August 28, 2025 • 22 mins
Keegan Nicksoson from Bearcat Journal joins from Kansas City to preview the UC Bearcats opener against Nebraska at Arrowhead Stadium.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
East Coast Subs since e three sixty of Abound Cincinnati
from Cincinnati, puntered in part by Penn Station East Coast Subs.
Hand crafted hot grilled subs, fresh cut fries, and lemonade.
It's all about good taste. Pennstation East Coast Subs order
online today. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Here we go, hour number three. Sorry, Drew, I was
there's Texas Roadhouse row. You go and get some of
that Texas Roadhouse in the breakroom. Well, Texas Roadhouse rolls
in the breakroom.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
I finished chewing this one up.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
I didn't know we were back so quick. Well, the
other show that I do, the breaks are longer, especially
like the top of the hour breaks. The Moeger radio
show has the Sports Center updates at the top of
every hour. Right, So I and my internally had like
an extra like forty five seconds before I had to
(01:05):
get back in here.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
You made it.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
I made it. I came in and I heard the music,
but I was chewing the role. I was like, oh boy,
and those Texas Roadhouse rolls are a little chewy.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
That's I know.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Keegan's big on Texas Roadhouse rolls, right.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Kegs, You're you're the beacon of professionalism, comes back, mouthful
of food on the ESPN radio station that you shouldn't
expect anything else.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Well, I didn't plan that. I thought I had an
extra forty five seconds to swallow. But then the bumper
music was ending as I sat down in the chair.
So the the biggest like faux pas in radio Keegan
is dead air. So it was either dead air and
finish my my mouthful of roll or it would start
talking with my mouthful of Texas Roadhouse roles.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
I bet I speak for everyone we would have if
I waited that air.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, Keikan nickoson Bearcat Journal dot Com live from Kansas City, Keegan.
How's the trip going so far?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
It's going awesome.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
I was told to leave my apartment room a little
bit earlier.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Than I thought I was supposed to, so.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Or my hotel room a little bit earlier I thought
I was supposed to, And so I'm still in here.
So if you hear knocking the door, it's probably me
being pulled out physically.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
So we're taking chances.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
I mean, you would think you'd get a late checkout,
like the game is not till nine o'clock.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
You got a lot.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
I'm not making demands.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
I go, I go as I'm told you have.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
You have consumed how many Nebraska fan podcasts in advance
of this game?
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Probably five or six, So I hit about ten percent of.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
The whole market, Like maybe one percent of the whole market.
Maybe there's a lot of Nebraska fan podcasts. And you
opine that podcasting equipment should be more expensive, like it
should be more doing a podcast should be harder than.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
It is, yes, or if you're going to do a podcast,
do a cursory amount of research on the team that
you're you're you're supposed to be doing research on.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
So I think the effort level was.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
What I was I was concerned with and saying, yeah,
I don't really have much on these guys been talking
about a certain position should never be a standard, But.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
When you're doing an apronent opponent preview, the line should
not be I don't know, well, can you tell me
about Cincinnati's quarterback? I don't know A good take? Good
take when you look at this game. I've looked at
this game. We're at a point. I've looked at this
game eight ways from Sunday. I don't think these rosters
(03:58):
are that far off, Like, do you get the same
kind of sense that both teams have some questions, both
teams have some strengths, Like this is gonna be a
game tonight. It's gonna be between two teams that are
on paper at least fairly similar.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
Yeah, it's almost like the spread isn't twenty points and
it's only six and a half. That's that's the biggest
point I have and kind of rivaling all the Nebraska
fan base kind of thinking that they're going to have
third stringers and second stringers in at the start of
the fourth quarter, So that could possibly happen, but I
(04:37):
think that would be uc coming out and playing absolutely horrible,
throwing interceptions, fumbles, just complete system failure.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
I think there's.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Two similar and comparable quarterbacks to gun slingers. I think
UC's is a little bit more mobile, but I wouldn't
I wouldn't go as so far to say as Storesby's.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Better throwers LA.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
I think he's one of the best peer throwers in
the entire country. Other parts of his games is what
he needs to work on, and as a true sophomore,
I think it's fair to expect him to develop a
little bit more.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
But outside of that, I think there's.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
A lot of question marks on both sides just because
of what both teams lost to the transfer portal and
they had to bring in a lot of positions on
both sides of the ball. So I'm expecting this to
be a fun one, to be a shootout, but I
agree to evening match teams. And Arson Greeth what you
said last night about if Nebraska wins that bowl or
(05:37):
if Nebraska loses that bowl game last year and there's
six and.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Seven instead of seven and six, I feel like.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
The discourse around this team is a little bit different.
So I think I think that Nebraska might be being
a little overhyped, overrated coming into the season as one
of the media darlings of the Big Ten.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
What has to go right for Cincinnati at twelve thirty
Friday morning to walk back to the locker room victorious
in Arrowhead Stadium, that's going to be probably at minimum
eighty percent Nebraska fans.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Yeah, I think, pull down two interceptions and don't throw
any yourself, and I think he'll be in a pretty
good spot.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Dylan Rowe had a.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
Thirteen to eleven touchdown interception ratio when teams started playing
nine against him last year. They really he really struggled,
and you see as primarily his own defense. I don't
know if that's going to change much based off of,
you know, getting into more exotic schemes and calling more
exotic plays like Tyson Biden and Scott Sadafield have staid
(06:43):
that they're planning on doing. But I think you have
to pull down interceptions, you have to force turnovers, and
you got to get to the quarterback in some way,
and it's probably going to be from the linebackers.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
I expect to see Jake Golde in the backfield.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
A few times, but I don't think you want to
get into a shootout with these guys. I think it's
to be a seventy point game. I think that Nebraska
will probably come out on top if you can keep
it more, you know, twenty seven twenty. I think that
score would be uce winning and the defense taking a
huge step forward.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
What happens if it goes wrong? What happens if Nebraska
does win by ten like what misfunctions for Cincinnati.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
If that happens, I think.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
It's interceptions by Brendan Sowersby, and I think it's the
offensive line.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Proving to be a much bigger question mark than we
thought they were.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
Nebraska doesn't have a ton of experience in the defensive line,
but they do have Desahn mccallo, former Indiana guy, former
five star, really physical freak, very very fast coming off
the edge, So he's going to be able to get
after the quarterback. He's very talented, and I think if
you see loses, I think it's going to be because
(07:58):
they weren't able to protect the quarterback and that might
force Brendance Risbian to some interceptions like it did last
year when he threw some of those really bad picks,
and it's just all going to trickle down from there.
So Tyson Bite said it in his press conference on Tuesday,
A lot of this game will come down to the trenches.
So whoever gets after the quarterback more, whoever can force
more takeaways, I think is going to come up victorious.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
It was pointed out to me by one of the
many high IQ Nebraska fans on the Internet that Arrowhead
Stadium has set the record for the loudest stadium in
the country. I don't know if that still stands. N
A Seattle is the Seahawks Stadium is right up there
as well. How important is it for Cincinnati to start
(08:47):
fast and at least mitigate that a little bit, because
I think if Nebraska starts fast, if Nebraska's up ten
to three, like that place is going to be insane.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
I think if you see can get out, so maybe
a little two position lead, maybe a ten o lead
after the first two series, I think that's gonna the
crowd is going to be a little bit more quiet,
and it's also going to force Riola to try to
force some things, like he might get a little rush,
he might press a little bit, try to force something
and then throw throw a couple of picks and you
(09:23):
see can really do that. But you know, this is
going to be basically like it's in Memorial Stadium in Nebraska.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Even be louder. Yeah, yeah, it could be even louder.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
So that is something that I think that they have
to address. If you win the toss, I think you
have to take the ball because I don't think that
it's going to do anything well for you to have
this this crowd cheering on the Nebraska offense, which is
expected to be really good.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
They go out and.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
Score and you're fighting from behind, from after the first series.
So I would expect them to take the ball.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Never take the ball. Never take the ball, take the ball.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Never.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
I disagree. I disagree. What if you'd give them the
ball and then you get a stop?
Speaker 3 (10:08):
Now do that.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
But I just don't like taking the ball. I'm not
a big take to take the ball fan. I want
it in the second half. I want that chance. Like
the thing for me is key and we've seen so
many times last year since that he had something they
messed up going into halftime. The other team comes out
with that momentum and swings the game. Like I just
(10:31):
I would like to have the ball to start the
second half. I get it in terms of trying to
like we're gonna come out there. The one thing I
will say, I don't think we've talked about enough in
the lead up to this game. Scott Saderfield is usually
really good with the opening script. We saw it last
year against Pitt. We saw it the year before against Pitt.
Like they come out and those first series or two
(10:54):
and the script is really really good and they're able
to get some momentum. Now the first year against Pitt,
they were able to hang on late as Pitt came back.
The second year, Pitt completed the comeback and won the
game at the end, but Cincinnati started fast. That would
be for your argument. Take the ball. Like Scott Sanderfield
has shown, the script is pretty good to him early.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Yeah, And I think it can also kind of set
the tone for what you know you can do offensively,
Like if you can attack them on the first series,
whether it's through the air on the ground, set the
tone and smack them in the face. It makes them
play on their heels. It cliets the crowd down a
little bit. And if you're confident in your defense, you
should be confident in your defense when you're up seven
(11:39):
to nothing, and that would really start, That would really
get the momentum going. It reminds me of the Texas
Tech game last year in the fourth quarter when Manny
Kobe takes that seventy one yard touchdown and then you
see gets two stops in a row, and all of
a sudden, you're only down three with a minute and
a half left, and that place is pretty quiet, and
they were really really happy up two scores and then
(12:00):
you get two stops in a row.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
So I would love to see them.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
Take the ball go get seven points and then you know,
let the defense angles.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
In there, and I mean there was tortillas flying everywhere.
Just wasn't safe.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
The worst tradition in color sports.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
The dumbest tradition in college sports. Just throwed tortillas around,
like make me a burrito. At least geez. Special teams
doesn't get enough love. It is a very important factor,
I think for Cincinnati this season. I think they brought
in a very skilled special teams coordinator. They have what
I think is going to be a RAYGUI finalist punting
(12:39):
the ball. They have a placekicker that did not miss
a field goal last year. I'll be at a different level,
but kicking field goals is kicking field goals, and Stephen
Russnik was was pretty good what we watched throughout the
lead up to the season. Cincinnati special teams was bad
last year. Nebraska's special teams was bad last year. Both
teams have new special team's coordinator. Nebraska is going with
(13:02):
a freshman Australian punter in his first game ever. Cincinnati
has Max Fletcher. Mason Fletcher's brother, Max played two years
at Arkansas. He was second team SEC. Could special teams
swing this thing for the Bear counts.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
I think it can swing it huge because I think,
you see, special teams is going to be better than
Nebraska's full stop. Not a lot of people have noticed this,
but Nebraska actually brought over Steven Russknack's backup from Charlotte,
who I think he made ten to fourteen field goals
last year, and you know, he committed to Cal out
(13:41):
of the portal after the season, and then in the
spring portal came over to Nebraska.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
I think from the last I.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
Heard, there was still some some up in the air
about you know, who's going to be the starting kicker,
Who's going to be the starting place kicker.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
I would expect it.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
To be Kyle Kunanan who they brought in from Charlotte
and Cal, But you know, I would much rather be
where Cincinnati is from a special team standpoint. Like you said,
Max Fletcher is one of the best punters in the country.
Steven rush Snack made twenty five to twenty five field
goals last year. So I think it will play a
(14:16):
huge part because that's that's what can swing momentum in
a big way. You saw it in the first game
with Kansas State and Iowa State first series get a
stop and then you muff a punt and then you
give the ball.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
To Iowa State on like the five yard line.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
So if that happens tonight, that's a huge momentum swing.
If it happens against Cincinnati, it's going to be tough
to recover from that, like we've seen in the past
two seasons.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
What is the importance of this game for Scott Saderfield,
Because I've had a couple of conversations about this. It's
not if they lose, it's not the end of the world. Like,
there's still plenty of time, especially you lose a close
game in Arrowhead against Nebraska, You've got a couple games
and then a bye week are you bowling Green and
then Northwest State or the East Podunk Mississippi, whatever it is,
(15:07):
and then a bye week before you get into Big
twelve play. There's time to get it right. But if
you don't win this game, getting back into the national consciousness,
getting back into the national conversation in twenty twenty five
is going to be really really challenging.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
What is the.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
How high are the stakes for Scott Cliderfield tonight in aarrawhood.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
I think it's huge.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
I think this would be by far the biggest one
that he has at Cincinnati if he's able to get it,
and I think he immediately puts you on the map
as a contender in the Big Twelve if you come
basically on the road in front of the Nebraska crowd
and beat one of the highest ceiling teams in the
Big Ten.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Not highest ceiling, but a lot of people are saying.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
That there's they've gotten easier schedule in the Big Ten.
They don't run a gauntlet like some of the better
teams in the Big Ten are going to do. I
think that's where that comes from. The door is open
for them to be a playoff type team.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Yeah, and a lot has been made about Matt Role
in his third year.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
It is college stops God, everything is working against you,
and you move this game from home to Arrowhead and
then you just say, you know, I don't care. I
think we're more talented, and then you come in and
get a huge win. I think if they win, it's
going to be this defense is a lot better than
we thought it's going to be. Brendan Soresby is one
(16:38):
of the better quarterbacks in the country. Being able to
go off against a quarterback to a lot of people
think is already one of the best in the country
and is a dark horse Heisman candidate this year and
still has another year. So no one.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
He's done count out.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
I'm going Bearcats. I'm going Bearcats. He can just change
my mind.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
He's a value pick right now. He's like plus twenty
five hundred. It makes sense. That's hilarious.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
No, but I think it.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
Does so much from a national standpoint. It's just so
much for recruiting. I mean, you go into two straight
home games, get some more recruits on campus, and it
just sets the tone for a big twelve that after
weeks here, let's even more wide open than we thought.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Who you got.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
H I slipped slopped on this.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
I have too. I want to pull the trigger on
U see. But I just need to see them not
make the critical mistake, not not make the the wrong
play at the wrong time for me to go Bearcats.
But I'm tempted, man.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
I will I will take Nebraska thirty five to thirty three.
But it's basically a coin flip game. It is not
something where you say, wow, Cincinnati got their butt. The
It's going to be the same thing for the last
two years.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
It's one play that it could come down to. It's
a drop on either end.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
It's a field goal late, either a miss or a
make by Nebraska.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
I think it's a.
Speaker 4 (18:19):
Week one shootout, coin flip game. I just think if
you get to close to seventy points total, it's going
to work in Nebraska's favor a little bit more so.
I'll go to corn Huskers and the home crowd, maybe
a couple more false starts than you're used to with
the Cincinnati a line. That's also another huge test. I mean,
you have Joe Cotton didn't play in front of a
(18:40):
lot of crowds last year, Evan Tengsahl getting his first
experience as a starter, Taran TiO didn't play in front
of a lot of huge crowds last year. How did
they react to seventy thousand Nebraska.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Fans screaming their throats out?
Speaker 4 (18:55):
And you know, is it going to be like Iowa
State last year where there were seven false starts and
it basically doom the team the entire game and killed
any momentum.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
I think that's something you should really look out for.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Do you think the uniform choice is a troll job?
Speaker 4 (19:09):
I think I'm not gonna go after anyone's intelligence with this,
but it's extremely questionable to one wear red.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
I think they told the.
Speaker 4 (19:23):
Fans to wear red. They told the fans to wear red.
I don't get that at all. Why players standpoint. From
a player standpoint on the field, I feel like it
would be a sense of comfort to look in a
little sliver of the stadium and see a group of
people dressed.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
In black and kind of know that you have any like,
like if the fans.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
At Notre Dame were black when they went to Notre
Dame and were black and it wasn't to see a red,
that would be a really different picture.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
There was like forty fans at that game. It's gonna
be like fifteen percent you see fans tonight. Like the
difference is drastic.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
It's I don't get it. It's a true job that's
not going to do anything for you. I think it's
the jerseys, go big red.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
Slay the jersey's much more than the fans wearing red.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
I don't think the fans are gonna matter, Like. I
just don't think there's gonna be enough UC fans for
it to really like like do anything. But the go
big red fans having to look down and see the
other team in red, I think is hilarious.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
That's yeah, I understand that.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
Plus here you're one to debut and new helmet in
week one.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
I completely get that. The fans wearing red.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
I'll never understand the team is wearing red, so the
fans wear red. I know, No, the team wears red
and the fans wear black, like then you mismatch.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
I know it doesn't like I just I was just kidding.
I just I think it's funny that, like Nebraska's identity
is red, and because Cincinnati is the home team, they
get to call what they want to wear, and they say,
we're going with red. I just think it's hilarious to me.
I think it's it's.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Super Yeah, I get that too.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
All right, thanks man, I appreciate it. Have a wonderful afternoon.
And you only have six hours and thirty nine minutes
until kickoff.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
I can't wait. I'm taking off the clock. Don't get
another texts threadhouse role?
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Are you going to uh to Joe's.
Speaker 4 (21:28):
No, that's a little too expensive, and I don't want
to be in a coma in the press box, So.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
I mean, I can say, if you want to go
to Joe's, I'll venmo you money right now. That's how
good of a boss I am.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
I mean you can ven me money. I'm just not prompting.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
I'm only doing it if you're going to Joe's or
Gust it's one of the two.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
No, I'm good.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
All right, Well you have a good afternoon, Kegan. And uh,
where where can they find you for for content tonight?
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (21:58):
Follow kay nichoson for to make sure you subscribe to
bearcut Journal. There will be a live game thread. If
you don't want to put all your really irrational and
crazy thoughts about the game on Twitter in front of
the public, you can go on our thread and put
everything in there. And also, I've got a content thread
on Twitter of everything that's been posted on Bearcat Journal
(22:18):
that was just posted on Twitter, So go ahead and
check that out for your pregame six.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
And if you like, Bearcat Journal, by the way, is
free all day today, so if you want all the
Keegan's content from the week, everything on Bearcat Journal is
free today, So you can go to bearcat journal dot
com and check out Keegan's content.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
Thanks brother, thank you, sir.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
All right, there we go. Kegan nickoson Live on the
ground from Kansas City. Stick a break. What are your
thoughts the Bearcats win tonight? What are you expecting to
see from Arrowhead Stadium? Or I can complain more about
the rets one of the two we'll see after this
since at he's ESPN two, two thirty
East Coast Subs since e three sixty of Abound Cincinnati
from Cincinnati, puntered in part by Penn Station East Coast Subs.
Hand crafted hot grilled subs, fresh cut fries, and lemonade.
It's all about good taste. Pennstation East Coast Subs order
online today. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Here we go, hour number three. Sorry, Drew, I was
there's Texas Roadhouse row. You go and get some of
that Texas Roadhouse in the breakroom. Well, Texas Roadhouse rolls
in the breakroom.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
I finished chewing this one up.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
I didn't know we were back so quick. Well, the
other show that I do, the breaks are longer, especially
like the top of the hour breaks. The Moeger radio
show has the Sports Center updates at the top of
every hour. Right, So I and my internally had like
an extra like forty five seconds before I had to
(01:05):
get back in here.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
You made it.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
I made it. I came in and I heard the music,
but I was chewing the role. I was like, oh boy,
and those Texas Roadhouse rolls are a little chewy.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
That's I know.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Keegan's big on Texas Roadhouse rolls, right.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Kegs, You're you're the beacon of professionalism, comes back, mouthful
of food on the ESPN radio station that you shouldn't
expect anything else.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Well, I didn't plan that. I thought I had an
extra forty five seconds to swallow. But then the bumper
music was ending as I sat down in the chair.
So the the biggest like faux pas in radio Keegan
is dead air. So it was either dead air and
finish my my mouthful of roll or it would start
talking with my mouthful of Texas Roadhouse roles.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
I bet I speak for everyone we would have if
I waited that air.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, Keikan nickoson Bearcat Journal dot Com live from Kansas City, Keegan.
How's the trip going so far?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
It's going awesome.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
I was told to leave my apartment room a little
bit earlier.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Than I thought I was supposed to, so.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Or my hotel room a little bit earlier I thought
I was supposed to, And so I'm still in here.
So if you hear knocking the door, it's probably me
being pulled out physically.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
So we're taking chances.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
I mean, you would think you'd get a late checkout,
like the game is not till nine o'clock.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
You got a lot.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
I'm not making demands.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
I go, I go as I'm told you have.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
You have consumed how many Nebraska fan podcasts in advance
of this game?
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Probably five or six, So I hit about ten percent of.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
The whole market, Like maybe one percent of the whole market.
Maybe there's a lot of Nebraska fan podcasts. And you
opine that podcasting equipment should be more expensive, like it
should be more doing a podcast should be harder than.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
It is, yes, or if you're going to do a podcast,
do a cursory amount of research on the team that
you're you're you're supposed to be doing research on.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
So I think the effort level was.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
What I was I was concerned with and saying, yeah,
I don't really have much on these guys been talking
about a certain position should never be a standard, But.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
When you're doing an apronent opponent preview, the line should
not be I don't know, well, can you tell me
about Cincinnati's quarterback? I don't know A good take? Good
take when you look at this game. I've looked at
this game. We're at a point. I've looked at this
game eight ways from Sunday. I don't think these rosters
(03:58):
are that far off, Like, do you get the same
kind of sense that both teams have some questions, both
teams have some strengths, Like this is gonna be a
game tonight. It's gonna be between two teams that are
on paper at least fairly similar.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
Yeah, it's almost like the spread isn't twenty points and
it's only six and a half. That's that's the biggest
point I have and kind of rivaling all the Nebraska
fan base kind of thinking that they're going to have
third stringers and second stringers in at the start of
the fourth quarter, So that could possibly happen, but I
(04:37):
think that would be uc coming out and playing absolutely horrible,
throwing interceptions, fumbles, just complete system failure.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
I think there's.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Two similar and comparable quarterbacks to gun slingers. I think
UC's is a little bit more mobile, but I wouldn't
I wouldn't go as so far to say as Storesby's.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Better throwers LA.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
I think he's one of the best peer throwers in
the entire country. Other parts of his games is what
he needs to work on, and as a true sophomore,
I think it's fair to expect him to develop a
little bit more.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
But outside of that, I think there's.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
A lot of question marks on both sides just because
of what both teams lost to the transfer portal and
they had to bring in a lot of positions on
both sides of the ball. So I'm expecting this to
be a fun one, to be a shootout, but I
agree to evening match teams. And Arson Greeth what you
said last night about if Nebraska wins that bowl or
(05:37):
if Nebraska loses that bowl game last year and there's
six and.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Seven instead of seven and six, I feel like.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
The discourse around this team is a little bit different.
So I think I think that Nebraska might be being
a little overhyped, overrated coming into the season as one
of the media darlings of the Big Ten.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
What has to go right for Cincinnati at twelve thirty
Friday morning to walk back to the locker room victorious
in Arrowhead Stadium, that's going to be probably at minimum
eighty percent Nebraska fans.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Yeah, I think, pull down two interceptions and don't throw
any yourself, and I think he'll be in a pretty
good spot.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Dylan Rowe had a.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
Thirteen to eleven touchdown interception ratio when teams started playing
nine against him last year. They really he really struggled,
and you see as primarily his own defense. I don't
know if that's going to change much based off of,
you know, getting into more exotic schemes and calling more
exotic plays like Tyson Biden and Scott Sadafield have staid
(06:43):
that they're planning on doing. But I think you have
to pull down interceptions, you have to force turnovers, and
you got to get to the quarterback in some way,
and it's probably going to be from the linebackers.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
I expect to see Jake Golde in the backfield.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
A few times, but I don't think you want to
get into a shootout with these guys. I think it's
to be a seventy point game. I think that Nebraska
will probably come out on top if you can keep
it more, you know, twenty seven twenty. I think that
score would be uce winning and the defense taking a
huge step forward.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
What happens if it goes wrong? What happens if Nebraska
does win by ten like what misfunctions for Cincinnati.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
If that happens, I think.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
It's interceptions by Brendan Sowersby, and I think it's the
offensive line.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
Proving to be a much bigger question mark than we
thought they were.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
Nebraska doesn't have a ton of experience in the defensive line,
but they do have Desahn mccallo, former Indiana guy, former
five star, really physical freak, very very fast coming off
the edge, So he's going to be able to get
after the quarterback. He's very talented, and I think if
you see loses, I think it's going to be because
(07:58):
they weren't able to protect the quarterback and that might
force Brendance Risbian to some interceptions like it did last
year when he threw some of those really bad picks,
and it's just all going to trickle down from there.
So Tyson Bite said it in his press conference on Tuesday,
A lot of this game will come down to the trenches.
So whoever gets after the quarterback more, whoever can force
more takeaways, I think is going to come up victorious.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
It was pointed out to me by one of the
many high IQ Nebraska fans on the Internet that Arrowhead
Stadium has set the record for the loudest stadium in
the country. I don't know if that still stands. N
A Seattle is the Seahawks Stadium is right up there
as well. How important is it for Cincinnati to start
(08:47):
fast and at least mitigate that a little bit, because
I think if Nebraska starts fast, if Nebraska's up ten
to three, like that place is going to be insane.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
I think if you see can get out, so maybe
a little two position lead, maybe a ten o lead
after the first two series, I think that's gonna the
crowd is going to be a little bit more quiet,
and it's also going to force Riola to try to
force some things, like he might get a little rush,
he might press a little bit, try to force something
and then throw throw a couple of picks and you
(09:23):
see can really do that. But you know, this is
going to be basically like it's in Memorial Stadium in Nebraska.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Even be louder. Yeah, yeah, it could be even louder.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
So that is something that I think that they have
to address. If you win the toss, I think you
have to take the ball because I don't think that
it's going to do anything well for you to have
this this crowd cheering on the Nebraska offense, which is
expected to be really good.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
They go out and.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
Score and you're fighting from behind, from after the first series.
So I would expect them to take the ball.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Never take the ball. Never take the ball, take the ball.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
Never.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
I disagree. I disagree. What if you'd give them the
ball and then you get a stop?
Speaker 3 (10:08):
Now do that.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
But I just don't like taking the ball. I'm not
a big take to take the ball fan. I want
it in the second half. I want that chance. Like
the thing for me is key and we've seen so
many times last year since that he had something they
messed up going into halftime. The other team comes out
with that momentum and swings the game. Like I just
(10:31):
I would like to have the ball to start the
second half. I get it in terms of trying to
like we're gonna come out there. The one thing I
will say, I don't think we've talked about enough in
the lead up to this game. Scott Saderfield is usually
really good with the opening script. We saw it last
year against Pitt. We saw it the year before against Pitt.
Like they come out and those first series or two
(10:54):
and the script is really really good and they're able
to get some momentum. Now the first year against Pitt,
they were able to hang on late as Pitt came back.
The second year, Pitt completed the comeback and won the
game at the end, but Cincinnati started fast. That would
be for your argument. Take the ball. Like Scott Sanderfield
has shown, the script is pretty good to him early.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Yeah, And I think it can also kind of set
the tone for what you know you can do offensively,
Like if you can attack them on the first series,
whether it's through the air on the ground, set the
tone and smack them in the face. It makes them
play on their heels. It cliets the crowd down a
little bit. And if you're confident in your defense, you
should be confident in your defense when you're up seven
(11:39):
to nothing, and that would really start, That would really
get the momentum going. It reminds me of the Texas
Tech game last year in the fourth quarter when Manny
Kobe takes that seventy one yard touchdown and then you
see gets two stops in a row, and all of
a sudden, you're only down three with a minute and
a half left, and that place is pretty quiet, and
they were really really happy up two scores and then
(12:00):
you get two stops in a row.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
So I would love to see them.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
Take the ball go get seven points and then you know,
let the defense angles.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
In there, and I mean there was tortillas flying everywhere.
Just wasn't safe.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
The worst tradition in color sports.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
The dumbest tradition in college sports. Just throwed tortillas around,
like make me a burrito. At least geez. Special teams
doesn't get enough love. It is a very important factor,
I think for Cincinnati this season. I think they brought
in a very skilled special teams coordinator. They have what
I think is going to be a RAYGUI finalist punting
(12:39):
the ball. They have a placekicker that did not miss
a field goal last year. I'll be at a different level,
but kicking field goals is kicking field goals, and Stephen
Russnik was was pretty good what we watched throughout the
lead up to the season. Cincinnati special teams was bad
last year. Nebraska's special teams was bad last year. Both
teams have new special team's coordinator. Nebraska is going with
(13:02):
a freshman Australian punter in his first game ever. Cincinnati
has Max Fletcher. Mason Fletcher's brother, Max played two years
at Arkansas. He was second team SEC. Could special teams
swing this thing for the Bear counts.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
I think it can swing it huge because I think,
you see, special teams is going to be better than
Nebraska's full stop. Not a lot of people have noticed this,
but Nebraska actually brought over Steven Russknack's backup from Charlotte,
who I think he made ten to fourteen field goals
last year, and you know, he committed to Cal out
(13:41):
of the portal after the season, and then in the
spring portal came over to Nebraska.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
I think from the last I.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
Heard, there was still some some up in the air
about you know, who's going to be the starting kicker,
Who's going to be the starting place kicker.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
I would expect it.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
To be Kyle Kunanan who they brought in from Charlotte
and Cal, But you know, I would much rather be
where Cincinnati is from a special team standpoint. Like you said,
Max Fletcher is one of the best punters in the country.
Steven rush Snack made twenty five to twenty five field
goals last year. So I think it will play a
(14:16):
huge part because that's that's what can swing momentum in
a big way. You saw it in the first game
with Kansas State and Iowa State first series get a
stop and then you muff a punt and then you
give the ball.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
To Iowa State on like the five yard line.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
So if that happens tonight, that's a huge momentum swing.
If it happens against Cincinnati, it's going to be tough
to recover from that, like we've seen in the past
two seasons.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
What is the importance of this game for Scott Saderfield,
Because I've had a couple of conversations about this. It's
not if they lose, it's not the end of the world. Like,
there's still plenty of time, especially you lose a close
game in Arrowhead against Nebraska, You've got a couple games
and then a bye week are you bowling Green and
then Northwest State or the East Podunk Mississippi, whatever it is,
(15:07):
and then a bye week before you get into Big
twelve play. There's time to get it right. But if
you don't win this game, getting back into the national consciousness,
getting back into the national conversation in twenty twenty five
is going to be really really challenging.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
What is the.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
How high are the stakes for Scott Cliderfield tonight in aarrawhood.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
I think it's huge.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
I think this would be by far the biggest one
that he has at Cincinnati if he's able to get it,
and I think he immediately puts you on the map
as a contender in the Big Twelve if you come
basically on the road in front of the Nebraska crowd
and beat one of the highest ceiling teams in the
Big Ten.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Not highest ceiling, but a lot of people are saying.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
That there's they've gotten easier schedule in the Big Ten.
They don't run a gauntlet like some of the better
teams in the Big Ten are going to do. I
think that's where that comes from. The door is open
for them to be a playoff type team.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Yeah, and a lot has been made about Matt Role
in his third year.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
It is college stops God, everything is working against you,
and you move this game from home to Arrowhead and
then you just say, you know, I don't care. I
think we're more talented, and then you come in and
get a huge win. I think if they win, it's
going to be this defense is a lot better than
we thought it's going to be. Brendan Soresby is one
(16:38):
of the better quarterbacks in the country. Being able to
go off against a quarterback to a lot of people
think is already one of the best in the country
and is a dark horse Heisman candidate this year and
still has another year. So no one.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
He's done count out.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
I'm going Bearcats. I'm going Bearcats. He can just change
my mind.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
He's a value pick right now. He's like plus twenty
five hundred. It makes sense. That's hilarious.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
No, but I think it.
Speaker 4 (17:14):
Does so much from a national standpoint. It's just so
much for recruiting. I mean, you go into two straight
home games, get some more recruits on campus, and it
just sets the tone for a big twelve that after
weeks here, let's even more wide open than we thought.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Who you got.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
H I slipped slopped on this.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
I have too. I want to pull the trigger on
U see. But I just need to see them not
make the critical mistake, not not make the the wrong
play at the wrong time for me to go Bearcats.
But I'm tempted, man.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
I will I will take Nebraska thirty five to thirty three.
But it's basically a coin flip game. It is not
something where you say, wow, Cincinnati got their butt. The
It's going to be the same thing for the last
two years.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
It's one play that it could come down to. It's
a drop on either end.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
It's a field goal late, either a miss or a
make by Nebraska.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
I think it's a.
Speaker 4 (18:19):
Week one shootout, coin flip game. I just think if
you get to close to seventy points total, it's going
to work in Nebraska's favor a little bit more so.
I'll go to corn Huskers and the home crowd, maybe
a couple more false starts than you're used to with
the Cincinnati a line. That's also another huge test. I mean,
you have Joe Cotton didn't play in front of a
(18:40):
lot of crowds last year, Evan Tengsahl getting his first
experience as a starter, Taran TiO didn't play in front
of a lot of huge crowds last year. How did
they react to seventy thousand Nebraska.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Fans screaming their throats out?
Speaker 4 (18:55):
And you know, is it going to be like Iowa
State last year where there were seven false starts and
it basically doom the team the entire game and killed
any momentum.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
I think that's something you should really look out for.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Do you think the uniform choice is a troll job?
Speaker 4 (19:09):
I think I'm not gonna go after anyone's intelligence with this,
but it's extremely questionable to one wear red.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
I think they told the.
Speaker 4 (19:23):
Fans to wear red. They told the fans to wear red.
I don't get that at all. Why players standpoint. From
a player standpoint on the field, I feel like it
would be a sense of comfort to look in a
little sliver of the stadium and see a group of
people dressed.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
In black and kind of know that you have any like,
like if the fans.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
At Notre Dame were black when they went to Notre
Dame and were black and it wasn't to see a red,
that would be a really different picture.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
There was like forty fans at that game. It's gonna
be like fifteen percent you see fans tonight. Like the
difference is drastic.
Speaker 3 (19:59):
It's I don't get it. It's a true job that's
not going to do anything for you. I think it's
the jerseys, go big red.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
Slay the jersey's much more than the fans wearing red.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
I don't think the fans are gonna matter, Like. I
just don't think there's gonna be enough UC fans for
it to really like like do anything. But the go
big red fans having to look down and see the
other team in red, I think is hilarious.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
That's yeah, I understand that.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
Plus here you're one to debut and new helmet in
week one.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
I completely get that. The fans wearing red.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
I'll never understand the team is wearing red, so the
fans wear red. I know, No, the team wears red
and the fans wear black, like then you mismatch.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
I know it doesn't like I just I was just kidding.
I just I think it's funny that, like Nebraska's identity
is red, and because Cincinnati is the home team, they
get to call what they want to wear, and they say,
we're going with red. I just think it's hilarious to me.
I think it's it's.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Super Yeah, I get that too.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
All right, thanks man, I appreciate it. Have a wonderful afternoon.
And you only have six hours and thirty nine minutes
until kickoff.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
I can't wait. I'm taking off the clock. Don't get
another texts threadhouse role?
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Are you going to uh to Joe's.
Speaker 4 (21:28):
No, that's a little too expensive, and I don't want
to be in a coma in the press box, So.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
I mean, I can say, if you want to go
to Joe's, I'll venmo you money right now. That's how
good of a boss I am.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
I mean you can ven me money. I'm just not prompting.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
I'm only doing it if you're going to Joe's or
Gust it's one of the two.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
No, I'm good.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
All right, Well you have a good afternoon, Kegan. And uh,
where where can they find you for for content tonight?
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (21:58):
Follow kay nichoson for to make sure you subscribe to
bearcut Journal. There will be a live game thread. If
you don't want to put all your really irrational and
crazy thoughts about the game on Twitter in front of
the public, you can go on our thread and put
everything in there. And also, I've got a content thread
on Twitter of everything that's been posted on Bearcat Journal
(22:18):
that was just posted on Twitter, So go ahead and
check that out for your pregame six.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
And if you like, Bearcat Journal, by the way, is
free all day today, so if you want all the
Keegan's content from the week, everything on Bearcat Journal is
free today, So you can go to bearcat journal dot
com and check out Keegan's content.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
Thanks brother, thank you, sir.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
All right, there we go. Kegan nickoson Live on the
ground from Kansas City. Stick a break. What are your
thoughts the Bearcats win tonight? What are you expecting to
see from Arrowhead Stadium? Or I can complain more about
the rets one of the two we'll see after this
since at he's ESPN two, two thirty
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