1 00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:05,879 Need to get your football fix on all things Army, Navy and Air Force. 2 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:12,039 This is Yards and Stripes Service Academy Football. Now Here are your hosts, 3 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:19,239 Pryce Atkinson, Steve Carney and Mike Loveall Happy belated Thanksgiving to you and 4 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:24,160 everybody tuning in this week. I hope you all celebrated a what was hopefully 5 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:29,120 a fun blessed holiday week Thanksgiving weekend last week. We're down to just one 6 00:00:29,199 --> 00:00:35,039 more regular season weekend coming up, and it's another big one with a lot 7 00:00:35,079 --> 00:00:38,520 on the line. But first we've got you covered with a pair of games 8 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,960 to break down from last weekend. Our Travis Manian Foundation, hon a Roll 9 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:47,759 plus Air Force beat writer from the Colorado Springs Gazette Brent Brigaman's gonna join us 10 00:00:48,079 --> 00:00:51,640 to break down the Falcons regular season. But he is Steve Carney and I 11 00:00:51,719 --> 00:00:55,439 am Pryce Atkinson, and we are part of the College Gridiron Coast to Coast 12 00:00:55,479 --> 00:00:59,719 podcast network. Here on Yards and Stripes, you're home for Service Academy Football, 13 00:00:59,719 --> 00:01:03,679 coming to you with a new episode every single week. Nothing but Army, 14 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:07,079 Navy and Air Force. That is what we do here. Steve, 15 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:11,799 what is going on? I hope you guys had a awesome feast week filled 16 00:01:11,799 --> 00:01:15,760 with lots of college football, lots of college basketball, NFL hockey, everything. 17 00:01:15,879 --> 00:01:21,760 It is big time sports season with everything colliding all at once. Yeah, 18 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:26,840 it really is. And we had a really good Thanksgiving Day. Thankfully, 19 00:01:26,879 --> 00:01:29,599 I didn't have to work Thanksgiving Day. This is the first time in 20 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:34,159 a while that that hasn't happened, because usually I've got a college basketball game 21 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:40,319 here or there, or you know, an NFL game or whatever. But 22 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:45,560 I got to be completely with my family for all of Thanksgiving Day. That 23 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:52,680 was That was fantastic, with some some hockey interspersed bookending the Thanksgiving Day holiday, 24 00:01:52,719 --> 00:01:57,519 but it was It was a great weekend for me personally. Wasn't so 25 00:01:57,719 --> 00:02:04,040 great unfortunately for the service academies on the gridiron, and I know that we're 26 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,239 going to get into that here in just a moment. But it was great 27 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:12,520 for me. How is yours? It was great. It was a little 28 00:02:12,599 --> 00:02:15,199 chilly at the beach, but it was good to get away and you know, 29 00:02:15,599 --> 00:02:22,199 some have some family time away from the homestead and you know, everybody 30 00:02:22,439 --> 00:02:23,879 getting out of school for the week, so you know, kind of make 31 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:28,759 that last big push here before we get to the bigger holidays, well not 32 00:02:28,879 --> 00:02:31,039 bigger, but you know, Christmas season. It is now officially here. 33 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:35,199 We can stop the debate. Like I feel like, correct me if I'm 34 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:38,080 wrong, Steven, but I feel like that the debate has raged higher, 35 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:44,919 hotter than ever this year the last few weeks about you know, the you 36 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:49,960 know Christmas decoration thing before Thanksgiving, you know, waiting till afterwards. I 37 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:55,000 feel like that that debate has just been more top of mind discussed everywhere this 38 00:02:55,120 --> 00:03:00,719 year. Am I wrong? No? I certainly feel like everybody has been 39 00:03:00,759 --> 00:03:06,520 asking, you know, when is too early to put up your Christmas decorations? 40 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:13,879 And it seems like the debate has gotten more and more heated as we've 41 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,919 gone on here, and this year it's been it's been hotter than ever because 42 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:22,800 it seems like there are so many polarizing people that feel like, oh, 43 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:28,319 no, Christmas decorations are fine to go up sometime in October as most people 44 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:32,680 see what card shops are doing nowadays, where it seems like right after the 45 00:03:32,759 --> 00:03:38,240 fourth of July you start seeing Christmas cards being put out on the shelves and 46 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:42,360 it's like, wait a minute, hold on a second, but I agree 47 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:46,479 with you. It seems like every year it gets more and more heated that 48 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:49,759 people go, no, we've got to have Christmas decorations up now, now 49 00:03:49,879 --> 00:03:55,120 now, But now it's perfectly fine. You want to start the Christmas music, 50 00:03:55,439 --> 00:03:59,599 you know, once we get past Thanksgiving, if you want to start 51 00:03:59,639 --> 00:04:02,599 playing Christmas music in your work, you want to start playing Christmas music in 52 00:04:02,639 --> 00:04:06,960 your car, that's all well and good. Now now is the time to 53 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:12,120 do it. Enjoy your time. There are plenty of radio stations that flip 54 00:04:12,159 --> 00:04:16,600 their formats specifically now to play Christmas music, and hopefully you're taking advantage of 55 00:04:16,639 --> 00:04:23,759 it. Well, it is officially tis the season now, so game on 56 00:04:23,959 --> 00:04:28,680 when it comes to Christmas decorations, Christmas music, all of that stuff. 57 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,720 I'm ready for it. I'm sure you're probably ready for it. But tis 58 00:04:31,759 --> 00:04:38,360 the season for the college football postseason that is coming up this weekend, but 59 00:04:38,439 --> 00:04:42,240 not for us. We've got one more, obviously big regular season game that 60 00:04:42,399 --> 00:04:46,639 is the Army Navy Game presented by USAA. That's Saturday, December the ninth, 61 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:47,920 But we got a whole lot before that, we do, Steve, 62 00:04:47,959 --> 00:04:51,519 because next week we will have our Army Navy preview show. We'll talk to 63 00:04:51,519 --> 00:04:57,040 guests on both the Army and Navy sides of things to break down that matchup 64 00:04:57,079 --> 00:05:00,959 and get you ready for that game. But we have got games from last 65 00:05:00,959 --> 00:05:04,720 weekend that we've got a breakdown, Navy and Air Force both in action last 66 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:10,639 Saturday or last weekend Friday and Saturday. We obviously had Army that was off 67 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:14,160 as they prepare for the Army Navy game. But let's talk about the two 68 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,040 games that we had last weekend, Steve. Let's start on Friday. On 69 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:21,279 Black Friday, Air Force playing for a spot in the Mountain West Conference championship 70 00:05:21,319 --> 00:05:26,160 game for the first time in school history. But the Falcons they come up 71 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:30,439 short on the road on the Smurf Turn, falling to Boise State twenty seven 72 00:05:30,519 --> 00:05:33,920 to nineteen, air Force dropping to eight and four overall, five and three 73 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:39,240 in the Mountain West, Boise State seven and five, but six and two 74 00:05:39,439 --> 00:05:44,959 in the league. Air Force losing four straight to end the regular season. 75 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:49,560 After that outstanding eight no start, but that big one that came at the 76 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:54,959 end, still having a shot to play for the conference championship game, it 77 00:05:55,199 --> 00:06:00,199 was not to be, as the Broncos led wire to wire the San Jose 78 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:06,879 State Spartans they get a win over UNLV also over the weekend, creating the 79 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:12,040 three way tie atop the Mountain West Conference standings, but the computer tie breaker 80 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:18,600 between UNLV, San Jose State and Boise State it spits out UNLV and Boise 81 00:06:18,639 --> 00:06:23,199 State as the top two teams. So they will meet for the Mountain West 82 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:28,959 Championship on Saturday at three pm at Allegiance Stadium in Las Vegas. So we 83 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:32,560 know who's playing for it. But back to the game. Ashton genty from 84 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:38,079 the Boise State Bronco is one hundred and seven yards on the ground one hundred 85 00:06:38,199 --> 00:06:42,000 and eighteen receiving, leading the way as he was the first Bronco player to 86 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:47,519 go over one hundred rushing and passing since October twenty sixteen. As I mentioned, 87 00:06:47,639 --> 00:06:50,519 you know, while they did go wire to wire, Steve, this 88 00:06:50,639 --> 00:06:56,439 game was not put out of reach until really the end when Air Force quarterback 89 00:06:56,519 --> 00:07:01,680 John Bouche He was intercepted around midfield with just seconds left. That finally ended 90 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:08,040 the threat in Boise State marches on to the championship game while Air Force licking 91 00:07:08,079 --> 00:07:12,000 its wounds, ending the season losing four straight. Yeah, Price, I 92 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:16,480 certainly think that you know when you look at what Air Force or what they 93 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:20,720 didn't do, especially in the second half, they had their They had plenty 94 00:07:20,759 --> 00:07:26,680 of opportunities in this game. You think about it, there were only eight 95 00:07:26,879 --> 00:07:31,360 drives in the first half of this game, and there were let me see 96 00:07:31,399 --> 00:07:36,600 here, two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve thirteen drives 97 00:07:36,959 --> 00:07:42,720 not counting the kneel down at the end of the game by Boise State. 98 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:46,079 So you had plenty of opportunity if you were Air Force, and they got 99 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,639 they got the good two for one at the end of the half, they 100 00:07:49,759 --> 00:07:55,120 got the field goal to make it seventeen to six, and then went down 101 00:07:55,680 --> 00:08:01,759 and scored a touchdown and unfortunately tried to go for two and it failed, 102 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:07,079 so it ends up being seventeen twelve instead of seventeen fourteen at that point. 103 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:13,560 And then Boise goes down and scores a touchdown on their first drive of the 104 00:08:13,759 --> 00:08:18,519 second half. At that point, you know, I really thought that Air 105 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:24,920 Force had still had an opportunity. You saw them intercept you saw them intercept 106 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:31,360 Taylor Green, you know, on on Boise's next drive. They end up 107 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:37,720 taking that interception that turnover and turned it into seven points. And at that 108 00:08:37,799 --> 00:08:41,039 point you're thinking, all right, they've got an opportunity here. It's twenty 109 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:46,039 four to nineteen at that point in the third quarter. You know, so 110 00:08:46,159 --> 00:08:50,399 you still have the entire fourth quarter plus the couple of minutes that are left 111 00:08:50,519 --> 00:08:54,840 in the third, and it's a one score game. Unfortunately, from that 112 00:08:54,039 --> 00:09:00,240 point on, Air Force's offense was three and out, four in out out. 113 00:09:00,759 --> 00:09:05,039 Then they they turn the ball over on downs uh, just outside of 114 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:09,639 Boise's red zone. Uh. And then the the interception at the very end 115 00:09:09,879 --> 00:09:13,559 of the game. UH. At this so at that point, you just 116 00:09:13,639 --> 00:09:18,279 gotta you just gotta shake your head and say the the offense did not do 117 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:22,039 their job in the in the second half after that touchdown, they almost got 118 00:09:22,159 --> 00:09:26,799 out rushed by Boise. Uh. They they outrushed them two oh six to 119 00:09:26,919 --> 00:09:33,279 one one uh, and they were minus one in the turnover because of the 120 00:09:33,399 --> 00:09:37,639 last second interception. You know. That's that's all things that if you're a 121 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:41,240 service academy and you want to play in a conference championship game, you have 122 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:43,960 to do and they weren't able to do it. Mm hmm. Third down 123 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:50,120 another big key, Boise State converting five to ten fifty while Air Forces was 124 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:54,039 just five of fourteen. Just you know, over not quite forty percent, 125 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:58,159 So you know, you gotta keep those chains moving, especially when it comes 126 00:09:58,159 --> 00:10:01,399 to service Academy teams on third down. You know, we know that Zach 127 00:10:01,519 --> 00:10:05,639 Larrier you mentioned, you know, he not available, did not play. 128 00:10:07,279 --> 00:10:11,480 Manualchell did return, but Michelle with just six carries for fourteen yards, largely 129 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:18,080 ineffective. A bright spot for air Force was sophomore Dylan Carson, the running 130 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:22,120 back, going over one hundred yards again for the second to straight game, 131 00:10:22,559 --> 00:10:26,399 a career high one thirty two on twelve carries. Averaged eleven yards a carry 132 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:30,679 in this one. So obviously that was a bright spot. But you know, 133 00:10:31,399 --> 00:10:33,840 Ben Britton, you know both Ben Britton, John Bouche, they get 134 00:10:35,399 --> 00:10:37,159 you know, see action. But it was Buche going most of the way, 135 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:41,360 you know at quarterback eight to seventeen, one thirty one, you know, 136 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:45,279 through that pick late, but you know, in the end, it 137 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:46,480 just was not to be. And I know we're going to talk with Brent 138 00:10:46,519 --> 00:10:50,039 Brighaman in a little bit, but you know, no doubt about it. 139 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:54,559 A disappointing way to finish the season with a four straight loss, you know, 140 00:10:54,879 --> 00:11:00,559 while still having that chance to play for a conference championship. I'm really 141 00:11:00,639 --> 00:11:05,399 interested to talk with Brent to get his take on just what exactly went wrong. 142 00:11:05,519 --> 00:11:09,080 Steve, Yeah, I think I think more importantly of what went wrong 143 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:16,440 is what is what is Troy Calhoun going to do about fixing it for next 144 00:11:16,519 --> 00:11:18,240 year. I know that, you know, when we start talking about twenty 145 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:22,080 twenty four, it's going to be a totally different team than what you see 146 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:28,120 this year with all the seniors that are graduating, all the important seniors that 147 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:33,080 are are not going to play another down for the Falcons in twenty twenty four. 148 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:39,279 But I am kind of curious to see what he feels that the coaching 149 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:43,720 staff is going to have to do to try and make sure that this Falcons 150 00:11:43,759 --> 00:11:46,679 team doesn't slump at the end of the year. You know, this is 151 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:52,519 this is not something that you want to see when when you go from being 152 00:11:52,919 --> 00:11:56,080 you know, in the conversation for a New Year's six Bowl game, to 153 00:11:56,200 --> 00:12:01,720 not even playing for your conference championship and now having to think that, Okay, 154 00:12:01,919 --> 00:12:05,559 we're going to play in the in the Armed Forces Bowl in Detroit now 155 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:11,799 again this year. That's a disappointing finish for this Falcons team. And I 156 00:12:11,879 --> 00:12:15,759 think that the coaching staff is going to have to figure out what they need 157 00:12:15,879 --> 00:12:20,000 to do to take that next step. Mm hmm, yeah, no doubt 158 00:12:20,039 --> 00:12:24,480 about it is air Force. They fall again to Boise State twenty seven to 159 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:30,480 nineteen, air Force eight and four, five and three to finish the regular 160 00:12:30,639 --> 00:12:33,240 season. All right, let's pivot to the Midshipman, our other game, 161 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:37,440 this one going down on Saturday. They hit the road to take on number 162 00:12:37,519 --> 00:12:43,279 twenty five SMU in Dallas and Navy with a shot to get Bowl eligible if 163 00:12:43,279 --> 00:12:48,480 they could somehow pull off a shock or slow down that high powered SMU offense 164 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:54,480 chance to get Bowl eligible before the Army Navy game coming up on December the 165 00:12:54,639 --> 00:12:58,519 ninth. That's key. Why well, because those bull bids come out before 166 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:03,960 that Army Navy game, So regardless of getting a six win, that will 167 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:09,200 not be the case. Is SMU all over steamrolling the Midshipman from start to 168 00:13:09,279 --> 00:13:15,480 finish fifty nine to fourteen. On Saturday, SMU now ten and two overall, 169 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:18,600 eight to zero in the American Navy, falling to five and six four 170 00:13:18,759 --> 00:13:24,440 and four in the American Athletic as Navy or excuse me, as SMU books 171 00:13:24,519 --> 00:13:30,240 their spot into the American Athletic Conference championship game this coming Saturday against Tulane, 172 00:13:31,159 --> 00:13:35,759 likely potentially the winner of that game getting the Group of five automatic spot there 173 00:13:35,919 --> 00:13:39,120 in the new year six. Will it be tou Lane, Will it be 174 00:13:39,279 --> 00:13:43,879 SMU. We'll find out this coming weekend. But Navy does fall fifty nine 175 00:13:43,960 --> 00:13:48,440 to fourteen, and Steve, you know, if you looked up and saw 176 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:52,720 the score at halftime of this game, you very well might have thought this 177 00:13:52,919 --> 00:13:56,919 was a final score. But it was fifty two to fourteen at the half, 178 00:13:58,159 --> 00:14:03,759 and it was all se Offensively, the Mustangs could do no wrong as 179 00:14:03,799 --> 00:14:07,279 the Mids, you know, they came into the game on a two game 180 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:09,960 winning streak, but it came to a screeching hauled as they went down twenty 181 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:15,200 eight to nothing with you know, less than two minutes left in the first 182 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:18,759 quarter. As SMU used four drives, none more than two minutes and eight 183 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:24,279 seconds. It took only twenty one plays to put up twenty eight points on 184 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:28,000 the scoreboard. SMU quarterback Preston Stone. He did go down with an injury 185 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:31,000 with six minutes left in the first half when he was sacked, but before 186 00:14:31,039 --> 00:14:35,399 he left in the game, he threw three touchdowns was fourteen to nineteen for 187 00:14:35,559 --> 00:14:37,919 three hundred and twenty two yards. Heck, if he had not even got 188 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:41,039 hurt, Steve, he may have thrown for six hundred plus. But all 189 00:14:41,039 --> 00:14:45,440 of stone touchdown passes did come in the first quarter, when he threw for 190 00:14:45,519 --> 00:14:48,480 two seventy five, the most in a single quarter by an FBS quarterback this 191 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:52,759 season. And you know, in the process, the Mustangs became the first 192 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:58,080 FBS team this season to a mass over three hundred yards in the first quarter 193 00:14:58,159 --> 00:15:01,039 of the game. It was games match from the moment this thing kicked off. 194 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:05,879 Stephen, Yeah, it certainly seemed that way. And the fact is 195 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:11,320 that Navy's best chance to try and get back into this game came at the 196 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:15,639 very beginning of the second quarter. They had just gone down, they had 197 00:15:15,759 --> 00:15:20,000 just scored a touchdown to make it twenty eight to seven. They get they 198 00:15:20,159 --> 00:15:26,320 force Smu to punt, and unfortunately, the punt goes through Amina Hassan, 199 00:15:26,399 --> 00:15:31,639 the punt returner's arms, without touching him. It goes between his legs without 200 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:39,879 touching him, and then hits his towel on his butt and for a muffed 201 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:43,759 punt, which was then recovered by the long snapper will bent in the end 202 00:15:43,879 --> 00:15:48,399 zone, and at that point you just saw any sort of win that was 203 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:52,559 going to get into the sales of the midship and go right out the door. 204 00:15:52,759 --> 00:15:56,200 And so at that point I kind of was like, all right, 205 00:15:56,320 --> 00:16:00,480 I gotta turn this game off because it's just gonna get uglier from here. 206 00:16:00,519 --> 00:16:04,480 And it certainly did. You know, as you mentioned fifty to fourteen at 207 00:16:04,759 --> 00:16:11,360 halftime. You know, I look at what Navy was able to do after 208 00:16:11,519 --> 00:16:18,759 Preston Stone was injured, and you look at it the Mustang's offense. You 209 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:22,440 know, the Mustangs took their foot off the gas. They was there was 210 00:16:22,519 --> 00:16:26,720 no longer pony expressed two point zero uh once. When Stone got injured, 211 00:16:26,759 --> 00:16:34,399 they certainly got much more conservative on their on their run and on their offensive 212 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:41,720 play calling. They had just the two drives that for scores. After the 213 00:16:41,879 --> 00:16:45,039 injury. You saw the field goal at the end of the first half that 214 00:16:45,159 --> 00:16:48,360 made it fifty to fourteen, and then the pick six in the middle of 215 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:53,200 the third quarter. After that they got really really conservative, and for good 216 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:57,799 reason, they really didn't need to do much afterwards. But yeah, that 217 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:03,879 first half shows you why SMU is leaving the American Athletic Conference and going to 218 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:08,680 the ACC next year. Yeah, it was a big time effort by the 219 00:17:08,839 --> 00:17:12,039 SMU offense. And it wasn't you know, this wasn't just a one off 220 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:15,480 thing. Obviously, clearly they have been very, very good all year and 221 00:17:15,559 --> 00:17:18,359 route to going eight to zero in the American and you know, going to 222 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:22,720 be a handful in the in the ACC next year. But you know, 223 00:17:22,839 --> 00:17:25,599 back to this game, you know, maybe had you know, several players 224 00:17:25,759 --> 00:17:29,519 leave with injuries. They were pretty thin at wide receiver going into the game. 225 00:17:30,279 --> 00:17:33,039 But Xavier Arline, starting quarterback, he got banged up, injured his 226 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:37,680 ankle, tried to come back in but you know, really was ineffective and 227 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:41,680 couldn't continue. So Braxton Woodson, the freshman taking over, and you know, 228 00:17:41,799 --> 00:17:45,359 came in in the second quarter and did a solid job one hundred nineteen 229 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:48,559 yards rushing, you know through for seventy one. But you know, that 230 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:52,519 pick six there in the second half, that was all the scoring that the 231 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:56,039 game saw was the SMU pick six with about nine minutes left in the third 232 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:59,160 quarter for the game's final margin. But you know, at this point, 233 00:17:59,279 --> 00:18:03,240 obviously if your Navy, you got to just flush this one away. You've 234 00:18:03,279 --> 00:18:07,359 got the one obviously the biggest one of the season, really at this point, 235 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:11,839 the only game of the season, and that's not even sugarcoating it. 236 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:15,880 It is the last regular season game, possibly their last game up twenty twenty 237 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:19,160 three against Army. You've got to get rid of this, you know, 238 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:22,440 taste in your mouth. Get back to the practice field this week, as 239 00:18:22,519 --> 00:18:26,319 you now have two weeks to get ready for Army after the lost SMU. 240 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:33,559 Yeah, and that's the one saving grace that the midshipmen have is now, 241 00:18:33,759 --> 00:18:37,000 Okay, you can flush this one. This one is easy to flush. 242 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:42,279 And I still think that you can. You can take a little bit of 243 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:48,319 sauce out of the fact that in the second half you had SMU go three 244 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:49,720 and out, three and out, three and out, four and out, 245 00:18:49,799 --> 00:18:53,640 three and out. Yes, with their backup quarterback in with their foot off 246 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:59,400 the gas. But they they that I think can give a defense a little 247 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:03,920 bit of a uh of a philosophical chess puffin. Okay, you know we're 248 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:10,359 gonna be okay after this, and and whatever we see from Army in two 249 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:14,640 weeks is not gonna be nearly as bad as what we just experienced in the 250 00:19:14,759 --> 00:19:18,480 first half of this game. So I really do like the fact that you 251 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:25,359 get a couple of weeks in order to kind of just decompress. You can 252 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:27,759 take a day or two and just go, Okay, get it out of 253 00:19:27,799 --> 00:19:30,960 your head. Don't worry. You know, when you can take you see 254 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:34,440 this this film, the you know this video here, you click it and 255 00:19:34,559 --> 00:19:37,759 put it right in the recycle bank. You don't have to worry about that 256 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:42,640 one. Let's let's let's focus on what we're doing well. Let's focus on 257 00:19:42,839 --> 00:19:47,119 getting uh, you know, some of these guys that got banged up in 258 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:51,880 this game healthy. Having that extra week is gonna be huge, uh for 259 00:19:52,039 --> 00:19:55,680 that. And and I really do think that this is this is the perfect 260 00:19:55,799 --> 00:20:02,240 situation for Navy to to let their mindset which and be and be ready to 261 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:07,440 go for Army here a week from Saturday at Gillette Stadium. I am kind 262 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:15,839 of curious, as we're taping this before bull bids have been announced, there 263 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:21,559 were not eighty two teams that got to six wins in order to fill out 264 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:26,160 the entire bull schedule price, So I am kind of curious. Do you 265 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:32,200 think that either Army or Navy gets invited to a bull bid despite both of 266 00:20:32,279 --> 00:20:36,119 them only being five win teams. I think I think they both have a 267 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:41,519 really good shot. Well, you know that APR is always going to be 268 00:20:41,599 --> 00:20:45,039 in an academy's favor, you know, and that's one of the things obviously 269 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:49,480 that's used. We know that, you know, James Madison and Jacksonville State, 270 00:20:49,599 --> 00:20:56,079 I believe because of Clemson defeating South Carolina and the South Carolina game cock 271 00:20:56,119 --> 00:21:00,359 to not getting to bowl eligibility on Saturday night last week, and that opened 272 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:04,079 the door and got JMU and Jacksonville State in. I've got to look and 273 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:08,039 see what the other numbers are in terms of spots that are available. But 274 00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:12,480 what I can tell you is that every single set of bowl projections that I've 275 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:18,039 looked at, all the ones that I typically start glancing at this time of 276 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:22,920 year, none of them had Army and Navy slotted in a bowl game. 277 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:26,359 Air Force was the only one. And we will go through those, you 278 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:30,920 know. Toward the end of the podcast here was we let you know kind 279 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:33,920 of where you know, a lot of different folks feel like the Falcons are 280 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:38,039 going to land in terms of you know, postseason bold destination. But I 281 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:42,200 have not seen Army and Navy listed anywhere. Is it possible. I just 282 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:45,480 got to see the numbers because I'm not sure in terms of what we have 283 00:21:45,839 --> 00:21:52,839 left in Bowl eligible teams if there is going to be a possibility for them, 284 00:21:52,039 --> 00:21:56,200 I think that is the question. So I just got to see the 285 00:21:56,279 --> 00:22:00,000 numbers. But if it comes down to if it comes down to, certainly 286 00:22:00,039 --> 00:22:04,519 APR the Service academies are always going to be usually at the very top of 287 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:11,480 that list. Let's look at our game balls this week, Steve, which 288 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:14,880 way you want to go with your game balls? We obviously had two games, 289 00:22:15,079 --> 00:22:18,559 had to search a little bit. I think this week, which way 290 00:22:18,599 --> 00:22:21,799 you want to go with yours? Yeah, I think it's going to be 291 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:26,480 definitely a weird week for game ball's. Mine is going to go to SMU 292 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:34,200 quarterback Priston Stone. I mean, he had just an incredible He had an 293 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:41,200 incredible game for the time that he was in fourteen of nineteen, three hundred 294 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:45,039 and twenty two yards and three touchdowns and he only played seven what was it, 295 00:22:47,039 --> 00:22:51,920 twenty two minutes of game time in this game, so you can only 296 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:56,519 imagine what his numbers, as you mentioned earlier, what he would have done 297 00:22:56,599 --> 00:23:00,079 if he had played the full game. And I was joking before we started 298 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:04,599 recording this podcast that we were going to be talking about. Preston Stone through 299 00:23:04,759 --> 00:23:10,720 for seven hundred and sixty yards and twelve touchdown as Navy became the first team 300 00:23:10,799 --> 00:23:15,799 to give up more than more than one hundred points in a game since nineteen 301 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:19,559 thirty six or something, you know, something crazy like that, because SMU 302 00:23:19,759 --> 00:23:22,599 was on its way to scoring one hundred points in this game, and it 303 00:23:22,799 --> 00:23:27,680 was it was just absolutely wild to see what Preston Stone was able to do 304 00:23:27,759 --> 00:23:33,319 in his limited times. So at the SMU quarterback does get my game balls 305 00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:36,720 the first time this year that I have not given a game ball to someone 306 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:41,839 from a service academy. Well, I had to search a little bit too, 307 00:23:41,079 --> 00:23:45,119 and had to got to you know, look to find one, and 308 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:48,880 didn't want to go double opponents on our game ball. So I'm gonna go 309 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:55,319 with Navy punter junior Riley Reithman, who was I guys, no doubt about, 310 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:59,680 I guess the star for Navy in that game against SMU. He averaged 311 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:03,920 fifty d point eight yards a punt kicked at ten times in the game. 312 00:24:04,319 --> 00:24:08,680 For the season, the junior out of Keller, Texas ranks twenty first in 313 00:24:08,759 --> 00:24:14,839 the country. At forty four point eight yards per punt. If you're scoring 314 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:18,599 at home. Yeah, if you follow college football, you know that the 315 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:22,039 Iowa Hawk Eyes that probably punted more than anybody. Well, trivia question, 316 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:26,920 can you name the team and player who is punted the second most times in 317 00:24:27,079 --> 00:24:30,440 America this season? Well, if you guess Navy and Riley Rithman, you 318 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:36,279 would be correct. He's second with seventy five punts behind Iowa's. I believe 319 00:24:36,319 --> 00:24:41,000 it was seventy nine total punts. So there is your answer to a little 320 00:24:41,079 --> 00:24:44,799 trivia this week. But Navy punter junior Riley Rithman getting my game ball? 321 00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:47,000 All right? We got a lot more to do, Steven. We got 322 00:24:47,079 --> 00:24:49,440 a Brent Brighaman the guest coming up the Air Force beat Rid for the Colorado 323 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:56,319 Springs Gazette. Gonna talk Bold Destination, Air Force, everything going on with 324 00:24:56,480 --> 00:25:00,640 the Air Force Falcons, including what happened this season after the eight and no 325 00:25:00,839 --> 00:25:03,960 start, the four straight losses. We're going to get into all that with 326 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:07,279 Brent here coming up in the next segment. We got our Travis Manyon Foundation 327 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:11,960 on a roll segment as well to do, honoring a fallen hero that has 328 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:15,559 given the ultimate sacrifice. We got a lot of news postseason news and notes 329 00:25:15,599 --> 00:25:19,000 to pass along and give you some the Bowl projections where Air Force could land 330 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:22,880 and then touch quickly. On the Army Navy game coming up on Saturday, 331 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:26,839 December the ninth, we will do that coming up here on this edition of 332 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:30,039 Yards and Strikes. 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Thanks Smarter Ticket Smarter the latest with Navy, Army and 359 00:27:32,319 --> 00:27:37,920 Air Force on Yards and Stripes Service Academy Football. All right, welcome back 360 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:40,480 into the Yards and Stripes as we continue on, and we're going to talk 361 00:27:40,519 --> 00:27:47,559 to some Air Force Falcon football as the finishing touches have fortunately or maybe unfortunately 362 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:51,960 in this situation, have come to an end. The Falcons obviously start eight 363 00:27:52,079 --> 00:27:55,960 and oh get to number seventeen in the country, find themselves in the college 364 00:27:56,000 --> 00:28:00,000 football playoff rankings for the first time, and this came to a screeching halt. 365 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:04,279 Brent as we're joined by the beat writer for the Falcons for the Colorado 366 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:08,279 Springs Gazette, Brent Brigaman. You can follow him on Twitter at Brent Brigaman. 367 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:12,680 Brent eight. No start, you know, then finishing with four straight 368 00:28:12,799 --> 00:28:17,160 losses. I mean, I don't think there's anybody that would raise a hand 369 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:21,200 right now to say them they saw this finishing or playing out the way it 370 00:28:21,359 --> 00:28:23,799 did. But I guess really the question that you know a lot of people 371 00:28:23,839 --> 00:28:26,480 are asking is, you know, you cover the team on a daily basis, 372 00:28:26,559 --> 00:28:30,279 what happened? I mean, did the Army loss beat them not just 373 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:33,759 once but four times. Just how did we get to this point? I 374 00:28:33,799 --> 00:28:37,119 mean that was a big part of it, you know. And like I 375 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:38,680 said, uf Air, you know, I think they had such a good 376 00:28:38,759 --> 00:28:42,319 season going. It's you know, it's very I'd like in it very much 377 00:28:42,359 --> 00:28:47,240 to a golfer who's got their best round ever going and then they stumbled, 378 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:51,880 get a trouble bogie and everything changes. Your focus changes, everything changes. 379 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:55,799 But I think more than that, I think this team was so built around 380 00:28:55,839 --> 00:28:59,400 its quarterback. And they had Zach Lerrier, who early in the season was 381 00:28:59,559 --> 00:29:03,039 really really good. Then he got hurt against Wyoming and he was never the 382 00:29:03,119 --> 00:29:07,960 same and they stuck with him. So obviously internally they felt like, you 383 00:29:07,039 --> 00:29:11,480 know, maybe sixty seventy percent of Zach Larrier was better than anything else they 384 00:29:11,519 --> 00:29:15,519 had on the roster, and that speaks to speaks to what else they had 385 00:29:15,559 --> 00:29:18,200 at the position, And ultimately we kind of saw that once the other quarterbacks 386 00:29:18,279 --> 00:29:22,799 started playing. They had three different starters over the last three games. You 387 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:26,000 know, that's one position at air Force where you have to have stability, 388 00:29:26,079 --> 00:29:30,920 You have to have a weapon with either speed or a great arm. Usually 389 00:29:30,039 --> 00:29:33,480 speed. Once Zack Larrier, who's a track champion in the Mountain West. 390 00:29:33,519 --> 00:29:36,799 I mean, that's as good as speed as they've ever had of that position. 391 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:40,640 Once he was lessened and then ultimately removed, they just didn't have that 392 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:42,599 quarterback play. So you take that away, and you know, you look 393 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:47,480 at the schedule. They didn't play a lot of difficult teams early in the 394 00:29:47,519 --> 00:29:49,480 season. The one they did play early with San Jose State, and at 395 00:29:49,519 --> 00:29:55,240 that point San Jose State hadn't become what they ultimately became. And even they 396 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:59,400 led twenty to ten over the Falcons and before the running just overwhelmed them. 397 00:29:59,559 --> 00:30:03,720 So they hadn't played much. They lost their quarterback. They you know, 398 00:30:03,839 --> 00:30:07,400 they saw the bottom drop out of what had been a historic start. I 399 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:11,960 think all those things kind of played into what we saw snowball yep. And 400 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:15,880 it's funny that was part of their schedules. You know, they finished with 401 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:19,000 UNLV and Boise State, who are going to play for the conference championship, 402 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:23,240 and Army who knows him extremely well and why he won three of us last 403 00:30:23,279 --> 00:30:27,519 four, So so many things went into that. Yeah, And to keep 404 00:30:27,599 --> 00:30:32,640 the golf reference going with when you lose Zach Larrier, It's like taking your 405 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:37,079 driver out of the bag. So now you don't have maybe your best club, 406 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:42,039 and now you found you find yourself in that big trouble. I'm curious, 407 00:30:42,119 --> 00:30:48,960 Brent, outside of Larrier, how much did they miss Emmanuel Michelle being 408 00:30:48,079 --> 00:30:51,559 healthy at the end as well. I don't think that was as big a 409 00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:55,559 factor. I've seen air Force cycle through different fullbacks and running backs, especially 410 00:30:55,599 --> 00:30:59,319 with the production they got out of Dylan Carson, the sophomore. He was 411 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:03,799 really really good. I do it was big in that they didn't have a 412 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:07,839 lot of other weapons at other positions step up to where you know, they 413 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:11,839 needed to lean on the fullback and so taking away their you know, their 414 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:15,359 most proven one was a big deal because you know, the flot receiver position 415 00:31:15,559 --> 00:31:19,839 because Dame Kineman was hurt sporadically throughout the season, you know, that position 416 00:31:21,160 --> 00:31:25,160 really developed. So again, once you're kind of taking away effectiveness of that 417 00:31:25,359 --> 00:31:30,000 attack, then teams are able to game plan a little easier. So I 418 00:31:30,119 --> 00:31:33,079 think it was a big deal because obviously he's been around. He's what thirteen 419 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:37,119 hundred career rushing year or something in that range. But again, the production 420 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:41,200 they got out of Delan Carson was was more than adequate. Yeah, As 421 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:45,319 we continue with Brent Brighaman and the beat Rid for the Falcons covers the Falcons 422 00:31:45,359 --> 00:31:49,799 for the Colorado Springs Gazette again, follow him on Twitter at Brent Brigaman and 423 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:55,599 Brent you know, we obviously know you know a lot of seniors are going 424 00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:57,920 to be gone. You know, where does air force go from here? 425 00:31:59,359 --> 00:32:02,160 Getting ready for bowl game? Obviously we'll find that out this weekend. What 426 00:32:02,319 --> 00:32:06,960 that destination will be. I'm not sure what kind of pulse and things you're 427 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:08,799 hearing in terms of old destination, But you know, what do you think 428 00:32:08,839 --> 00:32:13,480 in terms of you know, changes we might see between now in the bowl 429 00:32:13,559 --> 00:32:15,720 game and and obviously staff changes. A lot of these guys have been with 430 00:32:16,559 --> 00:32:21,319 Troy Calhoun for a long time, including we obviously know Mike Theeson offensive coordinator, 431 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:23,839 a stalwart on the staff played there. What do you kind of what 432 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:27,839 are you hearing? What do you think we might see in terms of personnel 433 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:30,960 changes, staff changes as we move along here into what kind of becomes the 434 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:35,759 silly season, a transfer portal, you know, ourn earlier signing period than 435 00:32:35,799 --> 00:32:38,880 ever, coaches moving around, that kind of thing. You know, I'm 436 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:44,440 not really hearing anything in terms of staff movement at Troy Calhoun. You know, 437 00:32:44,519 --> 00:32:47,880 we all we all joke about his demeanor and public and the handles media, 438 00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:51,400 and it's all by design, you know, when you talk to him 439 00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:54,920 off the record in the few opportunities you get, you know, he's a 440 00:32:55,000 --> 00:33:00,039 genuinely good guy and the people who work for him feel that way. You 441 00:33:00,079 --> 00:33:02,400 know, he takes care of his employees. Coaches like to work with him, 442 00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:06,319 and you know, you look at the staff and there's so many Air 443 00:33:06,359 --> 00:33:08,960 Force grads. A lot of them aren't particularly young anymore, you know, 444 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:13,200 I mean some of them are Alex me. You know, they've got a 445 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:17,160 few. But I think I think especially the older guys, you know, 446 00:33:17,319 --> 00:33:22,279 the Brian Nor defensive coordinator, Mike Theesen, they understand that there's not a 447 00:33:22,319 --> 00:33:24,240 lot of better positions out there. You know. Air Force, Yes, 448 00:33:24,359 --> 00:33:28,880 they recruit the heck out of the entire country, but they don't have to 449 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:32,279 worry about picking guys out of the transfer portal. They're not recruiting other colleges. 450 00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:37,160 Juco's all of that. So I think as the workload goes up for 451 00:33:37,279 --> 00:33:40,400 coaches around the nation, it hasn't really gone up for Air Force and they 452 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:45,799 can. If anything, their recruiting is getting easier. You know, I 453 00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:50,160 say that easier. It's not really easy ever, but they're not. The 454 00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:54,079 pool of high school talent is getting a little bit deeper because so many teams 455 00:33:54,119 --> 00:33:59,039 are replenishing through the portal and so, you know, whereas Air Force used 456 00:33:59,039 --> 00:34:01,920 to they always had to find a specific type of kid within a pretty shallow 457 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:05,839 pool, well they're still finding the kid, but the pool is a little 458 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:09,519 bit a little bit bigger. So I don't think people are gonna jump ship 459 00:34:09,880 --> 00:34:14,239 for just for the sake of jumping ship, you know, obviously, like 460 00:34:14,559 --> 00:34:16,159 some of the younger guys or even some of the bigger guy older guys. 461 00:34:16,519 --> 00:34:20,800 You know, if the big time money is out there, which you know, 462 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:22,440 if any Power five, you could be a position coach in the Power 463 00:34:22,519 --> 00:34:27,280 five and you're going to make more than a coordinator sometimes even a head coach 464 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:30,480 at a at a group of five type programs. So the money is always 465 00:34:30,519 --> 00:34:34,280 going to be variable. But I don't think they're going to leave because of 466 00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:37,480 the finish or because of any kind of unhappiness. I think if anything, 467 00:34:37,559 --> 00:34:39,639 is just going to be a you know, bettering their own position and in 468 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:44,960 terms of the roster, that is such a mystery. They clearly went they 469 00:34:45,039 --> 00:34:49,079 went all in on the season. They played almost exclusively seniors. You know, 470 00:34:49,119 --> 00:34:52,760 it's very few positions where there were not seniors out there. So I 471 00:34:52,920 --> 00:34:54,480 do think, just you know, because I cover recruiting, I've been here 472 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:59,480 long enough to see the number of stars next to names. I know that 473 00:34:59,599 --> 00:35:04,880 coaches say that doesn't matter, but it's obviously indicative of what kind of talent 474 00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:07,800 you're getting compared to other teams. And in that way, Air Force's recruiting 475 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:13,559 classes have consistently gone up, and so that tells me they've got this senior 476 00:35:13,639 --> 00:35:16,320 class. And a lot of these guys were fifth year seniors because they took 477 00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:21,320 turnbacks at some point in their career, especially during the twenty twenty COVID season 478 00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:23,360 when the Mountain West had announced they were not gonna have a season, so 479 00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:28,519 a lot of guys left and then came back, so preserving eligibility for one 480 00:35:28,599 --> 00:35:30,760 year. So they had this backlog of seniors that came through this year, 481 00:35:31,239 --> 00:35:35,920 and behind them we have all those recruiting classes that were full of three stars, 482 00:35:36,599 --> 00:35:38,840 and by all accounts, there's a lot of talent there. But they 483 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:43,920 don't have any experience. So next year is going to be such a a 484 00:35:44,119 --> 00:35:45,880 mystery. You know, it's gonna be fun to see who they replenish with, 485 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:50,920 but there's gonna be growing pains, There's just no question about it. 486 00:35:51,199 --> 00:35:54,440 Yeah, Brent, do you think do you think twenty twenty four it helps 487 00:35:54,559 --> 00:36:00,199 those young, inexperienced players because the schedule and I pulled the schedule up here 488 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:06,360 taking a look. Really, the one tough matchup they have is early. 489 00:36:06,599 --> 00:36:12,880 I believe they go to Baylor in twenty twenty four. So does that help 490 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:16,519 those guys because you're gonna have almost a similar schedule to what they saw this 491 00:36:16,679 --> 00:36:22,800 year. Well, fine to find easy schedule or you know, because obviously 492 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:27,719 everybody plays all but I'm saying that it's not like they're playing Alabama. They're 493 00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:30,519 not playing Alabama. You know, here here in Tampa, we've played Alabama 494 00:36:30,599 --> 00:36:34,800 this year. So, but a trip to Baylor is about as difficult as 495 00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:37,519 the Air Force generally will see because they also play on and you know, 496 00:36:38,199 --> 00:36:40,320 Army was not supposed to be a difficult game this year, and we all 497 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:45,400 saw what happened there. And then it sounds like either Oregon State or Washington 498 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:49,000 State could pop onto the schedule once this scheduling agreement gets worked out with back 499 00:36:49,039 --> 00:36:52,880 twelve and they have, you know, the full regular Mountain West schedule, 500 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:55,800 and who knows. You know, we nobody saw UNLV coming, so who 501 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:59,960 knows who's going to be coming next year as these new hires are taking place. 502 00:37:00,079 --> 00:37:02,000 So yeah, I mean, it's not nearly as easy as this year's 503 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:06,960 schedule was when the non conference was Army Navy plus a trip to sam Houston 504 00:37:07,039 --> 00:37:10,920 State, which was in its first year as an FCS program or FBS program, 505 00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:15,760 and the granted that was that was because New Mexico State had joined the 506 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:17,559 conference and dropped off the schedule, and then, as it turns out, 507 00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:22,559 New Mexico State gets into the top twenty five. So yeah, I mean, 508 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:27,800 I think it's difficult enough by Air Force standard schedule that you're not going 509 00:37:27,880 --> 00:37:31,480 to see much of a this year's schedule would have been better for the next 510 00:37:31,599 --> 00:37:36,239 for next year than next year's schedule will be. But you know, we'll 511 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:38,960 see, and you know, air Force is just so reliant on strong quarterback 512 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:43,639 play that if they find their guy, you know, you can spackle over 513 00:37:43,679 --> 00:37:46,000 a lot of holes when you've got a good quarterback at air Force and they 514 00:37:46,039 --> 00:37:49,920 can. You know, it just makes up for so many things. So 515 00:37:50,079 --> 00:37:53,119 if they find that guy, then I think everything will quickly fall into place. 516 00:37:53,239 --> 00:37:57,840 But if they start the season the way they're finishing this where they don't 517 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:01,079 have a quarterback, it's it's going to be more same. You mentioned Oregon 518 00:38:01,119 --> 00:38:04,719 State and Washington State with the with the PAC twelve. You're a hell of 519 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:09,000 a lot closer being there than we are here on the East coast. What 520 00:38:09,159 --> 00:38:16,280 are you hearing about the collaboration or whatever you may you may think that may 521 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:21,639 go on between Oregon State, Washington State, and the Mount West the West 522 00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:27,000 Mount West Conference. Could there be something long term between the two? I 523 00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:30,559 mean, I think I don't know anything beyond what has been reported nationally. 524 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:36,559 I would be stunned if those two schools gave up their fight to remain something 525 00:38:36,639 --> 00:38:39,239 more than a group of five. I don't think they're just gonna wave the 526 00:38:39,239 --> 00:38:44,480 white flag and join the Mountain West until that is absolutely the last case scenario, 527 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:49,440 because the money is just so completely different. When you're talking about twenties 528 00:38:49,559 --> 00:38:52,280 or thirties and millions of dollars in media payouts for the past for the power 529 00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:57,760 five versus you know, five to seven generally for the group of five. 530 00:38:58,039 --> 00:39:00,599 I mean that's a lot of employees, a lot, a lot of people 531 00:39:00,679 --> 00:39:02,440 relying on that money. So I don't think it's just going to be a 532 00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:06,519 simple uh well, you know, we don't have a home, so we're 533 00:39:06,519 --> 00:39:08,800 going to join the Mountain West situation until like I said, it absolutely has 534 00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:12,719 to be. But in the interim, it sounds like they're going to play 535 00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:15,000 it's will a schedule, so it sounds like they're going to play these Mountain 536 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:19,440 West teams and uh and then bring some money with them. So of course 537 00:39:19,519 --> 00:39:22,920 mount West going to welcome that with open arms. It'll improve the schedules, 538 00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:25,719 you know, make for an interesting draw and all that. But long term, 539 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:29,400 I don't, I don't know what's going to happen. Obviously, those 540 00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:32,920 schools want to find a home in an established conference that has the big payouts 541 00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:37,199 that the Mountain West does not. But you know, if they could have 542 00:39:37,280 --> 00:39:39,960 found it, they would have found it already. So well, you see, 543 00:39:40,840 --> 00:39:44,360 all right, bring getting back to this season just real quick before you 544 00:39:44,480 --> 00:39:45,920 let you go. You know, I know, bold destination is kind of 545 00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:49,679 spitting in the wind, you know, everybody's you know, trying to you 546 00:39:49,760 --> 00:39:52,239 know, it's a massive puzzle and you just trying. You're trying to figure 547 00:39:52,239 --> 00:39:54,880 it out and do some guessing. Quite frankly, if you have you got 548 00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:59,239 any kind of pulse, have you heard anything about I'm sure in your book 549 00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:01,559 you'd love to, you know, a December twenty third trip back to Hawaii, 550 00:40:02,119 --> 00:40:05,559 you know, right before Christmas, to do it twice and two months. 551 00:40:05,639 --> 00:40:07,079 Maybe you wouldn't, or maybe you'd rather go to New Mexico. I 552 00:40:07,159 --> 00:40:09,800 don't know, but you know, seeing a lot of different you know, 553 00:40:10,079 --> 00:40:15,280 Armed Forces Bowl, you know the twenty third and New Mexico Bowl. I 554 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:17,559 mean, had you heard it kind of you got a feeling maybe which way 555 00:40:17,599 --> 00:40:22,400 it might go? Now, I mean generally speaking, when the Armed Forces 556 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:24,800 Bowl or the First Responders Bowl, once one of those that has kind of 557 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:30,239 a service element to it becomes an option, air Force tends to end up 558 00:40:30,280 --> 00:40:32,480 there. So I kind of always assume as long as the Air Force has 559 00:40:32,480 --> 00:40:36,679 a good season and the Armed Forces Bowl is available, that that's where they're 560 00:40:36,679 --> 00:40:39,559 going to end up. I did see that Brett McMurphy's reporting that one now 561 00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:45,480 on his projections against West Virginia, which would be if Air Force couldn't get 562 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:49,360 a Power five opponent out of all of this, you know what, that 563 00:40:49,440 --> 00:40:52,760 would be fantastic for them. Uh. You know, I've seen so many 564 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:55,079 other matchups against you know, Louisiana, this and that, you know, 565 00:40:55,280 --> 00:41:00,480 you name it, but not Power five. So I don't know, you 566 00:41:00,519 --> 00:41:02,960 know, nobody really knows at this point. It's all everybody's making these guesses, 567 00:41:04,079 --> 00:41:07,079 some of them edicated, some of them not. Nobody knows. You 568 00:41:07,119 --> 00:41:09,400 know, the TVs are gonna sit down once everything's said and done, figure 569 00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:14,000 out which ones can first of all, get the most television viewers, second 570 00:41:14,039 --> 00:41:16,800 of all Phil Stadium, and they'll make it totally determined on that. So 571 00:41:17,079 --> 00:41:21,880 yeah, air Force is in good position because they were such a national name 572 00:41:22,199 --> 00:41:27,599 during this season and because every season they're a national brand. That always helps 573 00:41:27,679 --> 00:41:30,400 them. But you know, in terms of specific balls, I don't, 574 00:41:30,599 --> 00:41:35,320 I don't. Yeah, all right, before we let you go, Brent, 575 00:41:35,760 --> 00:41:40,119 last one Army Navy coming up next week. You've obviously seen them both 576 00:41:40,599 --> 00:41:45,239 air Forces you know, battle both of them. Maybe not didn't battle so 577 00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:47,400 much against Army because that seemed like it was over before it began. But 578 00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:51,639 I mean, you've You've seen Air Force go up against both teams, and 579 00:41:52,039 --> 00:41:53,880 you know how this you know game these teams match up, you always know 580 00:41:53,960 --> 00:41:57,599 what you're gonna get most of the time. With the Service Academy matchup. 581 00:41:57,880 --> 00:42:00,280 Which way do you think this goes? You think Army's gonna win? See 582 00:42:00,280 --> 00:42:04,000 I see outright? Do you think Navy springs the upset? Upset? What 583 00:42:04,079 --> 00:42:07,400 do you think about the matchup coming up next weekend? I mean, based 584 00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:09,960 on what I saw in both those games in person, I mean Army, 585 00:42:10,519 --> 00:42:15,280 Navy's offense was was just non existent against Air Force. It was just not 586 00:42:15,440 --> 00:42:19,719 a factor. And when you factor in what Army, what I saw of 587 00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:22,599 Army, how they're able to run that offense, the way they're able to 588 00:42:22,079 --> 00:42:27,400 just cause mass confusion up up front with the way they just kind of run 589 00:42:27,480 --> 00:42:30,840 that little delay and then they've got such good quarterback. You know, I 590 00:42:30,719 --> 00:42:35,639 would have a hard time picturing Navy winning that game. But I know that 591 00:42:35,800 --> 00:42:37,599 this series, you know, it's just like Air Force. You know, 592 00:42:37,639 --> 00:42:40,960 Air Force have a great year and then struggle in these games because they just 593 00:42:42,159 --> 00:42:45,920 know each other so well. It means so much to them. They practice 594 00:42:45,920 --> 00:42:49,800 against the comparable style, so you know it really is of all you know 595 00:42:50,239 --> 00:42:53,119 rivalry series where you say, throughout the records, this is the ultimate example 596 00:42:53,159 --> 00:42:57,320 of that, because of all of them. So I would certainly bet on 597 00:42:57,519 --> 00:43:00,800 Army if I was a better but I you know, I would not be 598 00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:05,039 surprised if it goes the other way. Brent Teller By what our listeners, 599 00:43:05,119 --> 00:43:07,519 what you got in terms of coverage coming up? I know it's basketball season 600 00:43:07,559 --> 00:43:09,840 now, so you got the Falcons on the hard wood, you know, 601 00:43:09,960 --> 00:43:14,400 but what else you've got coming up here at the Colorado Springs Gazette covering the 602 00:43:14,679 --> 00:43:17,280 Falcons and certainly getting ready for the upcoming bowl game. Yeah, well, 603 00:43:17,320 --> 00:43:21,480 that's that's gonna be the focused you know. We had all Mountain West teams 604 00:43:21,480 --> 00:43:23,719 come out yesterday and Trey Taylor, the safety, was a finalist, one 605 00:43:23,760 --> 00:43:28,280 of three finalists for the Thorpe Award, which is a huge deal for air 606 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:31,519 Force. I mean that's that's a pretty big award to be one of three 607 00:43:31,639 --> 00:43:36,920 finalists with a you know, a projected first round pick and an American from 608 00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:39,960 Georgia. I mean, that's pretty good he's keeping there. Yeah. Other 609 00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:43,840 than that, you know, bowl announcement coming out, we'll have obviously all 610 00:43:43,920 --> 00:43:49,239 we can get on that fun matchup this weekend women's basketball to see you women 611 00:43:49,239 --> 00:43:52,800 who are ranked I believe seventh now nationally. They opened the season with that 612 00:43:52,920 --> 00:43:55,400 huge upset of LSU and now they're they wrapped to number three. So they 613 00:43:55,480 --> 00:43:58,880 come to Clone Arena, So that'll be a lot of fun to have them 614 00:43:58,920 --> 00:44:01,480 down in Colorado Springs kind of see how these women can match up in a 615 00:44:01,840 --> 00:44:05,639 in a big time game. And yeah, the men of one five in 616 00:44:05,679 --> 00:44:08,039 a row. You know, we'll see. Maybe Joe Scott's got something going 617 00:44:08,920 --> 00:44:14,119 the product of a pretty soft schedule, but you know, we we'll see. 618 00:44:14,199 --> 00:44:16,519 But there's always something going on here. And you know in high school 619 00:44:16,559 --> 00:44:20,440 in the community of Colorado Springs. You know, we've got high school football 620 00:44:20,480 --> 00:44:24,079 championships, We've got some people competing in the Olympic Trials coming up for boxing. 621 00:44:24,159 --> 00:44:27,719 We've got all kinds of stuff going on. It's it's never a slow 622 00:44:27,800 --> 00:44:30,920 time around here. One of the greatest American cities, uh, you know, 623 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:35,440 in the continental US, Colorado Springs. Brent, we always we always 624 00:44:35,440 --> 00:44:37,639 appreciate catching up with you. I know it's been a while. Everybody can 625 00:44:37,639 --> 00:44:42,280 follow you on Twitter at Brent Brigaman Online. For everything that's coming up and 626 00:44:42,360 --> 00:44:44,559 more. Man, Thanks, thanks so much for the time today. Brent, 627 00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:47,559 thanks guys. And that's Brent Brighaman, the beat writer for the Colorado 628 00:44:47,679 --> 00:44:53,000 Springs Gazette once again. You can follow him on Twitter at Brent Brigaman b 629 00:44:53,280 --> 00:45:00,199 R I G G E M A N again covering the Air Force Falcons. 630 00:45:00,320 --> 00:45:04,719 Is we get ready for the postseason. We'll find out where Air Force is 631 00:45:04,880 --> 00:45:09,480 officially headed coming up this weekend, but we'll tell you where they're projected to 632 00:45:09,599 --> 00:45:15,239 land coming up in our news and note segments, talk about several things related 633 00:45:15,320 --> 00:45:20,559 to the Falcons. Several falcons honored by the Mountain West. We've got our 634 00:45:20,599 --> 00:45:23,400 Travis Manion Foundation honorall segment. We'll touch on the Army Navy game. We 635 00:45:23,519 --> 00:45:29,320 will have our Army Navy Preview special coming up next week where we break down 636 00:45:29,360 --> 00:45:31,519 the entire game taught with guests on both sides. That'll be coming up next 637 00:45:31,559 --> 00:45:36,039 week. But we've got more to do here on this episode of Yards and 638 00:45:36,079 --> 00:45:40,199 Stripes, your home for Service Academy Football. In two thousand and seven, 639 00:45:40,239 --> 00:45:45,320 Mareen First Lieutenant Travis Manion was killed in Iraq after saving his wooted teammates. 640 00:45:45,519 --> 00:45:49,880 Travis's legacy lives on through the words he spoke before his final deployment. If 641 00:45:49,960 --> 00:45:53,239 not me, then who words that today fuel the spirit of Travis Manion Foundation 642 00:45:53,639 --> 00:45:58,280 and through TMF these words can live in you too. Show the world what 643 00:45:58,360 --> 00:46:01,599 you're made of, because character is invisible until it's not. Find out how 644 00:46:01,639 --> 00:46:07,159 you can strengthen the character of your community alongside empowered veterans, families of the 645 00:46:07,199 --> 00:46:15,480 fallen, and inspired civilians at Travismanion dot org. All right, it's time 646 00:46:15,519 --> 00:46:21,599 for a Travis Manion Foundation Honorable Segment where honor and remember a fallen hero one 647 00:46:21,679 --> 00:46:27,039 that has given the ultimate sacrifice. And this week we're gonna honor remember Army 648 00:46:27,119 --> 00:46:31,960 Captain Joe Finton lust the Second. Captain Lusk the Second gave the ultimate sacrifice 649 00:46:32,000 --> 00:46:36,400 on January the twenty first, two thousand and five, when his Apache helicopter 650 00:46:36,559 --> 00:46:40,559 crash during a routine training mission in Kuwait, ten days after his deployment from 651 00:46:40,639 --> 00:46:45,599 Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Captain Lusk was a native of Reedley, California, 652 00:46:45,920 --> 00:46:50,159 graduated from Readley High School in nineteen ninety seven, where he played football 653 00:46:50,159 --> 00:46:52,840 and was a straight A student. While in high school, Shortly before his 654 00:46:52,920 --> 00:46:55,840 graduation, a flag with his class year ended up at the top of the 655 00:46:55,960 --> 00:47:00,719 town's radio tower. It was not until years later that his mom, Susan, 656 00:47:00,800 --> 00:47:05,159 a school teacher, learned that it was her son who had climbed up 657 00:47:05,239 --> 00:47:07,840 to place it at the very top. Joe didn't brag about it about his 658 00:47:07,920 --> 00:47:10,400 stunt, nor did he call attention to it. He just knew that it 659 00:47:10,480 --> 00:47:15,960 was something that would excite his fellow classmates and make their graduation even more special. 660 00:47:16,079 --> 00:47:21,199 Captain Luss went on to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, 661 00:47:21,320 --> 00:47:23,960 New York, where he graduated in two thousand and one with a degree 662 00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:30,039 or two degrees in aerospace engineering and military science, and he was commissioned a 663 00:47:30,079 --> 00:47:34,159 second lieutenant in the U. S. Army's Aviation Branch. He was a 664 00:47:34,239 --> 00:47:38,280 third generation west Pointer, following in the footsteps of his paternal grandfather and namesake, 665 00:47:38,440 --> 00:47:43,199 Joe Finn Lusk, a nineteen forty six graduate, and then his uncle 666 00:47:43,320 --> 00:47:47,480 Patrick Lusk, graduated from West Point in nineteen seventy six. His family rights, 667 00:47:47,880 --> 00:47:52,440 Joe was someone who continuously strived to better himself and be the best version 668 00:47:52,559 --> 00:47:58,440 of himself that could that he could be But through it all, Joe utilized 669 00:47:58,440 --> 00:48:01,199 his character strength of humility in every facet of his life, and he never 670 00:48:01,320 --> 00:48:05,599 called attention to the things he was doing. Joe simply wanted to do his 671 00:48:05,800 --> 00:48:09,159 job in the best way possible and support his friends to the best of his 672 00:48:09,280 --> 00:48:16,599 ability. Joe was honored during the Travis Manien Foundations April twenty eighteen Operation Legacy 673 00:48:16,719 --> 00:48:23,159 Project in Atlanta, Georgia. And we remember the fallen heroes like Captain Joe, 674 00:48:23,239 --> 00:48:28,119 fin LUs the Second and so many others here on yards and Stripes that 675 00:48:28,199 --> 00:48:32,039 gave the ultimate sacrifice, because we all know these sacrifices certainly come with the 676 00:48:32,119 --> 00:48:37,719 price. Families are hurting and miss their loved ones everywhere. But through the 677 00:48:37,800 --> 00:48:42,559 work of TMF, they're continuing that legacy of service and commitment that so many 678 00:48:42,639 --> 00:48:52,000 heroes like Captain Lusk developed, and they continue these commitments in communities across America. 679 00:48:52,199 --> 00:48:54,960 Where you can find out a lot more information about the work TMF is 680 00:48:55,000 --> 00:49:00,679 doing or get involved online at Travismannon dot org. Travis Mallon Foundation's Nine to 681 00:49:00,679 --> 00:49:06,079 Eleven Heroes run five k ra series units communities across the country and around the 682 00:49:06,159 --> 00:49:08,920 world to honor the sacrifices of September eleventh and the war since. Join your 683 00:49:08,960 --> 00:49:14,039 community this September and register to run, Walk or Rock by visiting nine to 684 00:49:14,039 --> 00:49:20,480 eleven heroesrun dot org. The latest with Navy, Army and Air Force on 685 00:49:20,800 --> 00:49:24,360 Yards and Stripes Service Academy Football. All right, welcome back here on the 686 00:49:24,440 --> 00:49:29,679 Yards and Stripes continuing on as we get ready to wrap this thing up, 687 00:49:29,760 --> 00:49:32,360 and just want to thank the Travis Manian Foundation once again for partnering with us 688 00:49:32,559 --> 00:49:38,880 this season. The Travismanian Foundation Tailgate coming up on Saturday, December the ninth 689 00:49:39,039 --> 00:49:45,119 at the Army Navy game. You can join the TMF tailgate outside of Gillette 690 00:49:45,239 --> 00:49:51,760 Stadium. The festivities do start at ten am at the Rodman Lot directly across 691 00:49:51,960 --> 00:49:55,960 from Patriots Place. It will run right up until game time with your ticket, 692 00:49:57,440 --> 00:50:00,719 food, drinks, access to private bathrooms, heaters, which is vitally 693 00:50:00,880 --> 00:50:06,199 key this time of year outside of the Army Navy game wherever it's played, 694 00:50:07,039 --> 00:50:14,519 giveaway items, tailgate games, vendor experiences, open bar for those twenty one 695 00:50:14,599 --> 00:50:17,360 and up. Tickets to the tailgate do not come with a game ticket, 696 00:50:17,440 --> 00:50:22,960 but if you are interested in the Travismanion Foundation tailgate outside of Gillette Stadium starting 697 00:50:23,199 --> 00:50:29,039 at ten am leading up to kickoff at three pm. Go to Travismanion dot 698 00:50:29,199 --> 00:50:35,599 org. You can secure your tickets right there at Travismanyon dot org. All 699 00:50:35,679 --> 00:50:38,239 right, Steven, more to do here before we look at Army Navy and 700 00:50:38,360 --> 00:50:40,760 kind of touch on that once again to mention, we will have our Army 701 00:50:40,840 --> 00:50:45,920 Navy preview special coming up next week where we break down the entire game, 702 00:50:45,000 --> 00:50:50,079 the matchup talk with guests on both sides from Army and Navy. We will 703 00:50:50,159 --> 00:50:54,440 do that early next week. But a few news and notes to pass along 704 00:50:54,679 --> 00:50:59,760 to you. We mentioned Bowl projections just a little bit earlier talk with Brent 705 00:50:59,800 --> 00:51:04,079 where he thinks they might go. Just to let you know the Bowl projections 706 00:51:04,119 --> 00:51:07,840 that I've taken a look at, and Steve has seen. Air Force obviously 707 00:51:07,000 --> 00:51:10,920 the one Bowl eligible team we have of our three right now, here's where 708 00:51:12,119 --> 00:51:15,960 it looks like air Force could land. The Action Network's Brett Brett McMurphy, 709 00:51:16,039 --> 00:51:20,800 who I think does the best job when it comes to projecting Bowl teams. 710 00:51:21,480 --> 00:51:24,519 He's got air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl on December the twenty third. 711 00:51:24,960 --> 00:51:30,559 He's got the Falcons taking on West Virginia, Neil Brown engineering a fantastic turnaround 712 00:51:30,599 --> 00:51:35,360 where he was on one of the hottest seats going into the season. West 713 00:51:35,400 --> 00:51:38,119 Virginia has had a really good one. He's got at Air Force in West 714 00:51:38,199 --> 00:51:44,840 Virginia in the arm Forces Bowl. The Athletic also putting Air Force in the 715 00:51:45,079 --> 00:51:49,880 Armed Forces Bowl, but they have a matchup with Texas Tech. Also a 716 00:51:49,960 --> 00:51:54,119 couple others to pass along. Also on December the twenty third. USA today 717 00:51:54,199 --> 00:51:58,800 they have air Force versus SMU, who we just talked a good bit about. 718 00:51:59,119 --> 00:52:04,199 They have Air Forces against SMU in the Hawaii Bowl two days before Christmas. 719 00:52:04,280 --> 00:52:09,480 So I'm assuming that the USA today is figuring on a SMU lost to 720 00:52:09,599 --> 00:52:15,000 Tulane, therefore dropping SMU to the Hawaii Bowl. Boy, that would be 721 00:52:15,239 --> 00:52:20,480 quite a fall when you know, staring a potential New Year six Bowl in 722 00:52:20,639 --> 00:52:24,360 the eyes. But then a loss to Tulane theoretically would drop you down to 723 00:52:24,480 --> 00:52:29,519 a consolation trip to Hawaii, which wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. 724 00:52:30,639 --> 00:52:35,519 A couple others to pass along. Steve real quick, no doubt about 725 00:52:35,559 --> 00:52:38,840 it, no question that would go. And we talked about heaters outside the 726 00:52:38,880 --> 00:52:43,559 stadium. You wouldn't need anything but outside the stadium there in Hawaii for that 727 00:52:43,679 --> 00:52:47,280 Bowl game. And finally ESPN they kind of have got a different, a 728 00:52:47,360 --> 00:52:52,079 different look at air Force. Mark Schlaybaugh has got Air Force against Louisiana Lafayette 729 00:52:52,079 --> 00:52:58,280 in the New Mexico Bowl on December the eighteenth, while Kyle vana Gura he's 730 00:52:58,360 --> 00:53:01,400 got the Falcons against Louisia and a Lafayette, same opponent, except he has 731 00:53:01,480 --> 00:53:07,960 them in the sixty eight Ventures Bowl on December the twenty third. So that's 732 00:53:07,159 --> 00:53:12,199 what I've seen, Steve, You do you have anything else others? You 733 00:53:12,239 --> 00:53:15,360 know, SI, where do you have where? Do you see any other 734 00:53:15,480 --> 00:53:20,199 projections for air Force? Did you find Army and Navy listed anywhere else? 735 00:53:20,719 --> 00:53:23,719 Yeah? Unfortunately, did not see Army and Navy listed in any of the 736 00:53:23,800 --> 00:53:29,519 projections that I saw. Then that stinks because I think that if you're going 737 00:53:29,599 --> 00:53:34,400 to take a five win team, you would want to take a five win 738 00:53:34,559 --> 00:53:37,840 team out of, you know, a service academy, although I can only 739 00:53:37,920 --> 00:53:42,360 imagine it's going to be a lot more expensive to take a service academy if 740 00:53:42,360 --> 00:53:45,760 you have to fly the or move the core of cadets to have them there, 741 00:53:46,079 --> 00:53:52,519 or to have a representative. Then that's why like SI has twelve Sun 742 00:53:52,599 --> 00:53:57,800 Belt teams getting bull getting Bowl games and not neither Army nor Navy is a 743 00:53:57,880 --> 00:54:00,960 part of it. Jerry Palm of CBS Sports dot Com actually has Air Force 744 00:54:01,039 --> 00:54:07,519 playing in the First Responders Bowl on December twenty sixth in Dallas, Texas against 745 00:54:07,559 --> 00:54:12,599 app State, and that would be a fun game to just certainly watch the 746 00:54:12,679 --> 00:54:15,400 Mountaineers I got a chance to watch a lot of them here this year. 747 00:54:15,599 --> 00:54:21,119 My my buddy Mark Miller is actually the radio engineer for for app State, 748 00:54:21,199 --> 00:54:25,679 and so he has been begging me to come to Kid Brewer and see how 749 00:54:25,719 --> 00:54:30,639 beautiful it is in Boone, North Carolina for for an app State home game 750 00:54:30,719 --> 00:54:35,320 and watching it. I want to go so bad. So that's that's the 751 00:54:35,400 --> 00:54:38,760 one. That's the one other Bowl prodict projection that I've seen for air Force 752 00:54:39,079 --> 00:54:45,840 apart from the ones that you mentioned earlier on So it's it stinks that that 753 00:54:46,119 --> 00:54:52,239 five win Army and five win Navy will be left out of a possible Bowl 754 00:54:52,320 --> 00:54:59,280 game because I think they both because of the APR I and being in their 755 00:54:59,320 --> 00:55:01,920 favor. And we talked about this earlier, you know, having uh, 756 00:55:02,119 --> 00:55:07,679 you know, guaranteed graduation, you know, one hundred percent graduation rates. 757 00:55:07,159 --> 00:55:12,599 Uh is certainly very nice. Uh, you know. And and something you 758 00:55:12,719 --> 00:55:16,400 know, the NCAA has harped on for years, we want schools that graduate 759 00:55:16,960 --> 00:55:22,880 their students. Well, nobody graduates their students like Service Academy. And these 760 00:55:22,880 --> 00:55:24,840 are guys that are going to go on to not play in the NFL, 761 00:55:24,960 --> 00:55:30,519 but go do things that are you know, much greater than the self. 762 00:55:30,760 --> 00:55:35,280 And so I I think that if you're if you're a bull, uh, 763 00:55:35,960 --> 00:55:37,800 you know, if you're a Bowl chair person, uh, I think you 764 00:55:38,000 --> 00:55:43,920 should be taking a much harder look at a Service Academy than they are doing 765 00:55:44,000 --> 00:55:50,679 that right now. Yeah, with one, we will find out the destination 766 00:55:51,119 --> 00:55:55,039 for how the bowl season will shake out for everybody coming up on Sunday as 767 00:55:55,119 --> 00:56:00,280 the college football playoff and everything is announced in bold destinations for everybody else around 768 00:56:00,360 --> 00:56:06,679 the country. A few more news and notes to pass along, obviously, 769 00:56:06,880 --> 00:56:12,320 postseason awards starting to roll in around the country. A big one for a 770 00:56:12,519 --> 00:56:17,840 Special Air Force Falcon senior Trey Taylor named is a finalist for the Jim Thorpe 771 00:56:17,840 --> 00:56:23,280 Award, given to the nation's top defensive back. Three players named as finalist 772 00:56:23,360 --> 00:56:28,840 for the Thorpe Award. Trey Taylor, the free safety out of Frisco, 773 00:56:29,000 --> 00:56:32,559 Texas. He was one of those three, the only senior finalist amongst the 774 00:56:32,679 --> 00:56:38,480 three. The others are Cooper Dejon from Iowa junior cornerback and Malachi Starks, 775 00:56:38,599 --> 00:56:45,639 a Georgia sophomore safety. So certainly good luck to Trey Taylor as the winner 776 00:56:45,679 --> 00:56:49,159 will be announced coming up this Friday night on the Home Depot Award show that 777 00:56:49,199 --> 00:56:52,920 will air on ESPN at seven pm. Just for those scoring at home if 778 00:56:52,960 --> 00:56:58,880 you're curious where Taylor might stack up. His seventy one tackles in three interceptions, 779 00:56:59,440 --> 00:57:01,639 those are more more than the other finalist had. He also had a 780 00:57:01,760 --> 00:57:07,039 pick six, which the other two finalists did not have as well. The 781 00:57:07,119 --> 00:57:09,840 other two, Cooper de John and then Malachi Starts from Georgia, had a 782 00:57:09,880 --> 00:57:15,360 couple more pass breakups, but that was the only really statistical category that they 783 00:57:15,480 --> 00:57:20,199 led Trey Taylor in. So it will be a very interesting award to see 784 00:57:20,760 --> 00:57:24,199 where that one lands. But Taylor just obviously being named as one of the 785 00:57:24,239 --> 00:57:30,639 three finalists, but I think has a very very good shot to potentially bring 786 00:57:30,800 --> 00:57:37,159 that massive piece of Hardware home to Colorado Springs. A few more Steve air 787 00:57:37,239 --> 00:57:43,280 Force several players honored by the Mountain West this week. Three players excuse me 788 00:57:43,440 --> 00:57:47,000 four were named to the first team, while three were named to the second 789 00:57:47,039 --> 00:57:52,440 team. Center Thor Pagley Long, the senior out of Woodstock, Illinois, 790 00:57:52,480 --> 00:57:54,679 who was a member of the Outland and Lobardi Award watch list to start the 791 00:57:54,760 --> 00:57:59,159 year and through the season. He was named first team along with obviously Trey 792 00:57:59,239 --> 00:58:04,239 Taylor, PJ. Ramsey. The defensive end and also outside linebacker Bo Richter 793 00:58:05,039 --> 00:58:08,239 was the first team honoree by the Mountain West, earning all second team honors 794 00:58:08,280 --> 00:58:13,079 from the Mountain West running back Emmanuel Michelle, offensive lineman Adam Carris, and 795 00:58:13,119 --> 00:58:17,079 then linebacker Alex Mock and then honorable mention did go to quarterback Zach Larrier, 796 00:58:17,320 --> 00:58:22,599 defensive back Jaden Goodwin, and then kicker Matthew Depoor. So certainly congratulations to 797 00:58:22,760 --> 00:58:29,920 all those Falcons taking in postseason awards and finally real quick. Also staying with 798 00:58:30,000 --> 00:58:32,719 Air Force, Brett Toath. He got the start at offensive guard for the 799 00:58:32,760 --> 00:58:38,280 Carolina Panthers on last Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. The Panthers picking him up 800 00:58:38,440 --> 00:58:43,719 off the practice squad of the Philadelphia Eagles, or I think it was Philadelphia 801 00:58:43,719 --> 00:58:45,480 Eagles. But Brent toath now is a member of the Carolina Panthers, and 802 00:58:45,519 --> 00:58:50,400 it was great to see him in their starting lineup as the Panthers took on 803 00:58:50,599 --> 00:58:55,320 the Titans last Sunday. All right, Steven, you did see him. 804 00:58:55,559 --> 00:59:00,880 It was certainly a big moment to see him back on the field, but 805 00:59:00,000 --> 00:59:06,559 certainly get back into a starting lineup, so started an offensive guard for Carolina. 806 00:59:07,440 --> 00:59:09,719 All right, Steve. We mentioned we've got an Army Navy previews special 807 00:59:10,000 --> 00:59:15,639 next week. It's gonna be nothing but Army and Navy, both teams five 808 00:59:15,880 --> 00:59:20,239 and six going into this one. The press conference is being held today up 809 00:59:20,280 --> 00:59:23,880 there at Gillette Stadium, as we record on Wednesday, November the twenty ninth, 810 00:59:24,440 --> 00:59:29,440 This one obviously going to be on CBS Big Boy CBS a three pm 811 00:59:29,559 --> 00:59:35,079 kickoff at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on Saturday, December the ninth. Right now, 812 00:59:35,360 --> 00:59:39,280 Army currently a two and a half point favorite, the over under sitting 813 00:59:39,360 --> 00:59:44,559 at twenty nine and a half. We're not gonna, obviously go and pick 814 00:59:44,599 --> 00:59:47,400 any winners this week. We will do that next week. But you know, 815 00:59:47,679 --> 00:59:52,599 just quick thoughts impressions as we get ready for America's game next week. 816 00:59:52,360 --> 00:59:57,079 Well, I certainly think if you had told me four weeks ago that this 817 00:59:57,320 --> 00:59:59,840 game was going to be played at this point, I think you would have. 818 01:00:00,239 --> 01:00:02,239 I would have thought that, you know, Navy would have had an 819 01:00:02,280 --> 01:00:07,239 opportunity to be Bowl eligible, and that Army would have been instead of being 820 01:00:08,320 --> 01:00:12,960 what are they five and six or five? And they're five and six as 821 01:00:13,039 --> 01:00:15,280 well. I never would have thought that Army would have been five and six. 822 01:00:15,400 --> 01:00:17,880 I thought that they would have been, you know, maybe two and 823 01:00:19,039 --> 01:00:22,559 nine. You know, there's or or three and eight. Maybe. I 824 01:00:22,760 --> 01:00:28,239 never would have thought that they would have finished with you know, with wins 825 01:00:28,320 --> 01:00:32,199 over both Air Force and Coastal Uh to get to five and six. Uh. 826 01:00:32,360 --> 01:00:37,519 I never would have thought that this. But that's why the the line 827 01:00:37,760 --> 01:00:40,840 is where it is. Uh, and that Army is a favorite. I 828 01:00:40,880 --> 01:00:44,480 would have thought, you know, if you had told me four weeks ago, 829 01:00:44,920 --> 01:00:46,400 this would have been, uh, you know, a three point Navy 830 01:00:46,760 --> 01:00:51,480 uh, you know, being favored. Uh No, no, the total 831 01:00:51,599 --> 01:00:54,559 is probably right, but uh, you know, give Army a ton of 832 01:00:54,639 --> 01:01:00,119 credit. They have put themselves in a position to win this game and the 833 01:01:00,159 --> 01:01:06,440 Commander in Chief trophy out right. Yeah, it's incredible how things have changed 834 01:01:06,719 --> 01:01:09,360 through the course of the season. Where we obviously knew that, you know, 835 01:01:09,440 --> 01:01:14,000 Air Force was riding high eight No, then Army you know, completely 836 01:01:14,119 --> 01:01:16,440 knocked them off that perch. And you know, the Navy has had their 837 01:01:16,559 --> 01:01:22,280 moments at times where they look like they might be the best of the bunch. 838 01:01:22,480 --> 01:01:25,519 But certainly, I don't think there's any question right now. You know, 839 01:01:25,599 --> 01:01:29,039 you could still make the case. You know, I was thinking earlier, 840 01:01:29,039 --> 01:01:30,920 as before we recorded, I said, but where would you power rank 841 01:01:31,000 --> 01:01:34,559 these teams? Because I know we haven't done that since really beginning of the 842 01:01:34,639 --> 01:01:37,199 season. But you know, if you were to try and order the three 843 01:01:37,360 --> 01:01:40,760 teams, you know, how would you do that? Would you put Army 844 01:01:40,840 --> 01:01:44,639 on top or would you put Air Force on top? I don't really think 845 01:01:44,679 --> 01:01:46,880 there's a case to be made for Navy to be on top. I think 846 01:01:46,920 --> 01:01:50,760 it would be between Army and Air Force. But would you go with the 847 01:01:50,800 --> 01:01:52,960 body of work like an eight and four or would you just go simply head 848 01:01:53,000 --> 01:01:57,519 to head that was a dominating result. I think it's you know, an 849 01:01:57,599 --> 01:02:00,480 interesting question that we could sit here and kind of but you know, who 850 01:02:00,599 --> 01:02:05,400 is the best Service Academy team at this point, I think it probably if 851 01:02:05,440 --> 01:02:07,679 I were to have to go with a pick, I'd have to go with 852 01:02:07,840 --> 01:02:12,480 Army. Yeah, it's funny. I think that there are two teams that 853 01:02:12,559 --> 01:02:15,599 you could put at the top of this power ranking. There are two teams 854 01:02:15,639 --> 01:02:20,239 that you could put at the bottom of this power ranking, and it's hilarious 855 01:02:20,280 --> 01:02:23,000 that Army could be in both of those. So, you know, I 856 01:02:23,119 --> 01:02:27,519 think that if you know, because four weeks ago, I would have had 857 01:02:27,599 --> 01:02:31,719 this Air Force, Navy Army all day, and now there's if you go 858 01:02:31,840 --> 01:02:35,480 by head to head, you would have to put Army at the top, 859 01:02:35,559 --> 01:02:39,840 with Air Force second and Navy third. So it's absolutely amazing to see what 860 01:02:40,000 --> 01:02:44,599 a difference a month has made in this college football season. And you and 861 01:02:44,679 --> 01:02:49,679 I understand that you know there are times that you know this happens, but 862 01:02:50,920 --> 01:02:55,519 yeah, I really it's really so hard to rank these three teams as to 863 01:02:55,920 --> 01:03:00,079 which one is the best and which one isn't because all three of them have 864 01:03:00,280 --> 01:03:07,000 shown, you know, stretches where they can be absolutely brilliant, and they've 865 01:03:07,199 --> 01:03:13,559 all shown stretches where they can be absolutely inapt It's It's amazing to see the 866 01:03:14,079 --> 01:03:17,360 roller coaster ride that these three teams have put us on here so far this 867 01:03:17,519 --> 01:03:21,960 year. We got one more stop to make and it might be the biggest 868 01:03:21,960 --> 01:03:25,159 one of all. A lot of these question questions and more will be answered, 869 01:03:25,480 --> 01:03:31,079 especially who is the best that will be on the line next weekend next 870 01:03:31,119 --> 01:03:36,960 Saturday, December the ninth, in Foxborough between Army and Navy in America's Game 871 01:03:37,039 --> 01:03:39,119 presented by us A A all right, Steven, we'll get out of here 872 01:03:39,239 --> 01:03:45,679 on that note. Appreciate everything that you do to keep us sounding and you 873 01:03:45,760 --> 01:03:50,480 know everybody listening to us tip top every single week as we come to usually 874 01:03:50,559 --> 01:03:53,239 on Tuesdays, but this week a little bit later. Appreciate everything that you 875 01:03:53,360 --> 01:03:59,159 do see for the College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast Network. Appreciate all our 876 01:03:59,519 --> 01:04:03,280 listener for investing in US, download, listening and subscribing every single week. 877 01:04:03,360 --> 01:04:08,199 Thanks to Brent brigham In the beat writer for the Air Force Falcons with the 878 01:04:08,239 --> 01:04:11,639 Colorado Springs Gazette for joining us this week. We will do it again next 879 01:04:11,679 --> 01:04:15,000 week, Steve is we got a big action packed episode. We'll have all 880 01:04:15,119 --> 01:04:18,039 kinds of guests joining us on our Army Navy preview next week right here on 881 01:04:18,519 --> 01:04:25,159 Yards and Stripes your home for Service Academy football. Join us again next time 882 01:04:25,360 --> 01:04:30,639 for Yards and Stripes Service Academy Football. To get more on all things Service 883 01:04:30,679 --> 01:04:34,360 Academy Football, like Yards and Stripes on Facebook and follow them on Twitter at 884 01:04:34,559 --> 01:04:40,519 yards and Stripes, and make sure that you're subscribing to the College Gridiron Coast 885 01:04:40,559 --> 01:04:45,320 to Coast podcast feed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, and wherever you 886 01:04:45,519 --> 01:04:46,599 get your podcasts