September 16, 2025 • 17 mins
Sam Houston Bearkats play-by-play voice Carlos Zimmermann joins the show to catch you up on the transition and travel stories for the Longhorns' next opponent.
They discuss stadium renovations, exciting prospects at quarterback, and the direction of the program under head coach Phil Longo.
They discuss stadium renovations, exciting prospects at quarterback, and the direction of the program under head coach Phil Longo.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This afternoon and also pleased to be joined on the
hotline by the play by play voice of the Sam
Houston Bearcats, that is Carlos Zimmerman, who joins is now Carlos,
I appreciate the time. How are you today.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
I'm doing very well, Craig appreciates you having me on first.
Happy birthday to you.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Thank Bert. So I hope you're having a one to
day so far.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
But yeah, ready to talk Cats and Longhorn.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Should be should be a fun matchup on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Well, here's here's one thing that I'm really fascinated about
about about the Sam Houston program. And you've been around
it for a few years now, so you can you
can certainly shed a lot more light on this. I'm
really curious with regard to the u state of transition
and everything this program has been through the past few years,
you know, going all the way back to winning an
(00:44):
FCS national championship on the back side of the pandemic,
and then the transition from FCS to fbs UH and
then reaching a bowl game, and then and winning the
bowl game, and then Casey Keeler moving on the temple
in Phil Longo, who had been an offense coordinator and
had opportunities for other college coordinator positions even in the NFL,
(01:06):
deciding to come back to me in the head coach,
How would you describe what it's been like over these
past few years being for those who are vested in
the Bearcap football program.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
You know, I'd say it's been like a really wild
roller coaster, like all the dips and turns that this
team has been through since winning that national championship. You know,
you go from the odd twenty two season where they
were the Cats began their transition to FBS and were
(01:37):
able to play for anything, and then you look at
twenty three and the so many games that Sam Houston
was in but lost by one score or minuscule amount
of points.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
And then finally saw the fruits of.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Their labor last year winning that Bowl game against Georgia
Southern and the New Orleans Balls saw really the pinnacle
of what Sam Houston was going for.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
So they seemed just everything but the kitchen sink.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
In this transition, and I feel like the hardest part
has been really having to I mean, Coach Longo talks
about it in our press conference today. It's a five
year transition, but it feels a lot faster than given
how quick Sam Houston made the jump from the Whack
to Conference USA and then from the south end of
the Whack Conference USA. So it's had its hies and
(02:24):
it's had its lows, and I know you look on
paper right now, it feels like Sam Houston's on a
low trend right now.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
But they've had to go through another transition this year.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Fifty five new players, a new head coach, practically all
new staffs. So it's another one of those times where
you feel like this kind of ball game on Saturday
could be to see where this team is at. So
I think it'll be interesting to see how they come
out Saturday. But the transition has been sounded. Like I said,
(02:53):
it's had its higes, it's had its lows, and I know,
with the way the college football landscape is nowadays, transition
will always.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Be a thing going forward.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Yeah, you know you mentioned the roller coach, right, and
I imagine, like you said, the fruits of the labor
getting an opportunity to get to a bowl game, play
in a bowl game as an FBS member, to win
the bowl game, to win that New Orleans Bowl. As
the transition continued, and then in the conference you was saying,
it's oh, by the way, you don't have a stadium
to play in this fold.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
That was the other thing I left out there.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Is playing the designated home games, what seventy miles away
there in Houston at Shell Energy Stadium. I know you've
only had the one game there so far, but what's
that dynamic been?
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Like, Yeah, I'm glad to bring that up because it's
another case of just another wrinkle in the story of
Sam Houston not being able to play at your home stadium.
I mean, granted, once the new press box is completed,
it can be a premier place to go watch football.
I mean it already is. It has a lot of bowers,
already has a lot of character to it. But that's
(03:54):
another dynamic. You're basically you're playing twelve road games essentially
because you do have to travel seventy miles to Houston.
So I'm sure that it's another wrinkle in for coach
Longo to deal with and these players to have to
deal with too. So just from that one game, you know,
Sam Houston, I don't I think they were hoping for
(04:16):
a better crowd for that game against UNLB but I
mean still five thousand was a solid amount given the
way that that day had panned out weatherwise.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
And stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
So I think that was that's something they were really
high on, was being able to get somewhere in Houston
and not have to look elsewhere. And Shell Energy is
actually it is a very beautiful facility. The Dynamo and
Dasher blessed to have that for them to play in,
and they Sam Houston surely appreciates the generosity of Shell
Energy to be able to let Saint Houston play there
(04:48):
for this season. It's it's it's a hard thing to
you know, tell recruits coming into the season. And that's
the other factor of it too. With coach Longo coming
in at the time that he did, it was hard
for him to at his own guys.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
In there per se.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
So it'll be I think as the season progresses, they'll
start to see more, for lack of better term, the
fruits of the labor of this early non confidence plate.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Hey Carlos, how changed will Bowers Stadium be once they
finish all the renovations.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Well, since it's just for the press box, there is
going to be some added suite seating that they're putting
up there with the press box, so the overall capacity
of bowers will grow. I'm seeing from last time I
drove by the stadium, I'm seeing what they're doing along
the outside as well, just for you know, extra you know,
special seating if you will, or club seating. So that'll
(05:40):
definitely be an addition for me as a broadcaster. I'm
excited because I was told in the planning process that
the windows will open and you will be able to
get natural crowd noise in there, which is awesome and
I'm very excited about that.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
And just a lot of just a lot more space.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
If you've ever been I don't know if you've ever
been to the old press box at Sam Houston Craig,
but it was a pressure cooker.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
If you will.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
There was there was not a whole lot of space
to operate if you were a writer, if National TV
came in, and for radio a lot it was it
was very close quarters. So just to be able to
have more space for everybody to do their jobs and
do it well will be a very big blessing.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Once it's done, Yeah, I do remember, and then it's
spent a few years, have done some high school playoff
games out of there.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Always like the setting there.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
There at Bowers, but you know what it was, I
do remember the tighter dimensions. I will also tell you this, Carlos,
you're because I feel it my appointed duty to let
all of the opposing team play by play. Guys who
are coming into Boston know that there's a big part
in our dust motif going on at Darryl Kay Royal,
(06:51):
Texas Memorial State. They were going to eventually convert all
of what are now and have been the broadcast booths
in the suites. But that's another story about relocation that
happen next year. But for this year, one thing that's
happened is because they had to raise the photo deck area.
The cameras would have blocked your view and my view
out of the books. But forward thinking people they did
(07:13):
a good job and built a like a big lumber
plywood and UH and hardwood platform that will raise it
up above so that you actually be able to see, Carlos,
You'll be able to see UH over the UH. You'll
be able to see over the top of the camera.
So I know that you'll appreciate.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
That, No, absolutely, I will great I greatly appreciate that
get news because I wasn't sure how I knew they
were doing some adjustments that at dk R, so that
that's that's very good to know.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Yeah, yeah, all right, let me uh let me get
your thoughts on this team a little bit because one
thing that Coach Longa was asked about in the news
conference was the state of the quarterbacking situation, and he
said they'll obviously evaluate during the week, but he made
the possibility of as many as what four quarterbacks being
(08:04):
in the mix to possibly play if even if we
don't know who the startup is going to be yet.
But what's your take on because of injuries and then
bouncing back and the open date, coming off the trip
to Hawaii, what it's like with the quarterback spot now
for the bearcatch.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Yeah, it's I think Coach Longo said it best. They'll
do all the evaluations they need to this weekend you have.
They'll bring four quarterbacks, those being Hunter Watson, Mabray, mtoyer
Land and Locke and DJ Bailey, who was a fairly
highly tabbed prospect out of De Soto who a lot
of bear Cat fans were very high on once he
announced his commitment to Sam Houston so yeah, it's interesting
(08:46):
the quarterback room for lack of return has just been
beaten up this year.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
If you watched the Hawaii game, Abury.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Mtoyer and Landon lock Book took shots to the head
for granted they were one was called for targeting, one was.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Not, But either way, I mean getting a.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Shot to the head, no matter how it goes, is top.
So that's been the biggest issue. It's just been battling
injury and Hunter Watson has had nagging injuries on him
throughout the season, so it just looks like he hasn't
been able to play one hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
But they feel confident that whoever.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
They roll out there on Saturday will be able to
run the offense to the best of their ability. So
it's just a matter of getting those guys healthy. If
we'd have a DJ Bailey siding, I'd be exciting to
see what he can do because he has not played
a down for Sam Houston, just he had red shirting
last year and now being the fourth guy on the
roster this year.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Yeah, and having called a couple of his state championship games,
I saw firsthand how much of a weapon he can be. Clearly,
Hunter Watson has been a weapon in the past, and
what he's been able to do with his legs, with
his body as well as with his arms. If he's healthy,
does it make sense that he's probably going to be
the lead guy to be out there if he's healthy
(09:58):
and ready to go.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
They they they've said that Hunter Lotson is is the
leader of that offense.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
So if he's one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Ready to go, that that'll be the guy that they
want to lean on. And because just of this veteran experience,
having played a near full year last year and then
helped helping this team get to that ten and three record.
So if he's one hundred percent ready to go, I
have full confidence that he will be the guy that
trots off the sideline when the Bearcats have the ball.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
The other thing I wanted to ask you about was
coach Longo and the fact that he was there before
as a coordinator and and really and told me when
we were participating in a panel discussion the Coaching School
in San Antonio back in July about why the position
called to him to come back when he could have
(10:49):
been an assistant coach at the other levels. What you know,
what is it about the draw to him that you
notice how much he has embraced and as a result
of that put together coaching staff that he's pretty excited
about to work there in a Huntsville What is appealed
to him about it and how he's thrown himself into
(11:09):
it and with his newly comprised coaching staff.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
He's He told me one day after practice that they
they had any opportunity to him and his.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Wife would have loved to be able to get.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Back here to Huntsville because they just enjoyed their time
here when he was the oc for coach Keeler. So
I think it was it was a matter of being
able to come back to a place of familiarity and
the people here that he was able to build relationships
with and ultimately had, like you said, has been able
to build the staff that he has as s Zach
Patterson was here for a brief time and then was
(11:44):
able to make the come back here. So I think
it was a matter of him just wanting to get
back to a place of that was familiar to him,
in a place that he felt like.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
That he could succeed at. And I know it's been
a tough start to the.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Season, but he still has the full confidence in him
and his staff that they can put together a really
good team for.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
The run of conference play that has to come. So yeah,
just sans question. It was more it was a big
case of familiarity and just his love of the area.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
And he knows how big football here is in Texas,
and he at any time he was at other places,
whether it be Ole Miss, North Carolina or Wisconsin, you know,
he wanted to recruit Texas because everything's bigger here, especially
our high school football here. So I think those were
the two big things for him and his decision to
come home.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Okay, final thing here, all right. You mentioned that he'd
been North Carolina and Old Miss in Wisconsin. But here
you are, Carlos. Here, you are having already broadcast in
Bowling Green, Kentucky, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
You'll be in Austin this Saturday.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
You go to Las Cruces, New Mexico, You go to
rust and Louisiana, you go to Corvallis, Oregon. Yeah, Delaware
at home, and you close in Murphysboro, Tennessee. Have you
ever traveled that much in such a compressed amount of time,
so many far flong and places spread out.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
This is my fourth year on the radio for Sam Houston,
and I've gotten to see a lot of cool places.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
But this year has been quite exciting.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
But I was saying, no, I haven't yet in such
a like you said, a small window going all over
the country to many places I've been to last year,
says I've been to Murphrey's Borrow and Bowling Green for
basketball that hadn't gone for football just yet.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
That's just how the scheduling worked out the last couple
of years.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
But no, this is this is quite a travel and
then you throw that Honolulu trip in here that that
definitely put the anomaly into effect. But that's what I
love about our schedule this year, getting to go see
places that I never thought I'd ever go to, and
it's a reminder to me that this is It's truly
be a blessing the position that we are in as
(13:53):
voices of great programs.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
But this will be my first trip to DKR. I
never win as a.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Kid, as a as a or as a student, so
this will be exciting. It's one of my bucket list
stadiums to go to, so I'm very excited for Saturday.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Great well, look forward to see you on Saturday. I
appreciate you taking the time to join us this afternoon,
save travels over from Walker County. At least it'll be
one of your shorter trips anyway, and we'll look forward
to seen you in the press box on Saturday evening.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Yes, sir, I appreciate the opportunity to come, Chad, and yeah,
looking forward to the trip and a getting happy birthday tea.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Thank you, Carlos, appreciate it all right. That is Carlo Zimmerman,
play by play voice of the Sam Houston Bearcats.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
No joke.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
I mean they started at Western Kentucky. They had un
l V at HUM. Now, remember all the home games
are in Houston, seventy miles away. As Carlos mentioned, you
know that's even the home games are a road trip
because they're renovating mainly the press box side at Bower Stadium.
So then so after going to Bowling Green, Kentucky to
(14:58):
play Western Kentucky, then they have a quote unquote designate
a home game seventy miles away in Houston at the
home of the Houston Dynamos, a soccer stadium, Shell Energy Stadium.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
So they had that against you and LV. Then they
go to Honolulu.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
They come back, had an open date on the schedule
last weekend.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
They'll be in Austin this weekend.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Then they have a mini buy because they have a
midweek game at New Mexico State. They have another one
after that against Jacksonville State. The New Mexico State is
a road game, Jacksonville State at home in Houston, UTEP
at home in Houston, then to Joe Ait Stadium in
(15:43):
Rustin to play Louisiana Tech. Then they go to Corvallis Ley,
Oregon State, to come home in Houston to play Delaware.
They go to Murphysboro, Tennessee to play Middle and then
their final game of the year at home Houston against
Florida International. So it's it's quite the travel log for
(16:04):
SAM Houston. But they'll be here on Saturday night and
our coverage on Saturday will begin at three o'clock, three
o'clock UH and that'll be with the third and Long
Worn guys at three o'clock and then down on BEV
Boulevard in the hook them hang out there. Winship's Circle
(16:24):
will be Long Orange's game day with Cameron Parker and
Mike Hardball Harge and Mark Henry So that'll be down there, Ja,
we'll be down there producer as well. So that's this Saturday. Actually,
Cam will be out this Saturday. He's got another wedding,
right just any is another He's he's he goes to
all these weddings. He's involved in several of these weddings,
(16:46):
but he's not the groom in any of these weddings.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
And not yet, not yet.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
So Cam won't be there, but Mike card boll Harge
will be there directing it and along with the world
strong man Mark Henry and also I think Eric Henry
who is not related to Mark, but Eric will also
join the guys for some of it as well. So
that's that begins. That portion of Long Orange's game day
begins at four o'clock. Networked pregame at six in the
(17:14):
kickoff seven oh two, I'm told so just right past
seven o'clock for Texas and Sam Houston
This afternoon and also pleased to be joined on the
hotline by the play by play voice of the Sam
Houston Bearcats, that is Carlos Zimmerman, who joins is now Carlos,
I appreciate the time. How are you today.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
I'm doing very well, Craig appreciates you having me on first.
Happy birthday to you.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Thank Bert. So I hope you're having a one to
day so far.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
But yeah, ready to talk Cats and Longhorn.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Should be should be a fun matchup on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Well, here's here's one thing that I'm really fascinated about
about about the Sam Houston program. And you've been around
it for a few years now, so you can you
can certainly shed a lot more light on this. I'm
really curious with regard to the u state of transition
and everything this program has been through the past few years,
you know, going all the way back to winning an
(00:44):
FCS national championship on the back side of the pandemic,
and then the transition from FCS to fbs UH and
then reaching a bowl game, and then and winning the
bowl game, and then Casey Keeler moving on the temple
in Phil Longo, who had been an offense coordinator and
had opportunities for other college coordinator positions even in the NFL,
(01:06):
deciding to come back to me in the head coach,
How would you describe what it's been like over these
past few years being for those who are vested in
the Bearcap football program.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
You know, I'd say it's been like a really wild
roller coaster, like all the dips and turns that this
team has been through since winning that national championship. You know,
you go from the odd twenty two season where they
were the Cats began their transition to FBS and were
(01:37):
able to play for anything, and then you look at
twenty three and the so many games that Sam Houston
was in but lost by one score or minuscule amount
of points.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
And then finally saw the fruits of.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Their labor last year winning that Bowl game against Georgia
Southern and the New Orleans Balls saw really the pinnacle
of what Sam Houston was going for.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
So they seemed just everything but the kitchen sink.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
In this transition, and I feel like the hardest part
has been really having to I mean, Coach Longo talks
about it in our press conference today. It's a five
year transition, but it feels a lot faster than given
how quick Sam Houston made the jump from the Whack
to Conference USA and then from the south end of
the Whack Conference USA. So it's had its hies and
(02:24):
it's had its lows, and I know you look on
paper right now, it feels like Sam Houston's on a
low trend right now.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
But they've had to go through another transition this year.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Fifty five new players, a new head coach, practically all
new staffs. So it's another one of those times where
you feel like this kind of ball game on Saturday
could be to see where this team is at. So
I think it'll be interesting to see how they come
out Saturday. But the transition has been sounded. Like I said,
(02:53):
it's had its higes, it's had its lows, and I know,
with the way the college football landscape is nowadays, transition
will always.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Be a thing going forward.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Yeah, you know you mentioned the roller coach, right, and
I imagine, like you said, the fruits of the labor
getting an opportunity to get to a bowl game, play
in a bowl game as an FBS member, to win
the bowl game, to win that New Orleans Bowl. As
the transition continued, and then in the conference you was saying,
it's oh, by the way, you don't have a stadium
to play in this fold.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
That was the other thing I left out there.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Is playing the designated home games, what seventy miles away
there in Houston at Shell Energy Stadium. I know you've
only had the one game there so far, but what's
that dynamic been?
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Like, Yeah, I'm glad to bring that up because it's
another case of just another wrinkle in the story of
Sam Houston not being able to play at your home stadium.
I mean, granted, once the new press box is completed,
it can be a premier place to go watch football.
I mean it already is. It has a lot of bowers,
already has a lot of character to it. But that's
(03:54):
another dynamic. You're basically you're playing twelve road games essentially
because you do have to travel seventy miles to Houston.
So I'm sure that it's another wrinkle in for coach
Longo to deal with and these players to have to
deal with too. So just from that one game, you know,
Sam Houston, I don't I think they were hoping for
(04:16):
a better crowd for that game against UNLB but I
mean still five thousand was a solid amount given the
way that that day had panned out weatherwise.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
And stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
So I think that was that's something they were really
high on, was being able to get somewhere in Houston
and not have to look elsewhere. And Shell Energy is
actually it is a very beautiful facility. The Dynamo and
Dasher blessed to have that for them to play in,
and they Sam Houston surely appreciates the generosity of Shell
Energy to be able to let Saint Houston play there
(04:48):
for this season. It's it's it's a hard thing to
you know, tell recruits coming into the season. And that's
the other factor of it too. With coach Longo coming
in at the time that he did, it was hard
for him to at his own guys.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
In there per se.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
So it'll be I think as the season progresses, they'll
start to see more, for lack of better term, the
fruits of the labor of this early non confidence plate.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Hey Carlos, how changed will Bowers Stadium be once they
finish all the renovations.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Well, since it's just for the press box, there is
going to be some added suite seating that they're putting
up there with the press box, so the overall capacity
of bowers will grow. I'm seeing from last time I
drove by the stadium, I'm seeing what they're doing along
the outside as well, just for you know, extra you know,
special seating if you will, or club seating. So that'll
(05:40):
definitely be an addition for me as a broadcaster. I'm
excited because I was told in the planning process that
the windows will open and you will be able to
get natural crowd noise in there, which is awesome and
I'm very excited about that.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
And just a lot of just a lot more space.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
If you've ever been I don't know if you've ever
been to the old press box at Sam Houston Craig,
but it was a pressure cooker.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
If you will.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
There was there was not a whole lot of space
to operate if you were a writer, if National TV
came in, and for radio a lot it was it
was very close quarters. So just to be able to
have more space for everybody to do their jobs and
do it well will be a very big blessing.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Once it's done, Yeah, I do remember, and then it's
spent a few years, have done some high school playoff
games out of there.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
Always like the setting there.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
There at Bowers, but you know what it was, I
do remember the tighter dimensions. I will also tell you this, Carlos,
you're because I feel it my appointed duty to let
all of the opposing team play by play. Guys who
are coming into Boston know that there's a big part
in our dust motif going on at Darryl Kay Royal,
(06:51):
Texas Memorial State. They were going to eventually convert all
of what are now and have been the broadcast booths
in the suites. But that's another story about relocation that
happen next year. But for this year, one thing that's
happened is because they had to raise the photo deck area.
The cameras would have blocked your view and my view
out of the books. But forward thinking people they did
(07:13):
a good job and built a like a big lumber
plywood and UH and hardwood platform that will raise it
up above so that you actually be able to see, Carlos,
You'll be able to see UH over the UH. You'll
be able to see over the top of the camera.
So I know that you'll appreciate.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
That, No, absolutely, I will great I greatly appreciate that
get news because I wasn't sure how I knew they
were doing some adjustments that at dk R, so that
that's that's very good to know.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Yeah, yeah, all right, let me uh let me get
your thoughts on this team a little bit because one
thing that Coach Longa was asked about in the news
conference was the state of the quarterbacking situation, and he
said they'll obviously evaluate during the week, but he made
the possibility of as many as what four quarterbacks being
(08:04):
in the mix to possibly play if even if we
don't know who the startup is going to be yet.
But what's your take on because of injuries and then
bouncing back and the open date, coming off the trip
to Hawaii, what it's like with the quarterback spot now
for the bearcatch.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Yeah, it's I think Coach Longo said it best. They'll
do all the evaluations they need to this weekend you have.
They'll bring four quarterbacks, those being Hunter Watson, Mabray, mtoyer
Land and Locke and DJ Bailey, who was a fairly
highly tabbed prospect out of De Soto who a lot
of bear Cat fans were very high on once he
announced his commitment to Sam Houston so yeah, it's interesting
(08:46):
the quarterback room for lack of return has just been
beaten up this year.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
If you watched the Hawaii game, Abury.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Mtoyer and Landon lock Book took shots to the head
for granted they were one was called for targeting, one was.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Not, But either way, I mean getting a.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
Shot to the head, no matter how it goes, is top.
So that's been the biggest issue. It's just been battling
injury and Hunter Watson has had nagging injuries on him
throughout the season, so it just looks like he hasn't
been able to play one hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
But they feel confident that whoever.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
They roll out there on Saturday will be able to
run the offense to the best of their ability. So
it's just a matter of getting those guys healthy. If
we'd have a DJ Bailey siding, I'd be exciting to
see what he can do because he has not played
a down for Sam Houston, just he had red shirting
last year and now being the fourth guy on the
roster this year.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Yeah, and having called a couple of his state championship games,
I saw firsthand how much of a weapon he can be. Clearly,
Hunter Watson has been a weapon in the past, and
what he's been able to do with his legs, with
his body as well as with his arms. If he's healthy,
does it make sense that he's probably going to be
the lead guy to be out there if he's healthy
(09:58):
and ready to go.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
They they they've said that Hunter Lotson is is the
leader of that offense.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
So if he's one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Ready to go, that that'll be the guy that they
want to lean on. And because just of this veteran experience,
having played a near full year last year and then
helped helping this team get to that ten and three record.
So if he's one hundred percent ready to go, I
have full confidence that he will be the guy that
trots off the sideline when the Bearcats have the ball.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
The other thing I wanted to ask you about was
coach Longo and the fact that he was there before
as a coordinator and and really and told me when
we were participating in a panel discussion the Coaching School
in San Antonio back in July about why the position
called to him to come back when he could have
(10:49):
been an assistant coach at the other levels. What you know,
what is it about the draw to him that you
notice how much he has embraced and as a result
of that put together coaching staff that he's pretty excited
about to work there in a Huntsville What is appealed
to him about it and how he's thrown himself into
(11:09):
it and with his newly comprised coaching staff.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
He's He told me one day after practice that they
they had any opportunity to him and his.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Wife would have loved to be able to get.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Back here to Huntsville because they just enjoyed their time
here when he was the oc for coach Keeler. So
I think it was it was a matter of being
able to come back to a place of familiarity and
the people here that he was able to build relationships
with and ultimately had, like you said, has been able
to build the staff that he has as s Zach
Patterson was here for a brief time and then was
(11:44):
able to make the come back here. So I think
it was a matter of him just wanting to get
back to a place of that was familiar to him,
in a place that he felt like.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
That he could succeed at. And I know it's been
a tough start to the.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Season, but he still has the full confidence in him
and his staff that they can put together a really
good team for.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
The run of conference play that has to come. So yeah,
just sans question. It was more it was a big
case of familiarity and just his love of the area.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
And he knows how big football here is in Texas,
and he at any time he was at other places,
whether it be Ole Miss, North Carolina or Wisconsin, you know,
he wanted to recruit Texas because everything's bigger here, especially
our high school football here. So I think those were
the two big things for him and his decision to
come home.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Okay, final thing here, all right. You mentioned that he'd
been North Carolina and Old Miss in Wisconsin. But here
you are, Carlos. Here, you are having already broadcast in
Bowling Green, Kentucky, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
You'll be in Austin this Saturday.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
You go to Las Cruces, New Mexico, You go to
rust and Louisiana, you go to Corvallis, Oregon. Yeah, Delaware
at home, and you close in Murphysboro, Tennessee. Have you
ever traveled that much in such a compressed amount of time,
so many far flong and places spread out.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
This is my fourth year on the radio for Sam Houston,
and I've gotten to see a lot of cool places.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
But this year has been quite exciting.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
But I was saying, no, I haven't yet in such
a like you said, a small window going all over
the country to many places I've been to last year,
says I've been to Murphrey's Borrow and Bowling Green for
basketball that hadn't gone for football just yet.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
That's just how the scheduling worked out the last couple
of years.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
But no, this is this is quite a travel and
then you throw that Honolulu trip in here that that
definitely put the anomaly into effect. But that's what I
love about our schedule this year, getting to go see
places that I never thought I'd ever go to, and
it's a reminder to me that this is It's truly
be a blessing the position that we are in as
(13:53):
voices of great programs.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
But this will be my first trip to DKR. I
never win as a.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Kid, as a as a or as a student, so
this will be exciting. It's one of my bucket list
stadiums to go to, so I'm very excited for Saturday.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Great well, look forward to see you on Saturday. I
appreciate you taking the time to join us this afternoon,
save travels over from Walker County. At least it'll be
one of your shorter trips anyway, and we'll look forward
to seen you in the press box on Saturday evening.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Yes, sir, I appreciate the opportunity to come, Chad, and yeah,
looking forward to the trip and a getting happy birthday tea.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Thank you, Carlos, appreciate it all right. That is Carlo Zimmerman,
play by play voice of the Sam Houston Bearcats.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
No joke.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
I mean they started at Western Kentucky. They had un
l V at HUM. Now, remember all the home games
are in Houston, seventy miles away. As Carlos mentioned, you
know that's even the home games are a road trip
because they're renovating mainly the press box side at Bower Stadium.
So then so after going to Bowling Green, Kentucky to
(14:58):
play Western Kentucky, then they have a quote unquote designate
a home game seventy miles away in Houston at the
home of the Houston Dynamos, a soccer stadium, Shell Energy Stadium.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
So they had that against you and LV. Then they
go to Honolulu.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
They come back, had an open date on the schedule
last weekend.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
They'll be in Austin this weekend.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Then they have a mini buy because they have a
midweek game at New Mexico State. They have another one
after that against Jacksonville State. The New Mexico State is
a road game, Jacksonville State at home in Houston, UTEP
at home in Houston, then to Joe Ait Stadium in
(15:43):
Rustin to play Louisiana Tech. Then they go to Corvallis Ley,
Oregon State, to come home in Houston to play Delaware.
They go to Murphysboro, Tennessee to play Middle and then
their final game of the year at home Houston against
Florida International. So it's it's quite the travel log for
(16:04):
SAM Houston. But they'll be here on Saturday night and
our coverage on Saturday will begin at three o'clock, three
o'clock UH and that'll be with the third and Long
Worn guys at three o'clock and then down on BEV
Boulevard in the hook them hang out there. Winship's Circle
(16:24):
will be Long Orange's game day with Cameron Parker and
Mike Hardball Harge and Mark Henry So that'll be down there, Ja,
we'll be down there producer as well. So that's this Saturday. Actually,
Cam will be out this Saturday. He's got another wedding,
right just any is another He's he's he goes to
all these weddings. He's involved in several of these weddings,
(16:46):
but he's not the groom in any of these weddings.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
And not yet, not yet.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
So Cam won't be there, but Mike card boll Harge
will be there directing it and along with the world
strong man Mark Henry and also I think Eric Henry
who is not related to Mark, but Eric will also
join the guys for some of it as well. So
that's that begins. That portion of Long Orange's game day
begins at four o'clock. Networked pregame at six in the
(17:14):
kickoff seven oh two, I'm told so just right past
seven o'clock for Texas and Sam Houston
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