December 19, 2025 • 21 mins
From Arlington, Craig Way calls into the show and shares his reactions to Will Muschamp being appointed Texas' new defensive coordinator, replacing Pete Kwiatkowski.
Craig also shares the latest news from the UIL State Championships and his thoughts on the Rams' late collapse in Seattle.
Craig also shares the latest news from the UIL State Championships and his thoughts on the Rams' late collapse in Seattle.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Back to the Concho Valley and all the team bus
the Wallhawks. We'll have the state championship trophy with them.
Wall wins its first ever state title. The Hawks are
free A Division two state champions of Texas.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Yeah, that's right. He's not just the.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Voice of the Texas Longhornety's the voice of seven out
of twelve UIL Texas state high school football championships here
in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
And he's joining us now.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Craig Way live from AT and T Stadium in Arlington.
All right, Craig, Right after we hung up yesterday, we
got some big news Steve Sarkisian making a change at
defensive coordinator. And first off, I just want to ask
how you're doing in the middle of the state championships
and get what your reaction was. As soon as we
stop talking yesterday.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Yeah, don't find Jake and middle part of day number three,
and I've got the game tonight between Frisco lone Star
and the defending state champion Smithson Valley in five A
Division one. We'll get back to the high school in
a minute. You're right, our timing was just a little
bit off. By the time I got finished with you
and then went back over to prepare for the next game.
(01:22):
Then the news came down about the changes that Start
made to a step. One thing that really struck me
about this was in the news conference, and really I
kind of thought it might go this way because of
what I saw on social media yesterday after the moves
weren't out, and that was the point that there were
(01:44):
a lot of.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Media or whoever who were who were wondering what.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
The situation was, why the changes were coming on the
defensive side of the football when the offense had mostly struggle,
and Start was pretty plain spoken in his answers in
the news conference that we brought to everybody live this
morning on thirteen under his own it's that he wasn't
isolating one specific area.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
He was looking at the macro. He'd already made.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
One change with his offensive staff in dismissing Chad Scottish
running backs coach, and then he felt like there were
also things that had happened with the defensive side of
the football, and that's why he went ahead and made
those changes. It wasn't like, well, let me just pick
that side or whatever. As he explained, the timing was
(02:35):
not right for him to offer a position to Will
Musham Back a few years ago, the timing was much better.
And speaking of timing, these moves that he made needed
to be made before the holiday.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
Break simply because of the transfer portal.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
He had to have people on staff and with kids
out for holiday break. The portal opens on January tewod
so if he waited until whatever January first, or after
the bowl game or a couple of days after that,
it might have been too late to keep some guys
or at least have a shot to keep some guys
(03:10):
on the roster who might look at it and go, wow,
this is a complete blow up, in.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
A shake up, I need to evaluate my situation now.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
There will still be guys who do that, I think,
and already some have entered the portal, some have announced
they're gonna go on to the NFL, and there may
be a few others. We'll see once the portal opens.
But I think Sark wanted to make sure that these
moves were in place beforehand. That's why he had Will
Muschamp on campus yesterday. That's why he had Mushchamp meeting
(03:39):
with players like a Grayson Littleton and then Colin Simmons
and several of those other guys to let them know
where he was with it, so he could begin to
build a relationship with those guys.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
I think all of.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
That played into why the decision was made to make
those hires and to have that roster or that staff
changeover come down yesterday instead of waiting until after the
bowl game.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Yeah, and we'll hear some of his explanation on the
timing of it all in terms of the transfer portal
during the next segment of the show. I want to
ask you about this aspect of Steve Sarkisian's press conference today,
and that is the interconnected nature of him coaching the
team and the offense versus what's happening on the defensive side.
(04:25):
He said that hiring Will Muschamp to essentially serve as
the quote head coach of the defense will allow sark
to focus more of his time on the offensive side
of the ball and will also improve the Longhorns offense
at play by seeing that type of defense every day.
Did this comment kind of how did you react to
that comment?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Ben?
Speaker 4 (04:43):
Surprise me and let me give you an example.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
We have a lot of great listeners and text us
and we have our one pal who texts us that
firmly believes that Stark should hire a play caller, and
I respect his a opinion on that. We've gone back
and forth, and you know, and uh, it might be
more good natured for my part than his. I don't know.
He seems a little perturbed at times on my responses
(05:09):
on that.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
But I respect his opinion on it.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
My point all along was not whether I thought.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Sark was planning to make a change by hiring a
play caller.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
That's immaterial. He's not going to That's that.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
That has been my continued point, no matter how I
might feel about it. It's kind of like, well, since
I'm here in the home of the Dallas Cowboys, all
the people who text in and we still get a
lot of these.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
You know, this Jake who harangue.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
About Jerry Jones has got to give up the general
manager duties. He's got to get out of there. Jerry's
got that's not happening. It will never happen as long
as Jerry Jones is the owner of the cab and
when he and by the way, when the time comes
when he's too old and infirm, there are many who
feel he's already at that now. But anyway, when they
when that time comes, it's simply going to be passed
down to Stephen Jones to run it. So that's why
(05:59):
I've I've told Cowboy fans to make peace with it,
to come to terms with it. Cameron Parker's and that's
why he doesn't watch it, why he doesn't root for him,
because of the ownership in the direction understandable and with
regard to Texas, my point is similar that Sark is
not planning to hire an.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Offensive play caller.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
And while that may upset or make some people unhappy,
I respect their opinion on that, but it's not going
to change the fact of what's going.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
To happen there now.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
This, however, might help and for those who think that
he should hire an offensive play caller like you did, Jake,
if they were listening to what he was saying today,
that it frees him up a little more and there's
less concerned with what's going on with the defense, and
Will Musham has it all under control. To use Sarch words,
he said, I can be visiting with March more or
(06:53):
with aj Milwey. In other words, they can still try
to craft what they're seeing and make it work better
for the offense. It's all in the plan of continuing
the mold and shape and move forward and to improve.
Because this young group this year, and they were young
on offense, is certainly more seasoned by the end of
the year, and they're going to be more season next year,
(07:16):
so more is going to be expected of them, and
Sark nos Daity said Moore would be expected of himself
as well.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
You know, Craig, you got to spend some time around
both Pete Kwakowski and Will Muschamp when he was with
the Longhorns back during that run culminating from two thousand
and eight to twenty ten. How would you describe the
kind of difference in their personalities that Sark alluded to
in the press conference today.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
What's the phrase we use one to eighty.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
I mean, they are drastically different in terms of their personality,
makeup and their style. PK you know, constant level lake,
you know, and both by the way, have had success
with their you know, respect to formulas, and p K
was always kind of low key, that sort of thing.
(08:05):
There was a reason that Will mush Champ was known
as coach Boom when he was around on campus because
he could get really fired up and get mad. Everybody
remembers in two thousand and nine and the smashing of
the white board and all that other.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
Kind of stuff.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
But he always would have a hot motor that said,
it wasn't like anger at his players all the time.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Really loved his players and they would.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Walk through white boards and brick walls and things like that.
For must Champ as well, he got uncomfortable there right
toward the end of his time because he had been
named the head coach in waiting, Well, everybody was waiting
wondering if Mac Brown was gonna go ahead and step down,
and then Mac decided out to do it, and then
(08:52):
that's when the opportunity opened up for mush Champ Polie.
So you know, all of that stuff happened right toward
the end of mac downs time as head coach in Texas.
But I think it's a different time in a different,
different place now, not only for must Champion before this
long worn football program, and I think it's a good
time for it to be back in the fold on
the coaching staff. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
And I think this long worn football program is in
a place right Craig where they're right in the mix
every single year on the national stage in the semifinals,
two years in a row, trying to break through against
those top five programs. Do you think this kind of
higher is Sark saying, well, this is the type of
defense I think we need to take that next step.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Well, I think that's part of it. The aggressive nature
and all that other kind of stuff. I think that's
part of it. Here's the other thing that stuck with
me out the news conference, and I listen, long worn
fans can can take it however they choose to and
accept it or not or whatever and believe it in whatever.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
Context they choose about what I'm about to say.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
But Sark did say in the press conference, the team
with nine and three and nine and three is not
good enough in this day and time. And we understand that.
Our charge, our responsibility, our expectation is to get to
the college football playoff, and not only to get to
the playoff, but to run the table and to win it.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
That's why these moves have been made.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
I mean, you look at a guy that now over
the past three years is thirty four and eight with
two trips to the semi final round of the college
football playf and they didn't get there this year, and
so he's trying to address that right now, so they
have a chance not only to get that back to that,
but then have a good shot to win it all.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Craig, what do you remember about covering those defenses, both
in the way that they played and the players who
made up those defenses under must champ in Austin Well,
I think.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Of guys like Samacho and Maniacho.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
I think of Earl Thomas, I think of Blake Gideon,
think of guys who are hard hitters and play makers.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
And the long words have some of those guys as
we know.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
I think they do have hard hitters like a Colin
Simmons or you know, Lance Jackson, some other guys like that.
I think they do have playmakers in the secondary who
are capable of it, like Malik Muhammad or Grayson Liwleson.
We just didn't see enough of it during the course
of the year, and for folks were asking about this
particular change. While the rush defense was eighth in the
country and the total defense was thirty ninth, respectable enough,
(11:26):
the past defense was one hundred and seven, and so
as a result of that, there were a lot of
people who probably noticed that as well.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Certainly Sart noticed it, and his coaching town noticed it.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
And if you're listening at home and noticed the cheers
in the background, Craig is in the concourse at AT
and T Stadium between games at the high school state Championship.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Can you tell who just scored there?
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Yes, Carthage Again, no big surprise there. The defending state
champions are awaiting a point after that would put them
up twenty one to nothing on West.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
N start late in the first half. Carthage.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
You know, we talked about Alito having more state titles
than anyone, but Carthage may have been the most consistent
program Aledo right now with twelve titles.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
And here's Cardiff.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
It's going for state championship number eleven and all eleven.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
Under their head coach Scott Sarrat.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
If they've gone and win this game and they're up
twenty one to nothing late first half, he would be
the first Texas high school football coach to start to
coach eleven state championship games and win all eleven. He's
never lost a state championship, so he's gonna He already
is in the pantheon of great high school coaches in Texas.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
But he's he's going to be up there right at
the time. He'll be the only one.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
That has that many state titles single handedly or at
least you know individual as the head coach.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
And I've said they have a real good shot at that.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
Unbelievable Seapal says watching the state champ games, there's so
much football talent in Texas from six man up and
we haven't even gotten to five A and six A yet.
I've tempted to call SEC schools and invite them to watch.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
We're gonna see a lot we're watching.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
They're watching.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Oh sorry, he said, SEC shows.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Okay, okay, But speaking of Alito, who you mentioned? That's
the team Frisco Lone Star came back from down three
scores and knocked out earlier in the year. Now they
get their shot at the defending champions from Smithson Valley,
who knocked off a really good Port Arthur Memorial team
in their own right to get there. What kind of talent,
what kind of fun can we expect from this matchup tonight?
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Well, what Lone Star has done has been pretty fair.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
And let me tell you who other than what happened
last week when Alito had the sixteen point fourth quarter
league get away. Late, they're up fifty two to thirty six,
and Long Star comes back. They scored two touchdowns they
were covering on side kick and get one final score
and they end up winning it fifty six fifty two.
They scored twenty points in the final four minutes for
the ball game and win that. Other than that game,
(13:57):
the other team to play them that well, Waseorgetown, and
when Georgetown played them in the second round, it was
a solid ball game into the third quarter before Lone
Star pulled away. They are loaded with explosive talent. Where
do you see Damien Groz, They're outstanding wide receiver.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
There's plenty of talent out there. Now.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
They're going up against a precision oriented, very disciplined team
in Smithson Valley, the defending state champions, and Smithson was
able to beat Highland Park last year with that making
very very few mistakes. Not to say they know I'm playmakers.
They do both of the quarterback and the running back spot.
But what they're going to have to be is that
(14:40):
they're disciplined, best in staying home in their assignments. Because
the athletic talent for Lone Star, which by the way,
is also a very well coached team.
Speaker 4 (14:49):
I'm not just saying they're a team full of talent.
A kid.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Jeff Raverns been a fabulous job and he's the only
coach the program has ever had. He got into a
state final ten years ago twenty fifteen.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
They lost. It's the Cedar Park down at NRG.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Stadium in Houston.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
But he's done a fabulous job of this program.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
The problem was they were always in the toughest of
the regions, I believe, regions that had the likes of
DT Ryan and Highland Park and those schools.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
In there, and of course Alita.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Well, they were finally able to break through that wall
and get here. I think Lone Star is probably the
favorite on this game. I think the computer had him
like a touchdown favorite or something. But Smithson Valley, like
I said, is a very button up coach. Larry Goi
one of the all time greats and coaching finally got
his first state title.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
A year ago.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
So they're much more comfortable with the environment and the
surroundings right now, and I think it'll be a good
football game.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
I do two seven o'clock on victory plus great football
game last night, Wall held off Newton. You could feel
the momentum really shift in that game late. It got
real interesting. But we heard the call at the top
of the hour. What a moment for the Hawks.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Yeah, first time ever for that schooling in the state title.
And you talk about doing all the things right in
the first half. They did the block plunt for a touchdown,
hit a couple of big plays. They're up twenty five
eight and it's looking like it's all over. Newton of
course came back, great fighting spirit, well coached, great athletes,
incredible running game to get back in the game and
(16:15):
cut it to twenty five to twenty four, and then
Wall was able to hold on and recover that on
side kick in the waning moments to preserve the men.
So a great state title victory there for the Hawks,
their first state championship. And then we've got three games tomorrow.
Jake that it should be spellbinders. It is teams from
(16:36):
outside here against South Dallas County because in the first
game you have a rematch of last year state championship
game in five Division two Richmond Randall, South oak Cliff,
Richmond Randall beat Sack a year ago. South Olkcliff is
in its fifth consecutive state championship game. They won their
first two and they've lost their last two. This is
five in a row now for them to reach the
(16:57):
title round. That's the first game at eleven in the morning.
The two games I'll be calling will be the six
A game duncan Villa Northshore. You want to count numbers
about meetings, this will be the sixth time in nine
years that duncan Villa and Galina Park Northshore have met
in the state final.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
Northshore won the first three, duncan Villa's won the.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
Last two, and in visiting with both coaches, I had
zoom calls with both this morning and both said the programs.
There were individual players who are very special on both sides,
but the programs that you know, look remarkably the same
over the years of the way they're coach, the way
they go about it. And then the nightcap, which might
be the most explosive game of all, will be the
(17:35):
Soto against ce King from Houston. Two teams that have,
you know, eye popping offenses, and they'll try to do
something with their defenses to try to slow one another.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
Down tomorrow night.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
So a great final day tomorrow after this one concludes
in one more game tonight.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
Absolutely, and I'll be tuned into those, Craig.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
I'm not going to let you off the hook this
easily though.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
On your Los Angeles Rams, who lost from a very
winnable position last night, what do you kind of make
of that? On one hand, Matthew Stafford played outstanding. On
the other hand, the Rams, now for a second time
this season, let one get away on the road.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Well, the Rams lost the game in the way that
I've seen them lose the other three games this year,
and the way I almost kind of expected him to do,
and that is to have it get away from him
in the fourth quarter. Now, they did a great job
of the first three quarters against the Seahawks.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
Think about this. They're up thirty to fourteen in the
fourth quarter.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
With the football and yes, by the way, this iPad
that I'm busying with, I had that over to my
side while I was calling a free A Division two
championship game, So during breaks I was looking over and
things like commercial breaks and stuff like that, I was
looking over. But when you're up thirty to fourteen in
the fourth quarter, you got posession football, it should lose
the game. They had three straight three and outs and
(18:53):
after one of those, who was a plump return for
a touchdown, then they give up a touchdown drive. They
gave up two two point conversions to tie. If the
second one was the bizarre one that was originally ruled
an incomplete pass overturn on review, I think correctly.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
So that it was a backward pass. Now. I've had other.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
People tell me that they heard what should have been
called an inadvertent whistle when the ball hit the ground.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
I didn't hear it.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
And if that was the case, then the play either
should have been blown dead and it's either a do
over or playover.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
It's not awarding the two points on that. But the NFL.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
I haven't seen anything from the NFL it says there
was an inadvertent whistle on that. I haven't had a
chance to check all of the NFL wires today. Nevertheless,
the Rams still could have won the game, got down,
got the touchdown in overtime and just could not stop
Seattle Coleman back down the field.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
And you knew the.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Seahawks were going to go for two again if they scored,
So no surprise there. That's how you go from being
one seed to the five seed in the span of
a quarter in most of overtime. Because the Rams now
are not in a position to win the NFC West,
and if you don't have that one seed, it's real
hard to win the NFC. So i'd say you put
(20:05):
that squarely in the lap of the Seahawks. Now we're
probably gonna wind up winning the West. Being the one seed.
They're gonna be tough to beat in that building as
they try to, you know, get a buy and then
all anthon, who's win two home games to get the
Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
Craig, You're a much much better multitasker than me, but
I know you've got to get back to work.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Thanks for stopping by and joining us.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Hey, fun, appreciate you stepping in, and hope everybody has
a great weekend. I'll be back in the office on Monday.
Jaq and I have a couple of days Monday and Tuesday.
And by the way, little tease, all our bump music
on Monday and Tuesday are gonna need some of my
favorites from Christmas, so.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
We're gonna do that on Monday and Tuesday. We'll have
a light up on those. We'll do that.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
It won't be a Texan Tuesday. It'll be a Christmas Tuesday,
so to speak.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
As we get it.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
It won't be a long Worns Monday. It'll be a
Merry Christmas Monday type of thing. So we're gonna do
on Monday and Tuesday next weekend over you have. We've
got a long warn basketball game on Monday night against
Maryland Eastern Sure, and the women are at South Dakoch.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
State on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Craig, two more shows before the holiday break. We'll make
them count. Thanks again, you bet.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
And after this we'll hear a little more from Longhorn's
head coach, Steve Sarkisian, including his comments on the schedule
that have kind of well, I'll let him tell it
right after this on a sports radio AM thirteen hundred
to Zone
Back to the Concho Valley and all the team bus
the Wallhawks. We'll have the state championship trophy with them.
Wall wins its first ever state title. The Hawks are
free A Division two state champions of Texas.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Yeah, that's right. He's not just the.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Voice of the Texas Longhornety's the voice of seven out
of twelve UIL Texas state high school football championships here
in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
And he's joining us now.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Craig Way live from AT and T Stadium in Arlington.
All right, Craig, Right after we hung up yesterday, we
got some big news Steve Sarkisian making a change at
defensive coordinator. And first off, I just want to ask
how you're doing in the middle of the state championships
and get what your reaction was. As soon as we
stop talking yesterday.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Yeah, don't find Jake and middle part of day number three,
and I've got the game tonight between Frisco lone Star
and the defending state champion Smithson Valley in five A
Division one. We'll get back to the high school in
a minute. You're right, our timing was just a little
bit off. By the time I got finished with you
and then went back over to prepare for the next game.
(01:22):
Then the news came down about the changes that Start
made to a step. One thing that really struck me
about this was in the news conference, and really I
kind of thought it might go this way because of
what I saw on social media yesterday after the moves
weren't out, and that was the point that there were
(01:44):
a lot of.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Media or whoever who were who were wondering what.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
The situation was, why the changes were coming on the
defensive side of the football when the offense had mostly struggle,
and Start was pretty plain spoken in his answers in
the news conference that we brought to everybody live this
morning on thirteen under his own it's that he wasn't
isolating one specific area.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
He was looking at the macro. He'd already made.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
One change with his offensive staff in dismissing Chad Scottish
running backs coach, and then he felt like there were
also things that had happened with the defensive side of
the football, and that's why he went ahead and made
those changes. It wasn't like, well, let me just pick
that side or whatever. As he explained, the timing was
(02:35):
not right for him to offer a position to Will
Musham Back a few years ago, the timing was much better.
And speaking of timing, these moves that he made needed
to be made before the holiday.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
Break simply because of the transfer portal.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
He had to have people on staff and with kids
out for holiday break. The portal opens on January tewod
so if he waited until whatever January first, or after
the bowl game or a couple of days after that,
it might have been too late to keep some guys
or at least have a shot to keep some guys
(03:10):
on the roster who might look at it and go, wow,
this is a complete blow up, in.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
A shake up, I need to evaluate my situation now.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
There will still be guys who do that, I think,
and already some have entered the portal, some have announced
they're gonna go on to the NFL, and there may
be a few others. We'll see once the portal opens.
But I think Sark wanted to make sure that these
moves were in place beforehand. That's why he had Will
Muschamp on campus yesterday. That's why he had Mushchamp meeting
(03:39):
with players like a Grayson Littleton and then Colin Simmons
and several of those other guys to let them know
where he was with it, so he could begin to
build a relationship with those guys.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
I think all of.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
That played into why the decision was made to make
those hires and to have that roster or that staff
changeover come down yesterday instead of waiting until after the
bowl game.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Yeah, and we'll hear some of his explanation on the
timing of it all in terms of the transfer portal
during the next segment of the show. I want to
ask you about this aspect of Steve Sarkisian's press conference today,
and that is the interconnected nature of him coaching the
team and the offense versus what's happening on the defensive side.
(04:25):
He said that hiring Will Muschamp to essentially serve as
the quote head coach of the defense will allow sark
to focus more of his time on the offensive side
of the ball and will also improve the Longhorns offense
at play by seeing that type of defense every day.
Did this comment kind of how did you react to
that comment?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Ben?
Speaker 4 (04:43):
Surprise me and let me give you an example.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
We have a lot of great listeners and text us
and we have our one pal who texts us that
firmly believes that Stark should hire a play caller, and
I respect his a opinion on that. We've gone back
and forth, and you know, and uh, it might be
more good natured for my part than his. I don't know.
He seems a little perturbed at times on my responses
(05:09):
on that.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
But I respect his opinion on it.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
My point all along was not whether I thought.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Sark was planning to make a change by hiring a
play caller.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
That's immaterial. He's not going to That's that.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
That has been my continued point, no matter how I
might feel about it. It's kind of like, well, since
I'm here in the home of the Dallas Cowboys, all
the people who text in and we still get a
lot of these.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
You know, this Jake who harangue.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
About Jerry Jones has got to give up the general
manager duties. He's got to get out of there. Jerry's
got that's not happening. It will never happen as long
as Jerry Jones is the owner of the cab and
when he and by the way, when the time comes
when he's too old and infirm, there are many who
feel he's already at that now. But anyway, when they
when that time comes, it's simply going to be passed
down to Stephen Jones to run it. So that's why
(05:59):
I've I've told Cowboy fans to make peace with it,
to come to terms with it. Cameron Parker's and that's
why he doesn't watch it, why he doesn't root for him,
because of the ownership in the direction understandable and with
regard to Texas, my point is similar that Sark is
not planning to hire an.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Offensive play caller.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
And while that may upset or make some people unhappy,
I respect their opinion on that, but it's not going
to change the fact of what's going.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
To happen there now.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
This, however, might help and for those who think that
he should hire an offensive play caller like you did, Jake,
if they were listening to what he was saying today,
that it frees him up a little more and there's
less concerned with what's going on with the defense, and
Will Musham has it all under control. To use Sarch words,
he said, I can be visiting with March more or
(06:53):
with aj Milwey. In other words, they can still try
to craft what they're seeing and make it work better
for the offense. It's all in the plan of continuing
the mold and shape and move forward and to improve.
Because this young group this year, and they were young
on offense, is certainly more seasoned by the end of
the year, and they're going to be more season next year,
(07:16):
so more is going to be expected of them, and
Sark nos Daity said Moore would be expected of himself
as well.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
You know, Craig, you got to spend some time around
both Pete Kwakowski and Will Muschamp when he was with
the Longhorns back during that run culminating from two thousand
and eight to twenty ten. How would you describe the
kind of difference in their personalities that Sark alluded to
in the press conference today.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
What's the phrase we use one to eighty.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
I mean, they are drastically different in terms of their personality,
makeup and their style. PK you know, constant level lake,
you know, and both by the way, have had success
with their you know, respect to formulas, and p K
was always kind of low key, that sort of thing.
(08:05):
There was a reason that Will mush Champ was known
as coach Boom when he was around on campus because
he could get really fired up and get mad. Everybody
remembers in two thousand and nine and the smashing of
the white board and all that other.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
Kind of stuff.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
But he always would have a hot motor that said,
it wasn't like anger at his players all the time.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Really loved his players and they would.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Walk through white boards and brick walls and things like that.
For must Champ as well, he got uncomfortable there right
toward the end of his time because he had been
named the head coach in waiting, Well, everybody was waiting
wondering if Mac Brown was gonna go ahead and step down,
and then Mac decided out to do it, and then
(08:52):
that's when the opportunity opened up for mush Champ Polie.
So you know, all of that stuff happened right toward
the end of mac downs time as head coach in Texas.
But I think it's a different time in a different,
different place now, not only for must Champion before this
long worn football program, and I think it's a good
time for it to be back in the fold on
the coaching staff. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
And I think this long worn football program is in
a place right Craig where they're right in the mix
every single year on the national stage in the semifinals,
two years in a row, trying to break through against
those top five programs. Do you think this kind of
higher is Sark saying, well, this is the type of
defense I think we need to take that next step.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
Well, I think that's part of it. The aggressive nature
and all that other kind of stuff. I think that's
part of it. Here's the other thing that stuck with
me out the news conference, and I listen, long worn
fans can can take it however they choose to and
accept it or not or whatever and believe it in whatever.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
Context they choose about what I'm about to say.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
But Sark did say in the press conference, the team
with nine and three and nine and three is not
good enough in this day and time. And we understand that.
Our charge, our responsibility, our expectation is to get to
the college football playoff, and not only to get to
the playoff, but to run the table and to win it.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
That's why these moves have been made.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
I mean, you look at a guy that now over
the past three years is thirty four and eight with
two trips to the semi final round of the college
football playf and they didn't get there this year, and
so he's trying to address that right now, so they
have a chance not only to get that back to that,
but then have a good shot to win it all.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Craig, what do you remember about covering those defenses, both
in the way that they played and the players who
made up those defenses under must champ in Austin Well,
I think.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Of guys like Samacho and Maniacho.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
I think of Earl Thomas, I think of Blake Gideon,
think of guys who are hard hitters and play makers.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
And the long words have some of those guys as
we know.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
I think they do have hard hitters like a Colin
Simmons or you know, Lance Jackson, some other guys like that.
I think they do have playmakers in the secondary who
are capable of it, like Malik Muhammad or Grayson Liwleson.
We just didn't see enough of it during the course
of the year, and for folks were asking about this
particular change. While the rush defense was eighth in the
country and the total defense was thirty ninth, respectable enough,
(11:26):
the past defense was one hundred and seven, and so
as a result of that, there were a lot of
people who probably noticed that as well.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Certainly Sart noticed it, and his coaching town noticed it.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
And if you're listening at home and noticed the cheers
in the background, Craig is in the concourse at AT
and T Stadium between games at the high school state Championship.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
Can you tell who just scored there?
Speaker 1 (11:50):
Yes, Carthage Again, no big surprise there. The defending state
champions are awaiting a point after that would put them
up twenty one to nothing on West.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
N start late in the first half. Carthage.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
You know, we talked about Alito having more state titles
than anyone, but Carthage may have been the most consistent
program Aledo right now with twelve titles.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
And here's Cardiff.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
It's going for state championship number eleven and all eleven.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
Under their head coach Scott Sarrat.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
If they've gone and win this game and they're up
twenty one to nothing late first half, he would be
the first Texas high school football coach to start to
coach eleven state championship games and win all eleven. He's
never lost a state championship, so he's gonna He already
is in the pantheon of great high school coaches in Texas.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
But he's he's going to be up there right at
the time. He'll be the only one.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
That has that many state titles single handedly or at
least you know individual as the head coach.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
And I've said they have a real good shot at that.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
Unbelievable Seapal says watching the state champ games, there's so
much football talent in Texas from six man up and
we haven't even gotten to five A and six A yet.
I've tempted to call SEC schools and invite them to watch.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
We're gonna see a lot we're watching.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
They're watching.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Oh sorry, he said, SEC shows.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Okay, okay, But speaking of Alito, who you mentioned? That's
the team Frisco Lone Star came back from down three
scores and knocked out earlier in the year. Now they
get their shot at the defending champions from Smithson Valley,
who knocked off a really good Port Arthur Memorial team
in their own right to get there. What kind of talent,
what kind of fun can we expect from this matchup tonight?
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Well, what Lone Star has done has been pretty fair.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
And let me tell you who other than what happened
last week when Alito had the sixteen point fourth quarter
league get away. Late, they're up fifty two to thirty six,
and Long Star comes back. They scored two touchdowns they
were covering on side kick and get one final score
and they end up winning it fifty six fifty two.
They scored twenty points in the final four minutes for
the ball game and win that. Other than that game,
(13:57):
the other team to play them that well, Waseorgetown, and
when Georgetown played them in the second round, it was
a solid ball game into the third quarter before Lone
Star pulled away. They are loaded with explosive talent. Where
do you see Damien Groz, They're outstanding wide receiver.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
There's plenty of talent out there. Now.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
They're going up against a precision oriented, very disciplined team
in Smithson Valley, the defending state champions, and Smithson was
able to beat Highland Park last year with that making
very very few mistakes. Not to say they know I'm playmakers.
They do both of the quarterback and the running back spot.
But what they're going to have to be is that
(14:40):
they're disciplined, best in staying home in their assignments. Because
the athletic talent for Lone Star, which by the way,
is also a very well coached team.
Speaker 4 (14:49):
I'm not just saying they're a team full of talent.
A kid.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Jeff Raverns been a fabulous job and he's the only
coach the program has ever had. He got into a
state final ten years ago twenty fifteen.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
They lost. It's the Cedar Park down at NRG.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Stadium in Houston.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
But he's done a fabulous job of this program.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
The problem was they were always in the toughest of
the regions, I believe, regions that had the likes of
DT Ryan and Highland Park and those schools.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
In there, and of course Alita.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Well, they were finally able to break through that wall
and get here. I think Lone Star is probably the
favorite on this game. I think the computer had him
like a touchdown favorite or something. But Smithson Valley, like
I said, is a very button up coach. Larry Goi
one of the all time greats and coaching finally got
his first state title.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
A year ago.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
So they're much more comfortable with the environment and the
surroundings right now, and I think it'll be a good
football game.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
I do two seven o'clock on victory plus great football
game last night, Wall held off Newton. You could feel
the momentum really shift in that game late. It got
real interesting. But we heard the call at the top
of the hour. What a moment for the Hawks.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Yeah, first time ever for that schooling in the state title.
And you talk about doing all the things right in
the first half. They did the block plunt for a touchdown,
hit a couple of big plays. They're up twenty five
eight and it's looking like it's all over. Newton of
course came back, great fighting spirit, well coached, great athletes,
incredible running game to get back in the game and
(16:15):
cut it to twenty five to twenty four, and then
Wall was able to hold on and recover that on
side kick in the waning moments to preserve the men.
So a great state title victory there for the Hawks,
their first state championship. And then we've got three games tomorrow.
Jake that it should be spellbinders. It is teams from
(16:36):
outside here against South Dallas County because in the first
game you have a rematch of last year state championship
game in five Division two Richmond Randall, South oak Cliff,
Richmond Randall beat Sack a year ago. South Olkcliff is
in its fifth consecutive state championship game. They won their
first two and they've lost their last two. This is
five in a row now for them to reach the
(16:57):
title round. That's the first game at eleven in the morning.
The two games I'll be calling will be the six
A game duncan Villa Northshore. You want to count numbers
about meetings, this will be the sixth time in nine
years that duncan Villa and Galina Park Northshore have met
in the state final.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
Northshore won the first three, duncan Villa's won the.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
Last two, and in visiting with both coaches, I had
zoom calls with both this morning and both said the programs.
There were individual players who are very special on both sides,
but the programs that you know, look remarkably the same
over the years of the way they're coach, the way
they go about it. And then the nightcap, which might
be the most explosive game of all, will be the
(17:35):
Soto against ce King from Houston. Two teams that have,
you know, eye popping offenses, and they'll try to do
something with their defenses to try to slow one another.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
Down tomorrow night.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
So a great final day tomorrow after this one concludes
in one more game tonight.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
Absolutely, and I'll be tuned into those, Craig.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
I'm not going to let you off the hook this
easily though.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
On your Los Angeles Rams, who lost from a very
winnable position last night, what do you kind of make
of that? On one hand, Matthew Stafford played outstanding. On
the other hand, the Rams, now for a second time
this season, let one get away on the road.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
Well, the Rams lost the game in the way that
I've seen them lose the other three games this year,
and the way I almost kind of expected him to do,
and that is to have it get away from him
in the fourth quarter. Now, they did a great job
of the first three quarters against the Seahawks.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
Think about this. They're up thirty to fourteen in the
fourth quarter.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
With the football and yes, by the way, this iPad
that I'm busying with, I had that over to my
side while I was calling a free A Division two
championship game, So during breaks I was looking over and
things like commercial breaks and stuff like that, I was
looking over. But when you're up thirty to fourteen in
the fourth quarter, you got posession football, it should lose
the game. They had three straight three and outs and
(18:53):
after one of those, who was a plump return for
a touchdown, then they give up a touchdown drive. They
gave up two two point conversions to tie. If the
second one was the bizarre one that was originally ruled
an incomplete pass overturn on review, I think correctly.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
So that it was a backward pass. Now. I've had other.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
People tell me that they heard what should have been
called an inadvertent whistle when the ball hit the ground.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
I didn't hear it.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
And if that was the case, then the play either
should have been blown dead and it's either a do
over or playover.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
It's not awarding the two points on that. But the NFL.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
I haven't seen anything from the NFL it says there
was an inadvertent whistle on that. I haven't had a
chance to check all of the NFL wires today. Nevertheless,
the Rams still could have won the game, got down,
got the touchdown in overtime and just could not stop
Seattle Coleman back down the field.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
And you knew the.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Seahawks were going to go for two again if they scored,
So no surprise there. That's how you go from being
one seed to the five seed in the span of
a quarter in most of overtime. Because the Rams now
are not in a position to win the NFC West,
and if you don't have that one seed, it's real
hard to win the NFC. So i'd say you put
(20:05):
that squarely in the lap of the Seahawks. Now we're
probably gonna wind up winning the West. Being the one seed.
They're gonna be tough to beat in that building as
they try to, you know, get a buy and then
all anthon, who's win two home games to get the
Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
Craig, You're a much much better multitasker than me, but
I know you've got to get back to work.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Thanks for stopping by and joining us.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Hey, fun, appreciate you stepping in, and hope everybody has
a great weekend. I'll be back in the office on Monday.
Jaq and I have a couple of days Monday and Tuesday.
And by the way, little tease, all our bump music
on Monday and Tuesday are gonna need some of my
favorites from Christmas, so.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
We're gonna do that on Monday and Tuesday. We'll have
a light up on those. We'll do that.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
It won't be a Texan Tuesday. It'll be a Christmas Tuesday,
so to speak.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
As we get it.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
It won't be a long Worns Monday. It'll be a
Merry Christmas Monday type of thing. So we're gonna do
on Monday and Tuesday next weekend over you have. We've
got a long warn basketball game on Monday night against
Maryland Eastern Sure, and the women are at South Dakoch.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
State on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Craig, two more shows before the holiday break. We'll make
them count. Thanks again, you bet.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
And after this we'll hear a little more from Longhorn's
head coach, Steve Sarkisian, including his comments on the schedule
that have kind of well, I'll let him tell it
right after this on a sports radio AM thirteen hundred
to Zone
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