Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
UTSA undefeated in conference play in the Alamodome and the
Jeff Trailer Era, but in the non conference part of
that two of the four losses that UTSA has had
here in San Antonio have come to the hands of
the Army.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Black Knins. Rich DeMarco joins us.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Good evening, Rich, thank you for being here, Happy Thanksgiving,
and you're looking forward to your trip to San Antonio
this weekend.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Well, first of all, Happy Ben, thanks for having me on.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, and you know
this and we've talked off there. I always love the
trip to San Antonio, one of my favorite cities.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
Love calling games.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
At the Alamodome, just an easy place to do it.
And hey, this game means a ton for both teams.
Of course, utsas you mentioned, with that undefeated conference record
at home, and Army needs this win to go to
a bowl game, so it's gonna be a lot of fun.
I really can't wait.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Yeah, the Army has five wins, but they don't play
their twelfth game until after the ball selection comes out,
so they can't wait to see what happens against Navy.
So it's do or die this weekend for the Black Knights.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
Absolutely for Army and Navy.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
You know, one of the one of the givebacks right
when the Army and Navy game moved to after conference
championship weekend, is that they've got to get their six
wins out of their first eleven games. And Army at
a golden opportunity this past weekend to pick up win
number six at home against Tulsa and a twelve point
lead in the or eleven point lead i should say,
in the fourth quarter, and Tulsa was able to come
(01:28):
back and win it by points.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
So it's as you said, do or die.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
And I think this team is really bounced back all
year and I would expect an inspired performance on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
What is the difference between this year's version of Army
and the last two or three that have been really
good and won a lot of games, and even for
a while was being talked about last year and the
year before. I think is maybe a CFP team if
they could have finished at the end.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Of the year. Yeah, I think.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
You know, last year obviously was that special year, right
twelve and two, winning the American Conference, you know, running
the table on the field through the league, and of
course defeating Tulane in the championship game and Bryson Daily
had you know, he wasn't. He didn't finish sixth in
the Heisman Trophy voting by accident. He was a game
changer on offense, the way he was able to churn
(02:14):
things out, control drives, and you know, his strength gave
him the ability, Eddie, and we've seen this with certain players.
He was able to use his strength to make up
for a mistake, maybe on a block or a read
because he could just overpower the person.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
That was there.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
And I think there was going to be expected some
kind of adjustment without Bryson Daily, and I think Army,
you know, used a couple of quarterbacks early. Cal Helens
is the guy, and I think cal Hellms this is
his first time starting in college, so he's learning, he's
getting better as the weeks have gone on. And just
the just the ability of really, you know, Bryson Delly
(02:53):
being in an eraser, a mistake eraser, I should say
on some plays, I think is something that you know,
he just doesn't have this year. And not to say
if things come together they couldn't be just as effective.
But Daily was such a huge difference maker one year ago.
And like I said sixth in the Heisman voting.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
It didn't happen by accident.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
And Hellams has some ties to San Antonio. His brother
Knox played for the basketball team at UTSA for about
a year and a half before deciding the transfer, So
I'm sure the Hellams family is excited about seeing him
in town.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Yeah, and a great athletic family, right, two brothers who
played Division one college basketball, and absolutely, and he's had
a great year in terms of his improvement just week
to week, becoming the starter and then you know, having
a bounce back, didn't have some you know, his best games,
then having to grind it out and especially the Air
Force game. And yeah, great athlete, great athletic family, a
(03:52):
great kid. And you could say that about all the
Army players. But it's definitely going to be exciting. And
there's always those Texas ties when we come down of
San Antonio, whether it was Max dey Domenico and his
family's ties to Frank Harris, the legend for ut essays,
it's always good to have those ties and always great
to really hook up again. This has turned into quite
(04:12):
a rivalry Army and utessay.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Army doesn't have nil money because they can't and they
don't have to worry about transfers coming in unless they
can qualify academically and get invited to be in the school.
But is NIL affecting them and transfer portal affecting them
with that first couple of years, if a player says,
you know, I really don't like it here as much
as I thought I would. Oh, by the way, some
(04:35):
school has offered me a big check. Have you noticed
any attrition from the freshmen and sophomores in the last
year or so.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Yes, there has been some attrition, and the Army Athletic
director Tom Theoterracus, you know, put it very well. I
think there's some people who will say, oh, you know,
the academies, you know, NIL doesn't affect them. NIL absolutely
affects the academies. And really it's a transfer portal that
essentially is one way. Now there's a couple of players,
you know, athletes at West Point that have transferred, you know,
(05:04):
they've wanted to change or able to get into the academy,
go through that whole process. But the reality is ninety
five percent of the time it's going to be players leaving.
And you look last year, you know, Army's most effective
running back, Kanye Udo, he transferred after a second year transfer.
He's at Arizona State right now. Elo Medozi, who was
a outside linebacker, great pass rusher for this Army team,
(05:28):
he transferred to Georgia. And obviously, you know, you can
you can assume there's you know, nil involved when folks
transferred to non academy schools. So it's definitely something that
has affected West Point. I will say this though, you know,
there's there's something to be said for you know, Army
the majority of its roster. When we talked to a
lot of these players, they weren't recruited by a lot
(05:50):
of different schools, right. They're players that have fit into
a system that have improved because of the coaching that
Jeff Munk.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
And the staff that they put together.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
So it's still amazes me the competitiveness of the academies
and Army included against so many schools that have you know,
basically payrolls that have you know, thirty forty new players
coming in each year. It's special and I know you've
seen it up close to a lot of games you've
called between Army and UTSA.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
It's always a fun time.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
It is, for sure.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
We're busy with Rich DeMarco, the voice of the Black Knights,
Jeff Traylor talk was talking this week about about this team,
and he said, we played them as non conference opponents
a couple of times, but now we have to play
them when they're on our schedule.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
The conference makes us.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
I really don't know why anybody would want to play
this team because they're so.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Hard to prepare for.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
And I know, just calling the game, we talk about
I discipline for the defense. The broadcaster has to have
I discipline because they do a lot of motion and
a lot of trickery with the ball. You never really
know who has it until somebody is trotting down the field.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Doubt about that.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
It's but you know, that's the look when you're the academies,
and you know, we just talked about anil. We just
talked about, you know, the challenges that the academies have
on top of you know, the service commitment after you
go to the academy that I'm sure there's some folks
that get recruited that's not going to be for them.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
It is. It is really.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Remarkable how Army, Navy, and Air Force have found advantages
and whether it's an option offense where you're not sure
who has the ball or what to be able to
be effective against these teams. I will say this about UTSA.
The games against the road Runners have just been competitive,
and I think that's what's something fun about it. You
go back to last year's game like that was a
(07:39):
back and forth game. These teams grind it out. And
one thing I'll say that I think is a tribute
to UTSA is and you know it from being in
the American and calling these games each and every week.
When I do my boards and it's a opponent from
last year, I can basically throw out the boards from
last week, no good. Where with UTSA you have a
(08:00):
fair amount of players back. I think it says something
Jeff Munkins said. It says something about Jeff Trailer yeah
and his staffed.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
And they've turned down money to stay too.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Yeah, And I think that's that's that's beautiful.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
And I follow UTSA.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
I believe in what they're doing and the fact that
they're able to keep the amount of players they can
in this environment is remarkable in itself.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
And he also Jeff says football is the best part
of an Army football player's day because the rest of
the time they have a tremendous hard class load and
they're working to become a soldier at whatever level they
have to be that. And obviously we're we're thrilled and
blessed that we have people in this world that want
to do that and voluntarily do it.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
But football is kind of a respite for them.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Yeah, I mean, the other the other narrative that's that's
been shared for many years is, you know, at a
lot of schools, practice is the hardest part of the day.
At West Point, practice might be the easiest part of
the day, and it's really really tough.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
So that's that's been said just across all sports for
many years.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
But hey, it's a lot of fun at seeing these
players succeed in the way they have and and great
go down to Military town. I heard Jeff Trailer say
that he thinks Army is gonna have more fans than UTSA.
I'm not sure about that.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
I think he's trying to recreate some fans.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
I tell you, it's a great though.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Being down there is after the game, and you know,
we maybe wait a little later than other schools for
our bus to leave because we have so many families
that are there to spend just a few minutes with
their their relative, their son, what have you. Uh, there's
always a lot when we're at utsay that's always put
a smile on my face and we're walking down to
the bus.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Well, here's where I give credit to Jeff Muckin and
the same coaches at Navy and Air Force that runs
a similar offense. I grew up watching oh you play
and in the Southwest Conference and in the Big Eight,
everybody ran the wishbone, so there was option on every play.
But it's a different option because of the motion and
because the wingbacks now become the pitchman, and and then
(10:00):
the tight end sneaks are the wide receiver sneaks.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Down the field.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
So there's so much more to what those schools in
the seventies and eighties ran that it's a fun offense
if that's your team, it's really hard offense if you're
trying to defend it.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
You nailed it.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Where really when we say the wishbone, the wishbone is
nineteen seventies, eighties Nebraska, Barry Oklahoma, I should say Barry Switzer.
Where this is you know, whatever kind of option you
want to call it. And Andy, you know, aside from you know,
the running the quarterback heavy from under center and even
out of the gun, or some of the things you
do with the fullback, there's a lot of there's a
(10:38):
lot of elements of these offenses that are used across
the country in different offenses. So you know, while yes,
there are some plays where you call that you have to,
you know, as the announcer try to figure out who
has the ball or what have you, it really is
the motion has become such a big.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
Part of it.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
In adding motion into the option, like you said, it's
just it's like a double whammy.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
All right, Rich, thanks so much. Enjoy your trip to
San Antonio. I'm sure you'll find something great to eat
on the river walk or wherever you're staying.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
And we'll see us Saturday in the Almodome.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
Absolutely always looking forward to seeing you.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
You guys do a great JOBSA is lucky to have
you and I always like coming down to this road trip.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
Thank you well, Thank you so much. That's Rich DeMarco.
He's the voice of the Army Black Knights and Roadhunners.
Try to defend that home field advantage. One more time
to finish off this season and get to seven and five.
I'm pretty sure U TSA is going to go to
a bowl game. I haven't really looked, but I think
they're pedigree and the fact that they've been before. But
(11:37):
you always want to make sure, and so six it
gets you eligible. Seven pretty much guarantees it. And so
that's what's at stake. Plus Senior Day, plus winning on
Senior Day, winning with the black uniforms again, all that
kind of stuff coming up this weekend, So it'll.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Be a fun day in the Dome.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
And this is the first week in a while where
people have asked me for tickets and I don't have
any or I can't get any, so that means everybody's
buying them. So hopefully we have a nice crowd to
yell off some of your turkey dinner for the Latin
next couple of days. All right, coming up, we've got
more to get to on the show. We've got a
baseball update and a couple other things in the last
(12:18):
segment of this hour on the Ticket