October 31, 2025 • 18 mins
Wildcat Whip with Tom Leach, Jeff Piecoro & Dick Gabriel
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the Wildcat Whip, Tom Lee, Jeffercoy yours surely
did Gabriel Wildcats play at Auburn. I don't think we've
been down there to cover a game since the COVID year.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Right, yep, still still say it's there's still a touchdown
owed to Kentucky down.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
When you look at Chris Rodriguez career stats in your mind,
add one to the touch And here's the sad thing.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
I was at the opposite end of the field. This
was right.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
You guys were up stuck, and I could see it
that he got in just depth to field.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
I mean, and it's not why they wonted to lost
the game, but I think I think things turned a
little bit there, don't you.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
Yeah, so a lot to do.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
That means again, we talk about it a lot, Jeff
and keys of the game and get off to the good.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Start, right, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Absolutely, And this is a team that has struggled in
the passing game. Maybe we don't know who's going to
be the quarterback for sure, but they've got a really
good running back and last week they gave it to
him twenty eight times, which is the most they've given
to him yet. And they ran for look this up
three hundred and fifty yards against Kentucky last season. So
one would put those two together and think that you
(01:09):
don't want to be playing from behind against these guys
because they're gonna try to hang onto the ball for
a long time.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (01:15):
And the other thing is they're banged up, so their
starting centers will not play. He's already been called out Coleman.
Their best receiver to turn it from last year, all
SEC type receiver. He is very questionable to him got
hurt in the last game. A lower leg injury is
not practiced all week. So if they're down two players
on the offensive side, which is their problem. You know,
you look at that defense time of year. I was like, Wow,
(01:37):
they got size, They got guys that are NFL going
to be in the NFL next year. They got a
linebacker defensive at edge rusher that is as good as
the kid at South Carolina.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
I mean, he's he's pretty dark.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Now is that the guy who won the Bronco.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
And they have had one of those stretches like Kentucky
had in October that they had four straight ranked opponents.
Nobody scored twenty four against them, more than twenty four
against them.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Yet I was trying to get a beat on Auburn
last weekend because of course the night game. So I'm
sure you guys do what I do as you're prepping,
But you know, I'm spending a dial watching as many
different games, and I didn't give up on Auburn, but
I turned away from it because Arkansas.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Was having its way at halftime.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Then I turned back in the fourth quarter, and it's
it's a it's chaotic.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
But Arkansas turned it over.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
Four times in the fourth quarter and fourth and also
changed square. He took Arnold out, who was the kid
that came from Oklahoma, and they put in the kid
from Stanford. Now, the kid from Stanford in the last
two years through for over four thousand yards combined, but
he also had twenty interceptions. So it's that's your give
or take. So look, if you're watching this game, it's
only gonna last about an hour and a half because
these teams are.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Gonna run like the first quarter last week.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Kid, Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yeah, you know, Auburn, as you said, just froze the ball.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Last year. It was a good game at the half.
Can tell he was up ten to nothing. Yeah, on
point and then what was it?
Speaker 1 (03:02):
It was tied tight at halftime, and then Auburn did
all the scoring in the second half and had a
running back that ran for two hundred and seventy eight yards.
How did that happen against the Kentucky defense. Can't happen
this week?
Speaker 3 (03:13):
No, it can't.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
And you know Stoops talked about a bad matchup last week,
and it was they had the corners, not their strongest position,
certainly without Waller, they had a guy I think when
they were touting that particular position in the preseason, it
was with what they were expecting from him because he
was playing really well leading up to the season. Anyway,
(03:35):
they have, you know, one of their two starters was
hurt to some extent last week and Tennessee just you
know as NFL caliber receivers, and it was a bad
miss matchup. Now, you play a team that's figures to
be run oriented and they've had struggles throwing the ball,
and Kentucky's strength of its defense, I think is that
defensive front. Yep, guy's making a lot of tackles. So
(03:58):
you throw your best pitch against their best hitters, so
to speak. In terms of their running game, and you
feel like it's you. You like your matchup better.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Tom.
Speaker 5 (04:07):
Do you think this is almost to the point of
the Clemson game and the bowl game where you can't
hide the defensive backs anymore? And yeah, you know, and
Waller probably won't play this week, So it's it's almost
that situation where it was at Clemson where you just
basically have to sit back and zone and try to
help the safeties, try to help over the top as
(04:27):
much as they.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Can, try to get pressure on the quarterback. They never
really affect Aglar much last week. They need to be
able to do that and you know, force some turnovers. Yeah,
And here's the way with Auburn running the ball, to
do something you haven't done all season, recover a fumble
that the other team puts on the ground.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
That's amazing.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
That's been Auburn's problem in the last basically since what
is at eighteen their last winning See they've lost seven
seven games the last four years because fumbles interceptions.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
It has absolutely killed them. Wow.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Yeah, And it's an Auburn team that is always going
to be playing from behind in the state when it
comes to Alabama. But they still get a lot of
quality players down there South Georgia. Not everybody can go
to Alabama. Of course, it's a team, it's a program
that has known success, SEC titles and a national championship
and all.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
And the fan base is restless right now, Isn't it
absolutely right?
Speaker 4 (05:25):
You've got a coach that's basically coaching for his job.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Yeah, on both team too, Embattled coaches can fly home
with us if Kentucky wins, that's right, But you.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Know, Kentucky.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
I think it's interesting how the season in terms of
schemes has flip flopped. And again bad matchup last week
with Tennessee. But early in the year all we could
talk about was, but what about that defense, because we
the offense had its issues.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Now it's you can't wait to see what cutter Bolli
it does next.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Yeah, because we came into the season and we always
Aaron talks about those preseason predictions and it's the things
to talk about it this summer till the game startup.
But inevitably things change, whether it's injuries or somebody's better
or not as good as you thought. And we thought
Kentucky was gonna be a power running team, and instead
(06:15):
after the last month, it's starting to look like that
Kentucky is going to be built around cutter Bowl. He's
right arm and his legal team of Miller and Miller.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Law, that's right. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
And we got to wonder about Seth McGowan, you know,
but he's on the problem list.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
When we got to.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Talk a chance to talk to the Patterson this week
and I asked him if, I said, are you hitting
the hole faster than you have been in the past,
And he kind of walked around and then he finally
embraced it. He said, yeah, that's something he's worked on.
He was good last year, but I don't remember him
being as explosive as he's been this year.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
He's almost broken a couple plays.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
I think he understands that the big, heavy, big guys
hurts a lot more when they hit you, so if
you can get past them, it doesn't.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Hurt as much when a safety hits you. I'm not being.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Funny, No, no, no, I get it. You want to go
you deliver them?
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Yeah, you deliver it.
Speaker 5 (07:10):
So once you get to the second level, he can
lower his shoulder on a linebacker and sliding over a
safety that's coming up, and he delivers.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
When you get hit up the line of scrimage, you're
in the backfield. Excuse me. Like he was a lot
last season, you got no chance.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
And McGowan clearly was becoming a favorite target for Cutter.
But Patterson is a capable receiver, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (07:35):
And you've got that as a either a if it's
a designed part of the play, or just check down option.
But Cutter is just starting to feel really, really comfortable
and getting in a groove. And I think other players
are feeding off that. If you played wide receiver, Jeff,
if the quarterbacks, you know, really feeling it, you can't
(07:56):
wait to get into your pattern because I may get.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
To catch on exactly And what do we always hear?
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (08:03):
You want to get your best players in space. I
thought it was interesting.
Speaker 5 (08:05):
Mark Monday when he talked about the game, said getting
Kendrick Glaw, for instance, the ball in space and what
do he do? He was able to you know, three
guys were there defensively, and he beat all three of
them down the field for the long touchdown. McGowan was
that guy that he's getting it in space. And what
Cutter's doing is what Tom was talking about. He's not
throwing behind him, He's not throwing out him, He's throwing
ahead of him.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
So they're getting ahead of Steam running downfield.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
The ball's right on the money, and now it makes
it a lot harder to get a one on one tackle.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
One of guy's got a full head of steam.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Speaking of players who have been injured, what do we
know about Willie Rodriguez?
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Do we know anything yet?
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Here as we talk on Thursday afternoon, it wasn't on
the list.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Yeah, so if it not on the list, it must
be good to go.
Speaker 5 (08:44):
Because it was more an angle. I thought it was
a knee, but it was more an ankle. He had
his shoe off after the game and icing the ankle area.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
So I thought it was more of a serious injury
because he was so angry about it.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
You know, is that the reported during the game.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
The seeing the end injury report or availability report. It's
better than I thought it was going to be when
we left the stadium Saturday night.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Yeah, because you guys talked about it on post game.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
You know, now they've got a beat up team. You know,
they're trying to keep their heads up and keep their
heads in the game and be positive.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
You know, I know you said, well, they you know
got uh you know uh to two of the top
three corners, but that position hadn't been playing great anyway,
So it's not like it's a look.
Speaker 5 (09:29):
I had to jump in on this because I just
think it's such a whatever verb you want to put
in there, that was going to be a nasty word
that I can't say on the air crutch that you
want to use.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
We're beat up? Well, no efing kitting everybody. It's the
eighth week.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
I guess what when I played and I'm not and
I'm not that I guess I am, Yes you are.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
But we didn't have off weeks.
Speaker 5 (09:54):
You played eleven straight weeks, and then you have a
bowl game hopefully rush your fingers three weeks later.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
Now they get not one, but two.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
Greats during the season and it seems like an eternity
before the bowl game starts. So I don't want to
hear this. Oh we're beat up. Everybody's beat up. It's
part of playing football. If you don't have depth, it's
your own fault.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
Go out.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
And that's the key, you know, because you know you
there are teams that can absorb injuries better than others.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
The nineteen seventy.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Seven Kentucky team suffered a rash of this the best
team in the minor era YEA suffered a rash of injuries.
It would cripple any other team, including Jim Kovi.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
If Rod Stewart didn't Stuart.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
It's some guy that we didn't even know is on
the team named Joe Deprie becomes a really good fullback.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Yeah yeah, but next man up? Yeah, And it worked then.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
And I'm not I'm not knocking guys.
Speaker 5 (10:48):
I'm just saying it's used as a crutch by every
coach now because.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
You know, that's all they know is their own team, correct.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
Yeah, but you know that's well. Guys now are bigger,
they're faster, they're stronger.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I get all, guys, but it's yeah, it's it's all.
It's all you know, the two guys collide. Yeah, yeah,
I get that. No, that's fair, that's fair. But it
does come back to depth, that's what you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
And now you've got another road game, and this team
has functioned well on a road.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
Cutter, Bowli has functioned well on the road, hasn't he.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
It has, And you think about from really almost the
time Mark got here, the second year, they were a
whisker away from winning down at Florida in his second
year at much discussed delay a game Penn. But you know,
they won a game at Old Miss, they won a
game at at grona blank here at Tennessee, yes, convincingly
(11:44):
they've wanted Georgia ebbams. But when coach Brooks was here
at O nine, but you know they've I'm thinking and
also neutral games, bowl games they've played well, won at
Louisville twice when they were ranked. I do wonder as well.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
We talked about in battle coaches, people are wondering what
the crowds are going to be like for the remaining.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Home games here.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
What's it going to be like down at Auburn, because
you can't compare to when we were down there Alaska.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
That was COVID and they limited supposedly limited crowd, maybe
be beout.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
The sayment was for the COVID game.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
It might be That's what I'm saying, you know, and
they but they have had what is it, Tom like,
I'm looking in the notes, just a nineteen straight sellouts
or something.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
I just remember that COVID game there was what's supposed
to be anybody there and it was like, well, if
if it's only family, then every kid on that team
is like Tebbe Smith's family exactly sixteen brothers.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
And they were supposed to be socially distant and they
were just partying like and of course when you follow
it up on it, boy, they had a ration COVID outbreak. Really,
you know, but still maybe this is good for this
team they always talk about, you know, it's us against
the world, Jeff.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
You know how it is. You're in a hotel, all
you have is each other.
Speaker 5 (12:49):
Well a lot of guys like because the distractions are there,
that's right. You know, when you're at home, your girlfriend's
gone or whatever, you got to talk to your.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
Parents, whatever, or well, I don't know, I know, Uh, I.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
Was trying to be uh politically correct in this time.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
We're in now wives family, uh you know, buddies, you know, everybody's.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
All you didn't even know you.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Everybody's all over you at all. You know, you're trying
to get a clus you get out of front. I
enjoyed it.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
I I'm a different cat, I guess because I you know,
one of the best things I enjoyed about everything that
I've done is traveling.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
Yep. You know, in football and baseball and all that
kind of stuff. And as a player, I loved it.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
I didn't mind at all sleeping in a much work
Look the beds we had at kurt Wood won.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
But we walked in here, you're you're, you're.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
It was a wooden slat and a yes and a
rolled up thing like the army.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
You did it and it rolled it down, and that
was what you slept on.
Speaker 5 (13:43):
So sleeping in a really nice buddy and a holiday inn,
and now holiday in is nothing.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
We're staying in Chateau e Long.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
You know, yeah, but you know, you do wonder what
they're going to run into. There are question marks on
both sides of the all. But is it going to
be power versus power?
Speaker 4 (14:03):
Do you think? Or do is.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Kentucky Kentucky's more slaying it around? Kentucky suddenly makes some
explosive plays. We saw that happen last week. And and
you know what I liked.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
About each of the first two games, the most first drive,
the scripted plays, moving the chains, first downs.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
I don't like throwing deep on third and two.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
You know, I'll get that first down and keep going,
but still put them back on their heels.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
And run the clock, right.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
It's nothing like a quarterback who's like a you know,
a picture of the days, you know, throwing a you know,
perfect game, no hitter or something quarterback who's in a groove.
Ride ride that as long as it is the circumstances
will let you. And you know, Auburn certainly will have
something to say about that.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
But do you think, Jeff, they're gonna we're gonna show
cut her bowlie?
Speaker 5 (14:51):
Yeah, Well he came from this offense in high school too,
and I think he is.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
He is really.
Speaker 5 (14:58):
Comfortable and an empty backfield because that's what he played
mostly in high school too. It makes you make a decision. Look,
it's just like, and I go back to this all
the time, the air raid offense, Tim Jared, whoever the
quarterback was, new Dusty. They knew where the ball was
going before the snap anyway, because as you're walking up
(15:19):
to the line of scrimmage, you're scanning the field, Go okay,
that's where I'm throwing, and the ball snappy, you just
get it out And that's the exact same thing he's
doing a standing up well yeah, but it's just not
called an air raid, you know. But he's utilizing that
short stuff. Once you start hitting that, now the safety's
back up. Now the linebacker's back up. Now you run
a little bit that slows down that pass rush. Then
(15:40):
you can go over the top.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
A little bit.
Speaker 5 (15:42):
And I think he's used to that and he's really
comfortable in that, and I think Bush and him are
on the same page lot. I think if you watch
those first couple of games and compare it to the
calls they're making now, totally different game plan now, so
they've tailored it to what Cutter does best and what
he what he likes doing.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
I think you go in now if you're Kentucky thinking
you can score at least in the twenties, yep, instead
of you know, they were for a while back into
last year hoping you could do that. Now you feel
like that's kind of the floor. And then so what
do you have to do? But you're not where you're
used to being. On the defensive, we have.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
To remember that Tennessee's offense that really skews time of
possession and the number of plays and all that, because
they score so quickly, you're gonna get the ball back
and you get another shot. So Cutter had the ball
in his hands quite a bit and was able to
throw a.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Five touchdown pass.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
What you have to kind of back to the ever
anything too is one thing the coach Bummy wanted. You
don't want the defense out there long, good or bad?
Speaker 4 (16:39):
Right, yeah right?
Speaker 2 (16:40):
And so defensively, if they can find a way to
steal a couple of possessions by forcing turnovers, that greatly
enhances your chances. Because I think, you know, even as
Albert's defense is legit good, texass was and Kentucky moved
the ball, So I feel like that Cutter and his
crew will be able to have some success and enough
(17:03):
to give him a chance to win.
Speaker 5 (17:05):
I also think that this is just my opinion. I've
not talked to Bush yet you and I don't do
that till tomorrow. But I really think this is a
game you have to play with a little tempo and
not as much substituting on offense. Because they got a
guy's three sixty, they got a couple of guys three forties,
and I want them on the field three four or
five plays in a.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Row going sideline aside.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Yes, So if I don't sub, they can't sub.
Speaker 5 (17:29):
So if and again, you don't have to go fast,
but just keep the.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Eleven on the field.
Speaker 5 (17:35):
And if it's out of the eleven person out or
twelve person ot whatever, he you know, whatever, they figure
they can get.
Speaker 4 (17:39):
The best pass blocking.
Speaker 5 (17:41):
But just stay on the field with those guys and
make them play four or five six plays in a row.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
Then you're gonna get advantage on those four or.
Speaker 5 (17:48):
Five and six because look, I don't care how in
shape y are. When you're that size, after three or
four plays you need to blow.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
It's just that's the way it is.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Got to do it for now. Thanks so much for
joining us in a wildcat whip. We'll see next week.
Welcome to the Wildcat Whip, Tom Lee, Jeffercoy yours surely
did Gabriel Wildcats play at Auburn. I don't think we've
been down there to cover a game since the COVID year.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Right, yep, still still say it's there's still a touchdown
owed to Kentucky down.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
When you look at Chris Rodriguez career stats in your mind,
add one to the touch And here's the sad thing.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
I was at the opposite end of the field. This
was right.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
You guys were up stuck, and I could see it
that he got in just depth to field.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
I mean, and it's not why they wonted to lost
the game, but I think I think things turned a
little bit there, don't you.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
Yeah, so a lot to do.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
That means again, we talk about it a lot, Jeff
and keys of the game and get off to the good.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Start, right, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Absolutely, And this is a team that has struggled in
the passing game. Maybe we don't know who's going to
be the quarterback for sure, but they've got a really
good running back and last week they gave it to
him twenty eight times, which is the most they've given
to him yet. And they ran for look this up
three hundred and fifty yards against Kentucky last season. So
one would put those two together and think that you
(01:09):
don't want to be playing from behind against these guys
because they're gonna try to hang onto the ball for
a long time.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (01:15):
And the other thing is they're banged up, so their
starting centers will not play. He's already been called out Coleman.
Their best receiver to turn it from last year, all
SEC type receiver. He is very questionable to him got
hurt in the last game. A lower leg injury is
not practiced all week. So if they're down two players
on the offensive side, which is their problem. You know,
you look at that defense time of year. I was like, Wow,
(01:37):
they got size, They got guys that are NFL going
to be in the NFL next year. They got a
linebacker defensive at edge rusher that is as good as
the kid at South Carolina.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
I mean, he's he's pretty dark.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Now is that the guy who won the Bronco.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
And they have had one of those stretches like Kentucky
had in October that they had four straight ranked opponents.
Nobody scored twenty four against them, more than twenty four
against them.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Yet I was trying to get a beat on Auburn
last weekend because of course the night game. So I'm
sure you guys do what I do as you're prepping,
But you know, I'm spending a dial watching as many
different games, and I didn't give up on Auburn, but
I turned away from it because Arkansas.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Was having its way at halftime.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Then I turned back in the fourth quarter, and it's
it's a it's chaotic.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
But Arkansas turned it over.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
Four times in the fourth quarter and fourth and also
changed square. He took Arnold out, who was the kid
that came from Oklahoma, and they put in the kid
from Stanford. Now, the kid from Stanford in the last
two years through for over four thousand yards combined, but
he also had twenty interceptions. So it's that's your give
or take. So look, if you're watching this game, it's
only gonna last about an hour and a half because
these teams are.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Gonna run like the first quarter last week.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Kid, Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
Yeah, you know, Auburn, as you said, just froze the ball.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Last year. It was a good game at the half.
Can tell he was up ten to nothing. Yeah, on
point and then what was it?
Speaker 1 (03:02):
It was tied tight at halftime, and then Auburn did
all the scoring in the second half and had a
running back that ran for two hundred and seventy eight yards.
How did that happen against the Kentucky defense. Can't happen
this week?
Speaker 3 (03:13):
No, it can't.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
And you know Stoops talked about a bad matchup last week,
and it was they had the corners, not their strongest position,
certainly without Waller, they had a guy I think when
they were touting that particular position in the preseason, it
was with what they were expecting from him because he
was playing really well leading up to the season. Anyway,
(03:35):
they have, you know, one of their two starters was
hurt to some extent last week and Tennessee just you
know as NFL caliber receivers, and it was a bad
miss matchup. Now, you play a team that's figures to
be run oriented and they've had struggles throwing the ball,
and Kentucky's strength of its defense, I think is that
defensive front. Yep, guy's making a lot of tackles. So
(03:58):
you throw your best pitch against their best hitters, so
to speak. In terms of their running game, and you
feel like it's you. You like your matchup better.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Tom.
Speaker 5 (04:07):
Do you think this is almost to the point of
the Clemson game and the bowl game where you can't
hide the defensive backs anymore? And yeah, you know, and
Waller probably won't play this week, So it's it's almost
that situation where it was at Clemson where you just
basically have to sit back and zone and try to
help the safeties, try to help over the top as
(04:27):
much as they.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Can, try to get pressure on the quarterback. They never
really affect Aglar much last week. They need to be
able to do that and you know, force some turnovers. Yeah,
And here's the way with Auburn running the ball, to
do something you haven't done all season, recover a fumble
that the other team puts on the ground.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
That's amazing.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
That's been Auburn's problem in the last basically since what
is at eighteen their last winning See they've lost seven
seven games the last four years because fumbles interceptions.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
It has absolutely killed them. Wow.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Yeah, And it's an Auburn team that is always going
to be playing from behind in the state when it
comes to Alabama. But they still get a lot of
quality players down there South Georgia. Not everybody can go
to Alabama. Of course, it's a team, it's a program
that has known success, SEC titles and a national championship
and all.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
And the fan base is restless right now, Isn't it
absolutely right?
Speaker 4 (05:25):
You've got a coach that's basically coaching for his job.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Yeah, on both team too, Embattled coaches can fly home
with us if Kentucky wins, that's right, But you.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Know, Kentucky.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
I think it's interesting how the season in terms of
schemes has flip flopped. And again bad matchup last week
with Tennessee. But early in the year all we could
talk about was, but what about that defense, because we
the offense had its issues.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Now it's you can't wait to see what cutter Bolli
it does next.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Yeah, because we came into the season and we always
Aaron talks about those preseason predictions and it's the things
to talk about it this summer till the game startup.
But inevitably things change, whether it's injuries or somebody's better
or not as good as you thought. And we thought
Kentucky was gonna be a power running team, and instead
(06:15):
after the last month, it's starting to look like that
Kentucky is going to be built around cutter Bowl. He's
right arm and his legal team of Miller and Miller.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Law, that's right. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
And we got to wonder about Seth McGowan, you know,
but he's on the problem list.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:33):
When we got to.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Talk a chance to talk to the Patterson this week
and I asked him if, I said, are you hitting
the hole faster than you have been in the past,
And he kind of walked around and then he finally
embraced it. He said, yeah, that's something he's worked on.
He was good last year, but I don't remember him
being as explosive as he's been this year.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
He's almost broken a couple plays.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
I think he understands that the big, heavy, big guys
hurts a lot more when they hit you, so if
you can get past them, it doesn't.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Hurt as much when a safety hits you. I'm not being.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Funny, No, no, no, I get it. You want to go
you deliver them?
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Yeah, you deliver it.
Speaker 5 (07:10):
So once you get to the second level, he can
lower his shoulder on a linebacker and sliding over a
safety that's coming up, and he delivers.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
When you get hit up the line of scrimage, you're
in the backfield. Excuse me. Like he was a lot
last season, you got no chance.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
And McGowan clearly was becoming a favorite target for Cutter.
But Patterson is a capable receiver, isn't it?
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (07:35):
And you've got that as a either a if it's
a designed part of the play, or just check down option.
But Cutter is just starting to feel really, really comfortable
and getting in a groove. And I think other players
are feeding off that. If you played wide receiver, Jeff,
if the quarterbacks, you know, really feeling it, you can't
(07:56):
wait to get into your pattern because I may get.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
To catch on exactly And what do we always hear?
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (08:03):
You want to get your best players in space. I
thought it was interesting.
Speaker 5 (08:05):
Mark Monday when he talked about the game, said getting
Kendrick Glaw, for instance, the ball in space and what
do he do? He was able to you know, three
guys were there defensively, and he beat all three of
them down the field for the long touchdown. McGowan was
that guy that he's getting it in space. And what
Cutter's doing is what Tom was talking about. He's not
throwing behind him, He's not throwing out him, He's throwing
ahead of him.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
So they're getting ahead of Steam running downfield.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
The ball's right on the money, and now it makes
it a lot harder to get a one on one tackle.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
One of guy's got a full head of steam.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Speaking of players who have been injured, what do we
know about Willie Rodriguez?
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Do we know anything yet?
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Here as we talk on Thursday afternoon, it wasn't on
the list.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Yeah, so if it not on the list, it must
be good to go.
Speaker 5 (08:44):
Because it was more an angle. I thought it was
a knee, but it was more an ankle. He had
his shoe off after the game and icing the ankle area.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
So I thought it was more of a serious injury
because he was so angry about it.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
You know, is that the reported during the game.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
The seeing the end injury report or availability report. It's
better than I thought it was going to be when
we left the stadium Saturday night.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
Yeah, because you guys talked about it on post game.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
You know, now they've got a beat up team. You know,
they're trying to keep their heads up and keep their
heads in the game and be positive.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
You know, I know you said, well, they you know
got uh you know uh to two of the top
three corners, but that position hadn't been playing great anyway,
So it's not like it's a look.
Speaker 5 (09:29):
I had to jump in on this because I just
think it's such a whatever verb you want to put
in there, that was going to be a nasty word
that I can't say on the air crutch that you
want to use.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
We're beat up? Well, no efing kitting everybody. It's the
eighth week.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
I guess what when I played and I'm not and
I'm not that I guess I am, Yes you are.
Speaker 4 (09:52):
But we didn't have off weeks.
Speaker 5 (09:54):
You played eleven straight weeks, and then you have a
bowl game hopefully rush your fingers three weeks later.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
Now they get not one, but two.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
Greats during the season and it seems like an eternity
before the bowl game starts. So I don't want to
hear this. Oh we're beat up. Everybody's beat up. It's
part of playing football. If you don't have depth, it's
your own fault.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
Go out.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
And that's the key, you know, because you know you
there are teams that can absorb injuries better than others.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
The nineteen seventy.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Seven Kentucky team suffered a rash of this the best
team in the minor era YEA suffered a rash of injuries.
It would cripple any other team, including Jim Kovi.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
If Rod Stewart didn't Stuart.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
It's some guy that we didn't even know is on
the team named Joe Deprie becomes a really good fullback.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Yeah yeah, but next man up? Yeah, And it worked then.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
And I'm not I'm not knocking guys.
Speaker 5 (10:48):
I'm just saying it's used as a crutch by every
coach now because.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
You know, that's all they know is their own team, correct.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
Yeah, but you know that's well. Guys now are bigger,
they're faster, they're stronger.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I get all, guys, but it's yeah, it's it's all.
It's all you know, the two guys collide. Yeah, yeah,
I get that. No, that's fair, that's fair. But it
does come back to depth, that's what you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
And now you've got another road game, and this team
has functioned well on a road.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
Cutter, Bowli has functioned well on the road, hasn't he.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
It has, And you think about from really almost the
time Mark got here, the second year, they were a
whisker away from winning down at Florida in his second
year at much discussed delay a game Penn. But you know,
they won a game at Old Miss, they won a
game at at grona blank here at Tennessee, yes, convincingly
(11:44):
they've wanted Georgia ebbams. But when coach Brooks was here
at O nine, but you know they've I'm thinking and
also neutral games, bowl games they've played well, won at
Louisville twice when they were ranked. I do wonder as well.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
We talked about in battle coaches, people are wondering what
the crowds are going to be like for the remaining.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Home games here.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
What's it going to be like down at Auburn, because
you can't compare to when we were down there Alaska.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
That was COVID and they limited supposedly limited crowd, maybe
be beout.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
The sayment was for the COVID game.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
It might be That's what I'm saying, you know, and
they but they have had what is it, Tom like,
I'm looking in the notes, just a nineteen straight sellouts
or something.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
I just remember that COVID game there was what's supposed
to be anybody there and it was like, well, if
if it's only family, then every kid on that team
is like Tebbe Smith's family exactly sixteen brothers.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
And they were supposed to be socially distant and they
were just partying like and of course when you follow
it up on it, boy, they had a ration COVID outbreak. Really,
you know, but still maybe this is good for this
team they always talk about, you know, it's us against
the world, Jeff.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
You know how it is. You're in a hotel, all
you have is each other.
Speaker 5 (12:49):
Well a lot of guys like because the distractions are there,
that's right. You know, when you're at home, your girlfriend's
gone or whatever, you got to talk to your.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
Parents, whatever, or well, I don't know, I know, Uh, I.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
Was trying to be uh politically correct in this time.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
We're in now wives family, uh you know, buddies, you know, everybody's.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
All you didn't even know you.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Everybody's all over you at all. You know, you're trying
to get a clus you get out of front. I
enjoyed it.
Speaker 5 (13:16):
I I'm a different cat, I guess because I you know,
one of the best things I enjoyed about everything that
I've done is traveling.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
Yep. You know, in football and baseball and all that
kind of stuff. And as a player, I loved it.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
I didn't mind at all sleeping in a much work
Look the beds we had at kurt Wood won.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
But we walked in here, you're you're, you're.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
It was a wooden slat and a yes and a
rolled up thing like the army.
Speaker 4 (13:40):
You did it and it rolled it down, and that
was what you slept on.
Speaker 5 (13:43):
So sleeping in a really nice buddy and a holiday inn,
and now holiday in is nothing.
Speaker 4 (13:49):
We're staying in Chateau e Long.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
You know, yeah, but you know, you do wonder what
they're going to run into. There are question marks on
both sides of the all. But is it going to
be power versus power?
Speaker 4 (14:03):
Do you think? Or do is.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Kentucky Kentucky's more slaying it around? Kentucky suddenly makes some
explosive plays. We saw that happen last week. And and
you know what I liked.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
About each of the first two games, the most first drive,
the scripted plays, moving the chains, first downs.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
I don't like throwing deep on third and two.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
You know, I'll get that first down and keep going,
but still put them back on their heels.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
And run the clock, right.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
It's nothing like a quarterback who's like a you know,
a picture of the days, you know, throwing a you know,
perfect game, no hitter or something quarterback who's in a groove.
Ride ride that as long as it is the circumstances
will let you. And you know, Auburn certainly will have
something to say about that.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
But do you think, Jeff, they're gonna we're gonna show
cut her bowlie?
Speaker 5 (14:51):
Yeah, Well he came from this offense in high school too,
and I think he is.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
He is really.
Speaker 5 (14:58):
Comfortable and an empty backfield because that's what he played
mostly in high school too. It makes you make a decision. Look,
it's just like, and I go back to this all
the time, the air raid offense, Tim Jared, whoever the
quarterback was, new Dusty. They knew where the ball was
going before the snap anyway, because as you're walking up
(15:19):
to the line of scrimmage, you're scanning the field, Go okay,
that's where I'm throwing, and the ball snappy, you just
get it out And that's the exact same thing he's
doing a standing up well yeah, but it's just not
called an air raid, you know. But he's utilizing that
short stuff. Once you start hitting that, now the safety's
back up. Now the linebacker's back up. Now you run
a little bit that slows down that pass rush. Then
(15:40):
you can go over the top.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
A little bit.
Speaker 5 (15:42):
And I think he's used to that and he's really
comfortable in that, and I think Bush and him are
on the same page lot. I think if you watch
those first couple of games and compare it to the
calls they're making now, totally different game plan now, so
they've tailored it to what Cutter does best and what
he what he likes doing.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
I think you go in now if you're Kentucky thinking
you can score at least in the twenties, yep, instead
of you know, they were for a while back into
last year hoping you could do that. Now you feel
like that's kind of the floor. And then so what
do you have to do? But you're not where you're
used to being. On the defensive, we have.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
To remember that Tennessee's offense that really skews time of
possession and the number of plays and all that, because
they score so quickly, you're gonna get the ball back
and you get another shot. So Cutter had the ball
in his hands quite a bit and was able to
throw a.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
Five touchdown pass.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
What you have to kind of back to the ever
anything too is one thing the coach Bummy wanted. You
don't want the defense out there long, good or bad?
Speaker 4 (16:39):
Right, yeah right?
Speaker 2 (16:40):
And so defensively, if they can find a way to
steal a couple of possessions by forcing turnovers, that greatly
enhances your chances. Because I think, you know, even as
Albert's defense is legit good, texass was and Kentucky moved
the ball, So I feel like that Cutter and his
crew will be able to have some success and enough
(17:03):
to give him a chance to win.
Speaker 5 (17:05):
I also think that this is just my opinion. I've
not talked to Bush yet you and I don't do
that till tomorrow. But I really think this is a
game you have to play with a little tempo and
not as much substituting on offense. Because they got a
guy's three sixty, they got a couple of guys three forties,
and I want them on the field three four or
five plays in a.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Row going sideline aside.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Yes, So if I don't sub, they can't sub.
Speaker 5 (17:29):
So if and again, you don't have to go fast,
but just keep the.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Eleven on the field.
Speaker 5 (17:35):
And if it's out of the eleven person out or
twelve person ot whatever, he you know, whatever, they figure
they can get.
Speaker 4 (17:39):
The best pass blocking.
Speaker 5 (17:41):
But just stay on the field with those guys and
make them play four or five six plays in a row.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
Then you're gonna get advantage on those four or.
Speaker 5 (17:48):
Five and six because look, I don't care how in
shape y are. When you're that size, after three or
four plays you need to blow.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
It's just that's the way it is.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Got to do it for now. Thanks so much for
joining us in a wildcat whip. We'll see next week.
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