Ah, right, what's going on drivetime on a Tuesday afternoon. It's about fifteen minutes past the hour of two o'clock. It is another lovely fall day outside, about sixty eight degrees, clear and sunny here in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. And as it is every single day, it's going to have you along for the Riots Men's check hits behind the bike. That young man is named Porter Larson. He produces this radio program and we are jam packed as you would expect this time of year, a little bit
of everything going on. The Pro football weekend came to an end last night with a Monday night football double header, one really entertaining game and then one game that you know was close in the end, but you kind of feel bad for those two quarterbacks, Justin Herbert as well as Kyler Murray. But Lamar Jackson is insanely entertaining twenty straight touchdown passes without a pick on Monday night football. That's a record. The Bucks came back late and made
it interesting. They essentially wasted too much time at the end, but unfortunately they've lost Chris Godwin for the year and Mike Evans left that game as well. So Pro football weekend behind us. Look at you a little Thursday night football. Don't forget we are your home with the NFL here in this market. So coming up on Thursday night we will start. I cannot believe it, but week eight, oh pro football is already here and it's the Vikings and the Rams. From so far so Vikings really good team,
Rams getting better. By the way. They did announce today that they've opened up that twenty one day practice window for Puka Nakua as it looks like he is getting closer and closer to making his return for the Rams. So little pro football in the show. How about the NBA it is back? Are you excited? You're going to talk about it today? A little bit? Obviously? The Jazz get rolling tomorrow. Nick Celtics will be the early game on Turner and then Timberwolves Lakers will be the later
game from Crypto. They're still Kindatcrypto dot com Arena. How many Crypto bros do you know that are like pissed that they ever did that? But I guess that's still the deal. I always have this conversation this time of year. Are we a Jazz market or are we an NBA market? Most people still in football mode. You understand that for the NBA is back tonight and you should watch Turner this year for no other reason that this is the last year Charles Barkley and inside the NBA on TNT
will be a part of our lives now. They could come back with some sort of different version, but Chuck is usually on filter. This year he might get fired for just going crazy on air, so cannot wait for that. As the NBA's back, the Jazz is going to take on the Grizzlies, come it out tomorrow. I was on my guy JP Chunga's podcast today Roundball Round Up on the Utah Jazz podcast network, previewing the season ahead. Had my fantasy basketball draft last night. Number one pick Victor
wembin Yama on Team Stark. Starks got ejected. No big deal, so pump for that basketball is back. Of course, we will get to the college football storyline mines that have dominated the local airwaves on both radio and television over the past well couple of months, and Utah football the latest with the change offensive coordinator. We heard a lot of sound after practice yesterday. We're going to bring some
of that back around. Should Tom Allow from some players and coaches talking about Mike Pajaki and what he is tasked to do. An unenviable position in my opinion. As he said, look, the system is installed, it is what it is, and make some wrinkles here there. How much of a difference can he make? It's hard to know. But Utah heads to Houston. It's a slight favorite on the road. EYU heads to Orlando, the happiest place on Earth, as a slight favorite over UCF. They're a two point favorite.
Y you looking to extend that unbeaten start to the season. So lot going on hockey club and action tonight against Ottawa, RSL playoff match coming up a week from tonight against Minnesota and a little bit of everything kind of colliding right now which makes a lot of fun. Our first guest will be Scott Mitchell, Utah quarterback, and we'll ask Scott to walk us through the changes on staff of what could mean for the season. We'll continue the Utah
Football Conversation with Stevens and Sylvester. Amy Donaldson will stop by as well. She just released her new RSL podcast, The Making of a Moment, and then Nate Orchard Jake Weber Live in studio, the mayor of Sac Lake City. How does he feel about the current day of the utes. Its gonna bring them in studio today. Two Pelotons, two Emmys. Dave Fox will join us. I was on TV with
Dave last night at ten thirty five km YU. We call it five Questions with Spence, Scott, Mitchell, Stephens and Sylvester Amy, Donaldson, Nate Orchard, Jake Weber, Dave Fox, Me, Spence check. Its all of you the great listeners on a Tuesday, and that guy Porter Larson. There are a few things going on today? Did I miss anything? Every day I try to come into the show and talk about everything we have going on on the show and in the market. The Royals, Yeah, playing and winning. I
think you got most of it. Series on Friday and your talk playoff base. You're always gonna miss something.
Yeah, As you mentioned, World Series is this week, We've got hockey, We've got soccer, We've got playoff soccer. I should mention we've got NBA tip off this week. We've got both pro and college football to discuss. So I mean we could, if you wanted to, Spence probably do radio until the wee hours of the night.
But we'll go until five or six and say good night. From there, we'll go until six six. Yeah, we're going live, no exceptions.
Yeah, every every single day as you know, so a lot going on. Thanks for making us a part of your day. You have a lot of options to listen, and we're very grateful that you choose us. On a Tuesday, Scott Mitchell will be our first guest. But before we get to Scott, courtesy of our good friends at Standard Restaurant Supply your tailgate headquarters. Check them out online at Standard restaurants Supply dot com or stop ei their centralized
Salt Lake City location. On a Tuesday, stop now for your opening tip.
Welcome to the Drive with Spence. Check its on Youtub'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 the big storyline of course here locally when it comes to the college football world, well a couple of them, certainly one is about BYU and this incredible magical season they've had so far and will it continue? Coming up this weekend in Orlando, we'll talk some BYU football at some point, but of course, up this way, it's about where we continue to find ourselves with the Utah football
program after all of these insane preseason projections. Where we sit here today and during cross talk earlier Sean O'Connell, Sean made a comment that just hit me right across the face. We were talking about it, and you guys have heard. We had Bill on yesterday, you sly on coming up in just a little bit. I'm wondering what people who will cover Utah football, who care about Utah football, even you as a fan, if you're listening to the program, you're a ute fan. I want you to think about this.
What are you willing to continue to say about Utah football today as far as what is still on the table. Because you can get creative and create a path for something other than some throwaway game, you can do that.
Are you willing to And Sean said no. At this point, he said they're probably going to go to a bowl game, and then he paused and said, if they qualify for one, and I can't believe that's on the table based off of what we thought this team would be during the preseason, because they do have a path if you want to get creative when it comes to head to head against BYU Colorado and Iowa State. Okay, So, by all incounts
and purposes, you can hate it all you want. BYU, Colorado Iowa State are three of probably the four best teams in the Big Twelve, right, And you know, it's tough for me to stretch my imagination to have all of these teams get stung as many times as they need to get stung, even if Utah beats all three of them. That's the problem. Look, I still am holding out confidence in a coaching staff that I've seen turn teams around several times that what we've seen so far
is not close to what the team can be. I am still in that space. You might call me delusional or crazy, and I might not say you're wrong. That's just in the space. That's the space that I continue to be in, at least as of today now. As we talked about yesterday, if they go down to Houston, Mike Bajaki and the new play caller, if they go down to Houston, by all accounts and purposes, one of, if not the worst teams in the entire Big Twelve,
even though they just beat TCU. If they go down to Houston and it looks the same and they can't move the ball and Isaac is not making the right reads and they're not converting on third down, but they're sustaining some drive here there, but they can't score touchdowns and they settle for field goals. If we are sitting here Monday of next week and it's the same thing, then I think it's fair to have a conversation about
what other changes need to go down. But until something like that happens, and I'm not saying it's been good, I'm not that delusional. Until I see, you know, another scenario where it's just completely flat, I will continue to stay in the space based off the talent I believe that's on the roster and the coaching staff that has earned the benefit of the doubt to figure this thing out. I'm going to stay in the space that it can
and potentially will look much different. I don't know how much I credit that to the offensive coordinator change though, and Mike Baijenkan spoke to the media yesterday. If you missed it ESPN seven hundred Sports dot com, that's where you go to find it ed. He essentially said, look like the systems the system. Mike is not coming to Utah from Northwestern yesterday. He's not coming to Utah from Tennessee a week ag go. He's not coming in to
install a new system. Nor would you do that mid season when you're dealing with eighteen to twenty four, twenty five year olds. So it makes sense to elevate from within. How much simply will a new voice reverberate? I don't know. Sometimes I feel like that's a cliche that means nothing. And Mike doesn't have anything at his disposal that Andy didn't have. And Andy's pedigree, all due respect, is much more impressive than anything Mike has ever done. I'm not
meeting that as a knock. I mean, if Andy can't figure it out, how confident are you that Mike can't? And that's not a knock on him. I'm just not sure that this is the type of change that will lead to, you know, wholesale changes. My confidence isn't necessarily because of the change. That's the big story. I continue to lean into the talent that I believe they have when healthy, and that includes Isaac, and we've seen moments
from Isaac. We haven't seen anything extended, and there are a myriad of reasons for that, and maybe the play calling is one of them, and maybe Mike has some sort of quarterback idea that Andy that's hard for me to believe.
Though.
The positive space I continue to stay in stay on is It's the main reason why we all thought there were gonna be awesome all year. There is a lot of talent on this roster. These are coaches that have turned seasons around before, and while the schedule is a little bit more difficult than we anticipated, they're not world beaters in front of them. I think there are questions about BYU that I still want answered. They're awesome and they deserve their flowers, and they're undefeated, and that's all
that matters. No matter how you get the win, you survive in advance. And there's an emphatic period full stop. At the end of that statement, I'm not implying that they haven't answered questions. I'm just saying there are some data points available where they clearly have been fortuitous on
a number of occasions now so win championships. Luck is part of the equation every single time, whether it's luck with your own health, luck that maybe the other team is suffering from injuries, whatever it is, luck is part of the thing. So I don't bring it up as a knock. I just bring it up as if there's a game that is even with the luck factor. If there's a game where balls don't bounce byus way every single time, they're winning the turnover battle every week. That
can't happen all year. Maybe it does, and if it does, Kloane gets all the awards in a game where luck is not part of the equation, where there aren't crazy bounces, turnovers, one hundred and thirty eight yard part returns for touchdowns, and it's simply old school head to head football. What does that look like against a really good team. I still think that's a fair question to ask about BYU and Colorado has answered a lot of questions as well, But I do feel like that trip too Boulder is
not insurmountable. Utah and Iowa State are very similar. And then on the road to tend the season at UCF, they've lost three straight games like yes, this is not as easy as we thought. And BYU Colorado and Iowa State, by all accounts, are three of the four best teams in the Big Twelve. But I don't view this the rest of the way as something that's completely impossible. I know, I sound crazy, based off the data that we have.
By every metric, this is a bottom five offense in the Big Twelve with every metric outside of rushing, where I think they're ninth, third down, first down, red zone, passing, like protecting the quarterback. You know, ultimately, this is not an offense right now that's scored very high. Right So I get the skepticism. The defense has been good, not dominant, dominant in some areas. They need to get healthy too.
I just I have not jumped off the ship as of yet, I guess, is what I'm saying and talking to Sean earlier when he said the most likely scenario is they're going to play in a meaningless bowl game and then pause and said if they qualify for one, just hit me like a ton of bricks, and like, I can't believe they were here talking about Utah football
this way. But like I said, unless they go to Houston and it looks exactly the same, and they cannot move the football, and Isaac looks confused, and the play calling is is a fuddling. If that happens, I think we have a different conversation next week about a quarterback change, if you need one. What's going on above the offensive coordinators pay grade. But as of now, I still remain in the space where I think there's some hope for something special left for Utah football. I just don't know
what it is. Football hits the road coming up this weekend as a slide favorite taking on Houston. We'll get back to some of the BYU stuff as well as they look to continue there undefeated start of the season against ucf Inn Orlando. But time now for our weekly conversation with one of the best to ever do it at the University of Utah, former igute and NFL player, Scott Mitchell. On a Tuesday, Scott, Happy Tuesday, man, How are we doing?
Not bad? You know, I'm working through the week here, some interesting developments up on the hill there, but you know it's going to be a new look.
It is it is, and you're the guy for this. So we heard from Mike Bajaki and yesterday during media availability for the first time Scott and it's not surprising he said this, but he said, look, the system is in place, Like the system is the system, and they're going to be minor tweaks here there. But this is not an outside hire. This isn't an OC coming from cal or something. This is somebody who's been in house
and came here to work for Andy. So what's reasonable to expect, Scott in your experience from this new play caller?
Yeah, you know, with not having a lot of time to like implement what you do. I mean, if you're a coach, you kind of have your ideas, you have your philosophy. He's been around a lot of places, He's been exposed to a lot of different offensive philosophies and stuff, and the reality is is they're all not really that dissimilar. It's just kind of how you call things and the verbiage of things is different, but the concepts of offense
are relatively the same. And so, you know, I think he's got a pretty good handle on what Utah does. And he's smart, and it sounds like he's smart enough to realize, you know, you not going to change a whole lot here as far as you know the system, it may be some of the plays in the system. Maybe he might see that, Look, the tight ends haven't
been very involved in this. Dorian Singer, money Park. Some of these really good receivers, you know, have been limited in what they're doing, you know, from the passing game. Might sit down with Isaac Wilson and say, look, you know, let's really be honest here and let's talk about what you really like and you're really comfortable with, because we got to get you going, we got to get you confident,
we've got to get you out there. So maybe it's it's you know, kind of when and what kind of calls and who they go to, and maybe some personnel groups change, but the basic core of the offense, they'd be extremely foolish to just change all that because then no one's going to know what they're doing.
Robbie Berry, the lead, I should just ask you your reaction when you heard Coach Luod stepped away and your reaction to kind of how this played out of the course of about, you know, forty eight hours.
Well, I don't think it's something that's been short It certainly felt like something was brewing for some time and why that is, I you know, I don't know whether it was that Cam Rising hadn't come back. I mean, if you look at the very beginning of the season and you you know, Cam Rising plays half a game, looks great, throws five touchdown passes, next game against Baylor, they just come out there, they're just really on the same page and they're clicking. And then Cam gets injured
and then it just didn't look good after that. And I think this season would be completely different if that wasn't the case and Cam was was available. But you know, it's not that way. And for me, you know, my feeling just personal feeling about it and my you know, to answer your question about you know, what's my my feeling about it, it's it's never fun. Like I've been through this as a player. I had a coach in
the NFL just quit. Bruce Koslk quit after the third game of the year when I was with the Cincinnati Bengals my first year there. And that was horrible, you know, because because you you have there's so much time that goes into the preparation of things that to have someone quit, it's just really hard to kind of pull everything together and on top of it, you develop a relationship with people. We spent a lot of time with them. We sit
in there. You spend a lot of time sitting in meetings, and you have practices, and you're in games, and you know, you go to a hotel every weekend and you have meetings in that hotel as you while you're waiting for the games, you know, and and and as you're preparing for things, and you I mean, you spend a lot of time and and you've developed these relationships and and when it ends, you know, it feels somewhat like a death.
You know, it's it's it's not a pleasant thing. Uh, you know, no matter what, now, there may be some guys right now that are like tickle pink because because there's no coach that everyone loves them, and there may be guys that go, Okay, maybe I'll get a shot to be more involved in things now. I don't know. But but there's always that side of it too. And regardless, it's just it's just not a good situation. It's a bad look and it's it's just a bad thing to be to be a part of.
So from a quarterback's perspective, let's hone in now on Isaac, you know. And Isaac was interviewed yesterday after practice, and I always forget how young he is until I see his face. I'm like, oh, my gosh, he is a child. And he almost looked emotional when talking about Andy. So I came here to play for Andy Ludwig. And then he said the things you're supposed to say about full
faith and buying in and such. But eighteen years old, and you know, a month and a half into his first college football season, he's already into his second offensive coordinator. What do you hope to see in response from Isaac can help us understand maybe what's going through his head right now?
Well, it's hard. It's hard. I imagine it'd be really hard for Isaac because he is so young, you know, and that maturity level to deal with something this you know, grand and dramatic and that that's hard, you know, to deal with. And and you do, I mean, you know, I I think of my coaches when I was at Utah and and and I love the system we were in and I couldn't imagine being in anything other than than than
that system. And it was it was awesome, and uh and and to have that kind of be ripped apart that that would that would be a little bit earth shattering.
And I think there's maybe some recruiting that needs to go on, uh with with the new coordinator and maybe coach Whittingham about you know, keeping Isaac happy and and and confident, because the thing that has to happen is Isaac Wilson's got to get comfortable, and he's got to get confident, and he's got to get productive in what's happening with this with whatever is going on in their
offense up there. That just that just has to happen because him touching the ball as much as he does in a game, he has such an impact on what what's going to happen in a game. You've got to get that guy really comfortable and really really confident. And I and I've said this before and I really believe it. There needs to be a discussion and like, you don't
need all of the plays in the playbook. You know, everyone says it's the full playbook available to this player, and it's like that's a that's I don't think that's a really responsible statement. It should be are the plays available that Isaac's really confident in running and executing available?
Is that available? And what is that? And and it's it might be hard for an eighteen year old kid to say, yeah, this is what I really like, you know, cause you know, be having a mature because he may just say, well, I like everything, I don't care he just call it. I'll just all just run it kind of thing. But you really don't like everything, and so there just has to be that kind of conversation going back and forth about Okay, what do you really like?
What can you really do here? And Mike pa Jacian is a guy that you know, he's been around a lot of places and you know, and and so he should have and he's been the quarterback coach, so there is that relationship there, and he should have a pulse at least on the players and what's what they can do and what they can work with. And maybe he's had a perspective on why this hasn't worked and maybe
he has a good solution. I don't know. I don't know anything about him, but you know, I would I would hope that, you know, he has an ability to at least put them in a position to be more productive than they've been. I mean that shouldn't be too hard because they've been terrible.
Sure, so let's dig in there, and your last part is the best point. I mean, there's nowhere to go but up, because if it gets worse, then other questions need to be asked that I don't think people are ready for. But so let me follow up though about what you just said concerning Mike Jakian, because look, Andy Ludwig's resume is far superior to Mike's. I'm not bringing
that up as a knock. You know, Northwestern offense his final three seasons, they're ranking total offense one twentieth, one twenty third, and one twenty fourth in yards per play. I have a hard time I'm understanding. Like Mike says yesterday, the system is the system. I have a hard time understanding what Mike can figure out that Andy Ludwig couldn't. Can you help me understand that? Or is it simply
just a new voice? Oftentimes when I hear they need a new voice, I'm like, that feels like an excuse for players not executing him playing hard, Like, how real is it when it's just a new voice? And what can he figure out that a guy like Andy Ludwig apparently could not.
Well, Okay, there's a lot of like speculation, I'm about ready to say because because I don't I don't know that anyone knows that answer. But like, and I'm just talking about the situation. I'm not talking about, you know, does he does he have better answers than Andy Ludwig. I mean, look at what Andy Ludwig did. I mean, he helped Utah win a couple of conference championships. He he coached in some big games, he helped him to an undefeated and he's had the longest tenure with Kyle Whittingham.
He's been a very successful coordinator. But why did he quit? And did and did he really quit? You know, or were there other other circumstances that maybe forced him to quit and and and that That's that's a long conversation if we're going to get into that one. But uh so, so, maybe it's not you know, it's it's just like Kyle's probably going, this is the best I can come up with in a short period of time. I can't go
out and find someone to do this. It's the guy that's probably had the most experienced calling plays that uh, you know, that's on our staff. I mean, if you look at their offensive staff. I mean the other guy that may you know is a Jim Harding. I mean Jim Harding. I don't know if he's ever been a coordinator, because it's a different thing, Like it's like, okay, what what player are you going to call here? And what
what player are you gonna call here? And uh, you know if you if you haven't had experience with it, and I mean, it's you know, it's a it's it can be a thing. I mean, you know, for me, when I played, I I knew what I liked. Like I I was taught that from a very early standpoint, what do you like on first down? And why? What do you like on third and short? What do you like in the red zone? What do you like in all these situations? But I understood what I liked and
I understood why I liked it. I don't know that that they're they're there yet with it, but I think they're just trying to do the best with the circumstances that they're in. I don't you know that. I don't know if it's going to be better or worse, but I think that's that's just where it goes. Because I to answer your question in the simple terms, I don't think he does know more about what what's a better option than than Andy Ludwig.
At this point I got to follow up Scott, because it sounds like you're saying a lot without saying the thing. So I mean, we're in the space. That's the great thing about sports socc radio. It's not a tweet and it's not a column. You can talk about the possibilities. So when you're going in that gray area where you stop short of actually saying the thing, what's the thing you want to say, it's okay to say the thing you want to say.
Well, well, let's talk about Okay, let's talk about a scenario. Coach Whittingham isn't going to coach forever. They named a coach in waiting, and in Morgan Scalley, and Morgan Scalley. Maybe Morgan Scalley goes and he's not my guy, and maybe Kyle and and and again. I hate this, but this is pure speculation. Okay, this is not I don't
know anything. I don't know a thing. Okay, just so we're clear, But it's just it's just my brain thinking about this, and clearly the offense isn't working, and so maybe it's like, well, let's give someone else to try here, a fresh face, a new face, and see what you know then, because maybe maybe this might be coach Whittingham's last year, and maybe he's kind of he's the one that's going to take the bullet for this, and so so Morgan doesn't have to down the road and Morgan
can kind of go, yeah, I like this guy. I think he's got a chance here or or then Morgan maybe next year, Morgan, if he's the coach goes. I know that I'm going to have to look somewhere else to get an offensive coordinator. I mean, it's a scenario. It's just my opinion. It's not anything I know. But there's a lot of reasons why they make a change or made a change, and that certainly could be could be one of them. That's all. That's really what I'm saying.
Yeah, I don't know that that's that far fetched. And it's also simply fair to say there are contractual ramifications to terminology when somebody is no longer employed. And it's different if you say he stepped down as opposed to he's fired, So look like you, I don't know, I don't know that I've ever seen coach wit be as front facing about potential changes as he was. You know, during media after the game, you could see the frustration. And you know, I'm not saying that that was a
decision there was anyone other than Andy's. You know, Buya is on accord, because that's what we've been told. But we've been told a lot of things that aren't necessarily true. And I do think it's fair to wonder whether or not this was a change that was gently forced upon him as opposed to completely being left in his own hands. That's fine to wonder aloud whether or not that's the case.
Well, it looks you know, it looks good from the outside, like, hey, we weren't getting it done. I'm responsible for that, so I need to step down. And maybe that helps you moving forward, you know, getting a new job, as opposed to while I was fired, and and and you know
and everything. You know, so maybe the separation and how it's termed and and how everyone speaks about it is a way that everyone can go forward and not have it acrimonious and everyone's you know, spitting on the other guy's face or whatever, because I don't care what to say. These are never pleasant experiences when this happens. But the coaching world is you know, so I don't know if inbred is the right word, but but these guys, you know,
they they spend, they end up, you know. I mean, this is the second time for Andy being here at Utah, so I'm sure they like to keep it cordial, and it's kind of professional, and it is you know, it's it's just a business decision. But I think I think Kyle's been frustrated for some time. Uh and and by some time, I mean all the way back to last year and and and the frustration could have stemmed from, Okay, well we didn't get Cam back. Well what about all
these other guys? You know, we we haven't been able to develop a solid backup situation for for the quarterback position, and you know, in quite some time, and we weren't really prepared for it. And the guys that played were you know, not ready or unacceptable solutions or unproductive solutions.
And and that does fall on Andy. I mean, he was the guy that was specifically designated as the national recruiter of quarterbacks at Utah, and and he was the guy that you know, brought these these other lay and they none of them really panned out. You know, I mean he inherited Cam.
But.
You know he didn't have a suitable solution last year and this year when something happened to Cam rising.
Scott, you know as well as anybody, this is about one thing in this space and in the stratosphere, it's about results, period. That's all it's about. That's all it's ever about. And you know, there really isn't a ton of space in the moment when your offense is essentially ranked near the bottom of every major statistical category for flowers that were given to you in the past. We
want to know what's going on now. And it's fair to say, and Andy would be the first to say this, it hasn't been good enough this year, wasn't good enough last year. And ultimately I would not blame coach Wit if this was something that he was pushing for. But they're really good friends and that brings into complication. So of course he wants to do right by Andy by
letting him go out in style and in grace. And there will be a time where we all look back and say man Andy Ludwig potentially was the best offensive coordinator of this generation of Utah football. He deserves a lot of credit for that, but the end wasn't good enough. And there are very few coaches that have enough built in equity to survive a year and a half of
an emic performance. That's what it's been. And so he was given space, he was given rope, and he did a great job once upon a time, but it hasn't been good enough. And if this was something Kyle wanted, I don't know that I would have blamed him well.
And here's another thing to consider too, is all coaches, all head coaches, have a philosophy, right, and Kyle's is really run first. It's really catered towards the defense. He's realized in recent years he needs to be more explosive on offense. But his core belief is we got to run the football. And you hear it weekend and week out. We got to run the football, we got to stop
the run. And that never changes, never changes with coach winning him and that might bump up against maybe the philosophy of your offensive coordinator goes I think we need to throw it more. I think we need to be more explosive or I think we need to and and and he made you know, so there could be a difference of philosophy and UH with a coordinator too, and and that can create some of the some of the
UH you know less production. It's like, well, the coach wants to run the ball, We're going to run the ball. And the problem, quite frankly, as I've watched every single play you know for the last eight years, teams are are defending Utah differently. And with every young quarterback Utah is put in the game, they put more guys in the box and you can block. They're basically daring and
forcing Utah to throw the football. And and they're putting a lot of pressure both in the run game where they're making it really hard to run and they're making it really hard to throw because they're they're getting pressure on these on these young quarterbacks and they're they're not
consistently they've not been able to handle it. And so that's that to me, really is the crux of the issue is Utah hasn't been able to handle what these defenses have been doing to it with these young quarterbacks.
I want to go back to something you said earlier when we were discussing the difference potentially that Bajaking can make now that he's in as the play caller, and you made a really good point about it's not necessarily opening up the playbook entirely, it's finding the plays that work for your personnel. We have seen moments from Isaac. We have now it hasn't been consistently good enough from anybody, including the play caller and the quarterback and everybody. I mean,
everybody needs to play better. There's no doubt. I'm not singling anybody out, but I do want to point out that we've seen moments from Isaac. You know, the touchdown passed to when he parks, he had a bullet to Dorian sing Her, a couple of Caleb b. Loner finds as well. So when you see Isaac have those moments, what sort of play calling are you seeing in those moments? And what sort of plays can Mike put in a place to accentuate the strengths that we all see in moments from Isaac Wilson.
A lot of the plays where he's had success, it's been a really kind of clear read for him as far as who he's going to and you know, when
you get into maybe some more complicated decision making processes. Uh. For example, the the interception against Oklahoma State when he threw the ball down the sideline and the safety intercepted the ball like that should have never ever happened, and and that was and so he's kind of but it requires a little bit more of a complex read, like the guy he was going to was his first read, and and he really should have come to his third read and and and so he just wasn't completely confident
with that. And what it forces you to do is you're kind of tentative when you're when you're in the pocket because you have to hold the ball longer and then and then and you're trying to read the play and and and dissect what the defense is doing and and then and then here comes the pressure, you know, and it's too late. And so when he's had things where a lot of quicker reads, simpler reads, get the ball out quick and early. You watch TCU and and
they're really good at that. You know they're because and they're one of the better teams in the country throwing the football in which is why Utah holding them to only thirteen points was really good. But but they're really really clear, really simple, really easy quick reads. Get the ball out fast and off you go, and and and so maybe seeing more of that, and it's in Utah's offense, and so much of it, spence is on first down.
You know, if you can win on first down, and that's where Utah you know, they're not winning on third down, and a lot of it's because they're not winning on first down. And where you win, you win on first down. You have a productive play. You know, you're coming right out off the field onto the field and the quarterback has a good, successful play right out of the shoots.
It just brings a lot of confidence. But if you and if you get a lot of people involved early in the game, they get confident, they get more into the game, and and you know, and you and so finding getting the ball to your your like your your playmakers quickly, simple reads succeeds faster on first down. Then then second down becomes very manageable. And third down you
really kind of want to limit your third downs. You want to go first down, second down to first down again, or first down to first down, and you want to try to stay out a third down as you're moving the ball down the field as you can, or if you're in third down it's third and short, it's thart and we can run it or throw it here, whatever
we want to do, anythings that are disposal. Because now the defense goes, well, we don't, you know, but when they when they know it's third and long, they pin their ears back or they blitch you, they do whatever, and they're and they're dictating the terms of everything. And so that to me like just seems like the simple solution. And I know it's in that offense right now, and and it really requires the involvement of the tight ends.
It requires involvement of these receivers moved in different positions than maybe where they are and I don't and it and it can be really simple to do too, So that that would that would be what I would do with a young quarterback like Isaac, just giving the simple quick reads, get the ball out, get the ball in your playmaker's hands so he's not sitting there holding and trying to figure everything out.
Good stuff. Scott, appreciate the time travel safety, Houston. We'll chat soon.
Okay, you got it, thank you?
All right there he is Scott Mitchell. Coming up next, we'll continue the Utah football conversation with Stevenson Sylvester, but let's bring in Jeff from Farmer and Chemist on a Tuesday. Jeff, Happy Tuesday.
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Jeff, thanks for the time, man, have a great week and we'll chat soon. Okay, thanks, appreciate it all right, Jeff. From Farmer and Chemist, we're only getting votes for Chris Farley so far, best SNL cast member of all time? You're not wrong. Eight seven seven three five three zero seven hundred twenty five dollars to Farmer and Chemist. We had a debate a few weeks back best SNL cast member of all time. The list that I saw online
had Bill HATERO one, which got me off guard. I thought we'd get a few Will Ferrells in maybe Sam Eddie Murphy's old school fans.
I thought so too, Maybe some Adam Sandler or so I'd love Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. Oh sure, in like the late nineties EARLYI so you thought they were really funny on that show.
Best weekend update host of all time? It's Norm. It's Norm MacDonald of course, don't add me Stevenson Sylvester on a Tuesday Afternoon slide, Do you have a hot take? Are you an SNL guy at all?
Oh?
Yeah, I love me some Saturday I live. Man, I'm big on Will Farrow. There's so many guys that's done well. I actually have to go into the archives because I'll be like, oh that guy, Oh that guy. But I love how SNL has gotten a lot of people to start. I mean, Keenan Thompson has been on there for so many years you have to put him kind of up
there because he's done so well. It's like it's never been a point where you're like, oh man, we gotta stop watching Keenan, right, He's done such an amazing job on SNL, So kudos to him.
But I gotta go Will Farrow.
Every Will Farrow clip from SNL is money, and so Will Farrow is my top for sure.
So this is what I love about Slide. You can ask him about anything. He's got a breakdown. He's not most people. Most people Slide would just give me like one name. You had to give me a breakdown, man. I respect that there's gotta.
Be reason behind every action. You know, there's gotta be a why. So for me that the reason why is is definitely Will Farell.
On that well said, Let's move over to the reason why Utah has a new play caller. Oh gosh, how about that?
You don't ever want to do this stuff mid season, but I can't help but say it over and over it was necessary. I like Andy Ludwig, but likes don't get you wins, right. And so I know Coach Whittingham and Andy Ludwig have a history. They go back a while. But this is not and and and for me, I kind of hate this so much.
The main thing is.
Is like, this is just not the last year, the last couple of years that I wanted to see of Coach Wit. I thought Coach WIT's last few years should be something magical as this year should have been, and it's not going that way. Ever since Covid, we had Ty Jordan Covid, you know, Tavi on Thomas, all these guys Rose Bowl failures, all these stuff coming through these last few years. I want more of a monumental ending to Coach Whittingham's tenure, and it's just not going that way.
Do you think that there's anything that could or will happen this year that would affect what Kyle's going to do moving forward? I mean, look, it's not like he has to do anything else. The statue will be built. He is this program. Yeah, and look he's this Program's LaVale. I've said it for years, and like there's nothing else that he has to do. I just wonder if it continues to go in the wrong direction, do you feel like he would want a different ending to his own story?
Yeah, And you know what, and that may be what it is because he's such a competitor. As far as that competitive edge, I've learned so much of my competitive edge from Coach Whittingham, and so I just know and I've actually been you know, downloading some film looking for the last you know, ever since the nineties, and just
seeing young coach Whittingham's face on there. He's he's been dialed in since the beginning, man, and so just knowing his competitive edge and the University of Utah literally giving him like, look, whenever you say you're done is when we'll say you're done.
You get it.
And so I commend Utah for doing that because I think Coach Readingham has deserved it, and he brings the energy to the table, and I think that if he doesn't have that energy, he will stop, he will not continue on. But I definitely have factored in a better ending as far as all this is concerned. So this off season. I talk to him every year and I'm just like, so, when is it gonna be. He's like, you know what, I have no idea. I keep getting new energy, new found, you know, energy to do this
each and every year. So I don't know, it could be this year, could be five years down the road. I do think it's either this year or next year for me for sure, But you know, he keeps getting re energized every year.
So ultimately, we heard from Mike Pajaki in yesterday for the first time as far as media availability. He's been around the program for a while. I'm gonna bring you in a bring you into a conversation I just had with Scott Mitchell. We talked to Bill about it yesterday as well. And none of this is a knock on Mike. I don't know him, but he said during the media
availability that the system is basically in place. The system is the system, right, You're a player, okay, So I want you to help us understand what a change of voice could potentially mean, or a different set of eyes on the same problem could essentially mean. Because here's why I'm asking slag like, Mike isn't going to figure something out in Andy's system that Andy couldn't figure out himself, right, So there has to be a net positive to the change.
And I don't necessarily understand how he can make Andy's offense better than Andy himself could have made it. So this has to be a new set of eyes, a new voice in the locker room. How real is that? What sort of positive effect is reasonable to expect?
I don't agree with that, Svince, I can hear it. I think there could be sick change. You know in there are the play as. I mean, I've said, it's not the play designs.
That's the issue.
It's when you the timing of the play calling, like why are you calling this play at this point in time? It just makes no sense. There was no aggressiveness in our offense. It was just like we're out there playing backyard football like we're practicing every time. There was just no energy to want to put your opponent behind at any point in any of the last games. Even in Oklahoma State there's I was like, when are we ever
on the attack? It just felt like we were just kind of going through the motions, and that is necessarily calling the right place. I know Andy Ludwig has some big plays dialed up.
In his system. Just when are you gonna call them?
You know?
And so by somebody changing up when those plays are called. When those plays are dialed up could mean everything. The terminology could be the same, the formations, the packages, all that could be the same when those things are going to be called is I think the biggest thing here and re energizing the voice.
If as you said.
If Mijakie can come in here and tell these guys, look, our goal is to put our opponents in the dirt every single play. We're going to be on the attack, and I want to score even on our third and one play.
I want you guys to think about scoring on this play.
That's a different change of voice that this offense needs. And so if the players have that mindset that we can score on every single play, there's a different energy when they go and block, there's a different energy when they go and run routes, and so I think that that's what can be injected into this offense and what they need, I mean, I need. Ludwig's done some amazing things over the years, so we're not going to discredit
him at all for those things. But right now, it just felt like we've been forcing the ball into brand Keithy, trying to get him the ball in some kind of capacity with those arc run plays and the bubble screens to he him, and it's just taking away from all of the other talent that we have on the field. When the mentality should be, you know, Brad Keathy is here, he's gonna get a lot of attention. That means somebody
else is gonna get ISO coverage. How are we not taking advantage of those type of plays and those type of things, And that's simply what But Jakie could come in here and do I.
Am thrilled to hear that you disagree with me, because honestly, I'm just in this space where I'm like, how can this get better? How can this thing improve?
Right?
And you know, I think we've all been able to see that the play calling at times have been a bit puzzling. But I think you've always been good to help us understand that the coaches can only do so much and so much of this is on the players. And it's not like this is the NFL where Mike can ask Kyle to go trade for a dynamic whatever.
It is, like, the personnel is the personnel sly right, So how help us understand how specifically Mike with the same personnel could make a bit of a difference that Andy himself could not make.
It's and you know what, He's had a great perspect you know this entire time he's been with the program, right, he's been close to the quarterbacks, he's been watching the offense seeing he's been able essentially I would be able to draw up my own playbook and in the dark, it's like, oh, I would have ran this play here if I was in controls of this and that. But you know when you have Andy Ludwick at the helm.
This is why football is the greatest sport. There is so many people that have to be on the same page in order for things to work right. The head coach, the offensive coordinator, the quarterback, the GA's, the offensive line, the running backs. Everybody has to be on the same page. That's mindset, that's actions, that's communication. Everything has to be on the same page. So I think the different things
that you can do here. With Dejon Stanley, who came out in the first year, you understand he's got dynamic speed.
Why don't you use that?
Why don't you have people so afraid of your speed When you put this package in, they're just dropping back and coverage, And then you can just throw a tight end screen to brand I would literally put money parks, Dorian Singer and Dejon Stanley in and run them on trips, trips far and throw a tight end screen on the backside. Have all the attention go to the speed. Run those guys, run those safeties off all through the field. There's different
things you can do and all kinds of capacities. The whole problem is there was just no aggressiveness with our play calling. Everything's so bland and from the sidelines from a guy who isn't you know, at practices, who isn't watching these guys get ready for the opponent, I could tell you what our offense was doing. So imagine what TCU, Arizona State and Arizona was doing when they were game planning for US.
Right.
I know most of them came off of a bye.
Week playing US, so there was a benefit to them, but you got to take that into account when you're play calling.
There was just nothing.
Those opponents were not scared of Utah to do anything at all. They played with their toes in the ground, toes forward, and they never backpedaled the entire game. And so I hope that the aggressiveness takes that. I mean, you got so many people. You got Landing King on this team, and he really doesn't even have a target. I don't even think he has a target on the year. He was in the system and did an amazing job
last year. Whereas he at he's a six to sixth body, right, you got Damien Alford, who's another six six six seven body. You got Caleb Loaner, who's the six to nine body, forty inch vertical. Right, you put those three on the field, don't you think that's gonna cause attention? Like I would put Caleb Loaner and Damien Alford right on the scenes right outside the tackles flex the landing king in there, and another tall body in there. You call that the
Monstars unit. Literally due do a jump ball? See if some of these short dbs can can catch a jump ball to Caleb Loaner, like, why can't you do things like that? There's just absolutely nothing that we were doing these past three to four weeks where we showed any aggressiveness. So I hope that Majakian can just understand the personnel and the people at his disposal and use them as such.
Okay, so you've explained to us the how, right, Like how you think he can make a difference. I'll just follow up with do you believe he will? I mean there is a path left there really is and taking some pushback for it, and I understand it sounds crazy based off the data we have, because it's been really bad and there's no other way to say it. Three straight losses, twelve points per game. I could run you through the offensive metrics, but you've seen them. All of
them are bottom four. Besides the rushing attack, which is ninth in the conference. None of the offensive numbers are good, none of them. So you've helped us understand what it can look like. What's your confidence level that's starting on Saturday against Houston? It actually will look and feel different and better.
I mean, I'm a biased guy.
I'm a Utah man until I die, I'm telling you so.
I'm I'm very hung up on what Utah should do.
Right.
It's that ex girlfriend with so much potential, right, it's I think Utah should do all of these things.
What they will do? I have no idea it literally, I have no idea.
Why we can get up you know, twenty something points, but be afraid to get up thirty, get up forty points?
Why are we so afraid to put up numbers and so? And we've been like that for years.
We've never been a team to like even when we play some of these like and this is what surprises so much when we played what SUU a few years ago, when we put seventy points on the board, like, that's the team that we should be. We have that capability, We have a more talented roster right now than we did.
Then why are we not doing things like that?
Why did we not put fifty sixty points up on SUU this this the first game of the year. Why did we not score anything on offensive Baylor in Oklahoma State?
Like so, I'm more hung up on what we should do versus what we will do.
I'm not in those coach meetings being able to tell them my thoughts on how a plan of attack. I don't know Mike mcjakian on that, and I don't know how much control coach Whittingham is going to allow him to do that. I know Coach Whittingham wants to established to run so much, but I'm just like, man, we got somebody who can throw the ball. Isaac Wilson has a tremendous arm. Understand the type of offense that he's
come from and why you recruited him. Isaac Wilson is not one of those we need to huddle up every single time and have my back to the defense in the huddle, call the play in the huddle, and then go under center.
That is not Isaac Wilson. And if coach Ludwig didn't realize that, I don't know what.
He's doing at offensive coordinator Isaac Wilson is the guy you don't need to huddle. He can call the offense on the field, but he's able to see the defense right in front of him and not messing up his cerebellum by turning around so much and understanding where everybody's at and keeping everything in front of him and throwing the ball downfield. Stretching the defense out doing all these short crossing routes, gets everything so discombobulated and can join
it up in the middle. It's hard to see, but if you stretch people out, you're doing a go route here, You're doing a go route there, deep over out here.
He's able to see those things easier. So for me, it's more understanding the personnel, understanding your quarterback and understanding the receivers and the running backs that are at your disposal, and doing plays that they want to run and that they feel that they can score on every single play. Man.
So I have no idea what they will do. I'm just hung up on what they should do.
Well said, all right, we got to move over to the defensive side of the football. Equal time here, so much attention has been on the quarterbacks of the offensive coordinator and slide. Most of the metrics are good. They're number two in overall defense, they're fifth in past defense, they're third in efficiency, they're fourth in the rush. Let's see. But here's where they struggle. They're ninth in sacks, they're dead last and force fumbles. They're fourteenth in fumbles recovered,
and they're ninth in inner SECD. They're not turning the other team over, although the other metrics do indicate that there is a lot there there. When it comes down good the defense can be so just overall, where are you at with the defense? How good is the defense? And then what does that mean that the offense at least has to counterbalance to make sure this team can start stack and wins.
Yeah?
Man, it's so hard, you know, because I am hard on the defense as a as a defensive player who came out of this system, I would be the one of the If I'm not their hardest critic, I would be one.
I expect the most out of them.
But I gotta give it to them, man, they have been playing outstanding and those numbers are so inflated and some and some capacities because of the horrible situations that they're constantly put in, you know, from our offense turning the ball over or not getting great coverage on the special teams unit starting on the wrong foot. Our defense is played great with you know, conra o'tol being out, Karinne Reid uh being out, you know, some important pieces
on this defense. Look, Gilman got suspended for you know, targeting one week. We've missed some important pieces and had to shovel some things around. I think it was Kennon Johnson, you know, the cornerback. You know, he got out in the very first game. There's been some shuffling Rabbit Evans and and Elijah Davis running into the lineup. With all these new guys shuffling pieces, our defense is played pretty darn well. I think we're top five in the nation
and in third down percentage, which is huge. That means that we're able to get off the field when we need to or force a field goal. I agree with you on forcing the turnovers because you know there's so often I'm on the sidelines and I want to tell Karine Reid and the defense, I'm like, yo, it's got to be you.
You gotta go in here and force the turnover.
I remember we were at Oregon a couple of years ago when we lost up there, and I was like, Karine, you gotta go force to turn well, punch that ball out. Next you know, he goes in, hunches it out and we get a turnover, and we're right in there in their end zone. And I'm like, that's what our defense has to do right now. We have to put up points because our offense isn't and so we got to take it upon ourselves.
That would be the only thing our defense isn't doing. It's hard to look at the statistics. You know, if we had complimentary offense.
I could look at the statistics and take a story from that. But just knowing that we haven't gotten help from the offensive side of the ball and special teams that you know, those numbers are just those numbers. And to hold TCU a thirty point team, Arizona another twenty five plus point team per game team under those numbers, I gotta tip my cap to the defense because of the situations that they have been so Morgan Scalley's doing a great job of getting these guys ready and fighting.
Even Oklahoma State, we saw what they did to Byu when they actually gave Ali Gordon the ball and their Dynamic team as well, and we made them look we made them look amateur and and and it was great. And so it's hard to tell a story for this defense right now. I just think that they've done a great job of what they've been given thus far.
They just got to finish it.
Out, start scoring on defense, creating those turnovers, and bring in some more excitement to the field.
Sly good stuff today, man, have a great week, and we'll get you back on soon. Okay, thanks Benz, appreciate you. Stevens and Silvester. He is on social media at s Sylvester fifty five is where you find him live in studio the Dynamic Duo. They're back. It's Nate Orchard, mayor of sack Lake City. Nate, how you doing, brother doing fantastic boy? Slye sounds good?
Huh yeah, he does.
Get out there, he does. And I don't know why this sly grin is happening over here with his seven and zh Byu. Cougar's up to you doing, man, How you doing? I know you got you guys are in studio for a full segment. So we'll save it coming up. Okay, advanced window products. Jake, let's start with you fall football. Say what do you want our listeners to know?
Look, call today to get the windows. If you're needing your windows are placed, call today, get on the schedule and get them before the snowflies, before the weather really turns cold, and before you start pumping out money on those heating bills. And if you call today and get on the schedule today, we're going to give you an additional five hundred dollars off the regular twenty five hundred. So a little sense of urgency. Call get the three
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So if you need windows now because it's about to get cold, that promise, call today at eight h one eighty five zero ninety one hundred to lock in that three thousand dollars savings. But as Jake referenced, if you anticipate needing windows in the next couple of months, maybe you're going to move in the spring, call today to save the three thousand dollars by just getting on the schedule. Opening night of the NBA, my Knicks are in Boston
to take on the Garden. Then it's the Tea Wolves and the Lakers, Ronnie and Lebron potentially on the court together making history tonight and don't get sick of the storyline. Okay, Nepotism exists in coaching in the front office, So everybody calm down. It's just gonna be something fun to watch. But we're gonna do a little college football. As the Mayor of sac Lake City is in student Nate Orchard and the Beast in the BYU secondary back in the
NCAA football game. Jake Weber is also with us. Indeed, indeed, it's better than zero. You're in the game, all right, Mayor of sack Lake City. Currently, the University of Utah in the Big Twelve is ninth in sacks, sixteenth in fumbles forced, fourteenth, and fumbles recovered, in ninth in interceptions. There's a lot of attention on the offense. Of course, Cameron got hurt. We have a change in coordinator. But as a guy that made a livying getting the quarterback,
why can't we pressure the QB? Like it's the one area the defense right now that the team seems to be lacking.
Yeah, I looked at the stats and it was what I think, in the last three games, we had one sack, right, and that was by a linebacker. Yeah, we're struggling, and I don't know what it is, right, whether it's the leadership, whether it's you know, the accountability amongst each other in
that defensive room. But there just needs to be a wake up call, right, And maybe coach Ludwick's stepping was something for the team, but the guys just need to find that fire again and understand that, Yeah, Utah is having a struggle offensively, but this is a defense of dominant team and when the offense isn't holding their part, there's no reason why Utah should have scored a touchdown themselves on defense on Saturday, right, And so you just hope that they figure it out.
And I don't know what that is, Jake. We were talking about this off air, because it's one thing to be bad every team, you know, Kaylin de bor is learning what it's like to be bad in Tuscaloos. And I'm not saying that's a bad team, but they've got they have more than one loss heading into November. Alabama football does for the first time since two thousand and seven. It's an impossible standard, but based off the standard you
set your fans that have certain expectations. We now have a fan base here that has expectations based off a generation of very dominant Utah football. It's one thing to not be good. I think it's a completely different thing when preseason you're thought to be the best team in the conference and the numbers show you at this point you might be one of the worst. That's hard to stomach.
Yeah, And you look at like I said off air, you would have if you were to ask people if they were taking the field or if they were taking Utah to win the Big twelve. People said Utah. And that's what the fan base expected, right. And when you come in with expectations and we're not meeting those expectations and there's stuff with Cam, you kind of wonder what's going on. You start to you can see people quickly turn yeah, And that's where it's like for Utah.
You want to keep those fans.
You don't want them turning, and you ask the fans to kind of be patient with everything. And like they said, maybe there needs to be a little wake up call. And with coach Ludwig stepping down, that's what you hope. Maybe this is the wake up call and it's able to get turned around. But the last thing you want is to see fans is quickly turning and walking away saying I'm putting their hands up and I'm done with this and having the stadium half full.
For sure, And Nate, I wanted your thoughts on that because it's juxtaposed to expectations like if if Vegas set the over under this year at and Utah was picked to finish ninth in the Big Twelve, the shock factor wouldn't be there. But because we all thought this was a potential CFP team and as Jake referenced, the favorite to win the Big Twelve, that changes the way the
fan base expects you to play. How does that affect you as a player when things aren't going your way, when you know you're doing everything you can.
Yeah, it's tough, you know from you know, the outside perspective, right, and projections are projections, and that's what you know. I'm sure coaches harp On, don't listen to the media, block out that noise. Let's focus on what we can control in front of us and for it to fall off after the hopes you know of having Cam back, this
is going to be it. The possibility of hosting a playoff game here type of conversation, right and now, you're sitting in a situation where you you did not fathom whatsoever. To me, it's just you know, how do you answer that?
Right?
How do you bounce back? And as players individually you have to be able to lift each other up and continue to just fight and move forward and finish the season.
How strong?
Right?
You got five games remaining? You know that we go, let's go five? And no, why not? But I mean a lot of things ride obviously on the offensive side and and what's being done there. But as far as you know defense, I'm speaking defensively, it's control you can control and just go out and make plays.
So, Jake, the last two games, it's been Arizona, And I said the Monday after the Arizona game, I don't think I've ever felt such underlying anxiety and nervousness from a fan base in a stadium. And then I went to the TCU game. I'm like, that's two games in a row where the air is taken out of a stadium that, when really popping, is one of the best home field advantages west of the Mississippi River. Like, what have you felt this year as you've gone to youte
football games that feel different? Than you games in the past.
The the energy is not like the juice, and you're waiting like who's gonna step up and be the guy and who's gonna make the play? Defensively, like you talk about you thought would they the defense? Could the defensive scored and I'm gonna like flip it to yu where like that when they beat Uh, I'm facing what game it was, but where the defense was putting points Kansas State, the defense is putting up points, which it was every game. Yeah, it's been every game like that. And that's where Utah
like the defense. They make plays and that's what Utah is known for. And you come into Utah and the stadium is gonna be loud, fans will be packed, and you're gonna hit the mouth, and it just seemed like it's that has not been there. And then from like the fans, you just kind of hear like the rumble. It's like quickly everyone's amped up, ready to go, and then it can quickly turn and then the grumblings and kind of looking at you like wait, what's going on, what's going on?
And that air just kind.
Of seems to just slip out of the stadium and you're hoping that the team can when's the defense canna make play?
When's that play coming? Because at the end.
Of the game, they're down six and people were walking out down six A game wasn't over game, third quarter, game could have been won, and people are walking out as if for fans you want them. The team needs the stadium like that is a home field advantage, and if you don't have that, if you don't have the fans backing you, that just makes it tough as a team to finish the game, to make that play to get in the end zone.
I was by a group that was leaving and then Isaac hit money Parts for the touchdown, and they were pissed they had to walk back in. They're like, oh, man, I guess I'll stay. But with such little confidence Nate that they were going to be able to get it done at the end. But here's my question for you. You're the player, well both of you, but you're the player in the locker room delpus understand Look. Mike ba Jakian spoke to the media yesterday and said the system's
in place. Systems the system. They didn't just hire Mike from you dubbed to install his own system. He's simply going to utilize the system that was already in place. So if Andy Ludwig couldn't find anything out of his own system, is it realistic to expect Mike to make miracles happen when there's not a change in personnel and it's the same playbook, Like, are you confident that a new voice is new eyes are needed? Because I don't know schematically what Mike is gonna do that Andy couldn't do.
Does that make sense? Yeah?
And Mike, I know Mike and Andy go way back, right, and Mike has his track record and has a lot of success at various schools and in the NFL. Really, what it comes down to, I look at it from the perspective, you know, as a player being on a team in meetings and locker rooms in practice where hey, you maybe have this coach who is the OC or DC, but by golly, we got this corner cornerback coach or dB coach that is unbelievable that hey, if he were
the guy, that's a no brainer. And I don't know, maybe that is from Mike's Mike's case, right, maybe there is a lot of respect for him and what he does behind the scenes and the way he he motivates the players, uh, and how he communicates with his quarterbacks. And so with this, you know, maybe Mike's going into it like, hey, let's just keep it simple. Let's let's not overcomplicate this thing. Football is football, go out there and have fun. Let's simplify the offense. Let's throw these
short passes. Let's let's work the run game when we can. But Isaac, let's get you comfortable in the pocket on first second down before we really start to open up. You know, the playbook, but just keeping it very basic. And I look at it in the sense of, like, you know, my OC as a six the six year old flag football team of my son is.
Like I got I got two or three plays.
That's it, maybe, you know, and like just just that bread and butter, you know, one run, one run, play, two pass plays and they just perfect it and it looks so good, and you think these kids are a bunch of all stars, and that's all they need to do. You flip the play, run, pass, run it on both sides. You get stuff going down the middle, and from there you're just getting momentum. And with that momentum, comes confidence. I look into Arizona right with those fourth down situations
where we couldn't convert. Those are those are momentum killers, not only for your team but for the people in the stadium. And so as long as you can keep momentum going each drive, you're marching on the field, you come up with three points, maybe a touchdown, but you're getting something. And that's where you get the trust and the confidence and your players on the sidelines.
So social media is an interest animal, and I'm grateful it was not around when I was in college. It is a necessary evil as far as what I do for a living, I don't enjoy it. I'm rarely on it. I do not live online. The internet is where cowards go to field break. But you know what's interesting is it does give you a peek inside because this generation, you know, twenty four to twenty five and under, they were raised with cell phones as their best friends, their babysitters,
and they their way of life is online. Their way of life is on social media. You know, I did have my first cell phone until I was in college, like twenty one, twenty two years old. There's a flip phone like a Nokia that was horrible. So I didn't snake on that phone though, and I was good at stay at place you say, so, I don't relate to what it's like. Like NBA coaches now talk about it. Halftime, the players go check their phone. That's the first thing
to do at halftime. So it gives you a peek into the mind of some of these young men who Landing King sent out a post on social media Dorian Singer wasted talent. They're all kind of firing out on social media, Like Dorian Singer is implying that his talent is being wasted at the University of Utah based off an Instagram post he set out. It's a silly way to do reporting, but when you don't get a lot of access to the players, the frustration is mounting. That's
my point. So my question to you is, how do you keep it together as a guy that was in the locker room, as a guy that was a leader in the locker room? Three straight l's everybody's coming at you. There's a little bit of dissension. It feels like Coach Wood says, they're all connected. How do you keep it together as a player.
It starts with your leadership committee, and really you're your captains, right, and those are the guys that I mean I was at my senior year. Not to pat myself on the back, but like people look to me for guid They look to see how I was respond to certain situations, whether we had to run extra gassers or it was another lift or in a game, right when it's crunch time, how is he going to respond? Because whatever his reaction is, that's what we're going to ride with. And so it
comes down to the guys in the locker room. Now that Cam's you know, out of the picture, he can still be a void. But at the same time, your
play does all the talking. So those guys who are on the field playing, who are those the main guys, Like, how are they what's their message to the team, how are they, you know, interacting with the guys and getting them on the same page to really finish out strong with these last five games, And who's to say that they're fully out of the picture, right, I mean, go undefeated and make it hard for the committee and make something happen. But to me, it's just the players in
the locker room. Coaches can only do so much. You look at this as if you know, we've obviously sped up the process of the NFL. Right, you got nil money thrown around everywhere. You guys are your own entities. You know, you got to treat it as a business, and you're out here making business decisions like what direction do we want to move as a team, what are we going? How are we going to deal with this adversity? And it's just up to the players.
So we thought Utah football at this point would be I thought they'd be undefeated at this point of the season. Okay, I thought the schedule down the stretch, post some challenges. Thought they'd be undefeated, thought they'd be borderline top ten, and thought they'd be making plays on defense. Thought they'd be dynamic on offense. Thought they'd have a great home field advantage. And that's all happening forty miles down that way, right, So Nate will start with you, and then we'll.
Let I got to use rushing Biken.
Then we'll know it really is like Seinfeld bizarro world. Right, they've done the switch arooo, and everything that's happening with BYU is exactly what I thought would happened with Utah. Does that make it sting a little worse.
Oh what I mean. I'm talking about in church, out on the streets, at the grocery store. I can't even fill up my gas the same. You got people just looking and smirking that you know, deep down you know the BYU fans and obviously me being a ute, they know what's up. And so yeah, it's hard.
It's hard, Jake, go ahead, path are you feeling over there? I'm shocked. I'm gonna be honest.
I think most people thought it was going to be the opposite, like you said, but b YU would be three and four, and it's like, hey, are they gonna be able to get into a bowl game this year? Fan base struggling with coaching, Yeah, like struggling coaches, so expectations were lower. Like you got people like on the bandwagon like yeah, they're gonna be great, They're gonna be great, but like really it's like they're gonna be if they can make a bowl game, good, that's a good year.
Kilanie's probably got another year.
And you talk about with Utah set expectations, b YU expectations and to have that flipped and BYU fans, and you talk about social media popping off and saying stuff like this, there's excitement. Oh yeah, and it's like they're the real deal. And it's amazing how quickly fan bases can turn and people who were closet fans, all of a sudden they come out and.
They are in your face.
But it's a BYU looks great and Kilanie has done something. He's the players coach. There's energy the sideline game. Defense is making plays, offense is making plays when they need to, and that's what you expect from Utah and it's just to have that switched.
It feels a little bit surreal, like as you're at.
At the Utah game, everyone is talking about the BYU game like that is in the second quarter, third quarter, it's like, man, this season might be over, but what about the BYU game? What's BYU doing? How are they doing that game? And you start talking about that and then it gets it's almost like the distraction what's happening down south and where you can tell they're focused, they know what they're doing, and they're gonna come up here at sull Lake and letn't be ready to go.
And the interesting thing is, I'm old enough like the young Utah fans like go vape, all right, leave us alone. I'm old enough to remember, like when Lavelle was the head coach. I think it was like twenty one and two against Utah over like something like that. It was insane. And that's when I grew up and my grandfather was a member of the Cougar clubs who were down there all the time. If Utah kept it close, it was
a miracle. Occasionally I think it was eighty eight with Eddie Johnson, it was a miracle win, right, everybody celebrated. So there's a generation of that and then Nate Now there really has been a generation of youth football dominance. They got Utah last time, but okay, you got one. It's it's something like, what's sixteen and two or something
in eighteen years. So what makes it sting is the fear in this community that we're going back to what it was like back then when Utah football could never. I'm not saying that's where we're at. I'm saying that's the fear as you see them do what they're doing and we're watching what's happening up.
Here and without a doubt, and for me, you know, it's hard because Klonnie.
I think it's the best. I think it's like that for everyone. Every is like Colon but I love Clonie.
Yeah, and like Kilanie sat In you know the weight room at Highland High School to recruit me along with Jay Hill, and you know, those guys are the reason why I came to Utah and to see them there. I mean, it's a bittersweet situation, but obviously I lead Red through and through and wish for nothing but the best for them. But it's a yeah, it's just tough.
No.
You can actually see Nate on YouTube right now. He's shaking his head. He's very sad. No, if it was Bronco, I'd resigned from the show. I'd be like, I'm not. I mean, I'm not doing the radio thing anymore. I'm going to find something else to do. But because it's Klannie, I'm genuinely thrilled for him, because how can you like him?
All?
Right, last thing and then we'll get to the deal Advanced Window Products. Actually we'll start with Jake Nate. We'll give you the last work as of today. What do you think happens on November ninth when b Y's in town to play Utah as it today, There's like, I go Nates, Nate's hurting over here.
I think is gonna come in and I think they're gonna play. I think I think they're gonna win the game. I think it's gonna be it'll be a fight, but I think.
Be what you win.
So the Vegas line has not been released, but you can look at some of the projections as of now. B Yu would be a favorite on the road to be Utah slight one. I Know where your heart is Nate November the ninth, b Yu rose to sol A. Can you even get can you even put yourself into a situation and consider that Utah may not win?
This is a game I don't even know if I'm gonna go to. I might be watching from home.
I've got five friends who have sold their tickets. They're going out of town. Man might call it that week to work. But you know it's the numbers don't lie.
You know. You got to look at the way they're performing, the way Utah is And I'm gonna have to say, b why you might run away with this one? And as much as I hate to say it, yeah, football is so weird.
None of us knew anything to start the season. All right, advanced window products, Jake, you guys have a fall football special, but you're upping the ante for listeners to give you a call today. Let's hear about it. Yeah, it's right, call today.
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Like, get rid of that.
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We're not going out of business. The number of window companies that they end up like pop up for three years, replace a bunch of windows, and then are gone. And then you got people calling us in like, hey, I bought windows from a company that's no longer here?
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Three thousand dollars savings, and ultimately, Nate, there's probably an element that's not discussed enough because not only do you want your house warmer so it's comfortable, if you come home from work in the winter and you put your hand on the window, it's called your hemorrhaging money on gas. So ultimately rebates right available, but you're saving money in the process of actually updating your windows too. Exactly.
Yeah, And you know, with those rebates from Rocky Mountain Power and Dominion Energy, you know that's just money back into your pocket. And you know, you don't notice really how much, you know, the energy efficiency that you're losing through your windows, those big openings in your home, whether that's the lack of the quality in the frame, the poor glass quality, those things are just draining the energy out of your home. And just you know, you your
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need the work done. So here's the number. It's eight oh one eighty five zero ninety one. Took the plunge. I took the plunge. Told you I wasn't gonna do it, but I went to Costco and I got a box of on crustables good. I don't know, man, I don't think this is a good thing. But well, I had one during the break. They're they're too good. It's hard to only have one. I could finish four or five of those things. So they stock the fridge with them here at work. We clean those out in a couple
of days. And I always thought, like, I can't buy a whole box of them because I'll be unable to stop there. That's that's an elite snack, man, that's a Tier one snack. A grape on crustable is a Tier one snack. It's a it's an elite snack.
And I keep a frozen box of uncrustables in my freezer at all times, so.
They have to be in the freezer. They have to be in the freezer. Tier one snack expert Amy Donaldson joins us, Now, have you ever tried an uncrustable?
Listen, that's a running staple. They're amazing and you can leave them in your backpack a week later you can still.
Eat them all right, grape or strawberry? Which is better?
Great?
Every day?
Yeah?
Great?
No, I'm with you, I'm with you. Tier Tier one snack. Amy, thank you for the time on a Tuesday. All right, let's get to the release of the pod, what the reaction has been, and how the past twenty four hours have gone for you.
Well, we had an amazing event. I have to say thank you to our buddy Trey Fitzgerald and to Nate Double at KSLF were just and everybody who put together an amazing event. I had a lot of discussions with fans who've been fans a long time. They it was the perfect blend. I think my husband summed it up this way. He thought it was more intellectual than he expected.
Oh dear.
So, but I think it was more sentimental than some people expected. And yeah, it was a great I think it was a perfect sort of event to have right before the playoffs. You know, you're feeling this anxiety but this excitement. You know everything is possible, but also the end of the world is also you know, could happen. So it was just kind of a refocus. Jason christ
Tony Beltrand and John Kimball were amazing. They just told some great stories and yeah, and then it was a chance to talk to some fans and you know, the people who were there and the reasons they came, you know, dads bringing their kids, and one gentleman who was actually undergoing cancer treatment today. And that team, that game, that stadium, that's you know, that's their reprieve, that's their the place they go to find joy and to connect with their
loved ones and have fun with their neighbors. And yeah, just a reminder of why we love, uh, why we love the games.
I feel like the follow up is simply, what did the Honorable Edward brass Esquire expect prior to his arrival?
Uh, you know, that's a good question. All I know is he said to me, I was exhausted, you know, because it was it was a busy day. I was, And I wrote a column yesterday about you know why I wanted to do the podcast and sort of what these moments in sports, you know, the opportunity they give us for reflection in our own lives. And he said, I think it was a good thing you were tired, because you weren't so overwhelming.
That's such a good line. That is such a I'm going to use that with you from now on, By the way, that is such a good lie.
Like that people say, I like and honest, I need somebody to tell me I don't look good in an outfit, you know what I mean? He was complimentary, but when he said that, I was like, so I am overwhelming.
I think actually only your husband could get away with saying I would never say that to you in person. All right, So I saw the piece that you wrote and it was really good. So let's talk about you know, we talked about some of this last week, but for our listeners who may have missed it, first of all, tell us what the pod, the name of the pod, where people can find it, and how how the piece you wrote about the moments in sports essentially motivated you to take on this project.
Yeah.
So the podcast is called Making of a Moment the RCEL Story And you know, really it started with this idea that we would just do a story or a podcast on the twenty twenty one playoff run, which you know, even a beginner like me was like, well this is unlikely. You know, this team's picked to finish last. Their coach leaves in August. They had this interim guy whose name you know, took every one a month to learn. So I I just and they didn't have an owner, so
I thought it was. There was an intriguing setup there anyway, and Trey said he really pitched the idea to me because Pablo is such a unique, you know, individual and a unique head coach, and so that was sort of
the premise. But what I realized when I got in there and started doing some interviews is that it's really difficult to separate all the things people go through from you know, the actions are taking in the moment that you're covering, and so watking the team go on that run, which was in credit Bot and you know, just exceeded my expectations even even as a writer, but for fans, it was, you know, just just such a ride, and
it just reminded me. And we'd come through COVID. I think you and I talked about this with the BUYU Coastal Carolina game as well, and and you really we really were struggling with what what role do sports play in our lives?
Right?
People are dying, people are sick, people are separated from their loved ones. I talked to people who are trapped in this country and they couldn't even go home. And you know, a woman whose husband died in the hospital while she had to sit in a parking lot and talk to him on the phone, you know, just really hard things. And I'm like, what what does what does
it matter? Why do these games even matter? Why do we you know, lose our minds and spend all our money and and and dedicate so much time and energy to this And you know, it was really that playoff run and and like I said that, the high school games that I was able to go to and then the BYU game, it just sort of reminded me there is this level of connection and inspiration and it's break from life, but it's this moment of joy that you
can experience. Even if you can't do the things the athletes are doing, you get to be a part of it. And if you show up and you're a fan, and it was just a reminder to me that, you know, we're supposed to have fun. Life is supposed to be joyful, and it's supposed to be about connection and loving each other and lifting each other up and celebrating things. And so yeah, it was just sort of that's where it
came from. And the more I talk to people, especially the front office people, I think there was a lot of debate in our office about whether or not it would be compelling to write about executives, but so far it has been so I think it's I've gotten some of the people who came to the party have listened to episode one, and the fans, the fan groups are pretty excited about the rest of it. So you can listen to episode one and episode two will be available.
Episode two is the Dave Checkett's journey. This it's called this is the Place for Soccer, and uh yeah, I hope people like it and I hope we get to do more stories like this in sports.
I wonder what your experience, because you referenced Trey initially pitching it to you because of the unique approach of Pablo. What have you learned about Pablo Masteroenny and would you agree with the assertion that he is unique as it pertains to who he is as a person and the way he approaches his craft.
Yeah, I mean I recognized Pablo is unique in our first interview. I've interviewed a lot of coaches over the years, and you know, lucky for me, a lot of women's coaches, because women's coaches don't get as much attention, they're not as dated, they're not trying to hide as much. They're definitely more open. But he might be the most open, honest,
vulnerable coach. And I think that was the thing that really right away I was intrigued by is he was willing to speculate, He was willing to dive off into philosophy. He would tell me, you know, tell me about one of the most traumatic events of his life, you know, shaped who he became and how he lives in the world. And you know, that was our first interview. And I can see why. You know, he is a builder, he is a connector. He's a person who because he is open,
he encourages openness. And if you are hurting, or if you're upset, or if you feel slighted, you're going to be more likely to address it and talk about it. There are not a lot of things that are going to be festering under the surface with a guy like that in the room. And so and he's also a really effusive He's kind of coach. I like, where's his heart on his sleeve? You know, when someone scores a goal or does something well, he asks like he did it?
I love that kind of you know Kalani Sataki that you know I just love a coach that you know, strains of hands because he's cure and so hard and he's all of that stuff. So he's like, you know, the the you know, passionate guy, but he's also like he's not he doesn't shy away from the hardest conversations.
He's going to tell you why you're not playing. He's going to admit when he's wrong, and those are things that are rare in coaching, especially professional sports, because your job is on the line, and so being perfect and being you know, immune to everything and not feeling bad or not making mistakes, those are all things that seem like attractive qualities, but they're not because it's not true.
There's nobody that's doing that. And so the fact that he just owns it and he just brings you in and he just lets you know, and there's no question that's stupid.
You know.
We might have had some disagreements about whether or not you play soccer because it's joyful, or you play soccer because you're hungry to succeed, But like, that's the thing I really enjoyed about it was sort of wrestling with tough questions and then coming away with a different perspective because he was on he was engaged, and he wasn't just trying to give me some answers and get me out of the get out of the interview room. And that's really rare, and I would say that across the board.
One of the things that in the first few months, I was like, I can't do this story because nobody's going to tell me the truth. Nobody's going to let me in. You know, That's what I love about high school sports. And it used to be this way in college where you can really have honest conversations about you know,
challenges and resilience and failure and success. But everybody, it's so much money is involved now that those conversations are fewer and fewer, and so to have those in the way that I did with this team for the last three years, including your dad. I mean I bugged your dad at eleven o'clock at night wherever, and people just were so gracious. I mean, Kyle Beckerman gave me like two and a half hours one day. You know, that's just not that's not always available to you in sports.
So I wonder I was kind of teasing Jason because you interviewed Jason Christ for this as well. Yeah, yes, uh huh Okay. So last week we had Jason on the show and I was teasing him before I brought him on. While he was listening to me, before he was able to speak. I teased the RSL match and I said, with fifty nine points, RSL would break the single season record set back in twenty twelve, therefore making
Pablo master Any the greatest coach in RSL history. I was just teasing Jason, obviously, and he got the humor. But on a serious level, with somebody who sat down with both of them, do you see similarities or are they polar opposites from one another?
I would say the similarity is their care is that this is not these relationships in the game matter to them. And I would say that is the case for like all the main characters in this story, Tony Beltran, Kyle Beckerman, Natum on a Waha, They're all like there are people who play and the people around them are colleagues, their acquaintances, they're people that help them get to where they're going.
And the thing I would say Christ and Pablo share is this idea that people are not resources, they are human beings and they need to be connect you need to connect with them, you need to care about them as people, and that what they do on the field is you know it is it different or an extension or I think to some degree for Jason it's lesser important.
I think they both are super competitive. That the you know, the competitive edge in them sort of just you know, I would not want to play checkers with either one of them or pickleball. So but you know their approach and there the way they see, you know, their responsibility
to players varies a little bit. And then I would say Pablo is just a much more like I can get him to go into philosophical discussions way much deeper, much more out into the abstract, where Jason is very much about, you know, the relationships and building the relationships and like the tangible parts of the job and the team, and he's just it's interesting to me how one of the aspects of this few of episode two in tomorrow's which will drop tomorrow, is that your dad chose this
place because of how much support he thought it would have from the community, and what I don't think he saw. But what has happened is that the community that was true what your dad saw was true. And what happened though, is that infused into the club and I see now it remaking like the DNA of people like Jason christ and Tony Beltan and Kyle Beckerman to where you know there. It was interesting last night to see how many of them are not from here. In fact, John Kimball was
the only one. He's like, what's the name like Kimball? You know obviously I've been I was, I was from here, but but you would not know which I thought about that, I'm like, you wouldn't know which guys were from here or how how because they're still Utah now they're like the team, the club and the culture of the club, like they've influenced it, but it's influenced them and so so yeah, they have some similarities. But I would say, if you want to like talk philosophy of sport, Pablo's
your man. But as far as connection and what it means to be loyal and a family member, that that's where you know, I really I had it, really loved having that conversation with Jason, and Frankly, the conversation with Jason and all of them were so good. We're going to publish them as bonus episodes because I think fans will really enjoy getting to know them that way.
So when Deloye decided to exit during the process of the sale, which was never going to happen overnight, you know, he was able to grab John Kimball and bring John over from the Jazz to kind of steady the ship over there during the ownership change, and John was kind of the first domino that fell. And then you know, Trey comes back, Matt Raider comes back, Jason christ comes back.
You know, Tony Beltran was already there, but it started this kind of wave of a lot of people that were there during the foundational build to kind of oversee a rebuild in a way. I wonder what your thoughts are on that. And then before I said you lose, how you would characterize the shape of the club as we say here today going into the postseason.
Well, I would say, I think you're right. Them coming back did sort of bring back this shape. But I also think that there were people who stayed there, there were people who endured this, And it's one of the things we talked about is, you know, I start the podcast at a moment of crisis for the club, but it wasn't the first crisis of the club they'd been through, and it's not going to be the last crisis that they go through. And the thing that I think is
remarkable is the response that they had the way. I mean, Tony Beltrend told a story last night that he actually didn't even share with me in the podcast about you know, after DeLay's interview, you know, going in and sitting in a car with Elliott at a park Elliott Falls former GM and just talking for an hour about and it was so painful for the people who were in the
organization at that moment. And I think what people like John Kimball and Trey and Jason christ have given them is this confirmation that it was worth it.
Like they they they.
Kept that flame alive through some pretty tough times and then and now they now they get the benefit of that and the people who stayed and endured that And that was one of the things that was really compelling to me. One of the reasons I really wanted to do this podcast was that most people don't know how hard these people who've never scored a goal, who've never done anything remarkably athletic on the field, like how hard they tried to protect this thing that your dad built,
and they didn't. Some of them didn't even know your dad very well. But that's how much of a communal, you know, asset it became. That it wasn't just a thing a business that is to be extracted from It is a symbiotic, you know, almost a living thing that had its own life and it was struggling, and these
people kept it alive. And then absolutely the big names come back into it and bring that back, and especially John I think was really crucial because the way the way Pablo is open and vulnerable, that's the kind of executive John is. You can't be around John. I mean, you just you want to ask him like are we related? Because I feel like I.
Need to hug you.
He's just such an He's just not like a normal I mean, and I would say that probably about your dad, like I can't imagine your dad and I having anything in common, and I feel like we're besties now. So I you know, before this started, I don't. It's just
a really remarkable place, but I did. I did get the sense when I was doing the research for this that there were people who really who really suffered to keep this, you know, this dream alive to keep this culture, you know, vibrant, And I would say that, uh, people coming back in and buying into that and picking up I have an episode four there's going to be an exchange between John Jenna, who has since passed away, and and Pablo Uh and my first interview with Pablo, my
second interview with John Jenna, and they have an exchange where John Jennet thanks Pablo for bringing back you know this hope and this fire and this and this you know this joy to the building. And I didn't really
pay attention to it in the moment. I just left my mics on and we were listening to it after, and it really made me emotional because you felt in his words how much it meant, how much it meant to John Jenna, a guy who had stayed and endured all this to have somebody come in and believe in what they had kept alive. And it was just a really poignant moment to me where sometimes you don't even know who saved this thing you loved, right, It may be a person you never see, a janitor. And that's
what I loved about Pablo. He was like everybody's on the team, and you know, Christ is the same way. He told the story last night about one of his favorite The thing he loved most about your dad is that the first this huge interview, this big press conference they had, but the first thing your dad asked him was, you know, how is your family?
Who? You know?
What's your wife's name? How many kids do you have? But he cared about him as a person, and I think that is a thing that sometimes we forget about athletes and coaches and every you know, they're there for our entertainment, but they're people. They have lives and this is a heart It's a hard it takes a lot out of you, and you sacrifice a lot to do this for the community. And so heading into the playoffs,
how do I think they are. I think they're in the position where they could go either way, but I have a sense that they're coming together in the right ways at the right moment, and we'll see what prevails. But I think they have the chance to do something special right.
Amy hit us with the name of the pod where people can get it now. I'll set you.
Loose making of a moment, the RSL story, and you can find it anywhere you'd like. To listen to podcasts, you know, Apple Spotify. You can go to our website Making of a Moment pod dot com and I am going to be writing stories on every episode and the bonus. The bonus on Friday is Brian Dunsath and you know, it's amazing content. We would love everybody to listen to it and hopefully we'll get to do.
More of these podcasts.
Thank you, Amy, have a good week.
Okay, thanks take care.
Rest is noise? They were playing coming in a set? What is this? That's a good question. What did you choose another one of these? You found your daughter's iPod and Madison Beer. It's called fifteen seconds. As the kids would say, you're trying to You're doing too much. It's extra.
This is just my song. My kids don't even know what this song is. It's extra. When did you become?
Dave Fox is in studio the Silver Fox, Dave Fox? Why do you purport to be a huge DM fan?
I have in my entire life since before EDM the phrase was even invented.
I was still into you know, dance. It wasn't around when the six with that style entire life? What do you mean that style?
Back in the eighties, there was a different version of this kind of No, there wasn't. Yeah, there was. You just don't remember this is brand new. Well, that song's brand new. That's literally brand new that she released that like in the last couple of months.
They've just let it go. Man, that's what I listened to. If you want to you want you want to copy my playlist very much, don't want anything that's on there.
Well, I also have bluey on here for when I when we have a branddaughter.
So you go anywhere from EDM to blue yeah on the Okay, Well, that's at least you have range. Dave Loui's good five questions last night. It was awesome.
It was a hit, phenomenal, Yeah, ratings record, and you answered every one of them. It would be weird if I didn't answer all of them. That'd be funny. If you want todays you just sat there and said, pass, Yeah, I'm good Now, that's not the next I.
Understand the assignment, Dave. As the kids say, I stand on business. So it was a good time last night. Thanks for coming in. Yeah, absolutely, I always appreciate you having me. It's always nice to get that. Rodizeo gift card like the College Football Roundtable gets. Yeah, well you know what you get that? They don't you get me my studio? Yes here, So wait, they don't get that, so they have to do it with DJ. So that's
why they get the gift card exactly. Well that no one's ever explained it to me like that.
I mean, you got to get something to put up with that, right, So if I start doing hits with DJ, I'll get Rhodizio maybe because I doubt he's going to be on this show.
Now that's that's not there'd be a conflict of interest. I would have DJ. I love DJ, that's my guy. I just never knew that. The reason they get fed is they have to deal with that BS. Yeah right, it makes sense. So there you go. All right, Dave, let's bring some of the content from last night onto the show and flip the script, and now I'm gonna ask you questions.
Oh.
I wasn't prepared for this. I thought we were just gonna sit here and listen to eedm All for the twenty.
Nine Sports Soccer Radio. I know you're not used to prepping, but we gotta do it. Okay, we thought Utah football at this point would be six and one, seven and zo. We thought they'd be scratching the top ten. We thought they'd be among the leaders in the Big twelve on any defensive statistical category. We thought the offense is going to be explosive. We thought that that Riceseycle Stadium was going to continue to be one of the best home
stadium advantages in the Western United States. All of those things are happening forty miles that way. Yeah, Wow, it's bizarro Seinfeld upside down world, right, Isn't it nuts to think about.
It that way?
And I remember having you on before the season and asking you which was more plausible, the Utes running the table and making it to the college football playoffs? Or B why you not even being bowligible? And you said that you thought there's no way. B. Why you wouldn't be bullied. You were behind Kilane all the way. But I don't win six or seven games, right, But you you were not one of those that was on board with the they're going to finish fourteen. In fact, that's
what we we'd phrase it, will they finish fourteen? And so in that respect to you're right, but none of us if there's anyone out there other than the members of the team themselves that thought they'd be seven. Oh at this point, they're you know, they're probably lying, but it's impressive, you know what they're doing. And watching that game the other night against Oklahoma State, which, by the way, how bad is that defense? I believe they're dead last in scoring defense in the Big Twelve.
They are. They probably got to be close to.
The last in tackling because that team can't tackle, so that, you know, you got to wonder at some point, boy, how how is b WYU even in a close game? But they still managed to win it, and that's that's the important thing. But it is just weird. It's it's upside down. I like the free I think you're the one that uses yesterday that yeah Bill was on and you said, the Big Twelve now is just drunk.
It's a mess. It's a complete mess.
Every team that was thought to be the front runner, including Oklahoma State, you know, is struggling, and then these other teams are coming up.
So it's crazy.
By the way, you had in your last segment, you were talking about all the defensive deficiency of the University of Utah's don't forget that's still in terms of scoring defense, there's still second no.
I asked Nate about sacks because that's where they're struggled.
Right.
Most of their metrics are top five on defense. The ones that aren't, which is weird, is getting to the quarterback enforcing turnovers, which by the way, they're also doing that down South. Yeah, the opportunity here, but well by you as thank you. But here's what I want to ask you. What are you willing to say about what's still possible for Utah today? Because there are a few directions you could go, and there is one direction that sounds like this. I did it during talk today with
Sean with OC and he summarily dismissed this possibility. And I get it because I sound like a lunatic based on what we've seen. Because what we've seen has been bad, and there's no other way to spend that from Utah. But what you have left are head to head against BYU, Colorado and Iowa State, three of maybe the four best teams of the conference along with K State. Now you have to get all three of them. You have to
get every game the rest of the way. But if you win all three of those games, you have to hope that those two teams get got twice to still have something to say. That's as far fetched of an optimistic viewpoint that you can take, or you can say, are they even gonna get bull eligible? Between those two? The chasm between those two? What are you willing to say about what's left?
Well, I'm not willing to say that they're gonna go as far as you are and somehow sneak into.
That I didn't say. I'm willing to say that. I'm asking you what you're willing to say, because that those are the two ends of the specum.
Yeah, and remember that you brought this up again. See this is how much I listened to you yesterday. How they needed like one hundred things to happen to get into this twelve chance and every one of them did. It's just unbelievable. Uh So, what I'm willing to say is they'll become Bowl eligible barely. And that's about the extent of it.
Wins or seven wins, What are you gonna give them? Well, at least six, he six gets your bowl eligibly. Thank you, thanks, Dave. So you said barely, I'm saying is that six or s? Yeah?
What I'm willing to say is they're going to get at least to that and maybe they'll get beyond it. But I'm willing to say that's the worst case scenario. They will go bowling. But doesn't this smell a little bit like BYU last year when they were what five and two and didn't win another game?
You know?
So that's that's I mean, every week there's more and more pressure on you.
Uh.
But we'll see, We'll see how that develops.
You think about going into play a team like Houston that's not good and yet they beat TCU, the beat Utah and you know, and you start that whole thing, the competition tree.
Uh.
But I'm willing to go to that degree. Yes, they will be bull eligible. The idea of the amount of things that would happen to get them into the Big twelve champl game is almost borderline absurd.
Yeah, and I'm not willing to go there either. Here's what I am willing to say, though, I am willing to say that I'm not completely out on them still being really good because I still believe they have the talent on paper that I believe they had to start the season, and I believe the coaching staff has earned the benefit of the doubt of the community because I've seen coach with turnbad starts around. So you get Connor o'tolback,
Karne's back, you get the defense back and healthy. We're going to get to the new OC in a moment. But they still have an old line that while young is shown to be good, they've got a good RB one of Mackay Bernard. They have weapons on the outside. We all have questions under center, because of course we do.
It hasn't been good enough. I am willing to say that I'm leaving space for them to still look like the team I thought they could be to start the year, even though the last three games has not been anything close to what any of us expect.
So you're saying you can still see them getting to nine and three. I could see him getting to eight. I have a heart, which man, I could see them getting. I think they get Houston.
Dude, That BYU game is always nuts. I wouldn't be stunned. Just give it to the home team, you know. I can see three to four wins on the schedule the rest of the way. But that's stretching the imagination. It maybe it's just insane to me that based off of what we all thought, we're now debating whether or not they're bull eligible. That just doesn't seem to register in my mind. It's odd.
Well, and you hit it on the head when you said there's there's few coaches who are is good at getting things right, then Coach Wit. But I still don't I don't think. I don't think being boligible is I mean, let's be honest, nowadays, getting bo eligible isn't like this incredible accomplishment anything.
Yeah, it doesn't mean squad because there's so many of them.
But beyond that, and I'll give them eight would be max in my opinion.
I think I would say seven. If they press probably I would say seven. But they'll definitely get to six. I'd stake anything on that, which is still just insane to think about. All Right, So, as we talked about last night, Coach Blood steps down Andy Ludwig, a couple of different ten years ten years total calling plays as the OC Mike Mike Pajakian named interim coach, and we heard from Mike yesterday for the first time addressing the media, and he said, Hey, the systems in place. System is
the system is what it is type thing. So what's reasonable to expect for Mike to be able to find in Andy's offense what Andy couldn't find himself. That's the that's the toughest part about this, you know.
But Jaki has been at a lot of different places, and I don't want to tell you exactly why he has. In some cases, you get caught up in a coaching staff that's fired, and you're caught up in that fray. Its Northwestern offenses weren't incredible, you know, by any means. But I think Andy said it best when at least this is what coach Winningham said that Andy had related, is that they need a new voice. And maybe it's that simple, and maybe it's a matter of changing some tempo.
You know, if a acting to your quarterback, and Isaac, as you know at Corner Canyon play a lot up tempo, granted as high school, but maybe that's something he's more used to, maybe a little more you know, bootleg that kind of thing. So you know, we'll see what he's able to do. But it's at the at the end of the day, it's the same player. So the bottom line is you're changing your play caller. And we see that. I'm not gonna say we see that a lot, but
we see that occasionally at every level of football. You see it in the NFL where Okay, it's not working with this guy just did it.
You're didn't want to say it. It's actually the same dynamic. I was trying to avoid saying Jets the new play caller was also the QB coach, and so Matt Hackett he shouldn't have a job anyway. Yeah, he didn't resign like Andy, but they the Jets just did the very but it hasn't fixed them. Nothing's gonna fix it.
Yeah, So I I guess what I'm trying to say is I don't I don't really know exactly what this is going to do.
I think this is a good timing.
For bajaking to come in because they're playing a team that's really not very good, and you know, maybe that's an opportunity to get things right.
But then you got to get.
It turn around quickly because after a bye week they played BYU.
Do you think that anything that happens this year will affect Kyle's decision or do you think he's already made up his mind.
I don't think I mean, none of us really know, but if it were me, I don't think he's the kind of guy that's gonna want to go out on a year like this. Now, let's finish playing it out, you know, Let's say they don't win another game. Do you really want to go out on that you can't lose to Houston? No, I'm just I'm just giving you an example of what your mind frame is.
Don't you want to go out with some level of success?
Now?
You can't do this forever, But that's what I feel like. So I can't decide whether or not I believe Kyle. It would light a fire under Kyle or it would make him go good riddance, man, Like, are you kidding me?
Like?
This is what I have to deal with because look, at the end of the day, I feel bad for the players. But in coaching, like you get too much blame for losses. The players have to buy in, they have to execute, they have to play well, and the coaches have to put them in positions to succeed. But once the game starts, it's on the players and they haven't been good enough. So neither of the coaches like blame to me is top to bottom and he's I mean,
all the way to the top. But I wonder if having an underwhelming year like this just motivates Kyle to go my grandkids. I like to golf, I like to ski. I am chilling and I'll be an advisor the rest of the way. But good riddence to this or does it light a fire hunder? I honestly don't know. I feel like it's the latter.
I think if there's anything that really based on little comments you hear over the years from Kyle, I think two things that I suspect that drive him nuts more than what's his team's going through is nil and transfer portal. And I think we all know he's There are very few coaches that really love that, and that's the kind of thing It's driven other coaches out of the game.
Might have driven Nick Saban out of the game, and he had just about anything he wanted, So I think it could be more related to that.
I don't know. None of us really know.
Kyle is well enough to understand and if he's motivated more as you said, by that fire, that inner desire to get the team right or the I don't see him as a good rittens kind of guy. I just don't, but but I could be wrong.
Is it? You know?
Is it better or worse? So let's let's say this is it. Let's let's say this is Kyle swan song, this is the last year he's doing the thing. Let's
just say that. Let's say that for a moment. Is it better or worse for Morgan that this year has gone the way that it is so you can thought to be the guy that gets the train back on the tracks, or with the train going in the wrong direction, losing another in state care the offensive lineman from Spanish for work, the top two in state recruits are going to sc with everything going in the wrong direction right now? Is it better or worse for expectations for more than next year?
Come on, I think it's obviously worse because you would, personally, if you were taking a job like that, you want things to be running as smooth as possible. You want things to be at the highest level if they would. Let's say they were still underfeed and ran the table, won the Big Twelve championship and went to the College Football Playoff and did well there, and then Whittingham said, perfect, we had a great season.
I'm gonna hang it up. Morgan's gotta love that now, you grant there's some pressure, are you, Klin de Boor who has lost a couple of games, and you're not nick stating. I think a guy that always takes over for the guy is under a different microscope.
I would still rather at least take a shot with a great team than have the pressure of trying to resurrect a bad one.
Then be the savior that rebuilds Utah football and I got here. Look if he doesn't, no matter what the current status of the team is, he's gonna have a lot of pressure on him, just like Caitlin does right now. Is in Tuscaloosa. But this is a fan base that's used to a certain level over the past fifteen years and they're not seeing it this year.
Yeah, I'd still rather have a full copboard and just see what I can do with it.
I don't know, man, We'll have to see. So you're a glass half empty guy, I'm a glass half folk, but we all know this. With that nice vest, dude, thanks extra stopping by to see anything else you want to say.
No other than Madison Beer, Thanks for playing that for me. Porter fifteen seconds again just release a couple of weeks ago. I'll have something new for you next time you do.
And too much man extra as the kids would say, but you do have the riz by Dave. All Right, five o'clock hour, how the program starts right now, signed forward the drive at five. Scott Mitchell is gonna stop by coming up in just a little bit. The former quarterback for the University of Utah played in the NFL. Obviously you can hear him on our broadcast with Bill and Sly as Utah football is going to be back at it coming up on a Saturday against Houston. That's
gonna be a five o'clock kicktime. Our pregame coverage we'll begin at one o'clock. Porter's gonna have you taken care of there. As of now, Utah is a three point five point favorite. That line has actually moved the way of the utes. One time opened up at three. Now it's three and a half over under thirty six point five,
which is not good. So, of course, the biggest piece of news throughout the course of the short's news cycle here locally is Andy Ludwig stepping down Mike Pajaki in we heard from Mike yesterday for the first time as he addressed the media as the new play caller for the University of Utah. And if you missed the comments, they're definitely worth your time. It's about four or four and a half minutes up on ESPN seven hundred sports
dot com, So definitely check that out. And you know, very honest, very forthcoming, because the fact of the matter is is Mike talks about the system is in place, like it is what it is. He's not an outside hire that is coming in to install a brand new offensive system, like nor would you do that in the middle of the year. That's what makes this complicated. It's
a little bit different than pro football. I mean, even in the NFL, you pull a move like this, the OC can put some pressure on the front office like, hey, we need a left tackle, or we need a better we need a better wide receiver. Go get DeVonta Adams, go make a trade, go change the personnel. You can't do that in college football. You can shift around certain positional groups based off the depth you feel like you
have your disposal. But at this point, we know who the line is, the old line is, we know who the RB one is, we know what the weapons on the outside look like and we know, at least for now, that under center is an eighteen year old who was trying to throw touchdowns against Bountiful High a year ago. In Isaac Wilson, who just enrolled in April, like, he is still a green behind the ears, regardless of who's
calling his plays. And so I just think it's fair to ask and wonder, like, what sort of difference will this change make now? We had Stevenson Sylvester on the show earlier, and I thought Sly was really good about kind of explaining this through the prism of a player. And need Orchard also live in studio because one of the things you hear every single time you hear a coaching change, what do you hear as far as the
messaging goes new voice, new set eyes. We just need the locker room needs a new voice, The locker room needs a fresh perspective. And I always wonder how real that is?
You know?
Again, this is Andy Ludwig's Mike spoke yesterday about his desire to come here to work for Andy. What can Mike Bijaki and find and Andy Ludwig's offense that Andy Ludwig himself could not find. I don't know the answer. Maybe maybe there's a lot there that I'm just not seeing. I mean, I never played college football. I can't speak to it. Maybe there's a lot that a new set of eyes and a fresh perspective can provide that I
don't fully understand, because I got to be honest. If Andy himself couldn't find answers for the offense he created for this personnel group, what's a new voice utilizing that same offensive attack going to find that Andy couldn't find. Now he has been acting as the quarterbacks coach. Isaac Wilson also spoke yesterday about committing to play at the You to play for Andy, right, And Isaac, you always forget how young he actually is until you see him
with his helmet off answering questions. Man, that baby face. He's just young, is all it is. And he almost looked a little bit emotional about everything that happened. I mean, a month and a half into his first college football season, Isaac Wilson is going through a coordinator change, a coaching change. The most important coach for him is now gone. It's his second offensive coordinator and we are seven games into
this thing. So I certainly wonder how this is affecting him, because, let's face it, regardless of what you think about his talents or the good things that you've seen or the things that aren't so great so far, he's still the most important player on this team because he plays simply the most important position in all of team sports. You
hear everybody say it, it's because it's true. So the main thing for me is understanding that relationship, which I'm sure is great because again he's been his positional coach. But as far as just functionality and as far as just technique and as far as making sure you're executing at a high level, what's going to look different. I'm curious to see, because here's the thing. It has to look different because it's been so bad. We've gone through some of these numbers as of now in the Big twelve,
and hopefully this weekend will change. But the offensive numbers, they go like this, total oh fifteenth out of sixteen teams, tenth and passing ninth and rushing fourteenth and scoring fourteenth and first downs, fifteenth and third down conversions, thirteenth and fourth down conversions fourteenth, and overall efficiency eleventh in the red zone. Ironically enough, they lead the conference in time of possession, which makes no sense. What it does tell
you is there are plenty of extended drives. But they're not calling kill shots the way that a Rod has been calling them down at BYU. They're not getting touchdowns in the red zone. They're settling for three way too much. They're also not turning the other team over. I mean, it really is the exact opposite of what coach Wit wants his football team to do and what we've become accustomed to seeing Coach Wits football teams actually execute. They've
always been able to turn the other team over. They've always been able to create create havoc plays. They've always been able to do the things that Kyle's protege and pupil Kalanie Satake is doing at a high level down at BYU, turning the other team over, putting your offense
and advantageous situations. Having such a dominant d that even if the offense isn't necessarily elite and dominant, they do just enough to keep you in games, and then the offense does just enough to score enough points to actually win because the defense is dominant. Now there are plenty of metrics that indicate this is still a really good defense.
Like you can lose me with some of the conversations going on about the d not being as dominant as it once was, and maybe that's true, but I still think on paper, the talents there, and we know the coaches are in place up there that know how to
coach defense is That's who coach it is. That's who Morgan is, That's who these guys are, who they always have been, and we've seen them turn around slow starts before I know I sound insane while continuing to grip to the very last branch before I fall on the ground with his team. But there's too much talent and there's a reason why everybody under the sun, not just your home with the utes, were picking Utah to win
the Big Twelve. It if it wasn't Utah, it was Okay State, who coincidentally enough, has also been incredibly disappointing. And if it wasn't Okay State or Utah, it was KSE State. Who's the last of like the big three standing with a chance to win this thing. KSE State, according to ESPN's FPI, actually has the second best chance to win the Big twelve behind Iowa State. BYU was third as of now. Interestingly enough, this game for Brigham Young coming up on Saturday feels a little bit like
one you got to keep your eye on. They're traveling two time zones. They're going to be in Orlando to play UCF. They're a slight two point favorite as of now. UCF should have beat Iowa State. They ran all over them, they finally found a quarterback, took them seven games, but they made that announcement today and ultimately BYU's been I'm so good against the spread. I'm not telling you what to do with your cash outside of just don't bet
on sports, which is my advice every day. But two time zones against a team on offense, it's kind of figure it out a little bit U c F BYU this weekend. I'd be a little bit nervous if I was a y fan, because ultimately, while BYU has answered every question thrown at them and they've won games in a myriad of different ways, I still am curious as to what it looks like when there's simply no crazy randomness to a game for BYU, like the bounces are
even there isn't a crazy turnover. There isn't a crazy scoop and score pick six one hundred and thirty eight yard Parker Kingston pop return between the twenties. Everything is even, and go head to head against a really good team. I wonder what that looks like, only because we haven't seen it, and it doesn't diminish what Kalatee and a Rod and Jay Hill and those guys have done. With a seven and zero start, you can't take any thing
away from them. They are firmly in the mix to win this Big twelve championship and there's no debating that. But they're utilizing the formula the coach Wit wants his team to utilize to win games. So again, the defensive metrics indicate this is still a really solid d second in total defense, fourth and rushing fifth, and passing third in efficiency. But where they fall short are the areas where we're usually seeing dominance, which is sacks their ninth,
turnovers forced last fumbles forced fourteenth, interceptions ninth. So yes, they're solid in basic fundamental defensive football. They're not creating game changing plays like we've seen from Utah defenses in the past, and certainly a coach Wit Morgan Scalley type. Defense seems to always have the one dude that makes not just big plays, but game changing plays on defense, whether it's Devin Lloyd or Clark Phillips or way back in the day, Eric Weddle, Who is that player this year?
How's that player been hurt? It looked like it was gonna be Connor O'Toole for a minute. They need him back. And yes, I know you guys are sick of talking about the injuries, and yes, you should have better depth in order to absorb no matter how many injuries you have. Last year probably being an exception because it was just chaos left and right. But it can't be a massive fallof losing a couple of key pieces, like every program
across the country is going to run into it. So it's fair to ask whether or not the depth is there the way we thought it was. If it's going to look this bad when some of your key pieces aren't available, And then finally, what does the conversation sound like if after all the messaging from the football program, all the messaging from folks up there like Okay, fresh eyes, new perspective, new voice in the locker room, new play
caller or pump for weather. This does if they go to Houston and lay An Egg and it looks the same and they can't move the football and eyes struggling with his reads and there's no discernible difference in the play calling.
What is it?
What's next? Like, what's the next step? At some point do you ask questions about who's under center? And I haven't put much of this on Isaac because again, eighteen years old, trying to ball out against Skyridge a year ago. Now you're asked to play against big boy, big twelve football. It was a really unfair ask right out of the gates. That's why I thought they go get sam Hewart all Right, a VET at one point, a top five recruiting his class.
Brandon Rose has been in the program. What does it look like if Cam goes down, maybe Brandon's ready And we were all somewhat stunned. I think, outside of Riley Jensen deserves credit for this that they go with the kid. And I do think, you know, this is very much an in the moment job. It's an intimate like connection to a fan base right now with what's going on
in the moment. To talk about what's current. So you might roll your eyes a little bit when I say in four or five, I'm really curious to find out what an eighteen year old learned through this chaos so young in his career. You know, most great players in their twenties, thirties, whatever they go on to play pro football, you can trace a career path back to some sort of adversity as a youngster. And we'll see what Isaac's
made of. I mean, this is a lot of adversity for a young player who is going around the merry go round of college football for the very first time. But Utah football back at it, coming up against Houston. Pregame coverage for us at one o'clock and then kick we'll be at five. All right, Before we catch a break, I want to tell you about my friends at Prize Picks. Prize Picks is the best place to get real money
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you free money right now. So all you have to do is download the app today, use the promo cod ESPN seven hundred to get fifty dollars instantly after you play your first five dollars lineup. Download the app today, use the promo cod ESPN seven hundred. All right, I know it's a football season. I know we're all waiting for Thursday for the NFL and then the college football weekend ahead. But it is opening night in Pro basketball,
one game in each conference, as is the tradition. Nicks Celtics going on right now at TD Garden, te Wolves Lakers late night, So get used to the Lebron Bronnie James storyline that will reverb your excuse me revert throughout pro basketball all year long. On a scale of one to whatever, how relevant do you feel like the Knicks are going to be? Do you have any sort of faith in Nick basketball this year?
I think there's very few situations where they're not good. Right the roster they have, they're obviously going to be competitive. But my thoughts with the Knicks are similar to last year. I think they'll be a little bit better on the top end, but I just wonder what they look like end of the year. Tom Thibodeau, of course, is a
guy who loves to play his guys heavy minutes. I think this is a team that is well positioned for a home playoff matchup and and if they can get their healthy is my real main question.
Jazz get rolling tomorrow. Isaiah Collier and Johnny Jewsang are both out load management, right am? I right? Yeah? With draft positioning, not with those not yet. Joel Embiid is going to miss the first week. Paul George out for the opener. I said this at the time when I heard all this noise. He gets paid, he needs to play well, wait till NBA basketball rolls around. At least Cameron's hurt. A lot of these guys just decided to sit out, which unfortunately, I think is an issue. I
think it's a big issue for pro basketball. They would tell you it's not because of their TV money, and that's fine, But the NBA is back. I was on our old producer John Paul on his podcast today. It's called Roundball Roundup that's available on the Utah Jazz Podcast Network. JP's going to be in the studio coming out on Thursday. Now we are out and about tomorrow. We are at the Dish Professionals at eighty thirty four South State Streets.
So come on by and say hi. On a Wednesday Showporter, what can our listeners expect.
On a Wednesday edition of the program, Spence, you mentioned it. The NBA is back, so is the NBA Daily Assists. We're chatting with Zach Harper on the program on a Wednesday, as well as Richard Smitty Smith. On the first day of Jazz Basketball of twenty twenty four. At least this season, Neil Smith stops by to talk to them hockey, and of course we'll talk some mutes as well. Mark Harlan, the athletic director at the University of utahpot.
Oh, wow, we got big Mark on tomorrow. Sir Desperado be exciting to catch up with Mark on a very tenuous time frame for his football team, so stay tuned for that. On a Wednesday show, Say good Night, It's special. Thank you to Scott and Mitchell Stevenson, Sylvester and eight Orchard, Jake Weber and Dave Fox Fornny the sound you may
have missed. Website ESPN seven hundred sports dot com. Download our app, our mobile app, which is the ESPN seven hundred app, and that's available in the App Store in the Google Play Store. Then check out our podcast page for everything we do in the afternoons. It's called The Drive with Spence. Check its that's available wherever you get your shows. He's Porter, I'm Spence saying goodnight, Join some NBA hoops to Kyle Whitningham coaches shows next right here on ESPN seven hundred