2025-09-15 - LEACH REPORT

Tom talks with Van Hiles on the Monday Morning Quarterback show.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
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 Ky.

(00:23):
Now here's Tom Godday.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Everybody. Welcome into another week of the Leach Report, presented
by Bobcat Enterprises. No game this week for the football Cats.
It's an open date on the schedule, so they will
return to action a week from Saturday down at South Carolina,
first road game of the season. We will talk Kentucky
football today with our man Van Hiles on our Shuffle

(00:46):
being Coffee Monday Morning Quarterback Show. Van will break down
the win over Eastern Michigan. We'll look ahead a little
bit to what Kentucky needs to do because it gets
back into SEC play. All of that coming up on
the show to day. Wildcat News of the Day is
a service of Giuseppees of Lexington and Kentucky defeats Eastern

(01:08):
Michigan forty eight to twenty three, and Cutter Bowlly made
his first start of the season. His second career start
and had a solid effort, no turnovers, twelve of twenty
one for two hundred and forty yards two touchdowns. Kentucky
racked up four hundred and ninety two total yards. By
the way, Shannon, I forgot to mention this to you,

(01:31):
there's a Cutter Bowley interview in the in the system
with the UK Sports Network, and tell me when that's ready,
we'll go to that. Both TV catches for Kentucky came
by Bowlie's roommates tight ends Josh Kattis and Willie Rodriguez.
That was kind of an interesting nugget of information. Seth

(01:52):
McGowan had another big game, one hundred four yards rushing
his second career one hundred yard game, and he scored
three touchdow and had a chance at a carryer or
two where he could have scored a fourth would have
tied the school record, which was kind of interesting because
on Friday we were talking about a UK history. Note

(02:13):
that Roger Bird had twenty five points in a game
because he scored four touchdowns and kicked one extra point,
so Seth nearly had a chance anyway to tie the
record with most touchdowns in a game. Let's hear from
Cutter Bowley after the game, talking on the field at
Kroger Field with Michell Kenezevik at the UK Sports Network.

Speaker 3 (02:34):
I mean, I've been preparing like throughout FAOL camp in
these first few weeks, like I am the starter, and
I just kind of kept that the same mindset and
not many things too much or too little, just kind
of keep doing what I'm doing, and I think that's
going really well.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
The tight ends were really involved in the passing game today,
specifically Joshkatis and Willie Rodriguez. What did you see from
those two out there? Awesome?

Speaker 3 (02:55):
That's my two roommates. So I got my two touchdowns
to my two roommates. So that was pretty funny. But
you know, when the we just call plays and when
it comes to the when the ball comes to them,
it comes to them, you know, I mean the reason
we're there for them today.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
So yeah, I was glad I was able to give
us some chances a win today. You head into a buy,
how will you approach this week?

Speaker 3 (03:16):
Just kinda keeps studdy, you know what I mean. We
got to go South Carolina team, so we gotta use
this by we to our advantage and get a little
bit ahead of the game and just focus on them
right now.

Speaker 2 (03:27):
So that's Cutter Bowlly. After the game sounded like he
played very poised and we'll see how it goes when
the level of competition gets significantly higher. Eastern Michigan had
a solid offense. I know Jeff Pcoro was really impressed
with their quarterback, who had started the first five games

(03:47):
at Michigan stayed back in twenty twenty three and he
played well. But their defense has really struggled this year.
So it'll be a much different animal for Cutter Bowley
in the UK offense to deal with down at South Carolina.
So that will be the real test of the improvement
for the Kentucky offense. Defensively, too many big plays allowed.

(04:12):
This was just the second opponent in the last forty
five games to pass for three hundred or more yards
against the Kentucky defense. Brad White said that first half
is about as bad as we've played in a long time.
So he was you could just tell the tone of
his voice. He was not happy. And even though it's
an open date, he talked about it's gonna be a
serious work week for the guys on that side of

(04:34):
the ball on the offensive side. The big plays came
back for Kentucky. Seven passes went for twenty or more
yards in the game, so that was a big plus
for the Wildcats and Kentucky volleyball gotta win over Houston
in three sets yesterday. Cassie O'Brien had thirty two assists
and seven blocks. Kentucky will have the interesstate matchup with

(04:55):
Louisville coming up on Thursday of this week. Links to
the stories that we talk about each day, you can
find those on the bud Light Leach Report page at
Tom Leachky dot com. When we come back, Van Hiles
will joined the program and is the Leach Report Radio Network.
Our opening segment, wild Cat News each day is presented
by Giuseppes of Lexington and with Keenland just around the corner,

(05:17):
you better be getting an open table and making your
plans to get to Giuseppes. Try to work in a
fantastic dinner at the end of your day at Keeland
building around a UK sporting event maybe or any special occasion.
Giuseppes is off Nicholasville Road, just out past man O
War Here at Lexington. Fantastic Food The Pasta's made right
there on site, handcut steaks, the seafood shipped in fresh,

(05:42):
a lot of locally sourced ingredients. It's fantastic food in
a really special atmosphere at Giuseppes last week and our
shuffle being coffee Monday Morning Quarterback Show. Here's what Van
Hiles had to say about the mission for Cutter Bowley
in his first start of the season.

Speaker 4 (05:58):
When we do eat fishing in the operation, be comfortable
in operation, and be confident when you throw the ball.
If he hit those three, we will be fine.

Speaker 2 (06:08):
So as we welcome in Van Hiles to the program,
how'd Cutter do? Wow?

Speaker 5 (06:14):
Lea. That's my first ever clip in the history of me. Wow,
thank you boy. That's a That voice is horrible, but
it's hard. I appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (06:29):
He didn't.

Speaker 5 (06:30):
He did well. The the level of ease and and
confidence that he operates with his that's just this, that's
just default Cutter, and and that's something that as a
former quarterback that I really appreciate from him is he
seems like he never gets rattled and the operation looked

(06:53):
easy for him because that's just him. He was just
being himself and he didn't try to do too much.
He was comfortab and in the moment, and hopefully this
next week he helped translate that over to his first
SEC start of his career.

Speaker 2 (07:09):
I went back and watched a little bit of the
start of the Louisville game last year when he made
his first start, and that's again true freshman first start
in the rivalry game, and he missed high early, which
would suggest that maybe he was a little just too
amped up here. Even the misses were balls that gave

(07:30):
his guys a chance. Catus I think probably got robbed
of a touchdown early what win as an incompletion, So
that suggested that maybe he was, you know, a little
more you know, comfortable with his second start. I was
saying at some point, maybe Jeff and I were talking
after the game, that you probably gonna get more interceptions

(07:51):
out of a red shirt freshman than he would an
older guy. But you can get like seven pass plays
for twenty or more yards and a couple of touchdowns
like you did the other night. You can get a
net positive there.

Speaker 5 (08:04):
Yeah, And I think the difference between him as being
a redshirt freshman and a seven year senior is this
is his second year in the system, and I think
his level of comfort within the system is showing why
he operates the system better. I think that maybe we
might not see as many bad interceptions because for me

(08:28):
as a quarterback, there are such things as good interceptions.
It's not you don't want to have them, but there's
some horrible one and they're some Okay, I understand why
you made that decision to fit it in that window.
I think now he also knows the scheme and also
know where his receivers are going to be, and that
makes it easier for him to operate the system. I

(08:50):
don't there were some guys he missed, but I understand
why he missed those guys because he tried to press
the ball down the field.

Speaker 2 (08:58):
Yeah, there was one ext it was with the other direction.
He threw an incompletion on a short rounte early and
pick is pointing to the far right side of the
field where Kendrick Law is all down there by himself.

Speaker 5 (09:14):
And that's and that's the hard part about playing the position.
Sometimes when you come to the line of scrim as,
you anticipate what the team is gonna run, and sometimes
your adaptation to what they actually run is a little
bit off that that Outrody threw that should have been
an interception was one that I did. I think he
got confused with the coverage and he had the deep

(09:37):
goat route that would have been open if he would
have thrown it. But those are things I just think
he has a little bit of armor arrogance too, that
he thinks he can make that throw from the other half,
which is like an almost impossible throw.

Speaker 2 (09:50):
Anyway, he was decisive, I thought, and that was what
had been missing from from Zach And I know, you know,
fans will look at it and say, well, well what cut
her starting from the beginning, And he apparently, from everything
Coach Doop said, had been playing really well as training
camp was nearing an end. But think back to the
first series for Calzata, he made a couple of really

(10:12):
nice throws. It looked good. For whatever reason, maybe you know,
the safety and the interception, those negative things that happened,
maybe got in his head a little bit or whatever,
but he seemed to lose that decisiveness. And now you know,
if he has to come back at some point, and
I'm going to assume cutter starting, even though it's not
official yet, but you would assume that would happen if

(10:33):
you go back to Zach at some point. Hopefully, you know,
watching from the side for a little while helps see
it better and help you helps you be more decisive
the next time you're in there.

Speaker 5 (10:44):
Yeah, and it's hard to understand this from an outside
a standpoint, but sometimes what you do off the field,
what you do in the film room, what you do
on the practice field actually matters. There are some guys
who are gamers that don't get a chance to exercise
how much of a gamer they are because they don't

(11:06):
do the things right during the week to show their
skill set on Saturdays. There are other things that come
into play on making a coach trust that you can
start and that might be the reason. I just like
the fact that with him being in the system again
and I think him maturing a little bit is showing
on Saturdays this year because that game it's gonna be great.

(11:30):
Because I don't think that with the seven year senior,
if something happens to Cutter, that he's gonna power as
much as potentially a nineteen to twenty year old who
think their skill set is better than a guy in
front of him. I think that something happens to cutter.
I think Zacher's professional business business long enough that when
he gets his chance again, that he is going to
exude and show confidence and plan again, unlike sometimes a

(11:53):
young guy who gets pissed.

Speaker 2 (11:55):
We tea Van Hiles on our Cheveley Covey Mondayboarding Quarterbacks show.
It's add V Styles seventeen and you can follow in
there on X and see the cutups after each Kentucky game.
It is the Leads Report and we're presented by Bobcn Enterprises,
four locations around Kentucky. So give them a call when
you need to buy or rent heavy equipment for a job,

(12:17):
or know somebody else that does. You can help them
out by giving them tip to call Bobcat Enterprises, Bobcats loaders, excavators,
whatever it is, they'll have it and great service after
the sale at Bobcat Enterprises. Leech repart coming to you
from the Clarks Pumping Shop studio. Return refresh and refuel
at Clark's and you can sign up for their Loyalty

(12:39):
rewards program and get some discounts when you return to refuel.
We're chat with Van Hiles. It's ad V Style seventeen
on X and you can also catch him and his
buddy former Wildcat Anthony White on the locker on Wednesday nights.
That's on YouTube and other social media platforms.

Speaker 5 (12:56):
Right, that is correct, YouTube, Twitter. We even have progressed
to LinkedIn because you know we're all going to need
a job soon or later. So yes, we we we
we try to cover all ankles.

Speaker 2 (13:10):
That's good. Uh. South Carolina is next up, and their
quarterback got knocked out early on Saturday. The coach of
the Game Cocks, Coach Beamer, they are at Missouri Saturday,
said that he's optimistic the lord Sellers will play. Didn't
confirm that it was a concussion. That was what was
reported when it happened on Saturday, but either way, shake

(13:34):
it up. And they came into the year with some
O line issues and we'll we'll get into this more
next week, but they came into the year with some
O line issues and it looks like, uh, those were
valid concerns for South Carolina issues.

Speaker 5 (13:52):
Yeah, it's hard to win in this league, man, It's
it's hard to win in this league, especially with the portal.
And there's so much more parody in college football than
I think there's ever been in The one thing that
is not said enough about that football team this year

(14:13):
is they lost their offensive coordinator and we know from
experience how things can go sideways when you lose your
offensive coordinator and bringing a new guy on a one
year I don't want to phase of Rentha, but this
is first year running that system. It can be very difficult.
And I said that before the season started. Can that

(14:33):
oc and can sellers jail well within a few months,
And it doesn't seem like they're doing that thus far.
And that's so difficult when you have to replace guys
who are calling plays when you had so much success
the prior season.

Speaker 2 (14:49):
Now that's a great point and we'll see how they
bounce back on Saturday out at Missouri. But Kentucky has
to offensively come out this game at least and with
a little confidence. I know it was a very poor
defense that they went up against, but you know, if

(15:09):
you're a play basketball, you just need to see the
ball go in the hoops on or if you're a golfer,
to make a few putts when you've been missing them,
and they had been missing big plays in that offense,
and it's hard if you can't get a few of
those chunk plays in a game to compete against and
defeat somebody who's getting them. And I thought that was

(15:32):
significant for Kentucky if they can build on it against
a better team.

Speaker 5 (15:36):
Yeah, it's interesting in most people say, you play rooms
on your schedule. That's what you did. You play rooms
on your schedule. And if we didn't play well on Saturday,
then people would have asked something to say for us
to it's not to me, it's not the result, it's
the operation. What you felt as a outside or when

(16:00):
you saw plays call and plays ran. The ease of
it and the consistent of getting in and out of
plays looked much better than they looked in prior weeks.
Now they also didn't seem like they subbed as much
when we still had motions and shifts. But it just

(16:20):
it made me feel that ease when I was watching
the game offensively more than the prior weeks where I'm like, okay, snap,
the ball snapped, the ball stopped the ball. This time,
it's like, okay, I understand. And we also put some
on them that a lot of teams are gonna have
prepared for, and that's to throw back to the tight
end and that is going to be something that teams
have to devote time to, which maybe makes us some

(16:42):
other plays successful too, with teams over prepared for that.

Speaker 2 (16:47):
What about the offensive line up front? We've had three
games of tape to look at now it certainly looks better.
How much better do you think it is?

Speaker 5 (16:59):
They are much better. They are much better across the board.
They are much better and firing off. We are creating
a line of scrimmage a lot of times. On the
other side of the ball, on the defensive side, we
are giving quarterbacks. I'd say we might be giving quarterbacks
sometimes too much pressure, I mean too much pocket off protection,

(17:19):
because sometimes the quarterbacks feel like they're getting rushed and
they're not because maybe since last year or the perception
was that we didn't have as good as pass protection
last year. They are doing an amazing job. We are.
We are doing some things offensively that we couldn't do
last year in run blocking scheme. They are and then,
and the thing that impresses me about them even more

(17:40):
thinking about is that they are a complete new unit
for an old line. Playing together means more than anything
else because you the developer communication or relationship as a line,
because everybody's all pulling on the same rope. These guys
have developed that in months and the way they're playing
is very impressive.

Speaker 2 (18:01):
We are chat with Van Hiles. It's the Shuffle being
Coffee Monday morning, quarterback edition of The Leach Report. We're
coming up on the hard break at the bottom of
the hour, so we'll be back with the second half
of the show. We are coming to you from the
Clark's Pumping Shop studio. Return, Refresh and refuel at Clark's
Pumping Shop. It's the Leech Report. We're presented each day

(18:22):
by Bob Cat Enterprises, and we'll be right back with
Van Hiles.

Speaker 6 (18:29):
He's a worker, you know, We've known that since he's
been here. He's about his professional college players I've been around.
He goes out there every single day and works like
it's a game, and I think you're you know, he's
getting the rewards of it on game. I just feel
can't be more proud of a guy for the amount
of work he puts in and we've just got to
keep pushing through.

Speaker 2 (18:49):
That's offensive coordinator Bush Hampden and he's talking about running
back Seth McGowan, who had his second career one hundred
yard rushing day and three touchdowns in the world in
over Eastern Michigan. It's the Leads Report. We're chatting with
Van Hiles, the former Wildcat in Chicago bear dB and
it's our Shuffle being coffee Monday morning, Quarterback edition of

(19:11):
the show. And mcgallan is running like a guy who
is running with a purpose. Man.

Speaker 5 (19:18):
Yeah, I am. I'm so proud of that kid because
of this, he has improved every week. Every run is
not a home run run. He did so many things
of being patient, which he didn't exhibit in game one.
A little bit better game two, but some of the

(19:40):
runs he had, how he set up his blockers were amazing.
To see that transformation from week one he has He
has made me comfortable in saying that he is gonna
be our best running back. But I would say this now,
I'll say this. Patterson showed well too for your running back.

(20:02):
But at McGowan showed that he is definitely running back
number one. But we have three good running backs in
that room. And that's a great thing of see because
attrition is going to happen within this conference.

Speaker 2 (20:13):
Yeah, and that in twenty sixteen when they had their
breakout year you had Boom, Benny Snell, Boom Williams, Benny
Snell and Jojo Kemp and Jodal got the fewest number
of carries, but he was productive. And you know, Patterson
got his chance in this game. You know, in the
scrimmages he did well because McGowan and Daldyll weren't participating

(20:33):
a lot. But Patterson got a lot of looks. But
then you have to be able to do that in
the games. And so now I would think he earned
the trust of his coaches to maybe get a few
carries now and then.

Speaker 5 (20:46):
Yeah, And the word you say is a word that
should be used. A lot of trust is no matter
how much talent you have, no matter how well you
played in high school or how well you practice, can
the coaches trust you. And he showed enough on this
game where the coaches should have enough trust to him
to be comfortable something happens that he can get a

(21:07):
snap because there is nothing being a young guy and
being ready in games is so undappreciated because a lot
of young guys like the power. And for him to
to to play last year and play early last year
and then get lost in the shuffle, have two new
guys come in take the one and two spots and
for him to still be ready and perform on Saturday

(21:28):
when he gets his chance says a lot about his
his level of maturity and how he's bought into whatever
the coaches are saying that's gonna happen.

Speaker 2 (21:37):
Let's shift over to the defensive side of the ball,
and well, there's an issue they've got to help on
two fronts. One is the medical team. DJ Waller was out,
he would be the starter at corner to Ryan Nichols

(22:00):
is a guy I think they do trust, and he
made a big play early that led the Rainers interception
that set up the first touchdown. But then Nichols gets
hurt and it was like a thigh bruise. So I
think they'll they I think they believe he'll be back
for the South Carolina game since they don't have to
play this week. But they needed one more corner and

(22:22):
you know, they tried to Keevis Thomas first and he
got burned on that double move on the big touchdown.
You know, if they gave up ten points in the
last two minutes of the first half because you get
burned on that play and then you mess up a
third and one where you could have run out the
clock and you give them the ball back and then

(22:43):
they ended up getting a field goal, so you gave
up ten points. When if you just don't get bit
don't bite on the double move, maybe you get out
of there with only allowing six in the first half.
So that's a position. They got to find a fourth
guy right now.

Speaker 5 (23:00):
It's much needed because and huah, it is a tough
position to be that fourth and fifth corner because when
you get your chance, which is not gonna happen as
many times as you think you, you start to press
and try to make plays that are not there. And
in that situation, people need to or players to understand

(23:23):
that it's situational football. When it's that time and the clock,
you don't need to make an interception play smart, make
them keep snapping the ball and run the clock. And
to give up a six what sixty five yard sixty
some yard pass that is something our defense do not
We don't do that sell them. So for the give

(23:44):
up that is it's just it's another thing. It's trust.
Now you just lost trust in the coaching staff that
when we need another corner that you are going to
get that first shot, and unfortunately that's what That's what's
gonna happen to Tomas is that the next time a spot
that comes open, he wont be the first guy called,
and that's unfortunate.

Speaker 2 (24:02):
Right now, Kentucky is tied for last in the SEC
with allowing sixteen plays for twenty or more yards through
three games, and just for comparison, last year they ranked eighth.
Twenty twenty three, they ranked third in that stat they
ranked second, in twenty twenty two they rank fourth, and

(24:23):
twenty twenty one they rank fourth, and twenty twenty they
ranked third. In twenty nineteen, twenty eighteen they ranked fifth.
So that would suggest that the defensive coordinator Brad White
will get it figured out.

Speaker 5 (24:37):
Well, hopefully, let's hope. And I know this is not
to let you but come, I'm gonna state this is
we play one of better offenses in week two, so
maybe if we're gonna come back to the field, I
guess our opponents not being explosive as ole miss, so
maybe we can we can improve a little bit. But
it's all about we put guys on the field. This

(24:59):
week probably wouldn't have played if it wasn't from the
injie situation. It's unfortunate, but that's how the cookie crumbo
sometimes as you get put in these situations and guys
have to perform when they get that chance. Unfortunately, they
didn't perform as well as we would all have wanted
them to perform.

Speaker 2 (25:16):
One guy did show a little promise, so a true freshman,
Grant Grayton. He was watched him in practice this week
and I'm out there. One of the things I'm looking
for is like, who who do I need to make
sure I have on my board? Who's you know, really
out this week? And I see this new number showing
up in the secondary and it was actually wearing a

(25:38):
different number than his his actual jersey number in practice
from when he maybe when he was on the scout
team and got moved up. And so I'm like, who's
that guy? And oh, that's great? Great, and the guy
that they got late and you know, he goes in
and he had three tackles. He also didn't get burned
on the throwback to the quarterback. He was in the right.

(26:00):
It's fun and so that shows that, you know, there's
a little something to work with there. Maybe in uh
with two weeks to get him ready, to maybe be
your fourth corner.

Speaker 5 (26:10):
Yeah, into the AI portal to see who he was
because I had no idea either. It's it's a level
of that. That is something that I want to say
this about that. That's sometimes we all we always want
to complain about coaching, right, and it's like, it's not
often coaching. Sometimes it's players reaction. But when the lights

(26:33):
come on, you got a true freshman who has just
been coached up and he plays it correctly. You have
that guy who's probably a junior who doesn't play it correctly.
A lot of times in games, it's not the coaching,
it's what the players do when they get in between
that rectangle, which sometimes pray at a force field on

(26:54):
the brain cells. And sometimes sometimes guys do things that
they're not coached to do. And it's amazing to see
a true freshman do and perform with that supposed to perform.

Speaker 2 (27:02):
And you know, from being a defensive back and playing
a lot of corner when you when you're the quarterback,
you're like the person in the band that turns the
wrong way. No, you can't hide everybody sees it. Everybody
sees you know, there's a lot of mistakes made in
a game, you know, maybe in the middle of the

(27:23):
lines and everybody doesn't see that one. So uh, you
can learn, you know, in fairness to kiev Its, you
can learn from that.

Speaker 5 (27:30):
Yeah, the toughest positions where fans know if tackles quarterbacks
in corners, the big positions where it's obvious when there's
a mistake. The good thing about it, he's an older
guy and every dB gets beat. Don't get me wrong.
I got beat on one of those two against Auburn.
So it's not like it doesn't happen.

Speaker 2 (27:48):
Not like you don't remember it.

Speaker 5 (27:49):
Huh, I can right now. The thing about it for
that situation, though, is you get beat on. Startin situations.
That was one you should not get beat on. And
that's the problem. It's not that he got beat it's
when he got beat. When it's a mind in and
thirty some seconds left, you know, you don't do that.
And that's the unforcing thing. And sometimes when you don't

(28:12):
play a lot, you try to do too much because
you want to you want to show the coaches that
I should get more playing time. Well, when you start
forcing things, unforcing things like this happen.

Speaker 2 (28:21):
We're chatting with Van Hiles Shuffle being Covey Monday Morning
quarterback edition of The Lead's Report, and we'll continue to
visit here when we return our shows, presented each day
by Bob Kat Enterprises.

Speaker 6 (28:34):
You know, we got aft from pretty good at halftime,
and they responded, I thought, you know, in the second half.

Speaker 2 (28:42):
But it.

Speaker 1 (28:45):
Yeah, that's not us.

Speaker 6 (28:47):
And again it starts with me, and I promise you.

Speaker 1 (28:51):
I will get that fixed.

Speaker 2 (28:53):
Defensive coordinator Brad White after the game on Saturday, as
we are chatting with Van Hiles and our shuffle being
Coffee Monday Morning Quarterback edition of The Leaps Report, and
he sounds like a coach that is, as he said
in another sound bite, not gonna be an easy open
week for his guys anyway.

Speaker 5 (29:13):
Oh ooh. I like hearing that. That's I know they're
not going to go back to the nineteen hundreds, coach
Cerry by where we where were in pad in the
cality of it. But that's that's good to hear, because
I'm gonna say this, this defense might not have the

(29:33):
high level of talent that we had in the in
the past few years of having guys who go on
potential NFL draft picks and artists. But this defense is
one of the hardest working, one of the ones that
give more effort and energy on every play, and they
do the right thing the majority of the time that

(29:54):
where they're supposed to be, especially that front four all
the time. And that's something to build on that. We
got to get these guys in the back alb and
I guess we have to get healthy. We have to
get healthy, and if we keep doing what we're doing
these since we did these first three games, I think
we're going to be a problem at conference because we
are so dialed in in our alignment and our assignment.

(30:16):
I think this defense is a chance to be one
of the better defense we've had. They just got to
tighten things up.

Speaker 2 (30:21):
McKee's Humphrey Grace is a guy whose game I like.
He had a big sack for seventeen yard loss and
he had dinged up ankle issue I think of the
first game, so maybe he's finally getting back to full health.
He caused problems for tackles. People get these big, huge
tackles like Kentucky has, but if you're don't have some agility,

(30:44):
a guy like Humphrey Grace can get balue with his
speed and then Augusta seems to be doing well at
the nose. They say Saunders is playing the best football
of his career. So that front group and then you
know Gasda behind him at a couple of days early. Yep,
they've got some depth there. If they can keep them healthy,
they've got a nice looking group.

Speaker 5 (31:04):
There is the He is the engine of the defense
and he is playing great football. He might not you
might not. He might not present himself in the stats,
but that's a hard position to play and get a
ton of good stats. But his effect on the game
is appreciated by everybody else. He's making the life of

(31:28):
Afari and Rainer easier than what I thought it would be.
He's playing Gray, Grace is playing Gray. I'm so proud
of Saunders being a guy who's been assistant so long.
He is showing up all the time. That's front four
is good enough to win games in this conference. They
have played out. They have been consistent, and that's a
great thing about it. Now only they're played well. They've

(31:49):
been consistently playing well, and that's all you can ask
for from a DC and coach Stu is that these
guys are every week they are showing up and showing up.

Speaker 2 (31:59):
Something you'll appreciate from doing some coaching. That Coach White
told Jeff and I a couple of weeks ago. I
was asking him about Humphrey Grace. I think it was
the old misgame. We al was he going to get back?
And you know what is the best asset that he
has in that position? And he mentioned two things. Said,
number one is the best first two steps of anybody,

(32:21):
so he can, you know, get get up on a
tackle quickly, get by him. And he said the other
thing is this is what you don't hear a lot
from coaches. He said, he takes great notes, takes the
best notes in the meetings.

Speaker 5 (32:34):
I love it, love it.

Speaker 2 (32:36):
It does matter when you prepare.

Speaker 5 (32:38):
Oh, he's locked in because sometimes you need to refer
to something after practice or sometimes during the game. If
you write it down, you're probably gonna remember more than
if you don't write it down. So that's great man.
That shows his level of professionalism. That shows a level
that's what he needs to do. Some people don't need
to do that, but he knows he has to do

(32:59):
that in He comfortable doing it because sometimes players will
get on you, like, man, why are you taking notes.
You're a defense alignment. So yeah, that's that's that's good
to hear. That's good to hear.

Speaker 2 (33:08):
But different guys you have to coach some different ways.
I remember when Wesley Woodyard was here, one of the coaches, Uh, well,
I guess was Coach Brooks was tellvy. He said, Wesley
could miss the whole week and he'll show up Saturday
and he'll know everything. He'll be in the right place.
He knows, he'll know his stuff, he said. Other guys,

(33:29):
he said, they need to see it every day. They
need to go through the reps and get the reps
and see it and live it to be fully prepared.
People are different.

Speaker 5 (33:40):
Yeah, you have that's in school. You have your visual learners,
and you have guys who who have to write down
and take like eight page notes. When one guy, I mean,
I actually went to college and with one notebook. I'm
a visual learner, so I didn't take many notes. But
some guys need to take notes. And the thing is,
that's a great thing about coaching and coaches is they

(34:01):
realized that they can't coach everyone the same. And the
coaches who realized that are the great coaches.

Speaker 2 (34:07):
Now you're exactly right, because the whole thing of coaching
is getting the best out of the people you're coaching.
Whatever that takes.

Speaker 5 (34:15):
Ye out of each player. And the thing about it,
like as a coach that some cues and some prominent
should make to one player, he gets it right away,
and you might have to say something totally different but
saying the same thing to another player because they don't
get it the way you said it to some other player.
You have to figure out what makes everybody tick. You
can yell at some players and some players you can't

(34:36):
yell at that. Some players you have to act more
like a father, and some of the players got to
act more like a brother. Though it depends. You have
to figure that out.

Speaker 2 (34:44):
We're just about out of time. Crazy day in the NFL.
I think it was the second most total points scored.
I think I saw in one one day since like
the sixties one. Dale Robinson had a career day for
the Giants. They lost to the Cowboys, but he had
eight catches for and a touchdown and he is settling
in quite nicely.

Speaker 5 (35:05):
You should have had the game winning touchdown. But but
here's the look. He has played amazing football on all
levels and he came here and gave us something that
we haven't had a long time as true number one receiver.
So I'm not shocked that he's doing that. He's a
hard worker, he understands the game, he studies the game,

(35:27):
and I'm glad to see it translate to the next
level because he has shown that on this level too.

Speaker 2 (35:33):
Yeah, and he was a guy that put in the
work and put into work, still doing it now. Van
heiles at V Style seventeen The Locker on Wednesday nights
at nine Eastern time with Van and Anthony White. On
YouTube and other social media platforms, you can find that there,
and you can catch him here on our Shuffle Being
Coffee Monday morning Quarterback shows each week.

Speaker 5 (35:52):
Van, thank you much appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (35:55):
It is the Lates Report Radio Network. We're presented by
Bob Kat. Enterprises will be right back. Shufflebean Coffee's the
official coffee of rupp Arena as well as the KFCM
Center and some Lexington area restaurants too, and it can
be the official coffee of your house if you pick
some up today at a central Kentucky Myers store, or
do you order through Amazon, or you go to the

(36:16):
company's website shufflebeant Us. You can find the way to
order it there and you can find out a little
bit more about the company, which is based in Kentucky,
founded by Kentuckians, and they are committed to making an
excellent cup of coffee. Give it a try. Put some
hustle in your shuffle with Shufflebing Coffee, Stan Wildcat History,
percent Aby, Kentucky road Show Sports Cards and Memorabilia on

(36:38):
Romney Road in Lexington and at roadshowcards dot com. Stay
In two thousand and seven, Stevie got Loose. Stevie Johnson
caught that touchdown pass to beat number nine Louisville forty
to thirty four, and if there had been a roof
on Kroger Field, it would have blown off that night.
Happy birthday Marquis Estell, one of the great big men

(36:59):
for Kentucky, Basso and Reggie Wharford, one of the stars
of that seventy six n Championship team. Reggie was born
on this day. Men's soccer for Kentucky played a one
to one draw with Bowling Green yesterday. Wafford has fired
former Cat Dwight Perry as head coach. Hated to see

(37:19):
that he led Wafford into the NCAA tournament. Fact they
played at rapp Aarina last year. I believe against Tennessee.
Corn Bred Hemp has a great deal right now. You
can through Wednesday you can get a free jar sleep
gummies when you spend seventy five dollars or more at
cornbreadhamp dot com. And this summer is slowing down. It
means harvest season's almost here. For the folks at Cornbread Hemp.

(37:41):
Their plants have been growing strong and the Kentucky sunlight
and soil fed by that mineral rich limestone rockbed of
the bluegrass. So now those plants are ready to be
turned into the premium wellness products that you enjoy at
cornbreadhamp dot com. And you can always get twenty percent
off your first order if you put in the code
Tom at check out at cornbreadhamp dot com. This is

(38:03):
the good life that does it for us. No news
conference for coach Stoops today because there's no game this week.
We will do the radio show in the UK network tonight.
Offensive coordinator Bush Hampden will be with us, and I
think also Josh Katis and Ty Bryant. See you tomorrow
on the Leads Report