standout Performances and Missed Opportunities

• QB Cutter Bowley’s Growth: Despite the loss, Bowley throws for 330 yards and 5 TDs (26/35, 1 INT—a tipped pick six).
• Emergence of Young Receivers: DJ Miller and JJ Hester each catch two TDs—a striking contrast to their limited earlier roles.

  "Going into tonight's game, we had only thrown four passing touchdowns all season. Four. We threw five tonight." – Ryan Lemons (05:41)

• Questioning Usage Decisions: Fans and hosts alike lament these young talents weren’t featured earlier.

3. Fan Frustration and Declining Support

• Poor Stadium Atmosphere: Excessive Tennessee orange at Kroger Field, empty seats, and lackluster home-field energy underscored the fanbase’s malaise.
• Callers Expressing Disgust: Multiple callers cite the atmosphere as “flat,” "like a funeral," and evidence of a disengaged fan base.

4. The Stoops Question: Future Uncertainty

• Mounting Pressure on Stoops: Callers and hosts openly question whether Stoops should return. The argument: the program has plateaued (or worse), and the buyout is an anchor.

  "Our program has gotten to the gutter... When stands start emptying out before the second quarter, tonight felt like Joker Phillips." – Nick, Caller (13:01)

• Nothing Changing:

  "Nothing changes when nothing changes." – Richard, Caller (16:04, repeated by hosts and others throughout)

• Buyout and Admin Issues: Massive buyout makes firing Stoops costly; Barnhart’s stewardship, especially contract negotiations and NIL, criticized.

5. Program Direction & Roster Retention

• Fear of Losing Cutter Bowley: Concerns that top talent (Bowley, Rodriguez, Patterson) might leave if Stoops is retained or if the program doesn’t quickly stabilize.

  "Who are we going to keep, Stoops or Bowley? Because the big boys are going to be coming..." – Steve, Caller (17:43)

6. Culture, Administration, and Branding Concerns

• Marketing/Atmosphere Flubs: No “blackout” effort despite all-black unis; weak in-stadium traditions and student engagement; Barnhart’s recent record vilified.
• Fan Focus Shifting to Basketball: Multiple mentions that with basketball’s big win over #1 Purdue, fans’ energy is redirecting.

7. Recurring Rivalry Pain

• Tennessee Dominance Historical Context:

  "Some of us old timers, this felt like an old time Tennessee butt whooping… Five years in a row they scored over 50 points against us." – Ryan Lemons (39:38)

• Callers’ Historical Perspective: Many remember prior dark eras; dismay at feeling they're potentially returning.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Game/Postgame Analysis

• On Defensive Collapse:

  "As good as our defense played last week against Texas... they played equally as bad tonight against Tennessee."
  – Ryan Lemons (03:16)

• On Coaching Responsibility:

  "If you know it's a bad matchup for you, go out and fix it... That can’t be the excuse."
  – Ryan Lemons (03:44)

Callers’ Voices of Frustration

• On Program Decline:

  "You can tell the fans are done. When stands start emptying out before the second quarter tonight felt like Joker Phillips. Mark Stoops has got to go."
  – Nick, Caller (13:01)

• On Stoops’ Tenure or Buyout:

  "I hate how, you know, he sounds so upset ... but nothing changes when nothing changes. And nothing changed this year."
  – Richard, Caller (14:17)

• On Retaining Talent:

  "The big boys are going to be coming and they're not just going to be offering money. They're going to be offering chances at a national title and maybe even a Heisman..."
  – Steve, Caller (17:43)

• On Atmosphere:

  "You go into the, you when you tailgate, there's, there's, there's no energy, there's, everything's just flat. And you get into the stadium, everything is just flat."
  – Kettle, Caller (28:50)

Hosts' Reflections

• On Mark Stoops Leaving:

  "Man, I kind of feel the same thing that's happening with Mark Stoops... Now he's going to maybe have to walk out with his head down again. The postgame show, he sounds defeated, he sounds beat up, and I don't want that for him."
  – Ryan Lemons (35:46)

• On Barnhart:

  "All the pressure is no longer on Mark Stoops. I think all the pressure is now on Mitch Barnhart because now this is gonna have to be his decision."
  – Ryan Lemons (37:18)

• On Basketball Taking Priority:

  "Thank God it's basketball season because I promise you a lot of Wildcat fans are going to start going to Rupp instead of Kroger Field."
  – Darrell, Caller (54:25)

Noteworthy Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Highlight | Speaker/Context | |-----------|--------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------| | 03:16 | “That was ugly... Tennessee just whoops Kentucky 56 to 34...” | Ryan Lemons' game summary & frustrations | | 05:41 | "Going into tonight's game, we had only thrown four passing touchdowns all season..." | Lemons on Bowley & new receivers | | 08:50 | "The corners really struggled today..." | Billy analyses defensive secondary struggles | | 13:01 | "When stands start emptying out before the second quarter tonight felt like Joker Phillips..." | Nick, first passionate anti-Stoops caller | | 16:04 | "Nothing happens when nothing happens. Nothing changes when nothing changes." | Richard, caller/tagline for the night | | 17:43 | "Who are we going to keep, Stoops or Bowley?" | Steve, caller, on transfer risk and program future | | 28:50 | "You get into the stadium, everything is just flat..." | Kettle, caller laments lifeless fan atmosphere | | 39:38 | "In 1996, Billy, how old were you in 96? One. Tennessee scored 56 points..." | Lemons recalls long history of Tennessee blowouts | | 54:25 | "Thank God it's basketball season because I promise you a lot of Wildcat fans are going to start going to Rupp instead of Kroger Field." | Darrell, caller, sense of resignation | | 56:44 | "You want to put Fruit Loops up your butt and fart rainbows? Is that what Darrell said, Billy?" | Lemons ends show with comic relief after venting |

Key Takeaways

• Complete defensive collapse and poor adjustment doomed Kentucky, undid any positives from offensive breakout.
• Cutter Bowley’s potential and the sudden emergence of young wideouts are the lone bright spots; fans fear losing their top young talent if the program doesn’t stabilize fast.
• Mark Stoops’ future is center-stage amid cries for change, but complex by his massive buyout and growing calls for AD Mitch Barnhart to act decisively.
• Atmosphere at Kroger Field is at its lowest in years: empty seats, opposing fans dominating, and listless energy among home fans—problems of both performance and engagement.
• Callers and hosts repeatedly invoke "Nothing changes when nothing changes" as the night’s rallying cry for the need to overhaul leadership, culture, and trajectory.
• Public focus is pivoting to basketball. Kentucky’s win over #1 Purdue feels worlds apart; for many fans, basketball season can't come soon enough.

Listener Utility

This episode is a cathartic snapshot of a program at a crossroads—raw, honest, and deeply emotional. Anyone who missed the show will understand the specifics of the game, the root of current frustrations, and the tenor of the UK football fanbase right now. Optimism for the future is thin; calls for change are loud and impassioned.

End of summary.