FULL THURSDAY SHOW: USD head coach Travis Johansen & OC Tim Morrison / Jacks land decorated NAIA kicker (It's a big deal!) / SF Little League's heartbreaker at LLWS

He seems beyond ready. He has seemed beyond ready since he was introduced as South Dakota's head football coach in January.

But things get real for Travis Johansen when he leads the Coyotes onto the field at Iowa State's Jack Trice Stadium next Saturday — his first game not just as USD's head coach, but as a head coach for the first time in his life.

So, what is the latest on how Johansen has operated in that role so far? How is he operating differently from his successor and former boss, the legendary Bob Nielson? How does he plan to navigate the major decisions a head coach makes during the game, especially in the opener against a Power Four conference team that won 11 games and shared the Big 12 title last season?

In a half-hour, one-on-one chat with Happy Hour host John Gaskins, Johansen shares his mindset and previews what is to come, plus describes how he'll handle the defense — his baby the last six seasons — which was a gigantic factor in USD's rise to national championship contention the last couple seasons.

Will he call the defense, as some head coaches do? Will a "defensive" minded coach be conservative about offensive approach, as many are? And who is making waves on that defense in summer camp, to the point they can be relied on to make big stops for the Yotes? Johansen answers all that, while we leave most offensive questions to offensive coordinator Tim Morrison.

It would perhaps be a daunting first season for Morrison if senior quarterback Aidan Bouman decided not to return.

Not that Morrison wouldn't be up for the task. He was tight ends coach on a pair of USD playoff teams the last two seasons, a group which included All-American and current Pittsburgh Steeler J.J. Galbreath. Prior to that, Morrison spent seven collective seasons as a Div. II offensive coordinator at Upper Iowa and Grand Valley State.

But in his D1 debut, Morrison will have the best returning FCS quarterback (of any team expected to contend for a national title) at his disposal, plus All-American running back Charles Pierre, Jr., rated by some as the nation's best returning FCS running back.

This should alleviate concerns about an offensive line that lost three key starters to the transfer portal and returns just one starter.

So, how will Morrison approach offense, especially with a new head coach, who elevated Morrison? Will the Yotes be more pedal-to-the-medal with a veteran QB that possesses a cannon arm and now moves better? 

Unlike some OC's, Morrison is willing to give a deep dive into his specific philosophies and how it applies to this team. He's also quick and not shy about revealing his favorite happy hour drink of choice!

Before all that, Gaskins tackles a few big local/regional topics of the day:

• South Dakota State found its 2025 place kicker eight days before the season starts! Eli Stader is a grad transfer from Northwestern College in Iowa, a two-time All-American who drilled three road playoff game-winning field goals the last four seasons, including a 51-yarder last December. Why is is this such a major development?
  
  
• The Sioux Falls Little League team went from the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat all in one inning at the Little League World Series on Wednesday. The agony part — seeing the pain in faces of 12-year-olds — is why Gaskins has a hard time being on board with the hysteria and fanfare of the LLWS, even though he's as proud of the South Dakotans as anyone for how they represented the state and the city of Sioux Falls.
  
  
• The Sioux Falls Canaries' bats are bashing again! A three-game sweep at Cleburne (TX), with the Birds belting nine runs every game. The Canaries have won 7 of 9, averaging 8 runs in those 9 games, and are by far their league's highest-scoring and highest-home run-hitting team. They possess both the best hitter in the league and best pitcher. And, they're back at The Birdcage on Friday and Saturday, then again next Friday thru Monday.
  
  
• The Minnesota Vikings traded defensive lineman Harrison Phillips, a shocking move to most until the smoke cleared and it made sense.