This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Fox Sports fourteen fifth Day, powered by Nova Insurance Services Insure your most prized possessions.
Hey, good afternoon, everybody.
Welcome to I on the Ball hero Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera. No guest knows today. It's just you and I one, one and done and Steve mister mister t shoes another Friday. So only good news comes from one. Only two things come out of one, good news and good news. Yes, sir, your week you're busy getting ready for tomorrow's game.
Oh yeah, busy weekend. Uh yeah tonight Red and Blue tonight. Uh been trying to keep up with the volleyball team. I know they lost and today, yeah they lost in three that you taught today after their upset win against BYU.
Did you go to that?
No, okay, because I was there picking up credentials today and I saw the big crowd coming in today two o'clock, three o'clock with them noon noon. Oh that thought, I go. They're a little after that. I fact, people are still coming in. Okay, so maybe maybe they're getting Red Blue tickets. We'll see what happens. Yeah, you're covering that tonight, right, yeah, I'll be there your first covering. Yes, yes, how many times have you gone? I think only once once or
twice maybe? Okay, and you're still going you're glutting for punishment. No, it's actually I'm not gonna poo poo it. It's it's pretty fun if you if you just want to have a good time and just watch them kind of warm up and dunk and shoot and.
Do all that stuff. Oh yeah, yeah, it's good for the fans.
You're covering it. Yeah, it was briant both. Yeah, all of us will be there, okay, cool.
Cool.
And then tomorrow, of course it's going to be a late night with Texas Tech. Eight o'clock yep, and we'll get up there by one thirty yep in the morning. It should be fun. No one talks about that when you're doing journalism visit, are they No?
I feel like everyone's warned me about about it.
But your life Yeah, and you're no sleep yeah, no, eat?
Good? Yeahat well.
Sometimes I like Justin and he he looks wiped out, and I'm like, oh, that's what's ahead for me?
Oh you know Justin Yeah, And he's only twelve years old. Imagine that's old, dudes. No, it's we know temperate. Then we got to kind of base ourselves. But I used to be him a long time ago, and I understand exactly what you guys will be going through. And here we are right two hours today, a big game. We'll talk a lot about the game we're gonna have. Uh Nathan, Nathan, Yeah,
Nathan Geice. He's with Texas Tech Jay and I had him on maybe two months ago as we were previewing a lot of the teams in the summer for the Big Twelve, and Nathan came on and he really didn't know what to say because he wasn't sure what was going to go on. Although we thought that they were going to score a lot. I think that's coming. I mean they should be. Yeah, they're They're an efficient offense. I've said that all week and everything I've ran. They're an efficient offense.
They're their running back gets close to twenty touches a game, and yet they're still throwing for four hundred three hundred yards game. So they can do it on both through the air on the ground.
So they're gonna be tested as they will be tested too with the Arizona on the offensive end, I'm assuming you wentto the press conferences this week or now just Tuesday and Wednesday Wednesday? Would you would you get from that? It looks like a team that's focused, they know you. Yeah, okay, looks like they know not to take this team lightly.
Okay, that's what they're saying. Yeah. I was just gonna say, so, it looks like a team that How would you know that?
You don't know until you know, right, Yeah, of course. Oh, but they're gonna say all the right things. Welcome to the world of the journalism. Are gonna say all the right things. We're gonna be prepared. We're not gonna overlook, and then you show up and they are not prepared and overlook.
Yeah, that's that's the trendsfer Arizona usually, right, right. The good thing is they're at home.
They should They should have some I don't want to use the order of momentum, at least some some pride or some oomph after last week.
They should.
Because I hadn't seen you since last week. I'm sure you were shocked at the day one.
Oh yeah, did you, especially because there were so many moments where Utah, it felt like they were just gonna be like, oh, yeah, we're Utah, we're here, we're at home.
Well they did.
They did the first two drives and they and they and they pooped their pants. And that's kind of when the game was lost with their coach, you know, saying we'll be here often, we can take we don't have to take any points, or we can try.
To go for first downs and Arizona.
That's when Arizona won the game pretty much, confidence wise, offensively, defensively, for sure.
It was a great showing by the defense. Yeah, credit to them. So what was your pick last week? I picked Utah?
No, no, no, it was yeah, your your I chose. I think I think it was Illinois over Penn State.
And I was wrong, you were wrong, but they did win with the points, I think, I think, so yeah, yeah, so you went with the points obviously. Okay, well you're not doing too badly.
Too bad. I tried to go for outright wins.
Okay, h but yeah, then you're on wherever. Wherever I can win, I will. Do you have a pan over there? Oh no, I can get no, okay, No, don't worry about it. Okay, anybody want to call you can have free, feel free. I'm by myself today with one again. Uh five two o four one six seventy four forty. We'd appreciate the call. Get us through today.
Jay is going to call at the four forty hour right time frame to do our usual picks.
He's done well the last two weeks. Uh blame him for the heat because it's unusual and his picks.
Yeah, it's all I've heard is very scene, very very successful.
Yeah, well the last two weeks. Don't don't get all in a tiffy years two weeks. You know, there's there's just like the best, just like the football team. They have a good weekend. Oh, look at the team. Well, don't forget the last three previous three weeks. You know, the sample size needs to be improved. So I'm right behind him. I'm one behind him, so no one's talking about that. But that's okay, It's okay. We'll want to
go there. Uh So if you want to call, please do uh So we'll have Nathan Ice here you in the first hour, and then of course Jake Fisher on the second hour talking about this weekend's game, uh with the Texas Tech and just his thoughts on everything eu A related. Obviously very good with his opinions. So here we go. What else is going on? You saw volleyball? What else soccer? You have breaking news? Yeah, I'll have breaking news second top of the second hour.
Yeah, but it's just it's a big weekend fairs and athletics.
Because of that. Yeah, we'll get a call. Okay, let's take this call. Hey you're on the air.
Hey, Steve, I was just checking in. First of all, I had called you a few days ago amongst other people trying to find out if the Red Blues on ESPN Plus, and I finally found out from Brett Pharah that.
It is okay, Okay, I didn't know that. I don't think you would be.
I went last year and met you in press row, and uh, I'm just it's just getting hard for me.
And my age, sure, parking and going and there all night.
But anyway, UH forgive me, but uh, I've enjoyed all your guests of late and uh some in multiple times.
But as as kind of a.
Novelty, uh to consider, if you have these off days, you could have Howard one day, you have Fat Mike one day, you could have Gabe one day and they can see what you go through. Anyway, I say that half kiddingly since you we listened to.
Jim and I don't know all the names, but anyway, I just thought that might be a funny thing.
You want to ruin me, that's okay, it's right, you want to ruin me. That's fine.
Well, comedy is good.
Yeah, no, no, yeah, but thank you very much.
Anyway, did you enjoy the weekend?
Okay, thank you very much? Did you Yeah? Did you enjoy the I need ope? His segment?
I did.
Yeah, He's very good. And uh, you know, Dave Silver is good. You know, even the people I don't know much about Quinn, they're all good.
Yeah, no, thank you. I'm gonna be doing that while.
Are you trying to pick one guy or are you gonna have multiple?
I'm just trying to survive here. No I did.
Let me tell you, I did this show by myself for three years before I asked Jay to come on board. So I'm still kind of figuring out. You know, I live in a world where everybody either has a job and can't leave for that long of a stretch, or they don't have the complete days. You know, there's always kind of have to find that right guy. At the time that Jay, he had just been let go by the sidewinders. He had nothing to do, so he said, yes.
So yeah, well I guess I guess he landed on his on another foot, on another leg. Yes, with his public relations job. But it was just a funny idea I thought I throw out. And I also want to congret tell you that I really appreciate your professionalism in that Sometimes it gets old, maybe it's my lack, maybe it's ego or whatever to hear about people's vacations and families and everything else. I mean, you keep it pretty down the middle.
Yeah, yeah, no, thank you very much. I tried to you know, I don't talk much.
I just want to appreciate that.
But thank you, Thank you appreciate it. Thanks for the call.
Yeah, there's no rumor that I paid him to do that. I forgot his name though, seen I didn't know what it was on on the ESPN plus.
No, nor did I.
The good thing is Richard Jefferson and Channing Fry will be in town government doing the same thing they did last year with their host and I forget her name. Uh, so they're going to have a lot of fun. Uh Richard with his stand up comedy and Channing with his uh street man sidekick role. Both good dudes. I covered both of them. The very quotable. One of the smartest guys, Channing Fry had loved his parents. They were great to meet.
Channing was too, and Richard. He always had to be on your toes when you were talking to Richard because you didn't know what was going to come with him, good or bad, because he was angry in certain games and not so angry.
You know.
Yeah, it seems like even outside off the court, he seems like that type of persons that he is what he is. You never know why he's joking or if he is joking at all.
Well, if if I know, you don't remember this, but I did a big feature on him his last year here, knowing that he was going to leave to the NBA, and I haven't hung up on my sports room at the house and how I thought that he would be a perfect TV guy back when he was in school because he spoke so well one and two that he would be maybe even a politician.
Uh. He spoke at.
Bobby's Bobby's memorial at McHale Right there. You knew, kind of knew what he was about.
A good dude.
Uh.
Sometimes a pain in the neck, but a good dude spoke well uh and uh.
Would be great on TV kind of to me.
And this is this is a stretch, but this is how I felt, you know, how Muhammad Ali had this forum and he would get up and kind of speak and joke but be serious. Richard to me was that guy. He could just speak on a lot of topics. You see him now on TV with the NBA today, right, if that's what it's still called the NBA, is that he has that forum and him and him and the other guy forget his name, now, go back and forth.
Richard's very well well read, he's well versed. So exactly what I wrote about many years ago is exactly the guy I see today. You know, not always fun to deal with, but but a good dude.
He's kind of that person you want to have on your team. Yeah, and you love it, but when he's not on your team, right, you hate it. Right, Like we've talked about Dion Yeah yeah, oh, Deon Sanders.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, true true right, Well, and he was he was great when he played. Sometimes he was not great, couldn't Sometimes he miss free throws sometimes, but a heck of a talent, heck of a talent around the baske get. It's all natural for him too, no question.
Yeah.
God gave him that leaping ability, that jumping ability, and then he has that IQ to go with it.
Yeah. And he was also on a good team with Luke.
And and Lauren and Gilbert and Jason and you know the other guys and Michael Wright.
That always helps.
It always helps when you have five good dudes. That's why they get to the national championship game. Okay, three twelve, got about a minute or two. Thanks for the call. We'll have the open lines when we're not with people on the air, but you could also call us if you'd like to reach out to us when we have somebody on there, because now we have more than more than one phone, which is great, right we and we've used it a timer two right yeah, yeah, Okay, anything else, mayor mister.
Just it's should be a fun weekend. It's gonna be a busy weekend, Rizi, busy weekend even just outside of that, you know, the city of Tucson is busy. You got the Tucson Meet yourself going on, got a couple of local shows that I know about just because of some friends I know. So just a bet filled weekend for the city of Tucson.
Right right, Okay, let's just take the break down, come back, get ahold of Nathan and then speak to him about this weekends.
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Streamy Live on the Ihearts Radio WAP. This is I on the Ball with Steve Ravera on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen.
Hey, welcome back to my I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
I'm Steve. You're one.
I'm hoping to have Nathan on the line right now. Nathan, are you there?
Yeah there, can you hear me?
Okay?
Great, great, yes we can. We We have a hard time word in our new studio. So we got it. We got it, Thank you, Thank you very much.
Good here. You didn't make the trip out here, eh No.
They didn't send anybody out to Arizona for this one, so we're covering it from home.
Okay. Well, that's the way of the world, right journalism today.
Yeah, you just gotta kind of take your battles and this is one.
They just anybody else, and it's gonna be for I was gonna say it's gonna be you'd be done by two o'clock of this your deadline at least for the paper, by a long shot. Let me say this, Nathan. I don't know if you remember talking to us maybe two or three months ago. You thought about the team, and he said it's gonna score a lot of points. I think that was your one of your thoughts. Uh, they haven't been. They haven't disappointed you because they do.
Yeah.
No, that's exactly that's kind of what I thought this team would mean. I believe I said. I wasn't totally sure what to expect from the team, and it's kind of lived up to that. The one thing I think I might have underestimated how fluid the offense would look at this stage of the season, because we had a lot of questions about who would be the receivers that kind of stand out, how the tight end rotation would kind of work, how defenses would play Todge Brooks even more.
And it's lived up to the expectation and exceeded. I think the big thing is that it's the defense that has been kind of a disappointment for him.
Yeah, no question. So, uh, what has been the biggest surprise for you?
I think it's just the fact that they've been able to come away with some of these.
Closer wins, and especially in the last.
Couple of weeks. I know they're playing at home, so that plays a lot into it, but those are games where tech teams of the path, they let those slip away, they don't find a way to pull them out, and I think that's kind of elevated their confidence a little bit. They're starting to see the progress move into it. The other thing would probably just be how well to run defense has been. Outside of John Mattier Washington State, he gashed them for about two hundred yards with the quarterback
run game. They bottle up running back very well and I did not see that coming. But they've had a lot of different bodies rotating in on the defensive tackle position. I think that's kept the guys pressure. They're able to attack those gaps a little bit more.
Appreciate you coming on here, Swant said on a student intern for Steve.
A quick question, who's.
Someone do you think that Arizona should be watching out for when they hit the field on Saturday, like a surprise player.
I don't know if it's a surprise maybe to us, maybe he's Arizona fans. But the tight end John Carlos Miller. He came into the season. He was a transfer from Elon. He was a converted offensive lineman. When he got to Elon, he moved out to kind of the receiver spot and then he's now he's a tight end, so he's moved different positions.
Came into the season.
He was expected to be like the number three tight end. You're not sure how much playing time he's going to get, but he's quickly established himself as somebody that is reliable in both the run and past. He's the leading receiver I'm on tight end right now. He's had a nose for the end zone. He's somebody that I don't think a lot of people me is especially, didn't expect him to have this kind of impact on the offense, but he has to this point.
When we got you what's this October, probably like July, maybe August. Talking about their history, this is one of those programs that owns Zona in terms of long history, because you know it started in the thirties, the Border Conference type of thing way back when, and and now there's there one of the one of the few I think that owns Arizona in the long standing series.
Uh.
And I covered a game back when you were probably not even born yet naighty nine. Arizona went in with the high hopes and they got crushed by a guy named James Gray back in the day. And then they you know, they go in thinking they're gonna win and James Gray ran all over them. What about that the history itself, because you know Texas is football country.
Yeah, and you were very much correct. I was not alive for that game, was a couple of I was a couple of years away from coming to the world. I think that's kind of part of the exciting thing about the experision and realignment aspect of who got brought in this round is because these are old rivalries that can kind of be rebuilt over time. I think whether they've seen to play one in the last forty years
or something like that, it was that game. So it's, uh, you get to kind of reignite these sort of things and you get to go to actitucs on which these guys have been to probably except Jalen Conyers I know he's played at Arizona State last year, so he's familiar with it. But that is kind of the interesting thing is you get to re establish these where you're not just seeing Baylor and the TCUs every single year. You get to add it Arizona, Utah, Colorado, that kind of thing.
Right, So, how has it been? I know ASU went out there. I think they handled them pretty easily. Easily might be my word, not yours. And how was that.
A few games specifically, Yeah, there wasn't.
A ton of like question about who was gonna win. It was kind of tight throughout, but there was any wasn't a whole lot of intrigue. The main thing for them is that Arizona State, you know, they relied on much on Kamskataboo and Texas had bottled up. The Skataboo got loose in the pass game a little bit, which is where Tech is very much not good this year than the passing game, the secondary especially, they're dealing with a lot of injuries on the back end right now.
Yeah, that wasn't too much of a question.
Cincinnati was a little bit diceier, but they were able to kind of pull that off again last week. Too.
Yeah, we've been talking about this for a while now that they're pretty balanced. They have a nice running game, at least the numbers are there, and then the quarterback throws for a ton of yards. Is that kind of what you expected? We thought maybe just a lot of throwing.
That was the main question we kind of had going into this year because last year Todgebrooks kind of became the offense because he had to. They were down to Baron was the backup quarterback coming into the year, but he was dealing with the shoulder injury all year, so he couldn't fling it around the field like you wanted to. They had to rely and push on that run game a lot more. And this year the question was, Okay, you got Barren coming back healthy, Taj is back, how
do you balance that? And I think it's worked out really well where defense just have to play the run game or to try to shut down Taj, but that opens up the play action, that opens up the rpo downfield stuff. It's really kind of a pick your poison, which one do you want to try to slow down and the other one's going to make up for it.
Yeah, so both teams undefeated and conference play only with one loss. Would you say that the winner of this game has a better outlook on their season than the other or is this just like a momentum defining game for both teams.
I think it's more about momentum. I don't think you can really kind of point to it as how your season kind of get it going to kind of go from here, Because for Texas Tech, this is the start of their schedule getting a lot lot tougher. Yeah, Like credit to Arizona, say in Cincinnati, for improving as much as they have, but they're still going to finish at the bottom half of the conference, so you're not gonna
take too much from those. But then Tech has maybe got Arizona that they still got to deal with Iowa State, Colorado, Oklahoma State. So this is just the first of the tougher games coming up, but going into their open date next week, this is very much a pride to rise this romantum, ride the momentum, get up to a four straight victory, and then go in try to heal up that defense, and then come back to the second half and really try to get it clicking again.
Yeah, a couple of quick things for Arizona We've said this all week and Jay when he was here, we talked about this would be the time when they would be tested because you know, you had your four games. If they went to and two, okay, that's okay, that they'd expect them to lose to maybe Utah and to Kansas State. And they didn't look good against Kansas State. They look fantastic against the Utah, but the rest of
the schedule are very at least in August. You think where they can in there, they can win there, they can win there. Now we've seen the league such as it is, b YU might be better than we all knew. Some other teams in there are we knew. What can people expect having you having covering the league from from home sites, you know, your site, other sites, because it looks like there's not an empty seat in the house.
Yeah, that's kind of the intriguing thing about the conference is Alkahoma State in Kansas especially look at them. They were expected to be what second and fourth in the conference going in this season, something like that, and they've just fallen off of completely of their expectation. So now it is this kind of wide open race, and I think a lot of it goes back to how the schedule breaks down, because it's not a balanced way of who's playing who is just not going to be the
spine line of all. They all play the same teams. Some teams are going to play other teams, and you're another team that you're going to try to match it up with. It's gonna a completely different slate. So I don't think there's a really great way of doing and that's just kind of the nature of realignment with these massive conference numbers. Now, that's what makes every week so important, is you have to establish yourself in your games and then just let the rest of the pieces fall with the man.
You've covered it for close to five years or more five years. Usually my memory jugs a little. So now that the two big guys are gone, you know, Oklahoma and Texas, it's kind of like not a free for all, but you can kind of sense, uh, it's it's a funner lead to cover because it's not automatic, and I think it's funner.
The funder is not a word, but the funner.
It is a little bit more exciting. I think there's a little bit more buzz because so much attention doesn't have to be directed at those programs. It's and Oklahoma was the cream of the craft for so long. But people I never forget because of how Texas ended on top last year. They were not a top dog in this conference forever, but they got so much attention because
they're Texas. But now they're gone, So you have to kind of figure out who is going to establish themselves as those programs in those schools to kind of pay attention to. I think Arizona's in a pretty good spot if they can continue their forward momentum football basketball is always going to be a thing for them, But otherwise it's kind of a each school has a sport they're kind of looking at. Nobody really stands out as a whole where that's the intriguing part of it all.
I think, right, did you go to the Big twelve pre you know, the big preseason.
Stuff, dog media Daan Vegas.
No, Okay, I wanted to ask you what was the impression maybe, what did you think the impression was from the old school teams as Utah was coming in Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, those types of teams, because well, you know, the big, the big one, Utah looks vulnerable Arizona beat them. Colorado looked vulnerable. They played well lately. Who knows if they continue to be vulnerable.
We don't know.
Arizona played well, then didn't play well or didn't play well, and now they're playing well. I mean, it's kind of like the all the new kids in the block are kind of still iffy as well.
I think that's just the conference wide thing, and you have some teams that look amazing one week and not the next. Kansas State it's absolutely humiliated by BUYU right, they destroy Oklahoma States. It just depends on what team shows up every week, which is what puts so much more added emphasis on showing up for your game as they're played.
You can't control what they can't control what.
Oklahoma State's going to do before they meet up in November. All they can really do is try to win their game and build that momentum to continue it, and then once they come up to Oklahoma like, oh yeah, these guys are nothing.
So we have just a couple more minutes. What did you make a prediction in today's paper? I did, Yes, I'm guessing. Let me see, having been a beat writer many many years ago, and I think I may have joked with you about this because you know you make predictions about you sound realistic. So I was going to say that you picked Texas Tech to win, but I don't think you did. I think you picked Arizona to win by maybe ten.
You are very you are very close there. I think I think it was a touchdown spread. I think I gave it a forty two to thirty five, a lot of and when I broke it down, I think I was looking at it as you know. It's all we have, is.
The sample size that we have, right, It's all we can really do.
And Texas Text looks pretty good in comparison to Arizona. But the one big thing that stands out is Arizona's got a really good passing game, got a great quarterback, got a great receiver. Texas Tech is horrible in the secondary. They have not defended the pass ball at all, and they're three and nine on the road. And Joey MacGuire's tenure. That's really all I needed to say. Okay, Arizona's the favorite, probably gonna win this. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong, But just the evidence I have, that's.
What it told me. That's funny. I think the over unders like sixty five ish. I really don't know.
I'm assuming someone said that something mid sixties and you have him in the seventies, right is that?
Did you see it?
Is?
What is it around sixty five? Round sixty five?
So you have in the seventies, And I don't disregard your your get your pick because I think that's probably about accurate. They'll cover by by one if you bet that game.
I mean, every game Tech has has been pretty high scoring this year. I mean you go back to the opener, aveling against Abline Christian. That was a whopper of a game.
What was it?
There was.
Eighty points, eighty some points against Cincinnati last week. So I just feel like Texas Tech offense, Texas Tech's offense, it can handle some pretty good defenses, but it can't handle good offenses. So I just think both offenses are going to flourish tomorrow.
Okay, well what's the game? Both of us from our views? One last question. We're looking forward. I'm looking forward tremendously to basketball.
You covered the team as well.
That is my primary beat.
Oh okay, so good.
You're well aware of the basketball importance in this league because you've been there for a long time. I'm a long time basketball writer here. We can't wait. I know I can't, having lived through the Pack ten and Pac twelve for the last thirty years, because every game is going to be fantastic, and I'm sure every game has been fantastic on the road and at home in the Big twelve.
Yeah, when they release that conference schedule of that last week, now you just.
Look and you can point out, Okay.
This four game stretch that's super brutal, but there's not a great stretch anywhere in that schedule because you have so many teams, yeah, that can really compete at a high level. And I'm looking at everybody's preseason who they guys in FID in sixth spots.
And everybody's thinking, yeah, you can go.
Down to six and that's a team that's the top twenty five team on question.
I think in the top ten could.
Be filled with five Big twelve teams just because it is so good and they's just kind of figuring out where the rest of the rest of the middle. It's gonna be a juggernaut again. Confers is considered the best in the nation for a while. Now, welcome to Arizona. It's gonna be a struggle. Don't be surprised if you drop some random games, because that's just.
Oh yeah, you're right. No, you've got to be up for every game. Last last question I may have led IDVI. I said the other one was last question, did you go did you cover the team when they went to the final four?
No?
No, I was not down here at that point.
Okay, so my question would have been Now, I don't remember when the question would have been, but it's that crazy.
Oh.
One of the issues is Arizona goes from the Pac twelve to the Big twelve. We're assuming it's gonna be tough. This is a cool Every weekend is going to be a grind. You move from one game to the next. It's gonna almost wear you out.
Is that the case?
And some say here at least that, okay, you're gonna get You're gonna be better for it, even if you finished fourth or fifth in the league, because you're gonna go up against some of the best teams in the country. On the other side, though, you're gonna be beat up by March.
That is kind of what I've experienced and what I've seen in the last couple of years.
As yes, this, I think that's kind of why it's hard to.
Differentiate some of these teams is because so many of them, Like every conference kind of has a style, but I think the Big Twelve it was always that physical, grinded out rock site and it's kind of expanded to Houston and Iowa State do that, but like BYU tries to completely run you out of the gym with flying around offense, or at least they did last year. It's kind of
a hybrid of everything now, so it's very different. But I yeah, I think if you look at just how Big Twelve teams have kind of stared in the UNCA term the last couple of years, it's just becomes ooh, by the time you reach margin that Big twelve term, it's like everybody's bruisom banged up and it's just hard to keep.
It going at that point, right, Right, So we'll see what happens. Forty two thirty five Texas Tech losing not a surprise by the hometown beat guy because they're out of there on the road. Thanks, Nathan, appreciate.
You all right, Thanks very much.
You well, Nathan Guice. We'll get to our thoughts here on the other side, take a break. We already kind of a little late.
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Breaking down all the xys and ohs. This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera on Box Sports fourteen fifty eight.
Hey, welcome back to I'm the Ball Hero Fox Sports fourteen fifty I'm Steve Rivera and with me today is Juan. We have about thirteen minutes. How much time me go? About twelve thirteen minutes. If you guys want to give us a call, we'd appreciate it. Five two oh four one six, seventy four forty I'd like to hear from you on Friday. Maybe give us your predictions over sixty five if that is the number abound that area, right, Nathan said seventy two.
I don't.
I don't want to dispute that because I think that's probably accurate. If I were a betting man, I would give the points. I would give the points.
But I don't.
I don't know because I don't know if you feel this way. One, do you trust this team that you cover? I think it's too early to tell.
So is that right now? As of right now? I don't you need more samples from what area? Mainly the offense.
You know, they still only put up two touchdowns last week for being a high octane offense, and they got some help in the kicking game.
Yeah, if you look back now, you're being pragmatic. Thank you for listening to me. It's just ja'son not here.
Holy yeah, I have to maybe I should be talking good Devil's advocate here, but no, seriously, I think the offense has shown in ability to struggle.
Yeah.
Yeah, a lot of people are valuehood that offensive coordinator change.
Did you see much of a change?
Yeah?
I did very very little. You know, I feel feel like there is so little change, not much of a change.
No, I feel I still feel like there was moments where they just didn't execute and there was like a bad time to call uh that place. So like, for example, we get that that first interception Genesis Smith and then we throw a screen pass to the short side of the field that almost gets intercepted right back to them.
I didn't think that was it. We also finally got our run game going last week. It's there, it's there. You can earlier loud, you're loud, I won't fire you.
Goodness, But they they found the run game last week, or inability to be effective, and I felt like they just kept trying to go through the air when they should have just.
Stuck with Yeah, I think if there was a criticism, that's what it was. You're doing well on the ground, just continue to go under ground, but you still want to show what you have via the air. Have you seen anything and you're I'm gonna say this because I've from a few people, not just one or two, that there seems to be a difference in Tamac and not in his ability to play the game, but his sideline demeanor.
I think there was a question or two about that. No, I don't think so.
Like like someone texts me today that they were reviewing the game, and I think people read too much into things, you know, just because you do this or don't do that, that they watched the game, Tamac was not over or just not congligatory congratulates, you know whatever that world I'll try to say when the Burnett got the touchdown, you know what I'm saying, He's not He hasn't been that guy.
No, I don't think there's been a change in his demeanor at all. I think he probably just like everyone else.
He gets focused, yea, and sometimes he may not recognize it, you know, truth so different. So what if he doesn't show high fiving, hugging whatever, you know, he's you know, you know, he's still locked into the game of focus.
We also different exactly. Yeah, I feel like for him it was probably more of a yes, we extended that lead.
Yeah, internally saying that, right, yeah, yes, like a high five two. I get that, we don't know, we don't know. I still think he's a fantastic claier. I'll never stop
thinking that. But that's the second time I've heard that the you know, like after the nau gave that he was kind of like, uh, not nonchalant, but very indifferent and very different and like, you know, how come I only get to ball that to many times after the first week of craziness and he had all these records and maybe the first game was it was was a bad thing, because not a bad thing, but you know, it's set, its set, this precedent that you got it, Well, this is gonna happen all the time.
Yeah, I mean he had that terrific game week one, right, and now he's a top Heisman contender and we haven't really seen him since. I don't think that plays a major factor, but you know, it's it's still something that's there.
So so I would ask anybody who's in this room, and so I'll ask you so as this this team will go as far as whom or what.
A good time. I feel like.
The team will be as successful if they're able to be balanced on offense.
They need they need to be.
Able to balance that offense, so the run game, the run game and pass game, so the defense doesn't need to be part of that.
Although you're assuming it's gonna be good. Yeah, I feel like they've had a pretty good season up to this point.
The defense.
The defense, you know, they did struggle first half New Mexico where they came back and I think only allowed ten points that second half. You know, they had a great game against NAU. They took for a trick play to be scored on. In that game Kansas State, you know, they they held them pretty well from majority of the game.
The offense couldn't get going.
And then last week, of course, you know, two interceptions, a bunch of hits on the quarterback and a lot of batted, batted down balls, a lot of fourth down stops. You know, they they've they've found their groove and I feel like the office is still waiting to find theirs.
Yeah. I know, in the first half against against Utah. Noah was not all that great.
You know, he kind of just got through the first half how he got through it, But he had a great second half. The passes that he threw and to Burnett a couple of times and others were spot on. But of course it's like critiquing this show. Do I make it on the way two hours perfect?
No?
Do I make it an hour perfect? Probably not give you fifteen minutes? Man, give me, give you of good stuff. I still got a show Friday. Just get me through with some calls. But you know, if anybody wants to go, what what does this team need to do consistently to continue to win? What's what did I oppose to you? This team will go as far as what takes him there offense, defense, Noah, Team Mac. I think it's a combination of Team AC and Noah. Partly, like you said,
I feel like that's always going to be there. So that's assumed, that's assumed that that's always just going to be that. I'll find a way to connect with each other.
And what I've said since I think week two, the the other receivers needed a going You've seen flashes from Jeremiah Patterson, but Uh, there's.
Other people who need it going and the kid from Colorado obviously Burnette going to the tight end.
We got a call. Are you on the air and hind of the ball? Hello? Hello, Hello, you're on the air. I see it, Jim, Jim, what's the word? What's this prediction?
Well, you just asked the question one. Do they need to do consistently to win?
Yeah, run the ball?
Mhmm, run the ball, And I'll predicate my whole discussion about if they run the ball thirty times this week, thirty two times, they've got a shot at winning the game.
Yeah, that'll slow the other time down. They slows the other team down with the possession.
I'm sorry I didn't hear.
Will it slow the other team down? Thinking that they need to throw, you know, run about thirty two times? Will it slow the other team from keeping the ball exactly?
And they need to win the game of possession the clock. They have not done that yet in any of these games. And that's something that needs to be done to win consistently. And you know, I'm sure Jay's happy this week. He's probably, like I told you on my test, he's probably got him going to the super Bowl.
Now, no, he does want people to relax and get off the Brennan. Uh, you're no good Brendan.
You know that that kick.
Yeah, well, I'd just like to see more running, more ball control. And you know they were focused last week. They were they were intense, and if they continue that, they're going to be in the game and have a shot to win it.
So okay, so last week you were gonna give me a few points seventeen or whatever it was fifteen, I can't remember. Now, what are you gonna do this week?
I'm not gonna play this game like I told you. This game, in my opinion, could go two touchdowns either way.
Wow, and they could get beat by time I think, you.
Know, it depends on which Arizona we see.
Yeah, so you're you're like kwan here, you're not sold yet.
No, No, then, specifically because they can't seem to control the line of scrimmage. Yeah yeah, you know, they.
Had, they had running.
Yards accumulated, but they still didn't pound the ball in their time after time and you know, and really bruise the other team efforts right to just take the wind out of their sales. But like you mentioned at the top of this call, if they can run the ball thirty thirty two times something like that. They'll take time of possession away from the other team, and by definition, that will reduce their scoring, right right.
Yeah, So that's what i'd like to do.
You say, the first one to forty wins, first one to thirty wins, what's that?
You know, that's a good way to put it. I would say the first one to thirty five wins a game.
Okay, Yeah, I think that's a good number.
The winner anybody over thirty five because the defense at some point has to step up, and you'd assume that Arizona has a better defense than Texas Tech.
So there's your kind of advantage.
Yeah.
Their cornerbacks at u of a's cornerbacks last week, we're outstanding that Davis Kidds Smith number forty three Johnson.
He's always around the.
Ball and he tackles pretty well, and so they stepped up the defense last week. I have to give him credit for that. Yeah, but the offense got to control that ball a little bit.
Okay, thanks Jim, You'll have a good weekend. Yeah you too, Thank you, thank you. Got a got about a minute or two, right about a two minutes two I like Jim. He agreed with me about the run the ball, run the ball. Well, I think that's mostly every team, right, but but I think Arizona needs to establish that, has long need to establish that. And without their guy that would have been here from New Mexico or whatever, and that ship has sailed. I mean really, Troy and I
talked about that. If they're going to say something, which they should at some point that he's coming or not coming, so let's move on from that, so you'll stop asking the questions or start assuming.
You know that.
And obviously I'm sure the team knows, but sure, just so they can get the game plans going, they know who's yea a definitive for who's going to be who's the day like uh Conley recent Well, I'm sure they already know. I'm sure they already That's what I'm saying. I'm sure they know, but from outside looking in, you know, they want to just know who's gonna be carrying.
Yeah, Well, the it's a three headed monster, right pretty much, he's the three.
Well, I think it's down to two now you got Conley, resent O and uh Luke just red shirted.
We just read some nose down to Twood. Good for them, except that if you get hurt, you know, I'm assuming something that may never happen.
If they don't. If they get hurt, then you're kind of shaky. I feel like we're gonna see a little bit more of Brandon Johnson. He's probably probably the fifth string, but we're we just need that rotation of backs coming in and not being able to carry the ball.
Right, Okay, I will tell we have probably like thirty seconds.
Okay, let's take a break, then come back with some breaking news, right, And then we got Jake Fisher on the other side, and then Jay I messed myself up by no del soul stuff.
But we'll do that later