2025-10-31 BBI

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Big Moon Sider. Dick Gabriel with you
on Halloween on a Friday, if we wrap up the
month of October, and of course tonight as we wrap
up our overlap week, we will talk baseball, football, basketball, volleyball.
There's a lot going on right now. Coming up. We're
going to talk with Travis Ford, who worked the game
on TV last night, a game that didn't exactly go

(00:20):
the way most people thought it would, so we will
hear from him. We're also going to talk volleyball with
Chris Sholes. He is the pr man UK sports Info
for the volleyball Cats. They take on Vanderbilt tonight at
the top of the hour, then on Sunday on ESPN
number two Texas number three Kentucky in Austin, and tickets

(00:41):
are at a premium down there, as you might expect.
That's a huge match, biggest match of the year so
far in women's volleyball. So we will talk with Chris
about that get a preview, but also here of course
from the football Wildcats as they get ready to take
on the Auburn Tigers. That's a game you will hear
right here on six thirty WLAP thirty kick tomorrow night.

(01:01):
Our coverage begins at five point thirty with Christy and
Logan and Ricky and World Series Game what six Tonight?
The Toronto Blue Jays can basically upset the LA Dodgers,
who are the prohibitive favorite to win the World Series
given that bloated budget they've got for players. But the

(01:22):
Blue Jays have surprised everybody, I think but Canadians by
putting the Dodgers on the brink of eliminations. So that
happens tonight as well. All kinds of stuff going on.
Billy Rutledge will join us as he always does on
Friday and nour number two to make his NFL picks.
We have done he and I pretty well this year.
But games this week I think they're pretty tough. So

(01:44):
we'll find out more from Billy about what he expects.
Let us talk about last night's game, because Kentucky came out,
took an early lead and went back and forth several times.
The next thing you know, Georgetown had the lead and
never gave it up. And Kentucky struggled basically at everything,
at shooting, at free throws, at defense, the Wildcats missing

(02:09):
free throws early, the crowd just groaning each time. Kentucky
missed seven of thirteen in the first half, did a
better job in the second half seventeen for twenty two.
But meanwhile, in the second half, the Wildcats were going
oh for thirteen from beyond the arc. Kentucky in two

(02:29):
point land was seven for sixteen, not much better, but
considerably better than oh for thirteen. For the game, the
Wildcats were twenty of sixty seven to thirty from the outside,
but overall thirty three percent. Georgetown, meanwhile, was getting to
the basket, was hitting from the outside a little bit

(02:50):
for the most part, getting into the paint successfully and
hit fifty five point four percent for the game. Kentucky
defense was not where it needed to be, and it
was something, of course, that really disappointed Mark Pope. His
team outscored in the paint thirty eight to twenty four.

(03:14):
Kentucky committed fifteen turnovers to thirteen for Georgetown, but Georgetown
scored twenty three points on its turnovers only twelve for
the Wildcats, and the Kentucky bench didn't show much either.
Georgetown outscored Kentucky from the bench twenty seven to seventeen,
and other than the shooting. That might have been the
most surprising stat of all, given the fact that what

(03:37):
we know about Kentucky is depth. But Cam Williams had
a tough night. He went zero for five from the field,
all three pointers. Jasper Johnson three of ten, one of
six from outside, Alakai Mareno Andrea Yellovich between them went
four for seven. But the guys from the outside just
couldn't hit. Trendoah won for five, Colin Chandler two for nine.

(04:01):
Just a rough night, just a bad night at the
office for the Wildcats. Mark Pope, who after the game
didn't have much voice left, gave credit to Georgetown for
how the Hoya is prepped for the Wildcats and made
it work.

Speaker 2 (04:15):
I thought they came in with a really good game plan.
It was exactly what we had kind of hoped to
get out of this game. We just hoped we would
have a different outcome. We're massively disappointed with ever losing
on this floor. So that's a brutal for us right now,

(04:36):
and it's not going to sit well with our guys.
It's certainly not sitting well with me. And this is
an unbelievble opportunity for us to learn, so much, and
so it's both those things. But that's never going to
be an okay outcome for us now.

Speaker 1 (04:52):
Losing in Reperina will never be an okay outcome for
the Wildcats, especially their head coach. And somebody asked him
about learning more perhaps from this loss then from the
win over Georgetown, is one better than the other.

Speaker 2 (05:07):
I think both. I think I think that's really important,
Like this is a really really important game for us.
You know, you're always looking to expose, to get exposed.
Through these six weeks, you're trying every way you can
to expose yourself, and they did an unbelievable job about
exposing spaces where we don't expose ourselves, and Purdue and

(05:29):
expose us, and so it's a it's a it's a
terrific opportunity for us to learn, which is what we
want right now. But you know, at the same time,
we don't. We don't do this here.

Speaker 1 (05:39):
So it's both and you better believe a lot of
teachable moments coming out of both of those games. Somebody
also as Pope about the fact that at the open
practice basically had the other day when media people could
bring a relative we could hear him. Of course, coaching
his team up, and at one point he urged his
players to just make the simple play. Aliperry said that

(06:03):
to his players, I've heard a lot of coaches say that,
you know, don't over complicate things, and maybe there were
some of that last night.

Speaker 2 (06:10):
But I felt like we turned down the simple play
a lot. You know, there were times where we did
where we just missed some shots. But for the most part,
I think Georgetown did a nice job kind of challenging
us to to really have to be insanely physical to
get out of a power play and make a play
for our teams, and we turned it down most of
the time. Like the film is going to be pretty
brutal for us, and but but uh, you know, it's

(06:34):
we have nothing to do with us now but grow
from it and and to feel some pain and some
embarrassment and and that's that's that's you know, I hate
every bit of it, but if we treat it right,
it'll serve as well.

Speaker 1 (06:48):
I do recall seeing a lot of extra passes, and
maybe sometimes too many extra passes, so they complicated things
when they didn't need to. Again, Georgetown played really well.
Give them credit. Cooley, the coach who was successful at
Providence and took the Georgetown job. Talked about the way
his hoy has played, but he also talked about the
way the Wildcats look.

Speaker 3 (07:09):
You know, I thought our team really responded to the physicality,
to the athleticism, to the length in this group that
we're coaching, that we're blessed. The coach just has an
incredible fight and an incredible will And hopefully this can
give us a little bit of confidence as we get
into our non conference and to help prepare us for
incredible Big East play. But I love this Kentucky team.

(07:29):
They're fast in transition, they can really shoot the ball. Obviously,
when Low and Q get back, I think they'll have
a different identity. I thought our ball pressure really bothered him,
and I thought the physicality the game played into what
I call Big East basketball.

Speaker 1 (07:45):
And a little bit of flourished there at the end.
I like that from Ed Cooley. He was really interesting,
I have to say, And again he is an accomplished coach.
He is a really good coach, and he could have
a better season at Georgetown this year. Then some people,
they've got size, they've got bulk, they've got quickness, But
the Big East is tough. We know this, and watching

(08:07):
Georgetown the way it played Kentucky, the physical style of play,
and just the way they took it to the Wildcats.
I said to myself, sitting up way up high in
the press box, that, man, this is an absolute prime
example of Big East basketball, that style of play. And
I mentioned that the Cooley. I said, as I was watching,

(08:29):
that's what I was seeing. And he seemed to like
that comment. So he talked about Big East ball because
I asked, you know, are you talking to your players
about it? Do they understand what Big East basketball is
really all about? He talked about that, but he also
talked about UK and the SEC.

Speaker 4 (08:45):
In this portal era.

Speaker 5 (08:47):
I don't think they know what it is.

Speaker 3 (08:48):
I have.

Speaker 5 (08:49):
I think seven or eight new players. Three kids red
shirted last year, so they weren't They were in the arena,
but they weren't in the game. Every conference is tough, right.
The SEC is loaded with athleticism, incredible coaching, great talent.
Big East is smash mouth. You know, it's a little
different brand, more hybrid players.

Speaker 6 (09:11):
In the Big East.

Speaker 5 (09:12):
You have a lot of length and athleticism in SEC, great,
great conference. You'll probably get double digit the teams that
go to the tournament. They don't know what Big East
Basketball is yet because they haven't faced it.

Speaker 1 (09:23):
Maybe not, but the Wildcats faced it last night and
Georgetown got the better of Kentucky. So now it's the
season opener coming up Tuesday against Nichols, the Nichols State
Colonels coming to Rupp Arena. We'll have that one for
you right here on six thirty WLAP pregame at five thirty,
tip off at seven o'clock on the UK Network. Coming

(09:45):
up in our second hour, we will preview Kentucky Auburn,
and of course those teams coached by a couple of
embattled gentlemen, Mark Stoops and Hugh Freese. Auburn finally got
its first conference victory last weekend at Arkansas, forcing four
turnovers by the Razorbacks in the fourth quarter. Kentucky still

(10:06):
looking to get off the schneid, and it's got a
tough one this week. I mean, now you've got to
go on the road down there against the team that's
feeling pretty good about itself right now. But as weird
as things have been at Auburn and at Kentucky, maybe
there will be changes at one or both or neither.
But nothing can match what's happening at LSU with the

(10:28):
governor deciding he's going to get involved and throwing the
president's name around, and it's just it's terrible, quite frankly,
they have fired the ad Scott Woodward, you know, and
he again, he's the guy who signed Jimbo Fisher to
a big deal at in him. He did not give
him that huge extension that was the next a d
but he's still signed into a massive contract. Then came

(10:51):
to LSU and signed Brian Kelly to a massive contract
or the massive buyout. But now with the governor involved,
you gotta wonder who's gonna want to get involved with
that coaching, sir. Somebody will, but it won't be what
it might have been. Up next, Travis Ford breaks down
UK Georgetown on six thirty WLAP Welcome back to the

(11:13):
Big Moon. Sader joining us now and our celebrity hotline
is a former Wildcat. Although once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.
Travis Ford, a veteran of the head coaching wars in
college basketball, now television analyst for the SEC Plus Network. Coach.
You were courtside last night and as we said before,
we went on the air and then the coach and
you immediately jumped at this boy. A lot of teaching

(11:36):
moments now for Mark Pope, am I right, yeah.

Speaker 7 (11:39):
Without question. First of all, great to be on with you, Dick. Yeah,
I appreciate you having me.

Speaker 8 (11:45):
But you know, yeah, you know, you're sitting there and
you're coming off an incredible game versus Purdue. You went
by large margin, you know, and you want to learn.
This time of years all about learning, and you have
an opportunity in these normally in these exhibition games or

(12:05):
used to be the close scrimmages.

Speaker 7 (12:07):
That's all.

Speaker 8 (12:07):
It was about just learning, figuring out your team. And
I think in sports or really anything in general, in
anything you do, you seem to learn more when you
failed than when you actually succeed. You seem to examine
things a little bit harder. And so from that standpoint,
you know, you want to win every game, and I

(12:29):
know Coach Pope wants to win every game, but I
know a little bit in the back of his mind
he's probably glad. All right, now, this is a great
teaching moment.

Speaker 7 (12:36):
These are things that we can do.

Speaker 8 (12:38):
But I took more out of I think Georgetown's probably
a little better than we thought. Yeah, then I don't
think I think Kentucky's going to be absolutely fine. Uh
you know, I think Georgetown just had a really really
good game.

Speaker 9 (12:53):
It did.

Speaker 1 (12:54):
But I really liked what Ed Cooley said after the
game where he's trying to teach his guys about Biggie
East basketball, and boy, that looked like a big East team,
didn't it. They were physical, they were tough in the paint.
They played pretty good defense for this time of year. So, yeah,
you're right, I think Georgetown's got more than people thought
and handed Kentucky a pretty good lesson last night.

Speaker 7 (13:17):
Yeah, as we know, it's not easy.

Speaker 8 (13:19):
I don't care whether it's an exhibition game or not.
It's not easy to come in rupp Arena and beat
a top ten Kentucky team. That's that's something to you.

Speaker 7 (13:27):
Know, get excited about if you're Georgetown. For sure. I
did have a chance to talk to Ed Cooley a
little bit after.

Speaker 8 (13:33):
The game and told him, you know, he's got guards
that are gonna keep him in every game if you
can get.

Speaker 7 (13:38):
His big guys just big guys. But I thought it
was just absolutely tremendous.

Speaker 10 (13:43):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (13:43):
And and kind of probably overachieved a little bit last night,
and they they're they're definitely an NCAA team, But the
question is, you know, are there big guys really that
good night in a night out?

Speaker 1 (13:56):
Kentucky didn't shoot well and as we all know, he
wants the wildcast to shoot a lot of three pointers,
which they did, and we're stone cold in the second half.
And when you do that, Travis, as you know, if
you're not shooting well, you got to put stops together,
and Kentucky never could do that. Were you surprised at
our poorly Kentucky shot last night?

Speaker 8 (14:18):
I was a little bit then, you know, I think
two things. I think Georgetown's physicality on defense was something
new to Kentucky a little bit based on that's just
not how for Due guards. Yeah, Ford doesn't guard that way.
And I think Georgetown got really physical on all the
different cuts Kentucky likes to use. Kentucky is a cutting

(14:39):
offensive team. That's what they do. Mark po does an
incredible job of teaching players how to cut, when to cut,
where to cut, and you know, Georgetown's physicality and aggressiveness
just put that away a little bit in the other area.
As we saw him, Perdue game, a lot of turning,

(15:00):
a lot of Kentucky's defense turnovers when they turned for
new over led to easy threes. H And Kentucky just
couldn't get enough stops against Georgetown last night to get
any fast break going whatsoever. There are very few fast
break opportunities, and.

Speaker 1 (15:20):
When they did, they missed the shots, the three pointers.
So you're right, there weren't enough opportunities and they couldn't
take advantage of them. And you're exactly right when you
were talking about the cuts. Of course, you sit courtside
calling the game, but as a coach, you see plays
happen before they happened. I'm up in the in the stratosphere,

(15:40):
in the at the press level, but up there, and
I'm sitting next to Kenny Walker, who's seeing things before
they happened, and I'm seeing these cuts happen, and I'm thinking, well,
there's an easy bucket, and the next thing you know,
Georgetown's knocked it away. They were so well prepared for that,
weren't they.

Speaker 7 (15:57):
Yeah, they're very well prepared.

Speaker 8 (16:00):
You know, watching them through scattering room fort or through
their shoot around and their scouting and port, you know,
they they they were doing a good job of preparing.
And I tried to emphasize on the TV last night
to all the viewers just how physical you know, being
right there on the court, you really get a great
feel how physical and aggressive Georgetown is. I mean they

(16:21):
and I saw it in Georgetown's first exhibition against George
Washington on film. They're very aggressive putting your body, put
in a forearm and in their chest. Uh, and very
aggressive on the ball. And it's uh, it calls Kentucky's
the problems.

Speaker 1 (16:37):
Yeah, you were at the practice the other day when
Mark Popin invited us to bring a family member and
it was a wonderful, wonderful thing. But I don't know
if you remember this, but at one point he stopped
practice and kind of barked at his team for failing
to communicate on switches, and he said, I think we
can be the best defensive team in America if we

(16:58):
learn to communicate. I heard Calla Perry saying the same
things I heard your coach Patino saying. And say, Eddie Sutton,
I mean, and I'm sure you did in your long
career as a head coach. I'm wondering were their breakdowns
last night by the Wildcats in en core communication defensively.

Speaker 8 (17:18):
Well, you know, I I there probably were in some instances,
and as you mentioned, every I think every coach, we
all talk about communication and talking and it is a very,
very very important part of the defensive end as far
as team defense is concerned. You know, I thought, I
thought Georgetown made.

Speaker 7 (17:37):
A lot of tough huts. I thought Kentucky's ball.

Speaker 8 (17:41):
Screen defense with Mac could have been a little better.
Mac really got downhill a lot yep, got into the scenes,
got into the paint quite a bit, which is a
little unusual for Kentucky's defense. And then in the second
half you have the young man Lewis who gets hot.

Speaker 7 (18:00):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (18:00):
You know, it was just one thing after the other.
But Georgetown just controlled the pace of the game the
whole game. It was just the total their pace the
whole game there from they like to play in the.

Speaker 7 (18:11):
Half hoard a little bit.

Speaker 1 (18:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (18:13):
Uh, and then they got Kentucky deep in the shot
clock a lot on offense.

Speaker 7 (18:17):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (18:18):
So give Georgetown credit. They played extremely well, great learning
lesson for Kentucky. But I don't think it's I'm I'm as.

Speaker 7 (18:27):
As a Kentucky Wildcat fam.

Speaker 8 (18:28):
I'm not overreacting at all right, Are we as good?
Are we as good as what we look like versus
Purdue knows it's still early. Are we as bad as
maybe we played a little bit last night? Definitely not?
Uh And right now you're you're not trying to be
your bet sitting here uh in late October. So you know,

(18:49):
I think obviously there's a lot to be looking forward
to in this Kentucky basketball team. I don't think with
that question, they're gonna be one of the best teams
in the country to come into the year. They get
everybody healthy, and.

Speaker 7 (19:01):
That's the other part we can't forget.

Speaker 8 (19:03):
They basically probably had three starters out more or less
last night, so that obviously plays a role in it.

Speaker 1 (19:13):
Yeah, And you know, after the Purdue game, when I
heard some folks shrugging off Purdue, that's the number one
team in the country, I said, that's not the Purdue
that we'll see in March, and conversely, not that Kentucky
will see in March. It's still pretty exciting when you
look at this roster and you had some talent coach
throughout your coaching career. But man, Mark Pop He's got

(19:34):
some decisions to make when it comes to minutes, doesn't.

Speaker 8 (19:36):
He he does. It's it's a good problem to have.

Speaker 1 (19:41):
Oh it's also a.

Speaker 8 (19:41):
Problem that but it's a problem that keeps coaches up
at night because you know, he wanted to try to
play everybody.

Speaker 7 (19:49):
And it's not about.

Speaker 8 (19:50):
Necessarily just being fair, but you still want guys to
get opportunities that the turblement. Sometimes it's really hard. But
the young man Jalen Lowe, who really haven't had a
chance to se in a Kentucky uniform other than a
little bit in the Blue White games, and they I
think will help this team greatly. I think he will
help otega Oway a lot. Jayalen Lowe is probably by

(20:11):
far the best guy on the team of breaking people
down getting in the paint, and he can. Last night,
he could have really loosened up the defense of Georgetown.
He could have really done a lot of that, and
that would have helped the shooters. That would have helped
oh Way. You know, last night I thought they did it.
You know, Ohway came out and made his first two
baskets and from that point on, Georgetown looked like they

(20:34):
had two guys on him in gaps pretty much the
whole time. But I think Jalen Low can help some
of the offensive issues.

Speaker 7 (20:42):
Last night will help a lot of that.

Speaker 1 (20:43):
Yeah, and I thought Jasper Johnson learned some tough lessons
last night, especially on defense. You know.

Speaker 8 (20:51):
Yeah, it's you know, freshman. I don't play a whole
lot of you know, I think all of our freshmen
are gonna have their moments where they help Kentucky win
some games, and then they're gonna have their freshman moments
their freshmen. But we have some very talented young men
freshman on the team, from Jasper Johnson to Malacamerino, and

(21:12):
you know those guys, you know they're gonna.

Speaker 7 (21:15):
Be really, really good.

Speaker 1 (21:16):
Yeah, we're talking to Travis Ford, a veteran of the
head coaching wars in college basketball, now television analysts for
SEC Plus. We'll talk more basketball on the other side
of the break here on six thirty WLAP Welcome back.
My guest is Travis Ford. Of course, the Kentucky guard
who helped the Wildcats get to the nineteen ninety three
Final four went onto a terrific coaching career at Campbellsville,

(21:39):
E KU U, Mass, Oklahoma State, Saint Louis and Travis
Each one of those stops presented a unique challenge. Of course,
that's why coaches move, because schools need, you know, a
new voice. And each time you took these schools to
postseason play, and you know, it's I know, a lot

(22:01):
of fun. But and I'm not sure if you're just
taking a break from coaching or if you're looking to
make broadcasting a career, which would be great, but man,
the coaching business. Now you see guys getting out and
as you well know, guys who are your peers, you know,
the Jay Wrights and the Roy Wims and all these guys.
You know, the portal, the nil and all that. It's

(22:22):
a weird time in college sports, isn't it. It is.

Speaker 8 (22:26):
It's changed dramatically over the last couple of years.

Speaker 7 (22:31):
For sure.

Speaker 8 (22:32):
It's a different game than when I started coaching twenty
nine years ago. I became the head coach at Campbellsville University, right,
and it looks a lot different today. And then I
go on to Eastern Kentucky's a vision one and it's just,
you know, changed so much, you know, unfortunately, it's become
a very transactional type situation where you know, I really

(22:59):
enjoyed getting you know, young men and their families and
the recruiting process. You were a recruit goverment for me
two to three years at a time. Now you're recruiting.

Speaker 7 (23:09):
Guys for maybe a week at.

Speaker 8 (23:11):
Most, and you know, it's just a different day.

Speaker 7 (23:15):
It is what it is. It's you know, as I
talked to coaches.

Speaker 8 (23:19):
Every single day and we all say the same thing.
It doesn't do much good to gripe about it. It's
not going anywhere. It's gonna stay the same. But I
do I missed the on court. I miss teaching. I
missed the individual work. I miss watching film. I love
watching film. Doing TV gives me a little.

Speaker 11 (23:36):
Bit of that.

Speaker 8 (23:36):
I really study, I really study the teams that I'm
broadcasting for, and really enjoy watching tape.

Speaker 7 (23:41):
And I love putting together scouting reports when I was coaching.
Those things I miss.

Speaker 8 (23:48):
I don't miss the dealing with the portal and dealing
with the NIL. And I think the portal is a
much bigger problem.

Speaker 7 (23:57):
Than the NIL, really much bigger.

Speaker 1 (23:58):
Really.

Speaker 8 (24:00):
I think the NIL it's similar to what it other
than Obviously players are are are receiving compensation, but you
were always there was always a separation between the have
and have not no question between Kentucky and you Mad
and Duke, and you know, there was always that and

(24:22):
that's still the same NIO wise. But the portal where
you know, there's just no continuity.

Speaker 7 (24:30):
And I think we could sit here.

Speaker 8 (24:32):
All day and and and debate it or talk about
all the ramifications of somebody being able to lead every
single year.

Speaker 7 (24:40):
Yes, let's just talk about it.

Speaker 8 (24:42):
Is that a good thing for every individual? And I'm
obviously I was a player to transfer, so I get it.
I transferred from the scurity Xucky, so I understand. But
I also look, I can say that year that I
set out was probably the most valuable year maybe of
my life. I gotta I got ahead academically. I graduated
early in my in my eligibility senior year at Kentucky,

(25:07):
I graduated early, I got stronger, I learned system, you know,
grow up a lot. It was a great opportunity for
me when I transferred, did not have the pressure of
having to play, but just to get ahead at Kentucky.
And now you have players, you know, there was a
player last night was on us fourth school. I think

(25:28):
of a plan for Georgetown, and I just don't know
that's good for anyone the end of the players. I
know it's not good for the teams and the product
that you're putting on the court for.

Speaker 7 (25:40):
N C Double A.

Speaker 8 (25:42):
I just think somewhere we got away from what n
C Double A amateur basketball, amateur athletics, football, whatever it
may be, but amateur athletics is all about. There's always
been professional and there's always been amateur in C Double A.
Now those two have merged and it's all basically won.

(26:03):
There's really there is no such thing.

Speaker 7 (26:05):
As amateur anymore. That is out the door.

Speaker 8 (26:09):
And so yeah, it's different. You know, I don't know
if I'm going to get back into coaching or not.
I like I said, I miss a lot of it.
It wouldn't be because if I didn't. It wouldn't be
because I didn't want to get back because of the
portal NI l'b. Just because you know, I'm enjoying doing
other thing. But you know, we'll see what happens in

(26:30):
the future.

Speaker 1 (26:31):
Well, Travis Ford, you are the answer to one of
the great trivia questions in SEC basketball. Is the only
guy ever to be named MVP of the SEC Tournament
two consecutive years. I got to think you take a
lot of pride in that. But uh man, you were
quite the competitor as a player, and I see that.
I saw that in you as a coach, and that

(26:53):
is just that has driven you all your career, hasn't it.

Speaker 8 (26:57):
Well, I am proud of it for the fact that
you don't nam MVP unless you win.

Speaker 1 (27:01):
That's right.

Speaker 7 (27:02):
So we won, So we won.

Speaker 8 (27:05):
So you know, my whole time in Kentucky, we never
lost an SEC tournament championship. We won it every single
year and take an incredible amount of pride on winning.

Speaker 1 (27:17):
For sure.

Speaker 8 (27:18):
Won a lot of games under coach Beatino there at
Kentucky during that time, and loved every single second of it.
Loved the state. I tell you, I just I've spent
a lot of time this last year in Lexington and
back in Kentucky a little bit, and you know it's
I just love being back in the state a little

(27:40):
more than a half been over the last twenty five
thirty years.

Speaker 1 (27:43):
Well, you and I go back a long way. And
I even remember watching you in the sweet sixteen when
you were with Madison North Hopkins High School. You got
a chance to be in rupp Arena as a high
school kid, So I got to think every time you
walk in that building you might get a little chill, right.

Speaker 8 (27:58):
Every single time ever changes for sure. I doing these
games for the broadcast for ESBN, I always try to
get to.

Speaker 7 (28:07):
Shoot around and practice.

Speaker 8 (28:09):
And the games very early because I like to just
sit there and think about.

Speaker 7 (28:13):
All the good times. I really do.

Speaker 8 (28:15):
I sometimes I'll go up up in the upper section
and just sit.

Speaker 7 (28:19):
Or going different areas, and it's so many memories. As
you mentioned, going back, my dad.

Speaker 8 (28:24):
Started taking me to the Sweet sixteen probably when I
was in the third grade. We go every single year.
Every year we stayed at the Hyatt, and I was
just telling my wife about that last night as I
was we were having lunch yesterday in the Hyatt at
the restaurant, I said, I feel I can remember sitting
here thirty five years ago with my dad and getting

(28:48):
ready to go to Sweet sixteen games and going swimming
in the swimming pool. It's just incredible memories all the
way around from those times and from when I played
at Kentucky.

Speaker 1 (28:58):
That's great, That is fantastic. Leave it at that, coach,
thank you so much, and we'll do it again soon,
I hope, and I hope to see you soon in
Rupp Arena.

Speaker 7 (29:05):
My pleasure. I appreciate you having me on up.

Speaker 1 (29:08):
Next, it's a huge weekend for Kentucky volleyball. We will
have a preview on six thirty WLAP Welcome back to
the Big luon Sider. Coming up in just a few minutes,
it's Kentucky and Vanderbilt playing volleyball at historic Memorial Coliseum.
That shouldn't be a problem for the Wildcats. Fandy is
not a good team yet, anders Nelson is rebuilding the program.

(29:29):
They haven't had women's volleyball down there since the early eighties.
So they pluck Craig Skinner's top assistant and make him
the head coach at Mandy and they'll get it done.
But not this year. But coming up Sunday, third best
team in the country Kentucky visiting number two Texas. That's
a huge match, so we thought. We talked from Volleyball

(29:52):
with Chris Scholz. He is the sports information director for
volleyball at UK. Chris, you got a big one tonight
because you're in the few and know Vanderbilt is not
a power yet in the conference. But you've got to
stay unblemish because you've got a big match coming up
with Texas. We're gonna look ahead because we can do that,
we're media people. But this is a really special Kentucky team.

(30:15):
We'll talk about Vandy in a minute. But you you
knew that you were gonna be good at Brooklyn delay
coming back, you had some a lot of other players
coming back, and you added through the portal. But did
you think this team would be this good?

Speaker 7 (30:30):
Yeah?

Speaker 12 (30:31):
I really I don't think. I think most of the
national people would have told you that we'd be improved,
but we had a lot of things to work on.
I thought we would be this good personally, and I
felt like I was validated on opening weekends when we
played the practice. But you, I think a big part
of this. I would this team grow because everybody was

(30:54):
in Lexington beginning in Sanuary. That's unique for volleyball. But
all of our freshmen came in early, they olderly, our
transfers were here in time, so we came back to
school in singing camp. Everybody there was no new addition.
We knew the pieces to the puzzle.

Speaker 1 (31:12):
That we had.

Speaker 12 (31:12):
We had already begun to We had already begun to
assemble that puzzle in the spring. So yeah, I wasn't proud.
I knew this team was special. I've seen it kind
enough had compared to everybody else because I saw the
practices and things like that. I knew the talent that
was in the gym, So yeah, I knew. I don't
know if everybody else did, but I feel comfortable telling

(31:33):
you that, yes, I was one of the people that
probably thought that we'd be this good.

Speaker 1 (31:36):
Well, and you've been with volleyball for seven years, You've
seen a lot of great volleyball at Kentucky and nationwide.
Did you see in Cassie O'Brien what she has shown
here this season? Did you see that preseason? I didn't know.

Speaker 12 (31:51):
I just I think, well, Number one, the thing that
people have to realize is Avasarofa won the starting setting up,
and I know that that was two months ago, but
we have to remember that, you know Cassie was not
selected as the starter for the beginning of the season,
and that you know, so many things go into that dick.
As you know, it's not just what is good, but
what's best for the team long term. How can we

(32:12):
win the matches that we need to a non conference
because you don't want to lose all those matches. Even
if you don't have the setter that you want, the
setter that you envision. You know, Ava had some experience,
Cassie had none. Ava has had three year work on
connections with hitters, Cassie had had five months. So Cassie
has shown bill developed her connection with her hitters as

(32:34):
the season has gone on, and she will tell you
she's a way different than she was. They and even
I would argue the last I mean, the last five
matches were hitting a little over to me and then
a league that is defensive oriented, that's a really strong number,
you know. So I just the album of Asolute was
incredibly impressive for a response after Mississippi State match that

(32:58):
you know we won, but wasn't you know, lighting the
world on fire. I don't think they were happy with
the way that they played. So Cassie has shown the
ability to grow and well and she's done it, you know,
as Cassie can, with a smile on her face and
a happy, go lucky attitude and coming in the gym
every day with an expectation of getting better.

Speaker 1 (33:14):
Certainly it helps that she's setting Brooklyn delay. But now
here comes Eva Hudson transferring in from Purdue, Lizzie Carr
transferring in from Purdue. So you know, she's setting some
pretty good players. I mean, that's a huge help, isn't it.

Speaker 12 (33:28):
It's a huge help. And not only are they great
with their experience, I mean, but she's had two full
entire years of swinging. Eva Hudson has played four years
at Purdue in the Big Ten and the best sphears
in the country. So yeah, she has a lot of
help from Brooklyn and Eva. And if you look our
middle connection, which was a real good question mark in August,

(33:48):
in early September, that is pretty much developed into a
really firepowerful offensive weapon for US. I mean, if you
look at the let excuse me, look at for Baltima, Kennedy,
washington Is. He called all three of them we consider
three starters. You played play for two, but you know,
we consider all three of them to be the level
of starters, right, and they're all averaging really strong numbers

(34:09):
when they've gotten into matches, and that opens up the
pens for even Brooklyn to feats. And so that's been
really fun to watch.

Speaker 1 (34:16):
Talking to Chris Shols, he is with UK Sports Information,
basically the pr man for UK volleyball. The Wildcats taking
on Vanderbilt tonight, then Texas on Sunday. The eyes of
the nation will be upon that match. But you got
to take care of Vanderbilt tonight. Vandy resuming volleyball play
women's volleyball for the first time since the early eighties.

(34:37):
And you know who you're gonna call, Well, they called
Andrews Nelson, you know, the Craig Skinner's top assistant, and
Andres a great recruiter and an excellent tactician. And you
got to think Vanderbilt, it's not going to take long
for him to get things going down there.

Speaker 12 (34:51):
Right, No, I think. I mean, they've had some really
unfortunate breaks with injury and roster personnel.

Speaker 7 (34:57):
They're a better team than one and nine.

Speaker 12 (35:00):
You know, they took a set off Kansas on the
only week of the first resumption of their program in
over twenty five years, so I think that be really good.
I don't think it's going to take anders very long. Obviously,
he's not having the record that he would have wanted
this year. But to your point that you said earlier,
you know, when you're in a championship hunt, every match
is the most important one. It's the next one that's

(35:20):
the most important. And then I think Kentucky will tell
you the significant edge when it comes to just straight
up talent. But that talent has to assemble and there's
a big match on Sunday looming that you know you
don't want to get distracted from. But Bandy's going to
present some challenges. There's nothing I don't think that Dandy
presents that Kentucky can't figure out. But it's not going
to be just to roll the ball out situation and

(35:42):
figure out, you know, how to solve that. We're going
to have to do a lot of problem with solving
ourselves and make sure that we take Vanderbilt was seriously.
And then additionally, there's gonna be a lot of emotion,
like you said, with anders coming back as Johnny Peeler
is on his staff a Johnnie is one of the
most beloved figures in my time at least with Kentucky's
the ball both on and off the court, and I
think that there's going to be some emotion going there,

(36:02):
but it'll be a fun match.

Speaker 1 (36:04):
Oh yeah, And you have enough veterans I think on
this team to where you know their their thought, their
final shots, going into tonight's match, They're not going to
be man, we need this one until we can get
to Texas. I think they'll be zeroed in, don't you.
I think so.

Speaker 12 (36:20):
And the thing about tonight's match that I think is
exciting is when you're in a championship hunt and both
teams are undefeated, your margin for airor goes down, you know,
And I think what makes that fun. Every set becomes
important and every match becomes important. So you're looking at
the scheduling, Okay, well, typically we could probably take this

(36:40):
match for granted, and you know, maybe we don't have
player best this night. But when you're in a championship
hunt down the stretch, I think there are players on
this buish that are going for four in their career
in the instance of our seniors, or three in a
row like Delay and Tuzzo and that class that are
understanding of what it takes to win the conference championship

(37:01):
and the importance of taking everything one match at a time, and.

Speaker 1 (37:04):
They have learned. The veterans have what it's like to
go into an opposing gym as they will on Sunday,
and everybody wants a piece of Kentucky now and Texas
was supposed to blow into the league last year and
win the championship and lo and behold Kentucky blew right
by him and won the title. So they're kind of
used to that, aren't they.

Speaker 12 (37:25):
They are, and it's gonna be I mean, I cannot
tell you how excited I am for that match on
so many different levels. I think the first level is
it is going to be the match of the year
in the regular season in college volleyball. The Big Ten,
unfortunately for them, has lost a little bit of juice
with their bell cow Nebraska versus Wisconsin, which is this
weekend as well, but Wisconsin's had a setter injury. It's

(37:48):
really hurt results and they're not one hundred percent for Nebraska.
If you're going to give Nebraska a run this year,
you better be more than one hundred percent at a
help wise, So that takes a little bit of juice
out of that. You know, Pitt and Louisville they twice,
so I think that takes a little bit of the
juices out of that match. So this one really is
going to be epically fun. I think being on the
road in Austin for the first time a member of

(38:09):
the SEC is going to be electric Dick. They are
sold out and I can actually tell you that the
secondary ticket market prices the lowest ticket right now is
over seven hundred and ninety dollars. Confirmed that yesterday and
the upper like the upper level prices are going in
the thousand and that's on seat Geek. We confirmed it
and looked at it, and there are people that are

(38:31):
begging down the doors to get into Gregory Gymnasium on Sunday.
It's going to be elevated. It's you know, it was
elevated to an ESPN broadcast earlier this year. The Final
Four crew is calling it just it's a really big
opportunity for Kentucky and Texas to really make a statement
for the sport on a national scene.

Speaker 1 (38:47):
That is fantastic. Chris, thanks so much, Good luck tonight
and have a great trip to Austin. Thanks buddy.

Speaker 12 (38:52):
I appreciate it and we look forward to it.

Speaker 1 (38:54):
That's Chris Scholz of UK Volleyball. Our number two is next.
We'll talk NFL with Billy Rutledge and more. You're on
six thirty yea a n.

Speaker 9 (39:01):
Ip anything, thenthing to do anything, then st tact to

(40:49):
donning to.

Speaker 1 (41:02):
Welcome back to the Big blon Sider Dick Gabriel with
you our number two of our program coming up in
a few minutes, Billy Rutledge, we'll make NFL picks for
the weekend and of course heroes, fools and flakes as
we wrap up the week. Coming up tomorrow night, it's
Kentucky Auburn seven thirty kickoff down on the Planes. Pregame
coverage begins at five thirty. Right here on six thirty

(41:23):
WLAP with Christy Thomas, Slogan Stenberg and Ricky Lumpkin as
they break down what the Wildcats have to do to
get their first conference wins, something Auburn did last week
at Arkansas, and Hugh Freeze feeling the heat just like
Mark Soups, both coaches would love to see their team
pull out an SEC win, and of course, the Wildcats

(41:47):
coming off that loss to Tennessee fifty six to thirty four,
even though Cutter Bowley was slinging it around five touchdown
passes by the red shirt freshman quarterback, the Auburn team
has some question marks at quarterback. Jackson Arnold had been
the starter. I had played okay, but they weren't winning

(42:07):
so they made a change and put in Ashton Daniels
in the second half of the Auburn game, and he
led the team to a win. Although he could make
the argument that the defense really got it done, but
he got the team into the end zone. So maybe
we will see him start the game. But we may
see both quarterbacks at some point. When the Cats take
on the Tigers, we might see I would think we

(42:28):
will see Seth McGowan for the Wildcats coming off that
injury missed. Last week's game was the last minute scratch
from the lost to Tennessee. Jason Patterson, though stepped in
got it done. Sixteen carries fifty one yards caught a
team I seven passes for forty four yards, so a
total of ninety five yards production by Patterson. And I

(42:53):
talked to him this week, as did all the media
about his performance, and at one point I asked him,
I said, you know, it looks like compared to last
year when he played more, you're hitting the hole a
little bit harder. Is that the case?

Speaker 13 (43:08):
I think that is a little truth to it. I
got a little truth to it. I feel like there's
another gear that I can go to. There's a different
step but that just me taking that step to me
actually showing putting that on film, putting it on the
screen so everybody can see. So, but I do I
do agree that I am taking a little bit harder approach.

Speaker 1 (43:27):
To it, which is understandable. But of course he is
a veteran, but standing on the sidelines when you really
went into the year expecting to play more and they
recruit over you through the portal, He's going to take
advantage of every opportunity he gets. And I've got to
think that it's going to be a three man rotation
with Daldel McGowan if he plays, and Patterson and of

(43:50):
course his quarterback Cutter Bolli loved what he saw in
the way Patterson was running and catching.

Speaker 14 (43:56):
Yeah, I think he's done an incredible job of step
up and filling a role. I think we've always known
the player kind of j pat was and what he
could be, you know, I mean, with Seth and Dante
getting a lot of reps, he wasn't getting in there
a ton at first, but now just going throughout the
SEC season, you know, I mean, we're gonna get dings
and bruises on everybody, and people are going to be

(44:17):
out for plays and stuff like that. So I'm incredibly
proud of him for stepping up and making plays like
he has and uh when he when his name has
been called for sure.

Speaker 1 (44:26):
And you know, throwing to the running backs, which is
something that they did with McGowan, uh for the last
few games. It's all part of that get the ball
out of Cutter's hands, quicker. They changed it going into
the Georgia game and it worked. They changed it going
into the Tennessee game and it worked. Although the only
guy in the end zone a couple of times, but
it is made Cutter Bully a better quarterback and giving

(44:48):
him the opportunity to throw the ball before he gets crushed,
you know by the oncoming rush. It's uh, it's turned
this Kentucky offense around and it's helped, according to bush Man,
the offensive coordinator, has helped this team offensively built some
confidence over the last three or four weeks. Yeah.

Speaker 15 (45:06):
I think as a coach, as you guys know this,
there can be a lot of positives. The things I
remember Saturday or like the tip interception that goes back
to the house, the fumble that gets knocked there. You know,
there's just things I'm like, man, I never in a
million years would you think like those two plays happen.
They seem like those are the plays that are happening.
But there's a bigger meaning. There's a deeper meaning in

(45:28):
all this. I think when you've battled with a guy
like Cutter for sixteen months and poured a lot and
seeing his growth, for him to go out there and
just play, in my opinion, older than maybe his age, yeah,
it feels good. You know what I'm saying. It's some
of you out of their small wins and you just
got to keep building on it. I think he's done

(45:49):
some things that probably haven't been done in twenty years,
and he's steady, and he's going right back to work
and continue to improve. And I think the message to
him is just there will be a time where you'll
look back on this experience and understand the struggle you
went through, and you know, you'll look back on this
experience and go, this is maybe where it started. And
so I think that there's certainly a lot there.

Speaker 1 (46:11):
I mentioned the offensive line. They have been playing better,
there's no question about that, and you knew it was
going to take a while for them to come together.
And one of the guys that they brought out for
us to talk to was shi As Pete, a huge
transfer from New Mexico State playing left tackle learning to
play in the SEC. Mark Stoops said he believes Pete
has gotten better each week with each game, and Shias

(46:34):
was glad to hear that.

Speaker 10 (46:36):
What's mighty good compliment of him. This conference is hard,
so I'm learning that. I'm learning, you know, how our
opponents play weekend and week out. I mean just just
this campaign in general, or about halfway through. So I mean,
obviously this is a point where you know, teams can

(46:56):
surprise you, teams can folter. So it's anoint and I'm excited.
It's a good checkpoint, and I do feel unimproving. I'm
you know, adapting to the speed and just the enhancement
that this conference has.

Speaker 1 (47:15):
Remember a couple of years ago he was blocking for
a guy named Diego Pavia at New Mexico State. So yeah,
it's taken him a little while to adjust. We'll take
anybody a while to a job. Although maybe Pavia is
an exception to the rule. He jumped into the SEC
with both feet and has never slowed down. Mark Stoops
earlier this week talking about taking his team on the

(47:37):
road and what kind of things is he going to
be looking for as they try to get that first
SEC win.

Speaker 6 (47:45):
Well, I mean, you want to see growth.

Speaker 16 (47:46):
You want to see, you know, continue to build on
the good things we're doing. I mean, ultimately, you know,
it's a bottom line business.

Speaker 17 (47:52):
We want to.

Speaker 16 (47:53):
Depend at all costs, and you know, so whatever it
takes to win the game is what we're hunting, you know.

Speaker 6 (48:01):
But you know you're not going to do that.

Speaker 16 (48:02):
Unless you make progress and make all these areas and
put it all together.

Speaker 1 (48:08):
Got to make progress on both sides of the ball. However,
good they looked against Texas, which was a more traditional
offensive attack. The defense looked great, didn't it uh, and
got to the quarterback, got pressure on the quarterback. That
did not happen against Tennessee. In the Wildcats paid the
price offensively, Kentucky struggled against a better Texas defense, struggled

(48:28):
in the red zone, moved the ball between the twenties,
but couldn't get in the end zone enough. And against Tennessee,
of course, he had more possessions. Tennessee scored quickly. You
get the ball back. Tennessee's defense though not nearly as
good as Texas, and Cutter bully carved him up did
a great job. I asked Stoops if anything that Cutter
has been doing has come as a surprise that they

(48:50):
had coached.

Speaker 6 (48:51):
It's been very I've been very pleased.

Speaker 16 (48:53):
Let's leave about it that I'm about surprise because I've
seen it before. But you know, it's been very good
to see. You know, he's been Yeah, I guess you
could say that in some ways.

Speaker 6 (49:04):
You know, he's you.

Speaker 16 (49:06):
Know, he gets out a couple of those traps. You know,
it's it's great to see because I've coached a lot
of defense in my days, and when that happens to you,
you're very frustray mad, you know.

Speaker 6 (49:16):
So when you get out.

Speaker 16 (49:17):
Of something like that and create plays down the field
after it looks like you're getting a sack or you know,
all that, it's been fun to watch.

Speaker 6 (49:25):
And I also say again, he's been.

Speaker 16 (49:29):
Very impressive on the run on the move, very accurate
and very good decisions under some serious duress.

Speaker 1 (49:38):
And he'll be under some duress down at Auburn. This
is a team with a really good defense. It is
what has kept them in games. He had a brutal
stretch of losses four straight against top fifteen teams. Never
gave up more than twenty four points. They just haven't
been able to generate enough offense to win. It got
those extra possessions thanks to the turnovers they forced against

(49:59):
our and saw and came up with the win. And
as a result, coach you Free said, they have worked
hard in practice this week they realize even now better
than before, what it's going to take to pull off
a win over Kentucky team that here on Halloween he
referred to as scary.

Speaker 18 (50:16):
I think this week the message has been received that man,
go a little further and let's see where it takes us.
You know, let's go find a way to win one
at home to celebrate with our home fans and an
SEC win.

Speaker 1 (50:28):
But you've got to go a little farther further.

Speaker 18 (50:30):
This is a this is a dangerous team coming in
here and who are playing better football on offense than
that were earlier in the year, and they stopped the run.
So it's a it's a scary team. So we've got
to we had to, We need to go a little
further into details. We still had a lot of things
last week that you know you watch on tape, but man,
we can do better, and we've got a demand.

Speaker 9 (50:50):
That we do it.

Speaker 1 (50:52):
Auburn season is similar to Kentucky. He's out of the
gate three straight wins, including an opener against Baylor, but
then four straight losses to Oklahoma by a touchdown, Texas
A and m by six points. Georgia, they lost twenty
to ten at home, then they lose to Missouri twenty three,

(51:12):
seventeen and two overtimes before they finally come back and
beat Arkansas. So Kentucky said, a tough run, but Auburn
may be even tougher. A tougher run of games, those
four straight brutal losses, but the defense has been there
every time. Say with us coming up a little bit later,
Billy Rutledge makes his NFL picks here on six thirty

(51:34):
WLAP Welcome back to the Big Blu Andsider coming up,
Billy Rutledge with his NFL picks Heroes, fools and flakes
And as we mentioned, Kentucky Auburn similar seasons really struggling.
This year, Auburn finally got a conference win, Kentucky looking
for its first and somebody had asked Mark Stroops about
whether he was afraid his players will go with a rope,
and he said, no, they really haven't yet. If you've

(51:55):
watched him, they have played hard. They might not have
been winning, but they have played hard. Yesyesterday marked an
anniversary of sorts. It was when Herm Edwards, back in
twenty two was the head coach of the New York
Jets and they were struggling and a reporter asked him
if he was concerned. Actually, she started to ask if

(52:17):
he was concerned that his players might begin to show
some quit and he didn't even let her finish the question,
where he jumped in with a rant that is one
of the all time greats.

Speaker 12 (52:31):
This is what the greatest thing about sports is.

Speaker 11 (52:34):
You play to win the game. Hello, You play to
win the game. You don't play to just play it.

Speaker 4 (52:49):
That's a great thing about sports.

Speaker 11 (52:51):
You play to win, and I don't care if you
don't have any wins.

Speaker 9 (52:54):
You go play to win.

Speaker 11 (52:57):
When you start telling me it doesn't matter, I can retire,
get out.

Speaker 1 (53:03):
Because it matters. That's Herm Edwards. He's in broadcasting now,
got back into coaching as the college coach didn't work out,
and now it's back in broadcasting. But yeah, that is
one that will live forever. You play to win. It
seems so obvious, but you know there are times to
take up for whoever asked that question where it just

(53:25):
seems like players at all levels are going through the motions,
college and pro. So it wasn't a bad question, but
it got a great result. I have to admit one
of the all time favorites speaking of trying, of working hard,
of playing hard, Charles Barkley, the Great Sir Charles now
appearing on ESPN with the same crew that appeared on

(53:48):
TNT Ernie and Kenny and Shaq. Barkley was asked answering
a question about something, but he turned to another topic
and it was about basically referring to you know, these
players today. He's sounding like a grumpy old man, but
he's not wrong, and it's funny. And this is Barkeley
talking about our players in this day and age, apparently

(54:12):
to him, are not accepting tough coaching anymore.

Speaker 4 (54:17):
You talk about coaching coaches in my day, when the
coach criticized you was called good coaching. When people criticize
plus day, it's called Hayton. And that's why the bomb
be driving me crazy, Like, dude, that's what coaches. Their
job is to criticize. It ain't criticisms.

Speaker 1 (54:36):
You got kind of cut off at the end. It's
not criticism, it's coaching. And if you listen to us
on a semi regular basis, which we appreciate, you may
have heard Sean Woods every Wednesday. I have the unforgettable
guard on who was a longtime college coach now coaching
Scott County Cardinals, and he kind of bemoans the fact
that you really can't more on the college level or

(54:59):
the pro level coach the way he was coached by
Rick Bettino. And trust me, he didn't like it when
it was happening, but Sean now realizes that it made
him a better player and a better coach. So interesting
to hear Barkley saying that sort of thing. It was
also interesting to hear Barkley he was doing an interview

(55:19):
with Tyrese Maxi and one of his seventy six ers teammates, VJ. Edgecombe,
who was a really good player at Baylor and now
he is playing really well for Philly, which is tearing
it up right now. And they were doing a zoom
call so you could see both players in their respective
apartments or homes or whatever. And Maxy was obviously in

(55:43):
a room that was very well decorated, very tastefully decorated.
Edgecombe behind him, and nothing but blank walls, white walls,
and Charles Barkley got into Maxie about that guy, gave
Maxie a hard time about it.

Speaker 4 (55:56):
You got all these nice ass paintings, you got paid,
and you earned it. Why don't you buy the young
guy up some stuff to put on his damn wall?
Because you got all these nice ass paintings. He got
just regular white walls. Come on, man, if you're gonna
be a bet, lead by example, man by that man

(56:16):
something to put.

Speaker 8 (56:17):
On the wall.

Speaker 1 (56:18):
They said, let me take number three P.

Speaker 6 (56:22):
Number three P.

Speaker 11 (56:23):
He got ds like his checks.

Speaker 6 (56:26):
Hey do they gonna make you?

Speaker 19 (56:28):
Ay?

Speaker 6 (56:28):
I'm telling you, I'm telling you everything else. I got
him though, I got he know I got him.

Speaker 1 (56:32):
Well, I guess we'll see if he's got him. I
hope they do a follow up in Sir Charles checks
to see if Maxi, the former Wildcat, has taken care
of his Philadelphia teammate. I talked earlier about the mess
at LSU, and apparently there's going to be a committee
formed to hire a coach. And you know, more than
once I've heard people grumble. Former players have grumbled that

(56:55):
there was no committee formed to hire this coach of
that coach, which is ridiculous, I think because look, at
the end of the day, if it goes sour, who
takes the heat, the ad the guy who does the
literal legal hiring. You know, have you ever heard of
committee members who caught heat for a bad hire? No,

(57:16):
it doesn't work that way. That's why I think hiring,
you can get advisory, you can call people what do
you think about this and that? But to have a
formal committee come together and make a hire the way
they do in some other strains of academia. Yeah, but
in sports it doesn't work that way. And you know,
it took issue with that the late great Mike Leach

(57:38):
when he was the head coach at Washington State. Somebody
asked him about forming a committee about something.

Speaker 19 (57:44):
You know, because why not? Because you know, we're American,
we love committees. Let's get us a committee. Well, who
should be on the committee? Well, I don't know. This
guy's a good guy, let's have him on the committee. Well,
I mean there's people on the committee that don't even
have mode associations with football, nor have they at any
level other than being a fan. But you know what,

(58:07):
let's have them on a committee.

Speaker 6 (58:09):
Why not?

Speaker 1 (58:10):
And then, I.

Speaker 6 (58:12):
Mean it'd be fun.

Speaker 19 (58:14):
We'd go to that resort, we could talk, we could
hang out at dinner.

Speaker 1 (58:19):
Gotta love Mike Leach, but I disagreed when Alyssa Lang
asked him about Halloween candy on a Halloween win. And
this is Halloween and Mike Leach hates candy corn, which
I love.

Speaker 17 (58:31):
We talked about on the broadcast, how you hate candy corn?
What's your favorite Halloween corn? I mean, I completely hate
candy corn when I was a kid. Well, gummy bears.
Let's see gummy bears for sure.

Speaker 9 (58:44):
Now we're regular.

Speaker 17 (58:47):
The Airboa, it's got to be the Airbow once.

Speaker 1 (58:50):
And then the other.

Speaker 17 (58:51):
Thing I like is is when they used to have
the sprees in a box outstanding up to go the
dollar store to find it, but I do.

Speaker 1 (59:01):
And then the.

Speaker 17 (59:02):
Latest, the latest, you know, there's still candy innovation. Although
a while back I found that Europe had better candy
than we did overall because they have got me everything.

Speaker 1 (59:12):
And then but.

Speaker 17 (59:15):
The you know, they have those nerds clusters, which is new.
I think I'm easy, yeah, which is good. The nerds
clusters is good. And then if you go chocolate, probably
almond joy.

Speaker 1 (59:27):
I'm with him on that. I love almond Joy, I
love coconuts, So I'm with Mike Leach on that. But
he was wrong. That's his heart rest his soul about
candy corn. Billy Rutledg's next six thirty wlap Welcome back
to the Big Moon Sider. Joining us now as he
does each and every week, is our own Billy Rutlige.
You hear him every morning on this very radio station.
He joins us here on a Big Moon Sider to

(59:48):
provide wisdom and insight on the National Football League. Billy,
you are slightly ahead of me in our pick so far.
We're going into week number nine. We picked six games
each week. You are twenty four and eighteen, so you're
winning money. I'm twenty two and twenty. I had a
good lead on you, and then I had a couple
of one in five weeks when you were doing well.

(01:00:11):
So you blew right by me.

Speaker 12 (01:00:14):
Well look at that both about five hundred.

Speaker 1 (01:00:17):
How about that? Well, let's jump right in let's start
with the Bengals. The Bears at the Bengals, Cincinnati at
home is getting two and a half. Now. The Bears
lead the NFL in interceptions and in turnover margin. Bellive
they're bad in the red zone, but the Bengals defense

(01:00:40):
is bad in the red zone. They're thirtieth in the
league defensively in the red zone. Plus they give up
thirty one and a half points per game, and we
don't know who their quarterback's going to be. This one
kind of screams take the Bears, but I don't know.

Speaker 12 (01:00:58):
Well, that's what I'm doing, Dick. I'm taking Chicago and
this one. What a gut wrenching loss for Cincinnati. Lastly,
so I mean to the to the Jets. I mean,
if they started firing everybody in that organization, I would understand.
And I think the fan base is starting to be
out on Zach Taylor soon. But believe it or not,
they still got a chance to win that division in
the AFC North. It is just has not been good

(01:01:19):
play by anybody in that in that division.

Speaker 1 (01:01:21):
And maybe that's.

Speaker 12 (01:01:22):
Baltimore that's able to come back. They looked good last night.

Speaker 1 (01:01:24):
That's amazing.

Speaker 12 (01:01:25):
Go ahead, I was going to say, I just Cincinnati
has the worst rushing defense in the league. It's DeAndre
Swift's plays. He was not practicing this week, but if
he plays, I expect him to have a really big week.
And Ben Johnson is somebody I have more confidence in
than Zach Taylor. So I'm taking Chicago in this one,
not trying to overthink it. I do like Joe Flacco

(01:01:47):
and what he's been doing, but Cincinnati, I mean, it's
tough to respond after that. Jets can I'm with you.

Speaker 1 (01:01:52):
I'm gonna go ahead and take the Bears. Just it's
more about what the Bengals can't do than what the
Bears can do. And I think I told you a
week or two ago at the time they traded for Flaco,
his quarterback rating was his stats virtually the same as
Jake Browning. But he came in and showed some life.

(01:02:13):
But you know, he's got a bump shoulder, so who knows.
But yeah, Bears laying two and a half in Cincinnati.
So let us move on to this ought to be
interesting the Broncos in Houston against the Texans. Houston laying
a point and a half. Broncos are one of the
surprise teams in the NFL.

Speaker 12 (01:02:35):
They are they are. Sean Payton is starting to get
it done with bo Nigs, a big win versus the
Dallas Cowboys and a game that really wasn't ever closed. No,
for as good as Dallas's offense has been, that was
a good showing by Broncos defense. Meanwhile, the Texans really
needed that win last week to beat San Francisco the
way that they did in dominating fashion. I mean, I

(01:02:57):
had forgotten Houston had a team, Dick. You know that
happen sometimes these teams go on a bye week and
you just forget about him. I completely forgot they even
play the sport.

Speaker 5 (01:03:06):
But J.

Speaker 12 (01:03:07):
Stroud looked a little better. Their defense and Tamiko Ryans
coaching that team, they looked better. This is tough, but
I think I'm gonna go Chalk here. I'm gonna go
Denver just because I really like what they're doing with JK. Dobbins,
who is looking healthier than ever.

Speaker 7 (01:03:22):
RJ.

Speaker 12 (01:03:22):
Harvey at his maybe.

Speaker 1 (01:03:24):
His breakout game.

Speaker 12 (01:03:25):
This could be a game where Cortland Sutton has a
good one. You know, Texans corners are pretty decent, but
Sutton has progressively gotten better as the weeks have gone
on to become Bo Nicks's number one wide receiver. Texans
did that without Nico Collins last week. It very impressive.
I'm still going Denver here though.

Speaker 1 (01:03:42):
Yeah I do like Nico, but I'm going to go
with you. And one of the reasons is Broncos lead
the league in sacks with thirty six. Now they're missing
one of their best pass defenders and certain but they
will get after the Texans, whose offensive line in whatever
hell are they measured like win plays or win race

(01:04:04):
here or something going into last week's game was twenty
eighth in the league. That I think is the biggest
reason the Texans have struggled this year. But last week, Billy,
the Texans did not surrender a single sack. So maybe
that's why the oddsmakers like Houston a little bit more.
And they're at home obviously, So I think you and

(01:04:25):
I are going to agree we're going to take the
one and a half with the Broncos in Houston. And
the Broncos just keep surprising us, So let's let's stay
with that. Speaking of exactly exactly, speaking of surprising Indianapolis
Colts in Pittsburgh, not that the Colts are favored. They

(01:04:46):
are by three and a half, but just in general,
I mean, Jonathan Taylor is having an MVP kind a year.
He's just tearing it up. And the Steelers folded in
the second half against my Packers last week, thankfully, But
Steelers have some things going for him, Billy, But three

(01:05:08):
and a half is a lot for a home dog.
But what do you think, you know?

Speaker 12 (01:05:14):
I thought one of the more impressive performances last week
was Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers putting thirty
five on the road against Pittsburgh, And like you said,
the Steelers are kind of collapsed in the second half there.
I think Daniel Jones and Indianapolis, really, Indy, all they
needed was a quarterback. Anthony Richardson was somebody I think
we pegged from as even in college as he wasn't

(01:05:36):
going to be the guy, and then he quits on
a team and it kind of divulges into what it
is now and they just needed a game manager. They've
got a good roster over there, and the story of
the new owner of the Colts being on the sideline
listening to the headset being involved, I love it. I mean,
obviously it's because they're winning. If they were losing, people
would be blaming her and they would saying how dumb

(01:05:57):
this is. But because they're winning, I love it, And
for that reason, I'm still sticking with Chalk. This week,
I'm going with Indianapolis Pittsburgh. Is I think faltering a
little bit here midseason? What do you think?

Speaker 1 (01:06:09):
Well, the Colts have the number one offense in the league,
but they've had some injuries. On the defensive side of
the ball. They are twenty fourth in defense. They give
up a lot of yards per game. But the Steelers, yeah,
they just don't look well. Even though the Steelers have
a rookie tight end, Tyler Warren, he leads the league's

(01:06:30):
tight ends in yards gain in four hundred and ninety two.
He and Aaron Rodgers have made a great connection, but
there just seems to be something owing by the way.
The Packers last week didn't run the ball very well
until later in the game against Pittsburgh. I got to
think the Colts with Taylor will run the ball even better.

(01:06:51):
So I'm gonna go with you. I'm gonna I'm gonna
lay the three and a half dog at home is
a tough bet. To pass up, but we're gonna agree,
and we're gonna lay the three and half Colts at
the Steelers.

Speaker 12 (01:07:03):
Let me ask you one thing. Do you think Jonathan
Taylor's got a shot at the MVP?

Speaker 1 (01:07:06):
I would think if anybody does, who's not a quarterback, Billy,
he does well. How could you not at least give
him incredibly strong consideration for MVP? Right?

Speaker 6 (01:07:18):
No?

Speaker 1 (01:07:18):
I would.

Speaker 12 (01:07:18):
I mean, Mahomes is the betting favorite right now, but
he hasn't really blown me away like Jonathan Taylor has.
I mean, he's scoring three touchdowns a game. Yeah, so,
I mean, it's just it's been very impressive.

Speaker 1 (01:07:28):
Yeah, you throwing the names of the guy last guys
who did that? You got to go way back, you know,
Jim Brown and one or two others. So anyhow, this
next game should have been like a Pickham or at least,
you know, a point and a half or so. But
the Lions at home getting I'm sorry, Lions are giving

(01:07:48):
nine and a half to the Vikings coming in. Vikings
have all kinds of problems. Lions are getting better and
getting well. But that's a lot of points, Billy.

Speaker 12 (01:08:00):
Yeah, I was ready to immediately say Detroit, but that
is a ton of points. You said, nine and a half. Yeah,
and this is.

Speaker 1 (01:08:07):
Where Dick is it in Detroit, in Detroit, in.

Speaker 12 (01:08:11):
Detroit, Okay, Well, I am not sold on JJ McCarthy.
And the Carson Wentz situation was weird last week. I mean,
the announcers were saying, in questioning Carson Wentz's toughness, it
comes out he had a tear and now he's going
to be out for the rest of the year. But
he was defending the team saying, you know, nobody made
me go out there. But it didn't definitely feel like

(01:08:32):
that a little bit on Thursday Night Football last week. Yeah,
you know, Minnesota has a good roster, but I just
not sold on JJ McCarthy. He's played eight quarters and
I think one of those quarters went well. Yes, he's
gonna have to prove to me that he can be
capable at the next level before I take Minnesota in
any gambling debts. You know that nine and and half
is a lot, but I also feel like Detroit could

(01:08:54):
easily just jump up quick on this game, especially it
being in Detroit, in the line coming off of bye
I believe, yeah, this could be a mismatch, even though
like you said, maybe some might think of it as
as possibly a pick him if JJ McCarthy plays well enough,
it certainly can. But you know, do you really have
an NFL team if you don't have a good quarterback, Hick,

(01:09:16):
you could have a great roster. But just like the
cold Flash here with Anthony Richardson, it just doesn't work out.
So until he proves me wrong, I'm going to troyon
and taking all the points.

Speaker 1 (01:09:25):
How about this, Aiden Hutchinson will be trying to crush
his former Michigan teammate coming off the edge for Detroit,
going after McCarthy. I'm like you, I don't believe in
him yet. I think he could be good if they
keep him upright. And that is a lot of points,
But yeah, I think this could turn in to an
ugly one before long. And I'll take the lines as well.

(01:09:48):
So we agree once again, even though that's a lot
of points. The Panthers are in Green Bay against my
beloved Packers who are laying thirteen and a half. Billy, Again,
that's a lot of points. But one team is playing well,
one team has been up and down. What do you see?

Speaker 12 (01:10:07):
Yeah, it's really gonna come down to Bryce Young this
Carolina team got over five hundred, and they were four
and three before Bryce got hurt and Andy Dalton had
to play. I appreciate everything Andy's done for the game,
but it may be about time he moves on. And
even though he's playing with a broken thumb, which is
pretty incredible to think about playing with a broken thumb quarterback.

(01:10:28):
But I really like what I've seen from Bryce Young.
I mean, Rico Doubdell is top five and rushing yards
in the league, and he started maybe two games this year.
They have something going on right now in Carolina. Now,
the forty to nine setback last week, obviously, I think
you've got to put that in the rearview mirror and
recognize that that was Buffalo being Buffalo. But I actually

(01:10:49):
think I'm gonna take Carolina here to cover that thirteen
and a half versus your Green Bay Packers. Not that
the Packers aren't the better team, but I think sometimes
in the NFL, parody sneaks up up on us these games.
They are a lot closer than we think, even when
it looks like there's a big team discrepancy here. I mean,
remember your Packers lost for the Browns this year, right

(01:11:09):
So I mean, while Jordan Love is playing better, I
think I'm gonna take Carolina to cover that.

Speaker 1 (01:11:14):
My Packers not only lost to the Browns, they had
to hustle to beat the Arizona Cardinals. They weren't a
bad team, but they had their way with green Bay.
But watching Love complete what twenty straight passes last week
of late thirteen touchdowns, two interceptions, He's completed seventy one

(01:11:35):
percent of his passes, I don't know that Carolina can
slow him down or the running game for green Bay.
So we're gonna split here. I will take my Packers,
not emotionally, and lay the thirteen and a half. That's
a ton of points. And you're you're right. Young is back,
allegedly healthy and ready to go. But I will I
will lay the points and take the pack Chiefs aid

(01:11:56):
Bill's believe it or not, the Chiefs are two and
a half point fail Billy in Buffalo, what do you say?

Speaker 12 (01:12:04):
Is this become the marquee matchup of the NFL? Like,
is this the one that I think the people wait for?
The Patrick Mahomes versus Josh Allen. It's certainly become a
rivalry over the past few years, But this feels like
one of those bigger games. And with Kansas City playing
so well right now, they just don't look at anything
like they did those first couple of weeks. Buffalo playing
well too, Like we just talked about them beating Carolina,

(01:12:26):
but we've seen some struggle a little bit at times
this year, maybe a little surprisingly. Where is this game atic?

Speaker 1 (01:12:32):
Where is it is in Buffalo?

Speaker 7 (01:12:36):
Wow?

Speaker 12 (01:12:36):
Okay, so I'm taking Buffalo. Then I think that's a
huge factor here arrowhead, the memories of seventeen seconds. I
think that get into that can get into the head
of a guy like Josh Allen and the Bills. This
is gonna be a good matchup. But Mahomes has shown
that he can will this roster to victory. And with

(01:12:57):
Rashi Rice coming back, he has been unstopped and he
looks like a wide receiver one no doubt. So that
gives me it makes me hesitant to make this pick.
But I think in Buffalo, with you know how many
eyeballs are going to be on this game, I think
this is one above that the Bills take.

Speaker 1 (01:13:13):
Kareem Hunt's gonna get snaps because Isaiah Pacheco is hurting Hunts,
got what five touchdowns in his eight games. The Bills
defense allows the six most fantasy points per game to
running back, so you may see a big running back
effort there. But I'm like you, I'm gonna go with Buffalo.

(01:13:33):
This is the tenth time that Mahomes and Allen have
squared off. Allen is four and one outright against the
spread against Mahomes in the regular season, including four straight wins.
I like Buffalo at home, as you do. I also
like the fact that you've got three x Wildcats on

(01:13:53):
that Buffalo team. Maxwell Harriston keeps making noises about how
he's gonna come back any day now. But you know
what's interesting too about about this game. We're gonna go.
We're gonna go together on this, the Bills. But this
was supposed to be in theory, you would think either
teams that are seven and one or eight to z

(01:14:15):
and or seven and one or six and one with
a bye week. Bills are five and two. Chiefs are
five and three, So they've looked mortal, but at times
they've looked unbeatable, haven't they.

Speaker 12 (01:14:27):
Yeah, And you know you kind of penciled in Baltimore, Buffalo,
and Kansas City as those three, Cream and the Crop
AFC teams and Baltimore was two and five before last
night said Buffalo and Kansas City is showing that they're
mortal and really getting Xavier Worthy back in. Rashi Rice
has just done a lot for that Kansas City offense.

(01:14:48):
It shows the Xavier Worthy is worth and Travis Kelce
taking him out week one definitely wasn't helpful. And let's
give Kelsey some praise. He's been doing good this year too. Yeah,
he could have been easily with all the distractions and
you know, kind of kind of been a bad end
of their career. But if this is his last year,
then he's going out with a bang. I just they're
starting to become the Evil Empire for me a little

(01:15:09):
bit dick, you know what I mean. When Tom Brady
and New England were winning all those years, I mean,
it was just natural to hate those guys. Now obviously,
you know, I'm a big Tom guy now, But at
the same time, it feels like Homes is more likable.
But they're starting to get to that point.

Speaker 1 (01:15:23):
Is Billy Rutledge listen to him every morning on this
very radio station, billying a dude at nine a m.
Thank you sir, Thank you. Dick Carrol's Fools and Flakes
next them six thirty WLAP Welcome back to the Big
Blue and Sider, final segment of our program. Thanks to
my guest tonight, Billy Rutledge, Chris Scholes, and Travis Ford.
Time now for Heroes, fools and Flakes, and our hero tonight,

(01:15:44):
I believe it or not, is Nick Saban, the now
ESPN analyst, former of course Alabama coach, seven national championships,
and a guy rumored to be you know, shoved toward LSU.
He won a national title there of one of the
and he shot it down. First of all. That's one

(01:16:05):
reason we like him this week, because he said that
he wants to stay retired. He said, I do not
want Jimmy Sexton, that's his agent anywhere near Miss Terry,
that's his wife, he said, because when she hears some
of those numbers, she gets interested and I ain't interested.
So he shoots down his return to LSU. But what
I like about it is the fact. What I like

(01:16:26):
about him this week is the fact when people asked
him about Lane Kiffen to LSU leaving Ole Miss and
Saban basically questioned whether or not that was a good
move because of the state of college football, and essentially
talked about and referred to what drove him out of football.

(01:16:47):
He said, well, used to make a job great with facilities,
fans support, good academic support, recruiting base, and being able
to create value for the players. He says, now that
has been minimum to how much money do you have
to spend on building a roster? That's by far the
most important thing. Let's use roster eighteen million dollars last

(01:17:11):
year and it had what was considered the top transfer
portal class in the nation and the Tigers played poorly
enough to get their coach fired. There was more to
it than that, I know, but they didn't hesitate to
pull the trigger, did they. And now the AD's fired
and it's a mess down there. So Nick Saban quite

(01:17:32):
frankly stating that it's not necessarily a great move for
lang Kiffin and I like that. Our fool tonight is
the governor Louisiana. Yeah, he fired Scott Woodward. Well, the
school did, but basically under pressure from the governor, and
the governor steps in and as you know, Jeff Landry

(01:17:54):
shoots his mouth off about the job Woodward had done
the contract, said all kinds of inaccurate things, stating that
the taxpayers have to foot the bill for the bout,
which is inaccurate, and talked about the fact that he's
not sure that LSU is going to get back to
the World Championship Series, which hasn't been around for a
long time. What he has done is add to the

(01:18:17):
toxic environment down in Louisiana, down around LSU. And now,
what coach with some leverage, I mean there are going
to be young coaches would say, Yah'll take it, no
matter who's doing the hiring and firing. And Landry he said,
now I am not going to hire the coach, when
in fact he had implied that he was. But he
only made the situation worse by putting himself in the

(01:18:38):
middle of it. And he may well have deprived LSU
of the chance to hire the best person available, whoever
that might be. Our flake tonight is to a tongue
of below. And I remember a couple of weeks ago
I called him out a lot of people did, for
making comments about his teammates publicly. But of late, he

(01:19:03):
talked about a difficult situation in a Ravens Dolphins game
when he said. During a critical point in the contest,
offensive lineman Larry Borome false started after the five yard penalty.
The Dolphins missed a thirty five yard field goal, came
away with no points on a drive, and it looked
like they were heading for the end zone. Toa later

(01:19:25):
said he thought the cheering by the fans of the
visiting team caused the lineman to struggle to hear his cause.
When is the last time you heard visiting fans preach
so much noise that it caused a false start by
the home team. That is pretty weird. That'll do it

(01:19:47):
for now, Thanks so much. Talk to you tomorrow night
as Kentucky takes on Auburn. That's a good night from
the garage in Lexington.

Speaker 20 (01:19:53):
Wait wait, let me explain something to you. I am
not mister Lebowski, your mister Lebowski. I'm the dude.

Speaker 9 (01:20:56):
Then back to tasting. Then don

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Ruthie's Table 4

The Joe Rogan Experience

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}2025-10-31 BBI

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Ruthie's Table 4

The Joe Rogan Experience

All Episodes

2025-10-31 BBI

On Purpose with Jay Shetty