Space City Saturday w Dan Mathews 10-19-24

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Welcomeboard, Welcome to another Space City Saturday on Sports Talk
seven ninety Dad Matthews Live and local h town breakdown
of the world that matters to you, the Houston sports world.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
All these great Houston fans here. We love you all.
So finish up on that to do list.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
Lout up the cooler because you can't drink in talk
sports all day if you don't start. Now bear me
in the eight This is Space City Saturday's ine.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Here's seven nineties Dad Matthews.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
In a way we go here on Space City Saturday.

Speaker 2 (00:52):
Dean Matthews here with you.

Speaker 3 (00:53):
For the next couple of hours, looking forward to being
able to cover it all soup to nuts right here
as you heard, Doug Pike kind of lead me into
it right there where by the way too. I've got
a merchandising item for Doug Pike. An idea for Doug
Pike is you know I heard one of his promos
yesterday and he had a good line in it where

(01:14):
he goes, if you drive him, shoot him or spool him. So, Doug,
if you're still out there listening, I think we need
to create a shirt for the Doug Pike Show where
the front of it says, drive them, shoot him or
spool them, and then on the back have the time
of the show and on Sports Talk seven to ninety
and Doug Pike Show, I'm thinking that maybe there's a

(01:34):
merchandising opportunity there, Doug. So anyway, just wanted to get
that out of the way off the top of the show.
But as I mentioned, we got a lot to be
able to chew on today. I mean, even though the
Astros are not in the postseason, we're not gonna talk
much postseason because I'm sure most of you are casual
at best in terms of watching it. I mean, I

(01:55):
know that I have been. It's been pretty much with me.
If I have almost any thing else to be able
to watch, then I say, yeah, I'm not gonna watch
Dodgers Mets. I'm not gonna watch the Yankees Guardians. Although
I mean the other night we were treated to a
pretty classic finish in the Guardians game, which again, you
know I was able to catch as highlights. But I mean,

(02:16):
you know, there's still excitement, there's still fun, there's all
of that, and you know it's funny. Last night having
dinner at a place up here in the Woodlands area,
with my fiance and I said, you know what, I'll
be very honest, this is much more relaxing to watch.
But I kind of miss that, like, you know, hanging
on every pitch, hanging on every play. So hopefully the

(02:38):
Astros can get that back for us next season. But
as it stands right now, the Yankees as painful as
it is to hear, and painful enough for me to
say the Yankees one went away from moving on to
the World Series and look talked about a little bit
earlier in the week with Ross villar Real, and I
threw out the hashtag on Twitter, hashtag shot or stabbed,

(03:01):
because you kind of feel like, if it is the
World Series, then I'm sure that Fox really wants in
Major League Baseball. Really once again, if you put him
in that room of truth, I mean, it is kind
of a little bit of a deal of would you
rather be shot or would you rather be stabbed? And
in this case right here, it's kind of like you
start to play through it in your mind.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
You're like, well, you know, if.

Speaker 3 (03:22):
This happens, I mean, you know, that's somewhat okay, and
if that happens, but you know, we're not going to
talk much about that. I've spent more time on it
than we needed to spend, which, by the way, too,
is I'm talking you know this through right now.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
I'm loving that. You know.

Speaker 3 (03:39):
One of my favorite things every single week on college
game day is the kids kicking the football. And the
one kid who just kicked it from Texas absolutely hit
a worm burner, and he's asking for another chance because
I think if he makes this kick, it's for ninety
thousand dollars. He's got Tony Hinchcliffe in his face too,
making fun of him. If you watch the Tom Brady

(04:00):
roast or if you know about Kill Tony, which, by
the way, shout out with the Kill Tony.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
You guys remember Trey Trey Campbell.

Speaker 3 (04:06):
The guy that used to be one of our producers
here at Sports Talk seven ninety. He's a regular contributor
on Kill Tony. Pretty good comedian, So if you're ever
in the Austin area, look up Trey. But anyway, Hinchcliffe
one of the best roasters out there, and I think
they are going to give this Texas kid another chance,
which I mean I think after that, which, by the

(04:29):
way too, it's also as well. I understand it's hard
enough to be able to make. But as McAfee gets
into like the one hundred thousand dollars range and like
the ninety thousand dollars range, I kind of feel like, oh,
and they didn't need to give him another chance, brutal.
I kind of feel like like you need to like
make it, like, hey, if you're going to make this kick,

(04:50):
like you know, kind of like in basketball you go
to a rocket scheme, you know how they do like
the thirty second challenge or I can't remember exactly what
they call it, but you get the layup, you get
the free throw, you get the three, and then of
course if you run out of time on those, or
even if you make all three of them, you get
the one shot. For I believe it's ten grand is
what they do at the Rockets games.

Speaker 2 (05:11):
I mean, it's a.

Speaker 3 (05:12):
Good chunk of change, and you got to make a
half court shot. So I think that, you know, it's
one of those things that you got to make people
work for their money on that. But anyway, that's a
side note on that. We'll get into plenty of Texans
talk in this show today because Texan's up.

Speaker 2 (05:28):
In Green Bay and you're gonna hear from somebody.

Speaker 3 (05:31):
A little bit later on, as a matter of fact,
about thirty minutes from now, Mike Heller from ninety seven
to three up there in Milwaukee joined us on the
A team earlier this week, and he was talking about
this is gonna be the Packers' biggest challenge this season.

Speaker 2 (05:46):
Now, I know some of you out.

Speaker 3 (05:47):
There might be listening and saying, well, wait a minute,
didn't Green Bay play against Minnesota and he seemed to
believe that the Texans might be able to put together
a better test for them than the Vikings did. I
think that a lot of just don't believe in Sam
Darnold right now. And I mean, I know he's played
incredibly well. I know that it's one of those things
with him where you're looking at him and saying, this

(06:09):
is the guy that I think the Jets thought they
were getting coming out of USC. Just took him a
little longer to kind of get to this point. And
who knows. I mean, since we're in the business of
always making comparisons, maybe Minnesota is to him like what
Sean Payton and New Orleans was to Drew Brees.

Speaker 2 (06:25):
I mean, remember, Brees was.

Speaker 3 (06:27):
Kind of a guy that I don't think had a
ton of expectations when he was with San Diego and
at the time, yes, it was the young kids out there.
It was the San Diego Chargers, not the LA Chargers.
But when he was there and finally replaced by Philip Rivers,
he was kind of thought of. I mean remember too
as well, it's the old story that Nick Saban has
told numerous times. They thought they were gonna get Drew

(06:48):
Brees there in Miami and he failed as physical because
he had a shoulder issue, and then I guess had
that shoulder issue corrected and then was able to go
to New Orleans and it was a marriage and a
match made in Heaven for Sean Payton and the Saints.
So that might be the case with Sam Darnold. But
I also though think too as well that no matter

(07:11):
how good you are, there is a regression that comes.
I think it comes this weekend against the Detroit Lions.
I get no Aiden Hutchinson for Dan Campbell's team, but
also too at the same time, I do think that
that is a Lions team that is playing really, really
good football. And by the way, too, they'll factor in
a little bit later on in the show. And we've

(07:32):
got some audio to play from somebody who was not
too pleased about the Lions and how they handled the
end of that game last weekend. And oh yes, oh yes,
you know that we're going to get into Jerry Jones
with my good buddy R.

Speaker 2 (07:47):
JH.

Speaker 3 (07:48):
Choppie and Sean Sharief up there in Dallas earlier this week.
And I mean, I think that there is a comparable
angle here as well, because you all listen. You know
that during Rocket season, for example, every single week on
the Matt Thomas Show, you're.

Speaker 2 (08:02):
Gonna hear Emai Udoka on.

Speaker 3 (08:03):
And during Astro season, you know that on the Sean
Salisbury Show, we're gonna get the general manager, which, by
the way too, you know some people out there might
be confused of why does Jerry Jones go on the radio?
No owner goes on the radio. Well, it's also the
GM of the football team. So the GM usually does
join teams who have the broadcast rights, says the flagship

(08:25):
stations usually does join them weekly.

Speaker 2 (08:27):
So that's what the case is up there.

Speaker 3 (08:30):
Like I said, down here in Houston, we get Dana
Brown every single week, and then of course Joe Spot
every single week on the Matt Thomas Show.

Speaker 2 (08:37):
So that's the beauty of being a flagship station.

Speaker 3 (08:41):
Excuse me getting choked up kind of talking about it,
But I am going to talk us through just a
little bit of you know, kind of you know what
that's all about. I mean, I think that there is
kind of a little bit of a thought that because
you're the flagship station, that means you have to carry
the water for the team.

Speaker 2 (08:56):
I mean, I.

Speaker 3 (08:57):
Think that, and I don't want to give away too
much of it right now now, but I mean there
is a little bit of a fine line to kind
of work. Yes, you are business partners. That is the
reality of it all. You are business partners. And when
you are in a partnership with somebody, you kind of
try to look out for them, but then also too,
you want them to look out for you as well,

(09:18):
but also too as well. We're in a business that
criticism is part of the game, and it is part
of the business.

Speaker 2 (09:24):
But we'll get into it all.

Speaker 3 (09:25):
A little bit later on, And you know, it's kind
of a I think we can all agree who everybody
believes was in the wrong in that scenario, but we'll
play it for you a little bit later on in
the show. Probably second hour of the show is when
we'll get into all of that.

Speaker 2 (09:39):
But we will do that.

Speaker 3 (09:41):
And like I mentioned at the top of the show,
Dusty Baker, he was on with Joel Sherman and John
Hayman talking about his time with the Astros. Would he
maybe want to try to give it one more go
at being a manager, why he stepped away, and also
to some interesting thoughts about the future of the Astros
that I think has a lot of credence from him

(10:01):
because obviously he knows about this phase of where the
Astros are right now, and he was the last manager
to lead him to the LCS. I mean, you know,
just a year one of Joe Spota. But I just
thought he had some interesting comments. I know at first,
I'm sure some of you when you read the comments,
if you did the Chronicle threw him up there. I'm

(10:23):
sure you were probably like, wait a minute, Dusty, like,
you know, do you feel like you have like an axt.

Speaker 2 (10:27):
To grind against this team.

Speaker 3 (10:29):
I didn't take it that way at all, and I
think that you're going to listen to it, and I
think you're going to hear that that's not the case.
There are some things that I think probably raises a
little bit of attention for some of you because you're
kind of like, well, you know, why wasn't this brought
up when you were there? Who's to say it wasn't
brought up? But anyway, I don't want to give away
too much of the surprise. I'm gonna let you hear
from Dusty himself and we will do that a little

(10:53):
bit later on as well. Also to get into just
a small amount of Rockets talk on this show today,
because yes, the season starts on Wednesday. Gonna be an
exciting season. Looking forward to it definitely. I want to
see how, you know, how deep this roster truly is,
and just some scenarios that I could kind of see

(11:13):
playing out this season for the Rockets. I was actually
talking about it with a good buddy of mine. It's
a huge Rocket fan, and you know, of course, there's
a lot of questions about this team. Number One, can
you kick in that door? Can you at least make
the play in Round this year? Or can you be
one of those top six teams in the Western Conference
and find your way out of the play In Round
and waiting for one of those play in teams to

(11:35):
come in and be able to be part of that
group of eight that in Earnest gets a chance to
go for the Ilari O'Brian Trophy this season. But it's
going to be an exciting year looking forward to it.
I know that Matt Thomas and the interchanging group of
Adam Clanton and Adam Wesler bringing you the games this year,
looking forward to that.

Speaker 2 (11:54):
Of course, me and Ross.

Speaker 3 (11:55):
And a cast of others also going to have rocket
launch pads and postgame shows for you this season, so
definitely looking forward to that. Definitely looking forward to seeing
what does Reed Shepherd look like this year. I know that,
even though it's the preseason, you had to really like
what you saw at alprin Shingoon and also out of
Jalen Green as well, Men Thompson another year in the league,

(12:18):
Tarry Eason coming back. You saw how much of a
factor he was for this team last year. So definitely
want to see what those guys have this year. But
coming up next we'll get into some Texans.

Speaker 2 (12:29):
Conversation in Earnest.

Speaker 3 (12:31):
Because a path to a win for the Texans, I
do think it's pretty simple, but it's just how well
they can do that is another issue.

Speaker 2 (12:39):
We'll talk about that.

Speaker 3 (12:40):
On the other side, It's Dan Matthews here on Space
City Saturday.

Speaker 2 (12:44):
What's you until noon? On your Home of the Astros
and the Rockets Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (12:50):
Welcome back to Space City Saturday on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (12:56):
Sports Talks seven ninety.

Speaker 3 (12:57):
Dan Matthews here with you and your home the Astros
and the Rockets. As you can always count on, Melvin
Brown will always find the right tone to introduce the
segment here on Space City Saturday. And maybe a little
bit of foreshadowing right there, Melvin, you say, and another
one bites the dust in terms of a Texans victim

(13:18):
this year, because well, at least five out of six
weeks this year.

Speaker 2 (13:21):
That has been the case. They're trying to make it
six out of seven.

Speaker 3 (13:25):
They get the Green Bay Packers tomorrow up there at Landbow.
And I know that probably some of you if you
are packing your bags this week, you know you're doing
like I think most of us do. Whenever you're packing
up for a trip, You're looking at your phone, checking
the weather. What does the weather app say? And the
weather app saying Chamber of Commerce day. So even though

(13:47):
it is the middle of October, which I don't think
it's fully cold there yet. I mean it's not necessarily
that way much of anywhere around the country at this point.
But supposed to be high sixties, low seventies tomorrow, so
the frozen tundra it will not be there at Lambeau.
So Texan's going to have a nice weather day to

(14:08):
be able to work with. They're in the in the
Great North there in Green Bay. If you want to
weigh in on the Texans conversation, you can do so.
Phone lines are open, readily available as well. Someone three
two one two five seven ninety. Once again, that's someone
three two one two five seven ninety. I know, you know,

(14:29):
not everybody is huge on calling in. That's fine if
that's the case. My Twitter account is always a great
place where you can interact with us here on Space
City Saturday, and I'm at Dan Matthews h O U
one t in Matthews at Dan Matthews hou is where
you can find me there.

Speaker 2 (14:49):
As I've seen.

Speaker 3 (14:50):
Some people already weighing in, one person, Ashley saying that
she has watched more WNBA Finals than she has watched
the MLB postseason. I mean, I never really thought that
I would get into the show Vampire Diaries. But fiance
is a huge fan of Vampire Diaries, you know, Stepan Damien.

(15:13):
They have a bourbon too. By the way, if I'm
not mistaken, I think that Adam's wife Teresa did an
event with them a couple of years ago at one
of our great sponsors, Specs. But anyway, that's that's that's
been on the TV a lot more than the NLCS
or the Alcs have been on And of course if

(15:33):
the blue and orange of the Astros is not part
of the Alcs, well then yeah, our attention is elsewhere.
But anyway, it is, you know, just part of a
new way of the Astros, you know, just kind of
navigating through the end of this season, but also too
as well getting ready for the next season when hopefully

(15:55):
they can tee it up and get it going again.
One thing though, before get into my Texans conversation, I
threw this out on Twitter as well, and I see
Eric has waited on it. Where right before I joined
you all on the show today, I guess Nick Saban
was kind of putting the crowd there at Texas through
a little bit of kind of a locker room speech

(16:15):
of like he was speaking to his team and it
was firing everybody up. I gotta be honest, you know,
it's one of those things. It's kind of firing me
up too as well. But threw it on Twitter. Who
knew that Nick Saban would absolutely relish being on college
game day And one Eric, who I know is in
the business, said, I did, if you talked to him

(16:35):
one on one talk about life, very kind, very charming,
And yeah, I found that to be the case as well.
But anyway, he's having fun. Looks like a fun atmosphere
up there at Texas today, got the signs going, I
mean seeing that almost every single sign is pretty much
getting after Georgia for the legal issues they've had off
the field. But no, it's looking like a fun time there.

(16:59):
There's set up right there in front of the tower
at ut SO looking like a pretty awesome atmosphere up there.

Speaker 2 (17:05):
And you know what, Hey, if.

Speaker 3 (17:07):
Any of you are heading up to the game right now,
you got us on either the app, if you're outside
the listening area, or if you're still in the listening
area and making your drive either up ten to seventy
one or up to ninety, give us a shout out.
So you know, we'll definitely be getting into some Texas
Georgia conversation a little bit later on. Like I said,

(17:27):
coming up here in about ten minutes, we're gonna hear
from Mike Heller from ninety seven to three in Milwaukee.
He joined us on the A team to give us
the Packers side of tomorrow's game against the Texans, and
then bottom of next hour we're gonna hear from Craig Way,
of course, who you hear mostly here on Sports Talk

(17:47):
seven to ninety for Longhorn games, but for this one today,
little PSA for you, a little programming notes. It's gonna
be over on news Radio seven forty k TRH tonight
because in terms of pregame shows and broadcasts starting before
the other one, LSU's is actually starting before the Texas one.
So we're gonna have right here on Sports Talk seven

(18:10):
ninety we're gonna have LSU and Arkansas, which is gonna
be a really good game in its own right. And
I know that some of you out there might be saying, well,
of course you think so, Dan, I'm sure that you
and Gordy are probably fired up about that, and we are,
but it's also too I mean, you know, LSU had
a tough one last week. Their games against Arkansas are
always very tough, and as you've seen the Hawks this year,

(18:32):
they've already gotten one team on their home field. They're
hoping to make it two in a row of being
able to add another loss to a team's season, as
LSU in a little bit of a tough stretch this
season right here. I mean, I think, if I'm not mistaken,
it's Arkansas today, which is no easy shakes. You come
to College Station next weekend against the Aggies, and then

(18:55):
you go to or excuse me, Alabama comes to play
them in Baton Rouge. So if LSU is going to
try to remain a one loss team this season, they're
going to have earned it because all three of those
tests going to be incredibly tough for them. So we'll
see what Brian Kelly's team is made of. But for

(19:15):
the Texans tomorrow taking on this Green Bay Packers, I
was about say Minnesota Vikings team, Now they already did
that and that one was a little bit of a
tough day for them. It is going to be a
situation where you're facing a team that is pretty decent
against the run, green Bay's run defense gives up four

(19:36):
point three yards per run. They've given up six hundred
and sixty yards on the ground this season. But also too,
this is a team that will also cause you to
turn the football over. They forced five fumbles this season
in the run game, and they are actually the best
in the NFL at punching out the football for ball

(19:59):
carriers out the backfield. So that is something to keep
an eye on it for this team. I mean, you know,
that's one thing that you've heard Demiko Ryans talk about
all week, and even you know, other players on this
team have talked about the fact that the Texans are
going to need to be mindful of that that this
is a Green Bay team that is very turnover conscious.

(20:20):
They will try to punch the football out either in
the run or in the passing game. And also too,
they'll intercept the footballs as well, and they will get you.

Speaker 2 (20:29):
In that regard.

Speaker 3 (20:30):
But I talked about this a little bit last night
with Ross on the Nightcap, and you know, I think
that the key to the Texans win is going to
be kind of the way that they've gotten two of
them this season, and in both of those games, the
factor was you had Joe Mixon being able to make
plays for you last week, yet Damian Pierce also being
able to help out for you in the explosive plays

(20:51):
for the Texans in that win over New England came
in the run game. As you got Joe Mixon with
a long touchdown run. You got you know, Damian Pierce
as well well with a long touchdown run for the Texans,
And those are parts of the game that's going to
be huge for this team tomorrow. So I think that
there are three factors for the Texans to be able
to come away with a win tomorrow. Number One, you've

(21:12):
got to be able to establish the run and it
is gettable right there. I mean, as I talked about,
I mean teams averaging about four yards of carry, and
I mean you come out of it. If you run
on first down, you get it to second and six,
maybe you can run again. Then you're in third and
short and maybe it's a possibility right there. So that's
something that is definitely in the back pocket of Bobby Slowick,

(21:34):
and that's a huge part of it. The second part
of it as well, you cannot turn the football over
in this game. I mean, this has been a Texans
defense that for a couple of games this season has
been very good at being able to force takeaways. And
what was also the constant in being able to force
those takeaways. They did it against two rookie quarterbacks. You
did it earlier this season against Caleb Williams, and you're

(21:56):
going to excuse me. Last week you faced Drake may As,
another rookie quarterback who was making his first start. And
you're not facing a rookie quarterback, but you are facing
a young one in.

Speaker 2 (22:09):
Jordan Love.

Speaker 3 (22:10):
As you know, yesterday I was listening to the Matt
Thomas Show, and I believe it was the Packers play
by play man who talked about that Love sometimes will
be a little reckless with the football. So that's something
else that, you know, kind of trying to cheat the
angle here a little bit if you're the Texans, is
maybe you can be able to force a takeaway or
two and that helps you out. So the turnover margin

(22:32):
is going to be huge in this game tomorrow and
the final one. I think that probably we can point
to the Buffalo game. Even into last week, the Texans
have started to kind of cool it on the penalty front,
and this is going to be interesting tomorrow. You're going
into a hostile environment. I mean, lambeau Field is a
tough place to play, it's even tougher when it is

(22:53):
the frozen tundra. It's not going to be that, but still,
I mean, that's a rally fan base, that is a
fan base that shows up and supports their team. And
I mean that's something that you know, you went into
a hostile environment in Minnesota and you had a lot
of pre snat penalties. You just had a sloppy afternoon
in that game and ended up not going your direction
and you came out of there with your first loss

(23:14):
of the season. So I think that's going to be
a huge part of a discipline part of this game
tomorrow is not only the pre snat penalties, but also too.
I mean we've also seen after the play penalties with
this Texans team of you know, unnecessary roughness or you know,
even unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, any of those things. That's going
to be something to keep an eye on for this

(23:36):
Texans team tomorrow. And I think those are the three
ways that this team is able to come out with
a really good win. If you are able to do
that and you come into a situation where next week
you come back home for the Colts, as you know,
that's going to be a team that's gonna be looking
to try to get revenge for the first week's loss.
I mean kind of like I think the Texans were

(23:56):
ripping and ready to go for that game against the
Colts last year for a has to go to the playoffs,
where I think they kind of came out of that
Week two game last year saying, hey, you know we
should have beaten those guys. How do you think Anthony
Richardson and the coltsfield coming into this game this next week.
So you're getting into where we've talked about, you know,
this being a tough schedule for this team, and it

(24:17):
is going to be a you know, tough stretch that
you're going to be entering into right now that pretty
much every single team you're going to see for about
the next five or six weeks is going to be
a playoff potential team. So you know, if you feel
like you're one of the best in the AFC, you've
got to be able to prove it. And it starts tomorrow.
And those are the three parts of the team. I mean,
you've heard Tamiko Ryan say it numerous times, you cannot

(24:39):
beat yourself. And at least in that Minnesota game, the
Texans beat themselves, and they nearly beat themselves, and the
wins over Indianapolis and over Chicago as well, and nearly
did it against the Jacksonville Jaguars as well. But again,
I mean, five out of the six weeks this year,
you've been able to You've been able to come out

(25:01):
on the right side of the game because you've been
able to close it out there in those close games
late in the ballgame. And that's gonna be something else
to be able to hopefully have go your way again tomorrow.
So we'll see how it all goes. And we'll also
hear about the Packers side of the game tomorrow because,
like I said earlier this week on the A team,
we had a chance to be joined by Mike Heller,

(25:22):
who is also part of the Packers radio pregame show
up there in Wisconsin, as he joined us from ninety
seven at three ninety seven to three of the game
up there in Milwaukee. As we will hear from him
next right here as we continue to roll along here
on Space City Saturday. Dan Matthews here on your home
of the Astros and the Rockets Sports Talks seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (25:45):
This is Space City Saturday. On Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (25:53):
Seven ninety Space City Saturday.

Speaker 3 (25:55):
Dan Matthews here with you on your home of the
Astros and the Rockets. Like I said, we're gonna hear
from Mike Keller here in just a second, but real quick,
Martin and Angleton wants to weigh in on Sports Talk
seventy ninety.

Speaker 2 (26:07):
Martin, what's going on?

Speaker 4 (26:08):
Yeah, Dan, before I had to say, I'm a big
Oilers Texans fan. All the way you said that the
Texans beat themselves against the Vikings, I totally disagree with that.
The Vikings just beat the h E double chopsticked out
of the Texans in every way.

Speaker 3 (26:32):
I mean, I think it was a combination of the
two Martin. I mean, yeah, I'm not taking anything away
from the Vikings. I'm not going Lane Kiffin and Jackson
Dart for Ole miss against LSU last week of saying, oh,
you know, we lost the game, they didn't win it. No,
that's not what I'm saying. But I mean you even
heard Demiko Ryans after the game say we have to
stop beating ourselves. So it was a combination of both

(26:54):
of those things in that game, and the Texans being
on discipline pre snap was a huge part of why
they didn't come out of that game with a win.

Speaker 4 (27:03):
Well, yes, the Texans made mistakes, but it was because
of the Vikings that they made mistakes. That's my point.
The Vikings just kick the living kick the living ass
out of them, and as simple as that. For me,
that's that's the way I look at it. It was
the Vikings, not the Texans.

Speaker 2 (27:26):
I appreciate the call, Martin.

Speaker 3 (27:27):
I mean yes, I mean, like we said, you know,
it was a great effort in that game. And also
too as well. I mean the Vikings had you know,
we're playing really good football that day. They were able
to convert third downs, they were able to you know,
keep the Texans off the field, turn the Texans over.
So no, I'm with you on that, but I mean
it is also too as well. Again, I mean it's

(27:50):
a mutual relationship in that part right there where. I
mean I think the you know, Texans could have been
able to allow things to go a different direction had
they been a little bit more cleaner on their side.

Speaker 2 (28:01):
But that was weeks ago.

Speaker 3 (28:02):
Don't have to worry about it now, and hopefully you've
learned from it too as well, because I mean that's
something else that can come out of a football seasons.
A week doesn't go your way, Well, what did we
do wrong? All right, let's take inventory of that, and
then let's be able to try to make sure we
don't repeat those same mistakes again to allow for a
game to spiral out of control like it did that
afternoon in Minnesota. And that's indeed what happened against the Vikings,

(28:26):
so hoping that's not gonna be the case again tomorrow
against the Packers. Speaking of the Packers on the Green
Bay side of things, we had a chance to catch
up with Mike Heller of ninety seven to three up
there in Milwaukee, as they are the flagship of the Packers,
as he joined us on the A team. He's also

(28:48):
too part of the Packers pregame show up there, but anyway,
he joined us on the A team this week, and
let's hear that visit right now.

Speaker 5 (28:56):
Mike Heller joins us from the Mike Heller Show seven
to three the game they're in Milwaukee. I really appreciate
the opportunity to catch up with you, Mike, talk about
this matchup and kind of where things stand for these
two teams, And there are a lot of reasons why
I think they can be tied together kind of from
the timeline of each of their quarterbacks making their twenty
second start. Both became full time starters at the beginning

(29:19):
of this past season. Obviously, Jordan Love had been there
for a bit before that happened, but late last season
it seemed like they were consistently producing eye popping numbers
week after week after week as both of these franchises
were charging towards playoffs, and then they each won their
opening playoff game before falling the following week.

Speaker 6 (29:37):
Do you believe in is there any sense.

Speaker 5 (29:39):
Of that there in Green Bay in Packerland that these
two quarterbacks are going to be quote unquote kind of
with each other over the next handful of years.

Speaker 7 (29:49):
Yeah, I sure think so. I think they're going to
be compared favorably towards one another, even though they weren't
in the same draft class. To your point, they began
starting at the same time, and the numbers that both
have put up have been pretty extraordinary, maybe more so
for Stroud because he was doing so in his rookie season.

(30:09):
But I looked at Jordan Love the back half of
last year when he was going on an eighteen touchdown
one interception run. It was just really impressive. And that
Packers' mantra, their marching orders, as it seems, has been
now for more than thirty years, is to put the
quarterback in waiting. You know, they did it with Aaron

(30:32):
Rodgers for three years. They did it with Jordan Love
for three years, and that model has worked really well.
And Stroud's just really impressive every time I see him
do his work. I'm impressed. The quarterbacks are pretty similar too,
aren't they. I mean, neither one wants to run. They can,
but they want to beat you with their legs to
their arm rather than just their legs.

Speaker 6 (30:53):
There's no question about it.

Speaker 5 (30:55):
I'm curious what you think happened during that run of
Love's excellency was clearly good. Prior to that, the record
wasn't as good, and he obviously was making more mistakes.
So in that pocket of games where things went so
well for him and obviously for the team, and I'm
not sure how you view his four games this year
compared to like the first six, seven, eight, games last year, Like,

(31:15):
what's the real difference and when he was so incredibly
sharp during that last you know, really eight games of
the season.

Speaker 7 (31:23):
Well, I think in part Adam Matt Lafleur deserves a
lot of credit because he what he told us were
the Packers flagship. What he told us is he just
told him to let it go, let it fly, stop
worrying so much, just play, stop thinking so much. I
think that's an oversimplification of what they really told him.

(31:44):
But I think at that point he just began to
trust what he had learned and stopped worrying so much
about what he was doing. Plus, I also give credit
to the head coach and the bodies around him that
he young. The Packers got a really young receiving corps,
including the tight end Tucker Kraft and Luke Musk. Gravy

(32:04):
was hurt right now, but the wide receivers, you know,
Romeo Dobbs is relatively new to the to the NFL,
had you know, the third fourth year in the league.
Then you look at the Jayden Reid. Last year was
his rookie season. Christian Watson hasn't been healthy, but one
he is, he can take the top off the defense,
the Packers just had a ton of weapons in I

(32:26):
think at some point last year, back half of the season,
Love let it go. I think, look for there are
some things there that are deeper than just let it fly.
And then this year, I think the difference is Jordan
Love had a sloppy first game and he didn't play.
He played one series three plays in the preseason. He
had a sloppy first game, then had the MCL on

(32:49):
the last offensive drive of that game. This two games,
came back, wasn't sharp, and then in week two that
he was back, he was much better. And then last
week being back, he was fantastic.

Speaker 5 (33:02):
It definitely seemed like that was a major uptick, just
quickly before you get into the additional analysis from the
practice report, with three of those four receivers you mentioned
all Butt Dobbs listed is limited and Jyle Alexander there
and Kraft as well, is there real concern that some
of these players will not be available for the game.

Speaker 6 (33:19):
It didn't seem like it.

Speaker 7 (33:21):
I don't think so. Reid's injuried. He would be the
one I would worry about. From a Houston perspective, I
think that the defensive coordinator I think defensively, Houston and
everybody else the Packers play have to account for Jaden Reid.
He lines up a lot in the slot, but he
is very much their best player in space once you

(33:43):
get the ball in his hands, and he's got great
hands and great instincts. Christian Watson is the speed component,
and he is healthy and if you don't roll safety
help to him, he can run by defenders. He's a
very talented player. And Romeo Dobbs is the combination. He
is probably the best receiver. He's had an off field

(34:04):
issue that we're not exactly certain what the base of
the basis of it was, but he was suspended for
a game, then last week came back and caught two
touchdown passes. I think they're healthy enough, and I think
Crap is healthy and he's a difference maker at the
tight end position as well.

Speaker 6 (34:22):
Yeah, definitely a good group.

Speaker 5 (34:24):
Mike Heller talking with us here on Sports Talk seven
to ninety on the A team yesterday. On our show
just we were talking about off season moves and I
thought one of the moves in the AFC that kind
of shifted things in a positive direction maybe the best
move addition was Derrick Henry going to the Baltimore Ravens,
and if I was flipping it over to the NFC,
I think two names stand out as maybe the most

(34:44):
significant additions in the offseason. Clearly Kirk Cousins in Atlanta
is one. Xavier McKinney in the defensive backfield for the Packers.
I can't imagine isn't the other or one of the others.
I'm sure it's surprised everyone of how many plays he's made,
But I think the expectations you tell me if I'm wrong,
were that he would be a difference maker, regardless of

(35:06):
whether it showed itself in interception after interception after interception.

Speaker 7 (35:11):
Yeah, and dude's been great. He had interceptions in six
straight games, the last game for the Giants a year
ago and the first five games for the Packers this year.
He didn't have one last Sunday. But he's always around
the ball. He's a difference maker on the back end.
He's got good corners in front of him, especially in
Jayra Alexander, and he trusts them and he trusts to

(35:33):
put them in the right positions, and then he's allowed
to truly roam and do what a free safety does best,
and he has played the ball.

Speaker 8 (35:41):
Last week, Kyler.

Speaker 7 (35:42):
Murray didn't threaten him, didn't challenge anything deep over the middle,
which is where McKinney has made his hay so far
this year. But he has been you're dead on. I
think he has been the most significant offseason edition of
any team in the NFC, with some credit to Kirk
Cousins as well, but he's been a difference maker without

(36:04):
a question. The Packers also are faster defensively than they've
been in recent years. Eger and Cooper, a linebacker Koy
Walker and his third year as a linebacker. Their speed
reduced what Kyler Murray could do a week ago. They
held Jalen Hurts in some check in the opening game.
They've they've been really good. So the Packers' defense, with

(36:27):
a new defensive coordinator this year, Jeff Athlete, who came
from Boston College as their head coach, has been a
breath of fresh air. The Packers are more aggressive defensively.
They play more pressman and they've taken taken some opportunity
to get after him turn the ball over seventeen times already.
The Packers have gotten turnovers this year, and that's in

(36:48):
six games. Last year, in seventeen games, they had eighteen turnovers,
so they have been fantastic in taking.

Speaker 8 (36:54):
The ball away.

Speaker 5 (36:55):
Yeah, I think that number seventeen struck me as most impressive,
and that no other team even has fourteen. They've got
four more takeaways than every team, any team in the NFL.
I've been asking this question throughout the week and really
throughout the offseason, because I didn't really have a good
answer for it.

Speaker 6 (37:09):
I'm curious if you do.

Speaker 5 (37:10):
Why did the Packers offensively decide to move on from
Aaron Jones so they could move forward with Josh Jacobs.

Speaker 7 (37:19):
I think the biggest reason is they traded years. They
traded years for similar money and they got I think
about well, he's three or four years younger, depending on
where you look at the calendar. That they just got
younger from Aaron Jones, who also last year his finish
was fantastic and when he's on the field, he's a

(37:39):
difference maker. However, he has not been on the field enough.
He was loved in Green Bay. But they traded youth
for about the same amount of overall money that they
were investing in Aaron Jones. And in this league, the
goal is to always be young, and certainly Brian Goodikunz
the Packers GM has embraced that model because they are

(38:01):
again and I think it's the third straight year that
the Packers are the youngest team in the NFL.

Speaker 5 (38:08):
Yes, the rest of their division, which is very good,
and the rest of the NFC, I definitely think, is
very unhappy about that fact.

Speaker 6 (38:14):
And we've been talking about it all week.

Speaker 5 (38:16):
I'm curious in this final minute here, what's been your
view and what's been the talk about facing CJ.

Speaker 6 (38:22):
Stroud in this Texans offense.

Speaker 9 (38:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (38:25):
I think it's the best team that Green Bay has
played this year. And I say that with some level
of understanding that I'm sliding by Minnesota, who beat you,
who beat Houston in their head to head match up.
The Packers lost to Minnesota, and the Vikings are five
and oher so I get it. But I think Houston

(38:46):
is the best overall team that the Packers will have
seen so far. They'll get Detroit in a couple of
weeks and maybe that will be in that mode. This
is kind of for a lot of us, This is
kind of a prove it game for the Packers there
they're foreign to They won a couple of games with
Malik Willis and then with Jordan Love. Last week was

(39:06):
easily his best performance, and I think Packers fans think
that he has now found that rhythm again. But this
is a prove it game for a lot of Packers
fans to see if this team that's foreign too, is
ready to make their run and truly be a Super
Bowl contender.

Speaker 5 (39:22):
I tend to believe fans here in Houston feel similarly
about it being a prove it game on the road
for the Texans. Mike really appreciate the time, Mike Heller,
you can find him on the X platform at Heller Sports.

Speaker 6 (39:33):
Really appreciate you joining us.

Speaker 7 (39:35):
You're welcome, Adam, thank you all.

Speaker 3 (39:37):
Right, there you go, And to echo what West through
in there at the end of the interview with Mike,
I mean interesting to hear him say that from the
Packers perspective as well. I mean, he kind of feel like,
you know, they've been a team that's played good football
to this point. But funny enough, did you know that
the Green Bay Packers are actually last place at the
moment in the NFC North. That's tough division this year.

(39:59):
I mean, because you've got an improved Chicago team. You've
got a Minnesota team that obviously is playing incredibly well,
and the top two teams in the division gonna be
playing each other tomorrow. It's gonna be Detroit against Minnesota.
Believe that game is in Minnesota, so it'd be interesting
to see who is able to take that one when
it's all said and done. But Texans trying to pick

(40:22):
up their six win of this season, it will not
be any easy shakes. And as a matter of fact,
what you hear from both Tamiko Ryans and CJ Stroud
on being able to try to pick up this win tomorrow.
As we close out the ten o'clock hour here on
Space City Saturday, if you want to weigh in, you
can do so someone three two one two five seven
ninety Once again, that's Sebon one three two one two

(40:44):
five seven nine zero. As we continue to roll along
here on Space City Saturday, on your home of the
Astros and the Rockets, Sports Talk seven.

Speaker 1 (40:51):
Ninety Space City Saturday continues on Sports Talk seven ninety
seven ninety.

Speaker 3 (41:01):
Dan Matthews here with you about another ten minutes left
to go here in the first hour of the show.
I mean, I think you all pretty much have a
good theme of how the show goes. I mean during
Astro's season, it's a lot of the first hour being
about the Stros. Of course Stros not playing right now.
Texans season is in, so get into a lot of

(41:22):
Texans talk. So you want to do that, you can
do so some one three, two, one, two five seven ninety.
Dan Matthews here with you, Melvin Brown back in our
uptown GALLERYA Studios with us until noon. As next hour
we'll get into a little bit of the Texas and
Georgia game that's gonna be happening as well. I know
that's gonna have a lot of people's attention. I mean

(41:43):
I talked about it last week, how we were getting
set up for a great weekend of football. I mean
where you had some great games. You had Texas, so
you you had also too as well. You know that
LSU ol Miss game. You know we focused on those
in last week's show and of course getting you ready
for the Texans getting that win against the Patriots and

(42:06):
this week same deal. I mean, you've got a great
day at college football, can have some great games tonight,
Like I said, the Texas Georgia game, which again will
be over on News Radio seven k TRH and the
LSU Arkansas game is going to be on here Sports
Talk seven to ninety. But like I said, we were

(42:26):
going to talk about the Texans and Packers tomorrow and
let you hear from Demiico, Ryans and also CJ. Stroud
as they both had some thoughts about this Texans team
heading into the game. This was from earlier this week
on Wednesday, when Dimiko met with the media. That's the

(42:46):
first full day of practice to get ready for the game,
but also to the first chance for the Demiico to
address injury concerns. And Henry Toto, we knew that he
was going to be out with the concussion, or at
least had a good idea that probably he was going
to be out. We were wondering about Aziz al Shaier well.

(43:06):
With the injury report coming out yesterday. Both players are out,
so it's gonna be up to Neville Hewitt and Jake
Hansen to make plays at the linebacker spot, and Demiko
talked about the prospect of that being the case now
that it's a reality.

Speaker 10 (43:22):
Nevill and Jacob they've been here with us for a while,
They've gotten a lot of reps. They know what, they
know how we play, they know you know what to expect,
they know how to communicate, so there's nothing new to
them if they have to go out and get snaps.
Feel confident in those guys being able to step up
and help us.

Speaker 3 (43:42):
And that's been a kind of a constant that Demiko
has had all throughout his tenure. I mean, he's seemingly
is a guy that is going to have the same
answer whenever he is asked about an injured player, and
he's going to say, yeah, you know, we'd love to
have him, but we don't, and we've got to go
out there and make plays with the guys we've got.
And that's the same, you know, similar tone that he
just struck right there by talking about nevill Hewitt and

(44:02):
Jake Hanson. I mean, are they as good as as
Ziz Alshaier and Henry Totou. No, because well they would
be on the field if indeed that were the case.
But in this case right here, it's going to be
a lot of plays for them. You've seen he would
be able to make some good plays on special teams.
And Hanson is somebody else that I think, you know,

(44:25):
players and coaches alike, we're excited about coming out of
a training camp this year, so they will get their chance.
And you know, I think there's two things that you
have to look out for on this Packers team. One
is the play action game. But what also sets up
the play action game for the Packers is a strong
run game and former Raider Josh Jacobs is a huge

(44:46):
part of that, and Demiko Ryans says Jacobs is tough.

Speaker 10 (44:50):
Thank It's been a nice addition for them.

Speaker 2 (44:52):
I know Matt wants to run the football.

Speaker 10 (44:54):
That's where they want to thrive, that's where they want
to live first, names first. They want to establish a
run game and it as much as they can. And
so with Jacobs, he's a strong, powerful runner, great contact balance.
You know, one guy doesn't take him down a lot,
So it has to be a collective effort from our
defense or backside guys, everybody getting off of blocks, closing,

(45:16):
and we have to swarm and corral Jacobs because he's
such a tough runner.

Speaker 2 (45:22):
And that's also too.

Speaker 3 (45:23):
I mean, you know a huge thing that the Texan's
going to have to look out for tomorrow in terms
of defending him, because you're not going to have Mario
Edwards Junior is not going to be on the field
for this one. You've had a couple of other guys
go down. I mean fully, Photocossi is questionable for the game.
Limited in practice yesterday with the shoulder. But I mean

(45:44):
it does help that you get Derek Barnett back last
week and he's going to be available to you. Obviously,
you know what Willie Anderson Junior and also what you
know the Daniel Hunter are capable of on the edges,
and also this week you get Denico Autry back. But
I think the question is with Autrey is how much
is he can be able to play in this game.
I mean, he's missed the first six weeks of the season.

(46:07):
You can do as many hill sprints, straight sprints, everything
of the sort to be able to try to get
as much air in those lungs as possible. But we
all know that, you know, the training for games and
actually being in game shape are two different things. So
I think that's something new keep an eye on with
Autrey tomorrow. But in terms of guys that can help

(46:27):
on the offensive end, I mean, we've talked about it.
You're not going to have Nico Collins at least for
the next couple of.

Speaker 2 (46:33):
Weeks, so he's out for it tomorrow.

Speaker 3 (46:35):
You do have Joe Mixon on the field, you do
have Damian Pierce, and you also do have Daldon Schultz,
Stefan Diggs, and Tank Dell C. J.

Speaker 2 (46:44):
Stroud.

Speaker 3 (46:44):
Speaking about a couple of those guys this week, the
veterans of that group, Joe Mixon and Stefan Diggs, he
says having them on the field definitely gives them confidence.

Speaker 11 (46:55):
And Stephan Joe came here, they were just like, man,
you got it, bro, You just you had what it
takes because we've been around it, you know, these past
couple of years, being around Borrow and Josh Allen, so
you know, and they're not comparing me to those guys,
I don't think, but you know, they're just telling me
like I have that or I have that that way
I carry myself, you know. And so I thought that

(47:17):
was pretty cool because I never really heard that before,
especially with two guys who've been around some some really
successful quarterbacks. So I thought that was pretty cool.

Speaker 2 (47:26):
And I mean, you know that's the thing as well.

Speaker 3 (47:28):
I mean, you want to have as much confidence as
possible playing the quarterback position and c. J. Stroud definitely
doesn't lack that, but also too, no matter how confident
you are, it's nice to be able to hear from
people of saying, hey, you got this, you can do this,
You're pretty good at this, so keep going with it.
So that's what obviously Joe Mixon and Stefan Diggs with
their words show him, but they also can show it

(47:50):
on the field with their play as well. Trying to
be able to do that again tomorrow. All right, coming
up next, we will continue the Texans Conversation. If you
want to weigh in, you can do so someone three
two one two five seven ninety. I mentioned one player
during this segment that could factor tomorrow. Let you hear
about him from a player, but also from a coach
as well as we will continue the Texans Conversation as

(48:14):
we start the eleven o'clock hour right here on Space
City Saturday, Dan Matthews here with you until noon on
Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (48:28):
Welcome aboard, Welcome to another Space City Saturday. On Sports
Talk seven ninety, Dad Matthews Live and local h Town
breakdown of the world that matters to you, the Houston
sports world.

Speaker 2 (48:42):
All these great Houston fans here.

Speaker 1 (48:44):
We love you all, so finish up on that to
do list. Flute up the cooler because you can't drink
in talk sports all day if you don't start now bear.

Speaker 9 (48:55):
Me in the eight.

Speaker 1 (48:57):
This is Space City Saturday. Here's seven nineties, Dad Matthews.

Speaker 2 (49:09):
Indeed, we are Space City Saturday.

Speaker 3 (49:11):
Dan Matthews here with you as we roll along here
in our two of the show, continuing the Texans conversation
right here. If you want to weigh in, do so.
Sebon one three two one two five seven ninety. Once again,
that's sub one three two one two five seven nine zero.
A huge part of this Texans effort tomorrow is going

(49:32):
to be the defensive effort and without some key players
both up front but also to the linebacker corps, and
I talked about Al Shaier and also too too, both
going to be down for this one. So it's the
Neville Hewitt and Jake Hanson show for the Texans. And
you know it's also to this the defense that kind
of runs a four two five if you will, of

(49:55):
four down linemen. Obviously we know who those guys are
for the most part, two linebackers, because I mean you
do have Jalen Petrie. That star position almost kind of
as like a pseudo hybrid linebackers slash safety for the
Texans still, but that is pretty much what they've been
running all season. You haven't had Christian Harris for much

(50:16):
of the season. And also too, you haven't had the
guy we want to talk about right now, Denico Autrey
and what he can do. And you remember too, Audrey
was one of the key signings for the Texans this offseason.

Speaker 2 (50:27):
This was an off season.

Speaker 3 (50:28):
Where I think we knew they were going to be
pretty active in terms of being able to add to
this this team because I mean, the beauty of it,
and I've talked about it numerous times. You got a
rookie quarterback right now that you don't have to make
one of the highest paid in the league and is
not going to chew up a large amount of your
salary caps. So while you have a rookie quarterback, that's

(50:49):
when you go get Stefan Diggs and Daniel Hunter and
Joe Mixon and also to Denico Autrey. So Audrey on
that defensive line, a guy that is known as somebody
that even from the interior of the line when put
there at times can be able to make some really
huge plays for you, and that is something that the

(51:10):
Texans counting on tomorrow again facing a quarterback that, much
like c J. Stroud, does have the ability to take
off and run, but they do prefer to stay in
the pocket and try to look downfield for throws and
that's what Jordan Love tries to do.

Speaker 2 (51:24):
That's what c J. Stroud tries to do.

Speaker 3 (51:26):
But also too he's elusive enough to be able to
get away from you and also you know, setting up
the play action passing game which we talked about what
Josh Jacobs is a huge reason why they are able
to make that happen. So that is something that Texans
will be keeping an eye on tomorrow, and Denico Autrey
is somebody that will try to make Jordan Love's day

(51:48):
tough on him. As we had a chance earlier this
week to have Adam Wesler out there in the locker
room after one of the Texans practices, And'll Anderson was
one of the players talking with the media after practice,
and he talked about Daniko Autrey and what he has

(52:08):
already gleaned from him through training camp, but also now
getting him back in the fold after coming back from suspension,
Anderson a huge fan of Autrey.

Speaker 9 (52:18):
They got everybody in the d LA roll for real.
For like, I really look him as a big brother,
like we just I think we just have that relationship now.

Speaker 2 (52:25):
Like he was.

Speaker 9 (52:26):
Quiet when we first got here, like me mug everything.
But like the more I staid pick on pig on
the mess when he opened up a little bit.

Speaker 12 (52:32):
Man.

Speaker 9 (52:32):
But he's great having him there, man, Like I told him,
I was watching his highide I think he celebrated until
I watched his highlights and I seen him jumping up
and down and he got me ready to play with him.

Speaker 12 (52:40):
Man.

Speaker 9 (52:40):
But he's gonna bring something different, like just his physical
playing style, his relentless effort to get to the quarterback,
even on the edge and side.

Speaker 3 (52:50):
And you know that's the thing that you know, we've
talked about the versatility there that the Texans can run
in terms of being able to kind of have him
all over the defensive line. And he's somebody that can
rush from the interior. He's somebody that if you need
him to rush from the outside, he can do that
as well. I mean, remember two when the Texans signed him,
Remember it was Jeffrey Simmons of the Titans. I think

(53:12):
his tweet was just simply damn in terms of being
upset about losing him to the Texans and what you know,
he brought to that Titans defensive front while he was there,
and now it's here in Houston and the Texans are
hoping that he can be able to make those havoc
plays upfront much like he did during his time there

(53:33):
and joining Will Anderson. In terms of the chorus of
praise for Autrey is his defensive coordinator Matt Burke talking
about Audrey and what he brings to this defensive line,
saying kind of in that same vein, he's a huge
ad to this team.

Speaker 7 (53:48):
Toughness first and foremost.

Speaker 13 (53:51):
I would say he's a very unique rusher just as
a sort of not really want to say hybrid, but
as a big, big in an inside rusher. I mean,
he's had successful spots, so it's uh, he just offers
some different pitches in terms of or this. He rushes
like an end inside, which is hard sometimes regards He's
not a lot of times offensive lineman interior can there's

(54:14):
not a lot of space. It's close quarters combat when
you're rushing inside, right and so sometimes there's not a
lot of room for moves or things. You got to
be a little bit more direct. Somehow he's able to
create some space.

Speaker 3 (54:26):
And I mean that's something too, like I talked about
with some of the injured players on this team, of
being able to add some of that versatility.

Speaker 2 (54:34):
It's huge.

Speaker 3 (54:35):
But you know, I think that it all comes down
to exactly what I've talked about earlier with him, is
that he is somebody that has been down. He has
not played, he has not you know, taken on those blocks,
he has not taken on that physicality that he is
going to be facing on the field. And also too,
I mean just going through those plays, I mean, you know,
this is something of a Green Bay Packer offense that

(54:57):
likes to use a lot of pre snapp motion, likes
to be able to try to kind of you know,
have your eyes going different directions and you know, have
your eyes being caught in the wrong spot. That's how
they're able to make plays down the field. I mean,
we've seen it all throughout Matt Lafleur's time with this team.
And I mean remember last year in the playoffs against
the Cowboys, that was something that the Cowboys just could
not adjust to and that's why you saw so many

(55:20):
huge plays downfield for the Packer offense in that game.

Speaker 2 (55:24):
And we also saw a playout too as well.

Speaker 3 (55:26):
Of what I talked about earlier is something this team
has to stay out of, and that is being able
to stay out of turnover prone situations. And you know,
if you're down in a game, they're trying to force
throws down the field, that's when they can turn the
football over. And also too as well, Like I said,
I mean, they forced five fumbles in the run game
this season. It's the best in the NFL. That's something

(55:48):
else they're going to try to do. So, you know,
being able to have him out there. I know that
Dylan Orton has done some good things since coming back
on the field. Jerry Hughes as at times done some
good things for you as well, and you've gotten good
plays out of the defensive line as a whole. Where
I think that it was a part of this team

(56:10):
that had a little bit of concern. I mean, you know,
there's two parts of you know, just the concern that
goes into this this season is coming off of last year.
I mean, you saw in the second half of that
game against the Baltimore Ravens. This was a team that
was getting beaten upfront physically by the Ravens and being
blown off the ball in certain cases, and they were

(56:32):
able to, you know, pick up a huge chunksy yards
on the ground in that game, and that was a
difference in the game. And the other part of it is,
you know, a couple of days after that game, it
was Demiko Ryans at the podium for his postseason, you know,
end of year wrap up press conference, and he talked about,
we've got to we've got to get better up front,
We've got to get stronger, we've got to get bigger.

(56:53):
We also have to have more guys that can roll
through those spots. And it was a little bit of
an interesting offseason in that regard. I mean, where, yes,
you do add Deniko Autry, you added Mario Edwards Junior,
but also too as well. I mean, you lost Malite Collins,
a guy that was huge for you last year, you
lost Sheldon Rankins. Didn't really do much to address it

(57:13):
in the draft, which I thought was kind of interesting
from Nick Cassario and his crew. I mean, I definitely
thought that, you know, maybe they would have gone that
route but ended up not. But you know you're gonna
have Kurt Heinish elevated for this game as well, so
I mean he's somebody else that can roll for you
in this game. So I mean, if you're able to
continue the good play that you've had so far this season,

(57:35):
you know Minnesota was able to make it tough on
you in that game. I mean, nothing went right that day,
as you know talked about earlier with Martin and Angleton,
that just across the board was not a good day.
It was more about what they did and you didn't do.
But what you did do is you made it hard
on yourself with penalties as well. So that's something else
that this team hopefully has buried in the past, and

(57:56):
having a guy like Autry out there can hopefully help
them get to that point of being able to play
a clean enough game to be able to come out
of here with a win tomorrow. If the Texans do
win this game, which again, even though I've given you
the reasons why they could talked about it last night,
if you were listening to us on the nightcap that
I mean, it just for me, seems like with these

(58:18):
injuries it might be too much to overcome. For the
Texans tomorrow, I mean, this is a Green Bay team
that badly needs a win.

Speaker 2 (58:25):
And and not say that you don't.

Speaker 3 (58:27):
I mean, every single week in the NFL, you're going
out there with the express purpose of tried to win
the game. But two, at the same time, I mean,
this is a Green Bay team that is trying to
not fall further behind in the NFC race.

Speaker 2 (58:40):
And I mean this is a NFC you.

Speaker 3 (58:43):
Know, North Division that is probably going to have at
least as currently constructed right now, three teams make the postseason,
and that is something that they're on the outside looking
in at right now. And you know, that's a huge
part of this game that they're going to be, you know,
trying to you know, take control of the game and
win this game because i mean, again at four and two,

(59:04):
they're in last place at the moment, so that's a
huge part of it tomorrow. But also two, I mean,
when you're facing a team that is so good in
their pre snap motion running the football play action game,
I mean, first and foremost, for the Texans tomorrow, it's
going to have to be you have to limit Josh
Jacobs as much as possible.

Speaker 2 (59:22):
If you're not.

Speaker 3 (59:22):
If he's able to get five six yards a carry
or close to it, then you're really setting yourself up
for a tough day against that packer, you know, receiving
corps that does have a lot of really good options.
I mean, it's not necessarily a team that has a
true number one. They seemingly have three or four guys
that they feel very comfortable with making plays downfield. So

(59:44):
that's going to be another part of it as well.
And without having you know, a z z Aushai here
and being beaten up there at the linebacker spot, being
beaten up up front on the defensive line, I just
think that it could be a tough ask for those guys.
But again, you just need it for one game and
you hopefully start to get some guys back next week
and the week's going forward where this team can hopefully

(01:00:05):
continue to play good football and continue winning as well.
So we'll see how it all breaks out tomorrow. But
having Denico Autry back definitely a huge plus for the Texans,
and we'll see how much heat factors in the game tomorrow.
All right, coming up next, we will get into a
little bit of college football. Texas hosting Georgia in Austin.

(01:00:25):
The game day crew, by the way, they feel a
certain way about this game. How does this game all
play out tonight? We will get into that so you
can weigh in on that if you want to. I
know a lot of you probably on your way to
Austin or either there in Austin, or who knows, maybe
you're like me, gonna be watching it in Section HD tonight.
All of the above that you are all welcome. If

(01:00:45):
you want to weigh in, do so seven one three
two one two five seven ninety. Once again that SEB
one three two on two five seven ninety. We'll do
that on the other side. Right here on Sports Talk
seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (01:00:57):
It's Space City Saturday one, Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (01:01:02):
Sports Talk seven ninety, Dan Matthews.

Speaker 3 (01:01:05):
Here with you until noon again, programming notes for you
if you want to catch the games all afternoon here
the U of H in Kansas game, which I believe
coverage is gonna get going at about one thirty over
on KPRC nine fifty five o'clock. Right here on Sports
Talk seven ninety, you're gonna get to LSU and Arkansas

(01:01:28):
coverage get going for that one so I know that
Tiger fans out there fired up for this one today
as well as the Texas and Georgia game. Gonna be
five thirty is when Craig Way and the crew and
the Longhorn Sports Network get things going at five thirty
over on News Radio seven forty KTRH. So that's going

(01:01:51):
to be where you can find everything you want to
weigh in on the I mean, you know, even Texans conversation.
If you want to get into the that too as well.
We can continue that here on this side. But I
do want to get into this Texas Georgia game, which,
by the way, coming up here in about ten minutes,
we're gonna hear from the voice of the Longhorns.

Speaker 2 (01:02:09):
Just mentioned his name, but I'll mention it again.

Speaker 3 (01:02:11):
Craig Way joining next up with Stan Northfleet Chris Gordy
earlier this week to preview this matchup, So we'll hear
from Craig as he'll get us going for this one.

Speaker 2 (01:02:22):
But this is a game for Texas.

Speaker 3 (01:02:24):
That kind of like I was talking about with the
Texans in the page, or Texas and the Patriots, Texans
and the Packers tomorrow that Green Bay badly in need
of will win. This is a Georgia team that comes
in incredibly hungry for a win, especially after the way
that their trip to Tuscaloosa went a couple of weeks ago.
I mean, you know them like LSU now, like Ohio State,

(01:02:45):
many teams all throughout college football where I think we
can agree that with the expanded playoff to twelve teams,
that you know, losing more than one game is not
fatal to your chances. As a matter of fact, we're
probably gonna see two three with at least two losses,
maybe even more getting their way into the playoff this season,

(01:03:05):
because I mean, you've got more expanded spots for that
to happen, and you find your way in there, and
we'll see what happens with Army and Navy. I mean,
it looks like we could possibly be talking about. You know,
that's the other thing as well. I mean, obviously, if
you follow the college football season, you know how it goes.
Thanksgiving weekend obviously is the final weekend of the regular season.
Then the following weekend you get championship games, SEC, Big twelve, ACC,

(01:03:31):
Big Ten, everybody like that, you know, playing in their
respective championship games that same weekend the American Conference, which
both Army and Navy are in, they could both possibly
be undefeated playing for that, and whoever wins that one
obviously would get themselves in position to make the college
football playoff because then the following day you would have

(01:03:52):
the playoff selection.

Speaker 2 (01:03:54):
Then the next week would be the Army Navy game
in earnest.

Speaker 3 (01:03:57):
So aren't we all for interesting is playing out in
college football? Some people will call it chaos, whatever you
might be, But in this case right here, I mean,
it's a game that you know, I think we all
watch just because of what it represents and who the
players on the field represent, but also too, I mean
it's one that's always exciting, and it's a respectful rivalry

(01:04:19):
and one that we love to be able to peek
in on. So anyway, the Texas Georgia game today, as
we were talking about earlier on in the show, College
Game Day there in Austin, And if you're a Longhorn fan,
you got to feel good with what the crew. Herbie
refrained from picking in this one because of course he's

(01:04:42):
calling the game tonight with Chris Vaalor so it's kind
of a faux pas to pick as you're on the call,
because then of course you make a pick, then you
know the audience out there if they feel slighted and
you're speaking, you know, positively about the team that you picked,
and you know they start saying, oh, you know you're
rooting for the that team in the booth. All those
different types of things. The Herbie's are pro. I mean,

(01:05:03):
he doesn't do any of those things. But two at
the same time, you know, you just you just want
to be able to just have a you know, unabated
call of the game and not have any distractions of
the sort going into a calling said games.

Speaker 2 (01:05:19):
So that's why he stays out of it.

Speaker 3 (01:05:21):
But to a man, you had Pat McAfee, Nick Saban,
Desmond Howard, and Lee Corso all picking Texas for this
one tonight, which the line at one point had gotten
up to five and a half Texas.

Speaker 2 (01:05:36):
Now it's down the four and a half.

Speaker 3 (01:05:37):
So maybe you're starting to see some sharp money coming
in on the dogs. We'll see if maybe that even
creeps down to you know, probably I would probably guess
it's not going to go any lower than four for
this game. But if you get enough money in, maybe
it goes back to the original three and a half
for Texas in this one.

Speaker 2 (01:05:55):
But it's gonna be a fun one, no doubt about it.

Speaker 3 (01:05:57):
And as you're watching the game tonight, you're probably gonna
be looking down on the sideline, you're going to be
seeing a guy wearing his normal get up that he's got,
you know, the the long sleeve, white shirt, sleeves rolled up.
He's got his own cowboy hat on. Of course, you
know I'm talking about the top Longhorn himself. Matthew McConaughey
and the famous Texas X taken to social media earlier

(01:06:21):
this week to share his thoughts on tonight's game.

Speaker 14 (01:06:25):
In October the twenty four, he got a little team
called Georgia bile doll such him in there over days
US and warms up stadium. That's a night game. Oo
fasted the fact everyone's gonna as copyment you Precats season,
did Edison correct? I mean best the teams we got

(01:06:46):
there and handled that. He continuous play against how nearly
we can be. That's too add ETHNI can play while
playing them and given them fullish facts, taking no time
for long. There's no time for exhale.

Speaker 6 (01:06:59):
Yeah, obviously that one is to be hyped up. We
will be way up to this game. Just got to play.

Speaker 14 (01:07:05):
As Coach Parkes, you say, play smart intelligion and then.

Speaker 3 (01:07:12):
Shout said, there you go. Matthew McConaughey doing it. The
only way he knows how is to just put it
in his own words. And I mean, you know the philosophy,
the philosophies that are out of Matthew McConaughey, well, you know,
whenever he speaks, I guess, so we definitely want to

(01:07:32):
be able to keep an ear out and listen for
whenever he speaks. But in this case, I mean, for
you know, Texas and I I mean, I've told you
the Georgia side of it and how badly they need
this one tonight. But for Texas, I mean, I think
that it's kind of another step in the direction of
getting this program back to where it was when Mac
Brown had it rolling from two thousand and four to

(01:07:53):
two thousand and nine. I mean, this was probably the
you know, best, most consistent, you know, performing program.

Speaker 2 (01:08:01):
During that time.

Speaker 3 (01:08:02):
I mean, you know, you had a season or two
where it didn't end necessarily the way they had hoped.
Losses to Oklahoma ten and three seasons but still at
least ten wins during those times and being able to
make it to BCS Bowl games, if not the BCS
National Championship twice during that period.

Speaker 2 (01:08:19):
I mean, two thousand and four, get to the Rose Bowl,
you win it.

Speaker 3 (01:08:22):
That sets up the momentum for you to be able
to carry over into the next season where you add
Jamal Charles and of course you go back to the
Rose Bowl and win the National Championship that season. Two
thousand and nine, you go undefeed it through the regular season,
get to the BCS Championship game and an SEC team
was right there waiting for you and the Alabama Crimson Tide,

(01:08:43):
and they took care of you in that game. But
I think that what we've seen the transformation of this
program under Steve Sarkisian is something that you know, for
the longest time, Texas had been trying to do a
little bit kind of like what I've talked about before,
that they do a lot they're in college station, and
I think, you know, it's a you know, rare time
where both programs seemingly have gotten it right with not

(01:09:05):
necessarily the sexiest option at coach that they could have had.
I mean, for the longest time that had been kind
of A and m's calling card of you know, we're
A and M. This job is is not for a coordinator.
It's not for a guy that coached at Duke. Come on,
we were a program that needs to go and steal
a coach from someone. I mean, we're good enough, we
can go and steal Dennis Francioni and he was so

(01:09:26):
so then they had to settle a little bit and
ad Mike Sherman. But Sherman was probably one of their
better performing head coaches in terms of being able to
prepare guys for the next level. I mean Von Miller
coming through the program at that time. You know Ryan
Tannehill also coming through the program at that time. I
believe it was Sherman that were recruited Mike Evans. I'm

(01:09:47):
trying to remember if if Evans was already there when
someone got there. But of course, I mean we saw
what Kevin someone was able to do during that time
with Johnny Manziel. But then post Johnny Manziel, you started
to see signific regressions. So you go out and get
Jimbo Fisher and you're thinking to yourself, oh, man, look
what he did at Florida State. Of course he's going
to bring that over here. It just never clicked. And

(01:10:09):
now you had a guy who I think, you know,
all across the board gets what the job is in
Mike Elko. I mean, one of the first things he
did when he got the job was he went to
the Texas high school football coaches breakfast that they have
every year after the season and kind of let him know, like, hey,
you've got a friend in college station. And I know
that Steve Sarkisian does the same things as well. But

(01:10:29):
where I'm going with this is sometimes, you know, having
the you know, hot named head coach out there a
lot of times does not meet the expectations. It's about
making the right hire for a guy that can be
able to implement a culture, and that is something that
Sarkisian has been able to do. I mean, he brought
over a lot of what he learned from Nick Saban
there at Alabama. He learned obviously a ton from Pete

(01:10:51):
Carroll during his time when he was at USC and
he got another chance of being a head coach again
and he was I think kind of taking some of
those lessons and some of the hard lessons that he
learned during his failures, you know, when he was at
SC that got him out of a job and trying
to make good on it this time. But I think
one of the best things he did was number one,

(01:11:12):
hired an outstanding staff, but number two of really implementing
a culture of you've got to earn it here, and
that's something that I think in Austin had not been
there for a really long time. I think that you
continuously heard, oh, we're going to win because we're Texas.

Speaker 2 (01:11:26):
Why are you going to win because you're Texas?

Speaker 3 (01:11:27):
Nobody thinks that, And the results on the field showed,
and I think that that was kind of a little
bit of a brick wall that he had to, little
by little try to chisel away at of letting these
guys know you're not just going to win because you
show up in your Texas. We have to be a
physically stronger program. We have to be a lot more
athletic than we are right now. And also too, you

(01:11:47):
have to be able to try to put all of
those together on game day and have good discipline performances
to be able to win on game day. And this
is I think, you know, one of those things as
well as a program that even if you lose tonight,
there's still a lesson to be gleaned from that because
it's you have one loss, your season is not over.

(01:12:08):
You've got a really good path to be able to
try to still get to Atlanta for the SEC Championship
game and be able to be in prime position to
make the College Football Playoff. But if you win this
game tonight, that again is I think the final straw,
well not the final I think it's the you know one,
It's the second to last straw for this team to

(01:12:28):
be able to truly let you know, yeah, this program
is back. This program is in position to compete for
national titles year in and year out. I think the
next one is being able to get there and win
the national title, and Texas is definitely in position to
be able to do that. So this is a huge
step for the Longhorns tonight. I don't think there's any
doubt about that. I mean, this is a program. You've

(01:12:49):
heard people talking about them all week. They are physical,
they are tough. They are a team that has a
deep enough roster to be able to beat teams like Georgia,
who has won a couple of national titles in the
recent years under Kirby Smart and a program that has
been able to build up a recruiting juggernaut and also
to a team that you know gets the benefit of

(01:13:10):
the doubt in games like this, but at least this weekend,
I mean, I think you know, just the way that
you're looking at it from the betting odds and also
too from you know, just the experts out there. I mean,
talked about it on game day, everybody thinking that Texas
and the atmosphere tonight's going to be too much for Georgia.
But we will see it's going to be a lot
of fun to be able to watch as a man

(01:13:31):
who is going to be on the call of said
game is somebody that joined us earlier this week on
Next Up with stand Northfleet and Chris Gordy craig Way
joining the guys earlier this week. Want to let you
hear that visit as he was able to catch up
with them. So we'll do that on the other side
right here on Space City Saturday.

Speaker 2 (01:13:48):
Dan Matthews here with you for about.

Speaker 3 (01:13:50):
Another thirty minutes on your home of the Astros and
the Rockets and Longhorns at Football and Basketball as well
as LSU here in Houston Sports Talk seven to ninety.

Speaker 2 (01:14:03):
Space City Saturday on Sports Talk seven ninety. I like it,
Milton Brown, I like it.

Speaker 3 (01:14:09):
Melvin Brown always keeping us on air at our uptown
Galeria studios. As like I said, huge college football weekend
that is already underway. The eleven o'clock games going right now,
also too, got a good two thirty one's coming up
a little bit later today. By the way, Dan Matthews here,

(01:14:29):
Space City Saturday, home of the Astros and the Rockets
Sports Talk seven ninety as you'll get the third Saturday
in October as it is called.

Speaker 2 (01:14:38):
That's a thing too as well.

Speaker 3 (01:14:40):
For Texas fans that are new to the SEC, you
have to note that almost every single rivalry game is
not just called the whoever against whoever game. It's always
some sort of game. The third Saturday in October clean
old fashioned hate, although that one's SEC and ACC.

Speaker 2 (01:14:58):
Paul Meadow Bowl Bowl. What's it?

Speaker 3 (01:15:02):
I mean, unofficially it's the world's largest outdoor cocktail party.
But of course, you know, my god, we can't bring
drinking to college football games, and we've got underage kids here.
There's no way we could ever do that, So of
course that goes out the window.

Speaker 2 (01:15:15):
I mean, you've already understood it a little bit.

Speaker 3 (01:15:17):
I guess you were prepared for it with Red River
coming into the SEC. But anyway, the Alabama and Tennessee
game always called the third Saturday in October, so oddly
enough third Saturday in October here we are, so that
one coming up at two thirty falls against Alabama, so
we'll be watching that.

Speaker 2 (01:15:36):
Then.

Speaker 3 (01:15:36):
Of course tonight the one that most of us, if
not all of us around here are going to be
paying attention to, that's number one against number five. Number
one being Texas, number five being Georgia. And you will
hear it over on news radio seven forty KTRH. And
the man who's gonna be on the call for that.

Speaker 2 (01:15:51):
Game is Craig Way.

Speaker 3 (01:15:53):
He joined at stan Northfleet Chris Gordy earlier this week
on next up, let's hear that visit right now.

Speaker 12 (01:15:59):
I'm stupid excited. I got to do some volunteer work
over at Acres Homes courtesy of the good people at Tomac.
I'll be up there a Greater Commission Church doing some
volunteer work open to the public. Texans Astros rockets coming out,
So if you want to pull up on me, I'll
be over there, but I'm going to be leaving man
site to get home in time to cut on the
screen as the number one team in the land in Austin,

(01:16:21):
where Burnt Orange and White will welcome in that black
and red crew from down in Athens to help us
pass through how this action might go. Voice of the Horns,
courtesy of our sister station thirteen hundred to Zone in Austin.
Good morning, Craig Wade, welcome back in the next up, my.

Speaker 15 (01:16:37):
Friend, Hey, Dan, Gordy Grace, visit with you guys again.

Speaker 12 (01:16:42):
All right, So I was a little bit peeved that
we couldn't get you own last week because I thought
it's bleeping Texas and OU in Dallas and they're both
in the s SEC and it's the State Fair and
it's a big deal. But you made me feel good.
You say, stay, come down. The dogs are coming to Athens,
Coming to Athens, Lord, the Dogs coming to Austin next Saturday.
I got you, okay, rig Uh point spread has gone

(01:17:05):
up in favor of the Horns. Tell me why.

Speaker 15 (01:17:11):
I have no ideas? And by the way, I did
mention to you last week when we were going to
I said, there's the chance that Texas O you could
wind up being nearly the undercard, and it's kind of
turned out that way. And I would never think of
the Texas ou Red River Rivalry gate as an undercard anything.
It has its own special style and significance, obviously, but

(01:17:34):
clearly coming off of that now it's the number five
team in the country, a perennial national power in Georgia.
And then of all weekends for this to be happening,
when you got the Formula one race going on as
well on Sunday, so it's F one mania also, So
it's it's crazy right here to your question, I think

(01:17:56):
you know, I'm I'm not the best authority on this,
but I've always been told that the boys in the
desert are setting those numbers to try to make sure
they get equal action on both sides of the line.
And maybe the original Texas line seemed a little bit
elevated for the wagerers, so they come back and put
put their wagers on the.

Speaker 8 (01:18:16):
Other side line.

Speaker 15 (01:18:18):
Maybe, you know, maybe that's the reason, I don't know,
or it was a little lower, and then you know
that sort of thing so not sure about that, but
I do know this, these are two really good football
teams to getting ready to get it on.

Speaker 16 (01:18:29):
It's interesting Craig talking with people about this game this week.
I've asked people and look, Texas can only play who's
on their schedule. Schedules made, it's pre ordained. You can't
do anything about it. But most people I say what's
Texas's best win, they say Michigan, And then I look
at the numbers and say, I see Michigan. Now their
offense is ranked one nineteenth in the country, and obviously
Oklahoma's offense is putrid, and you know some of these

(01:18:52):
other teams. I started to look at it and go,
is you all Munroe their best win? They're five and one.
It's just an interesting angle of I think, hands down,
this will be the best offense and best quarterback they've
seen to this point this season.

Speaker 15 (01:19:06):
Though, without question. And I think it'll be the best defense. Now,
you know, Michigan had pretty solid defense and Oklahoma has
a pretty good defense as well, but I think it'll
be the best defense, but easily the best offense they
will have seen. With ETN in the backfield, and in
addition to Trevor etn Carson Beck will easily be the

(01:19:27):
best quarterback they will have faced. And there's that championship
aura that surrounds Georgia and they know. And to listen
to Kirby Smart this week here and him say we
just haven't put a full game together yet. And to
think about that, I mean, it was the second half
of that game against Alabama when they spotted in the

(01:19:47):
big lead and came back and actually had the lead
and a chance to win late. This is still a
really good Georgia team that they're going to face. It's
definitely the best team they will have seen to this point.

Speaker 12 (01:19:57):
That's the voice of Craig Way play by play voice
for the Horns. You can catch them on social at
Horn singular Horn voice again. Our family there in Austin
thirteen hundred is Zion all right? Quinn Ewiz doesn't get
wally pipped. He goes back into the starter, puts up
a ton of bleeping points. Any concern there from the
faithful that maybe they got distracted emotional win over ou

(01:20:22):
or I can't imagine Sarkas gonna have these boys not
emotionally ready to go when Georgia comes to town. But
do you get concerned when you have back to back
weeks and you're gonna need all your own emotion? What
does Dabbo say, bring your own guts those type of games.

Speaker 15 (01:20:36):
Yeah, I think it was it's more about the physical
and mental grind that ensues playing these kinds of games
back to backstand and less about you know, not being
fought for a team or anything like that. I can't
get up for playing Georgia. Can You can't get up
and think about Oklahoma?

Speaker 12 (01:20:54):
Yeah?

Speaker 15 (01:20:55):
Yeah, And folks did the same thing going in the
know you game, well, you know they're only ranked eighteenth.
You know that doesn't matter. None of that stuff matters,
And it didn't matter last Saturday, and I don't think
it'll matter this Saturday. But we did say before the
start of the year, this was going to be the
belly of the beast, This was going to be the
grind getting through this. And at the time, at the

(01:21:15):
time stand, we were talking about two games, Texas OU
and Texas Georgia. Oh, by the way, what's next? Venderbill
on the road Alabama and Nashville, so that the grind
will continue, and then they would have an open day
to buy week so they can find a way to
get through these next two weeks, then I'm not going
to necessarily say it's a down. He'll run to Atlanta

(01:21:36):
and the SEC Championship, but they will have been passed
the most difficult part of their schedule.

Speaker 16 (01:21:40):
Let's suck a little personnel here. Craig obviously, Kelvin Banks,
he's been fantastic. He's named SDC Offensive Lineman of the
Week there. But they do lose Derek Williams of safety
for the season, and he was really good at a
pick against Michigan, had to force fumble this past week
against Oklahoma. But it also sounds like Isaiah Bond he
was banged up. It sounds like he's gonna go, is
what it sounds like to you.

Speaker 15 (01:22:02):
He's been better and he's he's he's been getting a
little bit better as the week's gone on. Uh, Tuesday
and yesterday where the big you know, load in heavy
days in terms of the work, and he's been able
to work. I think they're still going to just kind
of watch him very carefully through the practice today and
the walk through tomorrow to see if he's ready to go.
But I would expect that he'll be ready to play.

Speaker 12 (01:22:25):
Craig rough Start, what he got sacked? It wasn't that
what first drive? Maybe I think the first play and
then he throws the pick on his first pass. Rough
Start think he worked out the kinks, uhs in these
big boy games. Is there any concern physically or his
resume and being ready to take advantage you know what

(01:22:46):
Kurvey's gonna do defensively with his dogs.

Speaker 15 (01:22:49):
Well, I think his resume shows he's pretty good in
these big games at Alabama last year and and uh
obviously in the big CULP championship game. It's a big game,
and and I think Quinn Ewers is going to be
fine on those kinds of things. It was a little
bit sluggish last week, and Quinn, by his own admission,
said he didn't play his best. They had a misprotection

(01:23:11):
of one play and then they had a couple of
receivers have a difficult time getting off the line initially,
so they were timing. I think was a little bit
of an issue that not remedy, I believe after the
first quarter. And yes, an offensive line played well enough
after that, so I think he's back in the rhythm
and a group. But I do think he needed that game,
and he needed that first quarter to try to get

(01:23:32):
back on track.

Speaker 16 (01:23:34):
I've been so oppressed with Anthony Hill. He's been fantastic
for them so far. Defensively, I think back to he
was he was like a fifty to fifty yard cruit
between A and M and Texas, and he chose the
long horns. Colin Simmons was between Texas and LSU. He
chose the long horns, and just so many of those
guys in that defense, Craig are starting to merge us
big time playmakers. But what do you see from Anthony Hill.

(01:23:55):
I know he made the Lot Trophy you know watch
list this week.

Speaker 15 (01:24:00):
Yeah, the progress that he made really from his freshman
year to a sophomore year has been most impressive. He
would tell you that last year he was kind of
a seaball get ball, you know, just go after something,
and it wasn't as much technique sounds as he needed
to be over time, But that was going to come
with time and working under Peacock Kowski's defense. Colin Simmons

(01:24:24):
I had a chance to call both of his state
championship games for television last two years, and I remember thinking,
what a beast this guy is. If his game can
translate and transition out quickly to the collegiate level. How
special might he be? And we're starting to see signs
of that with what he's doing. He's still learning the game,
but getting off the line of scrimmage and harassing quarterbacks
has been really impressive to watch.

Speaker 13 (01:24:45):
II.

Speaker 12 (01:24:45):
Greg, last one, what do you think happens here? I
don't know if you're able to give a prediction, but
certainly talk us through this one and what you think
we can expect the hot this win ends well.

Speaker 15 (01:24:56):
Sark is fond of saying the key is the ball
When we do our pregame interview two hours before kickoff.
He likes to say the bo meaning getting turnovers and
preventing turnovers. Georgia is a minus one in the turnover category,
mainly because they don't get and create and haven't been
anyway creating a lot of turnovers. If that trend continues

(01:25:17):
and the log Worns can get Carson back to throway
sixth interception of the season or seventh something like that,
continue to slam down the running gag George's thirteenth in
the SEC and rushing events. I know you wouldn't think
about that, but if they can. If they can limit
them on that make them one dimensional like they did

(01:25:37):
Oklahoma last week, then it makes a big difference.

Speaker 16 (01:25:40):
Hey, one last one real quick, Craig, do you want
to rent out your home for Airbnb this weekend? I
hear it's pretty hard to get a hotel room this
weekend at Austin.

Speaker 15 (01:25:47):
You know, I probably should have given it more thought.
And here's why you got the game Saturday night. I mean,
I go up the Dallas to the high school show Friday,
so I wouldn't going to be here anyway. I just
had to relocate my wife, you know, And then you
got the football game. Sunday morning. Linda and I are
flying to Los Angeles. We're going to see Joni Mitchell
perform at the Hollywood Bowl. Back on the Red Eye.

(01:26:09):
So I mean, again, the home would have been available
if I have been thinking about it, it could have taken
care of it. But I wouldn't get that foreign advance.

Speaker 12 (01:26:16):
Not only did he deny me an appearance last week,
he did not need the gate the gatecode to his home.
Craig wait, voice of a horn, being selfish, being a
bit up bitty if you will, No, great dude, does
a great job there. We'll all be watching and listening
courtesy of thirteen hundred am is own there in Austin.
No one does it better played by play Man for

(01:26:38):
the Horns. We appreciate your Craig, have a great call,
State Travels. Enjoyed that show.

Speaker 15 (01:26:42):
Thank you, Stan, Guardy. Good to be on with you guys.

Speaker 6 (01:26:44):
All right, take care my guy, Craig Way.

Speaker 2 (01:26:47):
Good to be Craig Way.

Speaker 3 (01:26:48):
I guess, like he said, going to see Joni Mitchell
at the Hollywood Bowl that's on the list. Not necessarily
the Joni Mitchell Park, but go see a show at
the Hollywood Bowl. You know they're red rocks places like that.
But good point brought up there by Stan and Gordy.
I mean, if you or any of your friends had
a property in the Austin area this weekend, you probably
would have been pretty smart to say, yeah, hey, you

(01:27:12):
can airbnb it, you can do whatever in terms of
being able to rent it, just to make sure you
return it in the condition that you found it when
you went in there to stay.

Speaker 2 (01:27:22):
So it's gonna be a great atmosphere there.

Speaker 3 (01:27:25):
I mean, of course, you got the game tonight, got
the F one race tomorrow, going on. So definitely a
clashing of crowds for sure in Austin this weekend, so
a lot of fun. I know, a lot of people
are there, and you have a lot of friends who
came in from Georgia for this game. But also too
as well a lot of friends from down here making

(01:27:46):
their way up to Austin. So gonna be fun, no
doubt about.

Speaker 2 (01:27:50):
It all right.

Speaker 3 (01:27:50):
Coming up next, close it out on the show, an
interesting event happened on sports radio this week here in
this state. I think you know what I'm talking about,
so too kind of breaking it down of what led
up to it and also to what comes of it afterwards,
as we'll discuss that on the other side. Right here
on your home of the Astros and the Rockets, Sports

(01:28:12):
Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (01:28:15):
We now return to Face City Saturday on Sports Talk
seven ninety Sports Talk.

Speaker 2 (01:28:20):
Seven ninety, Space City Saturday.

Speaker 3 (01:28:23):
More seconds to go with you here this afternoon Again
a little bit later on right here on Sports Talk
seven ninety, you're gonna be able to hear the call
of LSU and Arkansas starting at five thirty. The man
who you just heard from in the last segment with
stand Northfleet, Chris Gordy on. Next up, Craig wa gonna
be on the Call of Texas and Georgia. That's gonna

(01:28:44):
be over on News Radio seven forty KTRH tonight. So
if you're looking for either of those games, making your
way back home, making your way to wherever you're going
to catch the game, those are where you can listen.
So that is a little program reminder. Were you all here,
if you want to weigh in on anything we've talked
about to this point, we've gotten it's been a football

(01:29:06):
heavy show today. Didn't even have a chance to get
into the rockets. As a matter of fact, too, I
mean I told Melvin Brown as we were setting up
the audio for this final segment of the show today,
we're gonna be talking, of course about the Jerry Jones
radio interview. I'm sure that's been listened to over and
over again by many of you out there today, but
also didn't have a chance to get into the Dusty

(01:29:28):
Baker audio that we had. So if you were listening
to any of our shows this week, I'm sure you
probably heard his visit with Joel Sherman and John Hayman
about his time with the Astros and any regrets that
he had or anything of this such, But anyway, for
this one right now, like I talked about at the
beginning of the show, Jerry Jones on with the Cowboys

(01:29:50):
flagship station there in DFW one five to three, the Fan,
Shawn and RJ in the morning, Sean Cherief and r
J Choppy, who, by the way, if you remember RJ
actually joining this very show last year, has had him
on as a preview to the Alcs before the Astros
and Rangers got tangled up last year, and so he's

(01:30:12):
a friend of the show we can call him. But
he was part of this interview the other day, and
of course it was a weekly hit that they do
with Jerry Jones that you know listening to. RJ talked
about it afterwards, saying, they've never really had a contentious
relationship with Jerry whatsoever. I mean, they only you know,
had one time. It was the Colin Kaepernick kneeling when

(01:30:37):
he was doing that for the national anthem that the
team had asked him like, hey, you know, I think
we've kind of hammered on that enough. Let's move on,
let's talk football. But aside from that, he said that
they've never really had parameters of what they can or
cannot talk about on the show. That Jerry is pretty
open and transparent with them, and this was really on

(01:30:57):
the surface. I feel, as you're not going to hear
Sean's question to him, but a pretty innocuous question, because,
I mean, let's talk about it, you know, from the
Cowboy fan perspective, I mean, I know that you had
Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy telling everybody, hey, we're all
in for this season, and they did not go out
and get Derrick Henry. They did not really add in
free agency. I mean, I know that they had some

(01:31:17):
cap constraints and also too, I mean, we're on the
verge of signing both Ceedee Lamb and also Dak Prescott
to contract extensions. But you know, it was kind of
one of those things that I'm sure the media and
fan base alike talking about the Cowboys were like, well,
wait a minute, does that necessarily say.

Speaker 2 (01:31:36):
That you're all in when you're not adding to.

Speaker 3 (01:31:38):
This roster that clearly is not good enough to be
able to get out of the divisional round. So that
was the question I was asked to Jerry Jones, and
let's just say it fired up the team's owner and GM.

Speaker 8 (01:31:49):
Yeah, a few think I'm interested in a phone call
with you over radio and sitting here and throwing all
the good ap with the dishwater. You have got to
be smoking something over there this morning. I'm not, and
I really don't, and I don't need want our listeners
to listen to me to talk about this is not

(01:32:11):
your job. Your job is to let me go over
all the reasons that I did something and I'm sorry
that I did it. That's not your job. I'll get
somebody else to ask these questions.

Speaker 6 (01:32:21):
Man, Jerry, We're just we're trying to figure out why
the team out.

Speaker 8 (01:32:25):
I'm not kidding it. I'm not kidding it. You're not
going to figure out what the team is doing right
or wrong. If you are are any five or ten
like you, you need to come to this meeting I'm
going to today. There are thirty two teams here, your geniuses.

Speaker 3 (01:32:41):
So there you go a little bit of patronizing tone
from Jerry Jones at the end. And look, it's a playbook.
And you see this a lot in the NFL of
people trying to tell the media you don't know what
you're talking about. You don't know what the play call is.
We're the experts here, not you. And how many times
during the draft have we seen teams try to tell
us that, you know, when they try to reach for

(01:33:02):
a player in the second round or something like that,
and you just ask them about it and then they
give you that defensive, angry tone back to you. But
the truth of the matter is, especially when it comes
to the draft, most of these teams are guessing just
like you are. It's an educated guess at best, it's
a hypothesis of how you think that player is going
to be. So there's been time and time again proven

(01:33:23):
that people who want to tell us that they're experts,
they're really not. And I think in this case right here,
it comes down to, you know, situation of are you know,
are you making it personal when it comes to, you know,
discussions like this, And I know for a fact of
listening to that interview, Sean and RJ were not.

Speaker 2 (01:33:42):
We never make it personal.

Speaker 3 (01:33:43):
But whenever you know, Sean Salisbury has Dana Brown on,
he'll ask him pointed questions, but it's not personal. And
same deal whenever Matt Thomas has Joe a spot on,
it's it's the same deal. There So the moral of
the story is, when you have relationships like this, you
can have your takes, you can have whatever opinions you
want to have of the teams. Just when you make

(01:34:04):
it personal, that's when it oversteps the line. And I
think that the wrong party there was Jerry, and people
have let him know that, and then some didn't have
as much time to talk about this as I wanted to.
But that's all good. I want to thank Melvin Brown
back in the studio. I want to think all of
you who tuned in to us here on this Space
City Saturday. Dan Matthews, we'll talk to you next week

(01:34:24):
right here on your home of the Astros and the Rockets,
Sports Talk seven to ninety

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