November 25, 2025 • 21 mins
InsideTexas' Evan Vieth joins the show to preview the Longhorns' regular season finale against undefeated Texas A&M. They discuss the improvement of Arch Manning, his matchup with Marcel Reed, and other keys to the game.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Yes, the Texan Tuesday on the Craig Wave Show means
a return cut from the immortal Stevie Ray Vaughn, and
it also means a return guest today inside Texas is
Evan VF Evan, A big week for you. Glad you're
stealing some time back in our neck of the woods
in DC.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Has it been.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Seriously, I don't know if you can see that the
DC Nationals to get Chelsea flags back. There's some elementary
school pictures on my bulletin board in my childhood bedroom.
But so got to take some time talk Horns here.
What even though it's Thanksgiving?
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Yeah, nothing, nothing like a trip back home for the holidays.
A lot of folks probably on their way home listening
to us right now. But no doubt a big Thanksgiving
table topic and on a lot of.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Longhorn fans minds right now.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
The return of the Lone Star showdown to DKR, first
time in over a decade. And I want to start
with the quarterbacks because I think in the press conference yesterday, Evan,
you and I heard a more relaxed and confident version
of Arch. I don't know how much you can read
into that just from a press conference.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
But when you watch the.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Film, can you tell a difference in the way arch
is playing right now?
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:09):
I mean, who cares what he's saying the press conference
when you're seeing the tape on the field. And I
think the big thing that showed up on the Arkansas
game was his sack avoidance, and that's a form of
confidence for a quarterback as well as the ability to
stay in pockets and trust your own strength, trust your
line a little bit more, which he has definitely done
the past few weeks since that Hudson left guard Robertson
center changes come into place. So I do think Manning's
(01:30):
playing with a lot more confidence. You're seeing it in
the interviews, of course, but it really is showing that
he knows where to go with the ball a lot better.
He's doing much better job of either hitting us first
read when it's there and not hesitating, or if it's
not there, finding his way to a second and third read,
which you know, I think we talked about earlier in
the here, Jake, it was something that he struggled with
early in the season. Is getting better at a little
bit of struggle against Georgia there, but man really turned
(01:51):
it around against Arkansas.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
I thought that was probably his best game of the season.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
I feel like we've said that a lot with the
Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, but that was really one where
he put it all the other and most of the
stakes from like an incompletion standpoint where kind of wide
receiver ra or just you know, throwaways starting a ball on.
He started that game so well, and he really was
done by the fourth quarter, even with that pretty impressive
stat line.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
And when you look at this quarterback matchup, right, a
guy in arch Manning starting to play his best football
and then Marcel Reid, who for the most part has
played a pretty high level of football this season. What
makes the matchup fun? And what kind of lens do
you look at it through when you compare these two guys.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
Well, I think it's.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Fun because they're different, you know, I mean, you know
what arch Manning gives you all these long hard fans,
you've seen how well he's progressed as a passer.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
He's really a pastor now.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
I think there was some more dual threatness earlier in
the season, and that's really gone by the way side.
He's much more willing to stay in the pocket or
at least not scrambled to run, but scramble to pass.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
Marcel Reid does that.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Well, but he's a much more dynamic run around and
he's arguably the best athlete on the fieldways out there.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
If it's not him, it's one of his receivers.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
So he's really good at getting to his second read,
which he was not doing last year at all. Really
smart parkingt univerisation. I think he's only been sacked twice
an SEC play, which you know, it's up to his
O line, which is quite good. But man, he's electric.
He can run all over the place. He can dodge
in and out of tackles. They use him well in
the Just Design Run game. But also a lot of
(03:15):
his stats are coming from lower attempts, like not a
lot of passes. Even as rushing, he's on pretty good
yards for carry. Now, how much does that have to
do with playing, you know, inferior opponents a little bit.
He's played good defenses. They haven't played a lot of
good teams since that Notre Dame game, so you take
with it as you will. But even against the best
defense he's played, it's about thirty two points per game
from that offense, So they are scoring in bunches, and
(03:37):
that's why I think this might end up being more
of a shootout in Austin then, especially than last year.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
But I mean maybe some people might even be thinking
for this season.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Yeah, I want I want to put a pin in
that A and M schedule note because I wanted to
get to a question that came in on the text line,
and that is why have we seen less design runs
for arch Manning this year outside of the red zone?
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Yeah? I think the thing is they wanted that to
be kind of the alleviating the run game earlier in
the season, and then they realized, what if we use
that with the Wingo screens and general screens and RPOs there.
So I think a lot of that has been Hey,
our quarterback's getting banged up, let's instead focus that on
are really good playmakers on the perimeter, which Wingo has
his drop problems, but you've seen him be successful on
(04:22):
screens all throughout the season, but especially the last five weeks.
And then part of this is also you don't want
Manning getting banged up. I mean that is it's nice
to have that QB run game. This would maybe be
the game where you reintroduce it, but you really don't
want your guy taking big hits when you know you
had a Georgia coming up and you had an A.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
And M coming up.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Now you can maybe empty the clip and design it
a little more like you saw even last year when
he got that one touchdown in. But I think it's
just a little better on his body and it's a
little more efficient for Texas to if you want to
do these runs that aren't running back runs, just have
it be a screenplay. It's basically the same thing by
a conversion standpoint, and you're not art just comfortable enough
to throw them these days that I just I don't
(05:00):
think you have to force these read option plays anymore.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
We're talking with Evan V from Inside Texas and getting
to some of your questions.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
They came in via the text line.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Remember you can text the show by texting the word
Texas followed by your question to eight one, five, three zero.
But one question that you kind of tried to answer
this morning, a really good piece for Inside Texas about
A and M's schedule, because you know they've had a
little bit of a fortunate draw when it came to
the SEC opponents on their schedule this year, and I'm
(05:30):
wondering what kind of conclusions did you make about things
Texas can present that A and M hasn't seen from
its other SEC opponents.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Yeah, if you just go down the line of their
seven that they've played so far, all of them are
bottom half teams only when they haven't played in Kentucky.
Only two Bowl eligible teams, only two teams with three
or more wins.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
In the SEC.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
One takeaway I did have from it is, you know,
obviously since Notre Dame it's been the big talking point.
The Notre Dame game did happen, So they've gotten that
away game. They know what it's like to play in
against a good team in a harsh environment. They also
did it against LSU because when that game happened, everything
was still on the table for the Tigers. Now, there
was probably still some behind the scenes stuff that wasn't
working well. That's why they kind of crumbled in the
(06:12):
second half, gave about five straight scores. But at halftime
in Depth Valley on a night game, A and M
was losing to LSU. That was not some gimme game
for the AGUS. So I do think there's some warrant
to say, like, you know, they hadn't played a lot
of great teams this year outside of Notre Dame. But
it's really the defensive theirs that I'm keying in on
with that, because they've played some good defenses as an
(06:35):
offense against you know, Auburn and LSU, those are good
defensive teams with bad offenses and problems with their coaching staff,
but they've really not been tested as a defense against
really good offenses. You know, it was Notre Dame they
played against, and I think the next closest would have
been Missouri, and Missouri had a third string quarterback and
really more of a second string but a true freshman
quarterback in So after that it was like Mississippi State,
(06:55):
who Texas's defense did struggle with, but not a high
powered offense. So I'm wondering if this A and M team,
so far removed from Notre Dame, is ready for Texas offense.
That's like they have to win this game. I putting
up that thirty five plus. Can they alleviate that thirty
five plus? And can their pass rusher skt to arch Manning,
which third down defense they're very very good at. But
if Texas can stay ahead of the sticks. Is A
(07:16):
and M ready to play like that on the road
in Austin?
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Great point, Avid.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
The Aggies lead the nation in third down defense seventy
eight percent of third downs they get off the field.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Why is this the case?
Speaker 1 (07:30):
And you know, how can Texas stay on schedule besides
the well, like Sarks said, the want to keep chopping
wood on the run game. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
I mean, first of all, on the A and M
side of things, well, cashus Howell is I believe he's
up there for the bet Reck Award or it might
not be the Betteran, but one of the major awards
in college football for being the best defensive player in
the country. He is an elite pass rusher, a first
round pick type, really different from the ones that you've
seen at A and M. Last year they had these
first round level guys and Scorton and Stuart, but they
were bigger dudes.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
They were true defensive ends.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Howell gives actual juice off the edge and when he's
in one on one situations, he alone is hard to cover.
And then you pair that with these really athletic guys
that they've gotten both from recruiting and the portal. Elko
has always been good at scheming up blitz Is on
third down, just bringing five of stunts is enough for
him to get home with Howell on his zone on
the edge. And of course we know texas is o
line struggles with those stunt plays. So when they're running
(08:25):
this quarters coverage and sometimes they'll have a safety come
in blitz from one of the other sides of the quarters,
it just brings a lot of different things that you
have to look out for as an offensive line coach
and a schemer.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
That's really tough to deal with.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
And they have the athletes and the players to get
it done, guys who can buy into the system. As
for what Texas needs to do, we'll obviously stay ahead
of these sticks, stay out.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
Of third down.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
But you can handle third down and two. You can
handle third down and up to four. Here, it's really
the problem when they've gotten into a lot of these
third down and tens and third down seven pluses where
clearly they are not equipped. They don't have the receiver
route running talent, they don't have the offensive line to
keep me there. It's been a lot of hero players
with him in that case. So it has to be
either you know, either getting the run game going a
(09:06):
little later, where your pass game is opening it up,
forcing the safetyes to stay a little bit, a little
bit over top, and then you can maybe run the
ball against uneven fronts. Or it's hey, we're not gonna
be able to run the ball, let's just throw a
lot of screens and once they start biting on those screens,
let's throw it over their heads. It's kind of basic,
but unfortunately basics about what Texas is going to have
to do to be able to do specifically that and
(09:28):
they're going to need to connect on two or three
deep balls this game. Jake, I mean, it's got to
be kind of what I happened with Arkansas where they
got to they gotta take the top off of a
good defense. But I think the secondary is probably the
most susceptible to be exposed.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
On that A and M side.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Yeah, certainly, if the Texas O lion is able to
hold up, all right, let's flip sides of the ball
for a second. Talking with Evan v the inside Texas
Sarcus has stated this all you know, three kind of
different situations between the Vanderbilt fourth quarter, the Georgia fourth quarter,
and then the Arkansas fourth quarter, which really was you know,
kind of garbage time in that Arkansas game.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
But yeah, no matter.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
How you slice it, it's it's three kind of less
than ideal fourth quarters in a row for PK's defense.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Do you read anything into this.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
I do, and I don't.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
One thing I'll say is it's kind of this like
unstoppable force versus imovable object idea where Starkisian has been
really good as a coach in these in these rivalry games.
I mean since year one, he obviously had two losses,
but since then it's only been one loss. In so Oklahoma,
they beat A and M last year, they beat Arkansas
twice since then. So he gets his players up for
these these rivalry games and that's usually a four quarter affair.
(10:35):
And so that's one thing is his team plays through
four quarters against rivals. But also, like you said, you
saw it against Vanderbilt, which was sort of garbage time,
not fully garbage time where they really give a lot
of points there. So that's where they lost the game
was end of third quarter into the fourth and then yeah,
Arkansas just a lot of kind of secondary guys backups
coming in. What it means is that the defense needs
(10:55):
to stay off the field, and they need to just
have their best players in throughout that that second and half.
I mean, I do like some of the adjustments they've
been doing. I'm working out on Peace by Cave Phillips
kind of taking over that CD two spot, But they
need to keep it restricted to their best guys against
A and m's best guys on that side of the
ball in the fourth quarter, because I just can't be
seeing them have secondary guys at safety and that linebacker
(11:19):
getting torched by really really good NFL players on the
A and M side of the ball and think, why
isn't the better player in on the team. And I
know there's concerns with you know, health and conditioning or whatever,
but you know, it's the last game of the season
for Texas most likely when it comes to what really matters,
they need to empty the clip here and that starts
with keeping the offense on the field the defense off ball.
So let's just have our best guys go and be
(11:41):
our best.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
Guys in this game.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Speaking of some of the best guys for Texas, Buck
Gus Award finalist, as we heard today Anthony Hill, his
status still a little bit up in the air ty
Anthony Smith. It's going to miss the first half thanks
to that somewhat questionable targeting decision. What kind of impact
could this have on te defense on Friday.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
I want to say that Hill will will play.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
I think he's the kind of guy and the injury
doesn't sound so severe that there's a path to him
getting out there on the field that first half. But
even if he is out there, it's a thin room.
I mean, try Moore had to lead the team in
snaps last week, comfortably led the team in snaps last week,
and he was playing a lot of off ball linebacker, and
that maybe means you need Brad Spence to play there.
What it really means is you need the best Leone
(12:26):
Lafoul game you've had since well last year's A and
M game, where I thought I thought that Lao had
his best game that time, and he's struggled a little
bit in the second half of the season. I would
say I think most people have seen some of the
mistackle problems. He's been the wrong spots in certain past concepts.
But you know, he just had a fumble re certain
for a touchdown and that money disrespected Bevo a little bit.
On that celebration. But that's the kind of confidence builder
(12:47):
you really need going into.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
A game like this.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
So they're going to be targeting that part of the field.
Lafou into this strong safety role that Texas has in
pass coverage, He's got to be good. He's got to
be willing to stay out there and be able to
play on all types of downsload that be passed downs
or against the run, because yes, Smith's not gonna be able
to be there on those pass rushing sets that they
like to do if they're doing that three.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
One seven dollars or just the regular NASCAR that they've
been doing a lot of the year.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
And yeah, Hill might be a little bit less condition
than you'd like, and then a little bit more injured
could be a chance of reinjury too.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
You never know. So More is going to play a
lot linebacker, But really is the guy you got a.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Key in on there, Yeah, we'll be sure to keep
an eye on him.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Talking with Evan V from inside Texas, who you've been
pretty pretty dialed in and pretty accurate with your predictions
on how the committee would view Texas coming into each
week that we've visited here on the show. Where do
you expect to see Texas in the rankings tonight, which
I mean, I know it's one thing to say the
rankings don't really matter.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
You just have to go out and take care of business.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
But where Texas comes into the week might have an
impact on what their ceiling is if they're able to win.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
So ap head Michigan over Texas at fifteen, Long warns
at sixteen, I don't think that's how it's going to
be for the committee. I think that, unfortunately, it feels
like this year Jake and I can talk for hours
about this. A lot of the CFP discourse has kind
of been who is your loss to and what is
your loss number saying? And it's less about what are
your wins saying about you? And so I think that's
really gonna hurt typesos because you know, the quite aren't
(14:19):
quite there to overcome the Florida loss quite yet. Now
they beat A and M that's a different story. But
I do think around fifteen or sixteen is where you're
going to see them at. I think they're probably going
to be fifteen right there. I don't think Michigan really
has the argument just yet until they go out and
Beatlehouse state if they can go do that. So that's
where I see it happen. Pretty big, pretty steep, I
guess climb to get into that. You're really looking for
(14:40):
the top and if you're an at large team, because
you get an ACC and I guess AAC or JMU
from the Sun Belt in for those last two spots.
So you got to go from fifteen to ten in
one week. It's me be tough. Even even with when
it gains to the top thirteen, that's gonna be really hard.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Stark punted this question until after the game on Friday.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
I'll give it to you right now.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Do you think Texas with the win deserves to be
right up near that bubble line in the conversation.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Yeah, I think they deserve to be there. I don't
know if they deserve to get in specifically because A
we just don't know what's gonna happen with these other teams.
I do think a win against A and M rightfully
should jump other teams on their schedule. If you have
that top three win, it should definitely kind of cancel
out what happened in Gamesville earlier in the season. And
(15:29):
then you go to present to the committee, Hey, we
lost two games against the two best teams the nation,
or two the top four teams the nation.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
We've beat two teams who are also in the CFP.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Talk if Oklahoma wins, the sader there in the CFP
at least look at US versus whatever BYU or whatever
Notre Dame or whatever Alabama is showing to the committee. Now,
I do think that any of these ten and two
SEC teams should probably get in. And there's probably gonna
quite a few ten and two or better SEC teams.
So can Texas to be the sixth best SEC team
and get in?
Speaker 4 (15:57):
I don't think so.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
So I think they're gonna be in the discussion, but
they're fall like just short if they win, which is
still a big hit.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
So that hits at your answered to my next question,
what's the rooting guide for Texas during these Thanksgiving games?
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Oh? Boy?
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Are you rooting for? I know there's a.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Lot at the risk of looking like Charlie Day and
it's always sunny with the you know, the strings tying
together with the suspects. Who does Texas need to lose
to even get into this conversation?
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Yeah, I said that. I did a little article on this.
I'll probably do another one tomorrow on exactly what it
will look like. But you need Ohio State to meet Michigan,
so you keep Michigan out of out of getting to
ten and two the win over Ohio State. You got
to hope that one of but probably both of Oklahoma
and Alabama lose to LSU and Auburn in those games,
which are possible, probably not going to happen, and from
(16:49):
there it might be able to sort itself out if
Texas will win where you jump over some of these
two lost you know, a Utah to Miami, and you
kind of separate yourself and it becomes you versus Vanderbilt,
but you already beaten Vanderbilt and you have better wins
either way. I do think that those are kind of
the three main things you have to look out for.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
And then maybe you get a BYU upset.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
But I think b YU at eleven to two with
a conference championship loss probably gets a number A nine
in three Texas, So YU wins, it might just be
over for the Long Horns, which would be unfortunate, but
that's just how it is. I think Notre Dame is
pretty much a lock they win this week. It seems
like that's the way the committee's looking.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
So that's yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
I think it's it's Ohio State being Michigan, Auburn being
out of Alabama, and LS being Oklahoma.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Then you can start talking about getting in there.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
So interesting, you don't think the Longhorns with an A
and M win as a common opponent, would be able
to leap frog Notre Dame.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
I just there's been so much precedent in favor of
Notre Dame, and there really is something to be said about, Hey,
this team is ten and zero and they look like
they're a really good team. One of the things that's
really gonna hurt Texas is that the Committee's going to say, well,
look at that Kentucky game, they only they barely escaped
against the Badkins team. Look at this Mississippi State game,
(18:02):
they barely want against the bad Mississippi State team. So
you're looking at a nine to three team who's has
the three and then also has a few blemishes on
their schedule that even though they are wins. I just
think there's gonna be too much of a Notre Dame
push because they're already there for.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
Them to be.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Overtaken by a team of three losses that also has
two other games that aren't the prettiest realistically.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
I'm with you there.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
I think you and I both wish the committee valued
the wins a little bit more, but those are just
parts of a big picture of a full season. Before
we let you go, Evan, what is your prediction for
this lone star showdown?
Speaker 3 (18:41):
You know, I really don't want to come on thirteen
hundred of the zone and say the long hoards aren't
gonna win, but.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
You gotta gonna be honest.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
I do think this is.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Going to turn into a shootout, and I think that's
really A and M favored. I think that's where Marcel
Reid and those wide receivers can if you're gonna give
them seventy chances to have big, explosive play and they're
throwing it on forty of them. I just think there's
too many where craven concepts show and can take advantage of.
Either the secondary for Texas is just bad, or they're
young and they're asking to use a lot of young
(19:10):
players that might get exposed there. I think it's one
where A and M puts up a solid forty eight
and Texas loses thirty five thirty eight and one field
goal and one possession near the end of the game
is going to be the decider. But that's what happens
when you pose your defensive score give up five. It's
it's kind of like, hey, at the end of the
day's whoever has the bowl lasts or whichever offense is
just that tiny bit more efficient than the other one.
(19:32):
So I do have the Aggues winning just barely. The
home team stuff does help Texas, but yeah, I think
Baggus are gonna take this one home.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
If the Longhorns win, what stat would make you say, Oh, well,
that explains it.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Poof. I think.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
I think it's always a cop out to say turnovers
because that's true for any and every game. So I
will say the other side of the rushing game, I
do think just the way that starts talked about the
ways game plan, the rush game is only going to
have and if the passing game is going well and
you can use it later, like start it in the
middle of the second quarter instead of starting it in
the first. But you know, A M's got some banged
(20:08):
up running backs and I don't think Avion Moss is
gonna be going for this game So if your Texas
defense can keep them to that three yards per carry
or even somewhat less than that and make them lose
that part of their game, suddenly they have a suspects
right side of the offensive line that's gonna have to
pass Mugans, Colin Simmons and Hiro Kanu and Anthony Hill.
That's where when you when Texas can get into those
third and lungs, suddenly it feels like a Texas favorite game.
(20:31):
So I'd look at opponent rushing yards, how well the
age's run the ball. If they're coming out quickly with
that four and a half yards per carry, running the
ball well, kind of like what you've seen a lot
of against Texas recently, it's gonna be hard for the
Horns to win this one.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Well. You can read his work at Inside Texas. Evan
Veeth really appreciate the time. Great breakdown.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
Of course, Jake's always fun coming on.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
We'll talk to you soon. That is our preview.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
In part of the Low and Stars showdown, we'll hear
a little more about the matchup from arch Manning dive
into a couple more stats a little later on in
the program, But up next Inconceivable, a special Black Friday
themed edition of our favorite segment, That's Next here on
Sports Radio AM thirteen hundred Zone and Iheartstation, which means
guaranteed human
Yes, the Texan Tuesday on the Craig Wave Show means
a return cut from the immortal Stevie Ray Vaughn, and
it also means a return guest today inside Texas is
Evan VF Evan, A big week for you. Glad you're
stealing some time back in our neck of the woods
in DC.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Has it been.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Seriously, I don't know if you can see that the
DC Nationals to get Chelsea flags back. There's some elementary
school pictures on my bulletin board in my childhood bedroom.
But so got to take some time talk Horns here.
What even though it's Thanksgiving?
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Yeah, nothing, nothing like a trip back home for the holidays.
A lot of folks probably on their way home listening
to us right now. But no doubt a big Thanksgiving
table topic and on a lot of.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Longhorn fans minds right now.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
The return of the Lone Star showdown to DKR, first
time in over a decade. And I want to start
with the quarterbacks because I think in the press conference yesterday, Evan,
you and I heard a more relaxed and confident version
of Arch. I don't know how much you can read
into that just from a press conference.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
But when you watch the.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
Film, can you tell a difference in the way arch
is playing right now?
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (01:09):
I mean, who cares what he's saying the press conference
when you're seeing the tape on the field. And I
think the big thing that showed up on the Arkansas
game was his sack avoidance, and that's a form of
confidence for a quarterback as well as the ability to
stay in pockets and trust your own strength, trust your
line a little bit more, which he has definitely done
the past few weeks since that Hudson left guard Robertson
center changes come into place. So I do think Manning's
(01:30):
playing with a lot more confidence. You're seeing it in
the interviews, of course, but it really is showing that
he knows where to go with the ball a lot better.
He's doing much better job of either hitting us first
read when it's there and not hesitating, or if it's
not there, finding his way to a second and third read,
which you know, I think we talked about earlier in
the here, Jake, it was something that he struggled with
early in the season. Is getting better at a little
bit of struggle against Georgia there, but man really turned
(01:51):
it around against Arkansas.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
I thought that was probably his best game of the season.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
I feel like we've said that a lot with the
Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, but that was really one where
he put it all the other and most of the
stakes from like an incompletion standpoint where kind of wide
receiver ra or just you know, throwaways starting a ball on.
He started that game so well, and he really was
done by the fourth quarter, even with that pretty impressive
stat line.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
And when you look at this quarterback matchup, right, a
guy in arch Manning starting to play his best football
and then Marcel Reid, who for the most part has
played a pretty high level of football this season. What
makes the matchup fun? And what kind of lens do
you look at it through when you compare these two guys.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
Well, I think it's.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Fun because they're different, you know, I mean, you know
what arch Manning gives you all these long hard fans,
you've seen how well he's progressed as a passer.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
He's really a pastor now.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
I think there was some more dual threatness earlier in
the season, and that's really gone by the way side.
He's much more willing to stay in the pocket or
at least not scrambled to run, but scramble to pass.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
Marcel Reid does that.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Well, but he's a much more dynamic run around and
he's arguably the best athlete on the fieldways out there.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
If it's not him, it's one of his receivers.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
So he's really good at getting to his second read,
which he was not doing last year at all. Really
smart parkingt univerisation. I think he's only been sacked twice
an SEC play, which you know, it's up to his
O line, which is quite good. But man, he's electric.
He can run all over the place. He can dodge
in and out of tackles. They use him well in
the Just Design Run game. But also a lot of
(03:15):
his stats are coming from lower attempts, like not a
lot of passes. Even as rushing, he's on pretty good
yards for carry. Now, how much does that have to
do with playing, you know, inferior opponents a little bit.
He's played good defenses. They haven't played a lot of
good teams since that Notre Dame game, so you take
with it as you will. But even against the best
defense he's played, it's about thirty two points per game
from that offense, So they are scoring in bunches, and
(03:37):
that's why I think this might end up being more
of a shootout in Austin then, especially than last year.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
But I mean maybe some people might even be thinking
for this season.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Yeah, I want I want to put a pin in
that A and M schedule note because I wanted to
get to a question that came in on the text line,
and that is why have we seen less design runs
for arch Manning this year outside of the red zone?
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Yeah? I think the thing is they wanted that to
be kind of the alleviating the run game earlier in
the season, and then they realized, what if we use
that with the Wingo screens and general screens and RPOs there.
So I think a lot of that has been Hey,
our quarterback's getting banged up, let's instead focus that on
are really good playmakers on the perimeter, which Wingo has
his drop problems, but you've seen him be successful on
(04:22):
screens all throughout the season, but especially the last five weeks.
And then part of this is also you don't want
Manning getting banged up. I mean that is it's nice
to have that QB run game. This would maybe be
the game where you reintroduce it, but you really don't
want your guy taking big hits when you know you
had a Georgia coming up and you had an A.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
And M coming up.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Now you can maybe empty the clip and design it
a little more like you saw even last year when
he got that one touchdown in. But I think it's
just a little better on his body and it's a
little more efficient for Texas to if you want to
do these runs that aren't running back runs, just have
it be a screenplay. It's basically the same thing by
a conversion standpoint, and you're not art just comfortable enough
to throw them these days that I just I don't
(05:00):
think you have to force these read option plays anymore.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
We're talking with Evan V from Inside Texas and getting
to some of your questions.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
They came in via the text line.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Remember you can text the show by texting the word
Texas followed by your question to eight one, five, three zero.
But one question that you kind of tried to answer
this morning, a really good piece for Inside Texas about
A and M's schedule, because you know they've had a
little bit of a fortunate draw when it came to
the SEC opponents on their schedule this year, and I'm
(05:30):
wondering what kind of conclusions did you make about things
Texas can present that A and M hasn't seen from
its other SEC opponents.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Yeah, if you just go down the line of their
seven that they've played so far, all of them are
bottom half teams only when they haven't played in Kentucky.
Only two Bowl eligible teams, only two teams with three
or more wins.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
In the SEC.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
One takeaway I did have from it is, you know,
obviously since Notre Dame it's been the big talking point.
The Notre Dame game did happen, So they've gotten that
away game. They know what it's like to play in
against a good team in a harsh environment. They also
did it against LSU because when that game happened, everything
was still on the table for the Tigers. Now, there
was probably still some behind the scenes stuff that wasn't
working well. That's why they kind of crumbled in the
(06:12):
second half, gave about five straight scores. But at halftime
in Depth Valley on a night game, A and M
was losing to LSU. That was not some gimme game
for the AGUS. So I do think there's some warrant
to say, like, you know, they hadn't played a lot
of great teams this year outside of Notre Dame. But
it's really the defensive theirs that I'm keying in on
with that, because they've played some good defenses as an
(06:35):
offense against you know, Auburn and LSU, those are good
defensive teams with bad offenses and problems with their coaching staff,
but they've really not been tested as a defense against
really good offenses. You know, it was Notre Dame they
played against, and I think the next closest would have
been Missouri, and Missouri had a third string quarterback and
really more of a second string but a true freshman
quarterback in So after that it was like Mississippi State,
(06:55):
who Texas's defense did struggle with, but not a high
powered offense. So I'm wondering if this A and M team,
so far removed from Notre Dame, is ready for Texas offense.
That's like they have to win this game. I putting
up that thirty five plus. Can they alleviate that thirty
five plus? And can their pass rusher skt to arch Manning,
which third down defense they're very very good at. But
if Texas can stay ahead of the sticks. Is A
(07:16):
and M ready to play like that on the road
in Austin?
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Great point, Avid.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
The Aggies lead the nation in third down defense seventy
eight percent of third downs they get off the field.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Why is this the case?
Speaker 1 (07:30):
And you know, how can Texas stay on schedule besides
the well, like Sarks said, the want to keep chopping
wood on the run game. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
I mean, first of all, on the A and M
side of things, well, cashus Howell is I believe he's
up there for the bet Reck Award or it might
not be the Betteran, but one of the major awards
in college football for being the best defensive player in
the country. He is an elite pass rusher, a first
round pick type, really different from the ones that you've
seen at A and M. Last year they had these
first round level guys and Scorton and Stuart, but they
were bigger dudes.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
They were true defensive ends.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
Howell gives actual juice off the edge and when he's
in one on one situations, he alone is hard to cover.
And then you pair that with these really athletic guys
that they've gotten both from recruiting and the portal. Elko
has always been good at scheming up blitz Is on
third down, just bringing five of stunts is enough for
him to get home with Howell on his zone on
the edge. And of course we know texas is o
line struggles with those stunt plays. So when they're running
(08:25):
this quarters coverage and sometimes they'll have a safety come
in blitz from one of the other sides of the quarters,
it just brings a lot of different things that you
have to look out for as an offensive line coach
and a schemer.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
That's really tough to deal with.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
And they have the athletes and the players to get
it done, guys who can buy into the system. As
for what Texas needs to do, we'll obviously stay ahead
of these sticks, stay out.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
Of third down.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
But you can handle third down and two. You can
handle third down and up to four. Here, it's really
the problem when they've gotten into a lot of these
third down and tens and third down seven pluses where
clearly they are not equipped. They don't have the receiver
route running talent, they don't have the offensive line to
keep me there. It's been a lot of hero players
with him in that case. So it has to be
either you know, either getting the run game going a
(09:06):
little later, where your pass game is opening it up,
forcing the safetyes to stay a little bit, a little
bit over top, and then you can maybe run the
ball against uneven fronts. Or it's hey, we're not gonna
be able to run the ball, let's just throw a
lot of screens and once they start biting on those screens,
let's throw it over their heads. It's kind of basic,
but unfortunately basics about what Texas is going to have
to do to be able to do specifically that and
(09:28):
they're going to need to connect on two or three
deep balls this game. Jake, I mean, it's got to
be kind of what I happened with Arkansas where they
got to they gotta take the top off of a
good defense. But I think the secondary is probably the
most susceptible to be exposed.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
On that A and M side.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Yeah, certainly, if the Texas O lion is able to
hold up, all right, let's flip sides of the ball
for a second. Talking with Evan v the inside Texas
Sarcus has stated this all you know, three kind of
different situations between the Vanderbilt fourth quarter, the Georgia fourth quarter,
and then the Arkansas fourth quarter, which really was you know,
kind of garbage time in that Arkansas game.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
But yeah, no matter.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
How you slice it, it's it's three kind of less
than ideal fourth quarters in a row for PK's defense.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Do you read anything into this.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
I do, and I don't.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
One thing I'll say is it's kind of this like
unstoppable force versus imovable object idea where Starkisian has been
really good as a coach in these in these rivalry games.
I mean since year one, he obviously had two losses,
but since then it's only been one loss. In so Oklahoma,
they beat A and M last year, they beat Arkansas
twice since then. So he gets his players up for
these these rivalry games and that's usually a four quarter affair.
(10:35):
And so that's one thing is his team plays through
four quarters against rivals. But also, like you said, you
saw it against Vanderbilt, which was sort of garbage time,
not fully garbage time where they really give a lot
of points there. So that's where they lost the game
was end of third quarter into the fourth and then yeah,
Arkansas just a lot of kind of secondary guys backups
coming in. What it means is that the defense needs
(10:55):
to stay off the field, and they need to just
have their best players in throughout that that second and half.
I mean, I do like some of the adjustments they've
been doing. I'm working out on Peace by Cave Phillips
kind of taking over that CD two spot, But they
need to keep it restricted to their best guys against
A and m's best guys on that side of the
ball in the fourth quarter, because I just can't be
seeing them have secondary guys at safety and that linebacker
(11:19):
getting torched by really really good NFL players on the
A and M side of the ball and think, why
isn't the better player in on the team. And I
know there's concerns with you know, health and conditioning or whatever,
but you know, it's the last game of the season
for Texas most likely when it comes to what really matters,
they need to empty the clip here and that starts
with keeping the offense on the field the defense off ball.
So let's just have our best guys go and be
(11:41):
our best.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
Guys in this game.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Speaking of some of the best guys for Texas, Buck
Gus Award finalist, as we heard today Anthony Hill, his
status still a little bit up in the air ty
Anthony Smith. It's going to miss the first half thanks
to that somewhat questionable targeting decision. What kind of impact
could this have on te defense on Friday.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
I want to say that Hill will will play.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
I think he's the kind of guy and the injury
doesn't sound so severe that there's a path to him
getting out there on the field that first half. But
even if he is out there, it's a thin room.
I mean, try Moore had to lead the team in
snaps last week, comfortably led the team in snaps last week,
and he was playing a lot of off ball linebacker, and
that maybe means you need Brad Spence to play there.
What it really means is you need the best Leone
(12:26):
Lafoul game you've had since well last year's A and
M game, where I thought I thought that Lao had
his best game that time, and he's struggled a little
bit in the second half of the season. I would
say I think most people have seen some of the
mistackle problems. He's been the wrong spots in certain past concepts.
But you know, he just had a fumble re certain
for a touchdown and that money disrespected Bevo a little bit.
On that celebration. But that's the kind of confidence builder
(12:47):
you really need going into.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
A game like this.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
So they're going to be targeting that part of the field.
Lafou into this strong safety role that Texas has in
pass coverage, He's got to be good. He's got to
be willing to stay out there and be able to
play on all types of downsload that be passed downs
or against the run, because yes, Smith's not gonna be able
to be there on those pass rushing sets that they
like to do if they're doing that three.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
One seven dollars or just the regular NASCAR that they've
been doing a lot of the year.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
And yeah, Hill might be a little bit less condition
than you'd like, and then a little bit more injured
could be a chance of reinjury too.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
You never know. So More is going to play a
lot linebacker, But really is the guy you got a.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Key in on there, Yeah, we'll be sure to keep
an eye on him.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Talking with Evan V from inside Texas, who you've been
pretty pretty dialed in and pretty accurate with your predictions
on how the committee would view Texas coming into each
week that we've visited here on the show. Where do
you expect to see Texas in the rankings tonight, which
I mean, I know it's one thing to say the
rankings don't really matter.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
You just have to go out and take care of business.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
But where Texas comes into the week might have an
impact on what their ceiling is if they're able to win.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
So ap head Michigan over Texas at fifteen, Long warns
at sixteen, I don't think that's how it's going to
be for the committee. I think that, unfortunately, it feels
like this year Jake and I can talk for hours
about this. A lot of the CFP discourse has kind
of been who is your loss to and what is
your loss number saying? And it's less about what are
your wins saying about you? And so I think that's
really gonna hurt typesos because you know, the quite aren't
(14:19):
quite there to overcome the Florida loss quite yet. Now
they beat A and M that's a different story. But
I do think around fifteen or sixteen is where you're
going to see them at. I think they're probably going
to be fifteen right there. I don't think Michigan really
has the argument just yet until they go out and
Beatlehouse state if they can go do that. So that's
where I see it happen. Pretty big, pretty steep, I
guess climb to get into that. You're really looking for
(14:40):
the top and if you're an at large team, because
you get an ACC and I guess AAC or JMU
from the Sun Belt in for those last two spots.
So you got to go from fifteen to ten in
one week. It's me be tough. Even even with when
it gains to the top thirteen, that's gonna be really hard.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Stark punted this question until after the game on Friday.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
I'll give it to you right now.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Do you think Texas with the win deserves to be
right up near that bubble line in the conversation.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
Yeah, I think they deserve to be there. I don't
know if they deserve to get in specifically because A
we just don't know what's gonna happen with these other teams.
I do think a win against A and M rightfully
should jump other teams on their schedule. If you have
that top three win, it should definitely kind of cancel
out what happened in Gamesville earlier in the season. And
(15:29):
then you go to present to the committee, Hey, we
lost two games against the two best teams the nation,
or two the top four teams the nation.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
We've beat two teams who are also in the CFP.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Talk if Oklahoma wins, the sader there in the CFP
at least look at US versus whatever BYU or whatever
Notre Dame or whatever Alabama is showing to the committee. Now,
I do think that any of these ten and two
SEC teams should probably get in. And there's probably gonna
quite a few ten and two or better SEC teams.
So can Texas to be the sixth best SEC team
and get in?
Speaker 4 (15:57):
I don't think so.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
So I think they're gonna be in the discussion, but
they're fall like just short if they win, which is
still a big hit.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
So that hits at your answered to my next question,
what's the rooting guide for Texas during these Thanksgiving games?
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Oh? Boy?
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Are you rooting for? I know there's a.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Lot at the risk of looking like Charlie Day and
it's always sunny with the you know, the strings tying
together with the suspects. Who does Texas need to lose
to even get into this conversation?
Speaker 3 (16:26):
Yeah, I said that. I did a little article on this.
I'll probably do another one tomorrow on exactly what it
will look like. But you need Ohio State to meet Michigan,
so you keep Michigan out of out of getting to
ten and two the win over Ohio State. You got
to hope that one of but probably both of Oklahoma
and Alabama lose to LSU and Auburn in those games,
which are possible, probably not going to happen, and from
(16:49):
there it might be able to sort itself out if
Texas will win where you jump over some of these
two lost you know, a Utah to Miami, and you
kind of separate yourself and it becomes you versus Vanderbilt,
but you already beaten Vanderbilt and you have better wins
either way. I do think that those are kind of
the three main things you have to look out for.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
And then maybe you get a BYU upset.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
But I think b YU at eleven to two with
a conference championship loss probably gets a number A nine
in three Texas, So YU wins, it might just be
over for the Long Horns, which would be unfortunate, but
that's just how it is. I think Notre Dame is
pretty much a lock they win this week. It seems
like that's the way the committee's looking.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
So that's yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
I think it's it's Ohio State being Michigan, Auburn being
out of Alabama, and LS being Oklahoma.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Then you can start talking about getting in there.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
So interesting, you don't think the Longhorns with an A
and M win as a common opponent, would be able
to leap frog Notre Dame.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
I just there's been so much precedent in favor of
Notre Dame, and there really is something to be said about, Hey,
this team is ten and zero and they look like
they're a really good team. One of the things that's
really gonna hurt Texas is that the Committee's going to say, well,
look at that Kentucky game, they only they barely escaped
against the Badkins team. Look at this Mississippi State game,
(18:02):
they barely want against the bad Mississippi State team. So
you're looking at a nine to three team who's has
the three and then also has a few blemishes on
their schedule that even though they are wins. I just
think there's gonna be too much of a Notre Dame
push because they're already there for.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
Them to be.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Overtaken by a team of three losses that also has
two other games that aren't the prettiest realistically.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
I'm with you there.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
I think you and I both wish the committee valued
the wins a little bit more, but those are just
parts of a big picture of a full season. Before
we let you go, Evan, what is your prediction for
this lone star showdown?
Speaker 3 (18:41):
You know, I really don't want to come on thirteen
hundred of the zone and say the long hoards aren't
gonna win, but.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
You gotta gonna be honest.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
I do think this is.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Going to turn into a shootout, and I think that's
really A and M favored. I think that's where Marcel
Reid and those wide receivers can if you're gonna give
them seventy chances to have big, explosive play and they're
throwing it on forty of them. I just think there's
too many where craven concepts show and can take advantage of.
Either the secondary for Texas is just bad, or they're
young and they're asking to use a lot of young
(19:10):
players that might get exposed there. I think it's one
where A and M puts up a solid forty eight
and Texas loses thirty five thirty eight and one field
goal and one possession near the end of the game
is going to be the decider. But that's what happens
when you pose your defensive score give up five. It's
it's kind of like, hey, at the end of the
day's whoever has the bowl lasts or whichever offense is
just that tiny bit more efficient than the other one.
(19:32):
So I do have the Aggues winning just barely. The
home team stuff does help Texas, but yeah, I think
Baggus are gonna take this one home.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
If the Longhorns win, what stat would make you say, Oh, well,
that explains it.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Poof. I think.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
I think it's always a cop out to say turnovers
because that's true for any and every game. So I
will say the other side of the rushing game, I
do think just the way that starts talked about the
ways game plan, the rush game is only going to
have and if the passing game is going well and
you can use it later, like start it in the
middle of the second quarter instead of starting it in
the first. But you know, A M's got some banged
(20:08):
up running backs and I don't think Avion Moss is
gonna be going for this game So if your Texas
defense can keep them to that three yards per carry
or even somewhat less than that and make them lose
that part of their game, suddenly they have a suspects
right side of the offensive line that's gonna have to
pass Mugans, Colin Simmons and Hiro Kanu and Anthony Hill.
That's where when you when Texas can get into those
third and lungs, suddenly it feels like a Texas favorite game.
(20:31):
So I'd look at opponent rushing yards, how well the
age's run the ball. If they're coming out quickly with
that four and a half yards per carry, running the
ball well, kind of like what you've seen a lot
of against Texas recently, it's gonna be hard for the
Horns to win this one.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Well. You can read his work at Inside Texas. Evan
Veeth really appreciate the time. Great breakdown.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
Of course, Jake's always fun coming on.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
We'll talk to you soon. That is our preview.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
In part of the Low and Stars showdown, we'll hear
a little more about the matchup from arch Manning dive
into a couple more stats a little later on in
the program, But up next Inconceivable, a special Black Friday
themed edition of our favorite segment, That's Next here on
Sports Radio AM thirteen hundred Zone and Iheartstation, which means
guaranteed human
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Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.