But joining me now.
Did a great job on the broadcast, one of the best to ever do it to Utah Staties, a Super Bowl champ. Robert Turbin on the Drive on a Thursday, Robert, how you doing, man.
Hey, what's up man? I'm doing great. Thanks for having me on.
I appreciate the time. So give us an update on what you're doing now. It seems like you're really busy. Like I said, you really go to the broadcasting stuff. How busy does that keep you? And what else do you have going on?
Well, I appreciate that very much. It means a lot. You know. I started calling games for CBS in twenty twenty two, and you know, I've just done my best to try to build from there. My first year I did eight games, and last season I did eleven, and this year I've got a full slate of thirteen, including the Conference USA championship game at the end of the year. So not looking too far ahead, but certainly excited about
that and all these opportunities. I'm doing a little bit of what you're doing as well, a radio action with Serious XM. I've got two of my own shows, and one of those shows being the Tailgate show NFL Radio Channel eighty eight every Sunday morning at nine Eastern times. So I'm obviously I'm in California, so I got to be up early and get you know, got a big cup of coffee to get the energy right to be
fired up to do that. You know, still affiliated with the Seahawks and work about a game a month for their broadcast and uh and yeah, man, you know, just just trying to build my broadcasting career as much as possible. The last thing I'll say is you're in Sacramento where I live now ten or thirteen CBS, I'll do I'll do postgame analysis for them in regard to the forty nineties and Raiders, just because that's the market here in
this in this region of California. So it's been a fun ride, man, and just doing my belt the best to build it every year.
All right, man, good stuff, good stuff.
Well, best of luck, and if you ever want to hop on to get some reps, of course, I always would love to interview a former Super Bowl champ.
So you have a home here.
But I wonder, Robert, what your impressions were last week of the Utah Utah State game, and specifically what you saw from Utah's young quarterback to the true freshman, Isaac Wilson.
Well, I think Isaac showed that he's certainly going to be the future for Utah at quarterback. Now, you know, I know, like Kyle Whittingham, is big on competition, so he certainly won't be just handed the keys to the car when that opportunity positions itself. He'll have to earn it. But he certainly displayed a lot of good things against
Utah State last weekend. And I think the best part about his game, you know, outside of the physicality that he brings, you know from a throwing standpoint, being actor and stuff like that, but you know, I thought, hey, his ability to be able to fight through adversity was
a thing that stood out to me. You know. It wasn't like he played great against Baylor the week before when he got his opportunity, and it was a little bit of a slow start against Utah State, but he overcame that and you really saw him in the pocket look left, pump, fake, come back right, throw the ball on time, accurate, and he just started doing that throughout the entirety, well not the entire game, but mostly in
the second half. But you started to see a lot of it really that back half of the second quarter where he just boom a little shoulder shake that touchdown, he threw the money parks in the end zone. He completely faked out Ake Larson with just a little slight pump fake to the right, I mean just a little shoulder and then boom came back to his left and was on target to money Parks in the end zone right there for the touchdowns. So just seeing those things
developed throughout the game was the most impressive part. Think he's got a really blad future.
So away from the quarterback position, what else on the and we'll get to the Utah State stuff in a minute, but what else on the Utah side most stood out to you? I mean, they were able to run the football with Makai Bernard. I thought Utah State looked pretty good early. There was a lot of nervous youth fans after that early start from Utah State. But other than Isaac Wilson, Robert, what were some of your takeaways from watching Utah play last week?
You know, one of the guys that stood out to me on the defensive side for Utah was Cameron Calhoun. You're talking about a freshman with not a lot of playing experience obviously at the you know, at the FBS level, and you know there were some moments in there where he got beat. But again, it was just this resilient mentality that you saw throughout a number of guys in
the game. You recognized that Jamiah Vaughn, who was obviously the veteran corner for Utah, he was matched up with Jalen Royals throughout the entire game before he got injured. So that was a game plan for Kyle Waitingham and Utah going into the game, and Cameron Holme was gonna have to supplement that. But it was gonna be a challenge for him because, uh he's just a freshman and Utah State like to put the ball in the air,
and I thought he answered the call really well. So he's a guy that stood out to me, uh in in that football game. Van Fillinger, I thought, did a nice job consistently putting pressure on the quarterback, particularly in the second half, getting his hands up and knocking the ball down. He's a he's a veteran player. He's been around this program a while, but I never got to see him play, you know, up close like that. I
thought he was I thought he was really impressive. And so those are two guys that you know, I think on the defensive side. And then and then you mentioned I mean the run game speaks for itself with Mattie Bernard and Mike Mitchell, just their ability to stay with it, uh and uh be able to close out games when they need to. They've done that consistently so far. A little bit a little a little disappointed in Jon Stanley, I'll lad, but I visit a kid though, that has
a great potential. I thought he just had a bat. I mean every now and then, he just had a bat. You have an off day, and I thought Stanley just had an off day. A couple of drops, you know, his seat weren't under him, stumbling over his own feet, something he wouldn't really see normally from him. But still a young player, a lot of potential, and this team has a lot of potential to go for in a Big twelve.
So your alma mater looked ready to go early. Obviously.
Bryson Barnes played down here for a for a couple of different years, so you know he knows the scheme.
He knows the personnel and threw a couple of picks.
But did you believe early on when Utah State took that lead that we were potentially in for an upset? What was your what was your confidence lever early on when Utah State came out and punched you ty right in the mouth.
Well, I expected that. I expected Utah State to come out fast and you know, sort of have this uh you know, this energy about them to start the football game. The crowd was into it. There's a there's quite a few a few players who transferred from Utah and who are now at Utah State. So I sort of expected them to have a fast start. And the other thing too, was I mean, think about how the game finished for
Utah against Baylor. I mean the second half, you could almost even when good things are happening, after camp Horizon was injured, you could really hear like a pit. I mean, the energy was just out of the stadium. The energy was out of the sideline. They were able to finish the game, but it kind of felt like they just sort of squeezed by to finish it and there was no energy. So it trickled into the start of Utah State where Utah just didn't have the energy there to
start the game. And we spoke to converting hand before and I mean, obviously Utah's never overlooking anybody, but you know, it wasn't like Utah State is a team anymore that you know, to be honest about it, that Utah wants to play year in, year out anymore. You know, they've they've moved on to different things and they have different aspirations for their program, and so you know, from that standpoint, you know, maybe there was some you know, just that
the slow start. I think maybe some slight overlooking, especially with the Big Twelve opening, the Big Twelve coming up this week against Hey, maybe looking overlooking the Utah State a little bit. But at the end of the day, I felt like Utah was going to sign their stride as they did, and sign a way to pull it out in the second half. As they did. They took the lead before the end of the first half, and you know, I felt like it was it was kind of going to be their games from there. But I
do give a lot of credit to Utah State. They did get it within seven right before they start of the fourth quarter, and so they fought, but Utah was just the better team that day.
You know, Russeul Feizon pulled his best Robert Turbin and went for a buck fifteen against a really good defense. I wonder what your take is, Robert on why Utah staid was able to find so much success on the ground against a defense.
That typically is very, very very good against the run.
And then what Utah needs to do better coming up on Saturday against the guy who won the dok Walker a year ago.
Oli Gordon, That's.
A good question. I got a chance to talk to razull Fazar before the game, and you know, I just Toilet said, look, you know, if you want to have some success today against this defense, you're going to have to attack these guys downhill, north and south. I mean, the minute you can get north, the second can get more get north, and that is going to sort of be the formula for you and this run game to
have success. And I think he did that, and I think this in general for Utah State was able to have some success against Utah because they they played the game vertical. Utah State, when you watch him, a lot of the things that they like to do offensively is east and west. It's lateral it's the quick screens out wide to the wide receivers down the sideline. Hopefully they can make a guy miss and make a make a play,
you know. Down the fields, it's the edge runs to the running back trying to get to the outside, and you know, hopefully they're you know, they can beat them with speed and and I just felt like that wasn't going to do anything impactful against Utah and it didn't. H And so because they had a more vertical game plan, that felt like, you know, they they had some success. So Utah is going to have to really sort of you know, shape up a little bit within the middle
of their defense. I think they're strong on the edges, but they were you know, Utah State was able to find some success in between the two guards, specifically that U taught defense and their defincsive tackles, and so they're gonna have to be a little bit more stout, maybe
commit more you know, people to the box. It's difficult to do that against Utah State because you know, they're such a spread out team, but you know, if they can commit an extra defender in there in the box, I think Utah can have a better day defending the run against Oklahoma State.
I know you don't live here anymore, Robert, but I am curious to get your take on how connected you remain to Utah State and other Utah State alums, and what your reaction is and what the reaction is of great players like yourself who played here and stay connected to the program. About the chaos that ensued and logan this offseason, Austin Blake Anderson his job, Jerry Bovee and others let go.
And Nate Dryling, while on a European trip.
With his wife, found out that he is now the head coach as he was at a pub ins in Ireland, I believe. So it's just been a bizarre you know, five six months up there. What's the thought of Utah State alumn Yeah, you know.
It has been. And coach Nate driling Is has been excellent, you know, to be able to step up in here. I believe he was in Ireland with his wife, but you know, to be able to step up and take on this role and this challenge and the kids that really responded very well to him. He only one player since he took over transferred away from the program, and so that lets you know, and tells you a lot about coach Nate Dryling, and you know how he presents himself with the team thinks about him. But I am
still very well connected to Utah State. I care about the university a lot. Obviously it you know, it raised me, you know, in a way without the uh you know, the coaching and and uh you know some of the people that I were able to connect with, some of the people who helped me throughout my collegiate career. Uh,
there's no professional career for me. And so that goes from not just people in the football facility, but folks who live in Logan, you know, the actual community who were always there to lend a helping hand if and when needed, whether it was a summer job where there was like my car breaking down or something like that. I mean, all kinds of examples that I can go through. So very well connected. I'm developing a national relationship with Diane who's the new athletic director. Jared Bovie was a
good good friend of mine. I thought coach Anderson was an awesome, awesome person, and him and I would talk, you know, on occasion. I still talk to my own coachy who actually came to sell me up in the booth actually at the game. So the connection and the love is very strong. It's there. It's unfortunate that all of these things and these events happen in the way that they did this offseason, but you know, those are
also things that aren't in my control. But what I can control is to continue to support the university the best way that I can, and that's what I try to do.
All right, well said, I want to move back over to Utah. I want to ask you a question about Cameron Rising. You know QB one around here, and you're a guy that played at the highest level, and you played at the highest level as a running back where you had the ball in your hand and very big, physical, large men were trying to kill you while you were running with the football. So the conversation around here, Robert has been now for a number of months, like when
Cam gets back and what he's healthy. We've heard coach went, We've heard coach love, We've heard the coaching staff and other people around here saying that they have really done everything they can to try to help him understand how important he is to them and therefore get out of trouble.
Is it possible to learn that when you are a competitive guy like Cameron Rising, and when you are a physical football player like Cam who plays the quarterback position with a lot of competitive fire, can you relearn how to play that position in order to keep yourself as safe as possible. Because we're three games in, he's already missed a game and there's some conversation about what's next.
So give me your thoughts on that, Robert, will you?
Yeah, you can absolutely absolutely learn it. If you're intentional about learning something, you will. One of the examples I can give is Josh Allen, who is starting quarterback for the Buffalo Gose. Obviously believe me with d Wyoming, sect me if I'm wrong, But you know his early years, I mean he was just you know, throwing his shoulder head down, you know, wanted to impose his physicality on
the finners. But when when you watch him now, now there's still a certain level of athletics that he plays with and it's natural. But when he gets into space and he sees defenders, he slides. Josh Allen slides now when you watch him, And so if you're intentional about playing the game a certain way, of course, you can learn it. You absolutely can, and so Cam Rising, he's just got to want that. He's got to want that
for himself. But I can tell you this, if he doesn't, this is going to continue to be the result for him, because the fact of the matter is, no matter how great of a quarterback you are, or how big or strong you are training or running back, you don't train the same way in the offseason like a linebacker or a strong safety. You're not throwing the same type of weights around, You're not doing the same type of drills. You're not preparing for the same type of physicality to
endure through an entire football season. Quarterbacks are dropping back, they're going through cones, and are flowing the football as they should be doing. Therefore, you need to slide. So if he's more intentional about having a long career and a healthy career, he'll fix this will no longer be an issue moving forward.
All right, Robert, Before I said you loose, you know, a big game for Utah on Saturday, as we've discussed against Oklahoma State, Vegas has Utah as the favorite to win the Big Twelve. The media have picked them to win the Big Twelve as well. The Robert Turbin tick, what has to happen, generally speaking, for Utah to get this done, win the Big Twelve and go to the CFP.
How does it play out?
Yeah, no, it's a great question obviously. Are you asking about just this game against Oklahoma state of the Big Twelve in general?
The Big Twelve in general all season?
That?
Like, what has to happen for Utah to win the conference?
Yeah? Well, cam Rise is gonna have to stay healthy number one, because he is a really good he's a great playmaker.
He is.
Uh, that's that's gonna have to happen. Secondly, you know, this, this running game, this one two punch with Macai Bernard, don't continue to be really really efficient. I mean this is going to have to be the meat potatoes of their offense. Uh, you know for them to have success, control the clock and be able to play the type of offense that they want to. But this is all going to be about defense for me, uh, with Utah if they want to continue to if they want to
win the Big Club this season. Uh. Takeaways on defense, being able to get pressure on the quarterback on a consistent basis, the combination of those two things and then obviously stopping the run if you want to add a third wrinkle in there. But the defense is going to have to play like a top ten defense in my opinion for them to be Big twelve champions at the end of the year.
All right, man, well, good stuff. You want to call this weekend? Where can our listeners go find you?
Coming up at?
You know what? I'm actually off this weekend. My son is turning eight, so we've got a Dragon ball Z themed birthday party going on on Saturday. So I'll be doing the dad thing this weekend, but the following week I will be in Wyoming. Speaking of Wyoming, they'll take on Air Force at home and I'll be on the call for that one.
Well, enjoy the dad stuff. I'm telling you.
Mine just turned twenty three, Robert, so you're gonna blink and he's gonna be out of the house, So enjoy why you can.
All right, I will. That's great advite.
All right, the great Robert Turbin, one of the best ever do it to Utah State and won a Super Bowl with Seattle. Now he's doing some broadcasting. He's really good at it. Hopefully he gets some more opportunities. Is on Twitter at Robert Jay Turbin is where you find them. Want to tell you about my friends at Prize Picks before we catch a break. Prize Picks as America's number one daily fantasy sports app with over five million active members.
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