SEC Media Days Wrap Up from Atlanta

Wrapping up the SEC Media Days in Atlanta, Georgia. Hear from Head Coach Eliah Drinkwitz of Missouri, Head Coach Sam Pittman of Arkansas, and Head Coach Mike Elko of Texas A&M. Craig Way comments on their opening statements and their answers to the press. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:14):
He's a Texas selection, a Hall of Fame broadcaster, the
voice of the Texas Longhorns, and your host of the
Craigway Show. Here he is now Craig Way.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
If we are to take questions, thank you.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
If you have a question, please Rita Olivia.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Good morning.

Speaker 4 (00:51):
Eli Drinkwitz was named the University of Missouri's thirty third
head coach the football program in December twenty nineteen. And
five seasons, he's won more than sixty percent of his
games while earning twenty twenty three SEC Coach.

Speaker 5 (01:06):
Of the Year honors.

Speaker 4 (01:08):
Elis coached in twelve Bowl games, mentored fifty five student
athletes to All Conference honors, developed seven All Americans, and
worked with nineteen MFL draft picks. He broke Dan devine
school record for most wins in the first five seasons
as a Missouri had football coach, and he already ranks
tied for six all time in program wins. He and

(01:29):
his wife have four daughters and spent time this spring
and summer helping coach his daughter's softball team. I've told
the press conferences after each softball game were interesting and
may took coaches and players to Harmon's Jamaica for a
service trip, built a house, built a foundation for a
future home, and built in addition to the Harmon's Health

(01:51):
Center among his travel this year, and I noted this
on social media. He and his wife Lindsay spent time
at the Kentucky Derby, so you can ask him about
his success attending that event. Welcome to the podium, the
head coach of the University of Missouri, Eli Drinkwitz, Well, we.

Speaker 6 (02:23):
Got the right fight song. It's improvement. Reminds me a
little bit of Disney. Just got back from Disney with
the family, and I was going to say that fight
song reminded me of of Disney because they play it
if you didn't know that Walt Disney was born in Marceline, Missouri.

(02:45):
But really, y'all remind me a little bit of Disney World. Tired,
ready to go home, tired of coaches winding up here, So.

Speaker 7 (02:54):
Good morning to everyone. You know, I was.

Speaker 6 (02:58):
Very excited about the opportunity to come to SEC Media Days,
which marks the end of vacation season, which is one
of the two main reasons that I coach college football
free gear in vacations and now it's onto football season
and based on what I've heard from the rest of
the SEC coaches, it looks to be a really, really

(03:18):
exciting upcoming football season and an incredibly tough competition throughout.
I was sent a text message the other day by
one of my good friends that said, what a privilege
it is to be exhausted by a challenge you choose
for yourself. And that's something I think about a lot

(03:38):
when we talk about college football and college athletics.

Speaker 7 (03:41):
We choose to do this.

Speaker 6 (03:43):
I'm blessed to be the head football coach and incredibly
proud of the opportunity to serve the great state of
Missouri as the head football coach of the University of Missouri,
to represent the six million people who live in our state.

Speaker 7 (03:57):
It's an incredible privilege and opportunity. Very appreciative of the
support of our Board.

Speaker 6 (04:02):
Of Curators, led by Chairman of the Board Todd Graves.
We got an incredible leader and president and chancellor and
president and doctor Moonchoy, our athletic Director LARRD. Veach empowers
us to be the best football program that we can be.
And it's just an honor and a privilege for our
family to call Missouri home.

Speaker 7 (04:18):
And we're blessed to be here.

Speaker 6 (04:21):
I'm really proud of the football team we will fill
this fall. You know, we've got thirty eight new scholarship players.
Twenty one of them came from the transfer portal, seventeen
from high school, and so you know, we've built the
roster to compete this season. We valued production over potential,
and we have twenty players on the defensive side of
the ball who have started more than one game in

(04:44):
their college career. We've got twelve players on offense who
have multiple starts in their collegiate career, and then we've
got three on special teams.

Speaker 7 (04:52):
Our three representatives today.

Speaker 6 (04:55):
Have eighty five combined starts among them, and that's Connor
Tallis and Dalen Carnell and Zion Young those guys. Commissioner
Sankie mentioned it. You know, those three young men are
juniors and seniors. Forty one of them, forty one of
our players and fifteen staff members. We went on a
service trip to the mountains of Jamaica in May. We

(05:17):
are blessed to be a blessing and that's something that
as a program we want to live by. We want
to use the platform and the opportunities that we have
to impact and empower communities.

Speaker 7 (05:28):
We wanted to.

Speaker 6 (05:29):
Go and serve and that's exactly what we did. We
spent four days building a home, building a bathroom, repairing
three roofs, adding a room to the medical center there.
We built a home for a single mother with three kids,
and it was awesome opportunity to spread hope throughout the

(05:54):
community of Harmon's. You know, they didn't care that we
were football players. There was one night where we got
to spend We divided up into groups of three and
four and we went and had meals in people's homes
to get to know the community.

Speaker 7 (06:08):
And they had no idea.

Speaker 6 (06:10):
Really when we talked about football, they thought we were
talking about soccer. They didn't care about American football. What
they cared is that we cared about being an impact
to their community, and it was something that was really
eye opening. They just appreciated enough that we would show up.
We wanted to have an impact on them, but in truth,

(06:30):
they had more of an impact on us.

Speaker 7 (06:32):
And I don't know.

Speaker 6 (06:33):
Maybe it was the lack of air conditioning, Maybe it
was the one two.

Speaker 7 (06:38):
Minute cold shower that you could have.

Speaker 6 (06:40):
Maybe it was trying to put forty one guys in
bunk beds. Maybe it was the fact that water is
very scarce in Harmons and that most people don't actually
have running water in that community. But it changed us
and it made us different, and it made us realize
that we're very thankful for the opportunities that we have.

(07:03):
I'm very thankful to be at the head football coach
at the University of Missouri. I'm very thankful for the
ability to do this, and I know our players are too.
So with that, I know there's a lot of burning
questions in this room by the fourteen of you all
that showed up. But just as a reminder, I'm not
going to answer any questions about the Epstein files, whether

(07:24):
about the radiation belt and whether or not it was
possible for Lee Harvey All's wall to get three shots
off in seconds to seven seconds. I don't have time
to answer all those questions. But I will answer questions
about MISSOO football. And I would be remiss if I
didn't say Bob Holt was a graduate of the Missouri
School of Journalism and we miss him today and we

(07:46):
think about him often, And so with that, I'll open
it up for questions.

Speaker 8 (07:51):
Coach.

Speaker 5 (07:51):
We'll try to find some questions on some other topics.

Speaker 3 (07:54):
So here, so Molly and Holly Olivia have microphones.

Speaker 5 (07:58):
Coach will start right here in the center.

Speaker 9 (08:02):
Hey, Coach and wille Grace and accord from the next round.
You share with local media that you expect Sam Bourne
to remain with your team despite being drafted by the
Dodgers this past month. Yeah, can you share what y'all's
conversations were this past week.

Speaker 8 (08:15):
Kind of leading up to this and what the game.

Speaker 3 (08:17):
Plan was for you guys.

Speaker 6 (08:20):
Yeah, First off, congratulations to Sam, Jim and Beth. What
an awesome accomplishment, awesome opportunity for that young man to
be that good.

Speaker 7 (08:29):
Of an athlete to be able to play.

Speaker 6 (08:31):
I think he threw fifteen innings this year and really
had an outstanding season. We're so proud of him to
be able to compete in two sports. But Sam has
been adamant this whole time that his goal is to compete,
to try to win the job in the SEC and
play quarterback at the highest level. I've had conversation with
his representatives and whether that was last year as.

Speaker 7 (08:49):
He was going through his Tommy John's surgery or.

Speaker 6 (08:51):
The rehab process going through spring, and that really hasn't changed.

Speaker 7 (08:57):
We had discussed it.

Speaker 6 (09:00):
Sam had relayed the message, his agent had relayed the
message to all the baseball organizations that he was going
to play football this fall, and so nothing's changed. I
called him after I called him the day of the
draft to make sure he was having a draft party.
I called him after you got drafted, and I told him,
you know, the day.

Speaker 7 (09:19):
After you got the day you got drafted. Was proud
of him, and I'd seen him at six thirty at
workouts in the morning.

Speaker 3 (09:24):
Which we'll go in the section straight in front of
me in the third row.

Speaker 10 (09:31):
One of coach Nicolasa from Cacou and Columbia. You just
mentioned it a couple of minutes ago, twenty one chance
ers you brought in. How do you create a culture
and a chemistry with such ross return, especially among the upperclassmen.

Speaker 6 (09:42):
Yeah, I think that was part of the reason we
decided to take the mission trip to Harmon's. Nothing creates
cohesion and builds trust and respect like shared adversity and
putting people in adverse situations and see how they'll respond.
There's really nothing more adverse than putting three hundred pound
offensive lineman defensive lineman the sec and bunk beds with

(10:03):
no air conditioning, and so you know, I think that
was one of the ways. Obviously, our strength coach Ryan Russell,
our lead Edge program on the first floor is a
conduit of our culture and continually teaches and it preaches that.
And then you know, you got guys like Connor Tollison
and Dylan Carnelle who's been here their entire careers. They
know what it looks like, they know what the standards

(10:23):
are and what to uphold them to. And I think
our staff, combined with our strength staff, and then again
shared adversity helps create cohesion.

Speaker 5 (10:33):
We're going to go right down here on our front.

Speaker 11 (10:35):
Right Coach Jay's oz and a twenty three. This year,
Missouri gets the renewed rivalry with Kansas.

Speaker 12 (10:44):
You get a man home this year.

Speaker 11 (10:46):
How excited are you as Missouri and the fans of
Missouri to renew that rivalry with Kansas.

Speaker 7 (10:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (10:53):
I think rivalries are a great thing for college athletics
in college football, particularly especially regional rivalries.

Speaker 7 (10:59):
This one goes back a long ways.

Speaker 6 (11:02):
The origins of our football name, the Tigers is based
off the militia that was formed to protect Columbia from
people from Kansas and the Kansas area. So you know,
this is something that goes back a long way. It's
very deep, and it's something that our team is very

(11:23):
keenly aware of. We understand the implications the importance to
our state and look forward to playing that game, especially
having it at home as we'll go down the center
Isle Drew.

Speaker 13 (11:35):
Coach drewdy Arman, WZZN Radio, Huntsville, Alabama. I wanted to
talk about one of your transfer portal editions, and you
talked about production early in his career, especially at Arkansas, is.

Speaker 7 (11:44):
One of the best, I think safeties in the country.
Talk about adding Jalen Catalan.

Speaker 13 (11:48):
What does he bring to Corey Patuone's defense and what
kind of impact could he make for you as an
experienced player.

Speaker 6 (11:55):
Yeah, you know, Jalen Catalan is a guy that played
against US in twenty twenty during COVID year.

Speaker 7 (12:00):
He didn't play in the first half because of a.

Speaker 6 (12:02):
Targeting penalty, and man, he came on and was an
elite player and has been an elite player for a
long time. You know, coach Saban all summer he calls
and and does scouting reports with all the head coaches
not to get back into coaching. Just want to clear
that up for Greg mchailroy. But he does that to
make sure he has an edge on the competition. And

(12:25):
the first person he asked about was Jalen Catalog because
he said, man, that guy's played a lot of really
good football at a high level, and you could see
that in the spring.

Speaker 7 (12:31):
The instinctual. He's got great instincts.

Speaker 6 (12:35):
He understands, diagnoses what offenses are trying to do. He's
got a knack for finding the football in the air.
He's really good at blitzing. You know, we play a
lot of single high defense and use that safety to insert, which.

Speaker 7 (12:48):
Is something that Jalen can really do.

Speaker 6 (12:50):
And we're very excited about what he brings to that room.
You know, we lost a lot of career starts with
Joseph Charleston and so we needed somebody in that back
back in communication is so vital that in that position,
and so very very proud and excited about uh JC
and what he's going to bring to our football team.

Speaker 7 (13:11):
He's been he's been awesome.

Speaker 6 (13:12):
Got a chance really to there was several days I
got to work specifically with him in Harmon's and man,
that guy is a workhorse.

Speaker 7 (13:20):
Just set the tone all day.

Speaker 14 (13:22):
You know.

Speaker 6 (13:22):
One of the days we had to make concrete, and
the toughest job is you're in the house.

Speaker 7 (13:28):
We'll put all the the uh the semen in.

Speaker 6 (13:32):
There and we have to hand bucket. You have to
bucket water up there and throw it. And he's in
there just sterring it, stern it, stern it.

Speaker 7 (13:39):
And most of the time people do that for thirty
minutes and they have to tap out. He did it
for six straight hours.

Speaker 6 (13:44):
And he's incredibly tough, uh and very proud of him.

Speaker 3 (13:49):
Which we'll go over here to our left second row, Tom.

Speaker 5 (13:53):
Hey, coach Tom Murphy, Arkansas Democrat, is head.

Speaker 7 (13:55):
All the words about Bob.

Speaker 3 (13:57):
Yeah, you mentioned it during your opening about it. Coach
is ying up here.

Speaker 15 (14:01):
Yeah, I'm wondering if that's about transfer portal caps or
what not.

Speaker 7 (14:05):
No, what was it about.

Speaker 6 (14:06):
No, it's not it wasn't here. It's just in general.
I just go back to, like again, what a privilege
it is to be exhausted by a challenge you choose
for yourself. We all choose to coach here, what do
we all choose?

Speaker 5 (14:17):
Topics?

Speaker 7 (14:22):
They are what they are?

Speaker 6 (14:23):
You know, since I've been in college football, we've had
COVID nil transfer portal eight or nine game schedule. We've
been debating that for five years. So, like, I mean,
it is what it is, because we're gonna.

Speaker 5 (14:35):
Go on this near isle. Barry, Yeah, Barry Trammel com world.

Speaker 16 (14:40):
You know, the SEC fifteen years one of a bunch
of national titles. Everybody in the league seem to benefit
from that. Now the Big Tens one two in a row.
How important is it for the SEC to get back
to the.

Speaker 6 (14:51):
Top the top, the top as in number of draft
picks in the NFL, Top is in most viewership, top
is in you know overall, top is the deepest conference

(15:14):
in college football. Yeah, we haven't been. I heard that
last night. Well, they haven't won the national championship in
the last two years. I don't know what was the
previous ten, fourteen, you know. I mean, so, look, the
more teams you add to the tournament, there's greater variance
to it. So, you know, I don't necessarily think that

(15:38):
we're that far off. I don't think that there's any
more pressure. You've got sixteen of the toughest competitors in
the world, who are head coaches in this league, we're
all driven to achieve the best, whether that's internally or externally.
We feel pressure to achieve that, but there's no pressure because, oh.

Speaker 7 (15:55):
We got to do it for the SEC.

Speaker 6 (15:56):
We want to do it for our team, our players,
our fans.

Speaker 3 (16:00):
So coach, we'll go over here to the left section.

Speaker 5 (16:04):
We'll start right up here in the fourth row. Go ahead, coach.

Speaker 17 (16:08):
Brian Schpiro of Texas Court Network, can you tell me
a little bit about the quarterback battle going on in
this offseason between Pabula and Sam Horn?

Speaker 7 (16:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (16:17):
Three, we got three quarterbacks, all a little bit different,
all with some very good strengths. Obviously, Sam Horn's a
guy who's been in our system for a long time,
dual threat player, obviously plays baseball at.

Speaker 7 (16:28):
A high level.

Speaker 6 (16:29):
Is coming back from Tommy John surgery. I thought he
had an outstanding Bowl prep as he was rehabbing that,
and really a really good spring and has really excelled
in his maturation. One thing most people don't know about
Sam he's a Type one diabetic, and so he's been
able to since he's been in college, been able to
learn to adapt and train and develop and adjust, and

(16:51):
he's really done a lot of good things.

Speaker 7 (16:53):
Understands the system.

Speaker 6 (16:54):
Bo came in with the right mindset, nothing given everything, earned,
works extremely hard to developing his craft.

Speaker 7 (17:01):
He's a guy who spends a.

Speaker 6 (17:02):
Lot of extra time up there, has a chip on
his shoulder, the right kind of chip.

Speaker 7 (17:06):
Does a really good job leadership wise.

Speaker 6 (17:08):
He was a guy that I got to work with
a couple of days at Harmon's and just impressed with
his ability to connect with our team. You know, Matt Zalers,
he throws it as well as any quarterback I've ever seen.
Is coming back from an ankle surgery. You can tell
he's adjusting to the speed of college football, but very
excited about that room. And know whoever ends up emerging

(17:30):
as the quarterback is going to be a really good
position because he doesn't have to do it all by himself.
He's gonna have a really good defense. He's got a
great supporting cast around him.

Speaker 3 (17:39):
Hey, we're going to go to the back of this
left section over towards that.

Speaker 18 (17:44):
Coach Chris Marler USA sports Dad, You've got a back
finished in the top five in the conference in rushing
yards and for the last five years, So what are
the expectations and what is the ceiling for amat Hardy
this year?

Speaker 3 (17:57):
And also, I know we brought.

Speaker 18 (17:58):
Up the Kansas game earlier and a house as you
are for it that morning. What's going to be the
go to flavor of Celsius that you have been to
get today started.

Speaker 6 (18:06):
Yeah, I'm kind of off Celsius right now, so it
definitely be a diet mountain dew, a cup of coffee
and then we'll see, you know, see what, see what
the day brings a moud Hardy man, What a great
young man? Uh, you know, I think one of the
coolest things about him is I knew Brian Vincent. Brian
and I have a relationship dating back to our time

(18:28):
when I was at app State and he was at
UA B and learning the outside zone. So it was
awesome to be able to call him and say, Okay,
what are his strengths, what are is weaknesses, what's his
feel for this scheme? And what could not be any
more complimentary of a mod Hardy? And you know, a
Mod's just he's an outstanding young man. He's a heck
of a horseman. Dude loves horses, rides horses. He's gotten

(18:50):
Kevin Coleman on the back of a couple of horses.
He loves to go fish. Him and Santana Banner go
fishing all the time. Facts went fishing in the community
pond there and in the Bluff Creek. Had to apologie
to my homeowners Association about that, but they caught a
lot of fish. So, you know, really excited about that
young man. He's got great burst, understands the scheme and

(19:11):
how to run it.

Speaker 7 (19:12):
So very proud of him.

Speaker 5 (19:13):
Which we'll go near a fourth throw. Pat pat forty
Sports Illustrated.

Speaker 7 (19:18):
Missouri Journalism grad.

Speaker 5 (19:20):
There you go.

Speaker 3 (19:22):
Since it's only been five years of your time talking
about eight.

Speaker 5 (19:25):
Versus nine, we stand on that?

Speaker 3 (19:27):
And what do you think of a five plus eleven
potential playoff format?

Speaker 6 (19:33):
Needed something to talk about, huh, Pat, I'll start with
the I'll start with the twelve fourteen sixteen playoff whatever.
This is not going to do me any favors with
our commissioner. You know, when I think about college football
right now and think about what do we need to do,
I think it really comes down to two things. What's
best for our players and what's best for our fans.

(19:55):
The rest of us are really only important because of
the players and the fans.

Speaker 7 (20:02):
And so when you think about.

Speaker 6 (20:05):
Whether it's twelve, fourteen or sixteen, you know, to me,
were if we've decided to go into this expansion of
playoffs and we're trying to follow an NFL model, Well,
the NFL takes forty four percent of their teams in
order into the playoffs to increase the passion or keep
the fan base engaged. If we're talking about twelve, that's

(20:26):
nine percent. If we're talking about fourteen, that's eleven percent.
If we're talking about sixteen, that's twelve percent. That's really
not changing the math for the fan base. So I
really don't understand what the big fight is about. The
other thing I don't really understand about this. You know,
we have a lot of complaints. Whether we're talking about
sixty eight teams in the NCAA basketball tournament, we're complaining

(20:47):
about the committee. And now we last year we complained
about the committee selections. I mean, we produced all kinds
of stats and handed them out about why the SEC
was so good. Well, the problem is we have a
human committee that has no standard set.

Speaker 7 (21:02):
Of structure of how they're going to select.

Speaker 6 (21:08):
They're all human beings. They all have implicit bias. So
now we're going to go from seven to eleven and
we think that's going to solve the problem until we
figure out what exactly the standards are.

Speaker 7 (21:21):
I don't think that's good in my viewpoint of it.

Speaker 6 (21:25):
I think we should go back and try to find
more ways to include teams. How do we get more
people involved, because that's better for the players. That's better
for the player experience to have more people involved in
the potential to play for a championship, and it's better
for the fan bases. I think we all would agree
that the four college football playoff games at home campuses
was a huge win for college football. We need to

(21:47):
expand that opportunity, that energy and excitement. So my math
could be wrong here, but if we did the twelve okay,
and you had four automatic qualifiers, every thinks that's limiting.
It's not limiting if you think about it from You
take those or automatic qualifiers and you divide that up
into eight opportunities of eight play in games. So now
you're taking the SEC's plan in for eight, you're taking

(22:08):
the Big Tens plan in for eight. Since we've expanded
the bubble, the sixteen give three to the pack, three
to the Big twelve, three to the ACC, one to one.
Now you've got thirty teams, thirty teams. Now we're talking
about an opportunity for thirty teams, thirty fan bases to
be excited and engaged, engaged in giving revenue. Got thirty players,

(22:28):
thirty teams with players who have access to compete for
a championship, and so for me, I think that makes
a lot more sense. You know, again, when you're talking
about the NFL playoffs system, not only is it fourteen teams,
but you only have to be the best out of
your four team division. So you've got to compete against
four teams in order to make the playoffs. You know, again,
when you're at the University of Missouri, if you say, hey,

(22:50):
you just have to finish in the top eight to
have a chance to play in the playoffs, that's a
win every day, and I'm all for that. I think
that's awesome. Eight versus nine. Honestly, I think I've been
for the nine game. I think if it was about
players and about fans, I think it's.

Speaker 7 (23:07):
A nine game schedule for the SEC.

Speaker 6 (23:09):
If it's about coach preservation, which hey man I get it,
you know, but if we're going to go to eleven
humans deciding on a committee which are the eleven best
teams and we stay at eight, we.

Speaker 7 (23:25):
Ain't getting in there. You go, Pat, there, you.

Speaker 3 (23:29):
Go, Guch, We'll go over the left hand side on
the far aisle Conner.

Speaker 7 (23:35):
Conra, Rogero Saturday and Ou South Eli.

Speaker 19 (23:38):
I know, Bo, recruiting him had to be a really
unique experience for you.

Speaker 5 (23:43):
How aggressive you had to be. His sample size is
so unique.

Speaker 19 (23:46):
You only have four passes that were twenty yards downfield
last year. Can you take us through the process of
evaluating him as a passer? And if you don't want
to answer that, I'd love your take on Lee Harvey Oswald.

Speaker 6 (24:00):
I don't even know much about the JFK deal. I
was literally at breakfast yesterday and Rick Jones brought that up.
I was like, I don't even know if she talked
about Rick.

Speaker 7 (24:09):
Yeah, boul Prebula.

Speaker 6 (24:10):
You know, for the when we first talk about recruits,
it's all about the right fit for us, focused in tangibles,
talented and tough. And when you talk about the quarterback position,
there's five specific traits that we're looking for, you know,
Bo had those traits, and then as a program, you know,
and as an offense, you have to design to a
quarterback strength. I don't think you know, when you watch

(24:32):
the tape, there's not an inability for Bo to throw.
He just didn't quite have the opportunities. And I would
say after this spring, I'm as confident as ever that
bau pribua Is.

Speaker 7 (24:42):
Is a very talented passer.

Speaker 6 (24:44):
So I don't really have any reservations about that.

Speaker 7 (24:47):
Obviously.

Speaker 6 (24:47):
You know, when you're recruiting out of the portal, it
does happen fast, and you know, if you have somebody
on campus, you have to close them pretty quickly.

Speaker 18 (24:54):
Bo.

Speaker 6 (24:54):
You know, I will, I will give a lot of
credit to Bo and his maturity. He had a process
that he wanted to go through. He wanted to see
three different schools and then make a decision. And so
you know, we made an impression. Quick story about Bo.
We went Nate dinner that night. I drove him back
to the hotel, dropped him off.

Speaker 7 (25:11):
You know, we've sat in the deal and talked for
about twenty minutes. I dropped him off and I looked
and he walked in, walked around.

Speaker 6 (25:18):
I dropped him off at the wrong hotel, so he
had to come back out getting the car.

Speaker 7 (25:22):
We had to go the other one in town.

Speaker 6 (25:23):
So I'm not sure how much he thinks about my
intelligence level, but it was good enough to get him
to come play for us.

Speaker 5 (25:30):
But we're going to go back over here to our
right hand side.

Speaker 12 (25:34):
What's up, coach Zach Sweek, Columbia Missourian.

Speaker 20 (25:36):
You guys have won twenty one games over the last
two years, but nationally it seems like you might not
have the respect as other SEC teams. I'm curious what
goes into that, and if you could talk a little
bit about something to prove mindset that you embraced in
twenty twenty three.

Speaker 7 (25:52):
Yeah. I kind of addressed this earlier on Wood would
would see this morning.

Speaker 6 (26:01):
You know, if you get caught up, you know, Coach
Savan calls it rat poison. I think it's rat poison
either way. Praise and blame were both the same. You
really can't care about.

Speaker 7 (26:08):
It either way. You know, we have something to prove mindset.

Speaker 6 (26:11):
There's all of us, you know, whether you're talking about
our coaching staff or players, we all have a little
bit of.

Speaker 7 (26:15):
A chip on our shoulder.

Speaker 6 (26:17):
But at the end of the day, in the fourth
quarter or two minute drive, that's not what you think about.
You think about your trust and belief in each other.
You think about doing your job at a higher level,
so you can use it as temporary motivation, but in
the key moments, it's really more about your belief in
each other, and that really is what drives us. It's
our belief in our brotherhood. It's our belief in our

(26:38):
elite Edge program. It's our belief in our always compete mentality.
It's the development of trust and respect that we have
with each other. It's having fun while we're doing this
that really drives us in our success and so other
people's opinions. You know, somebody asked me what the difference
was over my five years being here. You know, in
the first couple of years, I really cared what y'all

(26:59):
thought about me. No, I really don't. I have no
I don't care.

Speaker 8 (27:03):
You know.

Speaker 6 (27:03):
I'm here to represent my family, my wife and my
four beautiful daughters. I'm here to represent the University of
Missouri and make our football team proud, and outside of that,
I really don't care what anybody else thinks.

Speaker 3 (27:17):
We have time for a couple more we're going to
start here about five rows back.

Speaker 21 (27:21):
Hey, hey, Alex Miller from the Brian converstation Eagle. Yeah,
you have any conspiracy theories about Missouri football that you've
debunked or are debunking?

Speaker 7 (27:30):
What's that sign? There's no conspiracy theories. But there's also
no such thing as coincidences. So there you go.

Speaker 3 (27:38):
Okay, we'll stow here in the left section.

Speaker 5 (27:39):
About three quarters of the way.

Speaker 18 (27:41):
Back, Harold plumpson secum filtered.

Speaker 14 (27:46):
You guys have six games at home. You don't leave
the state of Missouri until October eighteenth. So many new
players and transfer portal additions being added on in and
new starters. How important is it for you guys to
have that time to build a chemistry at home before
you have to go play at Auburn in Norman and
on the road of fan field.

Speaker 6 (28:06):
Yeah, we play at Nashville too, and with Diego Pavia.

Speaker 7 (28:09):
That ain't no joke. So let's make sure.

Speaker 6 (28:12):
We give those guys the respect that Clark deserves for
sure and the program he's built. But yeah, you know,
appreciate Mark Womack helping us with that first six games
at home there. Obviously it gives a new quarterback and
opportunity to settle settle in in a friendly environment, and
obviously we've played pretty well at home. Our fans have
done an incredible job since we've been there and developing

(28:34):
that as a really home field advantage for us, And
very appreciative of their support and believing in us. And
obviously when you turn us on on TV, you're going
to see a two hundred and fifty million dollars North
End Zone complex. It's being put up daily, and appreciate
the work they've done there. You know, the challenge for
us I didn't feel like last year, I feel like
I let our team down by being unprepared to go
to Texas A and M on the road. We were

(28:56):
not you know, with the adjustment of the transfer portal
and players. I don't think they under stood the routine
and what it was going to be, and we were
a step slow and in just about everything we did,
starting with me and the decision making processes and our players.
So we're going to have to do a good job
in fall camp of making sure we're ready when the
opportunity does to go on the road, make sure our

(29:16):
players understand what that routine is going to look like,
and so we've actually built something into our fall camp
training plans to replicate and simulate a road game for
forty eight hours. And so we're going to do a
really good job of embracing playing at home for the
first six but also making sure we're prepared for that
opportunity when we go to Jordanaire, And.

Speaker 3 (29:36):
We're going to take one final question in the very back.

Speaker 7 (29:38):
And make it good, Hope, and make it good Oaks.

Speaker 22 (29:41):
Ron Brown, Sec Sideline Sports Network, Memphis. We're Cardinals town.
You've at that Cardinals Nation. I've asked you about this before.
You're building tremendous facilities at your football stadium.

Speaker 3 (29:53):
Nobody's asked about that.

Speaker 22 (29:54):
But Y'll put maybe close to two hundred million, two
fifty big deal. Let's talk about that. That's a serious
commitment from Missouri. Says a lot about where your program's going,
doesn't it.

Speaker 6 (30:05):
Yeah, that's why I started off by thinking in the
six million residents of the state of Missouri, by by
thanking Todd Graves, past chair, Robin Winnaker, Bob Blitz, Jeff Layman,
Michael Williams. You know a lot of different people, President Choy,
a lot of big time boosters. We're talking about Richard Miller,

(30:26):
Mike Campeter, Steve True Last, you're talking about the Bokowski brothers.
You're talking about Jeff and Carret Cannon, You're you're talking
about a lot of people who have committed a lot
of resources to our university.

Speaker 7 (30:36):
And believe Brad Stevens, the Stevens family.

Speaker 6 (30:39):
You know, since we've been there, we've invested in a
brand new indoor facility, We've invested in a two hundred
and fifty million dollar North End zone project. They've invested
in a weight room, reconstruction, a new grass fields. So
they've done a lot to enhance the program and give
us the ability to compete and attract talent. And that's
what we've really tried to do. And now it's you

(30:59):
know again, I've put the pressure on our coaching staff
this year.

Speaker 7 (31:03):
It's really about coaching.

Speaker 6 (31:05):
We as a coaching staff need to take on the
ownership of this year's team, about getting the best out
of these guys because we have a lot of talent,
we have a lot of depth, but we got to
bring it together and we got to bring the most
out of them. So appreciate all y'all appreciate y'all late
scragglers that got in here and filled up the room,
and I hope you all finished strong today.

Speaker 8 (31:25):
M I Z.

Speaker 5 (31:26):
Thank you, coach, thank you for your time.

Speaker 23 (31:31):
And that is Eli Drinkwitz, the head coach of the
Missouri Tigers. There we apologize for just kind of throwing
it at you jumping right in here on thirteen under
the zone. My name is Craig Waite. This is the
Craig Waite Show. There was a connection issue on this end,
and so while we were able to bring you that

(31:51):
from SEC Media Days, we couldn't actually get the studio itself.

Speaker 24 (31:56):
I've been running. That has been corrected now.

Speaker 23 (31:58):
We are in good shape, got things ready to roll,
and we wanted to bring to you today. Today is
the last day of SEC Media Days, but of course
we're back here in the studios in Austin after the
three days in Atlanta. But we did want to bring
in the four remaining press conferences, the four remaining head coaches,

(32:21):
because you might have heard something pretty significant there from
Eli Drinkwitz, and I'll get to that a little bit later,
but you're also going to hear from Mark Stoops, the
head coach of the Kentucky Wildcat, Sam Pittman, the head
coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, and also from the Mike Elko,
the head coach of Texas A and M. So we

(32:41):
wanted to bring that to you as well, and we
will do that coming up this afternoon, so we'll play
a little catch up, we'll get back on board with it.
Glad to have you with us here on a Thursday afternoon.
It is good to be back in Austin, Texas after
twenty two days out between vacation and then sec media days.
But we're back and we're ready and we'll continue forward

(33:03):
here on this Thursday here on thirteen hundred zone.

Speaker 1 (33:12):
We're back. It's the Craig Way Show with Hall of
Fame Broadcast. They're invoice of the Texas Longhauts.

Speaker 25 (33:19):
Craig Way, Hey, I want to thank everybody who is
a big part of trying to just make sure to
fight through the technical issues that happened their.

Speaker 24 (33:32):
Thanks to Chip who.

Speaker 23 (33:32):
Did an awful lot coming out and of course Antone
like im our studio in studio producer here and then
Isa Orties in San Antonio. See, it takes a lot
of good minds here to try to get things back
in order. And I appreciate that this we're still playing
catch up on here with our commercial breaks and things
like that, and we'll do that, but I did want

(33:55):
to say that, you know, this is the final day
of the four days of SAC Football Media Days, and
it was really interesting to hear the opinions of the
coaches and of also of the Commissioner, Greg Sanki, who
we had on a program.

Speaker 24 (34:15):
The other day.

Speaker 23 (34:17):
And I would tell you that it sounded like it
sounded like all of the coaches, at least through the
first three days and the commissioner were in lockstep on
what their thought was about a college football playoff expansion plan.
Apparently there's a little departure of that from the guy
who just spoke a few minutes ago, Eli Drinkwitz, the

(34:39):
Missouri head coach. I'm going to get into some of that,
but it's going to take a few minutes, so we
need another break. We're going to get caught up, and
then I'll break it down for you a little bit
when we continue here.

Speaker 24 (34:48):
I'm thirteen under the.

Speaker 1 (34:49):
Zone Today show with the voice of that Longhorns and
Hall of Fame broadcast.

Speaker 26 (35:02):
There Craig Way.

Speaker 23 (35:07):
Okay, for the past few days we've been saying we
continue from SEC Media Days. I think the proper phraseology
here will be to say we continue with comments from
SEC Media Day since we returned yesterday at three days
worth of programming there and then back to day but
hearing from the head coaches. We brought you the press
conference from Eli Drinkwitz and it was pretty standard ringing form.

(35:31):
But then he had some other comments afterwards, and this
is what I wanted to get into here before we
close out hour number one. After the press conference, he
was speaking of folks from ESPN and they got into
the whole thing about the college football playoff. Now, as
you know, Missouri has been better under coach Drinkwitz past

(35:53):
couple of years, but certainly not a major player in
the conference. But in contention, until falling off Flinton Varen,
they were in the college football playoff standings and then
he got into a ball obviously, so they valued his
perspective and opinion and wanted to hear about this. Heather
Dinnish wrote an article just a little while ago that

(36:14):
came out and said that when coach Drinkwiz was speaking
to ESPN after the press conference, today, he said, and
it's important to listen to this pretty carefully. He said
he would here's the quote, one hundred percent like to
eliminate the College Football Playoff selection Committee from the process,
and that he isn't opposed to getting rid of the

(36:36):
SEC championship game. He said increasing the field by two
or four is inconsequential, and his ideal model would allocate
four guaranteed spots to each of the Big Ten and SEC,
three each to the ACC in Big twelve, and one
for the highest rated group of five conference champions and another

(36:58):
at large. His comment was, why are we wasting all
this time discussing it? If we're going to do something monumental,
do something monumental, think outside the box.

Speaker 24 (37:07):
It's a very easy approach. We've all complained.

Speaker 23 (37:09):
The commissioner got up and complained, coaches got up and
complained about the selection process, which is understandable. It's a
human system that has no standard of picking. There's going
to be implicit bias. Why would we add more to that.
I don't understand that now the SEC coaches by and
large have leaned toward that five to eleven model. That's
the five highest ranked conference champions and eleven at large teams,

(37:35):
So you get the five highest ring conference champions and
eleven at large that'll set the spring meetings. And while
what unanimous Ole miss coach Lane Kiffiness, we continue to
push for the sixteen best teams without automatic bids. The
SEC's support for the five to eleven format brought out
public and private sentiments of agreement from other FBS leaders,

(37:58):
including the ACC in the Big twelve. So about two
months later, Drinkquid said, now that he's had time to
think about it, he believes the model with automatic qualifiers
would best benefit a program like Missouri, which has been
a top twenty five team recently but still not that
close to this CFP. He had one more quote about this,
and he said, when you actually sit back and can

(38:19):
sit on a beach and read books and think through it,
you're like, wait, this does make sense. And that's talking
about the five to eleven model. It doesn't make sense
for the University of Missouri. It makes sense for the
blue Bloods who are consistently ranked in the top twenty
five and every year have the implicit bias of being
ranked maybe not based off product, but based off of
media marketing and branding. But if you're talking about in

(38:41):
the SEC, you have to finish in the top eight
to compete in the playoff, or in the SEC you
have to finish in the top three, that's a totally
different challenge. So he opened his remarks you may have
heard it at the podium bike conceding that he realized
what he was about to say is not going to
do me any favors with our commissioner, because Greg Sankie
on Monday and said the SEC in the Big ten

(39:02):
had a different view of what the playoff should be,
and so that's.

Speaker 24 (39:06):
Where it is right now.

Speaker 23 (39:07):
So he's kind of stepping away from the uniform on that.
All right, we'll be back to wrap up our number
one here on thirteen under the zone. Okay, so we've
been telling you about this the college football playoff plan.

(39:29):
We'll get in a little more detail about this, but
we're also gonna hear from the head coach of the
Arkansas Razorbacks, Sam Pittman. It is proper popular popular phraseology
to point out a coach or two and say, hey,
that coach is on the hot seat going into the year.

(39:49):
Last year was Billy Napier of Florida this year, it
seems to be Sam Pittman of Arkansas, but we'll hear
from coach Pittman and more on this business with the
college football playoff BECAU. Apparently Eli Drinkwitz is not on
board with the SEC plan and that's why he said
he was gonna probably be unpopular with the commissioner.

Speaker 24 (40:08):
So we'll see, all right.

Speaker 23 (40:10):
Second hour of the program is coming up. Will also
give you another opportunity to get in the drawing to
win a pair of tickets to see Ghost as well.
All that and more coming up hour number two on
thirteen hundred The Zone.

Speaker 26 (40:28):
Craig Way.

Speaker 23 (40:52):
Second hour of the program here on thirteen hundred The
z I'm glad to be with you here on a
Thursday afternoon, Craig Way with you here, and we'll get
back to SEC media day's commentary coming out. Today's the
final day. Of course, we were there the first three
days before returning here, and the most interesting comments coming

(41:13):
really from Eli drink Wins, who, by the way, you
might have heard it, started off to the press conference
by saying, Okay, I'm not answering any questions about the
Epstein files, so yes, a sense of humor anyway, so anyway,
that's uh, that's that's a part of that, and we'll
we'll bring you the comments from the press conference with

(41:37):
Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman coming up here in
just a few minutes. I did want to update you
on the first round of the third of the fourth
and final major golf championship of the year, The Open Championship,

(41:59):
what many Americans commonly referred to as the British Open,
is underway. First round in the books from Royal Port,
Rush in Northern Ireland, and the leader after the first round, well,
there's a one, two, three, four five way tie atop
the leader board with it it's not quite completely finished.

(42:22):
Harris English, the American, with two holes remaining in his round,
is at four and a par and for the moment
that is good enough for a tie for first place
with Jacob scoff Olison, Hatsong Lee of China, Olison from Norway,
Fitzpatrick of Scotland and Christian bizeten Hoop of South Africa.

(42:50):
They're all at minus four and Harris English the American
is minus four then at minus three. Scott Scheffler got
out earlier this morning shot at sixty eight, so he's
tied at that point for what would be really sixth
place because at the moment it's a five way tie
for first.

Speaker 24 (43:10):
So he is at minus three.

Speaker 23 (43:12):
Matthew Jordan of Scotland's at three under Sadom Common Johnna
is at three under Terrell Hatton of Scotland is at
minus three, at two underd par Nikolai Hogard, Lee Westwood,
Ricky Fowler, Rasmus Hoyguard, Aaron Ray, Brian Harmon, Maverick McNeely,

(43:33):
Justin Rose, Tony Fenow and Lucas Glover. Fenw and Glover
are playing number seventeen right now, and then there's a
few others at there's a large collection at minus one,
including Phil Micholson who shot at one under round of seventy,
as did Sergio Garcia, and Zach Johnson and Shane Lowry
and John Rahm, Justin Leonard, and you're talking about former

(43:56):
champions here at even parrs. Xander Schoffley is in there,
and also at evan parr is Matt McCarty, the American,
Daniel Hiller of Australia, Yes, Rust Benson of Sweden, all
at even at one over Cameron Smith, Thomas Detrie.

Speaker 24 (44:17):
Let's see. I'm trying to see if there's anybody else.

Speaker 23 (44:19):
Adam Scott at plus one, Kegan Bradley at plus one,
Justin Thomas has one whole remaining in his round at
plus one and then just going on down there. The
Victor Hovelin shot a two over round the seventy three,
as did Ludwig Odberg, Tommy Fleetwood. They're all at two
over seventy three after the first round. I know Jordan

(44:42):
Speech was in a lot of trouble. He was on
the back nine at plus four the last I saw,
and I'm looking to see it just if I can
see his.

Speaker 24 (44:53):
Score, if it's in the books.

Speaker 23 (44:54):
Colin Morikawa at plus four, Brooks Koepka is at four
over parr, Michael Kim at plus four as well. Cameron
Young is at plus three. So anyway, that's a look
at the Open Championship going on at Royal Portorish in
Northern Ireland.

Speaker 24 (45:12):
There, all right, we.

Speaker 23 (45:13):
Need a break when we come back, and I'm gonna
let you hear from the head coach of the Arkansas
razorback Sam Pittman from SEC Media days.

Speaker 24 (45:19):
When we continue, I'm thirteen under.

Speaker 1 (45:21):
The zone back to the Craig Way Show. Connect with
Craig through the text slide by text Team Texas to
eight one five three zero followed by your message. Standard

(45:44):
message and data rates may apply.

Speaker 23 (45:49):
You know how one of the popular phrases is about
the buck stopping at a certain point and getting the answers. Well,
I have the man here who could provide the answer
to this. You know you've heard Cameron Parker and I
talk about these keywords for these for this contesting that

(46:12):
we've been doing.

Speaker 24 (46:13):
And of late.

Speaker 23 (46:14):
It's a chance for you to win a pair of
tickets to see Ghost at Moody Center on August fourteenth.

Speaker 24 (46:20):
Here's how you do it.

Speaker 23 (46:21):
To get in the as they like to say, the
drawing to give you give you an elevated chance to win.
What you do is if you haven't already downloaded the
iHeartRadio app on your smartphones, real free and real easy
to do, very easy to do that. So once you download,
you search AM thirteen under the zone. There's a couple

(46:42):
of buttons. There's a white one that's kind of shaped
like a triangle. That's to listen to our programming. There's
another on a red button with a little like microphone
you want to tap that microphone and then leave us
a message with the keyword that you heard on the radio.
Every day there's a different keyword. On Monday this week
it was boo, and yesterday or Tuesday was drama, and

(47:02):
yesterday was Mary.

Speaker 24 (47:03):
So anyway, so there's there's all of that.

Speaker 23 (47:06):
And I was giving Cameron some grief about this about
him coming up, and he said, I didn't come up
with the keywords that would be antone.

Speaker 24 (47:16):
Who is our in studio producer today.

Speaker 23 (47:20):
It's so before I give the keyword today, are you
what goes into your process when you're selecting a keyword
for a contest?

Speaker 27 (47:29):
Well, I got to say, sometimes I'm a real big
fan of the group that we're putting on. Like when
I was younger, I was a big fan of Coheed
and Cambria, who were to be giving out next week
sneak peek. Usually I'm going through their hits or some
of the stuff that they're better known for. So I
don't have the keywords for this week pulled up. Let
me find those really quickly. But a lot of the
times I'm just going off of, like Monday was boo, boo,

(47:52):
ghost boo. Are you Okay, Tuesday was drama, drama. They're
very dramatic band. They've got like thirty people on stage.
It's got the costumes all right. Yesterday was Mary Mary
or Why That would be their Their new biggest hit
would be Merry on Across, which is actually very different.

Speaker 24 (48:08):
It's a big departure from what they usually sound like.

Speaker 27 (48:11):
Really yeah, I'm not sure what was really going on
in their heads there, but they've gotten a lot of
traction for it.

Speaker 24 (48:15):
How would you describe their music?

Speaker 27 (48:18):
Traumatic? Huge, dark. It's theatric metal, you know. It's the
atric metal, theatric metal. They like makeup, they like costumes,
they like big props, and they've put on the show
they do they do okay, So which brings us to
today's keyword.

Speaker 23 (48:31):
Today's keyword is Sweden. They are Swedish. Okay, they are
from Sweden. Yeah, okay, there you go. So that's what
you do. You press that talk back feature and leave
us a message up to thirty seconds. Don't go beyond that,
but you can just say, hey, is listen to the
Craig Way Show. You guys were talking about Givingway tickets
to ghost I like to be in the drawing the
keyword I heard was Sweden. That's all they have to do, right,

(48:53):
It's all they have to do. Okay, So make sure
uh to do that all right? Uh see, And I
have toll you that the that the best collection and
keywords you came up with when it was something like
I love.

Speaker 27 (49:06):
Camerameron Parker loves country music. Yeah, that was good.

Speaker 24 (49:10):
That was really good. That was very creative on your
part there.

Speaker 23 (49:13):
All right, Uh, let's let's move forward SEC Media Days.
We heard from Eli Drinkquitz. This is the head coach
of the Arkansas Razorback Sam Pittman, from his news conference today.

Speaker 4 (49:25):
As the head football coach at Arkansas. His new hip
well enter its first season. Sam found out last year
right before Media Days. He needed a replacement, which he
received last December.

Speaker 5 (49:37):
You're going to watch him move effectively.

Speaker 4 (49:39):
Up those stairs and he coached as you may have
noticed a little bit of pain last year on a
broken hip during the season. Welcome to the stage, the
head football coach the University of Arkansas, Sam Pittman.

Speaker 28 (50:09):
Welcome everybody, Thank you, and thank you for what you do.
It's good to be back to College Football Hall of
Fame and Georgia and I spent four wonderful seasons here
at the University of Georgia and been treated off well
by the Stage of Georgia. I want to start off
by saying, we'll miss our friend Bob Hope. You know,

(50:31):
he would ask questions and they were always good questions,
but they always made me think, I'm going where did
he come up with that question? But we loved him
and we all miss him. I want to thank Greg,
thank you for that wonderful introduction. I'm a better player
on paper than I was out there physically, but I

(50:53):
appreciate him for all he does. Talk him backstage. I
just don't understand how he knows every answer to every
question that's stone to him, and he does, and he's
that good. And have a lot of respect for him
and thank him for being our commissioner. I want to
thank Kyle Parkinson, one of the best sids in the country.

(51:17):
Kyle always has me ready to go, and I appreciate him.
Hunter Yurachek across the board, we've been very competitive at
the University of Arkansas. I think it's our fifth year
in a row that we finished in the top twenty
of the Director's Cup. Bucky and his men's track team
won sec cale went to the Sweet sixteen. Dave van

(51:38):
Horne obviously took his team to the College World Series,
and sean Esses had a national championship golfer. So we're
doing well at Arkansas as far as work concerned. We
had a top five win in the country. This year
finished seven and six, or last year finished seven and six.
Winning the autolz Own Bowl makes us four invites in

(52:02):
five years. I think we're one of two teams that
have won our first three bowl games at the University
of Arkansas. We turned all three of our coordinators, which
is huge. Let to start offensively with Bobby Petrino. Bobby
is a good man, talented coach. As you go back

(52:25):
look statistically when he's in his second year.

Speaker 2 (52:28):
Somewhere they go through the roof.

Speaker 28 (52:31):
The great thing about that is we have our quarterback
Taylor Green coming back as well. We finished at a
top ten in offense last year, and I think we
have a better offensive football team than.

Speaker 2 (52:41):
We had a year ago.

Speaker 28 (52:44):
Travis Williams, our defensive coordinator, returning a wonderful man, great recruiter, motivator.
I think we're doing a little bit of something different
in the spring than what we've done in the past,
which will help us get after the quarterback a little bit,
take resture off our secondary a little bit more. Scott
Fountain coming back obviously in his sixth year. Some things

(53:07):
people may not know about Scott. He's one of the
best recruiters on my staff, loyal as there is.

Speaker 2 (53:12):
The day is long.

Speaker 28 (53:13):
Has two starting NFL kickers, one at Detroit and one
at Jacksonville Jags, and we just signed in Scott Starzink,
either one or two depending on where you look at
kicker in the country. And we've got a great punter
in Devon Bell and Snapper and Christian No our roster

(53:35):
we have nineteen We signed nineteen high school kids, thirty
one transfers in on scholarship, and eight walk ons. I
do want to address that just a little bit, because
as long as I'm the head coach at Arkansas, we
always have a true walk on, a true one, not
a partial scholarship, a true one, just like Brandon Burlsworth

(53:56):
was when he was walked on at the University of Arkansas.
We're doing that out of respect for the trophy, for
the family, and for Brandon himself. Ten returning starters four
on offense with Taylor Green, Black Star, Kimona and Harris
three of those four offensive linemen, defense Campbell Sorey Dix

(54:22):
and Larry Worth, one d lineman, two linebackers and a safety.
And our special teams, obviously I'm high on I just
mentioned them, Devin Bill and Christian No that is our
returning starters. Excited about our non conference opponent schedule. It

(54:44):
never is easy. I don't think you could have an
easy schedule in the SEC. I just don't think it
would happen. You could have easier, but the word easy
and nothing left on the back end of it never
happens in the SEC. We opened up with Alabama, Obama,
A and M It's gonna be nice. It'll be nice
for the Arkansas fans because we haven't played at home

(55:06):
our first home opener since twenty two, so.

Speaker 2 (55:08):
That'll be great to have that game.

Speaker 28 (55:11):
Then we go play Arkansas State in Little Rock. We've
never played Arkansas State, so that should be exciting for
both Arkansas State and the University of Arkansas. Butch Jones,
they just came off an eight and five season. He's
doing a wonderful job over there, and I believe that

(55:31):
we should have that rivalry. Memphis, a top twenty five
team Ryan Silverfield.

Speaker 2 (55:38):
They were eleven and two last year.

Speaker 28 (55:40):
We go to Memphis and they have an incredible football team.
I really like their coach, a really good coach. Done
wonders over there at Memphis. And then of course we
have a home game with Notre Dame national runner up
Marcus Freeman, obviously one of the greatest, one of the
finest coaches in the country and has a wonderful football team.

Speaker 2 (56:01):
Our home schedules A and M.

Speaker 28 (56:04):
The thing I want to talk about Texas A and
M is that the last time we played on my
home Johnny Manziel was running wild on us out there.
I remember that because he came running over sideline laughing
at us.

Speaker 2 (56:16):
They were ahead. He probably could, you know.

Speaker 28 (56:19):
And that was in two thousand and thirteen, if I
remember right. If I'm misquoting, misquote me, but I think
it's twenty thirteen. Since then, we went down to Dallas,
and we did not have a lot of luck down
in Dallas. So it's going to be good to have
a home and home with Texas A and M. I
think it's gonna be great for the fans as well,

(56:40):
we play Auburn at home, Mississippi State, and Missouri.

Speaker 2 (56:44):
On the road.

Speaker 28 (56:45):
We played four top fifteen, top ten, top five wherever
you look at them. Teams on the road at Old
miss Tennessee, LSU in Texas, six or eight, depending on
what polls you look at, are ranked in the top
twenty five in there. Nine of them went to postseason,

(57:05):
three of them went to college playoffs. So could it
be easier? I just said that. I don't think so.
I think it's an outstanding schedule. With that everybody that
gives a University of Arkansas one hell of an opportunity,
that's what it does. And we've got a good football
team too. They have to play Arkansas too. Now we

(57:27):
know who we're playing, they know who they're playing to.
But we're proud of our football team. This is talking season,
but this has nothing to do with what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (57:37):
Y' all know me.

Speaker 28 (57:38):
I think we've got a good football team. I think
we've got a really good football team. We've got our
starting quarterback coming back. We're a big team. If you
look at us, we're not small in any area. We're
a fast team, and we have wonderful leadership. I do
want to go back here just for a second, and
I want to talk to you about the three guys

(57:58):
that we brought with us. Brought Taylor Green, and we've
talked about Taylor and how competitive he is, how much
of a leader he is, and all those things. He
went to the Manning passing Camp. I think he did
wonderful down There's from Lewisville, Texas. He finished forty yards
from the all time total offensive record for the University

(58:21):
Arkansas last year, forty yards away from that, and he
was hurt the last eight games of the season. We
brought Xavier and Sorry and graduated out of IMG from Florida.
He led our team and tackles last year. Wonderful guy.
You enjoyed talking to him as well. And then we
brought Camball. Cam Ball's from right here Tri Cities High School.

(58:45):
Kim lost his father this summer about with cancer. I
will say this, it was one of the most gratifying,
joyous ceremonies that you ever could be a part of.
It was unbelievable. Charles was a fine man. He's wearing
a pendant or excuse me, a necklace and recognition.

Speaker 2 (59:08):
Of his father.

Speaker 28 (59:10):
But Cam has great faith and it helped him get
through it. In closing here, guys, I appreciate you number one.
Number two, We've got to find football team. We do
and I'm excited to start this season. As of right now,
we only have one young man that won't be able

(59:32):
to start when the season starts, as Ismail Cci. He
had a risk surgery towards some ligaments and a bone
in there.

Speaker 2 (59:39):
He will be He'll probably be out for the season.

Speaker 28 (59:42):
Other than that, we'll be ready to roll on August first.
And I would be honored to take questions from you.

Speaker 5 (59:50):
Thank you, Coach Pitman.

Speaker 3 (59:51):
If you have a question, please raise your hand Molly
in Holly or Olivia. We'll get a microphone to you.

Speaker 24 (59:57):
Coach.

Speaker 3 (59:57):
We're going to start over here on our far left
hands side. Third drop Coach Dave.

Speaker 29 (01:00:02):
She made sec unfiltered Coach, You've accepted four Bowl invitations
in your five years young one to three. But it
would be safe to say there's somewhat of a hill
to climate at Arkansas. You have the lowest paid support staff,
the least amount of NFL draft picks per capita in
that state. How do you all go about building that
roster and setting that culture.

Speaker 2 (01:00:20):
Available, man.

Speaker 28 (01:00:26):
You know, we have to we have to go outside
of our state. In state recruiting has changed over the
last three or four years because of n I L
and so you you have to think about the talent
who it is, versus what the pay is expected, and

(01:00:51):
so that that's been a little.

Speaker 2 (01:00:52):
Bit more difficult in our state.

Speaker 28 (01:00:56):
But we like to stay within an eight hour radius
if we can. We've expanded that just a little bit
where our kids can come see several different times. Financially
with revenue sharing, I think now we're back on even
kill with everybody, which we weren't. You just read that off.

(01:01:18):
You know when we were even We went from four
and twenty to top twenty in two years, and so
I think the program has a chance to get back
up to around those nine plus wins than where we
were before, just simply because we have the finances to
back that. We've got a good football team, we've got
a good staff, we've got great facilities, and we got

(01:01:41):
a great state of fans at the University of Arkansas,
in the state of Arkansas. There's no reason we can't
do it. If I was going to make an excuse,
it would be financially is why we haven't done quite
as well as where we were projected my first two years.
But I think now with it being even look out
or razorbacks are coming.

Speaker 3 (01:02:02):
On Ventil gover to our right hand side, about halfway back.

Speaker 18 (01:02:06):
Well, Sam Wilson Alexander from The Advocate, this question might
you might have kind of already just answered it.

Speaker 5 (01:02:12):
But your twenty twenty three recruited class is mostly gone now.

Speaker 30 (01:02:16):
Is that because of those financial reasons or is there
something else you would attribute that roster turnover to.

Speaker 28 (01:02:22):
Well, man, I mean, you'd have to ask each one
of those kids. Here's what it's not because of the
way they're treated, because of the way they're developed, and
because of the way that they're taught to that's not
the reason. It could be playing time, it could be finances.
Probably the majority of it is finances, But you'd have

(01:02:44):
to ask those guys. But I do believe that whom
we got in the replacement they want to be there,
they're happy with what their deal is they have, and
that they'll represent the university well.

Speaker 3 (01:02:58):
As we'll go over here on the left side, about
three quarters the way back in the middle.

Speaker 31 (01:03:05):
Jerry HUMPHREYO dot Com coach kind of talking about the
development of kJ Jackson and how Taylan has been a
great example for him.

Speaker 28 (01:03:13):
I love kJ. You know, we were just talking on
a plane coming over here about his developed Taylor and
I and Cam and sorry, but I think I think
he's ready. You know where we've been is we haven't
been in those games a lot to where we can
get that number two guy developed. Let's go back to

(01:03:34):
last year. We opened up with Pine Bluff and we
were able to get Malachi in the game. We were
out able to get kJ in the game, and then
when we needed Malachai against Tennessee, Malachi was able to
do it. Some of the other teams are able to
play there too, is a little bit more. We're hoping
to be one of those teams that can get kJ
in the game. I believe in him wholeheartedly. I believe

(01:03:57):
he's the quarterback for us in the future.

Speaker 2 (01:03:59):
Uh I do.

Speaker 28 (01:04:00):
We're not going out and looking for somebody else when
Taylor Green leaves. We got him, he's on campus. We
believe in him.

Speaker 5 (01:04:08):
We'll go straight in front of up me at two.

Speaker 32 (01:04:10):
Rose Beck, Thomas Jones, Austin American statesman Sam You played
Texas twice in the last few years. Does the fan
base still consider Texas a rivalry? What have you learned
about that rivalry in those two games, and what do
you expect going down to Austin.

Speaker 28 (01:04:28):
Yeah, I feel like they do. I mean I feel
like it was a very passionate, very loud football game.
Obviously we lost twenty to ten this year, but I
believe that it is reviving the Texas Arkansas rival and
we're one and one in that going down to Texas.

(01:04:49):
Tough place to play, great football team, but we'll be
looking forward to going down there, and I'm sure they'll
be looking for us to getting.

Speaker 2 (01:04:57):
Us down there.

Speaker 28 (01:04:58):
But we have not played down there. Those two games,
you know, played at home. But I believe if you
ask our fan base and from the feel of the
stadium when we play the University of Texas, I believe
that it's one of our rivals.

Speaker 2 (01:05:11):
If not number one, Coach.

Speaker 3 (01:05:13):
We'll go over to our right hand side again.

Speaker 12 (01:05:16):
Eric G ninety two won the ticket Yaville.

Speaker 24 (01:05:19):
How you doing, Coach good?

Speaker 12 (01:05:22):
You mentioned the A State game.

Speaker 33 (01:05:24):
You guys are playing them this year and you need
that rivalry. Butch Jones has been pretty adamant about wanting
to play it every year? Would you like to see
it added to the schedule on an annual basis? And
if so, is that game best played in a Little
Rock or the.

Speaker 5 (01:05:39):
Best like two for one home at home?

Speaker 2 (01:05:42):
No?

Speaker 28 (01:05:44):
No, no, I want to play them in Fanville. And
if that's that's what I want to do.

Speaker 2 (01:05:49):
You asked me what.

Speaker 28 (01:05:50):
I want if we're going to play Arkansas State, I
want to play them at home. And right now, under contract,
we're in our last year, are at Little Rock. You know, Now,
whatever the governor decides, that's what she decides. But right
now that we're in our last year younger Little Rock,
so it'ld have to either be there or here, and

(01:06:13):
I'm not I'm not really interested in going over there
and playing God.

Speaker 5 (01:06:17):
Will stay in that section bearing your third.

Speaker 26 (01:06:19):
Row on the hero.

Speaker 5 (01:06:21):
Yeah, very trample Tulsa World.

Speaker 15 (01:06:23):
Hey, Sam, it seems like every year your job's under discussion,
is say, going to be back and Sam going to
be back? Does that make your job more difficult? Does
it not matter anymore? Does it handle you personally? What
are the ramifications of the constant discussion over your or
any other coaches job situation?

Speaker 28 (01:06:45):
Well, when they discuss other coaches. It doesn't affect me,
So I'm good there. But let me say this. The
only ramifications of someone constantly having you on this list
or this list to whatever other lives is recruiting. That's
the only thing. And it seems to affect us a

(01:07:06):
little bit more in the state of Arkansas because they
you know, they're up on the razorbacks. They seymour. Now,
how can we stop that? We win more games? You know,
That's that's what we can do. Look, most everything God
brings on it, he brings on himself. You know, most
things that come out, you earn it. Now you may

(01:07:31):
disagree with some of it and all that, but I've
earned that. I mean, I have to get off of that.
We've got to win more games. And but I'll say this,
to consider that you're going to go coach some player
for ten years in the SEC, you're full Kirby smart stoops.

(01:07:53):
That's it in this league. So I think you got
to look at it as year to year.

Speaker 2 (01:07:59):
How you do it.

Speaker 28 (01:08:01):
I'm not worried about because I've got a good staff
and a good team, so I'm not worried about it
at all. But I do appreciate the question.

Speaker 3 (01:08:10):
Cause we'll go over here to our left. I'm afar
out cler.

Speaker 8 (01:08:16):
Larry Carlson history, long worn sports. Congrats on the new hips, Sam.

Speaker 2 (01:08:21):
Thank you, And I just.

Speaker 12 (01:08:23):
Wanted to ask you, with all the talk about having to.

Speaker 14 (01:08:26):
Re recruit your players almost on a daily basis everywhere,
is that going to, in your opinion.

Speaker 1 (01:08:34):
Affect the longevity of coaching lives?

Speaker 12 (01:08:38):
Just to you know, get fed up with it.

Speaker 28 (01:08:43):
You know, it's a little bit hypothetic. I mean, I
will say this. I believe that some of our quality
head coaches, that are great head coaches, it may drive
them into the NFL.

Speaker 2 (01:08:53):
I do believe that.

Speaker 28 (01:08:54):
But I do think we can make changes in what
we're doing right now and keep them in college football.
I believe that. So I answered a little bit yes
and no. I think if we cut down the portal
and made it to one, I think that would keep
a lot of guys interested. And you have assistance going
to the NFL and all that too. I think that

(01:09:16):
would keep them more into college ball. But to me,
opening a portal after you have spring ball is the
craziest thing in the world.

Speaker 2 (01:09:25):
Why would you.

Speaker 28 (01:09:26):
Have spring ball, know your team and then five or
six of them leave after spring ball. That makes no
sense to me whatsoever. If you give a guy opportunity
to leave, I think that's great, go ahead, but it's
got to be somewhere, in my opinion, in early January,
or it shouldn't happen at all if.

Speaker 3 (01:09:47):
We're going to go all the way to the back
of the room and left.

Speaker 9 (01:09:50):
Hey, coach, this is raging scart of inside Arkansas.

Speaker 5 (01:09:54):
Tell us a little bit about your tight.

Speaker 12 (01:09:55):
Ends and receivers.

Speaker 9 (01:09:57):
There was almost a complete turnover of personnel in the
to position group since last season. Who do you expect
to be Taylor Green's main targets?

Speaker 28 (01:10:06):
Well, when you started talking, I knew you was from
the great state Arkansas.

Speaker 5 (01:10:11):
Go omes.

Speaker 8 (01:10:13):
All right?

Speaker 28 (01:10:14):
Tight end wise, rohanne Jones very talented guy, very talented, fast,
very talented. Andrea's Postky he's coming back. He can do both.

Speaker 2 (01:10:27):
He can.

Speaker 28 (01:10:28):
I'm not saying Rohan can't do both, but he's we're
gonna send him.

Speaker 2 (01:10:32):
He can run.

Speaker 28 (01:10:33):
Andreas Postky a good player can do both. Can catch,
can can can block, can do.

Speaker 2 (01:10:41):
Both.

Speaker 28 (01:10:42):
Now Justin Platt. Platt is a guy that can do both.
We got him from A and M, so he can
do both. Too, go to whiteouts, Okay, and you've got
to add Maddix Lassiter in there as well.

Speaker 2 (01:10:56):
So I like I like our group of tight ends.

Speaker 27 (01:10:58):
I do.

Speaker 28 (01:10:59):
Let's go to wide receiver. Now for me to sit
here and tell you I know everything about the wide
receiver group. I be lying to you again. I told
you about coach speak. I'm not gonna do it. I'm
gonna tell you what I believe and whatever you believe,
you believe. But at wide receiver, I think we've got
about eight maybe nine that can play in this league.

(01:11:20):
Whom they are who will run out there with the
first group and all that We're going to run somebody
out there August one with the first group. Is that
going to be the first group?

Speaker 2 (01:11:29):
I don't know. But we've got Jaylen Brown and c J. Brown.
Those are two right there.

Speaker 28 (01:11:34):
I love our slots in Raylan Sharp and Cam Shakes,
love them. Love Cam returning punts as well. But I
really like those two guys. I think we've significantly upgraded
there with both those guys.

Speaker 2 (01:11:46):
I really like that.

Speaker 28 (01:11:47):
And then on the other side of the White House,
we have a mega Blake. We have Monte Harrison, we
have Andy Jean and we have whom I think is
a supreme talent and Antonio Jordan. Now I know he's
a freshman, but we've seen enough out of him this
summer in his off season workout in the weight room

(01:12:09):
and his running ability that we think that he could
help us too. And you could add Courtney crush Field
into that group too. I believe that we have a
really good wide receiver corps. Again, we're big, we've got length,
and our tight end now we finally have two tight
ends that you could throw twelve package out there and
you could throw the ball Toto one of them, and

(01:12:29):
you could run the ball goose.

Speaker 5 (01:12:31):
We're going to go straight down here to her right
on the front row.

Speaker 8 (01:12:34):
I know.

Speaker 34 (01:12:34):
On coach Dimitrius Johnson Hondihill Media, Man, Yeah, I just
wanted to ask you about your addition of ready Coke
build and how his position has allowed you to get
back to coaching. You can kind of step in from
the finances of college football.

Speaker 2 (01:12:47):
And he's helped me.

Speaker 26 (01:12:48):
You know.

Speaker 28 (01:12:49):
The thing Remy's done is he's a good communicator and
all this negotiation through agents, through parents, through whatever it
is he's handling that I'm not And man, you talk
about taking a lot off a man's plate. The other thing, too,
is it affects you. And somebody asked me that question

(01:13:10):
while ago about the portal, it affects that. In other words,
if somebody comes in to me and they say I
need sixteen Kazian thousand dollars and I think he's worth
a dollar, okay, So then I'm sitting here going man
me and you's going to lose our relationship here and
when we do gone right, Well, I don't have to

(01:13:34):
deal with that anymore. I don't want to. I don't
want to lose the way I feel about a young man.
I don't want him to lose the way he feels
about me. Remies took all that off of my plate,
and I can't tell you how much smoother the April
portal was than the January portal.

Speaker 2 (01:13:50):
So he's helped me in that.

Speaker 28 (01:13:52):
I think eventually he'll be more into the talent evaluation
once he knows what our team is.

Speaker 2 (01:13:58):
He doesn't know our team, you know. Right now.

Speaker 28 (01:14:00):
I don't want to speak for the man, but I
don't believe he knows exactly what we have on our
team right now. Then he'll know where we need to upgrade.
What's the finances in each category to do that? But
he's been wonderful, tremendous help.

Speaker 8 (01:14:13):
To me, Coach.

Speaker 3 (01:14:14):
We'll go over here to the second road, Tom Hey,
coach Tom Murphy, Arkansas Democrat.

Speaker 16 (01:14:19):
Is that thanks for the kind words about Bob, love
him and in honor of him.

Speaker 5 (01:14:23):
I've got a three part question.

Speaker 28 (01:14:24):
Oh great, when you know me, I'll ask you what
question two and three is here in a minute now.

Speaker 21 (01:14:31):
It's really just the one part you reference in your
opening about doing different defensive stuff to get to the quarterback.

Speaker 3 (01:14:38):
Can you elaborate on that a little bit more?

Speaker 16 (01:14:40):
And is it a product of the evolving game or
what your roster looks like this year?

Speaker 28 (01:14:48):
Number one, I think you can do if you like
your linebackers, which I love our linebacker group. I like
them a lot. If you like your linebackers, you can
do more. You can do more and uh not just one.
If you have one, now they can figure it out.
If you have three, which we do. I think we
have three, and I like I like uh uh Shaw

(01:15:13):
and I like Dixon. I like so a lot. But anyway,
I think that will allow us to do some more.
We're big at corner. We can run at corner. I
don't know exactly who we're going to start at corner.
I think we have five of them that are in
there for a battle. All of em except for de Villa,
and he's extremely fast, are big, you know, so you're

(01:15:35):
not out there going okay. We can't get into Cover
two where they got to.

Speaker 2 (01:15:39):
They gotta tackle, you know what I mean.

Speaker 28 (01:15:40):
We can't get into Cover one because we can't. We
can't cover, you know. So I think between the linebacker
group and inexperienced at defensive end is where we're at
right now. We've got guys we like Justice Bone, we
like quin Quincy Rose, we like we you know, we
got Philip Lee coming in, we like we like Charlie Collins.

Speaker 2 (01:16:02):
We like those guys.

Speaker 28 (01:16:03):
They're inexperience, so I think to get them started, I
think we're going to have to do some different things
with some veteran people. And we tested that in the spring.
I think it worked for us.

Speaker 3 (01:16:14):
We'll have one final question over to our left, about
three quarters the way back.

Speaker 12 (01:16:20):
Coach Chaka Davis with Hogs on this SI. How you doing.

Speaker 28 (01:16:22):
Today, buddy, I'm doing good. That's Sports Illustrated on this
si oh that ain't sports illustrated. Go ahead, that's on
the side or something that's right.

Speaker 12 (01:16:36):
Coach has got a couple of questions.

Speaker 3 (01:16:38):
Two part.

Speaker 12 (01:16:39):
Actually you talked a little bit about the defensive ends,
and I'll tell us a little bit more about the
depth of defendsive tackle that you build and maybe tell
us a little bit.

Speaker 3 (01:16:50):
About how you plan to bring a little bit more
pressure considering you only had twenty six sacts last season.

Speaker 28 (01:16:57):
All right, and Terry or why you Obviously we brought campball,
so we think he's one of the top d linemen
in in the SEC. Ian Griffard would be another guy
that we we believe in heavily. Oakes is another guy
that we believe in that David. He came in and

(01:17:19):
was hurt a little bit in the spring, but has
a lot of talent. And then the other one that
probably is the most improved is Danny Sallee. Uh probably
the most improved defensive lineman that we had Ann's interior.
Now Cam didn't play in spring balls. That gave Ian
a great chance to get more reps. But he's lost

(01:17:41):
a lot of weight. He's he's going to be a force.

Speaker 2 (01:17:43):
I really like him. And then what was the second
part of that.

Speaker 3 (01:17:46):
Question, bringing more defensive pressure.

Speaker 28 (01:17:50):
A low voice man. Yeah, again, I believe that our
linebackers are good, fast, and I believe we all bring
them and uh so, I think because of all three
of them, I believe that we can we can put

(01:18:12):
more pressure by doing that, and I think we'll continue
to turn Travis more loose, loose lose to go to
total zero more often. But we have to continue to
be more aggressive on defense and get them in second
long instead of second six or or shorter.

Speaker 3 (01:18:32):
Coach, thank you for your time this afternon all.

Speaker 2 (01:18:35):
Right, go Hoggs.

Speaker 28 (01:18:35):
Well, appreciate all of you, no matter what you're right
you're writing about us. Go Hoggs, appreciate you.

Speaker 23 (01:18:43):
That's Sam Pittman, the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks
at SEC Media Days. Well, I'm more coming up when
we continue on thirteen under the zone. All right, so
we brought you the press conference with Sam Pittman, the
head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, and because of a

(01:19:05):
link to that, we're gonna this will be a quick
segment and then we'll be back to wrap up the hour.
But the things there were a couple of things that
were note worthy out of that. One the fact that
he discussed, you know, his own coaching lifeline, so to speak,
and the way it was, and you knew somebody was
in this case, it was Barry Trammel, who for many

(01:19:27):
years was at the Dally Oklahoma now at the Tulsa
World asking him about quote unquote being on the hot
seat every year, and he gave a good answer about
not being able to concern himself with that beyond that
and just prepare his team to play. The other thing
was about this game with Arkansas State. It'll be the
first time that they will have played Arkansas State. It

(01:19:48):
kind of reminds me a little bit of the situation
where next year Texas will play Texas State and it'll
be the first time they will have met As Texas
and Texas State. But in Arkansas, where there's just the
two Division one FBS programs, it carries a little more
weight and it's very political there where the governor was

(01:20:11):
making sure that this happened, It got on the schedule,
and they're going to play in Little Rock at War
Memorial Stadium. When it was on vacation, I was pointing
out to Linda, we were going through Little Rock and
I pointed out War Memorial Stadium.

Speaker 24 (01:20:21):
Its at Arkansas played a lot of memorable games.

Speaker 23 (01:20:24):
Their Texas won an incredible game there in nineteen eighty
seven when Brett Stafford hit Tony Jones with a game
winning touchdown pass for a sixteen to fourteen Texas win
there in nineteen eighty seven. That was in Little Rock.
But they're trying to move all their home games. It's
downlad just one home game a year in Little Rock

(01:20:44):
and they're trying to get that one out of there
as well. So it'll be interesting to see how that
falls out. All right, We'll be back to our wrap
up our number two here on thirteen under the zone.
Okay pass moving our number two with a lot of Arkansas,
a lot of hog talk there with the Sam Pittman,
the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks press conference there.

(01:21:04):
We have one final hour remaining and the SEC had
one final coach to hear from. That's Mike Elco, the
head coach of the Aggies of Texas A and m Yes,
we're going to bring you that press conference coming up
so you can hear what the mindset is these days.

(01:21:26):
In the Brass Valley, So stay with us for that
final hour of the program coming highlighted by Mike Elco,
the head coach of Texas A and m we'll do
that as we get ready to wrap up our number
two here and gets ready for the final.

Speaker 24 (01:21:42):
Hour of the program.

Speaker 23 (01:21:43):
I'm thirteen done with the zone.

Speaker 26 (01:21:58):
It's the Craig Way Show.

Speaker 1 (01:22:00):
The Voice of the Texas Longhorns in Hall of Fame
broadcaster Craig Way.

Speaker 23 (01:22:14):
Third and final hour of the program here on thirteen unders,
So I'm glad to have you with us on this
Thursday afternoon.

Speaker 24 (01:22:22):
Craig Way. Is my name, Cameron Parker.

Speaker 23 (01:22:24):
By the way, our regular producer is in round to
Las Vegas where you'll be calling round Rock Express games
to the weekend. Nice weekend excitement and assignment for Cam
out there in Vegas. Happy, very happy to have antone
like him here in the studio as a studio producer
here and then connecting us and getting us out about

(01:22:47):
where you can hear it. Is Isa Ortiz, our producer
back to San Antonio as well, So glad to have
their outstanding work here on this Thursday afternoon, this being
the final day of SEC Football Media days, even though
we're not there today and we were there the first
three days, but we wanted to bring you the comments

(01:23:11):
specifically from Arkansas, Texas, A and M two of the
three rival schools. With Texas, we also brought you the
Missouri press conference with Eli Drinkwitz because he had some
pretty interesting comments with regard to not necessarily being on
board with oli SEC wants to do the college Football

(01:23:31):
Playoff if there is expansion, and he even said that
he'd be willing to give up the SEC Championship game.
It comes easier to a person whose program has only
been in the SEC Championship game one time and that
was before he was the coach. So we'll see how
it is going on that going forward. And so we

(01:23:51):
want to do that. And we're going to hear from
Mike Elco, the head coach of the Aggies, coming up
here in just a few moments. Just to update you
on a couple of things.

Speaker 24 (01:24:01):
To let you know.

Speaker 23 (01:24:01):
Tomorrow's program, we will be back in a regular Friday routine,
a regular Friday offerings which include Inconceivable in the two
o'clock hour. Also Friday during the summer, we bring you
the music survey. We get different folks to participate in
that and during our summertime and tomorrow it'll be the

(01:24:23):
World's Strongest Music Survey because it's the world's strongest band.
Mark Henry taking the Music Survey. He'll join us in
the three o'clock hour to do that. Also in the
four o'clock hour, we'll talk Major League Baseball with Geene
Watson from the Chicago White Sox front office in getting
the stage set for the figurative second half of the

(01:24:46):
Major League Baseball season. So that'll be coming up tomorrow
on the program. And yes, tomorrow is a Florida Man Friday,
so that'll be part of Inconceivable before we hit the
break and then bring you Mike Elcho the first round.
He is finally in the books for the Open Championship,
what many in this country referred to as the British Open,
the final major golf championship of the year, going on

(01:25:09):
at Royal Port Rush in Northern Ireland, and there is
a five way tie atop the leader board. It's a
very international flavor as the Open Championship invariably is Jacob's
Cove Olsen of Norway, Hatong Lee of China, Matt Fitzpatrick
of Scotland, Christian Mazaidenhout of Zimbabwe and Harris English American

(01:25:37):
all shot formed a rounds of sixty seven at sixty eight.
Scottie Scheffler, who had an early round this morning. I mean,
and by early, I mean like three o'clock in the morning.

Speaker 8 (01:25:46):
Early.

Speaker 24 (01:25:46):
You know our time, our time.

Speaker 23 (01:25:49):
Matthew Jordan of Scotland, settem Kawakanja, Tyrol Hatton, all at
three hunder par, at two under Nikolai Hoyguard, Lee Westwood,
Ricky foul Erasmus Hoyguard and Aaron Ray, Brian Harmon, Maverick McNeely,

(01:26:10):
Justin Rose, Lucas Glover and Tom Kim all at two
under large group and one under which included Phil Mickelson
and Sergio Garcia and Rory McElroy all finished the rounds
at one under. Tony Finale at one under Xander Shafei
among a large group at even par, and I was
looking for earlier Jordan Speith.

Speaker 24 (01:26:31):
I did find it.

Speaker 23 (01:26:31):
He shot a two over round of seventy three, so
speed still on the first page of the leaderboard in
that respect. All right, we'll take a break when we
come back. We're gonna hear from Mike Elco, the head
coach of Texas A and M when we continue on
thirteen under his own.

Speaker 1 (01:26:48):
It's the Craig Way Show with the voice of the
Texas Longhorns and Hall of Fame broadcaster Craig Way.

Speaker 24 (01:26:58):
All right, let's let's be honest here. It's not been
my show this week.

Speaker 2 (01:27:03):
No, no, no, no.

Speaker 23 (01:27:03):
Not only is it your show to show the people,
it's the show for the SEC this week.

Speaker 24 (01:27:09):
Because there was SEC Media Days.

Speaker 23 (01:27:11):
We were there in Atlanta at the College Football Hall
of Fame. It was great, really really great environment and atmosphere.
And I've been one of these media days and broadcasting
from them for more than thirty years, going back to
Southwest Conference Days.

Speaker 24 (01:27:25):
The SEC.

Speaker 23 (01:27:26):
You know, a lot of folks rolled their eyes onto
the whole thing.

Speaker 24 (01:27:29):
It just means more.

Speaker 23 (01:27:30):
But some of the stuff they do at their media
days kind of demonstrates that with the way that it's staged,
and that's why it's the most widely covered collegiate conference
media days in the country. This final day, this fourth
and final day featured comments from Eli Drinquitz of Missouri,

(01:27:52):
Marx Troops of Kentucky, Sam Pittman, of Arkansas. We heard
from him last hour and now the last guy on
the day. Yes, let's hear from him, the head coach
of the Aggies of Texas A and M mikelco.

Speaker 35 (01:28:16):
For all of you who had the eyes of Texas
As the song I was walking out to you lost
your bet.

Speaker 8 (01:28:22):
Excited to be back out.

Speaker 35 (01:28:23):
Here for sec media days year two. Just really excited
to go into year two of our program. I want
to start with something Commissioner sank he said about my summer,
and maybe give a lot of kudos.

Speaker 8 (01:28:35):
To my wife.

Speaker 35 (01:28:36):
When I took the job at Texas A and M
my wife stayed back with our younger son who was
still finishing high school, and my daughter. And so after
recruiting in June, we went back and moved and packed
the house. And I heard all the coaches before me
come up and talk about the great summers they had
and mine got to spend the summer packing. And so
to my wife, another apology and just an understanding that

(01:28:58):
I were a huge vacation summer and we'll certainly get
her out to that.

Speaker 8 (01:29:02):
She's the rock of our family.

Speaker 35 (01:29:05):
I want to acknowledge the recent tragedy that affected the
Hill country of Texas. The devastation from the floods and
the damage and loss of life was heartbreaking. The thoughts
and prayers of the entire Texas A and M football community,
with everybody impacted by that region, both Texans and Aggie's alike,
and so just truly devastating and heartbreaking to watch and

(01:29:28):
see all of that. I want to recognize Commissioner Sankie
for his continued leadership through what is a very challenging
time in college athletics.

Speaker 8 (01:29:36):
I talked about this last.

Speaker 35 (01:29:38):
Year how important leadership was in this day and age,
and I think even twelve months later, it's probably more
important to Greg and his staff. I think they not
only do a great job of leading this conference, but
I think providing the coaches with the information and the
insight that they need to lead our programs and continue
to have the SEC at the forefront of college athletics,

(01:30:00):
I think is a kudos to him and everybody that
works in the SEC office in and around football and
really all of our sports. I want to say thank
you to Trev Alberts. I think I see him out
in attendance somewhere really appreciate our partnership. I appreciate all
the support that he's given me. Is we work together
to try to drive this tech Texas A and M
football program ultimately to fulfill its potential and become what

(01:30:23):
we all believe it's capable of becoming. And finally, I
want to recognize our recently retired SID, Alan Cannon. Alan
Cannon is a true legend in this industry.

Speaker 8 (01:30:35):
A lot of you know him very well.

Speaker 35 (01:30:37):
He dedicated forty four years of his life to Texas
A and M University. He was introduced and inducted into
the College Sports Communications Hall of Fame back in twenty
fourteen and served another eleven years beyond that, kind of
ushering Texas A and M into the SEC and so
his mentorship, his friendship will be missed, but I'm really

(01:30:58):
excited for him to continue to be around in the
program in a limited capacity as he kind of enjoys
the next stage of his life.

Speaker 8 (01:31:04):
He certainly has earned it.

Speaker 35 (01:31:06):
As we turn our attention to our football program, I
kind of want to start with the three players that
we brought here today, starting with linebacker Torrian York. Torrian
is a two time captain for US. He started every
single game at middle linebacker. Since he arrived on campus
in College Station. He truly embodies what a linebacker is
the leadership, his playmaking ability, his ability to read and diagnose,

(01:31:30):
his ability to communicate.

Speaker 8 (01:31:32):
He really is.

Speaker 35 (01:31:33):
An exceptional linebacker in every aspect of the game. He's
a tremendous leader. He sets a great example for our
young players. He goes to be above and beyond with
his ability to lead our program, and so we're really
excited for him. He's going to be one of those
kids that will go down as one of the great
leaders in the history of Texas A and M football.

Speaker 8 (01:31:53):
He's a sports management major.

Speaker 35 (01:31:54):
He's originally from Temple, Texas, right down the road, and
it's been really great reconnecting with him back as the
head coach. Armaj read Adams is with US. Armase joined
US last year as a transfer. He's a returning starter
on the offensive line, one of our more decorated off
season linemen. Armaj has got an unbelievable personality. You know,
when you transfer into a new program sometimes it's hard

(01:32:17):
to feel and find your way, but he really let
his voice stand out last year. I think he brings
a lot of energy to that group, a lot of
energy to what we're trying to do on the offensive line.
I think that's one of the reasons why he was
voted to captain for the twenty twenty five season. And
he runs a local podcast partnering with tech SAgs, and
is really involved in a lot of things inside of

(01:32:39):
our community. Armaji is actually finishing up his last class
right now, and so he'll graduate here in a couple
of weeks with a business degree from the Mays School
of Business, and then he'll start grad classes this fall
as he finally finishes his career with us, and.

Speaker 8 (01:32:55):
Then Will Lee our starting corner.

Speaker 35 (01:32:57):
I think Will was one of the biggest recruiting battles
that we had last year, first getting him to decide
to come back and finish his development with us, and
then obviously getting him to do that at Texas A
and m He's our best cover guy. I think what
he does for us, locking down one side of the
field really gives us an advantage on defense.

Speaker 8 (01:33:17):
Getting him back and seeing him.

Speaker 35 (01:33:19):
Grow really this offseason to kind of develop into an
even better version of who he was last year.

Speaker 8 (01:33:27):
Will's graduating this fall.

Speaker 35 (01:33:29):
With a degree in leadership, and he's going to provide
a lot of leadership to our program and to our
defense This year, as we turn our attention to the
twenty twenty five Texas A and M football season, I
just want to start with the program that we're building.
I think when I got hired, we talked an awful
lot about building a program that would help our young
people develop into the best version of who they are,

(01:33:51):
both on and off the field. I think people sometimes
get so lost in the x'es and o's and the
play calling that the loose sight of what that culture
can really do to impact and affect our program. And
I think as we continued into this offseason, the challenge
for us has been to elevate that culture to a
championship level culture and so that we are acting in

(01:34:13):
our lives every step along the way as champions. And
I think I said this to a lot of people
when I got hired. I've said this to a lot
of people this offseason. It's going to be our commitment
to doing that every day that is ultimately going to
get Texas A and M football where it wants to be.
We are trying to speed that process up as much
as we possibly can, but we've laid a really strong

(01:34:34):
foundation for who we are as a program, who we
want to be, and where we want this thing to
be going forward, and I think that was so critical.
In the past twelve months, we've made a tremendous amount.

Speaker 8 (01:34:45):
Of stride in that area.

Speaker 35 (01:34:47):
You heard Commissioner Sayki mentioned we had a three point
oh seven GPA last year. It's the first time since
we've joined the SEC that we had a.

Speaker 8 (01:34:53):
Three point o GPA.

Speaker 35 (01:34:55):
I strongly believe that correlates to success in life and
success on the fotball field. We established our Mission twelve program,
which is our player development program, to help continue to
grow and educate these young people in what is a
changing time financial literacy, understanding NIL agents and.

Speaker 8 (01:35:13):
What all of that is about reading.

Speaker 35 (01:35:15):
Contracts, understanding this new evolution of third party NIL. A
program that will truly provide for our student athletes all
of the resources that they need to go out and
be successful. We talk a lot as coaches about how
hard it is for us to navigate this landscape. It's
also challenging for our nineteen year olds to challenge to

(01:35:37):
navigate this landscape, and we want to make sure that
they're provided with all of the resources they need to
be successful. Off the field or on the field. We're
really excited to get into year two. I don't think
you can quantify how challenging year one truly is. When
you have to go into a place and build everything,
build culture, build a program, build scheme, build practice, habits,

(01:36:01):
build practice, tempo, design everything. There's so much that's on
the table in year one, and I think both High
and our staff are just really excited about the growth
that will happen.

Speaker 8 (01:36:12):
Between year one and year two. In our program.

Speaker 35 (01:36:16):
On offense, we return seven starters, and I think that
is a big cry for excitement. I think we bring
back our top seven offensive environment, we bring back all
of our ball carriers. That's a really strong starting point.
But I think what I'm most excited about is the
fact that we've got quarterback Marcel Reid prime to take
a huge jump for us this year. I think he's

(01:36:36):
had a phenomenal offseason. I think he's put on some
necessary strength and mass to kind of hold to the
riggers of SEC football. I think he understands now what
it takes to be an SEC quarterback week in and
week out, and really excited for him to go out
and become the difference maker that we know he's capable
of being.

Speaker 8 (01:36:55):
This year, we.

Speaker 35 (01:36:56):
Added some develop We added and developed some weapons at
the wide receivers and tight end position to help him,
and I think we're primed to develop on what was
a really strong offensive year for us last year in
SEC play, we led the SEC in points per game.

Speaker 8 (01:37:11):
I think as we move into year.

Speaker 35 (01:37:13):
Two of Colin Client system, that unit is even going
to take a bigger jump defensively. We return eight starters,
including our entire back seven. The value of that is
hard to put into words. Those kids last year were
put into a really challenging situation, having to bring in
so many new starters from so many different programs who
had never really played together and never had played in

(01:37:35):
our system.

Speaker 8 (01:37:36):
I think at times we got it right, at times
we didn't.

Speaker 35 (01:37:39):
But those kids coming back I think have a chip
on their shoulder to bring Texas A and M defense
back to where it belongs. We've got a very proud
tradition of Texas A and M going all the way
back to the Wreck and Crew of what defense should
look like, and we look forward to seeing that manifest
itself this year on the field in Kyle Field.

Speaker 8 (01:37:58):
We also brought back all four of our specialists. I
think that's unique.

Speaker 35 (01:38:02):
Both our kicker, punter, long snapper, and kickoff specialist all
return and so we feel as though we've got a
very veteran group with a lot of experience, prime to
go out this year and finish what we started last year.
I want to close by saying this, Texas A and
M is an amazing place. I'm blessed an honor to

(01:38:23):
be the head football coach at Texas A and M.

Speaker 8 (01:38:25):
The support we have for our program at times is overwhelming.

Speaker 35 (01:38:29):
Last year, we averaged just under one hundred three thousand
people at our home games. That's one hundred and one
percent attendance in Kyle Field for an average. Our average
home attendance was larger than any stadium capacity in the SEC.
The support that we get from our university is second
to none.

Speaker 8 (01:38:48):
Our university continues to grow.

Speaker 35 (01:38:50):
We have clearly established ourselves as one of the premier
state universities in the country through the leadership of President
Mark Welsh. Our program continues to grow every aspect of
its academic excellence. Our alumni network, which has always been
a strength of our university, continues to pour in and
show that Aggie's will always take care of Aggie's. It's

(01:39:11):
an exciting time to be the leader of this program.
It's an exciting time to be at this university. I
think all arrows are trending in a very very positive
direction for where this program is headed.

Speaker 8 (01:39:21):
And so we look forward to this year.

Speaker 35 (01:39:23):
We look forward to this season, and thank you for
all you do covering SEC football in Texas, A and
m and gig them.

Speaker 5 (01:39:31):
Thank you, Coach Oco.

Speaker 3 (01:39:32):
If you have a question, Molly, Anne, Holly and Olivia
have microphones. Coach, We're going to go over to our
right hand side on the aisle.

Speaker 12 (01:39:42):
David Nunio techs acts.

Speaker 18 (01:39:43):
Mike, what lessons did your team learn last season being
so close with the SEC championship game but not finishing.

Speaker 35 (01:39:49):
Yeah, I think you have to go through some of
that sometimes, and as painful it is, and as painful
it was for us and our fans and everyone involved,
we had never been in that position before. We had
never been the hunted team. We had never been in
November competing for an opportunity to get into Atlanta with
our destiny in our own hands. And I think you

(01:40:11):
learn how you have to elevate your game in those
matchups when you become that team and you know, going
on the road and back to back weeks and we
didn't play the football that we needed to play to
finish it. And it's been our mantra the entire offseason.
Mantras don't turn into wins. But I do believe our
kids have a really strong chip on our shoulder to

(01:40:32):
change that story and finish this thing the right way.

Speaker 5 (01:40:36):
Coach, we'll go straight in front of me here in
the front row.

Speaker 31 (01:40:38):
Yeah, Tony Katadina, Austin American Statesman, coach. You had brought
Marcel Reid in your opening statements. We had talked some
of the players and they've talked about his leadership development.
From a player standpoint, that's one thing, But as a coach,
what have you seen from him that has given you
encouragement this offseason and that specifically?

Speaker 35 (01:40:55):
Yeah, I think Marcel's in a unique spot right because
he went through it last year as a first I'm starter,
and he didn't go into the year as a starter,
and that makes it really challenging to step into the
huddle as a leader. I think this year, he goes
into the offseason clearly established as our starting quarterback, I
think that allows him to really impact the team with
his personality. He's an energetic personality. He's a guy that

(01:41:18):
people want to play for and want to play with.
We had some success recruiting wide receivers in the transfer
portal in large part because we encouraged him to come
out to bowl practice and watch Marcel, and they would
come out and watch him and be like, Wow, Okay, yeah,
I want to play with that guy. And so I
think he's a leader in his own way as he

(01:41:39):
now steps into being the face of our program and
the quarterback of our program, because.

Speaker 5 (01:41:43):
We're going to go down the center aisle all the
way towards the back.

Speaker 8 (01:41:48):
Carter Carl's two be four seven Sports Mike, you.

Speaker 22 (01:41:52):
Talk about the continuity and retention not just with the
players but the coaching.

Speaker 5 (01:41:56):
Staff as well.

Speaker 3 (01:41:57):
Just how does that kind of.

Speaker 11 (01:41:58):
Compare throughout your career and what benefit does that have
for the team at a Howard.

Speaker 35 (01:42:04):
Yeah, I think it's got a tremendous benefit. I think
when you can keep familiarity within your program in the
coaching world, terminology, the way people coach, drill work, all
of that I think helps, and so I think we
were able to do that last year, and that was
really strong for us. We were able to add some
staff in the off season, which I think really has

(01:42:24):
helped enhance what we're doing in our program as well.
And then, obviously, in order to become the program you
want to become, and we talked a lot about this,
we had to stabilize it. We were able to put
our entire roster together by the end of January last year.
I think that's something that speaks volumes to where our
program is from a culture standpoint and how much belief

(01:42:45):
and confidence I think people have in where Texas and
M football is going.

Speaker 3 (01:42:49):
If we're going over here into the right in the front.

Speaker 31 (01:42:51):
Row and Coach Traus BROUNKBTX dot com.

Speaker 12 (01:42:54):
You mentioned the experience of the team. Does it feel
like an experienced team?

Speaker 31 (01:43:00):
What does that experience look like on the field into
the locker room?

Speaker 35 (01:43:04):
Yeah, I think it's I think it happens in two
different ways. I think it feels like an experienced group
and that they go about their business, they know what
the expectations are, they know what it takes to go
out and be successful, and so the work this offseason
I think has been at a.

Speaker 8 (01:43:19):
Really high level. Because of that.

Speaker 35 (01:43:21):
There's still another step though, you know, we have to
take that experience and turn it into being really good
football players, being technically sound, being fundamentally sound, going out and.

Speaker 8 (01:43:31):
Playing the game at the level that we can.

Speaker 35 (01:43:34):
And I think experience creates knowledge, but we've got to
use that knowledge, you know, through the rest of summer,
through fall camp, and then really every week in the
season to go out and put the football product together
that it needs. You know, experience is a really good
starting point, but if you don't utilize it the right way,
it can be wasted.

Speaker 3 (01:43:54):
Which will go about halfway back on the hild.

Speaker 13 (01:43:56):
Drew Yes coach'd Armin WZZ and Radio Huntsville, Alabama. I
wanted to ask about a couple of those transfer editions
from my state. Mario Craver wide receiver to spend of
year at Mississippi State.

Speaker 5 (01:44:11):
What did you see to add him.

Speaker 13 (01:44:12):
To the roster and also former Alabama tied into mari Nyblack.

Speaker 2 (01:44:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 35 (01:44:17):
I think with Mario it was a kid who had
exceptional speed. I think we saw that firsthand when we
played him. You could feel his speed on the field,
and that was something that we really desperately wanted to
go out and add and I think he's done a
really good job of going from a young athletic freshman
to maybe a more developed SEC receiver heading into year two,

(01:44:39):
and so excited for him.

Speaker 8 (01:44:41):
And then Amari Nyblock was an.

Speaker 35 (01:44:43):
Interesting one because he had spent time with coach Holman
Wiggins at Alabama and so when he decided to enter
the portal, there was some familiarity about more so what
he had done when he was at Alabama, and so,
you know, we feel like he's a hybrid kid that
adds an awful lot of value in what he can
do in the receiving game. And so you know, he
was a great addition for our program.

Speaker 3 (01:45:04):
As we'll go right here in the right from the PUDYUM.

Speaker 12 (01:45:08):
John Burrows on Texas football coach.

Speaker 30 (01:45:10):
When you first took the job at Texas A and M,
you referred to your program as the flagship program in
the state of Texas. Obviously a lot of Texas fans
took that as a slight when you made that comment.

Speaker 12 (01:45:20):
Were you considering the University of Texas.

Speaker 30 (01:45:22):
And how would you compare those two programs when it
comes to that title.

Speaker 35 (01:45:25):
Yeah, I don't think I was considering anything else. I
wasn't comparing anything else. I was making a statement in
regards to our role in impacting high school coaches in
our state. And so I think, like a lot of
things that maybe got misinterpreted.

Speaker 3 (01:45:40):
Yeah, we'll go right here on the near Isle Verry.

Speaker 16 (01:45:44):
You know, very Tramil Tulsa world conference wide quiest SEC
went fourteen and seventeen national titles. Therefore, Stretch built a
brand into what it is. But now two years more over,
the Big Ten is one. How important is it to
get the trophy back in the conference.

Speaker 8 (01:46:02):
Yeah, I think it's really important.

Speaker 35 (01:46:04):
I think we pride ourselves on being the premier league
in college football, and I think in order to do that,
you've got to be the last team standing at the end.
And you know, it's a countlet getting through the SEC season,
it's a gauntlet. Now getting through an expanded playoff, I think,
you know, our coaches now have a real good feel
for what that is and what that takes, and I

(01:46:24):
think you'll that's something we have to really be focused
on moving forward.

Speaker 3 (01:46:30):
Coach, We'll go down the center al again to just.

Speaker 9 (01:46:32):
Overturn left Hey coach Emily Grace mccorter from the next round.
We often talk about player growth from year one to
year two, but as you enter your second season, what
are some areas that you're looking to refine yourself.

Speaker 35 (01:46:44):
Yeah, I think you know, when you go into year two,
you have such a better feel for the personalities of
the team, how the team reacts to certain things. There's
a lot of guesswork that goes into year one. You've
never really been through it with those guys, and so
you know, you may think they're responding a certain way,
but you don't really know. You may be thinking this

(01:47:06):
is the right way to message things, but you don't
really know. And I think when you go into year two,
you just have such a better feel for the personalities
of everybody in your building, coaches, players, everybody, and so
I think there's just a much better comfort from me
in terms of how to lead not only the team
but the program heading into year two.

Speaker 5 (01:47:26):
Coach, We'll go over to our left hand side on
the third rip.

Speaker 12 (01:47:30):
Coach Cole Thompson sec on filter.

Speaker 14 (01:47:32):
Just want to get your opinion on the running back room.

Speaker 3 (01:47:34):
You have four guys are returning.

Speaker 12 (01:47:36):
Can you talk about.

Speaker 14 (01:47:37):
The volume but also experience that they have and how
each one provides a different element to kind of really
have you said the tone depending.

Speaker 8 (01:47:44):
On each matchup.

Speaker 35 (01:47:45):
Yeah, I think there's a lot of quality in that group.
I think it starts with Levon Moss, who is on
his way to being the leading rusher in this conference
and one of the leading rushers in the country last
year when he got injured, and obviously is a big, physical,
powerful runner who probably has more track speed than people
think he does given the size and the way he

(01:48:06):
runs the football. Then you go to Ruben Owens, who
unfortunately we didn't have it all last year. And Ruben
is a dynamic player. He's really good out of the backfield,
catching the football, has a lot of home run potential,
and I think Ruben's really excited to be able to
get out there at one hundred percent and show the
college world what he's capable of. Omari Daniels has been
a really talented back for US, has been our leading

(01:48:29):
rusher at times over the last two years. Two years ago,
he was our leading rusher, certainly as a kid who's
very capable of being a number one back in a
lot of systems, and so we got to find ways
to utilize him. And then I think Emmett Smith or EJ.
Smith is going to have a huge year for us.
I think he was a kid who was really beat
up at times last year in the offseason and never

(01:48:49):
really got the training and the preparation that he needed.
And he's been really healthy this offseason and I think
that's going to kind of allow him to take his
game to the next level. And so we're blessed with
four really talented backs, and you need them because in
this conference, they come and go fast.

Speaker 3 (01:49:03):
Coach, We're gonna go to the section in front of
me about three quarters yep, the way back.

Speaker 5 (01:49:09):
Peter Rodder Kids from AO dot com.

Speaker 20 (01:49:11):
Jacoby Matthews is back in the SEC now with Alburn.

Speaker 12 (01:49:14):
What do you remember.

Speaker 16 (01:49:15):
About your meetings and extorts with him before he left
in them?

Speaker 5 (01:49:18):
And what do you see him as a player.

Speaker 35 (01:49:21):
Yeah, didn't really know Jacoby more from recruiting. Was there
as a defensive coordinator when we recruited him. Didn't have
much interaction when I came back as the head coach
and was at Duke the years he was at Texas
A and m a really good kid, really good family
and certainly wish him nothing but the best at Auburn.

Speaker 8 (01:49:39):
Coach.

Speaker 5 (01:49:40):
We'll go back up front here over to our left
third row.

Speaker 12 (01:49:43):
Coach Bryans.

Speaker 17 (01:49:43):
Prior to Texasport Network, you guys went last year in
the renewal of the Lone Star Showdown. I know this
game is a long ways away, but now you have
to go down to Austin to face the Longhorns and
what could be another game that sends the winner to
the SEC Championship. How are you guys going to prepare
for that Longhorm fandom.

Speaker 35 (01:50:04):
Yeah, I think there's a lot between now and then.
You know, I'll just say what I've said about that game.
I think it's great that that game's back. I think
with the way those two programs are operating and executing
right now, that game is going to mean something at
the end of the year. And I think that's awesome
for college football. I think it's awesome for the state
of Texas. I think it's awesome for those two universities.

(01:50:24):
And so it's a great game, it's a great rivalry,
and we certainly look forward to the challenge.

Speaker 5 (01:50:29):
We'll go again to the back on the left hand side.

Speaker 12 (01:50:33):
Coach Kirscheman noted Ton have a game in Atlanta.

Speaker 21 (01:50:36):
No Thomas was your leading receiver last year, but he
of course was made to move to Athens to play
for the Georgia Bulldogs.

Speaker 3 (01:50:42):
What is Kirby smart in the Georgia program getting in Noah?

Speaker 35 (01:50:44):
Yeah, Noah's a great kid. Nothing but respect for Noah.
He's a playmaker. He's the guys the ability to win
contested catches and great work ethic and so you know,
happy for Noah that he's found a place that he's
comfortable and certainly hope he has a great year of
this year.

Speaker 3 (01:51:01):
Okay, we'll go back over here to our left hand
side on the third row. Coach NICHOLASA from CaCO.

Speaker 10 (01:51:06):
You said in March that your young playmaker Terry Bussey
is going to focus on being a whiteout only.

Speaker 7 (01:51:11):
What kind of jumping production.

Speaker 12 (01:51:12):
Can we expect from him just focusing on one position?

Speaker 35 (01:51:14):
Yeah, I think Terry's prime to have a real breakout year.

Speaker 8 (01:51:18):
I think we didn't.

Speaker 35 (01:51:19):
Get him midyear last year, and so he didn't show
up until around Memorial Day. He was injured a little
bit when he got there and so we had to
get him healthy. He then started on defense and we
switched him to offense midway through camp. And that's not
really the recipe to become the best wide receiver you're
capable of becoming, and so being a wide receiver this year,

(01:51:40):
start to finish in the offseason, I think some refinement
in his route running, the ability to truly understand what
he can do and how to get him the football.
I think you're going to take him see him take
a really really big jump this year.

Speaker 5 (01:51:51):
Coach, We'll go back over here to the right side
third row.

Speaker 21 (01:51:54):
Hey, Mike Alex Miller with the Brian College station Eagle.
I wanted to ask if you could share if there
was a moment offseason where you really saw Marcel take
ownership of being the starting quarterback and really show a
step forward.

Speaker 8 (01:52:05):
In his leadership.

Speaker 35 (01:52:07):
Yeah, it probably started right when we got back for
the spring semester. I think his wanting and desire to
one get the receivers together, to start working on the
timing in the passing game, and then his ability to
want to get in with our offensive staff and kind
of start going back through the playbook, back through the
details of what we're doing schematically, starting to really lock

(01:52:29):
in on the finer points of the scheme. And so
I think from the second he got back from his
winter break. I think he stepped into the building as
the guy who's going to be the starting quarterback. And
so again I think you're going to see a massive
jump from him.

Speaker 3 (01:52:44):
Stay over there about two rows back and whatever.

Speaker 36 (01:52:47):
Yeah, Mike Corvert, Cuss, Ryan Colley, Station Eagle, Andter's doing
real well in recruiting. Mike Purse the last time you
were there, now you come back. Texas has added the
SEC Since my question, I wonder if that altered the
way A and.

Speaker 2 (01:53:00):
M recruits since we're in Georgia.

Speaker 36 (01:53:02):
You guys seem to be doing well in Georgia, and
I wonder if that was maybe a byproduct or your
two years as head coach of Duke.

Speaker 35 (01:53:10):
Yeah, I think I think it's a little bit unique.
I think a couple of a couple of ties in
the area, maybe from when I was at Duke. I
don't know that the first part of your question, I
don't know that that impacts anything. I think I said
this last year. You know, Texas, A and M and
Texas have been recruiting against each other for years, regardless
of conference. I don't know that conference affiliation will ever

(01:53:32):
impact that. You know, obviously we take a lot of
pride in our ability to go out and recruit the
best players we can.

Speaker 8 (01:53:38):
To Texas A and M.

Speaker 35 (01:53:39):
And that's something you obviously have to do in order
to be successful.

Speaker 3 (01:53:43):
It will take one final question here right in front
of me in the second row, E C.

Speaker 5 (01:53:48):
And Mike Centric Golden Austin American Statesmen.

Speaker 15 (01:53:51):
What did you learn about yourself as a head coach
after that tremendous start of seventy one last season and
then then struggles after that.

Speaker 35 (01:53:59):
Yeah, you know, I think you're always learning and growing
and reflecting, and again, I just think it comes back
to understanding what it is to be in that situation.
I think you have to understand how to elevate your
game at the right moment in the right time. And
I think, you know, going on the road back to
back after that LSU win, we just didn't elevate the

(01:54:22):
right way.

Speaker 8 (01:54:23):
And so I think how you prepare, how you prepare
the team, the things that you do to get.

Speaker 35 (01:54:29):
Them ready to maybe get off to a faster start
in those types of moments and those types of games,
I think it all matters. And I think anytime you
experience that, and unfortunately sometimes even more so when you
experience failure, if you do it the right way, you
learn and you grow, and you come back a better
coach and a better team, more ready to.

Speaker 8 (01:54:48):
Handle those types of situations in the future.

Speaker 5 (01:54:50):
Go Jelko, thank you for your time.

Speaker 8 (01:54:52):
It's awesome. Thank you guys.

Speaker 23 (01:54:54):
There it is the final coach to speak at SEC
media Days. Mike Kelco, the head coach of Texas A
and m I did find an interesting and somebody asked
him about you know, how how important it is and
how will you prepare for the Texas games? Like, dude,
there's eleven games before that. I get some pretty good teams,
including Notre Dame on that list.

Speaker 24 (01:55:15):
But such his life.

Speaker 23 (01:55:17):
All right, We'll be back for more here on thirteen
under the Zone Craig Way.

Speaker 1 (01:55:24):
Follow Craig on social media at porn Boys.

Speaker 23 (01:55:29):
A couple of contract oriented things. First of all, breaking
news coming down out of the NBA. Damian Lillard is
going to return to the Portland Trailblazers. Dame Lillard a
three year, forty two million dollar contract to return to Portland. Meanwhile,
the Pittsburgh Steelers apparently have agreed to an extension with TJ.

(01:55:52):
Watt of three years one hundred twenty three million dollars.

Speaker 24 (01:55:57):
What does that mean?

Speaker 23 (01:55:59):
And we'll make him the highest paid non quarterback in
NFL history.

Speaker 24 (01:56:06):
Again. TJ.

Speaker 23 (01:56:08):
Watt turns thirty one in October. So again it's a
three year, one hundred twenty three million dollar extension. According
to Adam Schefter in ESPN, the deal comes with a
one hundred and eight million dollar fully guaranteed signing and
the forty one million dollar average per year tops the
forty million average per year given to Miles Garrett for

(01:56:29):
a Cleveland. So a couple of big contract oriented issues there,
one in the NBA and then one in the NFL
and one other one other bit of jurisprudence. I don't
know if you heard about this. For Shee Rice, the

(01:56:50):
Kansas City chief Star Wide receiver, sentenced to thirty days
of jail time and five years probation today for his
role in that multi car crash last year in Dallas.
Dallas County District Attorney's Office said that Rice pleaded guilty
and district court to two third degree felony charges, a
collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on the highway

(01:57:11):
causing bodily injury. Dallas Court judge ruled he can serve
the jail time at any point during the five year
probationary period. He received divert adjudication and the case will
be dismissed if he completes the probation. He also paid
one hundred and fifteen thousand dollars in restitution to the
victims of that crash for their medical expenses. We'll be

(01:57:33):
back to wrap up today's edition of the program on
thirteen under the Zone, so we get ready to wrap
it up here, and like I said, we were definitely

(01:57:54):
going to bring you SEC oriented stuff throughout this is
SEC's week, the way I think the ACC has their
media days next week, but we won't be bringing you
news conferences from Louisville and Syrahcuse and stuff like that.
We'll wanted to zero in on the SEC in which
we'll do now Tomorrow, Like I said, we're back kind

(01:58:17):
of in our normal mode. Cameron won't be here, but
they'll check in with us from Las Vegas and then
the World's Strongest Band Mark Henry, co host of the
Morning Kickoff with Mike Cardball Hard from seven am to
nine am here on The Zone, will join us to
do the music survey in the three o'clock hour, so

(01:58:38):
we look forward to that. We'll have that, and we'll
have Inconceivable in the two o'clock hour. Gene Watson from
the Chicago White Sox front office will join us in
the four o'clock hour and we'll talk to Major League
Baseball getting started for the post All Star break portion
of the season. So we're back on a regular bill. Yes,

(01:59:00):
for those who've been waiting and wondering and wondering and waiting,
the giveaways for the Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazines are
coming next week. We'll start doing that. The magazine is
on the shelves now. In fact, I've got my copy.
I'm also a subscriber, so I got my copy to
the air, but through the mail. But you can pick

(01:59:21):
those up there and wherever you're picking up your magaziness
norm But we're going to give away some copies as
we always do, have been doing that for the better
part of thirty years, and we'll do it again starting
next week. Thanks so much a lot of folks to think,
Thanks to Chip who helped out getting us when we
had the technical issues earlier. Thanks as well to antonekam

(01:59:42):
Our producer and studio here. Also Issa Ortiza, producer in
San Antonio. For all of them, I'm Craig Waite. Thank
you for joining us, Cavino and Rich Fox Sports Radio.
Up next, we'll visit with you tomorrow to do at
two o'clock. Right here, I'm thirteen under the zone.