KSR Today: No, Kentucky still can't beat Mr. Sunglasses

If only the power had gone out at Williams-Brice Stadium after that eight-play, 65-yard touchdown drive to open the game, Seth McGowan slicing through defenders for the 20-yard score. The rapture was apparently scheduled for September 23 or 24; maybe the prediction was off by a few days? It wouldn’t have been a bad time to call it right then and there with Kentucky up 7-0.

Instead, the power did not go out and the rapture did not come a little after 8 p.m. ET on Sept 27. We had to watch all of it miserably, the Wildcats going on to take a 35-13 loss in Columbia with South Carolina winning the last three quarters 28-3 — and trust me when we say we didn’t have Tom Brady back there to pull off the miraculous comeback. The wheels just fell off and stayed off against the Gamecocks, keeping Mark Stoops winless not only in 2025, but dating back one full calendar year as of this morning: Sept. 28, 2024, Kentucky defeats No. 6 Ole Miss 20-17 in Oxford. Seven straight losses in the league with No. 5 Georgia, No. 10 Texas and No. 15 Tennessee all coming up back-to-back-to-back in October.

Why not Kentucky? Let me tell you! 232 total yards and four turnovers with 10 tackles for loss and six sacks taken by the Wildcats. Two defensive touchdowns in three plays for the Gamecocks to open the second quarter is why. Letting LaNorris Sellers carve you up like a pumpkin through the air (153 yards, 11/14) and on the ground (81 yards, 14 carries) is why. Playing losing football is why.

But have no fear, folks. You better believe the staff and players will be going back to work to get ready for the top-five Bulldogs down in Athens next Saturday. They’re coming off a disappointing upset loss at home to No. 17 Alabama, so we have ’em right where we want ’em.

Mark Stoops still believes this is a good football team — no, really!

Mr. Sunglasses is now 4-1 against Stoops with four straight wins separated by 60 points (107-47) since 2022. Beamer Ball is destroying Kentucky with no end in sight. It’s okay, though, because the Wildcats are actually good and will bounce back from whatever it was we saw in Columbia.

“I understand the frustration, I really do,” Stoops said after losing a 14th SEC game out of his last 16 tries. “I know our team is a good group of guys that work really hard. We’re a better football team. I know it doesn’t always show up, and I know that doesn’t mean a whole lot. The bottom line is winning, and we’re falling short of that, and that’s frustrating for all of us.”

Kentucky has lost 11 of its last 12 Power Conference matchups. What’s the answer to a turnaround? It’s what’s always the answer. More work!

“The guys are playing hard, they’re playing tough, they’re playing physical. We need to execute better, we need to coach better, and we’re all in this together,” Stoops continued. “I know it could turn at any time. Listen, nobody’s gonna feel sorry for us. We just got to get our butts back to work, get back at it, and keep the same mentality that the guys have had.”

6-11 coming out of a bye week overall and 5-10 against SEC competition, for those keeping track at home. And, no, we’re not feeling sorry for them.

Shane Beamer, known KSR subscriber, jokes about sunglasses

How did the opposing coach celebrate the win, his fourth straight after Stoops said culture-building was more than “(dancing) around) and “(putting) on some stupid sunglasses”?

“No sunglasses, but we were playing Soulja Boy in the locker room,” Shane Beamer said afterward, pointing back to the infamous Turn My Swag On celebration from 2022.

There is nothing worse than this dweeb owning Mark Stoops and Kentucky football. pic.twitter.com/6PchfOrkRI

— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) September 28, 2025

That came after three separate references to beating Kentucky four straight times in his opening statement, clearly something that means a lot to Beamer and the Gamecocks.

“To sit here and having beat Kentucky, now, four straight years is something that I and our entire program take a lot of pride in because of the respect we have for those guys,” he said. “And that’s no small accomplishment to beat that team four years in a row. Just so, so proud of our team.”

Oh, and did you know Beamer is a KSR YouTube subscriber? That was a fun little postgame nugget to munch on.

Speaking of the KSR YouTube channel…

Nick Roush and Adam Luckett did an excellent job breaking down the loss and where Kentucky goes from here right at the scene of the crime, down on the field at Williams-Brice Stadium. One lingering question: “Is the roster good enough for them to win football games?”

It’s a harsh reality, but something Big Blue Nation probably needs to hear from the gurus.

After that, hear from the coordinators and key players speaking after the loss:

What’s in store for NFL Sunday?

Maybe the NFL can help get the bad taste out of your mouth waking up on this Sunday morning? There is already a game underway in Dublin between Aaron Rodgers’ Steelers and, well, whoever the hell is playing quarterback for the Vikings right now. Carson Wentz? Yeah, that’s the one.

Elsewhere, the Bengals don’t play until Monday Night Football against the Broncos, but the Titans play the Texans at 1 PM ET and the Colts play the Rams at 4:05 PM ET, if you’re wondering about the local teams.

Check out the full schedule:

Vikings vs. Steelers	9:30 AM ET	NFL Network
Commanders at Falcons	1:00 PM ET	CBS
Saints at Bills	1:00 PM ET	CBS
Browns at Lions	1:00 PM ET	FOX
Titans at Texans	1:00 PM ET	CBS
Panthers at Patriots	1:00 PM ET	FOX
Chargers at Giants	1:00 PM ET	CBS
Eagles at Buccaneers	1:00 PM ET	FOX
Colts at Rams	4:05 PM ET	FOX
Jaguars at 49ers	4:05 PM ET	FOX
Ravens at Chiefs	4:25 PM ET	CBS
Bears at Raiders	4:25 PM ET	CBS
Packers at Cowboys	8:20 PM ET	NBC

Reds are one win away in game 162

It’s not just football we’re looking forward to — the Reds are on the cusp of a postseason bid, their fate officially decided on this beautiful Sunday.

One win and they are in, Cincinnati set to take on the Milwaukee Brewers at 2:10 PM ET with the final spot in the MLB playoffs on the line. The Reds earned a 7-4 victory on Saturday to put them in this position while also owning the season tiebreaker over the Mets, so a New York loss also gets them in, too.

“It’s exciting. Don’t run from it. I know sleep this time of year is not great anyway. We’ll be ready to go,” Reds manager Terry Francona said.

We’ll certainly be keeping a close eye on that one. Get ’em, Reds.

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Try to enjoy your Sunday a little bit more than your Saturday night, Big Blue Nation. We’ll get through it all together.