Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Tuesday afternoon, thirteen minutes past the hour of two o'clock.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Lil Chiley today.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
A little rainy earlier, but it's settled in with a
nice afternoon here in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, right
outside of our Broadway Media studios.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
We're looking at.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
About sixty eight degrees and Sadi might have a little
rain later on tonight. Happy Tuesday to you, and as
it is every single day, it's gonna have you along
for the rides.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Bets check. It's beyond the mic.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Quorter Larsen producing the show today behind the glass, booking
a really good guest list.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Of course, it is Rivalry week.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
It is Tuesday of the week a BYU Utah, and
the Rivalry is doing rivalry things. We have people arguing online.
We have people mad that one coach want to talk
about a quarterback. We have people debating which fan base
is better. We have you fans potentially invading Provo to
take over big noon kickoff.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
So it's appropriate. It's what it's supposed to be.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
We're having a good time. Reminder, it's supposed to be fun.
It's football, so we're gonna have fun.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
With that on the show. Hopefully you guys. You guys
are gonna phone with it.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
On your own, whichever way you choose to do that.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Never tell fan how to fan.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
I know fan is short of fanatic, and this is
the week where a lot of fans are out here
decide to start to flex a little bit, so we
will get to every single angle on the program today,
will continue to break down what we're anticipating coming up
on Saturday in Provo, and of course with an eye
on not just the matchup, but the implications of what
(01:26):
the outcomes could mean. And that's what makes this thing
even more fun than it typically would be for the
fourth time in the history of the well century plus
history of the rivalry. It just depends on who you believe,
which side you're on, which portion of facts or alternate
facts you want to adhere to.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
These two teams have been playing for a long.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Long time, and it's only the fourth time they've both
been in the top twenty five in the AP and
a lot of conference implications.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Of course, Coach Wait continues to talk.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
About that when it comes to the outcome of the matchup,
that makes it even a lot more exciting. Both these
two teams very much alive in the race for the
Big Twelve championship and potentially a berth in the CFP,
something that hasn't happened for either program. I'll tell you what, man, Typically,
when it comes to a game with this emotional undercurrent,
a Vegas line will vacillate and move, and it has
(02:18):
not at all. Utah opened up as a three point
five point favorite. As we sit here today, Utah continues
to be a three point five point favorite over under
His forty nine point five has not moved at all.
Nobody is touching it. No action on this really at all.
Maybe that'll change as we approach the game. Maybe it'll
(02:38):
change when we find out the availability of certain players,
namely Jack Kelly, BYU's linebacker, who I believe is expected
to play but did not play last week against Arizona.
He's a big piece of what Jay Hill and that
defense likes to do. If he plays, if he's healthy,
he's probably gonna spy Devin and they're gonna need to
do that because when Devin Dampier has had space and
he's been healthy, he's been one of the best quarterbacks
(03:00):
in the Big Twelve. Utah's offense is probably not getting
enough credit for what they've done so far.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
We'll go over some of the numbers today.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
And the funny thing about this matchup, you know, I'm
doing a little TV tonight with that guy, Dave Fox
will be on the show, and he sent me the
list of questions we're going to talk about tonight, and
one of them is what does UTAH do well that
BYU doesn't? What does BYU do well that Utah doesn't?
In a way, these two teams are mirrors of each other.
(03:29):
Shouldn't be much of a surprise with the coaching crossover,
Jay Hill, Aaron Rodger, Klane all up here at one
point obviously, Kyle Whittingham of BUYU Alum Conference Defensive Player
of the Year when he played down there. A lot
of crossover, a lot of mutual respect. At least that's
the way I kind of feel about it. So it's
a big week on the station where you're Home of
the Utes, of course, and I'll just remind you the
(03:51):
kickoff on Saturday is at six o'clock Mountain time. The
game will be on Fox, and of course you can
hear the game here on your Home of the Utes
with pregame coverage Porter Larson.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
We'll have you taken care of.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Starting at two o'clock on Saturday, we'll have about ten
hours of game day coverage for you, so we'll have
you taken care of start to finish. Two new quarterbacks
in the program that both played really good football with
young Bear Bachmeyer. Actually, you know what, I'm not going
to bring him up.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
I'm just going to talk about our team and our
coaches and our players.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
That's what I'm talking about. Keep it in house.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Yeah, focus on the controllables.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Hey, Porter, Look, you're either
all in or you're in the way. That's the way
I feel about it.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
You're on the right page now.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
And of course, Devin Dampier, like I said, statistically one
of the best quarterbacks in the Big twelve a ninety
nine point five QBR last week, which was the best
in the country. So a big matchup coming up. Some
other things going on as well. You Tom Mammoth will
play their home opener coming up on Wednesday. They lost
yesterday to Chicago Calgaries in town on Wednesday, brand new
(04:52):
looking Delta Center for you hockey fans to enjoy. So
a three game roady for the Mammoth to start off
the hockey season win two losses. Jazz welcomed in Cooper
Flag the Dallas Mavericks last night. The Jazz lost their
third preseason game or finish the preseason coming up on.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Thursday against Portland.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Aince Biley only played about eleven minutes, So not a
lot for Ace last night. A good tailor Hendrick's game.
How about Yusif Nurkic. Maybe that's the most exciting thing
about the Jazz this year. The re energized the rejuvenation
of the career of Yusif Nurkic, as Walker Kessler is
not playing yet. So Yusif Nurkic getting big minutes. Yep,
that's where we're out with our local basketball team. I've
(05:33):
got check time for oursel. It is decision day in
MLS on Saturday. Pretty simple for oursel.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
You win and you're in. You tie, you.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Need like four things happening. You lose and you're probably out.
So RSL Seattle, excuse me, Saint Louis coming up on Saturday.
The week of pro football came to a close last
night with two upset victories on Monday Night football. What's
going on with the Buffalo Bills huh, Buffalo Bills two
straight l's, it's a bye week for them. Falcons beat
(06:00):
the Bills. Then the Bears won their third straight game,
beating the Commanders twenty five to twenty four. So we'll
do a little NFL on the show today. Get you
ready for Week seven. It starts on Thursday night with
the Steelers and the Bengals. Oh, gross, Steelers Bengals Thursday Night,
come on. Unfortunately, some injury news involving some.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Of our local players. Fred Warner is gonna have surgeries
out for the season.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Puka Akua avoided a long term injury to that ankle.
A lot of players making plays from a local standpoint
in the world pro football, So a.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Lot to do on the show.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
We'll start things off with byu Alom, Jim Hermon, good
friend of the show.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Get some memories from Jim during his time.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Down to Brigham Young thoughts about byu Utah, do a
little pro football with Quinn MacLean from Sumer Sports, the
voice of the Utes himself, Bill Riley, former a Midlean
midday radio host on this station back in the day.
And then Dave Fox has two Pelotons and two Emmys.
Hell Roll by we'll get ready for Utah BYO. I'll
(06:58):
be on TV with Dave tonight thirty five Cam Yu.
We call it five Questions with Spence, So Jim Harmon,
Quentin McClean, Bill Riley, Dave Fox, Me, Spence check. It's
all of you, the great listeners, and that guy Porter Larson.
On Tuesday of rivalry week, what's been your what's been
your most favorite snapshot moment so far?
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Well, we we haven't gone to football yet, Spence, ask
me after the game, just to give you the coach
speak there.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Well, we have we have like seventy hours of radio
to do before the game.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
I love that. I love that we have had absolutely
nothing happened so far, and then we're already in the
throes of as you said, I guess, perceived shots, social
media stuff, the Utah BYU rivalry regardless of the national landscape,
which I do think it is moving up in the
(07:48):
consciousness of the national you know, media landscape and the
national fan landscape. But if you're in it, if you
live adjacent to it and you see the day to
day stuff, I mean, it's three hundred and sixty five
days a year that you could if you wanted to
go find people fighting about this rivalry. So it just
(08:12):
turns up to eleven this week. And it started like
literally the second the ASU game got over, which that's
always fun for me.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Yes, indeed, it's what makes this week fun. And let's
just keep it in the area, in the realm of
fun and be kind to others and love thy neighbor
as thyself.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
There we go.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
That's my message today.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Let the like the tension. Let that be the football.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Yeah you know, yeah, No, I'm with you, I'm with you.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Fun.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
We're gonna get biblical on the program today, so stay tuned.
Our first guest will be Jim Herman to talk to
Utah BYU Football.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
But on this Tuesday afternoon.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Prior to Jim stopping by courtesy of our good friends
at Prize Picks, it's time now for your opening tip.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Welcome to the Drive with Spence Check.
Speaker 5 (08:57):
It's on Utah's number one sports talk to the studios
of ESPN seven hundred to set the scene for the show.
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So go get the free money, use the max discount,
and get paid on Prize Picks. All right, Rivalry Week
rolls on on a Tuesday, of course, yesterday all the
coaches addressing the media. We got some players addressing the
media as well, a lot of attention on Coach Wit
refusing to talk about BYU players and BYU fans are
very sad about this, So we're thinking about you BYU
fans today, hanging there. Coach Witt was also a fusive
(10:56):
with his praise for Kilanie and the coaching staff.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
I guess we just ignored that altogether.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
But hey, let's just make a big thing out of nothing,
because that's what we do this week. As I referenced,
I am still a little bit stunned that this line
has not moved one time. It opened up as Utah
three point five point favorite. Remember, Vegas typically builds in
about three points for the home team, so what they're
saying is a neutral field matchup, this essentially would more
(11:22):
or less be Utah favored by about a touchdown.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Now, as far as.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
The differences between these two teams, when you look at
a lot of the numbers, there are so many similarities.
There's so many similarities as far as the style of
play goes, where Utah actually clearly has been better so far.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
And this really comes down.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
To whether or not you believe you know Utah's ability
to dump truck mediocre competition will translate to what they'll
see against BYU on Saturday. That's why I used the
term relieved after watching the Arizona State game, because, yeah,
you can talk about the Sam Levit.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Injury, and that's fair.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
The Arizona State's different team because their backup quarterbacks just
not a good player. He hasn't been in a six
year college career. It's a fair thing to bring up.
But when it comes to what we've seen in the trenches.
Utah's offensive line, according to PFF, is the best offensive
line in college football, and certainly Devin deserves a lot
of credit. But Devin himself has talked about how much
time he has to throw, and if you watch the
(12:19):
ASU game, those lanes were just wide open, the holes
were just wide open. Devin looked healthy, he looked dynamic.
So BYU is going to have to figure out a
way to pressure the quarterback. And it does come down
a lot of it does, in my opinion, to the
health of Jack Kelly, who might be their best defensive player.
The Glasger kids of Beast two BYU as maybe the
(12:40):
best linebacking corp in the Big twelve, certainly one of them.
Glasger was banged up but did play against Arizona. We
did not see Jack Kelly play against Arizona, though he
was on the sideline and he was in street clothes.
Countattovaso was ejected for targeting, so I believe he'll miss
the first half of this game. Obviously, Keano former U
(13:00):
now down to BYU, but really schematically on defense with
the style that you know, Jay Hill and of course
Kilaue learned Underwit's it's really similar. These two teams are
kind of mirror images of each other, which makes it
really interesting. Utah has clearly been the superior offensive team
so far. Jason Beck has been everything as advertised, and
(13:21):
when it comes to third down, best in the country,
red zone, they are not just converting their scoring touchdowns.
It was one of the things last year that killed
this team. You know, Utah has always been Underwit, just
a proficient offense away from being one of the dominant
teams in conference. And now they don't just have a
proficient offense or they're one of the best offenses in
the Big Twelve, and by some metrics they've been among
(13:42):
the best offenses in the country.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Now.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
I would say BYU probably has the advantage with the
wide receivers. That's something that we've still kind of been waiting.
When it comes to the big play capability of the
guys on the outside, Ryan Davis has been awesome with
thirty nine catches. Dollan Bentley has been great too. We're
still waiting for you know, the Tobias Merriweathers. You know,
the big play capable guys just have not gotten loose
(14:05):
just yet.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Is that a big deal? Is my question.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
I keep asking, like all of my guests, to break
that down. Is it a really big deal if your
offense is designed to really run the football and that's
what Utah's offense has been able to do, and we
know that Witt loves that to eat up the clock incrementally,
move it down the field and wear out your opponents. Like,
if you can do that consistently, do you need these
big chunk plays now? If you go down and you're
(14:28):
forced to come back, which the only time we've seen
that with the Utes was against Texas Tech, who I
will continue to say, it's probably time we don't call
Tech among if not the best team of the Big twelve,
one of the top five or six rosters probably in
the country. And I think Tech has separated themselves as
this team that's now in their own tier in the
Big Twelve, and then Utah BYU along with Cincinnati. I
(14:49):
don't think Iowa States dead yet, and there are other
teams with one conference loss. Maybe ASU gets back into
this thing. It's probably Tech and everybody else. But there's
a scenario if Tech runs the table and they see
either Utah or BYU in the Big twelve championship game
and lose that game, then Tech goes and then the
other team goes too, and it would be great for
(15:10):
the conference to have two teams in the CFP.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
I'm not a huge like show for the conference.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
I still have one that has one eye on Utah
potentially going to the Big Ten at some point, because
that's the move we all want.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
But it's a fun week, it's a big week. It'll
be a great game.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
If you can't go down there, make sure to stay
tuned on Saturday, as our pregame coverage for the Holy
War BYU Utah begins at two o'clock on Saturday, then
kickoff at six.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
We'll catch a break. I was just informed that our pregame.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Coverage for Utah BYU will actually be in an hour earlier.
To set your alarm on Saturday, portal'll get going at
one o'clock instead of two o'clock, with a kickoff being
at six o'clock down in Provo. Utah remains a three
point five point favorite for the rivalry game.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
So we'll talk more football now.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
One of our favorites, former Cougar Jim Herman, on the
program on this Tuesday afternoon afternoon. Excuse me, hello, Jim,
how are you, sir?
Speaker 6 (16:02):
I'm great, Spence. How the heck are you doing?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
We're good man. It's a fun week around here, as
you know.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
As you know, So when I say Utah BYU, Jim,
what comes to your mind?
Speaker 6 (16:12):
Oh? My goodness? Well one is. I was just telling import.
I'm a huge college football fan, so anything big in
college football I love. I love to be around. My
brother played at Michigan. Michigan Ohio State certainly a big
deal in our house. I think we may have talked
about this before, but I you don't have a whole
lot of NFL owners on your on your program, But
(16:33):
I am an owner of the Green Bay Packers. We
own four shares as a family, love it. So we
got the Packer bear thing going on that I grew
up around. And yeah, I mean rivalry and sports does
that's really what it's all about. It doesn't get any better.
And so I think of being kylewood Enhant's teammate my
freshman year and his dad being my coach, and our
our coach, our defense coordinator, and we played up at Utah,
(16:56):
and I was fortunate enough I played it. I think
a basically every game as a freshman. Not a lot,
but I got to play, and Coach Whittingham liked me
and always would get me in for a handful of
plays and we got off the so I was with
the seniors in the team room and then our position
room all year, and you know, it was kind of
(17:17):
just an average year. I think we were eleven and one,
and I was like, okay, rookie, hey man, you're going
to see something you've never seen before. And I'm like, dude,
I grew up in the Midwest, like Michigan, Ohio State
Bears packers. I'm kind of throwing all this stuff at
him and we're like, no, there's like nothing you've ever seen.
And I'm like really, And anyhow, as a seventeen year
(17:38):
old freshman, we drive up there on this cold, rainy
day and we get off on the east side. Used
to get off on the east side of the stadium,
and the visitor locker room was kind of under the
south east side of the stadium. And we got off
and there's all these people that are waiting, which to
be by Now, I went to Bayu as a Catholic
kid from the Midwest. I didn't understand the whole search affiliation,
(17:59):
all that stuff. I'll sleep throughout the season. I would
get it. You know. We'd go to UCLA and there
would be thirty thousand people there and I'm like, oh,
there are people that are church members and they're fans
and they're here to meet us. And so I drove
up to Utah. We drove up to Utah and there's
all these people waiting for our buses. So I just
assumed they were BAU fans. They got there early and
(18:21):
got off and after about nine f bombs, I'm like, no,
not Utah, not p by U fans. This is different.
This is different. Similar to Wyoming, but different. And then
frozen banana came flying out of the crowd and hit
coach Whittingham on the side of the head and he
went literally ballistic took I don't know if you remember
(18:43):
Coach Whittingham, but he was every bit as tough, it's
not tougher than his son Kyle. And it took ten
guys to hold him back from him going up in
the crowd to figure out who threw the frozen banana.
And then we went in. We warmed up. It was cold, rainy,
there's this guy named Jack Campbell, who was like a
transfer from USC was a big offensive lineman running into
the goalpost, and Daryl Hanley and all these big dudes
(19:05):
were playing. I'm freshman, thinking, please don't play me in
this game. This seems pretty intense. And then yeah, coach,
we gave a Max Hall inspired speech before Max Fall
was even born pregame because he was the recipient of
the frozen banana. And then I'm like, all right, I
just was baptized into this little rivalry and it's a
(19:27):
heck of a rivalry, man, will let me tell you.
And I was fortunate enough, and I mean this sincerely.
I actually heard Scott Mitchell, I think, had a great
take this morning on the rivalry that as much as
the other teams, and I'm going to really try to
use the word dislike because I think that's just better
for our nation and everyone else at this point in time.
We use plenty of the other way that other h were.
(19:49):
But as much as the teams dislike each other or
the fan bases dislike each other, we're really good for
each other, and they're really good for each other's programs.
To elevate it, to push it, to continue this rival,
to rivalry, to create this rival, to create a national presence,
to do all those things, Like we've been really good
for each other, and even though we despise each other
(20:11):
at times, I think each program has elevated the other
program out of necessity and out of all the other
emotions that drive all this other stuff to keep up
with the other team. So I've got unbelievable memories of
this whole thing. My train of thought that I was
going down was my five years I read shirted a year,
(20:32):
but my four or five years affiliated, four playing and
five affiliated. I wanted Utah to be undefeated every year,
like I really did. I know a lot of people
cheer against BYU and I a lot of BA fans
cheer against Utah. They want them to lose every other game,
including the game we're playing. But I wanted it to
be Michigan, Ohio State wanted. I wanted Utah to be
(20:54):
eleven and oh. I wanted BYU to be eleven and oh,
and I wanted to play in this massive game. Was
for the Wax Championship and to go to the Holly
Bowl and have it beat this huge deal. And sadly,
you've always disappointed me because somewhere along the line they
lost to Wyoming or Air Force or New Mexico or
you know, they lost two or three games they shouldn't
(21:14):
have lost. And it was still obviously a big game
because it was a rivalry. But I really wanted it
to mean everything, and it did in the sense that
you know, you had rights to say that you had
won for the next year. But I wanted it to
really come down to us, to these two teams that
were geographically an hour apart, and I think really the
(21:36):
better programs that were consistently in the conference at the time.
Cheway was a little more inconsistent than BYU backs then.
But yeah, I got just unbelievable memories of the whole thing,
and then just all the crazy things that have happened
over the years. I've stayed cut in close contact with
the program. I'm good friends with Kyle. I see Kyle frequently.
I have stopped by and visited him at the facility
(21:59):
more than to talk football and family and all sorts
of stuff. So I love everything affiliated with it, and
I'm super pumped for the week, and it's one of
the best weeks of the year.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
I wonder if you could shed a little bit of
light on what it was like to play with Kyle
and whether or not you saw something early in him
as a teammate that would indicate at some point he
would make a great head football coach.
Speaker 6 (22:24):
Yeah. Absolutely, I mean, for well, first and foremost, his
dad set the tone for so much he was. I
can't think of anyone that was more respected around BAU
football when I was there, and so much of that
I see in Kyle. It's weird. As time goes on,
I guess maybe we all become more like our parents. Which,
by the way, was awesome to see your dad this summer.
(22:46):
I wanted to say that at the start of the show. Yeah,
nice for you guys to come to our event. And
I haven't seen your dad forever, so good to see him.
But yeah, I remember when when coach we didn't have
passed away. Dick Harmon wrote this article and I think
the opening line was I thought even death was afraid
of Fred Whittingham, and he meant it in a respectful
(23:08):
way and obviously tongue in cheek who the way he
wrote it. But they embodied toughness, They embodied you know
what football at least old school football and football unless
it changes dramatically, is always going to be about his effort,
toughness and being prepared and punching the other guy in
the mouth harder than he punches you. So Kyle was
(23:29):
our leader, He was our captain, He was the defensive
player of the year. He was also a great leader
for the team. Like you could actually talk to him.
His dad was scarier to talk to for whatever reason,
probably our fault more than his. But yeah, Kyle set
the tone in so many ways. The whole Whittingham family
did they I do them as BAYU Football royalty when
(23:51):
I was there, Like it was coach Edwards obviously, and
then Fred and then all the Whittingham family, you know,
Carrie and Kyle, Freddie and they were all there and
they just kept coming. And you know, coach we name
was such a big part of establishing You know, a
lot of people certainly remember Jim McMahon and all the
(24:13):
unbelievable offensive things that happened at BAU in the eighties
and the nineties, but he's had some pretty good defenses
over the years, and what you're seeing now is just
a it's it's the same defense. I think it's probably
I would recognize probably the same calls, the same line up,
the same formation, the same everything. It's obviously Kels put
(24:33):
his own spin and modified and adapted as college football's changed,
but it's still the base, same defense. So yeah, it's
not surprised at all. Kyle was a leader back then.
He's always been a leader. He emanates all the great
things that embody a great leader, which is, you know, respect,
and not just because of the things he says, but
(24:56):
because of the things he's done. And I I think
the program is a direct reflection of who he is.
And I'm a huge Kyle Winddingham fan. I think most
Utah fans are Kyle Windingham fans. I'm always surprised. I
just played in the golf tournament where a diehard Utah
(25:17):
fan somehow feels that, in his opinion, Kyle's held the
program back offensively and it took me about four holes
not to watch to punch the guy in the mouth.
But I'm just like, dude, are you kidding me? Do
you know how blessed you are to have this coach
and what he's done for your program, Like it's mind blowing,
And to somehow think that he's held the program back
in any way, shape or form. I just think is
(25:39):
your skewed view of expectation level and what everything should be.
But he has put his personality on that program, in
my opinion, in the most positive way, and has changed
it into a perennial, respected national program. Is really hard
(26:01):
to do.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
We had doctor Hill on yesterday, doctor Chris Hill, who
was the athletic director at Utah for a long long
time and the man who hired Urban Meyer and then
after Urban left for Florida, put all of his chips
in the middle of the table to to make sure
that wits stuck around here. What was it like for
the alumni when Kyle said no to his alma mater
(26:23):
and yes to stay in here at Utah.
Speaker 6 (26:26):
Hey, well, these are one of these moments where I
don't know, Maybe I should not tell the story.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Maybe I should very much, You very much should.
Speaker 6 (26:33):
It's what I It's what I remember, and it's great
that that that what I call him. Coach Hill, Doctor Hill,
doctor Hill, Doctor you know what, Spence, I graduated from
law school and I'm not sure if you're aware, but
that's a juris doctorate degree.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
I'm happy to call you doctor Herman. I'm happy to
call you doctor.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
Or doctor Glakowitz, whichever you prefer, Doctor Herman or doctor Gleekwitz. Okay,
fair enough, which is great. Yeah, And anyhow, I think
that's a great spin that doctor Hill puts on it.
But I think mister Spence Ecles should get a lot
of a lot of praise for making that happen. Because
(27:14):
coach Edwards was getting inducted into the National College Football
Hall of Fame and we were back in New York
for his ceremony the weekend. This was all going down,
and Steve was working for ESPN at the time. He
had just kind of transitioned out of the NFL, which
seems weird, my gosh, was it really?
Speaker 3 (27:35):
Is that right?
Speaker 6 (27:37):
Anyhow, Yeah, we got in a car and we were
driving up to We were driving up to ESPN for
it was a Saturday, and we're going to spend the
night at there and then Steve's going to do the
kickoff show for Sunday. And we called Kyle and he said, Hey,
I'm coming home, backing it in in the morning and
(28:00):
press conference. We'll do press conference sometime next week. I
hope you guys are there and We're like sweet, and
you know, we hung up the phone going all right,
Pile's back, this is great. Away we go. And then
two days later, I think, in a big check from
(28:20):
Spence Ecles and and you know, obviously it's more than that,
but that was a big part of it. At the time.
You know, salaries were not certainly what they are today,
and people forget like he you know, it was a
significant bump and pay. And obviously he was comfortable there,
he had spent time there, he was I don't think
he was dying to leave. But at the same time,
(28:41):
it was also an opportunity to go back to his
school where he played that you know, he was going
to get a raise from where he was at Utah
to there and all those things. And so, yeah, my
recollection is probably different than than Doctor Hills, but yeah,
it's kind of the same story. It's a different perspective, right,
(29:01):
And and I think Kyle was was interested or open
to or had kind of maybe verbally or otherwise committed
to Yep, I think we've got this worked out. And
going back and then to doctor Hill's credit and to
I think some of the boosters and the program in
general and players I'm sure that were integral and telling
(29:23):
how much they wanted him to stay. He ended up staying,
and I think it's been great for him. Like I mean,
my goodness, what an unbelievable career path, and what a
great decision it was, you know, in retrospect and really
probably at the time for him and his family. So
things work out for different reasons. And certainly would have
(29:44):
loved to have him back at BYU, but who knows.
You know, things, you know, things happen differently in different paradigms.
So like I said, I think it's awesome what happened.
Certainly will always feel like Kyle's one of my teammates
and someone who I love and respect and had the
opportunity to play with and just have a ton of
(30:06):
respect for him now and everything he's accomplished as a
college football coach, it's it's unbelievable. So yeah, it's interesting
and it's a really fun to think back on all
of it.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
What do you think this week is like for coach Witt?
You know, we're gonna interview him tomorrow, and you know,
ultimately it just always feels like and I honestly don't
know this to be true. This is just kind of
the way I've digested some of his comments and just
the way it almost looks like he's a little annoyed
this week. It's almost almost looks like he's a little
(30:39):
like extra tired. Look, he's a competitor.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
As you know. He wants to win every single game.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
I wonder if you feel like there's a conflict that
goes on in his mind.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
I wonder if you.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
Feel like the years that he's the decades he's spent
up here, have even made him want to beat them
even more. I just since your friend your perspective on
what this week is like for Wit.
Speaker 6 (31:01):
Yeah, that's a great cress in one is I you know,
because I love and respect him. The first thing I
asked him when we sit down is I'm like, so, dude,
how do you feel about the You know, I just
first of all, I get it, you know, I totally understand. Like,
I mean, coach Chow is our coach for years at Bay.
You what's my perspective of Coach Chow is that he's
(31:21):
a b yu guy. Like that's just my perspective. But
the reality is he played at the University of Utah.
You know, it's like I remember and being in college
at the time and having him be a coach, I
didn't really have the maturity to understand what that all meant.
I just like, no, this dude's a b y. You guy,
are you Kidney? He's changed college football, he's throwing the ball,
he's just revered offensive coach, an offensive coordinator that's done
(31:45):
a whole bunch of great things for college football. But
at the time when he's coaching us, he's in Utah.
He played football at Utah, and and I think that's
once it's your school, it's always your school. Now, that
doesn't mean it changes importance as your life unfolds in
front of you. But being a I think I'm hyper competitive.
I think I have similar traits to Kyle in some way,
(32:07):
shape or form, And I'm just as competitive as he is.
And I can see all those things that come out
of his mouth coming I'm out of my mouth, and
he's probably he's probably better at controlling some of it
than I could control. But yeah, if you're a competitor,
you you want to win, and life experiences shape continue
to shape your personality. And I don't think Kyle's ever
(32:30):
going to change. But I think in the moments, you know,
whether it's Bronco leaving and then klone coming in at
that point in time, there's a there's a friendship involved
in a long standing career relationship, and you know, maybe
and maybe I'm maybe I don't need to be as
intense as I used to be, and maybe this is
always about being competitive but also finding a way to
(32:51):
to make it more palatable, more coach Edwards and Coach
mac type style, and and I don't know that, but
I'm sure all those things, you know, go through your head.
And then you have a couple of really tough games
and then it's like, you know what, I think, I
still want to punch these guys in the mouth, and
I'm just going to really bear down and as we
(33:13):
work through the week, I'm going to keep my level
of intensity up. And I don't need to talk about him,
you know. I'm I'm the coach of this team, and
that's the one thing I can control. And knowing him,
he's going to have them beyond prepared to just to
make great things happen. And I don't doubt that for
one second. I Mean, there's one guy who I don't
(33:34):
really want to prepare to beat because he's so prepared
and he gets their team so ready. Is Kyle Whittingham,
He's a formidable opponent for sure.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
Well do you reference? Everything happens for a reason.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
And when Kalani was up here as the defensive coordinator,
I did a coaches show with him every week, and
within the first month, I'm like, dude, somebody's going to
hire this guy and at some point he's going to
be a really, really good head coach. So Bronco leaves,
Kilani takes over and he's been there a decade, which
is wild. He just turned fifty last week and we
had Klanie on the show last month, and you know,
(34:07):
it's interesting, Jim, I've noticed that the past couple of years,
after they've brought Jay down there, the way BYU is
now covered is very similar to the way Utah's covered.
They're given the benefit of the doubt because they've got
a great defense, and you know, the days of the
high powered offensive attack being BYU's calling card are no.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
Longer what's in front of us.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
I'm not saying they have a bad offense, but it
seems like they're covered and talked about the same way
Utah football is covered and talked about under coach Wit.
So I asked Kilani, as you've been building this thing
the past decade, how much of this is you? How
much of this is Kyle? How much of this is Lavelle?
And you know Kilane, he's the sweetest guy. So he
just he deflected, He deflected all KREDI. He said, this
(34:48):
is all Lavelle, it's all Wit And obviously there's a
little bit of Kilani involved as well. But what do
you make the way Kilani has built this thing up
now a decade, you know, as the head coach at BYU.
Speaker 6 (35:00):
Yeah, now you're putting up some really good points. Actually
cut out for a minute, but I think I got
your gist of it. I mean when I was there, Look,
we had a top ten ten team defensively in a
lot of categories my senior year, but we were never
covered that way. It was all about the offense, right
and it was And now I think, yeah, if you
think of Utah, what's their identity? Who they are? They're
(35:23):
a defensive team and that's how they're covered. If that's
I got your gist of what your comments were. But yeah,
and I think pretty soon it takes on the personality
and that's who you become, right. I mean, I don't
know about you, but if I'm getting recruited by the
University of Utah, what's the one thing I've been thinking
about is I'm going to go to a team that
freaking plays unbelievable defense and has a defensive personality that
(35:47):
we're going to be top ten in multiple categories, if
not every category. We're going to be super tough lines
the scrimmage, defensively and every other way. We're gonna put
defensive backs in the NFL. We're gonna put defensive linemen
and linebackers in the NFL. And then, you know, I
don't know if I'd want to be a receiver at
Utah in the last ten fifteen years because I'm not
going to catch a ton of balls and They're going
(36:09):
to find a way to have some pretty decent running
backs and control the line of scrimmage offensively and score
enough points to win. So that's my perception. And you know,
as far as Kilane, yeah, I mean buyu. I you know,
as an alumni, certainly talk with a lot of other alumni,
(36:30):
and I'm a huge believer in utilizing your assets, and
I think you would be naive enough. You'd be naive
to think that most people in America, if you said,
what do you think about Byu, I think most of
them are going to say they have a ton of
quarterbacks that they put out and they throw the ball
a lot, and they kind of are one of the
(36:51):
originators of the really open up the passing game in
college football and making the priority. And you know, if
you don't have a good quarterback now in the NFL,
you're not going to be a big team. And you know,
it's really changed. It went from Oklahoma and Texas and
all those teams is being you know what college football
(37:12):
was all about, which then translated in the NFL was
putting out great running backs. So I think that's the
legacy of Bayu. That's my opinion. I think Kilanie has
done a really good job of channeling coach Edwards. I
think you if you didn't know the program really well,
you would think coach just stood on the sideline and
(37:32):
shoot on his tongue. But he did way more than that.
He he made all the decisions. He was a general,
and he got two unbelievable lieutenants, both defensively and offensively
to run the program. And I think Kilane's done the same.
Instead of being stretched as a defensive coordinator, he realizes
(37:53):
he's got he's got a business he's got to run,
and the business is winning football games, and that's empowering
other people. And he's done that. He's found a guy
who empower and run the defense, and he's found a
guy to empower and run the offense, and he runs
the program. And so yeah, I think he's done a
great job. And the more I'm around Clonie, the more
(38:14):
I see Clannie, I just really respect his skill set
for being where he's at, which is a church school
and which has different missions and a lot of other schools.
And I think he's done a great job of embracing everything,
being a great football coach, being a great football leader,
being a great representative of the school, embracing what the
(38:35):
school was all about. You know, newsflash, I didn't hear
Clonie talking a lot about the LS Church when he's
at the University of Utah. Well, I hear him talking
a lot more about the Elios Church when he's at BUYU,
as he should. Right that circumstances changed still doesn't mean
he's not a heck of a defense coordinator and doesn't
have all that in him, but he's got another he's
got another you know, responsibility that that's on his plate,
(38:58):
and I think he's done a really good job of
of dealing with them all and embracing them all. And
I'm I got a ton of respect for him. I think,
if you know, my honest critique is I think he
just has continually gotten better. I think he's a better
football coach than he was ten years ago. I think
he's a better football coach than he was eight years ago.
And that might be stating the obvious, but I think
(39:19):
he learned a lot on on the job, as we
all should and as all as we all do. We
we get better as we get older. But I think
he's I think he has just gotten better each year
he's been there in so many ways. I don't know
if that answers the question, but that's that's kind of
my take.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
No, it's a great answer, And I'll just ask you
one more thing, Jim, before I set you loose, and
again thank you for your time today. It is really
interesting when you really look at the data and the
numbers and the personnel they're two very similar football teams,
and it's uh, the line is Utah with a slight
favor there they're three point the YouTube are three point
(39:57):
five point favorite, even though it's in provo. Vegas usually
builds in about three points for the home team, So
on a neutral field, what the line says as Utah
is about a touchdown better than BYU. Now for somebody
like you that played in it, somebody like me that's
covered it for twenty years and was in school and
before that raised in a family that went to this
game every single year, we all know that it's probably
(40:19):
going to come down to some wild thing that none
of us can predict at all. But do you have
a feel based on how similar the teams appear to
be and how close that line is about what we'll
see Saturday night?
Speaker 6 (40:31):
Gosh, First of all, thanks for having me. If I
don't could say that at the end. I always love
talking and I really appreciate your reaching out. And second
of all, I think you have a great take. I'm
really aligned with the way you think. I think create
mind sync light obviously, but seriously I agree with you.
I go to this gym. I'm there every morning. It's
(40:52):
like cheers. Everyone knows my name and I know everyone
else's name, and we're we're going to maybe be competitors
down the road because we think we're just going to
do some sort of like Big Brother show from there,
because all we do is work out and talk sports
for about two and a half hours every morning. But
my workout partner, one of my best friends, has a
diet in a wool Utah fan. He's Crimson Club guys,
(41:13):
fifty yard line seats for his whole life, grew up
that way with his dad. I'm obviously the opposite end
of it. We're really really good friends and we have
really deep, impassioned conversations, super respectful. We kind of bury
that hatchet a long time ago where things are get
heated periodically. We're like, look, dude, what's a good of
friends to do this? But we found a way to
converse AnyWho while anyhow, we've done the same we thought,
(41:34):
especially him. He's telling me all week, He's like, dude,
they're the same teap It's like their mirror image. And
I'm like, I don't know if I see it that way, man,
I see it as Utah has a few more edges,
few more advantages than bau has I think. I think one,
anytime you start a freshman quarterback. It sounds crazy, but
I think it like guarantees you too, losses, like by
(41:57):
the laws, by the football gods, by the football laws.
Like you can't start a freshman at the most important
position at a major D one program and win a
lot of games, especially ten or eleven or twelve. I
just think that's impossible. It's just such a complicated decision.
(42:17):
There's so many, so many things you have to do
on the fly and know and react, and it's it's
why is Brian Johnson reviewed it at Utah? It's not
because of his sophomore junior seasons. Why is John Beck
a legend at b a youth not because of his freshman,
sophomore or junior season. Is because as seniors they matured
(42:38):
into something of substance and they won a lot of games.
And so to me, that in and of itself gives
Utah the edge. But you're right, I think they're mere images.
We got quarterbacks that run that are multi pacid which,
by the way, Spence, how many I don't know how
many teams in college football have their leading rusher as
(42:59):
their quarterback. I heard you saying substats earlier, and I've
just been thinking about the game all week. I wonder
how many that is? Like to me, it almost reminds
me of air Force or Navy, and I don't think
of you. I don't think of Utah as being air
Force or Navy. But you know, your quarterback is your
(43:19):
leading rusher, which is interesting, you know, I'd i'd be
interesting to see how many how many teams have that,
But you know what, bus got a really good rusher
at quarterback. One's Tim Tebow and one's Lamar Jackson. You know,
they definitely have different styles. One looks like Tim Tebow
and one kind of looks like Lamar Jackson. The way
(43:39):
they run, the way they move, how they run, so
definitely different styles. But as a defensive lineman, as the
guy who's been around football a long long time, you
know the old the old adage is, you know, as
the line goes, so goes, so goes the line, so
goes the team, so goes the team, so goes the line.
And so that freaking offensive line at Utah is amazing.
(44:01):
I think I think bas O line has played better
than anticipated. But I think Utah's line is is unbelievable,
and I think they can find a way to chew
up the clock and and use up time and and score.
And I think on top of that, they've got a
new slash, they've got a heck of a defense, and
there's a freshman quarterback that has to go against that defense.
(44:24):
So to me, I get the line. Like I get it,
I mean to me if i'm I think, I'm really
pragmatic the way look at my teams like the Milwaukee
Brewers and the Green Bay Packers. Come on, guys, let's go.
But it's also the way I look at BYU. I
try not to be emotional about it.
Speaker 4 (44:39):
It makes life easier.
Speaker 6 (44:42):
But you know, as I pragmatically break it down, I
get the line. I'm hoping that rivalry and emotion obviously
I help my team somehow get some crazy nutty way
to have things go their way at the end. But
I get where Vegas is coming from.
Speaker 1 (45:00):
Well, Jim, I'll set you loose. I know you're a
busy man. Should be a fun game no matter what,
because it always is. Thanks for the time, sir, Let's
chat soon.
Speaker 4 (45:06):
Okay, you're the best brother.
Speaker 6 (45:08):
Good to hear from you.
Speaker 1 (45:09):
Thanks Jim Herman, former BYU defensive lineman, played on the
nineteen eighty four National Championship team, played in the NFL
for the Cowboys and the Bengals, and can.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
Hit the hell out of a golf ball. Tell you
that much right now.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
Appreciate Jim's time stops spy today courtesy of our friends
at IFA Country Stores. With IFA Step four Fall and
Winter lown food, You'll get stronger roots now in an
early green up next spring.
Speaker 2 (45:31):
It is the ultimate lawn owner power move more.
Speaker 1 (45:33):
It could be found at your local IFA or at
IFA dot co op.
Speaker 2 (45:37):
Update.
Speaker 1 (45:38):
Salvolcano is still in good standing. I cannot speak to
the rest of the Impractical Jokers cast now.
Speaker 2 (45:44):
Yeah for now.
Speaker 1 (45:46):
He's got a great podcast, so listen to Sal's podcast.
But he's coming to town. I would imagine he's doing
some stand up, right. This is not the impractice because
I don't think the Impractical Jokers are touring.
Speaker 2 (45:57):
As a group at this point.
Speaker 3 (45:58):
Correct. I think it's just a it's just a stand
up gick, just solo Sal.
Speaker 1 (46:04):
Yes, I believe Joe Gado has been encouraged to find
something else to do with his time. That's my understanding.
But Sal's got a great podcast. Funny dude. He is
coming to the Eccles Theater on October the twenty fifth.
Text in your final score predictions for Utah Yu, I
don't know what else to do at this point eight
seven seven three five three zero seven hundred and this
(46:27):
is on. Porter will pick somebody and we will send
you to see Salvacanu Volcano.
Speaker 2 (46:33):
Excuse me?
Speaker 1 (46:33):
Can we get Sala on the show? He's a pretty
funny dude? Can we effort? Sal I did actually send
a message?
Speaker 3 (46:38):
Okay, Well, I mean we've got one fourth of the
crew on, so we gotta keep efforting.
Speaker 2 (46:42):
Yeah, but the one that we had on is the one.
Speaker 3 (46:44):
That hey, friend of the show.
Speaker 1 (46:47):
Well yeah, we could be a friend of the show,
but our guy got a little loose man, and you know,
I'd like to have one of the good standing jokers
on the program efforting.
Speaker 2 (46:55):
Okay, let me ask you Porter Quinn McLean.
Speaker 1 (47:00):
Quentin McClain joined us last segment, The Chief Data Nerd
is that the title from SUMER.
Speaker 3 (47:05):
Sports Senior Data Scientists Senior.
Speaker 2 (47:07):
Data Scientists slash nerd.
Speaker 1 (47:09):
And if you're a Utah fan, first of all, if
you didn't hear that you should go listen to it.
But if you were listening, I think you leave that
conversation feeling really good about your chances.
Speaker 2 (47:19):
Where do you think this game?
Speaker 1 (47:22):
What do you think this game comes down to you
from the Utah side of things if they do what
you feel good about Utah beating BYU Saturday night?
Speaker 3 (47:32):
I mean, I feel good about Utah beating by you,
just kind of on a one on one perspective, right.
I think that if we see a clean football game,
and what I mean by that is, you know, there's
not a bunch of crazy bounces and three interceptions and
(47:53):
you know, fumble going the other way, a muff punt,
it's hard to assume that those kind of things are
not going to have been in a rivalry game. They
just do.
Speaker 2 (48:02):
They just do in football in general. But I mean,
I think that if.
Speaker 3 (48:07):
If you take these two teams for what they are
at face value, I think the line is very fair.
As we talk about, I think that Vegas usually gives
the home team three points, which means what we look
at this game is a six to seven point game,
six and a half points. That's kind of how I
see it playing out Spence, whether it's a seven point
(48:28):
win or ten. I do think that Utah has just
a little bit more And when I say that, I think,
I really just mean they're further along. I actually think
bear Backmeier might be really good, like really good, but
not yet right He's still a freshman. I'm excited to
(48:48):
see what a Rodding and co does with him. But
there is still a little bit of a growing feel
with BYU and this will be their biggest top test
yet and I just think that that Utah is a
little bit more ready for that. They've had big nude
here already this season. They kind of had a wake
(49:11):
up call already this year, and I just think that
the roster is a touch better for Utah right now,
and maybe just to touch ahead of schedule when it
comes to BYU, if not better.
Speaker 2 (49:22):
We had Jim Herman on earlier.
Speaker 1 (49:25):
Jim played defensive end for BYU when Witt was there
as a player and they were teammates. They remained really
good friends, and it was interesting to get Jim's perspective
on what this week is like for Kyle. And you know,
I haven't talked a ton about that. I should say
I haven't talked a ton about this this year. Because
I don't have any information porter about whether or not
(49:47):
this really is Kyle's last season as the coach for Utah.
There are a lot of people that are more plugged
in than I am that have said into a microphone
their understanding is there's a good chance this is it.
And it's really interesting because all you can and we'll
interview with tomorrow excited for that.
Speaker 2 (50:03):
I always love when Kyle gives us a few minutes.
Speaker 1 (50:05):
So really, you kind of you're there at the media availability,
you listen to what he has to say, You try
to read facial expressions or and most college football coaches,
certainly nearly halfway through the season, none of them look
like they're sleeping. Well, there does appear to be a
little bit of an extra something or whatever it is
with Kyle this week, and I wonder how much of
(50:28):
that has to do whether or not he knows in
the back of his mind this is his last chance
to coach his Utah team against this BYU team, in
this game where BYU's won two straight. But if you
pan out, it's been four years since Utah has won
this game. If there's a little extra added something, because
he knows this is his last game. I find that
to be a really interesting dynamic as it pertains to
(50:49):
the way he's handling this week for sure.
Speaker 3 (50:51):
But it's hard to tell because there's always a little
extra something with Kyle this week. Right now, he'll approach
it and talk about it as if it's just another
game week. But we know, we know there's more to
it with his rivalry, we know the history of his
father and the firing and all of the above. It's
personal and it matters to him. He as a college
(51:16):
football coach, tries to not allow that personal side of
it to show, right. That's something you don't really want
to do when you're a coach who's controlling a bunch
of seventeen, eighteen, nineteen year olds. So he does a
good job of kind of containing it sometimes. But as
you said, there's a little there's a little something there,
and there always is this week for Kyle. I don't
(51:38):
know whether that is different based on, you know, how
far into his career he is, if he's hanging it up,
I haven't able to ga gauge that very well, And frankly,
anytime anyone in a press conference or in a press
or setting mentions that to Kyle. He kind of pushes back,
I don't know if you've noticed that in the post
(51:59):
games might be your last time? He's like, what are
you talking about?
Speaker 6 (52:02):
Right?
Speaker 3 (52:04):
I think that Kyle, if this is the last go
for Kyle, it would be dependent on how the season finishes.
So I still think that that's not like something decided
in Stone. So I don't know. I mean, there's always
a little extra something when it comes to BYU Utah
and how he prepares. There's a presentation, a slideshow if
(52:25):
you will, that he goes through on Mondays with his
players that he doesn't you usually do. I'm just any
normal opponent, and that happens every year, not just this year.
So I don't know. I guess we'll find out in
November December.
Speaker 1 (52:39):
So you're of the opinion that Wit doesn't know as
of today whether or not this is it for him.
Speaker 3 (52:45):
Kind of OK, But I think that's also been the
case for like the last four years. I really do.
Just talking to Kyle, I think he's a guy who
doesn't see himself as a coaching lifer. But then when
it gets down to it, it gets down to decision time.
He hasn't necessarily had that moment to write off into. Honestly,
I think that if one of or both of the
(53:08):
Rose Bulls would have gone a different way, that may
have been it. Very well may have been it. But
they didn't. And you know, I think that's still to
TBD on this season as well.
Speaker 1 (53:19):
So I am a former social media addict in recovery,
I don't know really the majority of things that go
on on these platforms. Certainly, once upon a time I
was more engaged, but now I believe if you're arguing
online with strangers, it's the side of mental illness.
Speaker 2 (53:35):
But Jim referenced Utah fans.
Speaker 1 (53:39):
In his ecosystem that believe Wit has held this team
back offensively and his style of football has not been
conducive to progress. I don't think I have any of
those ute fans in my life, and I'm an alum
and the majority of my friends twenty five years later
are the guys I went to college with. Are you
(54:00):
aware of this portion of the fan base that believes
it might be time to do something different. I mean,
that seems so shortsighted to me, and it seems to
be a mindset of people that don't really understand what
this football program went through prior to the McBride Urban
Wit kind of transition between those three that has allowed
(54:21):
this program to become one of the most respected programs
in the Western United States.
Speaker 3 (54:26):
I think there's, to be clear, always a faction of
those like just clueless up in the night fans, right
that maybe four to five percent of them, Like there's
a Twitter page that I think is dedicated to every
time Utah loses, they just tweet out how Kyle should
be fired. But when they win, this account is silent
(54:46):
for weeks and months and years at a time. Right, So, yes,
there's always that faction of people. I think maybe it's
grown by like two percent because Utah hasn't got over
the ultimate hump into the playoff into you know, playing
in the BCS in this era, right, the PAC twelve era,
(55:08):
they only did it as a Mountain West school. So
there's maybe a little more of those people who have
grown more and more impatient. Maybe they're huge scaley guys,
right sure, But to be clear, I think those are
still that faction of fans are still like the extremest
less than ten percent who are very much unaware of
(55:29):
what they have and how difficult it will be to replace.
I think that that is where those fans lie.
Speaker 1 (55:36):
Yeah, I've never been a radio host that's like fire
the coach guy. I mean, unless it's something you know,
completely below board where a guy needs to go. I
think the James Franklin example in Penn State is a
perfect example. Like, yeah, I know the record against top
ten teams, I know what Penn State football demands from
their football program. This is a guy that want to
(55:58):
CFP game a year and was the number two team
in the country two weeks ago with Elead at Oregon
at Austin and now he's looking for a job. And
my question, and we used to talk about this when
BYU fans would get down on Bronco, like it's it's
always okay, who is going to take the job that
will be better for your program.
Speaker 2 (56:19):
Now, Claude, over the course of a decade.
Speaker 1 (56:21):
Has built BYU football up to a level that I
don't think Bronco would have been able to get. And
I know that there's a plan in place, a succession
plan in place where it is Morgan. But I wonder
how many of these Youthe fans feel like, whatever your
opinion is, that Wit needs to go. I wonder how
they'll feel if this succession plan isn't as smooth as
most people think it's going to be.
Speaker 2 (56:42):
And that's not a slide on Morgan.
Speaker 1 (56:43):
I'm just saying it's been a pretty fun two decade
run to be a youth football fan. If you ever
realized what it was like prior to like nineteen ninety four,
you brought.
Speaker 3 (56:52):
Up Penn State and in James Franklin, and that that
gives you an idea of you know, the pressure on
a college football coach. But that's Penn State, right, That's
where you know, what, if you're not winning a national
championship after a decade, well you probably rightfully should be
looked at. At Utah, there's a totally different parameter of
(57:12):
how you gauge a coach's success. So for that reason,
I bring up my Hokies, I bring up Virginia Tech. Right,
Kyle is more Beamer to VT than any sort of
thing you could compare it at Penn State. And there
were a lot of fans at the end of the
Beamer era who were like, all right, it's time now
to be clear, Kyle is not anywhere near where Frank
(57:34):
Beamer was age wise, Frank was like physically probably needed
to go. Kyle's not there yet. But my point is
is that there were a lot of fans who were
excited about what was next, and for me, I was
always very nervous about what the post Beamer era of
(57:55):
Virginia Tech looked like because synonymous to Virginia Tech football
was Beamer ball, it was Frank, it was their identity.
It was how they played, in the style they played,
and the amount of consistency they had. And that is
similar here at Utah with Kyle. He means like as
much to this program as the program does him vice versa, right,
(58:19):
and that's hard when your program has an identity that
is tied to a coach to expect it to continue afterwards.
I wanted Virginia Tech more than anything Spence to hire
Bud Foster to replace Frank Beemer, their defensive coordinator who
had been there for twenty years, who had the top
five defense in the country a lot of the time.
(58:42):
That's what I wanted. I'm glad to see Utah doing
it because I think continuity is huge. Different time in
college football when we're talking nil, we're talking business, but
I think that's at least reason to hope and believe
that there's some continuity there because they're not doing what
my hookies did and you're seeing the results of that.
Speaker 2 (59:03):
Now, before we catch a break, we have some breaking news.
Are you ready?
Speaker 1 (59:07):
Maybe Williagatta and Victor Olatunji from Rayal saw Lake have
been fined for torking after celebrating a goal that was
then disallowed.
Speaker 3 (59:22):
I saw that goal.
Speaker 2 (59:24):
Allow me to repeat what I just said, is that
the official language they use uh.
Speaker 1 (59:28):
No, But their senior VP of communications is adding his
h his little spin to it. So if there's a
story that encapsulates the season that our pro soccer team
has had, it might be this one. Rayel saw Lake
forwards Williagata and Victor Olatunji have been fined by the
MLS Disciplinary Committee for torking after celebrating a goal that
(59:49):
was then disallowed against Seattle.
Speaker 2 (59:53):
And that's coming from a league source, just to be clear. Yep,
there you go.
Speaker 1 (59:58):
All right, Ryles is going to you don't just coming
up next Voice of the Youths. But I want to
tell you about my friends at Game Day Men's Health.
I'm pumped that they are a client now because I
always love when I have the ability to give a
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you're aging a little bit, and we all are, because
that's how it works. As time passes, you age, there
(01:00:18):
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The bottom line is this, it's just it's harder to
stay in shape, and it's even harder to get back
in shape if you've allowed yourself to slip a little bit.
Speaker 2 (01:00:29):
So I set a goal a couple of years ago.
I'm like, I'm going to get in the best.
Speaker 1 (01:00:32):
Shape of my life as I'm in my now mid
to late forties, and I changed my diet. I had
my little brother, who's built like a linebacker, create this
workout program for me. I cleaned up some habits, I
started sleeping better, and I went really hard at it
for about three months, and I wondered why I couldn't
make progress. I'm like, what's going on, because back when
(01:00:53):
I was in my twenties, you work hard for you know,
two three months, and suddenly you're going to see results,
right well, changes as you age. So a couple of
friends asked me if I'd ever tried supplementing testosterone, which
I never had in my entire life prior to this situation.
Speaker 2 (01:01:11):
Hit up Game Day Men's Health.
Speaker 1 (01:01:12):
They brought me in for a consultation, which is a
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And then after they go over their levels, they tell
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then the best thing about this program is they monitor you. So,
(01:01:34):
like last week, I went in for a blood test
and we had a couple of levels that were different,
so we adjusted the medications.
Speaker 2 (01:01:40):
They've got great doctors over there.
Speaker 1 (01:01:43):
I utilize their testosterone therapy and then I utilize their peptides.
They also have you know, the InVogue weight loss stuff
you guys have heard about, Semaglue, Tide, trzipeitide a bunch
of other products as well that they'll go over with you.
These are products that at one point were reserved for
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Speaker 2 (01:02:00):
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Speaker 1 (01:02:02):
This is an affordable process and it's super affordable now
because as a result of this partnership, they're going to
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them up at Gamedaymen's Health dot Com. You schedule an appointment.
They've got locations all over the state. Lehigh Pleasant Grove,
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(01:02:22):
there's probably one within fifteen or twenty minutes of you
get that free consultation. They'll take your blood, they'll go
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Speaker 2 (01:02:31):
And I can.
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Promise you if you give yourself another three to four
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(01:02:52):
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Speaker 2 (01:02:58):
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And if you guys want to do that, I would
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Speaker 7 (01:03:16):
Field goal.
Speaker 8 (01:03:17):
Here a capt for go back, Dad step bad hole
kick his block, and Uta recovers it at their own
thirty four yard line.
Speaker 2 (01:03:29):
That wood never had a chance.
Speaker 8 (01:03:31):
It never had a chance. Hand off Rogers bouncing around
to the outside, the carry to the ten, to the
five ins, tout down.
Speaker 4 (01:03:44):
To carry Rogers, Devin keeps it. Devin Dansey cut him
to the inside.
Speaker 2 (01:03:50):
By Ford, great, come on, he's in, He's in.
Speaker 8 (01:03:53):
It's a hapsick for damn there his third rushing cuts down.
Speaker 1 (01:03:58):
Tonight, the dulcet tones of the voice of the youths
who you'll hear on Saturday night calling another Holy War
as Utah and Byu were set for a six o'clock
kickoff Bill Riley on a Tuesday afternoon, Hello, Ryles, how
are you sir?
Speaker 4 (01:04:12):
I am great Spencer. It'll be my thirteenth rivalry game.
Speaker 2 (01:04:16):
Holy War Broadcast Wow thirteen.
Speaker 1 (01:04:20):
In the books, I wanted to ask you right off
the top, is there you know, it's always the Brandon
Burton blockfield goal that Dulce just ran over unfortunately ruined
your call for usual, But that might be my most
memorable Bill Riley rivalry call in his Is there one
that stands out to you.
Speaker 4 (01:04:38):
Well? Of the calls? Jason Shelley's touchdown in that comfort
behind win twenty eight to seven down to come back
was pretty great. Taysom Hill being stopped at the goal
line when they went for two, that was pretty good.
My favorite game was probably the fifty four to ten
(01:04:58):
beatdown in Pro when the Wolf van John White went
crazy that night with one hundred and seventy four yards
and three touchdowns. And then of course the famous Beck
to Harlean play that was my very first, very first
byu Utah game to call. So there've been some good ones.
They always Spence always feel like there's a you know,
there's a couple outliers in there. But for like the
(01:05:21):
last decade, they've all felt like they were one possession games,
pretty close.
Speaker 2 (01:05:25):
With chaos at the end.
Speaker 1 (01:05:27):
Ye you know, like even last year I was on
the sidelines, I'm like, oh, it's over.
Speaker 2 (01:05:31):
And then it very much was not.
Speaker 1 (01:05:32):
And then boom, the kid kick kicks a game winning
field goal, and you just go, Holy smugs, how'd that happen?
Speaker 6 (01:05:37):
You know?
Speaker 4 (01:05:38):
Right?
Speaker 1 (01:05:38):
Utah three point five point favorite, even though they're on
the road, And I feel like most everybody I've spoken
to believe that. I believes that actually makes sense. Were
you surprised to see the line open with Utah's as
a favorite?
Speaker 2 (01:05:51):
What do you make of that?
Speaker 4 (01:05:52):
I'm not really surprised. I don't think it will go
up much unless there's an injury situation in Provo. I
just think think Utah's played a little bit better schedule.
I mean, I think the Texas Tech game and then
the Arizona State game, and I know Arizona State didn't
have Levitt, but he wasn't playing defense and they gave
up forty two to Utah. So I just think they're
(01:06:14):
just a little bit better tested than BYU.
Speaker 5 (01:06:16):
Is.
Speaker 4 (01:06:16):
That's not taking anything away from what b Whatu's done.
Two road wins come from behind, road wins against solid,
though slightly above solid teams in Colorado and Arizona. So
I wasn't real surprised. I thought it might be a
one or two point line either way, but I feel
like that's in the ballpark.
Speaker 1 (01:06:35):
It really does, to your point, come down to has
BYU faced a stiff enough challenge to be prepared for
what will happen Saturday night, Because I think I'm still
at the same place with the Utes that I was
prior to the start of the season and then interviewing
coaches and listening to sound and watching games.
Speaker 2 (01:06:51):
I thought they were really.
Speaker 1 (01:06:53):
Good to start, thought that a chance to be one
of the contenders in the Big Twelve. I still think
they're there, But it does come down to you know,
I said at the start of the year, there's a
chance both these teams are six and ZHO prior to
this game coming up on Saturday. Now, this was before
I saw the juggernaut that they have down at Texas Tech.
But when it comes to the dynamic of being tested,
(01:07:14):
did Utah answer questions in your mind?
Speaker 2 (01:07:17):
As far as the game against Arizona State, I.
Speaker 4 (01:07:20):
Think they did, especially with the offense. Again, you know,
Jeff Simms was a capable backup quarterback and Utah's defense.
Did I think ASU would have put up a few
more points. I think the defense was pretty well dialed
in they stopped the run well, but I think again
Arizona State's defense, they were second the league in rushing,
giving up seventy eight yards a game. Utah ran for
(01:07:40):
two seventy six and one hundred and eighty three in
the first half, and they scored on all but two
of their drives. They punted once in the end of
the game, So to me, that Arizona State defense wasn't
beat up. They weren't missing three or four guys. They
were good. And I think Utah doing that and in
kind of an adverse situation weather wise, and you know,
(01:08:02):
everything was kind of thrown off the routine and warm
ups and stuff. I thought they did a really, really
good job. I don't think Arizona State's quite as good
as they were a year ago, even with Sam Levitt.
I think Tyson's really their one weapon in the past game.
They had a few last year, but that's still a
really good team. And between Utah and BYU, that's the
(01:08:23):
best win between the two schools so far. Again, it
was against the ranked team, so I think they're a
little bit more tested. And again you're right, tex Texa
wagon Man, Texas Tech is really good. I don't know
if they're national championship good, but they're certainly to me
the class of the Big twelve right now.
Speaker 1 (01:08:42):
Tell me where you're at six games Jason Beck, play caller,
Devin Dampier quarterback, offensive line that, according to most metrics,
one of the best in the country. I mean the
offensive numbers Bill are gotti third in the country, in
touchdown rate, first in the country and converting third and
fourth downs. They converted twenty seven of US twenty eight
red zone opportunities and twenty five of those have been touchdowns.
(01:09:05):
So probably time to give these guys their flowers. As
the kids say, where you at with the way that
coach Beck and Devin and the line has been able
to move the football.
Speaker 4 (01:09:14):
Well, I think it starts with the O line, I do.
I think the O line didn't have a great day
against a really stout front for Texas Tech. But when
the O line is getting pushed, that allowed. And I
think Devin dan Pier's health is really good too now,
and I don't think he was complemy We know he
wasn't healthy against Texas Tech, certainly not one hundred percent.
(01:09:36):
So I think when the line is really good and
Devon is healthy. I mean, you know, he was running
around the other night looking really really good. That allows
Jason Beck to do a lot of things with the offense,
but it all starts upfront. So I think they're really good.
I just I think in that Texas Tech game, they
ran into a team that was ready to play and
very talented. And again, that was a game for three quarters.
(01:09:58):
It just wasn't a game for the last half of
the fourth quarter. But I think they're in a good
spot right now, Spence, I do. Now that being said,
I think BYU is good. I don't know how good,
because they really haven't played a really good team yet,
and they're gonna play one on Saturday night down there.
But I think, you know, and again, it's a rivalry
game and everybody will be up for it. And much
like WIT's always done a good job getting Utah for
(01:10:20):
these games, I think Kilani does the same thing. Because
Kilani has been there for a decade and it feels
like every game for the last decade has been close.
So I fully expect the game Saturday night to be
a competitive, slobber knocker of a you know, physical game
that's going to probably come down to a drive in
the fourth quarter.
Speaker 1 (01:10:40):
What do you think this week is like? For Wit,
It's it's always interesting to consider. And you know, as
I've repeated multiple times this week, and I'll continue to repeat,
I haven't really covered the whole like, hey, last dance
for Kyle thing, because I don't know.
Speaker 2 (01:10:53):
I have no idea whether or not this is it
for him.
Speaker 1 (01:10:56):
Now, the undercurrent of the potential, because people that are
a bit more plugged that I do believe this is it.
So the undercurrent of the potential of this being Kyle's
last chance to go beat those guys I do find
interesting to consider.
Speaker 2 (01:11:08):
Of course, he does media on Monday.
Speaker 1 (01:11:10):
He chooses not to talk about barbar Bachmeyer, which the
natives are restless, so shout out to everyone who's sad
about that. But there does feel to to me there's
something extra there this week with Kyle. There always has been.
And we had Doctor Hill and studio yesterday. He told
some great stories about how you know, he witnessed the
way Kyle coaches. This week, a lot of former players
(01:11:31):
talk about the intensity that he brings to the table
where essentially the messages we do not lose to those guys.
But it's been too straight and it's been four years
since they've won.
Speaker 2 (01:11:42):
How do you think this week lands with him?
Speaker 4 (01:11:43):
Bill, I think it's as much as he might play
it down, it's a huge game for him. And you've
talked to the same guys I talked to. There's a
different vibe in the building the week of the BYU game.
They just simply is, here's what adds another layer to this.
Half of Kyle's staff played or coached at BYU, and
(01:12:05):
four or five assistants on kilani staff coached or played
at Utah. I mean these guys and Kilani was there
for a lot of the Klonnie knows how they prepare.
He knows Kyle takes this thing seriously, but so does he.
I just it's such an interesting dynamic. And you could
talk about Alabama and Auburn and Ohio State and Michigan
and some of these. I've maintained forever it's not the
(01:12:28):
biggest rivalry in college football, but it might be the
most unique rivalries fense because of all the inter all
the side stories, all the cultural stuff, all the football stuff,
and the coaching and the players, all of it. And
then you can make a case Utah's best defensive player
this year, John Henry Daily transferred from BYU and one
of BYU's most important defensive players, Keanu Taanavasa, transferred from Utah.
(01:12:52):
So you've got a lot of storylines going on in
this thing, But the answer go back to what you said.
It's an important game, and guys that have played up there,
guys that have coached up there, they'll all tell you
in that building this week, it's pretty intense.
Speaker 1 (01:13:05):
Interesting. I read that John Henry Daly is Dave Nixon's nephew.
Speaker 2 (01:13:08):
I didn't know that. I was not.
Speaker 4 (01:13:10):
Aware of Taysom Hill's nephew too.
Speaker 1 (01:13:12):
Wow, well man, they're breeding down there. I guess, Yeah,
that's interesting. I had not realized that there was because
he has been massive, Bill. I mean, you and I
talked prior to the season about I think it was
five players across the front that coach went and Morgan
had to replace and who was going to be the guy,
and that answer has clearly been John Henry Daily.
Speaker 4 (01:13:33):
He's been fantastic, And you know, we talked to him
in the first game and he's like, Yeah, I wanted
to come up here, and I wanted to play, and
I wanted to have an opportunity to kind of play
in that great lineage of defensive ends at the University
of Utah. And he said, my dad's always played and
coached me hard. And I asked him about his cousins
or his uncles. He has, Dave Nixon's one of his uncles,
(01:13:54):
Taysom Hills one of his uncles. And he's very happy
at Utah. And I'll tell you What'spence. Kid's got a motor.
I know there's been a lot of comparisons to Hunter Demick,
and I think those are accurate in a lot of ways.
But this kid, he's only a red shirt sophomore. He's
going to get better as they go. And right now
he's got eight sacks, which is tied for third in
the country. And he's I mean, even on the place
(01:14:15):
that he doesn't get to the quarterback, he's chasing down
running backs and wide receivers. He just it reminds me again,
I'm not making the comparison here, but if you watch
Aiden Hutchinson play for the for the Lions, that guy
just has a motor that doesn't stop. Even if he
doesn't get the sack. He's chasing somebody down. And the
way John Henry Daily plays reminds me of that too.
Speaker 1 (01:14:37):
We had the Chief Data dweep is that the did
I get his title.
Speaker 2 (01:14:41):
Right porter the chief data nerd from Super Sports.
Speaker 1 (01:14:44):
Earlier Senior data scientists, Thank you, senior data scientist. It
was I'm teasing. It was very illuminating actually because he
pointed out one dynamic and I don't know how much
this has to do that.
Speaker 2 (01:14:56):
You know, there's some injuries in the secondary.
Speaker 1 (01:14:58):
Of course, Smith did a great job against the Jordan
Tyson kid last week. But one area here, Bill is Utah,
to coach WIT's own admission and point at times, has
struggled tackling in the open field and there in the
twenty eighth percentile in you know, limiting chunk plays and
byu under a rod they want to set you up
with a run and the screen, then they want to
(01:15:19):
try to go over the top. Is that an area
you think of concern for Utah with his game coming
up on Saturday night?
Speaker 4 (01:15:26):
Well, I think Utah answered some questions last week. I
mean Kyle Whntingham said they're going to throw the ball
deep a bunch, and they did. They threw I mean
Jordan Tyson was targeted sixteen times and he had eight catches,
but Spency had forty yards. None of those downfield shots took,
you know, And it wasn't just miss Snowdon. It was
Blake Cotton who was down there. It was Elijah Davis
(01:15:48):
who was down there, was Jackson Benny who was down
there too. I think Utah does a good job. I
think where Utah's had some problems has been more on
some of the underneath stuff, some of those intermediate routes.
To your point, they've missed some tackles in a seven
or eight yard gains maybe turned into an eighteen or
twenty yard gain, and that's where BYU does well. Those
receivers like Chase Roberts and some others are really good
(01:16:11):
with the run after catch. So I think Utah's going
to have to be pretty dialed in with the tackling.
Speaker 1 (01:16:15):
On Saturday, the other dynamic, we were breaking down with
the chief data goop did I the senior data scientist
whatever his name is, Quinn McClain, great, great analysis. I'm
just clearly teasing him because I've heard and seen a
lot of people discuss the lack of big chunk plays
explosive plays as it's known over with our friends at summer.
(01:16:36):
But if you can just move the football incrementally and
take Tom off the clock and let your defense rest
and wear down the other teams. D I don't know
that it matters Bill if we haven't seen a ton
of big chunk plays. Like maybe at some point throughout
the course of the season, if Utah goes down and
they've got to throw it and Devin has no choice
(01:16:57):
but to drop back and chuck it because you're down
to three touchdowns, maybe we'll see it manifest in that scenario.
But is there any concern on your end for what
the data says the lack of just big chunk plays
from Utah's offense.
Speaker 4 (01:17:11):
Well maybe, I mean you'd like to see something of
the really big past Ryan Davis. But what was interesting,
Spence was Utah had six touchdown scoring drives on Saturday
night and they got beat on time of possession by
almost ten minutes by Arizona State. It wasn't as if
Utah was Yeah, they had seven and eight yard plays
(01:17:33):
in nine yard and couple ten yard drives, but they
were getting down the field in three, four, two and
a half, three and a half minutes, So yeah, they
haven't had those big long chunk plays. But what they
have done a pretty good job of doing is getting
those intermediate plays, the twelve yard, the fifteen yard, the
(01:17:54):
sixteen yard chunk play. And I was talking to Jason
Beck about this last week. He said, Hey, I know
we don't have those take the top off the defense
wide receivers like some programs do. He said, but when
this offense is rolling and the offensive line is doing
this job, if we can get a handful of twelve
to eighteen yard plays per game to go with our
(01:18:14):
running attack, we're in pretty good shape. So I'm not
overly concerned about it right now. Again, ASU's defense coming
in Saturday night was really good, really highly rated. I
hadn't given up more than twenty four points in a game.
They had held some teams down. Utah gashed them pretty
good upfront with that run game, So I feel pretty
good about it.
Speaker 6 (01:18:33):
Now.
Speaker 4 (01:18:33):
We'll see if that can develop as the year goes along.
But I think if they can keep that same recipe
that they had Saturday night against the sun Devils, I
think that's going to travel. So we'll see what happens Saturday.
Speaker 1 (01:18:44):
Yeah, I agree, And I actually said based off the
data prior to the game on Saturday, ASU very stout
against the run, susceptible through the air, So I thought
Devin was going to have to throw it, and he didn't.
He did not have to throw it at all. So
maybe this is just the formula. And if it is
the formula, the numbers show that it's working. So if
it ain't broke, don't fix it. Here's another crazy number
(01:19:05):
for you that my homie just shared last segment.
Speaker 2 (01:19:08):
Devin is eight. He's completing eighty two.
Speaker 1 (01:19:11):
Percent of his passes to Ryan Davis, and it's below
seventy percent to his other targets. Only three catches for
sixty eight yards. He had that fifty six yard er
you know last week, but again Devin didn't really need
to go through the air because they were gashing a
su up front. Just tell me, you know, the latest
opinion you have on what clearly has become his favorite
(01:19:31):
target in this connection, eighty two percent completion when he
looks to Ryan Davis.
Speaker 4 (01:19:36):
I mean, they've got a connection. They played together all
last year, they're they're good friends off the field as well.
And again Davis is open, you know, he's not Again
he's not a take the top off the defense guy,
even though he had that fifty six yard catch against Asu,
But the guy has a knack for getting open and
finding the place, and Devin knows where to look for him. Again,
(01:19:58):
not to make a comparison, but you hear talked about
all the time with Mahomes and Kelsey, they're just kind
of on that same page. Even if Kelsey's not necessarily
running the precise route, they have that thing because they've
played and worked out together so long. I think it's
kind of the same thing with Davis and Dan Pierre
because they've played together and practiced together so much. Now
(01:20:18):
Dallan Bentley's become a really nice part of this offense too.
He's the second leading receiver on this team, and some
of the backs are getting catches too, But Ryan Davis
is becoming that guy. And it's unusual, I think for
us as Utah fans, because we've been so used to
seeing under like Andy Ludwig, the ball spread out across
the place. You know what I mean, nobody You know
(01:20:39):
you'd have five guys that had thirty five or fewer catches. Well,
Ryan Davis is on pace to have about eighty five
catches this year, and if Devin can keep finding him
and he can keep getting open, there's nothing wrong with that.
Speaker 2 (01:20:51):
So we had Jim Herman on the show earlier and
he brought up a point. So LJ.
Speaker 1 (01:20:55):
Martin is BYU's leading rusher and he's averaging like six
and half per one hundred and one carries six point
fifty two. Bear is second for them seventy one carries
two ninety five. And Jim was wondering if it's problematic
that Devin is Utah's leading rusher and they don't have
a back that actually leads them. But if you combine
Waishan and Nakari, what's interesting is there about where LJ
(01:21:18):
is so Devn's the leading rusher, but the difference is Ryles.
Of course Utah uses two well BYU has a bell cow.
You know, any thoughts as.
Speaker 2 (01:21:27):
To what that dynamic kind of could manifest Saturday.
Speaker 4 (01:21:29):
Night, No, I just think that's the way they like
to do it. They play the hot back and go
with the guy that's running well. The interesting guy to
keep an eye on, Spins is this kid, Daniel Bray,
the freshman running back who we've seen getting involved in
the offense a little bit more the last couple of weeks.
That kid's got some juice. Now he's not real big,
he's only about five foot nine, but when he's touched
(01:21:51):
the ball, there's there's been a noticeable burst with him.
So I think what you've seen is really good. I mean,
Parker and Rodgers, they're both averaging four and a half
five six yards of carry. They're just not getting the
same amount of volume LJ. Martin Is. I think it's
the same deal. You're just getting it multiple ways versus
one guy. And again, with Bray now being factored into
(01:22:13):
the rush game, I think it adds a little bit
more juice to it. So I don't think you're going
to see them change that at all. I don't think
either Parker or Rogers all of a sudden becomes a
twenty five carry a game guy. I think both these
guys are going to carry it in the neighborhood of
ten to twelve times. Daniel Bray probably gets four or
five touches and Devin Dampier is going to run it
(01:22:34):
eight or nine times a game as well.
Speaker 1 (01:22:36):
So from a BYU perspective, they need the Jack Kelly
kid healthy because I think if Jack's healthy, they'll be
able to spy Devin a little bit. And the only
team that's had success against Devin was Tech. Now, what
has become very clear based off of the way Devin
has looked the past couple of weeks, is that he
was not right against Tech. So I don't want to
put a ton of stock into that, But when it
(01:22:57):
comes to the times you have seen Devin's struck, what
has the other team done to limit him, because most
of the time he's been very effective.
Speaker 4 (01:23:06):
Well, to me, it's again started up front when the
offensive line didn't get quite as much push, or as
you mentioned in the Tech game, where he was clearly
not even probably eighty percent in that game. He just
looked different against West Virginia, looked different last week. I
don't think we've really seen a team that has necessarily
spied Devin, if that makes sense. And I don't know
(01:23:27):
if that's going to be Jay Hill and Kalani's MO
on Saturday night, but it might be an idea. Those
two linebackers are really good. Kelly if he plays, and
obviously glasg two they're outstanding. They're all conference caliber linebackers.
But it'll be interesting to see if they choose to
use that direction, because then if you do that, it
(01:23:48):
leaves a gap somewhere in that defense where you might
be able to throw in that spot. If you're leaving
a guy in and close to that line of scrimmage
to spy the quarterback, then there's somebody there that might
be able to be open and coverage. So I haven't
seen it yet, and I don't know if Jay Hill
will employ that, but it'll be interesting to see if
they do.
Speaker 1 (01:24:08):
Can we agree that it might be time to say
Texas Tech isn't just potentially the best team in the
Big Twelve, but maybe one of the top five or
six teams in the country.
Speaker 4 (01:24:17):
Maybe. Okay, I think it's hard to say, because again,
they really haven't played a great schedule either. They still
haven't played BYU. I don't know if they play ASHU
can't remember if that's anyway, They've played a decent schedule.
Utah being the best team, and to be fair, they
(01:24:37):
won that game. They were the better team that day,
but it wasn't until midway through the fourth quarter that
they really took control. So I think they're clearly the
best team of the Big twelve. I still want to
see a little bit more to see. But to be
fair too, Spence, I don't know who's the best team.
Speaker 7 (01:24:54):
In college football right now.
Speaker 4 (01:24:56):
Maybe it's Indiana. That's a hell of a good win
to go up to Oregon and do what they did
after boat racing Illinois at Illinois a couple of weeks before.
Maybe Mario Christobal finally has that team at Miami because
Miami's looked really good this year too. I don't know
if the SEC's got a great team this year. They
may may be like the Big Twelve. They may have
a lot of good teams. So, but but I think
(01:25:18):
Tech is knocking on that door.
Speaker 1 (01:25:20):
Yeah, I feel like Ohio State has probably been the
cleanest team state. Yeah, But the reason I bring it
up and just for context, Tech is at Arizona State
this week. But if the reason I brought it up
for this context is I think that loss is going
to age well for Utah. I don't think it's going
to be a loss where at the end of the sea, look,
(01:25:40):
a loss is a loss. But I don't think it's
going to be a loss that most people are going
to look at and really knock on the utes, Which
makes Saturday Nights even bigger as it pertains to the
following dynamics fourth time that these two teams have been
in the AP Top twenty five, both teams still in
the mix to win a Big twelve championship, which would
lead to a CFP appearance with it neither school has
(01:26:02):
ever done before Fox Big Noon in Town Bill and
with a primetime kickoff on a major platform, there is
the potential that this will be the most watched game
in the history of these two schools. So with all
of that kind of kept in mind and the undercurt
of maybe this is what's last go around against BYU,
what's the significance of this game on Saturday Night?
Speaker 4 (01:26:25):
You just laid it out perfectly. I mean, really and truly.
The winner of this game Saturday Night has a leg
up to get to Dallas, and not just to get
to Dallas, because if you get to Dallas with say
one loss, and Texas Tech might be undefeated or a
one loss team, I think then you're looking at possibly
(01:26:45):
two Big twelve teams in the College Football Playoff. So
I think it's a huge game because to be fair,
two spence, if you're looking at the schedule coming up,
it lightens up a little bit for Utah. Yeah, Colorado
comes to town. Colorado those solid, they're not spectacular. Cincinnati's
been a surprise, but you've got them at your place.
Speaker 7 (01:27:05):
Then you've got two weeks to get ready.
Speaker 4 (01:27:07):
For Baylor, who's been very up and down. Case State's
been a disappointment, and then maybe a tough game with Kansas,
depending on where the season is.
Speaker 7 (01:27:15):
But my point is.
Speaker 4 (01:27:16):
You've played Tech, you've played Arizona State. If your Utah
and can get past BYU this weekend, I think that
schedule with three of the next five games at home,
becomes very manageable for the Utes.
Speaker 1 (01:27:29):
It's gonna be fun. Man, can't wait to hear your call,
so you enjoy it. Thanks for the time, but it'd
be good. Okay, all right, talk you soon, Spence, Bill Riley,
Voice of the Utes. Our pregame coverage on Saturday, we'll
be get at one o'clock. Port'll have you taken care of.
Their kickoff is at six. We're gonna have about ten
hours of game day coverage. Forew guys, you're on your
Home of the Utes, ESPN seven hundred. Good stuff today
(01:27:49):
from Jim Herman, Front of the program, former BYU and
NFL defensive ends.
Speaker 2 (01:27:54):
Bill Riley will stop by today.
Speaker 1 (01:27:56):
The Voice of the Utes to preview the game on
Saturday Dave Fox Live and Studio. I'll be on TV
with Dave tonight ten thirty five km YU. We call
it five Questions with Spens. It is a big week
around these parts as BYU and Utah will play football
coming up on Saturday. Porter will start his pregame coverage
at one o'clock, so we have a five hour pregame
(01:28:17):
coverage situation for you have about ten eleven hours of
game day coverage as.
Speaker 2 (01:28:21):
It's a big one Saturday night in provo.
Speaker 1 (01:28:23):
Let's talk more football with one of our favorites, Quinn
McClain from sumer Sports on a Tuesday, Hello, Quinn, how
are you hey?
Speaker 7 (01:28:30):
I'm going Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:28:31):
Back, appreciate the time.
Speaker 1 (01:28:32):
So, just from an outsider's perspective, I wonder what your
opinion understanding knowledge of just how unique and passionate and
intense this rivalry is with Utah and BYU playing football
on Saturday.
Speaker 7 (01:28:46):
Yeah, I know last year was an awesome game, and
especially years where last year's Utah team had some struggles
at quarterback, they still kept the game close, and I
think that's what you expect to go on any rivalry
games that no matter the spread or no matter the
opponent year and year out, the game's gonna be pretty close.
And I think I'm excited to watch it from the
outside of perspective this year.
Speaker 1 (01:29:06):
So the line opens up quinn as Utah with a
slight favorite. There are three point excuse me, three point
five point favorite, even though that game is in provo
and Vegas typically builds in about three for the home team,
so neutral field, I think Vegas favors Utah by a
touchdown or so.
Speaker 2 (01:29:23):
What do you make of that?
Speaker 1 (01:29:24):
Help us understand why Utah's favor to win even though
this game is being played in provo.
Speaker 7 (01:29:31):
Yeah, I think it really comes down to Vegas's favoring
Utah defense Utah defense. And also we factor in the
strength of schedule at YU. I think if you looked
at the schedule at the beginning of the year, it
would have been expected that the Uyu would have started
the season six and now and heading into the Holy
War as a game that they would have been the
first test of the season. And given that Utah held
(01:29:53):
that Texas Tech offense in check for the first half.
Obviously they had the QB injury, and they blew it
open in the second half. I think those are indicators
for Vegas and some data points for them to say
like this Utah defense is talented and not even the
whole one of the most prolific offenses in the country,
and check for about a half. And so those are
enough of the indicators that despite the you know, the
(01:30:13):
loss that Utah had in that game, for this game
to be more favored into Utah's favors. I think there's
some indicators too that this game will be largely a
running game. As we saw the weather last weekend in
Utah is you know, probably a pretty sloppy game. Utah
helped out with the weather. But I think both these
(01:30:34):
teams like to establish the run, and they both have
mobile quarterbacks. I think the the experience of Utah's quarterback
and Russian the football are both welcome.
Speaker 5 (01:30:43):
On.
Speaker 1 (01:30:44):
Let me just ask you, because you're your guy that
digs into the data, I'll just I'll phrase it like this,
where does Utah have the advantage and on the other side,
where does BYU have the advantage? When it comes to
the raw numbers? The rod data.
Speaker 7 (01:30:59):
Yeah, for you Tall, I think they are an offense
that they're number one in the country in terms of
their ability to convert on third and fourth downs, and
so I think that's something that they leave themselves into
an offense that's likes to be on schedule. And to
what we mean by that is they're not a huge
explosive our team in terms of like stretching a downfield,
(01:31:20):
although they've kind of caught up in the season in
terms of their explosive plays where they start at the
beginning of the season. They like to be on schedule,
so more of a dank and dunk offense and to
get small chunks and be efficient from that standpoint, and
that's been their their rhyme and reason as because the
season goes on where b YU can kind of test
that number of being average third down success rate is
(01:31:41):
they are top ten country or defense in the country
in terms of limiting a closing offenses on a third
down success rate. So that's something I'm watching out for
Dutah into this game, is how their ability to convert
on this Something for b YU that's kind of a
strength for them is the running game LGM and averaging
nearly four yards after contact, and so tackling and space
(01:32:04):
has been kind of the kryptonite for the offense or
defense as the season progressive, and that's a big area
I'm looking at for them to hone in on as
the game progressive. Something that Utah can use their favor
on defense, especially with the freshman quarterback is YU is
top fifteen in the country. What we call a big
havoc play havoc plays or tackles for loss, stacks, interceptions,
(01:32:27):
pass breakups. They're a defense that really starts to disrupt
the quarterback, and especially at offense like BYU that Larcks
likes to draw the defense in and then go over
the top. What I mean by that is they are
twenty percent screen rate, which is really high in the conference,
and sixteen percent DePass rate. And so we've seen this
with offenses trying to manufacture a big explosive plays is
(01:32:50):
they'll throw a lot of screens or have a bunch
of run and rushing attacks so they can draw the
safety forward only to go over the top on that.
And that's what YU likes to play a lot in
this game. And so if the Utah defense can be
disciplined and keep everything underneath. I think they'll have the
advantage defensively in this game.
Speaker 1 (01:33:06):
Tell me what your data says about Utah's offensive line.
Most of the things that I've read has the Utah
O line graded as not just one of the best
in the Big twelve, but one of the best in
the country. And you know Devin and the two running
backs they like to use. Certainly last week against ASU,
I don't have any road numbers outside of what they
just went for and how many yards they rushed for,
(01:33:27):
but the lines and the holes the lanes Quinn.
Speaker 2 (01:33:30):
Were just wide open.
Speaker 1 (01:33:31):
The only game the on line has not been able
to perform top shelf has been Tech and I do
want to talk Texas tech in a moment, But what
does the data say about Utah's offensive line.
Speaker 7 (01:33:41):
Yeah, they're getting one point eight yards before contact, which
is pretty incredible. And considering that LG. Martin, if he's
getting four yards after contact on average, he's not touched
for nearly two to three yards on the given play,
And so that just forces a lot of issues for
opposing defensive and I think the one thing that might
be their crypto right there. They face a lot of
light boxers relative and what we mean by light boxes
(01:34:03):
is seven or less defenders in the box, and so
I think that's something that Utah will shift for them.
They'll put a lot more people in the emphasis on
that running game in the box and basically force their
box mindships through at them. The other thing for them
is they just they in given situations when we look
at the data where we expect the team to pass,
BYU is one of the top teams in the country
(01:34:24):
where the Russi instead. So that just puts a huge
emphasis in that they do trust this offensive line to
propel the toom board.
Speaker 1 (01:34:32):
Interesting, all right, So when it comes to the way
this game is typically decided, unless there's a massive talent gap,
it's always chaos. It's always crazy. It's always close in
some years Utah. As you know when Urban was here
in two thousand and four, that team thumped the BYU
team that they were.
Speaker 2 (01:34:51):
Much as much much better than.
Speaker 1 (01:34:52):
But more often than not, this game does come down
to something wild. I know you're a numbers guy, you're
a data guy, So I will phrase the next ques
like this.
Speaker 2 (01:35:00):
In your opinion, Utah wins this game if they.
Speaker 3 (01:35:03):
Do what.
Speaker 7 (01:35:06):
Get Ryan Davis involved. I think that he's been the
blanket for Devin Dampier. Dampier has eighty two percent completion
rate when he targets Ryan Davis in less than seventy
percent when he targets anyone else. And right now is
Ryan Davis is averaging here like three yards for every
route day to run. So put simply, if you were
to target Ryan Davis for the first three downs on
(01:35:26):
the given play, you'd probably pick up a first down.
And so I think his involvement, knowing that the rushing
attack is going to be pretty key for both these
sides of the ball, I think this wide receiver being
able to have a breakout game for them is pretty
critical for Utah to extend that lead from what we project.
Knowing that BYU has the capable wide receiver on the
other side, so I think he's a pretty pivotal player
(01:35:46):
for this offense to really get going.
Speaker 1 (01:35:49):
And conversely, BYU wins this football game if they do
what Quinn.
Speaker 7 (01:35:55):
Make Devin Dampier uncomfortable. He is largely a guy that
likes to throw to the boundaries, and what I mean
by that is that he outside the numbers, he leads
to the Big twelve in terms of throws outside. So
if their corners are able to kind of clamp down
towards the boundaries, force them out of the and force
them in the pocket to make a throw that isn't
towards the out out of that, I think that will
(01:36:15):
make him a little bit more uncomfortable. The guy that
likes to roll out sixteen percent of time and scrambled
seventeen percent of the time, So we're looking over half
of the throws or drop back to either scramble or rollout.
If they Utah defense is able to keep him between
the numbers inside the pocket and force them to actually
be a pocket passer, I think that's where they can
(01:36:37):
you know, pick up and force a mistake from Dan Pere.
Speaker 1 (01:36:41):
So now that we've really unpacked and really good insight here,
that we've unpacked this data on both sides of the
football for both teams, let me just ask your point plank,
do you have a feel for how this thing is
going to go down?
Speaker 2 (01:36:51):
Who do you think is going to win this game
Saturday night?
Speaker 7 (01:36:54):
I have a Utah winning this game. I think they've
played a more competent schedule so far, and the you know,
John Harry Daily, I think it's the key on the defense.
He's been a huge pressure situation. It'll be a huge
test for this BYU offers the line, and I think
he'll be someone that will call in your number on Saturday.
So I have Utah wadning this game at the end
of the day.
Speaker 1 (01:37:13):
Is there a general rough score you'd like to give
us or maybe you've landed on something specific.
Speaker 7 (01:37:19):
Yeah, I think I have thirty to twenty. As far
as the Utah.
Speaker 2 (01:37:24):
Wedding in this game, thirty to twenty. Okay, interesting the double.
Speaker 1 (01:37:28):
You know, we had an analyst on yesterday who actually
said he believes Utah is two scores better than this
BYU team. Let me go back to some point you
made about BYU and I continue to talk about this,
and I'm like, it's not BYU's fault that Stanford is
in this pivot situation trying to rebuild with Andrew Locke
or Colorado isn't who they were a year ago with
the Heisman Trophy winner and a season quarterback. Of all
(01:37:52):
the games BYU has played so far, what has been
the toughest test, like which one would be the most
most accurate litmus test of the six games they played
that we can look at to say, Okay, that team
that they played so far did actually provide a challenge.
Speaker 7 (01:38:06):
Probably last week against Arizona, I think BYU looked pretty
confident in that game, but they also got pretty lucky
in terms of their third, third down and red zone
success rate. They were really well above average and being
able to convert in critical situations, and to be honest,
that they didn't convert in those situations, I think we'd
be looking at a one lost YU team because they
did let that Arizona team back into the game in
(01:38:28):
the middle middle eight of the game. And so I
think if you looked back and one of the critical
things to take away from that game against Arizona was
Arizona's ability to rush all over that YU defense. They
did pretty well in terms of the numbers that we're
looking at, and so I think that's something they're looking
at to take this week. Knowing that they have a
very confident offense in Utah who likes to rush the
(01:38:50):
ball with the three spirit or three people that they
like to rush with Daan per Parker and the the Rogers,
and I think they're looking at their tape to see
how they can limit it from last week.
Speaker 1 (01:39:02):
I want to ask you about Jason Beck as a
play caller because you referenced and I really haven't been
able to land Quinn on whether or not it's a
big deal that we haven't seen a ton of chunk
plays from this Utah offense. Because if you can be
you know, if you can be methodical and control the
clock and rest your defense and wear out the other
team's defense, do you really need these sixty seventy eighty
(01:39:25):
yard bomb plays now if they go down and they
have to come back. And we'll talk about tech in
a moment, maybe there's something there, But what have you
noticed about the way coach Beck calls plays that just
allows them to incrementally move the ball up the field.
And should you fans be concerned that we haven't seen
a lot of explosive plays from the offense.
Speaker 4 (01:39:45):
It's tough to.
Speaker 7 (01:39:45):
Say, because at the beginning of the season, I think
you and I talked about this that I thought they
were tipping the cards a little bit against these bigger
opponents that they didn't want to, you know, show the
explosive plays because they have such an explosive athlete and
Zampier that we know is capable to kind of on
it down the field, and so I think it more
speaks to what he's recognized in the capability of the
staff that you know, with this offensive line they have
(01:40:07):
in Utah, you don't need to kind of force and
create a play in some ways. That the quick passes
gets a lot of these opposing defenses out of their
rhythm and moves the ball on schedule. Is what a
popular term we like to look at in terms of
the numbers, their success rate is, you know, off the
charts in terms of their ability to convert their EPA
for play. In terms of their explosiveness I think is
(01:40:28):
kind of in between in some ways. And part of
that is usually just the more offensive strategy that they
just like to convert in the chunk plays and that
hopefully those chunk plates makes a defense, you know, anti
in some ways to force a big mistake, and that's
where we've seen the big most of their rushing explosiveness
is just screenplays from damp years shortyarded passing to where
(01:40:52):
you draw the defenders and force a person out of place,
and that their running game has really killed them on
and that's been the moniker of Utah offense.
Speaker 2 (01:41:00):
Throughout the v I wanted to ask you about the
Arizona State game.
Speaker 1 (01:41:03):
I mean, look, the fact of the matter is Arizona
State won the thing a year ago, won the Big
twelve a year ago, and.
Speaker 2 (01:41:09):
Yes, like the Levitt.
Speaker 1 (01:41:10):
Injury clearly changes that that dynamic of that game. I mean,
they come in here without the starting quarterback who was
second in the conference in QBR a year ago, and
Jeff Simms has been playing college football for six years
and he's just not a very good quarterback. I don't
mean to keep cracking on the kid. So that did
change the dynamic. But I think a lot of people
(01:41:31):
around here were curious after the Tech loss, even though
they stopped West Virginia. I think most people know West
Virginia is not good this year, to see what Utah
would do against the quality opponent and they blew their
breaks off. So what sort of challenge did Arizona State provide?
And what were your thoughts on the way Utah answered
the bell there?
Speaker 7 (01:41:50):
Yeah, I think Arizona State I was more worried about
being a Jordan Pyson on the end game, Like he's
such a capable wide receiver and you know we're talking
about him and talks of a wide receiver number one
when it comes to the NFL draft. That how they
would attack a prolific wide receiver. I thought was an
interesting takeaway from that game. He did end up having
his numbers. He was targeted seventeen times from Jeffson's nine game,
(01:42:12):
eight catches for only forty yards, so limiting the damage
and I think that is a nice previeum into this game,
keeping everything underneath so you're not giving up explosive plays
in this game. I think it's something to take away
from what Arizona State did in that game. The thing
that Arizona State and I think it continues to be
an issue for the New Paw defense, was they were
able to rest the ball at will at times ninety
(01:42:34):
second percentile EPA per rush in that game against Utah.
I think it's something to keep to look into against
this game against Yu, because Yu likes to rush the
ball a little. As what we've seen a touch on earlier.
I think the solids from this too is that this
was probably the biggest explosive play game. On the data
points from Utah, they are fourteen percent of plays that
(01:42:55):
Utah called in the game were explosive plays which we
would rank about a ninety fifth percent Intel game overall,
and most of that came from Dampier or Penn Perris
for one hundred and twenty yards three touchdowns. And on
the flip side of that, I think the nice thing
to take away from this as well as the Utah
defense causing a lot of havoc and so five sacks,
three tackles for loss, albeit the running game having some success,
(01:43:18):
I think those are things that take away from you
can build ongoing into this week.
Speaker 1 (01:43:22):
I wanted to ask you about Utah secondary. You've done
a good job of breaking down the defensive front and
their ability to cause some havoc. The secondary has two
maybe three injuries to some safeties Smith noten. Was it
really able to lock down the Tyson kid? And he
certainly is an elite talent back there. But to your
point about BYU trying to take the top off, like
(01:43:42):
set you up with the screen game, go over the
top and try to get some of those talented wide
receivers involved, what does the data say about Utah's ability
to stop that. Let's move into the second part of
the defense for Utah, the defensive backfield.
Speaker 2 (01:43:54):
What do you have to say there?
Speaker 7 (01:43:56):
Yeah, Utah's ability to stop the passing explost and likes
been a bit of a cook tonight in some of
their ways. They ranked twenty eight percent on on you know,
limiting passing explosive plays, and so with the capable wide
receiver Chase Roberts, who they like to target just over
twenty five percent, which is probably one of the top
target rates out in the nation outside of the person
(01:44:17):
I just mentioned earlier, Jordan Tyson. That will be the
big thing that I'm looking for because as capable as
the Utah defense as far as limiting the push up front,
they do give up a fair amount of explosive places,
most of it coming from the passing side, and so yeah,
I think that's something that if they are disciplined and
keep everything in front of them, they should be able
(01:44:38):
to tackle it well. But you know, as you know,
if you're caught flat footed in one of those situations
where they go deep, I think those are one touchdown
you can't take away.
Speaker 2 (01:44:47):
All right.
Speaker 1 (01:44:47):
Let me let me move over to Texas Tech, who
rolled in here to Salt Lake a few weeks back,
and you know it, I don't love the way this
game has been talked about from a national scale because
it's clear that there's certain people this without watching it.
It was a rock fight for three quarters. I'm not
taking anything away from Texas Tech. The Will Hammond kid
came in and really dissected Utah Secondary. And the final
(01:45:11):
score is the final score twenty four points in the
fourth quarter.
Speaker 2 (01:45:14):
Thirty four to ten. But I was there, I was
I watched the entire thing.
Speaker 1 (01:45:17):
It was a rock fight between two big, physical athletic teams.
But what can you share with us about this Texas
Tech team? Because it feels to me, Quinn that it
might not just be the best team in the Big Twelve,
it might be a top six or seven team in
college football. So share your thoughts about the start of
the season for Texas Tech.
Speaker 7 (01:45:38):
I think they had one of the best front sevens
in all of college football. And the fact that you
have to on a week two week scale or week
to week schedule, you know, defend against both their opposing
pass rushers David Bailey is leading the Big Twelve and
possibly in the country, and pressure rates and then Romello
height last week, you know, had a breakout game as well.
Those are you know, kind of the new era pass rushers.
(01:45:59):
Who talk about Bailey about six one sixties a little
underside of the pass rusher. But you know what we've
seen in the NFL of Nick Bonito having successes, you know,
with the sac rate. I think David Bailey kind of
falls in line with that. And the one kind of
bad game for the offensive line of low, MoU and
Vanu was against those pass rushers who are going to
be at least Bailey is going to be having his
(01:46:19):
name called early in the draft come come April. And
so outside of that and the challenge of those offensive line,
the rock fight that they went up against, I think
their ability to kind of move the field and limit them,
you know, it's hard. I think the Texas Tech is
a top ten team in the nation. I've actually will
put them top five given that they they I think
(01:46:40):
the one thing I think that was a detriment to
them going into the season because Joyner went down was
the rushing game. But we saw last week that they
broke a few rushing attack plays for over fifty plus
yards and so and to go on that they have
a top top two rushing defense defense and a lot
of times these defenses, especially when you have pass rushers
(01:47:02):
that are so speedy, like Texas Tech, they over index
on the ability to get to the quarterback. And so
if you're constantly putting the pressure on blitzing the quarterbacks
a lot of times, you let the run defense go
in their top fifteen in pass defense and the number
two best defense in the country in terms of there's
only help to run. So they're a real formidable attack.
(01:47:22):
And as that running game gets better and better as
the season goes on, and they're gonna be a tough
team to go into when it comes to the college
fable playoffs.
Speaker 1 (01:47:30):
Do you believe in your heart of hearts or maybe
you have numbers in data to kind of help us
understand if if this Texas Tech team is a team
that can go toe to toe with Ohio State or
Miami or A and m or Bama or whoever, like,
do they really live in that area of national championship
contending college football teams.
Speaker 7 (01:47:51):
I think you'll create some buzz in the first two rounds.
I think it's really hard to gopingg into this Ohio
State defense, and how while they're played right now to
really move them off their pedestal. The Ohio State defense,
it arguably is better than what we saw of them
last year. And the fact that they have a truth,
you know, a red shirt freshman and Julian sand pretty
well and they have the capable wide receivers in the
(01:48:13):
out outside that he's able to grow to. I think
it's how they and maybe a step below Miami and
then there's probably a tier of a couple other schools
that are competing in there. But I do think they
will make some noise in the first two rounds. But
it's really hard to put Oho States off that pedestal.
Speaker 1 (01:48:28):
Right now, Is anyone in the Big twelve on the
same level as Texas Tech or even close?
Speaker 2 (01:48:34):
Is there any other team in the Big twelve?
Speaker 1 (01:48:35):
You would say, okay, right now in the conference, Tier
one is Texas Tech and insert team here.
Speaker 2 (01:48:41):
Is there another team that's in that area?
Speaker 7 (01:48:44):
It's a clear Tier one for Texas Tech. When we
look at the EPA for play margin, and that's like
a nice number you can put at one team in
terms of encompassing all their performance offense and defense, they
are zero point four to nine. When you start to
adjust that, the next closest team is Utah zero point
twenty seven. So they's double the next closest team in
terms of margin. Right So there's a juggernaut right now,
(01:49:06):
and the numbers are kind of showing that.
Speaker 1 (01:49:09):
Are you starting to believe like Austin's a tough place,
Oregon's a good team.
Speaker 2 (01:49:14):
I didn't think Indiana would go in there and win.
Speaker 1 (01:49:16):
And you reference, you know, maybe the tiers, Ohio State,
then everybody else than maybe Miami. But how real is
this six and zero start for Indiana?
Speaker 7 (01:49:26):
Indiana's very good. I think the thing that the Oregon
uh secondary is very young. They're starting three true freshmen
in their secondary, but they're rotating. Although albeit those true
freshmen are very good, and the linebackers in that game
were very confused by the quick passes that the Indiana
offense was able to manufacture. And so given the ball
placement A and dozing against those corners, that's just I
(01:49:48):
don't care what team you are, that's really difficult to
defend against. The thing that Oregon was flat put it
on was the simulated pressures that Indiana was able to
bring in. So what I mean by that is the
you know, you'll look on the right hand side, you
think you have a blitz linebacker that's coming in. The
linebacker actually comes in, but then the defensive end drops
in the coverage. And so if you're a quarterback, that's
(01:50:10):
just confusing. You don't know who's coming at what game
and play. And Oregon was a little bit flat foot
in that game. And so I don't know if they
saved everything in the war chests for Oregon, I think
that's tough to say. But you know, they do have
some other matchups in this season. I think we'll test
them a little bit that I'm excited. I think right
now they're definitively in the top five, but I wouldn't
(01:50:32):
put them in the Tier one if that makes sense
for the other school.
Speaker 1 (01:50:36):
Quinn, I feel like we've been drinking through a fire hose,
my man. For our listeners that want to go find
all this data to understand how this game on Saturday night,
you know, can help them maybe predict and understand the
way it will go. Where can we find your work
and then tell us about this new feature you guys have.
Speaker 2 (01:50:52):
I believe it's called sumer Brain.
Speaker 7 (01:50:54):
Yes, yeah, you can find me at Quinn's Wisdom On Twitter.
I post a lot of college content and we came
out with a new product last week called Summer Brain.
I think of it as a chat GPT for football.
You can answer right now at Supporting NFL. We have
plans to expand that NCA. But you can ask this thing,
literally any question. What is you know? Jackson Dart's performance
(01:51:16):
has cover to coverage some insane Picho type questions that
you can get very nuanced in terms of the football
and hopefully educate you a little bit more about what's
going on and what these teams are facing. And so
it's pretty cool. I do a lot of prep work
in things that I look into validate my own work,
and I think we're coming out with some future products
(01:51:36):
in the future where you know, the ultimate goal of
the marry the stats of film and we look at
some film and we're able to bound the stuff on
the fly. I don't think you're able to find this
level of charting data anywhere on the public this successible.
And so if you go to sumer sports dot com
sign out for our swumer Brain beta, you can start
to answer or ask questions anything you want to just
(01:51:56):
brain feature and get some pretty cool response.
Speaker 2 (01:51:58):
About great stuff.
Speaker 1 (01:51:59):
Man, Thanks for the time, enjoy the week, and we'll
get you back on soon.
Speaker 4 (01:52:02):
Okay, all right, thank you?
Speaker 1 (01:52:04):
Right, Quinn McLain and summer sports dude drinking through a
f I love nerds. Nerds are so helpful. I mean,
that was a tremendous amount of data. And you know
what I love about Quinn, there's zero emotion. He's not
like picking Utah to win the game because he likes
(01:52:25):
Wit or you know, he favors Crimson over or whatever
it is. He's just like, Hey, this is what the
numbers say, this is who BYU's played, this is who
Utah's played. Here's what they do against this. I forgot
to ask him about the Spider two Why Banana?
Speaker 2 (01:52:39):
Though? I didn't want to get too deep into the
weeds with that.
Speaker 3 (01:52:42):
You know it was in banana and now Spider two?
Why Banana? Did you in the same aunt.
Speaker 1 (01:52:46):
Did you know that story that a youth fan hit
hit coach Wit with a frozen banana?
Speaker 3 (01:52:50):
I had heard that story, not a first hand account
of it, though, So that's nice.
Speaker 1 (01:52:55):
Well, usually it's beer being poured on them when Byu
comes up here. Now we have frozen nana stories as well,
of course, But how.
Speaker 3 (01:53:02):
About my guy, Quinn Senior Data scientists, not nerd senior
data scientists.
Speaker 2 (01:53:07):
Yeah, but he's a nerd. That's all right.
Speaker 1 (01:53:08):
We need nerds to help help us understand how this
game is going to go down. Were you listening to
the two football siccos go back and forth like that?
Speaker 3 (01:53:15):
Of course?
Speaker 2 (01:53:16):
Okay, I always epa per play porter get familiar? What
does that stand for? Are you familiar? Estimated points alloted?
There you go?
Speaker 3 (01:53:26):
Come on, man, I think Utah is like second or
third in the country. Estimated points added the other side
on the offensive side.
Speaker 2 (01:53:36):
Third and fourth down number one in the country.
Speaker 3 (01:53:38):
That how about third and bet huh oh?
Speaker 6 (01:53:42):
Is that?
Speaker 2 (01:53:42):
Are we doing that now? If you want? Is that
you and the youth zone bloggers?
Speaker 3 (01:53:47):
No, I just always found it funny that third and
scaley was like a thing that the utes would get
people the third down and then allowed them to you know,
people will be frustrated with that, But then you look
at like historical records and as a decordinator is like
top five percentile when it comes to conversion defense, So
it's you know, it's just funny.
Speaker 1 (01:54:10):
The red zone numbers are wild this year, yeah, because
that's where that's where the yout offman stalled last year,
like over and over and over. They already have what
like eight more touchdowns this year than they had all
of last year.
Speaker 3 (01:54:23):
Yeah. Yeah, And as you mentioned, the red zone stuff,
when when the short when the when the field shortens
up and you know, your playbook kind of shrinks a
little bit. That's that's where you make your money. And
Jason Beck's been been not just field goals, they've been
punching it in, which is which is the big point?
Speaker 1 (01:54:45):
Yes, I think twenty seven of the last twenty eight
red zone trips they've converted, and twenty five of those
trips are touchdowns.
Speaker 2 (01:54:52):
That's there's a lot of football games if you do that.
Speaker 1 (01:54:55):
If you're a YOUTE fan, uh and you missed that interview,
you should go listen it because you should feel a
lot a lot better about the game on Saturday night
than you did prior to. Some really interesting stuff from
Quin McClain from Summer Sports. With IFA's Step four Fall
and winter lawn Food, you'll get stronger roots now in
an early green up next spring. It's the ultimate line
owner power move more' your local IFA or at IFA
(01:55:18):
dot co op all right, coming up next, you're gonna
have a chance to win tickets. Salvocano, he's from the
Uh what's that show called Impractical Jokers? Is that still
being broadcast? I think a couple of those dudes gotten
some hot water.
Speaker 3 (01:55:35):
I think the our friend of the program, Joe Gatto.
Speaker 2 (01:55:38):
Can we still call him a front of the program.
Speaker 3 (01:55:40):
I think we I think we have to. He was
on the show.
Speaker 2 (01:55:42):
We did have Joe Gatto on the show.
Speaker 3 (01:55:44):
I think he was like dating a nineteen year old
while also married or something, and was not exactly great
to her. I'm not exactly sure.
Speaker 2 (01:55:51):
Right, well, not a great look for our guy Gatto
friends program. Okay there?
Speaker 1 (01:55:56):
And I think there was another dude on that show
that got in trouble for something. The guy, oh really,
I forget his name. I used to watch that show
O Connor all the time. I didn't realize there were
creeps on it. But Sal's a good guy. He's got
a funny podcast. He's coming to the Echos Theater on
the twenty fifth. We'll give you a chance to win
some tickets.
Speaker 9 (01:56:13):
Goodness gracious, Yeah about the Cannons there loving you updates.
Speaker 2 (01:56:20):
We are good, we are safe, we are in studio,
we are fine. I almost wasn't I'm glad you made it.
Save Dave.
Speaker 1 (01:56:25):
How are you, buddy? A little weird rattled, but you're
all right though, I'm fine. Hey, it's downtown Saul lake Man.
Speaker 3 (01:56:32):
You never know.
Speaker 2 (01:56:33):
We're not Bountiful anymore. You know this is We're not
at a.
Speaker 1 (01:56:35):
Corner twenty two grabbing a burrito in a soda corner
twenty two.
Speaker 9 (01:56:39):
You remember that. Of course it's aboutiful state. Okay, Yeah,
my kids loved that corner twenty two.
Speaker 2 (01:56:45):
It was still there.
Speaker 1 (01:56:46):
Of course it is. It's an institution, not what it was.
All right, Well, I guess corner twenty two has gone downhill.
Speaker 2 (01:56:51):
How are you? I'm good, Dave?
Speaker 1 (01:56:52):
How are you, buddy? It was a fun week. It
is a fun, fun week.
Speaker 2 (01:56:56):
Love it.
Speaker 1 (01:56:57):
Let me just ask you your initial reaction to see
Vegas install Utah is the.
Speaker 2 (01:57:01):
Favorite, even though this game is in provo. I got
to be honest with that. I was stunned. I really was.
I mean, okay, byu.
Speaker 9 (01:57:08):
First of all, there's six and zero, and I know
everyone's downplaying the schedule, and you're right, they haven't played
the most difficult schedule, but I was still it's at
their place.
Speaker 2 (01:57:17):
They are undefeated, They do a lot of things.
Speaker 9 (01:57:19):
Really well, it really it completely surprised me.
Speaker 2 (01:57:23):
But it hasn't moved. I mean it's not like no
one's touching.
Speaker 9 (01:57:26):
It, no one at all. So it's it's staying put.
And you know, the wise guys are generally on the money.
I heard you earlier today mentioned you had somebody on
the thought Utah would win by two touchdowns.
Speaker 1 (01:57:36):
I've had a couple of guests, like a lot, that
believe if this was a neutral field game. And look
the way that Vegas typically does it is they give
the home team three points right off the bat right.
So what Vegas is saying is if this was Utah,
BYU playing it like the Cotton Bowl or something, they
think Utah is about a touchdown team.
Speaker 2 (01:57:54):
Yeah better.
Speaker 1 (01:57:55):
But I've had a couple of guests believe that this
could be a two score game. Now, if you have
covered this game, attended this game, watched this game, played
in this game, or coached in this game, you know
it's very rare that a blowout happens, and it's going
to come down to a missed kick, a crazy turnover,
a random broken fourth and eighteen Austin collig somehow gets
(01:58:17):
behind the defense, like Johnny Harlean, it's probably gonna come
down to something wild because it usually does.
Speaker 6 (01:58:22):
Well.
Speaker 9 (01:58:22):
Look at last year's game, I mean, b Y, he
was clearly a better team, they had a better season.
Utah was really a mess at the time, and yet
it was a great game when you know, right down
to the wire.
Speaker 2 (01:58:32):
I was stunned when I was listening to you the
other day.
Speaker 9 (01:58:34):
You had Chris hill on and he pointed out, if
I'm not mistaken, this is only the fourth time I believe,
he said, in the history of this rivalry where they've
played each other as nationally ranked opponents.
Speaker 2 (01:58:46):
Did I hear that correctly?
Speaker 1 (01:58:47):
Fourth time Utah's two to one and the prior three.
I was surprised that the number is that low because
mostly both these programs have had really good football teams.
The fact there's only been three games prior to where
both teams have been the AP Top twenty five hour surprise.
Speaker 9 (01:59:02):
But he also brought up a really good point is
that for decades this game was the last game of
the season, and it's harder to stay ranked right the
last game of the season than it is, you know,
where it's in the middle of the season and there
haven't been many of those.
Speaker 1 (01:59:13):
Tell me how it's always interesting and it has always
been interesting to me to just observe Kyle during this week. Yeah,
because if there's one, like, if you were to make
a list of like, I don't even know what the adjective,
would be most important person in the history of this
(01:59:33):
rivalry or most relevant person in the history of this rivalry.
Coach Witt was a defensive player of the Year in
the conference down at BYU. Obviously, his father's a legend,
and then you know has built this program into a
juggernaut up there.
Speaker 2 (01:59:48):
He played there, he coaches here.
Speaker 1 (01:59:51):
He elected not to talk about bear Bachmeyer, which hurt
the feelings of BYU fans. So we're thinking of you today, guys,
I know that was hard for you.
Speaker 9 (01:59:57):
Well, he didn't just elect not talk about him. The
reporter asking the question couldn't even finish it right, right,
and he jumped right on it. And I found it
a little odd, actually, But there's it would have been
easier to just make a quick comment and move on.
Speaker 1 (02:00:10):
But there's the undercurrent of the potential of this being
his last year. So there's the undercurrent of the potential
of this being his last chance to go beat those guys,
and you know that he wants to beat those guys.
Speaker 2 (02:00:22):
There's always a little.
Speaker 1 (02:00:23):
Extra something with with this week, but do you feel
like it's even a little more heightened.
Speaker 2 (02:00:27):
Yeah, I kind of do the because of the reaction
to a couple of those things.
Speaker 9 (02:00:30):
Now, later on he was asked about you know, hey,
this could be your last year, you know, blah blah blah,
and he kind of brushed it aside. He bristled more
at the bear Bachmeyer question by far yeah than he
did that one. But the funny now, later on in
that press conference, he also came right out and said,
Kelane and I are really good friends. You all know that,
So you know, now he's softening it. Kind of it
(02:00:52):
was like being on a roller coaster with his regard
his thoughts about BYU, And of course he played there
so there's still something in his heart for BYU.
Speaker 2 (02:00:59):
There has to be. Kilanie was totally opposite.
Speaker 9 (02:01:02):
You listened to Kilanie and I mean he gushed for
went on and on and then, and I love the
part where he was talking about the fans of basically, look,
I don't mean to tell you what to do, but
maybe just cheer for both teams. You know, yeah, don't
cheer for one to lose. It doesn't work that way.
But you got to admire Kilanie for trying. And he
went on and on about the connections that they all
have and and he was saying it was a utah
(02:01:23):
for ten years. Think about that and what Kyle has
meant to him. And so they just took kind of
different approaches to it. But you know what's it's not
like they're gonna I don't think they're going to dinner
Friday night or anything like that. You know that that's
it's just it's the way it is when it's rivalry week.
And then we'll see what happens when the game.
Speaker 1 (02:01:40):
Is Yeah, I I honestly, and we're going to interview
with tomorrow. So I kind of kick the tires here.
And I'm struggling to find the adjective maybe slightly annoyed,
Like is he enjoying this? He's a competitor, He understands
the magnitude of the game. Every year he kind of
says the same thing, which is and he's not wrong.
He says, this is the biggest sporting events on our
(02:02:04):
calendar in this state every year, and David. When you
consider this, like the ESPN projections for the NBA season
came out, the Jazz aren't going to be good again.
You know, they're probably gonna win nineteen twenty games. RSL
might stink into the postseason. Our hockey team will be fun.
I mean it's a rough start, but you know, two
out of three on the road. This is kind of
(02:02:24):
all we have right now. Like this, you tell me
what you game is like all we have right now.
Speaker 9 (02:02:27):
Let me take it one step further about how big
this is even if all those things were happening. Let's
say the Jazz were, you know, a championship team, whatever
the case may be. When we do a thing, we
have a thing. We we have overnight ratings. We can
see the next day what kind of viewership various shows have.
Now you don't get like ESPN and stuff like that,
but if it's on well we'll know on Sunday how
(02:02:49):
many people watched that game right on Saturday night, right right,
But I can tell you, like the biggest numbers that
you see, I'll tell you right now an overnight it's
LDS conference.
Speaker 2 (02:03:00):
The numbers are off the chart.
Speaker 9 (02:03:02):
If they could sell that, are they not allowed to
they Well, have you ever seen a commercial?
Speaker 1 (02:03:07):
I haven't tuned in a minute day.
Speaker 2 (02:03:10):
You probably haven't.
Speaker 9 (02:03:11):
Ask your dad, your dad that could you imagine that?
Rights as speaker sits down, they just pop in a
quick hey, thanks, Elder buys bias Swich sells on sale.
Speaker 2 (02:03:21):
It's swig for three.
Speaker 9 (02:03:23):
They'd make a fortune, but they should that that's that's
not how that works. Well, b y U Utah is
the only thing I've seen in overnights that rivals conference numbers.
It doesn't top it, but it's right close. It can't.
It can be just absolutely huge. That's how big that
game has been traditionally. Now we can only see those
when it's on you know, a regular network. And back
(02:03:44):
in the early days we actually televised when it was
at Utah, we would televise it. Can't sell it, televise
it when it was at b YU and then the
numbers were insane. So it's it's not lost when when
winning says this is the biggest thing, he is correct,
and it's still rolls along every single year.
Speaker 1 (02:04:02):
Well, and let's add some context here, okay, because I
will be fascinated to see the overnights for this game
on Saturday night. Because what you have here are two
teams in the top twenty five. What you have here
are two teams that are still very much in the
mix to win the Big twelve, which would mean a
CFP berth, which neither school has done. It would be huge.
What you have here is a primetime slot six o'clock.
(02:04:24):
What you have here is Fox Big Noon here, and
you're on a national platform. There's a chance, Dave, this
is the most watched byu Utah football game in the
one hundred plus year history of this game.
Speaker 2 (02:04:38):
You may not be wrong.
Speaker 9 (02:04:40):
The only reason you might be is because there are
so many more things on now. There's so much more
competition for the eyeballs than there was ten or fifteen
years ago. But I mean, I wouldn't argue that right now.
Let's wait and see what the numbers look like. But
you're absolutely right, it's absolutely huge. And again we go
back to the nationally rank thing, which has only happened
three times prior, and they've been playing for you know,
(02:05:02):
one hundred years.
Speaker 1 (02:05:03):
Yeah, and it's I find this fascinating. We talked to
doctor Hill about this. We had Jim Herman on the
show earlier good stuff with Jim. The dynamic of the
relationship between the coaching staffs brings some interesting elements here
because of course Jay Hill, Aaron Roderick, Klonie Satake, they
were all up here, Kyle played down there, Mike as
(02:05:25):
Simon Mark at Tuaya, Like, there are so many ties synergistically.
Speaker 2 (02:05:29):
Jason Beck was a quarterback down there.
Speaker 1 (02:05:31):
Do you think that makes it difficult to come up
with new ways to trick the other coaching staff when
they're so familiar with each other, Like, because when you
dig into the data, when you look at the numbers,
and when you look at both teams do what both teams.
Speaker 2 (02:05:45):
Do well, they're really similar.
Speaker 1 (02:05:47):
They're really they want to run the football and they
want to rely on their defense. And that is something
that Kilani has built up over time that he learned
underwit Well.
Speaker 9 (02:05:56):
I don't think that you go through a game and
you have this mass, massive pile of trick plays, or
you know, think because you use the phrase to trick
the opponents, or just come up with something you have
that in your portfolio that you just do. We see
it all the time. It's a matter of when you
decide that you're going to pull that out right. For
the most part, they know what they're doing, what they
(02:06:17):
they have, those plays, they've had them since before the
season started both teams do. Whether or not they actually
use them in this game remains to be seen. But no,
I don't think it makes it difficult for I'm sure
Jason Beck devises things now that actually have no relation
to when he was playing there, or you know, maybe
a defensive scheme that Morgan Scale is using that Kalani
(02:06:39):
Sataki is very familiar with.
Speaker 2 (02:06:41):
I mean, they know what they do, they know what
their strengths are.
Speaker 9 (02:06:43):
One thing that makes a little different is you don't
have to be that tricky when your teams are this good,
especially a defense like Utah's. I mean, how often do
you see Scally really.
Speaker 2 (02:06:51):
Trick it up? I mean you just you don't see
a whole lot of that.
Speaker 9 (02:06:55):
He has his tendency, you know, you know when when
pressure is coming, you know, when he likes what is
front four can do, and he relies on his secondary
to to you know, handle the coverage.
Speaker 2 (02:07:05):
It's just it's just he just lines up because.
Speaker 9 (02:07:08):
It's almost like you look at him say Okay, now
we're gonna do this, and I don't care if you
know it, but we're gonna do it and good luck
stopping it.
Speaker 2 (02:07:16):
Well, I can't remember.
Speaker 1 (02:07:17):
Maybe Porter remembers which Utah BYU game it was where
Wit was just like we're running it forever.
Speaker 2 (02:07:23):
There was just like, do you remember which one it was?
Speaker 3 (02:07:26):
After the rain delay? Is that where they ran ten
the last ten minutes of the game they ran off
the clock.
Speaker 2 (02:07:30):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (02:07:31):
It was just like, you can't stop us, and we
know it and you know it too, So we're gonna
line up across from you. We're gonna utilize our offensive line.
We're going to run the football down your throat. And
for all the conversation about whether or not Devin, because
I honestly thought last week Devon was going to have
to throw the football because what the numbers told us
is that ASU was stout against the run and susceptible
(02:07:52):
through the air, Devin didn't have to throw it at all.
They just have a little over one hundred yards. Yeah,
twelve attempts. They just lined up and it's like, yeah,
go ahead and try and stop us. Like the old
line against Tech looked compromised. But other than that, I
call them bar bouncers. They're picking up the defense and
just throwing them.
Speaker 9 (02:08:11):
I still have a hard time with blowing off that
Tech loss as some sort of a route.
Speaker 2 (02:08:16):
I do think they're very good.
Speaker 9 (02:08:18):
I'm not taking anything away from them, but that was
nearly a tie game in the fourth quarter. I mean
they were right there, and then two quick touchdowns that
got away from them. But they really played pretty well
in that game. And byu saw goes down there and
it's they're going to find out that is a really
tough team. And you know, backup quarterback look great, a
lot better than Arizona States.
Speaker 2 (02:08:38):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (02:08:39):
Yeah, Now that kid's not good. He's been playing college
for for ever six years.
Speaker 2 (02:08:43):
He's not a good player.
Speaker 1 (02:08:44):
And the Baron Morton kid, I think he got hurt
last week against Kansas, and Will Hammond came in and
didn't look the same he did against Utah. But it
feels like Tech is the team that has the depth
based off the money they've been able to spend, that
separated themselves, which is why I don't think that lost
Dave is going to be something that will ultimately hurt
Utah's chances down the street. I think Utah's lost to
(02:09:07):
Texas gonna is gonna age very well.
Speaker 2 (02:09:09):
No, I agree with Toll, especially at the time of
year that it happened.
Speaker 7 (02:09:11):
Yah.
Speaker 2 (02:09:12):
Now, and let's say there's I'm looking way ahead there.
Speaker 9 (02:09:15):
But if there happen to be a rematch, you know,
in a in a championship game, you get a whole
different It's it'll it would be completely different.
Speaker 2 (02:09:22):
Well, it's the way it is, especially that laid into
the season.
Speaker 1 (02:09:24):
If you're a big toy, if you're I'm not a
conference shill. I never really have been. Only because of this.
Speaker 2 (02:09:31):
I don't know that these conferences are going to be
around forever.
Speaker 1 (02:09:34):
Like I still believe there's a legitimate possibility, based off
of the geography of Utah being in Salt Lake, that
the Big Ten is gonna call. I believe that to
be true. I don't know when Oregon wants a travel partner.
USC apparently is a big Utah supporter. These West Coast schools,
they want more schools in their footprint, so they're not
to travel to Rutgers to freaking play a game.
Speaker 2 (02:09:56):
So I do. That's why I'm not a conference show.
Speaker 1 (02:09:58):
But if you're just a Big twelve fan, period, your
hope is Texas Tech runs the table and then a
one lost team beats them in the Big Twelve championship game.
Because there's no way the CFP will keep an eleven
and one Tech team and eleven and one Utah team out.
Speaker 2 (02:10:15):
Of the Yeah, that would be to the CFP. There's
no way that's happened.
Speaker 7 (02:10:18):
You know what.
Speaker 2 (02:10:18):
I'll take your thought on the conference thing one step further.
Speaker 9 (02:10:21):
I just feel like there's we're not that far off
from where you have a whole new league of football
teams in college and it's just the elite, and they're
like done with you buy NCAA. We're gonna do our
own thing. We're gonna have our own championship, And what
can anyone say about it?
Speaker 2 (02:10:39):
Nothing?
Speaker 9 (02:10:40):
If you had the if you have the Big Ten
and the SEC teams and some of the top Big twelve,
there's nothing anyone could say about it.
Speaker 2 (02:10:46):
And I wouldn't be shocked if that's coming.
Speaker 1 (02:10:48):
If Utah gets a Big Ten invite and BYU doesn't,
I mean, can you imagine how upset that fan like
b Yu. I still don't think is a full share
of Big twelve member. I think that kicks in next year.
Speaker 9 (02:10:59):
Yeah, and don't forget when Utah got the PAC twelve
invite and b Yu didn't. And I'm not speaking for anyone,
I'm just saying that from the outside looking in, for
all of us, it was an immediate well, if we're
not getting an invite, we're sure as heck not staying
in the Mountain West, right. We would rather be independent
than not get that invite. And that's exactly how they
(02:11:21):
handled it. So it would be interesting to see how
if that were to happen again.
Speaker 1 (02:11:25):
If the big ten in the SEC breakoff, expand their
footprint and add four to their own deal at Florida
State and Clemson in Utah stay, if you're not in
that group, you're screwed.
Speaker 2 (02:11:34):
You're done. You know you're screwed, all right, Dave, Tease tonight,
can I get an escort back to the station?
Speaker 1 (02:11:42):
I believe I have some conversations to have with some
clothed officers out there. I think you might have to
as well, because you're the one that witnessed so broad.
Speaker 2 (02:11:49):
But Teas tonight, I'm excited.
Speaker 9 (02:11:51):
I got five questions with Spencer's coming up, I might
even bump it to six because, let me just tell
you right now, We're going heavy on the rivalry, the
Holy War. That's what we're going to do tonight, and
you'll hear from the players that practice today both Provo
and Salt Lake City. We'll do that tonight on KMYU
following two News to ten. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (02:12:08):
Utah BYU Saturday night in Provo. We're gonna have extended
pregame coverage for you, Porter Larson, that guy you'll take
over at one o'clock on Saturday. Do we have any
knowledge of your co host situation that day?
Speaker 3 (02:12:23):
Our guy t Rev's gonna be alongside with us. We're
gonna be out at Vineyard at about time Pub, a
few other folks hopefully in the works to stop by,
but yeah, we'll be We'll be out there getting you
ready for kickoff.
Speaker 1 (02:12:38):
So if you're looking for a place to maybe do
a little pregame action, head on out and say what's
up to Porter and Trevor Riley at the Vineyard, about Time,
Pub and grub prior to the starts.
Speaker 2 (02:12:49):
The line is not moved.
Speaker 1 (02:12:50):
Utah is still a favorite, three point five point favorite,
something interesting to watch all week long to see if
that changes. Reminder, I will be on TV tonight right
at ten thirty five on KMYU.
Speaker 2 (02:13:02):
We call it five questions with Spence. I believe it is.
Speaker 1 (02:13:05):
All about Utah BYU as you try to break this
thing down. Some good analysis earlier from Quinn maclain from
sumer Sports. A lot of the data favors Utah, favors
Utah slightly, but regardless of what the line says, regardless
of what the form is, regardless of how these two
teams have played all year long. Typically it gets weird,
(02:13:26):
which makes it fun, and more often than not, it
is some sort of random happenstance circumstance that decides this thing,
whether it is a last second game winning field goal,
a random miscall, an athletic director running on the field
and then giving a postgame press conference. Typically, ravalry games
like this are labeled with one term, one name. A
(02:13:49):
Brandon Burton block, a Taysom Hill stuff, did the goal line?
Beck to Harlen a fourth and eighteen. It's very rarely
a blowout that only happens when there's a clear talent gap,
and I don't know that there is this season. Of course,
we will give you our picks before we sign off
on Friday night The Jazz will conclude their preseason schedule
(02:14:11):
tomorrow against the Blazers. If you missed this earlier, Willi
Agatta was fine for torking, as was Victor Olatunji from RSL.
Those two forwards were fine for torking after a goal
that was not allowed in Seattle.
Speaker 2 (02:14:28):
So there's your soccer news for the day. Porter.
Speaker 1 (02:14:30):
Victor Olatunji and Willie Agata fine for torking celebrating a
goal that was then disallowed.
Speaker 3 (02:14:36):
You ever had a torking fine?
Speaker 1 (02:14:39):
I'm not a big torker. I mean I haven't tried.
I'm sure I could learn it, because I'll tell you what.
Your boy can cut up a ruck, right. I can move,
as I've heard, but as far as torking goes, I
don't really have that in my arsenal.
Speaker 3 (02:14:49):
That's fair, but you know you'll avoid a fine.
Speaker 2 (02:14:52):
So are you able to talk?
Speaker 3 (02:14:54):
Probably? I can move it around. I bet you could talk,
but I'll avoid the fine as well.
Speaker 2 (02:14:59):
Yeah, there you go.
Speaker 1 (02:15:00):
So RSL is pretty simple for our local soccer club
on Saturday night at seven o'clock against St. Louis, win
and you're in. Well, it's not that simple because I
think it's the dumbest league, dude. I think there's a
scenario where if they tie, they get like fourth, like
Utah Pac twelve style a few years ago. I think
if RSL ties and like four things happen, they still
(02:15:20):
might get.
Speaker 3 (02:15:20):
In true correct.
Speaker 2 (02:15:22):
Yeah, that's my understanding of it.
Speaker 1 (02:15:24):
So the Utah Mammoth will play their home opener coming
up tomorrow against Calgary. They lost two of three to
start things off on the road, so a lot going on.
Speaker 2 (02:15:32):
We haven't even talked.
Speaker 1 (02:15:33):
College hoops with Utah and bu. BYU is the number
eighth ranked team in the country and the first year
under Alex Jensen certainly will be interesting to consider. All right,
fun show, thanks for making us a part of your day.
Porter what comes our way? On a Wednesday edition of
the program.
Speaker 3 (02:15:49):
Halfway through the work week, halfway closer to the Holy War,
Chris com Ronnie stops by, of course talking college football
and talking rivalry, as will Spencer Linton on the BYU side,
and then we're diving in on the locker room. We're
getting the download on the schemes. Spence A. Rod and
(02:16:10):
Coach Witt joined the show on a Wednesday.
Speaker 1 (02:16:12):
There is a slight chance we will be joined by
one Steve Young. I cannot promise that, but we are
efforting Steve so fun show with wit a Rod obviously
CK's demand, so join us for a Wednesday edition of
the program, we will say good night, special thank you
today to Jim Herman, Quinn McClain, Bill Illy and Dave Fox.
For any of the sound you miss from the show,
(02:16:34):
go to the website. It's ESPN seven hundred sports dot com.
Make sure to download our mobile app and take us
on the go. Best way to listen to the station
is the ESPN seven hundred app. And then, finally, for
what we do in our space every day for four hours,
we would appreciate it. Take a few minutes out of
your night tonight and go support our podcast page. Wherever
you get your show, subscribe, rate, review, say nice things
(02:16:55):
in the comments, give us all the stars and helps.
Speaker 2 (02:16:57):
He's porter. I'm spent saying tonight. Have a great Tuesday evening.
Speaker 1 (02:17:00):
We'll talk to you on a Wednesday edition of the
program right here on ESPN seven hundred