The very familiar voice, the voice of the Utes, joins us on a Tuesday bill. Happy Tuesday, sir.
How are you Spence? I'm great. I thought maybe with you know, the football schedule being released, we might get a football highlight, but I get basketball highlights are good too, and just to highlight in general from porters even better.
No, I'm proud of my guy. I just wanted to point out when my guy does a good job, and he ran a Ryle's highlight, which is a good way to welcome you into the show. Now we'll get to basketball at the moment, but of course we'll do the schedule release to start things off. And I just I'm gonna ask right off the top, why Utah BYU October eighteenth? The last time these two teams played football in October? I think you were twenty five. It was nineteen sixty seven.
Yeah, to be honest with you, I have no idea. I mean, I got the November thing, like early November, but the middle of October is an odd time for that to me. Yeah, I have no idea. Maybe they're downplaying it, maybe they don't have any other good games that day, But you would think I kind of I didn't mind November ninth last year. Sometimes you get buried on other rivalry Saturdays, but it just seems like an odd time to play it, right, smack dab in the middle of the season.
Anything else really? I mean, look the difficult part about you know, a day like today where fans just want to know, like, Okay, is it a hard schedule or is an easy schedule? Arizona State was picked sixteenth last year. I have no idea if this is a hard or an easy schedule. But other than byu Utah October the eighteenth down in Provo, anything else really jump out at you when you saw the release?
Yeah, I mean that's a good back to back right there. Here's the thing. I just until we know what these rosters are going to definitively look like. And I shoot, like you just said we knew what Arizona State's roster was going to definitively look like. They had sixty new faces and they'd go sixteenth and they finished first. I don't have a great feel for it. I mean, I
think Utah is going to be better. I mean, if Devin damp Pier is anywhere close to the guy they think he is, I think they're going to be better this year. I just quote get competent quarterback play, We'll get him there. I'm looking at that stretch that there's two three game stretches. I'm looking at the Arizona State BYU Colorado stretch, and then I'm telling you that stretch to end the year is going to be difficult. Baylor got better last year. I mean, we saw a bad
version of Baylor in salt Lake last year. They finished really strong, and that game's down at Waco. They bring back their quarterback. K State, who we didn't see a year ago, comes to Salt Lake, but they bring back their quarterback. They're a team that's built a lot like Utah. And then that final game of the year at Kansas. I'm just gonna say this, it could be possibly the two most dynamic quarterbacks in the Big Twelve squaring off again. If Devon dam Pierre continues to play how he did
at New Mexico and Jalen Daniels is healthy. So those two three games Arizona State BYU Colorado and then Baylor, K State and Kansas, and two of those three to end the season, that's those could be two tough stretches. For Utah.
Yeah, that K State game here at home. Hopefully we'll have massive implications. Obviously there's a lot of football. Well, hell, there's a lot of time between the football and then there's a lot of football between you know, the start of the season and that game. But that that game when Case State rolls into town, that certainly could be a heavyweight fight. Ultimately, the non con you know, UCLA is the first game Pasadena will see. I mean, that
program's been down for a while. And then cal Poly. You know, we all know the deal. At some point, games like this will probably go to go away. So BYU is going to East Carolina and I know that that is a contract that Tom has to honor. Is that the same thing with Wyoming? Like what's what's what's the motivation heading up to lare Me or just trying to fill a schedule?
Well, now, that game was scheduled a long long time ago, Okay, got it? In fact, I think you was scheduled almost ten years ago. And I just know this in conversations with people. It's you know, people are like, well, just buy yourself out of that game. Well, you know that's I don't know the exact figure I'm gonna guess that would be if you tried to buy yourself out of a game like that. First of all, Wyoming wants that game. Second of all, it's expensive to buy yourself out of
games with D one schools. Now, if you're playing a one double A or something like that's a little cheaper, but it's hard to do it that. It doesn't always make economic sense. So that that game has been on the schedule for a while, Wyoming will come back here. But yeah, that was that was done about. I think I think about ten years ago.
UCLA has been down for a while. You know, their first year in the Big Ten they go three and six overall, or three and six in Conference five and seven overall. I'm not going to sit here and tell you I'm ready to give you an accurate preview of the UCLA Bruins next year, but I suppose starting things off an opponent that may not be that challenging yet is out of a P four conference is some thing that you can kind of look forward to. What's your thoughts on the opening game against UCLA?
Yeah, I think so. I mean they struggled a little bit last year. Deshaun Foster. I think was their first year quarterback or head coach, had never been a head coach before. I think they got a little bit better though, as the year went along. But if you're going to play a P four school, I think UCLA still kind of trying to figure out where it falls in the Big Ten and going down there it's familiar territory. I like that as an opener, especially with cal Pauly and
Wyoming on the schedule. So I think again, based on what they did a year ago and not seeing a lot of hyper or vibe about them in the Big Ten, I think that's not a bad place to open.
Yeah, they actually, to your point, went through a stretch. Now Ethan Garber's was a senior, so he's gone. But to finish off the year the second half of the year, they won at Rutgers, they won at Nebraska, then they want at home against Iowa, and they gave Washington and Southern Cali good game before winning at Fresno to finish things off. Just the start of the season was rough. They had a pretty rough schedule. They got smoked by LSU, Oregon and Penn State and then played a little bit better.
So yeah, to your point, they didn't prove a little bit, all right. So when you look at the let's let's let's let's break this in two parts. So the home schedule is cal Poly, Texas Tech, Arizona State, Colorado, Cincinnati, Kansas State. And you know, I'm not gonna be the guy that says I missed the PAC twelve every single year, but I do and I continue to. But with the with the options bill at our disposal, that's not I mean, look,
cal Poly, you know the deal. They're going to get a check, They're going to go fund their athletic department and then we'll see what most of these teams are about. But just on paper, first glance, Arizona State, Colorado, k State. Three good conference home games.
Yeah yeah, those are three of the top six in the Big twelve coming to your place. That's Arizona State and Arizona State spans. You know, even going back to the PAC twelve days, everybody was looking for that rival of the PAC twelve, and oh it was never USC.
Come on, they played good games, but that wasn't I always felt like Utah and ASU there was a little bit of an edge and some chippiness there, and there were good games played in Salt Lake and in temp b I like that and I think that you know, as they play in the Big twelve too, that could it's kind of reagion. Utah recruits a lot of kids out of Arizona. They go ahead to head and recruiting. I like that game Dion and the Road Show comes
to Salt Lake City. I don't mind that in Kansas State, man, they're not glamorous, kind of like you know, people used to talk about Utah. They're not glamorous, they're not sexy, but what do they win a lot of football games? And that's what ky State does too. So those three games all falling kind of in the second half of the schedule. I think it's a good home schedule b Yu.
I mean, look, we did this exercise last year, and as we've already outlined, it's just impossible to know who has the easier schedule, who has the harder schedule. But BYU does return a grip of talent. Where do you think preseason top twenty five? Where do you think Brigham Young lands next year?
I've seen a lot of early polls that have them in that kind of nine to twelve thirteen range and based on what they did this past year. Okay, I don't. I don't value them quite that high. I think they're a top twenty five program for sure. I think they were one of those teams. You know, It's kind of funny. Utah was on the other side of the about ball bouncing their way, and I thought the ball bounced by US way quite a bit. I'm not saying that the
disparage program. I think they're really good. I'm not sure they're a top ten program, but I think there's somewhere between fifteen and twenty five. Does that sound about right to you?
Yeah, I would guess fifteen sixteen. What about I'm assuming Arizona State also ranked? But which other Big twelve teams are you? Are you? Are you guessing as of now will be in the preseason top twenty five?
Best guess I'm gonna say Arizona State, though I mean cam Scattaboo's a big loss. To look around at that a little bit. Kansas State's got a chance, Baylor might have a chance. Depending on the hype around Colorado, they might have a chance. I'm going to say in the preseason top twenty five that there's probably four, maybe five big twelve teams ranked, but probably not many more than that.
Utah some people are going to I mean, Bill Connelly from ESPN picked them to win the league, and I don't think you could make a case for that, certainly. I think a lot of people when they come to preseason and offseason polls are prisoners of the moment. They look back at the year before and see a down year for Utah. So it won't surprise me if the UTA are left out of the top twenty five at least to begin the season.
One more football question. Then we'll move over to some hoops and obviously get a little Super Bowl talk with you as well as somebody who has now called games in the Big twelve, and as somebody who has experienced, you know, growing up and going to school in the Midwest. Road trip options Pasadena right out of the gates, Go ahead and do that in August, play some golf, and then Porters choose to head up to the the you know, to the Wyoming Gaming wants to go to Laramie. So
we're gonna send Porter up to Laramie very early. Maybe stop at some Flying Jays and grab some chicken sandos. Not judging so Laramie, Morgantown, Provo, Waco, Lawrence, Kansas. Those are your road trip options. Give us the Bill Riley Zagat guide to trips in cities and restaurants. Where should you fans look to go?
If we're taking well, we know what the Rose Bowl is. Most ute fans know what Laramie is, so we'll wipe those off the board. I've never been to Morgantown for a football game, so I am looking forward to. I hear it's a great college town, and I hear it's a great atmosphere, and rich Rod's back at West Virginia. I think that they've got a chance to be sneaky good. It's not easy to get to. You kind of have to fly to Pittsburgh and make an hour and a
half drive south. But I would say Morgantown, Wacoh, not much in Waco, to be very fair, some BUCkies, you know, truck stops, they're okay. Kansas. It's going to be late November, so there's that. But the stadium, it's going to be a brand new football stadium, assuming they get it finished and they're not playing it Arrowhead again. Lawrence is a great college town, and Kay you's got a chance to be pretty good next year again if the Daniels kids
stays healthy. So I would rank the trips for college town atmospheres, Lawrence, Morgantown, and then probably Waco is where I would go.
All right, moving over to some hoops and I wanted to start here. And I know I can remember back in the day when we were working together every day, you had an old school picture of you interview and I think it was Roy Williams. Is that correct?
That is correct?
Have you ever called a Kansas basketball game? Like when you think about the fact that Kansas is rolling into saut Lake and you will be calling Utah Kansas basketball? Like, has that kind of landed where it needs to in that brain of yours, Because this is a pretty cool thing that you have on the horizon for your career.
I think, Yeah, I got to win. And I was in college the student radio station. We had a seat court side, so I got to call some games my senior year at Allen Field House. Nice the Utes played the Jayhawks in that one off game in Kansas City, and like, I was it fourteen or fifteen, So I did call one in Kansas City. But this will be the first time they come here, So it'll be fun. It'll be fun.
And you know, Kansas is good, they're talented. They've been a little bit up and down. But I don't know what's going on with Iowa State. They were top five. Now they've lost three straight. But let's get over there to the Utes now. And you know, ultimately, after winning three straight games in the Big twelve, including a win over Brigham Young, maybe some folks got a little bit over their skis with excitement. And of course since then
it's you know, losing three or four. Since you and I last spoke though, a trip to Oklahoma State, where it was kind of like, all right, they're kind of in this, but I don't feel like they're gonna get over the hump. They couldn't get over that like seven or eight point deficit. Every time they would make a little bit of a charge, turnovers, they missed a shot, Oklahoma State would capitalize. So it felt like Oklahoma State was in control most of the game, although Utah did
keep it competitive. Bill, if the Utes are going to try to compete for anything even semi special, you know, eight nine, you know, eight nine conference wins year one of the Big twelve. They're gonna have to find something on the road. That seemed like a good opportunity because Oklahoma State is not top shelf. But what did you make of that eighty one seventy two loss.
It wasn't a good loss, Spence, Oklahoma State had just lost Kansas State by twenty eight, you know, Utah beating them by twenty one. It was really the start of the game that did them in. Craig and I talked about on the Coaches Show last night. They just they didn't come out on the defensive end with great energy, and they let Oklahoma State kind of dictate. And Oklahoma State's not a great offensive basketball team, but they let them dictated home, and they got down like twelve three
and then fifteen to five. And they always, as you were just kind of alluding to, they were always kind of just playing from behind just a little bit, and they just you know, again, teams are going to play well at home. They were kind of a wounded animal. But you know, with a chance to kind of get a season sweep against a team, especially on the defensive end, they in Oklahoma State get to the line too many times.
So it was a disappointing loss for sure. Tomorrow night's about the closest thing you have to a chance for a really easy bounce back. Colorado is really struggling right now. They've lost ten in a row, haven't won a big twelve game yet. You're back at home tomorrow night, so you got to circle. Tomorrow night is one of those get well games.
Has Craig said anything to you about because we had Craig on the show on Friday and I asked him, and whenever you say tinkering to a coach, you kind of cringe because you know they take that as an insult. But the rotations and the lineups, like every night, it feels like it's different every night. There's a guy who didn't get run the game before who comes back and
gets seventeen eighteen minutes. Is this kind of like he's going to bring whatever the night needs rotationally or do you think he's still trying to figure out sort of what hand he's been dealt now.
I think he's trying to figure out who's going to bring it for him sometimes, if that makes sense. You know, it's really been up and down at the point guard spot. Miro Little had that great game against Baylor, and he struggled the last couple of games. Mike Sharp Johns had some struggles, but now he's playing a little bit better. And you know, boy, if you want to be consistent at any one position on the floor, you'd love for that point guard to be that spot where you're consistent.
So I think Craig and his staff are just trying to search for those guys that are going to give him not one game of consistency, but several games of consistency. And I think that's why you've seen some of the some of the lineups.
All Right, you already alluded to this, but let's just get a thought before we get over the super Bowl. Let's get a thought on the game tomorrow night. Say it is Colorado and Colorado is probably the worst team in the conference because you know, oh to ten. And then look at West Virginia at Cincinnati. I said this after the Cincinnati win. I'm like, look like I said to you, they have to find some road wins. And it felt like that a four game stretch with three
on the road, with some winnable games. West Virginia solid and that's a tough place to get a win. I'm not saying that that would be a cake walk, but ultimately they also have Cincinnati, who they already beat. So your thoughts on just a must win game tomorrow here in Salt Lake, then give me a quick thought on the two game Roady after that.
Yeah, the Colorado game is one you've got to have. Again, as mentioned, they've lost ten in a row. They're just they've had some injuries. They don't have the same talent that they've had in recent years. He's had some NBA guys in recent years, including one that's playing for the Jazz. So it's they're they're lacking talent right now and being at home and coming off the game Saturday tomorrow night's one that I think that they should they should probably get.
As far as the road games go, there's not an easy road game left. Spence West Virginia, not easy Cincinnati on the road. I know they beat them, but you know the Cincinnati team is pretty good at home. UCF it's on a UCF has beaten Kansas, they've taken Houston to the wire. They're tough. And then your other away team is going to be Arizona and BYU. So yeah, rote you know they're going to be tested on the road for sure, and then you're bringing Kansas here, West
Virginia here too. So this second half of the first half of the schedule was difficult for you. Till the first ten, they had the fourth most difficult schedule in the Big Twelve. But it's the Big Twelve. It's not like the second half's going to ease up a bunch either.
So all right, super Bowl fifty nine in the Big Easy. Hopefully somebody is going to go over to Danis Seafood and have a shrimp Poe boy in honor of Bill and Spence.
How great was that?
Oh my gosh, that was one of my favorite weeks that I've ever had in doing this for a living. That was so fun for our listeners that are wondering what you're talking about. Bill and I did a week worth of shows prior to the Sugar Bowl back in two thousand and eight, two thousand and nine, the Utah One of course, over Alabama, and we did every show at a restaurant called Deanis Seafood and they fed us
for free and it was awesome. Bill over the loudspeaker called Nick Saban arrogant, and somebody told Bill to go back to his Mormon church, to which I responded, I'm not sure that means what do you think it means to that guy? But anyway, but that was such a fun week.
That part of it, that is right. How did you forget that those arrogant Alabama fans that were in there almost they were just being so they were being so petty and just like they were patting us on all you guys are a cute little team. And then I said Saban was a little arrogant and that was really before he'd ever won anything at Alabama. And yeah, that one guy did not want to have that.
Did he go back to your Mormon church? He says to Bill. I'm like, oh, all right, well, I guess that's the low hanging fruit because we're a Utah radio station. Anyway, that was an awesome week and the game, of course, I still think that's the best individual, single win in the history of the program. But that's just me. I am stunned Bill that the line has not moved at all. It opened up at one point five. The Chiefs are still a one point five point you know point favorite man.
You know, the money line is now even. But the over runner forty eight point five. What's your gut tell you? Do you think you guys in trouble or are the refs just going to give you another Super Bowl?
Well, okay, thank you for that. They I think it's gonna be a really good game. I like Kansas City's chances. By the way, stat of the day, I read this somewhere today. Patrick Mahomes is fifteen to zero in indoor games. He's never lost the game in a dome geese, So I think it's a good if. Here's what I'll say. If they can run the ball with any real success and they get kind of a lead, seven to ten
point lead, I think the Eagles will win. I don't think the Chiefs can afford to let the Eagles get up, you know, even ten points on them, because I think if they're doing that, that means they're running the ball well, controlling the clock and keeping Mahomes off the field. If Kansas City can get off to a good start, you're
not going to stop Sakuon. But if you can slow him down, hold him to seventy five, eighty five, maybe even just one hundred yards and no, none of those sixty yard runs he seems to be breaking every other game. I think they have a good chance to win that thing.
I'm not betting again, so I'll tell you that much.
Man.
What are your plans for the Super Bowl? What are your plans for the Big Game? Anything?
Fun? I'm gonna be in Cincinnati watching the game because I'll be on the road with the Utes. Oh okay, man, all right, look, can I ask you a quick question?
Yeah?
Go ahead, please think about this.
Yeah. Please.
Because I'm kind of not doing the show day in and day out, I'm not really very plugged into the Jazz, and they're pretty terrible this year. But after all the Lucas stuff and reading all the Lucas stuff over the last couple of days, I've got to ask you, do the Jazz have a plan? Spence? I mean, if I asked you today, what do the Jazz have a plan for the next two to three years to be good? I'm not even saying great to be good again, because I'm looking. I've watched a couple of games, and I
watch all the recaps. I listened to you. They feel like they don't have any plan whatsoever.
Spence, Yeah, I mean it's the plan they have is predicated on a tremendous amount of luck going their way. That that's the issue I mean to have. No, No, it's not. And you know, if if you believe what they said as far as Xanax's media availability to start the year, he said, look, and I really believe when Danny Ains dropped a big game hunting, Xanik probably puked.
He's like, what is he doing? I don't think he liked that Danny dropped that, because when Xanik did his preseason media you could tell he was a little bit grumpy. He said, look, we tried. We went out and we tried to get good players. And Ryan Smith has been vocal and front facing about his desire. He wanted Kristaps Porzingis before he landed in Boston. He wanted Drew Holliday
before he landed in Boston. I don't know who told them that they had a chance to trade for Paul George and sign mckel bridges, but like that's that was the spin in the front office. And so I think they've simply and in my opinion, they should have done this three years ago when they broke that team down when a player named Victor Wembenyama was available. I think they have decided to do what the Spurs did when wem Minyama was available, in hopes that they can lock
into a Cooper flag. And if they can do that bill next season, you're starting front court is Walker, Kestler, Lowry Market and Cooper Flag. First of all, congrats to the Market for that. Second of all, we actually then we have something right. And then we say, okay, now
we can see this thing taking place. But if their lottery luck which nine straight times in the lottery they've never moved up, if they fall the six or seven or eight again, I mean I'm already in a space where I'm not expecting them to be really good for four to five years, and if that happens, we might reset the calculation once again. It's it's tough, man. It's a tough scene to cover the Jazz this year. There's no doubt.
Yeah. And I just say that because two or three years ago, would you deal Donovan and you deal Rudy and you're amassing all these draft picks. I get all that stuff. But even two or three years in with the Thunder, or even a couple of years now in with the Spurs, and I know they landed Wimby and all that stuff, but it felt like there. It just doesn't feel like three years into this thing we're seeing any real tangible progress. That's all. I mean.
No, and you're not wrong. And they've got a really bright young coach. But I'm afraid if they can't give Will weapons in two years when his deal is up, he might be like, all right, well gave you five years. I'm gonna go coach a team that actually has players. It's a tough scene, man. I feel for jazz fans, but they keep showing up.
Hey, by the way, just on the way out. This will make you feel good today. I was in an uber the other day and this guy goes, oh my god, Bill Riley. I'm like, hey, he goes, I just got to say you, Spence and shep were the best show that was ever in Salt Lake City and I've lived here for twenty years. Oh yes, and he included and he he did. He goes, boy, you guys used to let shef have it.
Well. I cannot deny that, man, I cannot deny that. Bill always a pleasure, my friend. Let's get together soon. Okay, Thanks Vince the Voice of the U. It's Bill Riley