11-18-24 LEACH REPORT

Dick Gabriel fills in to talk with Mark Story and Van Hiles.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
The Leech Report Radio Network is on the air with
the Voice of the Wildcats, Tom Leech. It's the daily
gathering spot for the Big Blue Nation to hear the
latest news and views on the Cats. If you have
a question for Tom, email Leech Report at gmail dot
com or send a tweet to add Tom Leech khy

(00:22):
now here's Tom.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Good morning, everybody. Dick Gabriel sitting in for the voice.
Tom is recovering from a cold. As you probably know
if you heard a show last week, and then if
you heard our broadcast of the Kentucky Murray State game
over the weekend, he was really playing herd. He got
through it, but didn't have much voice left after the game,
so he's saving his voice this morning. He'll be on

(00:46):
with Mark Troops tonight and he'll be back on The
Leech Report tomorrow. So we say to Tom, get some rest.
The Leach Report, presented by Bobcat Enterprises coming up this morning,
Mark's story of the Hero Leader. He'll talk about a
big UK weekend and more, and of course the Shuffle
being coffee. Monday Morning Quarterback with mister Van Hiles, the
former Kentucky defensive back. So lots to discuss today on

(01:10):
the Leads Report Wildcat News of the Day presented by
Jusseppes of Lexington, and you know all about Kentucky's went
over Murray State to Mary and will Cox with one
hundred and twenty three yards and a touchdown. UK's defense
kept Murray State out of the end zone and it
was a big, much needed win for the Cats. Now

(01:30):
looking ahead at four and six taking on those Texas
Longhorns this coming weekend. The UK women had a big
day not long after the football game was over. They
took on the Louisville Cardinals. I guess it was an upset.
Louisville was ranked eighteenth, Kentucky was ranked nineteenth or twentieth,
depending on what poll you favor. It was a home

(01:51):
court win though for the Wildcats, as four players reached
double figures, including Georgia Aymore with nineteen. Wildcats needed overtime,
but they they wanted seventy one sixty one. They outscore
Louisville thirteen to three in the extra period. Then, on
the next day, on that very same court set up differently,
of course, the UK's volleyball team had to come from

(02:14):
behind to beat Georgia. The Wildcats dropped the first set
they trailed by six points and set number two, but
came back and won it, then took the next two
behind Brooklyn Delay, making a strong bid for Southeastern Conference
Player of the Year. She had a career high thirty kills.
As the Wildcats stay atop the SEC standings with three

(02:36):
matches remaining. If they went out, they will be the
SEC champion once again, and they won't have to share
it with anybody because three teams behind them have three losses.
It's not only a career high for Brooklyn Delay, but
it's a new UK record for most kills in a
four set match during the rally scoring era. Previous record

(02:58):
was twenty six, set by four time All American Leah
Edmond back in twenty eighteen, and she was sitting right
next to me as we worked the game on SEC plus.
So Brooklyn Delay had a huge match for the Wildcats
and they just kept right on rolling as eight consecutive wins.
Man Soccer, a pair of players Logan Dorsey and Martin

(03:20):
and Serida named a twenty twenty four Sun Belt Conference
All Tournament Team that was announced yesterday after the championship match.
Wildcats were beaten in the semifinals by eventual champion West Virginia.
Dorsey is a senior forward from Evergreen, Colorado, had two
goals in two tournament matches. And so Rida is a

(03:41):
senior captain from Norway and he saw action in fifteen
matches through the season, including the two tournament games. He
had three goals and two assists. Kentucky acquitted itself well
in the tournament, but as we said, the Mountaineers wanted
by beating Marshall cross state rival also beat Marshall and

(04:01):
the season finale for the regular season championship and turned
around and beat the Herd for the tournament championship as well.
Lots going on on the UK campus over the weekend.
Links to these stories are on the bud Light Leach
Report page at Tom leachky dot com. And when we
come back, we'll chat with Mark's story and the hero

(04:23):
leader here on the Leech Report. Welcome back to the
Leach Report. Dick Gabriell, sitting in for the voice, says
he gives his voice a rest and he had a
lot of talk about but also a lot of time
to kill in that dreadful third period of Kentucky's win
over Murray State, but it was a win for a change.
Mark's story was on handcovering for the Era Leader.

Speaker 3 (04:43):
Good morning, Mark, Good morning Dick.

Speaker 2 (04:46):
I can tell you what it was like down on
the sideline, but what was it like up in the
press box as the Festival of Flags went on during
that third period?

Speaker 3 (04:55):
Well, it was kind of a comedy of errors, and
it just it got somewhat interested just how many plays
in a row? Can you have a penalty? What was it?

Speaker 4 (05:03):
Six?

Speaker 2 (05:04):
Yep? Yeah, And if anybody could figure out if that's
a record as Corey Price, we all know Corey, but
I don't know that that's when you want to spend
any time, any additional time looking up. But was there
a major takeaway from that game? We all knew that
Kentucky should win relatively easily. It wasn't always pretty Mark,
but was what were your chief takeaways from that win?

Speaker 3 (05:27):
Well? I guess I had two number one positive and
one less. So I think Kentucky has a lot of
young talent. I was impressed with the young offensive playmakers
and young defenders. I mean, if they can keep people
out of the portal, I do think there's some hope
here because I think they have a talented young nucleus.

(05:49):
The distressing thing was how much difficulty they had blocking
Murray State, which is arguably, if you look at their statistics,
the worst defense that's ever played in that stadium. And
I don't say that wildly, but that that I mean
their their their defensive statistics were just horrendous. Yep, and uh,
the Kentucky still had a hard time blocking them. And

(06:10):
you know that that the offensive line problems has you know,
I think it has been probably the biggest factor that
has caused the season not to go and the way
people had hoped and that was that was that was
not a good thing to see Saturday in terms of
the difficulty they had blocking up front.

Speaker 2 (06:28):
Yeah, you know, gone of the days released their way
behind us when uh, the entire offensive line as a unit,
those five played most of the downs together. You know,
they didn't have to rotate sub they were healthy.

Speaker 4 (06:44):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (06:44):
You know, I remember the season that they were so
deep and you remember this too, Mark, that they could
sub four the five starters out of the game. They
would always leave the center intact and they would still
move the ball down the field. Do you for see
a day where they're able to build that kind of
depth or because of what you just talked about, but

(07:05):
the portal, is that just going to be a pipe
dream from here on?

Speaker 3 (07:09):
Well, what I think is interesting, they're they're sort of
caught on a kind of like a spinning wheel here.
I'm not convinced that you can get back to where
they were the vintage big blue wall, so to speak,
out of the transfer portal, I think you have to
recruit and develop, but they're sort of in a position.
You know, they can't really afford to do that because
you know, your coach is a veteran coach, you're trying

(07:32):
to win every year. You don't really have the rebuilding option.
So I think they're sort of caught in a in
a bad spot because I just don't think the lineman
you're going to get out of the portal. I think
the odds of finding high level sec offensive lineman in
the portal, you know, I don't think there's going to
be many of those in the cost on that is
just going to be astronomical. So I think you've got

(07:53):
to to use their phrase, you have to recruit and develop,
but you know that that may mean taking a step
back to take a step forward, and that's just almost
impossible to do in the current environment, you know.

Speaker 2 (08:04):
And if you go back a few years, you have
to remember that they beat very few, with all due
respect people for Georgia southa a j for Bunchie Stallings.
Drake Jackson was a local. He was coming here all
along and turned out to be a terrific player. But
they also had the luxury, to your point of being

(08:25):
able to develop those guys because the pressure wasn't on
the way it is now. And I also think market
I think you're spot on with this. They're also trapped
in that same revolving door when it comes to quarterback. Now,
maybe Cutter Bully helps him break out of that. But
the moment that Drew Barker went down for good, that
door began to spin and they had some success, you know,

(08:45):
with Terry Wilson and Steven Johnson and Levis for at
least a one year. But man, they need that to change,
don't they.

Speaker 3 (08:55):
You know, I don't have that big a problem with
the transfer quarterback thing. I mean, I think I'm also
okay with building around a high school quarterback if you
have the right one. But yeah, I don't. The quarterback
thing hasn't bothered me as much as the offensive line,
because I do think you know, you look at what
Lincoln Riley did at Oklahoma or you know, he was
taking a transfer quarterback every year and win in the Heisman.

(09:16):
I mean that, you know that, you know, I think
that can work. Yeah, but yeah, it'd be better, you know,
I think I think there's a case to be made
for having a young quarterback and a young offensive line
and letting them grow together. But again, just with where
they're at, that's gonna be you know, I'm not sure
that's a realistic scenario.

Speaker 2 (09:34):
Yeah, we're talking to Mark's story of the hero a leader.
Big weekend for the Wildcats. I doubt you got a
chance to get over and watch the UK women play.

Speaker 3 (09:42):
But well, I rode out of both. I rode out
of both games.

Speaker 2 (09:45):
Had a boy because by the time we were doing
with postgame radio, by the time I got to my car,
it was the end of the first quarter. Thanks to that,
that that long third quarter in the football game. But
what was your take on I don't know if you
call it an upset, but it was a huge win
for Kentucky.

Speaker 3 (10:03):
It was a huge win for Kentucky and you hadn't
beaten levels since Mikayla Epps was a junior. Wow, and
that's what twenty fifteen sixteen, Yeah, uh yeah, And it
was you know, you have new coaching staff and a
chance to sort of make an early statement, and you know,
it was sort of for the UK women what the
win overdue in the Champions Classic was. For the UK men,

(10:25):
it was You're beating on our arrival a team you
hadn't beaten in a long time, and a team a
game that means a lot to the fans, and it's
a chance to sort of, you know, say this is
a new deal here. And they were able to pull
it off. And yeah, it was. I mean, you look
at the last week UK men's basketball, UK women's basketball.
It was about as good as it gets. You have

(10:46):
these big rivalry wins. There was recruiting success and you
know what I actually wrote was, you know that that
Saturday night was sort of a glimpse of what I
think is possible for UK women's basketball with Kenny Brooks
and you know, selling out the home venue, you know,
winning big games and and and just sort of taking
the next step. And it was it was a good

(11:07):
night for the cast.

Speaker 2 (11:08):
Well, if ever there was a program that needed help
from the portal, it was UK women's basketball, not just
the men. But I think the good is you know,
early returns now but good a good hire by Mitch Barnhard,
but also a real plus in this particular game, Mark
that uh, Kenny Brooks knew U of L. And so
does some of his players.

Speaker 3 (11:31):
Well he obviously you know Georgia amore is. I think
that was her sixth game against Louisville, so yeah, she
she knows, she knows the Cardinals, and obviously you know Kenny.
You know, he speaks very highly of Jeff Walls, and
you know he lost his first seven games against Louisville
as Virginia Tech coach, but he's now beaten them four

(11:51):
in a row, so they It was definitely a case
where the they, Kenny and Georgia knew, knew U of
L and knew what U of L.

Speaker 2 (12:00):
Yeah, we're talking with Mark story of the hero leader.
And one of the things Mark does is break down
future opponents. And I know it's first of the week,
but looking ahead, first of all, do you get to
go to Texas as John going, I'm I'm sure John
Hale will go, but which columnist.

Speaker 3 (12:17):
Is I'm not I'm not well, I'm not sure on
the columnists, but uh, I'm not going, So I don't
I don't know if John's going or not.

Speaker 2 (12:25):
Okay, Well, the question remains looking ahead. I guess does
do the Wildcats have more than a puncher's chance? I guess?
Is my question?

Speaker 3 (12:37):
Well, you know, it's an in the game set up
is interesting because you know, Texas played at Arkansas, you
know this this past weekend, which is you know, used
to be a huge rival and I think still it
probably still is, more so on the Arkansas side, but
you know, you're on the road in an emotional situation.
And then next week for Texas and Texas A and M,

(12:58):
which is you know, a sort of a holy war
down there is a game that people have been talking
about all year. So in that sense, this game is
you know, it's sort of set up as a trap
for Texas a little bit. And the other thing with Kentucky,
you know they've played well this year against the top
ten teams. You know, they beat Ole miss, they were
right there to beat Georgia, and I thought played pretty

(13:19):
well at Tennessee it's it's been the lesser, the quote
unquote lesser teams that have been the problem. And that's
a long way saying I don't expect you telling you
to win the game, but you know, I don't think
it's impossible.

Speaker 2 (13:33):
We're talking to Mark's story and the Hero Leader will
come back with more questions for Mark right here on
the Leach Report presented by Bobcat Enterprises. Welcome back to
the Leach Report. Dick Gabriel sitting in for the Voice.
Leach Report brought to you from the Clark's pumpin Shop studio,
and we are talking with Mark's story of the Hero
Leader and Mark. You touched on the men's basketball when

(13:55):
this past week, and of course they've got another non
conference game coming up won't be this diffest stuff tests,
but early returns of Mark Pope, of course, are off
the charts. Now with the BBN that happens when you
beat Duke. What were your thoughts on that and looking forward?
Have you changed your mind at all adjusted or if

(14:15):
you held off on wondering what this team can accomplish
this season?

Speaker 3 (14:20):
No, I haven't changed. I mean I've been fairly bullish
on this team from the start, I thought it was
I thought the roster was well constructed. I thought the
parts were going to fit. I've been more optimistic than
the national media was on Kentucky from the start. Now,
you know, my expectation or my goal for them would
just be, you know, I'm not expecting them to win

(14:42):
the national Championship. I would like to see them win
some games in the SEC tournament and win some games
in the NCAA tournament. That would be a big step
up from where it's been the last four years. So
that's sort of my aspiration for the season. But yeah,
the Mark popeire, you know, to this point, and you know,
just extent on these hires, I think you really start

(15:02):
judging them the first time a coach faces adversity, and
we've not had that yet. But it's so far, it's
I mean, it's been off the charts good. I mean,
he's handled the pr part of this about as well
as it can be done. They've recruited well and went
out and beat a team that what Kentucky had lost
what nine of the previous eleven against Duke. I mean, yeah,

(15:23):
you can't do much better than he's done so far.

Speaker 2 (15:26):
You talked about roster construction, and we've talked about it
a lot, and I know you've written about it as
everybody has. Really he basically started from the ground up
with defense, and wouldn't you know that's ultimately what won
that Duke game, wasn't it.

Speaker 3 (15:41):
I mean it was and you know it. The Kentucky
coaching decisions had a big impact on that game. So
you know, like we said, it's gone about as well
for him so far as it could go.

Speaker 2 (15:52):
Speaking of coaching decisions, I thought it was really interesting
when he quote unquote went small but you know, Andrew
Carr's six ' ten, but still when he took the
traditional kind of as you and I heard Al maguire
call him the aircraft carrier guys out of the game
and went a little bit smaller and quicker with Duke,
that made a big difference, didn't it. No pun intended well, you.

Speaker 3 (16:15):
Know, down the stretch, they found a matchup that was
favorable in terms of you know, Andrew Carr in the
middle of the floor, and they went to it.

Speaker 2 (16:23):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (16:25):
The results were, you know, they were and that yielded
some botho results from the Kentucky perspective.

Speaker 2 (16:32):
Yeah, and you know, the big Blue Nation now is
just giddy over the win over Duke. But as you said,
there's a lot of work to do in getting into
the postseason and winning tournament games. But I do believe
they're built for this, simply Mark because of the veterans.
Now we know that, you know, you got a point
guard who played in the NCAA Championship game, but not

(16:54):
a lot of NCAA tournament experience otherwise for the players.
But I think the fact that they have an an
extraordinary amount of experience on this roster that's going to
come home to roost I think by the time February
and March roll around, don't you.

Speaker 3 (17:11):
Well, I think it's an advantage. And you know, the
roster construction, they look more like the teams that have
been faring well and you know, making deep NCAA tournament runs. Now,
I'm not I don't know if the talents. I don't
know if the ceiling, the talent ceiling is sufficient to
you know, win the national Championship, you know, maybe go
to the final four. But like I said, if they

(17:32):
can just get out of the first weekend, that would
be a big step forward from what it's been.

Speaker 2 (17:37):
The only question I have and I fully agree with you,
But I just and I think we already know the
answer to this. By the time they get to the tournament,
I think Big Blue Nation UK fans, their expectations are
going to grow. I think I don't know if it's
going to be exponentially or not, but I think by
the time the tournament rolls around, they're going to be

(17:57):
hoping against hope. You know what I mean. But that's okay,
you need.

Speaker 3 (18:00):
To do that, Yeah you should, I mean, yeah, that's
that's what makes that's part of what makes March Madness
the enjoyable spectacle that it is is is the hope.
And you know, I don't think that's an impossible ambition,
but you know, I just you know, I think this
team has a very high floor and I'm not sure
how high the ceiling is, but you know, I think
I think this is a good team. I've thought that.

(18:22):
I think it was put together.

Speaker 2 (18:24):
Mark, have a great day, Thank you, Thank you. Dick
Van Hiles is next on the Leach Report. Welcome back
to the Leach Report. Dick Gabriel in for the voice
time now for our Shuffle Bean Coffee Monday morning quarterback,
and he is of course, as you hear Tom talk
with him every week. Mister Van Hiles, who was a

(18:44):
defensive back for the Wildcats and in the NFL, but
was a quarterback in his younger days, Good morning, sir.

Speaker 4 (18:51):
Good morning. It's nice to hear your voice.

Speaker 2 (18:54):
Nice to hear yours as well. Van and I chat
on my show Big Booingsider quite often, so I love
talk football with Van. I always learn from Van Hiles,
and you will too if you look at his cutups
that are on social media. And I could tell, of
course by the tone of your voice this time, Van,
that the happy Saturday for you. Not the cleanest of games.
We're not even gonna talk about the referees, but what

(19:18):
put the biggest smile on your face.

Speaker 4 (19:22):
To see some of these young guys play.

Speaker 5 (19:24):
I really don't don't think people really take into account
that defensively we're missing pretty much the entire linebacker corps
and one of our better players on the front. And
to have those guys in a live situation, a real game,
to start a game and to play pretty well. I mean,

(19:45):
there was obviously some things that you would like to
clean up, but for these guys have that first start
and to play decent football is. It's something that was
exciting and to see cud Bowley play was exciting.

Speaker 2 (19:57):
Let me skip ahead to the very end and then
we'll come back. But you had a young walk on
defensive back make an interception and was absolutely mobbed as
though he had made the game winning play. Jack Jackson Schultz,
what what was your reaction when you saw that?

Speaker 5 (20:14):
That that is I don't think that the fact of
how close the locker room is a special position group.
Especially to see a guy whom you probably have seen
work his butt off for how many years he's been
here and to finally get a chance to get that
type of moment in Commonwealth Stadium is you know, he

(20:37):
feels great, but then the players feel even better. You know,
a player will feel better for to see him succeed
than for you to succeee because love It had two
picks that game, and his celebration for that was way
more than what when he got his two. So yes,
that just shows the titans of that room and that
defense in that team.

Speaker 2 (20:54):
Yeah, he was a preferred walk on. Did not get
into a game as a freshman, uh enrolled mid year,
did not get into a game as a sophomore and
then finally gets in and uh and makes that pick
and and I mean it was electric on the sideline.
I haven't had a chance to keep watching them as
everybody came up and congratulated. And by the way, Proud

(21:17):
Trinity Shamrock, I must point out. So let's let's get
back to uh to earlier in the game, Rock Vander
if we weren't even sure we would see him and
he didn't throw the ball, well, I wondered if if
that was a physical problem, was he being bumped or
rush or whatever. But you know, the touchdown pass should
have been picked. Yet another one that was picked. What

(21:39):
did you see there?

Speaker 5 (21:41):
Yeah, I was on the first one for me, Uh,
he double clutched it. Yeah, it is a there is
a there is a concern for me that we have
to match pro so much. And when you match pro,
you're only gonna get two, impossibly three guys out for
a route. And if you preach now has predetermined whom
your open receivers gonna be, and he's not. You only

(22:04):
got one option, and the other option was a sixty
yard pass. And the double clutter drought of timing the
second pass is just something that quarterbacks do we we
throw ducks all the time. Not all the time, but
it does happen. I'm not sure what happened with the
ball with the hand whatever, because he determined that pre

(22:25):
snap he's gonna throw the ball deep. So that was
a flutter. But then he came back and threw a
nice ball to today Key.

Speaker 1 (22:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (22:32):
The quarterback position is a position.

Speaker 5 (22:34):
When you make a mistake, it's obviously obvious.

Speaker 4 (22:37):
Obvious.

Speaker 5 (22:38):
So he made two bad those, but then he came
back and had a pretty decent game afterwards.

Speaker 2 (22:44):
Yeah, if you make a mistake at Q magnified, no
question about that. So then Cutter Bully comes on and
we all know what happened down in Florida. But as
Mark Stroups said multiple times, he never worried for one
moment about Cutter's confidence, his psyche. He just built that way.
Uh you know, he bounces right back from things, and

(23:05):
it looked like a different guy, and he did what
a guy should do against uh, the defense that was
really struggling all year Murray State. But what did you
see in Cutter Bowlie?

Speaker 5 (23:15):
The one thing that I saw that I didn't know
he had because I never really watched him in high school.

Speaker 4 (23:22):
Is he's a smooth athlete.

Speaker 5 (23:24):
The one time he had to run, I think it
was on the left side of the of the offense.

Speaker 2 (23:30):
Yea.

Speaker 4 (23:31):
His ability to run was effortless. It was effortless.

Speaker 5 (23:35):
He has smooth and mechanics and that was something I
was impressed by his his his athleticism that I didn't
know about until now. That and and we all knew
he had a good arm, at least that's what I've heard.
He has a great arm, and his ability to process
the offense was was impressive.

Speaker 4 (23:54):
So I'm looking forward.

Speaker 5 (23:55):
To him and in years in the future, hopefully with
him at a starting quarterback.

Speaker 2 (24:00):
I gotta tell you this because he was our Player
of the Game interview and before he went on uh,
he and Matt May from UK Sports Info they were
kind of chuckling about the fact that he busted that
big run and and but Cutter said, don't expect to
see that every time for me. So that's the longest
I've ever run. But for a guy who says that

(24:22):
he made it look like he's been doing it his
whole career, isn't he.

Speaker 5 (24:28):
Yeah, So so now that's something else I learned that
that is that's insane. I will say this, he will
need to learn how to use that a little bit
more on this level and potential on the next level.
Not saying that he's gonna be a running quarterback, but
as Joe Burrow is, you have to know when to
run and when not to. Sometimes when when a team

(24:49):
is playing Manda Man and you see nothing but back
of helmets to you and you can you can find
a window to escape, go take it. So that's impressive.
I like the way he wants to get the ball
down the field. But sometimes you are going to have
to use your legs.

Speaker 2 (25:05):
He was laughing about how exhausted he was after that run.
But yeah, there is that element to quarterbacking, isn't there.
I want to ask you about Burrow a little bit
later on, as you've had NFL experience and my Packers
beat your bears in a most unusual way. We won't
rub that in. We'll take a break and come back

(25:26):
with more of our Monday morning quarterback thanks to Shuffle
being coffee. Van Hiles is with us on the Leach Report.
Welcome back to the Leach Report. We are speaking with
Van Hiles, former UK defensive back here on our shuffle
being coffee Monday morning, quarterback segments and Van of course
checking the Wildcats forty eight to six win over the

(25:48):
Murray State Racers. Let's talk about your side of the football,
Van defense. And again, this is a Murray State team
that is in a total rebuild on the one double
A level, but you still got to go out and
execon cute and some of the young guys got in,
but they did get uh, some of the veteran guys
back from injury. That had to do your heart good.

Speaker 4 (26:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (26:09):
This the one thing about SEC is weekend and week out,
you're gonna get bumps and bruises in and you're gonna
have situations where you're gonna lose guys because of.

Speaker 4 (26:19):
The bumps and bruises.

Speaker 5 (26:20):
It was an advantage for us to take take advantage
of the situation of playing Mery State and hopefully get
a couple of guys a week off to to get
them ready for the stretch run. It was It was
nice to see the guys who were healthy to actually
play and then play up to their ability. Jordan loved
had this. Jordan loved probably played the best game he's
played since his freshman year. Yeah, and not from at

(26:43):
not from what you think, but from the mental side
and the eye side. That's the best I've seen his
eyes since his freshman year, you know.

Speaker 2 (26:53):
And that always impresses me when you talk about that.
And you've taught a lot of people about, you know,
the eyes of the d backs and the fact that
you can spot that with the the All twenty two
video and then the TV video you use. But that's
just instinctive, I know for you. And then yeah, your
thoughts immediately go to his interceptions. But it's it's so
much more than that, isn't it.

Speaker 5 (27:14):
Yeah, it's it's so many I'll say this, this will
be the hardest game to play technically sound because you know,
you were better than them, and for him to actually
dialed in and to be focused and laser focus this
game for this team shows that he can do it.
If you can do it for Murray State, you can
do it for Texas and for Louisville. So so my

(27:35):
expectation for him to end this season are extremely high.
As far as the mental part of the game.

Speaker 2 (27:41):
Josiah Hayes look good a guy who's been banged up.

Speaker 5 (27:45):
Yeah, that was that was a shocking surprise. For me,
I didn't expect him to come. I thought he was
out for the whole season. Yeah, and he is a
he is a difference maker for us because he adds
another body to that defense line and that that that
to me, helps Silver out, It helps Gilbert out, it
helps Dealing out and all the rest of the guys.

(28:07):
For him to be able to come in and handle
the worst position on a three to four defense, which
is the nose, no one, no one would give that
position props except the guys who know. For him to
come and be able to give Silver a break and
not a dropping and production is something that we probably
needed all season.

Speaker 2 (28:27):
Oh yeah, depth has been an issue all year, this
this Kentucky team, Van, I don't remember a season where
we've seen as many injuries. And uh, it wasn't a
great team to begin with, but it needed so many
things to go right for it to have a successful
year by current standards, and that just hasn't happened. But yeah,
when you're when you're plugging and playing, it's hard to do,

(28:49):
isn't it.

Speaker 4 (28:50):
Yeah, it's it is hard.

Speaker 5 (28:51):
When I mean the position group that was the one
that was the most depth was the defensive line. And
to lose Josiah really hurt that depth because no one
wants to play the nose. I'm just telling you, no
one wants to play the position that you're gonna get
double team.

Speaker 4 (29:09):
Every run play.

Speaker 5 (29:11):
So for him to lose him kind of affected the
whole group. And I think it showed how how impactful
he could be if he played the prior with eight games,
So it was nice to see him out there.

Speaker 2 (29:25):
Well, speaking of those they win that game with that
Dion Walker was in street clothes on the sideline. Now
they didn't quote unquote need him, but he did get
a chance to heal up prior to this game coming
up in Austin. That's gonna be vital.

Speaker 5 (29:42):
Yeah, And and hopefully is a situation where he's on
the sideline and he's like, no, I wish I would
I wish I was able to play. Maybe it because
a season is a long season and sometimes you go mentally,
get a little drained mentally, And hopefully this reinvigorated his
system and put a little spark in there for him

(30:04):
to end these last two games on a very high
note for him.

Speaker 2 (30:08):
Well, let's talk a little bit about Texas and just
about what it's gonna take to go down there and
play as well as you did against Tennessee and give
yourself a chance to win. Now, it would be great
if Texas could miss some field goals, that would be
very but I do believe there's no way that to

(30:28):
not not that this guarantees anything, but coming off that
Arkansas game, looking ahead, looking down the stretch, being involved
in a race for the conference title, I just don't
think the Longhorns are gonna be as mentally sharp as
they need to be for this Kentucky team, you know
what I mean.

Speaker 5 (30:44):
Yeah, Look, it's gonna take guys to be I would
say this, if it takes anything extra for you to
be ready and prepared for this game, you shouldn't be
playing football on this level. This is our first time
I don't know when the last time we played in Austin,
but in Martin history, this's the first time UK has

(31:07):
been to Austin, Texas. You plan a traditional powerhouse in
their place for the first time.

Speaker 4 (31:14):
In a long time.

Speaker 5 (31:15):
If that doesn't elevate your attention, I don't know what will.
This is a chance for you to be on the
national spotlight game at that it's a two point thirty
game down here, that is a big game for us.
If you can't get up for this game and play
at your best the same way you play it at
Ole Miss, if you can't find a way to garner

(31:36):
the energy to play this game, you really shouldn't be
on this team anyway. So honestly, there's nothing that a
coach case fans cansey, I can say, because these guys
should be ready to play on Saturday for this week,
for sure. It's no way they are not at their best.
It's no way.

Speaker 2 (31:53):
They have played once at Texas and that was in
nineteen fifty one, lost seven to six back in the
Bear Bryan Era Open with a win over Tennessee Tech,
and then lost three straight, including a loss to the Longhorns.
Yeah before the Wildcats uh won out except for the

(32:15):
loss to Tennessee at the end of the year. So
uh yeah, this is historic. Before I let you go, UH,
talk to me about the Bengals. I mean you you
mentioned Joe Burrow, uh And I don't know what team
you followed growing up, but around here this is Bengals country.
People are hurting right now. I got to think they're
done with regard mathematically they're not. But they're not gonna

(32:38):
win out, as Joe Burrow said, But man, what a
game last.

Speaker 4 (32:41):
Night that was.

Speaker 5 (32:44):
That was a game of halves. That was an amazing game.
You you both teams had issues. The thing about it
for me is Joe had two possessions when it was
uh to give points and one the kicker missed. But
on that drive, I think he missed Jamar Chase that

(33:06):
was wide open on one of the ross that that
led to the fourth down. You have to take advantage
in that league. Your best players got to play their best.
That is as simple as that. And there was a
situation at the end of the game that I thought
Joe Wood would close and and he didn't close.

Speaker 4 (33:25):
But it happens.

Speaker 5 (33:26):
I mean, you have Joss Allen closed against Kansas City
and Joe Burrow didn't necessarily close, but justin Herbert closed
for for San Diego and their last drives. This that
that game is about star players and and it was
a great I would say this.

Speaker 4 (33:41):
It was a great comeback. They just couldn't finish it.

Speaker 2 (33:45):
I joined that game in the second half because I
was watching recording of my boys beating your bears. But
as I was over at the college and work in
the UK volleyball match, so I didn't have change right
right right watch the Packers Bears. But man, there's this
craziness every weekend in the National Football League. As you know, Van,

(34:05):
Thank you so much. Always a pleasure, and we're looking
forward to say your breakdown of Kentucky Texas coming up
and hearing you talk with Tom next Monday, and maybe
we'll hook up on my show as well. Thank you
so much.

Speaker 4 (34:17):
Give me Kat.

Speaker 2 (34:18):
That's Van Hiles. And yeah, that Kentucky team in fifty
one that actually lost four games went on to win
the Cotton Bowl over TCU, so yeah, good things can happen.
We'll come back and wrap up this edition of the
Leech Report. Welcome back to Leach Report, presented by Bobcat
Enterprises with four locations in Kentucky. When you need to

(34:41):
rent or buy heavy equipment or a new zero turn
mower for your long term to Bobcat Enterprises, Stick Gabriel
wrapping things up for the Voice Tom Leech. He'll be
with you tonight on the Mark Stroops Show. But resting
that voice, the cold that Tom caught last week took
its toll, and he's just getting a little extra rest.
This morning. Final thoughts UK History presented by Kentucky road Show,

(35:04):
Sports Cards and Memorabilia in Lexington. Learned more about them
at roadshowcards dot com. This one means a lot to me.
Yesterday was the anniversary of Sam Buie's UK basketball debut.
He had twenty two points and seventeen rebounds and an
overtime loss to Duke in the Hall of Fame tip

(35:24):
Off Classic. Now it's a personal mark for me because
on that same Saturday, it was a Saturday. It went
actually a Sunday, it might have been, but in terms
of the road trips, now it was as Saturday, as
I recall, because Kentucky played football at Florida. So Kaywood,
Letford and Ralph Hacker went to Florida and did that

(35:47):
game down there for the UK Network. And I just
assumed that because of the conflict, that one would do football,
one would do basketball. They basically divide and conquered. But no,
Ralph said, no, we're going to stick together. We're going
to do the football game, and so who gets to
do the basketball game? Yours? Truly, they sent me to

(36:09):
do the Kentucky basketball game, thus becoming one of I
think four people who ever got to fill in for
the late great kaywod Lidford, and my color analyst was
Jock Sutherland, who wasn't that far removed from his career
coaching in high school and then most notably a Lafayed
where he won the state championship. And of course Jock
went on to become part of the u of L

(36:31):
radio network for nineteen years. He was a dear friend
and a mentor to me. But yes, we went to Springfield.
It was the initial UK Duke, the initial Springfield Hall
of Fame Classic, and Kentucky loses to Duke in overtime
by six points and the Wildcats missed eight free throws.

(36:52):
They lost it eighty two to seventy six. And Sam
Bowie a great player, but did not have a great
day of the line that day was four for ten
on that Duke team. Lexing and Native Vince Taylor played
forty three minutes in that overtime game. But it was
a great experience for yours truly. And it was on
the date back on Saturday in nineteen seventy nine that

(37:15):
the Cats played duke for Shannon the Dude. That's it
so long Everybody.

Speaker 1 (37:19):
To the Leachs Report. Anytime you missed the show, you
can listen to the podcast at Tom Leachky dot com,
WLAP dot com, or seven ninety Louisville dot com. And
anytime you're out of range of the stations, catch the
show via the iHeartRadio app. If you have any questions
for Tom, email Leachs Report at gmail dot com and

(37:43):
check out his website at Tom Leachky dot com