WEBVTT - Before The Whistle: Nevada

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<v Speaker 1>Here we go, a preview podcast for you on Halloween afternoon.

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<v Speaker 1>That's when the Bruins will try to go to 8-0,

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<v Speaker 1>taking on the Wolfpack of Nevada. Josh Lewin, Matt Stevens

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<v Speaker 1>with you. A lot of first things first, Matt. First

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<v Speaker 1>of all, because I'm from the East Coast, I was

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<v Speaker 1>only about, I don't know, 50, which is seven or

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<v Speaker 1>eight years ago when I learned it was Nevada and

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<v Speaker 1>not Nevada. I grew up saying Nevada, but apparently all

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<v Speaker 1>y'all keep saying Nevada and I'm going to do that too.

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<v Speaker 2>So that's number one.

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<v Speaker 1>Number two, with Halloween, I don't normally do this. Normally

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<v Speaker 1>we dive right in and start talking football, but you've

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<v Speaker 1>got the kind of home where I'm genuinely fascinated. Do

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<v Speaker 1>you guys put out Halloween stuff because you're in kind

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<v Speaker 1>of a canyon situation? Do people dare to come and

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<v Speaker 1>even try to get candy from you?

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<v Speaker 3>Our hill is about 200 yards uphill, excuse me, and

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<v Speaker 3>no one comes.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 3>And if we were going to give out, we're not

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<v Speaker 3>giving out candy, we're going to give out water because

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<v Speaker 3>they're going to be so tired walking up the hill.

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<v Speaker 1>The one thing about living in a condo complex I've

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<v Speaker 1>discovered is if there are no actual kids living in

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<v Speaker 1>the condo complex, you can just hang out and watch

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<v Speaker 1>TV all night. So that'll be my big Saturday night.

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<v Speaker 1>Hopefully after a win, let's talk about it. Scouting out Nevada,

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<v Speaker 1>that is how it's pronounced. Look, Jeff Choate is the

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<v Speaker 1>coach and from all accounts, pretty good one too. But

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<v Speaker 1>you look at the record and you'd be like, well,

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<v Speaker 1>why are you saying this guy's good coach if he's

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<v Speaker 1>nine and 23 in his third season? Not an easy

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<v Speaker 1>place to win, not an easy place to dominate. We

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<v Speaker 1>know Colin Kaepernick went to Nevada. They've had a couple

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<v Speaker 1>other halfway decent players over the years, but it's not

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<v Speaker 1>exactly a destination football place. So I guess you just

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<v Speaker 1>try to teach, you try to mold, you try to

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<v Speaker 1>hang in there, and this year they are 3-4.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I mean, Jeff Choate, he was a former Montana

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<v Speaker 3>State head coach where he had a lot of success.

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<v Speaker 3>But if you go back and you look at Nevada,

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<v Speaker 3>that's where Chris Ault invented the pistol offense with Colin Kaepernick.

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<v Speaker 3>And if you recall, Rick Neuheisel then went and visited

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<v Speaker 3>Chris Ault and learned about the pistol offense. And that

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<v Speaker 3>was Kevin Prince that ran that offense when he was

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<v Speaker 3>at UCLA and he was the quarterback. So there are

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<v Speaker 3>a little bit of connections with Nevada and UCLA.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll call that the alt-reality. That's how we can connect

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<v Speaker 1>it all together. So in 2013, that's the only other

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<v Speaker 1>time these schools have met. It was to open the

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<v Speaker 1>2013 season with Blurred Lines. This is a hot song

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<v Speaker 1>on the radio. The movies were Fast and Furious 6

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<v Speaker 1>and Iron Man 3. I think Fast and Furious missed

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<v Speaker 1>the extra point after their touchdown. Iron Man hit a

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<v Speaker 1>field goal midway through the second quarter. 6-3 the final.

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<v Speaker 1>Brett Hundley was the quarterback for UCLA. And again, as

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<v Speaker 1>we try to connect some dots here, he's going to

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<v Speaker 1>be right next to us in the TV booth for

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<v Speaker 1>this game on Saturday. He's doing the game for Big

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<v Speaker 1>Ten Network.

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<v Speaker 3>I'll tell you what, I mean, he looks like he

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<v Speaker 3>could still play. He's probably about 235, 240 pounds buffed

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<v Speaker 3>out and always good looking as ever. I can't wait

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<v Speaker 3>to listen to the tape and see how he does

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<v Speaker 3>the broadcast.

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<v Speaker 1>And hopefully there will be a small portion of fans

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<v Speaker 1>that will just hang in there on the radio, listen

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<v Speaker 1>to the dulcet tones of Matt Stevens and Wayne Cook

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<v Speaker 1>and myself. We do have to talk a little bit

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<v Speaker 1>about what UCLA brings because they are the number seven

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<v Speaker 1>team in the nation. I didn't mean to go that

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<v Speaker 1>deep into Nevada right away, but you do want to

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<v Speaker 1>scout the competition at least to tell everybody who they

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<v Speaker 1>are and what they're about. But the story, obviously, not

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<v Speaker 1>just locally, Matt, but nationally, is Bob Chesney and his

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<v Speaker 1>coaching staff. A win here would give the Bruins their

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<v Speaker 1>sixth ever 8-0 start, their first one since 2005. It

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<v Speaker 1>would quietly, somewhat stealthily, give Bob Chesney an 18th consecutive

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<v Speaker 1>regular season victory. That's pretty incredible. I know there's not

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of top 10 teams that he's had to slay,

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<v Speaker 1>but if you can win 18 in a row, I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>that is absolutely a national attention grabber.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, there's a lot of similarities between the UCLA team

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<v Speaker 3>this year that is undefeated and the JMU team that

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<v Speaker 3>went undefeated during the regular season last year in terms

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<v Speaker 3>of great defense, love to run the ball, push people around.

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<v Speaker 3>I wouldn't say it's a big passing attack, but things

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<v Speaker 3>seem to be changing with Ty Dieffenbach. special teams, and

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<v Speaker 3>also the turnover margin. I mean, the defense of UCLA

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<v Speaker 3>is leading the nation in fumble recoveries. And it's just

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<v Speaker 3>amazing what the offense is doing in terms of time

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<v Speaker 3>of possession. They're number four in the country. And if

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<v Speaker 3>Nevada has any chance, they're going to have to be

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<v Speaker 3>very good on third down, where JMU and UCLA were

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<v Speaker 3>great on defense, stopping opponents on third down.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, it's funny because the Bruins, to start the season,

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<v Speaker 1>allowed 11 third-down conversions against Cal at Berkeley in that

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<v Speaker 1>nighttime season opener. You and I, I don't think even

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<v Speaker 1>reacted to that because that's just been the normal for

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<v Speaker 1>so many years. That seems like about the average of

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<v Speaker 1>third-down conversions. Usually something like 11 out of 19, 11

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<v Speaker 1>out of 20 the last couple of years. Since then,

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<v Speaker 1>it's been 12 allowed in six games. So not 11...

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<v Speaker 1>in a game, but on average two per game. It's

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<v Speaker 1>been 12 for 70 on third downs. That's not even 17%

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<v Speaker 1>for Bruin opponents over the last six games. And that's

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<v Speaker 1>why overall they're third in the country in that department.

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<v Speaker 1>How much of that is just simply making it third

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<v Speaker 1>and long so often? Because the Bruins are doing such

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<v Speaker 1>a good job on first and second down.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, they're doing a lot of personnel moves.

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<v Speaker 3>You're seeing Sammy Omosego not only play linebacker edge, He's

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<v Speaker 3>playing safety, and that's allowing more linebackers into the game

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<v Speaker 3>to play a 3-4-4-3 defense against run-oriented teams. But you're

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<v Speaker 3>also seeing Jalen Woods run out and act like a

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<v Speaker 3>pressed corner and bump a wide receiver. I mean, how

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<v Speaker 3>would you like to have a linebacker bumping you instead

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<v Speaker 3>of a corner if you're a wide receiver? There's a

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<v Speaker 3>lot of creativity on defense, and what that does for

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<v Speaker 3>the offense, getting third down stops, it gives them more

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<v Speaker 3>time to operate their offense and stay on the field.

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<v Speaker 3>And when you're rotating defense, 10 offensive linemen in during

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<v Speaker 3>the entire game, you're fresh, and that defense is really

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<v Speaker 3>getting tired.

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<v Speaker 1>So I'm talking with you about linebacking play, and that's

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<v Speaker 1>something that I love to do because there's such a

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<v Speaker 1>rich history there just over the last 10, 20 years

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<v Speaker 1>or so. Obviously, we look at Omosega, we look at Woods,

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<v Speaker 1>numbers 10 and 9, respectively. How about the guy wearing zero?

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<v Speaker 1>We've always kind of been a fan of Donovan Pallott,

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<v Speaker 1>but he's never... really popped in a game before until

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<v Speaker 1>this past weekend against Michigan State. How gratifying was that

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<v Speaker 1>to see Donnie Pallott get it done?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, he's very fast. That's what we learned. He's about

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<v Speaker 3>226 pounds. He can thump. He's a pretty buffed out guy.

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<v Speaker 3>But we saw that he can run after that interception.

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<v Speaker 3>And that was really a turnaround in that first part

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<v Speaker 3>of the game against Michigan State for UCLA. He has

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<v Speaker 3>a lot of talent, and I just want to add

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<v Speaker 3>to Tayshaun James because he's a safety, and they sort

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<v Speaker 3>of play similar because Tayshaun James is up on the

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<v Speaker 3>line of scrimmage, stopping the run. Of course, he has

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<v Speaker 3>four interceptions, but those two guys can line up anywhere

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<v Speaker 3>on the field, cover, slot receiver, even a wide receiver.

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<v Speaker 2>And also come up and really make a big hit

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<v Speaker 2>at the line of scrimmage.

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<v Speaker 1>And Tayshaun James just got named to the Jim Thorpe

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<v Speaker 1>Watch semifinal list. So there's basically only about a dozen

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<v Speaker 1>guys still up for that award for best DB in

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<v Speaker 1>the land. So great to have a Bruin on that list.

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<v Speaker 1>You said the word run, so my moth-like brain is

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<v Speaker 1>going to flit over to the Bruins' run game. On

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<v Speaker 1>the offensive side, the Bruins leading the Big Ten in

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<v Speaker 1>both rushing yards per game and rushing touchdowns. 24 rushing

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<v Speaker 1>touchdowns already. We'll remind everybody that number last year was 8,

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<v Speaker 1>and the year before that it was 4. So to

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<v Speaker 1>be on pace for something like 46, 47 this year,

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<v Speaker 1>that just blows your mind. Three different running backs have

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<v Speaker 1>rushed for a touchdown in three different games this year.

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<v Speaker 1>And every once in a while, Troy Lieber will get

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<v Speaker 1>into a game and remind us it's not just three

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<v Speaker 1>dudes back there.

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<v Speaker 2>It really could be four.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I really like the way that Anthony Woods... And

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<v Speaker 3>Jet Thomas responded to that football game because they had

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<v Speaker 3>early fumbles. And we're not used to seeing that. And

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<v Speaker 3>Bob Chesney said their resolve and response was so great,

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<v Speaker 3>the way they ran so hard after that, but also

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<v Speaker 3>took care of the football. Normally when you fumble early

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<v Speaker 3>in a game, you become a cautious runner. Well, they

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<v Speaker 3>were not cautious. They were really aggressive. And they really

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<v Speaker 3>made the difference. And maybe they're not going to be

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<v Speaker 3>the leader on the stats. But I thought they were

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<v Speaker 3>the leader in terms of running hard and making it happen.

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<v Speaker 1>And the Bruins right now with 241 points for only

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<v Speaker 1>107 allowed. They are cream of the crop, top of

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<v Speaker 1>the table in the Big Ten. Technically, Ohio State is

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<v Speaker 1>right there with them. Half a game out because the

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<v Speaker 1>Bruins are 5-0 in the actual conference. Ohio State is

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<v Speaker 1>4-0 in conference. But Ohio State just lost a quarterback.

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<v Speaker 1>Of course, the Bruins did too with Nico Iamaliaba. But

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<v Speaker 1>Turns out what they had waiting in the wings, as

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<v Speaker 1>we've talked about with Dieffenbach, was just fine. Do we

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<v Speaker 1>really feel confident yet about Ohio State? Because Julian Sam

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<v Speaker 1>is going to be outstanding. they are saying, for maybe

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<v Speaker 1>four games here. Do you think that what they have

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<v Speaker 1>behind their QB1 is as good as what the Bruins

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<v Speaker 1>came up with with Dieffenbach?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I don't think so. I mean, Dieffenbach is a

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<v Speaker 2>natural thrower. He stands tall, 6'6, in the pocket.

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<v Speaker 3>I think the best play of that game, and I

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<v Speaker 3>think everybody that was in the stands would say was

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<v Speaker 3>that long pass to Brian Rowe.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, that was an absolute dime.

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<v Speaker 3>He threw it over Brian Rowe's shoulder so he could

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<v Speaker 3>go chase it down and score.

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<v Speaker 2>And after that point, that game was over.

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<v Speaker 3>But when a quarterback can go deep, that makes a

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<v Speaker 3>defense have to respect the passing game, which opens up

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<v Speaker 3>the running game. Now, you said something about Ohio State.

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<v Speaker 3>They're I would just play Jeremiah Smith in a Wildcat

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<v Speaker 3>the whole game. I mean, he's Godzilla. He doesn't breathe fire,

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<v Speaker 3>but almost. But they're going to have trouble without Julian Sane.

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<v Speaker 3>And it's surprising that Ohio State would not have someone

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<v Speaker 3>more prepared as a backup.

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<v Speaker 1>You've got Ohio State at 4-0 just behind the Bruins,

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<v Speaker 1>5-0 at the Big Ten, and again 7-0 overall. Then

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<v Speaker 1>you've got the one-loss teams, one of whom the Bruins

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<v Speaker 1>will be playing in a week. Minnesota on the road

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<v Speaker 1>is a scary ballgame, but Indiana, Northwestern with Chip Kelly's offense,

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<v Speaker 1>Minnesota and Wisconsin. Those are the one-loss teams, and of

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<v Speaker 1>course the one loss for Wisconsin in conference inflicted by

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<v Speaker 1>the Bruins. So out of that clump, are you... A

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<v Speaker 1>little scared of any of those kind of coming up

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<v Speaker 1>and catching or passing the Bruins right now. Obviously, Indiana

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<v Speaker 1>has this newfound incredible coaching staff, and everybody just is

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<v Speaker 1>gravitating towards their orbit. Northwestern is kind of a fun story. Wisconsin,

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<v Speaker 1>we know, hits you in the mouth. Of all those

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<v Speaker 1>one-loss conference teams, Matt, is there one you're looking over

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<v Speaker 1>your shoulder at the most?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I mean, there's a lot of meat on the bone.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, you're going to play Nevada this Saturday, probably

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<v Speaker 3>in the rain. It's going to be raining significantly. So,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, that's the first time UCLA's had to do that.

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<v Speaker 3>And then they're going to go to Minnesota. And I

0:12:09.490 --> 0:12:12.070
<v Speaker 3>imagine it's not going to be 75 degrees. You know,

0:12:12.110 --> 0:12:14.209
<v Speaker 3>it's going to be pretty cold. And you're going to

0:12:14.250 --> 0:12:15.990
<v Speaker 3>come back. You're going to play probably in the rain

0:12:16.030 --> 0:12:18.130
<v Speaker 3>again on a Friday night against the Illini. And then

0:12:18.150 --> 0:12:21.079
<v Speaker 3>you're going to Michigan on the road. And in the

0:12:21.120 --> 0:12:23.990
<v Speaker 3>middle of November, you know, it could be 10.

0:12:23.990 --> 0:12:25.530
<v Speaker 2>Degrees. I mean, it could be really cold.

0:12:26.110 --> 0:12:28.290
<v Speaker 3>And then USC, you know, if USC gets a victory

0:12:28.309 --> 0:12:30.370
<v Speaker 3>against Ohio state, you know, they're going to be charged up.

0:12:30.390 --> 0:12:31.250
<v Speaker 2>They're going to be in it too.

0:12:32.290 --> 0:12:33.990
<v Speaker 3>You know, they need to just take care of Nevada

0:12:34.010 --> 0:12:37.510
<v Speaker 3>right now and keep moving forward. And, you know, Ty Dieffenbach,

0:12:37.530 --> 0:12:39.530
<v Speaker 3>he went down in that game against Michigan state and

0:12:39.570 --> 0:12:41.770
<v Speaker 3>everybody was holding their breath. You know, you never know

0:12:41.830 --> 0:12:43.590
<v Speaker 3>when something like that's going to happen. So I know

0:12:43.610 --> 0:12:46.099
<v Speaker 3>everybody's like, you know, saying, ah, the Bruins are great.

0:12:46.120 --> 0:12:48.640
<v Speaker 3>You know, they're going to go to the college football playoff.

0:12:48.679 --> 0:12:50.900
<v Speaker 3>But like I said, you got to take care of

0:12:50.940 --> 0:12:53.860
<v Speaker 3>business and businesses is a Saturday against Nevada.

0:12:55.050 --> 0:12:57.890
<v Speaker 1>You know, it's funny as I still kind of ponder

0:12:57.929 --> 0:13:00.790
<v Speaker 1>what's up in the Big Ten this year. There are

0:13:00.950 --> 0:13:05.250
<v Speaker 1>only six teams that are under. 500 in conference play.

0:13:05.450 --> 0:13:08.050
<v Speaker 1>And I think some of them are really surprising. Michigan

0:13:08.100 --> 0:13:14.160
<v Speaker 1>being 1-3, Washington being 1-3, Penn State being 0-4. And

0:13:14.200 --> 0:13:17.220
<v Speaker 1>we just saw Michigan State, which is now 0-5. Maryland

0:13:17.620 --> 0:13:20.620
<v Speaker 1>is also a winless team. But, you know, after that

0:13:20.720 --> 0:13:23.500
<v Speaker 1>clump of teams, it's kind of out of the picture.

0:13:24.020 --> 0:13:25.740
<v Speaker 1>There are some of these two-win teams. There are so

0:13:25.760 --> 0:13:29.510
<v Speaker 1>many two-and-two teams right now, Matt. Purdue, which is the

0:13:29.610 --> 0:13:31.350
<v Speaker 1>one team that was able to score on the Bruins

0:13:31.390 --> 0:13:34.550
<v Speaker 1>this year. Illinois, you mentioned they're coming in, although they'll

0:13:34.570 --> 0:13:38.650
<v Speaker 1>be without their starting quarterback. Oregon is a somewhat stunning two-and-two.

0:13:38.690 --> 0:13:43.030
<v Speaker 1>Nebraska and Iowa are both two-and-two. USC is three-and-two. So

0:13:43.070 --> 0:13:46.450
<v Speaker 1>that's kind of your middle class of the Big Ten.

0:13:46.860 --> 0:13:48.780
<v Speaker 1>And to me, there are some surprising names on there,

0:13:48.800 --> 0:13:52.900
<v Speaker 1>like USC and Oregon being kind of pushed down on

0:13:52.940 --> 0:13:53.300
<v Speaker 1>the ladders.

0:13:54.270 --> 0:13:55.910
<v Speaker 3>Well, what I've learned about the Big Ten, you know,

0:13:55.929 --> 0:14:01.790
<v Speaker 3>the second year UCLA's done this, is that they come

0:14:01.809 --> 0:14:03.670
<v Speaker 3>and they punch you in the mouth, any opponent. It

0:14:03.690 --> 0:14:05.650
<v Speaker 3>doesn't matter if they don't have any wins or what.

0:14:06.070 --> 0:14:07.689
<v Speaker 3>You know, it's going to be a very physical game.

0:14:07.730 --> 0:14:11.170
<v Speaker 3>And that game against Wisconsin was one of the most

0:14:11.290 --> 0:14:13.949
<v Speaker 3>physical games the Bruins had to play. And to get

0:14:13.990 --> 0:14:17.670
<v Speaker 3>that win, I think, really helped the morale of the

0:14:17.710 --> 0:14:20.170
<v Speaker 3>football team, that they can play Big Ten style of

0:14:20.190 --> 0:14:21.910
<v Speaker 3>football moving forward.

0:14:22.890 --> 0:14:26.200
<v Speaker 1>So moving forward, you've got, and again, we've already talked

0:14:26.240 --> 0:14:30.320
<v Speaker 1>about the running backs, but I think specifically Wayne Knight

0:14:30.820 --> 0:14:33.580
<v Speaker 1>coming into my mind here because he did get hurt,

0:14:33.600 --> 0:14:36.940
<v Speaker 1>didn't play the second half, that last game against Michigan State.

0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:39.820
<v Speaker 1>Not that this is a bye week. We've already talked

0:14:39.840 --> 0:14:42.750
<v Speaker 1>about what Nevada does well. They've won three games this year.

0:14:42.780 --> 0:14:45.010
<v Speaker 1>You can't just lie down and assume you're going to

0:14:45.030 --> 0:14:49.080
<v Speaker 1>win this game. But is this a chance? for Wayne Knight,

0:14:49.240 --> 0:14:51.900
<v Speaker 1>who has rushed for at least one touchdown in every

0:14:51.940 --> 0:14:52.660
<v Speaker 1>game this year.

0:14:52.720 --> 0:14:53.540
<v Speaker 2>It's very impressive.

0:14:53.980 --> 0:14:57.000
<v Speaker 1>But can you rest him? And even if you don't

0:14:57.020 --> 0:14:59.550
<v Speaker 1>rest him completely, give him like a really light load

0:14:59.610 --> 0:15:02.609
<v Speaker 1>just so when it ramps back up, you're at Minnesota

0:15:02.910 --> 0:15:06.070
<v Speaker 1>and it could be 45 degrees, like you say. What's

0:15:06.090 --> 0:15:07.610
<v Speaker 1>your take on how you'd go about that?

0:15:08.530 --> 0:15:10.370
<v Speaker 3>Well, first of all, I don't think Wayne Knight wants

0:15:10.390 --> 0:15:11.750
<v Speaker 3>to do that. I think he wants to play the

0:15:11.790 --> 0:15:14.300
<v Speaker 3>whole game. And I don't think Bob Chesney... is thinking

0:15:14.330 --> 0:15:16.350
<v Speaker 3>that either. I mean, if Wayne Knight's healthy, he's going

0:15:16.370 --> 0:15:18.990
<v Speaker 3>to play. If he's, you know, 75%, he's going to play.

0:15:19.870 --> 0:15:21.670
<v Speaker 3>I think they're going to stay to the same rotation

0:15:22.390 --> 0:15:24.870
<v Speaker 3>that they have. You know, Bob Chessie has been talking

0:15:24.890 --> 0:15:27.590
<v Speaker 3>all week about one of the younger guys in the

0:15:27.630 --> 0:15:29.770
<v Speaker 3>wide receiver room that's going to be able to play

0:15:30.250 --> 0:15:32.890
<v Speaker 3>this Saturday. We don't know who that is, but, you know,

0:15:32.970 --> 0:15:36.010
<v Speaker 3>I think with all the depth that UCLA has, people

0:15:36.050 --> 0:15:38.360
<v Speaker 3>are just fighting to get on the field and they're

0:15:38.390 --> 0:15:41.920
<v Speaker 3>wanting to keep their positions more than rest and, and

0:15:41.940 --> 0:15:45.040
<v Speaker 3>take a week off. So Wayne Knight, you know, I

0:15:45.260 --> 0:15:47.380
<v Speaker 3>don't care if he's limping a little bit. He's going

0:15:47.400 --> 0:15:47.860
<v Speaker 3>to be in there.

0:15:48.460 --> 0:15:50.800
<v Speaker 1>And the thing is, he doesn't even have 100 carries

0:15:50.860 --> 0:15:54.820
<v Speaker 1>for the year yet. It's at 99. Woods has 67.

0:15:54.820 --> 0:15:58.350
<v Speaker 1>Jet Thomas has 51. What strikes me, because we've been

0:15:58.370 --> 0:16:01.620
<v Speaker 1>doing this together for a while here, broadcasting these Bruins games,

0:16:02.290 --> 0:16:05.310
<v Speaker 1>and I'm looking at Jet Thomas' stats through seven games.

0:16:05.390 --> 0:16:07.670
<v Speaker 1>It's 51 carries, 241 yards for a 4.7 average, four touchdowns.

0:16:11.270 --> 0:16:14.210
<v Speaker 1>I would say two years out of three over this

0:16:14.570 --> 0:16:18.550
<v Speaker 1>last decade, decade and a half. If that's your RB1,

0:16:18.980 --> 0:16:22.200
<v Speaker 1>if that's your best running back, that's totally fine. Thing is,

0:16:22.200 --> 0:16:24.400
<v Speaker 1>there are two guys with better numbers than that. Anthony

0:16:24.520 --> 0:16:28.400
<v Speaker 1>Woods already has 459 yards and six touchdowns. He's averaging

0:16:28.500 --> 0:16:32.960
<v Speaker 1>seven yards a carry, not 4.7. Knight's averaging 6.3. He's

0:16:33.040 --> 0:16:36.869
<v Speaker 1>rushed for 12 touchdowns. So it's almost an embarrassment of

0:16:36.930 --> 0:16:39.970
<v Speaker 1>riches because to me, I would have been so happy

0:16:40.130 --> 0:16:44.620
<v Speaker 1>with one guy being on pace for a, what, 600-yard,

0:16:45.240 --> 0:16:48.610
<v Speaker 1>eight-touchdown season, averaging five yards a carry. That's Jeff Thomas.

0:16:50.490 --> 0:16:52.510
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, one thing that was real impressive in the Michigan

0:16:52.550 --> 0:16:55.970
<v Speaker 3>State game was when Ty Dieffenbach would progress through the field,

0:16:56.510 --> 0:16:58.410
<v Speaker 3>and then he would check down on a swing pass

0:16:58.450 --> 0:17:00.930
<v Speaker 3>to Anthony Woods. In fact, Anthony Woods dropped the first one,

0:17:01.390 --> 0:17:03.640
<v Speaker 3>but he went back to him over and over, and

0:17:03.660 --> 0:17:05.659
<v Speaker 3>that really loosened up the defense and also kept the

0:17:05.700 --> 0:17:08.820
<v Speaker 3>defense honest. So, you know, Anthony Woods comes in, He's

0:17:08.859 --> 0:17:11.359
<v Speaker 3>a full-speed guy that hits the line of scrimmage, and

0:17:11.400 --> 0:17:13.370
<v Speaker 3>he's going to try and run you over. It's going

0:17:13.380 --> 0:17:15.070
<v Speaker 3>to be one cut, and he's going to go. There's

0:17:15.109 --> 0:17:17.929
<v Speaker 3>no dancing in Anthony Woods. But I like his hands

0:17:17.970 --> 0:17:20.109
<v Speaker 3>coming out of the backfield. I'm sure they're going to

0:17:20.130 --> 0:17:22.929
<v Speaker 3>mix it up a little bit, more check-release routes, and

0:17:22.970 --> 0:17:26.010
<v Speaker 3>get Anthony Woods involved more in the passing game because

0:17:26.030 --> 0:17:26.950
<v Speaker 3>he's so versatile.

0:17:27.850 --> 0:17:29.970
<v Speaker 1>So the last one for you, Matt, is we get

0:17:30.030 --> 0:17:32.820
<v Speaker 1>excited to hopefully see this Bruins team get to 8-0.

0:17:33.790 --> 0:17:36.730
<v Speaker 1>You've played in games before, although usually they're not middle

0:17:36.880 --> 0:17:39.740
<v Speaker 1>of the season, where you know everybody expects you to win.

0:17:40.119 --> 0:17:43.600
<v Speaker 1>And indeed, Vegas says it's like a 23-point, you're the

0:17:43.640 --> 0:17:48.179
<v Speaker 1>favorite situation here. What's it like psychologically walking into one

0:17:48.200 --> 0:17:51.820
<v Speaker 1>of those games where it's kind of a no-win situation?

0:17:51.840 --> 0:17:54.400
<v Speaker 1>Because if you win, yeah, yeah, fine, you were expected

0:17:54.440 --> 0:17:56.510
<v Speaker 1>to win. If it's a close game, or heck, if

0:17:56.530 --> 0:17:59.189
<v Speaker 1>you lose, it's what the hell is wrong with you guys?

0:17:59.250 --> 0:18:02.330
<v Speaker 1>So there's really no great path, it would seem, in

0:18:02.350 --> 0:18:02.930
<v Speaker 1>a game like this.

0:18:03.740 --> 0:18:06.340
<v Speaker 3>Well, first, you know, you have a head coach that

0:18:06.480 --> 0:18:08.459
<v Speaker 3>is going to have the team ready, and there's not

0:18:08.480 --> 0:18:10.169
<v Speaker 3>going to be any letdown. All the coaches are going

0:18:10.190 --> 0:18:13.010
<v Speaker 3>to have these players ready. And as a player, that

0:18:13.050 --> 0:18:15.790
<v Speaker 3>just never goes through your mind. You're just so excited

0:18:15.850 --> 0:18:18.770
<v Speaker 3>to play Nevada. And Nevada has a couple of guys,

0:18:19.230 --> 0:18:22.190
<v Speaker 3>and they, you know, right now UCLA doesn't know which

0:18:22.310 --> 0:18:25.090
<v Speaker 3>quarterback's going to play out of the three. Maybe Bianca

0:18:25.710 --> 0:18:28.670
<v Speaker 3>is not going to play quarterback, but, you know, it

0:18:28.710 --> 0:18:32.540
<v Speaker 3>could be Carter, excuse me, it could be Carter Jones,

0:18:32.580 --> 0:18:36.730
<v Speaker 3>or it could be The former UCLA quarterback, Luke Duncan. So,

0:18:37.010 --> 0:18:40.050
<v Speaker 3>you know, there's some questions going in for the defense,

0:18:40.190 --> 0:18:41.090
<v Speaker 3>you know, how to prepare.

0:18:41.750 --> 0:18:44.909
<v Speaker 2>There's some guys that can run the ball for the Wolfpack.

0:18:44.930 --> 0:18:50.690
<v Speaker 3>So, you know, you're 100% and you're motivated to go

0:18:50.770 --> 0:18:51.570
<v Speaker 3>out there no matter what.

0:18:52.310 --> 0:18:54.170
<v Speaker 1>And we will be motivated to bring you the best

0:18:54.230 --> 0:18:59.500
<v Speaker 1>broadcast we possibly can. 1.15 kick time, so that means

0:18:59.500 --> 0:19:02.980
<v Speaker 1>11.45 a.m. We will be on the air. Matt, can't wait, brother.

0:19:03.060 --> 0:19:06.300
<v Speaker 1>Happy Halloween to you. Safe trip up and back to

0:19:06.359 --> 0:19:07.320
<v Speaker 1>and from Pasadena.

0:19:07.980 --> 0:19:09.520
<v Speaker 2>Get those wipers working on Saturday.

0:19:10.420 --> 0:19:13.680
<v Speaker 1>Sounds like it. Everybody be ready to enjoy some football

0:19:14.090 --> 0:19:15.630
<v Speaker 1>and maybe have some wet sneakers, too.

0:19:15.910 --> 0:19:16.690
<v Speaker 2>We'll see you soon.

0:19:16.710 --> 0:19:18.090
<v Speaker 1>Four's up. Take care.

0:19:19.780 --> 0:19:20.020
<v Speaker 3>Thank you.