FULL THU POD @SpenceChecketts on Dodgers title, Jazz 0-4, BYU @ Utah, #RSL vs MIN + more(@PrizePicks)

All right, I need to dispel something right out of the gates. I'm gonna start out the show with as Sean Wertz say, I.

Think it's on Fridays.

I need a airic grievance, and I need to dispel a misconception.

I'm a fun guy. I'm a fun guy. I don't get enough credit for how much fun I am. I didn't have time.

To dress up today. I had a busy morning some adult team. All right, and if our staff here at Broadway Media wants me to continue to do this four hour radio show with which is a ratings juggernaut and brings in business to pay salaries, I don't have time to dress up and come in early to enjoy myself. But that doesn't mean I'm not fun. I want it known across our community starting today that when you hear the name Spence check its you think fun, fun guy.

Porter. You know this. We've talked about it.

When people come up to you on this show street and they're like, hey, tell me about Spence. Better looking in person, in shape for his age, good.

Lately, good hair, that's enough. Good hair, lying that was a compliment and a lot of fun. And he's a fun guy, right, those are the things you say.

That was a compliment. You're looking you're looking good, thank you. But also, I'm fun, You're you're fun, You're funk. And listen, you don't have to dress up for Halloween to be fun.

Okay.

As you can see, I'm wearing a black T shirt and black sweats today.

You look like you're dressed up as a bandit. I well, somebody who just robbed a sav or something that.

Might not be a costume. All right, fair enough, But I also had a busy morning. Sorry, I was at the DMV all day. Oh so I didn't have enough time and I'm not gonna go home and just like put on a cowboy hat. That's not a costume. That's not That's just why we're on the weekend. So yeah, I'm you know, I'm not dressing up. I'm fun too. Times we're both fun.

Eight seven seven three five three zero seven hundred text in how much fun.

This show is?

This?

This show's fun.

We'll give you a.

Gift card to something a fun gift card to do something fun from the most fun.

People on air in the market.

I would say so eight.

Seven seven three five three zero seven hundred. I'm a little.

Irritated I've been painted as somebody who doesn't like fun.

I like fun.

You had a bad night last night.

Also, also, the Yankees just completely handed it over. That fifth inning meltdown was pathetic. Hello, how are you? The name of this radio program is called The Fun Drive with Spence Checkets. I'm the host. That young man produces it. And let's get on track. All right, busy, busy show. We'll do a little world series. Honestly, that was just pathetic. And Yankees had Game one in their hands. They blew it. Yankee sad, Game five in their hands, blew it. Just

Baseball as I used to.

You know, when you do this job, you try to put your energy in places that your audience really wants. And I don't know that baseball moves the needle here like it used to. But playoff baseball is awesome. The World Series was at least intriguing. I'm sure Major League Baseball, the powers that be at the governing body very thrilled with massive numbers, the biggest ratings the World Series has had in a long time. And ultimately you get the two biggest media markets in the world. You get LA

The Dodgers were better. They deserve it.

The Yankees did not deserve to win last night and just a comedy of airs. But that piece in the Athletic outlined like essentially, and I can understand this because watching the Yankees in the playoffs prior to the World Series, it felt like they had such a powerful, powerful lineup, and then when they faced the Dodgers have the best lineup in baseball and quite frankly have for quite a while.

I don't know what the Yankees are gonna do.

Wan Soto came out today, was like, yeah, I'm opening to every club. He's just gonna go to the highest bidder, as most players do as they get a little bit older. But fifth inning meltdown. I don't know that Aaron Boone keeps his job. So maybe we'll do a little World Series. But mostly we have the local stuff to get into. Great night for the Utah Hockey Club. I bounce back win against Calgary five to one.

There for the.

Utah Hockey Club. They got their offense back. Good to see Sergachev on a power play goal. Gumpter got his sixth of the year. The Utah Jazz welcome in Victor Wi, Manyama and the San Antonio Spurs. The Jazz are now the only team in the NBA that have not won a game, and I'll tell you I'm here for it for eighty two.

Please just do what.

You have to do to maintain your draft capital to try to get a legitimate good piece in the draft next year. Only four NBA games Tonight, the NBA TV Night as it's known around people who watch basketball, Milwaukee, Memphis and then Phoenix and the LA Clippers Houston Dallas go at it. Then, of course the aforementioned Spurs Jazz game at the Delta Center, So head on, doubt if you want to see some jazz basketball. Inching closer and closer to the next game for real, saw Lake, it's

We'll update you on that. Of course.

After we say goodnight, you can hear the Jets and the Texans as we are your home of the NFL in this market. All right, good guest lists excited for this. Today we've got Pablo mash Joanna. I was told Pablo's not doing media. We're the only show that's gonna get Pablo, My guy pops between the loss on Tuesday and the match on Saturday, So.

We're gonna do that right out of the gates. Now, we're gonna bring in Craig.

Bowlerjack and Gordon Monson live in studio for the Big Show, Big Hour, rought to you by.

Big O Tires. Danny Knell having caught up with my guy DK from En Why that's an inside joke. He actually did a rap once.

You can google Danny Cannell DK and what and why When he was playing for the Giants he recorded a rap. Wasn't great, but you know, I appreciate the effort. Canal stops violator. Do you think you can prepare the DK in n Y bump when you bring Danny on.

I think we did that once and I don't know that he was like as excited about it as I thought he might be.

Okay, second hear we do that.

We may have and look it was Rather it's not great as a backup.

Can you prepare Gordon Hayward? Too big yo, too big yo?

Yeah?

Okay yeah for Canal White guys should never wrap unless your.

Name is Eminem. I mean the list is like one.

There's a there's a short select view.

Who else?

If you say Macklimore, then I'm going I kind of like Mac Miller. May he rest in peace? Macklimore, Yes he was. He was a good talent. So we'll bring in Canal into Taco Liotle. College football so NFL college Football, RSL, some jazz, and some NBA on a Thursday.

Our first guest will be Pablo mash Joetti.

But before we get to my guy Pops, My Guy Pops, go to see of Standard Restaurant supply check out at Standard restaurant dot com or stop by their convenient location at thirty five hundred South.

They are your tail gate headquarters. God. Now for your opening tip.

Welcome to the drive with Spence on Utah's number one Sports Talk now into the studio of ESPN seven hundred to set the scene for the show. The opening tip of the drive is brought to you by Standard Restaurant Supply, your one stop shop to build the best tailgate in town. Standard Restaurant Supply thirty five hundred Southwest Temple.

So, as we've talked about all week, it just feels odd. It's the ever changing landscape of college athletics to have both Utah and BYU football on buys for the second time this year. Now, of course, for the first time this year, Utah and BYU will do battle coming up next Saturday here in Salt Lake City at rysecl Stadium,

Actually gonna be a lot of fun. We're gonna be up at the kind of a code drive I guess for the NFL Play Association. We're gonna be up at the tailgate with Nate Orchard, with Stevenson Sylvester Isaacasciata, Jordan Wynn, and a collection of friends from down south as well, trying to gather a bunch of coats for the upcoming

For sure, make sure to come early and check out the tailgate.

It's a lot of fun. I'll be up there.

It's going to be a late kick, so we'll all be at the stadium very late. And of course, as we've discussed the cruel irony for youth fans up in this part of the world who a couple will not just cover but care about the University of Utahs that literally every single thing that we thought would happen this year for Utah football is happening about forty miles down south.

Coach witt Ad dressed the media and talked about you know and kind of here we go again.

I understand that people are feeling like this, but it will be Isaac Wilson and Brandon Rose splitting the first team reps. Although Kyle himself said that Isaac has been playing injured. That feels a little bit like the Jazz after they lost to the Clippers in the playoffs. So like, yeah, Rudy and Don were actually hurt. Well, why do you say anything before the series? He just lost, so I

Well any of their running backs.

They have five backs that have had twenty one carries or more and that doesn't even include Miles Davis is at eighteen. You know, that's where they've been injured a little bit. But lj looks healthy, he looks ready. Hinkley Rapati looks healthy, he looks ready, and Jake can run it as well. So Utah football, we're really gonna have to get back to what we've all become accustomed to as far as watching a team who's head coach is Kyle Winningham, and look, the narrative that the defense isn't

So you're gonna have to pressure him.

And even though Jake has been really good, he still has those moments where he makes those mistakes and those throws where some of them turned into turnovers. BYU has been a little bit fortunate to not have a lot of them come back and bite them, but his decision making has been better. And hopefully you taught football on the defensive side will be healthier than they ever have

Get weird more often than not.

But Utah football as of now in the Big Twelve, number two in scoring defense, number one in total defense, number three, in rushing defense, number two in passing defense, number five in efficiency. They're the best defensive team on both first and third down, but they're eleventh in sacks. They're fifteenth in fumbles forced, they're sixteenth in fumbles recovered.

Those right, that's how you win money.

And I've done it because they gave me some promotional cash as part of being a client. I've turned twenty bucks in one hundred and eighty dollars because it's just not that hard. So download the app, use the promo code, ESPN seven hundred. You get fifty dollars instantly after you play your first five dollars lineup. So download the prize a Prize Picks app today. It's in the App Store, Google Play Store.

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I know Fall is about football for a lot of you, and certainly it is for us, but it's also about football or soccer, whatever you want to call it. I'm not judging playoff soccer in MLS is dramatic, it is intense, and it continues on Saturday after a rough one on Tuesday. Our next guest, the head coach of RSL, good enough to take some time during a game week, Pablo Mash Tojo Honey on a Thursday, Pop's happy Thursday, man, how are you doing?

It's happy Thursday, spends.

I appreciate the time.

So when we had you on last and I'm only speaking for myself here, I said from my soccer pee brain, it felt like Minnesota that is scared to play with you and they just want to sit back and try to counter a little bit, and that's what they did, and it just feels like getting a goal in that scenario is really really tough, because getting a goal period is.

Really really tough.

As you look back and as you've studied the film, what would you point out today that stood in the way from you guys finding just one solution in order to get that win.

Yeah, no, I think you know, Minnesota has been a really good defensive team, and the commitment they put towards you know, playing behind the ball, and the commitment they get from eleven makes it extremely difficult. And when we create, you know, we you know, in soccer, there's a there's a static called big chances. And in that game at the weekend, we created three big chances and essentially it's you and the goalkeeper and you and and and we

So again, you'll have to forgive my ignorance.

The only time I've seen Minnesota is when you played them, and it does feel like from my recollection they do play the same regardless of venue. Are you anticipating that same style in their place coming up on Saturday?

Yeah?

You know, their coach smitten in common after the game and one of our best chances came when they came out to press us and we broke through their whole team and created a good chance on goal, and he made a reference to you know, we're at our worst when we're opened up. And so for me, just that common alone after that game, uh speaks volumes to what they're.

Going to do.

You know that they feel like, well, if we take it the currently six, we feel good about our chances. We have a game to play with. It's the onus is on a Salt Lake to come out and make the game. And what they're really good at, because they've been playing this way for quite some time, is the

Okay, so let's let's dig into some lineup decisions here, because and again this is just me asking, pontificating aloud and wondering kind of what the motivation was. So we had Matt on, we had Matt Crookson a couple of days ago, and I asked Matt straight up, like, where do you think Doogo uh fits all on the lineup slide?

You know, where's he best served? He says, he's probably best served as a ten, just like I am.

You know, we're both kind of central players, and you've been good to kind of help us understand the connecting ability of Matt crooks throughout the course of the season because the stats aren't there, but then you look at the miles ran and you know the work rate is certainly there. So let's start with the decision to go with Matt centralized and bring Diogo off the bench.

Yeah, I think for me, and this is the same conversation with Diogo, it's it's you know, I think Diego is still trying to, you know, figure out a lot of things about the league, a lot of things with our team, and he actually came in the team when we're going through a really rough time. And so my conversation with Diego is the same as I'll explain you now, is it's just understanding the role on both sides of the ball really clearly. And I think that's where Matt

Okay, okay, now you elected to uh, you know later on the game bring on Diego and uh, you you decided to take off Diego Luna. Now for my money, Pablo Diego. And this is just me, you know, kind of witnessing and watching. I feel like Diego might be in the best form of any of the attacking players right now.

So take us.

Okay, So take us through that decision.

Why you ended up to tall, you know, bringing in Diego in place of Diego Luna.

Yeah, because Diego Luna was cramping.

Oh okay.

And so again these are really good quest because again, if you just look at it from peripheral, you have no idea as as to all the different variables that go into making these decisions. So Diego was cramping, he'd been he's had a cold for a couple of days. And and again, when you're in the playoffs, it's not like we can we can wait and see if you can get through it. It's more about how do we how do we keep the same level of intensity on

Now I got to follow up how's he feeling? Obviously, if it's only cramps, that's plenty of time to recover for Saturday.

Yeah.

So again, I think the cramping piece comes from probably taking the meds. Right, So if you're sick and you got the sniffles and you're taking things that are that are going to you know, stop you up from from doing that naturally, You're you're taking water out of the system and it's not functioning the right way.

You know.

Talked to him this morning and he says, feels great. So that's a real positive heading into the weekends.

So Julio Anderson comes in for Crooks for Maddie, and honestly, when I saw Anderson warming up, I thought you were going to take Chicho off because he just continues to struggle to fire. And look, he spoiled us. I want to be very clear, like this is his fault. The reason we're all mad is because he spoiled us. He shouldn't have had the start of the season that he had.

So they're exactly right. Expectations are what leads to disappointment.

Man, hope kills us all.

I know you've never seen Ted Lasso, but I did, and that was that was the line there. So Julio for Crooks instead of Chicho to take us through that.

Yeah, No, I think it's the same thing. I'm hanging on the same thing I think everyone is. Is if there's one guy that can create a moment of brilliance

So certainly I would never tell you how to do your job. I will say this. I mean, obviously, if you ever want to come in and do four hours of radio, I'll go run training Pablo. We can we can do a straight what do they call that? Like for like in soccer, But it's yeah, it felt like when you brought brodyon and pushed a mech back to you know, a centralized midfield role, the team looked a little bit different.

And look, he's so good, you can move him around.

But I mean it's due or die time, right, So I would imagine moving forward, you like a Mecca centralized in the midfield.

Yeah.

Yeah, And again that's a byproduct of losing Bearra for three games, right. Just to be fair to Gervane, I thought he did a fantastic job filling in for Bara. But again, now from an attacking perspective, we don't have the left foot that can play balls into those areas. You know, from a more comfortable position. And so yeah, you know, again, coaching is and oftentimes it's not from a place of ideal, it's from a place of needs.

So now over to the most unfair media question of all time, because your penalty kick situation before has worked very well and Justin Glad is the one that scored the game winning penalty against Seattle. But you know the deal, when it doesn't work, you've got to talk about it. And I've heard from you know, we've had players on the show and then Donny on the broadcast. Now I believe you yourself, Pablo have talked about you know, not wanting to have your Okay, here's my five, then here's

Yeah, no, I again, we did things different, Spen. So I want to get to my intuition, which is to not have it scripted. And you know, obviously Chi show Geoger got Anderson, and you know, we had two other guys that were going to take one in front of Justin Glad, Alex Katronis and Dominic, and both those guys said that they were cramping and they didn't feel comfortable taking it right, and so as a coach, and then then you go to the next one and you say,

Right.

So you know, we'll work on those again tomorrow. But I think we've seen the last couple of weeks guys that we feel comfortable, and not that we feel comfortable, that they feel comfortable stepping up and taking a pek if it needs if we get to that point.

So let's get into some bright spots from my perspective, and then we'll talk about Saturday. Then I'll set you loose today. Dominick Dominic Mark Zuke. You know, the more and more I watch him, the more and more I feel like there's a lot to like. He created a couple of really really good chances. One to diego that I thought the Saint Claire kid was good. I mean, you got to tip your cap to their keeper, yep. But I thought Mark Zuke had a really bright match

Yeah, no, he continues to impress. You know again, I think a lot. You know what you see on Saturday, But for me, it's even deeper. It's it's a young man that's coming across to a new country for the first time in his life, moving away from his family and all of home, and learning to how we want to play, learning what this league is all about, and then exhibiting his skill sets. And I think on offense, his ability to get forward and look for his teammates

Well, several bright moments for Toronto's are left back and you know, he's kind of landed and solidified that spot. And I know how much you trust him, but I thought he was another bright spot on Tuesday.

Give me, give me your thoughts on that.

Yeah, No, I think Katronta's uh, you know, he's a gamer, he's got he's got a great mindset, he competes the right way, he's he's he's good going forward and I think more than anything else, the way he could competed, you know, against Minnesota on Tuesday was fantastic and and and and I think that's what, you know, it stifles their attack on the right side when when he's aggressive, when he's got the right mindset, when he's winning his duels, and and I think he did a great job of that.

I was proud of Zach, you know, ultimately, like when he took that, to take a shot at that speed in that weather, like he did right off his chest, I was like, well, Zach's dead. They're gonna have to you know, like I that looked. I mean, if you've ever been hit with a soccer ball, it is it's not awesome.

And I'm sure it's happened to you several times.

But I thought he stepped up in a way that silenced a lot of people that have just been crushing him all year.

So little kudos to your keeper on a on a Thursday.

Yeah, yeah, no, I thought I thought it was a fantastic performance, you know, And I think, you know, is really interesting because again, the obviously when you don't score goal there's not a lot of cheers on the on the offensive side, but the amount of cheers coming from from that side of the stadium every time he made a save was was really profound. And and and again it it it gives the guys the boost that they need, right because because again, game of soccer is hard to

Jay Glad and Oheeda I have been two of your best players all year and one snapshot PK moment will not define their contributions.

Did you do you say.

Anything the guys in that moment or do you just kind of let it die and move on and focus on.

The next Yeah, no, I think again, I don't focus in on that part of it. And like I said earlier, you know, I talk about the performance, and we performed

So you're going to luck.

Out a little bit with weather on Saturday, Saint Paul's about fifty nine degrees and no rain, and it's going to rain for three days after that. So that's good because with good weather itich means you guys can maybe express yourselves in an attacking way a little bit differently, Let's start with what getting Brian back does for you and kind of where he's at mentally after he's he's

Yeah, I think it's a it's a it's a it's a great opportunity for him and a great moment for us to go back and having you know, Jervaine on the right and and Bear on the left, and obviously his will you know, he'll pick off or Javaine left off with his with his you know, aggressiveness, his ability to to win one d one duels, and that's that's

All right, last thing that I'll set you loose.

After studying the tape and as you pointed out earlier in the interview, understanding that Minnesota is going to play the very same way, have you been able to, you know, with your staff, either look at different attacking options in the lineup or looking at different attacking tactics to try to because I think if you can just get one, I think it would change the entire scope.

Then they'll have to engage you.

And if they engage you, I have confidence you guys can outplay them. So how do you find that first solution, I guess is a much easier way of asking it.

Yeah, No, I think that's a great question, and I'd say both. So we've identified both, right, because obviously, with a change of tactics and not changing tactics, but adding wrinkles within the tactics, you're going to rely on players' natural abilities, right, and so so in order to to throw a wrinkle in the in our attacking scheme, we're going to also tweak it with with personnel that is more likely to perform those actions than asking somebody to

Well, look, man, I have cleared my calendar. On Saturday, November the eighth, at seven o'clock PM back here in our market, I'm told tickets are selling fast.

So you've got an army back here cheering you on up there. Go get it done.

Okay, let's go.

Spence, appreciate it, Bud, all right, Pablo mash Johnny head coach of RSL one more shot to create a moment and find a solution.

Saturday in Minnesota.

For fifteen years, the Big Show dominated the Utah Sports talk airwaves. First it was Craig Bowler, Jack and Gordon Monson, followed by Spence.

Check its in Monson.

Now all three are reunited on the drive. It's time for the Big Show Hour Drive it spends. Check its exclusively on ESPN seven hundred.

We've done it once again.

We're on a hot streak. That's two straight weeks, which is a streak. You get all three of us in the studio. It's time for the Big Show, Big Hour. Brought to you by Big Old Tires. It's their falling a saving sale. You can save up to one hundred and twenty dollars off a select set of tires.

But Big Old Tires, they're your one.

Stop shop for anything you need automotive repair. Check out their website Big O' tires dot com to find a location near you. Craig Bowler, Jack Gordon Monson, gentlemen, Happy Halloween.

How are you doing.

Yeah, it's good to see you guys. And I just want to know that this all happened, because you know, we got Gordon in two straight weeks with the with a special nil you know, deposit in his account.

Oh that's good, because I was afraid he was going to transfer on us.

Yeah, I'm glad we got I thought he could be in the portal.

Yeah, for sure, but we drew him back.

It's never about the money, oh never, never, No, Yeah, it's the kids.

It's always about the kids. The kids.

But right out of the gates, we've got to get Gordon's take. So we were talking about the interview I just did with Pablo Masconti, the head coach of RSL and Gordon as you know Minnesota imply. You know, they implore a tactic where they put eleven behind the ball and park the bus. As they say, tactically, how does RSL break down that that style of defense?

Attack, attack, press forward, because you kind of if they're parking the bus.

You know what, I hate it when teams do that.

You got to you gotta force them out of that, and the best way to do that is with numbers.

You know, Spence may follow up, please do I'm curious.

So with parking the bush, Gordo, how do you go about like maybe blowing out one or two tires of that bus.

Well, you don't want to do that because you want to move the bus, the entire bus, the entire bus. So you want to move the entire bus, not flatten it. No, no, you want to get it out. Yeah, just move it.

And movement.

Well, you know this from all the sports that you've covered through the years and spency.

You play a lot of sports.

Movement, movement is really important, good form and movement. If RSOL does that, I think they'll be overcome.

Last one here, because you're a historian of sorts.

Which manager, historically speaking, has been most successful at attacking this type of defense.

Oh man, that's a tough one because you know, I think it might be Carl Fisher.

Carl Fisher, it always comes back.

He must have been quite the savant because it always lands on Carl Fisher.

Yeah, I don't know who he is. You know, I will research that. I want to research all.

Right, Moving on Craig, Unfortunately we have to start with just such a sad situation. Taylor Hendrix comes back and you're like, the dude looks different.

His body was bigger and stronger.

For the first couple of games, he had great individual isolation defensive moments on jaw on Luca. And I was telling you that at night there was like four different There was football, there was World Series. So I'm flipping back and forth. I get ten techs say the same thing. Did you see what just happened to Taylor switch back, do one watch? I'm not a replay when you see a lego the other way? Guy, you were courtside. What was it like in the moment and what have you heard since?

Well, you know, I just my gut dropped because in my career, I've seen so many of these leg and knee injuries and I have a tough time and the truck does too. By the way, Yeah, whether it's network and what we do locally here, it is a tough, tough replay. Sometimes we'll look back at it during the commercial break because ultimately they take you to break soon after because the medical teams come out and they did a great job getting there quickly. Hats off to Dallas.

They're really good.

They didn't win a trophy, but they were a playoff team.

They were really good. And if you look at let me just say this, the Jazz are losing and I'm here for it, all right. That's just me as you know, we've talked about it.

So if this is the deal, if it's going to be rough all year and they knock on wood, get some lottery luck. And if you've been watching the early returns of Duke basketball, you can see Cooper flag up close. I'm salivating thinking about the potential. So it gives Taylor, first of all, lucky that he's twenty. Because he's young, he'll recover. The Jazz medical team is great, and if you play the tape forward, maybe it gives Taylor some extra time to develop and these younger players to grow

I guess as long as the mental stuff comes back together. You know, I've talked to athletes before and they they're hesitant to ever admit about the mental side of overcoming a physical problem.

And if he can do that, then you're right. I agree with you one hundred percent.

Never as good as actually having an opportunity to play. But it's not like it's useless. It's not like it's a waste. But I mean, I've talked to trainers before, you know, the first guys, the doctors on the scene of something like that, and these guys have had injuries before and whatnot. But even then, the trainers told me that they count on their bodies as this is their vehicle. We all do, right, we're all human, but these guys use their bodies in their work in a way that is,

Who makes that decision?

Ultimately, Uh, you have to trust producer director where they have a millisecond or two to decide, you know, the gruesomeness of the injury. And also I think too, you know, society has changed a lot from the days of thisament on Monday Night football. You remember the match Dicks, his legs snapped in half, and how many times can you

What would you do, Spence, if you were the producer going to break? I mean, look, that's what we did. Yeah you did, and I thought it was the right call. I don't know if it was my guy travor what have you, but like in this day and age, if you want to go find that, you can in five minutes. I mean I had three texts with the video, yeah, you know, within two minutes of that happened. Multiple angles that were that were that were shown on on well what is no X and any social media outlet. You

Yeah. I think I think there's a lot to do with it.

Is to protect the moment for him, even though fans are intrigued to say worally what happened to him? You know did when I saw it again, his body weight really fell back on the right side of his leg and I think that, you know, a little stumble with his left toe shoe and then boom it just it happens so quickly in any sport injury. It's almost like you're dumbfounded and you know, getting back to what you're saying, Gordo, I think with this, from my experience, is that he

Guys.

Yeah, I mean, this is going to be a mental war about how far can I go? How far can I push myself? And the guys that work with him won't. We won't see much of them in the public eye, but they may be the most couple of most important people in his life over the next fourteen twelve to fourteen months.

After develop a trust, you do to okay, push me, don't push me too far. But when you push me and then help me overcome any kind of lingering fear.

But when you're alone, that's where it can collapse on you, whether it's dark places or you doubt yourself, why me, Oh my God.

To get into that mindset, the loneliness sets in because you know what the guys around playing, and all you can do is maybe watch and you'll maybe hit a game or two, or you're rehabbing, but you know the teammates will be important too to stay in contact with Taylor because again, being a young club, they're all trying to grow together and build this championship, you know, hopeful, this drive to a title. And now Taylor, one of the bigger pieces is out and man, you just don't

I'm sorry, I've been told this and I don't know. I'm trying to figure my own experience. But people say, who go through some sort of trauma like that, they many of them have told me that when it's the most painful moment is when they wake up.

Yeah, well in the morning. It could be two weeks later, first thing.

They wake up and they relive it all over again because they're used.

To getting up and jumping around and doing what they do.

And there it is, there, injuries there, and they have to overcome it.

You may have a nice sleep and no tell them what the dream state is, and then when you look at it, you go, I'm back and here I've got to go back and work again and work hard, harder than most.

Last thing on this because there I want to do some college football in our second segment and then there are plenty of other jazz things to get to you. But do you know anything about Taylor's family? I mean, will they be here? Because he's a young kid. I don't believe he's married. I know his family is not local. And what you said is so spot on, like and in the moments the trainers aren't there.

Hard for me to picture him just being alone at that age.

I would hope, Yeah, you know, I don't can't say for sure who has surrounded him, but I have a feeling family has come calling. And that's a good thing because that that takes care of some of that quote darkness when you know everyone else has gone away on a road trip like the jazz will starting tomorrow, and you can think about him, but you know he's not playing. He's either recovering from surgery, going into surgery, and then the long process of the rehab.

Man.

That's he's got a tough task ahead.

And you hope he's driven, Yeah, and you hope that people that work with him will drive him, even you know, to another level that he may not even know he has.

Yeah, I hope.

I mean, if there's any chance he I doubt Taylor listens to sports soccer radio.

But if you're listening, buddy, we're all behind you, all right.

I want to get something from both of you on Kyante. And I've been talking about this all week because I don't usually get too concerned about make or miss with rookies and young players and like summer league and stuff. But at this point his career at Baylor, he played in thirty three games. In college, he shot thirty seven percent from the floor in thirty three percent from three. You're one Utah, thirty nine percent from the floor, thirty

So you have a front row seat, and I want to give this on both of you.

Are you reaching a level where you're a little concerned or you just see a young kid trying to learn, uh combination.

I think what's happened to Kyante is going from a two to a one to run the show. And I think the immense pressure on him is real. Look, this is this is the NBA, and he did have eleven assistant yes, and he's trying to do things without. He's trying to cut back on turnovers as well making better.

But Gordon numbers don't lie.

I think, you know, through four I think after fifteen games for me, maybe twenties a stretch. But if this continues, then yeah, you may have an issue. There's a lot of guys who say, when you're eighteen and nineteen coming out of college, you have to learn how to shoot. I always thought that was just so ridiculous to point out. But in reality, you know, the old four year guys

I had a long conversation with Jeff Hornisack about shooting and he said I got to ask, Yeah, I figured, and he said, you go through these slumps and you've got to stay positive and he can't start shooting. You got to play your game. But Spence, the numbers you just gave out, that's more than a slump.

He's never made shots.

He just hasn't yet as a player, and so he had the one rookie record of ten threes you remember last year, and that was impressive. May have been against Dallas or San Antonio is one of the two teams on the road, but it comes in spurts.

We're talking about more consistently, and everybody thought.

After last year that there would be improvement this year and so to see him going in the other direction at this points early yet, but he's probably pressing a little bit.

You know, I think a lot now the Jazz as a whole.

I mean, I wanted to ask you guys this because it's always fun to talk with you. But when you look how many points the Jazz are giving up a game, how much does that affect their offense?

So they were last in the league last year, they're not last where they're twenty third in both points allowed and efficiency, giving.

Up what almost one hundred and twenty points a game.

Yeah, I mean, they're one of the worst teams in the league defensively this year, but it's not the worst.

And so Spence, when you were playing, what does that do at the other end? Do you feel like, oh man, we just gave up a basket here or three or something. Now we've got to make it up, you know. And then you start pressing and you get out a sword.

Yeah, And I think it puts a lot of pressure on a team Craig that just doesn't have a ton of offensive firepower right now. And look, teams are selling out to stop Lowry because of course, and Larry, you know, he's going to have to adjust to other teams running two at him, you know, because.

He's kind of all they have.

And even though Will often talks about this is not a one man show and Larry's not an isolation guy, I think Lowry's inability to make shots consistently against defensive pressure is spilling over. And then he left with a back is show. I don't know if you have an update for us there in and out of shoot around today, we'll see. I think it's a game time decision. Nothing officially. You haven't checked my phone in the last half hour. But I think he is the centerpiece and everyone comes

Well, since I'm optimist in the room, and this is true, I mean I always try to look at them.

I come here only for one reason to be motivated, uplifted, but trying to But even though it makes your job more difficult night after night after night, if this continues the way it has, I agree with us fans.

I mean this is that's the good news.

So so for fans fans want the team to win. I get that, but I would say look for improvement. Look for individual and collective improvement, because that's all you really got and if your team loses, then I mean, you don't want to see.

That, but you kind of do well if you understand the landscape, because look, I don't think anybody down there is under any premonition that this is a piece away from being a contending team. It's going to have to It's going to be a long game, it really is. And we know the deal this year. It's kind of the same as last year. If the pick is outside of the top ten, it goes to a k C and the favors deal. Now look, I chuckle, because at some point that pick has to convey right, but just

Go John Philipowski and you look good. You look good. You know, he had twelve points. He's a stretch. He could probably play five. He wants to probably more likely be a four. Like what marketing can do. Stretch a floor, hit the threes, runs the floor. Well, Keusser's had a pretty good start thus far, at least in defensive minds. He's got a couple of offensive games. But you can rebound the hell out.

Of the ball. So you know what, Gordon, You're right.

I think that fans who come to games and it's been incredible in the first three home games, this will be four or five to start the season, is that they're still there. They are still engaged, which I applaud. But I think it's the little things. If you're really a basketball aficionado, each guy you pick whoever you want to follow, whether it's Cody, whether it's Keyante, whether it's

Right one piece before you retain them, Bowler, you have to if you're trying. Everyone always talks about winning culture, right, you got to develop I'm winning culture and hold on to it. Can you keep that when you're losing.

That's one of the biggest challenges and that's where Will Hardy I think makes such a huge impact with his team. He is uber positive, at least in front of the media and when I'm watching on the floor. He understands the big picture. His his job is the developmental part, and he's going to get you know, his kicks. Whenever he sees what the final outcome will be and for the Jazz to pick up the fifth year of his deal, he knows he's got security for that point. And you

Journey of one thousand miles start starts with one step right, all right, we'll do some college football coming up next. Craig Bowler, Jack, Gordon Monson live in studio right here on the ESPN seven hundred Jahs in Action tonight taking on Victor Whenman Yama and the San Antonio Spurs. So we get a little Walker Kessler when Mayama Action. Gordon Monson and Craig Bowler Jack are live in studio.

All right. Next week is a big week.

I've always said it's like the preeminent data on our sporting calendar unless the Jazz are in the finals, or we have the Olympics or whatever. It's Utah and it's BYU football, and so let's get into it. I've been talking about this all week, because you guys certainly know better than I do. But I know enough to know that when I was growing up, it was Lavelle and BYU kicked Utah's head in every year, and it took like an Eddie Johnson miracle, Scott Mitchell miracle at one

I think they will, and they seem to be capable of extracting that blood. But in this rivalry situation, you never know. I look at them like this. Okay, if Utah plays against BYU at its lower level, it's going to get smoked. But if it plays its best and BYU plays at its lower level, now you've got a ball game. And now you've got a situation where emotion comes into play, maybe a turnover, a fumble, a pick, and then next thing, you know, hey, this thing could be what nobody expected.

And we've seen it of surprises in college football this year. To not be overly shocked if that were to happen. Is BYU the better team.

They certainly look to be the better team, and that there is a collectiveness in provo right now.

It is rare. I haven't seen it a whole lot down there. Yeah, guys in the last decade or so. Swagger, it's a swagger.

But it's a it's kind of a feeling of Hey, this is this is for real. This is my brother over here, and I'm playing for him too, not just for myself. And so when you get that going and Colonie's feeding off that right now, you listen in to their huddles and what they say, and it's all about, man, we got this, We're gonna do this, And that's a positive vibe and they're pretty damn good too.

Yeah, Craig, You've called a lot of rivalry games locally and nationally. Things can get weird. Oh, they get weird, There's no doubt. But at this point it y use a slight favorite in Vegas. It feels like most of the momentum is down. So yeah, I would think as you, I always laugh when no one would ever you know, respond to them as by us, that team. It's just just that team down down down south Urban. Yeah, never would call them. You know, the BYU Cougars.

Was at Ohio State Michigan was the team up north.

Up north.

Yeah, you know, I think this game right now on paper and the way the mental side of this, because again I'm we're talking mental today right For some reason Taylor and and his his response to his injury, this goes the same way for my book.

I mean, where where is Utah?

They've already been beaten twice at Rice Cycle Stadium, right, And I always think in rivalry games that the home field is where it's at.

That's the juice.

You know, where are the fans and are they going to bring juice that can help elevate any home team in a rivalry game like that, I'm not I'm not sure if I'm feeling that around town right now. I just drove in and here comes a pickup truck with Utah sucks BUYU roles, you know, rules on those big flag stuff on the back of a one point fifty whatever it was, and I thought, wow, man, it's it's it's starting. Yeah, it's starting. But you know, Spencer Tay,

Yeah, no one knows Gordon because we're back to now it's Brandon Rose and Isaac Wilson splitting the reps with the ones, which I never think is a good thing effort eating up to next Saturday. Although Kyle did say

So it gets back to the question that Kyle talked about with Cam Rising is is Isaac Wilson at eighty five percent better than a rose at one hundred percent? Yeah, you know, and you get into this guessing game, and of course Kyle loves living in that space because he thinks it gives him such an advantage against the opponent. But it's obvious that Kyle thinks that Isaac Wilson.

Is the better quarterback.

So if he's able to go and he's able to overcome whatever whatever problem he has, then it would be he would be the guy.

Yeah, but the.

Mystery is is he at eighty five, is he at eighty is he at seventy five or is he ninety five? We don't really know, And that adding to everything else that the Uths have been facing. I mean, when you drop four straight, Utah football is not used to that, No, not at all, and so how do you react. They are used to overcoming adversity. We've seen that in past seasons where they really came back strong, but that adversity never translated into four straight losses.

Yeah, and I think this year to Craig's point, because I've heard from five different people that have sold their tickets that are season ticket alders up there, like i don't want to be in the stadium because I'm afraid BYU's gonna thump us there. There's like this collective weight around Ute football and the fan base right now. And it's not just losing four straight. And I've said this

I thought was going to be healthy.

Sure, look who was all everyone in this state was pounding their chess Utah fans in the middle of August thinking that this thing was going to be potentially a playoff game at rise Ecle Stadium, and you could maybe smell a little bit more than that. Right with the way the new playoff system is, and no one talked about byu oh man, the poor guys Downstad, maybe they get to a ball, maybe four wins, you know, if they're lucky, they could maybe get this the Mickey Mouse Bowl.

I mean that was kind of the mentality by everybody. And they have just run the table.

I said this a week or two ago. They're still the most opportunistic football team. I think in college football. Balls bounce their way, they make hits. They're more physical, they're faster and more athletic than I think most people thought for sure.

Honestly, they didn't make any additions in the transfer report that they made some but not many.

I mean, they relied on growthrom.

I'm impressed with speed, physicality, and the athleticism that Klannie has right now.

Now.

Is that because they're all is one? You know, teams get on roles because of You can't explain it, but man, inside that huddle, there are eyeballs looking around going we got this and we're gonna do it. Well, look at when it's real. It's that that's a real deal in sport.

Look at the receiving corps, Look at that that's a that is a really talented group.

Keana Hill can't even get a target because he's got four dudes in front of him.

And they got other guys coming. It's it's just uh, I tell you. It gets back to this, and people think it's hocus pocus. No, it's real. When you have a feeling on your team that you can win, that you deserve to win. Watch what the coaches say to the b YU players before every game.

What do they say.

They say, you've worked your off and you deserve to win this game. And they believe it and they did put the work in. I mean, how else that's undeniable?

Since I hear I think here's another key to this this rivalry game. Look, Utah's defense can only do so much, and they have played down after down after down and trying to put the stops on teams when Utah's offense was just butttering and Wilson was trying to understand who he was when Cam went down. They cannot just save this team. There has to be something and Andy's gone now, so we're you know, what.

Is the new?

Is there going to be a new offens this offensive scheme that works better for Wilson and when this game is played, not a lot of time to implement it. But I'm just saying, so many things have changed, and the defense can't stay on the field all night, and they've been injured.

I mean, and I'm not going to make excuses for the Utah defense, but they've had those defensive linemen who have been absent certain times. So will they all be able to come back and play against be Well.

Well not by week helps.

You know, you can get nicks, you know, injuries heel up, especially when you're young. But still I wonder what their mental state is knowing that Cam who really I think had more leadership and love amongst the twenty two and beyond, and the disappointment of his injury, and then the inability of the offense to move without and put a lot of pressure on the defense.

So the defensive numbers are still pretty pretty good. The overall defensive numbers for Utah football. They're about top three to five in rushing, total, scoring, red zone. They're number one first and third down. They're last in the conference at fumble's recovered. They're second to last in the conference at fumbles force. They're eleventh in sacks.

So like the things that they typically do well are the things they're not doing this year at all. And Kyle always talks about winning the turnover battle, pressure in the.

Quarterback, putting the offense in a better position right with the defense, with the fumble recoveries, the force fumbles or a very important I int. But if they don't get to Jake, Jake has shown everybody if he has time, he's gonna run, which he does well, or he's gonna find one of his five like awesome whiteouts.

That to me is kind of where the game lies. Can Utah it to Jake?

Can they kind of flip the script with their inability to get the quarterback so far?

And when you of Utah football's identity, the word that comes to mind is physicality, right, And so when you're not forcing fumbles, where do fumbles come from? Every once in a while you'll see someone lose the handle and drop it. But oftentimes they get hit and they get hard and the ball pops loose, or.

They come in and make the extra grab. They swarm the runner or the receiver and they are grabbing and pulling at the old pickskin. And that's what Utah has been known to do too special teams really hasn't made a pop, which has also been kind of a factor for Wit during his time up at the U. So, yeah, it's it's been a rough year, one that nobody expected. Right, But does it change? Does it change against BYU? I'll say it, I'll say it. I'll say it twice now

What it's capable of doing. Let's say it the way it is, this team is underperformed. Would you agree? Would you talk?

Yes? I mean, I mean, I'm not talking schematically.

I'm talking they have too much talent to lose four straight games. And I don't care if Cam Rising is playing or not. This team has not risen to the occasion. And that's where he used to seeing out of Utah football. But I'm so can they rise on this next Saturday? Well, and by the way, the games, I.

Was waiting for it, I got it. I was waiting for Gordon to get upsets. So I assume you will not be there. Well, no, I don't know. Bring a blank. I'm not saying so much sad because yeah, bull soup chocolate, but it just seems like it.

Look, if Utah comes prepared and can shed this whole sort of a shadow that it's carrying with itself, is it capable of beating BYU only if b YU betrays itself.

So about the team concept you were saying with breaking me young, listen to this man, Eight different players have sacks. I'll eleven different players have an interception. Seventeen different players have scored a touchdown. That's fascinating, that's mind blowing. It is seventeen seventeen players now they've touchdown. It's like seven running backs for a while, right, But I mean, eight different players with a sack is pretty crazy.

Eleven with a pick is nuts.

But seventeen different players scoring touchdowns, I mean they're They're playing complimentary football. They're deep top to bottom, and I'm really happy for that coaching staff because they were all up here for a while.

Well.

Obviously, offensively they've scored touchdowns. Defensively they've scored touchdowns a bunch, and special teams they score touchdown. Man of how covers it. I don't think anybody on the bench is going to score touchdown. If that happens, I don't think that's allowed. No, I don't think so. But to come out and trip somebody, and your point is well made their Spence, because this is no Fluke.

But what's happening then in probo is no fluke? This team?

Yes?

Did it surprise us?

All?

Yeah?

And I'm willing to admit that the whole conference, and I've been willing to admit, like you have, Spence, and I was wrong about the youths. I'll say that, but I want to give be why you credit because what they have overcome.

They've pushed the Bowlder up the hill. That's what I mean.

They've turned this thing around, and that Bowlder was coming downhill and they've turned it around, and you've got to give them credit for that. They believe in themselves. They're much more talented than we thought they were. And that gets back to that receiving corps. Who Darius Lass or is this guy? I mean, this guy is a talent, He's real talent. But then you have Chase Roberts and you got the other I mean there's there's, like you said, Spencer's five or six of them.

Spence, I gotta go with this idea too. This is the fan idea that I have. You said something that caught my eye or my ear about five minutes ago. You know three or four fans who are selling their tickets. Where do you think those tickets go to?

They go straight to b YU fans online.

Exactly right. You turn red into blue. You you lose your home field advantage if this becomes.

An epidemic. Yeah, and so that's something to watch. Why you fans afraid they're gonna get beer? Spill them? There's no, there's not Okay, I've been on this for years. Sorry, Okay, so all the b YU fans just real quick, let me have one. I don't just make this point one more time.

For all the BYU fans are heading up to saw Lake, here's some breaking news. There's not beer in that stadium. They don't sell it. And if you're going to sneak something in, it's not beer. Okay, so maybe you get a little.

Whiskey port on it, but I promise you're not getting beer. All there is are the tailgates, and there's plenty of that flowing. But that point you're making.

What happens if BYU comes up to Rice cycles and gets a two or three touchdown lead. Does the home field advantage actually become a disadvantage at that point where your home fans are looking at you.

Like you suck.

Oh, they'll start getting boot birds. They've already been bowed up there. They have a couple of times.

I have the one game that I went to and you were there two spence and I was like, wow, yeah, I mean there was an empty shell feeling because of the high, so much hype, and then the anger I think came into play here.

Gordo.

You may have written about this, but you know, fans wanted Cam and when Cam dressed and still didn't play, there was like scratching their heads like why not? You know, well, there's reasons to it. Doctors and you know, potential nil agents or whatever you want to call them. You know, you're they're protecting the health of a player, and it disrupts you know, fans love for a team. But everyone wanted Cam so bad to perform this year, and dot Gunnett got bit again.

So we've got a four o'clock.

Danny Knell's at four, so we've got to stay on clock a little bit, which I'm horrible at but I wanted to get this from both of you because if your coach with I mean, there's nothing you can do over the final four games of the season to show everybody that you are the team that we thought that you were. That's off the table. They're not in the mix for the Big Twelve championship. But if you can have one moment against buy U, you are remembered in this community forever.

Right.

So if you're Kyle, what's your message to your players leading up to this game? Because if you do spoil their perfect season, if you do thump them a little bit in a way nobody's expecting. None of us around here are going to say, oh, yes, we thought they had that in them, because they've already shown that they fell short of expectations. But if they're able to do that, what's the conversation around these players and this team.

Well, Kyle Whittingham news flash, first of all, hates playing BYU, doesn't like this game. But if he's going to play it, believe me, he's going to pour everything he has into those utes, coming out and kicking the Cougars.

But and I you know, everyone.

Knows Kyle played at BYU, But there's enough bad blood there and not with Kilany.

Because those guys, those guys are tight, right, But.

Kyle wants to beat this team in the worst way.

So I'll say it this way.

We will see the best Utah has against BYU, more than any other.

Opponent left on the schedule.

If they are capable of hanging in there with BYU, then then we'll see that truth. But if they, I guess what I'm saying is this will be their best effort for the rest of the season that Saturday night.

If they don't, they can't. What do you think that's a great point real quick.

I think will make this their like bowl game and try to preach that throughout the week. I think they have to strike first. You cannot afford turnovers because opportunistic BYU will be right there to say hello and make you pay. If you want to sell Isaac Wilson to the fans for next year, it's that one moment where he maybe lofts a nice thirty two yard touchdown pass over the middle and Keify runs it in for six and that's it. That would be the Eddie Johnson type

That game, and it would give the fans something to at least hold on to, because right now this is a fan base that is not feeling love. Great to see you, guys. We'll do it again next week. Rivalry week will be next week. We'll see that, all right, All right, now that's that smark. He has a smark.

We're happy happy.

Hey, look, I know how you are to Halloween. Don't scare the kids. That's not possible.

Should I give out an ice cream tonight?

Either?

Melts? We've been over but see that's what he likes.

Melt Hey kid, here, full sized candy bars up where you're at in the cove. People expect the full sized candy bars and maybe a twenty wrapped around.

Yeah.

And all of a sudden, I'm feeling all this pressure like I'm going up against b YU next week or something like that.

I think a.

Finger.

Yes, good to see you, come back and see me again, Okay.

I'll say that. One last question. One last question, is one full size the equal of two. Not where you live. No people are expecting from size up in the cove. You know it. I'll tell this story real quick. I know you want to stay on. You're a goead. You're good.

Talk to Dennis Lindseay. He didn't remember Dennis co he bought a house on a street. I almost bought a house. Here we go and.

Was gobert in the backyard to build Hi a guest house.

Is your.

You can live over here right behind?

No, there was a there was a house on this street. And I went to the neighbor's house, knocked on the and I said, and this woman answered the door, who was all right? And Lisa suddenly didn't want that house anymore? But we joke about that. But I later Dennis Lindsay moved in on that He moved like right across the street from the house I almost bought. And he said that on Halloween they gave out like twelve hundred candy bars.

WoT are you procured for that? Well, I'm sure, Lisa is. You're not going to throw in a life saver, are you. Now?

This is what happens at a certain time when that bag gets empty. Then the lights go out and the doors are locked. Oh man, people expect more.

From you, Gordon, and the windows get soaked. Looks like I better go get some full size I'm not sure we have them. I was gonna say, you need to get to the store. Great to see you guys, will see you next week. All right, Thank care, Creig Butler Jack here, I'm on the call.

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They're located at five sixty four West, seven hundred South and Pleasant Grove.

Danny Canell is next right here. All right, it's a bye week for both Utah.

And BYU, second time this year that it's happened.

But they play each other next Saturday.

So a lot of exciting college football here locally and certainly nationally. Always a pleasure to welcome in my next guest, Danny Canell. Brought to you by bet Online. Check bet online dot ag for updated college football Playoff Conference, Heisman and Week ten lines DK.

Happy Thursday, brother, how are you doing?

Happy Thursday?

Spence.

I don't know if you caught the intro my walk up song, if you will, So that was a little doors by request. This is the end, the end, my only friend, the end. And I don't know if you saw the movie The Doors of course about the story and with Val Kilmer played Jim Morrison. So that's a song that's like for the teams out there now my.

Team or to State seminoles are like the prime.

Example for that one when you're just lost in the desert, you're stumbling around, tripping on some sort of acid and you just they're searching for the meaning of life and you just want it to be over like That's what I feel like is for my fan base, and maybe you talk ever late after the expectations, they came in and I thought they would too. I think they're searching for answers all over the place. You know, the seasons

That is very well said.

And just so you know, I was hoping my producer was going to play the dk in Ny rap when you came on. But I'm glad you chose your walk up song and you just you articulated where we're at perfectly. I guess I'll just follow up. I've been saying all week, Danny and I get a lot wrong. I mean, you know the deal in this busines. You do the best you can to prepare and make educated guesses. Sometimes you're right,

Oh, I'm shocked for sure. And I was like you, I thought that because I made every single you know, conference champion I picked before the season, and a lot of them. Ab I was waffling on, like, oh, do I pick Clemson or Miami in the ACC? Do I pick Ohio State or Oregon in the Big Ten? But the Big Twelve, I said, I felt most confident, without hesitation, it's going to be Utah. Now I would have said, also, now,

And if you would have told me that once again he would have injuries.

And miss most of the season.

Then I clearly would have changed my pick because that is that.

Type of loss for that program. So that clearly, you know, has kind of derailed the season for the But once again, I mean that four and four is pretty surprising, and the fact that they didn't have, you know, maybe a better supporting cast for Isaac Wilson and he's still kind of feeling his way around college football as a young starter. That's probably, you know, it's still a little bit surprising.

One more Utah question.

Cam He's having surgery this week, Danny, and he does have a I'm laughing as I say this. It's not funny that he's heard, but he does have an eighth year of college eligibility. Do you believe there are a lot of people around here that believe that this should just be like a good marriage that kind of, you know, was drawn out. You hug each other, you say thanks for the memories, you walk, you know, you kind of

I kind of I would, I must be honest with you. I kind of side with the fans and say, you know what, we'll wish you the best of luck, you know, good luck somewhere else. You know, go get some nil money somewhere else. But we've given you opportunity after opportunity, and we can't wait for the future of our program for another season.

Because think of what it does to the recruiting.

Process, right, you know, either the portal or the high school ranks, Like, how are you going to be able to get you know, another quality quarterback to come in there knowing that if cam Risen's coming back, you probably have zero chance to play. And we're talking about a quarterback who's missed the majority of the last two seasons. There's no guarantee that if he does come back, if he's going to be healthy enough to you know, to keep to be healthy to start for twelve games with

You know, change of scenery.

But I also think Utah would probably take the same angle, be like, we've really appreciated you putting your body on the line for us. But I think it's best in both interests, you know, best both parties interest if we both go in different directions.

So I think you'll be really good to provide some context here because you reference Isaac. Isaac is eighteen years old. He enrolled in April. You had the opportunity and as a Knicks fan in the nineties, Charlie Ward is my guy. You had the opportunity as a freshman to watch potentially the best quarterback in college football, and their plan was for Isaac to watch camera and then potentially take over.

It's so hard.

And we you know, we we I say we, I said, you know, analysts, football personalities, fan bases, we put so much pressure on young players to come in produce right away, and it's really ridiculous to think that, you know, a true freshman could come in and contribute and be somebody who can lead your team, you know, to a twelfth title or championship game, and you're just gonna see a lot of mistakes that are made.

That's totally normal.

And yet we treat these young players like, oh my gosh, this kid's not going to be as good as we thought, or you know, and I know there's a connection with his brother, and his brother's career didn't pan out in the NFL, so there's all here goes another Wilson that's going to be a bust. It's so much pressure and it's not fair, but it's the very harsh reality of

You know, does he want to?

You know now that he's got a little taste of playing.

And he is developing and he is hopefully getting better and better each week, and he's made some of these freshman mistakes you might lose him in the portal. Some of the other you know, schools see a flash and say, oh, this kid is pretty talented. He was pretty sought after guy. Maybe we can go get him.

It might make it.

Harder to keep Isaac Wilson if cam Risen came back. So there's a lot that goes into it, but.

It is man.

I was a player who was completely in over my head. I mean I was making sure I got the snap and went the right way on handoffs to.

Make sure the run was going the right way.

And now you talk about quarterbacks who have so much on their plate at the line of scrimmage, running systems that are way more complex, facing defensive coordinators that are gonna.

Throw a lot more at you.

It's so hard, and yet we have such high expectations. It's really not fair to younger players that are thrust into action.

Is it true?

I need to fact check here. Is it true that you were the backup to Charlie Ward? And then the other backup was a guy named John Stark.

So my freshman year, I was a true freshman.

And I was the backup.

And then my sophomore year, John Stark came in and he was the like the third string, but we would swap in and out some time late game situations because they want us both to get experienced while then we would compete for the job the spring after that sophomore year.

So yeah, he was on the team with us.

John Stark, yeah, for sure.

Was the tight end name.

Charles Oakley like, this is wild to me that we have all these ninety Nick references on one team.

That's right.

I forgot.

I was wondering where you were going at I'm like, how the heck does he know John Stark? But yes, if you looked at the roster, that is pretty wild. And the Knicks connection, especially where Charlie ended up and of course had a great career.

How about this for a Knicks connection.

One of my golfing buddies who I golf with almost once a week is Greg Anthony, former UNLV running rep and New York Nick who's a great guy and a pretty good golfer.

Every once in a while he takes them money, which I'm.

Not too happy about.

I know, Greg, please tell him I said hello next time you GOLFO.

That's awesome, awesome, good guy.

So, Danny, the irony where we find ourselves here in States. I thought Utah would have a high powered offense. I thought they'd have a physical, dominant defense. I thought they'd be dialed in on special teams. I thought the stadium wo'd be going crazy. I thought they'd be in the mix to win the Big Twelve. Well, all that's happening about forty miles south as the crow flies. What do you make of this undefeated BYU Cougar team.

It's been awesome, What a great story. And you know, I love both of the coaches in this matchup. Like Kyle Winningham, I can't say enough how.

Much I respect him and the job he's done in Utah.

In Colonie, Sataki at BYU, I would say.

The same thing.

He's one of the more liked, well liked, well respected coaches in college football. And what's crazy, it's how we've seen this role reversal just in the course of the season. Because, as you mentioned, Utah was the heavy favorite BYU. I think their win total was probably four and a half, like very low expectations with them coming into the Big Twelve. And you know last year was a little bit bumpy, but no one saw the year that Jake retslaf having

A good football team this is.

And people can keep doubting them, keep doubting them, but they keep proven the critics wrong. They creep keep proving the oddsmakers wrong, like they did last week when it closed and they were an underdog at UCF, and they go out there and pretty much spank them and run them off the field so much that UCF is firing people and you know, switching play callers. This BYU team has one of the better resumes in the whole country

Am I seeing on the DK Top ten? You have BYU at four right now?

Absolutely if you look at their strength of records. So now the other thing.

Too is my top twelve.

I like to do it the way I think it should be done. Where it is not forward looking. It's not a power ranking.

It's not who do you think is going to be there at.

The end, it's who deserves to be in the top twelve right now. And when you look at BYU schedule through this part of the season, we're at.

Seven and eight games.

We only have one more month of the season left. When you've play and beaten this many teams, to me, it means you're one of the best teams in the country. And I know, we get cute with, well, this team has a good loss, and Notre Dame fans are mad at me because their win against A and M was better than any BYU you know win, And I'm like, well, what about Notre Dame's loss they lost to Northern Illinois.

So talk to me about the dynamic Danny of a rivalry game, which is where we find ourselves here next week with BYU rolling in a salt lake. I believe last night BYU is still a slight favorite. And your guy that played in an era where FSU Miami was like the biggest rivalry you could find. And that was when I grew up learning to love college football and

And we've seen this game get weird so many times.

So Brigham Young rolls up here undefeated Utah reeling any thoughts on what we could see next Saturday.

Totally Spence, and you nailed it the one thing I never was in very and I'm very thankful for this. And we had two rivals because we had Miami and we had Florida, and they were both in the state. And there was a saying that said, the National Championship runs through the state of Florida, because there was a really good chance one of the three schools was going to be playing in the National Championship Game once the season ended. But they always met more and most most

The role of spoiler, right, and they would love.

Nothing more than to ruin by us great storybook season. And the thing, the other thing that really adds some fuel to the fire is that a lot of these players, you know, some of them grew up playing against each other, whether it was in high school or seven on seven leagues. They're recruited by the same schools, you know, they run in the same circles, and now more than ever, they

They're never going to remember some.

Of those regular season games that don't that you're just conference games. They remember the rivalry games like this one.

So how many teams, Danny, do you believe still have a legitimate shot to win the Big twelve?

Oh? Man?

Uh, I think there's probably five, right, and they all start to play each other here down the stretch. Mean, it's kind of way the round robin, you know, works with that style. Because you've got BYU, You've got Iowa State, You've got Kansas State. There's three, and then there's Colorado, right, that's right there, that's up towards the top.

Who am I missing?

There's got TCU, Texas Tech, Cincinnati, West Virginia all three and two.

So maybe it's just four.

Maybe it's just those four, and I think Colorado's right there on the outside, you know, needs a little bit of help, but I do. I probably leaned for the favorites to be BYU and Iowa State, Like those two are the two you know that kind of you know have impressed me the most, have been able to win this thing and take it down the home stretch. So I think it's probably a four team race, with Colorado looking on the outside a.

Little bit in.

They've been a great story and Dion's turned that thing around and made them, you know, a contender. But yeah, I'd say it's probably a four team race.

Is there a way that this conference gets two teams in or does it feel like it's a one, big, big big league.

We have to see what happens.

An unfortunate reality, and this is what I can't stand is that, you know, the big ten in the SEC are the super conferences. They've got the most money, they've got the biggest brands, and they're probably going to by default because of all those factors, get more teams into the college football playoffs. So like, if you if you put in two Big twelve teams, you're probably gonna have to take out one of those Big ten or SEC teams and probably.

One of those SEC teams.

Like you've got Bama and LSU playing this weekend, to you know, two loss teams going to to toe to toe, I think they both should be out. Like I think two losses especially when you don't have any real, you know, big wins, like LSU is really lacking the signature win. At least Bama has the Georgia win they can hang their hat on. But I think those two losses should

Team, and then the ACC I still think has two teams.

That are going to get in, and then you've got three or four from the Big ten, and then you've also going to get the Group of five team. And so the spots just started getting taken up, and that sucks a lot of air out of and unfortunately, I think the perception of the Big twelve has to, you know, start to rise, and they have to change it by

Teams, but I would love to see it, you know.

I just think there's gonna be some carnage at the end, and the champion, the Big twelve champion, is probably gonna have one loss, maybe two at them when it's all said and done, so'll probably just get one in. But there's still a month of football left and it's been a wacky year. We'll see if they could possibly sneak in two.

Before I set you loose, I gotta kick the tires, not to rub salt in the wound on just exactly what's happened in Tallahassee. I mean, it's been rough up here, but Florida State and it.

Continues trade dispense.

Yeah, I know, seriously, but at one in seven, we're all shocked.

Is this it's a coaching thing? Is it a personnel thing?

Like?

How has this gone so poorly?

It has been the hardest, most disappointing season, and that I can remember. You know, since I played at Florida State, there have been bad seasons, like we've lost to FCS programs, we've been a five win football team. But the thing that makes it sting the worst is those expectations coming into the season, the fact that I thought they could

It's been that bad.

Then you throw in the mix of when players that don't live and die and breathe and eat and sleep next to each other and you know, are raised in the same program. Like when I went to Florida State my freshman class, we kind of had a bond with each other, and when we became sophomores, and juniors. We developed and we got better together.

There's a lot of.

New faces, and I think that's what we're going to see more often times than we think. When you hit that portal and you go portal heavy. When you hit it, yes, it can be awesome and you can run the table like Florida State did last year.

But when you miss and.

You start losing games, that foundation can really start to crumble quickly because those guys weren't there to lay the foundation.

They're just hired mercenaries.

And when that thing starts coming off the rails, I think you start to see players throwing the towel a little bit and then can really come off the rails, which clearly happened there in Tallahassee.

What do you want our listeners to know about betonline dot ag Danny, it's your best place for.

All your sportsbook needs. They got great lines, Heisman odds, they've got playoff odds, all.

Kind of information on there.

Make sure you go check it out.

As you mentioned on the website.

Thank you, my guy. It's always a pleasure. Have a great weekend.

Okay, you got a spence. Enjoy the game, all right.

Danny Kanel Dusty and Danny in the Mornings cover three podcast every single week, and he's brought to you today by our friends at betonline dot AG. Check bet online dot ag for updated college football Playoff, Conference, Heisman and Week ten lines. Danny was a great college quarterback at Florida State. Spent some time in the NFL about seven years with the Giants, the Falcons, and the Denver Broncos. He was drafted by the Brewers out of high school.

My gosh, extremely embarrassing.

We have Sports Center on in the studio so after we live here and Judge dropping a fly ball that your eight year old.

Son could have caught. It was just ridiculous. Very happy Halloween to you.

As the five o'clock hour of the Drive on a Thursday gets rolling right now, looks like we could have a little rain potentially. There are dark clouds here in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, a little rain this morning, snow up in the mountains. But as it is every day, we appreciate you making us a part of your daily routine, whether you're listening in the radio, whether you're checking out our stream online.

ESPN seven hundred sports dot com, our.

Mobile app, or maybe even our podcast too. We appreciate you guys, certainly on this Thursday.

Be safe out there.

Don't be the family that leaves the bowl of candy out and says please just take one, because you'll run into eight year olds like a young Spence checkets.

You will take all of your candy and go home.

Don't don't do that. Give out the full size candy bars. We had Gordon monson earlier. That's the deal. But most of poortly stays safe.

Have fun.

It's been fun to see everybody rolling around in their costumes here and downto in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Some of the costumes got a little loose.

I'm not gonna lie, but five o'clock hour The Drive is brought to you by Flanker. Get game day ready at Flanker Kitchen and Sporting Club at the Gateway, your ultimate destination for pro and college football watch parties. Follow at Flanker SLC on socials for exclusive game day specials and more. Reservations can be made at FLANKERSLC dot Com. All Right, the Utah Jazz are at action tonight. They're taking on the San Antonio Spurs. Jazz are actually a

A basketball game.

Of course, there's a lot of attention surrounding the unfortunate news that Taylor Hendrix is going to have his development stunted mightily with a just a super horrific sad leg injury to his looks like it's going to be his ankle and his fibula, but he's out for the year. We'll see when the surgery, you know, kind of comes down. I'm told that it hasn't happened yet. They're probably still trying to analyze what's best. But at this point the Spurs do have one win. But San Antonio is not

Most people believe he's the.

Best prospect to play NBA basketball since Lebron James, and the best prospect to build an NBA team around, because san Antonio a couple of years ago did the thing that the Jazz did not, and they did the right thing when there was a generational player available.

Wembenyama is twenty years old.

He and Taylor HENDRICKX are the very same age, and san Antonio, by going all in on being bad, including trading de Jontay Murray, a twenty five year old All Star, for not much of anything in return, knew that even if it meant you had a slight shot at Wembnyama, you had to go all in on losing games unquote developing young players. Where we heard that, oh this year, that's right from the Jazz, right So I talked about it that season, moving off Murray, they played, they played

But if they are finally.

Going about their business, because again, what's the verbiage we hear from the front office, what's the verb what's the verbiage we hear, you know, from the the powers that be, the decision makers.

This year is going to be all about development, you know, And.

Essentially that's code in the NBA for hey guys, just so you know, we're going to be really bad this year. And while I do believe the best time to do this would have been two years ago. If you're going to move off Mitchell and go Bear and very smart front office basketball people have decided they didn't want to work for this new iteration or whatever this is. Dennis

What are we telling the community.

It's very rare that you get from the team exactly what's going on behind the scenes. So you hear what they say to the media, you hear what they say during interviews, and then you kind of have to do the best you can to connect the dots behind the scenes understand exactly what's going on. It's not a coincidence that they picked up Will Hardy's fifth year about three weeks ago.

Now, remember this is Will's third year.

His fourth year option had already been exercised, but they picked up his fifth year option a few weeks ago. There are probably a number of reasons for it, but the timing certainly struck me. It's not something that happens often in pro basketball.

Reason Number one is.

Will's very bright and anybody who's ever been around him, and we've had interviews Jeff Van Gundy, coach with Will Hardy USA Basketball Steve Kerr, who said, the Jazz just signed a rising star like it feels to be a consensus that one of very few pieces that you have in place that appeared to be the correct decision. It's your head coach. So number one is you just lock in a guy you like an awful lot. Okay, so

Games whether we want them or not.

But if you have a chance to tune in, college basketball can be a rough product to watch. Not gonna lie, but Cooper Flag, the freshman from Duke. You guys have heard the name by you know by now, there's a great piece in the athletic where a writer, an NBA writer that works for the Athletics, spent a couple of weeks with Cooper Flag and his family and talking to a bunch of talent evaluators in scouts and pro basketball.

They really do. They change cities. We saw with Lebron in Cleveland the positive effect he had on his community, and you will see it in San Antonio because ultimately, guys like that, you don't miss on him, and you don't miss on a chance just to maybe luck into getting them. You just don't.

It's bad management, it's bad decision making. And I think that's what the Jazz did two years ago. But if Cooper Flagg is thought to be or I mean, look, if you guys, you know, kind of keep up with the polts of NBA basketball and you read about the draft stuff, and my guess is a lot of Jazz fans do your names like Dylan Harper.

Ron Harper's kid is going to be for Rutgers.

And by the way, his teammate Ace Bailey, what's going on at Rutgers. By the way, his teammate A's Bailey is also thought to be a generational piece. Nolan Treiori, who's a French international kid, DJ Edgecombe from Baylor, you know, Trey Johnson from Texas, Drake Powell from Carolina, like you hear people. And there's a kid who plays for Al Madrid,

Nobody's close to Boston.

OKC might be the best team in the West, but they also are as well positioned to add talent as anyone in the league, including the Jazz, who are not even close to living in the same stratosphere, in the same cul de sac is where OKC finds themselves. San Antonio still in a tremendous position to surround Victor Wiberyam with talent as he ages because of all their draft capital and relatively clean books. Right, but san Antonio has already found the thing that the Jazz are still looking for.

And I love lowry marketing. We all love lowry marketing.

If you're heading down to the Jazz game tonight, chances are one of the main reasons you bought your ticket is to watch market and play. I think he's going tonight. He did leave the other night with some back issues. I think Craig said he was a game time decision. So we'll have to see if marketing goes and certainly to be fun to watch Walker Kessler Victor wemen Yama.

The question is why didn't you allow the pick to convey Toronto? Did it last year?

I think it was the pick they had in the Yaka Pearl trade, I think with San Antonio, and it was set to convey, and they did their calculations and they decided to And this is good. This is the thing, you guys know this you watched it last year, is the Jazz started city players here there because they clearly

So bottom line, if.

This and it does appear that this is going to be a really really long, hard year for Jazz fans, team employees, players, coaches, If the long game does actually shine upon the Jazz the way it shined upon San Antonio two years ago, and the Jazz finally get that Lady luck ball to bounce their way and Cooper Flag is in a Jazz uniform this year or next year, go to eighty two, okay, because this essentially will give you some hope because right now it's a team and it's hard to have a lot.

Of hope in them.

The bottom line, so we'll see if you're heading down and enjoy the Victor Wemban Yama show. Like I said, I've never seen anything like him. An excellent song close the show with On a Halloween Thursday.

All Right, you're still young.

I know you're an old soul, but you're still a young And when I was a young, Halloween was a night where if you wanted to get kind of weird.

You could go get kind of weird? Is that on the cards for you this evening?

Usually I would say so, but it's, you know, a Thursday. We've got football on. It's chilly. I've never been a big Halloween guy, but is I get older and older and older, it's less and less.

So yeah, I'm gonna go out and see the East and the nephew dress up out.

In draper, so I'll enjoy that. But yeah, we've got some pro football coming your way. It's the Jets and it is the Texans coming up on the other side. The Jets are a slight favorite. The Texans opened up as the favorite. The Jets are now two point five point favorite. We'll see if throw Rogan can figure it out. On a little Thursday night football, all right, Porter, before we say goodnight, to go get weird.

On a Halloween Thursday. What comes our way on a Friday show?

Uloaded Friday Show, Guess each and every segment on a Friday Show. Max Brown talking college football, Howard Beck talking NBA, Zach Harper doubling up on the NBA Daily Assist, Neil Smith talking Utah Hockey Club, Andy Larson going any which way you want to go. So we'll be jam packed on a Friday show and can go in with really any direction.

It's a great time of year. There's a ton going on.

It's a bye week for Utah and BYU, but a bevy of gray college football action, Pro football action too this weekend, which starts next with the Jets and the text and special thank you to Pablo mashjo Any Craig Bowler, Jack Gordon Monson, Danny Knell as well if you missed any of it. Website is an option. It's ESPN seven hundred Sports dot com. Make sure to download and you utilize our mobile app to listen to us.

It's the way I do.

It's the ESPN seven hundred app that's available in the App Store or the Google play Store. And then for what we do in our space, our podcast page is the way to go.

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Check its and you can select exactly what you want to listen to on your time. Subscribe, rate, review, say nice things, give us all the stars, and you will be eternally blessed. He's Porter, I'm Spence saying tonight, stay stafe out there. We'll talk to you on a Friday show right here on ESPN seven hundred