This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifty powered by Nova Insurance Services. May's sure your most prized possessions, Katie z R Two SAD and iHeartRadio Station.
By Good afternoon, everybody, Welcome to Iron the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera, you're Jay Gonzalez. You have our guy Ryan with us today. It's three o'clock. Do you know where your children are?
I just wanted to say that it should be on the way home school, right, it should be or somewhere around there maybe.
But we're glad you're listening to us. Three o'clock Thursday, two days away, about forty eight to fifty three hours, fifty four hours away from a tip off for tip off KICKOFFICA. I'm thinking basketball.
I know you're already thinking basketball. Well, you don't care about fall.
Did you see did you see the Uy's meme about the roster yesterday? Did you see it yet?
No?
There's like a one hundre people on the bench, one hundred people on the bench, twenty actually twenty people. They have nine walk ons, nine walk ons. Give me, I bet you can't name three of them. Three walk on Yeah, wait, they're kind of it's kind of a trick question. Wait, wait, wait a minute, what are we talking about? Basketball?
Basketball? They got nine walk basketball walk on. I don't know anything. Oh no, Whiteman left right, he went to like I had a host state in Montana.
Okay, right, wrong, he's on the team, he's on his stay. He thought he was leaving me too. I saw the name. I'm thinking, I think he owns a seat there. So they're just gonna kind of keep on the which is fine. I was surprised to see his name on the this. Okay, that's one I guess, giving you. I don't have I don't have three. I don't have the walk on Desiree's son. Okay, okay, what's his name? No, No, I think it's Noah huh Jackson Jackson from Jackson something or you have the thing
in front of you. Okay, Jackson read first, Okay Jackson Okay. But then there's another one that you probably won't guess, but it's kind of maybe obvious. Tommy Light's kid, Tommy Lloyd's kid.
Ah ah. So he came down from Grand Canyon.
No, he was at Northern nau I think he au that's right, that's right, man. Well, if Tommy was looking for depth, he's got at it.
Now.
He's got four teams. He's got four teams.
I hadn't I hadn't seen that. I saw yesterday the twenty guys. Okay, I just called it up twenty guys.
Because somebody he'll play how many you need? Eight and he'll play eight.
How many of those guys do you?
Well, you know, come on, they gotta.
Eat Liam Liam Lloyd that must be him. Yeah, Liam Jackson Francois played at Missouri before he was at Missouri, So why came I think? Uh So, Now they got a lot of dudes, a lot of practices are going to be either borne, boring or.
H with the you know, he's gonna go to a deep so twelve dudes are going to actually plays. Well, we got to you got to. Bradley is a number zero, right, you got to Bradley, Caleb one, who's go down that list? Tayl Love is number one, Anderson Arnold does he walk on a scholarship? I think he's Anthony del Orso. Then Trey Townsend, he's a he's a he's a transfer portal. Guy kJ Lewis is five, Carter Bryant.
Between there and between there's Jackson Francois, but Carter Bryant is nine, Francoise eight, Carter Bryant is nine. Leam Lloyd is eleven. Will Kaikendahle. I'm guessing that's a walk on. He's twelve. Henry Vassar Scholarship.
Look at it. Look at it, Henry shoulder. What's the first thing you noticed?
He's got a beard.
He's sticker, he's sticker.
He looks like he got shoulders.
He was like, like, mister Tim, actually.
Looks a little thicker than than than creep.
Yeah, so he looks good. I think. Let me tell you something I screwed up last year and thinking my guy was going to be the star with a star, Yeah, the guy who school. Yeah, Philip, I'm gonna put my money. I'm gonna kick.
Henry okay, and your Vassar. And then there's white Man, Jackson Cook, Luke Champion, I'll walk ons right, Toby o' waka, he's not a walk on. No, Okay, Wilman a walk on. Emmanuel Steven No, he's a he's a freshman. Okay, Siny when Joe or something like that. And then Conrad Martinez, the.
Rudy, the Rudy of the Minute, he's gonna play sometime.
I bet you he plays it. But yeah, yeah, Tommy's been talking him up for a while now.
So hey, Tony, they're gonna have to expand the bottom because.
I'm guessing some of those guys are sitting in the back row of course. Yeah, and then you still look an travel twelve.
And then the entourage, what about don't.
Where they gonna put them all?
They're gonna take score with you hearing.
Some rumblings about certain things that are going to be going on on that side of the floor.
What do you mean to say that you're hearing anything?
Oh well, hmm, I just gotta throw that out there.
Can you bribe? Okay, I'm just gonna throw This is a news organization, you know, but I'm trying.
To balance being a news guy and being a uh, you know, being on somebody who works at these games.
You want to keep getting me stuff, so I'll get it.
Oh yeah, I told you they've asked me to go work the Phoenix, the Red and Blue game. I'm very happy.
You can't screw that up. Yeah, okay, I was gonna tell you so you were doing a little double duty today, look at you. Yeah, he went to the press cards.
I went. I did go to the press conference. They were all shot surprised to see me.
Who's the new kid you registered for this class?
Okay, I go walking in, Jeff Bugles, where are you being? I'm like, I've been busy.
You know.
Yeah, they were all there. They were like a couple of eyebrows raised that I walked in the or but then you didn't walk in, so there was like, okay, things are normal as far as that goes. I hadn't been there, you know. And we did get some clips and maybe we got to get to those because we got to we got a loaded show, right, We got guests the whole the whole day.
Tell people who we have and then we'll go to your clips.
Right, Well, Joe Tofoy is going to join us. Guy from played in the Lake the late two thousands, towards the tail end of the Dick Tomy era, uh played in the NFL. Who's the Cardinals the Seahawks? So we weren't gonna have Joe and he was, you know, very vocal when Jed Fish got hired to see what he what he thinks about Brent Brennan. I think Brendan was here, right, went too was here? Wasn't bred b Brenton grad? Yeah, So that to Foy was your ninety seventy two thousand.
So we'll talk to him about the season getting started. Same with Jake Fisher. We'll get him today instead of tomorrow because we're loaded up with our guests tomorrow and then uh, and then we're gonna have Aeron Taurres from Fox Sports Radio. He's got the tours, he's got the national podcasts, he can speak to things from a national perspective.
Uh.
And we'll talk to him in the in the final segment of the show.
And he's still heavy on Arizona stuff. He always has his interns do some stuff. So we'll talk to him about that. So let's go I want to know what the heck you asked?
Well, let's go that. Let's go that one first. You know, I just I just asked him. Uh, well, you know you'll hear the question, but it's basically, okay, you know, do you get nervous and are you is your nervousness different you know, in your first game in Arizona versus you know, your your time at San Jose State. And here's here's what he had to here's his answer to that.
But just you know, after so many months of grinding, doesn't mean to finally gets to the point where you're.
Of course the beam mad that you start to get nervous.
And that.
Last year exactly say, I think it'll be I mean, I think it has to be different. Right, this is the first game here, so it's gonna be and and you know, I have different connections to the University of Arizona that I had to San Jose.
Both places really special to me. So like that part of it's cool.
But I think there's always a little bit of nervous enthusiasm for and and also for the start of the season, so like just to get started. There's been so much work, so much time put into the last seven months. We finally get to play football. And so that part is I'm excited.
About, yeah, you know, standardized, Yeah, yeah, but I kind of I was kind of dry to him.
You know, this is a big deal, sure right, sure, And and you know he's gonna he obviously doesn't want to bad mouth San Jose State. But this has got to be a huge deal for you, right, and and what.
They ask you, So you're asking the question, what were you hoping for?
I was hoping for him to say, yeah, you know, I'm here, I'm in Arizona. I'm excited with you know, I mean, I mean, I'm in the Power five, I'm in Power for School. Uh, you know, we're playing for big stuff. We've got an incredible team. Yeah, I'm nervous. And you know, he didn't want to say. Yeah, Sam State kind of become old hat for him.
So but he's he's he might be a low.
Key not even Keel, not low key even Keel.
Yeah it's not coach speak, but even Keel is a good.
He He he got asked about the camaraderie of this team, right, because you don't have to talk. You and I have talk a million, But the locker room's got to be a bad locker room. You have a better chance of having a bad tea. Here's what he had to say talking about the togetherness of this team.
Dino Vaders talked about how the chemistry and the camaraderie is probably the best that he's seen out of all the teams that he's coached. From your perspective, what can say about the guys.
I would agree it's fantastic, And I think it's led by those leadership group, you know, those guys that.
Were you know, some of those guys were here for or.
Like the long haul, so that you know that kind of that was forged through the fire, so to speak of like not having success and struggling and working together and keep pushing and.
Then having the success they had last year.
And then I also think it has a lot to do with the guys that are our best players also or our highest profile players are also like kind of the best team guys on our team. If you're thinking about Fafita or Gunn or Stukes or you know Jacomanu or Team Ac, you know, like that's you know, Baker, like those guys have great awareness of the importance of them keeping everyone together and continuing to lean into that brotherhood.
Do you believe, maybe both of you, Do you believe that teams take on the personality.
Of the coach often they do?
Okay, okay, great, good, thank you. What type of personality do you think they're going to have given what you know or what we know about Brendan.
You know, I think I think it's going to be well. First of all, we don't know how things are behind the scenes, right, Is he more fiery than he hears like in a press conference or whatever. But then when you also think of the assistant coaches that he have, as like Duyne a Quina, right, I feel like the defense will really take on doing a keenness personality and right,
and he wants that. It's different because I think, you know, in in comparison to Jed Fish, Brennan is more of a you know, kind of on the side kind of guy. He's letting in his coaches, coach. You know, Deno baber is going to call the plays. You know that Deno Babers is leading the offense, whereas you know Jed Fish was in the middle of it. So in some case
that's why I said, in some cases they do. I think I think maybe a thing that we might see is that this he might have a calmness about it even when things are you know, crazy, right, or they might not get too high and they might not get too low, because that's what Brennan seems to do. You know, I mean, you know, when you talked about a team
taking on the personality of their coach. I think I think of the Walt Hazzard U c l A basketball teams that Walt Hazard was a big giant piece of jerkdness and his teams were that too.
Says what Arizona fans. You know, they they were you know, they they took on that personality, you know, Reggie Miller and and that group they were just they were just a bunch of big giant turns and because Walt was Yeah, and.
So so that that's an extreme example. But you think about think about Dick's teams, right, they were you know, blue collar guys, hard workers, over achieving, you know, right, you know, so it depends but not just depends, right, it depends how forceful or strong a personality a coach.
Yeah, it's Having covered Loot for twenty years, I totally agree that they do take on the personality Arizona was Loot. Yeah, you know, they prepared, they played, they prepared, they played. Sometimes they didn't, they didn't. They were too A loof is not the right word, but whatever is just below a loof is let the right.
Sometimes maybe they were a little more calm than they should have been maybe had some more urgency.
They needed more urgency. Well I saw that a few times. Was it in March?
Maybe, Steve, you're so mean?
No, okay, maybe mean, but.
I'm glad. I'm glad this room doesn't take on your personality. What are you talking about? The place is a disaster. We got to get out of here.
Okay, cool. So who's our first guy.
We're gonna have. You don't want one of the top defensive players to show very insightful the guy we haven't talked to him since they got Brandon, right because he was a big jed guy about he was in the meetings. Well he was, he was. He was initially uncertain about Jed like everybody else was, but he bought in to him and so I don't know, I think that might
have been the last time we talked to him. So, yeah, we'll see his thoughts on Brent Brannan and his thoughts on what do you expect from this team coming out? All right?
Okay?
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Streaming live I mean iHeartRadio WAPP. This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Hey, welcome back to Eye the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve rivera Hez Chicken Sauce. Now on the phone, we have Joe Dafoya, formerly a former u A football player from nineteen eighty seven to two thousand.
Joe, how are you, hey, guys doing well?
We don't do it fine? Thank you? You up in Seattle?
Yes, i am.
How are things up in the specific Northwest? Have you? I'm sure you've run into Jet at the old mall there. Yeah.
We hang out at the same places.
Man, we'll do that later.
I like to go out and I like to steal his friends and think his drinks the same way.
Came over and did us. Yeah, you're not bitter, that's cool. Hey, So so tell us excited about the year coming up?
Yeah, I mean there are a lot of things to be excited about, aren't there.
Yeah.
Friends, new coach, new look, new kids on the team. I'm not really sure what to think about this whole nil thing, but yeah, if that truly fact, there's not as much as people are thinking it does. But you know, yeah, a lot of a lot of things to be excited about, you guys.
When you well, when you saw how how how uh they were able to keep the team together whether it was how much of it was Brennan's doing or how much of it was the players, you know, deciding to do that because you know, everybody down here, I know, was worried, Okay, Jed's gone, everybody's going to follow him or whatever, and that didn't happen. What does that tell you about what's going on down here as far as all.
That goes, What that shows me is that there's a culture that's being built, and somewhere within that culture, you have great leadership, whether it's Brennan, whether it's staff, the Kina, you know, the guys that have been around for a long time, whether it's the players, the ones that came in together and vowed to stay together. You know, that type of thing. It's rare to find nowadays in this all about me culture, you know. So they're building their own over there in Tucson, and it's exciting.
So let me ask you. I asked Jay this earlier. Do teams take on the personality of coaches? If so, what type of team will this be if they do take the personality of Brennan? Well, and maybe here's another question, So did your teams take on the personality of Dick Tomy.
Yeah. Yeah, when you spend that much time with somebody, and you know, in this day and age, it's kind of rare for our teams to stick together the way
that we did back then. The coach has a huge influence and as a huge, huge influence on you as a human being and as a football player, and you really start to adopt a lot of his ideologies and his methods and the way that he you know, he was he spoke with language he would use and eventually that would turn into play on the football field, you know, like hard work, ticking together, you really start to trust
in each other. When I got into the NFL, guys like Mike Homgrin, we didn't spend that much time around him as a human you know, you spend a little bit of time on the field and some time and meetings. So I have to imagine that over there in Tucson with with coach Brennan. I think he's really trying to build the culture right now and really trying to go backwards and adopt some of those same ideologies, you know, with some of the old coaching staff. And you know,
I love seeing all the pictures on the wall. Makes me feel really old when I go there and see legendary players and legendary moments and they were like back in time, back in the nineteen hundreds. But bringing that forward into this day and age, I think it can be a special time right now for Tucson, And it could be a special time for you know, Coach Brennan and his team if they can stay together and play the way that that he's trying to get them to play.
But let me ask you when when when when you're look, and we were coming about the fact that Brent Brennan seems to be kind of a I don't want to say low key, but sort of an even keeled kind of guy. Right, He doesn't seem to get you know, super fired up and not at the same time, he doesn't get you know, really low Does a coach have to have sort of a be on one end or the other for teams to you know, as you say, get their personality or can it be somebody who's kind
of always calm and that kind of stuff? You know? I mean because that like, look, we all we all love Dick Tomy, but we saw him get fired up, you know, more than a time or two. So, you know, does a coach have to have sort of a very outgoing persona like that for for for players to get behind them.
Not for them to get behind them, but if you're looking for a team to be fiery and for them to adopt the personality of their head coach, I would say that Brennan is a guy who is going to keep things together. He's going to appear calm. He's going to But I don't know if you guys know him the way that some other guys we don't don't. Don't you know, he may not necessarily be the guy that you think he is. You haven't seen him behind close doors and you haven't seen him, you know, get really
spired up and get angry throw remote controls. There's a tendency to do that in all competitive people, and I don't think we've seen it come out yet. You know, there were coaches in the past that all of a sudden you saw them change in the middle of the middle of the game, middle of the season. I don't
think we've seen that out of him yet. But to answer your question, I think that truly where the personality of the team comes from is that nucleus, sort of the core of players who have been there, not necessarily the longest, but the ones that are working the hardest and the ones that are the most respected on the team, the ones that show up the practice every single day hurt or not, the ones that are providing leadership roles inside of the team. That's where the personality comes from.
And then the coach has an opportunity to influence just a handful of guys. You know, so Joe usually works.
So, Joe, you were here at one of the best times in school history for football, right, you do really well at ninety eight. I think you're probably going into your junior year in ninety nine something like that. So we talk about this all the time. You know, they have really good success and all of a sudden something happens and the next year they don't. So what would you suggest to this team to guard against this year after last year's very good year.
Well, I think one of the problems is getting distracted in the offseason looking at those numbers, buying into what people are talking about, you know, buying into the fluff, fine, into everybody's slapping you on the back saying you guys are looking good. I don't think that's going to happen this year. There's a couple of reasons. A. We're in a brand new conference and there's a lot of unknowns,
things that you don't expect. You don't know what teams are playing, you don't know them, you're not familiar with them. I mean, b you've got a new head coach and a new mentality, and I just feel like this is going to be a unique situation for the Wildcats because back then we were slapping ourselves on the back. Everybody
was congratulating us. I remember going into the Penn State game, We're ranked number four in the nation, and we would have terrible practices, terrible where I could see coaches getting upset, but nobody really wants to say anything. And then we brought that out onto the field and just got murdered. I don't see that happening. There's a Yuleman type attitude on this team right now that if they can continue to work this hard. I was just talking to Bobby
Wade the other day. These guys are hungry, they want to play, and they're ready to do They're ready to go out and play football against someone other than themselves. And I know that said a lot, but I mean, these first two games against New Mexico and who were playing Northern Arizona, those to me, they look like preseason games warm up. You know, you want to you want to get a lot of your guys extra reps in there. But we're we're not really going to see who this
team is until we face Utah. And I think, you know, if I'm reading the scene correctly right now, I think that we're going to be super competitive this year. Rare to have that happen when a new coach comes in with the new staff, but I just really feel like this team will be competitive.
Tell us a little bit about your you know, the start of the season and maybe your freshman year, did did you did you have did you shirt a year or did you play? I didn't think you're okay. So the first year that you thought you were going to play and you're going into the first you know, practice week that week, you know games coming up, you might get you know, you might see some action. What's going through your head as a you know, as a brand new player in the program.
There's a lot of excitement but also a lot of nerves. And when I look back on those days, I mean, that was a long time ago. Now, guys, right, I played. I played on that team back in nineteen ninety seven. I think about just how young I was and how inexperienced I was, and you can't there's there's no way to make up for those game scenarios and the game experience. So you got to You got some young guys who have shown traumise in high school and maybe are looking
good in the red shirt season. You're gonna put them on the field for the first time. They're gonna make mistakes. I just remember making a ton of mistakes my first year. We had a guy named coach Rich Ellerson who told me that if this was the NFL, he would have cut me. They're going to make a lot of mistakes. I'm excited because a lot of times, especially in the early games and in college, you can make up a lot with athleticism, but there's really no substitute for experience.
And so that's why I was saying, maybe it's a good idea to get some of these younger guys reps early on. In these first two games the long season, a lot of injuries happened.
Yeah, yeah, get.
Them some reps, get that experience under their belt. And really try and build momentum moving towards that first conference game.
You know, let me kind of talk about of the subject a little. So Joe Tafoya comes to Arizona twenty twenty three, twenty two to twenty three, it struggles, like you said, in the first first year and probably has you know, he's told that he's not any good or he's not gonna he would have been cut or whatever. Would you would Joe Tafoya transfer Now, given the transfer situation these days, I think.
A lot of that has to do with the influence that's around you, your parents, specifically, if your parents are inexperienced and you're surrounded by other influential people cousins, coaches, maybe some outside people like an agent type guy, or you know, they can easily influence you to go one way or the other. Joe Tafoya back in nineteen ninety six when I graduated high school, I'm the type of guy that I leave the dance with the same girl that I go to the dance. I ain't going nowhere.
You got to start somewhere right right, in my opinion, if you don't show who you are in the program early on and really like showcase your talent in the weight rooms, in the practice field, then you shouldn't get an opportunity to play. And the guys that want to switch over and go play for other teams. I don't know. Hey, I'm old school, so I don't I don't like that. I like the idea of, you know, sticking with it
and fighting for your shot. Yeah, there's gonna be a guy that you Yeah, you're always going to be a pupetition.
But it's like that everywhere, right, No, I think that's Joe. We don't usually have pragmatic people on our phone. Thank you, thank you, because today that's not the way it is. Oh someone beat me out. I'm going to go to another place. And what's for them to think that they're going to have it easier somewhere else?
Yeah, I mean the devil you know, o versus the one you don't. The grass is greener on the other side. It always looks better when you're looking at it through that lens. They're on this team for a reason. Somebody wanted them there, right, you got recruited or you know, they have a whole scouting department. Somebody looked at you
and they said, hey, I want this guy. When you go and you put yourself on the wire and you're going out to a new situation, there's just so many unknowns and there's not as many people in your corner as there are when you have been recruited by a team. Yes, I think about free agency in the NFL. Guys that are unrestricted free agents, they get picked up by a team, They were scouted by that team, somebody wanted them on
that team. Just because they didn't have a spot to pick them and they didn't have, you know, enough draft picks to get them, doesn't mean that they weren't wanted. If you take your chance and you go somewhere else, you know, through the portal or wherever, then you're taking a chance that you know they're you're not going to have as much support. So bid in the dead horse here. But I really in this day and age, you find
the kid that commits and sticks with it. Yeah, for all four years, it's rare now.
Right, Yeah, So let me ask you. Let me go back again in the back of the day. So did how long was your NFL career? Eight years? Eight years? So did Joe Tafoya get every last moment of the NFL career he should have had, could have had. And I asked that because you always probably want more. But at the end of the day, you got what you got. Could there have been more.
I don't think anyone ever just walks away from the NFL. I think it's very, very rare. I mean you, even way back when Joe Montana was playing, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, he still wanted to play, and he got released and got picked up by Kansas City, you know, and then you know, Tom Brady still wants to play. Guess what, you can't be a Patriot forever. I don't think there's a guy out there who would say that he got everything that he wanted out of
the NFL, even the very best of the best. So no, I didn't. The difference is when you get injured while you're playing football, the decisions made for you. So that's what happened. I got injured. I broke my foot towards some ligaments, and I came out of surgery and the doctor said, that's it.
That's all you got.
When that doesn't happen, and you have the option to keep playing, and you keep trying, and you keep trying out and trying out and trying out that leaves you with a really bitter taste in your mouth.
Right, makes sense?
So you know you mentioned these two games are like these first two games. You know, Arizona should win their favored they're ranked all that kind of stuff. But how do you keep your focus in that? Right? Because New Mexico is New Mexico. I mean, you should beat them, but there's still a Division I program.
How do you style points? Yeah, how do you.
Keep everything straight so that you don't go into that game and have something bad happen to you?
Well, that's coaching there. So coaches have to get the team prepared. They have to have a good game plan for multiple scenarios scenario. As you know, we execute, We're fundamentally sound. We look good. I've got everything that I need to see on film. Now I can start switching guys out. Yes, we're starting to make mistakes. You know,
you have to make adjustments on the fly. And I think the biggest thing that really factors into those early games making mistakes is just the preparation that goes into it in the off season. You know, you practice so hard and you train so hard all year long, all off season, to get to this first game. There's no need to overdo it. You go to the fundamentals. You know. If we're a running team, we run the ball. If we're a passing team, you know, we find a way
to block for that quarterback. If we're a blitzing team, we bring the package. Do what you do best and then let the chips fall where they may. If you're if your tendency is to be one of the scheme guys and make all the kinds of you know different you know, running sleep flickers and all that. That that to me, I don't like that, But do that, you know, whatever you do the best, right, do that?
Okay, Well, thank you Joe. Always good to talk to him. Appreciate you, good luck, enjoy the game on Saturday, all right, be well, okay, so see I never asked him about the sales stuff, so it's just fine. But we'll come back on those good stuff. He's very thoughtful, right.
He really is. You know, he's a guy who clearly, you know, really smart dude who you know, one had a career, enjoyed the career. Feels like you got the most out of it, but like everybody else you know, would have liked to have gotten more done more.
No, I agree with him. Who doesn't want more, especially when you're getting paid.
Exactly to do it exactly. All right, we're gonna take a break. We'll be back and give us a call if you want zero er one six seventy four to forty.
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This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez Son Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeartRadio app just Surgeon I on the Ball.
Hey, welcome back to Eying the Ball here Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Rivera. He's jagins awas you gotta die riding with us. We got fifteen minutes. If you want to call five two zero four one six seven four four zero, I'd like to hear from you. Good talk to Joe.
Yeah, you know I liked I like talking to these guys because you know, right they got to play and we didn't. So I like having some I don't know, trying to get some understanding of you know, what these guys go through. I know we talked to Jake about that stuff all the time. Jake Fisher, you know what was it like? Right? Because we didn't get to experience that, And that's why I wanted to say, what was it
like for you going into this first week? You know, your first game, you're going to play college football, You've been dreaming of playing college football for years and now you're here. How nerve wracking is it? Does that take over you know? All those things? Right?
Right?
I thought you're gonna ask me the question that you asked Brennan today. Do you get did you get nervous?
Yeah?
You talk about that a lot. We've talked about in the past, like and I say they don't, then I'll use this as an example. At some point, they don't for you. When you first got came on the show with me, you were nervous, nervous as hell, But eventually that wears off anymore. After time, it couldn't take it.
Nervous if you're going to show up, where you're going to show up or not.
Don't ask question. But you know what I'm saying, I do over time, over time.
It becomes right. It's what you do, right, like, yeah, that's something you're you know. Let's say you start as a freshman. Yeah, play twelve games as a freshman. Your first game the next year, you're gonna be nervous because it's the first first game. But once you start playing, you know, now it's part of your routine.
It goes away.
You don't get nervous about that stuff.
Anymore, right, right. I think we talked to Glenn Parker maybe John Pinau the Super Bowl, right because they were in it a few times. Do you get nervous? Yeah, but it goes away to the first play, right, you know, you get hit, you hit somebody in right, and everybody says that, yeah, you know you're moving. At some point it just becomes another game, which I find hard to believe. But okay, yeah that's what they want to say. Well, and it's like this, you know, you come here and
you do this. Oh really yeah, it's not easy whatever. Yeah, because people do ask me, you know, do you get nervous at the show?
They said, not anymore?
Yeah, not anymore, not anymore because it's it's numbrain surgery.
It's not brain. It's far from brand. It's like far from but we do it.
We couldn't do it otherwise, can't chase dogs? Why did not do this?
But h no, so yeah, so sure, and and it was kind of like Brandon's answer was, yeah, you know, you know you always get some nervousness, but you know, you know you've been doing this and so you just you just do it and and it's it's part of the gig.
Yeah. I do think they'll okay, they have New Mexico coming in uh and I'm you know, play psychologists on the show. If it was not in New Mexico and it was opening with Kansas States, Kansas State, you're thinking, okay, now we've got to show up, right. And it's maybe not even a nervousness, it's an anxiousness or whatever the word.
Is, because because you really hope that on Saturday that they're confident they walk in there like we're here to kick your ass, but they don't take it so for granted, you know, throwing the proverbial uniforms on the field and expecting to win. You know that, And and and that's you know that that camaraderie answer that that we got from from bread and about this team that he's got guys on the team weren't gonna let that happen.
But by the way, do we have more?
Yeah, we have a couple more.
Well we go there.
All right, let's uh I do following up on that that uh one comment though, you know, he was asked who are the captains? They haven't and now that gets it going to do some big thing on social media or whatever. So he didn't tell them who the captains are, but they're there, the captains or captains for the season. And then he did say that you know, the players vote. He said it was a landslide. He said, you're not
You're not gonna be surprised, right, So that was interesting. Well, let's talk about you know, first question out of the box was okay, this first game you guys are about ready to play. Tell us about you know, just you know, what are your thoughts you know today as to where your team is. Justin Spears asked that question.
But just you know, after so many months of grinding, what does the inga finally get to the point where you're one day off of the game.
It's just exciting.
I'm so fired up for these players and for this team and our fans, and it's just to to get the game day. It's obviously been a lot the last seven months, you know, in kind of the lives of Arizona football.
So and we're just excited to play.
It's a lot of fun, great energy of practice this week, So we're looking forward to it.
He said, seven much. It kind of flew by really fast.
No it didn't.
It dragged, No, because you were waiting. Yeah, maybe I remember just two days ago we kind of we introduced himself. He introduced him. A month or so later, it was no longer. He key, Maybe I'm looking.
Maybe I'm just you know, after the fact, thinking that was that seemed like a really long summer.
Yeah really not to you, No, not at all, very fast, very fast. It seems to me, well because of what because of.
Because it was hot and it was maybe part of it, Steve is because of the anticipation of this. So, like I told you, it was like Christmas Day is coming up, right and we're going to open our presence. But you know it's three days away and it's still like months away. It's just been it's just been taking so long. I want to get to the season and see what it's gonna look like.
Can you exchange this if you don't like it? If it doesn't fit?
No, I know, damn well, better fit, better fit.
I hope that shirt that you get tomorrow, that or whatever you get fits Yeah.
Uh what One of the one of the storylines is Cory krossky Merritt running back running back at New Mexico, Uh, playing his former team tomorrow or Saturday.
Say you still wish?
Brandon was asked, you know what do you do as far as in dealing with a player who's going through that kind of situation. Here's what there's a Brandon had to say in that. Is there any special conversation you or though out with Cory?
Just thought the emotions of the Segon that could come out.
You know what, I've a I've had a couple of players that I've coached that were kind of went through the same situation, and I think the biggest thing for them is just, you know, don't let it be about you. Let it be a out this team and because that's really what it's about anyway.
Right.
So I think Core is in a good headspace and he's excited to play well.
I think that's perfect. And I'll give you the example of of the quarterback before Noah. I'm just when he played at Washington State. Yeah, and he kind of almost did make it about himself. And maybe I'm overthinking this too, but he got he got he had twenty interceptions or whatever that it was like, you know me, he felt like it was me against.
You and and that's the worst thing you can do, right, right, And that's what and that's what Brendan said.
I think that's great.
You got to tell him to not make it about it.
Yes, and it's not.
But you're on this other team now, and go out of play with that with that team and for that team, and don't think about the the guys on the other.
Side, because the guys behind you are here for you, right And you know, if you're good, You're good.
Yeah, no, early, I'm anxious to see him, right, oh yeah, yeah right and all the things to see him. I want to see what he looks like. You know, he looks like a beast from.
I'll be happy. I'll be happy. To me, it'll be like Jacob Cowing where he comes here you tap how good can he be? Right? How could? And then he turns out to be very good, very good. So my point is everybody's it's like Brennan when when he first got the jomb Brennan, he came from santase State. How good can he be?
You know?
Oh, this kid from New Mexico.
Good?
Sometimes this works out.
Yeah, just what Just because you weren't good enough to be there three years ago, it doesn't mean you're not good enough to be here now. Sure, right, and and you know, Brandon worked his way up and he and now he's here.
Roy from from Roy Lopez who went to New Mexico State, came here with Wallace did very well. Yeah, come on. It's it's just competing against yourself and proving that you're gonna bet on yourself.
And that's and that's really one of the good things about the transfer portal is that these guys who maybe didn't get the chance, the break, maybe they didn't get seen, maybe uh, you know, the injury, or they were taking longer, too mature than you know, some kid who's a five star who's coming out of high school and he's already got the size and the speed and all that kind of stuff. Maybe takes them some you know, take some
of these guys sometime, you know. I mean I was a way better baseball player at thirty than I was at fifteen.
Right, I was gonna say, you probably didn't have good uniforms. Then you look until you get older.
Let's take this call. Hi, you're on the aar and eye and the ball.
My fellow is Jim.
What's up, Jim.
I really enjoyed Joe's interview with you folks. He made a couple of made a couple of points that really stuck out from my point of view, which were and one was on a personal level that to the kid that thinking thinking about moving around or he's not, you know, in the right place, he made an excellent point. And somebody there wanted you, somebody there recruited you, and that's where that's where.
You should be.
And then the other one is right at the end of his talk, he talks about you know what kind of team you are And the point he made that I thought was a great one is if you're gonna get beat, get beat on your best pitch.
Yep, which is which which Brendan kind of said on Tuesday or Monday Monday when he was asked, you know, how how much of your playbook will you show against New Mexico or you're going to try and keep some things, and he said, We're to call the plays we need to call to win. And that's as you say, He's gonna call his best pitches, you know, to win the game, and that's what matters more than anything.
Yeah, that's a crazy question. And he's like, we're going to try and win the game, so whatever it takes, right, I don't.
I never got into the playoffs. Well, you don't want to show them this want to show them that. I guess. I guess if I'm better and I've said this time, if I'm better than you can see whatever I'm I'm gonna show you. I'm still going to try to beat your ass with whatever play you know, Jim. Jim used to coach too. I mean, I don't care if you run a double reverse. We probably have to look for it. But guess what, Jim, if you've got a better team than me, more power to you.
Well, it's part of part of being a better team is doing what you do well.
Yeah, right, right, over and over and over, we've seen that where teams say we run, try to stop us.
Exactly exactly what. I think we're going to see some of that come first quarter on Saturday. Yeah, we're going to going to see some bruisers it in the line.
All right, we're gonna ask you, like we're gonna ask everybody else that calls it, how many wins this year?
I already told you.
Did you remember that?
Yeah?
I guess I don't remember what happened.
I think you were talking still about the Kansas State Utah kind of thing.
Yeah, it'll be interesting if they win one of those games and it might be nine games.
Yeah, you know, we feel the same way, same way, all right, Jim, pay thanks about man. I appreciate it.
You're welcome, bye bye.
No, he may he makes a good point, though, you know, you win with your best pitch and I like that.
Yeah, yeah, because you're not going to say that for later. No, what's the point. What's the point?
So what So so you know Kansas State knows you run a reverse option pass. Yeah, well they just don't know when you're gonna run it exactly exactly. I don't get and give me something like that. Yeah, they're going to be aware that that that that plays there. But how much practice time are they you vote to a play that you that they might.
Run, whether it's whether it's Speedy running it or somebody else, blah blah blah, because the circumstances changed from time to time.
Yeah, yeah, I agree with you on that.
Uh well, you know, you know, I don't coach. I just gotta write about it. But to me, it's like overthinking sometimes it is. And and you know, and coaches get kind up in that, oh yeah and they and well Chip Kelly on the line, what do you think with his little shades.
And all that stuff, And who was the old coach with the with the crew cut of Asu Todd Graham, you know he hid the same thing at the curtains and all that stuff. Like you just could just go out there and.
Playing just try to be well.
You know, I was hearing I guess this. I haven't seen it, but the Connor Stallion's Netflix thing came out, and you know, the conversation I was hearing about it was okay, So how much does sign stealing really help? How much did it really help? Or does it?
And what was there?
Two arguments? One was it If it didn't help, they wouldn't do it. But on the other hand, how much can you do in the twenty seconds they have, you know, to decipher their signal and be able to get a defense in. How much can that help?
Yeah?
Maybe it helped see one or two plays or something like that, But is it gonna you know, is it doesn't mean a touchdown in sure game? Or what?
Sure? And if if I if I know what you think, if I know what I think you're gonna do? Uh, why not just kind of maybe changed the burbage a little? Yeah? And that wasn't that wasn't there they switches it up. Isn't this all about strategy and trying it out smart? The other day? I think it is, you know, in addition to trying to just to be therassed with.
Look, Michigan was good last year. Yeah, they were really good.
Yeah? Did they need those things? Probably not, probably not.
But on the other hand, they went and got them because maybe they thought they just kies in case. They kind of thought they needed them, but they probably didn't need need that that stuff to win those games, and now they would be in trouble for it. That's another story. Okay, that's it was great. Thanks Joe to Foyer for joining us. First half. First half of the show. We're gonna be back.
Jake Fisher coming on at four fifteen. Then Erin Tauris National talk show Guy uh Talk, a podcaster from Fox Sports, is gonna be on as well, so stick around.