December 2, 2025 • 54 mins
In the third hour, Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain chat with Jon Wilner about Oregon, bowl games, and coaching moves, talk about UW basketball, catch up with Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV at his toy drive, then talk to Huskies voice Tony Castricone.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Duke of Duke Seafood.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Lady, you know that this hour of Softian Dick on
your home for the Huskies and Kraken is probably brought
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On Sports Radio ninety three point three KJARFM.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
It's time for our weekly Pac twelve conversation with Senose
a Mercury News reporter John Wilner, brought to you by
Simply Seattle. Our friends at simply Seattle dot com have
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UW had some the largest selection of Sonics gear anywhere
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Speaker 4 (00:38):
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You get a hoodie for twenty five dollars and they
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(01:01):
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Speaker 1 (01:19):
Here he is the pope of the pack, the big
ten baron.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
He's on a five game win streak, by the way,
now after getting you Oregon minus the six and a
half against you doub He's ten and four on the
air this year.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
He's Johnny Wilner and he's with us. Now, how are you, man?
Speaker 5 (01:35):
I'm good?
Speaker 6 (01:36):
Thanks?
Speaker 1 (01:36):
How you guys? Pretty good?
Speaker 7 (01:37):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (01:38):
Bummed out about what happened on Saturday, but not a
surprise at Husky Stadium. I know you picked Oregon to cover,
and I gotta be honest with you, man, I think
Oregon's good. I don't think they're that good, and maybe
college football just isn't that good. But I did not
see I think an elite football team in the Oregon
Ducks on Saturday.
Speaker 7 (01:55):
How about you?
Speaker 8 (01:57):
No, I think that they have, for the most part
in very good, but not elite this season.
Speaker 5 (02:02):
Now. I think some of it has to especially the
last few weeks.
Speaker 8 (02:06):
They're out missing their top two receivers, so that does
have an impact on the passing game.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
But they are not playing like.
Speaker 8 (02:14):
They were playing last November and when they went into
the playoff as the you know, the favorite. Really but
I'm not sure that they're in a worse position because
you don't want to be peeking too early, and I
think that it's possible. Dan Landing learned that lesson the
hard way last year and and so we'll see if
they can, you know, up their game in December. But
(02:38):
they are not nearly as overpowering as they were a
year ago.
Speaker 9 (02:43):
John Again, Husky fans, including myself, not thrilled with the
play calling from Jed Fish. I mean, the passing game
was miserable, to say the least, particularly on first down,
where they were two of eight with two sacks and
two interceptions every time they threw the ball on first down.
I don't think and Softie's asked Jed the question. It
(03:05):
was a while ago, but he's asked in the question,
would he, by the way, at the beginning of the season,
right or in the middle the middle of the year,
when you've ever relinquished play calling duties. His answer was no.
But how about a different question for you? Should Jedfish
be willing to relinquish his play calling?
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Dude?
Speaker 9 (03:21):
This is especially when a guy, Hey, look who's on
the market, Jonathan Smith is out there on the market.
Speaker 5 (03:26):
What do you think I think he should be willing
to consider it?
Speaker 8 (03:31):
You know, the end of the season, everybody does his
self scout, and I would say that Jed Fish should
give it some serious thought.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
I don't know that I think he has to.
Speaker 8 (03:41):
I think what he's got to do is recruit better
offensive linemen. I think that's a big problem for them.
And it's it's fine their offensive line and their skill players.
It's fine against Minnesota and Illinois. It is not good
enough to beat the best teams in the Big Ten.
And I don't care who's calling the plays. You know,
(04:02):
you get at Bill Wall's calling the plays. If your
offensive line is not that good, there's only so much
you're gonna be able to do against the really good opponents.
Speaker 6 (04:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
Yeah, four sacks, six TfL is allowed against the Ducks
on Saturday, So what's the situation? Can you explain to
people this situation with the Bulls man, because you still
have all this and connection to the old Pack twelve.
I don't know how excited, honestly, guys, Husky fans are
for a ball game, right if you're not in the
college football playoff, then okay, whatever, But what is the
(04:33):
thing to be.
Speaker 7 (04:36):
To know?
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Excuse me about this ball schedule as it sits right now?
Speaker 8 (04:40):
Well, basically, the legacy the twelve legacy Pac twelve teams
are tied to the same bowls that they were when
they were together in the conference, which means, in order,
the Alamo, Las Vegas, Holiday Sun, and La Bulls and
then there's a couple of other options below LA.
Speaker 5 (05:04):
So that's the deal.
Speaker 8 (05:05):
They didn't The only other option would have been to
reconfigure the bowl arrangements for the ACC and the Big
Ten and the Big twelve, and they just thought it
was easier to keep those teams tied to the PAC
twelves games. This is supposed to be the last year
of it, but if they don't change the CFP for
(05:26):
next season, if it stays at twelve, we may have
this arrangement one more year.
Speaker 9 (05:30):
Wow, all right, Saftie and I are largely in agreement.
When it comes to non playoff bowl games. They're pretty
worthless and they're just like, they're all the same. I
would make one exception, though, and I think I hold
still the Holiday Bowl in much higher regard than I
hold all the rest of the non CFP bowl games.
(05:51):
And the Huskies could get there, as it looks like
it's one of the two places. What are the chances
do you think that the Huskies do land at the
Holiday Bowl?
Speaker 1 (05:57):
And what needs to happen.
Speaker 8 (05:59):
Less than fifty uh maybe thirty forty. I think it's
you know, the Huskies are not going to El Paso, right,
and the Bulls do not like repeats. So to me,
it's either the Holiday picks either Washington or Arizona. And
if the Holiday picks Arizona, Washington's gonna end up at
(06:20):
the La Bowl against the Mountain West Roona. I think
that the Holiday would probably lean toward Arizona.
Speaker 5 (06:28):
They are hot, they have nine wins, they are ranked
eighteenth in the New CFP. It's a close.
Speaker 8 (06:34):
You know, it's an easy flight, decent drive for Arizona
fans for ticket sales, that's my guest, But I don't know.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Yeah, I mean, the Holiday Ball is now on January second,
by the way, and it's played at the end at
the San Diego State Aztec Stadium snap Dragon Stadium.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
So I don't know.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
I'm gonna agree with Dick that the Holiday Bawl just
the the allure of the Holiday Bowl. The name Holiday
Bowl means a lot more than the other games. But
I just think that twelve game playoff has just kind
of ruined the Bull season for a lot of teams
out there, and yeah, Washington's probably one of them. But hey,
let's talk about some coaching things that came up today.
Kialate Sataki staying at BYU turning down Penn State.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
He's LDS, He's Mormon. Is that right, Sataki?
Speaker 5 (07:19):
I believe so. Yes, he's perfect.
Speaker 8 (07:20):
Py's perfect for him, right, And he's perfect for PYU,
And I think that was the smart move.
Speaker 5 (07:26):
It would have been a bad deal for him at
Penn State.
Speaker 8 (07:29):
Some coaches just fit really well at certain places and
nowhere else.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
And he's perfect for BYU.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Well where does Penn State go?
Speaker 7 (07:36):
Now?
Speaker 5 (07:37):
Boy good? I think they got to start over.
Speaker 8 (07:40):
I mean, what they should do is try to go
get Matt Campbell from Iowa. State, right, he has not
left Iowa State. He's been a one in man for years.
The guy's a phenomenal coach. You win inight or nine
games all the time at Iowa State, You're doing something right.
I don't know why they didn't go after him hard
early on, but they boy, they are having a time
(08:01):
finding a coach, and you wouldn't expect that.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
It's Penn State. But that's my.
Speaker 8 (08:05):
Guess, is that maybe they try to lure Matt Campbell
out of Ames.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Are you surprised at all?
Speaker 9 (08:11):
The college football playoff rankings just came out in the
last hour and Old Miss was not negatively affected by
Lane Kiffin leaving, unlike what we saw with Florida State
and Jordan Travis. So evidently a quarterbacks more important than
a head coach as far as rankings go. Were you
surprised that Old Miss wasn't docked with without having their
head coach the rest of the season.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
No, I wasn't.
Speaker 8 (08:34):
I mean, I was a little surprised that they moved up,
but not that they kind of held their ground. There's
one big difference though, between Ole Miss and Florida State,
and that is that the committee got to see Florida
State play without Jordan Travis through and Florida State did
not look good. They don't They aren't going to have
a data point to judge oh Miss without Kiffin, so
(08:58):
that could help the rebels. I think it also might
help that Kiffin basically released Charlie West Junior from his
LSU duties to go back to Ole Miss to be
the offensive coordinator through the playoffs, right to provide some continuity,
and that could also have impacted the committee's decision.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Yeah, well, I think what the committee did to Florida
State last year was disgraceful, to be honest with you.
I mean, imagine the NFL. You know what, you guys
aren't playing very well right now. We don't think you'll
do well in the playoffs, so you can't go. Somebody
else can take your spot.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
I mean, it's just the.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
Body of work. Whatever happened to the body of work.
But John Wilder is with us on the air. You
want to weigh in, by the way and the lane
Kiffin think, I know it's an sec deal, but it's
the biggest story in college football with him leaving Ole
Miss early a playoff team to go be the head
coach at LSU. He's taken crap from a lot of people.
Some folks are defending him. Where do you fall in
the Lane Kiffin story?
Speaker 5 (09:53):
Man, A couple things real quick.
Speaker 8 (09:55):
One, nobody should be surprised he's the worst. He's like
the guy in sign filled the Bad Breaker upper right.
He is this was this was it was going.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
To be ugly.
Speaker 8 (10:08):
Uh, the moment he got hired by old Miss, the breakup.
Speaker 5 (10:11):
Was going to be bad.
Speaker 8 (10:12):
But the other thing that has struck me more than
anything else is that is the ESPN conflict of interest. Right,
You've got those guys on on game Day, the most
influential college football show there is. They're all saying, oh,
Ole Miss should let him stay and coach him in
the playoff while he's employed by a rival school and
can recruit those players. Yes, and yet and and the
(10:35):
thing is, who's linkaps agent? Jimmy Sexton, who's Nick Saban's agent,
Jimmy Sexton, K kurb Street, Jimmy second Right, They're all compromised,
and yet they're out there on that platform, and it's
I think it's a problem for college for college football.
Speaker 5 (10:50):
But that's my other thought.
Speaker 9 (10:52):
You also mentioned that the academic calendar is a problem
for college football. Yeah, we explain that to us and
and what needs to change so we don't have coach
is leaving CFP teams before they play in the CFP.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
Well, see, that's the thing. I don't think it can change.
Speaker 8 (11:06):
But the point that a lot of people, you know,
I saw a lot of stuff like dan Orlowski and
some other guys on there just ripping the college football calendar.
And it's like, the reason the college football calendar is
the way it is is because a school, because.
Speaker 5 (11:19):
They have to The players have to enroll at.
Speaker 8 (11:23):
Their new schools in January when the semester starts, so
you have to if they're going to transfer, they have
to do it before the semester at their new school.
Speaker 5 (11:33):
That's the problem.
Speaker 8 (11:35):
They can't just pick up and go from one college
to another college in the middle of February. The higher
education doesn't allow for that. So unless there's only two options, really,
which is you move the entire football calendar up, which
I think they should do, You play the National championship
at the Rose Bowl every year. Then you start what
(11:57):
is effectively free agency and coaching changes, and the kids
can get where.
Speaker 5 (12:01):
They want to go. In time to enroll in January.
Speaker 8 (12:04):
The other option is you move the transfer portal till May,
but that has been proposed and was shot down by
almost everybody.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Well, there's a third option, John, and that's let football
players enroll when they want.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
They're not regular students. Why treat it well regular students?
Speaker 8 (12:22):
That's that is a bridge that the university presidents, and
I'm not disagreeing with you at all. The university presidents
are not willing to go there yet. Maybe in a
couple of years, but not right now.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
What do you think of the Beams getting JaMarcus Shepard?
How do you think he'll do down there?
Speaker 8 (12:39):
I think it depends on who he hires as his coordinators,
and it depends on how much NIL and revenue sharing
the Beavers can muster. I mean, kids will want to
play for him, but they're going to want their dollars more.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
And if they don't have enough ANIL and rev.
Speaker 8 (12:55):
Share to compete with c Diego State and Boise State,
I think he's gonna have a hard time.
Speaker 9 (13:01):
What about the same question for Bob Chesney at UCLA
is at an unfixable situation in their current state?
Speaker 8 (13:08):
No, I don't think it is I'm just not sure
that Bob Chesney is the right guy. I mean, they're
banking on the fact that because because Kirk Signetti wonted
JMU and went to Indiana is doing great, that Bob Chesney,
who won at JMU, can go to UCLA and essentially
be Signetti two point zero.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
And I don't know that that's the case.
Speaker 8 (13:26):
They are two different coaches, and Signetti had a much
bigger body of work, and by the way, he had
also worked for Nick Saban.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
Chesney does not have that, so I'm a little skeptical.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
Actually, well, they had both schools in the Bay area
where you live, John and John Wilner again with us
courtesy is simply Seattle dot com have new coaches. Tavita Pritchard,
who's from Tacoma Clover Park, is that right, is the
new coach at Stanford. And then reports out that Toash
Lapoy is going to get the cal job, which ten
years ago, Tosh Lapoy would have been like kryptonite.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Nobody would have hired him to be ahead to college football.
And now that you can pay guys, it's not a
big deal. So who's getting the better? The better higher
in your mind Tosh Lapoy at Cal or to Vita
Princhard and Stanford.
Speaker 8 (14:10):
Uh yeah, they are finalizing the deal with Loup Boy.
You know it's interesting there, there's the whole thing is
so similar. You've got a GM who's a legend at
the schools, Andrew Luck at Stanford, Ron rivera Cal hiring
former players from the schools.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
Uh.
Speaker 8 (14:27):
You know, I would say I think Pritchard might have
a better chance because Stanford has got so much money.
Speaker 5 (14:34):
That if they just put have the willpower to win,
they can win CAL.
Speaker 8 (14:39):
The challenges are a little bit steeper, but for both
of them, there's a great opportunity in the ACC, right,
I mean, given where Florida State and Clemson are right now,
you look at the the ACC. The top of the
a SEC is Virginia Duke and Georgia Tech. Right, it's
like the revenge of the SAT scores. I think James
James Franklin, you know, he's got to be salivating in
(15:00):
Virginia Technic and I can go in there and win
this league.
Speaker 7 (15:03):
John.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
That leads me perfectly to my next question.
Speaker 9 (15:05):
I'm watching the college football playoffs and they're saving two
spots for conferences that have no teams that should be
in the.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
College football playoffs.
Speaker 9 (15:16):
Meanwhile, teams like Miami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas, all teams
that are far better than any school in those other
two conferences, are not going to make it because of that.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
How long do we have to deal with this nonsense?
Speaker 6 (15:31):
Jick?
Speaker 5 (15:31):
Did you root against Butler and March madness?
Speaker 7 (15:33):
No?
Speaker 1 (15:34):
I didn't root against Butler much.
Speaker 5 (15:35):
Okay, because it's kind of the same thing.
Speaker 8 (15:38):
You want to have access for the little guys, right,
So the funny thing.
Speaker 5 (15:43):
Is, right, Duke's got five losses. If they win the
ACC championship.
Speaker 8 (15:47):
They may not get into the playoff, and you could
have two group of five teams, the American winner and
the Sun Belt winner in the playoff and nobody from
the ACC, which would be the ultimate humiliation.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
But they have to have.
Speaker 8 (16:03):
Spot access for a group of five or else a
group of five is going to sue their pants off.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
Well, upsets and Cinderella runs are a lot more likely
in basketball than they are in football.
Speaker 5 (16:14):
They are Oh, I totally.
Speaker 8 (16:15):
Agree, I totally agree, But they have to they have
to have access for everybody.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
All right, John, Before you go, here we go, man,
you have put together one hell of a season, buddy.
I mean, I think a lot of folks are wondering
why the hell you're wasting your time writing about college
football when you should be betting on college football.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Ten and four on the air. You've won five games
in a row.
Speaker 4 (16:39):
You got a shot to wrap up the regular season
before the ball games of the playoff. Eleven and four
over fifteen weeks. So Wendelorean is back on the proper
path that he's taken. Names on the way to Valhalla.
Johnny Wilder, who do you like to go eleven to
four on the air.
Speaker 8 (16:58):
Yeah, it's kind of a tough we I am gonna
go with Indiana because I just think the Big ten
Gate Championship means a lot more in Indiana. Ohio State
just won the game that mattered most to them, and
now they got their sites set on another national championship Indiana.
Speaker 5 (17:16):
I don't know the.
Speaker 8 (17:17):
Last time that Indiana won the Big Ten Championship, right,
it's probably pre war.
Speaker 5 (17:21):
So I just think that they are gonna play all
out to win that game.
Speaker 8 (17:25):
And I am not convinced that Ryan Day is going
to do everything it takes to win the Big Ten Championship.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
You know that they their national title or bust.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Nineteen sixty seven. That was the last I was negative six.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
Well, good, good and so.
Speaker 9 (17:42):
And the time before that was the War nineteen forty five.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
Yeah, I think Kurt Signetti was like forty eight years
old back in nineteen sixty seven. All right, so we're
gonna take Indiana plus the four and a half against
Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. All right, man, John,
great stuff, and we will talk a week. Buddy, appreciate it, Pal,
thanks a lot. All right, Hell, have a run for him.
Ten and four on the air so far this year.
(18:06):
This is why you listen to this radio show. Never
mind Picking the Locks or whatever the hell that show
is on Friday. This is where you gotta come. You
want handicapping advice right here with John Wilner ten and four.
My god, and he likes Indiana plus the points and
good reasoning too, is exactly right.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
This game means way more to India.
Speaker 9 (18:25):
I have not been this blah about a number one
versus number two college football tame man. I can't even
remember because it doesn't matter.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
What's funny.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
I don't think either team would even want to play
the game. I think they would say just skip it.
I mean, this would you want.
Speaker 9 (18:42):
To show if you've got to potentially play him in
two in three weeks, four weeks in a national championship game.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
It's not even that that's part of it too, but
I mean getting guys hurt before the playoff. Absolutely, that's
the point of this. You imagine Mendoza goes down. How
about Julian saying, or Bo Jackson or anybody? My god, Alright,
we're gonna break. We got a lot more to get to.
Tony castro Cone's gonna join us in the six pm hour.
He is on the call for uw CLA tomorrow, Husky
(19:08):
start Big ten playing hoops. We get to that coming
up on ninety three three KJRFM.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
This is Duke of Duke Seafood and this hour is
brought to you by Duke Seafood. Why don't you make
it a Duke's Night tonight. Reserve your table today at
dukeseafood dot com. Now back to Softy and Dick on
Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM.
Speaker 10 (19:28):
There's the Lord Now color ten two o six two
eight six to win your way to a CML cracking
game from your home for the Kraken Sports Radio ninety
three point three KJR FM.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
That's right, maybe tenth color right now wins a pair
of seats for the December tenth game against the LA Kings.
By the way, I was just looking at the Husky
basketball schedule because they play Ucla tomorrow. I don't think
a lot of people realize the Big Ten Play starts
tomorrow for you. Normally Big Ten play conference play would
always start in January. But the way this whole thing
(20:04):
is set up, they got Ucla at home tomorrow, at
USC on Saturday, then they play Southern Utah, Seattle, U
San Diego, and then a good Utah team and then
go to Indiana on January fourth. So they always because
there's eighteen teams in the conference, you got to start
it a little bit earlier. So they're plugging in a
couple of games in early December. But I was looking
(20:24):
at it that five of the first seven Husky Big
Ten games are against USC, Indiana, Purdue, Michigan, and Michigan State.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Those are all ranked teams.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
The Huskies have a run when they restart Big Ten
Play Dick in January, where they go to Indiana to
Purdue and then come home and host Ohio State, Michigan
and Michigan State. That is the number twenty two, number one,
number three, and number sevent team in college basketball right now.
Speaker 9 (20:55):
And the way it works, good luck, and then net
rankings is if you can go one in four or
against those five teams.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Squad one right and look good in.
Speaker 9 (21:04):
Your four losses, you'll actually help yourself in the net
rank well.
Speaker 4 (21:09):
And last year they did not look good in those games.
They got destroyed in those games that they played. For
the most part, they got hammered by Michigan State. They
got hammered by Michigan. They got pretty clocked by Purdue.
The score doesn't indicate it, but the second half we
were there was an absolute stomping by them. They lost
by eleven to Oregon. They were all double digit losses,
(21:30):
every single one. So they just have a real kind
of front heavy schedule here, Dick where they're gonna have
a chance to show what they are. And look, I
don't know what UCLA is. They don't look great on
paper right now. USC is okay, you know, go down
to la Or I mean, you got the game here
against the Bruins tomorrow and then go there, you'll split those.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
I'd be pretty happy with that.
Speaker 7 (21:49):
I think.
Speaker 9 (21:50):
So it's just a matter we got to ask Tony
when we have them on. It's like what type of
team we're going to see on the floor, because they
have they have just been ravaged with injuries, not only
the long term injuries the front court. Now you add
Hannes Steinbach to that injury list, and it's just it's
just a completely different team.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
They're a team that struggles shooting anyway. When you don't
have bigs and you can't shoot right, that's tough.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
Where do you think you would go in this city
to get a real feel for what sports fans think?
If you wanted to go somewhere in person, would it
be a sports bar sports? Would it be a Sea
Hawk game? Would it be a Mariner game? Sounder games?
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Is sportsbook? Sports book?
Speaker 6 (22:26):
Okay?
Speaker 5 (22:27):
All right?
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Sportsbook?
Speaker 4 (22:29):
I think so absolutely head to these because like sports bar,
like I don't know, like my local sports bar, there's
a lot of casuals.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
I think a sportsbook you are finding the real intense sports.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
I don't know, man, I've been to a lot of
sports books. There's a lot of morons hanging around some
of these sports. But they're intense sports. Yeah they are,
but I don't know if they're really Like, for example,
here's the point I'm getting at. If you went to
a sports book or a sports bar or a Sea
Hawk game and said, Okay, how many people here like
to root for the Husky basketball team? Raise your hand?
Many people here know who Hanna Steinbacher. I see what
(23:02):
you're saying. How many people know who Desmond Claude is?
How many folks know who Wesley Yates is?
Speaker 7 (23:06):
Right?
Speaker 4 (23:06):
How many people know who JJ Mandequid is. I don't
think anybody knows who these guys are yet.
Speaker 9 (23:12):
Yeah, but I think you could have said the same
thing about the Husky football team for the most exactly.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
So what that's the point. The point is that they're
all flying under the radar. All these guys are flying
under the radar. I think you're exactly right. I think
that's just the era of college sports we live.
Speaker 9 (23:26):
And I think I think other than the few teams
that have stars returning, like the Huskies will have a
star quarterback return even though you didn't play like a
star a lot of this year, they have a well
known guy returning, I think college football. It's just totally
called sports now, it's totally different.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
You don't the fans do not know who anybody is
through the season.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
Yeah, but I don't agree with that if you're in
a town with a good team. I think if you
go to ann Arbor and list it off Michigan Wolverine players,
they know Purdue West Lafayette, they know Michigan State East Lansing,
they know Champagne, Illinois, they know they know who those
guys are. I think the point is that these guys
have been so bad for so long, and they've changed
their roster so much that people just don't They have
(24:09):
not been able to identify with these guys. They have
not been able to be a part of what's going
on over there because they've given them no reason to
be a part of it, right, I mean the Romar era,
the Hopkins era, now the Danny Sprinkle era. Hopefully, we
think this is a pretty talented basketball team that could
get off to a decent start.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
You know, there were the five and two or whatever
it is now.
Speaker 9 (24:29):
Yeah, I just wish they didn't have ten play that
schedule you mentioned, but early, I mean, that's brutal, It's
absolutely brutal, and they're gonna lose games because of it,
and they're gonna have fans that won't be on the
wagon because of it.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
What they need is they need to go.
Speaker 4 (24:41):
Into the Big Ten Conference play and they need to
go on like a ten to three run to really
get people fired up about this basketball team.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
And I don't think they can do that yet.
Speaker 6 (24:50):
No.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
And here's the problem.
Speaker 9 (24:52):
They're gonna lose most of their games between now and
January twenty ninth, right, which everybody's gonna be the same
old Husky Sam Old Huskies. Which is not the case,
because guess what, once February rolls around, they are going
to rifle through teams Penn State, Minnesota, Maryland, Rutgers, Wisconsin.
They got a run of crap that they're facing in February.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
But it might be too late for people to care.
Speaker 7 (25:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
I just don't have that same optimism you do, Dick.
I mean, I just don't understand how anybody can sit
here and say with any authority whatsoever that this team
is absolutely going to turn it around.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Come the end of January. What have they done to
show that. I just hope you're right.
Speaker 9 (25:30):
I just told you they were going to lose almost
every game between now and then. You said they turn things,
aren't a rifle through the big teach? Well, I think,
because can anybody say that? Well, I mean, all I
can do is read, which is which I do. I
follow that what dave. I read the recruiting rankings. I
read the I read these teams and what the type
of talent that they have and what they have coming back.
(25:50):
And the top of the Big Ten and the bottom
of the Big Ten is as big a gap in
basketball as it is in football. So it's not going
to be any different than the huh Ski football team
who could not beat Ohio State, could not be Michigan,
could not be Oregon.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
But what did they do to the bottom? They rifled
through it.
Speaker 6 (26:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
I just again, I don't know how anybody can sit
here and say with any sense of optimism, authority proclamation
that this is going to be this or this is
going to be that. Look, you can make those proclamations
if you want, and you may in the end be right.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Your predictions may be one hundred percent accurate.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
I think what we have a hard time doing sometimes
in this business, at least for me, is just saying
I don't know, dude, I don't know, and I really
don't know. I don't know what Danny Sprinkle's all about.
I don't know what his staff is all about. I
don't know if this roster can come together fast enough
to do what you're talking about doing. But you have
no idea.
Speaker 9 (26:45):
Yes, but you have seen this team play seven or
eight times, and please tell me you think it is
massively better than the roster last year.
Speaker 4 (26:52):
I might jumps off the screen. Yeah, I think it
is better than they were a year ago. But they
haven't gotten into Big ten play. Who knows what those games?
I mean, you're talking about murderers row Right of USC,
Indiana's brutal Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State. Who knows what that
will do to them? They come out and get started
getting hammered by people. I have no idea how these
(27:14):
young guys are gonna respond. I mean, he's got to
put together a group of eleven twelve new players and overnight,
he's got to make it happen.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
So look you again.
Speaker 4 (27:24):
People want to say things like that, That's totally fine.
I am just so in the dark on this basketball team,
and I'm gonna wait and see what they do. I
think they've got a lot of individual talent. There's no
question about that. They have put together a class of
players that individually they look way better than what they
had a year ago. Position for position. Absolutely, there was
(27:47):
no Steinbach on this team. A year ago, there was
no Wesley. They didn't have any of those guys last year.
But can they play together? Can they play together? I
don't know, dude, I have no idea, and I'm just
gonna sit back and I'm gonna wait until I see it.
Because I think Husky fans, I think a lot of
Husky fans. I don't want to speak for Husky fans
the sense I get. If I'm wrong, then I'm wrong,
and I apologize if I'm wrong. I think a lot
(28:09):
of Husky fans are in wait and see mode with
this basketball team. They've got to prove to a lot
of people that they're worth coming out to watch play
in fighting traffic to watch them play at seven thirty
eight o'clock on a Wednesday or Thursday night at heck Edge.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
So I hope you're right.
Speaker 4 (28:23):
I'm very hopeful because this seems like a pretty good
shot to do it. We're gonna break Tony castro Cone
coming up at six o'clock tonight on ninety three to
three KJRFM.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
This is Duke of Duke Seafood and this hour is.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Brought to you by Duke Seafood.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Why don't you make it at Duke's Night tonight. Reserve
your table today at dukeseafood dot com. Now back to
Softy and Dick on Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
All right, we got a very special guest joining us
right now on the radio show. We're gonna head to
BJS and Redman where there is a Toys for Tots
drive happening until eight o'clock tonight. I like toys toys, Yes,
I like BJS, and I like the Seahawks. Def that
did not come out right at all. I apologize, Jackson,
(29:10):
get on that. I like the restaurant and I like
the Seahawks two and we're combining the two of them
right now. Ernest Jones, Seahawks linebacker, is joining us right
now from BJYS in Redmond on ninety three to three KJRFM.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Ernest, how are you man? What's going on?
Speaker 7 (29:26):
I'm doing well?
Speaker 1 (29:27):
We go good, good good.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
Hey, I got a present for you, by the way,
before we get going here, you had your big pick
six and the game on Sunday. Have you heard that
pick six and what it sounded like on Minnesota Viking Radio.
Speaker 7 (29:42):
I love it, I have it.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Would you like to hear it right now?
Speaker 8 (29:47):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (29:47):
Let's all right.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Check this out.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
This is Paul Allen, the voice of Minnesota Viking Football,
calling your pick six Sunday against the Vikings.
Speaker 11 (29:55):
It's fourth and one snap. Roseman rolls out to the right.
He's in trouble. He's gon to pull the ball up.
Hen it's pissed off. Awful decision by Max Brosner, and
this is going to be a defensive touchdown for the
Seattle Seahawks. It's Ernest Jones stop four with the first
touchdown of his career and Seattle has taken a nine
(30:19):
zero lead. Max Brozner, falling to the field, decided to
underhand it to absolutely nobody except Ernest Jones, and he's
gonna go the distance for the first touchdown of the game.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
How about that, dude, Minnesota Viking Radio calling your pick six.
Please tell me tell me that you kept that ball
for your first touchdown of your career.
Speaker 7 (30:46):
Oh yeah, of course.
Speaker 6 (30:47):
I wasn't letting any of those those go right there.
Speaker 9 (30:51):
How do you go into a game and prepare for
a quarterback with literally no NFL regular season film?
Speaker 7 (31:00):
I'm I think you go out there and you do.
Speaker 6 (31:01):
You know, you do your best from what they've done
in the preseason, but ultimately you want to go out
there and you make them respond to you, not respond
to them, get them uncomfortable, and then just go out
there and make them make plays. And you know you'll
see what you get out of them on Sunday, but
you know beforehand there's not too much you can you
know you can get on them.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
Well, you ran about ninety yards on that play. Did
you feel like you needed a nap after that long run?
And was that the longest you've ever run during a
football game in your life?
Speaker 7 (31:27):
Man?
Speaker 6 (31:29):
Yeah, that's the longest I've ever ran in my entire
life for anything.
Speaker 7 (31:34):
Yes, definitely still need a nap today actually.
Speaker 9 (31:39):
Well, and then in the post game you mentioned you
thought you looked up at the video board and you
thought you were going to get caught, but then you
realize who it was chasing you?
Speaker 7 (31:46):
Right right?
Speaker 6 (31:48):
It was it was kind of showing up in pixels
a little bit like I only see no bodies.
Speaker 7 (31:52):
Then I get to the end on it, look behind me,
and of course it is reed out of everybody.
Speaker 4 (31:58):
I love it well. Ernest Joe juniors with us. He's
at a Toys for toch driving Bja's and Redman. We'll
talk more about that Ernest in just a second. But dude,
four picks in four years and now you have five
and one season.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
How did that happen?
Speaker 9 (32:10):
Man?
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Tell us about that.
Speaker 6 (32:14):
I just think it's just the evolution of the game,
just being you know what I'm supposed to be, just
taking my game to the next level and just having
a success now where you know, quarterbacks are trying me
in those areas and I'm coming down with the balls.
Speaker 9 (32:29):
We could see last year that the Mike McDonald defense
was going to work, it just wasn't as dominant it
was as it has been so far this year. Was
there a game either late last year earlier this year
where it just clicked for you guys? At what point
did it did you just become locked in with what
Mike McDonald's trying to do on defense.
Speaker 7 (32:52):
I think it's been if they're having it since last year.
Speaker 6 (32:54):
I mean I always say, I think what coach has
been building, you know, it took time, and I think
we're we're hitting those strides right now. And I think
it's an accumulation of all the work we put in
last year. You know, the tough losses, the tough wins
we just made this year, and know where we got
to be at and know where we got to go,
and you know, I think it's just making us better.
Speaker 7 (33:13):
Well.
Speaker 4 (33:13):
Ernest Jones Junior again is with us on the radio
show Seahawk Linebacker, and Dude, I know a lot of
people would talk about your pick sex maybe being their
favorite moment of yours for the year, and it's up there.
But Dude, I gotta tell you, man, my number one
thing that you've done this year that I love as
a fan is the way you stepped up for Sam
Darnold after that four pick game against the Rams. Can
(33:33):
you talk about why you felt it was needed to
do that and maybe tell us how Sam responded to
you having us back.
Speaker 7 (33:41):
Man, Well, I mean, I'll talk about how it's going.
Speaker 6 (33:45):
And I think from what we've built lot that locker room,
I think it was just a mutual thing. I think
in any of those guys would have been up there.
Maybe they wouldn't have used the words that I used,
but everybody would have defended Sam and in a way
that would have been you know, honorable in it such
and I think that's just what we've built. And you know,
he literally has to say much. I mean, I think
(34:06):
what's understood that doesn't need to be explained, and man
and man, I think we had that respect that he
knew that I was going to go up there and
do that, but I think it was needed. You know,
during the game, I could already could could even though
I wasn't on social media, I could see and feel
like I could hear the things that people are already saying,
and I just knew what was coming. So for me,
(34:27):
as you know, any of my teammates up there, I'm
going to defend them and.
Speaker 7 (34:30):
Be just that.
Speaker 9 (34:32):
Hawks linebacker Ernest Jones joining us on ninety three point
three KFM, I want you to talk about the guys
that are in front of you on that line, because
Softie and I off the air yesterday were debating.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
We were like, is this front.
Speaker 9 (34:43):
Four better than the one that won the Super Bowl
in twenty thirteen?
Speaker 1 (34:47):
And I mean, I don't know if it is or not.
Speaker 9 (34:49):
But just to even have that comparison and have that
conversation says a lot about what those guys up front
are doing.
Speaker 6 (34:58):
Okay, those those guys in front of Domin they take
up a lot of room and you know, offensive heads.
It makes my job easier. Of course, I got to
go out there and dominate it. Like but those guys
is they're like, I just can't say the word dominant enough.
Speaker 7 (35:13):
Man.
Speaker 6 (35:13):
What they bring to the tape, to the game, Each
and every one of them has a different aspect and
a different skill set. I'm sorry, it just combines and
it just makes them a realist for Ocean Group.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Yeah, well Ernist Jones as well us and do before
we let you go, first of all, appreciate you doing this.
So it said day off for players, and you don't
have to be there at BJ's, but you're hanging out
raising money and getting toys for a great cause, Toys
for Tots at BJ's and Redmond until eight o'clock tonight.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
What's the best toy you ever got for Christmas?
Speaker 4 (35:41):
As a kid, you remember the best the best toy
you ever got when you're growing up, you remember what
it was.
Speaker 6 (35:47):
I think it was when I was probably toiled by
that a bike, my bike. I remember that bike and
I rode it literally to the wheels fill office.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (35:56):
Well, listen, if you got any bikes you can donate
to Toys for Tots. Ernest Jones will take them at
BJ's in Redmond until eight.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
I think Chenna's down there as well.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
I heard a rumor that big old Gary Gilliams down
there as well hanging around. So have fun tonight, man,
appreciate you doing this. Go get the Falcons on Sunday
and best of luck.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
Down the road.
Speaker 7 (36:15):
Man man, Oh yeah, thank you all you.
Speaker 4 (36:17):
Bet Ernest Jones Junior with us on the radio show.
So glad that we were able to play that Paul
Allen clipped for him because he never would have been
able to hear it, and you can argue him. And
you asked about the game that turned it around. I mean,
Julian Love told us it was the bye week last
year when they came to Jesus and they had a
meeting and they said this ends now and they figured
(36:38):
everything out.
Speaker 5 (36:39):
Well.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
It also kind of coincides too with them getting Ernest
Jones from the Titans last year, where would this defense
be without that guy man so Hey, thanks to Jess
for getting him on.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
Great stuff. If you're in the area.
Speaker 4 (36:50):
Toys for Touch Drive happening until eight o'clock at BJ's
in Redmond, swing on buy and see Ernest and company there. Tonight,
all right, we're gonna break Tony castra Cohne. He's going
to join next talk some dogs football basketball tomorrow with UCLA.
Will have the game for you tomorrow night right here
on the radio station. Tony will join next on ninety
three to three KJRFM. Joining us right now on the
(37:11):
radio show. First time in a long time. He's been
ducking us all year long. He's been too busy for us, pal.
He's got the basketball game tomorrow. Just came off the
football game on Saturday. Our friend, the voice of the
Husky's Tony castro Cone, How are you, man?
Speaker 7 (37:26):
Man, you don't like not invite some of your party
and then call him out for not some to the party.
Come on, like, I would love to come on with
you guys. Morow what are you talking about? You guys
are my boy?
Speaker 4 (37:37):
Tony told me the other day you said, look, man,
I can only handle you and Dick once a year.
All right, So you just pick when you want to
come on the show or want me on, and we
shows right now because we're in between football and basketball.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
But hey, dude, before we.
Speaker 4 (37:51):
Talk some hoops and get into the weeds, on on football, man,
what'd you make of what you saw Saturday?
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Disappointing day for sure for everybody.
Speaker 7 (37:59):
Pal, Yeah, disappointing. I think missed opportunity. I think I
think they had a chance to win that game, and
I think the defense really played well enough. I mean,
consider this, they went all season long without giving up
more than twenty six points in a game. That's really unbelievable.
And that's the third that's the third best max points
(38:24):
allowed giving up in a game in the country, behind
only Ohio State and Indiana and the top two teams
in the country. And so, you know, I think we
kind of were wondering what we'd get out of Ryan
Walter's new defense and everything as he came in. I
thought they rose to the challenge and played really well.
I think it was just, you know, some missed opportunities
on offense, which you can't have against the top six
(38:47):
team in the country and still hope to beat them.
They they just missed on a few crucial plays. And
then again the turnovers. You know, I mean you look
at Michigan Wisconsin, Oregon minus seven and turnovers in those
two games, in those three games, right like, I mean,
that's that's going to be the difference right there. And yeah,
it just disappointing. But I think you got to look obviously,
(39:11):
you know, I like to look at things within the
broader perspective, and I think, man, what direction is this
program headed generally, And it's it's obviously generally headed in
the right direction six and seven in year one, eight
and four in year two. You know, we'll see what
kind of bowl game they're going to get assigned to
on Sunday. But you know, I and they got a
(39:32):
top fifteen Classic Country you guys just talking about the
receiver that flipped to Washington. I mean, I just thinkfect
of having a season next year, which is kind of
hard to leave in this era of transfer portal and
everybody moving around. But Jed likes to play really young guys,
and we're looking at the prospect of next year being
(39:55):
a team almost entirely recruited by Jed Fish because he's
going to play a lot of first and second and
third year Huskies guys that he recruited, which is kind
of unbelievable to think about. And it's gonna be I
think the program's in good hands. They're moving in the
right direction, but I think the fan base is just
(40:17):
kind of hungry to see them win one of those
marquee games. It's the shame they weren't quite able to
get over the hump in those.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
I want to talk more about that defense, because you're
exactly right.
Speaker 9 (40:26):
I mean, do you think this defense will get the
preseason hype next year that they should have gotten all
season this year? I cannot think of a unit in
the Big Ten that was better with less hype than
the Husky defense.
Speaker 7 (40:39):
Yeah, I mean, no doubt. I think that's a super
encouraging sign. And you got to remember, like how prolific
Oregon's running game was heading into this game, and that
was the one thing that they were going to ride
to come, rain or shine. They were going to run
the football and do it at an explosive clip. And
(41:00):
I think here's like, I don't know, like maybe just
a glimpse into the future when you talk about how
football is won and lost at the line of scrimmage,
Washington had the better running game to Oregon. And even
when you know, even when Washington was you know, they
had Michael Pennix a quarterback and all that stuff, I
don't know that you really felt like Washington was going
(41:23):
to go in there and outrun Jordan James and all
those guys. Like, I mean, I just think that they
went up against an Oregon offense to average six point
one three yards per carrie, the third best in the country,
and they held them to under three yards to carry.
That's an extraordinary feed. And then on the flip side
of the ball, Jonah Cooleman clearly hampered. You have to
(41:45):
go with your number two guy who runs for one
hundred yards against Oregon. Like I mean, I'm just extraordinarily
I know the question was about defense. I'm extraordinarily encouraged
by how they were able to hang in the trenches
against an Oregon team that like that's supposed to be
where they're gonna outclass us, right, Like I thought, I
(42:09):
thought that there were a lot of really positive signs
and but yeah, you're right about the defense. I mean,
I thought the defense really the one thing. The next
step for them is going to be more havoc plays.
You know, that's the one thing that they didn't quite
have at an elite level of this year is ability
to turn over the football and create the havoc plays. Obviously,
(42:32):
they played a lot of teams that were not going to,
like have the traditional dropbacks style, so like you can
still have havoc plays with tackles for loss, right, they
didn't have a ton of those this year, But fortifying
the front, not giving up the big play over the top,
which the secondary did a great job of. I just
thought Ryan Walters came in. I think he had to
(42:54):
tweak his scheme as the year went on. I think
we're expecting to see much of five down line fronts.
And I just thought, you know, as they had to
deal with their injury issues and everything, they did an
unbelievable job of coaching up these guys to have a
really really strong defense.
Speaker 1 (43:09):
Yeah, one hundred and twentieth in TFLs.
Speaker 4 (43:12):
Like you said, so there definitely is room for improvement
on a pretty good defense already. But Tony Kasher comes
with us, and look, I mean now we can talk
about going shopping, right, I mean they just went shopping
today and got a new wide receiver who was committed
to Baylor and he flipped and went to U dub
I mean, we know that he did great things in
the portal a year ago. So when Jed Fish grabs
that shopping cart and heads down Aisle four, what's he
(43:33):
looking for?
Speaker 1 (43:33):
You think?
Speaker 7 (43:36):
Yeah, you know what, that's that's a good question. I'm
not sure I've put a ton of thought into that.
You know, I've kind of been looking back on this
year a little a little bit right now, and I
think it's a it's a compelling question. I mean, I
think my first guess on defense would have been, like,
let's let's look at the inside linebacker position. But then
(43:56):
I think you got some really good signs out of
like Randy sala As your along. You know, I think
there's still is there still an idea as to whether
or not Buddha can come back next year? I mean,
is that still hanging out there? You know? I don't know.
I think that they're looking pretty good on the on
the defensive side of the ball. I'm sure there's going
to be some opportunities to to get a little bit deeper,
(44:20):
but I think that's kind of the next step too,
right is depth? You know injuries are going to creep
out this year goes along. I thought they got really
creative with what they did on the offensive line. The
line clearly, I think was the most improved unit on
the team. But but now you want to get deeper
too to be able to handle the injuries. So you know,
there's not going to jump to me right away to
(44:41):
answer my question. Is like the piece you absolutely need,
but you're gonna need depths all over the team, and
I'm sure they're gonna be putting that to you together
a little bit stronger.
Speaker 9 (44:50):
Tony, A lot of us, definitely including me, got caught
up in the demand hype at the beginning of the season,
and what does he need to do to go from
a guy that we hope will be a Heisman contender
to a guy that's actually a Heisman contender.
Speaker 7 (45:07):
You know, it's a good question, and I think it's
gonna be a collaborative team unit where you know, he's
clearly Jed Fish's guy, right and Jed has anointed him.
This is Damon's team. He said that very clearly. He
made he pulled no punches on saying what he thought
Demon could accomplish in his career. And I think Jed
(45:31):
is a guy that's been really good if you look
back over the course of his career of like, Okay,
here's here's what we've got, and let's build the team
to these sets of strengths and weaknesses and then maximize
the potential from there. And so now that Demand has
one full year under his belt of running the team,
now I think, you know, he and Jed are gonna
(45:55):
you know, sync up on Not only is Jed going
to coach him up on the areas where he needs
to improve, it's you know, clearly he just missed on
a few throws at times, you know, decision making as
to when to hang in the pocket and when the bail,
taking a little bit better care of the football and
some crucial situations. But then Jet is also going to
have the opportunity to decide, you know, how do I
(46:17):
better position him in certain things? Right? And like you know,
whether or not he's able to see certain defensive coverages,
can I put him in a better position there? And
so you know, I think it's going to be a
team effort. Yeah, and I think they're going to do it.
I mean, I you know, clearly he's who Jetfish wants
running this team, and he showed extraordinary talent this year,
(46:40):
so I think the Dogs aren't get hand offensively.
Speaker 4 (46:42):
Yeah, the same with Buddha. Tony, I don't know. I mean,
he would get a red shirt year. I would assume
he only played in three games this season, got hurt
in the Cougar game, right the Apple Cups, so he
would have I think two more years left. I mean,
obviously the injury, We'll see what happens next year. But man,
you get him and Manu back together next year, that'd
be pretty That'd be pretty awesome to get those two
guys playing so basketball tomorrow. I mean, this wacky world
(47:03):
we live in where Big ten plays starts in twenty
six hours against you CLA and then going to USC
and then coming back for four non con games before
you head to the Midwest and take on Indiana and produce.
So Dick and I were kind of debating about this team,
and I like Tony, I just don't know, man, I'm
just in a pure weight and see mode with this
(47:24):
basketball team. What's what's kind of your take and what
you've seen after the first seven eight games of the year.
Speaker 7 (47:31):
So I love this team and they're five and two start,
to me has been explained and defined by what in
my nine years at Washington has been unprecedented injuries on
a basketball team. Like I've never seen a team this
injured at the same time, this many guys banged up.
(47:52):
You know, I'm doing the game at Washington State and
Hannes Steinbach rolled his ankle. He comes out of the ballgame,
and I'm looking over at that bench and I'm like,
here's who the Huskies have injured right now. They have
a McDonald's All American, a potential lottery pick, an Honorable
Mention All Big Ten last year at USC, the A
(48:15):
Sun Player of the Year, and one of the top
five JUCO players in the country. That's five guys that
could win twenty games together. And that's who you don't
have access to. And you're still going out there and
starting five and two. Now you could say, oh, Southern,
that's you know, closer than it should have been, or
(48:36):
missed opportunity against Colorado, Like I think that Colorado game
was like a classic bike I looked at Jason at
the under sixteen time out in the first half and
I was like, we're in trouble today. Matchup wise, like
with you don't have Steinbach, you don't have Agnasadaki, you
don't have all these other bigs that you recruited, Like
that was a bad matchup. A front court that goes
six ten, six eleven, seven foot, all athletic, all play
(49:00):
Euro style, like that was a bad matchup. I think
Washington with Danny Sprinkle, who is a chip on the
shoulder kind of guy, has recruited a bunch of chip
on the shoulder kind of guys who are hungry to win.
There is no doubt in my mind that once these
guys get healthy, they are going to be one of
the toughest outs in the entire Big Ten Conference. The
(49:23):
real concern I have is because they're all, you know,
banged up and everything, like how comfortable? How quickly can
they get comfortable playing together? That's really the question, because
all that's been disrupted here early in the season.
Speaker 1 (49:39):
Well, then give us an injury update.
Speaker 9 (49:41):
Let's start with Steinbach and then the rest of the
guys you talked about. When do you think we'll get
those guys back?
Speaker 7 (49:48):
It sounds like there's a chance he could play a
little bit on Wednesday, which would be great. I mean,
you're going to need him in the front court. You know,
it's probably not gonna get one hundred percent, but it
sounds like he'll be a game time decision. Brighton Tucker
still might be a game or two out, you know,
still dealing with the ankle injury that was suffered against
(50:12):
I think it was Baylor when he went down, and
that was a tough one to see because I think
he was gonna be one of my favorite players on
the team. But again, it's an ankle sprain. He'll be
ready when he's ready, but it might be a week
or so still away. And then I think, you know,
jacobng mouss of it, they're still looking at him as
(50:33):
rejoining the team in January, you know, I mean he's
still out there, his boot is off. That's great news.
We're talking about a guy that averaged twenty points and
eight rebounds a year ago and was shooting forty percent
from three. So like you're talking about a guy that
instantly changes, you know, a team with what he brings
to the front court. So if they're able to get
him back in January, which I think you look at
(50:55):
red shirting him or gray shirting him, I think you
need him for your front court depth. It looks to
me when you're playing in the Big ten. You know,
Christian nietzschu is going to red shirt this year. It
sounds like so like that's that's kind of where you're at.
You know, Maddie Trey war is out for the season,
so you know, when you're looking at your big you
(51:16):
probably need Agnosivic back and you really need to sign
back back as soon as possible. But you know, I
still think like there's a lot of guts to this
team and a lot of talent that's going to be
out there on the floor, and there's still plans to
be well despite the fact that they're banged up. So
excited for this weekend against Big ten teams.
Speaker 4 (51:38):
Now, no doubt seven thirty pre game, eight o'clock tip tomorrow.
We're gonna hear your voice twice in two nights on
this radio station, which I want to get used to that.
Let's do it every night, man, Okay, don't be a stranger.
We'll talk sooner, right buddy, All right? Sounds good, Tony
kashtra code. I'm just curious as to whose team this is?
Speaker 1 (51:56):
Whose team is this?
Speaker 7 (51:58):
Right?
Speaker 4 (51:58):
Like when Isaiah Thomas was here, Isaiah Brandon Roy Brandon Roy, right,
even John Brockman. Brockman, whose team is this? Is this
Wesley Yates's team? Is it Zoom's team? Is it Hanna
Steinbach's team? I mean, can you have a big man,
a European guy. I don't even talked to him. Does
he speak English? I got no idea what his deal is?
Whose team is?
Speaker 1 (52:19):
When he's on the floor, he is the best player,
right for both teams?
Speaker 7 (52:24):
Yeah?
Speaker 9 (52:25):
Yeah, So, I mean I don't know if that translates
into a young guy like that being a leader of
the team. I would imagine it would default to maybe
a Claude or a Yeats, a guy that's played much
more college basketball than he has. But he's the best
player on the floor, and Maniquit has a just a
natural leadership vibe around him, even though he's still very
(52:45):
very young.
Speaker 4 (52:46):
Tea.
Speaker 1 (52:47):
Yeah exactly. I just don't know whose team this is.
Speaker 4 (52:50):
And I think that's not a bad thing that they've
got options, right, I Mean, it's not like we're saying, God,
there's nobody here on this team who could step up
and be the best player and be the guy in
the clutch that you want the basketball that's it's kind
of the silver lining to all of this, but it's
also potentially a nightmare managing all of these individuals. And
(53:10):
I don't know what their egos are, like, I have
no idea, right, I mean, Tony would know, Jason would know.
They're sitting there, they're traveling with these guys, they're hanging
out behind the scenes. But you got a bunch of dudes.
I mean you look at all these players, Marin, and
all of them have accolades, all of them, and all
of them came from a spot where they were the
number one guy. Somebody somewhere is going to have to
(53:32):
take a back seat. How does he handle that as
a coach?
Speaker 9 (53:34):
No, that's right, And I think that's one of the
reasons why I was so optimistic when I spoke earlier
about this team, about them, I think they, I said,
rifle through the end of that schedule. Well, one of
the reasons I'm so optimistic that they'll rifle through the
end of the schedule is because most of these guys
are going to be back by the end of the year,
and you're going to be a massively better.
Speaker 1 (53:54):
Team in February than you are right now.
Speaker 9 (53:55):
Not only with the health, but also just that they've
played together and they've been through the battles through the
month of January, which is going to be a bear.
Speaker 1 (54:03):
The month of January is going to be so tough
for this team.
This is Duke of Duke Seafood.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Lady, you know that this hour of Softian Dick on
your home for the Huskies and Kraken is probably brought
to you by Duke Seafood. Why not make it at
Duke's night tonight. Reserve your table today at Dukeseafood dot com.
On Sports Radio ninety three point three KJARFM.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
It's time for our weekly Pac twelve conversation with Senose
a Mercury News reporter John Wilner, brought to you by
Simply Seattle. Our friends at simply Seattle dot com have
the most amazing collection of all things Seattle Seahawks gear.
UW had some the largest selection of Sonics gear anywhere
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Speaker 4 (00:38):
I'm looking at simply Sattle dot com. They got a
great deal going on right now with their simply Good campaign.
You get a hoodie for twenty five dollars and they
have like twenty different styles. You can pick one for
twenty five bucks and part of that donation goes back
to Fred Hutch By the way, so a great thing
that Jamie and our friends at simply Seattle have done
every single year you can always use code AJR fifteen
(01:01):
for fifteen percent off anything on the website. Okay, your
holiday shopping done, man, Whether your kids are Sounder fans,
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Speaker 1 (01:19):
Here he is the pope of the pack, the big
ten baron.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
He's on a five game win streak, by the way,
now after getting you Oregon minus the six and a
half against you doub He's ten and four on the
air this year.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
He's Johnny Wilner and he's with us. Now, how are you, man?
Speaker 5 (01:35):
I'm good?
Speaker 6 (01:36):
Thanks?
Speaker 1 (01:36):
How you guys? Pretty good?
Speaker 7 (01:37):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (01:38):
Bummed out about what happened on Saturday, but not a
surprise at Husky Stadium. I know you picked Oregon to cover,
and I gotta be honest with you, man, I think
Oregon's good. I don't think they're that good, and maybe
college football just isn't that good. But I did not
see I think an elite football team in the Oregon
Ducks on Saturday.
Speaker 7 (01:55):
How about you?
Speaker 8 (01:57):
No, I think that they have, for the most part
in very good, but not elite this season.
Speaker 5 (02:02):
Now. I think some of it has to especially the
last few weeks.
Speaker 8 (02:06):
They're out missing their top two receivers, so that does
have an impact on the passing game.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
But they are not playing like.
Speaker 8 (02:14):
They were playing last November and when they went into
the playoff as the you know, the favorite. Really but
I'm not sure that they're in a worse position because
you don't want to be peeking too early, and I
think that it's possible. Dan Landing learned that lesson the
hard way last year and and so we'll see if
they can, you know, up their game in December. But
(02:38):
they are not nearly as overpowering as they were a
year ago.
Speaker 9 (02:43):
John Again, Husky fans, including myself, not thrilled with the
play calling from Jed Fish. I mean, the passing game
was miserable, to say the least, particularly on first down,
where they were two of eight with two sacks and
two interceptions every time they threw the ball on first down.
I don't think and Softie's asked Jed the question. It
(03:05):
was a while ago, but he's asked in the question,
would he, by the way, at the beginning of the season,
right or in the middle the middle of the year,
when you've ever relinquished play calling duties. His answer was no.
But how about a different question for you? Should Jedfish
be willing to relinquish his play calling?
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Dude?
Speaker 9 (03:21):
This is especially when a guy, Hey, look who's on
the market, Jonathan Smith is out there on the market.
Speaker 5 (03:26):
What do you think I think he should be willing
to consider it?
Speaker 8 (03:31):
You know, the end of the season, everybody does his
self scout, and I would say that Jed Fish should
give it some serious thought.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
I don't know that I think he has to.
Speaker 8 (03:41):
I think what he's got to do is recruit better
offensive linemen. I think that's a big problem for them.
And it's it's fine their offensive line and their skill players.
It's fine against Minnesota and Illinois. It is not good
enough to beat the best teams in the Big Ten.
And I don't care who's calling the plays. You know,
(04:02):
you get at Bill Wall's calling the plays. If your
offensive line is not that good, there's only so much
you're gonna be able to do against the really good opponents.
Speaker 6 (04:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
Yeah, four sacks, six TfL is allowed against the Ducks
on Saturday, So what's the situation? Can you explain to
people this situation with the Bulls man, because you still
have all this and connection to the old Pack twelve.
I don't know how excited, honestly, guys, Husky fans are
for a ball game, right if you're not in the
college football playoff, then okay, whatever, But what is the
(04:33):
thing to be.
Speaker 7 (04:36):
To know?
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Excuse me about this ball schedule as it sits right now?
Speaker 8 (04:40):
Well, basically, the legacy the twelve legacy Pac twelve teams
are tied to the same bowls that they were when
they were together in the conference, which means, in order,
the Alamo, Las Vegas, Holiday Sun, and La Bulls and
then there's a couple of other options below LA.
Speaker 5 (05:04):
So that's the deal.
Speaker 8 (05:05):
They didn't The only other option would have been to
reconfigure the bowl arrangements for the ACC and the Big
Ten and the Big twelve, and they just thought it
was easier to keep those teams tied to the PAC
twelves games. This is supposed to be the last year
of it, but if they don't change the CFP for
(05:26):
next season, if it stays at twelve, we may have
this arrangement one more year.
Speaker 9 (05:30):
Wow, all right, Saftie and I are largely in agreement.
When it comes to non playoff bowl games. They're pretty
worthless and they're just like, they're all the same. I
would make one exception, though, and I think I hold
still the Holiday Bowl in much higher regard than I
hold all the rest of the non CFP bowl games.
(05:51):
And the Huskies could get there, as it looks like
it's one of the two places. What are the chances
do you think that the Huskies do land at the
Holiday Bowl?
Speaker 1 (05:57):
And what needs to happen.
Speaker 8 (05:59):
Less than fifty uh maybe thirty forty. I think it's
you know, the Huskies are not going to El Paso, right,
and the Bulls do not like repeats. So to me,
it's either the Holiday picks either Washington or Arizona. And
if the Holiday picks Arizona, Washington's gonna end up at
(06:20):
the La Bowl against the Mountain West Roona. I think
that the Holiday would probably lean toward Arizona.
Speaker 5 (06:28):
They are hot, they have nine wins, they are ranked
eighteenth in the New CFP. It's a close.
Speaker 8 (06:34):
You know, it's an easy flight, decent drive for Arizona
fans for ticket sales, that's my guest, But I don't know.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Yeah, I mean, the Holiday Ball is now on January second,
by the way, and it's played at the end at
the San Diego State Aztec Stadium snap Dragon Stadium.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
So I don't know.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
I'm gonna agree with Dick that the Holiday Bawl just
the the allure of the Holiday Bowl. The name Holiday
Bowl means a lot more than the other games. But
I just think that twelve game playoff has just kind
of ruined the Bull season for a lot of teams
out there, and yeah, Washington's probably one of them. But hey,
let's talk about some coaching things that came up today.
Kialate Sataki staying at BYU turning down Penn State.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
He's LDS, He's Mormon. Is that right, Sataki?
Speaker 5 (07:19):
I believe so. Yes, he's perfect.
Speaker 8 (07:20):
Py's perfect for him, right, And he's perfect for PYU,
And I think that was the smart move.
Speaker 5 (07:26):
It would have been a bad deal for him at
Penn State.
Speaker 8 (07:29):
Some coaches just fit really well at certain places and
nowhere else.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
And he's perfect for BYU.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Well where does Penn State go?
Speaker 7 (07:36):
Now?
Speaker 5 (07:37):
Boy good? I think they got to start over.
Speaker 8 (07:40):
I mean, what they should do is try to go
get Matt Campbell from Iowa. State, right, he has not
left Iowa State. He's been a one in man for years.
The guy's a phenomenal coach. You win inight or nine
games all the time at Iowa State, You're doing something right.
I don't know why they didn't go after him hard
early on, but they boy, they are having a time
(08:01):
finding a coach, and you wouldn't expect that.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
It's Penn State. But that's my.
Speaker 8 (08:05):
Guess, is that maybe they try to lure Matt Campbell
out of Ames.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Are you surprised at all?
Speaker 9 (08:11):
The college football playoff rankings just came out in the
last hour and Old Miss was not negatively affected by
Lane Kiffin leaving, unlike what we saw with Florida State
and Jordan Travis. So evidently a quarterbacks more important than
a head coach as far as rankings go. Were you
surprised that Old Miss wasn't docked with without having their
head coach the rest of the season.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
No, I wasn't.
Speaker 8 (08:34):
I mean, I was a little surprised that they moved up,
but not that they kind of held their ground. There's
one big difference though, between Ole Miss and Florida State,
and that is that the committee got to see Florida
State play without Jordan Travis through and Florida State did
not look good. They don't They aren't going to have
a data point to judge oh Miss without Kiffin, so
(08:58):
that could help the rebels. I think it also might
help that Kiffin basically released Charlie West Junior from his
LSU duties to go back to Ole Miss to be
the offensive coordinator through the playoffs, right to provide some continuity,
and that could also have impacted the committee's decision.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Yeah, well, I think what the committee did to Florida
State last year was disgraceful, to be honest with you.
I mean, imagine the NFL. You know what, you guys
aren't playing very well right now. We don't think you'll
do well in the playoffs, so you can't go. Somebody
else can take your spot.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
I mean, it's just the.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
Body of work. Whatever happened to the body of work.
But John Wilder is with us on the air. You
want to weigh in, by the way and the lane
Kiffin think, I know it's an sec deal, but it's
the biggest story in college football with him leaving Ole
Miss early a playoff team to go be the head
coach at LSU. He's taken crap from a lot of people.
Some folks are defending him. Where do you fall in
the Lane Kiffin story?
Speaker 5 (09:53):
Man, A couple things real quick.
Speaker 8 (09:55):
One, nobody should be surprised he's the worst. He's like
the guy in sign filled the Bad Breaker upper right.
He is this was this was it was going.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
To be ugly.
Speaker 8 (10:08):
Uh, the moment he got hired by old Miss, the breakup.
Speaker 5 (10:11):
Was going to be bad.
Speaker 8 (10:12):
But the other thing that has struck me more than
anything else is that is the ESPN conflict of interest. Right,
You've got those guys on on game Day, the most
influential college football show there is. They're all saying, oh,
Ole Miss should let him stay and coach him in
the playoff while he's employed by a rival school and
can recruit those players. Yes, and yet and and the
(10:35):
thing is, who's linkaps agent? Jimmy Sexton, who's Nick Saban's agent,
Jimmy Sexton, K kurb Street, Jimmy second Right, They're all compromised,
and yet they're out there on that platform, and it's
I think it's a problem for college for college football.
Speaker 5 (10:50):
But that's my other thought.
Speaker 9 (10:52):
You also mentioned that the academic calendar is a problem
for college football. Yeah, we explain that to us and
and what needs to change so we don't have coach
is leaving CFP teams before they play in the CFP.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
Well, see, that's the thing. I don't think it can change.
Speaker 8 (11:06):
But the point that a lot of people, you know,
I saw a lot of stuff like dan Orlowski and
some other guys on there just ripping the college football calendar.
And it's like, the reason the college football calendar is
the way it is is because a school, because.
Speaker 5 (11:19):
They have to The players have to enroll at.
Speaker 8 (11:23):
Their new schools in January when the semester starts, so
you have to if they're going to transfer, they have
to do it before the semester at their new school.
Speaker 5 (11:33):
That's the problem.
Speaker 8 (11:35):
They can't just pick up and go from one college
to another college in the middle of February. The higher
education doesn't allow for that. So unless there's only two options, really,
which is you move the entire football calendar up, which
I think they should do, You play the National championship
at the Rose Bowl every year. Then you start what
(11:57):
is effectively free agency and coaching changes, and the kids
can get where.
Speaker 5 (12:01):
They want to go. In time to enroll in January.
Speaker 8 (12:04):
The other option is you move the transfer portal till May,
but that has been proposed and was shot down by
almost everybody.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Well, there's a third option, John, and that's let football
players enroll when they want.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
They're not regular students. Why treat it well regular students?
Speaker 8 (12:22):
That's that is a bridge that the university presidents, and
I'm not disagreeing with you at all. The university presidents
are not willing to go there yet. Maybe in a
couple of years, but not right now.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
What do you think of the Beams getting JaMarcus Shepard?
How do you think he'll do down there?
Speaker 8 (12:39):
I think it depends on who he hires as his coordinators,
and it depends on how much NIL and revenue sharing
the Beavers can muster. I mean, kids will want to
play for him, but they're going to want their dollars more.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
And if they don't have enough ANIL and rev.
Speaker 8 (12:55):
Share to compete with c Diego State and Boise State,
I think he's gonna have a hard time.
Speaker 9 (13:01):
What about the same question for Bob Chesney at UCLA
is at an unfixable situation in their current state?
Speaker 8 (13:08):
No, I don't think it is I'm just not sure
that Bob Chesney is the right guy. I mean, they're
banking on the fact that because because Kirk Signetti wonted
JMU and went to Indiana is doing great, that Bob Chesney,
who won at JMU, can go to UCLA and essentially
be Signetti two point zero.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
And I don't know that that's the case.
Speaker 8 (13:26):
They are two different coaches, and Signetti had a much
bigger body of work, and by the way, he had
also worked for Nick Saban.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
Chesney does not have that, so I'm a little skeptical.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
Actually, well, they had both schools in the Bay area
where you live, John and John Wilner again with us
courtesy is simply Seattle dot com have new coaches. Tavita Pritchard,
who's from Tacoma Clover Park, is that right, is the
new coach at Stanford. And then reports out that Toash
Lapoy is going to get the cal job, which ten
years ago, Tosh Lapoy would have been like kryptonite.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
Nobody would have hired him to be ahead to college football.
And now that you can pay guys, it's not a
big deal. So who's getting the better? The better higher
in your mind Tosh Lapoy at Cal or to Vita
Princhard and Stanford.
Speaker 8 (14:10):
Uh yeah, they are finalizing the deal with Loup Boy.
You know it's interesting there, there's the whole thing is
so similar. You've got a GM who's a legend at
the schools, Andrew Luck at Stanford, Ron rivera Cal hiring
former players from the schools.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
Uh.
Speaker 8 (14:27):
You know, I would say I think Pritchard might have
a better chance because Stanford has got so much money.
Speaker 5 (14:34):
That if they just put have the willpower to win,
they can win CAL.
Speaker 8 (14:39):
The challenges are a little bit steeper, but for both
of them, there's a great opportunity in the ACC, right,
I mean, given where Florida State and Clemson are right now,
you look at the the ACC. The top of the
a SEC is Virginia Duke and Georgia Tech. Right, it's
like the revenge of the SAT scores. I think James
James Franklin, you know, he's got to be salivating in
(15:00):
Virginia Technic and I can go in there and win
this league.
Speaker 7 (15:03):
John.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
That leads me perfectly to my next question.
Speaker 9 (15:05):
I'm watching the college football playoffs and they're saving two
spots for conferences that have no teams that should be
in the.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
College football playoffs.
Speaker 9 (15:16):
Meanwhile, teams like Miami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas, all teams
that are far better than any school in those other
two conferences, are not going to make it because of that.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
How long do we have to deal with this nonsense?
Speaker 6 (15:31):
Jick?
Speaker 5 (15:31):
Did you root against Butler and March madness?
Speaker 7 (15:33):
No?
Speaker 1 (15:34):
I didn't root against Butler much.
Speaker 5 (15:35):
Okay, because it's kind of the same thing.
Speaker 8 (15:38):
You want to have access for the little guys, right,
So the funny thing.
Speaker 5 (15:43):
Is, right, Duke's got five losses. If they win the
ACC championship.
Speaker 8 (15:47):
They may not get into the playoff, and you could
have two group of five teams, the American winner and
the Sun Belt winner in the playoff and nobody from
the ACC, which would be the ultimate humiliation.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
But they have to have.
Speaker 8 (16:03):
Spot access for a group of five or else a
group of five is going to sue their pants off.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
Well, upsets and Cinderella runs are a lot more likely
in basketball than they are in football.
Speaker 5 (16:14):
They are Oh, I totally.
Speaker 8 (16:15):
Agree, I totally agree, But they have to they have
to have access for everybody.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
All right, John, Before you go, here we go, man,
you have put together one hell of a season, buddy.
I mean, I think a lot of folks are wondering
why the hell you're wasting your time writing about college
football when you should be betting on college football.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Ten and four on the air. You've won five games
in a row.
Speaker 4 (16:39):
You got a shot to wrap up the regular season
before the ball games of the playoff. Eleven and four
over fifteen weeks. So Wendelorean is back on the proper
path that he's taken. Names on the way to Valhalla.
Johnny Wilder, who do you like to go eleven to
four on the air.
Speaker 8 (16:58):
Yeah, it's kind of a tough we I am gonna
go with Indiana because I just think the Big ten
Gate Championship means a lot more in Indiana. Ohio State
just won the game that mattered most to them, and
now they got their sites set on another national championship Indiana.
Speaker 5 (17:16):
I don't know the.
Speaker 8 (17:17):
Last time that Indiana won the Big Ten Championship, right,
it's probably pre war.
Speaker 5 (17:21):
So I just think that they are gonna play all
out to win that game.
Speaker 8 (17:25):
And I am not convinced that Ryan Day is going
to do everything it takes to win the Big Ten Championship.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
You know that they their national title or bust.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Nineteen sixty seven. That was the last I was negative six.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
Well, good, good and so.
Speaker 9 (17:42):
And the time before that was the War nineteen forty five.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
Yeah, I think Kurt Signetti was like forty eight years
old back in nineteen sixty seven. All right, so we're
gonna take Indiana plus the four and a half against
Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. All right, man, John,
great stuff, and we will talk a week. Buddy, appreciate it, Pal,
thanks a lot. All right, Hell, have a run for him.
Ten and four on the air so far this year.
(18:06):
This is why you listen to this radio show. Never
mind Picking the Locks or whatever the hell that show
is on Friday. This is where you gotta come. You
want handicapping advice right here with John Wilner ten and four.
My god, and he likes Indiana plus the points and
good reasoning too, is exactly right.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
This game means way more to India.
Speaker 9 (18:25):
I have not been this blah about a number one
versus number two college football tame man. I can't even
remember because it doesn't matter.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
What's funny.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
I don't think either team would even want to play
the game. I think they would say just skip it.
I mean, this would you want.
Speaker 9 (18:42):
To show if you've got to potentially play him in
two in three weeks, four weeks in a national championship game.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
It's not even that that's part of it too, but
I mean getting guys hurt before the playoff. Absolutely, that's
the point of this. You imagine Mendoza goes down. How
about Julian saying, or Bo Jackson or anybody? My god, Alright,
we're gonna break. We got a lot more to get to.
Tony castro Cone's gonna join us in the six pm hour.
He is on the call for uw CLA tomorrow, Husky
(19:08):
start Big ten playing hoops. We get to that coming
up on ninety three three KJRFM.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
This is Duke of Duke Seafood and this hour is
brought to you by Duke Seafood. Why don't you make
it a Duke's Night tonight. Reserve your table today at
dukeseafood dot com. Now back to Softy and Dick on
Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM.
Speaker 10 (19:28):
There's the Lord Now color ten two o six two
eight six to win your way to a CML cracking
game from your home for the Kraken Sports Radio ninety
three point three KJR FM.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
That's right, maybe tenth color right now wins a pair
of seats for the December tenth game against the LA Kings.
By the way, I was just looking at the Husky
basketball schedule because they play Ucla tomorrow. I don't think
a lot of people realize the Big Ten Play starts
tomorrow for you. Normally Big Ten play conference play would
always start in January. But the way this whole thing
(20:04):
is set up, they got Ucla at home tomorrow, at
USC on Saturday, then they play Southern Utah, Seattle, U
San Diego, and then a good Utah team and then
go to Indiana on January fourth. So they always because
there's eighteen teams in the conference, you got to start
it a little bit earlier. So they're plugging in a
couple of games in early December. But I was looking
(20:24):
at it that five of the first seven Husky Big
Ten games are against USC, Indiana, Purdue, Michigan, and Michigan State.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Those are all ranked teams.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
The Huskies have a run when they restart Big Ten
Play Dick in January, where they go to Indiana to
Purdue and then come home and host Ohio State, Michigan
and Michigan State. That is the number twenty two, number one,
number three, and number sevent team in college basketball right now.
Speaker 9 (20:55):
And the way it works, good luck, and then net
rankings is if you can go one in four or
against those five teams.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Squad one right and look good in.
Speaker 9 (21:04):
Your four losses, you'll actually help yourself in the net
rank well.
Speaker 4 (21:09):
And last year they did not look good in those games.
They got destroyed in those games that they played. For
the most part, they got hammered by Michigan State. They
got hammered by Michigan. They got pretty clocked by Purdue.
The score doesn't indicate it, but the second half we
were there was an absolute stomping by them. They lost
by eleven to Oregon. They were all double digit losses,
(21:30):
every single one. So they just have a real kind
of front heavy schedule here, Dick where they're gonna have
a chance to show what they are. And look, I
don't know what UCLA is. They don't look great on
paper right now. USC is okay, you know, go down
to la Or I mean, you got the game here
against the Bruins tomorrow and then go there, you'll split those.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
I'd be pretty happy with that.
Speaker 7 (21:49):
I think.
Speaker 9 (21:50):
So it's just a matter we got to ask Tony
when we have them on. It's like what type of
team we're going to see on the floor, because they
have they have just been ravaged with injuries, not only
the long term injuries the front court. Now you add
Hannes Steinbach to that injury list, and it's just it's
just a completely different team.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
They're a team that struggles shooting anyway. When you don't
have bigs and you can't shoot right, that's tough.
Speaker 4 (22:11):
Where do you think you would go in this city
to get a real feel for what sports fans think?
If you wanted to go somewhere in person, would it
be a sports bar sports? Would it be a Sea
Hawk game? Would it be a Mariner game? Sounder games?
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Is sportsbook? Sports book?
Speaker 6 (22:26):
Okay?
Speaker 5 (22:27):
All right?
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Sportsbook?
Speaker 4 (22:29):
I think so absolutely head to these because like sports bar,
like I don't know, like my local sports bar, there's
a lot of casuals.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
I think a sportsbook you are finding the real intense sports.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
I don't know, man, I've been to a lot of
sports books. There's a lot of morons hanging around some
of these sports. But they're intense sports. Yeah they are,
but I don't know if they're really Like, for example,
here's the point I'm getting at. If you went to
a sports book or a sports bar or a Sea
Hawk game and said, Okay, how many people here like
to root for the Husky basketball team? Raise your hand?
Many people here know who Hanna Steinbacher. I see what
(23:02):
you're saying. How many people know who Desmond Claude is?
How many folks know who Wesley Yates is?
Speaker 7 (23:06):
Right?
Speaker 4 (23:06):
How many people know who JJ Mandequid is. I don't
think anybody knows who these guys are yet.
Speaker 9 (23:12):
Yeah, but I think you could have said the same
thing about the Husky football team for the most exactly.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
So what that's the point. The point is that they're
all flying under the radar. All these guys are flying
under the radar. I think you're exactly right. I think
that's just the era of college sports we live.
Speaker 9 (23:26):
And I think I think other than the few teams
that have stars returning, like the Huskies will have a
star quarterback return even though you didn't play like a
star a lot of this year, they have a well
known guy returning, I think college football. It's just totally
called sports now, it's totally different.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
You don't the fans do not know who anybody is
through the season.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
Yeah, but I don't agree with that if you're in
a town with a good team. I think if you
go to ann Arbor and list it off Michigan Wolverine players,
they know Purdue West Lafayette, they know Michigan State East Lansing,
they know Champagne, Illinois, they know they know who those
guys are. I think the point is that these guys
have been so bad for so long, and they've changed
their roster so much that people just don't They have
(24:09):
not been able to identify with these guys. They have
not been able to be a part of what's going
on over there because they've given them no reason to
be a part of it, right, I mean the Romar era,
the Hopkins era, now the Danny Sprinkle era. Hopefully, we
think this is a pretty talented basketball team that could
get off to a decent start.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
You know, there were the five and two or whatever
it is now.
Speaker 9 (24:29):
Yeah, I just wish they didn't have ten play that
schedule you mentioned, but early, I mean, that's brutal, It's
absolutely brutal, and they're gonna lose games because of it,
and they're gonna have fans that won't be on the
wagon because of it.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
What they need is they need to go.
Speaker 4 (24:41):
Into the Big Ten Conference play and they need to
go on like a ten to three run to really
get people fired up about this basketball team.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
And I don't think they can do that yet.
Speaker 6 (24:50):
No.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
And here's the problem.
Speaker 9 (24:52):
They're gonna lose most of their games between now and
January twenty ninth, right, which everybody's gonna be the same
old Husky Sam Old Huskies. Which is not the case,
because guess what, once February rolls around, they are going
to rifle through teams Penn State, Minnesota, Maryland, Rutgers, Wisconsin.
They got a run of crap that they're facing in February.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
But it might be too late for people to care.
Speaker 7 (25:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
I just don't have that same optimism you do, Dick.
I mean, I just don't understand how anybody can sit
here and say with any authority whatsoever that this team
is absolutely going to turn it around.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
Come the end of January. What have they done to
show that. I just hope you're right.
Speaker 9 (25:30):
I just told you they were going to lose almost
every game between now and then. You said they turn things,
aren't a rifle through the big teach? Well, I think,
because can anybody say that? Well, I mean, all I
can do is read, which is which I do. I
follow that what dave. I read the recruiting rankings. I
read the I read these teams and what the type
of talent that they have and what they have coming back.
(25:50):
And the top of the Big Ten and the bottom
of the Big Ten is as big a gap in
basketball as it is in football. So it's not going
to be any different than the huh Ski football team
who could not beat Ohio State, could not be Michigan,
could not be Oregon.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
But what did they do to the bottom? They rifled
through it.
Speaker 6 (26:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
I just again, I don't know how anybody can sit
here and say with any sense of optimism, authority proclamation
that this is going to be this or this is
going to be that. Look, you can make those proclamations
if you want, and you may in the end be right.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Your predictions may be one hundred percent accurate.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
I think what we have a hard time doing sometimes
in this business, at least for me, is just saying
I don't know, dude, I don't know, and I really
don't know. I don't know what Danny Sprinkle's all about.
I don't know what his staff is all about. I
don't know if this roster can come together fast enough
to do what you're talking about doing. But you have
no idea.
Speaker 9 (26:45):
Yes, but you have seen this team play seven or
eight times, and please tell me you think it is
massively better than the roster last year.
Speaker 4 (26:52):
I might jumps off the screen. Yeah, I think it
is better than they were a year ago. But they
haven't gotten into Big ten play. Who knows what those games?
I mean, you're talking about murderers row Right of USC,
Indiana's brutal Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State. Who knows what that
will do to them? They come out and get started
getting hammered by people. I have no idea how these
(27:14):
young guys are gonna respond. I mean, he's got to
put together a group of eleven twelve new players and overnight,
he's got to make it happen.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
So look you again.
Speaker 4 (27:24):
People want to say things like that, That's totally fine.
I am just so in the dark on this basketball team,
and I'm gonna wait and see what they do. I
think they've got a lot of individual talent. There's no
question about that. They have put together a class of
players that individually they look way better than what they
had a year ago. Position for position. Absolutely, there was
(27:47):
no Steinbach on this team. A year ago, there was
no Wesley. They didn't have any of those guys last year.
But can they play together? Can they play together? I
don't know, dude, I have no idea, and I'm just
gonna sit back and I'm gonna wait until I see it.
Because I think Husky fans, I think a lot of
Husky fans. I don't want to speak for Husky fans
the sense I get. If I'm wrong, then I'm wrong,
and I apologize if I'm wrong. I think a lot
(28:09):
of Husky fans are in wait and see mode with
this basketball team. They've got to prove to a lot
of people that they're worth coming out to watch play
in fighting traffic to watch them play at seven thirty
eight o'clock on a Wednesday or Thursday night at heck Edge.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
So I hope you're right.
Speaker 4 (28:23):
I'm very hopeful because this seems like a pretty good
shot to do it. We're gonna break Tony castro Cone
coming up at six o'clock tonight on ninety three to
three KJRFM.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
This is Duke of Duke Seafood and this hour is.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Brought to you by Duke Seafood.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
Why don't you make it at Duke's Night tonight. Reserve
your table today at dukeseafood dot com. Now back to
Softy and Dick on Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
All right, we got a very special guest joining us
right now on the radio show. We're gonna head to
BJS and Redman where there is a Toys for Tots
drive happening until eight o'clock tonight. I like toys toys, Yes,
I like BJS, and I like the Seahawks. Def that
did not come out right at all. I apologize, Jackson,
(29:10):
get on that. I like the restaurant and I like
the Seahawks two and we're combining the two of them
right now. Ernest Jones, Seahawks linebacker, is joining us right
now from BJYS in Redmond on ninety three to three KJRFM.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Ernest, how are you man? What's going on?
Speaker 7 (29:26):
I'm doing well?
Speaker 1 (29:27):
We go good, good good.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
Hey, I got a present for you, by the way,
before we get going here, you had your big pick
six and the game on Sunday. Have you heard that
pick six and what it sounded like on Minnesota Viking Radio.
Speaker 7 (29:42):
I love it, I have it.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Would you like to hear it right now?
Speaker 8 (29:47):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (29:47):
Let's all right.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Check this out.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
This is Paul Allen, the voice of Minnesota Viking Football,
calling your pick six Sunday against the Vikings.
Speaker 11 (29:55):
It's fourth and one snap. Roseman rolls out to the right.
He's in trouble. He's gon to pull the ball up.
Hen it's pissed off. Awful decision by Max Brosner, and
this is going to be a defensive touchdown for the
Seattle Seahawks. It's Ernest Jones stop four with the first
touchdown of his career and Seattle has taken a nine
(30:19):
zero lead. Max Brozner, falling to the field, decided to
underhand it to absolutely nobody except Ernest Jones, and he's
gonna go the distance for the first touchdown of the game.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
How about that, dude, Minnesota Viking Radio calling your pick six.
Please tell me tell me that you kept that ball
for your first touchdown of your career.
Speaker 7 (30:46):
Oh yeah, of course.
Speaker 6 (30:47):
I wasn't letting any of those those go right there.
Speaker 9 (30:51):
How do you go into a game and prepare for
a quarterback with literally no NFL regular season film?
Speaker 7 (31:00):
I'm I think you go out there and you do.
Speaker 6 (31:01):
You know, you do your best from what they've done
in the preseason, but ultimately you want to go out
there and you make them respond to you, not respond
to them, get them uncomfortable, and then just go out
there and make them make plays. And you know you'll
see what you get out of them on Sunday, but
you know beforehand there's not too much you can you
know you can get on them.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
Well, you ran about ninety yards on that play. Did
you feel like you needed a nap after that long run?
And was that the longest you've ever run during a
football game in your life?
Speaker 7 (31:27):
Man?
Speaker 6 (31:29):
Yeah, that's the longest I've ever ran in my entire
life for anything.
Speaker 7 (31:34):
Yes, definitely still need a nap today actually.
Speaker 9 (31:39):
Well, and then in the post game you mentioned you
thought you looked up at the video board and you
thought you were going to get caught, but then you
realize who it was chasing you?
Speaker 7 (31:46):
Right right?
Speaker 6 (31:48):
It was it was kind of showing up in pixels
a little bit like I only see no bodies.
Speaker 7 (31:52):
Then I get to the end on it, look behind me,
and of course it is reed out of everybody.
Speaker 4 (31:58):
I love it well. Ernest Joe juniors with us. He's
at a Toys for toch driving Bja's and Redman. We'll
talk more about that Ernest in just a second. But dude,
four picks in four years and now you have five
and one season.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
How did that happen?
Speaker 9 (32:10):
Man?
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Tell us about that.
Speaker 6 (32:14):
I just think it's just the evolution of the game,
just being you know what I'm supposed to be, just
taking my game to the next level and just having
a success now where you know, quarterbacks are trying me
in those areas and I'm coming down with the balls.
Speaker 9 (32:29):
We could see last year that the Mike McDonald defense
was going to work, it just wasn't as dominant it
was as it has been so far this year. Was
there a game either late last year earlier this year
where it just clicked for you guys? At what point
did it did you just become locked in with what
Mike McDonald's trying to do on defense.
Speaker 7 (32:52):
I think it's been if they're having it since last year.
Speaker 6 (32:54):
I mean I always say, I think what coach has
been building, you know, it took time, and I think
we're we're hitting those strides right now. And I think
it's an accumulation of all the work we put in
last year. You know, the tough losses, the tough wins
we just made this year, and know where we got
to be at and know where we got to go,
and you know, I think it's just making us better.
Speaker 7 (33:13):
Well.
Speaker 4 (33:13):
Ernest Jones Junior again is with us on the radio
show Seahawk Linebacker, and Dude, I know a lot of
people would talk about your pick sex maybe being their
favorite moment of yours for the year, and it's up there.
But Dude, I gotta tell you, man, my number one
thing that you've done this year that I love as
a fan is the way you stepped up for Sam
Darnold after that four pick game against the Rams. Can
(33:33):
you talk about why you felt it was needed to
do that and maybe tell us how Sam responded to
you having us back.
Speaker 7 (33:41):
Man, Well, I mean, I'll talk about how it's going.
Speaker 6 (33:45):
And I think from what we've built lot that locker room,
I think it was just a mutual thing. I think
in any of those guys would have been up there.
Maybe they wouldn't have used the words that I used,
but everybody would have defended Sam and in a way
that would have been you know, honorable in it such
and I think that's just what we've built. And you know,
he literally has to say much. I mean, I think
(34:06):
what's understood that doesn't need to be explained, and man
and man, I think we had that respect that he
knew that I was going to go up there and
do that, but I think it was needed. You know,
during the game, I could already could could even though
I wasn't on social media, I could see and feel
like I could hear the things that people are already saying,
and I just knew what was coming. So for me,
(34:27):
as you know, any of my teammates up there, I'm
going to defend them and.
Speaker 7 (34:30):
Be just that.
Speaker 9 (34:32):
Hawks linebacker Ernest Jones joining us on ninety three point
three KFM, I want you to talk about the guys
that are in front of you on that line, because
Softie and I off the air yesterday were debating.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
We were like, is this front.
Speaker 9 (34:43):
Four better than the one that won the Super Bowl
in twenty thirteen?
Speaker 1 (34:47):
And I mean, I don't know if it is or not.
Speaker 9 (34:49):
But just to even have that comparison and have that
conversation says a lot about what those guys up front
are doing.
Speaker 6 (34:58):
Okay, those those guys in front of Domin they take
up a lot of room and you know, offensive heads.
It makes my job easier. Of course, I got to
go out there and dominate it. Like but those guys
is they're like, I just can't say the word dominant enough.
Speaker 7 (35:13):
Man.
Speaker 6 (35:13):
What they bring to the tape, to the game, Each
and every one of them has a different aspect and
a different skill set. I'm sorry, it just combines and
it just makes them a realist for Ocean Group.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Yeah, well Ernist Jones as well us and do before
we let you go, first of all, appreciate you doing this.
So it said day off for players, and you don't
have to be there at BJ's, but you're hanging out
raising money and getting toys for a great cause, Toys
for Tots at BJ's and Redmond until eight o'clock tonight.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
What's the best toy you ever got for Christmas?
Speaker 4 (35:41):
As a kid, you remember the best the best toy
you ever got when you're growing up, you remember what
it was.
Speaker 6 (35:47):
I think it was when I was probably toiled by
that a bike, my bike. I remember that bike and
I rode it literally to the wheels fill office.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (35:56):
Well, listen, if you got any bikes you can donate
to Toys for Tots. Ernest Jones will take them at
BJ's in Redmond until eight.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
I think Chenna's down there as well.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
I heard a rumor that big old Gary Gilliams down
there as well hanging around. So have fun tonight, man,
appreciate you doing this. Go get the Falcons on Sunday
and best of luck.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
Down the road.
Speaker 7 (36:15):
Man man, Oh yeah, thank you all you.
Speaker 4 (36:17):
Bet Ernest Jones Junior with us on the radio show.
So glad that we were able to play that Paul
Allen clipped for him because he never would have been
able to hear it, and you can argue him. And
you asked about the game that turned it around. I mean,
Julian Love told us it was the bye week last
year when they came to Jesus and they had a
meeting and they said this ends now and they figured
(36:38):
everything out.
Speaker 5 (36:39):
Well.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
It also kind of coincides too with them getting Ernest
Jones from the Titans last year, where would this defense
be without that guy man so Hey, thanks to Jess
for getting him on.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
Great stuff. If you're in the area.
Speaker 4 (36:50):
Toys for Touch Drive happening until eight o'clock at BJ's
in Redmond, swing on buy and see Ernest and company there. Tonight,
all right, we're gonna break Tony castra Cohne. He's going
to join next talk some dogs football basketball tomorrow with UCLA.
Will have the game for you tomorrow night right here
on the radio station. Tony will join next on ninety
three to three KJRFM. Joining us right now on the
(37:11):
radio show. First time in a long time. He's been
ducking us all year long. He's been too busy for us, pal.
He's got the basketball game tomorrow. Just came off the
football game on Saturday. Our friend, the voice of the
Husky's Tony castro Cone, How are you, man?
Speaker 7 (37:26):
Man, you don't like not invite some of your party
and then call him out for not some to the party.
Come on, like, I would love to come on with
you guys. Morow what are you talking about? You guys
are my boy?
Speaker 4 (37:37):
Tony told me the other day you said, look, man,
I can only handle you and Dick once a year.
All right, So you just pick when you want to
come on the show or want me on, and we
shows right now because we're in between football and basketball.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
But hey, dude, before we.
Speaker 4 (37:51):
Talk some hoops and get into the weeds, on on football, man,
what'd you make of what you saw Saturday?
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Disappointing day for sure for everybody.
Speaker 7 (37:59):
Pal, Yeah, disappointing. I think missed opportunity. I think I
think they had a chance to win that game, and
I think the defense really played well enough. I mean,
consider this, they went all season long without giving up
more than twenty six points in a game. That's really unbelievable.
And that's the third that's the third best max points
(38:24):
allowed giving up in a game in the country, behind
only Ohio State and Indiana and the top two teams
in the country. And so, you know, I think we
kind of were wondering what we'd get out of Ryan
Walter's new defense and everything as he came in. I
thought they rose to the challenge and played really well.
I think it was just, you know, some missed opportunities
on offense, which you can't have against the top six
(38:47):
team in the country and still hope to beat them.
They they just missed on a few crucial plays. And
then again the turnovers. You know, I mean you look
at Michigan Wisconsin, Oregon minus seven and turnovers in those
two games, in those three games, right like, I mean,
that's that's going to be the difference right there. And yeah,
it just disappointing. But I think you got to look obviously,
(39:11):
you know, I like to look at things within the
broader perspective, and I think, man, what direction is this
program headed generally, And it's it's obviously generally headed in
the right direction six and seven in year one, eight
and four in year two. You know, we'll see what
kind of bowl game they're going to get assigned to
on Sunday. But you know, I and they got a
(39:32):
top fifteen Classic Country you guys just talking about the
receiver that flipped to Washington. I mean, I just thinkfect
of having a season next year, which is kind of
hard to leave in this era of transfer portal and
everybody moving around. But Jed likes to play really young guys,
and we're looking at the prospect of next year being
(39:55):
a team almost entirely recruited by Jed Fish because he's
going to play a lot of first and second and
third year Huskies guys that he recruited, which is kind
of unbelievable to think about. And it's gonna be I
think the program's in good hands. They're moving in the
right direction, but I think the fan base is just
(40:17):
kind of hungry to see them win one of those
marquee games. It's the shame they weren't quite able to
get over the hump in those.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
I want to talk more about that defense, because you're
exactly right.
Speaker 9 (40:26):
I mean, do you think this defense will get the
preseason hype next year that they should have gotten all
season this year? I cannot think of a unit in
the Big Ten that was better with less hype than
the Husky defense.
Speaker 7 (40:39):
Yeah, I mean, no doubt. I think that's a super
encouraging sign. And you got to remember, like how prolific
Oregon's running game was heading into this game, and that
was the one thing that they were going to ride
to come, rain or shine. They were going to run
the football and do it at an explosive clip. And
(41:00):
I think here's like, I don't know, like maybe just
a glimpse into the future when you talk about how
football is won and lost at the line of scrimmage,
Washington had the better running game to Oregon. And even
when you know, even when Washington was you know, they
had Michael Pennix a quarterback and all that stuff, I
don't know that you really felt like Washington was going
(41:23):
to go in there and outrun Jordan James and all
those guys. Like, I mean, I just think that they
went up against an Oregon offense to average six point
one three yards per carrie, the third best in the country,
and they held them to under three yards to carry.
That's an extraordinary feed. And then on the flip side
of the ball, Jonah Cooleman clearly hampered. You have to
(41:45):
go with your number two guy who runs for one
hundred yards against Oregon. Like I mean, I'm just extraordinarily
I know the question was about defense. I'm extraordinarily encouraged
by how they were able to hang in the trenches
against an Oregon team that like that's supposed to be
where they're gonna outclass us, right, Like I thought, I
(42:09):
thought that there were a lot of really positive signs
and but yeah, you're right about the defense. I mean,
I thought the defense really the one thing. The next
step for them is going to be more havoc plays.
You know, that's the one thing that they didn't quite
have at an elite level of this year is ability
to turn over the football and create the havoc plays. Obviously,
(42:32):
they played a lot of teams that were not going to,
like have the traditional dropbacks style, so like you can
still have havoc plays with tackles for loss, right, they
didn't have a ton of those this year, But fortifying
the front, not giving up the big play over the top,
which the secondary did a great job of. I just
thought Ryan Walters came in. I think he had to
(42:54):
tweak his scheme as the year went on. I think
we're expecting to see much of five down line fronts.
And I just thought, you know, as they had to
deal with their injury issues and everything, they did an
unbelievable job of coaching up these guys to have a
really really strong defense.
Speaker 1 (43:09):
Yeah, one hundred and twentieth in TFLs.
Speaker 4 (43:12):
Like you said, so there definitely is room for improvement
on a pretty good defense already. But Tony Kasher comes
with us, and look, I mean now we can talk
about going shopping, right, I mean they just went shopping
today and got a new wide receiver who was committed
to Baylor and he flipped and went to U dub
I mean, we know that he did great things in
the portal a year ago. So when Jed Fish grabs
that shopping cart and heads down Aisle four, what's he
(43:33):
looking for?
Speaker 1 (43:33):
You think?
Speaker 7 (43:36):
Yeah, you know what, that's that's a good question. I'm
not sure I've put a ton of thought into that.
You know, I've kind of been looking back on this
year a little a little bit right now, and I
think it's a it's a compelling question. I mean, I
think my first guess on defense would have been, like,
let's let's look at the inside linebacker position. But then
(43:56):
I think you got some really good signs out of
like Randy sala As your along. You know, I think
there's still is there still an idea as to whether
or not Buddha can come back next year? I mean,
is that still hanging out there? You know? I don't know.
I think that they're looking pretty good on the on
the defensive side of the ball. I'm sure there's going
to be some opportunities to to get a little bit deeper,
(44:20):
but I think that's kind of the next step too,
right is depth? You know injuries are going to creep
out this year goes along. I thought they got really
creative with what they did on the offensive line. The
line clearly, I think was the most improved unit on
the team. But but now you want to get deeper
too to be able to handle the injuries. So you know,
there's not going to jump to me right away to
(44:41):
answer my question. Is like the piece you absolutely need,
but you're gonna need depths all over the team, and
I'm sure they're gonna be putting that to you together
a little bit stronger.
Speaker 9 (44:50):
Tony, A lot of us, definitely including me, got caught
up in the demand hype at the beginning of the season,
and what does he need to do to go from
a guy that we hope will be a Heisman contender
to a guy that's actually a Heisman contender.
Speaker 7 (45:07):
You know, it's a good question, and I think it's
gonna be a collaborative team unit where you know, he's
clearly Jed Fish's guy, right and Jed has anointed him.
This is Damon's team. He said that very clearly. He
made he pulled no punches on saying what he thought
Demon could accomplish in his career. And I think Jed
(45:31):
is a guy that's been really good if you look
back over the course of his career of like, Okay,
here's here's what we've got, and let's build the team
to these sets of strengths and weaknesses and then maximize
the potential from there. And so now that Demand has
one full year under his belt of running the team,
now I think, you know, he and Jed are gonna
(45:55):
you know, sync up on Not only is Jed going
to coach him up on the areas where he needs
to improve, it's you know, clearly he just missed on
a few throws at times, you know, decision making as
to when to hang in the pocket and when the bail,
taking a little bit better care of the football and
some crucial situations. But then Jet is also going to
have the opportunity to decide, you know, how do I
(46:17):
better position him in certain things? Right? And like you know,
whether or not he's able to see certain defensive coverages,
can I put him in a better position there? And
so you know, I think it's going to be a
team effort. Yeah, and I think they're going to do it.
I mean, I you know, clearly he's who Jetfish wants
running this team, and he showed extraordinary talent this year,
(46:40):
so I think the Dogs aren't get hand offensively.
Speaker 4 (46:42):
Yeah, the same with Buddha. Tony, I don't know. I mean,
he would get a red shirt year. I would assume
he only played in three games this season, got hurt
in the Cougar game, right the Apple Cups, so he
would have I think two more years left. I mean,
obviously the injury, We'll see what happens next year. But man,
you get him and Manu back together next year, that'd
be pretty That'd be pretty awesome to get those two
guys playing so basketball tomorrow. I mean, this wacky world
(47:03):
we live in where Big ten plays starts in twenty
six hours against you CLA and then going to USC
and then coming back for four non con games before
you head to the Midwest and take on Indiana and produce.
So Dick and I were kind of debating about this team,
and I like Tony, I just don't know, man, I'm
just in a pure weight and see mode with this
(47:24):
basketball team. What's what's kind of your take and what
you've seen after the first seven eight games of the year.
Speaker 7 (47:31):
So I love this team and they're five and two start,
to me has been explained and defined by what in
my nine years at Washington has been unprecedented injuries on
a basketball team. Like I've never seen a team this
injured at the same time, this many guys banged up.
(47:52):
You know, I'm doing the game at Washington State and
Hannes Steinbach rolled his ankle. He comes out of the ballgame,
and I'm looking over at that bench and I'm like,
here's who the Huskies have injured right now. They have
a McDonald's All American, a potential lottery pick, an Honorable
Mention All Big Ten last year at USC, the A
(48:15):
Sun Player of the Year, and one of the top
five JUCO players in the country. That's five guys that
could win twenty games together. And that's who you don't
have access to. And you're still going out there and
starting five and two. Now you could say, oh, Southern,
that's you know, closer than it should have been, or
(48:36):
missed opportunity against Colorado, Like I think that Colorado game
was like a classic bike I looked at Jason at
the under sixteen time out in the first half and
I was like, we're in trouble today. Matchup wise, like
with you don't have Steinbach, you don't have Agnasadaki, you
don't have all these other bigs that you recruited, Like
that was a bad matchup. A front court that goes
six ten, six eleven, seven foot, all athletic, all play
(49:00):
Euro style, like that was a bad matchup. I think
Washington with Danny Sprinkle, who is a chip on the
shoulder kind of guy, has recruited a bunch of chip
on the shoulder kind of guys who are hungry to win.
There is no doubt in my mind that once these
guys get healthy, they are going to be one of
the toughest outs in the entire Big Ten Conference. The
(49:23):
real concern I have is because they're all, you know,
banged up and everything, like how comfortable? How quickly can
they get comfortable playing together? That's really the question, because
all that's been disrupted here early in the season.
Speaker 1 (49:39):
Well, then give us an injury update.
Speaker 9 (49:41):
Let's start with Steinbach and then the rest of the
guys you talked about. When do you think we'll get
those guys back?
Speaker 7 (49:48):
It sounds like there's a chance he could play a
little bit on Wednesday, which would be great. I mean,
you're going to need him in the front court. You know,
it's probably not gonna get one hundred percent, but it
sounds like he'll be a game time decision. Brighton Tucker
still might be a game or two out, you know,
still dealing with the ankle injury that was suffered against
(50:12):
I think it was Baylor when he went down, and
that was a tough one to see because I think
he was gonna be one of my favorite players on
the team. But again, it's an ankle sprain. He'll be
ready when he's ready, but it might be a week
or so still away. And then I think, you know,
jacobng mouss of it, they're still looking at him as
(50:33):
rejoining the team in January, you know, I mean he's
still out there, his boot is off. That's great news.
We're talking about a guy that averaged twenty points and
eight rebounds a year ago and was shooting forty percent
from three. So like you're talking about a guy that
instantly changes, you know, a team with what he brings
to the front court. So if they're able to get
him back in January, which I think you look at
(50:55):
red shirting him or gray shirting him, I think you
need him for your front court depth. It looks to
me when you're playing in the Big ten. You know,
Christian nietzschu is going to red shirt this year. It
sounds like so like that's that's kind of where you're at.
You know, Maddie Trey war is out for the season,
so you know, when you're looking at your big you
(51:16):
probably need Agnosivic back and you really need to sign
back back as soon as possible. But you know, I
still think like there's a lot of guts to this
team and a lot of talent that's going to be
out there on the floor, and there's still plans to
be well despite the fact that they're banged up. So
excited for this weekend against Big ten teams.
Speaker 4 (51:38):
Now, no doubt seven thirty pre game, eight o'clock tip tomorrow.
We're gonna hear your voice twice in two nights on
this radio station, which I want to get used to that.
Let's do it every night, man, Okay, don't be a stranger.
We'll talk sooner, right buddy, All right? Sounds good, Tony
kashtra code. I'm just curious as to whose team this is?
Speaker 1 (51:56):
Whose team is this?
Speaker 7 (51:58):
Right?
Speaker 4 (51:58):
Like when Isaiah Thomas was here, Isaiah Brandon Roy Brandon Roy, right,
even John Brockman. Brockman, whose team is this? Is this
Wesley Yates's team? Is it Zoom's team? Is it Hanna
Steinbach's team? I mean, can you have a big man,
a European guy. I don't even talked to him. Does
he speak English? I got no idea what his deal is?
Whose team is?
Speaker 1 (52:19):
When he's on the floor, he is the best player,
right for both teams?
Speaker 7 (52:24):
Yeah?
Speaker 9 (52:25):
Yeah, So, I mean I don't know if that translates
into a young guy like that being a leader of
the team. I would imagine it would default to maybe
a Claude or a Yeats, a guy that's played much
more college basketball than he has. But he's the best
player on the floor, and Maniquit has a just a
natural leadership vibe around him, even though he's still very
(52:45):
very young.
Speaker 4 (52:46):
Tea.
Speaker 1 (52:47):
Yeah exactly. I just don't know whose team this is.
Speaker 4 (52:50):
And I think that's not a bad thing that they've
got options, right, I Mean, it's not like we're saying, God,
there's nobody here on this team who could step up
and be the best player and be the guy in
the clutch that you want the basketball that's it's kind
of the silver lining to all of this, but it's
also potentially a nightmare managing all of these individuals. And
(53:10):
I don't know what their egos are, like, I have
no idea, right, I mean, Tony would know, Jason would know.
They're sitting there, they're traveling with these guys, they're hanging
out behind the scenes. But you got a bunch of dudes.
I mean you look at all these players, Marin, and
all of them have accolades, all of them, and all
of them came from a spot where they were the
number one guy. Somebody somewhere is going to have to
(53:32):
take a back seat. How does he handle that as
a coach?
Speaker 9 (53:34):
No, that's right, And I think that's one of the
reasons why I was so optimistic when I spoke earlier
about this team, about them, I think they, I said,
rifle through the end of that schedule. Well, one of
the reasons I'm so optimistic that they'll rifle through the
end of the schedule is because most of these guys
are going to be back by the end of the year,
and you're going to be a massively better.
Speaker 1 (53:54):
Team in February than you are right now.
Speaker 9 (53:55):
Not only with the health, but also just that they've
played together and they've been through the battles through the
month of January, which is going to be a bear.
Speaker 1 (54:03):
The month of January is going to be so tough
for this team.
Dave 'Softy' Mahler and Dick Fain News
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