2025-09-19 BBI

Craig Skinner and the volleyball Wildcats on their comeback win at Louisville; (10:00) football coaches Mark Stoops and Walt Wells; (19:00) WKYT Sports Director Lee K. Howard; (39:00) radio highlights from UK's win over EMU; (53:00) Cutter Boley on his performance; (59:00) Billy Rutledge makes his NFL predictions and... all the guy wants is whole wheat toast. No chicken salad...

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know, the rivalry match is more about our people
that follow us all year long and the fans across
the country that may not know volleyball as well. I'm
sure they're happy today to.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Kentucky volleyball coach Craig Skinner following the wildcats come back
win over the Louisville Cardinals last night. Welcome to the
Big Moonsider. Dick Gabrielle with you Friday edition of our
program as we wrap up the week. No Kentucky football tomorrow,
there is more volleyball tomorrow. Wildcats take on Washington the
Huskies at noon. Got to prepare for that team without

(00:31):
thinking about to win over Louisville. That's going to be tough,
but teams sometimes bounce off big wins, and this was
huge for the Wildcats. We'll talk about that tonight. We
will hear from Mark Stoops, lost heir from Walt Wells
Eku Colonel's back in action, and a little bit later
on Lee K. Howard new sports director at wk Whitet.
He's been there for fourteen years, but takes over now

(00:52):
for Brian Mylem who moved on to a job with
the KHSAA. We will relive the highlights the radio call,
Tom Lee each and Jeff mccorrel as they brought us
Kentucky and Eastern Michigan Wildcats winning last week, but not
winning the way you might think, with the defense giving
up a bunch of yards, giving up some points we

(01:12):
didn't expect to see. But you hear the highlights coming up.
Billy Rutledge will join us as well. He'll have his
NFL picks for the weekend. Billy doing pretty well, so
am I. For the most part. I've gone with Billy,
have gone against him on one or two games, but
both of us are above five hundred right now, so
we hear that coming up as well in our number two.
But I was in Louisville last night at the Yum Center.

(01:35):
What a great environment. And you know when Kentucky played
in rupp Arena, played the big matches up, that was
great as well. It has an NCA tournament feel. I
tweeted that last night they curtained off the top of
the Young Center so you could only fit about twelve
thousand in there, and they did it, and there were
UK fans, there was a few pockets of Kentucky fans

(01:58):
in there, and they watched as the Outcasts fell behind.
Louisville is really good defensively at blocking. Their big team,
a physical team, and they did a great job of
slowing Kentucky's offense early in the match. Kentucky and Louisville
split the first two. Louisville won the first match for
the first game, I should say, and then Kentucky won

(02:20):
the next. Louisville won the third, and midway through the fourth,
I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen, but
Kentucky came through and two of the biggest reasons were
kids who came off the bench, Jordan Daily and Ava Sarafa.
Ava is a setter who started the season and as

(02:43):
the number one setter, and it didn't take long before
the freshman Cassie O'Brien beat her out for the job.
But then O'Brien began to cramp one of her legs.
She started to cramp, she could barely walk back to
the bench. Sarafa came in for her and she triggered
the offense that caught fire and the Wildcats took the

(03:04):
fourth set, and I blew them out really in the
four set, and then when the fit jumped out to
an early lead and held off U of l Or
a big road win and just another tough match on
the schedule for Craig Skinner. He is doing this now
more than ever. He is scheduling really tough in the

(03:24):
preseason knowing it will pay off down the stretch. At
least that's the plan.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
You can't teach how pressure feels until you feel it
as a person. And so you know, our players are
getting more comfortable in those moments and know they belong
and so it's now. We did a really good job
of making plays when we needed.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
To, and they did it on the road against the
nation's third ranked team. And honestly, you could see both
of these teams either in a regional championship or in
the final four. They draw on opposite sides of the bracket,
come in see a tournament time. It was a great match,
it really was. And as I said, it came down

(04:05):
to the subs that Skinner made. You know, he had
to put in Sarafa because Cassie O'Brien was hurting, and
he put in Jordan Daily, who's a talented player, but
she's stuck behind some other talented players. But she brought
something that Skinner needed at the time, and it paid off.

Speaker 1 (04:22):
Yeah, I mean it makes you're staff proud when the
people on bench are ready, you know, because it's easy
to check out, it's easy to feel sorry for yourself
if you're not playing, or you can engage and do
what you can to do whatever is needed for the
team at the time.

Speaker 3 (04:35):
But you know, Jordan came in.

Speaker 1 (04:36):
We didn't worn't scoring behind the center, so we needed
a bigger blocking presence and that was a huge factor
in the match, you know, all night long, and you know,
and then she came through offensively too at key moments
as well.

Speaker 3 (04:47):
So again, you.

Speaker 1 (04:49):
Either prepare for those moments or you're not, and then
you're just proud of all the people that came off
the bench to make a difference.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
I have talked about it on this show with Skinner
and with his players, talked about it on the SEC
Plus telecasts. Practices are so important. They are to everybody
I know. But when you've got a deep and talented roster,
of course you've got players pushing each other, competing for
playing time, and if you practice well and you're playing

(05:18):
for Kentucky, you will play. That's why Skinner obviously didn't
hesitate again, he was forced to turn to Sarafa, but
he was of course not going to hesitate because he
knew she was good enough to play in a match
like this. I mean, she played great against Nebraska and
that one that got away in five sets. It's just
that O'Brien played better in practice. But Sarafa was ready

(05:40):
when she got in and she had an instant effect
on the Kentucky offense, and so was Jordan Daily when
she got in. Letter on, Sarafa talked to the media
about how the offense perked up.

Speaker 4 (05:52):
Honestly credit to the Scout. I mean, we've been talking
about this for honestly weeks now, and just Louisville's a
great team. They're a great blocking team, and I think
think one thing that we can hold our offense to
is just being fast to the pins, so just getting
that ball fast out there so the block isn't formed,
and I think just coming out hot. We wanted to
win this game, big rivalry. I think that our hitters

(06:13):
were just ready to go, and even if it's like
the block is there, just tooling it going high hands.
I mean, just making sure that the sets there and
in the hitter's window. I mean being able to score.

Speaker 2 (06:24):
That was key and you could see it. Sarafa got
the ball to the outside hitters to Eva Hudson and
Brooklyn Delay a little quicker because early in the match
they would run their offense in Louisville was ready, as
I said, a really good blocking team, and it just
seemed like every time, especially Hudson went up, there were
two blockers ready to knock things down and keep it

(06:47):
in bounds. If it goes off your hands, you block it,
but it goes out of bounds, of course, point for
the other team. But UFL would reject Kentucky time and again.
Even Brooklyn Delay had to really work for her kills.
But they just picked up the pace and Szarafa was
a big part of that and obviously thrilled with a comeback.

Speaker 4 (07:04):
We always talk about pressure being a privilege, and I
think just embracing the opportunity and like I said, big rivalry.
There was a lot of emotion and fire that goes
into this game, and I think just coming out and
we wanted to win so bad that honestly, the whole
team was just lit up and we just went into
that game like we are not finished. We're going to
win this match, like whatever we have to do.

Speaker 5 (07:25):
So.

Speaker 2 (07:27):
Naiva Sarafa is from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, the suburb of Detroit.
Brooklyn Delay, the reigning SEC player the year, two time
All American, is from Topeka, Kansas. But don't kid yourself.
Like every UK athlete on campus, they know from early
in their stay, maybe even before they get here, that

(07:47):
they want to be Louisville. And because both of these
programs have risen to such great heights, with Louisville getting
to the Final four Kentucky not just getting there but
winning a national championship, this is a rivalry as good
as the basketball rivalry when both teams were like top ten,
top five. Football is always fun no matter what. But

(08:10):
isn't it better when both teams are good? Well, these
two programs right now are great and that's what makes
it fun. But amazingly at Brooklyn Delay told us this
Leah Edmund and me on TV last week. She said,
I've never beaten Louisville and so she was so looking
forward to playing the Cardinals and had a huge match

(08:30):
twenty four kills and three blocks, and she was delighted
to get that first win over the Cardinals.

Speaker 6 (08:37):
Yeah, I did say I've never beaten them, so this
was just an amazing opportunity, and it just kind of
shows that we're not done yet, Like it's still early
in the season. We still have a lot to work on.
Credit to that team because they came firing on all
cylinders at the beginning of the game, and I think
just the response to it, like everyone's been talking about it,
it's truly was a team effort tonight. So many people

(08:58):
came in off the bench, and that's just credit to
how hard we work in practice and just how bought
in the whole team is. So that was really cool.

Speaker 2 (09:08):
By the way, Sarafa, who came in toward the end
of the third late in the third set, wound up
with twenty five assists. Kentucky with seventy kills on the
night and Louisville had just forty seven. That's pretty amazing.
Wildcats hit two oh nine, Louisville hit seventy two. That's

(09:28):
great defense. Of course, a Uffs coach later said they
had hoped to keep Kentucky, which as a team's been
hitting three hundred lower than to maybe one p fifty,
so they didn't quite get their goals. Still, Louisville played
great defense against the Wildcats and for most of the night,
in fact, all night out block Kentucky wound up with
thirty three blocks to just twenty six for the Wildcats,

(09:51):
but for a while there Louisville had doubled up Kentucky
on blocks. So Kentucky comes all the way back, gets
the win and earn earns a much needed victory on
the road against a great team. And again just part
of the tough scheduling that Craig Skinner does and just
hoping that it'll pay off.

Speaker 1 (10:11):
You take risks to schedule tough. But the reason you
take those risks is because if you don't know what
it's like to play in these matches early in the season,
then when it gets to you later in the season,
you may may not.

Speaker 2 (10:23):
Quite be ready.

Speaker 1 (10:23):
And you know, just just a belief, you know that
you can win against good teams and top five teams.
And went on the road in front of a big crowd,
you know that's going against you. You know, thanks to
all the big blue nation that came up tonight and
I heard I did hear a big blue, go, big
blue chant in the four set that you don't hear
very often in this building, so that was that was
pretty cool. But it just again adds, you know, a

(10:46):
couple layers of belief going forward.

Speaker 2 (10:48):
And as we said, next up for the Wild Catch
tomorrow at noon, it's the University of Washington and then
SEC play begins. Join us if you can't get to
the coliseum on SEC plus. Back in Tuck Football, Mark
Stoops and Walt Wells of EKU here on six thirty
WLAP Welcome back. Coming up in a couple of minutes,

(11:10):
Lee K. Howard, the News Sports director wkyt Our number two,
we will relive the highlights from Kentucky and Eastern Michigan
ahead of a weekend where there is no UK football.
But before we hear from Mark Stoops, how about a
former wildcad Dion Walker, who is playing a lot more
now because the guy ahead of him in the on
the depth chart for the Buffalo Bills at Oliver is hurt.

(11:32):
Walker made his presence known last night. He was having
a good game up until he made one of the
plays of the game, and that was at the very
end when Miami was driving what it hope will be
a tying touchdown to a tongue of ALOA throws an
interception and he did it with Dion Walker in his face.
He took one step back, looked up, there's Dion. He

(11:54):
had to chuck it loose and the Bills intercepted it.
So Walker getting all hindes of credit for the job
he did last night, and the Bills win over the
Miami Dolphins, which makes superstar quarterback Josh Allen eight and
oh when playing on Thursday dates back to twenty nineteen

(12:16):
when the Bills beat the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. But Dion
Walker and I was listening on the radios. I was
coming back from UK volleyball man. They were raving about him,
and they were saying, there's no way this guy's six
seven three point thirty. They said, no way, he's got
away more than that. But at the same time they

(12:37):
were saying, but he moves so well, he's so quick
and athletic. And look, this was not the same guy
who played for Kentucky last year because last season Walker
was playing through a back injury. And if you've ever
had anything wrong with your back, you know that makes
everything more challenging. So keep an eye on those Buffalo Bills.

(12:58):
Three x Wildcats on that team. Max Harrison is still
not clear to play, but Ray Davis is certainly playing
well for Buffalo, and man, they're fun to watch, aren't they.
All Right? The Wildcats again off tomorrow, you know that
trying to get things right hitting into conference play, including
on defense, which to me was the most surprising I

(13:21):
think to everybody was the most surprising element of Saturday's win.
How much in terms of passing yards Kentucky gave up.
Defense has been a strong point, especially the secondary, and
they got shredded every now and then by Eastern Michigan
and Mark Troops talked about the fact that they did

(13:41):
respond well this week in practice, but that's something they've
got to have going into SEC play.

Speaker 7 (13:47):
But it was just kind of aggravating. But there's always
stuff to work on, stuff to learn from. And you know,
we're not very good if you don't play on that edge,
you know, And you know, you get off to a
good start and we're scoring point and defensively, I don't
know what it is, whether it's a mentality or just
mentally slipped up a little bit, but just you know,

(14:08):
a lot of areas we can improve again. I want
to give them credit because they're efficient and they came
out and you know, played well.

Speaker 2 (14:16):
No word yet on starting quarterback for next week. I'm
guessing it'll be Cutter Bullie if he's healthy. We will
probably see Zach Calzada. But Bullie certainly showed what they
were looking for. And they went over Eastern Michigan. And
again not on the SEC team. Yeah we know this,
but his willingness to just play loose and cut it loose,

(14:39):
and that's why they had so much success throwing the football.
And of course it's set up the run. Now can
they do this with bigger, stronger, faster D lineman in
his face and D backs covering downfield? Yeah, you know,
that's what's got to happen. And again they got to
run the ball as well as they did, or at
least approach that against the Eastern Michigan. So a week

(15:02):
from Saturday we'll find out when the Wildcats play at
South Carolina, a game you will hear right here. E
KU one and two two losses to Division I schools
Louisville and Marshall, and it went over Houston Christian. Now
tomorrow Colonels are on the road at West Georgia Carrollton, Georgia.

(15:24):
ESPN Plus has it my man Greg Scott Steidlemayer on
the call at coach wall Wells earlier this week invoked
the phrase from Eastbound and Down when he talked about
how the offense is going to make quick improvements offensively.

Speaker 8 (15:40):
We've got long ways to go, but had a short
time to get there, and so we're gonna have to
to make sure that we have a great week of practice,
minimize what we do, to make sure they have an
understanding of what they do. Because West George's defense is
a really stout defense. It does a great job, so
we're gonna have to be pared and the go in

(16:01):
there and put bodies on bodies.

Speaker 2 (16:04):
So a good opportunity for Eku and a challenge on
the road at West Georgia tomorrow evening at six pm
Eastern time. Another college football note for you. This one
passed through my Instagram feed thanks to cbssports dot com
and again they rank and have polls and all kinds

(16:26):
of stuff, and they've got a quarterback power ranking and no,
Arch Manning is not at the top, nowhere near, but
it is a Texas quarterback who's in the top five.
But it's Texas A and M's Marcel Reid number one right now.
John Natier of Oklahoma, he is really talented more than
three hundred yards of total offense. I scored as a

(16:48):
passer and a runner in less than three quarters of
action last week in the forty two to three win
over Temple Haines King of Georgia Tech. He is so tough,
a better runner than he is a thrower. But he
moves up from tenth to second. By the way, Mattia
was number one last week. Jake Rhetzlaf of Tulane places

(17:08):
for John Sumrawl has jumped from twenty third to third
in the Power rankings. Read the kid from Texas A
and M. He was number twenty last week and now fourth.
Diego Pavia twelfth last week, but let his team do
a thirty eight to seven shill lacking at South Carolina.

(17:29):
Pavia now is ranked fifth in the Power Football Ranking
or their Quarterback Rankings or cbssports dot com. There is
no UK quarterback either obviously Calzada or Cutter Bowli listed,
but there is a quarterback from Kentucky listed in the
top fifty. That would be Maverick mcgiver of Western Kentucky

(17:54):
ranked fiftieth. Last week he was unranked. He has clearly
one of the great names in all of college football,
Maverick mcgiver. According to cbssports dot Com their rankings of
the college football quarterbacks by the way, going into a
huge game this week Florida Miami, Carson Beck is nineteenth.
He slipped a little bit last week from last week

(18:16):
when he was sixteenth. The Gators DJ Lagway has dropped
out of the top fifty. This is of course Power rankings,
and so has arch Manning according to cbssports dot Com.
And you may have seen this already, but Clayton Kershaw
hanging it up. His last start as an LA Dodger
is tonight in Dodger Stadium against the Giants. He has

(18:39):
decided to hang up his spikes and he will be
remembered as one of the greatest ever, the greatest, certainly
of this generation. Eighteen years in LA and he says
this is it for him. Three time nl Cy Young
Award winner ten times an All Star, won the ERA
title five times, led the National League and strikeouts three times,

(19:04):
won the Pitching Goal or Pitching Triple Crown, and a
Gold Glove in twenty eleven, threw a no hitter, won
the NLMVP Award in twenty fourteen, and of course a
two time World Series champ. What more can you do?
Amazing three thousand career strikeouts, got that against the White

(19:25):
Sox back in July. Only nineteen other people have done that,
and only three other left handers. But since the mound
was lowered in nineteen sixty nine, thanks in large part
to Bob Gibson and of course Mickey Lolitz Tony McClain
back then, no qualified major league baseball starter has a

(19:45):
lower career ERA than Kershaw's of two point five four.
And if you're a baseball walk you might throw ERA
out the window. You do that, I think for relievers,
but not for starters who throw a lot of innings.
Pretty amazing. He was a rookie back in twenty eight
and his first strikeout victim Skip Schumacher of the Cardinals. Amazing.

(20:12):
Clayton Kershaw hanging it up after the season's over final
regular season start. Tonight up next, Lee K. Howard of WKYT.
You're on six thirty WLAP Welcome back to the Big Mossar.
Are joining us now in our celebrity hotline as a
guy we've known for quite a while from WKYT recently

(20:33):
anointed crowned Night. I mean, you know, named the sports director.
What do they just walk up to you and say
you're it? I mean, congratulations, by the way.

Speaker 9 (20:44):
Thanks taking I don't think I received a crown or
a or a Knight armor or anything like that, but
I do appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (20:52):
Of course, you worked for a long time with Brian
Milom and you've been at KYT how many years now?

Speaker 9 (20:58):
Fourteen years? So yeah, I got a got a chance
to work with Brian for fourteen years. Obviously he was
there fifteen years a year before me, six years. I
worked with you, I worked alongside some legends, So I
don't I don't take this new role lightly. I know
there's been a long standing position of great sports directors
and on air talent at WKYT, and so yeah, it is.

(21:21):
It's a really cool deal to get to kind of
take over the helm after such a good history in
this in this department.

Speaker 2 (21:27):
How does this change your air shifts and how people
will see you on the air if at all?

Speaker 9 (21:32):
Yeah, So the main the main difference, and right now
we're not fully staffed We're still working to get fully staffed.
But the main difference as far as schedules go, I
for the last six seven years, I've been the primary
ten and eleven PM sports anchor. I'll still show up
from time to time on those on those news staffs,
depending on the schedule, but the primary role will be

(21:53):
the five, the five, five thirty and six pm early
evening news, So that's kind of my shift. Will we'll
go to earlier in the day, and then of course
we'll do stuff on the weekends and do the high
school football show on Friday nights and things like that.
But that's that's kind of the main shift as far
as schedule goes.

Speaker 2 (22:09):
You also have to oversee the projects, the specials, the
you know, whatever you do in and around the NCAA tournament,
which when I was there, and you know, when contracts
were up, I was always terrified the CBS was going
to lose that contract because you know what that means
to this area, what it meant to our station still
does uh, that's a big deal. And you know, you've

(22:32):
got to find creative ways to reach your audience. There
are you looking forward to that challenge absolutely?

Speaker 9 (22:38):
You know, and the CBS did lose the SEC contract
right a year ago or so j ABC, and that
did change certain things. But you know, we still have
a priority at the BUKAT to showcase the great athletes
around here, especially the UK athletes, but also the high
school athletes and the other small college athletes. And so
we still have our special programming. You know, we have

(23:00):
a UK basketball preseason special coming up, and like I said,
we have a high school football show on Friday nights,
and really kind of a new thing that a lot
of TV stags is not just ours, but a lot
around the country. We're getting into is the streaming piece
that you know, it's honestly, if you turn on the
TV these days on a variety of channels, you see

(23:21):
a bunch of just people talking into microphones and discussing sports.
And so we have a new show every single day
or Friday's week at least called Game Time Unplugged and
that's on our WKYT Plus app. So it's it's about
a fifteen minute show every day where we're just talking sports,
and it's kind of similar to what a radio broadcast does.

(23:43):
It's not scripted, it's not written out, it's just us
talking and so that's kind of been a fun new thing,
new adventure that we've been able to implement in the
last month or two.

Speaker 2 (23:52):
One of the things it always drove me crazy when
I was and I ran a sports department for twenty
two years, but this was prior to the streaming outbreak,
was the fact that guys like you and Steve Moss
and whoever would go out and bust their tail to
shoot game after game or a UK game. But you know,
we'd get three minutes at eleven o'clock and then high

(24:15):
school Fridays, you know, more than that. But it just
seemed like we left so much video on the editing
room floor, if you will. And I'm wondering, is there
any way to use the streaming channel, for lack of
a better term, in a way that you know, you
could show a lot more stuff, because you know, we
used to have that magazine show that ran forty minutes

(24:37):
on Saturday nights, which was a real bear to put together,
but it was a lot of fun. And I'm wondering
if streaming is the answer to that.

Speaker 9 (24:45):
You know, it might be. That's a good point that
we have certainly discussed, especially from the high school piece. Yeah,
talking about extra extra video and those sorts of things.
Sometimes some of the college sports and pro sports especially,
they have certain embargoes where they don't want them on
certain platforms. So we get that. But if it's you know,

(25:05):
high school sports, that is certainly something that we've discussed exploring.
Let's get more, let's get more out there and and
kind of you alluded to the video piece of it,
but just even our opinions, you know, we have a
certain amount of time to be able to put you know,
in depth analysis or opinions or what have you into
certain sports. Because we're limited by a sportscast on the

(25:27):
television streaming, there's not really a time limit. So it
does open the door for quite a few more things
and enables us to be a little more versatile than
just the couple of minutes that you see us on
television talking.

Speaker 2 (25:39):
To leeke k. Howardy is the newly appointed sports director
w KYT, moving up one spot, taking over for Brian
Milem who's gone to work for the KHSA. And I thought,
not that I wanted to see Brian leave KYT, but
I thought that was a great hire for the KHSAA.

Speaker 9 (25:56):
You know, absolutely, you know, I was sad to see
Brian Joe because, like I said, we worked together for
so many years. But when this opportunity came along and
he first mentioned it to me, it seemed kind of
like a perfect fit for him, because, as you know
he is, he's a big high school guy, high school sports,
and it just makes sense for him to be able
to do something like this. And I will tell you

(26:18):
he's already reached We've already sped communication. He's already reached
out to me several times like, hey, did you see this?
Or you know this is coming up in the high
school world, and you know, like when a shot clock
was implemented this week, it was something he reached out
and talked to me about. So you know, he's in
a job that's a new role for him, but it's
still a job that he's able to to kind of

(26:40):
stay in much with us. And as obviously I always
appreciate any sort of advice or or anything that he
has for me.

Speaker 2 (26:48):
I know it's early in your tenure, let's call it,
as a sports director. Are there any changes? Are there
projects you've been kicking around in the back of your
mindcause you're you're pretty good when it comes up in
feature stories to get and when I was putting the
specials together, I loved it when you had an idea
for something and cobble it together. Have you come up
with anything yet that you'd like to imply or implement

(27:10):
I should say sure.

Speaker 9 (27:12):
Well, I mean I think right now we're leaning a
lot into the streaming side of things, and we've got
some specials coming up that we want to do and
some interviews and things like that. I think right now
we're a little bit, to be honest, we're a little
bit hindered by the staff. We need, we need we
need to fully staff. But yes, we you know, it's
one of those things that you want to continue on

(27:32):
the tradition that w KYP Sports has always been and
there's no need for wholesale changes like things have been
done right for many years, but you also want to
kind of put your own stamp on things. And so
I think you'll see some of those things as well
coming out. We're going to try to get out and
talk to some more of the Georgetowns and Ekus and

(27:53):
moreheads face and Transylvanias and in some of those schools
that maybe don't get the coverage that we always are
able to give them. The UK is always going to
be the bread and butter, just because you're more fans
of UK than their schools in the area. But it's
also important that we get out and we are at
those games of the other schools and at their practices,

(28:15):
and so that will be something that will emphasize.

Speaker 2 (28:17):
He is Lee K. Howard. He is the new sports
director WKYT bud a veteran of the TV wars here
and lexing. And we'll come back and talk more with
Lee K in just a minute here on the Big
Blue Siders six thirty WLAP Welcome back. My guest is
Lee K. Howard. He is the sports director just took
over for Brian Milem at w KYT. You and I
have talked before on and off the area. You are

(28:38):
from New Mexico. You went to college in Texas. You've
been in Kentucky now for quite a while. You and
your and your lovely Brian Christen. When it comes to
high school coverage, what was it like making that adjustment
because having lived in Texas for a couple of years,
I know you know Friday Night Lights was not a
work of fiction. You know that's that's the way it is, brother.

(29:02):
But I know it's a smaller state, But how do
you compare the two? And maybe can you compare basketball
to football when it comes to the high school interest.

Speaker 9 (29:12):
Sure, you know, as you alluded to, high school sports
in Texas are huge, and I was in a smaller
market to begin with there, so certain markets are lean
more toward high school to begin with than others. But
you know, the passion seems to be about the same.
I mean, that's the big thing is like certain schools

(29:33):
you go to in Kentucky have a passion that that
could rival any state, I believe, And so that was
something that I kind of cut my teeth offs broadcasting
World's covering some really good high school football teams. Now,
I will say the high school passion for basketball in
this state is probably better. Sure, for obvious reasons. I

(29:54):
think people look at Kentucky as a basketball state, and
that doesn't just apply to the Kentucky Wildcat. I think
there are a lot of really good, talented teams. And
you also said it is as much smaller state. I
kind of like that. In Texas, you have so many
schools to try to keep up with, and you just
there are schools, honestly, that I've never heard of. Well,

(30:16):
I mean literally literally, there are schools that you know,
I've probably never heard. That's not the case in Kentucky.
It's a much smaller sample size, I guess you could say,
and it's a lot easier to keep up with. You
have a much better idea too, of like who are
the elite teams this year? Who are the best football teams?
Who are the best basketball teams? So, high school sports

(30:39):
are always going to be something that drives viewership in
any state, in any market, and because people want to
see their kids on TV, and I think that that's
a great thing, that that's still a priority for us,
and in this market, getting those kids, those boys and
girls on television.

Speaker 2 (30:57):
One are the things that I noticed that it's absolutely
parallel when it comes to the smaller towns in both
Kentucky and in Texas is the passion they have for
their teams. And I'm not just talking about Odessa, Permian,
you know, those high profile towns in Texas. But I
actually toured the end of my stay there. My second
year i worked, I was asked to fill in for

(31:17):
somebody on a high school playoff game and Belton. Are
you familiar with Belton. It's south of Temple, south of Waco.
Not a big town, but boy, they love their Tigers.
And it was about two hours south of Dallas. And
when I got to town, you know, the local dairy
queen or dizzey Whiz or whatever it was, go Tigers.
I mean there was there was Belton High School football

(31:39):
stuff everywhere. And that's similar in the state of Kentucky
with the smaller towns around basketball tournament time, isn't it.

Speaker 10 (31:47):
Yeah? It is.

Speaker 9 (31:48):
And it's interesting you mentioned those because when I was
in Texas, I was in West Texas. So like the
district that we covered were Permian, Yeah, and Midland, and
I mean literally Theriday night lights schools, you see, those
are the schools we covered. And so going from that,
you're right, the small towns in West Texas, to be

(32:09):
quite honest, remind me of the small towns we cover
in eastern Kentucky. So where on a Friday night the
town kind of shut down and everyone's at the football game.
And if you're wondering where Joe and Bob and Mary
and Sue are, they're at the football game, even if
they don't have a kid that's playing. That's just kind
of the plan to be and takes me back to

(32:30):
my time. Now, this was twenty years ago almost now,
before we had Twitter to find scores, and we would
call the local dairy queen or the local convenience store
and say, hey, did you get a score from the
such and such game tonight, Because it didn't matter if
you were at the game or not if you were
working in the dairy queen idea of what the score
was for the football game. And so you do see

(32:52):
that passion in football. You see that passion in basketball,
and when it comes to the KSA Basketball tournament, it's
I love that Kentucky maybe might be the only, but
if not one of the very few that have a
system where the underdog can upset the six A champion
and the six A best team and become the champion

(33:14):
of the high school basketball world. And it's sech a
neat deal because of the size it's able to do that.
So I actually loved that piece as well.

Speaker 2 (33:25):
There was a story and by the way, I couldn't
agree with you more about the Sweet sixteen, but there
was a story recently coming out of Texas. Laporte, Texas
which is in the Bay area, Houston Bay ten around
in there, as you know, New Stadium, and it's not
the only one that's expensive, but fifty six million dollars
for a stadium just raised eyebrows. Every McKinney has a

(33:49):
seventy million dollars stadium, Allen has a sixty million dollars stadium.
And I don't know if this is the case in
that in Laporte, if I'm pronouncing it right, but people
need to understand, first of all, Texas is religion down there. Secondly,
a lot of those school districts share stadiums with high schools,

(34:09):
with jucos, with small colleges. But still it makes quite
a statement, doesn't it.

Speaker 9 (34:16):
It really does. And that is one thing that I
actually really kind of wish Kentucky had. So like we
were in the Amarillo School District and there was the
Lubbock School District and the Middland School District, and what
they do is they put all their resources into one
large stadium. I think of Toyota Stadium in Georgetown that
may be bigger and better, and it'd be as if

(34:39):
Fayette County schools all had one big stadium that all
the schools played, and now that logistically there are some issues.
You know, a lot of those districts in Texas had
four or five schools to play, and so there was
always a Thursday night game, right, and then you had
a lot of times you had a Saturday game. That's
and obviously sometimes schools aroun the road, but it worked

(35:01):
and it kind of speaks to the culture of high
school football where even if you didn't necessarily root for
one of those schools, but you were just a high
school football fan, you could show up on a Friday
night to the stadium and watch some really good high
school football game. So yeah, and it was and it
was one of those things too where when you pull

(35:22):
those resources, everybody benefits from having a stadium like that,
and it's kind of a neat deal for those kids
because it's something that no school by itself would be
able to afford and maintain and all the things. But
when you put all those resources together, it really kind
of creates a college, a small college football atmosphere for

(35:44):
the high school kid.

Speaker 2 (35:45):
And they also use it for soccer, for band practice.
I mean, it's not just you know, six high school games.
Fewmanu's left when Lee k. Howardy is the new sports
director at WKYT, but a veteran fourteen years of sports
reporting at KYT. Lee K missed. He was in Lubbock
for a while there, and if memory serves you, covered
both Bob Knight and Billy Clyde Gillispie. There aren't many

(36:09):
people here in our line of work who can say that,
I mean, what was that like, Well.

Speaker 9 (36:15):
I'll tell you what. So. So Bob Knight was there
at the very beginning of when I got there, and
it wasn't long after that Pat Knight took over for
Bob and and so that was that was the majority
of the time. I had a couple interactions with Bob Knight.
Majority was with Pat Knight and then I barely I
always like to say that me and Billy Clyde switched spot.

(36:35):
So one of my very last assignments, not my last,
but one of my very last and the last couple
of weeks was covering Billy's introductory introductory press conference there
in love It, So I did not really actually cover
a season with him, but he got there and then
I left and came here, so it was kind of
a it was kind of a swamp, but yeah, Bob
Knight was. I'll be honest, I was a twenty something

(36:58):
year old kid and scared the death to a question
in a in a press conference.

Speaker 10 (37:03):
And you got to.

Speaker 9 (37:04):
Remember the football coach at the time, with Mike Leach.
Uh so I love talking to him here. Yeah, but
but yes, it was. It was quite the the baptism
into this media world, like, okay, here are your coaches,
Bob Knight, Mike Leafs. Little did I know that they would,
you know, turn out to be two of the biggest figures,
uh in certain ways in their sport right and in their.

Speaker 2 (37:27):
Sports history respectively. And I will tell you Billy Clyde
was was fairly good to deal with as media people. Well,
we all got along him fairly well. It was just
the weird stuff he did around his team and away
from his team and all that. But again, a real
character and cash man. You look at the chapters of

(37:48):
Kentucky basketball history and that one sticks out literally like
a sore thumb. All right, coming up tonight, real quickly, Uh,
tell me some high school games we need to pay
attention to.

Speaker 9 (37:59):
Okay, Well, Douglas is at Corbyn. That's a big one.
Douglass got off to an zero and three start to
the season, but a lot of that was the competition
that they were playing. They got back on track last week.
They played Tates Creek and looked like the Douglas and
then they go to Corbin LCA and Lexon Catholic. That's
the Holy War. That's the big one tonight. That's tonight
over at LCA. Catholic looked really, really good. Those two

(38:23):
would be the two that I would point out as
kind of the top of mind. But there's even a
really good one in eastern Kentucky between Johnson Central and
Pulaski County, two undefeated teams, So that's kind of a
battle of the mountains. We'll have that one as well.
We'll have we'll have quite a quite a few games
on on game time tonight at eleven o'clock.

Speaker 2 (38:40):
Sounds good to me. Thank you, brother, congratulations and keep
up the good work.

Speaker 9 (38:45):
All right, thank you, Dick.

Speaker 2 (38:46):
Up next our number two, we will relive Kentucky's win
over Eastern Michigan thanks to the highlights from Tom Leach
and Jeff Ercorrel and Billy Rudledge makes his NFL picks
for the weekend. That's next one. Six thirty w LA.

Speaker 11 (38:58):
Patacta Sat.

Speaker 2 (40:40):
Welcome back to the Big Moon Cider, our number two
of our program, and as promised, here is the highlight
milk of Kentucky's win over Eastern Michigan. You heard it
right here on the UK Sports Network Tom Leach and
Jeff Picoro.

Speaker 12 (40:54):
An injury to the starter has made Kentucky born Cutter
Bowli the next QB won for the Wildcats, and there's
certainly a feeling that he has a chance to take
ownership of that most important position. His main job, bring
a spark to the Kentucky passing attack that is struggling.

Speaker 3 (41:08):
Good evening, I'm Tom.

Speaker 12 (41:09):
Lynch Allow with former Wildcat wide out Chuff Pokoro and
down on the sidelines. It's Dick Aabriel for Kentucky and
Eastern Michigan. Sixty five percent completions, three tds, zero picks.
In fact, he has only thrown one interception in his
last one hundred and nineteen passing attempts.

Speaker 3 (41:25):
So protects the ball well.

Speaker 12 (41:27):
Two receivers split each way and Kim will throw on
first down, come in nearside. It's broken up batter up
into the air and intercept it by Kentucky favorite. Rainer's
got it down the near sideline fifteen ten knocked out
of ounds. It'll be first in goal to go or
Kentucky tight coverage leads to a tip ball and a
deflection interception.

Speaker 3 (41:46):
It was to Ryan Nichols that broke.

Speaker 13 (41:48):
It up by Nichols got inside and was able to
tip that ball up in the air. Beautiful defensive playing
Rainer right there to.

Speaker 3 (41:57):
Jump on it.

Speaker 12 (41:59):
So that's now twelve consecutive games with a takeaway for
the Kentucky defense to tight ends right, two wideouts left
set back to the left of Bowley on second and
goal at the eastern Michigan five.

Speaker 3 (42:11):
And off McGowan coming right and he carries a tackler
dives for the.

Speaker 12 (42:15):
End zone touchdown Kentucky.

Speaker 3 (42:17):
What a strong run off right tackle for sec.

Speaker 12 (42:20):
McGowan as he pulled away from Martin a big defensive
tackle and stretched the ball into the end zone.

Speaker 13 (42:26):
Well, it kind of reminds me and I'm going back aways,
but there was a guy that played at Penn State
named Kajohna Carter. You got inside the ten yard line
and he scored every single time. He just had a
nose for the end zone and McGowan. That's number four
I think on the season for him. I mean, this
kid really ran hard right through that tackle.

Speaker 12 (42:47):
Third down nineteen, two receivers split each way for Bowlie.

Speaker 3 (42:52):
From the Eastern Michigan forty nine. Bowley sets deep, fires
into the middle man wide open.

Speaker 12 (42:57):
First down Rodriguez two completions to the tight end.

Speaker 3 (43:02):
That one on third and nineteen moves.

Speaker 12 (43:04):
It to the EMU twenty four yard line, a gain
of twenty five.

Speaker 3 (43:08):
Hand off. McGowan running right at the five.

Speaker 12 (43:11):
Runs through a tackler, touchdown Kentucky.

Speaker 3 (43:14):
Two of them or set McGowan watches.

Speaker 13 (43:17):
When you watch the replay tom the hesitation in the
backfield by.

Speaker 3 (43:21):
McGowan almost like Betty Snell used to do, where he's wait,
wait and wait.

Speaker 12 (43:24):
Then he explodes and they lead it fourteen to nothing
with five point thirty two to play.

Speaker 3 (43:29):
In the first Bolly.

Speaker 12 (43:31):
Quick fake he's throwing for Gilmour down the near sideline.
Go it, it'll be first and gold of goals. Bully
dropped it in the bucket at the four yard.

Speaker 3 (43:42):
Line to Hardley Gilmore.

Speaker 2 (43:44):
Yeah.

Speaker 13 (43:44):
All he has to do is get the ball there
before the safety coming off the hash and he laid
it in there perfectly.

Speaker 3 (43:50):
Kilmore watched it all the way in nicely done pistol formation.
Doubt Dell.

Speaker 12 (43:56):
Now the deep bat they fake it for him. He
looks right, looks left, fires touchdown Kentucky. It's Willie Rodriguez
Wine open along the back line of the end zone
on the near side.

Speaker 13 (44:09):
That's the easiest touchdown pass he'll ever throw in college football,
and it's the first.

Speaker 3 (44:15):
Touchdown pass of the season for Kentucky.

Speaker 13 (44:19):
Yeah, they they Actually, that was a great job by
Willie Rodriguez coming underneath the linebacker. His guy that was
covering him tried to go over the top and ran
into that linebacker.

Speaker 3 (44:30):
So they picked their own.

Speaker 12 (44:32):
Teams point after good Kentucky twenty one and Eastern Michigan
three ten eighteen to play in the first half.

Speaker 3 (44:43):
Get him out of the shotgun, play fake. He's throwing again.

Speaker 12 (44:45):
Blitz coming and they miss him, and Kim scrambles and
then goes down at the forty three yard line. Was
Antwine Smith came clean on the blitz, but he couldn't
get the sack.

Speaker 3 (44:56):
One tight end each way, one Wine out each.

Speaker 12 (44:58):
Way for the Cats. Here Gums Ferrier in motion to
the left. Bowlly rolling to the left, now reverses field
heads over to the far side. He's gonna throw it
down the far sideline, down to the forty of Eastern Viagi. Yes,
Caddis comes out of there with a ball.

Speaker 2 (45:13):
Did he catch it?

Speaker 14 (45:14):
Yes? What a throw and catch as Bowley threw it
into an absolute minuscule window and Cattis came up with
it and got a foot down at the forty one
of Eastern Michigan one tight end each way, two wide
outs left for Bowley leaves it with mcgallan whole right
side thirty five thirty breaks a tackle, but it was

(45:36):
enough to knock him off balance and force him out
of bounds at the twenty four yard line.

Speaker 12 (45:41):
Gain is seventeen Kentucky going right to left. At the
Eastern Michigan five. It's third and goal to go tight
end Boyer on the left wide Ferrier now going in
motion right where hester Is cattis the tight end right,
Bowley sliding right. He says, looks back left, touchdown Kentucky.

Speaker 3 (45:58):
But hang on, there's a flag. Could it be another
tiny end touchdown? We'll see well. Cattus was blocking holding
on to defense number six.

Speaker 12 (46:11):
Second touchdown pass and as many drives for Cutter bowl Ay,
both of them to tight ends.

Speaker 3 (46:17):
Rodriguez the first time. That time it was Cattis boy.

Speaker 13 (46:23):
If you get time, that's hard to defend. Catus Is
on the end of the line this side. He blocks,
he blocks, and then he releases, and Bowley just taking
his time, makes everybody head to the right and he
throws back across the field to a wide open tight end.

Speaker 12 (46:38):
With one FI five to play in the half, Kentucky
extends its lead over Eastern Michigan to twenty eight to six. Humphrey,
Grace and Saunders. The tackles Kim Pump fake going deep,
got a man out there. It's caught Wheeler across the
ten to five touchdown. Wow, and he blew past Keevi's

(46:59):
Toma down the near sideline.

Speaker 3 (47:02):
Little pump and go.

Speaker 13 (47:04):
That's all he did, just a little fake and if
Thomas takes one bad step, he's beat.

Speaker 3 (47:09):
And he was.

Speaker 13 (47:10):
He ran right by him.

Speaker 12 (47:14):
Kentucky twenty eight Eastern Michigan thirteen. And he said they
will send the field goal unit out left to right.
Off the left hash Bark right footed kicker. It's got
the distance and it's good with three seconds to play.

Speaker 2 (47:29):
In the half.

Speaker 12 (47:30):
Eastern Michigan puts ten points on the board in the
final two minutes of the first half, only takes the
snap drops to a knee and it is halftime at
Kroger Field. We're gonna sit it down and did Gabriel
to catch up with Coach Stoops is presented by Don
Franklin Lexington hun Day driven by Family Cat's with a

(47:54):
twenty eight to sixteen lead over Eastern Michigan as they
head off to the locker room down the hour right
and Dick Gabriel waiting for his chance to talk with
coach Mark Stoops.

Speaker 2 (48:06):
I know you weren't happy about the last three minutes defensively,
Prior to that, they didn't seem like they executed pretty well.

Speaker 3 (48:12):
Yeah, it was, it was fine, you know, til the
last three minutes.

Speaker 15 (48:15):
The back got out on us twice on free releases
where guys got to pick that up, and you know,
so you know, the free releases hurt us, and then
late in the game that the late and a half
had double moved and then the overpass right there.

Speaker 2 (48:28):
Obvious question, what do you think of the way Cutters
managed the offense?

Speaker 15 (48:31):
I like the ways manage the offense. You know right there,
I'd like to execute the ski screen right there. Maybe
we end up with points instead of them, but overallways
doing a good job.

Speaker 2 (48:39):
NICs coach, thank you.

Speaker 12 (48:42):
That are bowly eight of sixteen for one hundred and
fifty six yards. They're still formation deep back mcgallant. He
gets the call running right, breaks through forty five, cuts
left to the fifty and keeps those legs going and
gets down to the forty nine yard line of Eastern Michigan.

Speaker 3 (48:58):
Fourteen yard gain in a first down.

Speaker 13 (49:00):
You're gonna try it here yeap fifty two fifty three
yards fifty.

Speaker 12 (49:04):
One fifty one yard field goal attempt for red shirt
freshman Jacob Cowway.

Speaker 3 (49:12):
Four for four on the season. You gotta be careful.

Speaker 12 (49:15):
Emu has blocked twenty six kicks in Coach Creighton's eleven seasons.
It's just inside the left hash park fifty one yards
for the right footed Cowway down.

Speaker 3 (49:26):
Your leg, hits the left upright and bounce this through.
It's good.

Speaker 12 (49:33):
Hit the inside and the left up right and bounce
to the right and stayed in.

Speaker 3 (49:39):
Well, how about that take it out or you can
get it.

Speaker 12 (49:41):
That's three more for the Cats time out of the
field eight thirteen to play in the third quarter.

Speaker 3 (49:47):
It's Kentucky thirty one Eastern Michigan sixteen. Whitz drops to
throw fires it near side.

Speaker 12 (49:53):
It's caught by Devereux, but the tackle made right on
the catch at the thirty two yard line. So keep
him in front of you and then tackle him when
he came matches it Bryant on the hip.

Speaker 13 (50:04):
Great job that time by the defensive backs, knowing heels
on where they have to get to.

Speaker 3 (50:08):
The first down.

Speaker 13 (50:09):
Let them catch it short, but come up make the
tackle's sleek.

Speaker 12 (50:13):
Done so two three and outs to start the second
half for Eastern Michigan Hucky defense, stepping up from a
rough end of the second quarter. Tucky's twenty eight points
in the first half the most in a first half
since November of twenty twenty one, when they hung thirty
five and a half on New Mexico State.

Speaker 3 (50:37):
Oh fake fake punt. Oh they Kentucky's god boy, good job.

Speaker 12 (50:42):
They snapped it to one of the upbacks, a lineman
and Kentucky on the tackle and that was afresh, But
I think that made the tackle.

Speaker 3 (50:51):
CJ.

Speaker 12 (50:51):
Works Law lined up right behind the tight end of
the left side, a lot of misdirection and they leak
out Law and he makes the catch of the twenty
five far sideline fifteenth at the tent left of the
five touchdown Kentucky, Kendrick Law and cutter Bowley. Jeff knew
a hit was coming as a defender was looking right
at him, charging toward him, and he took the hint

(51:13):
and delivered the ball right on the money to old
number one Hendrick Wall.

Speaker 13 (51:16):
Yeah, Bowley jumps in the air to try to get
some of the.

Speaker 3 (51:22):
Make like a bumper for him.

Speaker 13 (51:23):
So when a guy hits even not a solid shot,
but he gets the ball off, just dumped it off
the Law that came underneath.

Speaker 3 (51:30):
It was almost like a wingman. I didn't see a flag.

Speaker 13 (51:40):
First down, so one of the downfield blockers got flagged.

Speaker 12 (51:47):
Second down and four off the left hash mark at
the eastern Michigan nine for Kentucky and off McGowan trying
to get outside right. He does three touchdowns tonight for sec.
McGowan untouched into the end zone on the far side. Now,
Benny Snell, he's coming for you. Last guy to get

(52:09):
four in a game went after good five point fifteen
to play in the third and the Cats push the
lead to thirty thirty eight to sixteen.

Speaker 3 (52:20):
Bowly with a playfake. He is throwing over the middle
and it is complete to the forty.

Speaker 12 (52:24):
It's Macklin across the thirty coming near side inside the
twenty five knock down at the twenty one yard line.

Speaker 3 (52:31):
Another big play for the Wildcats.

Speaker 12 (52:33):
Jamoory Macklin takes it for thirty six yards hit a
first down.

Speaker 13 (52:38):
There's that big chunk play, nice running after the catch.

Speaker 12 (52:43):
When we start the fourth quarter here at Kroger Field,
Kentucky thirty eight, Eastern Michigan sixteen, so I think I
send Cowway out to try to hit a chip shot
field goal right in the middle of the field. It'll
be a twenty four yard field goal. Attempts is through.

Speaker 3 (53:01):
Thirteen, sixteen to play in the game.

Speaker 12 (53:04):
Handoff Patterson and he's got it across the thirty five
and still going down to the thirty one yard line.
And those three guys in the middle of that offensive
line left guard Ron center Burton, right guard Farmer opened
up a big hole that time.

Speaker 3 (53:19):
Blair finally making the.

Speaker 12 (53:20):
Tackle after eight of ten he at the six yard
line of Eastern Michigan. Off set eye in the backfield
up back gets it.

Speaker 3 (53:26):
It's Patterson.

Speaker 12 (53:26):
He gets to the one, he spins and stretches out.
Touchdown Kentucky.

Speaker 3 (53:32):
He got a hit at the one, but he spun
and stuck the ball across the goal line. Nicely done
by Battison.

Speaker 13 (53:39):
Well, really nice cut. He gets across the five and
he cuts right to the middle, just dices it right
at the middle linebacker and it was a glance. He
blow and he spun and as you said, just stuck
his arms out. Ball crosses the pane and that's a touchdown.

Speaker 12 (53:56):
Kentucky forty eight, Michigan sixteen.

Speaker 13 (54:02):
Bo Allen will come in and take this snap and
kneel down.

Speaker 3 (54:06):
Probably Boe was the backup tonight.

Speaker 12 (54:11):
The coach Stuke's told us of the pregame that Calzato
would only be available in an emergency situation. He took
for number two reps this week in practice. Takes the snap,
gives it to Patterson.

Speaker 3 (54:22):
Look out.

Speaker 12 (54:22):
He gets outside at the forty, cuts it back right,
gets across the fifty and tackled at the forty six
yard line of Eastern Michigan and now the sidelines fifty
and Mark Stookes will walk across to Greek coach Crayton
Eastern Michigan.

Speaker 3 (54:38):
This one is in the books as a.

Speaker 12 (54:40):
Kentucky victory, bounce back, feel good win, just what the
Wildcats needed.

Speaker 3 (54:45):
They defeat Eastern Michigan forty eight to twenty three.

Speaker 2 (54:48):
Happy Day last Saturday at Kroger Field as a Wildcats
knocked off Eastern Michigan. Up next, we'll hear from Cutter Bowley.
He talked about that big win and looked ahead to
the rest of the season. That's next on six thirty
w Welcome Back. Coming up next, Billy Rutledge makes his
NFL picks for the weekend. But I thought i'd take
you back to the conversation I had with Cutter Bowldy
after the win over Eastern Michigan. I know you're happy

(55:12):
about the win. I know you're not satisfied with what
you did, but in general, what do you think?

Speaker 10 (55:18):
In general, I was happy to just get out there
and get a lot of reps with the guys. I
feel like they did a really good job of making
me comfortable and really knowing the operation well. And I
feel like that just gave me another level of comfortability.
While I was out there, I can really trust those
other ten dudes that are on the field, and no,
they're balling.

Speaker 2 (55:35):
So before we go any further, throw some love to
your O line. Not just the way they were really
blocked for the running backs, but they I think you
had one sack.

Speaker 10 (55:44):
Maybe, I mean maybe maybe maybe that And that probably
is my fault, to be honest. With those five pasts
up front were balling. I could have stood back there forever.
But yeah, there's not another five dudes in the country
I'd rather have in front of me. Those are five
great dudes on and off the field, and I just
overall love being around those dudes.

Speaker 2 (56:00):
One of the things that's so impressive about Seth and
Dante and even Jason who got basically own the game
in the fourth quarter, how quickly they hit the hole
for sure. What does that look like from where you stand?

Speaker 10 (56:12):
It's awesome have them back there with me. That's great,
it's great feeling.

Speaker 3 (56:15):
It's awesome.

Speaker 10 (56:16):
It looks awesome from where I stay. Yeah, seeing them
hit the hole like that and the way they do,
and they all they're good at their own specific things,
you know, and they just all really good dudes in
the battlefield too. They're out there, they're being a captain
on the field, making calls all that kind of stuff,
And yeah, no, it's it's really nice to spill to
hand it to three and two for sure.

Speaker 2 (56:37):
When we talked to a Bush on Tuesday the collective media,
somebody asked him, you know, what do you what do
you want to see from cutter, assuming we knew you
were gonna play if not start, And one of the
first things out of his mouth was, cut it loose.
You know, I don't know if that's why they called
you cut it, but anyhow, Uh, is that in your mind?
Just don't just don't be indecisive, just go ahead and

(56:59):
take a shot. Yeah for sure.

Speaker 10 (57:01):
Yeah, I mean I gotta I gotta be extremely decisive
and who I'm going to and who the like double
clutching and like doing too much and overthinking it's really
just gonna get Like I've just found that to be
a really that's kind of like going back to last year.

Speaker 16 (57:15):
Thing.

Speaker 10 (57:15):
The thing I've really improved on is just being that
more confident, being that decisive and just kind of knowing
the game plan how I do just makes me that decisive,
Like I know where I need to go. I know
where my answers are and every play, and of course
I still I missed a few things and left a
few things out there tonight that I wish I could
have had back.

Speaker 2 (57:31):
But no, for sure, Well you know the plays better, right, yeah,
I mean I've had so many more reps now.

Speaker 10 (57:37):
So is it second nature? You're not thinking exactly? There's
still some thinking involved, but you know, yeah, yeah, I
know it is. It is like second nature now. It's
just kind of like it comes easy, you know. I Mean,
we prepared for these looks all week, what they're giving us,
what they're not giving us, where my answers are, all
that kind of thing. But it's just it's just a
process for me now, and I've gotten pretty good at it.

Speaker 2 (57:58):
Cattus for cats is Gilmour four, Ron Reguez three, Law three.
Those are just the top four. You've got so many
weapons now, it seems in the passing game, what's that
like for you?

Speaker 10 (58:08):
Just all over the place. You know, you can line
up out there and you don't really got to worry
about who who's running it, because you know what I mean,
we have dudes all across the board, dudes that can
all make plays. So it's just kind of like, I
trust my guys and they're out there. I know where
they're at. But you know, everybody can make a play,
so I'm I'm not worried about who's lined up on who,
that's for sure.

Speaker 2 (58:28):
I can tell you that the Big Blue Nation is
delighted with the tight ends catching the ball. Somewhere Mark
Stoop's mother is smiling because coach said his mother would
always bug him. Why don't you throw them more to
the tight ends? Why are the tight ends so much
more prevalent now in the offense?

Speaker 10 (58:43):
You know, that just kind of came to it today.
It just kind of the players were called and their
name was called up. You know, they're the kind of
the read just took me to them, and I was
just happy I was able to give them opportunity to
make a play on the ball.

Speaker 2 (58:57):
Pretty good hands too, great, Yeah, I love it.

Speaker 3 (59:00):
Pretty good.

Speaker 10 (59:01):
Blockers said, we got weapons everywhere. Man, there's there's no
shortage of weapons for sure. And that's as this quarterback.
That's really comforting knowing that I have that around me,
and I have dudes that are gonna make plays for
me and not always trying to be you know, not
trying to do superhero things, just kind of just do
my thing and those dudes are gonna make plays for me.

Speaker 2 (59:22):
Is just what what you anticipated? What would feel like?
You know, you get that win, everybody celebrates, everybody eats,
and you know everybody's happy.

Speaker 10 (59:29):
Yeah, for sure, I don't think I just tried not to.
I just tried to just keep my saying me throughout
the week. I played better that way. I played better
when I'm calm and under control. And that's that's how
I try to keep my mindset at all the time.
I try to be that leveling point for everybody on
the team, you know, like I'm I'm gonna be calm
no matter what. I'm always gonna be through the highs
and the low Super important for the quarterback, for everybody

(59:52):
to be able to look at you, you'd be able
to reassure them. But Yeah, for sure, that's definitely something
I've really grown in. It is my confident, it's comfortability
out there.

Speaker 2 (01:00:02):
I've enjoyed talking to Cutter Bowley. I first got a
chance to chat with him the day he committed to
Kentucky at his high school LCA. But I got to
say now and forever more. Whenever I talk to him
or just look at him, I'll think of what Josh
Kattas said on The Mark Stoop Show earlier this week.
He was talking to Tom Leach about Cutter and said
he's kind of like a surfer dude, always happy and upbeat.

(01:00:24):
Said he reminds him of a Golden Retriever, and that
is locked into my mind because I've owned four or
five Golden Retrievers. Whenever I see Cutter, Bully, I'll be
thinking about that. Billy Ruttledge's next one six thirty wlap
Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider. It is the
eve of another NFL weekend, and that means Billy Rutledge
alongside helping us pick some of the games this weekend.

(01:00:46):
So far, Billy, both of us, I think I'm one
game ahead of you, but you are eight and four
and I am nine and three, So we're making money
on points spreads.

Speaker 5 (01:00:58):
Well, I'm as surprised as you are. Let's keep this
train rolling.

Speaker 2 (01:01:01):
That's good, Your beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers dressed in their
cream sickles this weekend. One of the all time great unis.
Although back then it was mocked. Now it's a classic.
You are a home giving a Jets six and a half.
What do you think.

Speaker 5 (01:01:18):
Yeah, that's a lot of points. And I do love
the Creamsicles. But Tampa is never play as well when
they're in the creamer, you know, So that's something you
probably got to think about. Six is a lot of points.
Tampa is just playing so good right now, Dick. I
love everything I've seen from Baker Mayfield. It had two
game winners and their last two drives of each of
the first two games. It's just been a lot of fun.

(01:01:39):
But they've also had a ton of injuries. They're missing
the both of their tackles, they're starting guard, still waiting
for guys like God wouldn't come back. But the Jets
are dealing with some of their own. They're justin fields
not playing in this game. Ryrod Taylor still in the league,
going to be starting for them. So Tampa is a
Super Bowl contender this year. Dig I think they're part

(01:02:00):
of the four or five teams that can get it
done at the end of the year. But backup quarterback
and in the Creamsicles, this may be sacrilegious. I'm taking
the Jets.

Speaker 2 (01:02:09):
Wow, taking the Jets and I'll tell you what. I
will go with the cream sickles just to be ornery.
But I'm not crazy the Jets. Nice defense, but it's
been a little suspect this year, and I'm not crazy
about Tyrod Taylor. So we will disagree one of the
few times we disagreed so far. Rams Eagles two of

(01:02:31):
the classic NFL opponents in Philly, Eagles laying three and
a half. What do you think.

Speaker 5 (01:02:41):
I think we need to ban the toush push, Dick.
I think the Chiefs Eagles game was the breaking point
for me. I mean, they ran it five times in
a row, it felt like, and they were false starting
on every play and they didn't call it. But you know,
while I like what the Rams have been doing, Matthew
Stafford showing that, you know, while father time for everyone,
he's been holding it off, I like what they've been doing.

(01:03:03):
They're down a starting corner and a starting defensive tackle.
This is an Eagles defense. It's only allowed one touchdown
all year, and so you know, while they struggle to
put away the Chiefs and Chiefs are now zero and two,
it's still the Chiefs. They're still a good team. I
think Philly, while not playing their best ball. As you
can see, AJ Brown not really been getting involved a lot.
I still think they can get it done against the

(01:03:24):
Rams here, So I'm gonna take Philly.

Speaker 2 (01:03:26):
I am with you, and people forget that Matthew Stafford
as well as he's playing, he was questionable to start
the year. So I will take Philly at home as well.
My Packers, my beloved Packers, are on the road. They're
in Cleveland, and they're giving up seven and a half.
That's a lot, especially on the road. What do you say, Well.

Speaker 5 (01:03:47):
Green Bay has had a little bit extra time to
prepare for this, right playing on Thursday night football against
the Commanders in Cleveland, who knows where you're going to
get from them. I mean, it's just it's like Young
and the Restless Stick opera. What quarterback is going to play?
Dylan Gabriel looks a little bit better than Joe Flacco
right now, but I think everybody wants schadure at some

(01:04:09):
point to see what they got Green Bay. I mean,
Super Bowl contender, Dick, I don't know how you're not
a static every Sunday watching Michael Parsons in that defense
and Jordan Love play really good football. Right now, and
Josh Jacobs continues to be good. If Green Bay can
keep on catching balls instead of like last year where
they kept dropping everything. I really do think they've got

(01:04:29):
a really good shot this year. So can't take the
Browns to cover these this amount of points. Maybe if
it was double digits, but I'm taking Green Bay.

Speaker 2 (01:04:37):
I'm with you, and ye know, we led the league
in drops last year. You talk about a dubious distinction.
Seven and a half is a lot, but I will
take my beloved Packers over the Browns. Steelers Patriots really interesting.
The Steelers so good one week, not so much the next.
Patriots won a game. Actually, some people saw them losing

(01:04:58):
almost every game this year. New England, but Pittsburgh laying
a point and a half, what do you think?

Speaker 5 (01:05:06):
Yeah, I don't think that's enough. I think I'm gonna
take Pittsburgh in this one. Mike Raybull seems to be
at the right spot, and Drake May has a ton
of potential. I think that. You know, New England is
a team maybe two or three years down the road,
could be back competing for an aov AFC East title,
but not right now. Right now, it's Mike Tomlin has

(01:05:27):
to win a game like this if he's going to
keep his streak of non winless seasons. There's a lot
of pressure on Aaron Rodgers to get it right with
with DK metcalf and and it was a little surprising
last week to see them lose that home to the
Seahawks in that fash. Yeah, but I think I'm taking
Pittsburgh in this one, Dick. It's more of a gut
feeling than it is any number that can tell me

(01:05:49):
one way. But I'm not ready to jump on New
England's bandwagon yet. They did beat Miami.

Speaker 2 (01:05:53):
Last week, who hasn't right exactly? Yeah, there it is, Yeah,
Miami Allen three now after Thursday's loss to Buffalo and
now the Ravens not the Ravens. We're going to talk
about it in a minute. I should say the vultures
are circling over the head coach in Miami, but that
is a different story. Bengals minus Joe Burrow naturally, he's

(01:06:15):
on my well not anymore fantasy team, playing in Minnesota
against the Vikings, who have had quarterback issues of their own.
Jake Browning will be at the controls for the Bengals
and they are actually underdogs, the Bengals getting two and
a half in Minnesota.

Speaker 5 (01:06:35):
Yeah, and Minnesota's had their own injury issues as well, right,
I mean Aaron Jones I think is going to be
sidelined for the game. JJ McCarthy is out two to
four weeks with the high ankle sprain. So I mean
Minnesota who ticked Jj over.

Speaker 9 (01:06:49):
Sam Darnold, Well, probably you know, the right to move.

Speaker 5 (01:06:51):
They didn't want to pay Sam and middle of the
road quarterback all that money. But still they find themselves
in a little bit of purgatory right now. So this
is this is definitely an interesting matchup. I like Minnesota's defense.
I think that they haven't played up to their standard
the last couple of weeks, so I think they could
bounce back from that. There's definitely a great opportunity at
home against a backup quarterback. But we saw Jake Browning

(01:07:12):
actually play pretty well, not only in the game versus Jacksonville,
but in the past when he's kind of had to
step in for Joe Burrows. So I like, you know,
if you're a Joe Burrow fantasy owner just like me, Dick,
and it sounds like you are too. I like the
addition of Jake Browning, I think you know he'll be
able to do a serviceable job. Obviously that limits the
ceiling for guys like Jamar Chase and T. Higgins, but

(01:07:33):
I think people might be a little surprised with how
good Jake Browning is. I think I'm taking Cincinnati on
the road in this one.

Speaker 2 (01:07:39):
Well, I am too, And you meant you just mentioned
the reason, and that's because of T. Higgins and Jamar Chase.
If you are a serviceable quarterback and you don't throw
the ball to the other team, as Browning did last
week three times and yet they won, how can you
not prosper just by dumping the ball off to those guys?

(01:08:00):
Been watching them run right, so.

Speaker 5 (01:08:02):
Really talented yeah, receivers and running back back there and
take brown.

Speaker 2 (01:08:06):
The problem is their old line stinks and it has
for several years. And you go back to the draft
the year after Burrow was drafted, and they had a
choice between Penna Suel, who some say is a generational
offensive lineman talent, and Jamar Chase and Joe Burrow lobbied
for his boy and he got him and it's paid off.

(01:08:28):
I mean, he is maybe the best receiver in the NFL,
at least when Burrow's healthy, but he's getting pounded. And
now Burrow is out with an injury because he just
kept getting pounded. But by the way, the Bengals Vikings
line opened at minus five and a half and now
it's been bet down to minus two and a half.

Speaker 9 (01:08:47):
So a lot of people in the movement, Yeah, I
think we're all thinking the same thing exactly.

Speaker 2 (01:08:51):
A lot of people like those Cincinnati Bengals. So our
final game this thought to be really interesting. We're gonna
skip ahead to Monday night, say night game. By the way,
Chiefs Giants. Those are two teams that desperately need a win,
and the Chiefs are favored by six and a half. Well,
we're gonna go to Monday night Lions Ravens in Baltimore. Lions,

(01:09:13):
a lot of people picked to get to the super Bowl,
but they've struggled a bit. Baltimore is a four and
a half point favorite. Billy at home against Detroit. What
do you think?

Speaker 5 (01:09:26):
I think that sounds about right four and a half.
I mean, which Detroit team is the real Detroit team,
the one that destroyed the Bears in Week one or
the ones that couldn't could barely get a first down
against green Bay. Maybe that's indicative on how good green
Bay is, especially being at lambeau Field. But I think
this is a big game for Detroit just to kind
of prove themselves again. This matchup was maybe a little

(01:09:46):
bit sex here in the offseason, but you know, I
still don't know how Baltimore lost that game versus Buffalo
Week one, Dick. It was incredible the way Derrick Henry
was running the Lamar Jackson has just he's at the
pinnacle of his talent right now and could be on
the cusp of another MVP. I just I'd have to
see it before I believe it with Detroit. Not that
the Bears win wasn't good enough for me, but it

(01:10:08):
was also the Bears sick, So I'm not ready to
say that they're ready to go on the road and
beat Baltimore. You know, Dave Flowers looks good, Derrick Henry
looks like himself again, I don't know, it seems like
a mismatch to me here, even though four and a
half sounds about right. I think Baltimore has a chance
a better chance than Detroit winning his game for Baltimore

(01:10:30):
bowling him out.

Speaker 2 (01:10:32):
I thought Detroit responded well after the law. I mean,
really well, now I ain't gonna get fifty two on Baltimore.
But obviously you've got to stop Derek Henry. You've got
to contain Lamar Jackson. I think Detroit could cover, but
not win. And that's what I'm gonna say. So I'm
gonna go against you on this one, all right, So
now we go against each other on two games. Jets, Bucks,

(01:10:54):
you like the Jets over your beloved Bucks. I'm taking
the cream Sickles, and I will take the Lions against
the Ravens. I like the Ravens more than I like
the Lions. But I'm just playing a haunch here, and
this could come down to a field goal at the end,
and at the end it could be Baltimore kicking that
field goal. So but let us say good luck to us,

(01:11:15):
because right now we're over that beloved five hundred mark.

Speaker 5 (01:11:18):
Right yeah, let's just cherish and savor of Dick. I mean,
we've made money for everybody that's right top the series
right now.

Speaker 2 (01:11:28):
That's exactly right. He is Billy Rovich. You can hear
him every morning on this radio station, billying the dude
at nine am following the Leach Report. Thank you, sir,
have a great and prosperous weekend.

Speaker 5 (01:11:39):
Thank you, Dick Talk soon.

Speaker 2 (01:11:41):
Welcome back to the Big Bloon Cider, final segment of
our program. Time now to wrap up the week with Heroes,
fools and flakes, and our hero Tonight Again, we've talked
about a lot of former wildcats. Once a wildcat, always
a wildcat. But tonight, along with Dion Walker, how about
Sidney McLaughlin lavone. She won the four hundred meters world title,
not the hurdles, the flat four hundred in the World

(01:12:04):
Championships in Tokyo in the second fastest time in history
behind German Marita Cokes world record. Sydney ran it in
forty seven point seven to eight Cokes record forty seven
point six, so that has stood since nineteen eighty five.
That's amazing. Sidney said, I think barriers are broken when

(01:12:27):
the time is right. When she was asked if the
world record is a goal, she said, I think records
come when they're supposed to. It's just executing and trusting
the process. She is amazing and just watching her run
the hurls. I didn't see this race but of course
she's a two time Olympic gold medalist, six time world

(01:12:48):
record breaker in the four hundred hurdles, now the first
person to win world titles in both one lap events.
And when she was honored at a UK football game
last year, I asked her a question that she really
couldn't answer. I said, you make it look so easy,
and she really does. I mean it just looks effortless.

(01:13:08):
She doesn't look like she's straining. You know, she's not
head over toes. I mean she just goes. I said,
how do you do that? She said, I don't know.
I'm paraphrasing what she said. I just do so. Man,
Not only is she great, one of the all time,
maybe the greatest at the four hundred hurdles, now one

(01:13:30):
of the all time greatest in the flat four hundred meters.
So you may be hearing her name again when it
comes to breaking a record and when it comes to
a long standing mark, our fool tonight, Well we got
to go back to nineteen ten coming up as the
Oregon Oregon State football rivalry. Right, they call it a

(01:13:52):
civil war and they are not going to play next year.
Well just because Oregon now is in the in the
Big Ten in Oregon State is not, but they will
resume it in twenty twenty seven. But next year will
be the first time the game hasn't been played in
more than eighty years. There have been just two previous

(01:14:13):
pauses since the series began in eighteen ninety four, and
the most recent came in nineteen eleven. William Howard tapped
was in the White House, a Titanic was heading out
on its maiden voyage, and the University of Oregon took
on Oregon Agricultural College called OAC. At least they were

(01:14:38):
supposed to, but the game didn't happen because of what
had happened. In nineteen ten, the web foots Now the
Ducks of Oregon beat the Aggies. In nineteen ten, the
Aggies in out of the Beavers twelve nothing. In Corvallis,
there was a shouting match that broke out after the
game between fans of the two teams as the Oregon

(01:14:59):
fans made their w the train station, and it got
worse and worse, and there was behavior described as rowdy
hat grabbing, and the University of Oregon responded. The way
they responded was the breaking point for the game. Public
relations staffers from u OFO gave members of the state

(01:15:22):
wide media stories about the OAC fans unruly behavior. The
media ran with it. That ticked off the OAC people,
who already had felt a pattern of elitism and disrespect
coming from u OFO. So they decided what is now
Oregon State to several all athletic ties with Oregon, so

(01:15:46):
there was no game in nineteen eleven. Now, they did
play in nineteen twelve in nineteen thirteen, but they played
at a neutral site in Albany, Oregon. To mitigate any
potential riots, they built a temporary ten one thousand seat
stadium a week in the week before the nineteen twelve game.
Police officers had to escort students from both schools to

(01:16:08):
the stadium from opposite sides of the field. They were
not allowed to walk into downtown Albany before or after
the game, and if you're scoring at home. Oregon won
it in nineteen twelve three to nothing, and in nineteen
thirteen on the same field, they played to a ten
ten tie, although the OAC fans celebrated it as a

(01:16:29):
win and they canceled classes the following Monday to throw
a parade in Corp of Vallas. Now, World War two
forty three forty four, neither team our school fielded a
football team, of course because of the war, but they
got together back again in nineteen forty five. But is
that not a foolish way to act over a football game?

(01:16:52):
Our flake tonight, this is really weird, and there's a
Kentucky connection to a story that involves a murder case
involving a Miami football player. Just as the trial for
the twenty oh six murder of a former Miami Hurricanes
player was about to begin, it took a bizarre turn.
ESPN reporters found a key witness that Florida prosecutor said

(01:17:15):
was dead, and this person is alive and well and
living in Louisville, Kentucky. This happened back in August. God
named Paul Connor lived in an apartment complex where a
defensive lineman, Brian Potta, was allegedly shot in the head
by his teammate Rashawn Jones. Connor called police after the shooting,

(01:17:37):
said he heard of pop, saw someone jogging away, and
on multiple occasions picked Jones out of a lineup. In July,
prosecutors told Florida Eleventh Circuit Court Judge Christina Miranda that
Connor was dead and obviously could not testify well. Police
relied on public database information, which quote unquote it seemed

(01:18:00):
to indicate Connor had passed. They didn't explain that, but
the State Attorney's office told ESPN and they had requested
Louisville police to check on him. Get this at the
same address where ESPN found him. But there was no
record that the Louisville police even tried to do that. Obviously,

(01:18:23):
this case has been delayed more than once it was
set to begin. It is set to begin on October sixth.
The defendant's lawyer is steamed, of course, and Connor is
eighty one years old now, and he said, I'm getting
up in years. My memory comes and goes how long
ago was this court case? The initial testimony at a

(01:18:46):
March twenty twenty two bond hearing, So what was that
three years ago? And the defendant's been in custody now
for four years. That case is about as flaky as
it gets. Thanks so much to Lee K. Howard, my
guess tonight, I hope you enjoyed our replay the melt
off Kentucky's win over em you, and again no Kentucky

(01:19:06):
football Tomorrow. There is volleyball at Historic Memorial Coliseum. If
you can't get there a new we'll have it for
you on sec plus. Otherwise, have a grand weekend. That's
a good night from the garage and Lexington.

Speaker 7 (01:19:19):
The number two chicken sal sand all the butter, the lettuce,
the mayonnaise and a cup of coffee. Anything else.

Speaker 5 (01:19:27):
Yeah, Now, all you have to do is hold the chicken,
bring me the toast, give me a check for the
chicken salad sandwich. And you haven't broken any rules.

Speaker 4 (01:19:35):
You want me to hold the chicken, huh?

Speaker 3 (01:19:37):
I want you to hold it between your.

Speaker 16 (01:19:39):
Knees tact.

Speaker 11 (01:20:26):
Showing then anything to the back stag that stamps

Speaker 16 (01:21:11):
Into