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January 7, 2025 • 18 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Anyway, we continue on this Tuesday, and as I mentioned
at the top of the show, we were going to
let you hear from long worn players because this is
the best opportunity to hear from them now leading up
to this national semifinal of the College Football Playoff, that
being the Cotton Bowl in Arlington at Jerry World on
Friday evening at six point thirty before we hear from
another one of quinn yours receiving targets, namely tight end gunner. Here,

(00:23):
I want to hear from one of the guys who
protects and namely the most decorated of the offensive lineman,
the Lombardi Award winner, the Atlan Trophy winner, that, of
course would be the anchor on the left side, the
left tackle, Calvin Banks.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Kevin.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
A moment ago, Jake was here and he told us
that everybody showed up the day after the Arizona State
game with a chip on the shoulder determined to get
the run game back. Could you feel that, and if so,
what will gives you confidence? What have you seen over
the past few days that leads you to believe it's back.

Speaker 4 (00:54):
Yeah, like you said, we didn't put our best foot
forward in that game and the biggest thing Coastart. We
want us to kind of emphasized with the run game,
and I feel like we didn't do that. So we
definitely had a chip on our shoulder for sure, because
I know we're better than what we showed in that field.
So it definitely gave us a sense of one to
want to go out and practice and do better. So
we've been doing that. We've been executing very well in practice.

(01:16):
We've been kind of just showing we're locked in and
focus on the game plan.

Speaker 5 (01:20):
A Calvin, Ohio State had eight sacks in its last game.
Just what stands out to you when you watch a
film about their pass rush?

Speaker 4 (01:27):
Yeah, just physical rushers. Not one of their guys take
a playoff. They give maximum effort every time. So just
guys who are gonna put the best foot forward for
their team and give maximum effort for you. So I'll
say that kind of kind of just sums up their rushers.
And one on one word.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Call in a very similar question just specifically about Jack
Sawyer and j. C. Tmoloaw what makes them so tough
to go against and what kind of challenge is that
for you?

Speaker 4 (01:56):
Yeah, they're great rushers, Like I said, they like to
press the pocket very well.

Speaker 6 (02:00):
They can.

Speaker 4 (02:00):
They have hot motor so it's not like you're gonna
block them and then they stop and and not try
to chase the quarterback. They do all that, they have
good counter moves to give you, uh if the first
move don't work. So they're just hot motive rushers. And
just me me being locked in on on the techniques
that coach Flood has taught me to make sure I
do my best of block those two guys.

Speaker 7 (02:20):
Hey, Kevin, how you doing. I just wanted to ask
about the heart of a champion, right That was a
conversation before the Georgia game. Y'all describe the Bulldogs as that,
and so I'm wondering after they airs on the state matchup,
do you feel like that was y'all's part of a
champion moment?

Speaker 1 (02:35):
Oh?

Speaker 4 (02:35):
Yeah, sir, you could say that because like I was saying,
like I said before, we didn't kind of come out
there and put our best beforard as a team. We
felt like we left a lot out there on the
table that we can that we uh that you want
to get back at the end of the day, you can't.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (02:47):
The game is a game and it happens, but it
definitely shows the heart that we have as a team
to go out there and no matter the avarsity adversity
that we faced in those moments, we came out and
pulled pulled through at the end.

Speaker 8 (02:58):
Tell them the last time you were underdogs was going
to Alabama last year. Do you get the same sense
of resolve amongst your teammates knowing that you're the team
that's being counted out in this game?

Speaker 2 (03:17):
I mean you could say so, yeah, anytime.

Speaker 4 (03:19):
I feel like anytime any football team that's counted out
and going into a game, it definitely makes puts a
chip on the shoulder that want to go out there
and prove people wrong. But at the end of the day,
we treat every week the same. We kind of coming
to everybody with the same mindset. We try to make
sure we're we have the same mentality of going out
there and one wanting to go dominate, no matter if
we're the favorite team or if we're not.

Speaker 9 (03:40):
Hey, Calvin, you know Burt Auburns struggled a little bit
just kicking what's going on with him since the Beach
Bowl and how do you get his confidence back?

Speaker 4 (03:51):
I mean, that's kind of that's not a kind of
a question for me. It's kind of kind of couch
for coach Banks. But Bert's Burt's been itself. He's I mean,
he's been he's been a selfie. I don't think any
athlete people go through slumps. I mean, I've had slumps
before where stuff happens you kind of kind of just
got to move one from it and just brush off.
But Bird, he's he's been doing fine. He's been doing

(04:12):
good in practice. And you know what I'm saying, his
confidence doesn't like his uh went away at all. So
we trusted him as a team and we believe in
his ability to go out there and make field goals.

Speaker 6 (04:23):
Alvin, So as a team, you guys throughout the whole
entire season have always every game you try to get better,
fix the mistakes and so on. Against Clempson, you guys
had two penalty Boch Sharkisian talked about that was a
result of it come to Jesus meeting. But I'm just curious,
how do you guys go into practice, like, for example,
this week, you guys are self motivated, You don't you

(04:46):
probably need to come to Jesus meeting. But how are
you guys working on that aspect of the game to
lesson or refine not as many penalties.

Speaker 4 (04:57):
Yeah, I mean it kind of starts up front with
O line if you want to be honest, pre snap
pre snap penalties and stuff like that. That's like that
stuff that puts you behind the states, and it kind
of makes it hard for you to go out there
and go score and put droughts together. So things like
that just has to stop. I mean, it's it's stuff
we learned were doing practice. Where we get in practice,
we don't. We don't have the same mistakes. So it's

(05:18):
just that that moment of uh staying calm, being being
calmon in the field of play and understanding what your
job is and not kind of getting too over too over,
too over excited, or too uh too over emotional, because
that's when you start having pre snap penalties.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
Uh as such.

Speaker 9 (05:35):
Yeah, I was just curious about the mindset of the team.
Did the way y'all win, both of your confidence or
or blowing the sixteen point lead hurt your confidence? How
y'all react to those.

Speaker 2 (05:49):
Yeah, I wouldn't. I wouldn't say it hurt our confidence
at all.

Speaker 4 (05:51):
We understood kind of understanding what we did during that game,
and just at the end of the day, you're here
for a reason, Arizona starting was here for reasons. So
we kind we kind of just go in there and
think we're gonna play reds game, but obviously no game
is gonna be perfect, so we just we go in
we win.

Speaker 2 (06:07):
Okay, now it's time to go back and fix the mistakes.

Speaker 4 (06:10):
So at the end of the day, we just got
to look at that and learn from those mistakes and
then and bring it to the next game.

Speaker 10 (06:16):
And Kelvin, what does.

Speaker 8 (06:17):
It mean to this team to be playing this game
in the state of Texas just rolling up I thirty five.

Speaker 2 (06:26):
Yeah, it means a lot.

Speaker 4 (06:27):
It means a lot to us, especially just because it's
kind of like you're playing the home game in a sense.
Con just wanted to defend your state, just defending the
state of Texas. So just just going in there and
knowing like, hey, you don't have to travel for a
kind of just kind of like in your backyard. So
it means a lot to us, and just we want
to go out here that's cute and just play hard
for our fans and play hard for our teammates, and the.

Speaker 8 (06:49):
Last time you were in Jerry World it was for
the Big twelve Championship.

Speaker 10 (06:55):
So any good vibes from that.

Speaker 2 (07:00):
Yeah, you can say so.

Speaker 4 (07:01):
It's always a good vibe when you go into a
stadium that you've won in before.

Speaker 11 (07:06):
Yeah, Kevin, I just wonder for you personally, what are
the last you know, kind of six weeks I guess
been like from you know, dealing with the injury against
A and M, and then you got the award circuit,
then you're right back into the playoff and now you're
in the January and the semi finals. Just kind of
how this whole world win for you this last six
weeks spend. Yeah, it's been it's been pretty crazy.

Speaker 4 (07:26):
Kind of some high some lows, but at the end
of the day, you just gotta kind of focus on
what you have going at the moment, and that was
kind of the team in that point.

Speaker 2 (07:35):
You know, people go through stuff.

Speaker 4 (07:36):
Now everybody run this time is one hundred percent healthy,
So you just got to have that in the back
of your mind going into the game and just understanding like, yeah,
you win these awards, but these the big goal is
definitely to win that championship.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
For a team.

Speaker 4 (07:50):
I mean, the awards are great, but at the end
of the day, I feel like when you win collectively
as a team and it means it means a whole
lot more.

Speaker 12 (07:58):
Yeah, Kevin, going back to thatnversation about playing at and
T Stadium and then you know, just playing in Mercedes
Benz twice. Now, what are the benefits of playing these
big games in stadiums that y'all that y'all all are
familiar with.

Speaker 4 (08:12):
Yeah, it's definitely a lot of benefits, kind of kind
of you just being used to the atmosphere, You've been
used to what it will sound like when the stadium
is packed, how to turn feels, just different things like
that that not many people may think impacts you or
may impact you going to the game, but it's definitely
something that you kind of have in the back of
your mind and just just just it's a good thing

(08:32):
to kind of have that opportunity to have been played
in the stadium before, not going in to a new environment.

Speaker 13 (08:38):
When you look at Ohio States defense, obviously they're you know,
they're very talented, but their offense has jumped on teams
pretty quick. What do you guys have to do to
stay on script offensively to you know, kind of avoid
that hole that you know their offense can put you
guys' defense in.

Speaker 4 (08:52):
Yeah, just to win, win on first and second downs.
I feel like that's the biggest thing for us right
now is winning on first and second downs. Like not
getting sticks early on in the downs. That kind of
helps us out by staying on the field to help
the defense out as well by getting their rests and
things like that. So just make sure we stay in
front of the sticks on on schedule and just having
that mentality.

Speaker 2 (09:12):
I want to run the ball as well.

Speaker 4 (09:14):
So I feel like if we get all that stuff
worked out, I feel like we'll do pretty good.

Speaker 7 (09:18):
Well.

Speaker 1 (09:18):
Good to hear that Calvin's feeling good enough and ready
to roll again and to anchor up that left side
of the offensive line. All right. Gunner Helm all season
long has been a clutch receiver for Texas. Made some
big catches and games, and certainly none bigger than the
one he made to start the second overtime. On the
first play of the second overtime, on the touchdown pass
from Quinn, you were so, let's hear from the long

(09:40):
warrant senior tight end Gunner.

Speaker 14 (09:42):
Hilm definite, Gunnar, I just asked us to Quinn earlier.
Would love your perspective, you know, as an offensive player,
how crucial is it that Quinn is that calming presence
for you guys? Mean, no disrespected guys like Kelvin or
Jake or veterans like yourself, who's there, all talented players,
but how crucial is it to have that quarterback be
the calming presence for you guys throughout the games?

Speaker 15 (10:02):
Yeah, I mean just obviously as our you know, front
runner leader on the offensive side of the ball, he's
the one that leads us, gets the play going, and
just see him calm definitely calls our nerves a little bit,
you know, just as we're driving, if things aren't going well,
if things are good, he.

Speaker 10 (10:16):
Keeps us, keeps us in a good headspace.

Speaker 15 (10:19):
If things might not be going too good, keep going
through and now keeps us in a good headspace. You know,
it just keeps encouraging us. So obviously, yeah, very effective.
Behalf him on our side.

Speaker 16 (10:31):
Hey, Gunnard, I was wondering if you could take us
through that score on the first play of second overtime.
What's that route that you're running? Have you guys run
that play before, and how do you have to really
sell that at the line of scrimmage that you're blocking.

Speaker 10 (10:42):
Yeah, we run a lot of slider and I guess
gap area protection.

Speaker 15 (10:46):
So we ran it last year against Iowa State and
I scored on the same play, but essentially a fake
that I'm sliding down in protection and then leak out
the back door. It's been pretty effective, and you know,
the National Football League this year and a lot of
other colleges. I think State ran a version of it
against Penn State, so you.

Speaker 10 (11:03):
Know, we knew it was gonna be a good call.
It's been in the entire season.

Speaker 15 (11:07):
I think we try to run it against Michigan and
got shot down. But then you know, as as soon
as we called that one, I was pretty confident that
I was gonna be able to make a play.

Speaker 5 (11:16):
Afternoon, Gunner, you talked a lot about your journey at Texas,
why you committed to ut in the committee, to the school.
In this playoff where you get to play these massive games,
you take moments to appreciate it while you're in it,
and what are those moments like for you?

Speaker 15 (11:31):
Yeah, I mean coming to a school like Texas, you know,
coach Sark alluded to it today, We're built for games
like this.

Speaker 10 (11:36):
Were playing a lot of games like this in front
of a lot of people in big stadiums, on big stages.

Speaker 15 (11:41):
So you know, I think that I'm pretty used to
it that at this point, but early on in my career,
you know, it was definitely a really eye opening you know,
not playing at a huge Texas high school football program.
I mean a pretty big program coming out of the
state of Colorado, still the biggest one in Colorado, best
one in Colorado.

Speaker 10 (11:59):
But yeah, I would just say that, you.

Speaker 15 (12:01):
Know, take a moment, Try to take a moment just
just to reflect back in the next years, just where
I was as a player.

Speaker 10 (12:08):
Big gunner.

Speaker 8 (12:10):
How's this team handling being the underdog playing in the
state of Texas And what's what's been the messaging from
from Sark this week?

Speaker 15 (12:21):
Yeah, just being where our feet are, you know, going
back in in our details. You know, obviously we're we're
trusting that our fans are gonna come out and make
an appearance, especially being up in Dallas, you know, just
up the road, so we feel like we have the
advantage of that aspect.

Speaker 10 (12:35):
But you know, I think we're really dangerous as underdogs.
We've been underdogs for a.

Speaker 15 (12:39):
Lot of big games my early years here, such as
you know, Alabama at home and then obviously Alabama on
the road and a really tough environment in Tuscal And says, So,
you know, I think underdogs the aspect of that makes
you really dangerous as a team.

Speaker 10 (12:54):
But you know it's just another game for us. We're
paring the same way as we would.

Speaker 9 (12:58):
Yeah, you know we've all talked about quinn Is composure
and how calm he is. You've known it for a
good while. What makes him nervous? Is it like public speaking,
going to the dentist? Do you ever see him getting nervous?

Speaker 15 (13:14):
I guess the only way I can answer that is, uh,
sure as heck is in football, because every time I
see him, every time, you know, I would be pretty
shell shocked as a quarterback thinking back in it. He's
been the most level headed that there is on the field.
So you know, he carries himself really well, carries himself
really well off the field. I don't really have an
answer for you on that one. I have no idea
what makes him nervous?

Speaker 17 (13:36):
Hey, Gunner, as your time at Texas starts to come
to an end here, Is there something to be said
for the fact that you are leaving this program in
a much better place than than when you showed up.

Speaker 15 (13:49):
Yes, yeah, I mean when I showed up, I think
we had a two seven team GPA. You know, obviously
we went five and seven, the no bowl game, horrible culture,
nobody here wanted to be here, and then you know,
just kind of built on that as I've gone on
through the years. Next year, I think we had a

(14:10):
two nine, you know, eight and five, lose the bowl game,
you know, however, many draft picks, and then the next year,
you know, eleven and two or whatever it was, get
to the biggest stage, however, many draft picks, three maybe
three zero g P a team GPA. And now this year,

(14:31):
you know, obviously, being where we are, I think we
have a three to two team GPA, culture stronger than
it's ever been, and you know, coming down the coming
down the way, who knows how many draft picks. So
obviously coach Sark and the rest of the coaching staff
has done a spectacular job setting the standard for this team,
and just this team buying into that standard and setting

(14:52):
the groundwork and building upon itself each year be.

Speaker 2 (14:55):
Our good afternoon.

Speaker 6 (14:56):
So I'm just curious. You know, you're known as mister reliance, right,
they always find you maybe when the run's not happening
or the passes aren't dropping, let's get it the gunner,
you score a touchdown or make yardage. So I'm curious,
as the game is going on, are you communicating with
either Quinn or Sark that says, hey, I think I'm

(15:17):
open here. You might want to, you know, look at
this coverage that I'm getting because I think I can
make a difference. Or is it something that's pre scripted
and they're going to go to you when they need.

Speaker 10 (15:30):
A little bit of both.

Speaker 15 (15:31):
You know, it's not so much as they're gonna go
to me when they need me. But you know, I
think you put the ball in the in your best
opportunity to win the best player's hands when you need
it the most. And we have a lot of really
good players. There's not you know, one or two that
are just the best players. So I think that's the
that's the diversity of our team, of our offense.

Speaker 10 (15:49):
We got a lot of explosiveness. But yeah, no, I
mean it's a little bit prescripted but you know it's
just flow of the game.

Speaker 15 (15:56):
Part of our job as a player, just to you know,
keep the connection from you know, us coach Stark to
Quinn going is coming off the field and telling you know,
maybe Coach Banks or Coach Cutter or Coach Sark, just
the looks that we're seeing and you know it's their
job to scheme up the best place possible and they
do a great job of it.

Speaker 13 (16:15):
Gunner. When when you look at Ohio States defense, obviously
Caleb Downs is a big.

Speaker 10 (16:18):
Part of that. How difficult is he to prepare for?

Speaker 13 (16:21):
And you know what changes for you guys when you
have a guy that can play you know, deep safety,
he can play down towards the line of scrimmage, he
can play almost a middle linebacker.

Speaker 10 (16:29):
What kind of challenge is he for you guys this week?

Speaker 15 (16:31):
Yeah, a huge challenge. Heck of a player can fit
the run, very physical and fitting the run. You know,
obviously one of the best and pass protection in the
country or pass coverage in the country.

Speaker 10 (16:40):
So yeah, we got our hands.

Speaker 15 (16:42):
Fall with not only just him, but you know the linebackers,
they they feel real hard. You know, they're very physical
their front so obviously obviously their fronts and NFL front
and their secondary is obviously an NFL secondary is just
an NFL defense as a whole NFL scheme.

Speaker 10 (16:56):
So we got our hands full.

Speaker 15 (16:58):
It's gonna be a really tough talent, tough challenge, and
you know, it's probably the best we've seen.

Speaker 3 (17:02):
Appreciate you Gun on a moment ago when you were
talking about this shift in culture and leaving the program
in a better place. You knew the GPA, the team
GPA each year. What's that correlation in your mind between
team GPA and on field success and has that always
been important to you or did somebody push that stat
to the front of your mind.

Speaker 10 (17:22):
Yeah, I know, Coach Starks has it all the time.

Speaker 15 (17:24):
It's you know, your three gears of three gears of life,
so your personal life, your school life, and your football life.
And you know, if everything's going great, then all the
gears are twisting themselves. But you know, if you get
something jammed up, maybe you fail a test, maybe you
know one of your grades job, then if that's on
the front of your mind, then you start to do
poorly on the football field, then maybe your personal life
isn't going quite as well or you know the other

(17:46):
way around. Maybe something gets jammed up in your personal life,
you're hanging out with the wrong group of people, you
get in trouble.

Speaker 10 (17:50):
Then the on field stuff.

Speaker 15 (17:52):
Maybe you get benched, then you're thinking about that, then
you fail test, or you know another way around it.
You know you're on the field, your your busting assignments.
Maybe you benched, then you start to not really care.
Then you don't go to school, then you start failing,
then you become ineligible. So snowball effects from all three aspects.
But that's something that's pressed upon us in the offseason.
And yeah, it's part of our culture to have success

(18:12):
off the field as well, especially in the classroom, especially
at a school like Texas.

Speaker 10 (18:15):
So I think coach Sark has done a tremendous job
with that.

Speaker 1 (18:18):
We'll hear from more log Worns coming up as we
continue in this four o'clock hour on AM thirteen hundred.

Speaker 7 (18:23):
The zero
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