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Speaker 1: The Big Bets on Campus Podcast podcast pot All.

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Speaker 2: Right, here we go fifteen twenty twenty five, thirty thirty five,

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Speaker 2: Horny Cony five fifty.

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Speaker 3: And the kick as Block the college football Laura Stunner.

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Speaker 3: Oh my godness, he stumbled the football. The latter turn

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Speaker 3: a counter on the inside, don't you.

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Speaker 2: The lad came off the veil the night. It's not

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Speaker 2: the size of the dog in the fight.

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Speaker 3: It's the size of the fight.

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Speaker 4: In the dog.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to the Big Bets on Campus Podcast. This is

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Speaker 2: the Conference USA preview on my calibaries. I'm joined by

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Speaker 2: my group of five deep Dove co pilot Duck. We're

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Speaker 2: breaking down the twelve team league that, for lack of

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Speaker 2: a better freeze, it's been a halfway house for programs

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Speaker 2: dating back to when it was founded in nineteen ninety five.

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Speaker 2: Major P four programs like Cincinnati, Houston, Louisville, smutc UCF.

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Speaker 2: They all started here in Conference USA or played at

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Speaker 2: some point in Conference USA before making their way up

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Speaker 2: in the college football world. So this has been a

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Speaker 2: launching pad for a lot of great programs.

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Speaker 1: Conference USA.

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Speaker 2: I got you with a piece of trivia to get

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Speaker 2: you invested in Conference USA. Right from the jump, here, duck,

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Speaker 2: there is one SEC school, Vanderbilt, that is actually an

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Speaker 2: affiliate member of Conference USA, in which NCAA sanctioned sport.

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Speaker 5: Didn't look this up. I saw that this was in

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Speaker 5: the notes. I thought it was bowling, and so I

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Speaker 5: think it's bowling.

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Speaker 2: Bowling is correct. Who do you think you are? I

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Speaker 2: am between the lanes. The Vanderbilt is cutting it up

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Speaker 2: with the rest of the Conference USA. There's got to

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Speaker 2: be a there why. I mean, I don't know if

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Speaker 2: the SEC kicked him out. The SEC has a bowling league.

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Speaker 2: I don't even know the backstory, but I think it

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Speaker 2: is fun to see a Power four program cut it

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Speaker 2: up with Conference USA teams as well. Now, right off

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Speaker 2: the bat, I want to say something positive about this

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Speaker 2: much maligned conference through the butt of the joke that

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Speaker 2: constantly taken paychecks to get their heads caved in every

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Speaker 2: single fall. But unlike Power for football, where we just

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Speaker 2: had a two lost national champion Ohio stake, it's this

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Speaker 2: huge mulligan. Well, every single game matters in Conference USA.

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Speaker 2: If you have any aspirations of making the twelve team

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Speaker 2: college football playoff, you gotta win every single game and

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Speaker 2: that applies to twelve scratch that ten teams. Sorry, Delaware

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Speaker 2: in Missouri State, you're gonna have to wait for your

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Speaker 2: eligibility to kick in. For the other ten teams in

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Speaker 2: Conference USA, you gotta go ahead and have a perfect run.

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Speaker 2: And I think that's going to build some excitement in

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Speaker 2: this conference. There could be some early upsets in the

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Speaker 2: non conference portion of the schedule. And this is a

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Speaker 2: conference that produced a thirteen to zero champion in Liberty

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Speaker 2: just two seasons ago. Jamie Chadwell had it all going.

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Speaker 2: They get to the Fiesta Bowl. They got their heads

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Speaker 2: stomped in in that game against Oregon, but they were

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Speaker 2: at least able to do it. And if you go

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Speaker 2: thirteen to zero again this year, you're certainly in the conversation.

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Speaker 2: It's no guarantee because the strength the schedule. But when

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Speaker 2: you look at the strength of schedule across the league.

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Speaker 2: Out of conference, you got LSU, Penn State, Texas, usc

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Speaker 2: All on the schedule. Maybe some magic happens, maybe there's

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Speaker 2: a giant killer or two in this group. Let's find out.

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Speaker 2: Let's jump in with the very top of the conference,

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Speaker 2: at least in the predicted finish. I've said to these

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Speaker 2: young people repeatedly, and I say it again, you are

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Speaker 2: the hope of America. When you leave the graduation platform

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Speaker 2: of liberty, I want you to leave it running, Leave

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Speaker 2: it running with that vision burning in your song, Liberty flames.

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Speaker 2: They went eight and four last year, five and three

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Speaker 2: in the CUSA A Bahama Bowl, lost to Buffalo twenty

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Speaker 2: six to seven. I mean, they've mailed in a bunch

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Speaker 2: of games. As we know, they were a letdown at

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Speaker 2: multiple points. They had that huge upset lost to Kenisaw

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Speaker 2: which made the ALS season, but it just seemed like

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Speaker 2: the vibes were off really from the get go. For

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Speaker 2: a team that brought back Cayden Salter, you figured that

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Speaker 2: they were going to be so effective. Now this year

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Speaker 2: they're plus one forty to win Conference USA. Their win

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Speaker 2: total is sitting at nine and a half. Why because

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Speaker 2: this is the worst schedule in the FBS of one

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Speaker 2: hundred and thirty six teams, they're the very bottom of

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Speaker 2: the barrel. What's interesting I wrote this up for the

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Speaker 2: Action Network AP already seven to one payout on a

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Speaker 2: perfect regular season, and when you look at the schedule,

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Speaker 2: they're going to be favored in eleven maybe twelve games

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Speaker 2: depending on what happens in that James Madison game on

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Speaker 2: their home field. Seven starters returning to on offense, five

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Speaker 2: on defense. They played a ton of kids last year,

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Speaker 2: which is actually why they returned the fifteenth most production

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Speaker 2: in FBS football thirteenth on the defensive side of the

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Speaker 2: ball at seventy two percent. Tremendous coaching continuity For a

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Speaker 2: G five school. Usually seed, the coaching carousel heat up

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Speaker 2: and anyone with any modicum of success is out the

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Speaker 2: door for a P four job, where they got the

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Speaker 2: same head coach, the same OC, the same d and

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Speaker 2: also some codes in there as well, So the coaching

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Speaker 2: staff really top to bottom has that continuity. Now let's

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Speaker 2: get into the schedule. Obviously, the most challenging games are

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Speaker 2: against James Madison. They also draw a Bowling Green, which

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Speaker 2: would have been more difficult last year, albeit on the road.

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Speaker 2: This time. They got their hometel with James Madison on

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Speaker 2: September twentieth. They avoid Western, which is critical in the

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Speaker 2: regular season, another reason why I like them at seven

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Speaker 2: to one to have a perfect twelve to zero regular

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Speaker 2: season this fall, and they draw Jacksonville State before they

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Speaker 2: can get acclimated to that coaching and scheme change. So

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Speaker 2: those are the two teams that played for the Conference

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Speaker 2: USA Belt last year. Western not there and Jacksonville State

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Speaker 2: exactly what you want to get him early in September.

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Speaker 2: I've said it before and I'll say it again. Ethan

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Speaker 2: Basco is the right fit for this offense. He's proven

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Speaker 2: through high school and his collegiate days thus far that

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Speaker 2: he is a dynamic and willing runner. Cayden Salter had athleticism,

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Speaker 2: but at times he just he didn't seem to want

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Speaker 2: to get involved in the red game, in the option game,

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Speaker 2: putting his head down getting those extra yards in some

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Speaker 2: of those gritty yards. If you look at Vasco, this

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Speaker 2: guy who scored ten touchdowns in a high school game

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Speaker 2: in Virginia, You'll go back just a few years at

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Speaker 2: Coastal had one hundred and seventy yards on the ground

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Speaker 2: against Old Dominion. He had four games last year with

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Speaker 2: fifty yards or more rushing. So I look at that

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Speaker 2: as the Coastal line was kind of a mess. There

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Speaker 2: were eighty third line yards last year. This Liberty offensive line,

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Speaker 2: I think has an opportunity to be really strong thanks

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Speaker 2: to the portal they're breaking in three new starters, but

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Speaker 2: they're building around Aaron Fenimore at center, who could be

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Speaker 2: a real rock for them defensively. This is where I'd

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Speaker 2: like to get you involved here, Duck, and kind of

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Speaker 2: get your thoughts, because I think this secondary could be special,

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Speaker 2: at least by Conference USA standards. And they need to

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Speaker 2: get back to their twenty twenty three Havoc minded defense.

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Speaker 2: They finished tenth in Havoc and they intercepted twenty one

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Speaker 2: passes to lead the country in that area. Last season,

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Speaker 2: those numbers dipped to seventy eighth in Havoc and ninety

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Speaker 2: seventh in I and T's. And also you add in

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Speaker 2: the fact that they lose TJ. Bush on the edge,

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Speaker 2: which hurts a lot. He got absorbed by the calgorithm.

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Speaker 2: He's off there to play at Berkeley. So ken CJ.

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Speaker 2: Bazil junior be enough on the other side. He is

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Speaker 2: fourteen and a half career tackles for loss. But they

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Speaker 2: need more pop, They need more negative plays. They need

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Speaker 2: more quarterbacks putting the ball in harm's way because they're,

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Speaker 2: you know, the back half of this defense. The linebackers,

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Speaker 2: the defensive backs. Every position is going to be manned

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Speaker 2: by a junior or senior, a lot of experience, a

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Speaker 2: lot of potential havoc in the defensive secondary. As I

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Speaker 2: mentioned twelve to one, they are twelve to zero. At

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Speaker 2: seven to one, I think that's a good bet positions

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Speaker 2: them to be obviously in the Conference USA title game

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Speaker 2: as well. I think when you look at this schedule,

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Speaker 2: it's it's just difficult to pick out the you know,

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Speaker 2: even the situational spots to play against them. They get

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Speaker 2: Delaware and Missouri State, the newcomers, both at home. They

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Speaker 2: get an FCS opponent in Maine and the opener, and

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Speaker 2: three more opponents with first year head coaches. Six of

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Speaker 2: their opponents were actually at the FCS level just three

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Speaker 2: years ago. Shout out to the Solid Verbal podcast for

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Speaker 2: that little nugget. So that just shows how weak this

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Speaker 2: schedule is. I love Chadwell, I love the staff. I

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Speaker 2: think Basco is the right next year offensively and giving

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Speaker 2: you what he's able to do as a dual threat.

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Speaker 2: Let's start with the defense first, duck, do you think

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Speaker 2: they're going to be able to get closer? So let's

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Speaker 2: call it a top twenty five finish in havoc And

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Speaker 2: if so, what's that domino effect on them this fall.

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Speaker 5: I do think the defense will be just fine. I

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Speaker 5: like the continuity and the coaching staff that you had

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Speaker 5: previously mentioned. They're going to throw out some unique looks.

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Speaker 5: They run a four to two five, they run some

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Speaker 5: three to three five, they run multiple fronts, and so

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Speaker 5: I think that they will have an opportunity with what

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Speaker 5: they bring back in the defensive line. They're somewhat undersized

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Speaker 5: in the defensive line, but they are very athletic and quick.

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Speaker 2: I think CJ.

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Speaker 5: Bezil will have a really good season this year for Liberty. Defensively,

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Speaker 5: I really don't have a real caveat on this team

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Speaker 5: being any worse than what they were last year. It

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Speaker 5: comes down to if they can retool the offense. You

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Speaker 5: mentioned Ethan Vasco, who I think is just an absolutely

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Speaker 5: perfect fit to run this offense. He was recruited in

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Speaker 5: high school by Jamie Chadwell at Coastal Carolina and should

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Speaker 5: jump right in, plug and play with the system. I

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Speaker 5: think that the running back room they'll kind of be

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Speaker 5: by committee a little more this year, but I think

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Speaker 5: Von Blue is a talented player. Caden Williams, the youngster,

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Speaker 5: is going to be just find in the running back room.

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Speaker 5: They'll need a few receivers to emerge, But I think overall,

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Speaker 5: I think this group will be one that will see

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Speaker 5: Chadwell coach this team a little bit differently this year

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Speaker 5: than what happened last year. When you look at twenty

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Speaker 5: twenty three and the exquisite regular season this Liberty Flames

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Speaker 5: team had last year, they kind of just rolled their

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Speaker 5: group out there so many times and played such uninspired

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Speaker 5: football even in wins. Then the stunning loss to Kanasas

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Speaker 5: State is really where the alarm bells sounded with this group.

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Speaker 5: That man, there was really something wrong. Caden Salter just

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Speaker 5: did not look like himself. He really wasn't motivated like

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Speaker 5: you had mentioned to stick his nose in there in

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Speaker 5: the run game. So I think that Chadwell coaches this

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Speaker 5: group a little bit differently this season and really plays

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Speaker 5: on some motivation because they were embarrassed by Kanasas State.

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Speaker 5: It was really staggering to see a twenty six and

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Speaker 5: a half point favorite lose that game against the worst

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Speaker 5: team in conference play. Schedule does provide some unique challenges,

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Speaker 5: albeit not against exceedingly difficult opponents. We're going to get

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Speaker 5: an absolute tone setter. In week two, they start conference

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Speaker 5: play on the road at Rebuilding Jacksonville State, and certainly

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Speaker 5: that's a game that has circled for Liberty in red ink.

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Speaker 5: That's one they're going to want to get to set

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Speaker 5: their season off.

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Speaker 2: Right.

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Speaker 5: Then, we mentioned the non conference about against Sunbelt Darling

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Speaker 5: James Madison, and that's going to be a real interesting

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Speaker 5: G five showdown between two of the premier teams in

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Speaker 5: the Group of five conference, with the winner having the

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Speaker 5: upper hand at a potential college football playoff Berth later

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Speaker 5: on down the season. I think that there are some

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Speaker 5: spots where we're really going to learn a lot about

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Speaker 5: this Liberty team in the non conference and how they

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Speaker 5: start conference play in week two. I have them circled

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Speaker 5: in a couple of spots that I think are favorable

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Speaker 5: in conference play. There's no bigger spot than how they

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Speaker 5: conclude the season hosting Kanasaus State in a game that

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Speaker 5: they are absolutely going to want to drop the anvil.

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Speaker 5: But I'm really interested to see how Chadwell motivates and

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Speaker 5: coaches this team, and I think that the urgency on

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Speaker 5: both sides of the ball will be significantly heightened the

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Speaker 5: season for the Flames.

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Speaker 2: You just can't tie up your money at plus one forty.

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Speaker 2: It's a pass for me on the conference title odds.

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Speaker 2: As I mentioned, the seven to one is interesting as

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Speaker 2: a flyer, you know, you throw a quarter unit a

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Speaker 2: half unit on it and then really your only hedge

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Speaker 2: in my opinion early in the season is against James Madison.

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Speaker 2: But what's interesting with Sluka being the offensive engine and

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Speaker 2: such a willing runner and someone that you have to

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Speaker 2: account for in the run game, they're going to get

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Speaker 2: a little preview of that with Jacksonville State with Wimset

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Speaker 2: at quarterback. He was so dynamic as a red zone

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Speaker 2: rusher at Rutgers just a few years ago, So we'll

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Speaker 2: see if that familiarity helps them against the Dukes. But

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Speaker 2: that could be a bet that could be headed in

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Speaker 2: the right direction. Were dead on arrival by September twentieth,

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Speaker 2: So if you want some instant gratification on a future's play,

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Speaker 2: I think you could do worse than seven to one

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Speaker 2: on a perfect liberty regular season. That is it for

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Speaker 2: the Flames. We are on to their main competition in

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Speaker 2: Conference USA, and that's the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

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Speaker 1: The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, the pride of the commonwealths.

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Speaker 2: Oh no, oh no, hell nouting up and donning, oh no,

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Speaker 2: hell no up. A lot of experience last year because

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Speaker 2: they played fourteen games, they win eight and six, six

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Speaker 2: and two in conference play. They go in the book

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Speaker 2: Ratan Bowl lose to James Madison by ten twenty seven

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Speaker 2: to seventeen, four to one to win Conference USA, the

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Speaker 2: win total sitting at seven and a half. They returned

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Speaker 2: just three starters, one on offense, two on defense, one

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Speaker 2: hundred and twenty fifth in returning production outside of the

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Speaker 2: top one point fifteen on both sides of the ball.

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Speaker 2: The continuity here though Tyson Helton returns for his seventh

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Speaker 2: season at Western. He's taking them them to a bowl

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Speaker 2: every single year. He's killed in conference play thirty four

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Speaker 2: and thirteen all top four finishes for Helton and deals

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Speaker 2: with paycheck games. You know he has no problem taking

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Speaker 2: those and taking his lumps Alabama, Ohio State in recent years.

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Speaker 2: So if there's only three returning starters and the returning

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Speaker 2: production is not there, why all this optimism. Well, right away,

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Speaker 2: we get a brand new offensive coordinator from Applene Christian

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Speaker 2: and Rick Bowie. Not Bowie Rick Bowie know the name

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Speaker 2: because this is the fifth straight year Western Kentucky has

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Speaker 2: had a new offensive coordinator, so this musical chairs in

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Speaker 2: some cases has really helped them. In other years it's

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Speaker 2: hurt them. His offenses at ACU last year finished fourth

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Speaker 2: in total offense and help them win their first ever

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Speaker 2: FCS playoff game nearly upset Texas Tech in the opener Idaho.

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Speaker 2: They also had you know, in a really precarious position

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Speaker 2: lead in that game. Idaho was an FCS power high

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Speaker 2: scoring games there, and it made Maverick McIvor a star.

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Speaker 2: This is the name. I'm hoping this gets to be

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Speaker 2: our new Zappi sound drop. If only there was a

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Speaker 2: lot of Maverick related sound drops that we could make.

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Speaker 2: Just please producers, just machine gun these throughout the season.

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Speaker 5: For US file attack point Mavericks ampbout three two lucky.

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Speaker 2: All like, holy shit, because he is going to be

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Speaker 2: somebody who potentially could throw four forty five hundred yards.

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Speaker 2: Just absolutely go ballistic in this conference that has a

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Speaker 2: lot of issues in the secondary for some of the

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Speaker 2: defenses he's going to face. And mav comes to Western,

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Speaker 2: as I mentioned, with Bowie as his offensive coordinator, he

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Speaker 2: looks flawless in the spring. Five drives five touchdowns. I

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Speaker 2: understand its spring football. You don't want to put too

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Speaker 2: much into it. I think last year, what Geo Lopez

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Speaker 2: went one for thirteen or something like that, or oh

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Speaker 2: for thirteen in spring ball. So obviously there's always different elements,

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Speaker 2: there's different formats coaches are looking for, you know, different

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Speaker 2: responses from different players. But five drives five touchdowns can't

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Speaker 2: get better than that. Defensive coordinator is new as well.

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Speaker 2: Devon Brown and Davis Merritt are going to be co

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Speaker 2: DC's there. Brown was promoted from dB coach while Merritt

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Speaker 2: was the linebacker coach. Line season, Tyson Summers, the takeaway

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Speaker 2: king is now gone. He was the old DC. He's

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Speaker 2: off the coach up to Colorado State defense. So something

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Speaker 2: just to keep in mind in terms of the impact

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Speaker 2: on their defense. This was a team that hung their

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Speaker 2: hat on being able to get those takeaways, helping in

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Speaker 2: the field position and obviously giving them a leg up

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Speaker 2: in every single game that they played. The defense though,

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Speaker 2: all right, let's start with the attrition. They lost their

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Speaker 2: top twelve tacklers, So how much can we actually know

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Speaker 2: about this defense by the way. They were also awful

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Speaker 2: against the run last year. With all those tacklers on

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Speaker 2: the field, they gave up three thousand, ninety seven rushing yards.

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Speaker 2: If that seems like a lot, that is an impossible

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Speaker 2: amount of rushing yards to give up. They joined the

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Speaker 2: three thousand club, which is a special kind of dreadful

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Speaker 2: on that side of the ball. And the thing we

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Speaker 2: know about Bowie from his ACU days is he going

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Speaker 2: to play fast, which means more plays for the Hilltoppers

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Speaker 2: and more plays for their opponents. So his offense at

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Speaker 2: ACU was top five in terms of plays run over

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Speaker 2: one thousand last season. The defense, as a result, also

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Speaker 2: face the fifth most defensive snaps in the country. So

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Speaker 2: to me, this screams bet over every single week with

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Speaker 2: Hilltopper games, this would team that cash more unders than

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Speaker 2: overs last season. So what I'm hoping is that there's

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Speaker 2: a little bit of a hangover effect or people who

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Speaker 2: are looking at some of the stats from last year

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Speaker 2: and some of the tempo numbers early on and they

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Speaker 2: get left in the dust because I'm not sure this

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Speaker 2: market is going to be able to adjust fast enough

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Speaker 2: to what Maverick and Booie are going to be doing offensively.

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Speaker 2: I lean over on the wind total at seven and

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Speaker 2: a half. I think they're going to be right in

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Speaker 2: the thick of the CUSA title race the whole way.

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Speaker 2: But this schedule features roadies at Toledo and LSU. There's

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Speaker 2: also a tricky stretch where they go to Missouri State,

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Speaker 2: then another road trip on a short week to Delaware.

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Speaker 2: I understand that they are FCS newcomers, but I think

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Speaker 2: they're going to present some difficult challenges, some unique challenges

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Speaker 2: and travel. This is something that you specialize in Duck

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Speaker 2: in terms of looking for those sticky spots where you

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Speaker 2: know you may not have as much rest as your opponent.

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Speaker 2: You may be traveling, you know, putting a lot of

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Speaker 2: air miles. This is an airplane league. So Western Kentucky

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Speaker 2: having to go to some of these teams on the road,

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Speaker 2: I think could be an interesting spot to fade them.

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Speaker 2: That's it for me, just big points Maverick sound drops

350
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Speaker 2: throughout the entire season. I'm excited for what Western's going

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Speaker 2: to be and I think they're going to be a

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Speaker 2: really good and interesting team at the top of this conference.

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Speaker 2: What are your thoughts?

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Speaker 5: Yeah, I do too. It's really staggering for Tyson Helton

355
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Speaker 5: in his seventh year at the helm here at Western Kentucky,

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Speaker 5: and the lack of continuity in the offensive coordinator position

357
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Speaker 5: is now this is a fifth year in a row

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Speaker 5: they've had a new OC in the system. We've seen

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Speaker 5: this before with Western Kentucky where they bring in and

360
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Speaker 5: up and coming emerging offensive coordinator with his quarterback, and

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Speaker 5: it worked out very well with Bailey z Appy, which

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Speaker 5: was certainly a fan favorite on this program four years ago,

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Speaker 5: and the legacy of Bailey's Appy continues to live on.

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Speaker 1: Now, Bailey Zappy.

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Speaker 5: But you hit Western Kentucky really right on the head.

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Speaker 5: The offense is going to be projected to be very electric.

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Speaker 5: I think that it helps my guiver to know that

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Speaker 5: there's familiarity in the system. He has a good relationship

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Speaker 5: with the offensive coordinator. I really liked what he had

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Speaker 5: to say during Conference USA Media days about feeling very

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Speaker 5: comfortable even with the level up in competition. He feels

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Speaker 5: good with the new room of receivers that he's working with,

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Speaker 5: and I think that the offense is going to be

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Speaker 5: just fine. We should see a little bit more tempo

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Speaker 5: from this group this year with Western Kentucky. The offensive

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Speaker 5: line is really the question mark with all the transfers

377
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Speaker 5: with a full rebuild, They've got transfers from kent State, Bowling, Green, Akron,

378
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Speaker 5: New Mexico all coming in and we'll know right away

379
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Speaker 5: if this unit gels. But with the nature of the

380
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Speaker 5: offense and mcgiver getting the ball out of his hands quickly,

381
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Speaker 5: I think that'll mitigate any sort of worry about pressure

382
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Speaker 5: being provided. I think that they'll be locked in with

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Speaker 5: what they want to do offensively. The handcuff with this

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Speaker 5: group is really just the defense. There's a lack of

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Speaker 5: returning production on the defense. There's a lack of only

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Speaker 5: three stars that come back, and it was really stunning

387
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Speaker 5: to dive into the metrics last year and see how

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Speaker 5: this defensive front seven war down against the run. I mean,

389
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Speaker 5: it was just really, really bad when you dive into

390
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Speaker 5: giving up two hundred and fifty to three hundred rushing

391
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Speaker 5: yards per game against teams like Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State,

392
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Speaker 5: I face Jacksonville State, which was a dynamic rushing attack,

393
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Speaker 5: but there was just no stopping the run and it

394
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Speaker 5: was just one of the things that really caused problems

395
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Speaker 5: for Western Kentucky, and I don't see it getting a

396
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Speaker 5: lot better. I don't see any reason to suspect that

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Speaker 5: with who they have returning in the front seven, that

398
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Speaker 5: they'll immediately have those changes fixed. And for that reason,

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Speaker 5: we had talked about high scoring affairs with Western Kentucky,

400
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Speaker 5: and I think that the defense will kind of be

401
00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:52,880
Speaker 5: the achilles Heel for this team this season. The Hilltoppers

402
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Speaker 5: and I like to hone in on their overs. You

403
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Speaker 5: and I have already bet there over in the week

404
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Speaker 5: zero conference up versus Sam Houston State. Now can commentent

405
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Speaker 5: to what Sam Houston State wants to do. We'll get

406
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Speaker 5: into that a little later on the program, but high

407
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Speaker 5: flying affairs are what we should see. The win total

408
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Speaker 5: I think is appropriately priced. You mentioned a couple of

409
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Speaker 5: tough road trips at Toledo and at LSU, which I

410
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Speaker 5: do think are fade spots for Western Kentucky. They've also

411
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Speaker 5: got to go to Missouri State. Missouri State head coach

412
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Speaker 5: Ryan Beard has a fairly close relationship and family ties

413
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Speaker 5: to Western Kentucky, and they're a very motivated group to

414
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Speaker 5: get that win at home, They've got to go to

415
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Speaker 5: Louisiana Tech, and so I think that I would lean

416
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Speaker 5: over the seven and a half, but I don't think

417
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Speaker 5: that there's a tremendous amount of value just given the

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Speaker 5: fact that there's probably a couple of losses in non

419
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Speaker 5: conference play. I think Western Kentucky there's about four or

420
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Speaker 5: five teams that are kind of competing for that second

421
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Speaker 5: spot in Conference USA behind Liberty, and I definitely think

422
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Speaker 5: Western Kentucky is one of those teams and should be

423
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Speaker 5: a real exciting season and electrifying offensive season four for

424
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Speaker 5: this Western Kentucky group here in bowling Green, Kentucky this year.

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Speaker 2: All right, next up? Thirteen to one. Give me the

426
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Speaker 2: UTEP minors.

427
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Speaker 1: We're talking minor nation.

428
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Speaker 3: Out in the West Texas town of al Pastled.

429
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Speaker 2: Picks up three to nine last season, three and five

430
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Speaker 2: in conference play. In Scotti Walden's first season after great

431
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Speaker 2: success at Austin, p win total seven at five and

432
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Speaker 2: a half, seven returning starters for and offense, three on defense,

433
00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:33,640
Speaker 2: forty third in returning production overall, tenth offensively. Walden will

434
00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:36,600
Speaker 2: continue to call plays, but Markella arrives from TCU to

435
00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:39,560
Speaker 2: coordinate this offense. Bobby Daily comes in from Montana State

436
00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:43,080
Speaker 2: to coach up this defense. His Bobcat defense was fantastic

437
00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:46,000
Speaker 2: last year, eleventh and scoring d despite playing an FBS

438
00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:50,320
Speaker 2: opponent and seven ranked FCS foes. So not everything is made,

439
00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:52,560
Speaker 2: you know, created equal at the FCS level, but they

440
00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,439
Speaker 2: certainly had a challenging slate and they were able to

441
00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:58,199
Speaker 2: elevate their play throughout the entire season. He is returning

442
00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:00,680
Speaker 2: starters at all three levels of this defense, but they'll

443
00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:03,080
Speaker 2: need someone to pop out of the portal, particularly in

444
00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:06,399
Speaker 2: the trenches because pressure was their calling card last season.

445
00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,119
Speaker 2: A sod Haul from South Carolina State could be that

446
00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:12,479
Speaker 2: breakout candidate after making all meak last year. They have

447
00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:14,719
Speaker 2: depth year, but they need a game changer, so we'll

448
00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:18,040
Speaker 2: see if that materializes. Offensively, they have some really nice weapons.

449
00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:21,000
Speaker 2: They got Kashawan Wilson from Charlotte at running back. They

450
00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:23,080
Speaker 2: got Cam Thomas in that minor back role, and they

451
00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:25,760
Speaker 2: also have Kenny Odom who averaged over sixteen yards per

452
00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:28,760
Speaker 2: reception last fall. But who plays quarterback. We'll get to

453
00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:30,920
Speaker 2: that in just a moment. As I mentioned year two

454
00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:33,119
Speaker 2: is when I was targeting Scottie. I know they're going

455
00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:36,200
Speaker 2: to take their lumps. They're you know, a huge philosophical

456
00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:39,080
Speaker 2: change in terms of tempo, in terms of, you know,

457
00:22:39,119 --> 00:22:41,159
Speaker 2: the formations they were putting out there, the pressure they

458
00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:43,440
Speaker 2: were putting on their quarterback as opposed to the previous

459
00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:46,160
Speaker 2: regime that wanted to shrink games down and played ground

460
00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:48,359
Speaker 2: and pound. They got smacked around last year. Let's just

461
00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:50,720
Speaker 2: call it what it was. They lost so many of

462
00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:53,800
Speaker 2: their first games going away, but then they closed three

463
00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:56,480
Speaker 2: and three, and two of those losses were by one possession,

464
00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:58,840
Speaker 2: So they were not all that far away from being

465
00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:01,560
Speaker 2: middle class in conference, if not a team that was

466
00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:03,879
Speaker 2: kind of knocking on the door. They've added back to

467
00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:06,479
Speaker 2: back recruiting classes that have been the best in school history.

468
00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:08,960
Speaker 2: All this high school recruiting, I think is going to

469
00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:11,600
Speaker 2: start bubbling up. And those three star recruits they got

470
00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:14,560
Speaker 2: in the portal all of a sudden, those you replacements

471
00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:16,480
Speaker 2: and some of the players they lost, as I mentioned,

472
00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:19,199
Speaker 2: eight new defensive starters. Almost all of these guys are

473
00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:21,679
Speaker 2: three stars. So the talent is so much better than

474
00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:23,879
Speaker 2: it was in twenty twenty three when they had a

475
00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:27,160
Speaker 2: coaching shakeup. Then there's a schedule you got Tennessee Martin

476
00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:30,160
Speaker 2: shout out to the Skyhawks, both newcomers in most state

477
00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,639
Speaker 2: and Delaware, New Mexico State, jack State, Louisiana, Monroe, and

478
00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:37,800
Speaker 2: La Tech at home. To me, that's seven winnable games

479
00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:41,119
Speaker 2: right there. The only surefire loss is down forty acres

480
00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:45,200
Speaker 2: against Texas winnable roadies at Sam Houston and Kanislaw. Certainly

481
00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:49,160
Speaker 2: they even get Liberty at home. So I love this schedule,

482
00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:51,399
Speaker 2: particularly for their win total five and a half. I

483
00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:53,680
Speaker 2: think they're going to get to Bowl eligibility. I think

484
00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:56,720
Speaker 2: they're mispriced in this market at thirteen to one. If

485
00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:58,639
Speaker 2: I was pricing it myself at one of these books,

486
00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:00,520
Speaker 2: I would put them in the single digits. Probably eight

487
00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:02,920
Speaker 2: or nine to one. May not seem like a huge difference,

488
00:24:03,119 --> 00:24:05,360
Speaker 2: but I think in a conference where it's just begging

489
00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:08,760
Speaker 2: for that second cut of teams below Liberty and Western

490
00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:11,280
Speaker 2: to elevate themselves, I think UTEP should be front of

491
00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:14,880
Speaker 2: the line there Sam Houston Jacksonville State, for example, they

492
00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:17,720
Speaker 2: have shorter odds. I don't see that. I mean, I

493
00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:20,720
Speaker 2: think it's silly based on what UTEP has offensively and

494
00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:24,359
Speaker 2: the potential upside Skylar Locklear. Here's the question, is it

495
00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:26,120
Speaker 2: going to be him? Is it going to be Malachi

496
00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:29,800
Speaker 2: Nelson who finally seizes this job. Nelson's brought in, you know,

497
00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,879
Speaker 2: a former five star, four star recruit depending on the service.

498
00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:35,879
Speaker 2: He didn't win the job in Boise, and you know,

499
00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:38,320
Speaker 2: there's some questions about his health going into last offseason.

500
00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:40,520
Speaker 2: When is this guy going to show up? And if

501
00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:43,879
Speaker 2: he doesn't, can they still elevate offensively and play the

502
00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:45,960
Speaker 2: way the kind of football they're playing down the stretch

503
00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:49,240
Speaker 2: carry that over into the season with Locklear. I have

504
00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:51,440
Speaker 2: my concerns about the offensive line. This is the only

505
00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:53,680
Speaker 2: wet blanket A're going to throw on Minor Nation. Here,

506
00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:56,600
Speaker 2: one returning starter from a unit that finished ninety ninth

507
00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:58,520
Speaker 2: in the line yards and one hundred and first in

508
00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:01,840
Speaker 2: pass blocking per PA. But I'm in on this over.

509
00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,560
Speaker 2: I'm going to sprinkle on the cust title as well.

510
00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:06,960
Speaker 2: This was a league where you know, in nail Jacksonville

511
00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:10,040
Speaker 2: State last year. I think there's always value in teams

512
00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:12,960
Speaker 2: not at the very top of the board because from

513
00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:16,439
Speaker 2: a talent perspective, UTEP's going to be pretty close to

514
00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:18,879
Speaker 2: a Western Kentucky certainly, and I think that's going to

515
00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:21,359
Speaker 2: be the main competition to get into the title game,

516
00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:23,919
Speaker 2: you know, to play liberty. So I'll go ahead with

517
00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:25,879
Speaker 2: the Miners. What are your thoughts on Scotty Walden and

518
00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:29,440
Speaker 2: what he's building out there in West Texas well.

519
00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:32,280
Speaker 5: Scotty Walden is a great coach for this program. He's

520
00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:35,680
Speaker 5: a real motivator. He's a high intensity and high energy coach,

521
00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:38,639
Speaker 5: and he lives and breathes UTEB football and that's absolutely

522
00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:41,199
Speaker 5: what this program needs, a real shot of adrenaline in

523
00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:44,880
Speaker 5: the arm to kind of reinvigorate this once proud group

524
00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:48,840
Speaker 5: and this fan base is dying for a winning l

525
00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:51,080
Speaker 5: Passo football team, and I think he's the guy that's

526
00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:53,840
Speaker 5: eventually going to get it done there. Last year, we

527
00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:56,080
Speaker 5: saw their offense take some lumps. It was a complete

528
00:25:56,119 --> 00:25:58,199
Speaker 5: one to eighty shift from what Dana Diimal wanted to

529
00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:01,800
Speaker 5: do with kind of a right package and double tight

530
00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:04,720
Speaker 5: end and power football. And now you're running this new

531
00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:08,280
Speaker 5: unique offense that Scottie Walden brings in from Austin p

532
00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:11,560
Speaker 5: and they really kind of did take their licks last season. Now,

533
00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:15,399
Speaker 5: the quarterback play unlocks a lot in this offense, and

534
00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:18,119
Speaker 5: it'll be really interesting to see the development of Skyler

535
00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:21,280
Speaker 5: Locklear and see if he can really take that next step.

536
00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:23,480
Speaker 5: He got hurt last year and they rotated three or

537
00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,080
Speaker 5: four quarterbacks. My goodness, at one point they were even

538
00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:28,639
Speaker 5: down to JP Pickles starting at quarterbacks. So it just

539
00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:31,200
Speaker 5: did not really go the way that they wanted offensively

540
00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:34,960
Speaker 5: last season. And the addition of Malachi Nelson adds in

541
00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:37,840
Speaker 5: a different element as well, and I think the reports

542
00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:40,480
Speaker 5: out of camp are that he's not in contention to

543
00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:43,880
Speaker 5: where he's not leading the competition to be the number one,

544
00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:46,840
Speaker 5: So certainly hope that doesn't create a locker room rift.

545
00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:49,600
Speaker 5: But offensively, in the skill room, I think UTEP is

546
00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:52,520
Speaker 5: just loaded with talent. I love Hassan Wilson who comes

547
00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:54,960
Speaker 5: in from Charlotte. I think the receiver room is loaded

548
00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:58,199
Speaker 5: with players that are just set to explode. And the

549
00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:01,000
Speaker 5: offensive line is a question. But the offensive line has

550
00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:04,280
Speaker 5: really good sides. They really feel comfortable with the transfers

551
00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:06,720
Speaker 5: that they have, and they feel that this group is

552
00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:09,960
Speaker 5: going to gail really quickly with the UTEP offensive line.

553
00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:13,240
Speaker 5: So I think we'll see a major step forward for

554
00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:19,679
Speaker 5: UTEP offensively this season. Defensively, this group was really quietly

555
00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:23,920
Speaker 5: good at at a lot of things that you want

556
00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:25,800
Speaker 5: to be good at. They were a pretty decent third

557
00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:28,760
Speaker 5: down defense. They bowed up pretty well in the red zone,

558
00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:32,680
Speaker 5: forcing nine empty possessions and eight red zone field goals.

559
00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:35,520
Speaker 5: And then you talked about the defensive havoc metrics eighty

560
00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:38,080
Speaker 5: seven tackles for loss in thirty six sacks. This was

561
00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:41,720
Speaker 5: a front seven that got after it. Now, the real

562
00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:46,480
Speaker 5: question defensively is can they get these transfers up to

563
00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:51,160
Speaker 5: speed and get them in position to replicate that success.

564
00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:53,640
Speaker 5: I'm glad you didn't mention the name, because I will.

565
00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:56,480
Speaker 5: The guy who's going to anchor this defense is Mikey Davie,

566
00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:58,639
Speaker 5: who comes in from McNee State and had three hundred

567
00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:02,080
Speaker 5: and eleven tackles in three years. This guy is absolutely

568
00:28:02,119 --> 00:28:04,639
Speaker 5: a stud and will fit right in with what UTEP

569
00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:08,000
Speaker 5: is wanting to do with their alignment. He will certainly

570
00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:11,800
Speaker 5: have his mark on how this season goes for UTEP defensively.

571
00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:13,760
Speaker 5: I think you just need a little bit of marginal

572
00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:19,879
Speaker 5: incremental gain in improvement and getting that back end of

573
00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:22,440
Speaker 5: the secondary short up, and I think this group could

574
00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:25,200
Speaker 5: actually be okay this season. I think that the UTEP

575
00:28:25,280 --> 00:28:31,040
Speaker 5: defensive alignment will be all right and they should certainly

576
00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:33,280
Speaker 5: be one of those teams. I kind of mentioned it before,

577
00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:35,199
Speaker 5: but I think there's about five or six teams that

578
00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:38,400
Speaker 5: are poised to kind of jockey for position for that

579
00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:41,680
Speaker 5: second level in Conference USA, and UTEP is certainly one

580
00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:44,000
Speaker 5: of them. With the schedule over five and a half,

581
00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:46,920
Speaker 5: definitely seems not out of the question at all. There's

582
00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:49,160
Speaker 5: a team that's going to have a lot of shots

583
00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:51,680
Speaker 5: on goal. I count ten winnable games if I'm being

584
00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:54,920
Speaker 5: honest with you, and I think that you've got a

585
00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:57,840
Speaker 5: great start in the non conference with a trip to Logan,

586
00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:00,000
Speaker 5: Utah and that's certainly going to be a winnable game

587
00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:03,120
Speaker 5: with Utah State in defensive disarray, and we'll see how

588
00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:06,240
Speaker 5: that goes in Bronco Mendenhalls forst season up there, a

589
00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:10,000
Speaker 5: very successful season for UTEP would be to go six

590
00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:11,800
Speaker 5: and six and make a bowl game and give those

591
00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:13,960
Speaker 5: fans something to be excited about. But it would not

592
00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:16,040
Speaker 5: surprise me at all if the Miners end up at

593
00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:18,920
Speaker 5: seven or eight wins this season, if things absolutely hit

594
00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:22,320
Speaker 5: home runs offensively, and if the defense shows marginal improvement.

595
00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:25,600
Speaker 2: All right, let's keep the train roll into another team

596
00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:28,720
Speaker 2: that's well, they actually don't have odds to win Conference

597
00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:31,800
Speaker 2: USA because they are not eligible yet. They're gonna have

598
00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:34,120
Speaker 2: to do the James Madison experience, where no matter how

599
00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:35,960
Speaker 2: well you play early on, you just got to pound

600
00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:38,560
Speaker 2: your fists on the table and just wait your turn. That,

601
00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:41,120
Speaker 2: of course, is the Delaware fight in Blue Hens. You

602
00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:44,480
Speaker 2: del joins Michigan as the only FBS program to wear

603
00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:48,080
Speaker 2: the winged helmet. Find Blue Hens design originated in nineteen

604
00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:51,480
Speaker 2: fifty one when former Michigan football player David M. Nelson

605
00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:54,040
Speaker 2: took over as head coach. Shout out to Steve Helwich

606
00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:56,120
Speaker 2: from Underdog Dynasty for that nugget.

607
00:29:56,760 --> 00:30:02,920
Speaker 3: Imagine being able to be magically whisked away to Oh, Delaware, Hi,

608
00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:05,120
Speaker 3: I mean Delaware.

609
00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:08,920
Speaker 2: Now, Delaware is prepared because they are one of the

610
00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:12,480
Speaker 2: best FCS programs in terms of consistently winning. They're not

611
00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:14,440
Speaker 2: going to come in trying to figure out how to

612
00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:17,080
Speaker 2: be a winning program, how to have an offseason program,

613
00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:19,200
Speaker 2: how to do things in the locker room, visit a

614
00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:21,200
Speaker 2: team that expects to win. They went nine to two

615
00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:24,360
Speaker 2: last season overall, six and two in CIA. Their win

616
00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:26,640
Speaker 2: total is set at a modest four and a half.

617
00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:29,520
Speaker 2: They have twelve returning starters, five on offense, seven on defense,

618
00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:34,400
Speaker 2: twentieth in returning production. Nationwide fourth defensively, I think that's

619
00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:36,320
Speaker 2: what's going to be able to keep them in games

620
00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:39,120
Speaker 2: as they get their feet wet offensively. At the FBS level,

621
00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:43,160
Speaker 2: Ryan Carter, excuse me, Ryan Cardy had an incredible mentor

622
00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:45,800
Speaker 2: in case. Keeler is someone that you know, we've loved

623
00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:48,720
Speaker 2: here at BBOC. We wish him luck now leading the

624
00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:52,080
Speaker 2: Temple program, but his mentor has prepared him and it

625
00:30:52,120 --> 00:30:54,920
Speaker 2: really shows. He's twenty six and eleven in his young career,

626
00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:59,040
Speaker 2: leading Udell to back to back FCS playoff appearances when eligible.

627
00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:02,440
Speaker 2: Many Roha is his defensive coordinator, and he's a really

628
00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:05,800
Speaker 2: good one, top twenty five in scoring and total defense,

629
00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:08,840
Speaker 2: solid HAVOC numbers, and he's worth working with a secondary

630
00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:11,640
Speaker 2: that's nearly fully intact. They use three safeties as a

631
00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:14,040
Speaker 2: part of three three five look, so to have that

632
00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:15,800
Speaker 2: experience there, they're not going to have a lot of

633
00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:17,640
Speaker 2: blown coverages, not going to give up a lot of

634
00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:21,240
Speaker 2: explosive plays in year one at the FBS level, Noah

635
00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:24,720
Speaker 2: Matthews arrives from Kentucky could be a force off the edge.

636
00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:27,480
Speaker 2: He's someone that they were very fortunate to get through

637
00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:29,960
Speaker 2: the transfer portal. This could easily be a top four

638
00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:32,880
Speaker 2: defense in Conference USA from day one. It's going to

639
00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:35,760
Speaker 2: require a few things to work up front for them.

640
00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:39,080
Speaker 2: But in terms of as basically as I said, not

641
00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:42,520
Speaker 2: having those big plays, those explosive plays work against them.

642
00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:45,920
Speaker 2: Having their secondary basically be firefighters. Keep everything in front

643
00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:48,800
Speaker 2: of them, keep those explosive plays at bay. I think

644
00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:50,480
Speaker 2: that's going to give them a puncher's chance in the

645
00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:53,080
Speaker 2: league every single week once we get into Conference USA.

646
00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:57,200
Speaker 2: Play offensively, though there's obviously some moving parts here, and

647
00:31:57,240 --> 00:31:59,680
Speaker 2: not in a good way. They lose Marcus Yarns, who's

648
00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:02,440
Speaker 2: trying to secure a roster spot with the New Orleans Saints.

649
00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:05,880
Speaker 2: He pumped in twenty nine tds in the past two seasons.

650
00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:09,320
Speaker 2: That's a lot of production to replace. The staff is

651
00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:12,120
Speaker 2: high on Jonathan Silver though, and the receiving corps returns

652
00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:15,320
Speaker 2: a lot of contributors, but no clear top dog, you know,

653
00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:19,320
Speaker 2: wide receiver one. So when you look at the rest

654
00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:22,080
Speaker 2: of this offense, you got to start with the offensive line,

655
00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:24,480
Speaker 2: which does return three starters, and they added some depth

656
00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:27,680
Speaker 2: in the portal. But quarterback play remains a bit of

657
00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:31,600
Speaker 2: a mystery. Will it be Nick Minacucci or Zach Marker,

658
00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:34,080
Speaker 2: who knows. At this point, I think it's going to

659
00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:37,480
Speaker 2: be an extended fall camp competition. Nick played at a big

660
00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:40,479
Speaker 2: program in New Jersey. Don Bosco propped up, you know

661
00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:44,280
Speaker 2: last year. Excuse me popped up last last year into

662
00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:47,040
Speaker 2: the starting role. Had thirteen total touchdowns in four starts

663
00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:49,400
Speaker 2: down the stretch. But just like Marker, they had some

664
00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:52,320
Speaker 2: injury issues at times in their career. But he did

665
00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:55,680
Speaker 2: show some dual threat potential. Marker on the other side,

666
00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:58,280
Speaker 2: can't really run, but he did throw ten touchdowns last

667
00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:02,040
Speaker 2: season without a single intersection, although he has problems with sacks.

668
00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:03,720
Speaker 2: So I think this is going to be a question

669
00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:06,360
Speaker 2: philosophically for Cardi and his staff. Do you want to

670
00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:09,280
Speaker 2: go someone with the higher upside with Minikuchi who can

671
00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:11,920
Speaker 2: move around, who can make plays happen when the pocket

672
00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:13,400
Speaker 2: breaks down, or do you want to go with a

673
00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:16,120
Speaker 2: very accurate passer who needs a clean pocket. They both

674
00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:19,280
Speaker 2: seem like they could be above average Conference to USA

675
00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:23,160
Speaker 2: starters if the line line performs two expectations, but they're

676
00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:25,400
Speaker 2: also going to need someone to emerge on the perimeter

677
00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:28,520
Speaker 2: as a go to weapon. Depending on how this season

678
00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:30,920
Speaker 2: shakes out, I could see them being favored in four

679
00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:34,760
Speaker 2: home games. We got Delaware State against the Hornets, Middle Tennessee,

680
00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:38,520
Speaker 2: LA Tech, and UTEP depending on what shape the Miners

681
00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:42,680
Speaker 2: are when they come to Newark. Surefire losses at Colorado

682
00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:45,400
Speaker 2: at Liberty, but the rest of the slate could get

683
00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:46,920
Speaker 2: really interesting. I think this is going to be a

684
00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:48,840
Speaker 2: team that you don't want to make your mind up

685
00:33:48,880 --> 00:33:52,360
Speaker 2: as a gambler early on, because of the transition, because

686
00:33:52,360 --> 00:33:55,240
Speaker 2: of the quarterback questions. I think they could kind of

687
00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:58,120
Speaker 2: be a high variance team throughout the season. Could they

688
00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:01,120
Speaker 2: win on the road at FIU, Jack State, Sam Houston

689
00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:04,200
Speaker 2: or maybe even a completely rebuilding Wake. I don't think

690
00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:07,200
Speaker 2: it's the craziest thing I've ever heard. I lean over

691
00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:09,200
Speaker 2: the four and a half no official play out of

692
00:34:09,239 --> 00:34:12,360
Speaker 2: me here, but they're starting twenty two. Has the makings,

693
00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:14,279
Speaker 2: in my opinion, more of a five and seven team

694
00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:16,200
Speaker 2: this year than a two to ten. We'll call it

695
00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:18,920
Speaker 2: a year zero squad, so I'm going to go ahead

696
00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:21,600
Speaker 2: no official play. I think the Blue Hens are well

697
00:34:21,640 --> 00:34:24,720
Speaker 2: positioned to be borderline knocking to end door middle Class

698
00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:27,240
Speaker 2: Conference USA year in year one. What are your thoughts

699
00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:27,799
Speaker 2: on you, Dell?

700
00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:32,400
Speaker 5: I think they are poised to have success. It's a

701
00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:35,880
Speaker 5: really proud program. It's a program that's excited about this jump,

702
00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:41,320
Speaker 5: and it's a group that really plays hard nos effort

703
00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:43,759
Speaker 5: football week in and week out, and that's been their

704
00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:46,759
Speaker 5: calling card at FCS for a long time. And so

705
00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:51,440
Speaker 5: I think that this Delaware team is poised to have

706
00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:54,160
Speaker 5: a successful first year in Conference USA. Now we'll have

707
00:34:54,200 --> 00:34:56,319
Speaker 5: to really define what that looks like. I look to

708
00:34:56,320 --> 00:34:59,239
Speaker 5: play Delaware early in the season to just touch on

709
00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:02,760
Speaker 5: a couple of things. Said, the quarterback position last season

710
00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:07,839
Speaker 5: was just riddled with injuries. Both Zach Marker and Miniucci

711
00:35:08,320 --> 00:35:11,239
Speaker 5: were hurt and they actually even had to rely on

712
00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:14,880
Speaker 5: Braden Streeter to start one game for Delaware the last season.

713
00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:19,200
Speaker 5: So as long as the quarterback position can remain one

714
00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:22,480
Speaker 5: that is healthy and free of injury, I think that

715
00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:26,319
Speaker 5: they'll compete well in Conference USA action. I look for

716
00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:29,000
Speaker 5: Ellison in the running back room to have a pretty

717
00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:32,080
Speaker 5: decent season, so long as the offensive line can get

718
00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:35,319
Speaker 5: short up. They've got three starters back from last year's

719
00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:37,920
Speaker 5: offensive line, and they've got two reserves that have kind

720
00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:39,960
Speaker 5: of grown up in the program that they're now just

721
00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:43,200
Speaker 5: asking to step up and do a bigger role with

722
00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:46,560
Speaker 5: the team, and so I think offensive line play will

723
00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:49,800
Speaker 5: You could say this about any team, but offensive line

724
00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:55,799
Speaker 5: play would really be something to watch. Defensively, I think

725
00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:59,120
Speaker 5: that the front seven is undersized. I think that they're

726
00:35:59,160 --> 00:36:01,680
Speaker 5: fast and they have speed, but they are undersized, and

727
00:36:01,719 --> 00:36:03,719
Speaker 5: I do worry about death late in the season where

728
00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:05,680
Speaker 5: a lot of their winnable games are. So we'll be

729
00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:08,640
Speaker 5: real interested to chart Delaware and see how the depth

730
00:36:08,719 --> 00:36:12,560
Speaker 5: holds up. It's easy to suspect that maybe it doesn't,

731
00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:15,880
Speaker 5: but we'll see. I think that they're really soundly coached.

732
00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:19,600
Speaker 5: I think that they can execute well and be in

733
00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:23,040
Speaker 5: positions to where they can see several wins. I definitely

734
00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:26,400
Speaker 5: think it'll be interesting if you look at Delaware and

735
00:36:26,480 --> 00:36:30,759
Speaker 5: Delaware State not nearly on the same playing level. They

736
00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:35,280
Speaker 5: should blast the Hornets who play in the fcs MEAC

737
00:36:35,360 --> 00:36:38,759
Speaker 5: and they're just a real bottom feeder program and not

738
00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:42,320
Speaker 5: very competitive. So Delaware should certainly start their season off there.

739
00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:44,799
Speaker 5: And I'm really interested to see what this line's going

740
00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:46,920
Speaker 5: to be when they go out to Boulder for national

741
00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:49,799
Speaker 5: TV game. I could see them catching twenty points or more,

742
00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:53,000
Speaker 5: and I'm real interested to see them in their real

743
00:36:53,120 --> 00:36:56,600
Speaker 5: first premiere national TV spot and how that program performs

744
00:36:57,120 --> 00:37:00,440
Speaker 5: in Boulder at elevation. Then they come back and double

745
00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:05,080
Speaker 5: back for a Northeast rivalry contest against University Connecticut before

746
00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:07,000
Speaker 5: they have to go to Miami, and I think that

747
00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:12,480
Speaker 5: Miami spot or at FIU excuse me, could be possibly

748
00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:15,520
Speaker 5: a little downer spot. I think they might be looking

749
00:37:15,560 --> 00:37:18,480
Speaker 5: for the bye after week four, so I don't know

750
00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:21,160
Speaker 5: necessarily if that'll be their best effort. But then in

751
00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:23,720
Speaker 5: the middle of the schedule for Delaware, you have twenty

752
00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:26,080
Speaker 5: five days where you only play one game, you get

753
00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:29,200
Speaker 5: the bye, and then you get a Western Kentucky team

754
00:37:29,560 --> 00:37:32,000
Speaker 5: that you host, then you get another buy and then

755
00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:35,200
Speaker 5: it's at jack State on October fifteenth, and then you

756
00:37:35,239 --> 00:37:38,680
Speaker 5: continue the last seven games of the season. So depending

757
00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:43,160
Speaker 5: on what I see from this defensive group and their

758
00:37:43,200 --> 00:37:46,880
Speaker 5: depth and how they've performed, there could be some spots

759
00:37:46,880 --> 00:37:49,600
Speaker 5: where this team could be looking at securing some wins

760
00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:51,760
Speaker 5: late in the season, a couple of really good spots

761
00:37:51,760 --> 00:37:53,920
Speaker 5: to back Delaware against the number and I could definitely

762
00:37:53,960 --> 00:37:55,520
Speaker 5: see this group at five wins.

763
00:37:56,120 --> 00:37:58,920
Speaker 2: From Delaware to a team that has a lot of

764
00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:01,480
Speaker 2: swag and certain on this program is going to have

765
00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:05,440
Speaker 2: a lot of sound drops. Mister worldwide. You don't get money, mister.

766
00:38:05,239 --> 00:38:16,720
Speaker 4: Worldwide, but I do see FIU Panthers time, they'll.

767
00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:23,359
Speaker 2: Stop the hit. Bull himself being the proud backer of

768
00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:28,200
Speaker 2: this program. The stadium is named after him. Let's talk FIU.

769
00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:31,400
Speaker 2: The Panthers four and eight last season, three and five

770
00:38:31,640 --> 00:38:34,520
Speaker 2: in conference play. That was enough to clean house get

771
00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:36,880
Speaker 2: themselves a new coach. They are fourteen to one to

772
00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:39,120
Speaker 2: win the conference this year. They win till was set

773
00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:40,960
Speaker 2: at five and a half. They have three starters returning

774
00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:44,120
Speaker 2: to on offense, one on defense. Critically, their quarterback Keywon

775
00:38:44,880 --> 00:38:48,200
Speaker 2: Jenkins one hundred and second in returning production overall, ninety

776
00:38:48,239 --> 00:38:50,560
Speaker 2: eighth on both sides of the ball. Let me say

777
00:38:50,560 --> 00:38:52,560
Speaker 2: this straight away. This is the kind of higher that

778
00:38:52,680 --> 00:38:55,960
Speaker 2: FIU needed to make. Willie Simmons won at Prairie View

779
00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:59,120
Speaker 2: A and M. Then he won huge at Florida A

780
00:38:59,239 --> 00:39:02,160
Speaker 2: and M, leading them to an HBCU national title. His

781
00:39:02,239 --> 00:39:05,120
Speaker 2: twenty twenty three season was so special that the Rattlers

782
00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:08,680
Speaker 2: finished fifth in the FCS Coaches Poll, the best finished

783
00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:11,920
Speaker 2: by an HBCU in the FCS era. Winning at these

784
00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:15,200
Speaker 2: places means two things. You can evaluate talent and you

785
00:39:15,239 --> 00:39:17,640
Speaker 2: can recruit your butt off because you don't have the

786
00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:19,680
Speaker 2: money to compete with the big boys. You can't miss

787
00:39:19,680 --> 00:39:23,360
Speaker 2: when you have an opportunity and get into these recruiting wars.

788
00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:25,160
Speaker 2: But also you need to be able to coach up

789
00:39:25,160 --> 00:39:27,200
Speaker 2: who you have on hands. You can't just go into

790
00:39:27,239 --> 00:39:29,920
Speaker 2: the portal and buy talent. So Willy comes into a

791
00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:32,120
Speaker 2: program like this that needs to do more with less.

792
00:39:32,280 --> 00:39:34,360
Speaker 2: I think he's the perfect guy. He earned a reputation

793
00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:36,319
Speaker 2: in the state of Florida already with all the high

794
00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:39,840
Speaker 2: school coaches as an elite recruiter, somebody who knows every

795
00:39:39,880 --> 00:39:42,919
Speaker 2: single high school, every single coach. He's a player's coach.

796
00:39:42,960 --> 00:39:45,680
Speaker 2: He relates to these kids even like a little tidbit.

797
00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:47,640
Speaker 2: He's a huge sneaker head. He's got like four hundred

798
00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:50,000
Speaker 2: pairs of sneakers. He's well dressed. He comes in, he

799
00:39:50,040 --> 00:39:53,040
Speaker 2: commands a room, and as one of the rare African

800
00:39:53,080 --> 00:39:55,800
Speaker 2: American FBS head coaches, I think that gives him a

801
00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:57,600
Speaker 2: leg up to be able to go into some of

802
00:39:57,640 --> 00:40:01,480
Speaker 2: these predominantly black communities and be able to offer something

803
00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:03,279
Speaker 2: different because FIU is not just gonna be able to

804
00:40:03,360 --> 00:40:05,880
Speaker 2: drop off a bag. It has to be a bit cultural.

805
00:40:06,040 --> 00:40:07,600
Speaker 2: It has to be a bit about him being a

806
00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:10,560
Speaker 2: player coach relating to these kids. Oh and also is

807
00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:15,040
Speaker 2: an incredibly stat friendly system. In one off season interview

808
00:40:15,040 --> 00:40:17,839
Speaker 2: that I watched, he mentioned the word up tempo four

809
00:40:17,880 --> 00:40:21,920
Speaker 2: times in a single answer about his offensive philosophy. They

810
00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:23,759
Speaker 2: want to go fast, they want to spread teams out,

811
00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:25,760
Speaker 2: they want to be multiple in terms of their formations.

812
00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:28,279
Speaker 2: Their personnel's out of the shotgun, which is fitting because

813
00:40:28,320 --> 00:40:30,759
Speaker 2: his nickname in high school was Shotgun Simmons. He played

814
00:40:30,800 --> 00:40:33,680
Speaker 2: at Clemson, he played at the Citadel. He is somebody

815
00:40:33,719 --> 00:40:36,920
Speaker 2: who's really easy to like. If you haven't listened to

816
00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:39,160
Speaker 2: this guy or you're not familiar with him, he's going

817
00:40:39,239 --> 00:40:40,680
Speaker 2: to be a darling in the G five, or at

818
00:40:40,719 --> 00:40:43,080
Speaker 2: least I hope so. But do they have the horses

819
00:40:43,080 --> 00:40:45,400
Speaker 2: in twenty twenty four? All of this is great, all

820
00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:47,919
Speaker 2: this positivity is great. Maybe I'm drinking the kool aid.

821
00:40:48,040 --> 00:40:49,880
Speaker 2: Maybe I'm getting ahead of my skis a little bit

822
00:40:49,920 --> 00:40:52,799
Speaker 2: here with them coming off a four win season, But

823
00:40:52,880 --> 00:40:54,839
Speaker 2: when I look at it, they bring back he One

824
00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:58,080
Speaker 2: Jenkins aka lights Out. He just needs to turn up

825
00:40:58,080 --> 00:41:00,600
Speaker 2: the big plays and turn down the turn over worthy

826
00:41:00,600 --> 00:41:03,239
Speaker 2: plays because he's always been a little bit of good

827
00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:04,840
Speaker 2: a little bit of bad most of the time. In

828
00:41:04,880 --> 00:41:08,239
Speaker 2: the same game last year, nineteen big time throws per PFF,

829
00:41:08,440 --> 00:41:11,560
Speaker 2: but also fifteen turnover worthy plays as well. The good

830
00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:14,040
Speaker 2: news is he was absolutely cooking late and in terms

831
00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:16,439
Speaker 2: of his overall confidence, he was someone who won big

832
00:41:16,440 --> 00:41:18,239
Speaker 2: at the high school level, and when you look at

833
00:41:18,239 --> 00:41:20,960
Speaker 2: what he did down the stretch last season, twelve touchdowns,

834
00:41:21,120 --> 00:41:23,920
Speaker 2: a single interception in his final four games, three of

835
00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:26,719
Speaker 2: which he avoid taking a sack as well. So it

836
00:41:26,760 --> 00:41:29,000
Speaker 2: wasn't just the turnover worthy plays, it was also any

837
00:41:29,040 --> 00:41:31,280
Speaker 2: negative plays if he can keep them ahead of the sticks.

838
00:41:31,280 --> 00:41:32,719
Speaker 2: I think that's the name of the game. In year

839
00:41:32,760 --> 00:41:36,200
Speaker 2: one of Simmons offense, looking at the rest of the

840
00:41:36,239 --> 00:41:39,799
Speaker 2: talent around him, Key John Owens returns at running back,

841
00:41:39,840 --> 00:41:42,040
Speaker 2: as well as three of his top four wide receivers,

842
00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:46,600
Speaker 2: I mean losing rivers. It's not great goes to Georgia Tech.

843
00:41:46,760 --> 00:41:49,080
Speaker 2: I would be more bullish on this receiving room if

844
00:41:49,120 --> 00:41:51,520
Speaker 2: he was back, but those are the breaks at the

845
00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:54,440
Speaker 2: G five level. They added six foot six Alex Perry

846
00:41:54,480 --> 00:41:56,920
Speaker 2: from Hawaii, who I think is an interesting big target

847
00:41:56,920 --> 00:41:59,839
Speaker 2: could be a safety blanket for Jenkins this year and

848
00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:03,600
Speaker 2: three three star line and for Middle Tennessee, UAB and

849
00:42:03,680 --> 00:42:06,920
Speaker 2: Miami Florida. I think there's a chance, given the pieces,

850
00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:10,080
Speaker 2: that they're going to be borderline fifth or sixth best

851
00:42:10,120 --> 00:42:13,440
Speaker 2: offense in Conference USA. And if they do that, I

852
00:42:13,480 --> 00:42:15,960
Speaker 2: think the transfers could be enough. On the defensive side

853
00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:18,759
Speaker 2: of the ball. They're counting on at least five transfers

854
00:42:18,960 --> 00:42:21,000
Speaker 2: to make an impact and be starters. All of them

855
00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:24,160
Speaker 2: were three star guys from programs like Colorado, Florida State

856
00:42:24,200 --> 00:42:27,759
Speaker 2: in Illinois purely starting eleven, I think they could have

857
00:42:27,800 --> 00:42:30,680
Speaker 2: a really good secondary that's going to be difficult to

858
00:42:30,719 --> 00:42:33,560
Speaker 2: throw on. Can they generate a pass rush though obviously

859
00:42:33,560 --> 00:42:37,320
Speaker 2: it's interconnected in terms of your overall pass defense numbers.

860
00:42:37,360 --> 00:42:38,840
Speaker 2: You got to be able to get to the quarterback.

861
00:42:38,840 --> 00:42:41,640
Speaker 2: But they got not one, but two FSU edge rushers

862
00:42:41,760 --> 00:42:43,799
Speaker 2: who came through the portal, so that gives them a

863
00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:47,160
Speaker 2: shot right away. Now you've broken down the schedule beautifully

864
00:42:47,200 --> 00:42:49,400
Speaker 2: for the first couple of teams we've discussed here in

865
00:42:49,440 --> 00:42:53,160
Speaker 2: the CUSA. They get a win over Bethune Bethune Cookman,

866
00:42:53,239 --> 00:42:56,040
Speaker 2: they take a paycheck loss to Penn State. Early on,

867
00:42:56,320 --> 00:42:59,719
Speaker 2: they likely lose to Yukon and Liberty, but then after that,

868
00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:03,200
Speaker 2: my opinion, every single game is winnable. I think this

869
00:43:03,360 --> 00:43:06,000
Speaker 2: total is spot on. I think schedule wise, I don't

870
00:43:06,040 --> 00:43:09,719
Speaker 2: necessarily love how things break situationally like Keshing, Jacksonville State,

871
00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:11,880
Speaker 2: and Sam Houston to end the year. I'd prefer to

872
00:43:11,880 --> 00:43:15,040
Speaker 2: play those teams early in their transition to new coaching

873
00:43:15,080 --> 00:43:18,200
Speaker 2: staff and new philosophies. If they play them in September,

874
00:43:18,280 --> 00:43:20,280
Speaker 2: I think at this point I chalk them up as wins.

875
00:43:20,719 --> 00:43:23,120
Speaker 2: But right now you're giving these teams time to grow,

876
00:43:23,200 --> 00:43:25,160
Speaker 2: So we'll see if that goes off more as a

877
00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:27,640
Speaker 2: coin flip game down the stretch. I think in the ends,

878
00:43:27,719 --> 00:43:30,359
Speaker 2: I'm going to back them situationally, like they have a

879
00:43:30,400 --> 00:43:33,239
Speaker 2: lot of juice, not just with a first year coach,

880
00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:35,920
Speaker 2: but they bring a lot in from the community perspective.

881
00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:38,759
Speaker 2: They got Hispanic Heritage Night at pit Bull Stadium where

882
00:43:38,760 --> 00:43:42,799
Speaker 2: they're in the Biscayane blue uniforms against Delaware, They're gonna

883
00:43:42,800 --> 00:43:44,319
Speaker 2: be it's gonna be a wild scene when they wear

884
00:43:44,320 --> 00:43:47,560
Speaker 2: their Miami Vice uniforms when they host kennisaw They're gonna

885
00:43:47,560 --> 00:43:50,440
Speaker 2: have that like speedboat, yacht in the end zone. This

886
00:43:50,520 --> 00:43:51,719
Speaker 2: is the kind of stuff that you need to do

887
00:43:51,760 --> 00:43:53,480
Speaker 2: at the G five level to be able to drum

888
00:43:53,560 --> 00:43:55,960
Speaker 2: up some excitement for the program. I think it's gonna help.

889
00:43:55,960 --> 00:43:58,040
Speaker 2: They're gonna have more swag, certainly than any team in

890
00:43:58,080 --> 00:44:01,680
Speaker 2: the conference. Will that translate to win. I'm not putting

891
00:44:01,680 --> 00:44:03,440
Speaker 2: my money behind it at five and a half. As

892
00:44:03,440 --> 00:44:05,440
Speaker 2: I said, the number I think is just right. Fourteen

893
00:44:05,480 --> 00:44:07,400
Speaker 2: to one doesn't move the needle for me from a

894
00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:11,520
Speaker 2: conference future perspective, but situationally, I think this offense could

895
00:44:11,560 --> 00:44:15,200
Speaker 2: work if Jenkins gets cooking early and this offense, as

896
00:44:15,239 --> 00:44:17,600
Speaker 2: I said, stat friendly. There could be some overs to

897
00:44:17,640 --> 00:44:20,120
Speaker 2: consider as well. But I'm just excited to see Willie

898
00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:22,759
Speaker 2: Simmons settle in as an FBS head coach because he

899
00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:23,480
Speaker 2: certainly deserves.

900
00:44:23,520 --> 00:44:26,560
Speaker 4: It's been all around the world, but I hangover that is.

901
00:44:29,840 --> 00:44:33,480
Speaker 5: Yeah, staggering similarities in my notes. We don't compare notes.

902
00:44:33,840 --> 00:44:36,480
Speaker 5: My sentiments on the Panthers are very, very similar. I

903
00:44:36,560 --> 00:44:39,520
Speaker 5: think this team has the potential to be a real

904
00:44:39,560 --> 00:44:42,120
Speaker 5: feisty out this year. In Conference USA, we talked about

905
00:44:42,160 --> 00:44:44,920
Speaker 5: lights out Jenkins coming back for year three in the program,

906
00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:48,400
Speaker 5: and I thought that he showed some significant flashes of

907
00:44:48,440 --> 00:44:52,480
Speaker 5: brilliance last season. Willie Simmons is just an absolute slam

908
00:44:52,560 --> 00:44:55,520
Speaker 5: dunk hire for this program. He's a real players coach

909
00:44:55,520 --> 00:44:57,960
Speaker 5: and a coach that is able to connect with the

910
00:44:58,000 --> 00:44:59,959
Speaker 5: group of guys that he has in the locker room,

911
00:45:00,239 --> 00:45:04,279
Speaker 5: something the previous regime was really unable to do. They

912
00:45:04,320 --> 00:45:09,080
Speaker 5: will probably deploy a running back by committee approach this season,

913
00:45:09,239 --> 00:45:15,040
Speaker 5: with Kejon Owens and DeVante Lyons splitting carries, and then

914
00:45:15,080 --> 00:45:17,319
Speaker 5: we'll see Anthony Carey get a few carries as well

915
00:45:17,360 --> 00:45:19,520
Speaker 5: in a spell role. But I think that.

916
00:45:19,560 --> 00:45:22,680
Speaker 2: Carry coming from Georgia Tech, he's kind of I wouldn't

917
00:45:22,680 --> 00:45:25,240
Speaker 2: say a mystery. I think they just aren't necessarily counting

918
00:45:25,320 --> 00:45:27,560
Speaker 2: on him to be the belcow back. But if he

919
00:45:27,600 --> 00:45:29,399
Speaker 2: were to pop, that wouldn't surprise me at all, which

920
00:45:29,400 --> 00:45:30,840
Speaker 2: which would put a lot of win in their sales.

921
00:45:30,840 --> 00:45:33,880
Speaker 5: Offensively, it really would, and I'm glad you mentioned Alex

922
00:45:33,920 --> 00:45:37,440
Speaker 5: Perry from Hawaii. He's a great receiver get and with

923
00:45:37,480 --> 00:45:39,360
Speaker 5: what they lost in the receiver room last year, I

924
00:45:39,400 --> 00:45:43,840
Speaker 5: think that this kind of mitigates those losses. Offensive Line

925
00:45:44,200 --> 00:45:47,200
Speaker 5: is a concern, as almost all these teams have had

926
00:45:47,400 --> 00:45:50,359
Speaker 5: I like the fact that they have Julius Pearce, who

927
00:45:50,440 --> 00:45:52,800
Speaker 5: was at the program left and has now come back.

928
00:45:53,520 --> 00:45:56,360
Speaker 5: Looks like three sophomores are possibly going to be expected

929
00:45:56,400 --> 00:45:58,440
Speaker 5: to start, and so some of those players have at

930
00:45:58,480 --> 00:46:02,400
Speaker 5: least some game reps. So not a complete green unit there. Defensively,

931
00:46:02,440 --> 00:46:05,160
Speaker 5: there's actually some things to like for FIU. The DC

932
00:46:05,400 --> 00:46:07,279
Speaker 5: was retained and is in his fourth year, and so

933
00:46:07,320 --> 00:46:10,120
Speaker 5: there's going to be some continuity on the defense. Last

934
00:46:10,160 --> 00:46:12,520
Speaker 5: year and third down defense fifty five of one to

935
00:46:12,520 --> 00:46:15,160
Speaker 5: seventy one thirty two percent. This team did really well

936
00:46:15,200 --> 00:46:17,640
Speaker 5: at getting off the field on third down and they

937
00:46:17,680 --> 00:46:19,560
Speaker 5: were really able to bow up in the red zone

938
00:46:19,600 --> 00:46:22,759
Speaker 5: quite nicely. There was a lot of empty possessions, ten

939
00:46:22,800 --> 00:46:27,040
Speaker 5: empty possessions and ten times where opponents had to settle

940
00:46:27,080 --> 00:46:28,920
Speaker 5: for red zone field goals. So it was only a

941
00:46:28,960 --> 00:46:32,440
Speaker 5: touchdown about a little over half the time that you

942
00:46:32,520 --> 00:46:34,680
Speaker 5: got into the red zone with FIU, and so they

943
00:46:34,719 --> 00:46:37,080
Speaker 5: actually had a little bit more intestinal fortitude than what

944
00:46:37,160 --> 00:46:39,959
Speaker 5: you might think. I think the secondary has a chance

945
00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:43,440
Speaker 5: to be really special. They have three really consistent players

946
00:46:43,480 --> 00:46:46,920
Speaker 5: in the secondary. They think Brian Blades is an NFL

947
00:46:47,000 --> 00:46:50,680
Speaker 5: type defensive player that they will be okay against the

948
00:46:50,719 --> 00:46:52,520
Speaker 5: past this season, and they're going to have to be

949
00:46:52,600 --> 00:46:54,960
Speaker 5: with some of those passing offenses that we've talked about

950
00:46:55,200 --> 00:46:58,719
Speaker 5: coming into Conference USA or changing schemes. I think the

951
00:46:58,840 --> 00:47:04,680
Speaker 5: floor for FIU is probably higher than what many people

952
00:47:04,800 --> 00:47:07,160
Speaker 5: might think. I think it'll be critical to see how

953
00:47:07,160 --> 00:47:10,239
Speaker 5: they start their season against Delaware and conference play. The

954
00:47:10,320 --> 00:47:13,000
Speaker 5: win total is appropriately priced, but it would not surprise

955
00:47:13,080 --> 00:47:16,240
Speaker 5: me at all if this team were to go bowling

956
00:47:16,280 --> 00:47:18,319
Speaker 5: this season. This has a potential to be a real

957
00:47:18,360 --> 00:47:20,120
Speaker 5: feisty out this year in the Panthers, and I think

958
00:47:20,239 --> 00:47:21,400
Speaker 5: FIU will have a good season.

959
00:47:21,800 --> 00:47:24,240
Speaker 2: Football season is here, folks, and we've got some huge

960
00:47:24,280 --> 00:47:27,640
Speaker 2: improvements and updates coming on the award winning Action Network app,

961
00:47:27,640 --> 00:47:29,960
Speaker 2: which we're very excited to discuss in the weeks ahead.

962
00:47:30,320 --> 00:47:31,759
Speaker 2: But to get the most out of the app, you

963
00:47:31,800 --> 00:47:34,600
Speaker 2: still need to be an Action Pro subscriber. It's only

964
00:47:34,640 --> 00:47:37,239
Speaker 2: with Action Pro you get real time pick alerts from Me, Duck,

965
00:47:37,280 --> 00:47:40,440
Speaker 2: Stucky and Colin and the entire Action Network team of experts.

966
00:47:40,520 --> 00:47:43,480
Speaker 2: Plus you can get access to pro projections powered by

967
00:47:43,480 --> 00:47:47,320
Speaker 2: Sean Kerner and our predictive analytics team, plus a million

968
00:47:47,320 --> 00:47:50,279
Speaker 2: other benefits. And right now BBOC listeners can save twenty

969
00:47:50,320 --> 00:47:53,000
Speaker 2: dollars off the annual price of Action Pro. Just go

970
00:47:53,080 --> 00:47:55,759
Speaker 2: to actionetwork dot com slash pro and use promo code

971
00:47:55,800 --> 00:47:59,920
Speaker 2: BBOC twenty. That's actionework dot Com slash Pro. Use co

972
00:48:00,280 --> 00:48:03,680
Speaker 2: BBOC twenty for twenty dollars off the annual price of

973
00:48:03,760 --> 00:48:06,719
Speaker 2: Action Pro. We turn now to the other newcomer at

974
00:48:06,719 --> 00:48:09,680
Speaker 2: the FBS level and here in Conference USA, the Missouri

975
00:48:09,719 --> 00:48:12,640
Speaker 2: State Bears bit Mobag and his based They're gonna step

976
00:48:12,680 --> 00:48:16,919
Speaker 2: on you. They went eight and four last season, five

977
00:48:16,920 --> 00:48:19,560
Speaker 2: and two in their conference play. They nearly upset number

978
00:48:19,560 --> 00:48:22,160
Speaker 2: three Montana at their place in the season opener. If

979
00:48:22,160 --> 00:48:24,480
Speaker 2: you don't just go in and knock the Grizzlies around

980
00:48:24,840 --> 00:48:27,800
Speaker 2: on their home field to a very impressive performance there,

981
00:48:28,040 --> 00:48:29,640
Speaker 2: their win total is set at four and a half.

982
00:48:29,680 --> 00:48:32,440
Speaker 2: They also cannot win the conference title just like Delaware,

983
00:48:32,480 --> 00:48:35,200
Speaker 2: so they can't even get to the title game. Ten

984
00:48:35,239 --> 00:48:38,160
Speaker 2: returning starters seven on offense, three on defense, seventeenth and

985
00:48:38,239 --> 00:48:42,719
Speaker 2: returning production nationally eighth on offense. Question right off the top,

986
00:48:42,800 --> 00:48:45,239
Speaker 2: could they have the best quarterback in the conference because

987
00:48:45,239 --> 00:48:47,439
Speaker 2: they got the big kid at Jacob Clark sixty five,

988
00:48:47,520 --> 00:48:50,200
Speaker 2: two hundred and twenty five pounds. Completed almost seventy percent

989
00:48:50,239 --> 00:48:52,800
Speaker 2: of his passes last fall thirty six hundred yards twenty

990
00:48:52,800 --> 00:48:56,800
Speaker 2: six t d's third and passing efficiency at the FCS level.

991
00:48:57,040 --> 00:48:59,920
Speaker 2: Isaiah mc morris comes in from Nebraska, a former track star.

992
00:49:00,160 --> 00:49:03,400
Speaker 2: He can stretch the defense. James Blackstrain came from Georgia

993
00:49:03,440 --> 00:49:06,840
Speaker 2: Tech and made an instant impact, and Jamaria Robinson is

994
00:49:06,880 --> 00:49:09,759
Speaker 2: a former FCS All American. Dylan Hip could be a

995
00:49:09,800 --> 00:49:12,160
Speaker 2: breakout star at tight Endy's six six, two hundred and

996
00:49:12,160 --> 00:49:15,360
Speaker 2: forty pounds formerly of Old Miss Shamari Lawrence is an

997
00:49:15,400 --> 00:49:18,480
Speaker 2: okay option in the backfield, but it's really an offensive

998
00:49:18,520 --> 00:49:20,719
Speaker 2: line that needs to play better. I think that's the

999
00:49:20,760 --> 00:49:22,879
Speaker 2: bugaboo for them. I think that is where they will

1000
00:49:22,920 --> 00:49:25,680
Speaker 2: sink or swim this year. They were a young offensive

1001
00:49:25,719 --> 00:49:28,920
Speaker 2: line last year that allowed a lot of hits on Clark.

1002
00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:31,800
Speaker 2: They returned four starters now, so when this pro style

1003
00:49:31,880 --> 00:49:34,960
Speaker 2: offense is humming, he has time to operate their blocking

1004
00:49:35,000 --> 00:49:37,959
Speaker 2: efficiently and Clark can pick teams apart down the field.

1005
00:49:38,280 --> 00:49:40,600
Speaker 2: They also have a reliable kicker returning who made eleven

1006
00:49:40,640 --> 00:49:44,239
Speaker 2: of his twelve attempts last year and hit a fifty yarder. Now,

1007
00:49:44,360 --> 00:49:47,920
Speaker 2: defense is where things could get shaky after key pieces

1008
00:49:47,920 --> 00:49:50,960
Speaker 2: walked out the door in the offseason. But luckily, I

1009
00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:54,760
Speaker 2: know you love a good FCS portal story. Jalen Brooks

1010
00:49:54,800 --> 00:49:56,800
Speaker 2: needs to come in and play like a man possessed,

1011
00:49:57,000 --> 00:49:58,840
Speaker 2: which he did last year Campbell. He had one hundred

1012
00:49:58,840 --> 00:50:01,879
Speaker 2: and eighteen tackles and have tackles for loss. He needs

1013
00:50:01,880 --> 00:50:04,120
Speaker 2: to play really well in the box because this line

1014
00:50:04,160 --> 00:50:06,640
Speaker 2: could get bullied and the secondary is relying on new

1015
00:50:06,680 --> 00:50:09,160
Speaker 2: faces to slow down passing attacks that they're going to face.

1016
00:50:09,160 --> 00:50:12,040
Speaker 2: Speaking of which USC and SMU in the first three

1017
00:50:12,040 --> 00:50:14,320
Speaker 2: weeks and then they go to Western Kentucky in September

1018
00:50:14,360 --> 00:50:18,240
Speaker 2: twenty seventh. Just like with Delaware, just pump the brakes.

1019
00:50:18,600 --> 00:50:21,240
Speaker 2: Don't make up your mind just based on the cistical

1020
00:50:21,280 --> 00:50:23,680
Speaker 2: profile at the end of September, because it's going to

1021
00:50:23,760 --> 00:50:25,960
Speaker 2: be skewed in a really bad way in terms of

1022
00:50:25,960 --> 00:50:29,640
Speaker 2: their passing yards that they're giving up. Still, just like you

1023
00:50:29,640 --> 00:50:32,120
Speaker 2: know some of the teams, we've discussed Western as one

1024
00:50:32,120 --> 00:50:34,520
Speaker 2: of them. This team screams over to me on a

1025
00:50:34,560 --> 00:50:37,239
Speaker 2: weekly basis because they're going to get bombed aerially, and

1026
00:50:37,280 --> 00:50:39,000
Speaker 2: that's what I want Frankly, I want some of these

1027
00:50:39,040 --> 00:50:42,719
Speaker 2: early Missouri State overs. Lock them in early before the

1028
00:50:42,760 --> 00:50:44,680
Speaker 2: market catches up to them, and then I could see

1029
00:50:44,719 --> 00:50:47,360
Speaker 2: them turning a corner later in the season against a

1030
00:50:47,400 --> 00:50:52,160
Speaker 2: closing slate of Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State, FIU, Liberty, UTEP, KNNISAU,

1031
00:50:52,239 --> 00:50:54,680
Speaker 2: and La Tech. I could see a one in four

1032
00:50:54,840 --> 00:50:57,680
Speaker 2: turning into a five and seven where they're feisty and

1033
00:50:57,719 --> 00:50:59,040
Speaker 2: you know, all of a sudden, they're starting to cover

1034
00:50:59,160 --> 00:51:02,960
Speaker 2: numbers and backdoor. Particularly with this offense and with Clark cooking,

1035
00:51:03,200 --> 00:51:04,560
Speaker 2: He's not someone who's going to give up on the

1036
00:51:04,560 --> 00:51:07,680
Speaker 2: season because this entire year essentially is an audition for

1037
00:51:07,840 --> 00:51:10,759
Speaker 2: NFL talent evaluators and where he wants to stack up

1038
00:51:10,960 --> 00:51:13,760
Speaker 2: in the NFL draft come next spring. So my closing

1039
00:51:13,760 --> 00:51:16,520
Speaker 2: thoughts here are, do not sell early on Ryan Beard

1040
00:51:16,600 --> 00:51:19,080
Speaker 2: and the Bears and thank me later. What are your

1041
00:51:19,080 --> 00:51:20,600
Speaker 2: thoughts on Most States.

1042
00:51:20,840 --> 00:51:23,200
Speaker 5: Great quarterback Jacob Clark, who's been in the system for

1043
00:51:23,280 --> 00:51:26,360
Speaker 5: some time, he has great size, he's poised in the

1044
00:51:26,400 --> 00:51:28,840
Speaker 5: pocket when he has time to throw. This will be

1045
00:51:28,920 --> 00:51:33,080
Speaker 5: a really fun offense that'll have success against Conference USA

1046
00:51:33,160 --> 00:51:36,799
Speaker 5: defenses this season. Really, what the catalyst will be is

1047
00:51:36,840 --> 00:51:39,120
Speaker 5: how the offensive line shores up, because this was a

1048
00:51:39,200 --> 00:51:41,880
Speaker 5: unit last year that struggled badly. They allowed forty sacks,

1049
00:51:41,880 --> 00:51:44,640
Speaker 5: they allowed eighty four tackles for loss. At times, this

1050
00:51:45,320 --> 00:51:48,279
Speaker 5: offensive line struggled to open up holes in the run game,

1051
00:51:49,160 --> 00:51:53,680
Speaker 5: and so they if the offensive line is humming, this

1052
00:51:53,760 --> 00:51:56,239
Speaker 5: offense will be electrifying week in and week out, and

1053
00:51:56,280 --> 00:51:59,240
Speaker 5: they should put up some big numbers. I actually really

1054
00:51:59,320 --> 00:52:01,960
Speaker 5: really like the addition of Schmary Lawrence in the running

1055
00:52:02,000 --> 00:52:03,880
Speaker 5: back room. He started his career at the University of

1056
00:52:03,880 --> 00:52:06,560
Speaker 5: South Dakota and was an electrifying back for them before

1057
00:52:06,560 --> 00:52:09,719
Speaker 5: going to FIU and is now here in Springfield, and

1058
00:52:09,800 --> 00:52:11,759
Speaker 5: I think he'll fit right in the running back room.

1059
00:52:11,760 --> 00:52:15,759
Speaker 5: There really what this season will come down to because

1060
00:52:15,800 --> 00:52:18,040
Speaker 5: this is a transition year. This is a year that

1061
00:52:18,120 --> 00:52:20,680
Speaker 5: this program is going to experience a lot of firsts.

1062
00:52:21,120 --> 00:52:23,640
Speaker 5: I think the coaching staff is fairly prepared for it

1063
00:52:23,719 --> 00:52:26,480
Speaker 5: with the group that's in their locker room. I think

1064
00:52:26,520 --> 00:52:30,200
Speaker 5: the defense is at times going to just get exposed

1065
00:52:30,280 --> 00:52:32,440
Speaker 5: because we have just seen it when they've played up

1066
00:52:32,480 --> 00:52:37,000
Speaker 5: in competition at the FCS level, specifically against the premier

1067
00:52:37,600 --> 00:52:41,120
Speaker 5: FCS Missouri Valley Football Conference teams in South Dakota State

1068
00:52:41,160 --> 00:52:43,080
Speaker 5: and North Dakota State and the University of South Dakota.

1069
00:52:43,120 --> 00:52:45,280
Speaker 5: They have just struggled badly to get off the field.

1070
00:52:45,600 --> 00:52:50,440
Speaker 5: They can't stop the run, and teams score very consistently

1071
00:52:50,480 --> 00:52:53,760
Speaker 5: against this defensive unit at all three levels of the defense.

1072
00:52:53,800 --> 00:52:57,239
Speaker 5: I think there are holes. You know, eleven of the

1073
00:52:57,239 --> 00:53:00,759
Speaker 5: top thirteen tacklers are gone. Will know a little bit

1074
00:53:00,800 --> 00:53:03,759
Speaker 5: about this team after they go to the coliseum and

1075
00:53:03,800 --> 00:53:07,640
Speaker 5: face USC. But you're absolutely right. Later on in the schedule,

1076
00:53:07,880 --> 00:53:11,320
Speaker 5: there are some winnable situations with Kanisas State, they host

1077
00:53:11,360 --> 00:53:15,439
Speaker 5: Louisiana Tech. They host FIU, which could be a coin

1078
00:53:15,480 --> 00:53:18,760
Speaker 5: flip game New Mexico State. There are opportunities that present

1079
00:53:18,840 --> 00:53:22,120
Speaker 5: themselves for wins. One thing that I will say is

1080
00:53:22,880 --> 00:53:26,520
Speaker 5: their last game of the season a couple days after Thanksgiving.

1081
00:53:27,040 --> 00:53:32,960
Speaker 5: They host Louisiana Tech, and if Louisiana Tech has either

1082
00:53:33,120 --> 00:53:37,520
Speaker 5: secured their sixth win to unlock ball eligibility, or if

1083
00:53:37,600 --> 00:53:40,359
Speaker 5: that season goes awry in rustin which I believe it may,

1084
00:53:40,760 --> 00:53:44,279
Speaker 5: and they're not even playing for Bowl game aspirations, that

1085
00:53:44,360 --> 00:53:47,360
Speaker 5: could be an absolutely brutal spot for Louisiana Tech. And

1086
00:53:47,400 --> 00:53:50,040
Speaker 5: one that I have circled in red ink to look

1087
00:53:50,080 --> 00:53:53,160
Speaker 5: to play Missouri State in their season finale. So I

1088
00:53:53,280 --> 00:53:55,719
Speaker 5: like Missouri State against the number. I don't have a

1089
00:53:55,719 --> 00:53:57,799
Speaker 5: strong opinion on the win total, but this is going

1090
00:53:57,880 --> 00:54:00,359
Speaker 5: to be a really solid offensive group that's not going

1091
00:54:00,360 --> 00:54:03,759
Speaker 5: to be intimidated. Quarterback plays should be just fine in

1092
00:54:03,800 --> 00:54:06,279
Speaker 5: this league. It'll come down to if the defense can

1093
00:54:06,440 --> 00:54:08,279
Speaker 5: get some stops, which to be.

1094
00:54:08,280 --> 00:54:12,319
Speaker 2: Determined from a newcomer to a former newcomer. Jacksonville State

1095
00:54:12,360 --> 00:54:15,280
Speaker 2: they went nine to five last year in Conference USA

1096
00:54:15,360 --> 00:54:18,680
Speaker 2: seven and one in Conference USA play. Obviously won the

1097
00:54:18,719 --> 00:54:21,440
Speaker 2: whole thing, lost their bowl game by three to Ohio

1098
00:54:21,560 --> 00:54:24,120
Speaker 2: and the Cure Bowl. But the headline here is bye

1099
00:54:24,120 --> 00:54:26,880
Speaker 2: bye rich Ra Hello Charles Kelly, who returns to Jacksonville

1100
00:54:26,880 --> 00:54:29,560
Speaker 2: State after being their OC in ninety six and then

1101
00:54:29,600 --> 00:54:32,080
Speaker 2: turned around and was their DC in ninety seven and

1102
00:54:32,200 --> 00:54:34,960
Speaker 2: ninety eight. That is something I've never seen at the

1103
00:54:35,280 --> 00:54:37,680
Speaker 2: high level of college football. But he's never been a

1104
00:54:37,680 --> 00:54:39,080
Speaker 2: head football coach at any level.

1105
00:54:40,040 --> 00:54:43,480
Speaker 3: Oh what a mess all to mess tight club, Basma.

1106
00:54:44,000 --> 00:54:46,680
Speaker 2: I have major questions about why this number to win

1107
00:54:46,719 --> 00:54:49,640
Speaker 2: the conference eleven to one. Forget that I'm not playing it.

1108
00:54:49,840 --> 00:54:52,279
Speaker 2: The win total is at six and a half. I'm

1109
00:54:52,320 --> 00:54:55,120
Speaker 2: just going to say straight away under because they returned

1110
00:54:55,120 --> 00:54:57,080
Speaker 2: to six starters, four in offense, two on defense, one

1111
00:54:57,160 --> 00:55:00,960
Speaker 2: hundred and thirty third in returning production, dead last in

1112
00:55:01,040 --> 00:55:04,480
Speaker 2: defensive production returning in the entire country. And not only

1113
00:55:04,640 --> 00:55:07,040
Speaker 2: is this you know no longer rich Rod's program, it's

1114
00:55:07,080 --> 00:55:09,680
Speaker 2: not Rich Rod's offense. We got a major scheme change here.

1115
00:55:09,840 --> 00:55:13,000
Speaker 2: The spread option is turning to Clint Tricketts spread, which

1116
00:55:13,040 --> 00:55:15,480
Speaker 2: will still feature a running quarterback at times, but he

1117
00:55:15,680 --> 00:55:18,319
Speaker 2: prefers a bell cow like he you know found at

1118
00:55:18,320 --> 00:55:21,440
Speaker 2: Marshall out of the backfield in Lamborghini, Leyburn or rashein

1119
00:55:21,520 --> 00:55:24,480
Speaker 2: Ali and Frankly, his quarterbacks when he's been a play

1120
00:55:24,480 --> 00:55:27,880
Speaker 2: caller and OC have stunk. Cam Fancher was a one

1121
00:55:27,960 --> 00:55:30,840
Speaker 2: to one touchdown to interception ratio kind of guy. And

1122
00:55:30,880 --> 00:55:33,120
Speaker 2: when he was the passing game coordinator at Georgia Southern

1123
00:55:33,200 --> 00:55:36,719
Speaker 2: last year, J. C. French struggled mightily with turnovers. He

1124
00:55:36,840 --> 00:55:40,480
Speaker 2: served up twenty turnover worthy plays. Now, Gavin Wimset is

1125
00:55:40,600 --> 00:55:43,799
Speaker 2: likely your starter. He's got seventeen career passing touchdowns but

1126
00:55:43,960 --> 00:55:46,600
Speaker 2: twenty one picks. He can absolutely run the ball He's

1127
00:55:46,600 --> 00:55:48,480
Speaker 2: going to be a red zone demon. If you know

1128
00:55:48,719 --> 00:55:50,960
Speaker 2: he plays all twelve games, I could see him go

1129
00:55:51,040 --> 00:55:54,080
Speaker 2: for double digit rushing touchdowns in those goal to go situations.

1130
00:55:54,120 --> 00:55:57,480
Speaker 2: But turnovers are going to hurt extra because this defense

1131
00:55:57,680 --> 00:56:01,080
Speaker 2: is going to be just porous ass the board, and

1132
00:56:01,120 --> 00:56:02,640
Speaker 2: I think teams are going to be able to run

1133
00:56:02,680 --> 00:56:05,480
Speaker 2: it up in some revenge spots against the game Cocks

1134
00:56:05,600 --> 00:56:08,040
Speaker 2: after all the success that they had in twenty twenty four.

1135
00:56:08,520 --> 00:56:10,440
Speaker 2: As I mentioned, the defense has no one left and

1136
00:56:10,480 --> 00:56:14,200
Speaker 2: they make rate out well by Conference USA standards up front,

1137
00:56:14,400 --> 00:56:16,600
Speaker 2: but the back eight is where my major concerns are.

1138
00:56:16,640 --> 00:56:18,680
Speaker 2: This defense is going to get shredded. They have no

1139
00:56:18,760 --> 00:56:22,400
Speaker 2: continuity and they're coached up by Brian Williams, whose defenses

1140
00:56:22,440 --> 00:56:26,200
Speaker 2: at Maryland went from okay decent to awful by the

1141
00:56:26,200 --> 00:56:28,640
Speaker 2: time he was run out of town. They consistently fell

1142
00:56:28,680 --> 00:56:31,600
Speaker 2: short in generating negative plays and taking the ball away

1143
00:56:31,680 --> 00:56:33,680
Speaker 2: with the turps. That's not going to cut it with

1144
00:56:33,840 --> 00:56:37,920
Speaker 2: this schedule. First three weeks at UCF Liberty at Georgia Southern.

1145
00:56:38,080 --> 00:56:40,600
Speaker 2: They could get humbled early on, and then the schedule

1146
00:56:40,640 --> 00:56:43,160
Speaker 2: really does soften. Well, you wonder how many lumps they're

1147
00:56:43,160 --> 00:56:44,839
Speaker 2: going to take in those first three games. They're at

1148
00:56:44,840 --> 00:56:48,280
Speaker 2: sam Houston home against Delaware, at Middle Tennessee, at utep

1149
00:56:48,400 --> 00:56:52,200
Speaker 2: Kanisaw at FIU over a seven week stretch. So as

1150
00:56:52,280 --> 00:56:53,839
Speaker 2: down as I am on this team and I am

1151
00:56:53,880 --> 00:56:56,719
Speaker 2: playing there under on six and a half, I think

1152
00:56:56,840 --> 00:56:58,920
Speaker 2: I could just see the schedule where they could reel

1153
00:56:58,960 --> 00:57:01,200
Speaker 2: off four, five, five wins in the back half of

1154
00:57:01,200 --> 00:57:02,880
Speaker 2: the schedule and make it you sweat it out a

1155
00:57:02,880 --> 00:57:05,200
Speaker 2: little bit. You know, some of these unders that I like,

1156
00:57:05,239 --> 00:57:06,799
Speaker 2: and I'm going to talk about across the G five

1157
00:57:06,880 --> 00:57:10,080
Speaker 2: landscape sometimes I even like the alternate unders. This is

1158
00:57:10,120 --> 00:57:12,240
Speaker 2: not one of those cases. I don't see them getting

1159
00:57:12,239 --> 00:57:15,319
Speaker 2: to seven wins based on what they had defensively. But

1160
00:57:15,400 --> 00:57:17,680
Speaker 2: as I mentioned, this schedule sets up for a nice

1161
00:57:17,720 --> 00:57:19,800
Speaker 2: little run in the middle of the year, and with

1162
00:57:19,880 --> 00:57:22,920
Speaker 2: Murray State is a gimme. I really need their spirit

1163
00:57:23,000 --> 00:57:25,440
Speaker 2: to be broken early. I just see a brand new

1164
00:57:25,440 --> 00:57:29,680
Speaker 2: head coach, an underwhelming journeyman quarterback, a meth play caller,

1165
00:57:30,000 --> 00:57:33,120
Speaker 2: no familiarity on defense, and comments like the one published

1166
00:57:33,320 --> 00:57:37,160
Speaker 2: in Athlon by an anonymous conference USA assistant. Jacksonville State

1167
00:57:37,240 --> 00:57:40,480
Speaker 2: could be a worse or a first to worst or

1168
00:57:40,640 --> 00:57:43,880
Speaker 2: close candidate I agree with that guy. Put your name

1169
00:57:43,920 --> 00:57:45,720
Speaker 2: to it, first of all, but I agree with him.

1170
00:57:45,880 --> 00:57:47,160
Speaker 2: I think this is going to be a team that

1171
00:57:47,160 --> 00:57:50,640
Speaker 2: could potentially go first to worst and Jsu I just

1172
00:57:50,680 --> 00:57:53,360
Speaker 2: don't see it. Maybe you could talk into some positivity

1173
00:57:53,440 --> 00:57:56,240
Speaker 2: or some spots to play them, but offensively, I'm just

1174
00:57:56,240 --> 00:58:00,560
Speaker 2: not seeing it. With Tricket at the Helm, I really can't.

1175
00:58:00,600 --> 00:58:02,040
Speaker 5: I mean, if you look at some of the returning

1176
00:58:02,040 --> 00:58:05,280
Speaker 5: production metrics, they were absolutely dead last in FBS football

1177
00:58:05,720 --> 00:58:11,640
Speaker 5: overall in returning production and production lost, and it just

1178
00:58:11,760 --> 00:58:14,040
Speaker 5: is going to be an uphill battle. The defense is

1179
00:58:14,160 --> 00:58:17,560
Speaker 5: one that is likely to get shredded week in and

1180
00:58:17,640 --> 00:58:21,120
Speaker 5: week out. The losses in production defensively are massive. And

1181
00:58:21,160 --> 00:58:23,680
Speaker 5: it was already a defense that we saw had some holes,

1182
00:58:24,080 --> 00:58:26,600
Speaker 5: particularly in their first three games last season when they

1183
00:58:26,600 --> 00:58:30,480
Speaker 5: were shredded by Coastal Carolina, Louisville and Eastern Michigan. Before

1184
00:58:30,680 --> 00:58:33,720
Speaker 5: Tyler Huff was inserted and really grabbed the reins of

1185
00:58:33,800 --> 00:58:36,960
Speaker 5: the offense, this team was in major, major trouble. Now

1186
00:58:37,000 --> 00:58:39,280
Speaker 5: you have the scheme changes on both sides, you have

1187
00:58:39,320 --> 00:58:44,200
Speaker 5: a new staff, you have quarterback coming in that's Gavin Wimset,

1188
00:58:44,240 --> 00:58:47,560
Speaker 5: who had marginal success at Rutgers and not very much

1189
00:58:47,560 --> 00:58:51,160
Speaker 5: over in Kentucky before now landing here. I just don't

1190
00:58:51,200 --> 00:58:54,480
Speaker 5: see really a ton to really get excited about offensively

1191
00:58:54,560 --> 00:58:58,040
Speaker 5: with Jacksonville State this season, and I think the schedule

1192
00:58:58,080 --> 00:59:00,840
Speaker 5: provides actually some significant challenge. Is we talked about the

1193
00:59:00,880 --> 00:59:05,440
Speaker 5: non conference with Central Florida Liberty going to Georgia Southern,

1194
00:59:05,440 --> 00:59:09,040
Speaker 5: which will be a strong Sun Belt team this season,

1195
00:59:09,640 --> 00:59:14,240
Speaker 5: and then after the gimme game against a weak FCS

1196
00:59:14,240 --> 00:59:17,480
Speaker 5: opponent in Murray State, they've got to go to Southern Miss.

1197
00:59:17,520 --> 00:59:19,560
Speaker 5: That's kind of one of those swing games for Southern

1198
00:59:19,600 --> 00:59:21,680
Speaker 5: Miss where maybe people thought that was going to be

1199
00:59:21,680 --> 00:59:23,960
Speaker 5: a loss, but you and I knew early in that

1200
00:59:24,040 --> 00:59:27,520
Speaker 5: Southern Miss off season that that's one that they'll certainly

1201
00:59:27,560 --> 00:59:30,720
Speaker 5: have circled to get in the win column and a

1202
00:59:30,840 --> 00:59:33,960
Speaker 5: much improved Southern Miss team. So I totally see one

1203
00:59:34,000 --> 00:59:39,000
Speaker 5: and four start here, and there could be some plausibility

1204
00:59:39,000 --> 00:59:40,920
Speaker 5: that you could drum up a few wins in the

1205
00:59:41,000 --> 00:59:43,480
Speaker 5: conference slate, But I think going to UTEP on back

1206
00:59:43,520 --> 00:59:46,160
Speaker 5: to backs with Middle Tennessee and UTEP in the middle

1207
00:59:46,200 --> 00:59:49,040
Speaker 5: of that schedule is going to be really tough. Hosting

1208
00:59:49,080 --> 00:59:53,880
Speaker 5: Western Kentucky, who will be on revenge for losing the

1209
00:59:53,920 --> 00:59:58,040
Speaker 5: CUSA championship game last season in a team that will

1210
00:59:58,080 --> 01:00:01,240
Speaker 5: have their own holes defensively, but still much improved offense,

1211
01:00:01,240 --> 01:00:03,480
Speaker 5: and we'll probably have much more to play for at

1212
01:00:03,480 --> 01:00:06,160
Speaker 5: that point in the season. Going to FIU will be

1213
01:00:06,240 --> 01:00:08,400
Speaker 5: no cakewalk. I mean, I think there's still room to

1214
01:00:08,400 --> 01:00:10,760
Speaker 5: go here. I think Jacksonville State is poised to take

1215
01:00:10,800 --> 01:00:15,000
Speaker 5: a significant step back. When you look at the electrifying

1216
01:00:15,080 --> 01:00:19,040
Speaker 5: offense that we saw from this team last season and

1217
01:00:19,280 --> 01:00:23,120
Speaker 5: piling up the rushing yards, scoring forty or fifty or

1218
01:00:23,160 --> 01:00:26,919
Speaker 5: even sixty points in conference play, throw all that out

1219
01:00:26,920 --> 01:00:28,840
Speaker 5: the window. It's going to look a lot different here

1220
01:00:28,880 --> 01:00:32,720
Speaker 5: in Jacksonville, Alabama this season. For Jacksonville State. They will

1221
01:00:32,720 --> 01:00:35,920
Speaker 5: not have as much punch offensively. The defense is going

1222
01:00:35,960 --> 01:00:38,640
Speaker 5: to be leaky at all three levels. It's under all

1223
01:00:38,640 --> 01:00:40,960
Speaker 5: the way. Under six and a half was a regular

1224
01:00:41,000 --> 01:00:43,920
Speaker 5: season win play that I made. I don't like anything

1225
01:00:44,000 --> 01:00:46,280
Speaker 5: for this team as far as a conference future. I

1226
01:00:46,480 --> 01:00:49,640
Speaker 5: just don't see it here in this first year. And frankly,

1227
01:00:49,680 --> 01:00:52,800
Speaker 5: I really think they just kind of settled at head coach.

1228
01:00:52,880 --> 01:00:54,520
Speaker 5: I know that they like the fact that he had

1229
01:00:54,560 --> 01:00:57,080
Speaker 5: recruiting ties to the area, but I'm not in love

1230
01:00:57,120 --> 01:00:59,320
Speaker 5: with the higher Charles Kelly. It may work out, it

1231
01:00:59,320 --> 01:01:01,640
Speaker 5: may not work out, but I definitely don't see a

1232
01:01:01,640 --> 01:01:06,160
Speaker 5: tremendous amount of success here in year one for Jacksonville State.

1233
01:01:06,480 --> 01:01:07,640
Speaker 5: I've got him at four and eight.

1234
01:01:08,920 --> 01:01:11,560
Speaker 2: Louisiana Tech the Bulldogs five and eight last year four

1235
01:01:11,600 --> 01:01:13,439
Speaker 2: and four. They did get to go to a bowl

1236
01:01:13,480 --> 01:01:15,880
Speaker 2: game when Marshall backed out of the Independence Bowl, and

1237
01:01:15,920 --> 01:01:18,760
Speaker 2: they got smacked around by Army for the effort, losing

1238
01:01:18,760 --> 01:01:21,920
Speaker 2: twenty seven to six. They're plus eight point fifty to

1239
01:01:21,960 --> 01:01:24,360
Speaker 2: win Conference USA. That's a pass for me. As I

1240
01:01:24,360 --> 01:01:26,040
Speaker 2: mentioned the six and a half on the win total.

1241
01:01:26,280 --> 01:01:29,600
Speaker 2: It's my favorite under here in the CUSA. Eight returning starters,

1242
01:01:29,600 --> 01:01:32,240
Speaker 2: five on offense, three on defense, ninety third in returning

1243
01:01:32,240 --> 01:01:36,560
Speaker 2: production overall, one hundred and second defensively. Sonny Comby was

1244
01:01:36,600 --> 01:01:38,680
Speaker 2: on the chopping block after a three and six start

1245
01:01:38,760 --> 01:01:41,080
Speaker 2: to last season. He's got two years remaining on his

1246
01:01:41,120 --> 01:01:43,720
Speaker 2: five year deal and if LA Tech asted him, they'd

1247
01:01:43,760 --> 01:01:46,280
Speaker 2: owe him seventy five percent of what's left, which obviously

1248
01:01:46,320 --> 01:01:48,360
Speaker 2: is pretty small if they fire him after the season.

1249
01:01:48,920 --> 01:01:51,400
Speaker 2: Why do I hate LA Tech? Maybe it's the millennial

1250
01:01:51,480 --> 01:01:54,400
Speaker 2: in me. But this was once a fun offensive program

1251
01:01:54,440 --> 01:01:57,480
Speaker 2: that tim Rite, Troy Edwards, Kobe Cameron's that came through

1252
01:01:57,560 --> 01:02:00,520
Speaker 2: rustin Sonny Dykes was coaching this team ten years before

1253
01:02:00,520 --> 01:02:03,040
Speaker 2: he coached in the National title game. The players, the coaches,

1254
01:02:03,080 --> 01:02:06,080
Speaker 2: the offense, and all ad juice under comby. This offense

1255
01:02:06,120 --> 01:02:08,560
Speaker 2: has gotten worse every single year. He bottom out last fall,

1256
01:02:08,640 --> 01:02:10,760
Speaker 2: scoring less than three touchdowns per game, one hundred and

1257
01:02:10,800 --> 01:02:14,000
Speaker 2: eleventh in total offense. And the very first thing you're

1258
01:02:14,000 --> 01:02:16,440
Speaker 2: going to read, because it's the job of the writers

1259
01:02:16,440 --> 01:02:19,160
Speaker 2: in these preview magazines, where's the silver lining, Where's the

1260
01:02:19,160 --> 01:02:21,600
Speaker 2: hope you're gonna hear about? Evan Bullock. He protected the

1261
01:02:21,600 --> 01:02:23,760
Speaker 2: football last year as a freshman, which is a great thing.

1262
01:02:24,160 --> 01:02:26,920
Speaker 2: But I call this the Neil O'Donnell effect. My late

1263
01:02:26,960 --> 01:02:29,400
Speaker 2: father and I used to hate Neil o'donald quarterback for

1264
01:02:29,600 --> 01:02:32,840
Speaker 2: the Steelers and the Jets, because he would always get

1265
01:02:32,840 --> 01:02:36,480
Speaker 2: his butt kicked bus butt kissed by announcers saying thick

1266
01:02:36,480 --> 01:02:38,280
Speaker 2: guy doesn't turn the ball over. He never had a

1267
01:02:38,280 --> 01:02:41,680
Speaker 2: double digit interception season despite being a full time starter

1268
01:02:41,760 --> 01:02:44,400
Speaker 2: for most of the nineties. What was his secret? He

1269
01:02:44,480 --> 01:02:46,920
Speaker 2: just ate the football every single time that there was

1270
01:02:46,960 --> 01:02:48,960
Speaker 2: pressure or a tight window, Just take the sack. He

1271
01:02:49,000 --> 01:02:52,640
Speaker 2: got sacked forty five times in fifteen games in nineteen

1272
01:02:52,720 --> 01:02:56,000
Speaker 2: ninety seven. He was simply afraid to throw under pressure.

1273
01:02:56,200 --> 01:02:58,520
Speaker 2: That's the Evan Bullock experience, at least what he put

1274
01:02:58,600 --> 01:03:01,680
Speaker 2: on tape. As a freshman. He got sacked every ten

1275
01:03:01,840 --> 01:03:05,480
Speaker 2: dropbacks for Lateech last fall. That was the secrets of

1276
01:03:05,480 --> 01:03:07,640
Speaker 2: not throwing picks. That was the second highest sack rate

1277
01:03:07,680 --> 01:03:10,440
Speaker 2: of any full time starter in FBS, behind Jackson Arnold,

1278
01:03:10,520 --> 01:03:13,560
Speaker 2: who was constantly under attack in Norman with that Oklahoma

1279
01:03:13,600 --> 01:03:16,560
Speaker 2: offensive line in shamples last year. So the question is

1280
01:03:16,600 --> 01:03:18,600
Speaker 2: did LA Tech's offensive line get any better? They were

1281
01:03:18,600 --> 01:03:21,160
Speaker 2: turned two starters up front, but they're going to likely

1282
01:03:21,320 --> 01:03:24,880
Speaker 2: rely on two sophomores, Roy Brackens the third and Keystone

1283
01:03:24,920 --> 01:03:28,440
Speaker 2: Allison at the guard spots. Allison is brand new. Brackensaw

1284
01:03:28,520 --> 01:03:31,240
Speaker 2: limited action, and they lost the potential started at wake

1285
01:03:31,280 --> 01:03:33,960
Speaker 2: Forest late in the transfer portal when it opened up

1286
01:03:34,000 --> 01:03:36,240
Speaker 2: in late spring as their left tackle. Who would have

1287
01:03:36,240 --> 01:03:38,000
Speaker 2: been a senior, he would have come in he had

1288
01:03:38,040 --> 01:03:41,520
Speaker 2: four years on campus. That is another big loss. The

1289
01:03:41,560 --> 01:03:44,400
Speaker 2: receiving corps is also super green. I just have I

1290
01:03:44,440 --> 01:03:46,680
Speaker 2: got a bad feeling about this offense just being stuck

1291
01:03:46,680 --> 01:03:48,960
Speaker 2: in the mud for the majority of twenty twenty five,

1292
01:03:49,200 --> 01:03:52,600
Speaker 2: and this schedule has quality opponents kind of sprinkled throughout

1293
01:03:52,680 --> 01:03:54,760
Speaker 2: that I think is going to keep the Bulldogs from

1294
01:03:54,760 --> 01:03:57,720
Speaker 2: building any momentum. They're at LSU. You know, they got

1295
01:03:57,720 --> 01:04:00,120
Speaker 2: a home game against Southern Miss in September. They got

1296
01:04:00,120 --> 01:04:03,600
Speaker 2: Wazoo and Liberty back to back late in this schedule.

1297
01:04:04,400 --> 01:04:06,240
Speaker 2: I just don't see it. And really the only reason

1298
01:04:06,240 --> 01:04:09,880
Speaker 2: why they were competitive last year was defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson,

1299
01:04:10,000 --> 01:04:12,680
Speaker 2: who's off to Coastal. He did a bang up job

1300
01:04:12,720 --> 01:04:15,120
Speaker 2: for a lot tech. I think that's actually underselling it. Honestly,

1301
01:04:15,160 --> 01:04:16,960
Speaker 2: I think given the talent on hand, it was one

1302
01:04:17,000 --> 01:04:18,880
Speaker 2: of the best coaching jobs in America. Last year. They

1303
01:04:18,880 --> 01:04:22,560
Speaker 2: were twelfth in total defense, twenty fifth in third down defense,

1304
01:04:22,680 --> 01:04:25,320
Speaker 2: or excuse me, top twenty five, fourteenth in red zone

1305
01:04:25,360 --> 01:04:28,840
Speaker 2: d just a tremendous situational play caller. When you saw

1306
01:04:28,920 --> 01:04:31,200
Speaker 2: them in pivotal moments when they needed to get off

1307
01:04:31,200 --> 01:04:33,360
Speaker 2: the field or they needed to hold teams to three,

1308
01:04:33,480 --> 01:04:36,360
Speaker 2: they did it. And the offense was constantly putting them

1309
01:04:36,360 --> 01:04:39,200
Speaker 2: in bad positions and they still delivered the fall off

1310
01:04:39,240 --> 01:04:43,080
Speaker 2: to Luke Olsen, the new DC. From a pure coaching perspective,

1311
01:04:43,280 --> 01:04:45,080
Speaker 2: I don't think it's going to be huge because he

1312
01:04:45,120 --> 01:04:47,400
Speaker 2: did a great job at Jacksonville State last year. But

1313
01:04:47,440 --> 01:04:49,720
Speaker 2: I see the personnel taking a big hit here. The

1314
01:04:49,800 --> 01:04:52,880
Speaker 2: front six returns just one starter. They didn't address that

1315
01:04:53,480 --> 01:04:56,080
Speaker 2: adequately in the portal in my opinion, so this could

1316
01:04:56,120 --> 01:04:58,600
Speaker 2: be problematic right from the jump. Lots to like in

1317
01:04:58,640 --> 01:05:01,040
Speaker 2: their secondary but a lack of rush, as I mentioned

1318
01:05:01,080 --> 01:05:03,960
Speaker 2: earlier in this preview, has that ripple effect. So I'm

1319
01:05:03,960 --> 01:05:06,360
Speaker 2: going to go under here. I'm going to see, you know,

1320
01:05:06,680 --> 01:05:10,320
Speaker 2: the losses to clearly lsu Wazoo Liberty, and then I

1321
01:05:10,400 --> 01:05:12,840
Speaker 2: just need three more from the home games against Southern Miss,

1322
01:05:13,200 --> 01:05:16,720
Speaker 2: Western Roadies, against FBS newcomers you know, Delaware and most

1323
01:05:16,720 --> 01:05:20,400
Speaker 2: State UTEP Kennesaw. I see five and seven, if not

1324
01:05:20,680 --> 01:05:23,720
Speaker 2: four and eight, or as you mentioned, potentially the entire

1325
01:05:23,800 --> 01:05:28,160
Speaker 2: thing collapsing and mid season firing. The coaches you know

1326
01:05:28,240 --> 01:05:30,720
Speaker 2: are looking for new jobs, the players are looking to

1327
01:05:30,760 --> 01:05:33,600
Speaker 2: the portal early. They're on social media basically putting their

1328
01:05:33,600 --> 01:05:36,240
Speaker 2: hand up, come save me from this sinking ship. I

1329
01:05:36,280 --> 01:05:38,240
Speaker 2: think this is the sinking ship. For a team that

1330
01:05:38,360 --> 01:05:41,920
Speaker 2: is being priced as a middle class, potential fringe contender

1331
01:05:42,200 --> 01:05:44,280
Speaker 2: in Conference USA. I don't see that at all. I

1332
01:05:44,280 --> 01:05:46,000
Speaker 2: don't think their offense is going to take the step

1333
01:05:46,040 --> 01:05:48,760
Speaker 2: forward needed for the defense taking a step back. What

1334
01:05:48,800 --> 01:05:50,600
Speaker 2: are your thoughts on the boys from Rustin?

1335
01:05:52,080 --> 01:05:54,800
Speaker 5: Seems like the voice from Rustin, this Louisian Tech Bulldog

1336
01:05:54,840 --> 01:05:56,680
Speaker 5: platoon is one that's getting a lot of love in

1337
01:05:56,720 --> 01:05:58,919
Speaker 5: the preseason in Conference to USA circles. And I don't

1338
01:05:59,000 --> 01:06:04,000
Speaker 5: understand why you mentioned Jeremiah Johnson was an incredible defensive coordinator.

1339
01:06:04,440 --> 01:06:07,680
Speaker 5: You saw so many flashes of what he was able

1340
01:06:07,720 --> 01:06:10,720
Speaker 5: to do with that defense in the bowl game against Army,

1341
01:06:10,760 --> 01:06:14,200
Speaker 5: where the offense did absolutely nothing, continue to put the

1342
01:06:14,200 --> 01:06:17,200
Speaker 5: defense out there, and the defense really hung in there

1343
01:06:17,240 --> 01:06:20,080
Speaker 5: against Captain America and Army and made it really difficult

1344
01:06:20,080 --> 01:06:22,120
Speaker 5: for Army, really limiting what they kind.

1345
01:06:21,920 --> 01:06:22,560
Speaker 2: Of wanted to do.

1346
01:06:23,120 --> 01:06:26,320
Speaker 5: And that defensive line really showed up and showed out

1347
01:06:26,360 --> 01:06:29,160
Speaker 5: really all season for Louisiana Tech, but specifically in that

1348
01:06:29,200 --> 01:06:32,120
Speaker 5: bowl game. And he's off to Coastal Carolina and the

1349
01:06:32,160 --> 01:06:36,080
Speaker 5: defensive production is lost, and I don't see how they're

1350
01:06:36,120 --> 01:06:38,200
Speaker 5: going to just be able to replace it. I think

1351
01:06:38,240 --> 01:06:41,760
Speaker 5: that people have undersold this coordinator move, but you and

1352
01:06:41,800 --> 01:06:45,520
Speaker 5: I have not. With the offense, we keep hearing all

1353
01:06:45,560 --> 01:06:49,080
Speaker 5: of this great exquisite stuff about the sunny Comby system,

1354
01:06:49,120 --> 01:06:51,680
Speaker 5: but three years into it with Louisiana Tech and we

1355
01:06:51,840 --> 01:06:54,680
Speaker 5: just have not seen it. There's just so little for

1356
01:06:54,720 --> 01:06:57,160
Speaker 5: me to really want to get excited about thirty nine

1357
01:06:57,200 --> 01:07:00,840
Speaker 5: percent on third down. There was way too many empty

1358
01:07:00,880 --> 01:07:03,600
Speaker 5: red zone possessions. Last season. They entered the red zone

1359
01:07:03,640 --> 01:07:07,040
Speaker 5: forty eight times. Yeah, thirteen of those times they came

1360
01:07:07,080 --> 01:07:09,400
Speaker 5: away with absolutely zero points, and then they settled for

1361
01:07:09,440 --> 01:07:11,600
Speaker 5: field goals eleven other times. So half the time you

1362
01:07:11,600 --> 01:07:13,600
Speaker 5: get into the red zone, you're scoring three or zero.

1363
01:07:13,720 --> 01:07:17,440
Speaker 5: It's just way too little output to try to assume

1364
01:07:17,560 --> 01:07:21,520
Speaker 5: that the offensive production can be reliable week in and

1365
01:07:21,560 --> 01:07:24,000
Speaker 5: week out, because it just simply wasn't You look at

1366
01:07:24,040 --> 01:07:26,480
Speaker 5: the team rushing average was two point nine yards per

1367
01:07:26,520 --> 01:07:29,360
Speaker 5: carry over the course of the entire season, and the

1368
01:07:29,400 --> 01:07:33,400
Speaker 5: offensive line, although it was fairly experienced last year, was

1369
01:07:33,440 --> 01:07:36,640
Speaker 5: a unit that gave up eighty three tackles for loss

1370
01:07:36,640 --> 01:07:39,720
Speaker 5: in forty one sacks, and now you have departures resulting

1371
01:07:39,720 --> 01:07:41,960
Speaker 5: in one hundred and twenty career starts along the offensive

1372
01:07:41,960 --> 01:07:45,840
Speaker 5: line being going away. So how do you draw up

1373
01:07:45,880 --> 01:07:49,840
Speaker 5: the offensive system in something that doesn't work and hasn't

1374
01:07:49,880 --> 01:07:53,360
Speaker 5: worked in what Sunny Comby has wanted to do here.

1375
01:07:53,400 --> 01:07:55,360
Speaker 5: You know, one thing about their system is they love

1376
01:07:55,440 --> 01:07:57,480
Speaker 5: the slot receiver and they really get a lot of

1377
01:07:57,600 --> 01:08:02,000
Speaker 5: action out of the slot receiver. And now we've got

1378
01:08:02,600 --> 01:08:04,880
Speaker 5: True Edwards who's no longer there, and how do you

1379
01:08:04,920 --> 01:08:09,120
Speaker 5: backfill his contribution to what we saw with Louisiana tack

1380
01:08:09,240 --> 01:08:12,720
Speaker 5: last year. It's just a group that I just don't

1381
01:08:12,760 --> 01:08:15,400
Speaker 5: see a ton of wow factor. I don't think they

1382
01:08:15,440 --> 01:08:19,040
Speaker 5: haven't figured out offensively, and so therefore I think we're

1383
01:08:19,080 --> 01:08:23,880
Speaker 5: going to just continue to see these struggles. Every possession,

1384
01:08:24,000 --> 01:08:25,800
Speaker 5: week in and week out, is just going to be

1385
01:08:26,680 --> 01:08:30,040
Speaker 5: nothing easy offensively for Louisiana Tech. And you have a

1386
01:08:30,160 --> 01:08:33,680
Speaker 5: defensive the guy who's drawing it up and scheming it

1387
01:08:33,760 --> 01:08:36,280
Speaker 5: up is no longer there, and so this defense will

1388
01:08:36,280 --> 01:08:38,160
Speaker 5: be out of position. It might be hard for the

1389
01:08:38,200 --> 01:08:40,559
Speaker 5: front seven to replicate the success they had against the

1390
01:08:40,600 --> 01:08:43,400
Speaker 5: run last year. I really don't see how this team

1391
01:08:43,439 --> 01:08:47,479
Speaker 5: gets over seven or over to over six wins. Frankly,

1392
01:08:47,560 --> 01:08:49,519
Speaker 5: I think it's a miracle that they make a bowl game.

1393
01:08:49,560 --> 01:08:52,799
Speaker 5: This year, I think that you get really tough games

1394
01:08:52,880 --> 01:08:56,519
Speaker 5: right out of the gate against Louisiana State Southern miss

1395
01:08:56,600 --> 01:08:58,840
Speaker 5: and then in that fifth game in five weeks, they

1396
01:08:58,880 --> 01:09:00,760
Speaker 5: got to go to UTEP, who's going to be an

1397
01:09:00,760 --> 01:09:03,840
Speaker 5: emerging program in Conference USA play before they hit the

1398
01:09:03,880 --> 01:09:06,200
Speaker 5: bye week. And then on the back end they've got

1399
01:09:06,200 --> 01:09:10,080
Speaker 5: Western Kentucky, They've got they've got to go to Wazoo,

1400
01:09:10,120 --> 01:09:13,679
Speaker 5: which is a strange out of conference game long travel spot,

1401
01:09:13,680 --> 01:09:16,960
Speaker 5: the second of back to backs after their first of

1402
01:09:17,000 --> 01:09:19,080
Speaker 5: the back to back. In that situation, they'll be on

1403
01:09:19,120 --> 01:09:21,640
Speaker 5: the other side of the country at Delaware, and then

1404
01:09:21,680 --> 01:09:23,679
Speaker 5: they come home and settle in for forty eight hours

1405
01:09:23,720 --> 01:09:26,000
Speaker 5: and then you're back on the plane to Pullman. Just

1406
01:09:26,040 --> 01:09:29,280
Speaker 5: a really tough travel spot, and then you double back

1407
01:09:29,760 --> 01:09:33,960
Speaker 5: after the Wazoo trip for Liberty, and Liberty is going

1408
01:09:34,040 --> 01:09:36,599
Speaker 5: to be rolling in there ready to just probably lock

1409
01:09:36,680 --> 01:09:38,680
Speaker 5: up their spot in the Conference USA title game. So

1410
01:09:39,040 --> 01:09:41,519
Speaker 5: quite frankly, if this season goes as I would expect,

1411
01:09:41,680 --> 01:09:44,400
Speaker 5: I question if sunny Comby's there next year. I can't

1412
01:09:44,400 --> 01:09:47,280
Speaker 5: see a path to seven wins. There's still some variation

1413
01:09:47,320 --> 01:09:49,280
Speaker 5: in the regular season win market. You can find some

1414
01:09:49,400 --> 01:09:51,519
Speaker 5: juice six and a half. You can find some kind

1415
01:09:51,520 --> 01:09:53,680
Speaker 5: of minus one ten, minus one, fifteen to five and

1416
01:09:53,680 --> 01:09:55,720
Speaker 5: a half. I still think we're good there. I don't

1417
01:09:55,720 --> 01:09:57,880
Speaker 5: see it going positively this year in rusting.

1418
01:09:57,960 --> 01:10:00,200
Speaker 2: From a team that won just five games last year

1419
01:10:00,280 --> 01:10:02,320
Speaker 2: to a team that won twice as many. The Sam

1420
01:10:02,400 --> 01:10:05,240
Speaker 2: Houston Bearcats went ten to three in twenty twenty four,

1421
01:10:05,320 --> 01:10:07,439
Speaker 2: six and two in conference play. They won the New

1422
01:10:07,560 --> 01:10:10,000
Speaker 2: Orleans Bowl over Georgia Southern in a shootout thirty one

1423
01:10:10,040 --> 01:10:16,519
Speaker 2: to twenty six, eat him up Cats Oh ten to

1424
01:10:16,560 --> 01:10:19,120
Speaker 2: one to win the conference win total. It't set at

1425
01:10:19,240 --> 01:10:22,200
Speaker 2: four and a half. It's because they only returned five starters,

1426
01:10:22,240 --> 01:10:25,160
Speaker 2: five on offense, zero on defense, one hundred and seventeenth

1427
01:10:25,200 --> 01:10:30,000
Speaker 2: in returning production, second to last on defensive production. Coming

1428
01:10:30,040 --> 01:10:33,160
Speaker 2: back Casey Keeler, because I mentioned at the top jumped

1429
01:10:33,200 --> 01:10:35,960
Speaker 2: Temple in the offseason. Incomes Phil Longo and his air

1430
01:10:36,040 --> 01:10:38,320
Speaker 2: raid offense that was a hit at North Carolina, his

1431
01:10:38,479 --> 01:10:41,360
Speaker 2: dairy raid not so much at Wisconsin. I'm going to

1432
01:10:41,400 --> 01:10:44,880
Speaker 2: give you the floor here, duck for Sam Houston. After

1433
01:10:44,920 --> 01:10:48,320
Speaker 2: saying this, I loved Hunter Watson as a dual threat

1434
01:10:48,400 --> 01:10:51,360
Speaker 2: game manager type, and he got the job done last year.

1435
01:10:51,400 --> 01:10:53,400
Speaker 2: There's just no way around it. But I don't think

1436
01:10:53,439 --> 01:10:56,760
Speaker 2: he's the right offensive fit here with only one main

1437
01:10:56,800 --> 01:11:00,679
Speaker 2: target returning in his receiving corps, I have my doubts.

1438
01:11:00,840 --> 01:11:02,599
Speaker 2: You know, if they're going to ask him to throw

1439
01:11:02,920 --> 01:11:05,680
Speaker 2: twenty five thirty thirty five times a game, I think

1440
01:11:05,680 --> 01:11:07,519
Speaker 2: that could get ugly. I think the turnovers are going

1441
01:11:07,560 --> 01:11:09,519
Speaker 2: to mount. I think the inefficiency is going to rear.

1442
01:11:09,560 --> 01:11:11,240
Speaker 2: It's ugly ahead. I think there's going to be some

1443
01:11:11,280 --> 01:11:13,640
Speaker 2: empty drive, some three and outs, gonna put even more

1444
01:11:13,640 --> 01:11:16,639
Speaker 2: pressure on this defense. That is all New Faces defense

1445
01:11:16,720 --> 01:11:19,760
Speaker 2: was gutted, and you're gonna be playing Western Kentucky. You know,

1446
01:11:19,840 --> 01:11:22,040
Speaker 2: in that opener, I think Western could hang one hundred

1447
01:11:22,040 --> 01:11:25,160
Speaker 2: on these guys. What are you seeing and how significant

1448
01:11:25,200 --> 01:11:28,759
Speaker 2: is this philosophical switch from Keeler to Longo in your opinion?

1449
01:11:30,280 --> 01:11:33,559
Speaker 5: Well, it's a really interesting change. It's a complete one

1450
01:11:33,680 --> 01:11:36,720
Speaker 5: eighty In team DNA, Keeler built this program up at

1451
01:11:36,720 --> 01:11:39,679
Speaker 5: the FCS level. They had a fairly explosive FCS offense,

1452
01:11:39,720 --> 01:11:41,880
Speaker 5: but they always had a rock solid defenses, and that's

1453
01:11:41,880 --> 01:11:44,479
Speaker 5: what they hung their hat on their first couple of

1454
01:11:44,479 --> 01:11:49,720
Speaker 5: seasons in FBS, making the transition, and with Keeler off

1455
01:11:49,760 --> 01:11:53,000
Speaker 5: to Temple, you're bringing in Phil Longo, who's been known

1456
01:11:53,040 --> 01:11:56,559
Speaker 5: for offense. The problem is, like you had mentioned, they

1457
01:11:56,560 --> 01:12:00,479
Speaker 5: don't really have the personnel to run this temp air

1458
01:12:00,600 --> 01:12:05,280
Speaker 5: raid system with a lot of certainty in what Hunter

1459
01:12:05,320 --> 01:12:07,599
Speaker 5: Watson is going to do at the quarterback position. They

1460
01:12:07,640 --> 01:12:09,679
Speaker 5: lose a lot of key pieces in the skill room.

1461
01:12:10,240 --> 01:12:12,360
Speaker 5: They lose their running back from last season who was

1462
01:12:12,360 --> 01:12:16,040
Speaker 5: a high producer in Jay Ducker, and the offensive line

1463
01:12:16,040 --> 01:12:18,559
Speaker 5: has some question marks, and so it might be something

1464
01:12:18,560 --> 01:12:21,960
Speaker 5: where the offense gets it kind of figured out as

1465
01:12:22,000 --> 01:12:25,960
Speaker 5: the schedule plays out and goes along. But the real

1466
01:12:26,160 --> 01:12:29,880
Speaker 5: real question mark here for me is defensively, you lose

1467
01:12:29,920 --> 01:12:32,840
Speaker 5: your defensive coordinator and have you're starting to platoon off

1468
01:12:32,880 --> 01:12:36,120
Speaker 5: to North Texas, and when you looked at the spring roster,

1469
01:12:36,240 --> 01:12:39,400
Speaker 5: they were barely able to even formulate a competent too

1470
01:12:39,479 --> 01:12:42,280
Speaker 5: deep in the defensive side of the ball because they

1471
01:12:42,360 --> 01:12:45,880
Speaker 5: just didn't have the talent for the bodies because of

1472
01:12:45,920 --> 01:12:49,360
Speaker 5: the exodus of personnel. And so I think that you're

1473
01:12:49,439 --> 01:12:51,240
Speaker 5: really going to be up against it when you look

1474
01:12:51,280 --> 01:12:54,920
Speaker 5: at how much production was lost, how much of the

1475
01:12:55,080 --> 01:12:59,120
Speaker 5: quality talent that Sam Houston State had from last season.

1476
01:13:00,160 --> 01:13:03,200
Speaker 5: It was a unit that really carried their team, especially

1477
01:13:03,200 --> 01:13:05,960
Speaker 5: when their quarterbacks were hurt last year and the offense

1478
01:13:06,080 --> 01:13:08,840
Speaker 5: wasn't clicking. The defense allowed them to kind of hang

1479
01:13:08,880 --> 01:13:11,200
Speaker 5: in there in Conference USA Play and carried their team

1480
01:13:11,240 --> 01:13:14,519
Speaker 5: to wins in low scoring battles. Well, this year, it's

1481
01:13:14,560 --> 01:13:16,519
Speaker 5: going to be anything but that. We're going to see

1482
01:13:16,520 --> 01:13:20,960
Speaker 5: a really quick, pace, tempo offense. I could actually see

1483
01:13:21,600 --> 01:13:26,360
Speaker 5: this offense really having a lack of success and experiencing

1484
01:13:26,400 --> 01:13:29,360
Speaker 5: three and outs, quick possessions, phunting a lot, and then

1485
01:13:29,400 --> 01:13:31,800
Speaker 5: that defense gets left out there on the field, and

1486
01:13:31,840 --> 01:13:35,080
Speaker 5: it just is something I don't anticipate going well. Even

1487
01:13:35,120 --> 01:13:37,280
Speaker 5: when you look at the back half of the schedule

1488
01:13:37,400 --> 01:13:41,280
Speaker 5: in Conference USA play, I just don't see this group

1489
01:13:41,320 --> 01:13:44,560
Speaker 5: getting on a roll. And then you've got a strange

1490
01:13:45,080 --> 01:13:48,240
Speaker 5: non conference road trip at Oregon State where I would

1491
01:13:48,240 --> 01:13:52,160
Speaker 5: anticipate this team would get blasted. So there are several

1492
01:13:52,200 --> 01:13:55,080
Speaker 5: spots that I have circled to fade Sam Houston State

1493
01:13:55,120 --> 01:13:56,840
Speaker 5: this year. I think it's going to be a real

1494
01:13:56,920 --> 01:13:59,760
Speaker 5: real struggle for Phil Longo. Not a lot of winnables here,

1495
01:14:00,160 --> 01:14:01,040
Speaker 5: too much transition.

1496
01:14:01,640 --> 01:14:03,160
Speaker 2: We've been on the same page for a lot of

1497
01:14:03,160 --> 01:14:05,880
Speaker 2: these teams. I think we could see it split. Here

1498
01:14:06,000 --> 01:14:08,719
Speaker 2: Will FOURK in the road talking middle Tennessee the Blue

1499
01:14:08,800 --> 01:14:11,360
Speaker 2: Raiders three and nine last year two and six in

1500
01:14:11,439 --> 01:14:15,559
Speaker 2: conference play in year one of Derek Mason, three and nine.

1501
01:14:15,920 --> 01:14:19,880
Speaker 2: Just I don't think that really describes what happened, because

1502
01:14:19,880 --> 01:14:22,280
Speaker 2: those three wins came over Tennessee Tech by a touchdown

1503
01:14:22,600 --> 01:14:24,679
Speaker 2: kinda saw in a game where they scored only fourteen

1504
01:14:24,720 --> 01:14:27,439
Speaker 2: points and uteped by a touchdown. Were they close to

1505
01:14:27,479 --> 01:14:31,360
Speaker 2: the other nine losses. Absolutely not. They got absolutely drummed

1506
01:14:31,520 --> 01:14:33,519
Speaker 2: in those other games. They're fifteen to one to win

1507
01:14:33,560 --> 01:14:36,439
Speaker 2: this conference. Their win totals sit at sitting at four

1508
01:14:36,439 --> 01:14:38,280
Speaker 2: and a half, and I think that's just the natural

1509
01:14:38,320 --> 01:14:41,040
Speaker 2: progression year two of a coach that people you know

1510
01:14:41,080 --> 01:14:42,960
Speaker 2: at least have respect for. On the defensive side of

1511
01:14:42,960 --> 01:14:45,360
Speaker 2: the ball, they returned a lot of starters thirteen in total,

1512
01:14:45,479 --> 01:14:49,639
Speaker 2: six offensively, seven defensively sixty ninth overall returning production evenly

1513
01:14:49,640 --> 01:14:52,120
Speaker 2: split between O and D. But I look at this

1514
01:14:52,200 --> 01:14:55,800
Speaker 2: Nick Vadiado, He's a veteran presence at quarterback, but they

1515
01:14:55,800 --> 01:14:58,880
Speaker 2: took away his designed run designed runs last year. They

1516
01:14:58,880 --> 01:15:01,640
Speaker 2: cut his carries from one hundred thirty nine in Stockstill's

1517
01:15:01,640 --> 01:15:04,880
Speaker 2: final year with Middle Tennessee to eighty six last fall,

1518
01:15:05,080 --> 01:15:07,920
Speaker 2: and twenty nine of those were sacks. So I don't

1519
01:15:07,920 --> 01:15:11,240
Speaker 2: think body Readers system is going to get better without

1520
01:15:11,360 --> 01:15:13,720
Speaker 2: him running the football or being that rushing threat. He

1521
01:15:13,840 --> 01:15:16,759
Speaker 2: loses Frank Peasant, Lamark Kelly's also gone on the portal,

1522
01:15:16,920 --> 01:15:20,360
Speaker 2: and Holden willis exhausted his eligibility. I don't necessarily see

1523
01:15:20,360 --> 01:15:23,240
Speaker 2: the dynamic playmakers for this offense to take even a

1524
01:15:23,280 --> 01:15:26,720
Speaker 2: half step forward. Defensively, it's supposed to be Mason's calling card,

1525
01:15:26,800 --> 01:15:29,000
Speaker 2: right Well, they were bottom twenty in just about every

1526
01:15:29,080 --> 01:15:32,559
Speaker 2: key category you can care about, scoring, total defense, takeaways, havoc,

1527
01:15:32,640 --> 01:15:34,920
Speaker 2: red zone, third down, d all of it. So where's

1528
01:15:34,920 --> 01:15:38,360
Speaker 2: the optimism in your opinion? Because the schedule at Wisconsin

1529
01:15:38,560 --> 01:15:42,800
Speaker 2: at Nevada they do avoid UTEP and Liberty. I'm high

1530
01:15:42,800 --> 01:15:45,679
Speaker 2: on both of those teams, but the closing is FIU

1531
01:15:46,000 --> 01:15:49,679
Speaker 2: Western at sam Houston excuse me home against Sam Houston

1532
01:15:49,800 --> 01:15:53,519
Speaker 2: at New Mexico State doesn't scream three in one finish,

1533
01:15:53,560 --> 01:15:55,000
Speaker 2: and I think that's what you're going to need to

1534
01:15:55,040 --> 01:15:57,679
Speaker 2: get to five or six wins. So can you find

1535
01:15:57,800 --> 01:15:59,920
Speaker 2: five wins. You're a little bit more bullish on the

1536
01:16:00,080 --> 01:16:02,600
Speaker 2: Blue Raiders than I am.

1537
01:16:02,960 --> 01:16:04,920
Speaker 5: I am Early in the spring, I took a miss

1538
01:16:04,920 --> 01:16:07,960
Speaker 5: priced future on Middle Tennessee. They were twenty five to

1539
01:16:08,040 --> 01:16:09,840
Speaker 5: one to win the conference. I thought it should have

1540
01:16:09,840 --> 01:16:11,439
Speaker 5: been closer to sixteen to one, so I put a

1541
01:16:11,439 --> 01:16:14,120
Speaker 5: little play in there. But I think that we have

1542
01:16:14,200 --> 01:16:18,480
Speaker 5: an opportunity for Middle Tennessee to see some significant improvement

1543
01:16:18,560 --> 01:16:22,479
Speaker 5: along the offensive and defensive line and in the linebacker room.

1544
01:16:22,720 --> 01:16:24,479
Speaker 5: And they're going to have to because when they were

1545
01:16:24,479 --> 01:16:29,240
Speaker 5: bad last year, they were absolutely atrocious. They really needed

1546
01:16:29,240 --> 01:16:32,040
Speaker 5: to battle back against FCS Tennessee Tech, who plays in

1547
01:16:32,120 --> 01:16:37,439
Speaker 5: the bad Ohio Valley Conference. In FCS, it was really

1548
01:16:37,560 --> 01:16:41,680
Speaker 5: ugly in non conference games against Mississippi Duke and Memphis,

1549
01:16:41,880 --> 01:16:46,360
Speaker 5: and in Conference USA play. The offense while they continued

1550
01:16:46,360 --> 01:16:49,920
Speaker 5: to fight, the defense really gave up a ton of

1551
01:16:50,040 --> 01:16:52,680
Speaker 5: yards and just could not get stops. I think the

1552
01:16:52,720 --> 01:16:56,000
Speaker 5: optimism is that they're in the second year of the system.

1553
01:16:56,120 --> 01:16:59,679
Speaker 5: There is some there are some pieces that you could

1554
01:16:59,720 --> 01:17:05,080
Speaker 5: see develop here in Nicholas Badiado's senior season in Murphysboro.

1555
01:17:06,000 --> 01:17:09,400
Speaker 5: I like the running back Mentlebrook. I think he could develop.

1556
01:17:09,439 --> 01:17:12,160
Speaker 5: They also bring in Ricky Hunt from Ohio, who could

1557
01:17:12,479 --> 01:17:14,960
Speaker 5: provide some pop in the running back room. I think

1558
01:17:15,000 --> 01:17:18,599
Speaker 5: the receivers have some pretty decent size with Butler Carter

1559
01:17:18,680 --> 01:17:22,280
Speaker 5: and aj Jones coming in, and Cameron Lacy is pretty

1560
01:17:22,320 --> 01:17:25,400
Speaker 5: shifty and provides a little bit of stretch the field

1561
01:17:25,400 --> 01:17:30,680
Speaker 5: ability there. So there are some pieces that could manifest

1562
01:17:30,760 --> 01:17:35,080
Speaker 5: themselves into a little bit more offensive production. I think

1563
01:17:35,280 --> 01:17:40,320
Speaker 5: that the offensive line continuity, there's a chance. I think that,

1564
01:17:40,400 --> 01:17:44,040
Speaker 5: you know, with a little bit more experience and the

1565
01:17:44,080 --> 01:17:48,040
Speaker 5: returning pieces along the offensive line that they have from

1566
01:17:48,120 --> 01:17:51,760
Speaker 5: last season, there is some optimism that that group can

1567
01:17:51,800 --> 01:17:54,280
Speaker 5: get better. And they'll have to be because they surrendered

1568
01:17:54,280 --> 01:17:56,920
Speaker 5: thirty sacks last season and it seemed like Battiato was

1569
01:17:57,040 --> 01:18:00,000
Speaker 5: just constantly running for his life game in and game out.

1570
01:18:00,200 --> 01:18:03,280
Speaker 5: So I think we'll get some marginal improvement with the

1571
01:18:03,320 --> 01:18:05,920
Speaker 5: offense and we'll have a little bit more pop in

1572
01:18:06,000 --> 01:18:09,800
Speaker 5: the skill room, something that was missing last season. Defensively,

1573
01:18:10,080 --> 01:18:13,280
Speaker 5: we're going to get experience in the two deep. We're

1574
01:18:13,320 --> 01:18:17,400
Speaker 5: gonna have some key pieces returning at all three levels.

1575
01:18:17,640 --> 01:18:20,320
Speaker 5: Defensive secondary is really going to have to be a

1576
01:18:20,439 --> 01:18:23,000
Speaker 5: unit that steps up. But I think that there's some talent,

1577
01:18:23,080 --> 01:18:27,040
Speaker 5: and there's reasonable plausibility that this offense to been defensive

1578
01:18:27,080 --> 01:18:30,920
Speaker 5: trenches takes a bigger step this year in year two

1579
01:18:30,960 --> 01:18:33,759
Speaker 5: under Derek Mason. Now, as far as the schedule is concerned,

1580
01:18:34,160 --> 01:18:36,479
Speaker 5: I think they have a winnable FCS opponent in Austin

1581
01:18:36,520 --> 01:18:40,240
Speaker 5: p A three to one non conference record is something

1582
01:18:40,240 --> 01:18:43,759
Speaker 5: I would not be shocked by. They host Missouri State

1583
01:18:43,880 --> 01:18:46,679
Speaker 5: after a bye on October eighth, and I also wouldn't

1584
01:18:46,720 --> 01:18:49,960
Speaker 5: consider that game to be unwinnable. And they close their

1585
01:18:50,000 --> 01:18:53,040
Speaker 5: season at New Mexico State. Yeah, I mean I see

1586
01:18:53,040 --> 01:18:54,840
Speaker 5: ten games that are winnable. I see a team that's

1587
01:18:54,880 --> 01:18:57,160
Speaker 5: gonna have a lot of shots on goal. I definitely

1588
01:18:57,160 --> 01:19:00,800
Speaker 5: put them in that group with utep FIU. There could

1589
01:19:00,840 --> 01:19:05,320
Speaker 5: be some pieces that fall together and this Middle Tennessee

1590
01:19:05,360 --> 01:19:09,200
Speaker 5: State group could rattle off some wins in conference play

1591
01:19:09,240 --> 01:19:12,320
Speaker 5: and kind of be in that upper half of the standings.

1592
01:19:12,320 --> 01:19:14,240
Speaker 5: I don't think Bowl game eligibility is out of the

1593
01:19:14,320 --> 01:19:17,080
Speaker 5: question at all for this unit. When I was doing

1594
01:19:17,120 --> 01:19:21,200
Speaker 5: my spring preparation on Middle Tennessee, I was completely assuming

1595
01:19:21,240 --> 01:19:23,200
Speaker 5: that their regular season win total was going to come

1596
01:19:23,200 --> 01:19:24,200
Speaker 5: out five and a half.

1597
01:19:24,720 --> 01:19:25,160
Speaker 2: It didn't.

1598
01:19:25,160 --> 01:19:27,200
Speaker 5: It open four and a half and so I've been

1599
01:19:27,240 --> 01:19:29,040
Speaker 5: waiting for this show to talk about this, but I

1600
01:19:29,120 --> 01:19:31,720
Speaker 5: played their regular season win total over four and a half,

1601
01:19:31,760 --> 01:19:34,439
Speaker 5: it's minus one forty eight, and I think there's a

1602
01:19:34,439 --> 01:19:36,479
Speaker 5: great chance that this group gets to six and six

1603
01:19:36,800 --> 01:19:40,120
Speaker 5: in a much better looking top to bottom roster than

1604
01:19:40,160 --> 01:19:41,960
Speaker 5: what we saw last season in Murphy.

1605
01:19:41,640 --> 01:19:44,840
Speaker 2: Throw planting your flag on the Blue Raiders. I'm looking

1606
01:19:44,840 --> 01:19:47,479
Speaker 2: forward to some head to head t shirt bets throughout

1607
01:19:47,479 --> 01:19:50,720
Speaker 2: the season when we get into conference play, because what

1608
01:19:50,800 --> 01:19:52,439
Speaker 2: we need to talk about right now are the final

1609
01:19:52,479 --> 01:19:55,280
Speaker 2: two teams in Conference USA, the bottom of the barrel.

1610
01:19:56,000 --> 01:19:57,840
Speaker 2: Don't know, I'm gonna mix it up here. Let's go

1611
01:19:57,920 --> 01:20:02,280
Speaker 2: Kennesau State first, the Owls, who were you fucking Owl

1612
01:20:02,680 --> 01:20:05,559
Speaker 2: two ten? Last year? Two and six in conference play,

1613
01:20:05,560 --> 01:20:08,519
Speaker 2: they knocked off Liberty that was really the shocking win

1614
01:20:08,640 --> 01:20:11,400
Speaker 2: of the year in the conference. And then, in my opinion,

1615
01:20:11,400 --> 01:20:14,760
Speaker 2: they unfairly fired Brian Bohannon, which went over like a

1616
01:20:14,800 --> 01:20:18,120
Speaker 2: fart in church with the alumni, although our producer Matt

1617
01:20:18,160 --> 01:20:20,479
Speaker 2: Mitchell thinks that he deserved to be fired because of

1618
01:20:20,520 --> 01:20:23,360
Speaker 2: his time management issues. He's getting sent to the James

1619
01:20:23,360 --> 01:20:26,720
Speaker 2: Franklin cell block of the time management prison there in

1620
01:20:26,800 --> 01:20:30,519
Speaker 2: his own mental palace that he's created. Mitchell hates when

1621
01:20:30,600 --> 01:20:33,800
Speaker 2: coaches screw up the clock trying to run things out

1622
01:20:33,920 --> 01:20:36,839
Speaker 2: or you know, the two minute drill. So Brian Bohannon

1623
01:20:36,960 --> 01:20:39,439
Speaker 2: at least has one hater in the BBOC universe. I

1624
01:20:39,479 --> 01:20:42,160
Speaker 2: think the guy deserved at least one more shot here.

1625
01:20:42,560 --> 01:20:45,000
Speaker 2: But he is out. Jerry Mack is in. They are

1626
01:20:45,040 --> 01:20:48,400
Speaker 2: twenty nine to one to win Conference USA, which I'm

1627
01:20:48,439 --> 01:20:51,879
Speaker 2: going to throw in Liam Neeson, sound drop. Your arrogance

1628
01:20:51,920 --> 01:20:55,559
Speaker 2: offends me. Your arrogance offends me. Sportsbooks, twenty nine to one.

1629
01:20:55,840 --> 01:20:58,200
Speaker 2: You can't give us one hundred to one. There's no

1630
01:20:58,360 --> 01:21:01,280
Speaker 2: way that they're getting to the USA title game, and

1631
01:21:01,320 --> 01:21:03,720
Speaker 2: you're offering twenty nine to one. Like spare meate, there

1632
01:21:03,720 --> 01:21:06,679
Speaker 2: went totals three and a half. They were turned ten starters,

1633
01:21:06,720 --> 01:21:09,559
Speaker 2: three on offense, seven on defense, fifth and returning production

1634
01:21:09,720 --> 01:21:12,479
Speaker 2: third defensively. And as I mentioned, Jerry Mack is in.

1635
01:21:12,520 --> 01:21:15,559
Speaker 2: And just like Willie Simmons, he found major success at

1636
01:21:15,560 --> 01:21:19,680
Speaker 2: an HBCU, leading NC Central, that's North Carolina Central to

1637
01:21:19,760 --> 01:21:22,680
Speaker 2: the Celebration Bowl in twenty sixteen. He's a grown up.

1638
01:21:22,960 --> 01:21:25,960
Speaker 2: He's got head coaching experience. He has NFL experience, he

1639
01:21:26,000 --> 01:21:30,040
Speaker 2: has coordinator experience at Rice. Here's the issue. His offense

1640
01:21:30,120 --> 01:21:33,840
Speaker 2: is at Rice stunk Dexter. Williams comes in, you know,

1641
01:21:33,880 --> 01:21:36,880
Speaker 2: from Georgia Southern to maybe bolster this passing attack that's

1642
01:21:36,920 --> 01:21:39,439
Speaker 2: going in a totally different direction, you know, throwing away

1643
01:21:39,439 --> 01:21:43,120
Speaker 2: all the option principles that were left over from Bohannon's tenure.

1644
01:21:43,479 --> 01:21:46,160
Speaker 2: But this offensive line could be really bad in pass

1645
01:21:46,240 --> 01:21:48,559
Speaker 2: pro and I think that's going to hurt Williams and

1646
01:21:48,640 --> 01:21:52,120
Speaker 2: really curtail any opportunity for him to make some hay

1647
01:21:52,200 --> 01:21:55,080
Speaker 2: this year, even in conference play. Defensively, yes, he got

1648
01:21:55,120 --> 01:21:57,280
Speaker 2: a ton of experience, but that comes from a defense

1649
01:21:57,320 --> 01:21:59,560
Speaker 2: that finished outside the top one hundred scoring total, d

1650
01:21:59,720 --> 01:22:02,040
Speaker 2: have a you name it. So I think they have

1651
01:22:02,080 --> 01:22:05,400
Speaker 2: a higher floor on the defensive side by conference essay standards.

1652
01:22:05,439 --> 01:22:08,000
Speaker 2: I would be shocked if they were truly a bottom

1653
01:22:08,000 --> 01:22:10,639
Speaker 2: ten percent defense. But are they going to be some

1654
01:22:10,800 --> 01:22:14,160
Speaker 2: transformational defense that keeps them in every game all season long?

1655
01:22:14,600 --> 01:22:17,360
Speaker 2: Doubtful to me. This is the same defense that lost

1656
01:22:17,400 --> 01:22:19,679
Speaker 2: thirty three to nothing to La Tech to end the season.

1657
01:22:19,720 --> 01:22:22,080
Speaker 2: We just threw some dirt on Sunny Comby. We're already

1658
01:22:22,080 --> 01:22:24,240
Speaker 2: you know, putting for sale signs in his front lawn

1659
01:22:24,280 --> 01:22:27,920
Speaker 2: in Rustin. So let's pump the brakes on kennisaw doing

1660
01:22:27,960 --> 01:22:31,320
Speaker 2: anything defensively to be able to elevate themselves past Let's

1661
01:22:31,320 --> 01:22:33,040
Speaker 2: call it just a repeat of last year, which was

1662
01:22:33,080 --> 01:22:35,800
Speaker 2: two conference wins, one that took a massive upset over

1663
01:22:35,840 --> 01:22:39,719
Speaker 2: the Flames. They're at wake, They're at Indiana Arkansas State early.

1664
01:22:40,320 --> 01:22:42,000
Speaker 2: I want to keep an eye on Williams the second

1665
01:22:42,040 --> 01:22:45,559
Speaker 2: and how this offense operates pace wise, in particular because

1666
01:22:45,560 --> 01:22:49,000
Speaker 2: their twenty twenty four offensive metrics are totally meaningless, so

1667
01:22:49,040 --> 01:22:52,400
Speaker 2: you could see a market slow to react to some

1668
01:22:52,479 --> 01:22:54,640
Speaker 2: of the totals. How they're going to play, you know,

1669
01:22:54,680 --> 01:22:57,200
Speaker 2: in terms of and against the spread perspective. I'm just

1670
01:22:57,240 --> 01:22:59,160
Speaker 2: going to play wait and see. But I just want

1671
01:22:59,200 --> 01:23:01,559
Speaker 2: to put it out there twenty nine to one sports

1672
01:23:01,560 --> 01:23:03,599
Speaker 2: books like you're making me spent on the ground outside

1673
01:23:03,640 --> 01:23:05,960
Speaker 2: of your books, because this is ridiculous. Twenty nine to

1674
01:23:05,960 --> 01:23:07,920
Speaker 2: one is an insult to anybody who knows what they're

1675
01:23:07,960 --> 01:23:10,360
Speaker 2: doing in this space. Give us one hundred to one

1676
01:23:10,439 --> 01:23:12,400
Speaker 2: or give us death. What are your thoughts on the als?

1677
01:23:14,320 --> 01:23:17,080
Speaker 5: Yeah, just another year of transition. Surprising. They fired their

1678
01:23:17,080 --> 01:23:19,400
Speaker 5: head coach last year, but maybe he did deserve it.

1679
01:23:19,439 --> 01:23:24,040
Speaker 5: I'll say that I think it's just going to be

1680
01:23:24,160 --> 01:23:26,760
Speaker 5: real interesting to see them fully migrate away from the

1681
01:23:26,760 --> 01:23:31,240
Speaker 5: triple option offense, which then morphed into the inverted pistol option,

1682
01:23:31,600 --> 01:23:33,840
Speaker 5: and now it'll be a more traditional set. They want

1683
01:23:33,840 --> 01:23:36,200
Speaker 5: to go fast. They believe that Exeter Williams is the

1684
01:23:36,200 --> 01:23:38,400
Speaker 5: guy to get them where they need to go. I'm

1685
01:23:38,439 --> 01:23:42,240
Speaker 5: not entirely sold on what they bring in. I'm actually

1686
01:23:42,240 --> 01:23:44,920
Speaker 5: stunned that they were able to keep Gabriel Vinyard at receiver.

1687
01:23:45,040 --> 01:23:47,120
Speaker 5: I thought he would have certainly been off to bigger

1688
01:23:47,160 --> 01:23:49,559
Speaker 5: and better things. But he's a guy that can provide

1689
01:23:49,560 --> 01:23:53,519
Speaker 5: a little pop offensively. You know, the defense for Kennesaw State,

1690
01:23:53,680 --> 01:23:59,000
Speaker 5: I think that they're really transfer reliant at all three levels,

1691
01:23:59,040 --> 01:24:02,880
Speaker 5: and so it could take time for the defensive line,

1692
01:24:02,920 --> 01:24:06,040
Speaker 5: the linebacker group, and the secondary to gel. If those

1693
01:24:06,080 --> 01:24:09,559
Speaker 5: transfers hit and if there is some cohesiveness throughout those

1694
01:24:09,640 --> 01:24:10,920
Speaker 5: levels of defense.

1695
01:24:10,520 --> 01:24:11,599
Speaker 2: They could be okay.

1696
01:24:11,760 --> 01:24:16,160
Speaker 5: In Conference USA play. We'll need a real big step

1697
01:24:16,240 --> 01:24:18,639
Speaker 5: up in offensive production from what we had last season

1698
01:24:18,640 --> 01:24:20,920
Speaker 5: with Kannessaw State. It was just so brutal at times

1699
01:24:20,920 --> 01:24:23,920
Speaker 5: to watch the Owls operate because they just couldn't get

1700
01:24:23,920 --> 01:24:26,040
Speaker 5: out of their own way until they played Liberty and

1701
01:24:26,080 --> 01:24:28,040
Speaker 5: then they could. So it was interesting to see how

1702
01:24:28,040 --> 01:24:32,120
Speaker 5: that kind of unfolded in Kennesaw. I don't have a

1703
01:24:32,120 --> 01:24:36,280
Speaker 5: lot to like here. I think you know, they play.

1704
01:24:38,000 --> 01:24:40,320
Speaker 5: They played above their belt class a little bit last

1705
01:24:40,360 --> 01:24:44,320
Speaker 5: year when they covered some big spreads, But I don't

1706
01:24:44,360 --> 01:24:47,280
Speaker 5: see a real there's obviously no value in the future,

1707
01:24:47,520 --> 01:24:50,400
Speaker 5: and I don't love anything really regular season win related.

1708
01:24:50,840 --> 01:24:53,320
Speaker 5: I would have fade this team in their second game

1709
01:24:53,360 --> 01:24:57,559
Speaker 5: of the season, after they play Power four Wake Forest

1710
01:24:57,640 --> 01:24:59,400
Speaker 5: on the road, then they go back on the road

1711
01:24:59,400 --> 01:25:01,519
Speaker 5: to Indiana, and I think that's one where we can

1712
01:25:01,600 --> 01:25:03,679
Speaker 5: kind of see some depth issues and some tired legs

1713
01:25:03,680 --> 01:25:06,479
Speaker 5: in that second game of the season. I would fade

1714
01:25:06,560 --> 01:25:09,640
Speaker 5: them at FIU, and I would fade them in their

1715
01:25:09,720 --> 01:25:11,640
Speaker 5: last game of the season. You know, Liberty is going

1716
01:25:11,680 --> 01:25:13,960
Speaker 5: to have that one circled in red ink. Canasaw won't

1717
01:25:14,000 --> 01:25:16,840
Speaker 5: be playing for anything, and Liberty will really want to

1718
01:25:16,880 --> 01:25:19,559
Speaker 5: stick it to Kansas State in that last game of

1719
01:25:19,600 --> 01:25:23,679
Speaker 5: the season for that inexcusable embarrassing loss that the Olwels

1720
01:25:23,720 --> 01:25:26,679
Speaker 5: handed the Flames last season. So there's about three spots.

1721
01:25:26,720 --> 01:25:30,200
Speaker 5: I'd say that it's definitely worth fading Kanasas State, probably

1722
01:25:30,200 --> 01:25:32,040
Speaker 5: more than that, with the way this season will shake

1723
01:25:32,120 --> 01:25:32,639
Speaker 5: up Canasa.

1724
01:25:33,200 --> 01:25:36,560
Speaker 2: Well, let's close things out in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

1725
01:25:37,040 --> 01:25:39,479
Speaker 3: Oh no, we suck again.

1726
01:25:39,840 --> 01:25:44,599
Speaker 2: The days of Diego Pavia feel very far away. No,

1727
01:25:47,880 --> 01:25:51,200
Speaker 2: this is a team that's in trouble. I mean, let's

1728
01:25:51,240 --> 01:25:53,240
Speaker 2: just call what it is. The Mexican State Aggies went

1729
01:25:53,240 --> 01:25:55,280
Speaker 2: three to nine last year, two and six in conference.

1730
01:25:55,320 --> 01:25:58,960
Speaker 2: They're twenty one to one to win the conference. Win

1731
01:25:59,000 --> 01:26:01,559
Speaker 2: total at four and a half. Six returning starters in total,

1732
01:26:01,600 --> 01:26:04,000
Speaker 2: three on both sides the ball, twenty first in returning production,

1733
01:26:04,280 --> 01:26:07,760
Speaker 2: twenty second offensively. In particular, David Yost is in at

1734
01:26:07,800 --> 01:26:11,799
Speaker 2: offensive coordinator. He's been a journeyman OC at Maszoo, Oregon,

1735
01:26:12,040 --> 01:26:16,000
Speaker 2: Texas Tech, Wazoo, Utah State, most recently at FIU. Fun fact,

1736
01:26:16,240 --> 01:26:17,800
Speaker 2: he was the guy who hired me at Miszoo to

1737
01:26:17,800 --> 01:26:19,880
Speaker 2: be a student assistant twenty years ago. So I appreciate you.

1738
01:26:19,960 --> 01:26:22,400
Speaker 2: David Elite had a hair, go ahead and google him

1739
01:26:22,720 --> 01:26:26,479
Speaker 2: and personal feelings aside, flow aside. He's a major upgrade

1740
01:26:26,520 --> 01:26:28,879
Speaker 2: as a play caller in my opinion, in Las Cruses.

1741
01:26:29,080 --> 01:26:31,840
Speaker 2: He's got Loganfeife and a quarterback who, you know, for

1742
01:26:31,960 --> 01:26:34,479
Speaker 2: my money, is the most C plus B minus G

1743
01:26:34,600 --> 01:26:37,599
Speaker 2: five quarterback that they could get. He's a stabilizing force

1744
01:26:37,680 --> 01:26:40,240
Speaker 2: in the quarterback room, but he's not a big difference maker,

1745
01:26:40,560 --> 01:26:42,800
Speaker 2: and he could really use a quality offensive line in

1746
01:26:42,800 --> 01:26:45,120
Speaker 2: front of him. But they have just one returning there,

1747
01:26:45,400 --> 01:26:48,080
Speaker 2: McKee Lee. If he doesn't play really well at left tackle,

1748
01:26:48,400 --> 01:26:50,880
Speaker 2: Fife could be taken a ton of sacks. He held

1749
01:26:50,920 --> 01:26:52,920
Speaker 2: onto the ball way too long when he was at Fresno.

1750
01:26:53,000 --> 01:26:54,680
Speaker 2: I can't get that out of my head. You know,

1751
01:26:54,720 --> 01:26:58,280
Speaker 2: when he's playing against legit defenses at the FBS level,

1752
01:26:58,360 --> 01:27:02,200
Speaker 2: I think he just processes a little bit too slow. Now. Frankly,

1753
01:27:02,320 --> 01:27:07,720
Speaker 2: I like DC Joe Morris's resume, but he didn't have

1754
01:27:07,720 --> 01:27:11,280
Speaker 2: the pass rushers or the disruptors anywhere on the field

1755
01:27:11,360 --> 01:27:14,519
Speaker 2: last year to make life hard on opposing offenses. All

1756
01:27:14,560 --> 01:27:17,120
Speaker 2: you need to know is some of the scores being

1757
01:27:17,240 --> 01:27:20,519
Speaker 2: laid by teams like LA Tech thirty points, FIU thirty four,

1758
01:27:20,880 --> 01:27:23,719
Speaker 2: forty two points to UTEP in a year zero situation

1759
01:27:23,800 --> 01:27:26,720
Speaker 2: for Scotti Walden. But you look at the portal they

1760
01:27:26,760 --> 01:27:29,519
Speaker 2: grabbed Gabe Peterson, a three star edge rusher from Utah State,

1761
01:27:29,560 --> 01:27:32,680
Speaker 2: another three star edge from boise O, beIN a Okiki

1762
01:27:32,880 --> 01:27:36,479
Speaker 2: from LA Tech to play their jack linebacker position. These

1763
01:27:36,520 --> 01:27:40,400
Speaker 2: are three star answers. I don't necessarily have the most

1764
01:27:40,439 --> 01:27:42,720
Speaker 2: confidence that they're going to make a big jump, but

1765
01:27:42,800 --> 01:27:45,280
Speaker 2: at least they're not going with guys who couldn't get

1766
01:27:45,280 --> 01:27:47,799
Speaker 2: on the field last year, or one or two star guys.

1767
01:27:48,040 --> 01:27:51,880
Speaker 2: At least by recruiting, you know services, these guys should

1768
01:27:51,880 --> 01:27:54,920
Speaker 2: be difference makers to some degree. Will they be better

1769
01:27:55,000 --> 01:27:58,080
Speaker 2: up front? I think so, But this schedule doesn't allow

1770
01:27:58,120 --> 01:28:00,840
Speaker 2: them to miss many games or mini gimmes because there's

1771
01:28:00,840 --> 01:28:03,080
Speaker 2: just not many of them. They got Bryant, they absolutely

1772
01:28:03,080 --> 01:28:06,439
Speaker 2: should beat. They got Tulsa, another winnable game, Missouri State, Keemsaw,

1773
01:28:06,520 --> 01:28:10,240
Speaker 2: Middle Tennessee, all at home. So you got five games

1774
01:28:10,360 --> 01:28:13,960
Speaker 2: right there. To me, those are five winnable games, the

1775
01:28:13,960 --> 01:28:15,600
Speaker 2: win total sitting at four and a half. It's a

1776
01:28:15,640 --> 01:28:17,960
Speaker 2: pass for me because I could see a world in

1777
01:28:18,000 --> 01:28:20,439
Speaker 2: which they win those games. The only one in the

1778
01:28:20,479 --> 01:28:23,559
Speaker 2: mix that their clear favorites over is Bryant, the FCS

1779
01:28:23,600 --> 01:28:26,799
Speaker 2: opponent to start the season a single digit home favorite,

1780
01:28:26,800 --> 01:28:30,000
Speaker 2: probably against the rest of those teams and upset wise.

1781
01:28:30,160 --> 01:28:32,000
Speaker 2: I mean you could see it, you know against New

1782
01:28:32,040 --> 01:28:34,559
Speaker 2: Mexico against the Lobos. They're in a transition with a

1783
01:28:34,560 --> 01:28:40,320
Speaker 2: new staff taken over there, so has upset potential. I

1784
01:28:40,320 --> 01:28:44,040
Speaker 2: guess I'm leaning maybe towards the under, mainly because Tony Sanchez,

1785
01:28:44,080 --> 01:28:46,240
Speaker 2: to me, is a high school coach. That's no disrespect

1786
01:28:46,280 --> 01:28:48,679
Speaker 2: to high school coaches listening. He's a great high school coach.

1787
01:28:48,960 --> 01:28:52,200
Speaker 2: He was absolutely elite, a legend at Bishop Gorman, but

1788
01:28:52,240 --> 01:28:54,080
Speaker 2: that's when he had the best talent that you could

1789
01:28:54,120 --> 01:28:57,200
Speaker 2: get in high school football. He's only surpassed four wins

1790
01:28:57,280 --> 01:29:00,120
Speaker 2: once in six years as an FBS head coach. You

1791
01:29:00,160 --> 01:29:02,040
Speaker 2: got to prove to me that you're better. So this

1792
01:29:02,200 --> 01:29:04,320
Speaker 2: is a lean to the under, but probably just a

1793
01:29:04,320 --> 01:29:06,479
Speaker 2: stay away from me because it does break my heart

1794
01:29:06,520 --> 01:29:07,439
Speaker 2: to fade the Aggies.

1795
01:29:10,000 --> 01:29:14,599
Speaker 5: Yeah, the job that Jerry Kill and his staff did

1796
01:29:14,600 --> 01:29:18,720
Speaker 5: there with Diego Pavia is just absolutely incredible. Hats off

1797
01:29:18,720 --> 01:29:22,439
Speaker 5: to that group for being able to win consistently at

1798
01:29:22,600 --> 01:29:25,240
Speaker 5: New Mexico State the way that they did during his

1799
01:29:25,320 --> 01:29:28,840
Speaker 5: tenure there. It's almost an impossible place to recruit to.

1800
01:29:28,960 --> 01:29:30,720
Speaker 5: It's hard to get people to want to go there.

1801
01:29:30,760 --> 01:29:34,360
Speaker 5: So they've really been reliant on Juco and they just

1802
01:29:34,400 --> 01:29:36,040
Speaker 5: have their work cut out for them year in.

1803
01:29:36,000 --> 01:29:36,519
Speaker 2: And year out.

1804
01:29:36,520 --> 01:29:40,439
Speaker 5: And now with introducing re recruiting your existing roster, where

1805
01:29:40,520 --> 01:29:43,599
Speaker 5: standout players continue to get poached, it's hard to keep

1806
01:29:43,640 --> 01:29:46,479
Speaker 5: people there. It's not like they have the nil money

1807
01:29:46,479 --> 01:29:49,840
Speaker 5: flowing in, and so it's just a transient team that's

1808
01:29:49,880 --> 01:29:53,920
Speaker 5: constantly going to be battling all of the challenges that

1809
01:29:54,280 --> 01:29:58,200
Speaker 5: arecomminant to playing at the G five level of college football.

1810
01:29:58,280 --> 01:30:00,960
Speaker 5: So for this particular twenty two version of the New

1811
01:30:01,000 --> 01:30:04,680
Speaker 5: Mexico State Aggies, I think Logan Fife is just kind

1812
01:30:04,720 --> 01:30:08,160
Speaker 5: of a stopgap. I was never wowed by what he

1813
01:30:08,160 --> 01:30:10,639
Speaker 5: did at Fresno State. Even at Montana, he was really

1814
01:30:10,640 --> 01:30:13,080
Speaker 5: never asked to carry the torch, so to speak. So

1815
01:30:13,360 --> 01:30:15,080
Speaker 5: it was just kind of one of those C minus

1816
01:30:15,120 --> 01:30:17,559
Speaker 5: type of quarterbacks that they went out and plucked. You

1817
01:30:17,560 --> 01:30:19,599
Speaker 5: could make a case that in twenty twenty four there

1818
01:30:19,680 --> 01:30:22,519
Speaker 5: was no worst quarterback play at the FBS level amongst

1819
01:30:22,560 --> 01:30:25,479
Speaker 5: any teams than what we saw from New Mexico State

1820
01:30:25,560 --> 01:30:29,360
Speaker 5: last year, including Parker Awad, who's battling for the starting

1821
01:30:29,439 --> 01:30:33,000
Speaker 5: job this year. I think the receiver room they are

1822
01:30:33,160 --> 01:30:36,040
Speaker 5: very excited about at New Mexico State, and the reports

1823
01:30:36,040 --> 01:30:38,280
Speaker 5: out of at least out of spring practice was that

1824
01:30:38,640 --> 01:30:41,240
Speaker 5: they've got some dudes that can really make some plays

1825
01:30:41,240 --> 01:30:44,479
Speaker 5: at receivers. So we'll see if that comes to fruition.

1826
01:30:45,120 --> 01:30:48,240
Speaker 5: The offensive line is very young. They lost a lot

1827
01:30:48,280 --> 01:30:51,200
Speaker 5: of key pieces from last year's offensive line, and now

1828
01:30:51,200 --> 01:30:56,240
Speaker 5: they're going to be reliant on a couple of transfers

1829
01:30:56,479 --> 01:30:59,519
Speaker 5: from the FCS ranks, and I'm just not sold that

1830
01:30:59,520 --> 01:31:04,880
Speaker 5: that's going to work out well immediately from a unit

1831
01:31:04,920 --> 01:31:07,920
Speaker 5: that really struggled last year at times to run the

1832
01:31:07,920 --> 01:31:10,760
Speaker 5: ball and to protect the quarterback. They really didn't do

1833
01:31:11,080 --> 01:31:14,559
Speaker 5: anything offensively very well, and so I'm concerned that now

1834
01:31:14,560 --> 01:31:17,360
Speaker 5: we're going to ask Logan Feife to come in here

1835
01:31:17,400 --> 01:31:19,920
Speaker 5: and try to do all of it at a spot

1836
01:31:20,000 --> 01:31:22,280
Speaker 5: that's going to be his toughest assignment yet. I would

1837
01:31:22,320 --> 01:31:29,599
Speaker 5: assume defensively, I think that there's possibility that this maybe

1838
01:31:29,640 --> 01:31:31,840
Speaker 5: the back seven could be okay. I think the linebackers

1839
01:31:31,880 --> 01:31:34,240
Speaker 5: are going to carry the group, with Gabe Peterson coming in,

1840
01:31:34,600 --> 01:31:40,320
Speaker 5: Tyler Martinez back, and then Sony out Appee you coming

1841
01:31:40,360 --> 01:31:43,439
Speaker 5: back in in the linebacker room. So I think the

1842
01:31:43,439 --> 01:31:46,760
Speaker 5: linebacker group is the most experience of the three levels. Defensively,

1843
01:31:46,800 --> 01:31:48,960
Speaker 5: in my opinion, they're in bad shape if they're relying

1844
01:31:48,960 --> 01:31:53,040
Speaker 5: on FCS transfers in at all the real positions along

1845
01:31:53,040 --> 01:31:56,120
Speaker 5: the defensive line, including noseguard, defensive tackle, and defensive end.

1846
01:31:56,560 --> 01:31:58,639
Speaker 5: I don't see this unit getting a lot of push.

1847
01:31:58,720 --> 01:32:01,080
Speaker 5: They really struggled last year year to create any amount

1848
01:32:01,120 --> 01:32:03,960
Speaker 5: of defensive havoc. They only had fourteen sacks last season

1849
01:32:04,040 --> 01:32:07,000
Speaker 5: and forty four tackles for loss, and I just don't

1850
01:32:07,120 --> 01:32:11,200
Speaker 5: see immediate turnaround there. When I'm looking at a win

1851
01:32:11,320 --> 01:32:14,240
Speaker 5: total and when I'm analyzing the schedule, I just do

1852
01:32:14,360 --> 01:32:17,200
Speaker 5: not see New Mexico State going on the road and

1853
01:32:17,280 --> 01:32:22,800
Speaker 5: having any real tangible success. At Louisiana Tech, they might

1854
01:32:22,840 --> 01:32:26,280
Speaker 5: win the Land of Enchantment Enchantment pillow fight against New Mexico,

1855
01:32:26,320 --> 01:32:29,200
Speaker 5: but even that'll be a coin flip type of game.

1856
01:32:29,600 --> 01:32:33,400
Speaker 5: At Liberty Western Kentucky, at Tennessee, and at UTEP, I've

1857
01:32:33,400 --> 01:32:35,519
Speaker 5: got them all penciled in as losses there. I think

1858
01:32:35,520 --> 01:32:38,720
Speaker 5: Middle Tennessee at home is a coin flip game that

1859
01:32:38,760 --> 01:32:41,519
Speaker 5: won't go their way. Missouri State could come in there

1860
01:32:41,520 --> 01:32:44,120
Speaker 5: and really tear up that defense. I think we wouldn't

1861
01:32:44,160 --> 01:32:46,479
Speaker 5: be surprised at all to see that. And you know,

1862
01:32:46,560 --> 01:32:48,839
Speaker 5: I'm not in love with Tulsa, and I think Tulsa

1863
01:32:48,880 --> 01:32:51,400
Speaker 5: has a long way to go defensively to be very competent.

1864
01:32:51,439 --> 01:32:53,280
Speaker 5: But they do bring in a high energy coach and

1865
01:32:53,360 --> 01:32:56,800
Speaker 5: there's a there's at least an element of excitement around

1866
01:32:56,840 --> 01:33:01,160
Speaker 5: the Tulsa program within the confines of that of that circle.

1867
01:33:01,280 --> 01:33:03,880
Speaker 5: So even the Tulsa games a coin flip and I

1868
01:33:03,880 --> 01:33:06,240
Speaker 5: don't think this is a team that's really set to

1869
01:33:06,240 --> 01:33:08,360
Speaker 5: win all their coin flip games. I think that they're

1870
01:33:08,400 --> 01:33:12,120
Speaker 5: probably zero to one win on the road, probably three

1871
01:33:12,160 --> 01:33:14,200
Speaker 5: wins at home. This just looks like four and eight again.

1872
01:33:14,280 --> 01:33:16,599
Speaker 5: So I did at plus money go under the wind total.

1873
01:33:16,640 --> 01:33:18,320
Speaker 5: I'd still recommend it now because you can get a

1874
01:33:18,360 --> 01:33:21,599
Speaker 5: very similar similar price. I'm just not quite a believer

1875
01:33:21,680 --> 01:33:24,360
Speaker 5: in the Tony Sanchez experiment here at New Mexico State,

1876
01:33:25,080 --> 01:33:28,240
Speaker 5: no matter how much of an element of passion and care.

1877
01:33:28,280 --> 01:33:30,960
Speaker 5: I mean, he really likes this job, he really wants

1878
01:33:31,000 --> 01:33:32,840
Speaker 5: to be here, but it's just it's not something I

1879
01:33:32,840 --> 01:33:36,479
Speaker 5: see working out because of just the obstacles that he's

1880
01:33:36,560 --> 01:33:39,400
Speaker 5: up against in Las cruses, so under four and a

1881
01:33:39,439 --> 01:33:41,519
Speaker 5: half and no chance to win the conference.

1882
01:33:42,520 --> 01:33:45,320
Speaker 2: All right, before we close things out here, biggest storyline

1883
01:33:45,479 --> 01:33:49,280
Speaker 2: and your title game matchup, Maverick McIvor, I think it's

1884
01:33:49,320 --> 01:33:55,120
Speaker 2: going to be an absolute retro throwback, all the good vibes,

1885
01:33:55,320 --> 01:33:58,479
Speaker 2: Bailey Zappy. I want to see Bailey Zappy on the

1886
01:33:58,520 --> 01:34:00,680
Speaker 2: sideline for one of these games. High five and I'm

1887
01:34:00,680 --> 01:34:02,840
Speaker 2: coming off the field a lot of high scoring games.

1888
01:34:02,880 --> 01:34:04,479
Speaker 2: I think their defense is also going to give up

1889
01:34:04,479 --> 01:34:06,479
Speaker 2: a lot of points. That's why I think UTEP is

1890
01:34:06,520 --> 01:34:08,680
Speaker 2: going to leapfrog them get to the title game and

1891
01:34:08,680 --> 01:34:10,439
Speaker 2: then lose to Liberty. I think it's going to be

1892
01:34:10,439 --> 01:34:12,760
Speaker 2: an exciting year for Scotty Walden. I want to go

1893
01:34:12,840 --> 01:34:15,720
Speaker 2: ahead and have an opportunity to hedge that ticket at

1894
01:34:15,720 --> 01:34:18,720
Speaker 2: thirteen to one with the minors Minor Nation, We're just

1895
01:34:18,760 --> 01:34:20,439
Speaker 2: we're getting the gang back together, all the teams that

1896
01:34:20,479 --> 01:34:23,360
Speaker 2: we'd love rooting for here in Conference USA. So that

1897
01:34:23,720 --> 01:34:26,960
Speaker 2: is my card in terms of the narrative and the

1898
01:34:27,000 --> 01:34:28,679
Speaker 2: title game matchup. What are yours?

1899
01:34:30,760 --> 01:34:33,439
Speaker 5: Well, the narrative is absolutely mcguiver. I mean, we saw

1900
01:34:34,600 --> 01:34:37,800
Speaker 5: Bailey's Appy tear up Conference USA with a similar nature

1901
01:34:37,840 --> 01:34:40,160
Speaker 5: when he brought his OC and Zach Kittley from Houston

1902
01:34:40,200 --> 01:34:43,479
Speaker 5: Baptist now called Houston Christian. And so I think that

1903
01:34:43,560 --> 01:34:47,400
Speaker 5: this will be something that will just electrify Conference USA.

1904
01:34:47,479 --> 01:34:49,360
Speaker 5: You know, for me, this is a league that as

1905
01:34:49,439 --> 01:34:52,240
Speaker 5: often regarded as the worst Group of five league as

1906
01:34:52,280 --> 01:34:55,320
Speaker 5: far as power ratings are concerned, and we've had some

1907
01:34:55,360 --> 01:34:59,200
Speaker 5: inconsistencies with this kind of being the stepping stone league

1908
01:34:59,280 --> 01:35:03,120
Speaker 5: to getting team from the FCS into FBS competition. But

1909
01:35:03,200 --> 01:35:05,360
Speaker 5: it's a league that's embraced that. It's a league that

1910
01:35:05,439 --> 01:35:07,639
Speaker 5: really bridges the gap for all of the people who

1911
01:35:07,760 --> 01:35:10,480
Speaker 5: live and breathe college football to get weak day football

1912
01:35:10,479 --> 01:35:13,840
Speaker 5: in earlier than November actions so that starts October sixth,

1913
01:35:14,360 --> 01:35:17,080
Speaker 5: And it's really a fun league that I enjoy watching.

1914
01:35:17,080 --> 01:35:18,599
Speaker 5: And so I think we're going to get a lot

1915
01:35:18,600 --> 01:35:21,679
Speaker 5: of good football within this league. This year may not

1916
01:35:21,760 --> 01:35:24,680
Speaker 5: manifest itself with out of conference results, but I think

1917
01:35:24,720 --> 01:35:28,000
Speaker 5: within league play, we'll see a lot of competitive football

1918
01:35:28,000 --> 01:35:30,600
Speaker 5: this season. Top to bottom. I think there's Liberty and

1919
01:35:30,680 --> 01:35:33,800
Speaker 5: then about six other teams that could possibly win this league.

1920
01:35:33,840 --> 01:35:35,880
Speaker 5: So I think Liberty will be in the championship game.

1921
01:35:36,479 --> 01:35:38,320
Speaker 5: And you know what, when I look at Middle Tennessee.

1922
01:35:38,360 --> 01:35:40,679
Speaker 5: They don't have to play Liberty in the regular season.

1923
01:35:40,680 --> 01:35:42,800
Speaker 5: They don't have to play UTEP in the regular season.

1924
01:35:42,840 --> 01:35:46,120
Speaker 5: Their toughest game in conference play is going to be

1925
01:35:46,320 --> 01:35:49,320
Speaker 5: at Western Kentucky, which is a major rival for both

1926
01:35:49,400 --> 01:35:53,559
Speaker 5: those schools. There's one hundred miles of hate and I

1927
01:35:53,680 --> 01:35:56,040
Speaker 5: think you know you win that game. You're really in

1928
01:35:56,120 --> 01:36:00,400
Speaker 5: control here. So I think I hung I had on

1929
01:36:00,439 --> 01:36:02,960
Speaker 5: the win total over. I think Middle Tennessee has a

1930
01:36:03,000 --> 01:36:05,240
Speaker 5: really good shot to play for the conference title. So

1931
01:36:05,320 --> 01:36:06,479
Speaker 5: let's pencil on the Raiders.

1932
01:36:06,880 --> 01:36:09,200
Speaker 2: I think it's time to Scooby Doo pull the mask

1933
01:36:09,280 --> 01:36:11,640
Speaker 2: off you. Oh it's Brent stock still here as my

1934
01:36:11,760 --> 01:36:14,080
Speaker 2: co host. Hey, listen, you're sticking your neck out. It's

1935
01:36:14,120 --> 01:36:16,519
Speaker 2: the very first preview of the season. I love it.

1936
01:36:16,600 --> 01:36:18,679
Speaker 2: We'll certainly come back to it if the Blue Raiders

1937
01:36:18,760 --> 01:36:22,000
Speaker 2: lay in egg multiple times this fall. But as you mentioned,

1938
01:36:22,160 --> 01:36:24,880
Speaker 2: and I agree, this is a wide open conference for

1939
01:36:24,960 --> 01:36:27,280
Speaker 2: that number two spot to compete with Liberty, So we'll

1940
01:36:27,320 --> 01:36:30,519
Speaker 2: see who ends up holding that spot throughout the season

1941
01:36:30,840 --> 01:36:33,679
Speaker 2: and punching a ticket to the Conference USA title game.

1942
01:36:33,840 --> 01:36:36,880
Speaker 2: That is a wrap for our preview here. We got

1943
01:36:36,880 --> 01:36:38,600
Speaker 2: more coming up from the G five. We got the

1944
01:36:38,640 --> 01:36:42,000
Speaker 2: American forget about the AAC that's old news. It is

1945
01:36:42,160 --> 01:36:45,519
Speaker 2: purely the American now. And then the beloved Mac. And

1946
01:36:45,560 --> 01:36:47,720
Speaker 2: you know when we talk Mac, that means Stucky coming

1947
01:36:47,760 --> 01:36:51,000
Speaker 2: in with his MAC manifesto, no stone left unturned, he

1948
01:36:51,080 --> 01:36:55,920
Speaker 2: can't wait to talk specialists, kickoff coverage, punt coverage, place kicking.

1949
01:36:56,120 --> 01:36:58,720
Speaker 2: Sucky has you covered every which way when it comes

1950
01:36:58,720 --> 01:37:01,920
Speaker 2: to the Mid American Conference. We also next week we'll

1951
01:37:01,960 --> 01:37:05,320
Speaker 2: have all of our power for conference previews between Stucky

1952
01:37:05,479 --> 01:37:08,439
Speaker 2: and Colin Wilson. And then we got something really exciting

1953
01:37:08,439 --> 01:37:11,000
Speaker 2: on tap. We got a live show that's right week zero.

1954
01:37:11,280 --> 01:37:15,240
Speaker 2: Come join us in Chicago. Joe's on Weed at eleven am.

1955
01:37:15,560 --> 01:37:18,160
Speaker 2: We are going to be watching Farmageddon, k State and

1956
01:37:18,240 --> 01:37:22,639
Speaker 2: Iowa State. Roll on through. You can meet Stucky, Colin Wilson, myself,

1957
01:37:22,720 --> 01:37:24,800
Speaker 2: Duck's gonna be there, The drinks are going to be flowing,

1958
01:37:24,880 --> 01:37:27,920
Speaker 2: the whole crew. We're gonna have a great time. So please,

1959
01:37:28,080 --> 01:37:30,800
Speaker 2: if you are in the greater Chicago area or really

1960
01:37:30,840 --> 01:37:33,160
Speaker 2: the Midwest in general, just drive on in, say hello

1961
01:37:33,200 --> 01:37:35,519
Speaker 2: to us, watch some football. We are so close to

1962
01:37:35,560 --> 01:37:39,280
Speaker 2: the season being back for josh n Non Aka duck

1963
01:37:39,360 --> 01:37:41,240
Speaker 2: on my calabreys. This has been the Big Bets on

1964
01:37:41,280 --> 01:37:44,200
Speaker 2: Campus podcast, our group of five deep dive preview of

1965
01:37:44,200 --> 01:37:47,200
Speaker 2: Conference USA. Now in the books. We'll catch you next time.

1966
01:37:57,200 --> 01:38:01,720
Speaker 1: Action Network reminds you please gamble responsibly. If you or

1967
01:38:01,760 --> 01:38:04,519
Speaker 1: someone you care about has a gambling problem, help is

1968
01:38:04,560 --> 01:38:07,639
Speaker 1: available twenty four seven at one eight hundred gambler