Space City Saturday w Dan Mathews 10-12-24

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Space City.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Grated U Space Citycome welcome to another Space City Saturday
on Sports Talk seven ninety Dan Matthews live at local
h Town breakdown on the.

Speaker 3 (00:24):
World that matters to you, Houston Sports World, all these.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Great Houston fans here. We love you all, So finish
up on that to do list.

Speaker 3 (00:35):
Flute up the jeweler, because you can't drink in talk
sports all day if you don't start now.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
Mary, this is Space City Saturdays in.

Speaker 4 (00:47):
Here's seven nineties Dan Matthews, and.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
Away we go here for Space City Saturday with you
until noon. Dan Matthews. Here, you's heard voice guy to
tell you huge football weekend on tap already getting started
here as of course many of you watching college game
Day right now, I'm sure, as we're getting ready for
a huge one not only locally with Texas and OU

(01:16):
happening this weekend, but also too here in the Houston
area and a lot of their games right here on
Sports Talk seven ninety LSU with a huge one at
home against Ole Miss. So that's another one. Tell you
about where to find that game tonight as well as
you got Ohio State at Oregon. Just I mean, it's

(01:37):
all across the board. Today, Just an awesome, awesome college
football weekend here to get us started. Then of course
the Texans tomorrow got that to look forward to. What
do we see without Nico Collins on the field, as
well as a few other key players for this team
that are not going to be available for this one.
So we'll get into a lot of Texans talk as well.

(01:59):
You want to get a board here today, you can
do so sub one three two one two five seven
ninety once again that's sub one three two one two
five seven nine zero. You can also tweet at us
as well if you're on the old X platform as
we are at Sports Talk seven ninety me myself at
Dan Matthews hou is where you can find me there.

(02:21):
So do appreciate if you do follow along. Got Evan
Ray behind the glass for us today, appreciate him hopping
on board with us. As like I said, here do
things a little bit different. I mean last weekend when
I was with you, it was a little bit of
an autopsy on the twenty twenty four Astros season. Well,

(02:42):
since they've been out, there's not a ton to get
into on the Astros, but there is a little bit
to get into as maybe we'll do that in the
second hour. Might be something we close out with because
yet another astro singing the praises of Alex Bregman. I'm
sure if you're listening to the station all week, you
probably heard who that was. But if you haven't, you

(03:03):
will get that as well, just a further bit of
proof that this is a clubhouse that says very clearly
to management, keep number two here. So we will hear
that a little bit later on. But as I mentioned,
I mean, it's a huge football weekend, so that's gonna
be the majority of this show today. So if you're

(03:23):
not a huge football fan, I don't know what to
tell you, because I mean, let's just go ahead and
do inventory for everything else since the Astros are out.
I understand what the postseason is, and yes, it is
unfortunate that we still have the Yankees and the Dodgers
still alive in the postseason picture. I think a lot
of us are saying, let's go Guardians, Tigers, and Mets

(03:46):
in terms of whoever wins between Cleveland and Detroit later
on this afternoon to move on to the LCS to
face the Yankees and of course the Mets. I mean,
who would have ever thought that many of us here,
especially living through nineteen eighty six, which I mean I
wasn't even one yet when the Astros lost. Actually no,
I think I was one years old. But anyway, my

(04:08):
parents actually had to leave the game early because again
I was one years old, so they had to get
home as of course, you know, we don't need to
take ourselves through too much disappointment, but that you know,
wild Mets team win in the World Series back then,
So this is a wild team for different reasons. A
likable Mets team. I mean, who would have ever guessed

(04:30):
that we would be saying, Man, this group's actually kind
of really likable, so I think an easy one to
root for, hopefully to see them upset the Dodgers in
the LCS and move on to the World Series. But anyway,
we're not gonna spend a ton of time on baseball,
like I said, I mean, they're out. And also to
the Rockets, I mean, they've had a couple of preseason games,

(04:51):
but there's not really too much to glean from the
Rockets so far to this point. I mean, you're not
showing anything in terms of offensive or defensive that's really
at this point you're just kind of trying to figure
out who's going to be the guys that are going
to be part of the rotation and also to you know,
just who is going to be even on the active

(05:12):
roster itself, of the fifteen and the twelve that are
made available to you on game night. But aside from that,
there's really not too much else to get into when
it comes to those guys. So we'll get into the
Rockets of course as we get closer to this season.
I think we're less than two weeks away from the
start of the NBA regular season, and I know a

(05:34):
lot of people out there too as well, say, well, Dan,
we know that the NBA regular season really gets started
on Christmas Day. Well, I mean, I think that's when
people kind of start to pay attention a little bit more.
It's kind of like in baseball they tell you that
the casual fans don't really get involved until after Memorial Day.
Well that's kind of the you know, indication for the

(05:55):
NBA season as well. But no, I mean, we'll be
of course, us being the home of the Rockets, we'll
be getting into it a little bit more. But as
it goes, it is a huge football weekend. Like I said,
the Texans on the road one of the larger favorites
in the NFL this week. I think Ross was telling
me the largest favorites is the Eagles against the Browns

(06:17):
this weekend. I think they were nine and a half
is what Ross told me. But the Texans six and
a half point favorites on the road against the Patriots
going to be Drake may getting the start for New
England in that one. So the rookie, their first round
pick out of North Carolina, He's going to finally get
his chance to start. The Patriots under first year head

(06:38):
coach to Rod Mayo one in four A little bit
of a reeling football team right now. I think they
kind of just feel like they need a shot in
the arm. I mean, you know, it's one of those
things that we talked about on the A team this week,
and WEX had this point, and I tend to agree
with them, is that you've got a bunch of veterans
in that locker room there in New England that want
to start winning football games. I mean, I think it's
kind of a little bit of shades of what we

(06:59):
saw here last year with the Texans. I mean, I
think coming into the season in twenty twenty three, we
didn't have any expectations because of what they had done.
I think it was kind of, you know a little
bit of mirroring both at NRG Stadium and also at
Toyota Center last year. Where with the Rockets last year,
I think we were kind of looking at them and saying, hey,
just be competitive, just be you know, a team that

(07:21):
we can actually pay attention to, and it turns out
they were. I mean, they were a team that, for
the better part of the end of the season was
still being talked about as a team that could possibly
sneak themselves into a playing round after just basketball futility
from twenty twenty one up until that point, and they
actually showed, well, no, you can beat some teams. You

(07:41):
struggle a little bit on the road, that's for sure,
but you know, you're still a team that's worth watching
because now you've got some grown ups on the team.
You've got some veterans, some guys that can kind of
show some of these guys what they need to do
in order to be pros in this league. And of course,
you know, they ended up falling short. The Texans exceeded
our expectations last year, and I think a huge part

(08:02):
of that obviously was the play of c J. Stroud,
but also too, I mean, you got Tank Dell making
meaningful contributions for you last year. I mean you had
Nico Collins who was able to play himself into a
nice lucrative long term deal. And now you're gonna have
to try to navigate at times without Nico Collins. At
least the next four weeks. You're gonna be without him

(08:22):
as he had that hamstring issue that popped up last
week on the long touchdown passes. I mean you kind
of even saw it too, if you went back and
watched the replay of the long bomb from CJ. Stroud
against Buffalo, that as soon as he caught it, you
could kind of see that he was like, oh, something's
not good. And he jogged into the end zone because

(08:43):
I mean he didn't have anybody within about twenty yards
of him, so he was able to kind of pull
up right there. But then once he got in, I
think he kind of told I think Tank Dell was
the first guy that got to him that, yeah, you know,
this isn't good, and sure enough, goes into the tent,
goes to the locker room. We don't see Nico Collins
for the rest of the games, so he is out
with the hamstring issue. They went ahead and put him

(09:05):
on IR so, like I said, for the next month,
they will be without number twelve. Not good to not
have him out there, but not only to not have
Nico Collins out there for this one, You're gonna be
down a few other key guys for this game. Kamari
Lassiter is going to be down for this one as
well as Robert Woods with a foot issue, and Jimmy

(09:27):
Ward is going to miss this one as well tomorrow.
So that's no good. But as I think, if you
listen to this show before, I mean, you know, we
talk about numerous different things on this show. We talk
about the room truth, we talk about the rules on
the side of the refrigerator. Well in this case also
too as well. I talked about if I've got to

(09:47):
give you, you know, good news bad news, I start
with the bad news first, because you know, we go
ahead and get that out of the way. It's kind
of like you know, they tell you, like whenever you
go through your workouts or anything, do all the hard
stuff at the beginning, Like even a take it a
step further. For most of us. I mean, not a
lot of people are, you know, those who get to
the gym on a regular basis, So maybe that example
doesn't necessarily hit. But remember when you went home from

(10:11):
school and you had a bunch of homework, and I
remember my parents used to tell me, well, do the
stuff that's going to take most of your time at first,
and save the stuff that you can pretty much breeze
through at the end, and that way you're done. And
you know, it's kind of one of those things of
oh man, all right, I checked that off. So now
I've got this, this and this, and then I can
go from there. But in this case, right here, you know,

(10:32):
you get the bad news out of the way, all right.
That's the hard stuff. The good news. It sounds like
Joe Mixon is going to be back, and not only him,
it sounds like Damian Pierce is going to be back
for this one as well. I think in their absence,
Daria Goomblewalle as well as Cam Akers, we're both doing
really good things for the Texans. And this is also
too a Texans team that is trying to establish the

(10:53):
run as best as possible. And at times they've shown
good things, but also two at times you've kind of shown, well,
you're early running into a brick wall. And that's what
we've seen from that group. But Bobby Slowik is a
guy that definitely believes in balance offensively, wants to try
to strike as much of a balance as possible. You run, what,
you know, fifty five sixty plays a game. I'm just

(11:15):
kind of throwing out a number right there. He wants
to have it about as even as possible. I think
if he can look back at the play sheet afterwards
and say, yep, ran that ran that did this, you know,
did that play action pass? All right, that's that's a
good game. We're you know, we like what we put
out there for this one. We like what we put
on film for this one. And of course Joe Mixon
that coming back definitely helps out. I mean, you know,

(11:37):
we saw what he could do against Indianapolis, We saw
a little bit of what he could do before he
had that hip hip drop tackle on him against the
Chicago Bears, and that's knocked him out ever since with
that ankle issue. And I don't think it's necessarily surprising
that he's missed this much time high ankles, especially for
skill position players, you're probably looking at it about a

(12:00):
month off from that point, because I mean, you have
to think about everything you have to do, all the cutting,
you know, all the planting, everything else that you have
to do from that perspective. But also too, I mean,
Joe Mixon is a guy that you know, Bobby Slowik
and Demico Ryans in this offense, they count on to
be able to supply some blocks as well and be
there in pass protection and do all those things. You've

(12:22):
got to have your base underneath you if you're going
to try to do those things. So for running backs
and receivers you get a high ankle, you're probably, like
I said, looking at about three weeks to a month
being out. And that's what we've seen as the Texans
are going into their sixth game of the season. He
left in the second so that fits in that timeline
right there. So good to have him back on the

(12:44):
field for this one as well. And you know, I
think just to kind of, you know, wrap up the
opening about the Texans here, I mean, I think we
can agree that without Nico Collins out there, it's gonna
be more of an onus now on Stefan Diggs and
Tank dell Is well as Dalton Schultz. Those guys are
gonna have to factor in the passing game. Heard a
lot about Xavier Hutchinson this week from both Tamiko Ryans

(13:07):
and Bobby Slowick, So see what he can provide while
you are without Nico Collins. Does John Mechi even start
to factor a little bit in some of these games?
I mean, I think that those are some questions that
we'll see answered here at least over the next four
games without Collins on the field. I'm hopeful that this

(13:27):
is just a four game thing for him that he'll
be down for that. Defensively, you do have a chance
next week from suspension to get Denico Autry back, so
that can help you with a group that actually has
played pretty well up front. I mean, I think we
had our concerns in terms of the run defense this year,
especially on the interior of the defensive line, where you know,

(13:48):
you don't have rankings from last year, you don't have
elite Collins from last year as well. But I mean
you've been able to get some good things out of
Mario Edwards as well as fully fought of Cassi. I mean,
he was a guy that I think kind of came
in with low expectations in terms of what he had
done throughout his career. But I think, you know, he's
kind of the defensive line version of George Fant from

(14:10):
last year. George rejuvenated his career here with Texans and
got an opportunity to keep playing in this league for
what he did for the Texans last year, and I
think fully full of COSSI might have a chance to
do the same thing for what he's done in the
early going for the Texans this season. So you know,
that's more good news of starting to get some guys back.
I mean, I guess we'll see what happens with Christian

(14:31):
Harris when he's able to get back in the linebacker corps.
But while he's been out, I mean, you've been able
to get really good things out of asa Al Shaier
as well as Henry Tootee. So I mean, you know,
those are you know, more good things that you've gotten
from this team. So four and one, I know it's
not necessarily been pretty. We'll talk about that as the

(14:52):
show goes along as well. Guest wise for the show
today coming up in about fifteen minutes. We had a
chance to catch up on the A team this week
with Alex Barth, who covers the Patriots for ninety eight
five the Sports Hub up in Boston. He also does
the Patriots Own in House podcast the Patriots Catch twenty
two podcasts, so we had a chance to catch up

(15:14):
with him. He had a lot of good stuff to
say with Adam and Adam, so we'll have that for
you here in about fifteen minutes, I myself will be
catching up with a couple of guys to talk some
huge college football games happening that are of interest here
in the Houston area this weekend. Of course we all know.
I mean it's one of those things that especially for

(15:35):
me where I live here in the spring Woodlands area,
and you see the highway signs that let you know, hey,
major accident ahead or roadwork ahead or anything, well, we
always know too to look out for him on forty
five this weekend, especially heading up north, these signs that
point to hey, we know that you're heading up to
Dallas this weekend, so put the phones down, put the

(15:56):
horns up, beat ou or something like that. You know,
whatever they have on the signs, you know that just
to let you know, hey, be safe going up to
a DFW for this game. But Texas, no, you that's
gonna be a fun one again too. You've heard the promos,
you know, all throughout the week here with Craig Way
on your home of the Longhorns here in Houston Sports

(16:16):
Talk seven ninety as we will have that coverage started
for you at one thirty right here to get you
ready for Texas and OU from the Cotton Bowl. But
at eleven fifteen Will Matthews, who of course is a
lifetime Longhorn. He played for long Horns during their heyday
there in the mid two thousands, and now he is

(16:38):
on the sidelines for the broadcast. So gonna have a
chance to catch up with Will at eleven fifteen eleven thirty.
LSU fans here in the area. By the way, too,
you want to catch that game today, it's gonna be
over on KPRC nine fifty is where we are going
to have the Horns ere excuse me, the Tigers and
Ole miss Rebels coming your way. As you will be

(16:59):
able to catch that. But we'll get into that game
a little bit with my good buddy Matt Moscona from
ESPN one oh four to five there in Baton Rouge.
So we will catch up with scone at the bottom
of next hour. But coming up next. While some people
focus on the negatives of the close games that the
Texans have had to this point, I actually believe there

(17:19):
are significant positives that can be gleaned from the first
five games of the season. We'll break that down coming
up right here on Space City Saturday. Dan Matthews here
with you until noon on your home of the Astros
and the Rockets Sports Talk seven to ninety Space City Saturday.
Dan Matthews here with you until noon on your home
of Longhorns football and men's basketball here in the city

(17:44):
of Houston, LSU Tigers football as well for the most part,
but today you will have them over on KPRC nine fifty.
But as I mentioned here in the first hour, talking
mostly Texans, if you want to join in, you can
do so. Someone three two into five seven ninety once again,
that's seven one three two one two five seven ninety

(18:04):
again a reminder here in less than ten minutes. Alex
Barth from ninety eight five the Sports Hub, as well
as the Patriots Catch twenty two podcast, had a chance
to catch up with him on the A team earlier
this week. A lot of good stuff from him from
the Patriots side of tomorrow's game. We'll hear that here
coming up in less than ten minutes. But for the

(18:25):
Texans right now, as I've talked about, you know, you
listen to a lot of the shows. I mean, you know,
I was listening to the next up with you know,
Stan Norfleet, Chris Gordy, Jonathan Wells, former Texans running back
on with them this week. They had a fun, nice
conversation about it. It was one two as well that
I'm not gonna say contentious, but it, uh, it got spirited.

(18:45):
I think that's the word to describe the conversation at Gordy, uh,
you know, Jonathan Wells and also Stan Norfleet had about
the Texans first five game starts this season. And I think,
you know, there's a lot of things we can point.
Has it been pretty no, not in the least. Has
it been a little bit too close for comfort in
all five well, actually four out of the five. Yes,

(19:09):
The answer is to that question because well, I mean,
aside from Minnesota, every game other than that Minnesota game
they've won. But they also too haven't necessarily won by
a huge margin enough for you to say, yeah, you know,
you can feel really good about this four and one start,
which I think is kind of ridiculous to say. And

(19:30):
it's merit right there. Of there are no style points
for wins. The only question is did you do it?
Or did you not? I mean I talked about this
during Astro season as well. I mean, you know, over
a course of one hundred and sixty two games in
a season. If you're trying to tell me that there's
style points, there's no rankings, there's no anything like that.
It's all standings. Did you win? Are you good enough?

(19:51):
Are you good enough to be one of the top
two teams to get a buy and miss wild card weekend?
Are you good enough to be able to even get
into the playoffs? At that point? What determines that did
you win or did you lose? That's the most important thing.
And I just I don't really get that mindset of
you know people, oh, well, you know you didn't do this,
you didn't do that. And another one too is, oh

(20:13):
my god, if somebody calls today at seven one three, two,
one two five seven ninety and says, will they have
it put together? A complete four quarters, I really might
lose my mind on you. I think that probably my
coping mechanism for that will be the Matt Thomas layout
for that. If you drop that on me, and then
maybe just throw out the phone number again and just

(20:34):
keep it moving, because I mean, I seriously hear that,
and I'm like, you might be able to do that
in one or two games this season, because football itself
at this level is slopping its own nature. And I
understand they're professionals, they work at it, they try to
strive for perfection all those different types of things. But

(20:54):
when you're in a league where everybody is paid, it
is their jobs and they are maybe not a you know,
one through fifty five or one through fifty three as
good as you are, but still they are a group
of guys that can go out there and be able
to beat you because they're grown men just like you are.
Then you're probably going to face at times in a

(21:14):
game of well, hey, they're starting to climb back here.
They got a little bit of the momentum on their side.
All of those different types of things. And I understand
too with the Texans that you know, let's just kind
of break it down from again. You know, the negatives
first and then the positives last. I mean, yes, you've
beaten yourself in terms of penalties. I mean you've heard
Damika Ryan say it time and time again, the Texans

(21:36):
have to stop beating the Texans. And I will go
ahead and point to the positive at least in this point.
With the last couple of weeks. I mean, you did
have a little bit of a sloppy performance when it
came to the penalties against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the
positive not a ton of pre snaps. I mean, you
did have a false start or two. You did have

(21:56):
a couple of times where we had ineligible men downfield,
you know, all of those things. And I think you
had an ineligible man downfield last week in that sloppy
third quarter that allowed for Buffalo to get back in
that game. But that was something that was a huge
point of emphasis for that team heading into the Jacksonville game,
or you know, out of that Minnesota game and you

(22:17):
heard Demiko Ryans, you know, talk about this team needs
to stop beating themselves. I get that, I understand it.
You know, I am a huge proponent of that type
of belief because he's not wrong. If you can fix it,
if you can make sure you're not doing it, then
you give yourself a chance. And I mean, I think
that's something too as well, as I think I've talked

(22:38):
about it before here on the show in the past,
that you can win a game that you will lose
later on in the season. And what I mean by
that is you can come out of a game and
you can say, you know, hey, we did some good things.
But I'll tell you what, no, if we do this
against Baltimore, if we do this against Kansas City, we
do this against any other good team out there, then

(23:00):
we're not winning that game. And yes, I will meet
you in terms of the style points people out there
in terms of the Chicago game, you know, even the
Indianapolis game, the long touchdowns you gave up in that one,
the penalties, the you know, mismanagement of the clock there
at the end of the first half, some of those things.
I mean, you know, it's frustrating, and it's things that
you want to be able to clear up and be

(23:21):
able to get right for later on in the season.
But another thing as well, is you've had some key
injuries for this team and Tamika Ryans is a guy
that's not going to make excuses for injuries. You've heard
him say at numerous times, We've got to go out
there with the fifty three guys we've got. That's what
we have to concern ourselves with without injuries. But I
mean with having ass Alshai Air at the linebacker spot.

(23:43):
That's been huge for this team without Christian Harris out there,
because I think when you were coming into this season
and you're mostly only playing two linebackers as is, you've
liked what Henry Totoe has done for you. But at
the same time too as well, having Christian Harris out there,
you see what he's able to do on the field.
He's an extension of Damiko Ryans, much like as he's

(24:04):
al Shairaz as well. So having him back would be
huge for this team because I think that solidifies up
the middle for you on this defense and also too
helps out with a defensive line that I think has
played better than most of us expected they would earlier
on coming into this season. That was concern for me.
It was a concern for a lot of people coming

(24:25):
into this season. So he's won. You know, you're down
Nico Collins. Now you've been down without Joe Mixon as well.
But the positive of all positives for me when it
comes to this is close games being one are a
good thing. If the Texans lose a couple of those games,
then I think we have some concerns. And they were
in position to possibly lose some of those games, but

(24:46):
they didn't, And that's the most important thing, because I
think it hardens you for situations later on in the
season when you get into late November, December, January, when
the playoffs start to be in those type of games,
and I think it is a huge mental asset for
you to have to be able to know that if

(25:08):
you are in those close game situations, you know that
you're heading into a final drive situation with a chance
to be able to win the game, that you want
to be able to trust. You want to be able
to trust that your team can come through in those spots.
And that's something that the Texans are hoping they can
be able to carry over into those later parts in
this season, and I think that is a huge thing

(25:29):
to be able to have in your back pocket of knowing,
all right, hey, we're in a tie game here five
minutes left to go. We need to get a huge
stop here. We need to get CJ back to football.
And if we get CJ back to football, we feel
really good because we know what he can do in
terms of moving the football. But also too as well,
we know that if we're within striking distance Kaymie Fairbairn
can put one through the uprights, we're gonna win this game. So,

(25:52):
I mean, I think that that is the part that
I take the most from these first five games of
the year. Again, I understand what it's looked like. I
understand what it could be for you going forward, especially
to when you factor in you hadn't even played even
you know, most of the best teams that you're gonna
be facing the season. I throughout Kansas City, I throughout Baltimore.
You're gonna have to go up to Jersey and face

(26:13):
the Jets. What are they gonna look like now with
some of their coaching changes. I mean, there's gonna be
challenges along the way. And it's also too the fact
of the matter is in the NFL, you're going to
have a disappointing week. You're going to lose to somebody
you're not supposed to lose to I mean, look at
San Francisco last week against Arizona. You think that anybody
thought that the forty nine ers coming into that game,
we're going to have any chance possible to lose to

(26:35):
the Arizona Cardinals. And sure enough they did, and they
found themselves down two and three on the season. And
we're able to go up to Seattle last week and
get a huge win against the Seahawks a couple of
nights ago on Thursday Night Football. So we'll get into
this a little bit more on the other side. kJ John,
I see you guys right there. Before we get to

(26:56):
Alex Barth, I will get you in. You want to
join them on the phone lines, we do so seven
one three two one two five seven ninety. Once again,
that's seven one three two one two five seven ninety.
As we will continue to roll along here on Space
City Saturday on your home of the Astros and the
Rockets Sports Talk seven ninety. Here a wrestling candigether If

(27:17):
not I can't help you, all right, fine for that
second group right there, Diamond Dallas Page. Of course, you
know as soon as you heard that you have to
wait for DDP to come out the pyro goes and
he of course does the diamond cutter bang right there.
So there you go a little bit of WCW for
you here on Space City Saturday. We try to do
it all. That's what we try to do here. Again,

(27:39):
we're gonna hear from Alex Barth of ninety eight five
the Sports Hub in Boston. The Patriots catch twenty two
podcasts here in just a couple of seconds. But first
kJ and Cyprus wants to wait in here on Sports
Talk seven ninety K good Man, how about you.

Speaker 5 (27:57):
I'm goacha man, I'm goach you real quick. I want
to explain to you. I am one of the ones
in the looking at the Texans four and one records
with a bit of interpretation, and I'm gonna tell you why.
Coming into last season, obviously there weren't major expectations because
we didn't know what we had in CJ. Obviously we

(28:17):
didn't know we had to some degree, some expectations run
to me come coming with his track.

Speaker 4 (28:22):
Record as a DC. But none of.

Speaker 5 (28:24):
Us, I can think realists could expect the CJ to
go ten in the team, rather go ten and seven
and CJ break all kind of records as a Rockie quarterback.
With that stand, those expectations that weren't there last year
were not only there this year, but they were on
stale roids. And obviously the organization felt that where you
don't come into a season, you don't go into an
off season and get a Joe Mixon, a State Stefan Diggs,

(28:48):
Dan Daniel Hunter and not unless you have expectations of
doing grandioso things.

Speaker 6 (28:54):
And they just haven't done it. No, they haven't put
four quarters of football together.

Speaker 5 (28:58):
They haven't even put two half the football together.

Speaker 6 (29:00):
Yet, especially in the past four weeks when they want
to score twenty three points. So for us to be
looking at this with a side, you know, side eye
of the record right now, you have every right to
be because we've only done it against the Trevor Launces
of the world. We've done it against a rookie Anthony Richards.

Speaker 4 (29:16):
Technically he isn't a rookie, but he.

Speaker 6 (29:17):
Hasn't even played sixteen games.

Speaker 5 (29:18):
Yet we've only done it against sub port quarterback play.
You got Josh Shallen, who you held up to nine
for nine for thirty one and you still barely beat them.

Speaker 6 (29:29):
So yes, there's every reason for us to be looking
at the four to one record with some bit of
hesitation because we haven't played the Kansas Cities, we haven't
played the Green Bays, we haven't played the Baltimore's, So
to see the consistent shortcomings, even though the record isn't
indicative of bet to see the consistent shortcomings that this

(29:49):
team is having, you have to wonder coming into this
season having against spectations of being amongst the elite, you
have to wonder when that's going to kick in where
you can legitimate look at the Houston Texas and say
we can line up against Pat Mahomes, Travis Kelsey and
whoever else they have over.

Speaker 4 (30:05):
There in red and goal and go toe to toe.

Speaker 5 (30:07):
We haven't seen that version of the Texas this year.

Speaker 6 (30:10):
So until we see that and see it consistently, there
will be interpretation. There will be hesitation, regardless of.

Speaker 4 (30:18):
What the record says. You could because we could just
as easy to be.

Speaker 5 (30:21):
Oher to five right now, and that can be overlooked.

Speaker 4 (30:24):
When you're having carlentary.

Speaker 5 (30:25):
About the Houston Texas, I don't want to hear what
you got to stay Chap, and I'm gonna sit back
and listen.

Speaker 1 (30:30):
I appreciate the call. kJ. I mean, I'll start first
with you know, you don't have to beat those teams
right now. That's the number one. I think that's the
most positive that you can take from. You know, the
way that the first five weeks of this season have gone.
And I understand what you're seeing in terms of you
could have very easily lost those games. You're not wrong.
I mean, Indianapolis could have very easily gone a different

(30:52):
direction if you don't convert a huge third down in
that game and you don't have what Kayami Fairbarn was
able to do, but you did. You know, the same
deal against Chicago. You weren't really able to get anything
going offensively in that one. The one game that you
were able to actually force turnovers defensively, that's pretty much
what helped you win that game. And you know, I

(31:13):
think that we could go all the way throughout and
you know, of course there's going to be things that
we can point to and say, you know, yeah, you
do that again later on the season, you're going to lose.
I touched on that last segment as well, of you
can win a game that will be the things that
lose you a game later on in the season. But
I think what it all kind of boils down to is,
like I talked about the penalties, the injuries that you've

(31:36):
had so far here in the early going of the season.
I think that's baked into this as well, and along
with you know, the fact of I don't need to
play my best football right now. I need to be
able to win games right now. I need to play
my best football if I want to be in position
to go for an AFC Championship game, which this franchise
has never done, and possibly even get a step further

(31:57):
than that, which again, if you haven't done that first part,
you hadn't done second part obviously, and a way to
do that is play your best ball later on in
the season, and I truly believe the Texans are tracking
towards doing that. I think that you start to get
some of these players back, now, does it necessarily mean
you're gonna have the full fifty three that you broke
camp with for the rest of the season. I'm not

(32:17):
saying that's the case. I mean, we've seen it numerous
times with teams losing key players. I mean, look at
the Kansas City Chiefs right now, they're down at least
one guy for the rest of the season. Rashie Rice,
who is a huge part of their offense. They're gonna
have to try to figure out how to navigate without him,
and also to being without Isaiah Pacheco, but they continue
to win as well. But they also have more of

(32:39):
the on field tangible success that you're trying to strive
for and get, and that's something that's been a huge,
you know, you know thing that this team has tried
to reach for in their entire existence, and that's what
this team is trying to do. You are right in
terms k of the expectations of last season, because again
this time last year we're talking about this football team,

(33:01):
we had zero expectations for them, none whatsoever. I mean,
the expectations were being created on the fly, and I
don't think it was until December that we started to say, man,
this team needs to do this, this team needs to
do that. Where we were going to be legitimately disappointed
had they gone to Indianapolis last year and lost that
game and not made the playoffs. I think initially we

(33:22):
would have been like, damn it, man, this team should
have made it. But then once they did, we were
kind of like, you know what, it's all gravy at
this point. I mean, I think the Texans last year
were kind of what the Detroit Tigers are this year
in the MLB postseason of you know, I had a
buddy of mine that I was talking with the other
day that's a huge Detroit Tiger fan, and I was like, Man,
this is gonna be awesome. Huh. I mean, you know,

(33:43):
now you guys are knocking on the door of the LCS.
He goes, honestly, to this point, man, he goes, anything
else positive is just icing on the cake at this point.
And I think a lot of Texans fans, had they
got into the postseason last year and you know, lost
to the Cleveland Browns, would have said, ah, not great.
I mean, I think that's why you had CJ. Stroud,
you know, after the loss against Baltimore last year in

(34:05):
the postseason, where he was correcting Will Anderson Junior of
stop crying, man, We're fine, Like this is the beginning
of what we're going to be. I mean, we're going
to be in this situation. It's kind of like what
Russell Wilson and the Seahawks felt like when they lost
to the Falcons in the Divisional round of the playoffs
back in twenty twelve where he came off the field.

(34:25):
He was telling reporters after the game, I was actually
smiling coming off the field because I knew this is
the start. We're gonna be fine. And again, you know
what happened the following year, They got to the super
Bowl and they won it. And I'm not saying that's
gonna be the case with the Texans this year. But
what I'm saying is I think that the week to
week improvements that we've seen kind of like what WEX
talked about with the Astros, the Mexico City reboot. I

(34:48):
think in some cases it was a little bit of
the Jacksonville reboot in this case because you had an
emphasis on the pre snap penalties, and the last couple
of weeks you've been able to limit those to few,
if any at all. I don't believe they had any
in that win last week against Buffalo, so that's a
huge positive. And try to carry that over into this week.
I think that's going to be an emphasis again, and

(35:10):
you know, to try to be able to make sure
you don't have the after the whistle fouls like we've
seen needing at least a couple of times. I mean,
we saw the flag on Dalton Schultz for just doing
the pointing down the field for first down, which you know,
it seems like it's a little bit of what officials
are looking for that as opposed to who are not.
But it was fifteen yards and it set them back

(35:30):
a little bit. You had the Stephen Simms fifteen yard
personal foul against Jacksonville as well, so that's the next
thing to try to clean up. The football season is
very much for those of you who are homebuilders out there.
I mean one of my first jobs out of high
school was on a punch out crew for a home
building company, and they give you what is called a

(35:53):
punch list. Football is one long punch list throughout a
season where you say to yourself, all right, that's something
we need to correct. Let's correct that. Did we correct
it good, Let's check that, let's be mindful of it.
Will continue to go through this. You have to remind
yourself constantly of the mistakes that you've made so you
don't make them again later on in the future. And

(36:14):
I think that's something that the Texans are trying to
be able to rectify on the fly. At this point.
And again, I mean, I will agree with you kJ,
they have not played their best football to this point.
But also though too, they don't need to apologize for
being four and one, And I think a huge part
of that is something that's carried over from last year
of they're in those close game situations, they can find

(36:34):
a way, and they have found a way, and I
think it's something that is a little bit of a
confidence point for them as they get into those close
game situations, and they will be in many more of
those later on the season, especially when you face some
of these better teams out there on the schedule. All Right,
So obviously we didn't get to Alex in this segment
because kJ we had a good conversation right there. So

(36:56):
we'll actually do Alex coming up next here too out
the ten o'clock hour. If you want to weigh in,
you can do so seven one three two one two
five seven ninety. Once again, that's seven one three two
one two five seven ninety Alex Barth ninety eight five.
The Sports Hub as well as the Patriots catch twenty
two podcasts from the A team. We will hear that
next right here as we close up ten o'clock hour

(37:18):
on Space City Saturday. Right here on your home of
the Astros and the Rockets, Sports Talk seven ninety. Dan
Matthews here with you on your home of the Astros
and the Rockets. Sports Talk seven ninety has promised earlier
this week we had a chance on the A team
to catch up with Alex Barth of ninety eight five
the Sports Hub in Boston, as well as the Patriots
Catch twenty two podcasts. Let's listen to Alex right now.

Speaker 7 (37:41):
Texans and Patriots this weekend. Patriots gonna trot out their
throwback uniforms for the debut of Drake May. And to
that end, we go to that area of our country
and welcome in Alex Barth on radio there in Boston
the Sports Ub ninety eight point five to discuss the
We could go in a lot of different directions here,

(38:02):
but I'm gonna ask you this very simple question. Do
people realize that Drake May is actually a very very
good athlete and he ran for over a thousand yards
in his final two years at North Carolina and his
over under on rushing yards is only twenty five and
a half. And the Texans have allowed quarterbacks to run
against them much of this year.

Speaker 8 (38:22):
Hey Alex, how is it going?

Speaker 2 (38:24):
Guy?

Speaker 9 (38:25):
You make some good points. It's funny you talk to
people around here, regardless of what Drake May is that
they're acting like the Texans are the eighty five Bears
in terms of defense and people. The big take this
week is people hate the spot. You know, you had
a week Miami Dolphins team last week. You have a
week Jaguars team next week, albeit in London, And I'm
not thinking it's entirely wrong, but you know, I'm kind

(38:47):
of catching up on the Texans a little more here,
and I think people are really freaked out and really
worried about what the Texans are going to do to
Drake May, independent of what they think Drake May can
do on his own.

Speaker 7 (39:00):
I will definitely not tell you the Texans defense has
forced zero turnovers in each of their last three games,
but definitely Drake May will have five. What I've actually
said earlier today and throughout the week when this became
obviously they were going to make the change. This had
to happen. You've got too many other people in the
locker room. Too many other people that go to work
every day and put their bodies on the line for

(39:21):
an offense that's completely incapable of throwing the football to
each other on game day. This had to be done
and sooner, clearly, rather than later.

Speaker 9 (39:32):
That was the big take last week leading up to this,
and where the pushback was and I was actually camp
is the Patriots offensive line has been a mess. Assuming
everybody came out of last season game healthy, so assuming
they don't tinker, this will be the first time this
year they start the same offensive line, and back to
back weeks, it'll be the first time they start the
same two tackles in the same two spots as back

(39:55):
to back weeks. They only have one left tackle on
the roster and he's been hurt for most of the season.
He'll be back this week in Venerian Low. So I
think a lot of that wasn't even necessarily about Drake
may was. You know, look, it's the NFL. He's going
to face pressure, he's gonna get hit, he's going to
have to deal with tough defense, and that's part of it.
But this was so exponentially beyond that. Jakobe Burssett was

(40:16):
pressured on literally fifty percent of his dropbacks over the
first five weeks, I think that they as much as
that locker room thing holds true, there needed to be
a baseline of confidency on the offense, specifically the offensive
line before they exposed you know, the guy that's supposed
to be the franchise.

Speaker 10 (40:33):
Well, now I I can hear why everybody's so concerned
coming into this game, because I've been screaming about the
Texans offensive line all summer. And we can get to
that in a second, But before we do, I did
want to ask you because we discussed this in the
first hour, my co host and I. You know what,
what is your take on a either young quarterback or

(40:53):
especially a rookie quarterback as far as do you throw
them out there no matter the situation. Do you do
you feel like that's the best way for them to
learn or do you subscribe to the theory that you
should kind of be under the veterans wing for at
least a half season, if not longer.

Speaker 9 (41:11):
I think it's so situation dependent, you know. I feel
differently about different players. When it came to May, I
always felt like he needed to play this year for
a couple of reasons. I think you can develop on
the bench, You can develop a practice but there's another
level once you get in the game. I also think
they need one. It helps to evaluate him with the
other players they have, but put some things on tape

(41:33):
where other players are going to want to come play here.
You know, one of the big stories for the Patriots
this offseason, they threw a ton of money at Calvin
Ridle that he signs elsewhere. They were ready to make
Brandon Ayuk one of the highest paid receivers in the league,
and then there's a report he turned them down in
part because the quarterback situation was uncertain. So can you
get this guy out on the field and not just
get your own players rallying around somebody, but get other

(41:55):
players in the league more interested in make New England
a destination. And that being said, I do think there
have been good quarterbacks who went to bad situations and
ultimately their careers were ruined by it. And any guy
who's the top picks going to a situation that's not great.
That's why the team had the top pick. But there

(42:15):
have to be a certain base line where you're really
just not being reckless in risking the guy. And I
think for the first month of the season it would
have been reckless to put Drake mayon because the line
was in such bad shape. I still don't know that
it's a great situation. I maybe would have even waited
a week or two more, but they're out of point
now where it's like, okay, you can at least get

(42:35):
the kid out there and get a reasonable idea of
what he can do.

Speaker 7 (42:38):
I tend to feel that same way. I didn't even
disagree with him opening the season the way they did,
but at some point the play almost dictated it was
going to happen at some point. But their offense, especially
their pass game, which is right at the bottom of
the league. Completion percentage is the worst, passing yards per
game is the worst, and some of the pressures that
we cite from different sources are a little bit of
a result of the quarterback doing everything he cannot to

(43:00):
turn it over, but in concert not doing anything to
help the offense move the football. Their receiving corps is
below average, and you kind of dictated that they realize
that going into the season.

Speaker 8 (43:10):
What about their backfield.

Speaker 7 (43:12):
What do you think the situation is with Ramandre Stevenson,
who has not practiced this week.

Speaker 9 (43:18):
So that one's a little weird. Because so Stevenson went
out late in the game last week and then came
back in and told us after the game he took
a helmet to the shin just wanted to get checked on,
basically said it was a stinger. Then he gets with
listed this week with a foot injury, which there didn't
seem to be any issue of after the game just
watching him like move around the locker room and stuff.

(43:39):
So I was pretty surprised by that this week. He's
a big loss though, if they can't have him go,
and usually if a guy doesn't practice Wednesday and Thursday,
he's not playing, so you start looking at you know
who's next. Antonio Gibson has been good for them and
he's a good back. He's been a little more limited role.
They don't have a ton of depth besides him. Jamichael
Hasty is the only other running back on roster. He's

(44:00):
mainly a special teams player. They have a couple backs
on the practice squad. Kevin Harris is the top guy.
Six round pick in twenty twenty two. Doesn't have a
ton of NFL experience. He's been here, but he hasn't
played in a lot of games, and this is a
team that's gouldn't need to run the football, even with
Drake may to kind of help the offensive line and
throw off the temple that pass rush. Not having Stevenson,
who's their most explosive offensive playmaker, would be a massive bluff.

Speaker 10 (44:24):
Talking to Alex Barth of ninety eighty five The Sports
Hub and of course the Patriots Catch twenty two podcast, Alex,
you mentioned at the top of the interview how everybody's
freaking out about the Texans coming to town. I'm old
enough to remember going to the Letterman Jacket game on
Monday night, which, by the way, Aaron Hernandez caught two

(44:44):
touchdown passes in and he's dead. Now, wow, I am
old enough to remember all sorts of one sided. Even
if the Texans were good, The New England Patriots are
here to ruin your lives situations. What's it like now
having been in that market? And I actually apologize, I
don't know how long you've been there, but I'm assuming

(45:06):
you got your fair taste of Belichick and Brady and
now you've got Gerrod Mayo.

Speaker 8 (45:11):
You've got a rookie quarterback starting.

Speaker 10 (45:13):
It's just so odd to see this matchup under these circumstances.

Speaker 9 (45:19):
So I've been covering the teams in twenty seventeen, but
I grew up here, so I've been you know, I
grew up down the streets from the stadium, so I've
been in it for the last thirty years. It is
a little weird, you know it definitely with the last
couple of seasons where things haven't been good. In last
year with four wins, you are, we are kind of
accustomed now to this, like, all right, what's like the

(45:40):
big what's the big picture, what's the long term picture?
How do they dig this way their way out of this?
Not every game being you know, a must win game,
but it is funny to see the reaction of Texans
fans being like, wait a minute, the Patriots are worried
about us. And I remember, you know a lot of
those games too. I go back to the playoff game
in seventeen that was and that was supposed to be

(46:01):
the one where it flipped because the Patriots are struggling
a little bit down the stretch and Dean Lewis returned
to kickoff and all that. But it's you know, fans
are frustrated because those expectations are still there Brady's not
here anymore. Bill's not here anymore, but the expectations of
excellence are still there, and people want to watch football,
playoff playoff football games. They want to be talking about contention.

(46:22):
They don't want to be talking about the draft. They
don't want to be talking about you know, three or
four years from now. They want to be in the president.
So it's it's creative fan base that's pretty frustrated. And
I think this week there's as much excitement as there's
been a while, you know, getting a look at the
guy that's supposed to be the future. But I think
people are also kind of nervous too, because they saw
how things went with Mac Jones, and you know, if

(46:43):
this guy doesn't work out, is that another three years
of being where they are right now.

Speaker 7 (46:47):
Yeah, I'm going to wait for another championship from all
the teams in the city that have been winning NonStop
championships for all these years. It took a long time
to get there, but the last handful of years of
your life has been seemingly from out side, nothing but
championships all the way across the board quickly a little
bit of time here, it's just about a minute on
their defense, maybe beyond the obvious and the talent of

(47:09):
Christian Gonzales. It feels like their defense has done everything
they can to allow them to stay in games.

Speaker 8 (47:15):
What is it that you like about their defense?

Speaker 9 (47:19):
Super high compete level and it's Gonzales. Really, they've lost
a ton of defensive talent. Barmore had in the illness
in camp. He's done for the year. They trade Matthew Judan,
Juan Bentley's out for the year. They just lost to
bril Peppers this week. Kyle Duggar's been out. Those are
all their best defensive players, Like the top six or
seven guys outside of Gonzalez, none of them are going

(47:40):
to be on the field this Sunday. So you got
a lot of young guys and the compete levels good,
but packling's been an issue at times. The pass rush
has been undisciplined. They'll make them plays, but they've left
some plays on the field too, because again, it just
very quickly became a young, inexperienced unit.

Speaker 7 (47:56):
Certainly seems like overall that's the building phase, which they
haven't seen for such a long period of time. Alex,
We really appreciate the time the inside and your time
spent in the history of the Boston sports world.

Speaker 8 (48:07):
I hope to catch up with you again real soon.

Speaker 9 (48:08):
Absolutely, thanks for having you guys.

Speaker 1 (48:11):
Indeed it is Craig Ackerman, it is for sure insane.
As we continue to roll along here on Space City Saturday,
Dan Matthews here with you until noon, we'll take an
hour and a half hiatus in terms of the local
or semi local ish programming until one thirty one Craig
Way and the crew get going with the Longhorn Sports

(48:33):
Network pregame show leading you up to the Horns and
the Oklahoma Sooners. Of course, Texas Longhorns football here on
Sports Talk seven ninety brought to you by the Molcarum
Law Firms, So we appreciate our partnership with them as
well as the chance to be able to bring you
Texas Longhorn football here on your home of the Horns

(48:54):
Sports Talk seven ninety as well. Like I said on
the LSU and Ole Miss game, we're gonna get into
that conversation a little bit later on in the show
with my good buddy Matt Moscona of ESPN one oh
four five. But that game gonna be starting with your
coverage at five o'clock over on a KPRC nine fifty

(49:16):
is where you can find Hunt Palmer and the crew
getting you ready for another top ten matchup in college football.
I mean, geez it is, as you know, I'm talking
to you right now, see college game day on in
front of me, and uh, you know you got to
Kirk kurb Street, you know, getting on the private jet.
Which I actually kind of thought about that a little
bit before we get back into the Texans conversation. How

(49:37):
long is that flight from Eugene to DFW, Like You've
got to almost wonder if Kirk is going to be
like running into the booth as the game starts, because
I mean, I've got to believe it's probably a decent
amount time wise, So I'm almost kind of wondering if
you might even have, you know, Chris Fowler call in
the beginning of that game by himself, and then I

(49:59):
don't know midway through the first quarter, if Kirk Kurbstree
is going to be joining. So that's something to keep
an eye on for sure, because you know, time wise
there I almost wonder if the leadership up in Bristol
is gonna say, hey, if we're in this situation. Again,
let's just have Kirk join us from whatever booth he's
in or wherever, and then we can go from there.
But that's just a side. I just was thinking about that.

(50:21):
I mean, I made a joke on Twitter about they
should have him skydive in. They might have to have
something like that in the future, helicopter I'm in or
something like that. It's gonna be nuts to see if
Herbie and Ben and the crew can make it there
to the booth in the Cotton Bowl in time for
that two thirty kick against Texas and OUs. So that's

(50:42):
something to keep an eye on, all right, real quick.
Here on the Texan side, c J Stroud a lot
of people thinking that he's had some huge adjustments to
make from a year one to year two. I mean,
what did we see last year from c J Stroud?
We saw a guy that was really careful with the football.
I mean, he would make some risk he throws, but
he also too would show you no, he can throw

(51:03):
through those tight windows and he can complete those passes
at least keep them away from defenders. But last week,
I mean, we saw really good defense from the Buffalo
Bills as they were able to intercept the pass from him,
as well as cause of fumble there to set up
the game tying at field goals. So a couple of
turnovers in that one. CJ. Stroud meeting with the media

(51:25):
earlier this week, asked about those turnovers and he says,
turnovers from last week. I'm past those. That's part of
the game.

Speaker 11 (51:36):
I'm not saying I'm like happy about it, but I
definitely wasn't like mad at myself. I just understood like
trying to bounce back from it. I mean, it's part
of the Everybody is turn the ball over. Everybody has
done those things. But you know, you humble yourself and
realize you got to be better from it, but you
don't hold your head down. So that's kind of just
my mindset during that moment. That's last week. Now on

(51:57):
to New England, and that's what I'm focused on.

Speaker 1 (52:00):
Playing quarterback is probably the most comparative position to baseball.
I Mean, what do we hear about in baseball all
the time, You're gonna fail as a hitter seven out
of ten times, and that's still going to give you
a Hall of Fame career. Quarterback kind of the same deal.
Interceptions are gonna happen. Fumbles are gonna happen, drop passes
are going to happen. You're going to have disappointing parts

(52:22):
of a football game, but you have to be able
to keep your head in the game to be able
to set yourself up for an opportunity to be able
to win the game late. And that's what CJ. Stroud's
been able to do for the most part later on
this season, and he's continuing to try to make sure
that this team wins football games, and for out of
the five weeks early on in the season, they've been
able to do that. But it also gets back to

(52:44):
the offense as well. Talked about earlier on in the
show about some of the injuries that this team has had.
Of course, now you're gonna be without Nico Collins for
tomorrow's game as well as at least the next three
games after that going on the IR with a hamstring issue,
and also too, you haven't had Joe Mix, You've had
some inconsistent play from the offensive line. All in all,

(53:04):
it is not looked at least what we expected that
this offense would look like to this point in the season.
But CJ. Strouds says, hey, all good, this offense can
and will improve.

Speaker 11 (53:16):
Great to be in this position. But also, you know,
I would say, like we haven't played our best ball yet,
so that's kind of the coolest part about it is
just we still haven't played our best and we're still
you know, four on one being able to win, uh
and really win in every single fashion. So I definitely
feel like, you know, we can be a lot better.
But and then we we're still missing some guys out

(53:37):
you know, on which I think I hope and that'll
that'll make it even better for our whole team. So
definitely exciting. But you know, zero zero this week got
to play against a good New England team who I
definitely think is slept on.

Speaker 1 (53:51):
There you go. I mean, you know, already hyping himself
up for you know, he probably knows a lot of
people outside. I mean, you know, like I talked about
College Game Day on they do the pick segment. I'm
sure tomorrow on you know, ESPN, Fox, CBS, all the
pregame shows that are out there, when they have their
panels start doing their picks, well, it's probably gonna be
across the board all Texans against the Patriots. For this one,

(54:12):
but CJ telling his guys, don't just think that we're
going to go in there and just take a win.
We've got to be able to earn this one. And
you know, again hear about all the time and you know,
talk about it all the time of coaches talking to
their players through the media. Sounds like CJ kind of
doing a little bit of that gamesmanship right here. But
you know, in terms of CJ, and you know his

(54:33):
growth this season. I mean, you know, another thing we
haven't talked about from last week, the intentional grounding call,
which Bobby Slowick, the Texans offensive coordinator, when he met
with the media earlier this week, he took the blame
for that one. But in terms of how CJ handles
the mistakes, Slowick says, he handles them all the right way.

Speaker 12 (54:54):
I can assure you he doesn't blow it off immediately.
I know he portrays himself that way. But like it's
it's one of those things where like a great quarterback
has to remember everything and have amnesia, which is like,
what are you talking about? But you got to remember
all your mistakes, you got to remember all your scars,
you got to learn from those. But at the same time,
the very next play, you've got to go back out
and you got to let it rip. And I don't

(55:15):
know a word that describes that, but he has it.
You know, he's he's critical of himself as he's walking
off the field. He's always his hard at critic, and
by the time he gets to the bench and we
start talking, he usually is telling me what I'm going
to tell him, and then pretty quick once he gets
to the pictures, he's able to move on and he

(55:37):
understands like, we still kind of go out on the
field and we're still going to be throwing the ball.
You still got to let it rip, we still got
to operate in and out of the huddle.

Speaker 13 (55:44):
And he has it.

Speaker 1 (55:47):
There you go, I mean, you know, almost kind of
a forgiving himself, but not forgetting what his self just
did right there. So kind of goes in line with
what I talked about, kind of that baseball mentality of
what you know they tell you quarterbacks have to have
of you're not gonna complete every single pass, You're not
going to have every single drive that ends in a
good kick, because what is a good kick that leads

(56:07):
to another good kick? It's an extra point leading to
a kickoff. Sometimes it's gonna be a punt. Sometimes it's
going to be an unfortunate interception, it's going to be
a fumble, it's going to be a turnover on downs,
which we saw last week as well. So all of
those things are at the disposal in terms of what
quarterbacks can see on the field, and C. J. Stroud
has definitely seen all of those the first five weeks

(56:29):
of this season. All right, coming up next, let's get
some college football conversation. Like I said, a game you're
gonna hear right here on Sports Talk seven ninety Texas
oh U Weekend. Let's hear about it from a guy
who played in this game as a player but is
now the sideline reporter for the Long Horn Sports Network.
He's Will Matthews. He will join us next right here
on your home of the Astros and Rockets, as well

(56:52):
as Texas Longhorns football and basketball. Here in Houston. It
is Sports Talk seven to ninety's when you're going to
hear Craig and the crew on the pregame show get
you ready for this one, and a man who is
also going to be part of said pregame show, part
of the stuff at the half and also in the
post and the end game itself. Is the sideline reporter

(57:14):
for the Longhorn Sports Network. He is Will Matthews. He
is also a lifetime Longhorn, so it all ties together. Will.
It's that time of the year. I mean a lot
of fun. I mean, you know, I know that you're
coming from the Austin area up there. It's probably anywhere
you look on I thirty five, there's Longhorn flags around you.
You're probably not seeing very many OU flags around you.

(57:37):
But I mean that just kind of it's just the
build up to what a special time this is, isn't it. Yeah,
it's such a remarkable time.

Speaker 13 (57:45):
I mean, if you back out a little bit and
kind of take off the Longhorn hat and just look
at this says the rivalry. You've got two very closely
located cities that meet in between, and those two schools
represented by those cities, and it's just so intense. North
of Dallas, everybody's coming from Oklahoma. South of Dallas, everybody's

(58:10):
coming from Texas. And it's just such a special time
to watch everybody.

Speaker 1 (58:14):
Yeah, no doubt about it. And you know, I mean
you've been a part of this, like I said, I
mean you've played in it now, being on the sidelines,
you know what It's like. Half the stadium is Texas,
half the stadium is Oklahoma. But I'm gonna take a
different direction. Is Obviously Texas is a huge favorite in
this but it seems like whenever you talk to fan
bases who have in the past lost this game, and

(58:37):
you know you're looking at them saying, why aren't you
more confident, they say, well, it's Oklahoma. I mean, Ohio
State fans do it with Michigan, Georgia fans do it
with Florida, you know, Clemson fans with South Carolina all
the way through. Do you feel like there's a cautious
optimism or do you feel like Longhorn fans are coming
into this same we take care of our business. This
should not be a problem today.

Speaker 13 (58:58):
You know, with my mouth, I know that Texas is
gonna take care of business. I am very hopeful that
that what Sark has built and the culture that surrounding
these players will show up tomorrow. But by experience, just
exactly what you're alluding to, This game takes on its

(59:19):
own personality every year and every time, no matter what
the schedule, says, the roster is these these these guys
show up. They show up for this game on both sides,
and it can and no matter what happens earlier on
in the year, it's just nullified in this game because

(59:39):
of the intensity and because of the rivalry. Like you
were saying, half of the stadium is is Oklahoma Sooners
and the other half are Longhorns. So what that does
is it intensifies the moment so much because no matter
what happens, good or bad, somebody's cheering for you. So
it's not really a home game.

Speaker 4 (59:57):
It's a really special game.

Speaker 1 (59:58):
Yeah, no doubt about. It's one that everybody I've ever
known that's gone to it has talked about just how
special it is for the reason you just talked about
of you're going to get a roar somewhere in that stadium,
and you're just hoping that it's your side that's getting
the roar, either when you're on offense or defense. He's
Will Matthew's part of the Longhorn Sports Network on the
sidelines for the call with Craig Way and the crew

(01:00:21):
on the radio. The game you're gonna hear a little
bit later today right here on Sports Talk seven ninet.
You can find him on Twitter at Will Matthews Now.
And you know, one more before we get to some
personnel here, you mentioned something interesting with Sark of you know,
just how to handle expectations. It seems like you know
because Will, again with my past, I was in Georgia
with Kirby Smart, and I mean you kind of heard

(01:00:43):
the same things that you would hear from Nick Saban
at Alabama and there we all know what the ties
are with that. But I mean, how has Sark been
able to kind of foster that kind of culture in
the program of pretty much saying and correct me if
I'm wrong here of Hey, you're not just going to
show up in because you're Texas anymore. That that doesn't matter.
You have to show up and culture has to prevail.

Speaker 13 (01:01:07):
You're so right, And and this game has transitioned and
evolved from back when I was playing. The player now
really really.

Speaker 1 (01:01:16):
Responds to culture.

Speaker 13 (01:01:18):
Players want to know who they're playing for. They want
to know about the college and there, and they're smart
young men and they and they really understand about their brand,
especially in this New Nile era. The way that you
create dynasties now is a lot different than you did
in the past. In the past, you just loaded up
the roster with anybody who could take the best players.

(01:01:40):
But right now, what you have to do is you
have to create a culture for these guys, and the
right player in the culture makes the culture perpetuate, and
without the right player, you really kill a culture. And
these guys have done a really good job manicuring and
making sure that this culture is perfect.

Speaker 1 (01:01:57):
Yeah, and it's worked out very well so far. I mean,
you know, this team's already been tested once this year,
going up Dan Arbor, taking care of Michigan and that one,
and now getting their first of two consecutive tests they're
going to have here in this part of the season. Again.
Will Matthews joining us here. He's on the sidelines on
the radio call of the Texas Longhorns, which you're gonna

(01:02:18):
hear right here on Sports Talk seven ninety. Find him
on Twitter at Will Matthews. Now, let's start off with
the offense for this one. It sounds like it's all
systems go today for Quinn viewers, after missing a little
bit of time with an injury. Do you think it's
gonna be all Quinn or do you think that there's
still a chance that we could see even Arch Manning
jogging out there for a series or two today.

Speaker 13 (01:02:41):
You know, I think there's two ways that Arch gets
on the field, and one of those isn't great. Either
either youwers need some extra time to get out or
you know, Texas is putting it on Oklahoma in a
way to where he's going out there to.

Speaker 4 (01:02:59):
Get some reps.

Speaker 1 (01:03:01):
I like the latter a lot more.

Speaker 13 (01:03:02):
But we're thinking that Quinn is going to be out
there for the remainder of the game, especially the way
these games go.

Speaker 1 (01:03:08):
And I mean, you know with this, you know, receiving
core that Texas has this year. I mean we talked
about it when I had you on to preview the season. Well,
there was a lot of players that needed to be replaced,
but it seems like Sark's been able to do it
pretty quickly. I mean, you're getting good things out of
Isaiah Bond, Ryan Wingo, Matthew Golden. How's that group kind
of held on through the first five weeks of this season.

Speaker 13 (01:03:30):
You know, it's been really special to see them and
to talk to them behind the scenes. It's just been
really cool. From some DeAndre Moore to John T. Cook
and Bonding Golden. The guys are really rooting for each other,
which is really special because as a wide receiver, you know,
it's a lot of glitz and glamour, but these guys

(01:03:53):
are just fine with you know, today is his day.
Today the ball found him and I'm so happy that
we're and that is just definitely saying saying hi marks
the coach Starks culture, the next man up. The guys
are really playing well and they're healthy and.

Speaker 1 (01:04:10):
Then you know running the football too. I mean that
was a concern that we talked about early on in
the season, injuries to the running back crew. But you know,
Jayden Blue has been able to have a good start
to this season. Along with talking about Blue, here will
I mean, what have they gotten out of Jared Gibson
and also Quintravian Wisner.

Speaker 13 (01:04:29):
You know it's Jared Blu, Jered Gibson, Jered Gibson, Sorry
about that. Jared Gibson, which has been called the baby
Rhino by Coach Stark. You know, his maturity has really
grown this season. He's seeing the hole and he's starting
to make that move, get out of that and move

(01:04:51):
past contact. He's been really special in the running game
this fall and really taking on a great role a
little nick up there a couple of games back, but
I think with this, with this week off, he's really
going to be going full speed. And Trey Wiser, I'm
just so impressed with his maturity and what he's been
able to do, such a wonderful compliment to Jade and Blue.

(01:05:14):
Those three guys together have really held up the running
the running back room, even though there have been some
there's been some nix and bruises, and even with some
of the other guys who will be out for the
whole season.

Speaker 1 (01:05:26):
Yeah, and it seems like too, I mean, a pretty
good you know, the workload. I guess preservation would maybe
be the right word. I mean, I think probably a
lot of people coming into this season thought that Jaden
Blue was going to be, you know, the only guy
that was going to be getting the majority of the carries.
But you know, like you said, I mean, you know,
you get Wisner out there able to make plays, Gibson

(01:05:49):
as well of both being able to combine for about
eighty carries combined. So no, that's definitely, I'm sure been
a real bright spot for the Horns. Got about a
minute or two left here will defensively today, what do
you think is the key for this Longhorns defense?

Speaker 13 (01:06:06):
You know, I really feel like this defense has been
really stingy this fall. They've done really well, played a
lot of home games, and of course have had tougher
games like going up to Michigan and getting that win.
But today the test is really going to be in
the linebacker corps. Oklahoma has done a lot of things
and Hawkin brings another aspect to the game that Oklahoma

(01:06:30):
did not have earlier in the season, and the way
that he can scramble and make things happen with his
legs and athletic ability. So I really feel like it's
got to come down to Anthony Hill and David Benda
to make the right reads, keep their eyes on the quarterback,
make sure keep contained but still be effective. In the

(01:06:53):
past game with this team, guys have got to really
really focus and know that no matter how the engine
them swings with momentum, that this game is a long
game and they've got to stick it out for four quarters.

Speaker 1 (01:07:07):
Yeah, a lot of emotions, there's no doubt about it,
and you will be there for every bit of it
today right here on the Longhorned Sports Network, which can
be heard here in Houston on right here sports Talk
seven to ninety. Will you're the best, buddy, have a
great call today, enjoy it all, hopefully all the Fletcher's
corny dogs for you and deep fried oreos whatever is

(01:07:28):
your your fancy out there. I mean, I know that
you're training for a marathon, as you know you have
here on your your Twitter account, but I gotta believe
maybe a little bit of excess fuel for you to
be able to run off on Monday, right.

Speaker 4 (01:07:40):
Hey, just a little bit extra.

Speaker 13 (01:07:42):
You know, a couple of carves that do me right,
and and they fried just about everything I think you
could get. You could get a fried tire up here
if you want it, or what fed twinkies, all of it.
So I'm excited.

Speaker 1 (01:07:56):
Yeah, that's you know. Thursday night, you know, we we
had the Coaches Show, obviously Sark and you had Craig
running through the winners of the best fried items, and
one of them I think was like a pickle with
cereal on it, and Sark immediately said, no, that's not
for me. So, like you said, true to form, I mean,
you can pretty much get whatever you want up there,

(01:08:16):
so you know, if you come away hungry, that's your fault.

Speaker 4 (01:08:21):
That is there.

Speaker 1 (01:08:22):
You go. Will Matthews again, find him on Twitter at
Will Matthews Now. Will, like I said, enjoy today and
we'll talk to you again here very soon.

Speaker 13 (01:08:30):
Oh yeah, thank you and hook him.

Speaker 1 (01:08:32):
Yeah, it's the fun of the fair grounds up there.
You know, thirty nine years of my life, I have
never once been to the Texas State Fair. Never obviously
if the Texas State Fair is going on, been to
the Texas OU game. But hopefully one of this year,
one of these years, we'll try to get it worked out.
I mean, I know that Ac mentions to WEX all
the time he wants to go up there and do it.

(01:08:53):
So maybe it's an a team trip and Ross being
the Texas X that he is, maybe he can join
us as well. All right, we will continue the college
football conversation coming up next because we'll get into LSU
and Ole Miss another game you will be hearing here
on our iHeart Radio family of stations here in Houston,

(01:09:14):
as that one is going to be a huge one
in Death Valley. We'll do that next right here on
your home of the Astros in the Rockets as well.
As Longhorn football and basketball and LSU football in Houston.
It is Sports Talk seven ninety. We'll continue here on
Space City Saturday. Space City Saturday, Dan, mattw you's here
with you for about another thirty minutes. Teacher, leave those

(01:09:38):
kids alone, as we now turn our attention to the
LSU Ole Miss game. Sorry, the hamster kind of fell
off the wheel there for a second. Matt Mascone is
gonna rescue me. Scone. What's up, buddy? How you doing
ESPN one o four to five? You hear them weekday
afternoons three o'clock. They're in Baton Rouge. I mean, does
that ever happen to you? Or does Muso and Paul

(01:10:01):
and the crew that they keep you pretty much in
line all the time.

Speaker 4 (01:10:05):
No, you do a live radio.

Speaker 3 (01:10:07):
Of course, the hamster falls off the wheel from time
to time.

Speaker 4 (01:10:10):
Man, you know this, it's just it's just part of
the gig.

Speaker 1 (01:10:15):
So, you know, before we get into the LSU Ole
Miss game, I mean, you know we've got the eleven
o'clock games going on right now. Alabama has kicked off.
What's life been like for you since you have continuously
pissed off Alabama?

Speaker 4 (01:10:29):
Oh Man? It's just a never ending joy ride.

Speaker 5 (01:10:33):
Dan.

Speaker 4 (01:10:35):
They're a really easy.

Speaker 3 (01:10:36):
Lot to troll, and they have allowed themselves to be
trolled by me for nine months and it reached its
apex this past week with their lost to Alabama. Joe,
It's been a lot of fun, man, been a lot
of fun watching Alabama lose to Vanderbilt. Watch a dynasty
start to fall apart of the seams, and watch watch

(01:10:57):
the ant scurry every time you kick the hill man.

Speaker 1 (01:11:01):
I mean it's funny though, too, because you know, we
have Chris Gordy on with us on our afternoon show
every week on Friday to talk college football, and he
was talking about Kalem de Bor's line of oh, we
just ran out of time, and he took it the
other direction. He was like, brother, you would have lost
by twelve if you had more time left in that
game with the way your defense was playing. So, I mean, look,
it's getting so bad there in Tuscaloosi, scone that they

(01:11:22):
have to go ahead and go after the head coach
of T shirt on the sidelines. You can't wear a
T shirt. So that's again, ye're that was a bad
look though, Dan, But it wasn't the reason they lost
the game though, and stuff like that.

Speaker 3 (01:11:40):
Well, it just what happens is I mean that look,
a week removed from what many thought was a landmark victory,
you have the most embarrassing loss in the history of
the program. So sorry, I got Drew in the car
and so you know he's times but.

Speaker 7 (01:12:01):
No.

Speaker 3 (01:12:01):
But the thing about it, though, Dan, is like, you
have this law, this loss to Vanderbilt, and it it
opened up all of the criticism and it exposed every
shred of doubt that people in and around associated with
that program had when Nick Saban left. The reality is,
and this is the point I've made and looked Dan
for it, like, and for those haven't seen it, I've

(01:12:21):
basically trolled Alabama fans for eight month with this bit
called Bama is Burning, where I put flames on the
screen and the playo for Tuna and just talk about
every bit of misfortune they've had. And the reality is,
if I were to say it in a very sensible way,
a measured take, it's that Nick Saban's the greatest coach ever.
You can't lose him and not feel it. You can't

(01:12:44):
lose forty scholarship players off your roster from a year
ago and not feel it. So that's what you're experiencing.
When they beat Georgia. You celebrate the win, but you
ignore the fact that you blew a twenty eight point
lead on your home field and there's more of that
to come.

Speaker 12 (01:12:59):
The board.

Speaker 3 (01:12:59):
Blew a seventeen point lead in the in the Pact
World Championship Game a year ago, had to hang on
the Sugar Bowl. Was the same thing that were dominating Texas.
They had gaps at the end of that game in
clock management, which allowed Texas a passion at the end
zone with thirteen seconds left that would have completed a comeback.

Speaker 4 (01:13:14):
So this is also who Calen de Bord is. You're
gonna play a lot.

Speaker 3 (01:13:17):
Of games that are gonna be head scratching, and it's
just never gonna be like it was with Nick Saban
and I don't think Alabama fans are gonna be able
to handle that.

Speaker 1 (01:13:25):
And that's also too. I mean, let's call it what
it is. I mean, runs like this are they're just
not sustainable. I mean they're gonna come to an end
at some point. I mean Pete Carroll's run at USC
it came to an end. John Wooden when he was
at UCLA. Same deal there. So I mean, eventually, you know,
the market corrects itself and you come back to earth.
But enough on them, We've spent enough time on the

(01:13:45):
Alabama Crimson Tide. Again. Good buddy Matt Moscona joining us
from ESPN one o four to five there in Baton
Rouge as you can hear Matt daily there on in
the afternoons on ESPN one oh four five. As you know,
you know this LSU Old Miss game coming up. I mean,

(01:14:06):
let's just start first with the numbers with this one, Matts.
I mean, this is an Old Miss team that I
understand they're a little banged up injury wise, but they're
twenty fourth in the country in terms of running the football.
They're second in the country throwing the football. What do
you think can be kind of a little bit of
a hill to climb tonight for this LSU defense?

Speaker 3 (01:14:25):
Hey man, Look, Lane Kiffin's a great play caller. I
think he's among the most elite play callers in the country.
And and I think the real challenge here dan is
again it Old Miss offensively has struggled the last two weeks.

Speaker 4 (01:14:40):
They came out on fire.

Speaker 3 (01:14:41):
They were averaging women six hundred yards a game the
first four weeks of the season, but the average strength
to schedule, but the average opponent was one hundred and
first as far as strength to schedule, so they weren't
playing anybody, and.

Speaker 4 (01:14:54):
They were rolling up impressive numbers.

Speaker 3 (01:14:57):
They faced Kentucky In's four seventeen points to go to
South Caroline in score twenty four. Jackson Dart hasn't gone
over three hundred yards passing in either of those games.
So you increase the level of competition, and very clearly
Ole Miss has come back down to earth. The tricky
part of your dan is LSU just defensively, they're better
than they were a year ago. And that's not saying

(01:15:18):
much because it was literally and statistically the worst defense
that LS who's ever fielded. But there's still just not
an elite defense and one that's going to be able
to run for four quarters with this Ole Miss offense.
So that's that's the real challenge is can LS you
find a way to get stops and get enough stops
to keep this competitive throughout because I think l Hu's
offense is going to be plenty good enough.

Speaker 1 (01:15:40):
And defensively, I mean, you know, Scoan pushed back on
this if I'm wrong, but it almost kind of seems
like this defense flows better without Harold Perkins out there.
Am I far off on that?

Speaker 4 (01:15:53):
I think it's just different. So here's the thing.

Speaker 3 (01:15:55):
And I know Perkins splashed as a freshman, and everyone
it's kind of been waiting to see him regain that form,
and statistically, Dan, a year ago, Harold Perkins had the
exact same numbers that he did his freshman season.

Speaker 4 (01:16:10):
It's just that defense was so bad it was overlooked.

Speaker 3 (01:16:14):
I'm not gonna say they're better without Harold, because every
time an offense broke the huddle and came to the
line of scrimmage, they had to identify where seven.

Speaker 4 (01:16:23):
Was because he could bitch off the.

Speaker 3 (01:16:26):
Edge, he could play off ball linebacker, he could turn
and run and cover. So you had to respect the
queen chiefs, the queen piece on the chess board to
know where he was. So when Harold isn't there, it
just changes the math defensively. So I'm not gonna say
you're better when you lose a player like that. You're
different and they can be functional. The real tricky part, though, tonight, Dan,

(01:16:47):
is that West Weeks another one of their linebackers, a senior,
is out for this ballgame, and so you really have
two linebackers. You've got Wit Weeks and Greg Penn. After that,
the next two guys up or two true Ruhimen that
haven't played. So the middle of that LSU defense could
be an issue if either one of those guys Weeks
or Penn goes down or if they need a blow.

Speaker 4 (01:17:09):
Like that's definitely something that Lane Kiffin will be aware
of and we'll try to exploit.

Speaker 3 (01:17:13):
But you're not better without a player like Harold Perkins.

Speaker 4 (01:17:16):
You're you're you're different, but you're not better.

Speaker 1 (01:17:20):
Offensively. You know, it seems like Kadie Durham has really
helped the running attack for LSU. But this is an
ole miss team, like you said, I mean, it hasn't
been the largest group of world beaters and seemingly the
best team they've faced they've lost to in Kentucky this year,
but they're only giving up just over sixty yards a
game on the ground. I mean, do you think that

(01:17:41):
LSU can get the ground game going the night.

Speaker 3 (01:17:44):
That's gonna be probably the most important factor for LSU offensively.
You know, in that Kentucky game, Kentucky didn't run the
ball particularly well, Dan, I mean they ran at forty
seven times probably ninety eight yards, but they were able
to convert third downs and they were able to possessed
the football. Kentucky kept the ball for almost forty minutes
in that game, So that was the key. You're right

(01:18:06):
about Kyden Durham. A lot of people there probably knows him.
He's from Duncanville and he's he's special.

Speaker 4 (01:18:11):
And you know what's interesting, Dan, if Brian Kelly gives.

Speaker 3 (01:18:14):
Us a lot of a lot of access during fall camp,
like well, I mean I went to fifteen practices, no times.

Speaker 4 (01:18:20):
He let us watch full practices in full teen periods.

Speaker 3 (01:18:24):
I don't know that in all the practices I went
to Dan that I ever wrote down a note about
Kayden Durham which goes to show you some dudes when
the lights come on, they just turn it on their gamers,
and I think that's Kyden Durham.

Speaker 4 (01:18:35):
Look, he's a legit ten three guy in one hundred.

Speaker 3 (01:18:37):
He's got incredible track speed, but most impressively has been
his ability after contact, his yards after contact. He just
never seems to go down on first contact, and that's
something LSU really is needed as teams have tried to
stack the line to make LSU one dimensional. So I
think he's a huge factor in tonight's ball game. He

(01:18:59):
dislocated a couple of toes two weeks ago against South Alabama.

Speaker 4 (01:19:03):
He's gonna go tonight.

Speaker 3 (01:19:04):
He should be fine, but it'll be interesting to see
if he's in any way limited by that that injury
a couple of weeks ago.

Speaker 1 (01:19:09):
All right, Final one scoone, I'm gonna get you out
on this one again. Matt Moscona ESPN one O four
to five and Baton Rouge host of after further review
weekdays three to six. They're in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Alexandria,
Lafayette and Lake Charles as well. You picked Ole Miss
in this one tonight, and you've laid out reasons for
you know what LSU could be up against in terms

(01:19:31):
of this matchup. But for Brian Kelly, I mean, I
gotta believe that the fan base is kind to a
point of Look, ten wins a season, that's great, getting
us to the SEC Championship game in your first year,
that's awesome, But you were brought here to do a
lot more. How important is this game for Brian Kelly
and being able to keep this team on track for
possibly being one of the you know, twelve final teams

(01:19:52):
in the regular season.

Speaker 3 (01:19:54):
Oh man, I mean this is this is the pivotal game.
Can you take a second loss right now? Then you've
left yourself no margin for error. So if LSU lose,
did not lose another game the rest of the way,
it might even need some help to make a twelve
team playoff. But Dan, I would say the same for
Old Miss. If I mean Old Miss already has a

(01:20:16):
loss to Kentucky, they lose again tonight, They've got Georgia
still ahead on the schedule. I don't see a pat
for Ole Miss, and they're the team that went all
in this year with all the money they spend the
portal to go bring in that incredible portal class. So
for this season, I mean, this game is massive for
both teams. I think bigger picture, it's probably bigger for

(01:20:36):
Old Miss because they were all in this year.

Speaker 4 (01:20:38):
For LSU the way they've recruited the.

Speaker 3 (01:20:41):
Cavalrys on the way in twenty five and twenty six,
and LSU's roster is going to look like it did
whenever LSU was competing for championships, but just in a
vacuum as far as this season.

Speaker 4 (01:20:52):
Yes, man, the loser of this game.

Speaker 3 (01:20:54):
I think this is a de facto elimination game for
the twelve team playoffs.

Speaker 4 (01:20:59):
It's massive tonight.

Speaker 1 (01:21:01):
Yeah, hard to argue with that again, Matt moscona after
further review weekday afternoons on ESPN one O four to
five in Baton Rouge. You can also catch him in
New Orleans, Alexandria, Lafayette and Lake Charles as well, plus
whiskey and wine after the game. You and T bob Abart,
I mean, just, you know, really quick here can you
kind of explain to the audience in Houston who might

(01:21:22):
not know the mystique of T bob Abear.

Speaker 3 (01:21:28):
T Bob is is unique in the truest sense.

Speaker 4 (01:21:32):
He is a one of one. There is no other.

Speaker 3 (01:21:35):
He's a three hundred pound former lineman who is unapologetically himself.
He likes cosplay and miniatures, and he will intoxicate his.

Speaker 4 (01:21:44):
Body with every chemical tonight. And you can imagine.

Speaker 3 (01:21:47):
And then we'll pull up a live stream that is
at a cigar bar that is uncensored and unfiltered.

Speaker 4 (01:21:52):
So let your mind go wild.

Speaker 1 (01:21:55):
There you go. Plus he's a fantastic dancer too. I
got a chance to see him at karae Okee Night
this year at SEC Media Days as well, So that's
another thing that T Bob has going in his direction. Scone,
You're the best. Before I let you go, I gotta
say it. Hi, Drew, what's going on, Buddy? I can
hear you in the background. Always love to be able
to talk to Drew. Hey, Buddy, how you doing. I

(01:22:20):
always love it, man, always love it. Always always loved
my conversations with you whenever Drew is in the car
too as well. Man. But enjoy the game tonight and
hopefully we are talking about you guys doing a after
you know, postgame show with a happy tea Bob, not
T Bob saying somebody off the wall things he has
to say when he's down trodden.

Speaker 3 (01:22:42):
From your lips to God's yours, Dan, God, I'm hoping
the Tigers wind a night would be it would be
a massive, massive by vibes, a re immaculate in the city.

Speaker 4 (01:22:49):
Man, It's gonna be a great night Tiger Stadium.

Speaker 1 (01:22:51):
Oh, I mean I see it, I mean you know,
I see Bregman's there. He he had young Knocks on
the alex boxfield last night taking some beep. So, yeah,
you're right, the vibes are high.

Speaker 4 (01:23:03):
That's really cool man. Now it's gonna be a great day.
We're looking forward to it.

Speaker 1 (01:23:06):
There you go, Matt Moscona again, scone, You're the best, buddy.

Speaker 4 (01:23:09):
We'll catch up soon, all right, Dancy Bud?

Speaker 1 (01:23:12):
All right, see Bud Matt Moscona again from ESPN one
oh four to five there in Baton Rouge after further review.
Gonna be a fun one tonight. I know a lot
of people around here in the Houston area are gonna
be catching that one. I mean, can you talk about
a better football viewing experience for today where you've got
you know, the eleven o'clock games right now? This is
the appetizer, I mean of the you know, four or

(01:23:34):
five course meal that you can eat on this college
football Saturday. You know, you just got some more derves
right now, and maybe a little bit of a cheese plate,
a little bit of fruit on there to kind of
add some fiber in there, maybe a little salad before
and then you'll get you know, the first you know,
main course right there at two thirty with Texas Ou
then you're gonna get you know, LSU and Ole Miss.

(01:23:54):
You're gonna get Ohio State and Oregon happening tonight. Kansas State,
Colorado too for dessert a little bit later on tonight
as well. So as Matt Moscona said, the vibes are high,
all right, So coming up next we'll get into a
little bit more of the Texans Conversation. Also to weigh
in a little bit on some of the college football

(01:24:15):
games happening today. As we closed out this edition of
Space City Saturday, Dan Matthews here with you on your
home of the Astros and the Rockets, Sports Talk seven ninety.
He's here with you for another few minutes. Want to think,
Matt Moscona, who just joined us, talk some LSU Ole
Miss tonight. We all get a ton of college football
around here. I mean, look, I understand it's a pro

(01:24:37):
town college. Is more of I would say a casual
enjoyment around here. I mean, of course, you know, if
you're a long horn, of course you want to be
able to watch your long horns, and with them being
in the national title picture this season, you're maybe paying
a little bit closer attention to what's happening around the country.
But I mean we get it, you know, in terms
of our you know, interests in this city. It's the

(01:25:00):
pro teams. I mean, we care about what's happening, you know,
when the Astros are playing, and even in the off season.
Two as well, what's gonna happen with Alex Bregman. What's
gonna happen with this team going forward? Can the Astros
get back to the postseason next year? Can they get
even further? I mean, that's our top concern in terms
of the Astros. Texans as well. We got into a
ton of Texans conversation a little bit earlier as they'll

(01:25:22):
take on the Patriots tomorrow six and a half point
favorites on the road against New England, trying to move
to five and one on this season. So that's another
part of what we concern ourselves with. But of course
two as well, for those of you that are huge
college football fans, you had this date circled on the
calendar because you know, like I said, we've got Texas,

(01:25:44):
so you coming your way as that coverage we'll get
going here in about an hour and a half here
on Sports Talk seven to ninety. After that, one. You
got LSU ole miss taking on each other. That coverage
is gonna get going at five o'clock over on KPRC
nine fifty four Hunt and the crew on the pregame
show to get you ready for Chris Blair and the

(01:26:04):
crew there on the LSU Radio network to call that
game tonight as well as you know, a lot of
us is gonna be paying attention to Ohio State and
Oregon tonight and just gonna be a fun, you know,
football evening for you out there. So don't know if
you're gonna be taking it in from your couch, gonna
be going out somewhere. As a matter of fact, I'm
going to meet up with Sports RV up here in

(01:26:27):
the Spring area a little bit later on, So get
at us on Twitter if you want to know where
we're going, and we'll let you know. But you know,
of course, don't don'tant to give out any free plugs
to anyone, So that's what we'll be doing a little
bit later on this afternoon. I got to give a
shout out to one of our listeners though, who came
through in terms of crucial information. Of course, doing the

(01:26:48):
show wasn't able to listen fully once we got going
with the show here at ten o'clock to what was
happening on College Game Day. Just had it on the
TV here doing the show and wasn't able to hear
what Herbie or anybody on the set was saying. But
of course Kirk kurb Street having to leave College Game
Day early and go to the airport, get on the

(01:27:11):
PJ with Ben the Golden Retriever, and fly down to
Dallas for the game. But the shout out goes to
Lisa Bickley on Twitter saying that Jordan Rogers is actually
going to be pulling double duty today as well. He's
standing by in Dallas to cover the game with Chris
Fowler until Kirk arrives. Then he will hand it off

(01:27:32):
and he himself will take off and go to the
airport and fly out to Lexington, Kentucky, which I think
probably he would have a better chance of being able
to get to Lexington, because I mean, as I told
you guys my time away in Atlanta, I had done
the flight to and from Atlanta numerous times from here,

(01:27:53):
and that's about an hour and a half, so I
gotta believe probably what two two and a half hours
maybe is that flight to get to Lexington for the one.
So I think that Jordan would be good for that one.
But appreciate Lisa for pointing that out, as that's how
ESPN is handling things today, so shuffling chairs a little bit.
And Jordan does a great job there with the SEC

(01:28:13):
Saturday Night crew. You know, I'm a huge Tom Hart guy.
Love Tommy Hart. We've had him on the programs before
me and Sean Salisbury had him on as a matter
of fact when the Rockets drafted Reed Sheppard because he
had been able to call a ton of his games
when he played at Kentucky and also to Cole Kublick.
They do a really great job. I think they're probably

(01:28:35):
one of my favorite crews in terms of college calling
college games right now, so appreciate Lisa for pointing that out.
But the Texans tomorrow, obviously, what we want to see
in this one at for Demico Ryan's team, you want
to see clean football in terms of limit the penalties,
but also too, I mean, what can this offense look like?
I mean, I don't think you're going to get a

(01:28:56):
true test as you heard Alex Barth earlier, and you
missed any of these interviews. By the way, head on
over to Sports Talk seven ninety dot com or even
better right there on your mobile app download the iHeartRadio
app and you can get anything and everything content wise
that we have blog posts, podcasts, all of the above.

(01:29:17):
You can find it right there on the Sports Talk
seven ninety page on the iHeartRadio app. So that's where
you can catch Alex Barth both with the A team
and also from this one today as Evan Ray behind
the glass for us in our Uptown Galleria studios. He'll
post up the podcast after the show, so you can

(01:29:37):
hear Alex Barth. You can hear my conversation with Will
Matthews as he joined us in Talk Texas O you
a little bit earlier, as well as Matt Moscona and
Young Drew. You heard Drew there in the background as
was able to talk with Scone from ESPN one O
four to five and Baton Rouge after further review. Fantastic
show they have there in Baton Rouge and heard all

(01:30:00):
throughout Southern Louisiana and even the Middle Louisiana. Right there
my dad's hometown Alexandria, Louisiana. So that is where you
can hear us scone on after further review. But again,
you know, back to the Texans just to kind of
wrap things up here, talked about the penalties, talked about too,
I mean, what does this offense look like. I mean,
you know, you really want to try to get the

(01:30:22):
run game going. In a huge way you can do
that is with the help of Joe Mixon. He'll be
back out there tomorrow. I would probably venture to guess
the high side of touches in this game tomorrow for
Joe Mixon would be twenty and I think that'd be
really high. Again, I mean, you have to factor in,
you know, I'm sure he's probably been doing some conditioning

(01:30:42):
work and everything off to the side to try to
keep himself as game ready as possible, but hadn't played
in any games in the last three weeks. So I
mean that's been something that you know, you've got to
be able to kind of build back up to. And
I think the good thing that the Texans have been
able to enjoy while he's been out is seeing that
Daria Goomblewalle can be absolutely counted on in this offense

(01:31:04):
and has been counted on, especially the last couple of weeks.
You don't win those games without the playoff Daria Goomblewalles,
so he's been huge for them as well as cam
Akers had that touchdown run there in that win over Buffalo.
And also to getting Damian Pierce back. I mean, with
you not having Robert Woods tomorrow in the return game,
at least the kick return game, we've seen what Damian

(01:31:26):
Pierce can do from that side of things, so he's
a huge player to get back for this one. Derek
Barnett on the defensive side of the ball, nice to
have him back as well, especially too when you factor
in that in the secondary, you're going to be without
two key parts of your starting secondary and Kamario Laster
and Jimmy Ward for tomorrow's game. But I mean, I

(01:31:46):
think if nothing else, you're looking for the Texans to
finally be able to kind of have one where you're
not sweating it out towards the end of the game
and saying, man, they were lucky to get out of
there with that one. But rookie quarterback, I mean, you know,
this is a team that likes to pressure. This is
a team that likes to get after you, and so
it'll be interesting to see how the Texans approach Drake

(01:32:08):
May tomorrow in that one. I said it on the
Nightcap last night, twenty seven to ten. I think is
the Texans win. I think you're able to get into
the zone a few times. But also too, you're going
to be getting some huge production out of you know,
Kennie Fairbairn as well, to be able to kick you
a couple of field goals in that one, to be

(01:32:28):
able to secure a win. We'll see how it all
breaks down. But again I want to thank all the
guests who joined. I want to thank all of you
who interacted with the show as well on the phone
lines and also on Twitter. And again huge thanks to
Evan Ray there behind the glass at our Ihearten Studios
in Uptown at Gallea. Appreciate you all hopping aboard with
us here on Space City Saturday. I'm Dan Matthews. We'll

(01:32:50):
talk to you next week right here on Home the
Afros and Rockets Sports Talk seven ninety Good come on,

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