It is showtime. It's a very pleasant, good evening. Everybody. Greetings from the original montgomery In, home of the world's greatest ribs. Welcome to the Scott Saderfield Radio Show. I'm Dan Horde alongside the star of the show. Let's hear it for UC head coach Scott Sadderfield.
All right.
We will get to the details of last week's game against BYU throughout the course of the show, but I want to start with this. The atmosphere was awesome and many of the people who are with us tonight here at the original montgomery In were undoubtedly there. Night games at Nipper are as good as it gets, and in this case, they had the drone show with the sea Pass invented in the air above the stadium. It was really cool and it's the type of thing that can help you going forward.
Yeah. Absolutely, Yeah.
I think it's been our first true night game since our Tins of Miami game the next year, I think, and that was early in the season, you know, And last year we.
Played TCU this week right here.
Which is Thanksgiving, students were going and it just wasn't the same, But that that was incredible.
It was probably one of the.
Best college atmospheres I've coached in uh, you know, I've been coaching twenty eight, twenty nine years. Whatever it is, that was incredible. It was I had never seen. I didn't know we were doing the drone thing and I yeah, and I looked up and I.
Was like, what is that.
That's awesome whatever that was, you know, right above their students on that side there, you know, took a glance up on this side behind us, and it was incredible.
It was uh and it was loud.
That was the loudest I've heard Nipper And you know, the other time it was I thought was around that time. Loud was uh Oklahoma when they came here a couple of years ago.
But this was louder. I mean it was.
It was an incredible atmosphere and it caused problems for them. You know, they had a couple of false starts on their offense, and you know, I just man that that is what college football is all about. And it was huge for our guys and the recruits that were there.
On hand, I will give credit to b YU. They're twenty one and three over the last two years, so they've obviously been terrific. And the thing about them is they don't beat themselves, and you had some self inflicted would so to speak, during the course of that game. How do you get to the point of doing what they're doing?
Yeah, yeah, I mean they're you know, you're right. I mean, they're a good football team. They don't beat themselves. They play really good defense, They take care of the ball on offense. They don't take many chances on offense. I don't think, you know, for them, they turn and handed the ball to the big running back thirty two times, throw it to him three times. We had thirty five touches.
The big quarterback ran it thirteen times. I mean, you know, so you're not taking a ton of chances when you're doing that offensively. And then the fact, you know, we didn't make the field goals, so there's nine points right there. So you know, you get behind a little bit instead of keeping it even or ahead, and therefore you feel
like you gotta take a few chances. You know, it's fourth and one, you got to go, and you know we went forward three other fourth downs we ended up getting those, you know, and you end up trying to do things that maybe you shouldn't have tried to do. And I think you end up, you know, turn We had a couple of turnovers. We had the turnover you know, on the seventeen yard line going in, and we had it on the fourth down on the four yard line, and you know, and I think for us, it's just
been playing clean football. Obviously, we know the stretch that we had in conference play at the beginning, the five and zero we took, we played clean football. I think we had maybe one turnover in those five games. And then we also were getting some turnovers, you know, and we were kind of flipping that script. Really were doing what Byu was doing, you know, and you're playing a team like that. There's so many games they've won over the last two years just like that. It's it's crazy.
You know, they're an older team, mature team, and you know, but you just can't make mistakes against teams like that, eleventh rank in the country and they're used to winning.
Your team is among the best in the country this year at converting on fourth down. You're something like fifteen for eighteen or something really impressive along those lines. On the one where you got stopped. The other night, you did a wildcat play, you snapped you direct to Tywee Walker, what was it about b Yu or whatever that that led you in that direction?
Yeah, I mean it was we also put an extra lineman in the game in the backfield with the tight end, and we ran a split flow, so the lines going to the right, and are those two big guys are going to the left. The thought is, you know, hit it right off that side, and you know, Tyee kind of went right up the middle there where that you know, had a linebacker. But you know, you gotta feel like we got a lot of beef in there, Tyweise, two hundred and twenty pounds.
We'll get a yard.
You know, a little bit of penetration on that on that particular play got knocked back a little bit. We they meet us at the line of scrimmage. Obvious he's trying to fight, but he didn't get it. You know, Hans twenty twenty, we had there was another play we're gonna you know, we're gonna call quarterback follow which we've
run many times with Soresby in those scenarios. You know, had that call switched to this, I mean, obviously stick with the first thought, I think, you know, and yeah, what what that does enabled to play eleven on eleven, which that's why we like it on short yard of situations and goal line situations where now they had to defend a quarterback in that situation. Man, you're you know, Soorsby on that one is just running out to the left. They didn't they didn't run out with them. Yeah, you know,
the extra guys in the box there. So yeah, I mean, you know, Hindsight's twenty twenty is a play that you know, we felt good about but obviously did not work.
Steven Rusnak missed three field goals. One was on a bad hold. He's human, I mean, he's had a tremendous year. He'd only missed one all year. So physical mistakes happened. That's you know, that's it's unfortunate it happened. In this game, you get more upset, I would think when there were mental errors, and one of the costly ones was being off side on the punt fourth and three. It looked like you were going for the block in that situation.
Was that the case we were, you know, we'd worked on it all week.
We were shifting our front, you know, so you line up on one side and make them make their calls.
Shift over quickly right.
Before they're going to snap it and then get the pressure and try to get one extra guy in the gap to try to create something right there. As we shifted over the you know, one of our guys shifted over and his head was leaning slightly into the neutral
on and obviously you know it's an all sides. Well, it happened to be under fourth and five, you know, it's fourth and three or four, and so that's an automatic first down, which is a great job of our defense and that in that series to get off the field and now we're putting them right back on their offense.
Obviously very unfortunate.
I think they ended up getting a field goal right there, so that that's like a turnover, you know, when when you allow them to get that first down there. So, you know, been been very solid in the teams and haven't had plays like that, and obviously that hurt us tremendously.
Didn't have a lot of lock on the replay reviews.
No oh for five over five over five.
You know, the biggest disappointment was the when you know they called Cyrus down it. You know, looked like his shin was on the ground before the ball came out, so they ruled it down. That's why it took so long. You know, that review was five or six minutes. Yeah, you know, we went to a four minute commercial break, came back and they're still under the hood looking at it.
And that's not what reviews, folks. If you can't.
Decide what it is, you stick with what the call is. And we've you know, as coaches, we know that usually they will not overturn that. Of course they did. They overturned it. Gave them the ball right there, and you know, we're on a seventeen yard line with an opportunity to get some points on the board. And now again that was a huge play that ultimately, you know, causes one of the reasons why we didn't win.
And his knee does not have to beat down this shin counts.
It doesn't need.
Yeah, right where the ankle starts there, you know, So and that's really what happened, is his leg got caught underneath the defender and right there where his ankle is is starting to hit the ground is when the ball's coming out. So it you know, it's obviously hard to tell. If you can't tell, then they run it down. Unfortunate play. I mean, Cyrus is a good football player for us. I mean, you know what does he have? Eleven touchdown catches?
Number one of the big twelve, you know, closing in on a record as you see, threw off the school right act two off the school record. He's had an outstanding year. You know, it's unfortunate there for that to happen for him.
All right, we're gonna take a time out. We appreciate the Bearcat fans who are with us here tonight. We'll get to your questions and just a bet, we've also got stuff to give away. Have to be here in order to win. This is the Scott Saderfield Radio Show, Live from the original Montgomery In, home of the world's Greatest Ribs. I'm seven hundred WLW. We are back at the original Montgomery In home of the world's greatest Ribs
and the Scott Saderfield Radio Show. Thank you to the Bearcat fans who are with us here tonight, Cincinnati, with one game left in the regular season. It's coming up on Saturday, a three point thirty kickoff against TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, very close to the hometown of your quarterback Brendan Soresby. He told me today expects to have more than one hundred people in attendance for the game at TCU.
Yeah, I mean, his hometown's right up the road there, so I'm sure he's gonna have a lot of family friends and you know, you've also mentioned LP people you don't even know that that is coming, and they'll they'll bother their own tickets, but I'm sure he's gonna have to get a lot of tickets for those people. So obviously exciting for him to go back and play right there at this hometown.
All right, you've got seven wins, you can still finish the year with nine. These guys put a lot of focus on trying to get to Dallas for the Big Twelve championship game. Unfortunately that possibility ended with one game left in the regular season. So what's the focus now, Yeah.
I mean, it's just finishing the season strong, you know, an opportunity to go down and get get our eighth win, you know, in our third year in the Big Twelve and a solid year.
Obviously we didn't make our goal with what we wanted. We want to play for a Big Twelve championship, you know, and so obviously got work to do there.
But but for these guys, in these twenty two seniors, you know, and in this day and age, you never know who's gonna be on the team next year either, And so we talked about that. Listen, this is the last time this team was going to be playing together in the regular season. We've got to have great energy this week in practice. We got to be excited for it.
And it was in a spirited practice today because I think the mindset of guys, particularly when you get to the season at the end of the season like this, you know, it's it's a long season, you know, mentally strained, you know, drained, physically drained.
A lot lot of you guys are beat up.
You know, the team that really wants it, the team that really is excited about continuing to play, I think has a great opportunity to chance go win. Now this this is interesting because they're the same record as we have. You know, they're both we're both seven wins, We're both fighting to get eight wins. Also talked about, hey, you know, you go win this game, better Bowl opportunity.
You know, there's obviously there's.
Levels to the bowl games and the different places that you go and you're able to go.
So so there's a lot to play for.
And you know, our guys who had a great practice today and you know, hopefully we'll finish that out and go get a road win in the Big twelve.
That's huge for us.
TCU played by U two weeks ago and it did not go well, and they bounced back with a nice win last week on the road of Houston. Houston was still in contention for making it to the Big twelve Championship game at the time, so TCU showed me something with the way they played one.
Yeah, you're you're right.
Houston last week was eight and two going into that game ranked twenty fourth to twenty fifth, still playing for an opportunity to go play in the Big twelve Championship as well. And then you know, tc goes in there and and still gets to win. Interesting enough, TCU had
four turnovers and still won the game. I mean that tells you, I think how well they'll played, you know, even though they had the turnovers, they still won, you know, and yeah, they could have packed it in too, you know, and when they got their what fourth conference loss the week before, so it shows they're still fighting and now for them, it's going to be senior day for them, it's going to be the last record season at home.
So yeah, it's gonna be a It'll be an exciting game and a great opportunity for, you know, for us to go down and get a win.
You beat the number one passing team at least in terms of yardage in the Big Twelve earlier this year when Baylor came to town. Now you'll be facing the number two team in the conference in terms of passing yards. They've got a great quarterback, Josh Hoover, third year starting quarterback. How does TCUs passing attack compare to the one you handled earlier this year against Baylor.
Yeah, I mean I think it's very similar. They really lean on the pass.
You know, last year Hoover broke the school record for passing yards and close to thirty nine hundred. This year has thirty one sixty six. So they still throwing the ball a lot. Got a transfer receiver, number one aut standing receiver. I think you may lead the Big Twelve in receiving yards over a thousand. Yeah, he's a really good player. He you know, they didn't play good against BYU, but he had over one hundred yards in that game receiving.
You know, so they have some weapons that obviously that we have to be aware of. They but they're not gonna They're not gonna like b Yu just turn it, handle the ball off.
They're gonna catch it drop back.
I mean that's gonna be a big difference and do a lot of the different things that a team like Baylor tried to do. You know, so again what we did at Baylor, mixed up coverages. You know, still stop the run even though you're playing for the past. I think that's critical as well. So if we can stop the run while we're defending the pass, that'll be huge for our defense.
The wide receiver you mentioned, Eric McAllister, had two hundred and fifty four yards in one game earlier this year against SMU and SMUs in contention in the ACC they're a good team. Do you think he is the most talented receiver you faced? Todate?
He may be, you know, obviously we haven't seen him in person, but I think so. I mean, he's a you know, he's got nine touchdowns, he's averaging eighteen yards a catch.
That that is a lot for a.
Guy who's got fifty six catches almost at one hundred yards per game, So teams know that they're trying to get him the ball and he still is able to perform at that level. That says a lot about that kid. I think they do a lot of things to move him around. I mean, you know, he's primarily an outside receiver, but they can move him in the slot, motion him around, try to find ways to get him to the football.
He's got great size and speed, which is a hardcover, you know, and we just got to do a great job of stand on top of him and not give up the big plays.
Last couple of weeks, you faced the top two teams of the Big twelve in terms of interceptions on defense, and TCU is up there. Yeah, they don't have as many as BYU or Arizona, but they're up there. And they've got a guy in their secondary Bud Clark, who's got fifteen in his career, which is more than anybody's ever had UC history. Tell us a little bit about their defense.
Yeah, you know, and Bud didn't play last week, so I hadn't seen the report this week, but he's an outstanding player.
He played against us last year. They actually have a lot of guys.
Back on their defense from last year when they came to Nipper last year in their last game, a really good front. The front four guys, linebackers are really good. I think this is a good defense. You know, ironically, we've played the last last four weeks really good defenses. The three previous weeks they have I think twelve interceptions, whereas BYU and Arizona had fourteen, so they're not far off. I mean they've done a good job with that. They
just they got they played tight coverage. We gotta do a great job of mixing it up. Final ways to run the ball. We didn't run it great last week. We got to run the ball better this week. I do think we threw the ball better last week. So we got to continue that. Our receivers have to make plays and they're gonna have to make contested catches against these guys, so we're gonna have to make some plays. And then obviously the bottom line is getting in the zone.
We gotta find ways to get in the end zone when we have opportunities, and getting down that red zone, which has been really good all year, and finding ways to getting in the en zone.
Score touchdowns.
Brendan Zursby's only got five interceptions all year, which is great, but four have come in the last three games.
Now.
He threw in last week that was really like a punt. It was third and ten, it was forty one yards down the field, so you kind of more or less had what you would have had on a punt. But assess his player over the last three games.
Yeah, I mean, obviously, I think we struggled throwing the football at Utah. Not great against Arizona, but I think, you know, we had four or five drops in that game. I thought he played better against them, And then last week I thought he played a really good game.
You know, you mentioned the one interception. I mean he was throwing it down the field.
It ended up being like a punt, as a forty two yard basically punt. Other than that, I thought he played outstanding. I thought, you know, he was a guy who was beat up from the from the game before and and came out and played really really good.
And you know, I thought the receivers played better as well. Last week.
You know, for us it was just you know, knocking down some kicks and then obviously the fourth down and the turnover in the red zone. When you get in the red zone, I think that is critical to get points out of that. You cannot turn the ball over on downs and or fumbles or interceptions, and so we've done a good job with that. We got to do that this week. Find ways of getting the end zone, you know, and then you know, obviously defensively, getting off
the field. I think that's that's been our nemesis all years. Letting teams drive. We got to find a way to get off the field, especially on those third and fourth downs.
I mean, that's gonna be a huge for us.
Joe Cotton, your left tackle, met with the Cincinnati media earlier today. There was a part of his conversation that I found really interesting. He said that in the offensive line meeting room, O line coach Nick Cardwell asked the guys, all right, what are you playing for this week? And his answer was Gavin Gerhart not trying to you know, get the eighth win, not trying to move up on the Bowl scale. He wants to help his senior that he respects so much go out with a victory.
Yeah, And we talked about that on Sunday, and we talked about that again to day in the team meeting before you know, and it's about each other. It's about playing for your brothers besides you, that you care more about them, that you don't want to let them down.
And I think you know that's what he's speaking of.
Especially, you know, we talked about these seniors, especially these twenty two seniors, that you know, this is their last time playing college football, and so you want to send those guys out on a high note. You want to play for them, you don't want to let them down. So therefore, I feel like you're going to pay attention. We're in the meetings, You're gonna go harder in practice, You're gonna do all those little things with a sense of urgency this week.
So you're not letting your brothers down. Besides you. This this is a connected team, a tight knit group.
You know, we've had some disappointments the last three weeks, but they're still together, they're still playing for each other, and I think that that speaks a lot about the culture that we have in the locker room.
So what is the recruiting calendar right now? Do you have a high school signing day coming up?
Yeah?
Next Wednesday. Next Wednesday is the signing date. You know, you have to stay on top of these things because these rules change all the time as portal and all those type things. But next Wednesdays are signing dates, so we'll sign you know, anywhere from twenty four to twenty eight high school players probably next Wednesday, which is a big class for us, which is awesome. And then the rest of December is a dead period, so we can't go out that they can't come visit. It is strictly
a dead period, meaning we're gonna stay on campus. We'll be bowld practicing and prepping. So that's actually nice for the coaches, so we can be around our guys the whole month of December. And then you're gathering names for the portal, so we're you know, that's when guys will find out, Hey, these guys are, Hey, they're transferring, they're
gonna get in the portal. We're we're already started to watch film on that the last two weeks, so we'll gather names and then January second will be the time that we can bring them on campus.
And so from.
January second to probably about the fourteenth, we'll have people on campus and just trying to sign them up.
To come to come to join us in the January.
And there's only one window this year as supposed.
To to one window.
So whatever we feel like our needs are, you have to get a met in the high school and in the portal in January. There's not a deal where like an NFL man like they're trying guys out every week in the NFL, bringing guys in and that type, we cannot do that. We go through spring practice and if you get some injuries, that's your team.
Like you don't you don't have a.
May portal like we did last the last couple of years. We could bring some more guys in. So this is new and this will be interesting how how all this works out. Because you got numbers, you've got limits on the numbers you can bring in and and all those type things. So yeah, it the way we haven't colls ful is not perfect yet and we're still working on it. So we still got some work to do. But this is what the hand we're dealt this year.
Read a story about this either today or yesterday, basically saying that the players haven't entered the portal yet, so you can't talk to them, but guys have agents now and you can get the intel at least on you know who's likely to be out there.
That's what's happening right now.
Every let's say everybody, most every player has an agent now and agents are calling the recruiting office and our recruiting office is talking to the agent. So it's already happening. It's been happening for the last three to four weeks. You already have a good idea about who's gonna be getting into Portal. It's not official yet, officially, you know in January when they can. But it's all happening behind
the scenes, and it's happening all over the country. And you know, so our job now too, after our season this week is to meet with all our guys, figure out the guys that we're gonna retain, and make sure we're getting that all worked out. Hey, you guys are gonna be here next year. We want you to hear and then move on to the guys that will bring it in January. So it is it's a busy time for us because we're recruiting our players, were recruiting house players and in Portal guys.
All right, So we've been doing this show all year. We've had the same format all year, and now it just occurs to me that I was supposed to open it up to questions from the audience a quarter after John grabbed the mic, and I'm like, now, we don't need that yet. I'm a bora. I am truly a moron. This is my fault.
You're the You're the one person in here that gets paid to talk.
And I talked way pretty.
Good at it. You ask a lot of good questions, though.
Dan, my apologies, I can't believe I just did that. We've got a couple of minutes. Amy, Yeah. No.
My question is at the end of the first quarter, they they said we had a first down and then it moved to the other side and we did not have the first down. Yeah, correct, And it was a fourth down. Why didn't you just kick the field goal then and at least put some points.
On the Yeah, because it was it was fourth and one. We felt like we could get fourth and one. That's why, I mean, yeah, it would happen. That was early in the game, so I don't think at that point we hadn't missed any yet. And coming in that game, I think he was twenty three for twenty four. The last two years, he hadn't missed any so we felt good about him making him. Here's the other thing we're going
in that game. We're number one in the country on fourth down, like we're the best fourth down team in the country out of one hundred and thirty five teams.
So we felt good about getting it, you know, And we didn't get.
That one unfortunately, but yeah, I wish would have run a different play.
Now, all right, we need to take a break for news. Coach if you're willing during this commercial break. Yeah, if we have some questions from the audience for coach, we'll do it off the radio, but we'll do it here at the Original Montgomery And this is the Scott Saderfield Radio Show on seven hundred WLW. We are back at the original Montgomery in home of the world's greatest Ribs and the Scott Satderfield Radio Show. Thank you to the Bearcat fans who are with us here tonight. We'll give
away some stuff at the end of the show. We will also take questions from the audience very soon, because I'm not going to forget in the second half hour. Thanks to our engineer, Joe Strecker. Thanks to Joe Wydell back in the studio and now our favorite part of the show. Time to introduce you to two Bearcats having excellent years. I will start with the person immediately to my right. He is a senior from Arlington, not Texas, Tennessee. Arlington, Tennessee,
about thirty minutes from Memphis. He is one of twelve semi finalists for the butt Kiss Award, which goes to the nation's top linebacker. Hopefully he will win. He's in his second year as a Bearcat. Number eleven. Jake Goldey. Welcome to the show. And next to Jake is a first year Bearcat. He is from Atlanta, Georgia. He spent the last three years at Tennessee. We're thrilled to have him at Cincinnati this year, coming off a terrific game
last Saturday against BYU. He had eleven tackles in that game. That's a new career high, but not by much. He's had a couple of games this year with ten tackles. He wears the number four and the Bearcat secondary. Let's hear it four, Christian Harrison. Jake, let me start with you. It was senior night for you last Saturday. I know the outcome was disappointing, but what about the overall experience.
No, it was a great experience other than obviously we'd like to come away with the win, but just it really didn't hit me, honestly until I was lining up to kind of go see my parents. So it was kind of a surreal feeling. Like I remember when I was young and I used to make fun of the older guys for being old and everything, and I'm like, nah, I'm that old guy.
This is my last game. So it was a surreal feeling.
But I mean, it was amazing NIP going out at an amazing atmosphere like that. The fans were amazing, stayed throughout the entire game, so I can't really ask for a better atmosphere than NIP at night playing a ranked opponent, and the fans were amazing. Like I said, it was mom crying, Yes, moms crying, and I think I caught Dad getting a.
Little tier as well too, so I can't blame them. I'm a crier, so it doesn't take much to make me cry. I appreciate that very much. Christian, You've got a year of eligibility left, so it was not your senior night on Saturday. But as I mentioned, you played a terrific game. Pro Football Focus gave you a really high grade, the highest they've given you in a game this season. Did you feel like it was your best performance of the year.
I would say not.
I still felt like coming out after that game that there's a lot of things I could still work on and prove on.
But it was a decent game for me.
I feel like I could have still played a lot better. I feel like I aloway stay it was one of my better games, I would say, so, Yeah.
You had a very good grade in that game as well. That was another game where you had a couple digit tackles. One thing that everybody here knows that I like to do when we have the players join us on this show is have you guys talk about each other? Because I've found over the years that sometimes guys are shy about saying things about but they're happy to praise their teammates. So, Jake, you go first, share your impressions of a guy you've played with this year, Christian Harrison.
Yeah.
I mean Christian's an extremely hard worker, very humble guy, and somebody that, like I knew coming in he had a lot of hype around his name.
I was like, this guy better live up to it kind of coming in.
But he has.
I mean, he's been an excellent I mean, he's a tackle machine. He's he's not scared of contact, and that's what you want out of a safety that's gonna come down here, will make place. He's had multiple, multiple pass breakups this year. I mean, it's kind of crazy how many he's had. So he's making plays in the back end as well. And then I mean, you see how much extra work this guy puts in. He comes in late at night when nobody's in the facility to watch film.
He's always one of the last guys to leave the indoor facility catching on our drug machine. So I mean, you can't really say enough about him. And he's extremely hard worker, and he makes plays on Saturday and a great, great.
Human being as well.
That Jux's machine work paid off. A few weeks ago, you had an interception at the goal line, so that's why you do that kind of stuff. Now, share your thoughts on the guy you've spent this year playing with for the first season. Jake Goldey.
Yeah, first off, he works, he works his tail off. He's a better I would say a better human than football player. When I first seen him, I was like, it was kind of crazy because he was you see six', four he, big he. Fast i'm, like what position does he? Play he told me he plays. Linebacker i'm, like, Okay and THEN i kind of seen it on the. Field he's just a ball, player you, know, tackling he's good in obviously pass curves as, well dropping. BACK i want to.
Plays last week he broke up a pass in the. Game it was a really good. Play so, yeah just seeing those type of things on the, field it's no no. Surprise you, know he's always in the, building, uh trying to coach up all the linebackers in the. Room he's a leader in that room and also on the team as. Well you, know having that guys meet up before we have a, meeting they're already meeting in the line back, room just the. Players so things like, that you, know all translates onto the.
Field so share your motivation for This. Saturday why is winning AT tcu important to you this?
Week?
Jake you go.
First IF i had to pick one player Like joe, DID i would say For Jack. Dingle he's a guy that WHEN i came. In he kind of like helped me like extremely a. Man HE'S i would consider him one of my best friends right. Now WHEN i came, in it wasn't easy learning the. Defense and BECAUSE i came in went and during the second opening for the transfer portal In. May that's no longer a thing, now but and then you have to it's a quick. Turnaround at that, point all you do is get fall camp
and then you're playing in the. Season so he did a great job helping me, out kind of showed me the. Way IF i ever had a question about, anything he was right there kind of told like showed me how to handle different coaching from different, coaches, coaches not to take things so personal things like.
That.
Uh but more, IMPORTANTLY, uh this is my last. Game uh other than the bowl, game this is my my last regular season. Game and the last THING i want to do is lose or lose this game and end out on a four game losing, streak uh after a season that has has been.
So well for.
US. Uh so that's really my biggest motivating.
Factor IS uh to just finish finish my college season regular season with with a. WIN i think that'd be super important for me and the. Team and it's bigger than just. Me it's it's for, everybody and it's the, staff it's the other, players it's the other seniors Like, Gavin, Dante, rob all these.
Guys, UH i love this.
Team it's the most connected team That i've ever been a part, of, uh even in high. School and you know high school teams are really close knit.
Team so, uh that says a. Lot, YEAH i love these, guys So i'm doing it for. Them, christian how about, You i'll probably say for all the.
Seniors it's been here for you, know four or five six, years guys like you, know you Got. Dante, Uh i'm kind of blanking out right, now but you, know the list of guys goes. On but just doing it for, them you, know they kind of helped turn this thing. AROUND i wasn't, here you, know for the first, season When sad was here the second, season but now this,
season you, know things have kind of turned. Around so finishing on a on a win of the regular, season obviously going to the bowl, game finishing, that finishing nine to four sounds a lot better than you, know seven and six or whatever it could. Be so, yeah just finishing out for those.
Guys nine wins and a ball victory would be one heck of a. Year you still got the opportunity to do.
That Certain all, Right we're.
Gonna take a time out questions from the audience when we come. Back this is The Scott Centerfield Radio. Show were live at the Original Montgomery in all about the World's greatest rips one seven hundred w. Welw we are back at the Original Montgomery in home of the World's greatest ribs and The Scott Saderfield Radio. Show appreciate The bearcat fans who are with us here. Tonight we've got some good stuff to get away at the end of the. Show, now we are going to take questions from the audience
for our special, Guests Jake goldey And Christian. Harrison, gary you are up, First.
Yeah, guys is for both of. You for the most, part you guys pretty much play a zone type defense with the three three, five but on special plays And, jake you hit a couple of big time running down the guy in the. Backfield do you guys like to be more of a freelance being able to go after it or sit back and cover your?
ZONE i think that's what's good about our defense at times is that with our personnel and with our, defense that we get to mix it up a. Lot AND i think that's what we've done a lot better job of this year is mixing it.
Up so in my, Opinion i'd like to go after the.
Quarterback SO i, LOVE i love to be aggressive and downhill because that's that's when you make plays and. Everything but if you don't get, there then you're putting the back end and a little bit of a. Hurt and so in my, Opinion i'd like to go after as much as.
Possible but, YEAH i feel like our defense you, know allows us to do, both you, know kind of sit back play zone and also come up play, man be. Aggressive it helps us be able to do. BOTH i prefer being more, aggressive you, know blitzing the, quarterback getting to the, quarterback trying to speed up his, clock make him get the ball out. Faster SO i would SAY i prefer being more, aggressive AND i feel like that's when we're better when we are aggressive instead of just you, know sitting.
Back so, Rich, yeah this was for both of.
You experiences In cincinnati are have probably been very good for both of.
You but tell me about Your Higher ground.
Experiences, yeah SO i got the privilege of Doing Higher ground twice and both were amazing. Experiences LIKE i, mentioned the first TIME i, CAME i really didn't know much About Higher. GROUND i just kind of knew we were going off, somewhere didn't really know. WHERE i just knew it was called a higher, ground that we were gonna be there for two. Weeks but for, me it's an amazing. EXPERIENCE i, meant the people there are so amazing and you're.
Secluded all you're doing while you're there is, football AND i think that's so good for a team right before you're about to start your, season especially for me BECAUSE i just transferred in at that time AND i needed to be around nothing but football with no. Distractions so it was amazing for me to be around the, guys build that relationship and then also get in the.
Playbook, christian this was my first. Year it was my first, year so it was my first High.
Ground.
IT i would, say it's a lot different experience from What i'm used, to BUT i kind of liked. IT i was able just to solely focus on foot ball and that's.
It you.
KNOW i got a lot closer with a lot of my, teammates people in my position, group guys on the other side of, ball the, offense you, know compete with them every.
Day you, know it's.
Hot we're, secluded secluded out. There no one else is out there but, Us.
So, YEAH i liked.
It, yeah anybody else in the audience right over, Here John.
Jake it seems like in the last three or four, games when they line up a player in the, slot either you or dinga recovering the slot. Player do you guys have a problem with that or do you think you should be inside because a lot of times they run the ball away from. You, yeah the play is going away from, You so we're taking our best defensive player and eliminating the game by eliminated you in the.
Slot, yeah that's just within the scheme of the.
Defense there's certain plays Where i'm way outside in the box because it's a coverage Thing. South they bring three wide receivers out there and they throw a now. Screen, well you'll have nobody out there to tackle it other than one corner one safety and they'll be blocked.
Up so you have to have my presence out.
There, obviously they do that on purpose to bring me out of the box so that they can run to the boundary or they can run up the middle of the. Field so, obviously, like, Uh i'm not a big fan of. It, uh BUT i understand why that is my job AND i have to do my one eleventh and count on the other guys to do their.
Job, Brian.
So we haven't had A bowl appearance in a few, years And i'm just. CURIOUS i know you guys weren't here for the whole, comeback the, rebuild but you're a part of the roster that's taken us. Back what kind of experience do you take from that being a part of something where it's been down and you're bringing it back up and being part of the reason you want to.
Start, YEAH i would say that's one of the REASONS i came. Here you, Know i've seen potential in the. Program, obviously this program with very successful recently twenty twenty, two you, KNOW i had a bunch of guys, drafted went to the, playoffs things like. That so, yeah just this is a very close knit group of, guys and there's no surprise that we was able to, win get a lot and
get a good amount of. Wins this year and we're going to continue to, win so there's no there's no surprise that we're in this position right.
Now, yeah for, me.
It's a great feeling BECAUSE i was here last year when we struggled a little, bit and then the year before a lot of my closest friends that are on the team still uh were struggling big times as. Well so it's just good that when WHEN i came, IN i helped a little, bit and then we got these new new guys Like christian that are that are building
us up even. More SO i think that just just that feeling THAT i don't, know like last, year that feeling that we had so many games where it was like so, close like if the ball just bounced our, way we would have been a, boat like we would have been able to go to a bowl. Game we're a really good bowl game at that because there's so many one score, games but for this year to solidify a bowl. Game i've never experienced a bowl game in my life BECAUSE i PLAYED fcs football for three years
and then last year we didn't make a bowl. Game So i'm super excited for it and as an honor to be able to go to one and be able to do it for this.
Team all.
Right if anybody else has a, question just raise your hand And john will find. YOU i will ask some in the, Meantime, JAKE i want to relay a story BECAUSE i interviewed you for the pregame. SHOW i think it was last, week, right either last week or the week. Before in any, Case Nico, palazetti the strength and conditioning, coach told me in the offseason that you are like a Human labrador, retriever, happy go, lucky always in a good,
mood just like the trusty dog by your. Side and then you shared with me that he has tweaked that a little bit for you share what the current statement is FOR.
Nko so, yeah he calls me a lot a retriever Because i'd like to always try to be like in a good, mood confident and happy and with everything with all my.
Situations so that's kind.
Of where he gets The labrador retriever Because i'm always just trying to be, happy, friendly whatever it may. Be but then the SECOND i step on that, Field i'm trying To i'm a different human, being like a flip switches and AND i get him a little bit more aggressive and all those things that you want in a. Linebacker so he changed. It now now it's A Labrador, retriever and then WHEN i step on the, field it's A.
Rothweiler so there we, Go Laboratory retriever day to, Day rottwiler on the. FIELD i love.
It.
Christian for those who don't, know your dad Is Rodney. Harrison fifteen years in THE. Nfl we see him On Sunday Night football doing a great job as a. Broadcaster two Time pro, bowler two Super Bowl. Championships he's in two different Teams halls Of, fame The chargers and The, patriots which is. Incredible what did you learn from your dad that you apply as a football?
Player everything, matters you, know all the little things you do on and off the. Field what you do do in the dark is what's gonna come out in the. Light you, know what you, uh the work you put in behind closed doors is what's gonna come on the football field On Saturday sunday whenever you're. Playing so you, know just taking the cow all those things and putting your best foot for it every day and always coming in with a positive, attitude no matter if you know
someone treats you a certain, way good or. Bad you, know you just always come in with a positive. Attitude so just things like.
That so neither of you started At. Cincinnati you were At Central, arkansas you were At. Tennessee the transfer portal is going to go open up On january. Two what would you tell a young man thinking about possibly coming to The university Of, Cincinnati, jake you go, FIRST i would.
Just talk about our culture and our connection within our team and the amazing coaches that we, have and then, honestly the entire there's not there's not many teams that are like us that it really feels like a. FAMILY i feel LIKE i can go to anybody and have a serious conversation with him about anything going on in my.
LIFE i don't think you get that many.
Places SO i would talk about our connection and then just our culture and how we're on the rise right.
Now, CHRISTIAN i would, say, first it's the hardest place your, ever hardest you'll ever work in your life, Here, yeah in a good. Way you, Know nico has us doing all kinds of things in the off season in the way, room on the, field so you, Know i'll just tell him that first and, foremost and then obviously our, culture we're a very close group of. Guys you, know all position.
Groups you got linemens talking to, DB's DB's talking to, kickers like everyone talks to each other and everyone likes each. Other so just that and then also it's a program on the, rise you, know first, year second, year third, year just keep getting, better and that's what's going to continue to, happen you, know with guys we bring in and with guys that are already. Here so, yeah.
As jake, said he didn't have the opportun unity to play in a bowl game at his previous, stop but you. Did and in, fact last year you were in the twelve team college football playoff With. Tennessee you guys played At Ohio. State, unfortunately because it's the twelve team, playoff he had to play a road game in a college playoff. Game but what was that experience like for?
You it was, fun you know obviously that the atmosphere when we first got to the, stadium it was it was really, cold, THOUGH i would say THAT i was the coldest GAME i ever played.
In it was.
FREEZING i don't know. How you, know the clip was going viral guys coming out wearing no shirts on the pre game on the.
Field that wasn't.
Me you weren't that, Guy.
So, yeah it.
Was it was a great experience, though you, know all the gear we, got just the, atmosphere the whole experience of. Everything, obviously we lost the, game we didn't come up with the, win but, overalls still a great, experience and, YEAH.
I hope they gave a good swag college football. Playoffs they. Did all, right let's talk a little bit specifically about this week's game AGAINST. Tcu you heard my conversation with Coach. Saderfield this is a great passing, team one of the best you faced all. Year what are some of the keys to Limiting Hoover because you're not gonna shut a guy down like, that but you want to keep him in, check shake you go.
FIRST i think we're gonna approach it like a similar game plans To. BAYLOR i think we did an amazing job our. Dvs Like christian had an amazing game Against, baylor AND i think that's a similar approach that we're gonna take into this. Game we know they've got a great wide receiver in number, one and one of the biggest keys for us is the. Linebacker group is if he's ever near us to a collision, Him so it
makes their job a little bit. Easier BUT i also think mixing it up not just always dropping back into coverage because they're gonna find they're gonna find the spots to sit down and, whatnot but also switching up with some man pressure getting the quarterback off the spot because last, game LIKE i, mentioned he turned the ball over a, Bunch so we want to create those offportunities as.
Well, Christian, Yeah i'll.
Probably, say you, know you got to experienced quarterback Like hoover who's played a lot of games showing you, know different things pre, snap trying to mess up his clock and mess up his time thought process as to what he sees on the. Field so, yeah it's changing up things pre snap obviously getting to, him getting to, him blitzing him and things like. That he doesn't really like to.
Scramble he's more of a sit in the, pocket you, know trying to throw the ball type of, guy so getting to, him trying to be able to sack.
Him and, yeah he's thrown thirteen, picks tied for second most in the. Country So, christian go out and get yourself at least. One, YEAH i really want. To there's nothing wrong with being greedy when it comes to. Picks, Guys congratulations on a great season for the team and also for you two guys. Individually, jake best of luck
and hopefully winning The Buckets. Award that would be. Incredible and you're certainly a very deserving care today And, christian you've been getting better and better week by week you become one of the leaders in the. Secondary congratulations on, that and thank both of you for representing our school so.
Well thank.
You it's here it For jake And. Christian that's going to do it for our show, tonight we will give away some swag. Momentarily if you're listening on the, radio thanks for tuning. In this has been The Scott Sanderfield Radio, show live from the Original Montgomery in the home of the world's Greatest ribs on seven HUNDRED. Wlw