2023 Week Two Review: Gophers Run the Ball! UNC Preview, Mel Tucker

Chip Scoggins, Ryan Burns and Justin Gaard review the Gophers win over Eastern Michigan and preview the upcoming trip to North Carolina. They also react to the crazy Mel Tucker story out of Michigan State. It wouldn't be the Pair and a Spare Podcast without some craziness: We learn the real reason why Burnsie is so mad about a night game against Northwestern and Gaardsy learned that the guys "almost" cared about him a few weeks ago.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Glenn Mason sent a long time agoat the University of Minnesota, Need a
Pair and a Spare. Thank you, PJ. The gang is all back
together for another edition of The Pairand a Spare podcast. Justin Guard from
the Fan, Chipskoggins from The StarTribune, Ryan Burns from Gopher Illustrated dot
com. We are presented as alwaysby our good friends at Jack's Cafe Jaxcafe
dot com. I was reminded thatholidays are right around the corner. There's

(00:23):
already Halloween stuff up at every singlestore. It has been for like a
month. But if you have aThanksgiving get together, you want to plan,
If you have a Christmas Hanka holiday, you want to plan, Jackscafe
dot com has the spot for you. Jacks Cafe has the spot for you.
A bunch of different banquet rooms,a bunch of different cool rooms.
So keep that in your rotation asyou think about your holiday planning. How

(00:43):
are we doing, guys? Everybodygood? Are you guys? Pumpkin spice?
Gentlemen? No, No, I'mnot. Can't say that I am
either. It means I think howmany men are pumpkin spice. I don't
want to gender realize, but itseems like something that Yeah, I mean
working I get controversy on the podcastburns he's mad about something. I'm mad
that I apparently had a health scareyou guys didn't tell me about behind my

(01:07):
back. We'll get to that.We'll get to that. We'll get to
these up, but let's stay onthe pumpkin spice deal for a minute.
I am not My wife used tobe big time. I think she's moved
off a little bit. She's foundsomething that she likes more consistently. But
I mean, it is dangerous togeneralize. But that's what parents spars about.
We're gonna get right on the edgecontroversial topics that chips coggins. That's

(01:30):
entire life. I can't I can'tsay that I've ever had coffee with a
dude, and I've said I'd likemy large light rose please with a little
bit of ice because I'm six andit burns my tongue otherwise I gotta let
it. Have you ever noticed Idon't drink this coffee until, like thou
well, I think, yeah,I'm like, I have to put ice
in my soup. It just hurtsmy mouth. But I've never had you

(01:51):
know a buddy of mine, Goand I'll have a medium pumpkin spice latte.
Please. I've never had that happento me. But maybe I'm wrong.
I've never had a cup of coffee. That's right, I remember this.
I mean, why do we do? But how's he tired? He
goes to bed at eight fifteen everynight? We know why he's not tired.
You got you're late today? Ibeat him by about fifteen minutes because,
man, I bet that didn't makehim feel good. I was in

(02:13):
the car on the phone. Yeahthat's what he says. Yeah, he
was just late getting in charged chargingcharging chip, I got the charger in
the car. No structure, nostructure ever for you. How can he
be tired? He's goes to bedat eight fifteen? Again, I don't
want to assume. So ten thirtylights out? Phones down? Are you
charged? Charging? Are you ascroller in bed? Not really good for

(02:38):
you? Really? That just crushesme. Yeah, that's the point.
You're charging on the nightstand or outon the kitchen college right next to me.
Okay, never know, you neverknow, you never know what's going
to happen. You gotta have yourphone ready to go, how would you
have your phone downstairs? Some peopledo that too, so they don't scroll.

(02:58):
Then they'll use an alarm clock towake up, which I actually think
is a decent idea. A lotof people do that with their teenagers.
So your phones are out in thekitchen, We'll charge them for the next
day, and then they know thatI dropped the ball on that one.
I'm they've turned out okay. Yeah, they're doing okay. So what do
we want to start with? Youknow, we're moments away. We did

(03:20):
our little pre production meeting and burns. I don't even know how it came
up burns. He asked, how'syour health? I said, I think
I'm pretty good. I just askedhow you were doing. I've lost I've
lost a lot of weight in thelast few weeks. I'm eating healthy,
I'm cleaning it up. I'm theState Fair detox is underway. Been working
out. I'm sure you can tellthe last the last few days. I
feel fresh. I'm sleeping. Yourswollen, as the kids would say,
you're looking, I'm trying to getlean. I don't even I've been swollen

(03:44):
for too long in my life.I'm trying to lean out when you see
me on the sidelines and chapel hill. I want to go guards. He
looks leaner. And Mike Grim's mom, Mike Grim's mom on Saturday actually said
she's a very blunt critic historically said, Kenzie looks like you've lost a little
weight. I said, thank you, Missus Grim, I have. And
it's nice to have that recognize andI hope, yeah, that's somebody around

(04:05):
here noticed missus Guard has it.But it's nice that Missus Grim has so.
But you say, how's your health? And then I find out you
two apparently we're calling you know youwere worried doctor Sheldon Burns, doctor David
Olsen, doctor Dave Jewison to makesure that I'm okay? What what?
What point was I not okay?You had the incident? What was that

(04:26):
in March? Yees six months inMarch. Yeah, to catch people up.
I ended up in the emergency room. I thought having a stroke.
You're trying to do the top fiveat five and yeah, m I A
no big deal. I just thoughtI was having a stroke for two hours.
It's really not that big. We'retrying to make sure you don't get
to that point in your life againand it was because you had what twenty
one jobs that you have to donow you're down to twenty. Yeah,

(04:48):
it was a tough stretch. Itwas a tough stretch of bad travel and
a lot of things going. Andyou were there in the at the at
the fair. Right, you're onthis preview stuff you got in that you
might be a little bit susceptible tothings like that. So now we have
to ask. And you know whywe asked, because we care. I
appreciate that. How bad did Ilook? That's what I want to know.

(05:11):
You look tired? Well, yeah, it was during the fair and
there's a lot going on. Ican't remember. Was it when we did
where were we? It was probablythe pre Nebraska episode. I think that's
what it was. And you wereexpecting to get somewhere and we're like,
and we just said, I hopehe doesn't have another episode, and he's
just God, we were let's talkingbehind your check and I'm like, you

(05:32):
know, horrible, I hope hedoesn't have another episode. But let's not
check with him. We're checking.Let's just hold, let's just leave itself.
Were these texts? I want tosee the text? No person does
in person? I hope he doesn'thave another episode. Maybe I finally have

(05:54):
my own T shirt. Maybe Ifinally have my own T shirt here.
Well, thank you, because wecare. I appreciate it. That's the
that's our view of this. Yeah, because we care. The fair is
always a little tricky. The firstgame is always a little tricky. Kids.
And what's added is my wife isback at work around that time now
because she's a teacher. So that'sprobably what it was. But as of

(06:15):
now, I haven't had another episode. I feel great. If I was
my phone, I feel like i'dbe close to feel like I'm pretty well
charged, and I'm excited to getto North Carolina this weekend. Yeah,
we're all going to be going.So what was the next? I hope
he doesn't have another episode. Thenwas like, well, see you later.

(06:39):
We'll check out. Hope he's here. I mean, can someone else
hit can someone else hit record ifhe if he's gonna miss a pot or
two, Yeah, we'll just leaveit up the chip at that point man,
all right, Well, yeah,thank you, thanks for your concern,
and yeah, if you see mein Chapel Hill, just check in
on me and then maybe maybe doa little follow up so yeah, I'm

(06:59):
good. I'm good, I feelgreat. I'm glad that you guys care.
I'm glad that you noticed that Iwas a little tired and let me
know that, I let me knowthe next time. Good. I feel
like I'm getting sleep. Ran threemiles today, still will workout yesterday?
Good. Yeah, I'm trying.You were in three miles jogged. I
mean running is loose. And wewere talking about my running with John Randall
at the Lifetime Fitness by my housewhen I was running like five point over

(07:21):
there. I don't want to makesure he sneaked that on. I don't
really know John Randall, but Iknow everybody that does, like we like
know each other kind of text morethan people know. We don't. I
may have golfed with them one timeat one of the charity deals. Speaking
of me looking in bad shape.That reminds me when I golfed with Joe's
Censor and Ed McDaniel in a golfevent and Joe Sensor told Ed McDaniel that

(07:42):
I was a two time state tennischampion. This is like fifteen years ago,
so how bad it is? AndEd McDaniel was like, when looking
at me, I'm like, yeah, you know what we call that emotional
damn. Yeah, I shut itdown a little bit ed, all right,
Sorry Eddie. Yeah, I can'tpush tires like John Randall. But
this was like two thousand and six. I mean we're talking like five years

(08:03):
removed. It's not even like now, did you just go home and sit
in a dark room and contemplate life? No, I mean it wasn't like
it's snuck up on me that Ididn't look very good, and now I
preemptively do it when someone I cantell someone kind of looks at me,
I go, it was twenty yearsago, twenty plus years ago, relaxing.
Yeah, yeah, I was seventeeneighteen nineteen. Let's just chill a
little bit, all right, peoplewanted to. Some weeks we get right

(08:26):
to the content. Other weeks wedon't. I think mostly because of the
we're going on tangents here. Thefootball stuff on the Gopher side was pretty
straightforward. This past weekend. Theyoutlast Eastern Michigan. They dominate Eastern Michigan.
They run the ball fifty six timesI think was the final carry,
a week after they couldn't run theball at all against Nebraska. Burnsy Will

(08:48):
start with you your general reactions tothe Gophers and Eastern Michigan. As the
Gophers go to two and oh onthe season and one to oh in the
Eastern Michigan championship season, Flick wantedto make a point in that game.
I think all the listeners know RTBstands for row the boat, but it
also stands for run the ball,And I can tell you at certain points
last week during practice, maybe itstood for RTFB run the FFing ball.

(09:11):
Yes, And I think the headcoach came out and he said as much
yesterday in the press conference that hewanted to instill something on his team because,
yes, Minnesota's still going to throwmore this year, but if they
can't really get anything going on theground game, Chipper, it's gonna be
a long year. Yeah. Imean I wrote that callum. I think
it's well established my criticism of PGmodern of modern offense. But the call

(09:37):
my road is like, at therisk of sounding you know, two faced
here, it was the right approach. Like they had to get that running
game going. They had to me, it's more about just feeling good about
it and having some confidence about beingable to and figuring out all right,
who's gonna be your guys, what'sgonna be your pecking order as you're running

(09:58):
at your running back room. Ithink we're starting to see that right with
Darius Taylor, but more so too, I think that was a clear shot
to his offensive line that let's go, you need to be more physical and
this is this is still klick Manus'soffense. But you know, forty four

(10:18):
passes to twenty five runs is notgonna work. I mean, that's just
at two point two yards for carry'snot gonna work. So I was fine
with it as long as that wasan outlier and that was intentional. It
was just a one game thing toget that. They're not saying they're you
know, they're gonna go back tothrowing at forty four times, but don't
go back to fleck Bald. Youknow, circa the last couple of years,

(10:39):
well a year ago, like November, once Athan started, once he
started to play, once he broughthim back against Nebraska. Obviously after Wisconsin,
I said that what Athan has shownlast season was never should a quarterback
at Minnesota have a passing line often of fifteen for one hundred and seventeen
yards. Said those days should beover. So I'm exactly with you,

(11:03):
Chip. It felt like it feltso different than any ten of fifteen that
we've ever had, like a TannerMorgan ten of fifteen or a Mitch Leidner
ten of fifteen or a Chris Travelerone of seven. Because when they needed
to throw, they just threw it. I mean, Corey Crews would catch
it, Daniel Jacks mccatch a Brevinwould get a pass interference like they were.
It didn't stop them from just good. Yeah, they exactly. And

(11:24):
it looked easy, and it lookedlike, Okay, this is what we're
gonna do this game. And soI had, like Burnsy and I talked
at halftime, and what did Itell you, speaking of mental health job,
I go down the steps. Youknow, he's in row one,
which makes him mad. He's inrow one, and I see him over
his right shoulder. He's on tweetdeck. And what did I say to
you, Burnsy? Just leave italone, Leave it alone, because he's

(11:46):
arguing with someone who's mad about theoffense that they didn't punch it in and
that they were kicking field goals.And I said, you're not gonna win.
You're not gonna win this battle athalftime, take a breather, and
because I had, they were neverin any danger of losing that game.
And it's pretty obvious from what PJsaid yesterday, what he said to me
postgame, and what he did withDarius Taylor, which I don't think I've

(12:09):
told you guys about. He wantedto run the ball in the end zone.
He didn't want to throw a fadeto Brevin span Ford, he didn't
want to do the play to DanielJackson. He wanted to run. And
when he said postgame with me,if I wasn't so stubborn, we probably
would have been able to throw thattells me I was trying to make a
point. Like you said that,I wanted to run the ball. And
after Kellig Mann has snuck it inon maybe that last touchdown, Darius Taylor,

(12:33):
who's having an awesome game and we'lltalk about him in a minute,
comes over and Fleck lights him upabout we gotta get the ball in the
end zone. If we're there atthe two or the three, we hand
it to you, get it inthe end zone, and I'm cleaning it
up a little bit. But Ithought so that to me was interesting,
like he wants those guys that hewanted that mentality, and again, they
were never in any danger of losingthe game. So I don't mind knowing

(12:56):
that you can win throwing the ball, and we know what Athan can do
that. If you have to figurethis thing out, go do it.
So I had no problems with theoffense on Saturday. Long term, I
didn't either. And it's interesting he'smentioned he mentioned Moe a couple of times
since the game. He's like,years past, we're getting rest when we
give the Moi Scort or Seth Greenor clearly it was so obvious what PJ

(13:20):
was doing is like he's trying toinstill a mindset and get that side going
because I think they feel comfortable theycan throw the ball right agen, but
they could not run the ball againstNebraska, And you're just not gonna win
at a high enough level one Diamentially, you're not gonna do it one way,
you're not gonna do it the otherway. They need both of them,

(13:41):
and so I was fine with it. I mean, I understand,
if you followed this program, youknew exactly what PJ was doing in that
game, and I was fine withit. They ran eleven plays from the
Eastern Michigan eleven yard liner closer.Fifteen of them were passes, or excuse
me, fifteen of them are runs. Three were passes. And that's where
flex said yesterday that math didn't workout. Fifteen runs. You said eleven,

(14:03):
and now you just added up eighteen. Can we start over? All?
Right, let's start over. Ithought she took like Calculus three.
It could cut once against. Hiselementary school education is failing him. Don't
hit it? Did you not?Did you not take enough milk? What
is wrong with your Braine plays eighteenplays essentially from first and goal from the

(14:24):
ten yard lighting in. Fifteen ofthem were runs, three or past Yeah,
that's on purpose, That's what was. I got on the headset and
Greg would call a pass and it'dbe like, nope, in this instance,
I need to instill something. Yeah, he said that. Yes,
I asked him about Hitset more andhe said no, it was nothing about

(14:45):
them. But I was in ahitset more than I've ever been. It
was like he was saying, thisis what I want. Yeah. Well
it was clearly and I don't blamehim. I think it was the right
thing. Well, because they're stilltrying to figure out because if in the
years past, if you gave himof the ball three times on first and
goal, he was going to scorescoring. But you're seeing that Darius Taylor
is still figuring it out. It'slike third year ever playing running back.

(15:07):
Sean Tyler to me, isn't agoal line back. But if neither one
of them are proficient near the goalline, and Bryce Williams is out and
Zach Evans is buried somewhere in thedoghouse, like they have a lot to
figure out there. Even yesterday withthe offensive line too, Yeah, I
mean that's where Fleck came out andsaid, yeah, we're gonna be playing
Greg Johnson, the true freshman fromPrior Lake, and he will not red
shirt. Yeah, So it's Ithink it's interesting that they still do not

(15:35):
know what they want their offensive lineto be in terms of personnel or maybe
yes, your best five right.Well, that's where I had heard before
the game on Saturday that Greg Johnsonhad got a lot of work in practice
with the starters, and then Fleckultimately went with the same five. But
then for him to say what hesaid on Monday that we're gonna make some
changes. I think it was alast gasp for some of those older guys

(15:58):
that are getting their feet wet andif they didn't perform up to the standard,
which you can go read flex quotes. I mean he was he was
pretty pointed about it. I don'tthink he's incredibly happy with those guys up
front yet that if a true freshmanis going to come in and be playing
now, he's very gifted, ButI don't know that I wanted him to
get his feet wet on the roadat North Carolina for the first time.
But it kind of is what itis. I mean, they do have

(16:19):
issues in the red zone, though, now how much of that maybe?
I mean they had issues against Nebraska, Yeah, I mean different defense,
better defense. We're going to talkabout how they held on for dear life
as long as they could in Colorado. I mean made it a game.
So I guess this is my questionto you two, if you don't think
it's a big issue, is howmuch of it? Because I think that
they've scored a touchdown on thirty sevenpoint five percent of their red zone possessions,

(16:42):
which obviously not very efficient, howmuch of that is fleck against Eastern
Michigan being stubborn. How much ofthat is the offense Nebraska? I always
said offense Eastern Michigan. I wassaid, Fleck being stubborn. Yeah,
and it's too weird. Are yougoing into North Carolina? It isn't the
right word, but it bears payingattention to. It's it's like a it's

(17:03):
a thing like now when they getinto the red zone. And by the
way, I think they will againstNorth Carolina. I watched a little bit
of North Carolina against app State earliertoday while I was on the treadmill.
I just feel good. I feelso good, you know, I'm glad.
I haven't run me even running lasttime. Last time he ran it
was into a kayak the night before. Yeah, that's probably the night before

(17:26):
your wedding. Gonta run a milesince like middle school, it was a
short sprint. It's it's gonna bea thing to watch now, Okay,
if it is this PJ and youwere being stubborn. Let's see what happens
against North Carolina. We'll see ifBrevan's ready to go and available right,
and we'll see what you do withDaniel Jackson and Corey used a six seventh

(17:47):
tight end down there. I mean, I think they're aware of him,
like I think they will, especiallyas Harbow was his position coach last year.
But again, we have a lotriding on the assumption, and we're
making an assumption of rational coaching,which is a tough thing to do in
college and NFL, that they're goingto then flip the switch well on Saturday

(18:07):
against North Carolina because they have to. Yeah, and you know it's PJ
could afford to be stubborn because ofthe opponent you have, Joe ROSSI.
Yeah, and you know you weren'tin danger of losing that game right now,
You're facing a much better team andso let's see, you know,
more creativity and let's see the balanceand let's see a mix of plays,

(18:30):
and I think they will. Ithink that was again, I think it
was just intentional on him saying,you know, because it just stuck with
me that he's mentioned like two orthree times that when we had moved,
Yeah, we were scoring, wegot down there. They want that to
be an option with this team too, and not just have to pass it
all the Yeah, they want tofigure out who the guy is, which

(18:51):
back it is that can get themare I think it's Darius Taylor. I
think it's I was. He's aphysical specimen. He is powerful. Feel
the sample sized. No, it'snot Sean Tyler. They wanted to be
Darius Taylor. But that's even wherepostgame you heard Fleck talk about he hit
as good as he was, heran too high, didn't run behind his
pads. He's got to use histwo hundred and fifteen pound frame. I

(19:12):
would agree that in theory it's it'scertainly Darius Taylor. But again it's his
third year ever playing running back.Yeah, someone who covered him back in
high school. So he's still gota lot to learn here, which is
I'm fine with because he looked damngood thing that you're gonna tell people your
compidence, Well, I said,the way the he hits the hole or

(19:33):
that the pile just kind of keepsmoving and his his body type is like,
you remind me a lot of anddon't you know, but he reminded
me a lot of Gary Russell,just kind of how that pile just moved
with him and he always got yards. I didn't. I didn't know he
was that powerful, like he reallyfights hard for yards. But then the
other thing he took some hits.He uh, you said, a patient

(19:56):
through the hole, and he wouldlike great footwork and way and until he
found his spot and then hit itheat. You know, you want to
see it gets better defenses. Butman, he looks like he's got the
all the things that you heard aboutas him as a recruit. I mean,
he's got a running style that complimentsSean Tyler. So where with Sean
Tyler is very i would say jittery, both in lack of patience but also

(20:21):
how quickly he can accelerate and getthe top speed. Yeah, and then
you have Darius who's more I'm goingto say the word plotting, but he's
obviously more than a plotter. Buthe's more patient. Especially again, your
first true game in college football,getting carries thirty three carries for like one
hundred and ninety something yards, andhe wanted to come out a couple of
times and they're like, Nope,you're the guy because the other guy's fumbling.
We'll talk about him in a secondof the problem because Sean Tyler had

(20:45):
you know, that was the otherthing. Burns and I talked about it
after I talked him off the Twitterledge, he said, how how much
longer does the ball is the program? Let Sean Tyler to keep dropping it,
because like I think on his firstrun, first or second run,
he dropped it on in the nextdrive of the first quarter again and I
was thinking the same thing, like, man, that's not not ideal.

(21:06):
And it took one more and thatwas the one that Eastern Michigan got and
his night was done. But notbefore he ran for I mean, he
did some really good things before that. Burnsy he just couldn't hang on to
the balls five and a half yardsto carry ninety three yards on seventeen.
He's he was efficient and within thatIt's not like he broke one long one
and then everything else was short.I mean, it looked a lot better

(21:26):
for Sean Tyler being able to getin space. But the Paul is the
program, man, I just can'tmiss it. I mean, that's where
I don't cannot miss it. Idon't think that flex is gonna penalize him
too much just because of what thesituation is in the running back room.
I mean, the name of theliteral podcast is pair and spare. They
do not have a pair and aspare right now. If Darius Taylor and

(21:48):
you got Sean Tyler's fumble issues.Bryce Williams is hurt, Zach Evans is
in Narnia somewhere, and then it'slike, are you gonna go to Jordan
Newben has a walk on Tyler Newban'syounger brother. I'm not incredibly sure,
but Fleck, I think if hehad more depth in that room, maybe
Sean Tyler doesn't get as many touchesthis upcoming Saturday. But I just don't

(22:08):
think they can go away from him. No you can't. I mean,
you gotta give another chance. Youwould hope that a veteran got the message
right, hold on to the ballright, don't be so loose with it.
So that was probably his Hey,I'm not kidding here, like Taylor's
gonna pass you on the depth charthere if this is a problem, right,
we don't want to give him thirtythree carries, but we will if

(22:29):
we need to correct. Essentially,is Bryce Williams. We know the severity
of that. You know. Iwent back and watched the Nebraska game to
try and figure it out, andI think the last play that Bryce was
on the field, he got bankedup somehow because he came off tap in
his helmet kind of looked like hehad a little bit of a limp to
him now watching him in warmups.He also had a little bit of a

(22:49):
limp to him on Saturday, soI don't know what that means for his
availability. I think I'm also worriedabout Brevin. I was gonna ask,
what do we know about that?You know nothing? I mean, even
Fleck yesterday, Cody Lindenberg questionable,maybe iffable, iffable. I mean,
I'm optimistic that Cody plays this weekend. I mean Joe Rossi said last week
he was in correct. So it'sa game time decision going into Saturday's LEA.

(23:12):
He probably could buy him another week, and that's what they need to
do because that North Carolina offense,as much talk as Drake may gets,
that running game has been incredible forthem. Busical back who took one like
sixty three. He's really good.Yeah, And that's where if you're gonna
make a ward out of anything defensivelyfrom Minnesota right now. Stopping the run

(23:33):
has been a little bit different thisyear than compared to the last couple of
years. Ah Samson Evans six pointsix yards a carry. Jeff Simms was
again the quarterback run is what's gottenhim a little bit. Yeah, and
that's where Drake may can extend placeswith his legs. But even Joe Rossi
in the Eastern Michigan game, whydid Fleck do what he did? Because
Eastern Michigan had four total yards inthe second half, right first down.

(23:56):
Because Joe Rossi's one of the bestin college football as second half adjustments scifically,
that's how Minnesota has won nine gameseach of the last three full seasons.
Their second half adjustments have always beenso good. Like last year,
in the third quarter they were plussixty points compared to their opponents because of
how good adjustments have been for Fleckingstaff. Ten zero was the third quarter

(24:17):
score this past weekend against Eastern Michigan. And it was interesting at halftime when
I asked PJ about the defense,and I think Eastern Michigan had just gotten
their second field goal drive and justso we got to calm down. Yeah,
we just gotta calm down. We'reall over the place, we're doing
these things. We got to calmdown. Which I appreciate his candor,
because you guys know how halftime interviewscame. PJA never really gives a boring

(24:37):
one, thank god. But Ithought that was, you know, on
the way out, saying, wegot to calm them down. We'll tweak
a couple of things, but guysjust need to chill for a minute.
Well it was weird, Like Ijust felt like their linebackers were kind of
skittish, that's what he was talking. Yes, they were very jittery,
especially Yahelegue. I mean there wasa run towards their sidelight where it's like,

(25:00):
yeah, if he just doesn't stophis feed, it's fourth and four
and they don't end up getting aYeah, it's a whole. So that's
where hopefully Lindeberg coming back. Butthat was also the Kyler ball game.
Yeah, he could have had foursacks if not wiped two wiped out by
penalties, another one wiped out.But he hits the quarterbacks arms, it's
coming forward. He's got a motor. He yeah, he gets after it.
I mean that's where I remember talkingto the new defensive line coach Wentston

(25:23):
delighted Budir in the spring, andhe was like the thing with Kyler Boss,
he's already one hundred percent. Soevery day or energy and effort I'm
telling you got to get the oneon nine, one, one, ten.
But that's the thing from game onegame when you got edge pressure with
John Joyner, Dalen Logan running,Danny Striggo. Game two you had Kyler
bad even I think Devin Eastern.Yeah, he had thirty year kid from

(25:45):
Chokolpe. Did he have a sackor he had a pressure? He had,
yeah, and he had I thinkhe was consistently getting penetration in the
backfield. Yeah, So you're hopingthat in game three against one of the
best quarterbacks in college football, thatthose two things can a pair together where
the interior can compliment the end andyou can get some pressure on one of
the best quarterbacks. Yeah. Imean Bob just I mean how hard he

(26:07):
plays. Yep, that jumps outtwo sacks. But it just like he
seemed like he was always in thebackfield. You know, he just just
really plays hard, which is impressive. And if they can do that now
of a sudden, you know,that opens up Joe Rossi's creativity and different

(26:30):
things he can do. So II you know what, one touchdown in
two games, I don't care whoyou play any college football and it was
a play yeah, yeah, essentiallystopped playing. Yeah, it works,
all right, So we'll put EasternMichigan to bed. I'm gonna have some
of this coffee, which is outstandinglylukewarm. It's perfect for me, burns.
I want you to know, I'malso a guy who cannot drink things

(26:52):
hot, like my wife makes funof me to the point where she's like,
it's cold. At this point,it's not. It's not a preference,
it's a necessity. That's is exactlyhow I view it. It burns
my mouth. It burns my mouth, which I wish. I wish you
walked in here right now and youcould tell her that's there's someone else on
this planet because you thinks I'm insane. No, someday, Well, the
next time I see her, I'llbring it up again. I'll bring it

(27:12):
up with her. All right,Well, pause here, we'll come back.
We'll talk about the Gophers and NorthCarolina. Quick time out to talk
about our friends at Jack's Cafe.Second year that the great people at Jack's
Cafe have decided to jump on withthe Parent of Spare podcast Bill also two
for two in terms of turning Parentof Spare listeners into Gopher ticket holders without

(27:33):
standing parking as well. We appreciateJack's Cafe taking care of the parent of
Spare Squad got a nice tweet fromthe guys that took in the game there
in section one fifty. But ifyou want to have brunch, if you
want to have a date night,if you have any special occasion, including
holiday dining, holiday dining time,it's time to start planning. They've got
enough room for you. They've gota bunch of options for you. They've
got great dining spaces. They obviouslyhave a great patio that's still going to

(27:59):
be in existence here for a littlewhile. But you can't go wrong with
anything any occasion in your life.Jack's Cafe jax Cafe dot com, Bernsey.
Yeah, I'll be taking my familythere here in a few weeks for
a nice little dinner. But thenice thing about Jack's is you can make
reservations online. It's incredibly simple todo. Yep. So whether it's you're
going to go there for a Saturdayor Sunday brunch, whether you want to

(28:19):
go there for a Tuesday Wednesday dinner, or whatever it may be. In
Chip's favorite part, obviously the freeand ample parking in northeast Minneapolis. So
whether you you're going there for theatmosphere, how simple it is to make
reservations or parking chipper Jack's Cafe.Was that the winning answer? The parking,
I think it was, Yeah,yes, yes. I want to
give a shout out the Bill.I mean, obviously the restaurant's grade,

(28:40):
food service, everything about it.But for Bill to give away two tickets
really good and parking and great ticketsand parking by the stadium just tells you
what a Friendius is podcast and whata great guy he is. Ninety years
Jack's Cafe has been a Minneapolis institution, and they've got a great new website
and I'm just okay, And youjust look how happy the people are that

(29:00):
are sitting here. They look sohappy. Dude in Patagonia is cutting a
steak. It looks like his gal'sintently listening. If you want your wife
or your girlfriend to intently listen towhat you're saying. Jack's Cafe, how
was the birthday? Has that happenedyet? Well? No, because to
be determined. Yes, well we'regoing, but Jack's was not open on

(29:22):
the day of her actual There yougo, so that's right. So check
out the menu for when they're open, or the website for when they're open
as well. Jack's Cafe jax Cafedot com. Well, it's the game,
guys, that once was scheduled andthen the Gophers paid eight hundred thousand
dollars to get out of it.In the Jerry Kill era, Jerry of

(29:44):
course had nothing to do with that, as he said multiple times, I
had nothing to do with that.I don't make the schedule, and poor
Norwood Tigue and I only say thatin this occasion for poor Norwood Teague was
left holding the bag saying I didit because he wanted me too. But
we got it back the North Carolinagame. We're supposed to have it,
like eight years ago. Somebody downthere said let's let's fire up that old

(30:06):
rivalry again. So the Gophers areheading to Chapel Hill this Saturday, and
all of us are going to bethere. Yes, the parent of spare
is going on the road burns.He's burning us on Friday night. He's
got the family. You two aremore than welcome to go to a local
tavern ducks fly together. Yeah,but hey, you gotta get chipp in
bed. I mean, he's gota bedtime. Well, that's that's why.
I mean, yeah, do younine, so eleven thirty eastern,

(30:30):
that's when you'll go to that.It's plenty of time to hit the town.
Eleven thirty eastern. It's a twothirty central kick, have a couple
of triple hazies. You got alittle bit of time there. I've got
TV earlier in the morning. Sothat is that's that's times model. It's
at times modified my nightlife depending onwhere we're going or the night before.
But the parent of Spare Squad iscoming, is going to Chapel So if

(30:52):
you're get together, yeah, ifyou're rolling around, if you're hanging around
Chapel Hill on Friday night, tweetat us, come find us. We'll
be around. I know the Gofor Radio crew has a dinner somewhere and
then we'll just be spilling around ChapelHill and seeing you know, we're Michael
Jordan and Dean Smith and you knowall these guys. I was Kenny Smith
and I'm going on the list,Sam Perkins, Antoine Jamison, this is

(31:14):
yours. I worked there during Max'sfirst Mac Brown's first stint. I used
to work in North Carolina cover gamesthere in the late nineteen nineties and great
place to go watch a game.I'm excited. I've never been there.
I can't imagine until North Carolina joinsthe Big Ten we're ever going to go
back. But what do we knowabout these tar Heels Burnsey. They're very
explosive on offense, and they're ledby one of the best quarterbacks in the

(31:37):
country and Drake May It doesn't soundlike they're all world receiver who's been the
topic of conversation with NC doublea ineligibilityversus eligibility with Waivers. Tess Walker is
going to play in this game,even though I think he's filing like a
lawsuit. Yeah, they're still workingon it, And honestly, I don't
blame him because this one we don'thave to spend a ton of time on
it. But I know you haveto draw the line somewhere with all these

(32:00):
transfers and all these things, butthis one seems it's a tough beat for
this kid who committed somewhere, neverplayed there because of COVID transferred to Kent
State. His coach then Lee usedto go be with coach Prime transfers to
North Carolina and they said nope,to transfer is not going to work,
and the rule kind of changed too, even after he committed to North Carolina.
That's a tough l I don't blamethem for being ridiculous. Yeah,

(32:24):
Mac has every right to be angryabout his statement, essentially lighting on fire.
Shame on you, NCAA, shameon you. Very pointed. So
anyway, he's not gonna play TessWalker. They also have a wide receiver
who's pretty good who's been injured.Correct, Do they expect he's going to
be back? I think there's optimismthere. They got a couple of tight
ends that are really gifted. Butthe thing that worries me as much as

(32:45):
it is Drake May, who isprobably the best quarterback they faced since it's
been a couple of years. Imean, they're gonna face some really good
ones this year between Drake May,J. J. McCarthy, Kyle mccordy
at Ohio State, and then you'veobviously got the transfers all across the Big
Ten West. But their running gameis really good. Omari and Hampton twenty

(33:07):
six carries, two hundred and thirtyfour yards, three touchdown Saturday against Appalachian
State. It's incredibly explosive. It'sincredibly efficient. Minnesota's run defense has looked
fine, it hasn't looked elite likewe've seen in recent years. Now they're
going to be very much tested onSaturday. But I think the name of
the game for this entire if Minnesotais going to have a shot, which

(33:27):
I think they're a touchdown underdog,is explosive place both limiting Drake May and
that North Carolina offense and then offensively. I asked PG about it yesterday.
That was funny, Yeah, hewas. He was thrilled about that.
How do you get more explosive place? Get more explosive? It's like,
well, which you know you wouldn'tbe asking me that last year, but
we changed from twenty to twenty fiveyards? Did you know that? I'm

(33:50):
well aware? Why do you thinkI asked the question, Oh, I
didn't know. I don't know.I didn't know. If you knew that
they changed their qualifications. I don'tthink he knew that I knew. But
the point regardless is the chess matcheswell. For the amount of times I
come into a press conference with someonenow from whether it's a coordinator or a
fleck, I mean, you rememberthe Charlie Sheen incident. Yeah, I
wasn't there for it, but Ieven Joe Rossie walks into the press conference

(34:14):
last Wednesday, he takes two stepsin the room, looks at me,
and he goes, oh Burns,this here, shocked never usually comes if
it's not on Zoe. I'm like, what did I do to deserve this
level of Okay, I'm getting I'mgetting sidetracked because I'm thinking about the Northwestern
in that we're saving that for theFor Minnesota's offense, it's generating these explosives.
I don't think they have a singleplay over twenty five yards via passing

(34:37):
or running right now. Now they'rein the they've got to I think five
between twenty and twenty five. Butyou gotta be more explosive if you're gonna
be able to keep up with theWell, i mean first game they didn't
even really try, right, Imean they didn't throw the ball down the
field that much. It was allshort and intermediate. Obviously last week they
just said I think that's a startto Yeah, last week, you take

(35:01):
three shots and well that's what theyas gonna say the past in affairs calls.
If you complete those gonna beat Somaybe this is, you know,
maybe this is the week where wesee the more see that game plan that
we saw against Wisconsin where they tookshots down the field. I will say,
in watching the first half or soof app the Appalachian State game,
I haven't watched the South Carolina gameyet, I intend to. I think

(35:24):
the Gophers will be able to dowhatever they choose to do defensively or offensively
against North Carolina. Shots were therefor Appalachian State. Applelachian State ran the
ball really well, five yards ofcarry against North Carolina. They had like
nine sacks against South Carolina. Weknow what that was about. The chain
gang guy was eating a hot dogand that was why South Carolina could.

(35:46):
I told all the chan guys aboutthat. By the way, they loved
it. They hadn't seen it sometime, like, well, you guys aren't
paying attention, like I'm worried aboutyou. But so I think this to
me, I think the Gophers cando what they want to do in games
like this, which is what PJwants to do. Control the clock,
limit the possessions. They just haveto score touchdowns because I do think North

(36:07):
Carolina obviously can do both. Imean, they ran the ball so well,
three hundred nineteen yards rushing. That'sa lot when you have a guy
who's to be a first round pickat quarterback. If you can run the
ball like that, and you're gonnahave probably this number two overall pick next
spring. And they take they tooksome shots too, they didn't hit on
very many, but like they're oneof those offenses. Just for my untrained
eye, it's like we're gonna dosome stuff, but like you're always on

(36:30):
edge, like is this the timethey're gonna go deep and try to catch
you in something? So all handsare gonna have to be on deck there.
But just watching the North Carolina defense, like I think, I think
the Gophers can kind of do whatthey want to keep the game where they
need it to not have to worryabout scoring forty Yeah. I mean,
and Joe Rossie always says comes onthat he thinks explosive plays is the most

(36:52):
important stat in football. Yeah,And who am I to disagree with jor
Rossi if he says that, Iagree with him. Yeah, And it
makes sense because if he said,you look at the statistics when they you
know, when you get exposed toplays you're going to score most times.
So what's what it comes down tois Rossi's defense hasn't allowed twenty or more
points in their last eight games whereI think North Carolina has scored, and

(37:14):
they're gonna be one of the mostexplosive offenses they play all year. That's
certainly going to be put to thetest. But explosive plays and turnovers.
I mean, if Minnesota loses theball twice, I have a hard time
believing that they're gonna win a footballgame, especially on the road against a
ranked opponent. But offense has gotto generate explosive plays to guards these point.
You allowed nearly five hundred yards oftotal offense to app State last week

(37:37):
at home. I think Minnesota isgoing to be able to be efficient.
But then the red zone. Two. When you get into the red zone,
yep, you're gonna have to hitat a much higher clip than the
thirty seven percent which they've been I'mexcited to see. I haven't been this
excited for a Joe Rossi matchup sinceMike Sanford versus Joe. What's the T
shirt? I can't because he wasin the podcasting game out in Boise.

(38:02):
Yeah, that's what he's He wasat the Boulder game the other day because
he still lives there. They don'tdidn't move the family, Mike Sandford,
the old OC that we're talking about. But I am excited to see what
Joe Rossi has cooked up for thisvery good. Like this is a hell
of a test. This is ahell of a test, and I'm excited
about it. There's gonna be aton of going for fans there. It's
gonna be fun. Don't you thinkLindenberg's back? Yes, I think Lindenberg's

(38:23):
back. I'm hopeful that span Fordis all right now again five minutes down
on the field and then another fifteento twenty time in the tent, which
we'll see. And if he's notthere, I know there's been a lot
of fans who aren't happy with hisusage through two games. Sure, but
you still need him out there.He's such a mismatch nightmare. So there's

(38:45):
hopeful. I'm hopeful he'll be back. But I do think if Minnesota is
going to win this game as atouchdown underdog, you're gonna have to score
at least twenty eight points because Ithink Rossi is obviously gonna limit them ideally,
But I still think North Carolina isgoing to score twenty five, twenty
eight, Yeah, thirty one pointspotentially. You would think so because they're
just I mean, they've got alot, They've got a lot, a

(39:06):
lot. I mean, that's agood team. They can beat you a
couple of weeks. It's a goodoffense. If it's like thirteen points,
then don't you just after the gamedouble Joe Rossi's salary and say, by
the way, we've also announced thatwe now pay him two million dollars and
we're not paying him a million.Here, your guy, interim president,
Jeff Hettinger, the little Hormel guythey've offered spam, is kicking in another

(39:30):
million. Rossi got an extra onehundred and fifty thousand after this game.
And it's two million dollars now forJoe Rossie because then then he's like in
Jim Leonard territory and all your guysthat you like, all your defensive coordinators,
Phil Parkers face flush. It wasanything else we want to talk about
Gopher related before we pivot the lasthandful of minutes and talk about some other
stuff. I'm still upset about theNorthwestern We're gonna we're waiting on that.

(39:52):
Just you just asked what that's goingfor golfers north All right, we'll get
to it. I see his anger. It was announce so stupid. What
Burns he's talking about? Because II'm trying to go one to oh in
the North Carolina Podcast championship season,I'm not looking ahead of Northwestern, which
is next Saturday. The Gophers andNorthwestern on Monday. You know, two

(40:14):
weeks out is typically when the BigTen announces the TV times will be a
six thirty PM kick from venerable RyanField. Ridiculous in Evanston, Illinois.
Ridiculous and of all the PHAs toset Ryan Burns his thirty one year old
Times five self. He's now he'sscratching his beard, He's got his hands

(40:36):
over his face. You're not happywith the six thirty. Why don't you
want to see wildcat football under thelights? He's having a built down.
You tweet him like, when Isaw the game times come out, it's
ridiculous. There's a there's only onegame at eleven AM and there's four at
six thirty. That's ridiculous. TVpartners have other ideas in the afternoon.

(40:57):
Who's the big noon game. It'sRutgers versus Michigan. Okay, so Michigan
gets the entire time slats of themselvesand then Minnesota's in there with three other
games. But who is clamoring forNorthwestern under the lights? Like the Big
ten network? He stop it,there's there's another game on Big ten Network

(41:17):
at that same exact It's ridiculous,like you're telling me you couldn't have had
three games at eleven, say twoat two thirty and then two or three.
It's personal or professional, it's bolt'sfinancial. I already tell the real
reason that you're mad. So andwe're going to talk about this. Stop
it. Tell the real reason you'remad that it's a six thirty. You
do hotel reservation like two days before, non refundable for Friday night, thinking

(41:46):
there's not a shot. This thingisn't at eleven am. You've been saying
forever it's going to be an elevenbecause who's clamoring for Northwestern under the how
many fans are going to be there? Four thousand, probably more than would
be there at eleven. YEA,their homework's done for the night. Yeah,
they got their Saturday studies done andmaybe they walk over, they see

(42:07):
the lights and go, what's overthere? Is there a concert? And
then they walk over and that theysee it's football, and maybe they want
to watch three night games in thefirst four weeks Michigan. So I'm you
just don't want to go. No, I'm going regardless. But now I
don't want to go Friday night.What's the point to have it just in

(42:27):
Chicago all day? In Chicago?Evanston's a nice little town. I yeah,
get on the purple line. You'rejust saying that because your lovely daughter
lives. I know it's not Oakdale, but that's right. Here's lots of
unpack here, all right. See. Now, I also got to fly
out Sunday morning. Sunday is thebig word day. He's also mad about

(42:51):
that. He wanted to He wantedto want to come back home and he
can't do that now. So youwere going to fly out Saturday, right,
Yeah, take the last flight outbecause you'd be doing. Let's let's
get a nineteenerary him for Friday andlet's write it out to him, like
you know what time is? Doyou have your Are you a museum guy?

(43:13):
I can't. I mean, what'sthe museum. Oh, I don't
think he's a museum guys. I'mnot gonna lie. I'm not gonna don't
think he's a guy. I'm notripping him for it. I'm just that's
my observation. That's my observation.He's not a runner because running along the
lakes. That's true. Okay,so that's true. So the night games

(43:35):
are Iowa Penn State CBS, that'sthe light out, Ohio State, Notre
Dame NBC. That's a big one. And what's the fourth one? Because
you meant six thirty? I sawit on the tweet. Is it Indiana
and Akron or Nebraska? In alot tech? Either way, you're on
BT. It's just why didn't theyput this game? Get in priced?
By the way, Memorial Stadium,Illinois, Florida Atlantic that day is three

(43:57):
dollars if you want to go watchthe dollars According to ESPN, how about
Wisconsin to Purdue to get in pricestwenty that's a Friday night game on FS
one. We're jumping ahead, butI gotta ask you about something in the
year of twenty twenty three, howare you stuck with a non refundable hotel?
What are you doing. I knowI'm gonna have to call today,

(44:19):
which I hate calling you. TryMillennium. You tried to save eight dollars
on the buy it now? JustI mean any hotel I've booked recently.
We're in the We're all about flexibilityand COVID and you can cancel anything and
get your money back to save ninedollars and twelve cents? Did you get
the nonrefundable bit? What don't youlook at me like a disappointed father.

(44:46):
Well, that's a good place tostay in because there's most like two hotels
and evans. Yes, but it'snot a place where you need to do
like a like some of these collegetowns. You want to go to Penn
State, it's like a two weekminimum and there's four hundred dollars a night.
I haven't and these guys don't evenknow there's a football game going on.
So that's where would you be more? Would you be more amenable if

(45:07):
you knew you had an easy refundablehotel? I mean yes, But now
I got a call and say,hey, can you move me? I
don't like calling. I'm a millennial. I don't explaining the situation. Yeah,
you don't need to do anything.Just keep yes, just go,
just keep the rum booking extra night, try the second hotel in Chicago.

(45:28):
I thought about that, but it'snot a good date day night. It'd
be better if it was a twothirty or an eleven and then your wife's
there, then you have the nightthis because I thought about that briefly for
a second too, but it's that'snot gonna work. I mean, my
wife grew up in Kenosha. Goingto Chicago is nothing for her. It
has no value. She could havedone that. She did that the first
eighteen years of her life, whatshe wanted to do. Maybe she can

(45:50):
give you some tips on how youcan kill the time that you're now so
mad that you have to kill.We can hang out if you want to
go, have lunch and everything.You're not going anymore. You that on
us about yeah, no past hisbedtime. I mean he can't do before
the time came out. He can'tdo too many night games. We know
that. But I think you're mostmad that you can't fly home Saturday.

(46:13):
Yes, and your room. Somehow, you're the one guy in the last
five years that has booked and nonrefundable. You're gonna make me. Look,
I don't have to pull this up. I'm pretty sure it's nonrefundable,
which is why I'm also well,if it was. If it's not,
then you've completely overreacted. So Idon't think there's either way. It's you've
completely mangled this situation. Either it'snonrefundable, which is stupid because you should

(46:36):
things change? Are you? Didyou change your flight already? He doesn't
have his flight there yet, hehad any flights? Well, mister organized,
now he's stressed. Chimp would havehad this book, you know,
January one, twenty twenty three.Yeah, I do that. I don't
know what I'm doing for Northwestern yet. Yeah, it's like two bucks.

(47:00):
It's not that much. Yeah,that's The flights of Chicago right now are
pretty reasonable. So you're gonna beokay there. Maybe that will help soften
the blow of this nonrefundable room,I think. So if you get your
money back, you're gonna fly Saturday. You know. I'm gonna do a
little correction here. I just pulledup the reservation says I can modify it.
So this whole thing, well,let's see, let's do a lot.

(47:21):
I'm not gonna do this lot.We're gonna do a lit on the
podcast. We don't have a tonelse to talk to. I mean,
melt Tucker is suspended. That's interesting. That's just nothing but trouble. Do
you think that's going to be agood job eventually when it opens up on
I think their first college should bePJ. Fleck. That's what I would
do if it was Michigan State.His name is not anywhere, but that's
what I would do if I werethem. Make him say no to come

(47:43):
in to bring in his wife home. She wore any she went to the
Michigan State Western Michigan Game War,Michigan State stuff stories well documented. She'd
have but I mean, I'd hateit. But they need a guy that's
going to provide a little bit ofstability, cultural sustainability, not get yourself
in trouble. That's why I bringsome order to that. I don't want
that, obviously, but that's whatI would do. All right, Burns,
he's modifying his reservation here. Youcan do it. So what are

(48:07):
you mad about? I don't know. Just now you're even no, I
look stupid. That's what I'm meaningabout. Now you're you look you are
literally somehow the oldest person on thispodcast because you are incorrectly mad about something
that you like. I'm still don'thave all the details. I'm not furious
like I was, but I'm stillupset that, like in the way this

(48:28):
was also put to me because Iasked some people, why the heck is
this game at six thirty. It'sthe only shot that Northwestern had of getting
a night game unless it was November, and we all know the Big Tens.
I remember the night policy where theopposing team has to agree to it.
They're never going to do that Northwestern, right, So this was the
only chance they had to get ato get a night game. I have
no problem. I mean, it'sthe same price for me to just change

(48:52):
it from Friday Saturday. It's fromSaturday Sunday. Oh, you were only
one day, so now you're gonnafly in Saturday morning. Yeah, okay,
like you were about delays. Okay, it's a flight to Chicago.
Well what I always do because Ihave to worry about him. If I'm
doing day of I do like thefirst one, and then if if it

(49:13):
goes pear shaped, I can dropand still get there. Yeah six hours.
If something happened, Yeah, soyou'll take a morning flight and then
I'll take like a neon flight homeon Sunday so I can do go for
football Sunday. Thank you for yourcontributions, and I'm really sorry that you
had to go through all of this. I was just sorry we had to
go through the listener. It isprobably just like this guy. You had

(49:34):
me nervous. Well, I stillI still have you nervous because I haven't
number one book to flight and thefact that I'm flying in day of God
gives that biggest battles to his bravestsoldiers. So I'm glad that we were
on my shoulders every single day asopposed to you guys just wondering if I
was going to be okay and neversaying anything. I thought, let's get
this out in the open. You'remissing the larger point here is that we

(49:58):
care, but right, but youcan't get pass on the whole Northwestern you
looked that bad. We truly wouldhave said something that day. You just
looked tired, which I've also learnedit wasn't so bad. We're like,
yeah, we need an intervention,like we're gonna set you down. We're
not going to do the scale Aone to ten, four, four,
and you didn't say anything. Iwas actually go say six, but yeah,

(50:22):
what's the what's the right line today? To me? A six or
seven? I would have said nine. I would have said something, I
set you down. Well, whichwhat you guys are talking about two different
numbers? Well his numbers are ohokay? Yeah. If it would have
thought I was a six, youthought five, five? I thought you
were a four on the way toten. Yes, if I would have

(50:43):
thought you were a six, Iwould have said something to you that day.
Number one. I don't know aboutyour ranking scale number two. I'm
which, what's the right number then? For so I know for myself,
like as I look at myself andgo my four or five or six?
Well ten is this was a PAspares the spars out. Haven't you sat
through enough eleven o'clock kicks? InEvanston? I love eleven o'clock, twelve

(51:07):
eleven o'clock kicks. Look, butwe've done that enough. There, we
know what that is. Let's trysomething different. Is this the longest a
Go For football team has gone intothe season before an eleven am game,
which will be Louisiana from Ocoming,But the fifth game of the season is
the first time they get an elevenam kick, much to your chagrin,
I like eleven am. I thankyou. It's because Chip and I are

(51:30):
the same person. He's I can'tbelieve. I'm like angry and mad.
He's become became a fifth year old, I know, like more than more
and it's like not understanding technology,not like it's amazing. I'm only have
to walk in through. He's beenmarried less than a year and he's already
the old married guy. It's crazy. You gotta relax. I'm sweating.

(51:51):
You gotta relax. I got soupset, I'm sweating. All right,
let's talk about some other things.Sorry you all had to go through that,
but we there's some things you needto address. You just need to
get out of the way. Sojustin looking tired and me not understanding how
to modify a reservation, Chip lookinglooks You've given me. Look. I

(52:12):
may have only been married now ninemonths, but I know what a look
looks like, and you give me. Yes, you've given me a few
of those. All right, meltTucker. It was just a couple of
years ago. Tuck is coming,says it all. I mean, really,
it's an unfortunate double meaning. Nowyou can google the details if you

(52:34):
want, but that's what they weresaying. Tuck is coming, and now
he's going because he's been suspended withpay Don't be mad at me, don't
laugh at me. It's wasn't myphrase, guys, wasn't my phrase.
I didn't make it have a secondmeaning. But melt Tucker, the ninety
five million dollars coach at Michigan State, this isn't funny. The serious conversation

(52:58):
is now suspended because is depending onwho you believe. If you believe him,
he had a consensual, long distance, appropriate phone conversation relationship with Brenda
Tracy, who is a sexual violenceadvocate, sexual assault survivor who goes around
and talks to you know, allkinds of groups, but certainly football programs

(53:21):
about her experience and how to firstof all, be on the lookout for
him, not do it. Theimpact that all that has, and you
can again google all the details,and if you're a college football fan,
you already know most of them.But if you listen to her side,
it's one thing. Mel Tucker,after being suspended now is completely firing back

(53:42):
and even if you want to believehis side, put himself in a ridiculously
stupid situation irresponsibly, and now he'sprobably gonna watch seventy eighty million dollars just
burn into flames and will probably nevercoach again. If you believe what he's
saying it, I think you putit like a long, long statement,
which Brenda fired back at him lastnight, about when you're in the position

(54:06):
that he's in, that every footballcoach and you know America, especially Power
five and the visibility, and youdon't put yourself in those positions. It's
incredibly stupid. I mean, he'sgonna light I believe his buyout, it's
seventy five million dollars. He's gonnalight all of that on fire, more

(54:27):
than likely. And I think thehearing is gonna be October fifth and six,
And that's where Brenda Tracy said lastnight on the Twitter machine. I'll
be there, Yeah, I'll betaking the stand. I'll be open for
cross examination, and I hope youdo the same. Yeah, which that
sounds there's no chance he keeps hisjob at zero, which especially at that
school, it's amazing. They justit just keeps happening, whether it's Larry

(54:51):
Nasser or whether it's what was goingon with D'Antonio, Like, it's ridiculous,
it's ridiculous. Seventy five million dollars. He is going to light into
the ether on fire because he wastrying to think of how to make this
family friendly. We can't. Again, if you know the details, yes,

(55:12):
if you're listening to this pod,you know the details because you're a
college football fan. I mean,it's just we don't need to say anything
that's gonna get ourselves in trouble.No, it's bad, it's not appropriate.
He was he was marrying right,however much he described it. And
people's personal lives are their personalized whatever. But an egregious lack of judgment,
just a bone headed just so stupid. And that's at its best, Yeah,

(55:36):
at its worst, it's exactly whatBrenda Tracy is describing. It's traumatizing,
it's triggering, it's harassment. It'seven to his team, Uh as
well. Yeah, and we'll havemore time to talk about this. Who
actually I haven't thought. Who's who'staking over his head coach Harlan Barnett and
then Mark D'Antonio is now a specialassistant to the program. Is that official

(56:00):
now, I believe trying to Butif and when that job becomes open,
I'll have plenty of time to talkabout it the rest of the season.
That is a good job, especiallywith divisions going away. They have two
very prominent boosters in that program,one being the Rocket mortgage guy they have.
It's a great it's a great job, especially with the recruiting base.

(56:22):
I mean, I think that wouldbe one where, well, it's going
to get some attention and it's notlike the program is going to hit hit
with sanctions where you lose a bunchof scarships. So it's like the structure
is going to be The other noteI want to put in here to get
your opinion on is if you area player at Michigan State right now,
so if and when melt Tucker getsfired on fifth or the sixth, well

(56:45):
once number one, once that happens, you have thirty days then to hit
the portal and you can transfer.But the more the thing I want to
stress, I guess maybe from aMinnesota standpoint, how many players after four
games just stop playing to preserve theirred shirt knowing that if, if and
when Tucker gets fired, they canremain get that extra year of eligibility back.

(57:07):
Yeah, I mean there might besome. I always think about the
there's so many factors are going toyou know, because the new guy is
gonna want hit like school, doyou like do you have a girlfriend there?
Do you like your classes? Howfar are you? You know,
there's all kinds of things. Imean, you're a starter, You're gonna
go somewhere else where you you know. It's I'm sure they'll probably be some,
but I don't know that it's goingto be some big mass exodus.

(57:29):
It's certainly to me gonna be interestedin following October because Minnesota. I think
Minnesota plays them last weekend of October, which my birthday. Probably Tucker will
be fired by then. And howmany players are still going to be how
many hit the portal, how manydon't? What does it look like?
It's certainly gonna be a talking pointgoing into it, so we'll continue to
follow that. I know some peoplewere wondering what man Michigan State didn't really

(57:52):
do anything until this USA Today reportoutlined anything. From what I understand,
Michigan State athletics knew nothing. Theydid not know that what I read if
that's true. But because it wasa Title nine investigation, which is supposed
to, by design, I think, remain relatively discreet obviously for witness intimidation

(58:14):
and people that are involved in allthose things. I don't know it well
enough to know, but maybe theyknew there was an investigation, but they
didn't know exactly what stint of it, what was entailed. Obviously melt Tuckers
had to meet with this committee attime or two, so he obviously knew
what was coming down. But thisthe lid was kept because it does Michigan
State no good to cover this upgiven what they've been dealing with correctly.

(58:34):
So yeah, so I do wantto try to give them the benefit of
the doubt a little bit on thatthat. I think, by design,
the Title nine office is supposed toremain completely independent from everything, and everything
is supposed to be under wraps.I read a tweet somewhere, and that's
not to say it's acre, butbut I think I did read that UH
school officials were not aware of thecontents of this right and then once they

(58:55):
read it, they said, well, this guy can't be coaching for us
right now, and that's why he'snot seventy five million dollars because you're thinking
with the wronghead. Yeah, exactlyright. Let's spin around the Big ten
quickly. Certainly the Big Ten West. Wisconsin takes an all at Washington State,
and it wasn't particularly close. Iknow they made a game of it
a little bit. You guys werewatching it up in the press box.
I was checking in on the scoreat halftime and things. But what did

(59:19):
we see from the Badgers out thereagainst the coops? I said it from
week one. I just I'm notI don't see it with this quarterback.
Wisconsin's good. They shouldn't have beenanointed. I think we all said that
it shouldn't have been annointed. Laziness, laziness, laziness. Big ten media
that that doesn't even look at theWest and national media who just want,

(59:42):
you know, knows that Barry Alvarezin the Rose Ball Hall of Fame.
I mean, that's a look betterin the second half. The run,
but thirty one points and they couldn'trun the football. That was the other
thing. Malucy and Brayland Allen gowild in game one against Buffalo. They
were held in check in game twoon the road at Washington State in Iowa
against Iowa State. There's another IowaIowa State game. Another pick six for

(01:00:05):
the hot guys right where I was. Offense, still so much talk that
Again, I feel bad to anextent for Kaid McNamara, the Iowa quarterback,
because he's clearly not at one hundredpercent and I don't think he will
be at one hundred percent at anypoint this season with that, but I
assume I think it's a quad injury. Okay, but they're not good on
offense. Still, they'll the formulahasn't changed and they're two in l Yeah,

(01:00:30):
I mean, and the West stillgoes through Iowa. Yeah, yeah,
yes, even more so now thatwe've seen with st I thought that
before the season. Yeah, Iowawas the team to be given their schedule
and given what they have and givenwhat they are. Coach Prime, you
and I walked in together, Chipperwith the voice of the Gophers Mike Grim

(01:00:51):
as we were walking into the game, and I on Saturday, I'm obsessed
with what's happening in Boulder. LikeI love everyone, College of Falling.
I just I love when a dormantfan base because I've seen it. You
know, it was Minnesota for example, like just you know, having the
Penn State game and everything that happenedwith nineteen. But like when something just

(01:01:13):
doesn't come out of nowhere because everybodywas excited about Dion being there and curious,
but when it's worked out so well, so quickly, and they've got
a lot more games to play,including in a couple of weeks, Like
I just work in us even beforethe end of the Yeah, I just
think it's so fun to see thatStadi impact and know what that city's about.
And for me, somehow, I'mjust so romantic about the mountains.

(01:01:36):
I just can't what a time thatmust be for everybody out there right now.
Brewster. Yeah, the people havebeen in that campus understand like that
is a fun place to be andnow you have this, you know,
whirlwind that just has hit this campus. And I mean, the thing is,
I think that we've all seen thefirst two weeks. He brought a

(01:01:57):
lot of talent with him. Thething that the only thing that bothers me
about that whole thing is everybody.I feel like there's too much talk about
how Shadur Sanders and Travis Hunter weren'tgood players because they went to Jackson State
like Travis Hunter was the number onerecruiting the entire Sanders was a four star
quarterback that had offers from everybody inthe SEC. Like, these are really

(01:02:20):
good players. I think Sanders tremendous. Yeah, he's great. Seneca Wallace.
Yeah, Where will Colorado finish inthe recruiting rankings next spring? Top
twenty, February Top twenty, topten? That's that's a tough par I
mean, I think because you thinkof the the Georgias and the Alabama's and
the House States and the but ifyou're somewhere in the world you're just paying

(01:02:45):
attention to that, they're taking notice. I mean there they are. I
mean, top twenty for Colorado isa weight recruiting class in year one?
Well, how do they judge it? Now, Bernsie, because I'm thinking
how many more transfers are they goingto get? Yeah, I'm not even
think about the high school kids.Well, that's the thing for Deon is
how many high school kids do youtake versus Well? I wonder what he'll

(01:03:05):
do though, I wonder what willthis be his emo? Like I'm just
taking transfers or is he going toreally be a hard Well, I think
given that he's making it work withlike seventy new guys. He's not going
to be worried about. I canimagine the five stars he could get.
But also when the coach is abigger star than you, and he doesn't
mean he's got a security guard that'swearing the shirts that says, f around

(01:03:27):
and find out. So wait seethat. Yeah, his halftime interview with
Jenny Taft, he's got two ofhis own security guys. And I was
talking to Mark McElroy, you knowpj's guy, and I said, did
you see deon security guy? Andhe goes no. I said, he's
wearing his shirts that says f aroundand find out. And Officer Mark he's
got like full police gear out.I mean he's got the body cam and

(01:03:47):
the guns and the taser. Imean he's got everything. And I'm like,
that's what all of this says.Like when I see you and your
vest, Dion's guy just cuts rightthrough it and puts it on the shirt,
F around and find out. LikeI think, I mean, if
if a DNS point would be ifif Travis it was good enough for Travis
Hunter, Dude, it's good enoughfor you. Yeah, Like so I
don't think he needs to worry aboutit. I mean, I don't think

(01:04:09):
he needs to worry about players runningthe program, which sometimes they do when
they're talented. No, no,no, no, I'm not talking about
I'm saying, like top twenty isreally good. Yeah, No, I'm
just saying, uh, is hegonna be Is he gonna hit high school
recruiting really hard and try to goget right? I would say, person,
he's been transfers. I think that'sthe thing he's trying to figure out.

(01:04:30):
The other thing in this that thething needs to be talked about is
Sean Lewis, the former Kent Statehead coach. The offensive courts the way
he's been able to get on thesame page with Sanders through the first two
weeks, to really get that thinghumming. I mean Sanders, like,
like I said, it's tremendous.I mean, he is a top ten
quarterback in college football through the firsttwo weeks. Certainly there was a play
early in the second half because Nebraskareally hung in. I mean, their

(01:04:54):
quarterback is awful, their offense isobviously not good. Their defense gave them
every opportunity to try to do something, and I think that color is how
I feel a little bit about theGopher game as well. Yeah, but
there was a play in the Ithink early third quarter where Nebraska dials up
a perfect blitz. It's like athird down in seven or third it might

(01:05:15):
even longer, and Sanders gets outof it, scrambles, tells Hunter to
go, Yeah, grows thirty fiveyards, a guy is in good coverage,
Hunter catches it, and you're justlike, yeah, when you have
a good quarterback and the best playeron the field, Because people are gonna
wonder, well, how how longcan they keep this up? When they
play USC you see in Oregon andall these schools. I have no idea

(01:05:36):
if they'll win, but I knowwhen you have a good quarterback and the
best player on the field, you'vegot a chance. Like just right there
and you've got a chance. Uhyeah, because I mean Hunters just crazy
good. And they were even evenable to take some snaps off him in
the second half there, especially theway he's going two ways. You mentioned
Nebraska. How much are Nebraska fansthinking, how did rule and trust this

(01:06:02):
offense with a guy who can't pass. I can't pass, he can't hang
out of the football. I mean, he lost two. I mean he
fumbled back, missed a handoff throughanother pick. He can't stop turning the
ball over. And that's where he'strying. The thing that if I was
a Nebraska fan I struggle with isRule is trying to sell PJ. Fleck

(01:06:25):
Year zero. But Nebraska fans seeit the same way we do. Where
this team is talented. Yeah,this team can win games, especially defensively.
It's your quarterback who has eight turnoversand eight quarters. That is the
reason why you are where you are. I mean that's the I guess the
vibe I've gotten from them is thatRules trying to has been talking all week

(01:06:47):
about selling this year zero thing,but no one's buying it because of how
good I mean you think about it. Sam's cost him this game. They
go over game he did right costhim and I don't know if you know
tarnovers. Yeah, I think Coloradois probably still better than him. But
I mean their defense was on thefield like one hundred plays. Yeah it
was. He's just gonna get You'reget worn down, especially at altitude.

(01:07:10):
Yeah, but anything else we needto discuss. Guys. I'm glad that
you can change your hotel. Howabout your Jayhawks. Yeah, that's the
quarterbacks good. That's when I talkabout creative system that that coach lighthold.
Jalen Daniels is special. He's good. He's he's good. He is I
mean, we'll talk about extending playswith sanders like Jalen Daniels. I mean

(01:07:31):
that Illinois team also has a lotto figure out. Yeah, that was
your sneaky team Burns. Yeah,they're it's like Johnny Newton on their defensive
line and then Keith Randolph is mi A. The rest of that front
seven can't figure out how to generatepressure. It's yeah, they get Kansas
handled him pretty well. Yeah,that team Illinois defense also has to lead

(01:07:53):
college football and extracurricular activities. Andreally, they're down. I haven't seen
my three touchdowns in the second half, and they are. They get hit
with like two unsportsman lights because they'reJohn I'm thinking myself, what are you
doing? Like you can jaw,but you're down three touchdowns and it's because
of you on defense? Like whatare we even talking about here? Yeah?

(01:08:16):
Your guy Jimmy Sabrowski though, yeah, I mean he's I think it's
fun stepped out to me the firstcouple of weeks. They're a lot of
really good quarterbacks in college football thisyear. Yeah, a lot exciting.
Welcome to the portal exciting. Yeah. And the Gophers get to see you
one on Saturday, and we'll seeyou all there. We will be there.
We will see you all there.Your hotel situation good for Chapel Hill.

(01:08:36):
Yeah, it flights, books,everything's good. Thanks again for checking
into my health. Appreciate that youguys have felt skinny legend justin I feel
great. I feel I felt goodfor worries for me. Yeah. Now
emotionally, I'm all I can thinkabout. What you know? Is Ed
McDaniel just causing you significant emotional Damn? No, I had none. I

(01:08:58):
just I always remember the face thathe made like that doesn't add up.
And I said, I know Ed. It was a different time. It
was a different pushing in the chairthat means we gotta go, We gotta
go, He's gotta go. Istart your day a hundred percent. Always
book nonrefundable rooms. If there's onething we can do, save yourself some
banks is twenty twenty three. Youdon't need to save eight dollars because you

(01:09:19):
think your plans are set in Stone. Things can always change. Thirty kickoff.
If you remember anything from today,book refundable rooms that you can change
until like midnight, the day beforeyou're supposed to check in. Hotels are
fine with that. That's the lesson. Thanks to Jack's Cafe Jaxcafe dot com

(01:09:40):
appreciate their support. Hope they stillsupport us after this episode. But if
you've got a special occasion in yourlife, or you just want to have
a great meal, great brunch,holiday dining right around the corner as well.
Jaxcafe dot com Jack's Cafe celebrating ninetyyears here in Minneapolis. Thanks for
listening. Everybody, tell a friend, Subscribe, leave a rating, leave
a review, and we'll talk toyou next week on the Pair in a Spare podcast