Cowboys' Emotional Win, HSFB Surprises, and Sean Miller Soundbites

Craig Way and Jake Herman get you caught up on the Cowboys' emotional Monday night victory, Texas Men's Basketball's next non-conference game, and much more on this edition of the program.

Hear soundbites from Michael Taaffe and Arch Manning as the Longhorn football team prepares for Arkansas on Saturday.

Plus, Greg Tepper discusses all things football in Texas, joining the show as a guest.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Welcome to a Texan Tuesday here on Sports Radio AM
thirteen hundred zon. My name is Craig White. Thanks for
joining us Texan Tuesday. I say that because of the
fact that we acknowledge some great musicians and singers and
songwriters and guitar players and vocalists here on a Tuesday,

(00:32):
A Texan Tuesday. Glad to have you with us again.
My name Craig Waite, Thanks for joining us on the
program this afternoon. US of course includes the producer Jay Carman,
a fan of the Washington Commanders.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
But nevertheless, were.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
You intrigued by the Cowboys Raiders game last night? Did
you take any of that the proceedings from Las Vegas
in last night?

Speaker 3 (00:54):
I made sure I was seated for the beginning of
that game.

Speaker 4 (00:56):
I knew it was going to carry a lot of
significance for the Cowboys given the passing of Marshawn neland
and and I can't say the game held my attention
on every play, but I kept it up in the background.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
I was flipping with the capitals back and forth.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
Okay, all right, Caps win.

Speaker 3 (01:10):
I didn't see they did a much needed win.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
Okay, how'd your fantasy football team do?

Speaker 4 (01:16):
We no, no, this there was a fork in my
team before the night started. Ashton Genti scored only six points,
which all that did was bring into attention the fact
that had I made different lineup choices, I would have won.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
I hate when that happens always, like looking where somebody
get left on the bench and he had like thirty
points and I look, but then I see that I
would have lost anyway, said in I don't feel so bad.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
I won my game.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
The guy I beat left Bryce Young on the bench,
which would have given him thirty eight points and he
would have still lost to me.

Speaker 5 (01:54):
Anyway.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
This was George Pickins saw that last Yeah, that's why.

Speaker 4 (01:58):
Yeah, this was the week I ran out of patients
on Kenneth Walker, and this was the week he finally
got in the end Zoneeah.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
There you go.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
So that's what happens with me having both Minnesota Vikings
running backs. I picked the wrong one every week where
there's Justin Mason or Aaron Jones coming off that I
actually hit on Mason this past week.

Speaker 6 (02:12):
There you go.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
There's one time there. Okay, enough about that.

Speaker 1 (02:16):
We will hear from Brian Schottenheimer, the Cowboys head coach,
on the occasion of this win, we'll hear from him.
There's plenty of other football to discuss, and we'll do that,
not only in the NFL, some NFL notes to get to,
but also college football, as we'll hear from a couple

(02:40):
of Long Horns, the quarterback Arch Banning and the safety
and all American all around good guy Michael Taff.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
We'll hear from them during the program this afternoon.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
We will also hear from Long Worn men's basketball coach
Sean Miller.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
The Long Worns do play tonight.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
They have an eight o'clock tip at Moody Center against
Writer and you can hear that here on sports RADIOAM
thirteen under the Zone as well as on ninety eight
point one FMK that beginning at seven thirty, tip off
at eight o'clock. So we'll hear from Sean Miller, the
Long Worns head coach, on that. So there's a lot
of things to get to and as always, we're more

(03:22):
than happy and willing to take your questions, your thoughts,
your comments on what's going on. So if you have
some things that are coursing through your mind that you
like to get off your chest or ask us about,
we're more than willing to avail of that. You have
only to text us. You can text the program. You

(03:45):
text the word Texas. You can start with it. You
can go all caps or just a capital T if
you want, whatever, Texas, and then right after that your
question or comment. So you would type the word Texas,
then your question or comment and you text it to
eight one five three zero. So text that along with

(04:05):
the question and comment to eight one five three zero.
Standard messaging at data rates may a plot. So so
there is that also coming up on the program this afternoon.
Greg Tepper, the editor in chief of David Campbells Texas
Football Magazine, joins us as he customarily does weekly in
the three o'clock hour. So we'll visit a tap and
we'll talk about college football in the state of Texas,

(04:28):
and uh, you know the close call for the Aggies,
the long worn is getting knocked off Texas text continued
rise and trying to cement their spot in the college
football playoff. So we'll visittep coming up in the three
o'clock hour.

Speaker 4 (04:42):
Don't forget your alma mater. Yeah, the mean Green of
North Texas are or pushing or pushing.

Speaker 1 (04:49):
Toward perhaps trying to Land. You know, it's really weird
to even think of it in those terms as as
an alum, because there have been some good seasons. There
have been some bowl seasons, but there have been many
more bad than good in the time that I've been there,

(05:10):
which was, you know, years ago. So it so a
it's really cool and unprecedented for seeing them to be
nine and one. They haven't been this good since nineteen
fifty nine when he went to the Sun Bowl.

Speaker 6 (05:27):
And.

Speaker 1 (05:29):
They and so normally on a year in, year out basis,
I think if they get to a bowl game, that's
pretty cool for them for that football program. But now
it's beyond that, because I would like to see him
win a championship conference championship to start with. And when
I was there, and i'd just been on the broadcast
a year, and I was still a student, but I

(05:49):
was working with the legendary Bill Mercer, who, by the way,
you know, he did the play by I play for
North Texas for thirty five years. His first year was
nineteen fifty nine, the first the last time they were this.

Speaker 2 (06:00):
Good, and my second season on.

Speaker 1 (06:05):
The broadcast nineteen eighty three, they won their conference championship.
Now they had just dropped back to what we now
call FCS one DOUBLEA back then, and they went into
the Southland with Lamar and McNee state and some of
those same ones that are in there, and they won
the conference championship that year, went to the playoffs and
they played what we now know is Nevada. Back then,

(06:26):
they were called Nevada Reno, but they were FCS at
the time. And I was gonna be all excited about
going out to Nevada. I'm working on the broadcast and
Bill said, I need you to go to Shreetport and
do the men's basketball game against Centenary.

Speaker 2 (06:41):
So I was like, go play by play Division one
is cool. Yeah, I'll go do it.

Speaker 1 (06:44):
So today he went out there to the Vegas where
I mean to Reno, where North Texas lost in overtime
twenty to seventeen to Nevada, and I did a basketball
game in Centinary like it's crazy ninety two eight the
eight high scoring game, and I think North Texas lost
that game too, that they've been I went out and
did the.

Speaker 2 (07:03):
Play by play on that. So it was a lot
of fun back but they hadn't been.

Speaker 1 (07:06):
That's I think the last time they won an outright
Conference Championship nineteen eighty three.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
I have to check that and see.

Speaker 1 (07:12):
So, yeah, we'll ask Tepper about them, because I think
now the pathway is there. I think I read that
they do control their own destiny, not only to reach
the American Conference Championship game, even though there's two other
teams with one loss too Lane in East Carolina, but
not only to reach it, but to host it if

(07:34):
they went out.

Speaker 2 (07:34):
We'll see.

Speaker 1 (07:35):
So anyway, Yeah, well we'll visit Greg Tapper and we'll
talk about those things as well. Now, when you watched
the Monday night football game last night, did you just
I know you like Joe Buck and Troy Eigman.

Speaker 2 (07:46):
Is that what you did?

Speaker 3 (07:48):
I did?

Speaker 4 (07:48):
I went with Buck and Aikman, I really think. And
it's a shame to me because the Manning cast is excellent,
but it's delightful.

Speaker 3 (07:55):
But I just don't.

Speaker 4 (07:56):
I think Buck and Akman are the best broadcast team
out there right now.

Speaker 1 (07:59):
They're good. They're really good. Don't get me wrong on that.
I have no slings or errors against either of those guys.
I've gotten to know both of them over the years,
and they're both really good guys. A lot of people
think that they're too No. No, they're both really genuine,
really good dudes. My wife really adores the Manning cast,

(08:19):
and I got admitt it's pretty interesting. Now I do
tell her I have dispensation on this. If the Rams
are playing, I gotta go with bucket Akman because I
can't get caught up in some of the silliness because
there's a lot of silliness in the man cap. Yeah. Yeah,
so I I really do like it a lot of
what to do. And last night they had George W.

(08:42):
Bush on as one of their guys, say, the former
president on yeah, and uh. Then they had guy Fierion,
so mister diners drive ins and dies on these big
Raiders fan and so that was pretty funny and they
would do that, and then they had they had their
car on so talking about his Raiders days and all
that other kind of stuff. By then the game is

(09:02):
well in hand for the Cowboys, but it was it
was very, very entertaining.

Speaker 4 (09:06):
I almost like Buck and Akeman Moore when the game
is not closed. I think they do a good job
of bringing out the bigger stories of what's going right
or wrong for a team without being clickbaity.

Speaker 3 (09:18):
If what makes sense, yes.

Speaker 1 (09:20):
And I'm glad you brought that last part up because
people may not believe this. That's not an easy thing
to do, is to continue to make a broadcast if
it's on radio, TV or telecast. Is TV only compelling
when the game is not? And I always strive to

(09:42):
work very hard to make sure I'm still hitting my
marks down distance that you know, things of the nature.
There's too many times I've heard guys out there that
turn it into a stand up act once once the
game's out of reach. They think it's okay to go
Harlem globe trotters on it. And I disagree with that
because there are people, especially on radio TV. In the

(10:05):
mortal words of my friend in broadcast partner for Long
War and Baseball, Keith Morland, they got pictures. We've got pictures,
so you can you can see some pictures and you
can have a little more freedom to vamp a little
more and storytell a little more and clarify a little more,
you know, And you can do that. You can do
that radio, you need to kind of stick to the terms.

(10:29):
In football baseball. You can storytell a little more. Football
and basketball not so much. And so you otherwise people are,
you know, driving or listening online or on an app,
but they're not watching the game, and they're what's the score,
what does he doing?

Speaker 7 (10:45):
What?

Speaker 2 (10:45):
What's happening in the game.

Speaker 1 (10:48):
So I haven't done my job if I let all
that stuff clouded. And I feel very strongly about that,
and I've told I've told people I know who do
play by play, don't get caught up in the silliness
of it. If the game's out of reach, you do
your job, things will organically rise to the surface without

(11:11):
you having to get goofy silly on stuff like that,
because then you're not respecting the game, and you're not
respecting the teams and those who are working to still
play in the game.

Speaker 2 (11:22):
If that makes sense.

Speaker 1 (11:23):
Yeah, okay, oh it totally does. Okay, all right, So
but I have dispensation from Linda. I'm like, look, if
we're going to watch together, if the RAMS are playing,
I need to watch the standard feed or as they say,
what do they call it.

Speaker 2 (11:36):
Traditional feed?

Speaker 1 (11:37):
Yeah, I got to watch the traditional feed if the
RAMS are playing. I have to do that because I
got to be more dialed into the game like that
than you. But the other thing, especial tonight, like last night,
can be a very pleasant distraction listening to those guys
tell stories that it got into some real football booger

(11:58):
eating diagnosis.

Speaker 2 (12:00):
When they had Derek Carr on, It was good. It was.

Speaker 5 (12:03):
It was.

Speaker 1 (12:03):
It was a different kind of a different kind of way.
They got into talking about tacos and how you eating
with Guy Fieri and all this stuff, and Eli's turning
his head sideways and there's all kinds of good.

Speaker 4 (12:14):
Stuff you get taco eating with with the mayor of Flavortown,
and the booker eating with Derek Carr.

Speaker 1 (12:18):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and then and then uh, the President Bush.
He was he was pretty funny. He said, they asked
him something, they thanked him for being on, and he said,
it's good to see you guys without in a commercial.

Speaker 3 (12:32):
Well done, well played.

Speaker 1 (12:33):
W Yeah yeah, And and Peyton was like, oh, I
just got through shooting a few more the other day.

Speaker 2 (12:38):
You're probably gonna see some more. So but it was good.
It was, It was really good. I enjoyed it. One
other thing before we get to the break.

Speaker 1 (12:46):
The other day, I believe it was last Thursday was
Red Cup Day at Starbucks. Remember, and I told you
I got one and you didn't get a chance to
get one.

Speaker 4 (12:55):
I didn't go in. I didn't do it. Okay, A
busy morning Friday morning.

Speaker 1 (12:59):
We flew very very early, hourly five thirty in the
morning was our flight to Atlanta. And everything went smoothly.
We got off of them, we got in the rental
car and this about it. A little over an hour
drive up to the hotel between Atlanta and Athens. So
we go up there and I'm just dragging by the
time I get close to the hotel and Will Matthews

(13:19):
needs a coffee and I need a coffee. So we
go to Starbucks and we walk in and I just
you know, I ordered us. I ordered a regular edit
it on the app where I ordered just a standard pike,
tall pike, a couple of sugar in the raw, and
then a.

Speaker 3 (13:37):
Splash a half and a half. He got it Craig's way,
that's it.

Speaker 1 (13:40):
So when I walked in there to pick it up,
I noticed they had some red cups over there.

Speaker 2 (13:43):
So are you still giving out the red guy?

Speaker 7 (13:44):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (13:45):
Yeah, here take one. So I bring to you my friend,
Oh cup.

Speaker 3 (13:50):
This is gonna get so much use.

Speaker 2 (13:52):
Yeah. So so there you are. There's a red cup,
Yeah you bad? All right?

Speaker 1 (13:57):
Coming up, we're gonna hear from Ryan Schottenheimer, the Cowboys
head coach, on the occasion of their victory last night
over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Speaker 2 (14:09):
So we'll do that again.

Speaker 1 (14:10):
We'll get to some of your questions on the text
line as well. We got a lot of we have
inconceivable that we'll get to this hour, certainly, so a
lot of to get to today here on a Textan Tuesday,
Glad to have you with us right here on Sports
Radio AM thirteen under the Zone and the iHeartRadio app.

(14:37):
It is a Texan Tuesday here on Sports Radio AM
thirteen hundred his Zone, Craig Way, alongside the producer Jada Herman,
glad to have you with us. And of course in
the four o'clock howur we hear from the King George Straight.
In the three o'clock hour from the iconic Willie Nelson,

(14:57):
and here in the two o'clock hour the immortals Stevie Rayvaughn.
Which one did you select him?

Speaker 3 (15:06):
Look at Little Sister live from Austin.

Speaker 2 (15:08):
I say it's a live versition.

Speaker 8 (15:12):
Nine.

Speaker 2 (15:12):
Yeah, that's great, that's great.

Speaker 6 (15:14):
All right.

Speaker 1 (15:16):
Yeah, So we hear from Texas music legends throughout the
course of the day. All right, you know, the Cowboys
went through a very very emotional time marsharn nelaan with
the with his passing, and they had his jersey, they
were honoring him and stickers on the helmet, things like that.

(15:39):
But they it said before the game, I think Lisa
Salters said this on the ESPN telecasts. They felt that
they would best honor him with their play on the field,
and they were able to do that, able to go
about it and win it. So the Cowboys with that
thirty three sixteen victory. And hear from the head coach.
This was in the locker room right afterwards with uh

(16:02):
Brian Schottenheimer.

Speaker 5 (16:04):
Hey, listen up, that's up. Hey, before before we do
all the celebration stuff, put that thing go hold on.

Speaker 9 (16:14):
So proud of you guys, man, Amen, tough couple of weeks, three.

Speaker 7 (16:20):
Cloud you guys made bow Man. I'm believing.

Speaker 10 (16:26):
I'm alright. Here we go, I'm back, I'm good, I'm back,
all right, here we go.

Speaker 9 (16:31):
That gun touched our city out sky yea touch down
TV that got touched on the floe or Keith Bella
and the ball was deflected by Canine, Kenny Clocking house hat,
big Quock, James Houston house hat. Quick wait just that,

(16:51):
Oh that's hot. Aubrey had a fifty yard field goal.
Easy had a safety. Yeah, and they gave Sam credit
for them. So Sam, I say, hey, so proud of
you guys.

Speaker 7 (17:10):
Enjoy it.

Speaker 10 (17:10):
Shower up, let's get on that plane.

Speaker 2 (17:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (17:13):
All right, So there there was and he talked, you know,
runs down the scores, and I mentioned, uh, Donovan Azarak,
who's safety in there as well, that that got into
the final margin of thirty three sixteen Easy with the safety.

Speaker 2 (17:28):
There here is shot.

Speaker 1 (17:31):
You heard the emotion in his voice clearly about the
difficult time they'd had. Now in the press conference is
opening comments after the game.

Speaker 11 (17:39):
So proud of these guys, and I mean the way
that they grieved, cried, laughed, but they wanted to honor
him and we're not done honoring him. He's a part
of our family forever. But it's been tough, man. I mean,
these past eleven days have been really tough. But I'm
proud of those guys because as a just the way

(18:01):
they played today, that they played with Marshawn's play style.

Speaker 1 (18:05):
Okay, and how about those emotions and how he and
how the team dealt with that over the past week.

Speaker 11 (18:14):
You know, when you're uber competitive, which I am, and
you want something for your players so much. You know,
I wanted us to be able to find a way
to get this game because it was the next game,
and because it was after coming off of bye and
you know, losing a brother and a family member.

Speaker 5 (18:32):
And again I think.

Speaker 11 (18:34):
It it it's it's galvanized us forever. I mean, we're
we'll always be tight, but this is really brought us together,
brothers for life.

Speaker 1 (18:45):
There was also, uh a point I don't know if
you noticed it. Seawan aber benched both Ceedee Lamb and
George Pickens before for the Cowboys first drive and then
it comes back.

Speaker 2 (19:02):
They come back and they both had big games.

Speaker 1 (19:03):
And he asked, uh, first of all, you know, how
did he balance the emotion of a week alongside having
a disciplined Lamb in pickets to start the game.

Speaker 11 (19:15):
It's tough, you know, made a coach's decision. There were
some things that were missed, and so I had a
conversation with those guys.

Speaker 5 (19:23):
And that was easy.

Speaker 11 (19:25):
But I mean, you look at the energy those guys
play with, you know, they literally they jump started the
offense when they got back in there. They didn't hang
their heads, they didn't do any that stuff. And that's
why I love those guys, man. And again this was
a great team win.

Speaker 2 (19:41):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (19:42):
And so then the follow up was what did he
say to Lamb and Pickets after they came back in
and really jump started the offense?

Speaker 5 (19:48):
Told him I love him, man. You know, it's it's
what we do, you know.

Speaker 11 (19:53):
I mean the role of me as a leader for
this football team is to have relationships. I've talked to
you guys about that for a long time. I'm gonna
be able to have hard conversation with those guys or
any of our players, and but I also wanted to
know that, you know, when there's decisions that are made,
I love them and I appreciate them.

Speaker 5 (20:10):
I appreciate the way they play.

Speaker 11 (20:12):
I mean literally they jump started us and the latter
part of that second you know, second drive and beyond.
And that's what great players do, all right.

Speaker 1 (20:21):
So they had obviously the poll of the prior week
had that the discipline and everything.

Speaker 11 (20:26):
So what was it like in the locker room before
the game business like, you know, it really was, you know,
I didn't. I didn't notice much different. You know, the
energy was good, there was the music was playing. The
guys were very focused. You know, I'm going to say
it again, I think, you know, playing the game and
coaching the game, the distraction is real, you know it.

Speaker 5 (20:48):
You're allowed to go out there and.

Speaker 11 (20:50):
Play a game that's violent and hit people and things
like that, and I think it these guys were ready
to go do that, and not just to honor Marshaan,
but because they they love playing together.

Speaker 5 (21:00):
They love playing the game with one another.

Speaker 11 (21:02):
And that's why this is such a special group of
young men.

Speaker 2 (21:06):
All right.

Speaker 1 (21:07):
So those of you who are just listening, you hear
at the start of the segment, heard the celebration that happened
after the Emotion awards. But then in the press conference,
set Eimers asked what the celebration was like.

Speaker 2 (21:20):
In the locker room, we.

Speaker 11 (21:21):
Started talking about Marshawn and how proud he would be
and with the way we played the game, and then
I tried to compose myself, which I did, and we
did our normal celebration because that's what we do.

Speaker 5 (21:34):
And uh.

Speaker 11 (21:36):
Again, just uh the heart of this team, man, And
I mean, how about the defense. I mean they were
I don't even know how many you know, hits they
had on the quarterback.

Speaker 5 (21:44):
I know, Gina, it was going to be sore, but just.

Speaker 11 (21:46):
Really really proud of that that group and what they've
had to go through, and it was, Uh, it was
pretty cool to see those guys really step up in
the fire that they played with tonight.

Speaker 2 (21:56):
All right, so we mentioned the defense.

Speaker 1 (21:58):
Quinn Williams, the recently acquired in his first game as
a Cowboy, comes up with a big sack of the game.
How seamless has it been in terms of him fitting
into the attack?

Speaker 11 (22:09):
Uh, he's such a great guy, man. I think I
shared with you guys on the conference call the other day.
You know, for him and Logan both to come into
a situation like this, you know where they're just trying
to get to know everybody and then of course tragedy hits.
His demeanor never changed, his professionalism never changed.

Speaker 5 (22:25):
He's a man of faith, a.

Speaker 11 (22:26):
Man of you know, high values, and uh, just an
incredible teammate. And the guys took to him, not surprised,
both those guys. They took to both he and Logan,
And yeah, he's really good. He's really a good football player.
We should keep him.

Speaker 2 (22:39):
I think they will.

Speaker 3 (22:40):
Are you listening, Jerry, Yeah yeah right yeah.

Speaker 6 (22:43):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (22:43):
By the way, we're gonna hear from Jerry later on
in the program, So programming enough there we will hear
from Jerry a little later on. He was also asked
to evaluate Dak Prescott's performance because at times it was
sparkling as well.

Speaker 11 (22:55):
I just thought, you know, the way the ball was
coming out of his hand, to you know, the quick
decisions he was making. He spread it around obviously to
the different guys. You know, I thought he saw it
really really well.

Speaker 5 (23:05):
I thought he.

Speaker 11 (23:06):
Managed third downs really well. Early you know, red zone,
we were really really really good down there. He made
some really just beautiful tight window throws. This is a
team that plays a lot of spot drop cover three,
so there's tight windows, right and if the balls off
the mark, it gets batted or gets intercepted. And you know,
again I don't ever take it for granted. But again,

(23:27):
you guys know how I feel about Dak. I think
he's playing just terrific football and huge, huge part to
what we're doing.

Speaker 5 (23:32):
And what I love about is the ball is going
to go. We're supposed to go.

Speaker 11 (23:35):
He's not going to force it to those guys and
he's just gonna play.

Speaker 1 (23:39):
All right. So next up for the Cowboys is Philadelphia.
It's this Sunday afternoon.

Speaker 3 (23:46):
Team.

Speaker 4 (23:46):
We agreed yesterday was probably our number one power ring
in the NFL, right now.

Speaker 1 (23:51):
Yeah, yeah, certainly, Yeah, I would still say number one.
I started to say certainly in the end, but even
really the AFC, I think they're the best. Then they
have the Chiefs on Thanksgiving Day, then they go to
Detroit to play the Lions. And it goes Sunday afternoon Thursday, Thanksgiving,

(24:17):
and then the next Thursday. So it's a full week,
but it's Thursday and Thursday that's a Thursday night game
at Ford Field to play the Lions. It is not often,
in fact, it's pretty rare that I make any comparisons
between what's going on with the Dallas Cowboys and what's
going on with the Texas Longhorns.

Speaker 2 (24:35):
But I'm going to say this.

Speaker 1 (24:38):
Because it's not an original thought where Texas is concerned.
Head coach Steve Sarkishan said to us on the postgame
show late Saturday night after the loss to Georgia, and
he kind of said it yesterday in the press conference,
the weekly press conference, that these next two weeks, these

(24:58):
next two ball games with defining moments for his team.
How they play, not necessarily just winning the games, although
that of course is the goal, but how they play,
how they respond coming off loss, as they did coming
off the loss to Georgia. So those next the last

(25:22):
two games of the regular season are really going to matter.
Now that we know, you know, Texas not going to
be the SEC championship. So these next two weeks are
going to be really, really critical. Okay, I would submit
to you that these next three ball games will once
and for all really define the Cowboys season because of
the caliber of opposition and because of what follows afterwards.

(25:46):
So they have the Eagles at home, they have the
Chiefs at home, They go to Detroit. Then they finish
with the Vikings at home, the Chargers at home, they
go to Washington, they go to New York. I think
all four of those remaining games, the last four are
all winnable games for them. How they do in these
next three games, I think sets it up. If they

(26:10):
could win two out of the next three, they'd be
six six and one. And then if they won three
of the last four even they'd be you know, nine
to seven and one. There's a chance they're in in
the playoffs at that point. But that also means at
four five and one, that means they will have won
five of their last seven ball games.

Speaker 2 (26:29):
Can they do that? I don't know, but that's I
think what's going to tell the tale about whether they
wind up in the postseason.

Speaker 4 (26:37):
How can this revamp defense fair against some pretty solid
opposition in the next few weeks?

Speaker 3 (26:43):
Is right now?

Speaker 4 (26:43):
You look at the Cowboys, Yes they've got an outside shot,
but you know who are your four wins against? Okay,
you beat the Giants, the Jets, the Commanders with Jayden
Daniels leading injured, and a pretty poor Raiders team. So
we'll see, can't it translate again? It's the top half of.

Speaker 1 (27:01):
The league that's going to tell a story, all right.
Up next, we tell the story of Inconceivable when we
continue on sports Radio AM thirteen under the zone of
the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 2 (27:31):
Second hour of.

Speaker 1 (27:32):
The program here on Sports Radio AM thirteen hundred zone
Craig Way alongside the producer Jay Herman.

Speaker 2 (27:41):
Glad to have you.

Speaker 1 (27:42):
With us, and certainly with you up until five o'clock
this afternoon. Coming up in a few minutes, we'll talk
some football with Greg Temper, who is the editor in
chief of Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine. But we want
to hear from some Long Run players first year right now,

(28:04):
So we're going to jump in with the sound from
March Manning and Michael taff. It's kind of a rapid
fire thing because, as you know, most of Arch's answers
are pretty pretty short.

Speaker 2 (28:13):
They're just direct to.

Speaker 1 (28:14):
The point answers the question without an awful lot of
elongation there. So with that in mind, Manning was asked
by the media, where does he think he has made
the most progress and has grown the most over the
past few weeks.

Speaker 8 (28:29):
Yeah, I just feel more comfortable out there in the
offense and I feel like I'm seeing it well. I
just got to continue to get better each week.

Speaker 1 (28:36):
Okay, if you were to say you are more comfortable
in what sense does that mean?

Speaker 8 (28:41):
I feel like just the game slowing down a little bit,
feel comfortable with my guys.

Speaker 2 (28:45):
Just got to continue to improve.

Speaker 5 (28:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (28:48):
The other thing is, and we said this last week
going into the game with Georgia, the Long Wrns would
need to run the football well to have a shot
to win. Running makes the offense certainly much more diversified,
and it also can make a quarterback more successful.

Speaker 8 (29:07):
Yeah. It just opens up the offense and you can
call whatever you want just because you're able to run
the ball.

Speaker 2 (29:14):
All right.

Speaker 1 (29:14):
So was there more conversation about running once they got
the halftime in a fourteen to three ball game.

Speaker 8 (29:20):
Yeah, obviously you always want to run the ball. We
got we're good up front, and we got good backs.
They did a good job on defense, and we'll continue
to run the ball moving forward.

Speaker 2 (29:27):
All right. So was there that?

Speaker 1 (29:29):
And then the other big theme that was coming out
of it where the drops of the receivers. So Arch
was as what do you say to a receiver if
they drop one they should have caught.

Speaker 2 (29:39):
Yeah, just just move on.

Speaker 8 (29:41):
I mean there's been countless times where I have not
thrown them a good ball and they've bailed me out,
and so you just got to move on, learn from it,
and keep going. They're not trying to drop the ball.
I'm not trying to throw a bad ball. You know,
we're all human. Maybe with six.

Speaker 1 (29:55):
Yeah, and he'd love to be able to see Jack
Andres a tight end more ingrained in the.

Speaker 10 (30:00):
Yeah, he's a good player.

Speaker 8 (30:01):
I gotta get them the ball when the look shows
him to give them the ball.

Speaker 5 (30:06):
And he's a good player home make plays.

Speaker 2 (30:08):
All right. Uh.

Speaker 1 (30:09):
The crowd of Georgia was ninety three thousand and it
was pretty vibrant, and Arch echoed, Yeah, you'd love to
have that same for a home game.

Speaker 8 (30:20):
It was a good crowd there. We gotta give the
fans something to be proud of. Go play well and
they'll get loud. I trust them and have faith with them,
but we gotta give them something to get hyped for.

Speaker 1 (30:30):
All right, Well, certainly they'll get hype for Arkansas, And
he was asked for his thoughts on the razorback defense.

Speaker 8 (30:35):
Their front's really good and they're good at the second level,
and the dbs are good. You know, the last five
games they've lost all been really close games. So they've
been in in these big games and they're not gonna
They're not gonna take anything lightly. They're gonna come in
and play hard and we gotta we gotta go beat them.

Speaker 1 (30:53):
In case you had noticed, long Wrens have a transfer
from Arkansas on the team.

Speaker 2 (30:57):
He's not only on the roster. He's in the rotation linebacker.

Speaker 1 (31:00):
He's played well Brad Spence and Art was asked for
his relationship with Brad.

Speaker 8 (31:04):
When he first got here, we were right next to
each other our lockers, so I got to know him
in the winner, He's ah, he seems intimidatingbody.

Speaker 2 (31:12):
He's really a softy.

Speaker 4 (31:15):
Taff went on to clarify Michael Tad was up there
on the podium with him. He's like, not on the field, Arch,
not on the field.

Speaker 1 (31:20):
Fil No, No, he's definitely he's a hard hitter there.
And then one more from Manning where he was asked
about continuing to try to develop his connections with his
wide receivers.

Speaker 8 (31:29):
I think just experience in playing in games, messing up.
I hate to say it, but like playing bad and
messing up and going through those you know, tough times
and struggles really helps you. And uh's really another way
to put it.

Speaker 1 (31:42):
All right on to Michael Taff, who was sitting there
as well. Taff asked these questions were, first of all,
what is the message coming from the coaches and from
him as a senior leader, who, by the way, was
named a finalist today for the Burlsworth Trophy that's former
best former walk on uh in college foot.

Speaker 4 (32:00):
He didn't win that last year he did, okay, so
so will he.

Speaker 2 (32:04):
Be back to back.

Speaker 1 (32:05):
I think it might come down to him or Drew
Mester Maker, you know, because Drew was a walk on
it at North Texas.

Speaker 4 (32:11):
Oh yeah, yeah, I would say mess to Maker might
have the lead there.

Speaker 1 (32:15):
Yeah, it depends on everything your revive and not just
the stats. There's a lot of things that they roll
into it. But anyway, Taff was asked what the message
has been like in the mood at practice this week.

Speaker 12 (32:25):
Yeah, new week, new opportunity. You only get so many
and dekr so like the most of it. And this
is really an Arkansas team, so we got to get
our full divided attention towards them.

Speaker 1 (32:36):
And Tap says that includes having better communication on the
back end than they had against Georgia.

Speaker 6 (32:44):
Yeah.

Speaker 12 (32:44):
I mean, like there was a mistake or two that
just really hurt us. You know, on each of those
five plays that resulted in touchdowns. It was just one
mistake here of one mistake there that ultimately turn into
And that's what happens when you play really good teams,
is they find your mistakes and they make you pay

(33:04):
for it. So you know, I don't think it was
a bigger issue than it was. It was just one
mistake after the other, and they found it when when
we made mistakes, but not gonna happen again.

Speaker 3 (33:15):
All right.

Speaker 1 (33:16):
And then the other one is how does he put
a loss? How does the team put a loss like
what happened on Saturday behind them and prepare to move forward?

Speaker 12 (33:24):
I think a great saying that I've learned one time before.
You're not a bad player just because you made a
bad play. Bad plays are gonna happen. That's why you
play the game of football, it's the game of life.
You're always gonna have bad plays in the game of
football and in the game of life. But that doesn't
make you a bad player. So you know, I don't
think you should ever move past losing, because I think

(33:47):
you learn from being able to lose, but you never
want to, you know, take a shot at your confidence.
You should know that you're a really good player. You
deserve to be out here. You want to be caught
upon your coaches if you aren't that good. So bad play,
not a bad player?

Speaker 2 (34:04):
All right?

Speaker 1 (34:05):
We'll hear more from Michael taff coming up a little
later on Up next, we talked football in the lone
Star State, both of the collegiate and high school variety,
when we visit with Greg Chapper, editor in chief Dave
Campbells Texas Football Magazine here on thirteen Under the.

Speaker 5 (34:18):
Zone is.

Speaker 3 (34:21):
A control.

Speaker 2 (34:26):
There's deceiver and believers and all in between.

Speaker 3 (34:34):
That seemed, how no place to go.

Speaker 1 (34:40):
The iconic Willie Nelson here on the Texan Tuesday here
on thirteen Under the Zone.

Speaker 2 (34:45):
Glad to have you with us.

Speaker 1 (34:46):
Greig Way alongside the producer Jay Carmon, who's also the
play by play voice of the Bass Drop Bears, and
they have their area up around playoff game up in
Belton at Mary hardin Baylor on set afternoon against a
surprising Waco University team afore beating one there, so I

(35:06):
know you're looking forward to that. So as we talk football,
Greg Tepper is the editor in chief of Dave Campbells
Texas Football Magazine. He joins us, Now, all right, Tap,
I'm you know how we always give each other like
three games to choose from. I'm going to open this
segment by asking you which was the most surprising development
of the football weekend.

Speaker 6 (35:28):
A that.

Speaker 2 (35:31):
Waco you knocked off Belleville.

Speaker 1 (35:34):
Excuse me, not Bellville Fort Ben Marshall, I said, Melville
Fort Ben Marshall.

Speaker 2 (35:39):
A that B that A and M spotted.

Speaker 1 (35:44):
South Carolina thirty to three half time lead, only need
to come back and win. Or C that Texas State
strum not only beat, but strum the Southern miss team
that did not have a conference loss, and now all
of a sudden, the Bobcats are two bottom feet or
victories away from being Bowl eligible.

Speaker 2 (36:02):
What what's the most surprising of those three to you?

Speaker 13 (36:05):
Yeah, all three kind of came as a as a shock,
but I think the answer is probably A and M
simply because that may in fact be and I.

Speaker 7 (36:16):
Don't know the last time we've seen this, that may in.

Speaker 13 (36:18):
Fact be the worst half of football that we have
seen a football team play this season.

Speaker 7 (36:24):
At any level, followed by the best half of football
anybody's ever seen.

Speaker 13 (36:29):
It's like the the the complete and utter one eighty
that that game took.

Speaker 7 (36:34):
I mean, at at at you know, at halftime, at.

Speaker 13 (36:36):
Thirty to three, you are thinking, boy, there's a chance
this gits really ugly because the way the way that
it was happening where Ane was just getting their rear
kicked up front by South Carolina and Marcel.

Speaker 7 (36:50):
Reid couldn't find a receiver.

Speaker 13 (36:53):
It looked helpless, and.

Speaker 7 (36:55):
Then suddenly they come out on.

Speaker 13 (36:58):
Halftime and look unstoppable, look like the kind of team
that we've seen all you only, and I thought that
that was their best half of football and they needed
every bit of it.

Speaker 7 (37:07):
It was.

Speaker 13 (37:08):
That was the one that shocks me, because it was
not just how terrible they looked in the beginning, but
how quite frankly unbeatable they looked in the second half
in consecutive thirty minute increments. I don't know if I've
ever seen a team flipp a switch that aggressively like
the ag you did on Saturday.

Speaker 2 (37:27):
Yeah, no doubt about it.

Speaker 1 (37:28):
Greg Tepper is the editor in chief of Dave Campbell's
Texas Football magazine.

Speaker 2 (37:31):
So let me ask you this step.

Speaker 1 (37:32):
If you can only have one, only one of these
two gets invited to New York for the Heisman, is
that Marcel Reader is a Jacob Rodriguez, the Texas tech linebacker.

Speaker 13 (37:43):
I think it's probably Marcel Read what he's been able
to do because because you and I actually in the
off season, we were talking on this very program and
talking about how this felt like your opinion on A
and M would go as Marcel Reid goes, and certainly
he has been remarkable for them, and we talked about
how this year was a referendum on Colin Plying, the

(38:04):
offensive coordinator. That's obviously gone pretty well for him as well. Now,
Jacob Rodriguez has obviously been fantastic. I just saw actually
a stat online that if Jacob Rodriguez was a team,
he would have the fifth most force turnovers in college
football this year. He has been remarkable, but I also

(38:25):
think that there is an argument to be made that
he may not even be the best player on his
own defense, and he consider what David Bailey has been
able to do, I think that is it that they
would probably split the vote there in my opinion. So
for me, Marcel Reed has been so singular the A
and Them success, whereas Jacob Rodriguez has obviously been spectacular,
but I think that he's got a guy up front

(38:46):
off the edge who is helping him out significantly as well.
I would probably lean towards Reed just based on the
way that Heisman voting tends.

Speaker 1 (38:52):
To go on the Dave Camills Texas Football Division one
FPS power pul Texas holds on to its three spot
and the comment there there was there was a path
for a three lost Texas to reach a college football player,
but not one where the longer Worns lost by four
possessions in November. Now, I know some will say, hey,
it's a fourteen to ten game in the fourth quarter,
but Bill Parcells will say you are which your record

(39:14):
says you already got away in the fake pun had
a lot to do with that as well. Am I right?
And what I've said, Hey, they have to win the
remaining two games and b there's going to have to
be some chaos because the Oklahoma win over Alabama did
not help Texas once the longrns Los lost that game
on Saturday night.

Speaker 13 (39:32):
Yeah, it's strange that now you're exactly right. I think
Texas is in a position where they need to win
out and get some help because.

Speaker 7 (39:39):
An invite to the SEC Championship Game.

Speaker 13 (39:42):
Outreach now that they will not have that ability to
shift people one more kind of look at them. And furthermore,
it does feel like it's getting crowded up there as
far as teams that could get in there. In fact,
Mike Craven wrote an article just today on Texas football
dot Com about how there's a possibility and Texas gets
four teams in the college football playoffs.

Speaker 7 (40:03):
You know, if you consider, you know, let's just say.

Speaker 13 (40:05):
That that Texa Tech wins the Big Twelve, well they
would be in the playoff.

Speaker 8 (40:08):
A and M.

Speaker 13 (40:08):
We we've already penciled them in to the playoffs. North
Texas looks like they could absolutely be the G five
representative and then get out get a bid to the dance.
And then you add in, you add in Sneagally, SMU
can take control of their own destiny. SMU can absolutely
win the ACC.

Speaker 7 (40:29):
If they win the rest of their games and then.

Speaker 13 (40:32):
Beat Georgia Tech presumably.

Speaker 7 (40:34):
And then the ACC. Tighing, I mean, this is there's
a universe there where.

Speaker 13 (40:38):
We get four Texas teams in there that aren't the
University of Texas. And so I think that if.

Speaker 7 (40:43):
You're a Longhorn fan, obviously you.

Speaker 13 (40:44):
Want to go out there and win the last two games.
That is imperative. I mean, one more loss obviously would
disqualify them.

Speaker 7 (40:50):
But I also think that you're going to need to
start rooting for some things to go a little bit
pear shaped, and for for some teams maybe even like
a you know, you don't want.

Speaker 13 (40:58):
To root for injury, but we've seen in the past
that the committee will consider injuries and player.

Speaker 7 (41:02):
Availability in something like that.

Speaker 13 (41:04):
If one of the teams were to lose one of
their key players, that is the kind of thing that
Texas at this point, it's gonna be. It's going to
be a bank shot now for Texas to get in.
You know, there was the universe in which if they
had Beaten they won against Georgia Uh, you know this
past week that they would have had an opportunity to
you know, or even just played a closer game. Now
it feels like they're going to need a number of

(41:25):
things to go right in addition to them, you know,
of course winning their final two games.

Speaker 1 (41:30):
How cool would it be, since you and I are
both Texas high school football nerds, for SMU to play
Georgia Tech. When you've got two quarterbacks who have won
state championships in in In Kevin Jennings for SMU and
obviously Haines King for Georgia Tech. King being from Longview
and Jennings being from South o'cliff.

Speaker 13 (41:53):
I mean, yeah, you could have a situation in which
you could have multiple multiple you know, quarterback, you know,
multiple players in the college Football Playoff who are representing.

Speaker 7 (42:04):
Texas high school football teams. I mean, I think that's
that's exactly it.

Speaker 13 (42:07):
And so yeah, one of the story Georgia Tech is
with Haines King kind of and they are a team
that just finds a way to win. But you're right,
I think that that speaks to and we just actually
just put the finishing touches.

Speaker 7 (42:18):
On our annual recruiting edition.

Speaker 13 (42:20):
That just speaks to the depth and the range of
Texas high school football talent as it's spread across the nation.

Speaker 7 (42:27):
You know, everywhere you.

Speaker 13 (42:28):
Look, it seems like somebody's got a guy who is
won at the highest level here in Texas that is
now kind of a prerequisite for succeeding at that college level.

Speaker 1 (42:36):
Okay, I got to ask you about about these two
teams that before we move on to high school.

Speaker 2 (42:42):
And that's Rice in Texas State.

Speaker 1 (42:44):
The ouls are five and five and like you said that,
the blurb says, decided Rice can clinch a ball birth
I'm winning women.

Speaker 2 (42:51):
The last two.

Speaker 1 (42:51):
So you think all great, and so the problem is
those two games are in South Florida, North Texas, so
might be difficult. Regardless of what happens this first year,
I think with everything that more, with the coaching change,
is is pretty impressive to see what's gone on in Houston.

Speaker 13 (43:05):
Yeah, I think for Scott abel you know, obviously look
that he's not interested you talk with him, he's not.

Speaker 7 (43:10):
Interested in moral victories.

Speaker 13 (43:11):
But at the same time, I think you look at
what Rice has been able to do. They've already exceeded expectations.
They've already kind of shown that they can be a
team to be reckoned with.

Speaker 7 (43:19):
They're a team you don't want to play.

Speaker 13 (43:21):
And furthermore, I think that more importantly, they have identified
an identity. You know, this is a team that is
able to get the you know, get it going on
the ground. This is one of the better rushing attacks
in all of in all of college football.

Speaker 7 (43:36):
You know, they average two hundred and eleven yards per.

Speaker 13 (43:38):
Game on the ground. This is a team you know,
that's that's more than text Tove Tech does, That's.

Speaker 7 (43:42):
More than BYU does.

Speaker 13 (43:43):
I mean, this is a team that has established an
identity which I think if you were to be critical
of the previous administration with Mike Bloombrin that they were
not able to establish that identity. They have a player identity,
and I think that for Rice that is that is
moving forward, certainly whether or not it ends in a
ball game. I will say this that if they're they

(44:04):
don't have enough Bowl teams, right, which does happen? I
believe they've got to APPR And I'm not sure anybody.

Speaker 7 (44:09):
In America has a better APR than right.

Speaker 13 (44:11):
So like maybe keep the Pats, don't put them boy
to pat just yet.

Speaker 7 (44:15):
If you guys go five insid, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (44:17):
It's good.

Speaker 1 (44:17):
It's a good point there. They get being five and
have they've done it before, they could certainly do it.
And then with regard to Texas State, with everything GJ.
Kenny's program has been through the year this year, injuries
and inconsistencies and heartbreaking overtime losses and all that stuff,
for them to go out and deliver a knockout punch
to the team leading the West Division, the Sun Belt

(44:39):
Southern miss all of a sudden, there's a light at
the end of the tunnel. They got Ulm and they've
got South Alabama. Two of the other bottom feeders along
with them in the West. They got a chance to
slip in the back door and wind up being a
Bowl team after all.

Speaker 13 (44:54):
You know, for a season this has kind of been
such a I don't know how g is gonna going
to judge this season, and obviously how it finishes will
go a long way. But when you consider how it
started where they go out there and they have no
problem with Eastern Michigan, that they go on the road
to Utsa and they beat Utsa. When we were talking
about what a list that was for that program, well,

(45:16):
you know, since then, they have lost six of their
like they don't go and that's that's miss game. They
lost six of their last seven. They only win has
been against you know, woefull FCS Nickels State. Now to
go on the road and you're exactly right to not
just beat Southern mess but to really dominate them on
the road. Suddenly, you know, you talk about life, this

(45:38):
is the program that they're you know, they're gonna be
favored in their final two games, and that feels like
for Texas State, obviously that would be huge.

Speaker 7 (45:44):
To make another goal game.

Speaker 13 (45:45):
That's something that as far as program, uh, you know,
consistency and program.

Speaker 7 (45:49):
Momentum you want to have.

Speaker 13 (45:51):
But furthermore, I would also say that if you are GJ.
Kinney and perhaps you are looking around at other potential
openings that they're going to come and coaching, you know,
finding a way to kind of put pull this thing
out of the ditch when all have seemed lost, I
think that really, you know, bodes well for DJ Kinney
if he were to have some wandering eyes and be

(46:13):
want to be considered for other positions. So yeah, I
think for Texas, say, that's that's rather shocking result that
I think flew under the radar, maybe because we were
so caught up with A and M crazy comeback, or
or Texas playing between the hedges.

Speaker 2 (46:25):
Yeah right.

Speaker 1 (46:27):
Greg tempers with us here from Dave Camill's Texas Football Magazine. Okay,
my mom used to say a slip of the tongue
is no fault to the mind. Actually kind of is, really,
but I didn't want to argue with her about that.
When I when I mentioned the Waco you upset of
Fort Ben Marshall, I said Belleville because I was also
thinking about the other supercent tex upset China Spring beating Belleville.

(46:51):
Are they on equal planes with Fords beating ones on
this deal?

Speaker 2 (46:54):
How did you evaluate those?

Speaker 13 (46:57):
Yeah, it's a it's a little wild first week of
the playoffs. You know, we had twenty two teams that
finish and fourth.

Speaker 7 (47:05):
Place in their district win a first round game.

Speaker 13 (47:07):
Now, some of those we could have seen coming, where
they finished fourth in a really really good district, right
and maybe the team that they were matched up with
in by district, you know, was.

Speaker 7 (47:16):
The product of a week or district, so to speak.

Speaker 13 (47:19):
But there were other ones that you mentioned, like, you know,
like like China Spring beating Belleville.

Speaker 7 (47:24):
That is downright shopping.

Speaker 13 (47:25):
I mean, that's one that nobody necessarily had on your
bingo car. I'll give you another one that really shook
up things around here, Flugerville Weiss going to a port
and knocking off Laport. That was a team that we bought,
had state championship aspirations.

Speaker 7 (47:38):
But Weiss figured.

Speaker 13 (47:39):
Things out and got things going in a big way.
They switched things up defensively in the second half and.

Speaker 7 (47:45):
Really got to go.

Speaker 13 (47:45):
And now suddenly you start saying, well why not Weiss,
you know, within.

Speaker 7 (47:48):
Their own district. It was it was.

Speaker 13 (47:51):
A bizarre or not a bizarre week, but it was
a strange week. And you're right, Waco Y has been
a team that has been very up and down. When
they're up. The talent they have is is is really
really hard to match. But but it hasn't always been
that consistent. A lot of what's gonna you know. Obviously
on Friday night they were up and they were playing fantastic.

(48:12):
Can they do it again against a high powered bastrip
team that that that certainly is no stranger to uh
to putting up to lighten up the scoreboard?

Speaker 2 (48:20):
Yeah, uh, no doubt about it.

Speaker 1 (48:22):
Okay, boy, Uh, Like I said, you and you and
your cohort Ashley Pickle have used the term box office.
I mean, uh, Vandergriff Westlake lived up to every single
bit of the billing and then some didn't it.

Speaker 5 (48:36):
Uh.

Speaker 7 (48:37):
Sometimes the game of the week is just the game
of the week, you know what I mean? Like I said,
sometimes my job is easy, is like watch this game.
It's great.

Speaker 13 (48:44):
And then it was and it was also kind of
a real return to form I think for both of
these teams and the way that they have wanted to play,
which is you know, look, it's no secret that both
Tony Salad are the head coach at Westlake and Drew
Standards head coach of and they are defensive high. They
are defense first. We will figure out the offense later,
the defense and what comes first. And that's what this
game was. It was a real battle of wills and

(49:06):
an opportunity for both teams to really flex as far
as their defenses are concerned. And I think that what
you saw was Vandergrift having just a little bit extra
there and then obviously having an SNU bound kicker there
at the end certainly helps.

Speaker 7 (49:20):
But this was exactly what we thought. It was too
extremely easily matched.

Speaker 13 (49:24):
Teams that ended up, you know, going down to the wire.
What I found remarkable and I and I hope that
Westlake fans, who are obviously still licking their wounds, will
take this as some small solace. But this is the
first time that Westlake has lost consecutive games in the
same season since twenty thirteen I think about them, they
have not had a two game losing streak. I mean

(49:46):
it had like, obviously you lose that a two game
losing streak.

Speaker 7 (49:49):
If you consider the.

Speaker 13 (49:49):
Fact that they lost the state championship game last year
and then lost their.

Speaker 7 (49:52):
Opener this year.

Speaker 13 (49:53):
But when you consider in the same season, they haven't
lost two consecutive games in a decade.

Speaker 7 (49:58):
I think that speaks to the excellence of the pedigree
of this West League program. I know they're smarting right now.

Speaker 13 (50:03):
But credit to what the Vandergrift. And by the way,
I think that bracket really opens up for Vandergrift suddenly.
And now you're talking about them in big picture terms
as far as how far they can go.

Speaker 2 (50:13):
Yeah, good point.

Speaker 1 (50:14):
Here, as we visited with Greg Tapper, Okay, uh here,
we're back to doing the meanest thing we do to
each other, and that is to give you three games
to choose from.

Speaker 6 (50:24):
Now.

Speaker 7 (50:24):
You know, it's you know, it's funny.

Speaker 13 (50:25):
I'm sorry to interrupt, but like now, it's just it's
even meaner. Like each week now it's like progressively meaner.

Speaker 7 (50:32):
You know, it's it's it's mean when we do it.

Speaker 13 (50:33):
In week four, When you do it in the area
around its torture.

Speaker 2 (50:36):
Then they get then they get more cruel. I think
as we go forward, I think I think it does.

Speaker 1 (50:42):
Okay, all right, so yeah, I'm not gonna waste any
time with this in terms of uh, you know, one
of the ones to choose from. You can choose from
these three games. You can either be at UH the
UH North Shore Ridge Point game. You knew I was
going to mention that. You know I was going to
mention North Shortridge Point. It makes all the sense in

(51:03):
the world to mention North Shoring Ridgepoint. So it was
either mean North shor Ridge Point. Is is choice number one.
Choice number two is Bay City lb J okay in
four A D.

Speaker 2 (51:20):
One, So that's that's choice number two.

Speaker 1 (51:23):
And then the third and final choice that you have
to make between those three would be in class to A.
The choice is going to be wink and groover.

Speaker 2 (51:39):
In the pin.

Speaker 13 (51:41):
Oh Man see LBJ and BA City is a real
balloers game.

Speaker 7 (51:46):
That's the one that's like. Those are two teams that.

Speaker 13 (51:48):
I think are are kind of flying under the radar
of our sneaky good I think LBJ.

Speaker 7 (51:52):
LBJ kind of suffers from South oaklost disease. And what
I mean by that is.

Speaker 13 (51:56):
That they play a very difficult non district schedule, right
and they go and they get into the district play
and with all due respects, they're just a lot better
than all the teams in their districts, so they don't
really play an interesting game for two months, and now
suddenly they're back and they are dangerous. That game is fascinating.
I love Lincoln Groover because you want to talk about
for Wink being so close and feeling like they like

(52:19):
this is the year. This is the year for each
of the last six consecutive years. Maybe it is, I
mean to me and for Sean. They're there. Running backs
have been fantastic. They've got a great quarterback.

Speaker 7 (52:27):
In the lane, Lesby, who's been excellent as well.

Speaker 13 (52:29):
But Gruver is the reigning regional champ and they got
Bridge Sadderfield.

Speaker 7 (52:33):
He's got forty four total touchdowns on the year. That
game is going to be spectacular.

Speaker 13 (52:37):
But I will play the hits here and I will
go with North Shore Ridgepoint for those who don't know,
Ridge Point is the most in my opinion and probably
by the numbers too, the most talent Leyden program in
Texas high school football. From a prospect perspective, they got
three FBS commits on their offensive line.

Speaker 5 (52:55):
They have got.

Speaker 13 (52:55):
Two Power five wide receivers. They've got a defense that
definitely loaded with dudes. They are loaded, and if it's
ever gonna happen for rickle Favors ball Club, it's this year.
But now they've got to go through the team that
has won this region seven consecutive years in North Shore,
who got back on the good foot after losing Week eleven.

Speaker 7 (53:16):
They looked good last week in.

Speaker 13 (53:17):
Their opener, and can they find a way through quarterback
Killed Maryland's been great, Daikwan nine leads a resurge and defense.
This is really the light helps It's final boss time
here for Ridgepoint. We've had high hopes for them in
the past. If it's gonna happen, it's got to happen
this week. On our podcast earlier yesterday, Matt Stepps said
that he kind of compared it to when long View

(53:39):
play in that twenty eighteen title game, and he just said.

Speaker 7 (53:42):
He was like, if you don't win it.

Speaker 13 (53:43):
You're gonna take it to your graves, Like this is
this is the moment, Like this is the time. It
may not come around again. And so if for Ridgepoint
is the real opportunity to to kind of take to
send shockwaves across the Houston area, and I think that
is going to be a spectacular game down there in Houston.

Speaker 1 (54:00):
The way I would offer up as a really valid
consolation runner up on the six A picks if you
ever to choose it, how about North Forny, walks Ahatchie
or in these parts, Dripping Springs and Harlan.

Speaker 13 (54:12):
Oh I think I think it's a loaded slate. Absolutely,
you're exactly right. I think Dripping Springs and Harland has
an opportunity fantastic. Harlan is one of those teams from
San Antonio. They do have a loss, but that is
a forfeit loss. They are undefeated on the field this
year taking on Dripping Springs team that's obviously you.

Speaker 7 (54:28):
Know, you know, has tons of confidence right now.

Speaker 13 (54:32):
And then you're right, North Barnian watsa Hatchie expect points.

Speaker 7 (54:36):
I mean, the real, the real matchup.

Speaker 13 (54:37):
Here is that North Forny offense with quarterback Legend Day
of the New Ohio State commit taking on this outstanding
walksa Hatchie defense led by Jake UoN Snell, the most
recent A.

Speaker 7 (54:47):
And M commit at the safety spot.

Speaker 10 (54:49):
That will be the.

Speaker 13 (54:50):
Strength on strength, good on good like we're getting a
good part. I mean, next week's Thanksgiving and that's when
you know that the high school football is really heating up.

Speaker 2 (54:58):
Yeah, no doubt about it.

Speaker 1 (55:00):
It ready for it this week and uh and the
show now has moved to Saturday, right, Texas foot Ball Tonight,
you and Pickle wrapping up everything on Saturday night. That way,
all the games were in the books at that point
unless you get a you know, a midnight run or.

Speaker 2 (55:12):
Something going on.

Speaker 7 (55:13):
Hey listen, if there's here's a promise, if.

Speaker 13 (55:16):
There is, if there's a game still going on when
we're on the air at ten thirty, uh, we will
just give you play by play. Well, we'll go into
radio mode.

Speaker 7 (55:23):
We'll just kind of give you play by play up
whatever game is going on.

Speaker 13 (55:25):
But yeah, ten thirty pm, wherever you stream Texas Football tonight,
we'll have highlights and updated brackets from from all across
the state.

Speaker 1 (55:32):
You remember we did that a couple of years ago,
that Solana and a game I think it went four
overtimes or whatever, and we went live to it and
we're actually calling the field goal there on the score.

Speaker 6 (55:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 13 (55:40):
That was yeah, that was fun. I remember that.

Speaker 10 (55:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (55:43):
I was like, for some reason, we went on the
air and then like that that game had gone into
the you know, into the into the night, and finally
wrapped up while you were on the air. But that
was good.

Speaker 2 (55:52):
Tellersion, Yeah, no doubt about it.

Speaker 1 (55:54):
Uh Hey, TEP, thanks for the time, and uh we'll
look forward to next week.

Speaker 7 (55:59):
I'm as well. Bye guys.

Speaker 1 (56:01):
All right, that's Greg Chapper, editor in chief Dave Campbell's
Texas Football Magazine. So yeah, there's the the look and
there are some great second round matchups.

Speaker 2 (56:12):
How about Thursday night?

Speaker 1 (56:15):
Thursday night, Uh, Vandergriff at home again, No, at Bobcat
in San Marc's excuse me on on Thursday night, h
Vandergriff taking on brand Eyes from San Antonio. That's a
Bobcats Stadium. They're in San Marcus seven o'clock. That'll be
televised live on KBV. Oh so there will be that

(56:37):
and then they will televise live on Friday.

Speaker 2 (56:42):
What was the other game? He told me they were
doing that. Roger told me they were doing I'll get
it from him.

Speaker 6 (56:48):
Mom.

Speaker 4 (56:48):
By the way, speaking of Vandergriff, while you look, you
I know what it is.

Speaker 3 (56:52):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (56:52):
It's Georgetown and Frisco lone star number two in the state,
and that's in Georgetown on Friday night at seven because.

Speaker 2 (57:00):
They won the flip and so.

Speaker 1 (57:01):
Georgetown is hosting Frisco Lonestar, which will make the two
hundred mile ride all the way down for that area
round playoff time.

Speaker 2 (57:08):
About that, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4 (57:09):
By the way, I think vandergriff that the bracket does
open for them a little bit after the win over
West Lag, but lurking potentially two rounds away is a
rematch with Dripping Springs.

Speaker 1 (57:19):
Yeah, that'd be cool if it was a rematch of
the season. They've done that before. They've done that before
they met the quarterfinals, after meeting in the season opener.
I will also say this, and I don't know if
how much longer their playoff run will go. I think
it will definitely extend beyond this week. But a tip
of the cap to John Walsh and getting it done
at San Marcos. When he went down there, he had

(57:40):
to roll up his sleeves and there was a lot
of work to do and there was some player players
who became ineligible and they went through a lot and
he has now flipped it down there and they won
their by district game and they're playing Edinburgh and so
it's certainly a a winnable game for them as they

(58:03):
play Edinburgh and they're gonna play them in Corpus Christie,
and that's Saturday afternoon at one o'clock.

Speaker 3 (58:09):
Computer likes Sam Marcus. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (58:11):
Yeah, so I'd say that it'd be interesting if they
wind up playing Vandergriff, because they have played Vandergrift before
in the playoffs. If they wind up playing them in
round number three. All right, We got more coming up
when we continue on thirteen under the zone of the
iHeartRadio apps.

Speaker 7 (58:33):
In most every night.

Speaker 2 (58:36):
The Lion.

Speaker 1 (58:40):
Okay, Jake the producer getting an early jump on some
George Tray ray.

Speaker 3 (58:46):
That's Brooks and Dun.

Speaker 1 (58:48):
George straight is next hour, that's right. That's okay, little
Neon Moon.

Speaker 4 (58:52):
Here, that's right, Okay, Ronnie Dunn, Coleman, Texas, home of.

Speaker 1 (58:58):
The let me name the Coleman Blue Cats. Okay, it'd
be the Coleman Blue Cats, just because it's an unusual thing.

Speaker 2 (59:06):
But you're right, yeah, person, are done there with the
hot Moon.

Speaker 1 (59:09):
We will hear from the King George Strait coming up
next hour, all right? Uh, speaking of kings, you want
to hear from Jerry Jones went to his weekly deal
on one O five three the Fan in Dallas this morning.

Speaker 2 (59:21):
First of all, his thoughts on the win last night.

Speaker 6 (59:23):
Well, first of all, I think we had a really
across the board, uh really the top performance. I thought
we did some good things in all phases. Sounds just
like the coach there, but we we really, uh had
a real good game. It didn't have to be that way.

(59:45):
Their record is, they'd like to have more wins, I'm sure,
but still I thought we immediately on both sides of
the ball. I thought we were more physical, and I
thought we were able to care to them. What you
saw was exactly the game plan that our coaches and
Brian had lined out before the game. So I was

(01:00:07):
pleased with that. Obviously, every time Overshawn did something good
out there that made you smile. And then again, the
possibilities that go with having the kind of interior in
our defensive line, but really do create a lot of
optimism for the team, for the players, much less the coaches.

(01:00:31):
And I say that because our fans deserve defense like
the one we had out there last night.

Speaker 2 (01:00:37):
In my mind, no, okay.

Speaker 1 (01:00:39):
He was asked if he had any thoughts or any
comment about Lamb and Pickens being benched at the start
of the game.

Speaker 6 (01:00:46):
Not really that were in pause issues and had to
do with really meeting type discipline. And that's about all
you need to go into it here.

Speaker 1 (01:01:04):
Okay, all right, we'll hear some more from Jerry coming
up next hour. We'll be back to wrap up hour
number two on thirteen under the Zone, third and final
hour of the program here on Sports Radio AM thirteen
hundred of the Zone. We're glad you joined us this afternoon.

(01:01:24):
Craig way with you taking a simple water here all
right there and joined by the producer Jay Kerman. We
invite you always to reach out to us on the
text line. If you so choose, you have only to
text the word Texas, follow out your question and comment
to eight one five three zero. Standard messaging and data

(01:01:47):
rates may apply. For example, on the text line, our
man Sepala said, I remember that Starbucks story. Yeah, I
was just talking about it again during the break and
to this day I feel bad, but I hope that
it got remedied because what happened was I had left
the house, I went by the Starbucks I had ordered

(01:02:11):
on the app, and I just all I'd ordered was
a coffee, which in the morning, that's huesual all I
really want, I don't I don't really want a mocha
or a latte, or my wife is really into that.

Speaker 2 (01:02:24):
Shaken espresso of late and those are pretty good.

Speaker 1 (01:02:27):
But in the morning, I really just want either a
dark roast or a pipe place with some sugar in
the raw packets in it and a splash a half
an alf That's all.

Speaker 2 (01:02:41):
That's all I want.

Speaker 1 (01:02:42):
And that's what I ordered. And I was in a
hurry as usual, trying to get to wherever it was
I was going. And it comes zipping down and I
go running in to get it, and I see it,
or I thought it was it. I said it was
a Grande and it has crag on there, but I
didn't look close enough to the label.

Speaker 2 (01:03:03):
I could just see.

Speaker 1 (01:03:04):
I've got pretty good distance vision, and I could see
my name on it. That helps, yeah, and my eyes
did not drop below the name. So I just grabbed
it and I went and I got in the truck
and I took off south. I put it in the
cup holder. I didn't even take a sip for about
two or three miles, so I was getting situated stuff.
So then I pick it up and I take a
sip off of it, and I'm listening to music and

(01:03:27):
it still didn't hit me at first, and I'm going
and then I take another sip and this is a
coffee and I look, it's a mocha.

Speaker 2 (01:03:35):
God just got himself a mocha. And his name happened
to be Craig.

Speaker 1 (01:03:41):
And then I felt bad because I thought, that's a
mocha and that probably cost him six fifty or something,
and he's walking in for my three dollars and eighty.

Speaker 3 (01:03:52):
Seven cents your pipe place, yeah, pike, and.

Speaker 2 (01:03:55):
Going up to the deal. Hopefully.

Speaker 1 (01:03:58):
My hope was is that the guy I looked at it,
saw that it was not mocha, then said to the management, Hey,
where's my mocha, And then he might have said we
already made it.

Speaker 2 (01:04:08):
Was not here, Oh okay, and then they go and
make another, because they'll do that sometimes.

Speaker 3 (01:04:11):
You hope he didn't walk out with it.

Speaker 2 (01:04:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:04:13):
Here's something else I've done. This is from the dumbass
category two. I've done this. Tell me if you've ever
done this. Order from Starbucks on the app and he
went to the wrong Starbucks.

Speaker 2 (01:04:24):
You from the wrong Starbucks.

Speaker 4 (01:04:28):
I'm not gonna I don't think I've driven to the
wrong location. I did order photos from a CBS, and
the CBS was back in Maryland and I had moved
to Texas.

Speaker 3 (01:04:40):
But that was okay. I mean, I dealt with that pretty.

Speaker 4 (01:04:43):
But I have before made the mistake as a ut
student of ordering ahead from the pop Belly on the drag.

Speaker 2 (01:04:52):
Okay, all right, I like Popbelly.

Speaker 3 (01:04:53):
And I do too.

Speaker 4 (01:04:55):
Sometimes though, you walk in there and it's completely mobbed,
and you order ahead and not only can you not
cancel your order because your window passed, but they are
so behind that you're basically not getting You're not getting
your sandwich. Yeah, that happened to me once at that
pop Belly.

Speaker 3 (01:05:10):
Never again.

Speaker 1 (01:05:11):
Fortunately, I like pot Belly, partially because I have one,
but I mean I like pot Belly.

Speaker 2 (01:05:18):
But anyway, no, I didn't.

Speaker 3 (01:05:20):
Get that for a second.

Speaker 2 (01:05:20):
You didn't get that.

Speaker 3 (01:05:21):
I was like, oh, there's one by.

Speaker 1 (01:05:22):
You, okay, yeah, No, what I've done. And this goes
back to my days of living in Cedar Park. And
I lived in Cedar Park for twenty four years, I guess,
let's see, Yeah, nineteen ninety eight to twenty twenty two.
So I lived in Cedar Park for twenty four years,

(01:05:43):
and so my path to work for years and years
was to come down one eighty three obviously come down research.

Speaker 2 (01:05:51):
And in my.

Speaker 1 (01:05:55):
Accelerated acceptance of and dependence on Starbucks over the years,
quite frankly, I would get frequently I would get something
at the Anderson Mill of one eighty three location. Now
it's kind of moved around. They had a different one
and kind of enclosed down in another one. Anyway, it
was Anderson Mill of one eighty three. I can tell

(01:06:15):
you that it's happened at me, to me at least
twice when I was living in Cedar Park, and then
about two weeks ago it happened to me again where
I had to come over to Cedar Park and I
was in a little bit of a hurry and I
ordered my Anderson Mill of one eighty three coffee and
it was even a sandwich, and I went and I

(01:06:36):
went there to get it and realized I ordered it
from Anderson Mill.

Speaker 2 (01:06:39):
At six twenty.

Speaker 3 (01:06:40):
Oh that's okay, that's that's a.

Speaker 1 (01:06:43):
Few miles away. And a couple of times. One time
I went and I asked for the deal and then
I saw the wrong one. They felt bad. They made
another one for me that was just a drink. A
second time I went over to that one. This third
time was in Suturi Eat the twelve Bucks. That's just
you can get a little bit of rewards points. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly,

(01:07:06):
I got I got a few stars on that.

Speaker 2 (01:07:08):
But that was at uh.

Speaker 1 (01:07:09):
Somebody else said, uh, like your impressions, said, John Waite said, well,
Pilgrim joined me for a drink for eight or ten.

Speaker 2 (01:07:15):
That's right.

Speaker 1 (01:07:16):
My dad's favorite John Wayne quote. I don't remember. It
might have been Rio Bravo, and I was a John
Wayne fan, but I can't really cite specific quotes from
a lot of his movies and know exactly.

Speaker 2 (01:07:33):
Exactly which movie it was like.

Speaker 1 (01:07:36):
And there's some like in True Grit, you know he's
got the eyepatch and the guy tells him that's brave
talk for a one eyed fat man. You know, there's
there's that uh and that somebody's saying that to him
Jack Elin maybe uh and uh. But there was one quote,
maybe Rio Bravo, where John Wayne is mad at one
guy and he said, you know, I ought to knock

(01:07:58):
your block off, but I won't. I ought to shove
you out the hell I won't, And any plasters went
on that I've forgotten, which one. It was, but it
was one of those, so I do I do remember
that somebody else. I'm sorry I missed this earlier. It
wasn't on purpose, and it was relatively early in the show.
Somebody said, this year is the worst offensive performance in Sark's.

Speaker 2 (01:08:24):
Tenure here at Texas. Go back and look at twenty
twenty one.

Speaker 3 (01:08:30):
Yeah, everything after the seventy point.

Speaker 1 (01:08:32):
Yeah, Okay, Sark isn't going to fire himself, but any
other head coach wouldn't think twice about making a change
with their play caller. If Sark doesn't relinquish play calling
duties after this year, he will be committing coaching malpractice.

Speaker 2 (01:08:46):
Pure and simple. That's a popular phrase, by the way,
a lot of things that people like to say coaching
malpractice on that which is really kind of a medical term.

Speaker 1 (01:08:54):
I understand what the Texter's point is, and I would
tell you this.

Speaker 2 (01:09:03):
At the end of the.

Speaker 1 (01:09:03):
Year, they do all their evaluation and things like that,
and there may be some adjustment with regard to things
with the offensive staff. But I would not necessarily expect
to see him or lankers play calling duties, because that
was one of the major reasons they hired him was
because of his play calling expertise when he was at Alabama.
And I know it's a different role. He's not the CEO,

(01:09:26):
he's not the head coach. Nick Saban wasn't the time.

Speaker 2 (01:09:28):
I get it. I understand that.

Speaker 1 (01:09:30):
The last I think somebody said, the last Division one
FBS coach to win a national championship as the offensive
play caller was Jimo Fisher when he was at Florida State.

Speaker 2 (01:09:43):
My last one.

Speaker 3 (01:09:44):
They beat Auburn, Jameis Winston, Calvin Benjamin.

Speaker 2 (01:09:46):
That's it. So, I you know, I don't know. I
would also say this too.

Speaker 1 (01:09:52):
I think everything has to be evaluated, and they will
do this.

Speaker 2 (01:09:55):
They will do the thorough evaluation everything. Sark says.

Speaker 1 (01:09:58):
He you know, he goes home after game and evaluates
critiques his play calling. He doesn't just shove it aside
and look at the other stuff. But I do think
they will look at all areas. Even if they win
these next two games, even if they backdoor into and
it would be at this point backdoor into the College
Football Playoff.

Speaker 2 (01:10:16):
The updated playoff rankings are tonight.

Speaker 1 (01:10:18):
By the way, even if all of that happens and
they make a big run, he will still go back
with incredible detail and dissect everything and look at his
play calling.

Speaker 2 (01:10:31):
He will look at offensive.

Speaker 1 (01:10:32):
Performance and it's hard to fall play calling when you
have as many drops as they had the other night.

Speaker 4 (01:10:38):
Think not the Florida game, to think about the plays
he called that the guys didn't execute it that one.

Speaker 2 (01:10:42):
Yeah, so I get what the text is saying.

Speaker 1 (01:10:46):
But I think all things will be called into evaluation,
all of it, including play calling.

Speaker 2 (01:10:53):
I think all of it will go into it.

Speaker 1 (01:10:55):
But they'll look at running game and blocking schemes, and
they'll look at a downfield blocking and they'll look at
gadget plays.

Speaker 2 (01:11:02):
They'll look at everything. It's what they do.

Speaker 1 (01:11:04):
They're also evaluating on the run as well, so to speak,
on the fly, on the move as they get ready
for these last two games of the regular season.

Speaker 4 (01:11:11):
Do you know what a lazy argument is the idea that, oh,
because sark is play calling, it is taking him away
from being prepared for something like an onside kick.

Speaker 3 (01:11:20):
I think that's a lazy argument.

Speaker 1 (01:11:21):
Now it's a complete right, it's the first time Kirby
Smart's done it. Right the head coach, Come on, you're
gonna tell me you should have been expecting that when
they had the momentum with a twenty one to ten.
It's a great play call, a great call by a
coach to do it.

Speaker 2 (01:11:36):
It just is.

Speaker 1 (01:11:37):
And and by the way, it's got to be executed,
and it took a perfect hop. It's like I said
yesterday the news conference, it looked like that two hopper
to Mookie Bets at short when he stepped on the
bag at second and threw to first to end the
world series.

Speaker 4 (01:11:51):
It was bing bang bong. That thing popped right up
for it. So anyway, by the way, in McClintock, by
the way.

Speaker 1 (01:11:59):
McClinton, yes, I should have known that because I think
that was my dad's favorite John Wayne movie was McClintock.

Speaker 2 (01:12:06):
And a long time I was told this. I have
three brothers.

Speaker 1 (01:12:11):
My second oldest brother is a huge John Waye fan,
and it's told me that for a long time, you
can even watch McClintock on like over the air TV
because of there was some distribution issue or something like that.

Speaker 2 (01:12:26):
It's changed.

Speaker 1 (01:12:26):
Now, what's that TV channel Grit where you can watch
all these westerns. I think my brother spends like probably
twelve or thirteen hours stay watching Grit.

Speaker 4 (01:12:34):
I don't know if I get the grit channel, it's
all most cables. Yeah, I don't have that right, Yeah, yeah,
so I don't know anyway, So that yes, McClintock. Thanks
to the Texter who supplied the answer on that. It
was McClintock.

Speaker 1 (01:12:50):
I want to hear a little bit more from Michael
tap before we get to the break here very quickly.

Speaker 6 (01:12:55):
And.

Speaker 1 (01:12:57):
Taff, I want to also correct something I said. I
thought he won the Burl's Word Trophy. He did not
last her. He was a semifinal semifinalist. Well, he's a
finalist with two other individuals. The two other finalists Oklahoma's
Fabechi nwai Wu and North Texas through mess to maker, Yep,

(01:13:18):
they're the three finalists. The Burlsworth Trophy is given annually
to the most outstanding college football player who began his
career as a walk on and has shown outstanding performance
on the field. All three of those guys, by the way,
our scholarship athletes now and have been.

Speaker 2 (01:13:34):
But he was.

Speaker 1 (01:13:39):
A former walk on, so it was it was good
to see that. So in hearing a little bit from
Michael Taff, we get a little more to hear from him.
All right, So this from Taff going about with Arkansas.
What's the message to his younger teammates about getting ready

(01:14:02):
for this matchup with the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Speaker 12 (01:14:05):
You gotta watch the tape. Don't look at anything else
but the tape. What you see on tape is a
really dangerous football team, a quarterback that's a cool threat,
that might be one of the best quarterbacks we've seen
in all.

Speaker 5 (01:14:17):
Year, and some really good.

Speaker 12 (01:14:18):
Receivers, and then two a heck of really good running backs,
also really good tight ends. So tape shows that they're dangerous,
and uh, we know, we know what we gotta do.

Speaker 2 (01:14:27):
All right.

Speaker 1 (01:14:28):
So next he was asked, do the younger players understand
what that rivalry.

Speaker 2 (01:14:33):
Certainly was, if not is with Arkansas.

Speaker 12 (01:14:36):
I've been Coach Stark's gonna do a really good job,
as he's hinted at it already about building up how
much you know back in the day nineteen sixties, how
much Texas Arkansas hated each other.

Speaker 10 (01:14:47):
And twenty twenty one, that was my freshman year.

Speaker 12 (01:14:50):
They they let us know how much they hated us, and.

Speaker 2 (01:14:53):
When we went there, it's true.

Speaker 3 (01:14:56):
I remember watching that game.

Speaker 2 (01:14:57):
Oh yeah, yeah, it was good.

Speaker 1 (01:15:01):
I always think about two thousand and four going up
there and almost getting hit by a pimina che sand.

Speaker 2 (01:15:06):
Right, remember that? All right? Uh?

Speaker 1 (01:15:09):
We may hear some more from Tap a little bit later,
but up next we're here from Shawn Miller.

Speaker 2 (01:15:12):
When we continue on thirteen under the Zone memories.

Speaker 3 (01:15:15):
And why she's on his mind once again?

Speaker 2 (01:15:22):
The same old too, the same old food.

Speaker 3 (01:15:28):
Laid by the ruse, but didn't wish. There's no love in.

Speaker 7 (01:15:35):
Is hard he gain.

Speaker 3 (01:15:38):
He travel again, but he knows it is no use.

Speaker 4 (01:15:43):
He's got a food hated memory.

Speaker 1 (01:15:47):
Ah, yes, one of the standards.

Speaker 2 (01:15:54):
And George Street with foolhardy memory.

Speaker 1 (01:15:56):
It's memory, so many songs just easy tell the story
of the human condition that he does.

Speaker 4 (01:16:04):
Did not play this one when I saw him, really not.

Speaker 2 (01:16:07):
That I remember.

Speaker 4 (01:16:08):
Wow, it was an Austin city limits said he did
have limited time.

Speaker 1 (01:16:12):
Okay, that might have been the reason the two times
I've seen him, this was definitely part of the deal.

Speaker 3 (01:16:18):
I would have assumed so before I went to the show.

Speaker 2 (01:16:20):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:16:21):
Absolutely, let's hear from Sean Miller, long worn men's basketball
coach Texas plays writer. That's from as Jake remembered correctly,
Lawrenceville New Jersey, which is on the northern side. It's
a suburb of Trenton, New Jersey, and they play them tonight.
Writer from the Northeast Conference. They're one of those teams

(01:16:41):
that you frequently see during championship Week, either in the
semifinals or the finals of their conference tournament, playing like
Mount Saint Mary's or Robert Morris when they were in
that league.

Speaker 4 (01:16:53):
There're not any more screens in here when it comes
to Championship Week. I'm gonna have games on all everywhere.

Speaker 2 (01:16:58):
It'd be great.

Speaker 1 (01:17:00):
So anyway, that's so they're playing Writer, and coach Miller
asked in the press conference, anything specific that you haven't
seen in the first four ball games that you want
to see in this contest, since it is the last
one that they'll play before they head Formali this weekend.

Speaker 6 (01:17:17):
No.

Speaker 14 (01:17:17):
I think what we're after is just continued development and improvement.
You know, there's really not one area that doesn't need
improvement on our end. I will tell you though, if
you follow us closely, we have been able to get
to the free throw line, and we've been able to
get to the free throw line, and virtually every game
we've played, including our two closed scrimmages, and in those

(01:17:39):
scrimmages we did that without both Modess and Lesina. So,
you know, a free throw rate, being able to get
to the free throw line, I think that's something that's
sometimes underrated when it comes to a team or an offense.
But you have to be able to convert. You have
to be able to make free throws. You know, when
you get fouled, or if you get fouled a lot,

(01:17:59):
or you're really getting to the free throw line throughout
the game and the ball doesn't go in again, you
could fall into that other category where it becomes a negative,
and we ran into that in each of the last
two games. We are a far better free throw shooting
team than we've shot the last couple of games. We're
sticking with it. We're staying with it. I think our
percentages will rise. But you know, that's one example. Like

(01:18:23):
you asked the question, like I'd love to be able
to go to the free throw line, get there and
convert because I think the game will take on a
different feeling.

Speaker 1 (01:18:31):
Okay, Well, Seena Treyor is a guy who's really come on.
He was, of course, he missed all last year at
Xavier due to injury. He had played at Long beat Stake,
played on the NCAA tournament team, and now we're starting
to see him really step into his own as a
rebounder certainly, And coach Miller was asked about his impressions
of what he's seen from Treyri so far this year.

Speaker 14 (01:18:53):
Yeah, we knew a year ago when Lacina had his
season ending injury it happened in October that that was
a death blow for our team. You know, I think
we have a lot of pride in what we were
able to do a year ago at Xavier to make
the tournament, losing him in essence, he would have been
our starting center. And as you guys can see here
early on, you know, he can really rebound the ball.

(01:19:15):
He's done that his entire career and obviously that's a
huge asset he brings to the table. So number one,
I want him to be healthy, but I think his
rebounding is really what stands out.

Speaker 10 (01:19:26):
And with that, he has the.

Speaker 14 (01:19:28):
Ability quickness wise to defend multiple positions and impact the
game defensively as well, and I think that mindset is
a very healthy mindset for our team. I'm thrilled to
have him and all things considered, he's off to a
good start when you really look at how far he's
come and missing the summer and just the different things

(01:19:50):
that he's gone through. So I know he wants to
have a great final year and where we're excited to
have him as part of what we do.

Speaker 10 (01:19:57):
He really does give us a physicality.

Speaker 1 (01:20:00):
You may have heard, you know, right before the end
of the last hour, when coach Miller said there were
a lot of things that he was not happy with
out of the Kansas City game. They didn't shoot well
about forty percent. But it's the drop off in the
other areas that will bother a coach when the team
doesn't shoot well. So he was asked about the test

(01:20:21):
that is presented to his guys bouncing back, even though
they won by fifteen sixteen points from that less than
stellar performance in the winn for Kansas City.

Speaker 10 (01:20:31):
It will be interesting.

Speaker 6 (01:20:32):
You know.

Speaker 14 (01:20:32):
We we've today, we started up this morning already, but
you know we only have a one day.

Speaker 10 (01:20:38):
Quick turnaround and tomorrow shoot around.

Speaker 14 (01:20:40):
But you know, look, you had a place like the
University of Texas, the standards are high. The standards are high,
and not anywhere higher anywhere else other than in our
own locker room. Like we expect to play with great togetherness,
we expect to play with great effort. If you're a
player or a team who has, you know, a situation

(01:21:02):
where the ball's not necessarily going in the basket, you
have to be able to do other things to help
your team win. You have to overcome it. You know
that the era out of the building can't go out
of the entire Moody Center because you're missing shots or
we're missing shots.

Speaker 10 (01:21:16):
You have to play through that.

Speaker 14 (01:21:17):
And that was a big learning experience from our last game.
We didn't do that well. Too many individual players got
down on their own shooting and it ended up, you know,
making for a very mediocre performance by our team. And
I don't think any of us necessarily felt good after
that game. And to your point, it's about learning, bouncing back,

(01:21:40):
improving and taking I think a different standard into this
game here.

Speaker 1 (01:21:45):
All right, So the end of the yang, what are
the things he feels good about right now? And what
are the things that are And this is the way
it was free to him keeping him up at night in.

Speaker 14 (01:21:53):
Terms of the things that I feel good about. You know, look,
I think we have to improve in every area. We're
not there yet, but we've taken good care of the
ball a lot of times.

Speaker 10 (01:22:02):
Early in the year. Teams are high turnover teams.

Speaker 5 (01:22:05):
We're not.

Speaker 14 (01:22:06):
I think we've shown the ability to rebound at both ends,
sometimes at a very high level. And what I just mentioned,
you know, getting to the free throw line again in
different ways, drives, offensive rebounds, post ups. Both Modest and
Lasna get fouled a lot. Kenda Weaver gets fouled a lot.
So those three things to me really stand out. I

(01:22:28):
will also tell you, although we have a long way
to go, I think our team has an upside defensively.
You know, I do believe that we can really stay
in the fight and go against some talented offensive teams
and be able to defend them.

Speaker 10 (01:22:43):
So we have to get there.

Speaker 14 (01:22:45):
We're not there yet, but I feel like we have
a good upside there. On offense, you know, we have
to shoot the ball better, we just do. You know,
basketball is no fun when the ball keeps missing, So
we have to overcome that. We have to improve that.
We're a better shooting team, and we've shown here early on.
And you know, my hope is tomorrow night we can
put it all together.

Speaker 1 (01:23:06):
Next, he was asked, all right, so, if you have
this deal where shots aren't falling and you got to
have some guys step up and be mature, does he
feel he has those guys who can play a mature
level basketball when the shots aren't falling.

Speaker 10 (01:23:20):
I don't know if it is maturety.

Speaker 14 (01:23:21):
You know, like even the best in our game, right,
guys who are legendary shooters that they can get down
sometimes and even down too much if the ball doesn't
go in. You know, you work to be able to
be a perfectionist. You want to make shots, you want
to score points, and sometimes when that part of things
aren't going well, you almost don't realize the impact your

(01:23:44):
own attitude and feeling has throughout the team. Thing about
basketball is it's the ultimate team sport. Everybody on the
court has to do everything. You have to play defense,
you have to play offense, you have to be together. Right, So,
if you really just think about it from that perspective,
if one area of the game isn't going well and
it then begins to affect other areas, you're not playing well,

(01:24:07):
you're not being a great teammate, you're not being unselfish.
So I don't know if it's a lack of maturity
other than just understanding what it takes to be the
best team that we can be. You know, those teams
that get there at the end really learn this lesson
along the way. And as much as we want to
always win with our defense and rebounding, there may be

(01:24:27):
some nights where we have to win because we were
just red hot from three. There's a lot of different
ways you can win, but you just have to keep
playing the game, playing it together, playing it with great energy,
competing and again back to the other night, I didn't
think we were as good in that area across the
board as we could have been.

Speaker 1 (01:24:48):
Okay, Next, he was asked about the Saint John's transfer,
Simeon Wilcher, who seem to have a sluggish start, certainly
in the first game against Duke, but he has come
on of late hit three threes the other night, and
he was asked, are you starting to see the guy
you thought you would see in terms of sim and Wiltrim?

Speaker 14 (01:25:05):
Yes, I thought sim look on a night where we
needed somebody to make a few threes, he did it.
And if you look at our statistics and just really
since he's arrived here.

Speaker 10 (01:25:15):
Simmons shot the ball.

Speaker 14 (01:25:17):
Well, if you watch him shoot it, he's got a
beautiful looking shot. We want him to take and make
open threes. I think sometimes we would rather him just
take the three then sometimes try to make a play,
you know, And I think that's part of the growth
and development of Like he has such a beautiful looking shot,
we want him to shoot it. He can shoot a

(01:25:37):
high percentage, you know, take one or two more. We
want him to take three point shots. Ditto for Cam Heidi,
and in fairness, Tokim has been banged up. He's missed
some time. As you know, he didn't play in one
of the games. So it's tough to get into true
rhythm when you're missing repetitions and games and practices. But

(01:25:58):
Cam has a proven three point shoot over his time
at Purdue, and for him to not take a three
point shot for us not to help him get a
couple open looks, you know, that's something we have to
look at and be better at because I think both
Sim and Cam have that career ability from behind the line,
especially Cam when you look at his percentage.

Speaker 10 (01:26:20):
So again, the month of November.

Speaker 14 (01:26:23):
As we play more games, as we're around each other
more as we learn the strengths and weaknesses of our team.
You know, my hope is that something like Cam Heidi
being a guy who takes threes every game.

Speaker 10 (01:26:36):
You know that shouldn't be in question.

Speaker 14 (01:26:37):
He's too good of a shooter not to get a
couple open threes each game.

Speaker 2 (01:26:44):
More about shooting.

Speaker 1 (01:26:46):
When the outside shots aren't falling and they do get
to the free throw line quite a bit and they're
hitting free throws, does he feel the need to tell
the guys go ahead and put it on the floor,
drive to the basket if you're not hitting from outside.

Speaker 14 (01:26:59):
Yes, I mean there's a lot of ways to score
the ball. You know, getting fouled, you're not going to
get fouled from behind the line. Get to drive it,
post it, offensive, rebound, play fast. All those things create
three free throw attempts. But look, I think the one
thing about the three point shot, everybody looks at it
differently today than they once did because of the analytics.

(01:27:19):
You know, one for two from two is one for
three from three, right, I mean, you take a look
at one point per possession, So it makes sense when
you have an open three point shot to take it.
So I have no problem taking threes. I can make
the argument we should take a few more. However, there
are times when that ball doesn't go in, and you know,
I think that's kind of the thought here this morning

(01:27:42):
when you listen to me, when that time happens, we
have to be able to play through it, get to
the other side of it, and I think what will
happen is that's also the best way of making.

Speaker 10 (01:27:53):
Your next shot.

Speaker 14 (01:27:54):
You know, when you just you're caught up and playing
the game and you're not worried about a result of
something that's already But we want to take three point shots, obviously,
I don't have to tell you, guys, Jordan Pope I
look at as one of the best three point shooters,
not only on our team, but maybe in the SEC.
I mean of the drills that we've done in the
days we've been together, games, practices. You know, Jordan has

(01:28:16):
proven to me, especially considering where he is in his career,
that he's an elite shooter. Every elite shooter goes through
those patches where the ball doesn't go in, and I
think that he'll come out of it. Wouldn't surprise me
tomorrow if it doesn't happen for him, but while he's
going through it, he's our point guard. And one of
the conversations that him and I had is, man, you're

(01:28:37):
in charge of everything, right, You're the quarterback on the court.
You're the extension of the coach. You know, your assist
your turnovers, your defense, your body language, your communication, all
that has to be in place if the ball is
not going in.

Speaker 2 (01:28:53):
All right, there it is.

Speaker 1 (01:28:54):
We're going to hear some more from Sean Miller coming
up to break. We'll continue right here on sports Radio
AM thirteen under the Zone and the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 6 (01:29:01):
And somebody out I felt you in them out, but
I won't.

Speaker 2 (01:29:05):
I won't the hell yeah there it is the Duke
Hell I won't.

Speaker 3 (01:29:18):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:29:22):
Well, Seabalas is my favorite.

Speaker 1 (01:29:25):
John Wayne Cole was from the Alamo when he met
Jim Bowie there. So, uh, somebody else on that said, hey, look,
their complaints not with the offense like the earlier Texter.
So the offense was close to good enough. The penalties
and pass defense and special teams the main calls. So
what that tells you is, uh, the old thing about

(01:29:45):
plugging one leak another another one comes up.

Speaker 6 (01:29:48):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:29:49):
There's times when the defense looked has looked incredibly.

Speaker 2 (01:29:52):
Good this year.

Speaker 1 (01:29:53):
They were ranked number two against the run and all
that sort of stuff, but they sprung some leaks, especially
in the second and Sark addressed those special teams. It's
more about you know that that onside kick would certainly
stain it, that's for sure. Otherwise special teams, I mean,
my goodness, the way that they've been good on field

(01:30:15):
goals with Mason Chipley, obviously Ryan Nidlet with the pump returns,
they've been bomester on punts.

Speaker 2 (01:30:21):
They've been really good on special teams.

Speaker 1 (01:30:23):
But that is going to stick out like a sore
thumb when something like that happens, for sure. And the penalties,
that's just an ongoing thing that just hasn't gone away.
There were times it spiked early, it went down as
they got an SEC play, and now it's popped back
up last couple of weeks. And it's not what they teach,

(01:30:44):
it's not what they stress, but it keeps happening. And
that's why Sark said yesterday when somebody asked him about that,
he said, what do you do? And he said, that's
where you have to have the hard conversation with some guys.
About whether they stay in the lineup as a starter
or backup or whatever.

Speaker 2 (01:31:04):
If they continue to make those mistakes.

Speaker 1 (01:31:07):
Women's basketball tomorrow night at Moody and we're gonna hear
from Vic Shaeffer tomorrow on the program, and they're gonna
be playing James Madison. It's their final game before they
have a holiday tournament. And what it's a two night deal, well,
one day game, one night game in Las Vegas where
they're gonna play a ranked UCLA team that was like

(01:31:30):
Texas in the final four year ago, and then depending
on winning and losing, they're either gonna play Duke or
South Carolina.

Speaker 2 (01:31:36):
And I'll play a really good team regardless.

Speaker 1 (01:31:39):
That is next Wednesday and Thursday in the Players Era
Championship in Las Vegas.

Speaker 2 (01:31:46):
Roger Walls will be out there to call those two
games as I'll be stuck in Maui. You know, a
pull or crag. People know, I get.

Speaker 1 (01:31:57):
I got to say that was straight faced, had been
since twenty twelve because in twenty sixteen, Shaka Smarts first year,
didn't the invite was there, didn't want to go there,
didn't think they were ready for Causeanda to open his
first season in Shanghai, China, and then they were and
then they had another I think it was the Bahamas

(01:32:19):
coming up and they end up going to Brooklyn instead.

Speaker 2 (01:32:21):
It was the deal. But I mentioned the women.

Speaker 1 (01:32:26):
Rory Harmon and Madison Booker both have been named to
the Wooden Award watch list, So that's pretty cool as well.
All right, let's let's hear some more from the head
coach of the long worn men's basketball team, Sean Miller,
in talking about getting ready to go to Maui and
still just trying to continue to improve, and he was

(01:32:49):
asked to evaluate how well his team.

Speaker 2 (01:32:52):
Has passed the ball so far.

Speaker 10 (01:32:53):
I think we can pass the ball better.

Speaker 14 (01:32:56):
It doesn't surprise me in you know, in game four
or five that that's something that we can We're doing fine.
I think our intentions are pure. But we have the
ability to hit the rollers, sometimes on a pick and roll,
to make the one more, to move it quicker, sometimes
just to catch and pass. But I do believe that

(01:33:16):
that's in our future. We'll get there. So I think
that we have the right intentions. It's just a work
in progress. We've also seen a lot of mixed defenses
early in the year.

Speaker 10 (01:33:27):
Other than Duke.

Speaker 14 (01:33:28):
You know, the other teams have mixed in a good
portion of zone, so that's a different way of playing
the game and moving the ball as opposed to our
man and man offense.

Speaker 1 (01:33:37):
All Right, there's been a lot said about, you know,
how they're going to be more up tempo and they
want to run it at a higher level.

Speaker 2 (01:33:43):
And he was asked about Jordan Pope at point guard.

Speaker 1 (01:33:46):
Is he equipped to be able to handle that and
what kind of confidence he has in him?

Speaker 14 (01:33:50):
So a little bit of everything you mentioned. You know,
there's really three different guys on our program that could
play the point guard position. Tremaon Mark, did you guys
watched him at the end of last year on that role.
Obviously sim Wilcher is capable and could play both on
and off the ball, as Tremont can and Jordan can
as well. So you know, we don't have like that

(01:34:10):
true one. But what we have is we have three
different guys who I think are playmakers by nature, who
can play both on and off the ball. The thing
that draws me to Jordan in that role is his
assist to turnover ratio. At the end of the day,
that's more important than anything. If you're given the keys,
or you're the engine that makes things go, or the
ball is in your hands more than everybody else. You

(01:34:33):
have to be able to make good decisions, value and
take care of the ball. And his assist to turnover
ratio as you see it today is outstanding. I think
everybody in here knows he is a excellent shooter that
hasn't necessarily shown consistently consistently here recently, but he'll get
back on that. And I just think where he is

(01:34:55):
in his career. You know, Jordan's not a young guy.
He's had great experience in a PAC twelve. He has
great experience here in the SEC at the University of Texas.
He's been through all of the ups and downs that
you want a college player to go through. And with
that great experience and skill level and his ability to
value the ball, you know, I think that we have

(01:35:15):
a unique player at that position because there are times
when Jordan might lead us in scoring right even though
he is our point guard.

Speaker 10 (01:35:23):
So I think that's part of it.

Speaker 14 (01:35:25):
I think the second part that I've really tried to
challenge Jordan in is defensively. You know, you have to
be able to assert yourself play with more pressure, more intensity,
being a factor, being able to guard some of the
quickest players in our game and be able to do
it day in day out, not just in games, but
every day in practice. So you know, he's a very

(01:35:47):
willing learner, incredibly smart and bright, and I think we
have a number of players on this year's team that
they want their final year in college to be their
best year, and I think all of that really aligned
allowing Jordan to be our point guard or play the
point guard. You know, there are times when sim will
be at the one, but the guy who starts the

(01:36:08):
game is Jordan, and.

Speaker 1 (01:36:10):
Then finally one guy, the guy he brought with him.
He brought two guys with him from Xavier. We mentioned
Lasina Tree or the other of course is Dylan Swain.
And he has really picked up his game offensively, and
Coach Millers asked about how he's improved his game, Well.

Speaker 14 (01:36:25):
Daylan is the ultimate two way player. His ability to
steal the ball guard a variety of different types of players.
One hidden stat for him is his defensive rebounding. If
you followed him a year ago in the Big East Conference,
he was actually one of our conference's best defensive rebounders.
If you look at him on the stat sheet here today,

(01:36:46):
he's one of our team's best defensive rebounders, may be
our best defensive rebounder. So all that's about defense steals.
And you know he's six foot eight to twenty. He's
now in his third year, so he has great experience.
So he brings that to the table and we continue
to set the bar even higher for him as a defender.

(01:37:07):
On offense, we want Dylan to take open three point shots.
I think that his ability in the open court, him
and Ken the Weavers share this gift that when they
have the ball in transition in the open floor, a
lot of good things happen. So he gets foult, he
scores a lot of times, he makes clever passes and
helps other people get shots. So you know, his ability

(01:37:29):
to facilitate be a distributor, especially in transition driving the ball,
taking open shots, and then look, if you could defensive rebound,
you should be able to get a few offensive rebounds
as well. And I think that we want him to
be a double figure scorer. And I think Dalen has
a very very bright future.

Speaker 1 (01:37:46):
All right there it is coach Miller and again seven
to thirty pre game start time eight o'clock tip off
from Moody Center, Texas against Writer and it's on nine
eight point one fmc vette and also right here on
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