January 5, 2019 • 53 mins
Joe Lisi, Rich Cirminiello and special guest Terry Bowden continue to preview the National Championship game between Clemson and Alabama by looking at each team's defense. Then, they take a deeper look at Alabama's offense and are joined by Scholar Athlete Award Candidate Alex Maldijian. #FNTSY #FNTSYRadio #NCAA #CollegeFootball #FantasyCollegeFootball #Alabama #Clemson #Defense #Offense #ScholarAthleteAward
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Network work. Let's go college football today. The stage is
(00:51):
set for Monday night, number one Alabama, number two Crimson.
Which team will win? Welcome to college football Today, brought
to you I bet d s I. We talked about
the Clemson offense that's putting up dynamic numbers, which freshman
quarterback Trevor Lawrence talk about this Clemson defense that's only
giving up ninety two rushing yards per game, more importantly,
(01:12):
only giving up a hundred and eighty one passing yards
to opposing offenses. They entered this matchup plus five in
turnover margin and are holding opposing offenses guys to on
third down conversions. I mean, I think that's the biggest
characteristic of bread venables and this defense, when you could
force three and ounce, you're giving Lawrence a short field
(01:33):
and I think that could be the matchup as well.
They held Notre Dame to five of seventeen on third
downs in the in the playoff win. Y Jo, I
think we we sort of, um, we maybe lost a
little site of the Clemson defense in the second half
of the year. You know, we spent a lot of time.
We spent a lot of time talking Michigan right, and
until the Ohio statistically right, Statistically in Michigan was ahead
of everybody else. And we love Don Brown and the
(01:55):
job he does with the defense, but very quietly Clemson.
Maybe we were fixated on the evolution of Trevor Lawrence,
but that defense has gotten better and better and better.
And one of the statistics sort of an offshoot of
what you mentioned about run defense. Run defense always matters
to me. Clemson offensively didn't get a chance stay in
the last segment, but offensively number one in the country
(02:17):
yards per carry, six point seven yards per carry, defense
number one in the country two point four yards per
carry aloud, I mean they are so good at the
point of attack. Now, no dexter Lawrence. We know we
suspended for this game. Kind of wish we would have seen,
you know, the full compliment of of Clemson defenders, but
that defensive one. I mentioned it last week. If any
unit in the country can handle the loss of an
(02:40):
elite player, it's the Clemson defense of Christian Wilkins. Will
be double team, but I think he'll step up. Look
for the guy next to him, Nick, look for Albert
Huggins to maybe get some one on one looks and
make some plays. On Monday night, Dxavier Thomas comes in
and make some big plays as a freshman. You know,
it's it's really unusual to be playing Alabama and saying
the other team might have the best fits in front
(03:00):
on the field. But they do, they really do. Uh
and and their defensive numbers are so good. And remember this,
when you have a high scoring offense, your defensive stats
tend to go down. You get ahead, you substitute, the
stats don't matter as much. You've got to be really
dominant and really dominant with not just with your first group,
but your replacements, your substitutes on that front to be
(03:22):
able to maintain that type of consistency in stopping the
run and keeping people from scoring points, because the biggest
thing about that have hurt defensive stats in recent years
is the higher up you score points, the more you're
willing to sub people and and and to take some
of the edge off your defense. You see here a
great offense by Clemson, but the defense even better. And
(03:42):
so that that that's one of those things that you
see as a real plus for Clemson. They play good
defense even when they're scoring points. Some people lose their edge. Yeah,
and when you look at great venables, to me, but one,
he doesn't get enough freck. I know he's getting I
know he's getting the price tag right, he's getting two
a half million as a coordinator. But for a big
game de coordinator. We've heard about Kirby Smart. We never
(04:05):
hear him mentioned in the same breath as Kirby Smart.
And when you think about the type of talent that
he's lost, guys like Grady Jarreed, guys like Vic Beasley,
shack Loss and Ben Bullware, and each and every year
they just seemed to progress in terms of sack totals
third down defense last four years, twenty seven percent average,
(04:26):
I mean, unbelievable in terms of what he's done recruiting
and then coaching that talent up. Well, how not beyond
recruiting guys, how about recruiting and retaining. You know a
lot of these defensive linemen could be playing on Sundays
right now, but elected instead. We talked in the first
segment about culture at Clemson. Part of the advantage of
that culture is kids are like y'all play in the NFL,
(04:47):
but I don't mind spending my senior year here in Clemson,
South Carolina. And that was the case with Austin Bryan,
that was the Clay case with Cleveland, Farrell, uh Constriction Wilkins.
These kids would have been first round draft choices last year.
Second round at we're first, but dominant at the point
of attack, like the speed of the linebackers as well.
Kendall Joseph Trail, Lamar do a great job. Sign line
to sign line. Again, kids, it don't get a lot
(05:08):
of attention. If Clemson is gonna be vulnerable, and I
think the same thing will apply when we talk about
Alabama's defense in the next hour. If Clemson is vulnerable,
it's gonna be in the secondary. That unit I think
can be beat and could be taking a back seat
to the Alabama wide receivers. I do think Mullins the
first rounder. I think he's an outstanding cornerback and that's
not one they will attack. But if you're gonna beat Clemson,
(05:28):
I think you do have to have explosive plays out
of your wide receivers, which is right down Alabama's atleey,
because they have some receivers, not just one guy, but
a group of receivers that can really make plays, and
a quarterback that's really really accuracy. When I saw the
quarterback last week, what seven those kind of numbers and
in neither quarterback those interceptions a lot. I think that's
(05:49):
where I think you're gonna have to beat Clemson because
the number of people up front that they have. But
you brought up something very interesting. I agree with you.
I love to see these guys stay for their fourth year.
Maybe because we're all older parents were have families that
we really don't want to get into our professional life.
We wish we could go back to college and enjoy college.
I think that's something about college that that it's just
(06:10):
not it's not professional, it's not quite the business, and
they're gonna enjoy it. And I think most of them
might look back and say, guys, I wish I had
one more year. And that gets me to a real
thing I can't stand. It's all these guys that are
choosing not to play in bowl games. I'll be honest
with it irritates me a lot, the loyalty to these institutions,
because most of these guys would not be going where
they're going without what that school helped them get. And
(06:33):
so again, it is nice to see guys stay there
for with you. I don't blame a guy that leaves.
I can't put myself in anybody's shoes and their financial needs,
where they come from, and what their motivations are. But
it is it's warm. Uh. It's the fuzzies, the warm
fuzzies when you see these guys sticking around and being
part of their home guys and their hang out with
their guys and their school colors and all that. Because
(06:54):
I think once you get out of college, it's no
longer about the school colors and the school fight song
and and all those the walk before the game and
all those things that you have when you're playing great
college football at two institutions like this, where football means
so much. I think when you look at Alabama's offense
that's attacking this defense over. I go back not to
last year's game because I just think the quarterback Kelly
(07:16):
Brian handcuffed them so much. I go back to that
game two years ago in Tampa where Lane Kiffin built
that offense and the Sarkasian took it over. They utilize
a lot of different formations to get O. J. Howard involved,
to get other playmakers involved, Ridley against that secondary. So
now a lot of pressure on this offensive staff to
(07:36):
really for Alabama to really attack that Clemson defense to
create those one on one opportunities because if if To
or Jalen Hurts don't have enough time, and that's what
we saw that Clemson front seven. They got to Ian book.
They forced those quick, short intermediate throws underneath coverage where
those nickelbacks and linebackers are right there at the point
(07:57):
of attack. Unless you could create those eat ball opportunities.
I think this game favors Clemson's defense in that regard
well and coach brought it up to fifty two sacks
for Clemson. No team in the country better than Clemson.
When you look at the numbers up and down, guy,
it's not it's not just it's not every guy. And
I'm glad you brought up brand Enables too, because again,
(08:18):
we talked about retaining players, how about retaining coaches. Now
he's paid very well, he's not he's not gonna miss
any meals down in Clemson. But but he could be
a head coach. I know that he has had people
kicking his tires and his agent has been contacted about
head coaching opportunities. But right now he's like, let's I
have a great thing here. I have a great thing.
I'm a young coach. There might be time to be
a head coach down the road, but I'm happy where
(08:39):
I'm at. One of the quick things I wanted to
bring up is such a dichotomy here between Alabama's offense
and Clemson's defense, because Alabama has started fast pretty much
every game this season. First half. They've been dominant last
week against Oklahoma right twenty eight nothing and then in
control throughout the rest of that match up with the Sooners.
Clemson this season, fourteen games in, they've given up seventy
(09:01):
six first half points, So you know something has to
give here. Clemson has been dominant defensively in the first
half Alabama gets off the fast starts. So which one
is gonna win in that little game within the game.
And I'll tell you it's totally interesting too, because one
of the big games will be defensive front of Clemson
bursts the offensive line of Alabama. Uh, that's just gonna
be one of the storylines that we've got here and
how they play against each other. How will Alabama do
(09:24):
against that defensive front? Uh, easily the best defensive front
they've seen all year. Coach, When you and when you
look at this matchup as a whole in terms of
the defense, I mean, I think if you're bred venables,
I want to put pressure on too. I want to
attack him. I want to blitz him. I want to
see if that ankle is is legit. We saw his
comments after the semifinal win. He he sort of indicated
(09:46):
that he wasn't a hundred percent really, So now we
know Notre Dame didn't get to him enough, Oklahoma didn't
get to him enough. But this front seven can take
some chances early on because they know they have type
of offense that could go score for score. Which should
they fall behind in this matchup, I think a lot's
gonna be contingent on the staff's comfort level with those
(10:08):
defensive backs. Can can you leave them on an island?
Are you comfortable with him in one on one situations?
I'm glad coach brought up Trayvon Mullen because he's one
of the player when you talk to NFL scouts on
that defense that's not a defense not in the front seven.
Mullen is the one kid that has an opportunity, comes
out early, does well in the pre draft process to
be a first round and be one of those first
(10:29):
defensive backs taken. But he is a bit of an
anomaly this year. It's a young defensive backfield. Are you
confident with those guys and one on one situations and
kind of pinning the ears back of the front seven.
What's what's interesting, too, is that the first half line
for Alabama you mentioned about them jumping up early is
the first quarter. Is Alabama's favored by five points in
(10:51):
this quarter? And I think I found a Dabo Sweeney
and I win this this coin toss. I want my
offense on the field because I want to dictate the
temple early on. I don't want to freshman quarterback. I
want to rely. I want to get three and then
I want to rely on that front seven to carry
me through. I mean that's the way I see a
playing out. I think that's gonna be a factor too.
(11:12):
I think we saw against Oklahoma. I think they did
not They deferred when they had the game uh and
put their defense on the field early in their playoff game,
and it was hard. It was it was something. It
was a decision. I wonder if they should have made
to defer and not get that offense, not the defense
on the field. And I think Clemson may have the
very same concern. Yeah, it's interesting too because we see
both You see dominant defensive fronts, and we talked about
(11:35):
the Big twelve right where they spread you, but then
they don't have the type of defenses to shut down
the run and really be physical at the point of attack. Well,
we got two offenses now in Alabama Clemson that they
spread you wide, they challenge you vertically, They have quarterbacks
that can run up tempo. They could also play a
more methodical uh A type of offense, but they have
(11:57):
the front seven to really dominate. Why can't we either,
Well what's funny is what are the coordinators coached in
the Big twelve for Bob Stoops and now he's taken
that to the A c C. So why can't we
see that in the big twelve. I think that's asking
a lot though, job. I mean, you have to really
be able to have a haul talent wise, that to me,
(12:17):
and that to me is the one difference when you
watch film over and over again and when you watch
Saturdays of football. The one difference I see largely in
the SEC. But then also when you talk about Clemson
out of the A c C is up the line
of scrimmage. I mean there is such a difference visually,
a different speed. Uh. The athleticism of a Christian Wilkins
(12:38):
at his size is something you're only going to see
at the very elite programs. And you gotta remember, just
because you're wanting to get pressure on the quarterback doesn't
mean you have to blitz. You've got to watch this
game and see how many times can we get pressure
on too. Just before man rush, well, I mean four
man rush. They have a great defensive front and most
of the time they get sacks. It's enough for man rush.
(13:01):
Now when you bring five or six, then you began
to put your defensive backs on an island. But when
you have great defensive people with a with a great
first step and great moves, you can get pressure on
the quarterback, especially if he's not a great mobile runner
or he's got a little bit of a banged up ankle.
You want to see if you can get that pressure
on a form man rush. Yeah, that Georgia did it.
(13:22):
I I keep going back to that SEC title game.
You know, that was the one game. I'm not saying
that Clemson can automatically duplicated, but Georgia's defense, which admittedly
was not at the same level as two thousand and seventeen.
No ro Quan Smith in that game. Uh DeAndre Baker
is a true next level player. But Georgia in terms
of personnel took a step back under Kirby Smart this year.
(13:44):
Defensively offensively not the case defensively that took a step back,
but they had schemes and they had the speed. Now,
people on the Alabama side could say, well to it
was really banged up in that game, and that's a
fair point. So I don't know with the heeled ankle
what he's going to look like, but you can at
pressure on that Alabama offense and I think that's exactly
what Bred Venable is going to try to do. How
(14:05):
important coaches it because Kirby We've seen Kirby's defense make
plays against Alabama now tendencies. If there is anybody in
terms of knowing Nick Saban and that staff's tendencies, it
was Kirby Smart because he coached there for a period
of time. Does that is that as important of a
factor Because I look at both games, I think Kirby
smart understands, he understands his strengths and weaknesses of toa
(14:28):
he coached against him in terms of scout team, so
he understands what matchups are where he struggles or types
of coverage. So that's maybe where he had an advantage
where maybe Bred Venables well, even though Venables now is
coached against Alabama four straight years, but where maybe another
coach doesn't have that type of advantage for understanding the
staff and being in Tuscaloosa. I mean, it's it's all
(14:50):
a matter of degrees of degrees of of how much
you have an advantage of disadvantages again, fourteen games of video.
Venables has been doing this a long time. He was
he was mentored by Bob Stoops. One of the guys
that knows. I coached against Bob back when he was
a deep as a coordinator at Florida, when I was
a head coach in the nineties at Auburn, and Venables
has known what he's doing a long time, so he'll
(15:11):
make the necessary adjustments that he needs to make. Um
And but I think there are degrees in which you
might have a little better knowledge, and that's a factor
in the game. I still think the biggest factors are
the number of athletes again they're putting on the field
at at Clemson and able to play with those athletes
that could compete with with Alabama's athletes. Yeah, quick profits
(15:33):
about you know, just in terms of what people are
looking at offensively and defensively. We talked about E T
n How do Renfro? What do you want in to
have total receiving guards? I would take over there. I
would too. He's the guy. I think all of the
attention is going to be on the outside to Justin
Ross and to t Higgins. I think all of the
attention and underneath, I think that's where Hunter Renfro could
(15:55):
have sixty yard games. Well, here's the thing to coach
t Higgins fifty three and a half receiving yards and
Ross is only at sixty nine and a half, which
is I mean, if you just base those and you
think about the type of offensive production question total yards,
they're leaning to an under in this ball game. I
think it's gonna be an old To me, it comes
down to, listen, the kid's gonna have a great career.
(16:18):
Patrick's r TAN. But but but he's a true freshman,
and he struggles and and so he's a little raw.
I don't want to beat the kid up. He's a
young kid, and I think he's gonna have a great career.
But I think a lot of this is gonna come
down to who is matched up versus their TAN, because
I think that's exactly where where Trevor Lawrence is gonna
try to go as a coach. If you see a
guy or a freshman that's out there on an island,
(16:38):
do you have any issue just go and play after
play after play at the same player, hoping that you
know he never adjusts, or do you want to mix
it up in terms of even though you know he's
out there, you want to save it for just a
perfect game situation. No, I think I think you always
look at the talent level at a certain position and
attack talent versus talent that over rods Sometimes game plan,
(17:01):
a backup comes in. You know what his he can do,
certains there, he had a bad game last week, or
maybe he's not able to do certain things another one
is and you began to attack him. I think that's
always part of the game plan because I think, really, uh,
the one thing every good play caller does is try
to match talent the talent and make sure if you've
got a mismatch, it gives you an advantage just by
(17:21):
not them having somebody out there over top of you,
but your guy being better than their guy. When we
come back, we'll be talking about the Alabama Crimson Tide.
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nine Defenses Pots Radio Network, your free fancy source, twenty
four hours a day, Private Eyes, Great Song. We talked
(18:38):
about Clemson's offense and defense. We're gonna turn our attention
to the dominant Alabama offense that's averaging two two rushing
gaunts per game. They're also passing for over three with
two and Jalen Hurts at the helm, who has had
a fantastic year, completed close to seventy of his passes,
forty one touchdowns, four more interceptions. He has playmakers like
(19:02):
Jerry Judy on the outside. This is the biggest passing
effort rich for an Alabama offense since prior to two
thousand and nine. You look back in two thousand and fourteen,
they average two seventy seven through the air with Lane
Kiffin as the o c a more importantly, Blake Sims
as the quarterback. But this is an evolution in terms
of Alabama in terms of being able to stretch defenses,
(19:25):
especially at the quarterback position. It changes everything. I mean,
the entire dynamic, everything we've learned about Alabama in the
past has changed because of this offensive shift. Lane Kiffin
really did start to usher this in. But now the
personnel is in place with two a tongue of aaloa
under center. Such a difference maker. And really, Jalen Hurts
and I talked a lot in the offseason with folks
down in Alabama who said, this kid may not win
(19:47):
the job, but he is progressing as a pastor. He's
taken on this challenge. He's really putting in the time.
Whether that benefits a different program in two thousand and
nineteen remains to be seen. But those wide receivers, there
are a lot of them. Henry Ruggs, Jerry Judy, Irv Smith,
that tight end DeVante Smith who caught the National Championship
game winner a year ago. And oh, by the way,
(20:08):
they still can run the ball. They still can go
all old school between the tackles with that trio of back.
So it's a pick your poison for the Clemson defensive
staff on Monday, and I think the stakes you mentioned
earlier in the show, the stakes have gone up so
high at Alabama where you've got to play for the
National Championship about every year. If you're gonna keep that
program moving at the pace it is, and you can't
(20:30):
do it unless you have a dominant offense and defense.
I mean, if you play like Nick Saban's sister. Great
defense is always what we coaches want. It's like having
a picture that always those strikes and it doesn't every
get outside the plate. You always got a chance to
win when you play great defense. Sometimes offense is gonna
be fickle. They're they're not hitting the corners of the plate.
They're not quite got on the money. Uh. And you
(20:50):
play great defense, but anymore, you've got to score points
and that comes from explosive place and uh and if
people try to overplay the run, you've gotta build throw
the football. What's interesting too, as we talk about players
just coming in plug and play, we've seen coaches. Now
Brian Dable came in, we saw Mike Locksley come in.
We saw Sarkisian while he he struggled in the National
Championship game, but they still put up at thirty points
(21:12):
in that loss against Clemson. So this these coordinators in
this offensive attack that Kiffin built back in two thousand
and fourteen, seems to be almost interchangeable, where they just
take the talent, they coach it up and they it's
everyone has a strength and weakness. But it's amazing because
coordinators are like pictures. They have to get into a rhythm,
(21:34):
and these guys don't seem to miss a beat in
terms of each and every season. How much credit does
Nick Saban get for that? Because I think it's clearly
great defense, don't turn turnover margin. Great defense turnover margin.
Whether you thought a little bit more or run it
a little bit more, I'm not sure that matters as
much if you play great defense, which I think Nick's
always is gonna dabble in defense. That's what he has
(21:55):
always done, That's what he always will do. But he
is less likely to sitting the staff beating on offense
and watch every little scripted play for a practice. So
he's gonna be a little more receptive to uh. Two
guys that will will either run the ball more or
pass the ball more. Uh, Because I do think you
recognize that you've got to score points in this day
and age, you can't just be a defensive minded coach. UH,
(22:18):
like you could really in the old days where you
you didn't mind the average in twenty seven points a
game or as long as you play great defense because
that would win championships. And anymore, it's it's and I
think Clemson understands that too. You gotta play play aggressive, explosive, dynamic,
cutting edge football on both sides of the football. It's
funny because everybody wants to be like New England at
the NFL level. Everybody wants to be like Clemson in
(22:41):
Alabama at the collegiate level in terms of being able
to be there each and every year, which makes the grind.
How do you get through the grind? How do these
coaches get through the grind? And we'll get coaches take
on it to get to that part where now it's
self sustaining for the most part, once you win six
national championships. UH, as a head coach at the collegiate level,
(23:02):
players are buying in because you want to be there
in the college football playoffs. So now, at the end
of his tenure, Nick Saban sort of sort of writing
and almost but dabl Sweeney now is is building it
and he's building the foundation. But these are coaches like
Tom Herman wanted to build it at Texas. This is
a Dana Holgerson wanted to do that at West Virginia,
(23:23):
Jimbo who wants to do what at Texas, say and
m because the the success hasn't been there consistently each
and every year. So it's hard. That to me, I
think is and again I'm I'm in no position compared
to the coach to to weigh in on this. But
but as I watch from afar, the most amazing thing
to me, especially at Alabama now clums and doing the
same thing, is how do you keep young men who
(23:44):
have been up the mountaintop motivated year after year? I
find that to be so difficult because they've been star
athletes since they were very young, so they've been fed
a lot of accolades for a very long period of time.
Now you get into a system, a process at Alabama
where they win titles, certainly SEC titles year after year,
national championships, how do you keep those kids motivated? Or
(24:07):
let me ask it this way, are you looking for
the right type of personality that you know you can
motivate to be to be up every year. Well, I
think there's no question that when you're you're recruiting the
very mark, the marquee player, the player that everybody wants.
By the time that player gets to his senior year,
he's really keyed into being the best at what he does,
playing for the best, being for the best, uh, and
(24:28):
that's what you're looking for. I still think, having worked
with a lot of coaches over the years, and even
my my father goes back, I think for sixty two
straight years we've had about as a head coach in college,
guys like Nick Saban, who's it's their energy, it's their
drive that that lead everything. Coaches come and go, the
players come and go. When that coach loses his edge,
(24:49):
when that coach can't quite get up in the morning
and have that same drive, I don't think every other
coach on that staff could do it. I think it's
that guy. That's why the players get replaced every year,
the offense. The coaches get replaced every year. There's six
or seven coaches at Alabama that change every year. I
think if you change Nick, it may change everything. You
change six or some of those, it doesn't change one thing.
(25:11):
And I think the dynamic, and I think I think
Dabo is in a different phase of his career. He's
but he's doing the same thing he's bringing. He's still
bringing that energy. He's still bringing that energy that he
brings to his staff and doing that. But Nick would
love to tell you it's a process. It is a process,
But I think it's a process that you have to
have a personality like his that makes sure he makes
(25:32):
sure he's on top of everything to make sure it
doesn't nothing. We haven't mentioned it all yet, and I
think it's something we talked about during the show. Is
Locksley has already got another job. Is that going to
affect this game? I mean two years ago when Lane
Kippen got a job and left, Locksley's gonna stay. We've
seen it not affect teams. We've seen it effect teams.
But that's an interesting factor as well. Can that type
(25:52):
of dynamic to change during the postseason play and make
a difference. Yeah, we saw many das stay from Miami
didn't help with lost against Wisconsin. We saw Kirby do
it with Georgia when he was on staff. They did
win the national championship the year that he stayed. So
it's interesting because because I feel like it the defensive
coordinators seemed to not miss a beat. It's the offensive
(26:14):
guys where they they have one foot in, one foot out.
Kifun was on the way out. We saw it in
that in that didn't even get the coach uh final
against Washington, and they were They won that match up
by seventeen points and it was a lot closer. It
was seven nothing Washington in the first half and everybody
was saying, what are you doing, Lane, You're only winning
(26:35):
this game by he was running and that's where Henry
and Scarborough had a big day. It's yeah, it's hard
not to be straddling both lines. You have a new employer,
you're being paid handsomely. In the case of Mike Locksley,
he's going to Maryland and and especially in this day
and age now, coach were a great point during the
break which was you know, you're trying to assemble a staff.
I mean there's a mad dash to to get your quarter,
(26:57):
your assistance. But now with the recruiting site go now,
including December nineteenth this year, you're now also trying to
save recruits. You're trying to you know, the old staff
was recruiting a kid. Now you want to save that class.
So there's a lot of balls in the air, including
a national championship. Try uh in a couple of days.
It is, And you're talking about in an offense that's
(27:17):
converted fifty three, that's I mean as a as a defense,
that's like they converted again. They converted again. After they
can moralize six in a row, you're putting your hands
on your hips and you're going, what can we do
to stop these guys? Well, I mean, they had four
first downs, they average perfect game. It's because of the
(27:37):
third downs they're making. And I think Locksley, we're talking
about this and debating it, but I will say this,
in my mind, to some extent, he's already passed that test.
The offense was phenomenal last week against Oklahoma. When the
defense faltered some, they kept coming back. I was amazed
that when they had to just run the football, when
the defense knew they were gonna run it. I know
Oklahoma is not the best defense the world, but when
Alabamas you know, we're gonna take time off the clock
(27:59):
and we're gon run the football and then we're gonna
finish the drive. Locksley was clearly still locked in uh
to the game, locked into preparing because that's the toughest thing.
And I think an offensive quartered has a little bit
more time, could time responsibility because scripting practices, scripting your plays,
trying to get a game plan. Defensively, you're reacting to everything.
(28:20):
You react with a plan that you can't do Harley
too much before, and you gotta react to what what
are they doing differently this week? The offensive coach has
to work every minute the entire week or two before
to put a plan together. And I think Locksley, to
his credit, did a great job last week of having
an offense that showed up when the defense struggle some
at the end. Yeah, what's interesting when I break this
(28:40):
game down for Alabama's offense, I do feel that Jalen
Hurts will be a part of the package. Seven touchdowns,
two interceptions, And I go back to two games in particular.
You look at the win in Death Valley seven to
twenty three Eric Dungee, uh mobile quarterback that gave that
offense some missues that had to account fir him. And
then that game in College Station, even though Kellen Mond
(29:01):
threw for four hundred and twenty five yards in that loss,
he's a mobile guy, so you you would have to
think that Hurt will be up a better athlete than two. Uh.
I don't know if he's a better athlete it is.
I think there's no runner. I think he's a better
than the injury to that. I think with mobile, Yeah,
(29:23):
I think he's a I think he's a better quarterback
in terms of recognizing when he sees a running lane
because he hasn't just done it once, He's done it
in multiple games. Look at the game against Georgia two
years ago on the road in Death Valley, they were
up three nothing. He busts a thirty five yard touchdown
run to really break that game open. He did in
the National Championship game against the Shawn Watson. That's what
(29:46):
led to Alabama having to lead in Watson having to
lead that to you know what he has and great
vision and great instincts. I I think he makes a
quick decision when it's time to leave the pocket when
the Russians, when we needs to extend to play with
his feet, Jalen Hurts makes that decision very quickly and
takes off. Now, if he's tested in a forty, he's
not the fastest he's not Kyler Murray put it that way,
(30:09):
but he makes great decisions in the pocket. I don't
know if we'll see him. I think. I don't know
if there's a sub package specifically for Jalen Hurts. I
think this is to his games. I do. I think
it's to his game, barring obviously the unfortunate injury. Yet, yeah,
I would agree. I don't think there's a plan after
the second series is gonna use hurt Hurst. But I
do believe because the ankle, you could probably see him
(30:31):
this week and that and that you better be ready
to see both of them. I don't know if Clemson
has to have a different game plan for either quarterback,
that they're that different, or the offense changes. There are
some differences in what the quarterbacks tend to do in situations. Uh,
But I don't think that. I don't think Alabama, like
you said, I don't believe Alabama will say, Okay, after
the third series, we're gonna go with the second quarterback.
(30:52):
I just think he knows he's got to be ready. Uh.
And with the pressure Clemson is able to put on
the quarterback, there's a I don't know if it's a
more likely than not sit you lation, but you could
see two quarterbacks because yeah, I think that. I think
maybe situational type of plays, maybe like a long third
down and seven or third down in five in in
plus territory at the forty two, you might see Hurts
(31:12):
because of his ability just to break contain, we'll see.
I mean, that's the chess match that that will play out.
I will say this about the advantage maybe for Alabama
that I think when you look at both offenses. Three backs.
We talked about Josh Jacobs, who's really come on in
recent weeks. He's a tough between the tackles runner Damian Harris,
not j Harris took over that game last year. E
(31:34):
t n a bulk of the carries, even though I
think Feaster will get his share of yards fresh the
ability to have fresh legs in the ballgame at all times,
running behind that physical offensive line, especially if you have
a lead, can be a factor in a plus for
Alabama's offense. I was going to take a different angle,
which is depth at wide receiver. You know, over the years,
(31:56):
we're accustomed to seeing great next level wide receivers for Alabama.
You know, the Emortary Cooper's right um, the Calvin Ridley's.
But typically it's one player and then some complementary parts,
you know, but this year you have multiple candidates to
be number one. Jerry Judy was the big recipient, you know,
wins the Bolitic Off Award. He was the main guy.
(32:17):
But Jalen Waddle, you know, true freshman, every bit as
good as justin Ross this year. I mentioned DeVante Smith,
Henry Ruggs. There are so many candidates for those quarterbacks
that I'm used to saying over the years. Alabama's deep
at running back, right because Nick has always rotated to
three running backs. But depth that wide receiver, That's something
that I'm not used to, and that's one of the
(32:38):
things that has really helped the passing game this year
as well. Yeah, I think when you look at the
Alabama wide receivers, the one m O this year that
maybe we haven't seen in years passed is that big
toll wide receiver. I mean Julio Jones six three. I
mean these wide receivers, Judy is about six foot tops.
We have waddle rugs at six ft hops. So when
(33:01):
you create one on one hatch ups, you want a
wide receiver like we saw a few years ago, and
Mike Williams that catches the football at its highest point
for those jump all opportunities cannot be a factor in
this ball game in terms of handcuffing too, should they?
Should they roll coverage in this match? Well, I do
think you've got to look at you can be a
shorter receiver if you're gonna out run. I mean, you've
got some guys who have great spee. When I was
(33:23):
recruiting receivers, I want tall guys. Everything's about a basketball
player right now, because you gotta remember when you want
to have an explosive play or you need big plays
in a game, you don't have to be open. You
just have to make the catch at its highest point,
and your high point to be higher than the defensive
back to this high point and you'll make the catch.
Unless you've got a great speed receiver who is in
man coverage, or when you can put enough receivers out there,
(33:45):
whether they're playing zone or man, you're gonna get one
on one and you're out running. But I think they've
got a little bit of both at Alabama. You think
they run up tempo early on. I know that they
favor and up tempo but I mean flat out up tempo,
to wear out the opposing deep sense in front seven
because we saw both defenses struggle in terms of the
second half and not last year, um not this year
(34:06):
with Clemson and Notre Dame, but when Alabama was running
up tempo, and we've seen Clemson struggle with up temple
type of attacks where the two minute offense gives them
some issues. Look at South Carolina, look at Syracuse. Do
you could that be the factor in this matchup? Not
in the second half, I mean from the get go,
to wear out the opposing offense, defensive front sempily through
(34:28):
I think for more than five hundred yards in that
game for South Carolina, all being in a loss. But yeah,
I could see that happening. I I I listen. I
think there's gonna be that uh coach mentions, you know
you're gonna take what the defense is gonna give you.
I think there's gonna be a desire to have balance,
so you're gonna see the backs. But I think this
is gonna be to his game. I really think this
is gonna come down to a battle of the two quarterbacks.
(34:48):
You know you're gonna have compliments in the running game,
there's gonna be two versus Trevor Lawrence. I think whichever
quarterback is crisper, tighter, less likely to turn the ball over,
that team is going to win this game. And I
think this is gonna be to his game, I really do.
I think they're gonna lead with the pass and play
with the run of the back. See when Toward came
in last year in the National Championship Game, he wasn't
(35:09):
the guy. Jalen Hurts was the guy. But in the
first couple of series he didn't really come on and
light the world on fire. To Georgia, he had a
busted play that really allowed them to maintain the possession
and that led to that that score, and that's what
ultimately led to the overtime period. So we'll see. I
mean that's gonna be the fact that to play out
in this ballgame as well. I want to see Trevor
(35:32):
Lawrence with the bulls eye on his back when we
come back, and we'll be talking Alabama and Clemson keeping
where it is. Joelsie, Ritz, Sermonello and Terry ballon Live
from Studio thirty four. From the NFL to the NBA
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(36:27):
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Free money, free money. We're gonna put in a thousand,
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and then listen to Leasie's picks and you'll turn that
two thousand into like four thousand. We're gonna get into
the picks segment in a little bit. But Rich and
I have been on fire. We both hit our best
selections of the bowl season. But we're starting a Fantasy
(37:29):
Sports Network Scholar Athlete Award to be given out in
June of two thousand and nineteen. Were joined by one
of the candidates, Alex Malgin from Rumsen fair Haven High School.
How a dynamic year this year. Seventeen hundred and thirty
two rushing yards, twenty three rushing touchdowns season, all Group
three selections from the state of New Jersey. Alex, congratulations
(37:52):
on being one of the candidates and uh on a
senior season that takes you to Middle Bettery College next year.
It was fun. Thank you for having me so, I mean,
when you see this dynamic here in terms of you know,
the stated in New Jersey, we've rich and I have
seen it players going to bigger schools, like you know,
Rashawn Garry. I mean, help fans what it's like to
play in the state of New Jersey because the East
(38:14):
Coast doesn't get enough love from college football fans. Yeah,
I know, and I actually like there's there's a lot
of people from like our area, Mommouth County especially, that
that go and play at these big levels schools and
and it's really amazing to be at the high school
level but playing against this level of competition that you
really can't get anywhere else. And and it's fun to
like be able and work towards that work to be
(38:35):
able to play at at that level and play against
the top talent in the country right in your home state.
And New Jersey has been a feeder system for college
football around the country. You know, Michigan State had uh
Shalik Calhoun was a kid from Middletown, Mammoth County. My
kids are all Short Conference kids as well, so we
know the uh, the territory and the athletes. One of
(38:57):
the things that I'm always intrigued by, Alex is the
ballot Lensing Act there's a lot that you're doing in
the classroom, successful on the field, successful community service. What
is your key to making sure that your schedule doesn't
overwhelm you. I think it's all the discipline that you
learn from playing the sport. I mean working around practice schedules.
(39:17):
I mean every athlete that I've talked to in my
high school and and around everybody says that you're more
on top of your school work when you're in season.
And I think it's because you have to be on
that schedule, you know, when practices, you know when your
games are gonna be you you're forced to work in
when you get the schoolwork done, Like there's not as
much free time to leave it up into the air
and uh like like lose that time and procrastinate, be
(39:39):
on your phone, like the normal stuff kids do you know,
Like I have this hour before practice. I need to
get to the trainer an hour before practice. This is
the only time I'm gonna be able to read my book.
So you have to do it there and you just
you're you focus because you have you to benefit from structure.
In other words, in that case, that's great. I Mean,
the one thing that I'm impressed about into was your
(40:00):
career as well as you started out as a fullback,
so versatility not just playing in one position, and in
terms of college that will help you on the next level.
Talk to you, talk to me about, you know, how
you started as a fullback and how you transition your
game in terms of a dynamic senior season. Yeah. So
at Rumson fair Haven Regional High School where I go,
we we call like our school a program. It's a program,
(40:22):
and and when you walk in at freshman or sophomore level,
you're there to like help the team in whatever way
you can. So I wanted to be on the field,
and and we had a good running back in, a
great running back in Matt Vickarelli, and behind him was
Pete Lucas who's over at Lehigh now, Matt's at Holy
Cross like and the guy before him, Charlie Volker at
Princeton right now. So a lot a lot of big
shoes to fill in. So I wanted to be on
(40:44):
the field with those great players and learn from them.
So I knew the only way to get there was
to bulk up and and play fullback and block for them,
and honestly being seeing from the blocking position like what
needs to be done as a fullback. It allows you
when you regret us or progress to halfback, to know
like what's gonna happen in front of you. And I
think that definitely helped me move to tailback. You know,
(41:08):
a small percentage of high school athletes in any sport
are ever gonna be paid for it. You know, we're
gonna be professional. I look at high school athletes and
what they learn as something that they could use as
a stepping stone for the rest of life. What are
some of the things that you've learned as a high
school athlete that you think are going to translate to
college at Middlebury into whatever career choices you make as well.
(41:28):
I I think it's the hard work and discipline that
like you put in behind the scenes. Like we were
a very successful program, I mean winning state championship five
out of six years, Like I'm very proud of that.
To be a part of that and to be a
part of these teams, and and everybody gets to see
what happens on those days, those game days. But I
mean it's an entire year's four years work of stuff
(41:49):
that goes into that. So all that behind the scenes work,
the stuff that you don't see. I think that's like
you're not gonna in life, not everybody's just watching you.
Like go to your job every day. That's the stuff
that you have to do just because that's that's your job.
And I think working working hard with your teammates and
stuff building that chemistry, that that's what transfers, not necessarily
(42:09):
the actual game, but what it takes to perform at
that level when it's time. Coach, When I look at
Alex's game in terms of the mentality, I mean fullbacks,
you know, I mean those are the guys that you
want at the front level, you know. So for him
to start out as a fullback and transition reminds me
in terms of his early play of like a Michaelsta
type of player now has transitioned in the short intermediate
(42:31):
passing game. But talk to me about how you would
utilize a player like Alex in terms of skill set.
You know, I saw Christian McCaffrey when I saw you play.
That's the player I kind of identified you with. And
I've been recruiting at college for twenty five years. Ah,
you know, a power back that has the versatility to
to make people missed a sidestep to to jump, jump up,
skip around somebody. Um, and I'll see that type of
(42:53):
player that you are. Uh. And I was just curious,
is there are there is there a player that you
think you would like to emulator, a player that you've
always looked up to, that you felt like, I want
to be like that guy. Well, before my two state
championship games, I actually watched a lot of football life
and one one football life that I kept watching was
Walter Payton And just like how how he gave everything
(43:16):
he had to every run, and just like the power
he had in it. And I just wanted to emulate
that in my play and and and use that power.
Holy cow, that was my hero. I used to say,
it's not used to say it's not that he rushed
for nine miles that he did, said he got got
up after every four point two yards of those nine miles.
(43:36):
That made him such a great one. But great person
off the field, which I know you are a great
person off the fields as well as a great person
on the field. Uh. But that's a that's a good one. There.
Have you always thought about college football? Because I, yeah,
I know you're you're You're not not the biggest guy.
But you're being here. I look at McCaffrey two or
five pounds, you're about you're over two hundred pounds. And
(43:56):
the one great thing about the running back position is
you know, and I know because I was a running
bat was a walk on a West Virginia back when
I played. Is that height there's not really a factor
when you're running back. In fact, sometimes if you're at
that mid level height, you're getting hit about the hip
level and that's the best way to be as you're
running back. You don't see me the tall Dickerson type
running backs anymore. Yeah. Actually, my friend the other day
(44:19):
was joking in class, like he said, I was gonna
try to tackle you. And this kid's like six five.
He was receiver on our team first year playing, and
he tried to like bend down. He was like at
my shoulder level. So he's like to get down to
tackle you. That's crazy. Yeah, So so and then I
can lower even lower that. And then also I had
an all senior offensive line and like these guys were huge,
like to the boat tackles were like six five. My
(44:40):
guards were huge, a great center holding on the front
and like to be able to hide behind those guys.
They can't see you, so you get that extra second
to break free. Well, it was funny. We we had
Marshall falk In for much of the month of December
is one of our guests, and one of the things
he said was height matters very little. What matters most
is the strength of your lower Addie. I mean, if
(45:00):
you have leverage on opposing defenders and you're able to
use that leverage and that lower body strength, you're you're
basically unstoppable at that point. And I love you bring
up Walter Payin because Walter Payton was was my child's week.
Oh yeah, I mean one of my first book reports
in grammar school was his book Sweetness. And I loved
him not just for what he did on the field.
(45:22):
He was remarkable on the field, but he was such
a good guy in such a big part of the community,
which it seems like you are as well. Where does
that come from, Alex, Because there's so many things you
could do with your time. You can spend more time
in the gym, you spend more time with your buddies,
but you're out in things like Habitat for Humanity. We're
looking at your resume Where does that come from? That
start at home with mom and dad. Yeah, I think so.
(45:44):
I think we have a great community back where I'm from,
and I think a lot of people who care about
each other. I'm also a part of a mental health
association called Long Live Lax UH dedicated after a friend
we lost to suicide and UH, a couple of us
friends got together and we we wanted to turn that
that energy and frustration into something positive and hopefully make
(46:06):
a change. So we raised over fifty dollars to put
into a multipurpose lall and UH in fair Haven for lacrosse,
pitch back and any other sports that you can do,
and and use it as a symbol that like that
for hope. Well, kids that are struggling, you know, more
than anything, I think we see that all the time.
I mean, you know, with depression. UH. What they want
to know is that they're heard, That people are out
(46:28):
there hearing them and their peers are hearing them, which
I think is fantastic. And this is the epitome of
what a student athlete is. Absolutely we've seen we we
all talk about, you know, the Power five conferences and
kids going to school just to play football. This is
the epitome of what a student athlete and going to
college is all about. And that gets overlooked sometimes in
terms of just the landscape of college football, and he
(46:51):
really is a testament in terms of all student athletes.
Just kind of dovetail Joe. I mean, we're we're talking
a lot about Clemson Alabama because that's the big game
on Monday night. Well, Christian Wilkins won the Campbell Trophy, correct,
which is which is like the academic Heisman. So even
at the level where you're looking at next level potentially
high draft choice, uh, high draft choices in two thousand
(47:12):
and nineteen, there are kids like Christian Wilkins at Clemson
who are still bringing it in the classroom and bringing
in the community. Christian Wilkins was a was a grade
school um substitute teacher, you know. So again the concept
of the the dumb jock, I think is way overused
when it comes to today's student. To piggyback off of that,
just he's the first Campbell Trophy winner to play in
(47:35):
a national National Games, So yeah, because we are a
little more accustomed to those winners be from Ivy League
schools and to see it come from a powerhouse is awesome.
Now you need your academics are important to you right now. Um,
but Paul ends, I don't care if you play pro
ball or just college. But if you thought about what
you're gonna major in or what you're gonna study, it's
gonna be rigorous a little bit to put all that
time into athletics, but also about what you need to
(47:57):
your academics. Yeah, in school and high school, I've been
very interested in my economics courses, so I'm definitely thinking
about taking economics in college. And then also I really
like psychology, so I'm thinking about that too. That's great.
I mean, in terms of the running backs, I can
tell you this. I'm gonna Rich Is gonna laugh at me.
But go back to the tape. We talk about sweetness.
(48:17):
A couple of my all time favorite running backs. Eric
b Enemy, who's being mentioned for jud and jobs. You know,
he's a he's a college Football Hall of Fame candidate
as well Colorado. He was about five seven head thighs
the size of this, uh this table. And Carlos Snow
from Ohio State there running back. So that's what it's
all about in terms of having the love for the
game as well. It's not about playing in the at
(48:39):
the next level. It's loving the game of football and
what it teaches you to do. And I can tell
just from your game taping and from what you're doing
in terms of society that you're a winner on all aspects.
Will break this game down. In terms of Alabama Clemson,
how do you see this matchup playing out on Monday night?
I don't know. I think Alabama is known as Alabama
for a reason. I think I think they're gonna They're
(49:00):
gonna get it done. I just think that to uh
to a will have more experience under his belt and uh,
I just I don't see how they could take saman down.
It's interesting to get the I'm always curious because he's
in the culture, you know, in the locker room. I'm
always curious, like in the locker room, is it's split?
(49:20):
Where is everybody all into Alabama? What what's the mindset
in that locker room amongst your peers. I don't know.
I think everybody's very opinionated on on which topic it is.
But I think the majority of people would would go
with Alabama for this game. Yeah, at least that of
my friends. Do your friends get tired of hearing about
(49:42):
Alabama because we get to this point where it's almost
like you know, you know they're there, We've we've seen
them for so long, they've won their titles. I want
to see someone else. Do you hear a little bit
of that? If people are going tired to the dominance
of Alabama, I I don't. I don't think that people
have gotten gotten tired of. Yeah. I think especially we
respected because we we like aspire to be that Alabama,
(50:03):
to keep showing up year after year in the state
championship games, and I I mean national championship games are
obviously bigger than that, so that is the equivalent. Yeah,
So I I think that I think that, like we
we'd like to see ourselves as Alabama, so I'd support
them all the way. Greatest memory. I mean, when you
look back someday you'll you'll be a successful businessman, you know,
(50:26):
in your forties. When you look back at your high
school days, what do you think will be the one
thing that says, Man, I'm glad I grinded with my teammates.
I I honestly have to have to say that it
was our sectional kit championship game against Summerville. I mean
the year before UH Summerville, in that Sexual championship game
we played at Rutgers. They broke our streak of fourth straight.
We're looking to get our fifth straight. And I know
(50:48):
those seniors that that that weren't able to go out
on that win. They that hurt them for a while.
And and us as juniors moving on to the next level.
A lot of us played as sophomores and a lot
of us start did as seniors, so we wanted to
get back to that level. And for us to get
back to that exact game, I guess, the same exact team,
and to be able to come out with the win,
(51:09):
I mean, that was very special for us. I don't
think I'll ever forget that. I mean we worked at
all every day for that for the entire year, and
and that was a really special moment. I mean, going
on and winning the Group three UH Central South Sectional
Group three bowl game, that was very important too. But
I really think that that that was like a climax
of my high school football career because like that that
(51:31):
was by far my best game ever. Like fifty carries,
two d seventy one yards and four touchdowns. Yeah, I
like slept well that night. Huh yeah, yeah, not really.
I actually woke up in the middle of night. Really sorry,
I had to. I had to take a warm bath
so I could relax my muscles and sleep at night.
Carries coach, I mean, we're going old school with that
type of work alone, which but we don't see that
(51:52):
hardly anymore, the old days when the Bo Jackson's and
the Ron Danes and all the years where they carried
at thirty or times. I want to ask, you don't
get where you've You've gone so far in football without
the head up a lot of people, and there are
a few people that you'd like to recognize that just
say thanks man, that you're one. I'm here. Yeah, I'd
love to say thank you to my mom, dad, and
(52:13):
my brother and my family obviously, but the coaches that
have brought me through and the friends that have have
helped me through, like the tough days and stuff. Everybody
everybody helps each other out and if somebody's down, like
the collective people help you get up, and and that
that has really helped me. I got a lot of
good guys around me that that keep me on the
right track even when I'm down. They helped cheer me up.
(52:34):
So without that, I definitely wouldn't be where I am today.
So also I'd like to frank thank my uncle Frankie
for coming to all my games and supporting me. There.
That's great. I love hearing you see. That's what it's
all about to the family culture, which he already thanked
his offensive lot. He knows what at the NFL level,
(52:56):
they buy them all watches. You know, thanks for making
me you know, you know, the MVP of the year.
You know you take Do you do anything for those
big uglies? I give him a lot of big hugs,
but I don't really have the deep pockets enough right
now to do that. But I'll give him some hugs
and kisses when I can quickly before we go to break.
You're you're you're rooting for a team in this NFL playoff. Um, well,
(53:16):
I'm actually a Cincinnati Bengals fans, so so they're not
doing too well in the playoffs. They're not in the
playoffs right now, but I don't know. I think the
Bears are really hot right now. Can get it done
against the Eagles tomorrow afternoon. When we come back, we'll
be talking about that dominant Alabama defense keep it where
it
Hey, thanks for downloading the podcast, and remember, if you
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(00:23):
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thanks for listening. You're listening to the Fantasy Sports Radio
Network work. Let's go college football today. The stage is
(00:51):
set for Monday night, number one Alabama, number two Crimson.
Which team will win? Welcome to college football Today, brought
to you I bet d s I. We talked about
the Clemson offense that's putting up dynamic numbers, which freshman
quarterback Trevor Lawrence talk about this Clemson defense that's only
giving up ninety two rushing yards per game, more importantly,
(01:12):
only giving up a hundred and eighty one passing yards
to opposing offenses. They entered this matchup plus five in
turnover margin and are holding opposing offenses guys to on
third down conversions. I mean, I think that's the biggest
characteristic of bread venables and this defense, when you could
force three and ounce, you're giving Lawrence a short field
(01:33):
and I think that could be the matchup as well.
They held Notre Dame to five of seventeen on third
downs in the in the playoff win. Y Jo, I
think we we sort of, um, we maybe lost a
little site of the Clemson defense in the second half
of the year. You know, we spent a lot of time.
We spent a lot of time talking Michigan right, and
until the Ohio statistically right, Statistically in Michigan was ahead
of everybody else. And we love Don Brown and the
(01:55):
job he does with the defense, but very quietly Clemson.
Maybe we were fixated on the evolution of Trevor Lawrence,
but that defense has gotten better and better and better.
And one of the statistics sort of an offshoot of
what you mentioned about run defense. Run defense always matters
to me. Clemson offensively didn't get a chance stay in
the last segment, but offensively number one in the country
(02:17):
yards per carry, six point seven yards per carry, defense
number one in the country two point four yards per
carry aloud, I mean they are so good at the
point of attack. Now, no dexter Lawrence. We know we
suspended for this game. Kind of wish we would have seen,
you know, the full compliment of of Clemson defenders, but
that defensive one. I mentioned it last week. If any
unit in the country can handle the loss of an
(02:40):
elite player, it's the Clemson defense of Christian Wilkins. Will
be double team, but I think he'll step up. Look
for the guy next to him, Nick, look for Albert
Huggins to maybe get some one on one looks and
make some plays. On Monday night, Dxavier Thomas comes in
and make some big plays as a freshman. You know,
it's it's really unusual to be playing Alabama and saying
the other team might have the best fits in front
(03:00):
on the field. But they do, they really do. Uh
and and their defensive numbers are so good. And remember this,
when you have a high scoring offense, your defensive stats
tend to go down. You get ahead, you substitute, the
stats don't matter as much. You've got to be really
dominant and really dominant with not just with your first group,
but your replacements, your substitutes on that front to be
(03:22):
able to maintain that type of consistency in stopping the
run and keeping people from scoring points, because the biggest
thing about that have hurt defensive stats in recent years
is the higher up you score points, the more you're
willing to sub people and and and to take some
of the edge off your defense. You see here a
great offense by Clemson, but the defense even better. And
(03:42):
so that that that's one of those things that you
see as a real plus for Clemson. They play good
defense even when they're scoring points. Some people lose their edge. Yeah,
and when you look at great venables, to me, but one,
he doesn't get enough freck. I know he's getting I
know he's getting the price tag right, he's getting two
a half million as a coordinator. But for a big
game de coordinator. We've heard about Kirby Smart. We never
(04:05):
hear him mentioned in the same breath as Kirby Smart.
And when you think about the type of talent that
he's lost, guys like Grady Jarreed, guys like Vic Beasley,
shack Loss and Ben Bullware, and each and every year
they just seemed to progress in terms of sack totals
third down defense last four years, twenty seven percent average,
(04:26):
I mean, unbelievable in terms of what he's done recruiting
and then coaching that talent up. Well, how not beyond
recruiting guys, how about recruiting and retaining. You know a
lot of these defensive linemen could be playing on Sundays
right now, but elected instead. We talked in the first
segment about culture at Clemson. Part of the advantage of
that culture is kids are like y'all play in the NFL,
(04:47):
but I don't mind spending my senior year here in Clemson,
South Carolina. And that was the case with Austin Bryan,
that was the Clay case with Cleveland, Farrell, uh Constriction Wilkins.
These kids would have been first round draft choices last year.
Second round at we're first, but dominant at the point
of attack, like the speed of the linebackers as well.
Kendall Joseph Trail, Lamar do a great job. Sign line
to sign line. Again, kids, it don't get a lot
(05:08):
of attention. If Clemson is gonna be vulnerable, and I
think the same thing will apply when we talk about
Alabama's defense in the next hour. If Clemson is vulnerable,
it's gonna be in the secondary. That unit I think
can be beat and could be taking a back seat
to the Alabama wide receivers. I do think Mullins the
first rounder. I think he's an outstanding cornerback and that's
not one they will attack. But if you're gonna beat Clemson,
(05:28):
I think you do have to have explosive plays out
of your wide receivers, which is right down Alabama's atleey,
because they have some receivers, not just one guy, but
a group of receivers that can really make plays, and
a quarterback that's really really accuracy. When I saw the
quarterback last week, what seven those kind of numbers and
in neither quarterback those interceptions a lot. I think that's
(05:49):
where I think you're gonna have to beat Clemson because
the number of people up front that they have. But
you brought up something very interesting. I agree with you.
I love to see these guys stay for their fourth year.
Maybe because we're all older parents were have families that
we really don't want to get into our professional life.
We wish we could go back to college and enjoy college.
I think that's something about college that that it's just
(06:10):
not it's not professional, it's not quite the business, and
they're gonna enjoy it. And I think most of them
might look back and say, guys, I wish I had
one more year. And that gets me to a real
thing I can't stand. It's all these guys that are
choosing not to play in bowl games. I'll be honest
with it irritates me a lot, the loyalty to these institutions,
because most of these guys would not be going where
they're going without what that school helped them get. And
(06:33):
so again, it is nice to see guys stay there
for with you. I don't blame a guy that leaves.
I can't put myself in anybody's shoes and their financial needs,
where they come from, and what their motivations are. But
it is it's warm. Uh. It's the fuzzies, the warm
fuzzies when you see these guys sticking around and being
part of their home guys and their hang out with
their guys and their school colors and all that. Because
(06:54):
I think once you get out of college, it's no
longer about the school colors and the school fight song
and and all those the walk before the game and
all those things that you have when you're playing great
college football at two institutions like this, where football means
so much. I think when you look at Alabama's offense
that's attacking this defense over. I go back not to
last year's game because I just think the quarterback Kelly
(07:16):
Brian handcuffed them so much. I go back to that
game two years ago in Tampa where Lane Kiffin built
that offense and the Sarkasian took it over. They utilize
a lot of different formations to get O. J. Howard involved,
to get other playmakers involved, Ridley against that secondary. So
now a lot of pressure on this offensive staff to
(07:36):
really for Alabama to really attack that Clemson defense to
create those one on one opportunities because if if To
or Jalen Hurts don't have enough time, and that's what
we saw that Clemson front seven. They got to Ian book.
They forced those quick, short intermediate throws underneath coverage where
those nickelbacks and linebackers are right there at the point
(07:57):
of attack. Unless you could create those eat ball opportunities.
I think this game favors Clemson's defense in that regard
well and coach brought it up to fifty two sacks
for Clemson. No team in the country better than Clemson.
When you look at the numbers up and down, guy,
it's not it's not just it's not every guy. And
I'm glad you brought up brand Enables too, because again,
(08:18):
we talked about retaining players, how about retaining coaches. Now
he's paid very well, he's not he's not gonna miss
any meals down in Clemson. But but he could be
a head coach. I know that he has had people
kicking his tires and his agent has been contacted about
head coaching opportunities. But right now he's like, let's I
have a great thing here. I have a great thing.
I'm a young coach. There might be time to be
a head coach down the road, but I'm happy where
(08:39):
I'm at. One of the quick things I wanted to
bring up is such a dichotomy here between Alabama's offense
and Clemson's defense, because Alabama has started fast pretty much
every game this season. First half. They've been dominant last
week against Oklahoma right twenty eight nothing and then in
control throughout the rest of that match up with the Sooners.
Clemson this season, fourteen games in, they've given up seventy
(09:01):
six first half points, So you know something has to
give here. Clemson has been dominant defensively in the first
half Alabama gets off the fast starts. So which one
is gonna win in that little game within the game.
And I'll tell you it's totally interesting too, because one
of the big games will be defensive front of Clemson
bursts the offensive line of Alabama. Uh, that's just gonna
be one of the storylines that we've got here and
how they play against each other. How will Alabama do
(09:24):
against that defensive front? Uh, easily the best defensive front
they've seen all year. Coach, When you and when you
look at this matchup as a whole in terms of
the defense, I mean, I think if you're bred venables,
I want to put pressure on too. I want to
attack him. I want to blitz him. I want to
see if that ankle is is legit. We saw his
comments after the semifinal win. He he sort of indicated
(09:46):
that he wasn't a hundred percent really, So now we
know Notre Dame didn't get to him enough, Oklahoma didn't
get to him enough. But this front seven can take
some chances early on because they know they have type
of offense that could go score for score. Which should
they fall behind in this matchup, I think a lot's
gonna be contingent on the staff's comfort level with those
(10:08):
defensive backs. Can can you leave them on an island?
Are you comfortable with him in one on one situations?
I'm glad coach brought up Trayvon Mullen because he's one
of the player when you talk to NFL scouts on
that defense that's not a defense not in the front seven.
Mullen is the one kid that has an opportunity, comes
out early, does well in the pre draft process to
be a first round and be one of those first
(10:29):
defensive backs taken. But he is a bit of an
anomaly this year. It's a young defensive backfield. Are you
confident with those guys and one on one situations and
kind of pinning the ears back of the front seven.
What's what's interesting, too, is that the first half line
for Alabama you mentioned about them jumping up early is
the first quarter. Is Alabama's favored by five points in
(10:51):
this quarter? And I think I found a Dabo Sweeney
and I win this this coin toss. I want my
offense on the field because I want to dictate the
temple early on. I don't want to freshman quarterback. I
want to rely. I want to get three and then
I want to rely on that front seven to carry
me through. I mean that's the way I see a
playing out. I think that's gonna be a factor too.
(11:12):
I think we saw against Oklahoma. I think they did
not They deferred when they had the game uh and
put their defense on the field early in their playoff game,
and it was hard. It was it was something. It
was a decision. I wonder if they should have made
to defer and not get that offense, not the defense
on the field. And I think Clemson may have the
very same concern. Yeah, it's interesting too because we see
both You see dominant defensive fronts, and we talked about
(11:35):
the Big twelve right where they spread you, but then
they don't have the type of defenses to shut down
the run and really be physical at the point of attack. Well,
we got two offenses now in Alabama Clemson that they
spread you wide, they challenge you vertically, They have quarterbacks
that can run up tempo. They could also play a
more methodical uh A type of offense, but they have
(11:57):
the front seven to really dominate. Why can't we either,
Well what's funny is what are the coordinators coached in
the Big twelve for Bob Stoops and now he's taken
that to the A c C. So why can't we
see that in the big twelve. I think that's asking
a lot though, job. I mean, you have to really
be able to have a haul talent wise, that to me,
(12:17):
and that to me is the one difference when you
watch film over and over again and when you watch
Saturdays of football. The one difference I see largely in
the SEC. But then also when you talk about Clemson
out of the A c C is up the line
of scrimmage. I mean there is such a difference visually,
a different speed. Uh. The athleticism of a Christian Wilkins
(12:38):
at his size is something you're only going to see
at the very elite programs. And you gotta remember, just
because you're wanting to get pressure on the quarterback doesn't
mean you have to blitz. You've got to watch this
game and see how many times can we get pressure
on too. Just before man rush, well, I mean four
man rush. They have a great defensive front and most
of the time they get sacks. It's enough for man rush.
(13:01):
Now when you bring five or six, then you began
to put your defensive backs on an island. But when
you have great defensive people with a with a great
first step and great moves, you can get pressure on
the quarterback, especially if he's not a great mobile runner
or he's got a little bit of a banged up ankle.
You want to see if you can get that pressure
on a form man rush. Yeah, that Georgia did it.
(13:22):
I I keep going back to that SEC title game.
You know, that was the one game. I'm not saying
that Clemson can automatically duplicated, but Georgia's defense, which admittedly
was not at the same level as two thousand and seventeen.
No ro Quan Smith in that game. Uh DeAndre Baker
is a true next level player. But Georgia in terms
of personnel took a step back under Kirby Smart this year.
(13:44):
Defensively offensively not the case defensively that took a step back,
but they had schemes and they had the speed. Now,
people on the Alabama side could say, well to it
was really banged up in that game, and that's a
fair point. So I don't know with the heeled ankle
what he's going to look like, but you can at
pressure on that Alabama offense and I think that's exactly
what Bred Venable is going to try to do. How
(14:05):
important coaches it because Kirby We've seen Kirby's defense make
plays against Alabama now tendencies. If there is anybody in
terms of knowing Nick Saban and that staff's tendencies, it
was Kirby Smart because he coached there for a period
of time. Does that is that as important of a
factor Because I look at both games, I think Kirby
smart understands, he understands his strengths and weaknesses of toa
(14:28):
he coached against him in terms of scout team, so
he understands what matchups are where he struggles or types
of coverage. So that's maybe where he had an advantage
where maybe Bred Venables well, even though Venables now is
coached against Alabama four straight years, but where maybe another
coach doesn't have that type of advantage for understanding the
staff and being in Tuscaloosa. I mean, it's it's all
(14:50):
a matter of degrees of degrees of of how much
you have an advantage of disadvantages again, fourteen games of video.
Venables has been doing this a long time. He was
he was mentored by Bob Stoops. One of the guys
that knows. I coached against Bob back when he was
a deep as a coordinator at Florida, when I was
a head coach in the nineties at Auburn, and Venables
has known what he's doing a long time, so he'll
(15:11):
make the necessary adjustments that he needs to make. Um
And but I think there are degrees in which you
might have a little better knowledge, and that's a factor
in the game. I still think the biggest factors are
the number of athletes again they're putting on the field
at at Clemson and able to play with those athletes
that could compete with with Alabama's athletes. Yeah, quick profits
(15:33):
about you know, just in terms of what people are
looking at offensively and defensively. We talked about E T
n How do Renfro? What do you want in to
have total receiving guards? I would take over there. I
would too. He's the guy. I think all of the
attention is going to be on the outside to Justin
Ross and to t Higgins. I think all of the
attention and underneath, I think that's where Hunter Renfro could
(15:55):
have sixty yard games. Well, here's the thing to coach
t Higgins fifty three and a half receiving yards and
Ross is only at sixty nine and a half, which
is I mean, if you just base those and you
think about the type of offensive production question total yards,
they're leaning to an under in this ball game. I
think it's gonna be an old To me, it comes
down to, listen, the kid's gonna have a great career.
(16:18):
Patrick's r TAN. But but but he's a true freshman,
and he struggles and and so he's a little raw.
I don't want to beat the kid up. He's a
young kid, and I think he's gonna have a great career.
But I think a lot of this is gonna come
down to who is matched up versus their TAN, because
I think that's exactly where where Trevor Lawrence is gonna
try to go as a coach. If you see a
guy or a freshman that's out there on an island,
(16:38):
do you have any issue just go and play after
play after play at the same player, hoping that you
know he never adjusts, or do you want to mix
it up in terms of even though you know he's
out there, you want to save it for just a
perfect game situation. No, I think I think you always
look at the talent level at a certain position and
attack talent versus talent that over rods Sometimes game plan,
(17:01):
a backup comes in. You know what his he can do,
certains there, he had a bad game last week, or
maybe he's not able to do certain things another one
is and you began to attack him. I think that's
always part of the game plan because I think, really, uh,
the one thing every good play caller does is try
to match talent the talent and make sure if you've
got a mismatch, it gives you an advantage just by
(17:21):
not them having somebody out there over top of you,
but your guy being better than their guy. When we
come back, we'll be talking about the Alabama Crimson Tide.
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(17:44):
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(18:07):
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nine Defenses Pots Radio Network, your free fancy source, twenty
four hours a day, Private Eyes, Great Song. We talked
(18:38):
about Clemson's offense and defense. We're gonna turn our attention
to the dominant Alabama offense that's averaging two two rushing
gaunts per game. They're also passing for over three with
two and Jalen Hurts at the helm, who has had
a fantastic year, completed close to seventy of his passes,
forty one touchdowns, four more interceptions. He has playmakers like
(19:02):
Jerry Judy on the outside. This is the biggest passing
effort rich for an Alabama offense since prior to two
thousand and nine. You look back in two thousand and fourteen,
they average two seventy seven through the air with Lane
Kiffin as the o c a more importantly, Blake Sims
as the quarterback. But this is an evolution in terms
of Alabama in terms of being able to stretch defenses,
(19:25):
especially at the quarterback position. It changes everything. I mean,
the entire dynamic, everything we've learned about Alabama in the
past has changed because of this offensive shift. Lane Kiffin
really did start to usher this in. But now the
personnel is in place with two a tongue of aaloa
under center. Such a difference maker. And really, Jalen Hurts
and I talked a lot in the offseason with folks
down in Alabama who said, this kid may not win
(19:47):
the job, but he is progressing as a pastor. He's
taken on this challenge. He's really putting in the time.
Whether that benefits a different program in two thousand and
nineteen remains to be seen. But those wide receivers, there
are a lot of them. Henry Ruggs, Jerry Judy, Irv Smith,
that tight end DeVante Smith who caught the National Championship
game winner a year ago. And oh, by the way,
(20:08):
they still can run the ball. They still can go
all old school between the tackles with that trio of back.
So it's a pick your poison for the Clemson defensive
staff on Monday, and I think the stakes you mentioned
earlier in the show, the stakes have gone up so
high at Alabama where you've got to play for the
National Championship about every year. If you're gonna keep that
program moving at the pace it is, and you can't
(20:30):
do it unless you have a dominant offense and defense.
I mean, if you play like Nick Saban's sister. Great
defense is always what we coaches want. It's like having
a picture that always those strikes and it doesn't every
get outside the plate. You always got a chance to
win when you play great defense. Sometimes offense is gonna
be fickle. They're they're not hitting the corners of the plate.
They're not quite got on the money. Uh. And you
(20:50):
play great defense, but anymore, you've got to score points
and that comes from explosive place and uh and if
people try to overplay the run, you've gotta build throw
the football. What's interesting too, as we talk about players
just coming in plug and play, we've seen coaches. Now
Brian Dable came in, we saw Mike Locksley come in.
We saw Sarkisian while he he struggled in the National
Championship game, but they still put up at thirty points
(21:12):
in that loss against Clemson. So this these coordinators in
this offensive attack that Kiffin built back in two thousand
and fourteen, seems to be almost interchangeable, where they just
take the talent, they coach it up and they it's
everyone has a strength and weakness. But it's amazing because
coordinators are like pictures. They have to get into a rhythm,
(21:34):
and these guys don't seem to miss a beat in
terms of each and every season. How much credit does
Nick Saban get for that? Because I think it's clearly
great defense, don't turn turnover margin. Great defense turnover margin.
Whether you thought a little bit more or run it
a little bit more, I'm not sure that matters as
much if you play great defense, which I think Nick's
always is gonna dabble in defense. That's what he has
(21:55):
always done, That's what he always will do. But he
is less likely to sitting the staff beating on offense
and watch every little scripted play for a practice. So
he's gonna be a little more receptive to uh. Two
guys that will will either run the ball more or
pass the ball more. Uh, Because I do think you
recognize that you've got to score points in this day
and age, you can't just be a defensive minded coach. UH,
(22:18):
like you could really in the old days where you
you didn't mind the average in twenty seven points a
game or as long as you play great defense because
that would win championships. And anymore, it's it's and I
think Clemson understands that too. You gotta play play aggressive, explosive, dynamic,
cutting edge football on both sides of the football. It's
funny because everybody wants to be like New England at
the NFL level. Everybody wants to be like Clemson in
(22:41):
Alabama at the collegiate level in terms of being able
to be there each and every year, which makes the grind.
How do you get through the grind? How do these
coaches get through the grind? And we'll get coaches take
on it to get to that part where now it's
self sustaining for the most part, once you win six
national championships. UH, as a head coach at the collegiate level,
(23:02):
players are buying in because you want to be there
in the college football playoffs. So now, at the end
of his tenure, Nick Saban sort of sort of writing
and almost but dabl Sweeney now is is building it
and he's building the foundation. But these are coaches like
Tom Herman wanted to build it at Texas. This is
a Dana Holgerson wanted to do that at West Virginia,
(23:23):
Jimbo who wants to do what at Texas, say and
m because the the success hasn't been there consistently each
and every year. So it's hard. That to me, I
think is and again I'm I'm in no position compared
to the coach to to weigh in on this. But
but as I watch from afar, the most amazing thing
to me, especially at Alabama now clums and doing the
same thing, is how do you keep young men who
(23:44):
have been up the mountaintop motivated year after year? I
find that to be so difficult because they've been star
athletes since they were very young, so they've been fed
a lot of accolades for a very long period of time.
Now you get into a system, a process at Alabama
where they win titles, certainly SEC titles year after year,
national championships, how do you keep those kids motivated? Or
(24:07):
let me ask it this way, are you looking for
the right type of personality that you know you can
motivate to be to be up every year. Well, I
think there's no question that when you're you're recruiting the
very mark, the marquee player, the player that everybody wants.
By the time that player gets to his senior year,
he's really keyed into being the best at what he does,
playing for the best, being for the best, uh, and
(24:28):
that's what you're looking for. I still think, having worked
with a lot of coaches over the years, and even
my my father goes back, I think for sixty two
straight years we've had about as a head coach in college,
guys like Nick Saban, who's it's their energy, it's their
drive that that lead everything. Coaches come and go, the
players come and go. When that coach loses his edge,
(24:49):
when that coach can't quite get up in the morning
and have that same drive, I don't think every other
coach on that staff could do it. I think it's
that guy. That's why the players get replaced every year,
the offense. The coaches get replaced every year. There's six
or seven coaches at Alabama that change every year. I
think if you change Nick, it may change everything. You
change six or some of those, it doesn't change one thing.
(25:11):
And I think the dynamic, and I think I think
Dabo is in a different phase of his career. He's
but he's doing the same thing he's bringing. He's still
bringing that energy. He's still bringing that energy that he
brings to his staff and doing that. But Nick would
love to tell you it's a process. It is a process,
But I think it's a process that you have to
have a personality like his that makes sure he makes
(25:32):
sure he's on top of everything to make sure it
doesn't nothing. We haven't mentioned it all yet, and I
think it's something we talked about during the show. Is
Locksley has already got another job. Is that going to
affect this game? I mean two years ago when Lane
Kippen got a job and left, Locksley's gonna stay. We've
seen it not affect teams. We've seen it effect teams.
But that's an interesting factor as well. Can that type
(25:52):
of dynamic to change during the postseason play and make
a difference. Yeah, we saw many das stay from Miami
didn't help with lost against Wisconsin. We saw Kirby do
it with Georgia when he was on staff. They did
win the national championship the year that he stayed. So
it's interesting because because I feel like it the defensive
coordinators seemed to not miss a beat. It's the offensive
(26:14):
guys where they they have one foot in, one foot out.
Kifun was on the way out. We saw it in
that in that didn't even get the coach uh final
against Washington, and they were They won that match up
by seventeen points and it was a lot closer. It
was seven nothing Washington in the first half and everybody
was saying, what are you doing, Lane, You're only winning
(26:35):
this game by he was running and that's where Henry
and Scarborough had a big day. It's yeah, it's hard
not to be straddling both lines. You have a new employer,
you're being paid handsomely. In the case of Mike Locksley,
he's going to Maryland and and especially in this day
and age now, coach were a great point during the
break which was you know, you're trying to assemble a staff.
I mean there's a mad dash to to get your quarter,
(26:57):
your assistance. But now with the recruiting site go now,
including December nineteenth this year, you're now also trying to
save recruits. You're trying to you know, the old staff
was recruiting a kid. Now you want to save that class.
So there's a lot of balls in the air, including
a national championship. Try uh in a couple of days.
It is, And you're talking about in an offense that's
(27:17):
converted fifty three, that's I mean as a as a defense,
that's like they converted again. They converted again. After they
can moralize six in a row, you're putting your hands
on your hips and you're going, what can we do
to stop these guys? Well, I mean, they had four
first downs, they average perfect game. It's because of the
(27:37):
third downs they're making. And I think Locksley, we're talking
about this and debating it, but I will say this,
in my mind, to some extent, he's already passed that test.
The offense was phenomenal last week against Oklahoma. When the
defense faltered some, they kept coming back. I was amazed
that when they had to just run the football, when
the defense knew they were gonna run it. I know
Oklahoma is not the best defense the world, but when
Alabamas you know, we're gonna take time off the clock
(27:59):
and we're gon run the football and then we're gonna
finish the drive. Locksley was clearly still locked in uh
to the game, locked into preparing because that's the toughest thing.
And I think an offensive quartered has a little bit
more time, could time responsibility because scripting practices, scripting your plays,
trying to get a game plan. Defensively, you're reacting to everything.
(28:20):
You react with a plan that you can't do Harley
too much before, and you gotta react to what what
are they doing differently this week? The offensive coach has
to work every minute the entire week or two before
to put a plan together. And I think Locksley, to
his credit, did a great job last week of having
an offense that showed up when the defense struggle some
at the end. Yeah, what's interesting when I break this
(28:40):
game down for Alabama's offense, I do feel that Jalen
Hurts will be a part of the package. Seven touchdowns,
two interceptions, And I go back to two games in particular.
You look at the win in Death Valley seven to
twenty three Eric Dungee, uh mobile quarterback that gave that
offense some missues that had to account fir him. And
then that game in College Station, even though Kellen Mond
(29:01):
threw for four hundred and twenty five yards in that loss,
he's a mobile guy, so you you would have to
think that Hurt will be up a better athlete than two. Uh.
I don't know if he's a better athlete it is.
I think there's no runner. I think he's a better
than the injury to that. I think with mobile, Yeah,
(29:23):
I think he's a I think he's a better quarterback
in terms of recognizing when he sees a running lane
because he hasn't just done it once, He's done it
in multiple games. Look at the game against Georgia two
years ago on the road in Death Valley, they were
up three nothing. He busts a thirty five yard touchdown
run to really break that game open. He did in
the National Championship game against the Shawn Watson. That's what
(29:46):
led to Alabama having to lead in Watson having to
lead that to you know what he has and great
vision and great instincts. I I think he makes a
quick decision when it's time to leave the pocket when
the Russians, when we needs to extend to play with
his feet, Jalen Hurts makes that decision very quickly and
takes off. Now, if he's tested in a forty, he's
not the fastest he's not Kyler Murray put it that way,
(30:09):
but he makes great decisions in the pocket. I don't
know if we'll see him. I think. I don't know
if there's a sub package specifically for Jalen Hurts. I
think this is to his games. I do. I think
it's to his game, barring obviously the unfortunate injury. Yet, yeah,
I would agree. I don't think there's a plan after
the second series is gonna use hurt Hurst. But I
do believe because the ankle, you could probably see him
(30:31):
this week and that and that you better be ready
to see both of them. I don't know if Clemson
has to have a different game plan for either quarterback,
that they're that different, or the offense changes. There are
some differences in what the quarterbacks tend to do in situations. Uh,
But I don't think that. I don't think Alabama, like
you said, I don't believe Alabama will say, Okay, after
the third series, we're gonna go with the second quarterback.
(30:52):
I just think he knows he's got to be ready. Uh.
And with the pressure Clemson is able to put on
the quarterback, there's a I don't know if it's a
more likely than not sit you lation, but you could
see two quarterbacks because yeah, I think that. I think
maybe situational type of plays, maybe like a long third
down and seven or third down in five in in
plus territory at the forty two, you might see Hurts
(31:12):
because of his ability just to break contain, we'll see.
I mean, that's the chess match that that will play out.
I will say this about the advantage maybe for Alabama
that I think when you look at both offenses. Three backs.
We talked about Josh Jacobs, who's really come on in
recent weeks. He's a tough between the tackles runner Damian Harris,
not j Harris took over that game last year. E
(31:34):
t n a bulk of the carries, even though I
think Feaster will get his share of yards fresh the
ability to have fresh legs in the ballgame at all times,
running behind that physical offensive line, especially if you have
a lead, can be a factor in a plus for
Alabama's offense. I was going to take a different angle,
which is depth at wide receiver. You know, over the years,
(31:56):
we're accustomed to seeing great next level wide receivers for Alabama.
You know, the Emortary Cooper's right um, the Calvin Ridley's.
But typically it's one player and then some complementary parts,
you know, but this year you have multiple candidates to
be number one. Jerry Judy was the big recipient, you know,
wins the Bolitic Off Award. He was the main guy.
(32:17):
But Jalen Waddle, you know, true freshman, every bit as
good as justin Ross this year. I mentioned DeVante Smith,
Henry Ruggs. There are so many candidates for those quarterbacks
that I'm used to saying over the years. Alabama's deep
at running back, right because Nick has always rotated to
three running backs. But depth that wide receiver, That's something
that I'm not used to, and that's one of the
(32:38):
things that has really helped the passing game this year
as well. Yeah, I think when you look at the
Alabama wide receivers, the one m O this year that
maybe we haven't seen in years passed is that big
toll wide receiver. I mean Julio Jones six three. I
mean these wide receivers, Judy is about six foot tops.
We have waddle rugs at six ft hops. So when
(33:01):
you create one on one hatch ups, you want a
wide receiver like we saw a few years ago, and
Mike Williams that catches the football at its highest point
for those jump all opportunities cannot be a factor in
this ball game in terms of handcuffing too, should they?
Should they roll coverage in this match? Well, I do
think you've got to look at you can be a
shorter receiver if you're gonna out run. I mean, you've
got some guys who have great spee. When I was
(33:23):
recruiting receivers, I want tall guys. Everything's about a basketball
player right now, because you gotta remember when you want
to have an explosive play or you need big plays
in a game, you don't have to be open. You
just have to make the catch at its highest point,
and your high point to be higher than the defensive
back to this high point and you'll make the catch.
Unless you've got a great speed receiver who is in
man coverage, or when you can put enough receivers out there,
(33:45):
whether they're playing zone or man, you're gonna get one
on one and you're out running. But I think they've
got a little bit of both at Alabama. You think
they run up tempo early on. I know that they
favor and up tempo but I mean flat out up tempo,
to wear out the opposing deep sense in front seven
because we saw both defenses struggle in terms of the
second half and not last year, um not this year
(34:06):
with Clemson and Notre Dame, but when Alabama was running
up tempo, and we've seen Clemson struggle with up temple
type of attacks where the two minute offense gives them
some issues. Look at South Carolina, look at Syracuse. Do
you could that be the factor in this matchup? Not
in the second half, I mean from the get go,
to wear out the opposing offense, defensive front sempily through
(34:28):
I think for more than five hundred yards in that
game for South Carolina, all being in a loss. But yeah,
I could see that happening. I I I listen. I
think there's gonna be that uh coach mentions, you know
you're gonna take what the defense is gonna give you.
I think there's gonna be a desire to have balance,
so you're gonna see the backs. But I think this
is gonna be to his game. I really think this
is gonna come down to a battle of the two quarterbacks.
(34:48):
You know you're gonna have compliments in the running game,
there's gonna be two versus Trevor Lawrence. I think whichever
quarterback is crisper, tighter, less likely to turn the ball over,
that team is going to win this game. And I
think this is gonna be to his game, I really do.
I think they're gonna lead with the pass and play
with the run of the back. See when Toward came
in last year in the National Championship Game, he wasn't
(35:09):
the guy. Jalen Hurts was the guy. But in the
first couple of series he didn't really come on and
light the world on fire. To Georgia, he had a
busted play that really allowed them to maintain the possession
and that led to that that score, and that's what
ultimately led to the overtime period. So we'll see. I
mean that's gonna be the fact that to play out
in this ballgame as well. I want to see Trevor
(35:32):
Lawrence with the bulls eye on his back when we
come back, and we'll be talking Alabama and Clemson keeping
where it is. Joelsie, Ritz, Sermonello and Terry ballon Live
from Studio thirty four. From the NFL to the NBA
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Free money, free money. We're gonna put in a thousand,
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and then listen to Leasie's picks and you'll turn that
two thousand into like four thousand. We're gonna get into
the picks segment in a little bit. But Rich and
I have been on fire. We both hit our best
selections of the bowl season. But we're starting a Fantasy
(37:29):
Sports Network Scholar Athlete Award to be given out in
June of two thousand and nineteen. Were joined by one
of the candidates, Alex Malgin from Rumsen fair Haven High School.
How a dynamic year this year. Seventeen hundred and thirty
two rushing yards, twenty three rushing touchdowns season, all Group
three selections from the state of New Jersey. Alex, congratulations
(37:52):
on being one of the candidates and uh on a
senior season that takes you to Middle Bettery College next year.
It was fun. Thank you for having me so, I mean,
when you see this dynamic here in terms of you know,
the stated in New Jersey, we've rich and I have
seen it players going to bigger schools, like you know,
Rashawn Garry. I mean, help fans what it's like to
play in the state of New Jersey because the East
(38:14):
Coast doesn't get enough love from college football fans. Yeah,
I know, and I actually like there's there's a lot
of people from like our area, Mommouth County especially, that
that go and play at these big levels schools and
and it's really amazing to be at the high school
level but playing against this level of competition that you
really can't get anywhere else. And and it's fun to
like be able and work towards that work to be
(38:35):
able to play at at that level and play against
the top talent in the country right in your home state.
And New Jersey has been a feeder system for college
football around the country. You know, Michigan State had uh
Shalik Calhoun was a kid from Middletown, Mammoth County. My
kids are all Short Conference kids as well, so we
know the uh, the territory and the athletes. One of
(38:57):
the things that I'm always intrigued by, Alex is the
ballot Lensing Act there's a lot that you're doing in
the classroom, successful on the field, successful community service. What
is your key to making sure that your schedule doesn't
overwhelm you. I think it's all the discipline that you
learn from playing the sport. I mean working around practice schedules.
(39:17):
I mean every athlete that I've talked to in my
high school and and around everybody says that you're more
on top of your school work when you're in season.
And I think it's because you have to be on
that schedule, you know, when practices, you know when your
games are gonna be you you're forced to work in
when you get the schoolwork done, Like there's not as
much free time to leave it up into the air
and uh like like lose that time and procrastinate, be
(39:39):
on your phone, like the normal stuff kids do you know,
Like I have this hour before practice. I need to
get to the trainer an hour before practice. This is
the only time I'm gonna be able to read my book.
So you have to do it there and you just
you're you focus because you have you to benefit from structure.
In other words, in that case, that's great. I Mean,
the one thing that I'm impressed about into was your
(40:00):
career as well as you started out as a fullback,
so versatility not just playing in one position, and in
terms of college that will help you on the next level.
Talk to you, talk to me about, you know, how
you started as a fullback and how you transition your
game in terms of a dynamic senior season. Yeah. So
at Rumson fair Haven Regional High School where I go,
we we call like our school a program. It's a program,
(40:22):
and and when you walk in at freshman or sophomore level,
you're there to like help the team in whatever way
you can. So I wanted to be on the field,
and and we had a good running back in, a
great running back in Matt Vickarelli, and behind him was
Pete Lucas who's over at Lehigh now, Matt's at Holy
Cross like and the guy before him, Charlie Volker at
Princeton right now. So a lot a lot of big
shoes to fill in. So I wanted to be on
(40:44):
the field with those great players and learn from them.
So I knew the only way to get there was
to bulk up and and play fullback and block for them,
and honestly being seeing from the blocking position like what
needs to be done as a fullback. It allows you
when you regret us or progress to halfback, to know
like what's gonna happen in front of you. And I
think that definitely helped me move to tailback. You know,
(41:08):
a small percentage of high school athletes in any sport
are ever gonna be paid for it. You know, we're
gonna be professional. I look at high school athletes and
what they learn as something that they could use as
a stepping stone for the rest of life. What are
some of the things that you've learned as a high
school athlete that you think are going to translate to
college at Middlebury into whatever career choices you make as well.
(41:28):
I I think it's the hard work and discipline that
like you put in behind the scenes. Like we were
a very successful program, I mean winning state championship five
out of six years, Like I'm very proud of that.
To be a part of that and to be a
part of these teams, and and everybody gets to see
what happens on those days, those game days. But I
mean it's an entire year's four years work of stuff
(41:49):
that goes into that. So all that behind the scenes work,
the stuff that you don't see. I think that's like
you're not gonna in life, not everybody's just watching you.
Like go to your job every day. That's the stuff
that you have to do just because that's that's your job.
And I think working working hard with your teammates and
stuff building that chemistry, that that's what transfers, not necessarily
(42:09):
the actual game, but what it takes to perform at
that level when it's time. Coach, When I look at
Alex's game in terms of the mentality, I mean fullbacks,
you know, I mean those are the guys that you
want at the front level, you know. So for him
to start out as a fullback and transition reminds me
in terms of his early play of like a Michaelsta
type of player now has transitioned in the short intermediate
(42:31):
passing game. But talk to me about how you would
utilize a player like Alex in terms of skill set.
You know, I saw Christian McCaffrey when I saw you play.
That's the player I kind of identified you with. And
I've been recruiting at college for twenty five years. Ah,
you know, a power back that has the versatility to
to make people missed a sidestep to to jump, jump up,
skip around somebody. Um, and I'll see that type of
(42:53):
player that you are. Uh. And I was just curious,
is there are there is there a player that you
think you would like to emulator, a player that you've
always looked up to, that you felt like, I want
to be like that guy. Well, before my two state
championship games, I actually watched a lot of football life
and one one football life that I kept watching was
Walter Payton And just like how how he gave everything
(43:16):
he had to every run, and just like the power
he had in it. And I just wanted to emulate
that in my play and and and use that power.
Holy cow, that was my hero. I used to say,
it's not used to say it's not that he rushed
for nine miles that he did, said he got got
up after every four point two yards of those nine miles.
(43:36):
That made him such a great one. But great person
off the field, which I know you are a great
person off the fields as well as a great person
on the field. Uh. But that's a that's a good one. There.
Have you always thought about college football? Because I, yeah,
I know you're you're You're not not the biggest guy.
But you're being here. I look at McCaffrey two or
five pounds, you're about you're over two hundred pounds. And
(43:56):
the one great thing about the running back position is
you know, and I know because I was a running
bat was a walk on a West Virginia back when
I played. Is that height there's not really a factor
when you're running back. In fact, sometimes if you're at
that mid level height, you're getting hit about the hip
level and that's the best way to be as you're
running back. You don't see me the tall Dickerson type
running backs anymore. Yeah. Actually, my friend the other day
(44:19):
was joking in class, like he said, I was gonna
try to tackle you. And this kid's like six five.
He was receiver on our team first year playing, and
he tried to like bend down. He was like at
my shoulder level. So he's like to get down to
tackle you. That's crazy. Yeah, So so and then I
can lower even lower that. And then also I had
an all senior offensive line and like these guys were huge,
like to the boat tackles were like six five. My
(44:40):
guards were huge, a great center holding on the front
and like to be able to hide behind those guys.
They can't see you, so you get that extra second
to break free. Well, it was funny. We we had
Marshall falk In for much of the month of December
is one of our guests, and one of the things
he said was height matters very little. What matters most
is the strength of your lower Addie. I mean, if
(45:00):
you have leverage on opposing defenders and you're able to
use that leverage and that lower body strength, you're you're
basically unstoppable at that point. And I love you bring
up Walter Payin because Walter Payton was was my child's week.
Oh yeah, I mean one of my first book reports
in grammar school was his book Sweetness. And I loved
him not just for what he did on the field.
(45:22):
He was remarkable on the field, but he was such
a good guy in such a big part of the community,
which it seems like you are as well. Where does
that come from, Alex, Because there's so many things you
could do with your time. You can spend more time
in the gym, you spend more time with your buddies,
but you're out in things like Habitat for Humanity. We're
looking at your resume Where does that come from? That
start at home with mom and dad. Yeah, I think so.
(45:44):
I think we have a great community back where I'm from,
and I think a lot of people who care about
each other. I'm also a part of a mental health
association called Long Live Lax UH dedicated after a friend
we lost to suicide and UH, a couple of us
friends got together and we we wanted to turn that
that energy and frustration into something positive and hopefully make
(46:06):
a change. So we raised over fifty dollars to put
into a multipurpose lall and UH in fair Haven for lacrosse,
pitch back and any other sports that you can do,
and and use it as a symbol that like that
for hope. Well, kids that are struggling, you know, more
than anything, I think we see that all the time.
I mean, you know, with depression. UH. What they want
to know is that they're heard, That people are out
(46:28):
there hearing them and their peers are hearing them, which
I think is fantastic. And this is the epitome of
what a student athlete is. Absolutely we've seen we we
all talk about, you know, the Power five conferences and
kids going to school just to play football. This is
the epitome of what a student athlete and going to
college is all about. And that gets overlooked sometimes in
terms of just the landscape of college football, and he
(46:51):
really is a testament in terms of all student athletes.
Just kind of dovetail Joe. I mean, we're we're talking
a lot about Clemson Alabama because that's the big game
on Monday night. Well, Christian Wilkins won the Campbell Trophy, correct,
which is which is like the academic Heisman. So even
at the level where you're looking at next level potentially
high draft choice, uh, high draft choices in two thousand
(47:12):
and nineteen, there are kids like Christian Wilkins at Clemson
who are still bringing it in the classroom and bringing
in the community. Christian Wilkins was a was a grade
school um substitute teacher, you know. So again the concept
of the the dumb jock, I think is way overused
when it comes to today's student. To piggyback off of that,
just he's the first Campbell Trophy winner to play in
(47:35):
a national National Games, So yeah, because we are a
little more accustomed to those winners be from Ivy League
schools and to see it come from a powerhouse is awesome.
Now you need your academics are important to you right now. Um,
but Paul ends, I don't care if you play pro
ball or just college. But if you thought about what
you're gonna major in or what you're gonna study, it's
gonna be rigorous a little bit to put all that
time into athletics, but also about what you need to
(47:57):
your academics. Yeah, in school and high school, I've been
very interested in my economics courses, so I'm definitely thinking
about taking economics in college. And then also I really
like psychology, so I'm thinking about that too. That's great.
I mean, in terms of the running backs, I can
tell you this. I'm gonna Rich Is gonna laugh at me.
But go back to the tape. We talk about sweetness.
(48:17):
A couple of my all time favorite running backs. Eric
b Enemy, who's being mentioned for jud and jobs. You know,
he's a he's a college Football Hall of Fame candidate
as well Colorado. He was about five seven head thighs
the size of this, uh this table. And Carlos Snow
from Ohio State there running back. So that's what it's
all about in terms of having the love for the
game as well. It's not about playing in the at
(48:39):
the next level. It's loving the game of football and
what it teaches you to do. And I can tell
just from your game taping and from what you're doing
in terms of society that you're a winner on all aspects.
Will break this game down. In terms of Alabama Clemson,
how do you see this matchup playing out on Monday night?
I don't know. I think Alabama is known as Alabama
for a reason. I think I think they're gonna They're
(49:00):
gonna get it done. I just think that to uh
to a will have more experience under his belt and uh,
I just I don't see how they could take saman down.
It's interesting to get the I'm always curious because he's
in the culture, you know, in the locker room. I'm
always curious, like in the locker room, is it's split?
(49:20):
Where is everybody all into Alabama? What what's the mindset
in that locker room amongst your peers. I don't know.
I think everybody's very opinionated on on which topic it is.
But I think the majority of people would would go
with Alabama for this game. Yeah, at least that of
my friends. Do your friends get tired of hearing about
(49:42):
Alabama because we get to this point where it's almost
like you know, you know they're there, We've we've seen
them for so long, they've won their titles. I want
to see someone else. Do you hear a little bit
of that? If people are going tired to the dominance
of Alabama, I I don't. I don't think that people
have gotten gotten tired of. Yeah. I think especially we
respected because we we like aspire to be that Alabama,
(50:03):
to keep showing up year after year in the state
championship games, and I I mean national championship games are
obviously bigger than that, so that is the equivalent. Yeah,
So I I think that I think that, like we
we'd like to see ourselves as Alabama, so I'd support
them all the way. Greatest memory. I mean, when you
look back someday you'll you'll be a successful businessman, you know,
(50:26):
in your forties. When you look back at your high
school days, what do you think will be the one
thing that says, Man, I'm glad I grinded with my teammates.
I I honestly have to have to say that it
was our sectional kit championship game against Summerville. I mean
the year before UH Summerville, in that Sexual championship game
we played at Rutgers. They broke our streak of fourth straight.
We're looking to get our fifth straight. And I know
(50:48):
those seniors that that that weren't able to go out
on that win. They that hurt them for a while.
And and us as juniors moving on to the next level.
A lot of us played as sophomores and a lot
of us start did as seniors, so we wanted to
get back to that level. And for us to get
back to that exact game, I guess, the same exact team,
and to be able to come out with the win,
(51:09):
I mean, that was very special for us. I don't
think I'll ever forget that. I mean we worked at
all every day for that for the entire year, and
and that was a really special moment. I mean, going
on and winning the Group three UH Central South Sectional
Group three bowl game, that was very important too. But
I really think that that that was like a climax
of my high school football career because like that that
(51:31):
was by far my best game ever. Like fifty carries,
two d seventy one yards and four touchdowns. Yeah, I
like slept well that night. Huh yeah, yeah, not really.
I actually woke up in the middle of night. Really sorry,
I had to. I had to take a warm bath
so I could relax my muscles and sleep at night.
Carries coach, I mean, we're going old school with that
type of work alone, which but we don't see that
(51:52):
hardly anymore, the old days when the Bo Jackson's and
the Ron Danes and all the years where they carried
at thirty or times. I want to ask, you don't
get where you've You've gone so far in football without
the head up a lot of people, and there are
a few people that you'd like to recognize that just
say thanks man, that you're one. I'm here. Yeah, I'd
love to say thank you to my mom, dad, and
(52:13):
my brother and my family obviously, but the coaches that
have brought me through and the friends that have have
helped me through, like the tough days and stuff. Everybody
everybody helps each other out and if somebody's down, like
the collective people help you get up, and and that
that has really helped me. I got a lot of
good guys around me that that keep me on the
right track even when I'm down. They helped cheer me up.
(52:34):
So without that, I definitely wouldn't be where I am today.
So also I'd like to frank thank my uncle Frankie
for coming to all my games and supporting me. There.
That's great. I love hearing you see. That's what it's
all about to the family culture, which he already thanked
his offensive lot. He knows what at the NFL level,
(52:56):
they buy them all watches. You know, thanks for making
me you know, you know, the MVP of the year.
You know you take Do you do anything for those
big uglies? I give him a lot of big hugs,
but I don't really have the deep pockets enough right
now to do that. But I'll give him some hugs
and kisses when I can quickly before we go to break.
You're you're you're rooting for a team in this NFL playoff. Um, well,
(53:16):
I'm actually a Cincinnati Bengals fans, so so they're not
doing too well in the playoffs. They're not in the
playoffs right now, but I don't know. I think the
Bears are really hot right now. Can get it done
against the Eagles tomorrow afternoon. When we come back, we'll
be talking about that dominant Alabama defense keep it where
it
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