November 14, 2025 • 17 mins
InsideTexas' Evan Vieth joins Jake Herman on the program to take a deep dive into Texas' matchup with Georgia.
They discuss Colin Simmons' stellar play, the importance of Arch Manning beating the blitz, and what to expect from both offenses in Saturday night's game.
They discuss Colin Simmons' stellar play, the importance of Arch Manning beating the blitz, and what to expect from both offenses in Saturday night's game.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:14):
We continue on a Friday afternoon on Sports Radio AM
thirteen hundred The Zone, joined now by Evan Veeth of
Inside Texas, who will be on his way to Athens
tonight to cover this big time top ten matchup in
the SEC. Evan, will this be your first trip down
(00:35):
between the hedges?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah, that'll be my first one, first trip I've gone
on since Kentucky. And then yeah, first time in Athens.
I've not been there yet, so really excited for great things.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Yeah, it's been it's been quite the road schedule, certainly
for Texas this season, and I want to start there
with the schedule for a moment, which is it's been
a topic of conversation among kind of longhorned circles this season,
a little bit of a quirk with this being Georgia's
last SEC game. Meanwhile, Texas has three more and two
(01:07):
are against top five teams, And Sark was asked about
this and yeah, the schedule is the schedule. Do you
think he has a valid gripe and that he's a
little bit uncomfortable with the way it kind of shook out?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah, I do think he even claimed that he was
kind of uncomfortable with how it ended up going and
I think it's something he knew coming into the year,
knew he had to be ready for, and gave credit
to his team. They maybe weren't ready for it the
start of the year with having to go right into
Columbus and then you know, that Florida game definitely caught
them off guard, but they battled back and otherwise pretty
unfair may not be the word, but just a daunting
(01:42):
task because most of the cultur ball world does do
those out of conference games early in the year the
way that Texas does, the way that Stark has said
in the past that he likes to do with turning
your four out of conference and going from there. And
you know, it's not the fall to Georgia over South Carolina,
the teams like that that play out of conference late
in the season. But you know, it seemed like Georgia
after the Texas game take they're playing two out of
(02:02):
conference games.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
They're done with SEC.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Play after Saturday, which is just such an odd thing
to have to be able to do, at least for
your team, when Texas is going to have to play
two more SEC games, one of them arguably the most
important of the year, at least.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
We'll see how that goes with the A and M
game versus this Georgia game.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
But the long was the only thing that's really unfair
about the schedule for them.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
You know, they did get that bye.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Before Georgia, which I do think is you know, people
critiquing with Sarkin said like, yeah, they did get that,
but you know, Georgia got to the fully healthy when
they played Tennessee early in the year. Texas had a
lot of attrition going on before they even got to Oklahoma,
which was kind of their first really big one. I
know they lost to Florida, but teams like Georgia did
get it a little easier this year. I think we'll
miss another example where they just played a lot of
(02:44):
early SEC games, so their health was a lot better.
They kind of knew what they were going to come in,
and as a more talented team, it's a little easier
early in the season. Just feed better if you're healthy.
So I do get what Stark was saying about. You know,
this has just been a weird schedule with all the
road games and having to end out with three pretty
up one blade.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Yeah, that month away from home in terms of you know,
those four consecutive games were certainly tough, but on the
other hand, right Texas didn't have to play Ole Miss
didn't have to play Alabama. Definitely an interesting topic going forward,
but let's let's dive more into this matchup tomorrow night
in Athens and starting with the defense. This morning, he
(03:21):
wrote a great piece on Colin Simmons, called him an
ever evolving game wreckord and what do you think it
is that's taken him to another level? Helped him figure
out another gear here in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
I really think that Florida game helped him a lot.
You know, he had an unfortunate game. He ains Ohio
State because they're playing so much that quick hit or
get the ball out before Simmons can really make an
impact on the games he saw in no stacks from him,
and then kind of was pressing and at a conference
outside of that, those are the three games he was
either kind of taking plays off or doing too much
and getting penalized for it. But then he comes into
(03:56):
Florida and it's a tough game for the defense, but
he looks like Texas's best run defender. But it's not
something you've said about Colin Simmons before this season, and
he's really backed that up throughout the season, and I
think that one was a really good branching off point
for him to go from, Hey, I can contribute in
the run game, I can be a force even when
I'm not stacking a pass rusher, and then from there,
you know, you get your Oklahoma games. And I think
(04:16):
the Vanderbilt game really was his best one as the
long horn, where you saw him both in the run game,
and I'd say that first forced fumble is really a
run force fumble, not a strip stack, even though Pavi
was the one who kept it. And then from there
he was just dominating the tackles on Vanderbilt. And you
know it's gonna be a better offensive line he faces
this week against Georgia, but one that's shown cracks and
one that's using a lot of true pressure as well.
(04:37):
So he really has evolved in the way that he's
become a good run stopper. He's not someone that's pressing
to get sacks anymore. And when things are coming to
this guy and he's just playing his game, it's so
hard to stop him. He's one of the three to
five best in the nation at that.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Yeah, there's it's been so much fun to watch Colin
Simmons this year. We're talking to Evan v the benside Texas.
I thought you also had a good note in one
of your articles leading up to this matchup. When this
defense is fully healthy, the results have been pretty darn good.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
But that means twenty.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Five different guys might factor in to this game given
that blank student athlete availability report coming into the week.
So with all these different personnel groups that Texas uses,
I mean, are there any kind of rotational guys you
think might take on a heightened importance in this particular
matchup with Georgia.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Yeah, just about a joke like how happier Texas fans
and just seeing nothing to report there on that availability.
But yeah, to your point, I twenty five was about
the number that I expected. That could be twenty two,
It could be twenty eight. You know I left out
Kobe Black's a cornerback who you thought was gonna have
a big impact this year hasn't really. I think he's
in battling stuff kind of you know, injury, that's something
(05:50):
fully kept him out of the game. But he looked
a little bit of a step behind I do think
on the topic of cornerbacks, I've been seeing the praise
of the kid Phillips a lot recently.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
He had a really good gamings band Are built.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
When they had had to have him out there, he
played twenty snaps like that was the highest among SEC games.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
And he looks the part.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
And I know Jalen Bilbo is going to play a veteran.
They want to keep him on the field, and I'm
not saying that Phillips is going to take over his role,
but if that goes from you know, in eighty twenty
to a sixty forty snap share or something along those lines,
I wouldn't be a really surprised.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
I think he's a really good cornerback.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I think they're gonna need to rotate around cornerbacks in
the game like this to make sure they're healthy, so
I'd expect.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
To see him there.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
And then you know, you know, on the defensive line,
that's definitely where like Lance Jackson and Brad Spence aren't
going to have maybe the snapcount numbers that you're seeing
when they're playing Mississippi State or even Oklahoma, but they're
going to be those two ed dressers that come on
when they need a little bit of more freshness, So
they need to spark Jackson get bigger in the run game,
Spence on those two third down pass sets, they're going
(06:48):
to read some having and I think those are the
kind of guys that will catch Shorgia fans by surprise
because they aren't those frontline starters that you're aware of.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Now.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Flipping sides of the field, where do you think Texas
might be able to exploit the Georgia defense tomorrow. It's
it's not an easy defense to play against, but their
numbers maybe not as as iron clad as they've been
in the past.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Well, I think the big difference between the quarterback versus
pass rush that you're seeing from this year committed to
last is last season when you Weres had a knack
to kind of find himself into pressure and get back,
and he was worse when you were bringing five or
six players.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
So Georgia could rush.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Gewan Walker from the off ball lineback position and Walker
had his probably the best game of his career in
that first game that they played because he was just
all over the field. The Texas O line couldn't handle him.
But in this year's game, I don't think that Georgia
has quite the talent on the D line to win
with four players often. You know, the Texas OA line
has its own problems, but just four man rushers haven't
been the fourteen Georgia this year.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
They like to bring their linebackers down.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
They like to have Alan or wilsoner Cole come pressure
from an off ball spot. But Manning is much better
against the blitz than he is not without the blitz.
I posted that on Twitter and made an article about
it earlier in the week that like, that's one wrinkle
where Texas may have the advantage because George is getting need.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
To blitz to get to Manning.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
But Manning kind of wants to have them blitz him
because he likes getting to his guys who are one
on one in coverage, and he likes to scramble around
and extend plays. That's where he's at his best. I
think of the one where he found wingo deep in
the Mississippi State game where they brought six players and
he's able to just go to his left and throw
it deep off off the off his back foot, but
off the back of the defense, and someding He's.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Got a seventy yard game to Ryan Wingo.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
So I do think that's where the hardest thing for
Kurby some part to deal with is, hey, can we
win with four? And if not, like, can we can
we trust our cornerbacks to go one on one almost
the whole game? If Manning's going to play at the
level gads last two.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Yeah, And it's a Georgia defense that's done a good
job in limiting explosives, and it's a Texas team that's
been able to kind of create explosives with this quick
screen game. And how much do you think that factors
into two Sark's game plan?
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Is it maybe even more than usual against these great
Georgia linebackers.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Yeah, I think more than maybe they did last year,
because clearly this Texas team isn't gonna win football games
because they're out out rushing and out dominating teams on
the line of scrimmage. And George is not the kind
team you want to test that with. So I don't
know how much Texas is going to ask the trayman
wiser as a runner.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
I think it's could be a lot of pass blogging
screen game.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
And yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if you got another
one of those Ryan Wingo bubbles or reverse to nibble
it within the first five players of the game. I
think there is that a lot because Georgia's struggle at
times to tackle in the open states of their cornerbacks
and and Tennessee really exploded.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
This ole miss did the same thing.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
They can either be taught behind or when they're one
on one players like Ryan Wingo, who are just athletically
better than most college players. I might be able to
get some explosives out of that. So I do think
Sark would be Sark would be pretty dumb not to
at least try to get Wingos some of those manufactured
touches nibble it as well, where he's just get him
one on one with a second safety or a cornerback
(09:54):
and just see what happens. That's a good way to
try to get your your seven seven yard games that
suddenly turned into seventy games.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Yeah, good way to stay ahead of the change too.
We're talking with Evan viet the Inside Texas about this
matchup with Georgia and Evan we talked a couple of
weeks ago about Texas in eleven personnel and how that
you know one tight end set can kind of open
up the rest of the offense in a way that
it's looked better than some other sets this season. But
(10:22):
this week we heard from starf about his tight ends
right so, and how much they've improved in that room.
Do you think those guys will have a bigger impact
in a game like this.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Yeah, I do think that there's gonna be a little
more that twelve personnel that fans won. I know a
lot of fans would prefer the entire game was played
with eleven and tempo and all of that, but there's
still sets that Stark on the idea of the screen game.
There's some plays that he really likes the screen out
of with twelve personnel and a lot of tight end
screens he does out of there, and I know a
(10:55):
way he thinks he can get wiser and more involved
when they they go heavy. But I don't think as
with seven big guys is quite as good as Georgia
with seven big guys on the field when they can
add an extra linebacker, that's what they prefer to do.
So yes, I do think your talentends and your Washington's
and Shannon's have improved over the year. But me personally,
I'm just throwing Jack Enries out there, hoping he's a
(11:17):
little more involved. A four to four podcast game from
him would be great for the Texas team. I don't
think it's gonna be this one eleven personnel switch. I
know Sark likes to operate in twelve and operate a
bit heavily, but I just don't think it's the best
matchup for the Texas long warrantinae against Georgia, who they're
at their best, and they can be big, and they're
at their best, and their linebacker's gonna running around the
(11:37):
field and having these college tight ends locked and who
just frankly shouldn't be on them when they're going to
be playing in the NFL next year.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
And you know, I know those tight ends can impact
the running game as well. Georgia's been really stingy against
the run this year. Texas has been a kind of
patchy at best in establishing a running game. And you
wrote that Texas can maybe lose the rushing back this
week but win the so called war of the football game.
Can you break that down for it, because I know
(12:05):
Texas fans are thinking, oh, oh, if we can't run it,
on the road in Athens.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
This is trouble.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Yeah. I mean you can separate football into five individual
ideas in battles where it's your run offense versus their
run defense vice versa.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Same with the passing game, and then special teams.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
And if you think back to last year, you know,
in the first game, Georgia just won all of that,
but really in the in the championship game, Texas was
the better passing team probably on both sides of the ball,
but Georgia was far superior on special teams and they
are far better at running the football than Texas was.
But this year, Texas's special teams is better. I do
think that they're gonna be able to affect the game
(12:43):
when it comes to the pass rush and stopped in
the run on Georgia's side of things. So if Texas is,
you know, maybe losing that rushing battle, which I think
of all those five, that is the biggest difference Georgie's.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
Run defense versus Texas run game.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Even if they aren't the leading rushing team, and why
is there's not a four and a half yard per
carry runner and they're not getting backs involved as much,
I still do think that they can you know, using
the screen game and using those short passes, find ways that,
like you said, day ahead of the six and not
let Georgia pin there at your Zach on third down
and really get at Manning from that just for four
set Blitzer package. So yeah, they probably won't be the
(13:18):
better rushing team this game. You're probably gonna see more
yards than a better yard per carry from Chohnsey Bowen
and Nate Fraser than you are, Contraven Wiser. But I
do think Texas can stay solid on special teams and
not overly lose that and let their defense in Arch
Manning make some big plays.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
I do think they can win a game like that.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
I just I hope that Sarkakin doesn't kind of hit
his head against the wall trying to get fifteen carries
to Wisner to have one hundred yards rushing, just to
have one hundred yards rushing.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Will be very interested to watch the way that game
plan goes. Okay, before I let you go, Evan, I've
got to ask you a couple of a couple of
mean questions, because I think they're I think they're kind
of trapped questions, but true or false in your opinion,
this is a must win game for Texas to make
the college football Playoff.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
I think technically not true.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
There's definitely a world where they lose this and go
b to A and M and it looks good. But
I will say, like Texas losing this game or Georgia
comfortable win where Texas really isn't in it might all
but do it for the long ones. So I do
think there's a world where you know, you lose by
three and Athens and then go and beat A and
M looks like the better team and you're nine and
(14:23):
three and they're between that and A big twelve. Just
general did maybe Texas can get in that way. But
I do think winning here is like.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Something your taking might just be punched unless that A
and M gave a blow out in favor of the Aggies.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Right, and there's always the looming possibility of Arkansas. And
then if you had to predict the outcome of this game,
what kind of decides it? And do you have a
score prediction you're willing to share here? I know it's
a it's a bold step.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
I so I did.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
I do think I said Georgia thirty four, Texas thirty
over On Inside Texas so.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Yeah, yeah, I do think.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
I do think both these teams can put up numbers.
I think the problem is that in a game that's
going to be high scoring, because you know, I do
think Texas's secondary will be better with Tassa McDonald, that
doesn't completely alleviate the problems that they've had. So I
do think George is gonna be able to move the
ball on them and score. And I do think that
Georgia in a game like that where it's down to
the fourth quarter, who can get the most points in
(15:23):
the last two possessions each, I do think that's where
it favors Georgia because they've done that this year.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
They've done that when they beat Tennessee.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
They did that against Ole Miss, you know Ole Miss
and stop them until the fourth quarter, but uh or
they didn't stop will Miss until the fourth quarter, but
olmost never stopped them. So they won that game because
of that. So I do think that that's going to
be in the favor of Georgia where they're just better
suited to win a shootout and just out grint and
get a few players go their way late in a
game that you know, you play that last second two
(15:50):
minutes of.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
The game one hundred times at the fifty.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
To fifty, but you just catch Georgia on that one
of fifty against them and suddenly they take down the.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Long rues Evan.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Is this Georgia offense the best that Texas has faced
this year?
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Oh I'll say both yes and no.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
I know that's kind of a cop out, but I
do think it's going to operate better than Ohio States
did because Ohio State was breaking in a new quarterback.
But I do think you just look at the two
offenses Ohio State Georgia right now in Ohio States is better.
So long one is going to do with fourteen Ohio State.
But Ohio State definitely had the right game plan to
win with fourteen.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
I don't think it's gonna be that low scoring in Athos.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
He's van v from inside Texas, Evan, where can we
follow along with you? From Georgia on game bank.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Just at evands on my Twitter will be tweeting out
some of the stuff around the game from the Athens
environment and then over on inside Texas. We're going to
have a game thread going a lot of updates during
and after the game about what's going on with the
long run.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
So thanks for checking out me there, Evan.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
We always love your breakdowns, appreciate the time. Thanks, thanks
for making time for us today and enjoy the.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Game of course, man, have a good one.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
That is Van V from inside Texas.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
Hey, we want to hear from you as well.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Not too much time left in the show this afternoon
here on Sports Radio AM thirteen hundred zone, but it's
not too late to get involved. Text the word Texas
to eight one five three zero. That's eight one five
three zero Texas, followed by your question, comment or prediction
for this massive matchup in Athens. We'll try and get
to those as we continue on Sports Radio AM thirteen
(17:25):
hundred zone in the iHeartRadio app.
We continue on a Friday afternoon on Sports Radio AM
thirteen hundred The Zone, joined now by Evan Veeth of
Inside Texas, who will be on his way to Athens
tonight to cover this big time top ten matchup in
the SEC. Evan, will this be your first trip down
(00:35):
between the hedges?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Yeah, that'll be my first one, first trip I've gone
on since Kentucky. And then yeah, first time in Athens.
I've not been there yet, so really excited for great things.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Yeah, it's been it's been quite the road schedule, certainly
for Texas this season, and I want to start there
with the schedule for a moment, which is it's been
a topic of conversation among kind of longhorned circles this season,
a little bit of a quirk with this being Georgia's
last SEC game. Meanwhile, Texas has three more and two
(01:07):
are against top five teams, And Sark was asked about
this and yeah, the schedule is the schedule. Do you
think he has a valid gripe and that he's a
little bit uncomfortable with the way it kind of shook out?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah, I do think he even claimed that he was
kind of uncomfortable with how it ended up going and
I think it's something he knew coming into the year,
knew he had to be ready for, and gave credit
to his team. They maybe weren't ready for it the
start of the year with having to go right into
Columbus and then you know, that Florida game definitely caught
them off guard, but they battled back and otherwise pretty
unfair may not be the word, but just a daunting
(01:42):
task because most of the cultur ball world does do
those out of conference games early in the year the
way that Texas does, the way that Stark has said
in the past that he likes to do with turning
your four out of conference and going from there. And
you know, it's not the fall to Georgia over South Carolina,
the teams like that that play out of conference late
in the season. But you know, it seemed like Georgia
after the Texas game take they're playing two out of
(02:02):
conference games.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
They're done with SEC.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Play after Saturday, which is just such an odd thing
to have to be able to do, at least for
your team, when Texas is going to have to play
two more SEC games, one of them arguably the most
important of the year, at least.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
We'll see how that goes with the A and M
game versus this Georgia game.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
But the long was the only thing that's really unfair
about the schedule for them.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
You know, they did get that bye.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Before Georgia, which I do think is you know, people
critiquing with Sarkin said like, yeah, they did get that,
but you know, Georgia got to the fully healthy when
they played Tennessee early in the year. Texas had a
lot of attrition going on before they even got to Oklahoma,
which was kind of their first really big one. I
know they lost to Florida, but teams like Georgia did
get it a little easier this year. I think we'll
miss another example where they just played a lot of
(02:44):
early SEC games, so their health was a lot better.
They kind of knew what they were going to come in,
and as a more talented team, it's a little easier
early in the season. Just feed better if you're healthy.
So I do get what Stark was saying about. You know,
this has just been a weird schedule with all the
road games and having to end out with three pretty
up one blade.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Yeah, that month away from home in terms of you know,
those four consecutive games were certainly tough, but on the
other hand, right Texas didn't have to play Ole Miss
didn't have to play Alabama. Definitely an interesting topic going forward,
but let's let's dive more into this matchup tomorrow night
in Athens and starting with the defense. This morning, he
(03:21):
wrote a great piece on Colin Simmons, called him an
ever evolving game wreckord and what do you think it
is that's taken him to another level? Helped him figure
out another gear here in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
I really think that Florida game helped him a lot.
You know, he had an unfortunate game. He ains Ohio
State because they're playing so much that quick hit or
get the ball out before Simmons can really make an
impact on the games he saw in no stacks from him,
and then kind of was pressing and at a conference
outside of that, those are the three games he was
either kind of taking plays off or doing too much
and getting penalized for it. But then he comes into
(03:56):
Florida and it's a tough game for the defense, but
he looks like Texas's best run defender. But it's not
something you've said about Colin Simmons before this season, and
he's really backed that up throughout the season, and I
think that one was a really good branching off point
for him to go from, Hey, I can contribute in
the run game, I can be a force even when
I'm not stacking a pass rusher, and then from there,
you know, you get your Oklahoma games. And I think
(04:16):
the Vanderbilt game really was his best one as the
long horn, where you saw him both in the run game,
and I'd say that first forced fumble is really a
run force fumble, not a strip stack, even though Pavi
was the one who kept it. And then from there
he was just dominating the tackles on Vanderbilt. And you
know it's gonna be a better offensive line he faces
this week against Georgia, but one that's shown cracks and
one that's using a lot of true pressure as well.
(04:37):
So he really has evolved in the way that he's
become a good run stopper. He's not someone that's pressing
to get sacks anymore. And when things are coming to
this guy and he's just playing his game, it's so
hard to stop him. He's one of the three to
five best in the nation at that.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Yeah, there's it's been so much fun to watch Colin
Simmons this year. We're talking to Evan v the benside Texas.
I thought you also had a good note in one
of your articles leading up to this matchup. When this
defense is fully healthy, the results have been pretty darn good.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
But that means twenty.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Five different guys might factor in to this game given
that blank student athlete availability report coming into the week.
So with all these different personnel groups that Texas uses,
I mean, are there any kind of rotational guys you
think might take on a heightened importance in this particular
matchup with Georgia.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Yeah, just about a joke like how happier Texas fans
and just seeing nothing to report there on that availability.
But yeah, to your point, I twenty five was about
the number that I expected. That could be twenty two,
It could be twenty eight. You know I left out
Kobe Black's a cornerback who you thought was gonna have
a big impact this year hasn't really. I think he's
in battling stuff kind of you know, injury, that's something
(05:50):
fully kept him out of the game. But he looked
a little bit of a step behind I do think
on the topic of cornerbacks, I've been seeing the praise
of the kid Phillips a lot recently.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
He had a really good gamings band Are built.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
When they had had to have him out there, he
played twenty snaps like that was the highest among SEC games.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
And he looks the part.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
And I know Jalen Bilbo is going to play a veteran.
They want to keep him on the field, and I'm
not saying that Phillips is going to take over his role,
but if that goes from you know, in eighty twenty
to a sixty forty snap share or something along those lines,
I wouldn't be a really surprised.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
I think he's a really good cornerback.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I think they're gonna need to rotate around cornerbacks in
the game like this to make sure they're healthy, so
I'd expect.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
To see him there.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
And then you know, you know, on the defensive line,
that's definitely where like Lance Jackson and Brad Spence aren't
going to have maybe the snapcount numbers that you're seeing
when they're playing Mississippi State or even Oklahoma, but they're
going to be those two ed dressers that come on
when they need a little bit of more freshness, So
they need to spark Jackson get bigger in the run game,
Spence on those two third down pass sets, they're going
(06:48):
to read some having and I think those are the
kind of guys that will catch Shorgia fans by surprise
because they aren't those frontline starters that you're aware of.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Now.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Flipping sides of the field, where do you think Texas
might be able to exploit the Georgia defense tomorrow. It's
it's not an easy defense to play against, but their
numbers maybe not as as iron clad as they've been
in the past.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Well, I think the big difference between the quarterback versus
pass rush that you're seeing from this year committed to
last is last season when you Weres had a knack
to kind of find himself into pressure and get back,
and he was worse when you were bringing five or
six players.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
So Georgia could rush.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Gewan Walker from the off ball lineback position and Walker
had his probably the best game of his career in
that first game that they played because he was just
all over the field. The Texas O line couldn't handle him.
But in this year's game, I don't think that Georgia
has quite the talent on the D line to win
with four players often. You know, the Texas OA line
has its own problems, but just four man rushers haven't
been the fourteen Georgia this year.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
They like to bring their linebackers down.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
They like to have Alan or wilsoner Cole come pressure
from an off ball spot. But Manning is much better
against the blitz than he is not without the blitz.
I posted that on Twitter and made an article about
it earlier in the week that like, that's one wrinkle
where Texas may have the advantage because George is getting need.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
To blitz to get to Manning.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
But Manning kind of wants to have them blitz him
because he likes getting to his guys who are one
on one in coverage, and he likes to scramble around
and extend plays. That's where he's at his best. I
think of the one where he found wingo deep in
the Mississippi State game where they brought six players and
he's able to just go to his left and throw
it deep off off the off his back foot, but
off the back of the defense, and someding He's.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Got a seventy yard game to Ryan Wingo.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
So I do think that's where the hardest thing for
Kurby some part to deal with is, hey, can we
win with four? And if not, like, can we can
we trust our cornerbacks to go one on one almost
the whole game? If Manning's going to play at the
level gads last two.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Yeah, And it's a Georgia defense that's done a good
job in limiting explosives, and it's a Texas team that's
been able to kind of create explosives with this quick
screen game. And how much do you think that factors
into two Sark's game plan?
Speaker 3 (08:55):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Is it maybe even more than usual against these great
Georgia linebackers.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Yeah, I think more than maybe they did last year,
because clearly this Texas team isn't gonna win football games
because they're out out rushing and out dominating teams on
the line of scrimmage. And George is not the kind
team you want to test that with. So I don't
know how much Texas is going to ask the trayman
wiser as a runner.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
I think it's could be a lot of pass blogging
screen game.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
And yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if you got another
one of those Ryan Wingo bubbles or reverse to nibble
it within the first five players of the game. I
think there is that a lot because Georgia's struggle at
times to tackle in the open states of their cornerbacks
and and Tennessee really exploded.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
This ole miss did the same thing.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
They can either be taught behind or when they're one
on one players like Ryan Wingo, who are just athletically
better than most college players. I might be able to
get some explosives out of that. So I do think
Sark would be Sark would be pretty dumb not to
at least try to get Wingos some of those manufactured
touches nibble it as well, where he's just get him
one on one with a second safety or a cornerback
(09:54):
and just see what happens. That's a good way to
try to get your your seven seven yard games that
suddenly turned into seventy games.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Yeah, good way to stay ahead of the change too.
We're talking with Evan viet the Inside Texas about this
matchup with Georgia and Evan we talked a couple of
weeks ago about Texas in eleven personnel and how that
you know one tight end set can kind of open
up the rest of the offense in a way that
it's looked better than some other sets this season. But
(10:22):
this week we heard from starf about his tight ends
right so, and how much they've improved in that room.
Do you think those guys will have a bigger impact
in a game like this.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Yeah, I do think that there's gonna be a little
more that twelve personnel that fans won. I know a
lot of fans would prefer the entire game was played
with eleven and tempo and all of that, but there's
still sets that Stark on the idea of the screen game.
There's some plays that he really likes the screen out
of with twelve personnel and a lot of tight end
screens he does out of there, and I know a
(10:55):
way he thinks he can get wiser and more involved
when they they go heavy. But I don't think as
with seven big guys is quite as good as Georgia
with seven big guys on the field when they can
add an extra linebacker, that's what they prefer to do.
So yes, I do think your talentends and your Washington's
and Shannon's have improved over the year. But me personally,
I'm just throwing Jack Enries out there, hoping he's a
(11:17):
little more involved. A four to four podcast game from
him would be great for the Texas team. I don't
think it's gonna be this one eleven personnel switch. I
know Sark likes to operate in twelve and operate a
bit heavily, but I just don't think it's the best
matchup for the Texas long warrantinae against Georgia, who they're
at their best, and they can be big, and they're
at their best, and their linebacker's gonna running around the
(11:37):
field and having these college tight ends locked and who
just frankly shouldn't be on them when they're going to
be playing in the NFL next year.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
And you know, I know those tight ends can impact
the running game as well. Georgia's been really stingy against
the run this year. Texas has been a kind of
patchy at best in establishing a running game. And you
wrote that Texas can maybe lose the rushing back this
week but win the so called war of the football game.
Can you break that down for it, because I know
(12:05):
Texas fans are thinking, oh, oh, if we can't run it,
on the road in Athens.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
This is trouble.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Yeah. I mean you can separate football into five individual
ideas in battles where it's your run offense versus their
run defense vice versa.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Same with the passing game, and then special teams.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
And if you think back to last year, you know,
in the first game, Georgia just won all of that,
but really in the in the championship game, Texas was
the better passing team probably on both sides of the ball,
but Georgia was far superior on special teams and they
are far better at running the football than Texas was.
But this year, Texas's special teams is better. I do
think that they're gonna be able to affect the game
(12:43):
when it comes to the pass rush and stopped in
the run on Georgia's side of things. So if Texas is,
you know, maybe losing that rushing battle, which I think
of all those five, that is the biggest difference Georgie's.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
Run defense versus Texas run game.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Even if they aren't the leading rushing team, and why
is there's not a four and a half yard per
carry runner and they're not getting backs involved as much,
I still do think that they can you know, using
the screen game and using those short passes, find ways that,
like you said, day ahead of the six and not
let Georgia pin there at your Zach on third down
and really get at Manning from that just for four
set Blitzer package. So yeah, they probably won't be the
(13:18):
better rushing team this game. You're probably gonna see more
yards than a better yard per carry from Chohnsey Bowen
and Nate Fraser than you are, Contraven Wiser. But I
do think Texas can stay solid on special teams and
not overly lose that and let their defense in Arch
Manning make some big plays.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
I do think they can win a game like that.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
I just I hope that Sarkakin doesn't kind of hit
his head against the wall trying to get fifteen carries
to Wisner to have one hundred yards rushing, just to
have one hundred yards rushing.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Will be very interested to watch the way that game
plan goes. Okay, before I let you go, Evan, I've
got to ask you a couple of a couple of
mean questions, because I think they're I think they're kind
of trapped questions, but true or false in your opinion,
this is a must win game for Texas to make
the college football Playoff.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
I think technically not true.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
There's definitely a world where they lose this and go
b to A and M and it looks good. But
I will say, like Texas losing this game or Georgia
comfortable win where Texas really isn't in it might all
but do it for the long ones. So I do
think there's a world where you know, you lose by
three and Athens and then go and beat A and
M looks like the better team and you're nine and
(14:23):
three and they're between that and A big twelve. Just
general did maybe Texas can get in that way. But
I do think winning here is like.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Something your taking might just be punched unless that A
and M gave a blow out in favor of the Aggies.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Right, and there's always the looming possibility of Arkansas. And
then if you had to predict the outcome of this game,
what kind of decides it? And do you have a
score prediction you're willing to share here? I know it's
a it's a bold step.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
I so I did.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
I do think I said Georgia thirty four, Texas thirty
over On Inside Texas so.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Yeah, yeah, I do think.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
I do think both these teams can put up numbers.
I think the problem is that in a game that's
going to be high scoring, because you know, I do
think Texas's secondary will be better with Tassa McDonald, that
doesn't completely alleviate the problems that they've had. So I
do think George is gonna be able to move the
ball on them and score. And I do think that
Georgia in a game like that where it's down to
the fourth quarter, who can get the most points in
(15:23):
the last two possessions each, I do think that's where
it favors Georgia because they've done that this year.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
They've done that when they beat Tennessee.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
They did that against Ole Miss, you know Ole Miss
and stop them until the fourth quarter, but uh or
they didn't stop will Miss until the fourth quarter, but
olmost never stopped them. So they won that game because
of that. So I do think that that's going to
be in the favor of Georgia where they're just better
suited to win a shootout and just out grint and
get a few players go their way late in a
game that you know, you play that last second two
(15:50):
minutes of.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
The game one hundred times at the fifty.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
To fifty, but you just catch Georgia on that one
of fifty against them and suddenly they take down the.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Long rues Evan.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Is this Georgia offense the best that Texas has faced
this year?
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Oh I'll say both yes and no.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
I know that's kind of a cop out, but I
do think it's going to operate better than Ohio States
did because Ohio State was breaking in a new quarterback.
But I do think you just look at the two
offenses Ohio State Georgia right now in Ohio States is better.
So long one is going to do with fourteen Ohio State.
But Ohio State definitely had the right game plan to
win with fourteen.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
I don't think it's gonna be that low scoring in Athos.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
He's van v from inside Texas, Evan, where can we
follow along with you? From Georgia on game bank.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Just at evands on my Twitter will be tweeting out
some of the stuff around the game from the Athens
environment and then over on inside Texas. We're going to
have a game thread going a lot of updates during
and after the game about what's going on with the
long run.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
So thanks for checking out me there, Evan.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
We always love your breakdowns, appreciate the time. Thanks, thanks
for making time for us today and enjoy the.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Game of course, man, have a good one.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
That is Van V from inside Texas.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
Hey, we want to hear from you as well.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Not too much time left in the show this afternoon
here on Sports Radio AM thirteen hundred zone, but it's
not too late to get involved. Text the word Texas
to eight one five three zero. That's eight one five
three zero Texas, followed by your question, comment or prediction
for this massive matchup in Athens. We'll try and get
to those as we continue on Sports Radio AM thirteen
(17:25):
hundred zone in the iHeartRadio app.
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