October 21, 2025 • 21 mins
DCTF Editor-in-Chief Greg Tepper joins the show and shines a spotlight on some great under-the-radar matchups with playoff implications across the state.
They also discuss UTSA and Texas State's struggles, North Texas' high-flying offense, and UTEP's quarterback change.
They also discuss UTSA and Texas State's struggles, North Texas' high-flying offense, and UTEP's quarterback change.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Grace. I'm going to gracelan.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Listen you can.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
You can certainly have a great appreciation for the Paul
Simon version of gracelamb. But I think Willie Nelson could
sing just about anything, anything at all, and make it
sound good. Of course, the iconic native textan from Abbot Texas.
Our iconic native textan who joins us every Tuesday is
(00:28):
Greg Tepper, editor in chief Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Are you in agreement with me? Willie could sing just
about anything? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Absolutely could. And actually I drove by Willie's old stomping grounds.
I've come to Temple from meeting today, and so we
were driving by Abbot pointed out and actually, let me
tell you, and this is a story that that a
sicico like Craig Way will appreciate. Yes, we're driving down
at a new meeting in Temple, but we you know,
GPS said I was going to arrive about forty minutes early,
(00:55):
and I'm like, well, how could I best use these
forty minutes? I made a little trivial side trip off
off the road and headed over to Academy Texas to
check out, to check out the beautiful stadium they've got
over there for the Bumblebees.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
They had a big game this week against Troy.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
And so I got to tour their facilities a little
bit because there's a gate open. There wasn't a guided tour.
Speaker 5 (01:18):
I just got to.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Walk in beautiful facility out there. They're an academy, the
Little River Academy, bubble Bees. And then yeah, so any
opportunity I think, as you well know, any opportunity I
have if I've got ten spare minutes and then the
high school football teaum I haven't seen nearby, you can
you can bet that I will find a way to
see if there's a gate open there that I can
wander on that onto that turf.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Well, do you owe it to yourself? I mean, that's
that's that's the thing.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
You owe it to yourself to to go over and
check that out to see. I totally agree with you.
One should, one should take advantage of that opportunity. It
makes perfect sense.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
It was a couple of years ago, now probably ten
years ago, but my wife and I did like a
Texas road trip that was our big summer vy cas
this before we had kids, and we drove out to
Big Bend, which great, great trip. If you ever have
the means so the way to get to drive out there,
you should absolutely do it. But my wife had to
set a rule. Basically, she said, Okay, we can stop
at the high school football stadium that you see on
(02:15):
the side of the road. If it's on the right
side of the road, we're not crossing.
Speaker 5 (02:19):
Over the road.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
We're not gonna go turn lap, and then I'll make
another one choosing them. I still had to see about
thirty thirty or thirty five stadiums on the way out there,
But she probably limited the damage by by setting that
rule early.
Speaker 5 (02:31):
I think it was by the.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
Time we got out to uh well, it might have
been a ranger. By the time we got into a ranger,
She's like, all right, listen, we're not we can't. We
got too far to go out there to its alpine
for you for you to be stupped every little town
on the way out there to West Texas sou So
a woman have to have a code, I suppose.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
I would imagine I could just hear jin in charge
of that whole deal.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Yeah, that that kind of makes sense.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Yeah, I'm gonna it's interesting you bring up six men.
I'm going to come back to that when we get
back to the high school section. But let me start
off with college football, and I want to start off
with your dct X, the Dave Campbell's Texas Football power Pole,
and I want to start at the bottom.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
We usually started at the top. I want to start at.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
The bottom because we know Texas A and M is
number one on that in Texas Tech makes perfect sense
to leave him at number two as a heartbreaking loss
terrors understad. We'll get to that at the moment. The
reason why I want to start the bottom. UTEP and
Sam Houston UTEP wins last Wednesday night. So they're two
and five and Sam is o W and seven and
as the slug line you guys put there, the Bearcats
(03:39):
have started oh to seven for the second time in
three seasons as an FBS program.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
I want to ask about you, Tap.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
We've talked about Scotty Walden and the energy and excitement
he infuses into a program. I know it's going to
be tough for them to try to get Bowl eligible,
but do you see the program making strides there?
Speaker 5 (03:55):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (03:55):
I think so, And I think it was always going
to be a bit of a build there for Scotty Walden,
it was going to take a couple of years, and
I think you're already seeing that kind of progress. I
think one of the things you can look at is
and they're working in a lot of young guys. They're
working in a lot of guys that they think are
going to be the future of this minors program. I
think that's really encouraging that, Like, you know, look, this
is not going to be a national championship year for UTEP.
(04:18):
I'm going to rule that out for them, but I
do think that you can start to see what the
future is going to look like. And I think I'm
making that move to Skylar Locklear at the quarterback spot
I think was critical for them to see a little
bit more of a kind of a future state of
what this thing can do. Because we know that, you know,
Scotty Walden can go out there and to borrow a phrase,
he can sell a catchup popsicle to a woman in
(04:40):
white gloves. I mean, he's going to do a good
job recruiting out there, and as good as.
Speaker 5 (04:44):
Anybody can do to get UTEPS.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Up and up and running on the recruiting trail.
Speaker 5 (04:49):
Right now, I would just say that you can at.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
The very least say Okay, well they're young, you know
the work. The teams you don't want to see are
senior laden teams that are not performing.
Speaker 5 (04:59):
Right.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Yeah, that that that would be a disappointment there. They've
got a lot of young players out there that they're
that they're relying on. I think it's going to be
really beneficial for them down the road. It may not
happen this year, but I think that what you're gonna
see is you're gonna see a lot of encouraging signs
for you and Tevin. I think last week against you know,
I mean it's kind of that weird Wednesday night affair
against Sam Houston, that's an encouraging step of just like, Okay,
(05:22):
we're making progress. We're using some young pieces, and we're
going up there and showing that we can we can
win games that we're supposed to win. And now a
certain game they were supposed to win.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Well, another program that's making progress with the first year
head coaches. The one you have just ahead of them,
Rice is three and four. Now they're coming off an
open dight, and uh, I don't know that they can
get the six wins. Looking at their closing schedule. They
have Yukon at home, may be winnable even though they
just beat Boston College. They'll have an angry Memphis at
a home on Halloween. They have u A be the
(05:51):
team that beat Memphis at home of the they have
North Texas at home, and then and then they they're
at South Florida. But it is weird that they got
four consecutive home games coming up.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Yeah, it is odd. You know, I would love to
know how to have Actually, you know what's funny, and
this is not to bring it back to to my
own personal piccadillos, but Missouri.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
Played six consecutive home games to start the year. Like
I just noticed that.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Like anyway, that's I heard it there, Okay, I mean meanwhile,
yours Texas without a home game in the entire month
of October.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Yeah, they're gonna Yeah, they're gonna be road warriors. They
might as well pack up their stuff and rent out
their houses. Uh, this is but I think we can
take a look at Rice again. What you're looking at
is like, is proof that this scott abel thing is
going to work. Right as the guy who came over
you know, from the Division two or from from the
SS ranks with with Davidson, you know, take it and
(06:45):
he's coming in with a unique style, you know, that
kind of pistol option offense that that that they that
they operate out of. They're going to run the dang ball.
They want to do something very different. Is the thing
going to work? And I would say, even right now,
if you were to stop right now at three and
four and they were to not play another game the
rest of the season, you can be like, all right,
(07:05):
mission accomplished. We feel like this can work because I
think what you can do is you can go and
take the tape that you got so far this season,
and you can put it in front of high school
football players across the state of Texas and put high
school football players across the nation and be like, hey,
let me be a part of this, and this is
gonna be something different and unique. And yeah, you're going
to need to be smart to get into the school,
but I think that this is the kind of thing
(07:27):
that can work. And furthermore, you know, when they hired
Scott abel, I think part of the reason that they
did it was it that, Okay, here's the guy who
kind of runs a similar situation to like like an academy.
Might you know the reason that Army it runs the option,
the triple options is not because Jeff Munkin is some
(07:48):
triple option team. He'll go out there, he'll he'll run
whatever offense works, but he understands these are the players
I've got. Here is the best way that we can
gather es schematic advantage whenever we are playing some Army
ain't getting a five star. Well, Rice probably.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Ain't getting a five star either, and this is.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
An opportunity I think for them to say, hey, how
can we do the most with what we've got? I
think that right now for Scott Abel, things are trending
in the right direction, and that right now so far,
getting those three wins under their belt and looking competitive
in a couple of their losses, I think that is
proof that things are moving in the right direction for
the Owls.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Okay, so, and we're talking college football at the moment
with Greg Keepper, editor in chief Tape Campbell's Texas Football magazine.
WI jump the high school in a moment. But again
this is going to depend on perspective and what prism
you're viewing this from. Here's Rice at three and four.
So it looks optimistic. Then you got utsa in Texas State,
(08:44):
each of whom are three and four, each of whom
for whom you know, good things were forecasts, each of
whom are struggling right now and may not wind up
being Bowl eligible as a result of this.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
Yeah, And I think it's disappointing for different reasons, you know.
For for for Texas State, you know, three straight losses,
a double overtime loss to Marshall, and they've been so close, right,
I mean that those those three losses they have, I
think are combined eleven points or something. And and so
if you think about it, they're eleven points away from
from essentially being six and one. It's a very different
(09:23):
conversation that we're having about them that they just haven't
been able to close. And they they they really, they
really stubbed their own toe at the key moments, you know,
costly turnovers the wrong at the wrong time. But I
think that's one thing that I think is really uh,
you know, for for Texas State, this is going to
be in a lot of ways the one that got
away because things were really training in the right direction
and then they weren't able to really close it.
Speaker 5 (09:44):
Down the stretch for you to have.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Or UCSA rather, I mean it's it's it's strange. You know,
in a lot of ways, the things that had made
Jeff Trailer a hot name, uh in coaching circles, and
it made UTSA a premier know G five program have
kind of fallen apart. A lot of it is just
like the second half. They they've been unable to close games,
(10:09):
They've they've been pouring road games. You know, this is
a something that I think we take a look at
what they were able to do over the you know,
from twenty one to twenty three, they were thirty two
and nine. They were arguably the best Chief five program
in America. They were definitely the best Chief five program.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
In the state of Texas. But then you kind of
take a look at.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
What's happened the last couple of years. It's been kind
of you know, the second half, and it's been road
games that have really been their bugaboo, things that weren't
necessarily problems in the earlier part of the Jeff Trailer era.
It's interesting to seem maybe I don't know, the portal
has certainly hurt UTSA in some ways. I think that's
part of it, but.
Speaker 5 (10:48):
We will see what happened.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
I do know that Jeff Trailer will have an opportunity
to reload his his team. And if we know one thing,
you know, Jeff Trailer's actually never had a losing season.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
In his career, so I would imagine that.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
He will find a way to get the six wins.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Yeah, and and uh and certainly one thing that's been
tough for him is the players that have left through
the portal, that have gone to other schools.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
He's well helped me out.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Running back from TCU had the big weekend. Uh Camp Cook. No, No,
he's transferred. Uh, it's oh gosh.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
You could possibly know, Craig Uh yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Everyone's scream everyone's screaming at their radio at these supposed
football experts. Yeah, you can't remember the U T s.
You know what's funny, if you had said Stan Augustine
running back, I would have been able to challenge you.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Yeah exactly, then we would have known for sure, right, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
And he's a he that's a poster for example of
what's happened to ut SA. Some of the best players
have left for you know, in larger programs, power, power,
for programs.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
Yeah, I mean that's that's kind of the the blessing
and the cursive of the cheap Hive program is that, Yeah,
you're going to be able to now because because of
the transfer portal, you're going to have better players available
to you because there's going to be fewer roster spots
for these big name programs. But here's the problem. If
they show out, they're going to go to those big
name programs. Sure, so that's one of the things. You know,
(12:24):
UCSA has in some respective been a victim of their
own of their their own success.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Yeah, no doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
And then uh uh, here's one other note that I
thought was interesting. Of course, North Texas, I think they
they they missed out on their chance maybe to possibly
crash the playoff party with the home loss to South Florida.
They did blast UTSA and then I noticed I just
saw the thing. They're leading the nation in offense there,
the number one offensive team in the nation right now.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
They're they're unstoppable offensively, and even go back to their loss,
right even that loss that they had at home, they
put up they put up third six points. The problem
is they just can't stop anybody and so that's gonna
be the the game they have to play. Offense has
been absolutely spectacular. A they their defense has not to
(13:12):
just make a couple of stuffs and be the offense
can't give the the opposition U extra possessions, which is
what ended up happening in that loss a couple of
weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Exactly by the way, I called that a palindromic loss,
since they lost sixty three thirty six.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Yes in that case, visiting.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Greg tap All right, let's shift to high school football
and what is on your radar for this week? What's
what's got your attention the most?
Speaker 4 (13:39):
So the headline I think for me this first of all,
I think this is the best week of games we've
had probably since Week one. This slate games across the
state is boxed offense. And what I think is great
is that you we don't necessarily know how these district
matchups are going to play out, but we know like
the shape of them. You know, we know who's in contention.
(14:01):
And so for example, you know this week you've got
Columbus playing Hitchcock in a massive game. We know that
that District twelve three A Division one is probably going
to come down to those to that kind of three
way dance between Columbus, Hitchcock and Yoakam what that is
going to look for a lot.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
I think the same thing goes with the Battle of
the Lakes.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
This weekend, District twenty six to six A will come
into sharper focus. Last week, Lake Travis, you know, played
the strangest game of the week, I think, with a
fourteenth seven win over Dripping Springs in the game that
was scoreless at halftime, you know, but they they they
survived to get a win. With west Lake. We're starting
to get the shape of those. The other the headline
(14:38):
for me, I mean, it's rivalry week, Lake Travis, Westlake.
You've got a Campo Bay City, You've got Make County
Maddus between Poorten, Agent Droves and Nederland. You've got those
those big time getting The other thing you've got is
you have six matchups of unbeaten teams across the state
of Texas from six A all the way down to sixth Man.
Which makes this a real kind of judgment week for
(14:59):
a lot of teams across the state were to find
out what these district races look like, and then also
teams that can grab the matchup of unbeatens are going
to be have an extra springboard heading into the final
two week sprint the regular season.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Yeah, you're right, and it sounds almost absurd to say this,
So I'm going to qualify. But for some folks, the
Battle of the Lakes may take a back seat to
a couple of other matchups in the Greater Austin area.
One Anderson and Hayes on Thursday night. You've got Anderson
in the top ten this week at number nine and
(15:35):
they closed the season with the team you currently have
number ten.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Wwie.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
So you got Anderson and Hayes with Anderson trying to
wrap up a playoff spot and get ready to go.
And then the other one is a winning your in
game in all probability for east Side Early College, the
former east Side Memorial and Taylor because if east Side wins,
it'll be their first time to make the playoffs. Ever
(16:00):
as east Side, if they lose, it probably not getting in.
They've got to buy next week. And then let's be real,
they're playing LBJ the final week. So so those two
games are our massive games. In addition to by the way,
like Travis and Westlake.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Yeah, and that's That's what's great about this week is
that is that you have these big showcase matchups Lake
Travis and Westlake, and that I don't need to sell
you on Lake Travis and Westlake. It's going to be
a fantastic game.
Speaker 5 (16:24):
And and you've people.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
Who are listening to my voice understanding what Lake Travis
and Westlake means. You're exactly right. You've also got this
great call it an undercard of games where you've got
matchups that ultimately are going to decide the team state
where it's essentially winning in like the playoffs kind of
start for a lot of teams.
Speaker 5 (16:41):
This week, I'll throw another.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
One in the Afton area and I'm really excited about.
Speaker 5 (16:44):
Band the Grip at Huddo.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
You want to talk about an opportunity for Eli Ryan
Hard's Hippos to make a statewide statement. They had some
early struggles, they have really hit the gas recently. I mean,
who who knew that Eli Ryan Hard coach offense is
going to take off? But this is a real chat
to make a state a statewide kind of impact.
Speaker 5 (17:05):
If they can take down.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
The defending six A Division two stage.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
Champs in vander that is a whale of a ball
game with also kind of seeding and playoff implications woven
into it all.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
Right, here we go, the meanest thing we do to
one another each week. I'll give you three games. You
can pick one game, one game only at where you
would be transported to be present. So is it one
of the following a the aforementioned Battle of the Lakes
like Travis and Westlake? Like Travis number four in the state,
Westlake number nine, Cavaliers are seven and oh Shapes are
six and one.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Is it in three A Division one?
Speaker 3 (17:39):
This is one of those off the grid undercard games
that I know has got your attention.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
How about an unbeaten Crystal City at.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Seven to zero against a six and one Hondo and
then the final one?
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Oh what a what a lipsmacker?
Speaker 3 (17:54):
This one is in two A Division two, undefeated Bremont
undefeated children.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Teams are seven and zero.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
Okay, with all due respect to about the legs again,
that's that's that's brand name stuff. You can if you
want to go and you want to eat, you know,
eat eat at the brand name restaurant. You absolutely can't.
Nobody's gonna gonna give you prop Crystal City and Hondo
is a lot of fun too. It's there's a lot
of like off to being back, like rape like for
raymondvill and Rio Hondo is a matchup of mundetn It's
(18:23):
gonna be great San Augustine and Love Lady of the
Magic Bummings, Robert Lee and Water Valley for what I
think could be a spot in a state championship, be
the favorite to represent the West. But the answer here
is children Bremont, And I'll tell you why because I
want to know who's gonna score. These are two of
the very best defenses in two A Division two. Chilton
(18:43):
has given up twenty two points in seven games. They
are ridiculous defensively. Meanwhile, Bremont has picked three consecutive shutouts,
including a shutout win over Goldweight last week. Who can
I mean this sincerely? Like they're gonna be games that
I think are gonna be real. See that they only
have the six seeds. They're gonna be a lot of fun.
I think seventeen points wins this game between Brimont and Chilton.
(19:06):
It is going to be a slobery knocker and points
are gonna be a premium. And also, I think if
you want to talk about an early favorite in Region
three of two eight Division two. I could be on
the line in this one. I love this Children Bremon matchup.
I think it's really really tasty.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
I leave you with this as we come full circle.
We were talking about Abbot. Some might ask, what in
the world's wrong with Abbot. They're three and four right
now computer has the only ranked twenty eight and one
of their district mates, the old rival, Aquila Cougars, are
number one in the computer right now. Now they're gonna
blast Penelope on Friday, but they're eight and Oh but
(19:45):
that Week ten matchup, that final week of the regular season,
Aquila Abigan. Could this be the year where we say
Aquila really has a shot because we've had some years
where they were unbeaten going in there and then Abbot
make quick work of them.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
I think right now this is a really young Avid
team and this is like they're in different kind of
cycles right now that Aquila is this is their year,
this is the year they wanted to be an Avid.
A time line of down Solow.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
That said that is one of those and I know
it's a cliche, but look at Texas O.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
You same big right, it's to throw the record books
out type king. This is that when those two teams
get together, it is a really weird things happened. I'm
just saying, weird things happen when Abbit and Aquilla get ready.
And by the way, that leads into what next week is,
which is Week ten. Is like, clear your calendars, guy.
Week ten is one of the best plate to tax
(20:35):
in high school football in the regular season we have
ever seen. And Avid and Aquila is going to be
one of those box office maunch ups.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
No doubt about it. He's Greg Tepper.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
He's the editor in chief Dave Campbells Texas Football Magazine.
Follow him on x slash Twitter at Tepper. Hey, appreciate
the time, have a great weekend.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
I certainly will talk to you guys.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
You bet all right, that's Greg Tepper.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
All right, coming up, we'll here we were from Anthony
Hill of the Long Coorns.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
When we continue on thirteen, ount of the Zone,
Grace. I'm going to gracelan.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Listen you can.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
You can certainly have a great appreciation for the Paul
Simon version of gracelamb. But I think Willie Nelson could
sing just about anything, anything at all, and make it
sound good. Of course, the iconic native textan from Abbot Texas.
Our iconic native textan who joins us every Tuesday is
(00:28):
Greg Tepper, editor in chief Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Are you in agreement with me? Willie could sing just
about anything? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Absolutely could. And actually I drove by Willie's old stomping grounds.
I've come to Temple from meeting today, and so we
were driving by Abbot pointed out and actually, let me
tell you, and this is a story that that a
sicico like Craig Way will appreciate. Yes, we're driving down
at a new meeting in Temple, but we you know,
GPS said I was going to arrive about forty minutes early,
(00:55):
and I'm like, well, how could I best use these
forty minutes? I made a little trivial side trip off
off the road and headed over to Academy Texas to
check out, to check out the beautiful stadium they've got
over there for the Bumblebees.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
They had a big game this week against Troy.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
And so I got to tour their facilities a little
bit because there's a gate open. There wasn't a guided tour.
Speaker 5 (01:18):
I just got to.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Walk in beautiful facility out there. They're an academy, the
Little River Academy, bubble Bees. And then yeah, so any
opportunity I think, as you well know, any opportunity I
have if I've got ten spare minutes and then the
high school football teaum I haven't seen nearby, you can
you can bet that I will find a way to
see if there's a gate open there that I can
wander on that onto that turf.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Well, do you owe it to yourself? I mean, that's
that's that's the thing.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
You owe it to yourself to to go over and
check that out to see. I totally agree with you.
One should, one should take advantage of that opportunity. It
makes perfect sense.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
It was a couple of years ago, now probably ten
years ago, but my wife and I did like a
Texas road trip that was our big summer vy cas
this before we had kids, and we drove out to
Big Bend, which great, great trip. If you ever have
the means so the way to get to drive out there,
you should absolutely do it. But my wife had to
set a rule. Basically, she said, Okay, we can stop
at the high school football stadium that you see on
(02:15):
the side of the road. If it's on the right
side of the road, we're not crossing.
Speaker 5 (02:19):
Over the road.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
We're not gonna go turn lap, and then I'll make
another one choosing them. I still had to see about
thirty thirty or thirty five stadiums on the way out there,
But she probably limited the damage by by setting that
rule early.
Speaker 5 (02:31):
I think it was by the.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
Time we got out to uh well, it might have
been a ranger. By the time we got into a ranger,
She's like, all right, listen, we're not we can't. We
got too far to go out there to its alpine
for you for you to be stupped every little town
on the way out there to West Texas sou So
a woman have to have a code, I suppose.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
I would imagine I could just hear jin in charge
of that whole deal.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Yeah, that that kind of makes sense.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Yeah, I'm gonna it's interesting you bring up six men.
I'm going to come back to that when we get
back to the high school section. But let me start
off with college football, and I want to start off
with your dct X, the Dave Campbell's Texas Football power Pole,
and I want to start at the bottom.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
We usually started at the top. I want to start at.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
The bottom because we know Texas A and M is
number one on that in Texas Tech makes perfect sense
to leave him at number two as a heartbreaking loss
terrors understad. We'll get to that at the moment. The
reason why I want to start the bottom. UTEP and
Sam Houston UTEP wins last Wednesday night. So they're two
and five and Sam is o W and seven and
as the slug line you guys put there, the Bearcats
(03:39):
have started oh to seven for the second time in
three seasons as an FBS program.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
I want to ask about you, Tap.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
We've talked about Scotty Walden and the energy and excitement
he infuses into a program. I know it's going to
be tough for them to try to get Bowl eligible,
but do you see the program making strides there?
Speaker 5 (03:55):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (03:55):
I think so, And I think it was always going
to be a bit of a build there for Scotty Walden,
it was going to take a couple of years, and
I think you're already seeing that kind of progress. I
think one of the things you can look at is
and they're working in a lot of young guys. They're
working in a lot of guys that they think are
going to be the future of this minors program. I
think that's really encouraging that, Like, you know, look, this
is not going to be a national championship year for UTEP.
(04:18):
I'm going to rule that out for them, but I
do think that you can start to see what the
future is going to look like. And I think I'm
making that move to Skylar Locklear at the quarterback spot
I think was critical for them to see a little
bit more of a kind of a future state of
what this thing can do. Because we know that, you know,
Scotty Walden can go out there and to borrow a phrase,
he can sell a catchup popsicle to a woman in
(04:40):
white gloves. I mean, he's going to do a good
job recruiting out there, and as good as.
Speaker 5 (04:44):
Anybody can do to get UTEPS.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Up and up and running on the recruiting trail.
Speaker 5 (04:49):
Right now, I would just say that you can at.
Speaker 4 (04:51):
The very least say Okay, well they're young, you know
the work. The teams you don't want to see are
senior laden teams that are not performing.
Speaker 5 (04:59):
Right.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Yeah, that that that would be a disappointment there. They've
got a lot of young players out there that they're
that they're relying on. I think it's going to be
really beneficial for them down the road. It may not
happen this year, but I think that what you're gonna
see is you're gonna see a lot of encouraging signs
for you and Tevin. I think last week against you know,
I mean it's kind of that weird Wednesday night affair
against Sam Houston, that's an encouraging step of just like, Okay,
(05:22):
we're making progress. We're using some young pieces, and we're
going up there and showing that we can we can
win games that we're supposed to win. And now a
certain game they were supposed to win.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Well, another program that's making progress with the first year
head coaches. The one you have just ahead of them,
Rice is three and four. Now they're coming off an
open dight, and uh, I don't know that they can
get the six wins. Looking at their closing schedule. They
have Yukon at home, may be winnable even though they
just beat Boston College. They'll have an angry Memphis at
a home on Halloween. They have u A be the
(05:51):
team that beat Memphis at home of the they have
North Texas at home, and then and then they they're
at South Florida. But it is weird that they got
four consecutive home games coming up.
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Yeah, it is odd. You know, I would love to
know how to have Actually, you know what's funny, and
this is not to bring it back to to my
own personal piccadillos, but Missouri.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
Played six consecutive home games to start the year. Like
I just noticed that.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Like anyway, that's I heard it there, Okay, I mean meanwhile,
yours Texas without a home game in the entire month
of October.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Yeah, they're gonna Yeah, they're gonna be road warriors. They
might as well pack up their stuff and rent out
their houses. Uh, this is but I think we can
take a look at Rice again. What you're looking at
is like, is proof that this scott abel thing is
going to work. Right as the guy who came over
you know, from the Division two or from from the
SS ranks with with Davidson, you know, take it and
(06:45):
he's coming in with a unique style, you know, that
kind of pistol option offense that that that they that
they operate out of. They're going to run the dang ball.
They want to do something very different. Is the thing
going to work? And I would say, even right now,
if you were to stop right now at three and
four and they were to not play another game the
rest of the season, you can be like, all right,
(07:05):
mission accomplished. We feel like this can work because I
think what you can do is you can go and
take the tape that you got so far this season,
and you can put it in front of high school
football players across the state of Texas and put high
school football players across the nation and be like, hey,
let me be a part of this, and this is
gonna be something different and unique. And yeah, you're going
to need to be smart to get into the school,
but I think that this is the kind of thing
(07:27):
that can work. And furthermore, you know, when they hired
Scott abel, I think part of the reason that they
did it was it that, Okay, here's the guy who
kind of runs a similar situation to like like an academy.
Might you know the reason that Army it runs the option,
the triple options is not because Jeff Munkin is some
(07:48):
triple option team. He'll go out there, he'll he'll run
whatever offense works, but he understands these are the players
I've got. Here is the best way that we can
gather es schematic advantage whenever we are playing some Army
ain't getting a five star. Well, Rice probably.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Ain't getting a five star either, and this is.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
An opportunity I think for them to say, hey, how
can we do the most with what we've got? I
think that right now for Scott Abel, things are trending
in the right direction, and that right now so far,
getting those three wins under their belt and looking competitive
in a couple of their losses, I think that is
proof that things are moving in the right direction for
the Owls.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Okay, so, and we're talking college football at the moment
with Greg Keepper, editor in chief Tape Campbell's Texas Football magazine.
WI jump the high school in a moment. But again
this is going to depend on perspective and what prism
you're viewing this from. Here's Rice at three and four.
So it looks optimistic. Then you got utsa in Texas State,
(08:44):
each of whom are three and four, each of whom
for whom you know, good things were forecasts, each of
whom are struggling right now and may not wind up
being Bowl eligible as a result of this.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
Yeah, And I think it's disappointing for different reasons, you know.
For for for Texas State, you know, three straight losses,
a double overtime loss to Marshall, and they've been so close, right,
I mean that those those three losses they have, I
think are combined eleven points or something. And and so
if you think about it, they're eleven points away from
from essentially being six and one. It's a very different
(09:23):
conversation that we're having about them that they just haven't
been able to close. And they they they really, they
really stubbed their own toe at the key moments, you know,
costly turnovers the wrong at the wrong time. But I
think that's one thing that I think is really uh,
you know, for for Texas State, this is going to
be in a lot of ways the one that got
away because things were really training in the right direction
and then they weren't able to really close it.
Speaker 5 (09:44):
Down the stretch for you to have.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Or UCSA rather, I mean it's it's it's strange. You know,
in a lot of ways, the things that had made
Jeff Trailer a hot name, uh in coaching circles, and
it made UTSA a premier know G five program have
kind of fallen apart. A lot of it is just
like the second half. They they've been unable to close games,
(10:09):
They've they've been pouring road games. You know, this is
a something that I think we take a look at
what they were able to do over the you know,
from twenty one to twenty three, they were thirty two
and nine. They were arguably the best Chief five program
in America. They were definitely the best Chief five program.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
In the state of Texas. But then you kind of
take a look at.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
What's happened the last couple of years. It's been kind
of you know, the second half, and it's been road
games that have really been their bugaboo, things that weren't
necessarily problems in the earlier part of the Jeff Trailer era.
It's interesting to seem maybe I don't know, the portal
has certainly hurt UTSA in some ways. I think that's
part of it, but.
Speaker 5 (10:48):
We will see what happened.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
I do know that Jeff Trailer will have an opportunity
to reload his his team. And if we know one thing,
you know, Jeff Trailer's actually never had a losing season.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
In his career, so I would imagine that.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
He will find a way to get the six wins.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Yeah, and and uh and certainly one thing that's been
tough for him is the players that have left through
the portal, that have gone to other schools.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
He's well helped me out.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Running back from TCU had the big weekend. Uh Camp Cook. No, No,
he's transferred. Uh, it's oh gosh.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
You could possibly know, Craig Uh yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Everyone's scream everyone's screaming at their radio at these supposed
football experts. Yeah, you can't remember the U T s.
You know what's funny, if you had said Stan Augustine
running back, I would have been able to challenge you.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Yeah exactly, then we would have known for sure, right, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
And he's a he that's a poster for example of
what's happened to ut SA. Some of the best players
have left for you know, in larger programs, power, power,
for programs.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
Yeah, I mean that's that's kind of the the blessing
and the cursive of the cheap Hive program is that, Yeah,
you're going to be able to now because because of
the transfer portal, you're going to have better players available
to you because there's going to be fewer roster spots
for these big name programs. But here's the problem. If
they show out, they're going to go to those big
name programs. Sure, so that's one of the things. You know,
(12:24):
UCSA has in some respective been a victim of their
own of their their own success.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Yeah, no doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
And then uh uh, here's one other note that I
thought was interesting. Of course, North Texas, I think they
they they missed out on their chance maybe to possibly
crash the playoff party with the home loss to South Florida.
They did blast UTSA and then I noticed I just
saw the thing. They're leading the nation in offense there,
the number one offensive team in the nation right now.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
They're they're unstoppable offensively, and even go back to their loss,
right even that loss that they had at home, they
put up they put up third six points. The problem
is they just can't stop anybody and so that's gonna
be the the game they have to play. Offense has
been absolutely spectacular. A they their defense has not to
(13:12):
just make a couple of stuffs and be the offense
can't give the the opposition U extra possessions, which is
what ended up happening in that loss a couple of
weeks ago.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Exactly by the way, I called that a palindromic loss,
since they lost sixty three thirty six.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Yes in that case, visiting.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Greg tap All right, let's shift to high school football
and what is on your radar for this week? What's
what's got your attention the most?
Speaker 4 (13:39):
So the headline I think for me this first of all,
I think this is the best week of games we've
had probably since Week one. This slate games across the
state is boxed offense. And what I think is great
is that you we don't necessarily know how these district
matchups are going to play out, but we know like
the shape of them. You know, we know who's in contention.
(14:01):
And so for example, you know this week you've got
Columbus playing Hitchcock in a massive game. We know that
that District twelve three A Division one is probably going
to come down to those to that kind of three
way dance between Columbus, Hitchcock and Yoakam what that is
going to look for a lot.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
I think the same thing goes with the Battle of
the Lakes.
Speaker 4 (14:17):
This weekend, District twenty six to six A will come
into sharper focus. Last week, Lake Travis, you know, played
the strangest game of the week, I think, with a
fourteenth seven win over Dripping Springs in the game that
was scoreless at halftime, you know, but they they they
survived to get a win. With west Lake. We're starting
to get the shape of those. The other the headline
(14:38):
for me, I mean, it's rivalry week, Lake Travis, Westlake.
You've got a Campo Bay City, You've got Make County
Maddus between Poorten, Agent Droves and Nederland. You've got those
those big time getting The other thing you've got is
you have six matchups of unbeaten teams across the state
of Texas from six A all the way down to sixth Man.
Which makes this a real kind of judgment week for
(14:59):
a lot of teams across the state were to find
out what these district races look like, and then also
teams that can grab the matchup of unbeatens are going
to be have an extra springboard heading into the final
two week sprint the regular season.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Yeah, you're right, and it sounds almost absurd to say this,
So I'm going to qualify. But for some folks, the
Battle of the Lakes may take a back seat to
a couple of other matchups in the Greater Austin area.
One Anderson and Hayes on Thursday night. You've got Anderson
in the top ten this week at number nine and
(15:35):
they closed the season with the team you currently have
number ten.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Wwie.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
So you got Anderson and Hayes with Anderson trying to
wrap up a playoff spot and get ready to go.
And then the other one is a winning your in
game in all probability for east Side Early College, the
former east Side Memorial and Taylor because if east Side wins,
it'll be their first time to make the playoffs. Ever
(16:00):
as east Side, if they lose, it probably not getting in.
They've got to buy next week. And then let's be real,
they're playing LBJ the final week. So so those two
games are our massive games. In addition to by the way,
like Travis and Westlake.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Yeah, and that's That's what's great about this week is
that is that you have these big showcase matchups Lake
Travis and Westlake, and that I don't need to sell
you on Lake Travis and Westlake. It's going to be
a fantastic game.
Speaker 5 (16:24):
And and you've people.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
Who are listening to my voice understanding what Lake Travis
and Westlake means. You're exactly right. You've also got this
great call it an undercard of games where you've got
matchups that ultimately are going to decide the team state
where it's essentially winning in like the playoffs kind of
start for a lot of teams.
Speaker 5 (16:41):
This week, I'll throw another.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
One in the Afton area and I'm really excited about.
Speaker 5 (16:44):
Band the Grip at Huddo.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
You want to talk about an opportunity for Eli Ryan
Hard's Hippos to make a statewide statement. They had some
early struggles, they have really hit the gas recently. I mean,
who who knew that Eli Ryan Hard coach offense is
going to take off? But this is a real chat
to make a state a statewide kind of impact.
Speaker 5 (17:05):
If they can take down.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
The defending six A Division two stage.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
Champs in vander that is a whale of a ball
game with also kind of seeding and playoff implications woven
into it all.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
Right, here we go, the meanest thing we do to
one another each week. I'll give you three games. You
can pick one game, one game only at where you
would be transported to be present. So is it one
of the following a the aforementioned Battle of the Lakes
like Travis and Westlake? Like Travis number four in the state,
Westlake number nine, Cavaliers are seven and oh Shapes are
six and one.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Is it in three A Division one?
Speaker 3 (17:39):
This is one of those off the grid undercard games
that I know has got your attention.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
How about an unbeaten Crystal City at.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Seven to zero against a six and one Hondo and
then the final one?
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Oh what a what a lipsmacker?
Speaker 3 (17:54):
This one is in two A Division two, undefeated Bremont
undefeated children.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Teams are seven and zero.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
Okay, with all due respect to about the legs again,
that's that's that's brand name stuff. You can if you
want to go and you want to eat, you know,
eat eat at the brand name restaurant. You absolutely can't.
Nobody's gonna gonna give you prop Crystal City and Hondo
is a lot of fun too. It's there's a lot
of like off to being back, like rape like for
raymondvill and Rio Hondo is a matchup of mundetn It's
(18:23):
gonna be great San Augustine and Love Lady of the
Magic Bummings, Robert Lee and Water Valley for what I
think could be a spot in a state championship, be
the favorite to represent the West. But the answer here
is children Bremont, And I'll tell you why because I
want to know who's gonna score. These are two of
the very best defenses in two A Division two. Chilton
(18:43):
has given up twenty two points in seven games. They
are ridiculous defensively. Meanwhile, Bremont has picked three consecutive shutouts,
including a shutout win over Goldweight last week. Who can
I mean this sincerely? Like they're gonna be games that
I think are gonna be real. See that they only
have the six seeds. They're gonna be a lot of fun.
I think seventeen points wins this game between Brimont and Chilton.
(19:06):
It is going to be a slobery knocker and points
are gonna be a premium. And also, I think if
you want to talk about an early favorite in Region
three of two eight Division two. I could be on
the line in this one. I love this Children Bremon matchup.
I think it's really really tasty.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
I leave you with this as we come full circle.
We were talking about Abbot. Some might ask, what in
the world's wrong with Abbot. They're three and four right
now computer has the only ranked twenty eight and one
of their district mates, the old rival, Aquila Cougars, are
number one in the computer right now. Now they're gonna
blast Penelope on Friday, but they're eight and Oh but
(19:45):
that Week ten matchup, that final week of the regular season,
Aquila Abigan. Could this be the year where we say
Aquila really has a shot because we've had some years
where they were unbeaten going in there and then Abbot
make quick work of them.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
I think right now this is a really young Avid
team and this is like they're in different kind of
cycles right now that Aquila is this is their year,
this is the year they wanted to be an Avid.
A time line of down Solow.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
That said that is one of those and I know
it's a cliche, but look at Texas O.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
You same big right, it's to throw the record books
out type king. This is that when those two teams
get together, it is a really weird things happened. I'm
just saying, weird things happen when Abbit and Aquilla get ready.
And by the way, that leads into what next week is,
which is Week ten. Is like, clear your calendars, guy.
Week ten is one of the best plate to tax
(20:35):
in high school football in the regular season we have
ever seen. And Avid and Aquila is going to be
one of those box office maunch ups.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
No doubt about it. He's Greg Tepper.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
He's the editor in chief Dave Campbells Texas Football Magazine.
Follow him on x slash Twitter at Tepper. Hey, appreciate
the time, have a great weekend.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
I certainly will talk to you guys.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
You bet all right, that's Greg Tepper.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
All right, coming up, we'll here we were from Anthony
Hill of the Long Coorns.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
When we continue on thirteen, ount of the Zone,
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