The @BigOTires BIG HOUR w/ @BuckleUpBoler/@GordonMonson

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For fifteen years, the Big Show dominated the Utah Sports talk airwaves. First it was Craig Bowler, Jack and Gordon Monson, followed by Spence Check It's in Monson now all three are reunited on the drive It's time for the Big Show Hour on the Drive it spends check its exclusively on ESPN seven hundred.

Man.

Where to start today with these two legends live in studio Craig Ball of Jack Ordon Monson Reunited.

Guys, it's been a few weeks. How we doing.

It's it's good.

It's good to be here. See Gordo and you know, live in and got his hat on again. He dresses with you know, Goer Animals color coordinator.

I would say this is an attempted match, an attempted match today with the Phillies hat and the Shark's shirt. But you're just a little off shoes with the what the tone?

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, you know I actually did them.

The shoes are they?

Oh?

Okay?

Shoes match the hat, I would ask, But there's no way's getting his leg that high for me to be able to see.

You don't want to see that anyway.

It was.

I wasn't field goal kicker.

You know that the tutorials that you've given our listeners over the years on kicking field goals.

What was your longest that you hit? Were you a sidewinder? Did you go straight up with a square toe?

Uh?

I was sort of a mix because this old school.

Okay, he literally said, to kick a field goal, you swing your leg back.

Yeah, and a bunch of other things. Yeah, a bunch of It's like.

Kind of like a golf swing.

But you know you're going to concentrate, you keep your head down, yes, follow through.

Yeah, all right, great to see you guys. Bowler's got his case State hat on. Gordo has his Phillies hat on at his baseball season. But let's let's start with jazz and then we'll end with college football because a lot of people want to do a little college football. So Bowler as the voice of the Utah Jazz, we'll start.

With you and then Gordo will have you chime in. For sure.

As we inch closer and closer to the season, I find myself more and more excited simply to have NBA basketball back. And you hear talk and you know, we had some media availability with Justin and Danny and Ryan last week. What's the feeling like in the building is it are we close enough that the excitement is kind of spilling in? Do you still feel like there's a little bit of an ambiguity feel around the Community's what's the buzz right now.

I was at the ZBBC. Will invited us in yesterday for the two hours and it was a lively practice. There's a lot of youth as we know, a lot of athletes as we know, and there's more speed on the floor that I've seen in quite a while. I thought it was competitive. I thought it was positive. But what else is new before you hit the FLOORID tomorrow night against the New Zealand Breakers. So preseason game one is about twenty seven hours or so away, Gordo, and

Now.

The money's great two hundred and let me double check my number two thirty.

Eight, the largest deal in jazz history.

By far, and so yeah, by far. And so with that in mind, you know, does he get complacent? I just don't get that feeling. I know he's thankful for the opportunity.

He wants to lead.

Let's see if he does.

You don't have to worry about that guy, Craig. He's gonna he's gonna.

I think he's gonna bring you. Yeah, And I you know, he's a guy can shoot the hell out of the three, can step in the corner, he can hit the wing, he can do a trailer three above the break. I mean, he's a he's a really dynamic young player and the jazz can build around him. But the question for me. You know, does anybody pop and what I mean by that? In year two, does Kyante say it's I'm really gonna play this position and I'm gonna be the guy. I want to be a leader. He told us that I

Oh no, we said last week that. And this is just my vantage point, my echo chamber. It just feels like there's a general, uh, I don't know, malaise or just there's not the typical buzz for Jazz basketball as there is now. You know me, I'm an NBA guy, so as the Jazz get closed, so I'm just pumped for basketball. You still feel that way a week later that there's just not necessarily the community excitement there.

Typically is for Jazz hoops.

Well, now that they have had the media day and all that sort of thing, camp is opening up, maybe I'll Smidgemore, but not a whole lot more. And that's not really that uncommon. Remember back to the Stockton Malone years, it would take through football season before people started filling the building.

And it's still well, they still fill the building.

But your point, I think it still takes through football season for most people to really dial in sort of.

And in a situation like this where there are questions, we all have questions. Spence, I've heard you talk about this and I agree with you. One, what's the direction of the team. Well, it seems as though so now the direction of the team is development.

That's it.

Well, when I hear the word development, I see the word defeat. That's kind of what I see. But I'm not sure it matters to him anymore. Yeah, they want competitive integrity, so they don't want to say the T word.

Yeah we're going to tank and all that. No, they're not going to talk like that.

But when they talk about development, Bowler, we're going to see these young guys on the floor and we're going to see what they can do. And you mentioned Keante George. He's a great example. Now, if he's trying to prove to everybody how good he is, how does he do that. Does he do it by trying to dominate the ball? Does he do it by shooting too much? Or does he do it by setting up the entire team to make the whole team.

Your third point is where he has to be. He has to be a distributor, a facilitator, and then the shot comes. So what will one simply is a guy that can get his teammates involved, run the floor, back off the turnovers from two and a half a game last year. And I talked to Will about that pacifically. And remember the second half of the season Spence, after the All Star break and the movement of the youth movement began there. They basically threw Kyante in the fire

It's not play to win like our lives depend on it. Because if they were doing that, some of the more veteran guys, we'll get.

More time, no doubt. If that runs counter to what they want to do right.

Spence is a former point guard yourself, I gotta ask you, you know, how will that play out?

Especially?

I mean, how much does Patty Mills play? And how much does Keante if he's distributing the ball? Not just a mark and then but a bunch of other sort of question marks are guys who are still developing. What kind of effect does that have on the point guard and his mentality.

I'm the wrong guy to asked this because you are shooting point guard well, but my tendency to shoot every time I touched it. Notwithstanding, I'm the wrong guy asked this because I don't want Patty Mills to play one minute, okay, and I don't want Drew Eubanks to play one minute, you know I honestly I don't want Lowry to play

I don't give a rip.

I just don't like congrat and look I don't want to be disrespectful. Patty Mills has had a hell of a career as an NBA champ. Watching him play with the Australian national team, he played like he was Lebron. I mean, he oftentimes balled out for the national team.

But I don't none of the vets they brought in moved the.

Needle at all. I get why you bring Lowry back because he's awesome. But if we're sitting here in April and May and we're like, hey, congrats on the thirty one wins, guys, and they draft eleventh next year, I'm gonna lose it.

I've already done it twice.

I'm just like over it.

And so to Craig's point, what I'm excited about, Let's see what Kante is in year two. Let's see who Walker Kessler is in year three. Your three is a big deal for NBA rookies. It's why the NBA rookie scale. You have three years to figure it out.

This is the pop year. Yes, and I heard you.

And if you don't figure out after year three, guess what happened? You get for debted the Kings don't pick up your option. Then suddenly you're in China. Yeah, right, that's a good point. Taylor Hendricks has put on some pounds, which he needed.

We are in weight gain season. We are, so is it?

Is it?

Because every look I said, twenty one?

How do you do twenty one?

I heard?

I'm sorry, he corrected that. He said about nineteen.

I was listening to a bunch of coaching availability on NBA TV just to kind of see, and every single one, Oh, my man's gained twenty five pounds. Yeah, when you gain twenty pounds, Gordon, nobody celebrates.

So Craig, Craig, you've seen them.

In I have.

I tell you, he looks, he looks bold. What about Walker? Walker claims he's two seventy two.

Walk Walker looks look healthy today. Okay, good marketing, the Mountain marketing. I'd tell you had some guns showing.

Yeah.

But then big t steps in, who knows what it's like to play in this league and burn calories. He says, Look, let's talk again at game fifty and see if you can maintain the weight thorough still today nearly a seven footer, slim trim.

I'm but he keeps himself.

But the metabolism that he ran you know, he told me he had to put down ten thousand calories a day during the season just to maintain weight. He would come in and gain twenty in the offseason, but it burned off quickly. And so can Taylor Hendrix with the riggers of eighty two games and thirty plus minutes survive and or is he just going to stay in and stand at the chuck a Rama buffet and consume.

I have I have a question for you, Bawler, and it relates to what Spencer was talking about.

As the voice of the Jazz. How do you feel about what he just said?

No, I think he's got good points. I mean, I I you know, I'll say that, you know because I agree with you see on Twitter all the time that you know, because I work for the Jazz. You know you have to say the right thing. Look, I've always tried to be fair and you are and I and I call a game, I see it. I still get criticized, Oh, you're tough on Kiante tonight, or I keep track of turnovers tell the freak trol. No, they're seeing the same thing I am. I did it, and you know at CBS.

But I'm not so much talking about that. I know you will do that.

But the part I'm asking about, what is it like to call games for a team that might win nine games?

It's not easy, you know what. You're trying to do the best you can to look at the positive. Look. I can sit there all night and just dig a grave, But in reality, let's see what this kid can do. What is Kiante about? What's uh? How how does Patty Mills? Why did they bring him here to Well? We know why because Will coached him in San Antonio, believes in him and thinks he can be a voice in the locker room that a pup right now needs. And these guys are pups, so Will said a great thing the

There a song about pups growing up.

It is yeah, yeah, good pl But I just you know, okay, so this is let me make an analogy here.

I don't think to spend this point. I don't think they win seven games.

I think that.

I think again, the DNA of this franchise is different than that. Now, if something would occur that they just continue to get minutes but don't don't produce justin Xanak and Danny will accept that. And then again, in the positive sense, they would find themselves in a in a better uh draft picks selection selection. They have picks to use as well. If they want to move up, we'll see.

Yeah, this is what they're going to do.

And so that that this year, I think more or less you're going to see guys who want to be in this league not going to be here for the jazz at the end, right, Yeah, because it should be. Yeah, I mean, you just can't say, okay, let's give him another year. Let's give him another year. No, this is a win now league. And even though Danny has this persona around the league about being you know, a hellish trade guy and put you on the you know, put

Here's my predictions, my analogy. All right, Thurle is going to be well, okay, let me say it this way.

You've heard of Lennon and McCartney.

Of course, Bowler's going to be Lenin and Thurrell is going to be McCarthy.

In other words, I see what you're laying down.

Yeah, Thurle is going to say everything is getting better better, all the time, and Bowler's going to say it can't get no worse.

It's actually not.

And look, doing this with you for almost a decade, it's not near your worst.

I'll tell you that much right now.

Let me ask you this though, because during the Ryan, Danny and Zanik roundtable, and I love Justin, he gets it, you know, but when asked about the and I'm sure Danny really wishes he never said big game hunting because that's been thrown at him a million times. If you go listen to the entire sound clip, he also said, you know, there's a chance we're gonna have to do other He didn't just say we're going big fishing, big

No big game to hunt.

Well, Clark Thompson, Paul George mckelbridge, is Karl antitiing?

Yes, there was. The point is there was.

Movement.

But here's what I want to ask you, So did he mean that ultimately when the oppert Because there was also a chance to trademarket into Golden State and there were several big name players who moved this year, So there were opportunities to get involved in treeansactions. Do you think he meant it simply just wasn't worth the price they were asked to pay to make a trade for cal Bridges or sign a Paul George Because that confused me a little bit.

Most people just ate it like, oh, they didn't have a chance. Yes they did.

There were several really good players that moved. So just was your interpretation? Nothing made sense at times.

But at the same time, I think that market it was always going to stay Spence. And you know, we talked about why did that name pop up? Maybe they just again went out to fish and see how much actually they they that marketing was worth. And a lot of teams were enamored with are enamored with Laurie. He brings a great skill set for his size and to spread the floors we know, and runs the floor well.

A half and Paul George wasn't signing here.

No, let's just call it how no no. And I think a lot of times, you know, you throw it out to a veteran player, they're all looking for one thing. They want to ring. They want the best opportunity because that will solidify their, you know, their career. If I get a ring, man, that's it. Malone stock that don't have one. And Carl told me, you know what, I'm I'm I'm okay with that. And that's hard to do,

Ohler, But they contradict themselves and this is getting back to Spence's point, because the only reason to re sign market In for that kind of money is if you're going to hurry up the process.

Yeah.

Well because if you're not, he's getting in the way by helping your team win more games. Right Yeah, So what's the message, Well, it seems contradictory.

The message that I have listened to is that he is a centerpiece for the young guys to understand how to win. Someone has to teach someone how to win and how to hold yourself as a pro. And that's about That's the explanation. I mean, he wanted to be here. He's a super talent that a lot of teams are always looking for. And the Jazz would let go a twenty seven year old. Now, if he's thirty one, there's

Are they work years? Are they two years? Within contention? No attention to twenty nine? So we're getting there in that thirty and.

Again here here, I think is what fans come to games for and listen to talk radio and have their own anger or you know, hopes. Is the fact that who actually does pop you know, I keep using that word, but do you Is there a nugget here? Is is is Philipowski of Steele at thirty two from Duke Can. I've watched him play. He's an athlete, guys, but at what level? See, I don't know, And that's that's what

Got to move them.

And ultimately I understand Gordon's point about marketing. I don't think he can let him go. I just don't. He's just he's too good. Now, He's not so good that he takes you out of the ability to potentially position

Longer than they used to.

It's conceivable to believe that Lowry will still be here when he's thirty two to thirty three. That's five six years down the road. Guess what, guys, it's gonna take that long. So if they can incrementally surround him with better pieces than what they've done so far, then the signing makes sense because I don't know how you let go unless you've decided to go all in on being

Right, Yeah, it's it's intriguing. It's an ongoing conversation. We're gonna see it each and every night over the eighty two games, five preseason games. I want to see rotations. I want to see Keante run the show. I want to see the attitude he has when he throws a ball away and does he just picked himself back up and get back into his head, like, let's go play and not pout. Look to the look to the sideline. Walker has to do the same thing. This is a

I guess my final word would be a question to you, Spence, as an analytics guy, guy who studies that stuff. You know these data points point Bowler's talking about and I heard Justin talk a lot about that. Yeah, how do you differentiate data points that are sort of okay, that was a nice move, advantageous move for individual player, But how do you guy find out or determine which of those data points really lead to real wins?

I think it's a good point, how you impact winning. I mean that was kind of the thing when Gobert manifested himself as a defensive stalwart. I mean, you looked like a baby giraffe, but you're like, man, he's affecting everything at the rim. And then you see the data about rim protection, field goal percentage at the rim, against efficiency against Rudy. Right, so whenever you hear anybody say Rudy sucks at basketball, you're like, you're not paying attention

They love Will.

They picked up his fifth year option, which means you're with us for the long haul because next year's is fourth. So how does Will want to play? How do they fit in with the guys we know are going to be And right now we only know that that's Lowry, Honestly, Like, if you think about it, the only guy we know is gonna be here for a long time is Lowry Marketing.

We have questions about everybody else.

And one point on him is what a great attitude that guy has.

Yeah, there's a lot to love about that.

I mean, really is you know what he's finished.

He loves the mountains, he told us, Look, I love the ondoors. It reminds me of home. And he's comfortable here, family's here. And you know what, the Jazz fan base has been looking for a veteran All Star and the most improved player two years ago that want to be here.

Yep.

And now there's sometimes questioning why he wants to be here or why the Jazz kept him so that that one is You know what, Spence, you make a great point. He is a focal point. How does it spread out from there? And who do they surround him by? And by the time his contracts up, is there another player that takes that that mantle? Or two or three?

Yeah?

R does he want to want to want to be here?

People around here? Man, it means so much to us if you love us.

Yeah?

Sometimes so weird.

All right, we'll catch a break coming up next more well, we'll do college football only actually for the second half of the hour, both BYU and UTAH on a BUYE. This week Craig Bulerjack and Gordon Monter live in studio. It's the Big Show, Big Hour here on the Drive, brought to you by Big Otires. Get our Healthy Car Special for fifty nine to ninety five, which includes a conventional oil change, checks on alignments, breaks, batteries, and more.

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All right, Craig Bowler, Jack Gordon Montson live in studio, gentlemen, is a sign?

Is it a sign that I'm getting older?

During the break, I ask you for advice on kolonoscopies.

Maybe that's it's kind of a cooperty head all over between the group here, well said one.

I provided my first this morning.

Let's see, I'm heading up on two three. I've had two, so three's coming like in five four years.

All right, let's feel okay, I feel fine.

I'm a little tired. It was the anesthesia more than anything else. But let's move off the colonoscopy topic. I'm not sure our listeners, you just didn't you just wake right up? Well, the procedure was fine, but the anesthesia when they put you under, you wake I took like a two hour nap.

Wow. So yeah, but the worst part is the prep. You gotta drink.

Yesterday was the worst part. I was interviewing Chris Camaraddie. I had three more questions on my checklist. I'm like, dude, I'm out, I gotta go, and just sprinted to take care of the business. But ultimately glad I got it done, gotta clean colon, good to go. And let me just add this for all of our listeners out there, if you're have a certain age, just do it.

Just get it done.

I mean, it's not a fun process, it's a little bit pricey. If you have insurance, it's it's definitely doable. But talking to my doctor today, I'm forty six, He's like, you're probably six years too late for this, but let's do it now.

It's good.

You gotta And then after the clean scan, he said, I'll see you inten So if you have a certain age, get a quolonoscopy.

It could save your life.

Yes, sure can.

I know of people that have walked in thinking everything is great and they find it out differently, and they found it just in time, and everything's good.

And as somebody who's had bad news from a doctor. It's always good to get good news, right, So it's good day to day. All right, gentlemen, what an exciting start of the season for college football. So every year on the show, I do like a lesson learned in September. Right, So as we turn the calendars from September to October, I kind of moved from observation to now it's time for conclusion.

What do we know? Right?

So Gordon, I'll start with you. Let's start with Utah, then we'll move to BUYU. Five games in the books, one month down, September behind us.

What do you feel like you know about the youths?

This is what I know about Utah football. They need their quarterback back it.

Cam Rising is a guy who is the tie that raises all boats, both on offense obviously for obvious reasons, but even on defense because they have they play with a certain swagger in confidence because they know the guy. The guys on the other side are going to move the ball. And right now they're not certain of that. That lost Arizona was that was that was not good? And so how long is it going to take for

Well, I think the NIL shrouds or wants the shroud to be lifted, because Spence, well, you and I talked about this the last two weeks. The NIL when when a guy's playing boy everything, you know, it's it's what it's supposed to be in college football now. But if he doesn't and the fan base starts to hear or turn or get ugly or doubt, starts to kind of filter in, which is what's happened with really no conversation of his status. Guardo, It's like, man, what is this about here.

Especially when Kyle says stuff.

Like he's close, Yeah, he's close.

Remember last year he was saying that, and it backfires on the player because the heat comes to the player.

I'm really close about running down this street, but I'm not there yet, you know what I mean by the way you go yeah, yeah, the knees I mean for whatever you whatever. Two new knees are good for but you know I can kind of job you don't. The only great part about this is I can actually now beat the light when I have to run or jog across the walk that's not nothing on the road. And you're going, oh my god, these guys already blasting off and I'm out here going, hey, guys, wait, please stop.

Well, I mean, well, you can relate to this at some level. I mean, you play Division one athlete football player, and Cam Rising has had to deal with all these freaking injuries again and again and the mental toll that that takes on a player. And then if you have people around you going, what's the matter with Cam?

Come on?

Don't you want to play? Yeah, you're picking up your paycheck, but you're not playing, so there must be something wrong with you. That adds a burden, that is, and I get the one and a half million, but understanding the frustration.

What the nil does, Man? It brings more pressure, honey, changes money does I think, as we talked last week, Gordo, I really believe that the NC double A's got to jump in because there's gambling involved here now where players have to be up on a list by a Thursday night or whatever it may be, noon on Friday when they play Saturday, just to know the condition of the player, is he a go or no?

Ed?

Abandoned file is lawsuit in two thousand and eight, the NC double A should have stepped in sixteen years ago. But to your point, you know the best time to do something with sixteen years ago. The second best time is today. Let's get something done. But I want to hone in on Gordon's point and Craig get your take on this too, because I do think the messaging surrounding the situation quite frankly, it's pissing people off, right fans,

And here's why. Two things.

So.

Chris Camaraddi released a piece on September the nineteenth for The Athletic where he got access to Cam, access to Cam's family, and Cam spoke very candidly about what last year was like for him, and Chris talked to doctor Neila Trosh, who really outlined for the first time exactly how bad that knee was This was not a sprained MCL. This was an explosion of the knee for a twenty four year old, which, by the way, was why I never thought he was going to play last year. Okay,

And so here's what Matt Holt said about coaches who don't report injuries.

He said, quote, we constantly tell coaches, if you continue to hide information for gamesmanship or competitive advantage purposes, you are putting your student athletes, your trainers, your equipment managers, and assistant coaches in a heightened risk category. When betting groups start to figure out, hey, this coach want disclose injury information. Now, there's real value to getting that inside information. So the last couple of weeks.

We have examples of this.

Against Oklahoma State, the line moved four and a half points over two hours.

Guess what that means. Somebody who knew Cameron wasn't playing got a phone call and was like, you're going to take a dirt napp in the desert if you don't tell me what the deal is with your quarterback. Boom Cam's not playing. The line moves.

Last week Arizona, the line moved two and a half points over the course of an hour and a half.

Guess what that means.

Somebody is speaking because they're being leaned on by the people in the desert who control lines. This is now beyond an issue that Cam is getting heat on social media right because Kyle can say, guess what I'm not on social media? Guess what Kyle, your twenty five year old quarterback is because we raised them as phone on phones as they're best friends and babysitters, so he sees the heat that you're bringing on him as a result of your lack of information. This is now spilling over

Who is your starting quarterback? Because your coach won't tell us.

So this is more of a problem, I think than most people understand. In a vacuum, if you spread it out, I think it's a misguided way to handle the information, and it is bringing heat on your quarterback, so it might be bringing heat on your staff.

It's a simple fix, in my opinion, is just have an injury report right, just be up front. No, Cam's not playing. In fact, if you really want to be honest, he's on most likely out four weeks.

Say three.

And I think it also helps Isaac understand his role better. And doesn't you know, like God, sure, I go again, and he knows he's because he's taking reps in practice. But you know, I'll be honest. I hadn't been to a Utah game for a while. I went to homecoming last week and.

Go to the dance.

I didn't go to the dance, no invite, Bull and Sharon, just walking in. But I had more fun. I love the feel. I love it. But I'll tell you what. That balloon was deflated on the two fourth down attempts on the first two drives. The entire stadium just went silent because it's so rare you can't punch it in right. And they only had eighty four some are yard rushing last week and another two picks by Isaac. But he's eighteen.

This is what makes it worse, Bowler, is that Utah is really good. Yeah, it's a really good team. If Cam Rising is playing on that team, I still think they go to a college football player.

You're a believer too, though. You just said that the defense reacts to Cam on the offensive every which makes you know they didn't have a sack in that game, didn't have a sack and that.

Beat him the trenches. That the audist.

That's who they are, right, So that I think, you know.

You know how it is.

Bowler is a former football player yourself, how emotional that sport is. And if guys are feeling a drag man, it's not. And once you start dragging that way, then it's hard to recapture it is. And Kyle's over there walking up and down the sideline going what am I gonna do with my team here, Well, you need your quarterback back, and if you don't have your quarterback back, then make it clear to everybody.

The problem is that the youths are good there. That's a great team.

It can plays and so that's just all this pressure you were talking about, Spence, it just lays this this, this.

This heavy blanket over everything.

Yeah. I just felt the energy, which is so rare at Rice Ecles just deflates in the first quarter and on and on it win and you go, well, they're gonna sooner or later find their way, but they never could. And you and to your point, I was impressed with Arizona. They were they were coming off a bye week, and they were fresh, and they were hungry and they were ready and any opportunity they came, I thought, Wow, they're

Yeah. No, it's a spot on point.

I was there with my son, and you know, as a student, then as a season ticket holder, now as a media member, I've been going to games of Rice eCos since the mid nineties. I don't remember a night where it was just like people felt anxious, they felt on edge, and then the team didn't give them anything to cheer for. I mean, the moment of loudness was a moment of some sound. It's usually like deafening.

Here's another point.

I wonder if this is fair too, And I mean you always want to suit up, you always want to be in pads, and you want to be with your team with a helmet in hand. But Cam is dressed the last two weeks out for the coin flip, and so you get the anticipation again that this big reveal is going to happen, and then the disappointment. I could feel it settle in again. But he's on the sideline, looks good. But it's amazing that an injury of that nature a finger, whether it's a dislocation or or both

I mean, I agree.

I want to stress the point that Spence made about about don't blame Cam this. This is a matter of being a human being, for sure. This isn't I don't know. I think back to infamous injuries through the years. There was a fellow who played for the Jazz Boozer who had that hamstring on that will. But you know these it's injuries, an injury, and he's not dogging it, and people need to know that and need to back off the dude a little bit.

He made a dumb decision.

He should have sprinted straight out of bounds, and that's another issue. But that's not getting injured, not his fault.

Yeah, he's simply hurt and when he's healthy he'll play, So lay off the kid.

That's my thing.

But it's funny your reference Booze because I've talked about this as an example. I can remember during the height of the frustration, I was down at the at the arena and a saw Scotty Laden, who's the assistant for Jerry at the time. I said, Scott, what's the deal with Booze man? And he's like Spence, he's hurt, he's hurt.

What do you want?

Right?

So it could have been that simple. Now in retrospect, we got used to a guy who wore thirty two who played eighty two, and so the new power forward wasn't that and we were all in our feelings about it. But let's finish the hour with BYU because Kalani Plody got himself a squad down there. Now, I don't know how real it is entirely yet, because there are several things you can point at in every game where it's like, Okay,

Well, we saw BYU b SMU on the road that was more important than we thought. Yes, that team's not bad. That SMU team has scored like one hundred points and in the subsequent games and BYU held them without a touchdown. And so that defense especially really has impressed. The offense is hit or miss, and we saw that in the Baylor game. First half You're looking at that team going, man, BYU looks like a freaking conference champ.

Second half not so much.

Three points.

I mean, yeah, that's good. So they need to get airon Aaron a Rod needs to get that offense ironed out. And they've had injuries at the running back position and they had some injuries along the offensive line too, but everybody does, and so you just have to deal with that. B YU was so much better than most people thought they were going to be. It's just and Colonney told me this, Vince, we talked about it last week. We talked about it the week before that. Colonie told me,

Offensive line, D line impressive and it's amazing to me. I mean, they're quick, they're athletic, they seal I mean, I mean, I'm just going wow. And the other part of it, you have to be our take advantage of opportunities, and you just said it opportunistic. And they have been probably the best team in college football through the first five weeks. Have taken advantage of miscues by their opponent KSU for sure. Last week they get the late pick to seal it, you know, despite the comeback after the

You know.

I'm not sure big YU fans they believe. I'm sure some, you know, I've talked to some.

I think some do, but I think some are sitting waiting for the other shooting drop.

That's I talked to a couple of guys that I know real well, and one's all in and the other one says, yeah, I'm still not convinced, and I said, okay, well, you know you've got another game. You know, Arizona, you're seventeenth in the country now, you know, I mean you this team cannot afford to get over confident. Let's just say that.

And yeah, I don't think Colonie will let them.

Because one thing I've appreciated the past couple of weeks is listening to the coaches because sometimes the blue goggles, you know, it's like, this is eighty four all over again. Cosmo did a double backflip. I got a little swigging by.

The way Cosmo.

Cosmo's an athlete.

Cosmo rules.

But sometimes tis the hype trained down there. You're like, all right, So listening to the coaches, though they've been very honest in their assessment, and Colonnie keeps saying, gotta stay humble, and we gotta stay hungry. We haven't done anything yet because there are bits. Look, bottom line is this, though you referenced it. They're so much better than anybody

And Colonie said that, he said, he admitted, he said, we weren't necessarily prepared last year for what it was going to be like to play in the Big Twelve. They lost their last five games.

So they learned their lessons.

And again I'm not gonna sing the praises too loud because I have a feeling they're gonna drop some games.

But I'm telling you, this is a team we were wondering whether they were going.

To qualify for a bull I picked him to win six games.

Well that was my one went away from a Bowl as they are for Bowl eligibility. And I think they found out too what it's like to play because it's it's in your chops. Its physical line play is so important and that's.

Where they've excelled.

It's a great point because both their fronts last year were horrific, which is UNBYU like.

And both their fronts this year are awesome. Give me your thoughts on Jake Craig.

Let's go to you with this, because last year four starts for Jake ratz lab and just way too many mistakes. It wasn't just the picks, it wasn't just the fumbles. It was weird decision making and honestly, it feels like the jury is still out on him a little bit in that department. I think it's safe to say he's been better on the year. As QB rating is one to fifty, which is fine. Twelve tds, five picks, four fumbles, he has completed about sixty one percent of his passes.

I still think they need a little bit more from their quarterback.

Yeah, no, I agree, and a healthy backfield, which it looks for sure are starting to get get there. Yeah, And I think Jake is more comfortable from what I saw last year. But you know, when you when you get an opportunity that your defense gives you a little bit of a lead makes life so much easier, and that opportunity to score, you know, and that's why Utah

Austin scrambling from him last week.

Yeah, yeah, that's right.

He picked up some yardangs and that might be necessary for him to do that. But that that forty four yard touchdown pass he threw the Lesser was about as sweet as a quarterback.

Those two have a little thing going, don't they.

Yeah, I mean that, but the interception that was just a stupid throw on his part and so the I really believe the quarterbacks, unless you're just so gifted and you're so smart and you're so advanced, you got to go through a process here. And that's I think Jake is in the middle of it. And what his high end is that that's what we don't know. But can he continue to learn. I would imagine that he'll feel

To say, one last thing, I think each quarterback who grows, and Isaac's going to go through this as well, is how quick you can read whether you bring safeties up, if you're going to drop, you're go read blitz, if you're going to see pressure off the edge, and you know, almost becomes automatic as a junior, and of course as a senior you've seen these teams before. A lot of this is new, a lot of this scheming is new

Final question for both you, Gordon will start now, Utah b Yu play tomorrow neutral field.

Who wins?

Is Cam Rising playing?

I'm gonna say no because it's tomorrow? Yes, oh yeah, that's right.

African.

I'll say it this way. I think if Utah has came Rising, they win. If they don't have came Rising, I think probably b Yu.

I would agree. I think that a game like that without Cam comes down to opportunity. Does Isaac throw the pick?

Yeah?

Is there a special team play that turns the tide of the game? You said neutral?

Right?

Yep, that's important because that's three points. In my opinion, either whatever stadium you play in is three. Even though you may be a huge underdog, still your home field should be a huge advantage, at least a field goal. But I think if they played tomorrow, Isaac Jake, Yeah, I go b.

Yu all right?

And who would have thought we were saying that about four weeks ago.

It's amazing crazy, But I'll tell you, when you're on a roll, boy, it's hard to get off of it unless someone really stings you and you may be your own worst enemy. This game this week will be intriguing.

All right, boys, gentlemen, thank you for the kolonoscopy advice. Great to see you as always fun to have you in studio. It's always my preference, So have a good WEEKND Craig Blerjack Gordon Monson want to tell you about my friends at Clearwater Distilling.

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