This is I on the Ball with Steve RIVERA and Jakinsaliz on Fox Sports fourteen
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two SAG and iHeart Radio Station. Hey, good afternoon, everybody. Welcome
to I on the Ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve River
He's jakin zawis got our guys sit in at the booth, said the man.
He's the man. This is first go as. This is his first
shot in the board. So if anything screws up, it's its fault.
Yeah, I apologize for smart move, smart move. You're you're a rookie,
but not a rookie. Hey, big show today. If everything holds
up right right right? Well, you know we we did try to get
Rob waldrip yesterday. He all of a sudden after the fact, I couldn't
make it. So we got we got him lined up today at three three
thirty five. Pact show we do and then we have our picks at the
end of the show to right, Yeah, all kinds of stuff like I'm
sure you buddy, I haven't on mine yet. I'm gonna do him.
I'm doing it. The next break. Nope, I have not. I'm
doing that now. I've been I've been busy. Steve, I'm a busy
No, it's me too, We both are. I'm on deadline with you
for a couple things. That's right. You still don't have your stuff in.
You gave it to me yesterday. Where's the ears on a bull story?
Oh, that's almost done. That's as old because because I'm waiting for
stats. You want stats. You want to see my text, I've been
asking for statskay uh, the other one that went to get him. Anyway,
that's that's between you and me. But Jake Fisher at three fifteen,
Jake's always got some good stuff to say. It's the day before the first
game, So we'll see what we say. You know, now that we're
here, you know he's been saying eight wins. He probably still say wins.
But I just want to say how, you know, how they're how
they're gonna get take wins. What he's hoping to see tomorrow. Then,
as we said at three thirty five, Rob Waldrop, we'll be coming in
and we'll just kind of talk to him about his his old day's desert swarm.
He was sort of the anchor to that Hall of Fame, and he's
in the College Football Hall of Fame, and he's here to be a co
captain and Unray captain for the game tomorrow. And then we'll get Justin Spears
uh Air's a daily Star beat writer, and get his analysis of what he
thinks is gonna happen tomorrow. So a lot of stuff going on, a
lot of stuff going on pretty much the whole show. You gotta give us
a call when you have an opportunity to. This is one of those opportunities
because we're gonna be to to pretty much fool for the whole time outside of
this slot, from the beginning of the breaking new slot right exactly. So
if you guys want to call, I got a call, Gotta text your
you're you're tailgate is pretty much open, right anybody who anybody can swing by
someone. I mean, you know, if you can't bring the whole family,
unless you're gonna bring some food with you because you know it's a pot
luck, but you know, swing by. We'll have some beer in the
ice chest. People are asking me earlier to you know, if you want
to swing by, but you know, we it's you know, we don't.
We're not gonna if you get there and there's not a ton of food,
it's because there's not a ton of people that are tailgate generally, and
so everybody tries to bring something. So there'll be some snacks and some some
chicken. Maybe you know, he might be able to get a beer out
of us or something like that. But yeah, feel free to swing by
look for us. I've told people I've got a I've got a light blue
uh kind of a smaller suv. We have three of those Arizona red and
blue Arizona Arizona tents that we put up. There'll be a TV right there
while we'll be watching games, and we're gonna hopefully be lined up in that
last row next to the Richard Jefferson gym. That's what we shoot for every
week. Okay, cool, Yeah, I feel free. I feel free
to stop by and say hey, And if you want to come and hang
with us, you don't bring bring a snack, bring some beer, bring
something, and you can stay with us as long as you want. Yeah,
Okay, last night's games are pretty interesting. I'm sure you cut one
or two. I you know, I I the game. I watched most
of it because I was watching the Dodgers Braves game, which was a great
game. We can get to that later. But I was watching that Florida
Utah game and you know that guy. That game came on as we were
leaving, so I had it on on the radio in my car. And
you know, Utah it's first play, throws a seventy yard bomb for a
touchdown, and I thought Florida's season is over. They're done, They're toes.
He's not over. You know that. I say that week one,
everyone kind of you yeah, so uh but uh you know, and and
look and and and you're telling me Utaugh made them look bad. Two things
about that one. Utah is playing with a bunch of backups and they beat
the crap out of them. So you know, Florida people are losing their
minds. You know there. I saw a lot of I saw a lot
of social media of that. But then, you know, you think about
Utah. It's kind of been overlooked as as uh, you know, somebody's
one to think two years in a row. It's always been overlooked. I
mean, come on, Utah, and you don't you don't think you would
see you don't think Washington and and their quarterback came rising was out and it
doesn't really matter. And they played two They played two two quarterbacks, and
both quarterbacks had had scores rushing touchdowns. So watch out for Utah, you
know, yeah, of course, I mean you really do. I mean,
because they didn't you know, it was twenty four to twenty four to
three ten for most of the game. I think it was twenty Yeah,
so twenty four to ten, but it wasn't near that close. You just
let them up. I think Florida got down in the red zone even a
couple of times and got zero points and stuff like that. So I think,
uh, watch out for Utah. I think they're gonna be uh somebody
to be reckoned with. It's still you know, they knew that, Yeah,
of course, it's still. It's gonna be their fourth, right there,
pick fourth usc USC Oregon washed in them, right and anybody any of
those four could win It gets each other anytime. Yeah, And I think
that's what's gonna make make it tough to get a team through and into the
playoff because those four teams they mostly play each other, and you know they
I don't see anybody facing those three teams and beating all three of them.
Yeah, okay, right, yeah, we'll talk more about that. And
then there was the other one. Nebraska's still Nebraska or that was that was
college football at its peak right there. Yeah, walk off, walk off
field goal to win the game Minnesota. You gotta imagine that Nebraska fans are
losing their stuff again. I'm saying, this is the same old stuff that
we've been dealt with the Scott Frost right, And then you know, Southern
Utah had a possession to win the game. I didn't stay up. I
gave up at ten thirty. Yeah. Still, I was still watching the
best quarterbacks in the Pac twelve history or whatever it was running backs, and
I said, I'm not gonna stay for this. Yeah, yeah, I
didn't. I didn't didn't. I mean it was still in a in a
you know, in a delay when I when I stopped trying and I just
went to bed. But yeah, touched damp Damn Demorro Tamorro, Doug Tamorro.
He said at one thirty in the morning, that's when the press conferences
was going on. One thirty in the morning. Oh man, there could
have been anybody left in the stadium, though I don't think they made deadline.
Yeah, well I'm guessing. I'm guessing not, but uh, you
know, twenty four twenty one, and I guess I didn't go back and
check it out, but I my son stayed up to watch the games.
I said, did Utah Southern Utah have a chance to win? He said,
yeah, they had a possession to win the game, right, and
they didn't, but they had it chance. Actually they would have converted a
first down to keep the drive going, but they dropped the pass. Oh
man, Yeah, that's a that's a tough thing again, warning signs right,
yeah, and I don't think I don't know how much it says.
But when you have a tough time beat, you know, winning your opener
at home against Southern Utah, that's that's gotta be a red flag. What
are you talking about? We saw a red flag. It was a flaming
red flag two years ago. Oh, because they lost. But these guys
they didn't lose, so they at least got out of there with a win.
But you got they got to be thinking about it for sure. For
sure. And then the Dodger game. I did say, I did watch
the Dodging game. It was a great game Dodgers felt. You know,
I was telling telling Sid here that you know, Ron Lucunha came up bases
loaded second inning, and I thought he's gonna hit a grand Slam, and
then he did and it was away far grand slam. Uh. They were
up seven to one at one point. Dodgers fought back, got got it
to eight seven. Uh, had the winning run on base in the bottom
of the ninth and couldn't get it, couldn't get the time run or the
winning run across, and lost eight to seven. But it was a great
game. A lot of people talking about what a great game it was and
and hoping that that's what the that's what the National Championship Series will be.
We'll see, we'll see. That's fun okay, okay. Uh so what
else going on a good show today? Yeah? No, I think well,
the ACC, Oh yeah, I know, we want to cut out
a little early because of you know, so we can move everybody up and
get rob waldropon. But uh uh, the ACC invited cal Stanford and SMU
into their league, and and it's funny because you know, they had to
do something, but then they then it gets done. Cal Stanford get in
the league and SMU and people rip on them doing that and saying that's terrible,
it's terrible for the ACC. You know, they got three bad teams.
Why would three bad programs? Why would you do that? You're you
know, somebody said they that, uh for football, that the ACC added
three three Boston colleges, which that they didn't mean that in a nice way.
So but you know, here you go, you got you know,
two more teams on the West coast playing in the conference on the East coast.
That's gonna that's gonna be a tough gold, be a tough go.
Yeah. But I don't know, you know, I the whole thing's a
mess, Steve. I think I think everybody's in agreement. But all of
college football, all of college athletics is a mess because of what happened.
And I don't know how they ever, ever ever fix it. Well,
they're not gonna fix it. They're gonna go to a different situation where it's
massive. It's just gonna be massive, right, twenty teams here, twenty
teams there to make sixty four eighty four whatever teams are gonna put in their
separate divisions. But it's just gonna suck for a while. Yeah, well
change, you don't change. I mean in the end, you know,
Arizona being in the in the Big twelve, while it's gonna be fun for
basketball, it's it's not gonna be as it's fun for football as it's been
being in the Pactwell, no, that's why I'm saying, there's no one
sexy enough in the in the in the league to worry about it. You
know, as much as I complain about USC, you know, being in
the way of everything, not having a USC and in the league, it
is kind of like, well, hell right, there's and there's not even
one clothes No, there's nobody close. And then then you think about USC,
what are they gonna be at a nine and three team every year?
You know, well, good they're not going to be USC in Ohio State
in Michigan, are they good? Good for them, But you picked your
poison, You picked your poison. You decided to go. You know,
hope the money is fun. I hope the money is fine. Oh yeah,
they'll they'll buy stuff. You're throwing dice on the sidewalk in the corner.
Get Reggie Miller's the husband Trophy back? What I say, Reggie Miller,
Yeah, well he'll too. He didn't even play at USC too.
Well he needs one us. You still, Reggie, Reggie, you know
that, Reggie. They're gonna have fun on the snow for sure, I
think, yeah, yeah, but what's this? But you know, smut,
ThEC makes sense. At least they're in the neighborhood, right, so
to speak. You know, they're kind of in the neighborhood. But man
Stanford and Cal. I guess I saw that they're doing something where they'll like
meet in the middle for you know, some of the Olympic sports, you
know, matches and stuff, you know, play them in Dallas where neither
team is all stuff like that. I mean, how fun can that be
for that athletes don't want that. Well, it's very clear. I don't
know if it's very clear, but the minor sports were, or at least
whatever international sports, whatever Olympic sports, we're not thought off. They just
say there's a lot of money over there, let's go get it and take
care of the guy and then we'll figure it out after that. There's the
bag. There's the bag, as you kids say, Yeah, I haven't
seen the bag since McDonald's give me. But that's what it looks like.
You know. So well again now Oregon Stain Washington statement. Yeah, they
have to just bok up with the Mountain West, you know, and they're
good. Orgon State's really good right now, and wash and State it is
pretty good to their credit. Old Jay, it's not gonna be that bad.
And let me hold hold on here. They're gonna be the crown jewels
of the wherever they right, because they're gonna be the better team, right
at least you'd think that, right, right, because when they play them
now, if they played them now, wouldn't you think Morgan State would be
the favorite, Washington State would be the favorite. It'll continue to be that
way until it's not right. But I guess you're still not with anybody.
I mean you're not with yeah the back twelve. Yeah all right, well,
you know, let's get on here so we can get We'll move our
guests up just a couple of minutes, good idea, so we can get
as much time as we can with both of them. So let's go ahead
and check out. We'll be back in a couple of minutes. It'll be
Jake Fisher form aers On linebacker, giving us his read on tomorrow's game,
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for you. Steve Bravera and Jakensalis they have their Eye on the ball on
two Psalms Sports six, JEF Sports fourteen fifty extreamly live. I mean I
heard radio wire they welcome back to I on the Ball. Here a Fox
Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve Ribera. He's Jakin's O Stone the phone.
We have birthday boy Jack Fisher. Hey, guys, doing good? How
are you? How was your birthday? That was fine? We stayed in.
It's my my football jersey year. So you know we're getting up there.
Well you are thirty three years o getting up there. You didn't get
hurt, did you? We don't want you injured. I'm getting hurt every
day now. Getting old. You have no idea what old is. I'm
just gonna say that you have no idea. I'm not looking forwards. Well,
big games are this week. We've been We've been waiting for it for
a while. Now tell me your excitement. Where? Yeah, where?
Where? Where's your head on it today? Batman level? Is that a
ten? I really want to run up to score against these guys, showing
them that they're only gonna beat us one out of every fifty or sixty times.
I love the fact that we've got a bunch of NFL players on there.
We have very few players that understand what it's like to lose against NAU.
So I'm just happy that I want Jets Fish to be kind of petty,
like I want us to kind of run up to score a little bit
but in our twos and keep taking shots. I know he's a lot more
classy than that, but that's what I would do anyways. And I want
to see what the defense is like all these big times, you know,
transfers. He had come into adjustin Folk and just on those defensive linemen gets
the pressure on the cornerback, they're probably gonna have to do a lot of
quick stuff just because we I think we are going to be able to get
pressure on the ball and allow our defensive backs to kind of settle in makes
some plays on the ball. So the fact that justin mister Flow is not
starting, does that give you cause or pause or whatever. Now, I
think it's a new defense and it's one of those things to where as long
as you can find a niche for him, he's going to be effective because
you know, as Jett Fitch, he's the most explosive player on that defense.
You know, he runs, he knows that a tackle he's got a
nose for the ball. He might just not have the coverages down. But
you know, I mean, shoot, you only got to see a few
months to really prepare for a defense. We don't know how complex it is.
You know. We had a bunch of new guys last year, a
new system, so we didn't get to see where all the ins and outs
look like, you know, when you're able to get down a set.
So I don't know, we'll see. I think that it would be very
wise to use them in past rushing packages and maybe even if you have a
mobile quarterback to use them, you know, more as a spy, because
he's gonna run down any quarterback if you're allowed. Is that is that kind
of one of the things that you want to see tomorrow in terms of looking
at what Arizona is doing, who the players are, that type of stuff,
or what do you got your site set on in terms of watching the
game. Well, I think that we're just gonna be able to overmatch them
physically from all standpoint, So I think they're going to keep it kind of
Manilla. You know. I want to make sure that you know, they
don't show or tip their cap too much for Mississippi State the next week.
So I think we're gonna stay in a pretty you know, pretty much in
a basic defense for the most part, especially on you know, offense.
I don't think we're gonna have to do anything you know, weird. You
don't think we just have better players than them. So I don't think we're
going to see the whole playbook someone on per se, but I think we
are, you know, going to see some powers. So let me ask
you a question that I asked Lamont from my my soothsayer here, mister Jay
Gonzalez. Uh, did you and well I want all to sour the question,
did you get nervous every game? Or did you kind of get nervous?
And then that was it? Did I get nervous? Yeah? Yeah,
I mean you're nervous, you know, right before the game, and
you kind of want to get out there and just hit something, and then
as soon as you do that, all the nerves go away. So it's
kind of, you know, one of those things where it's like you hate
being nervous, you hate having the butterflies, but as soon as you do
get to hit somebody, all of a sudden, they all go away.
It's just time to you know, remember your assignments. You gonna play.
Is that every game or just the first game? No, that was every
game. It's you know, one of those things where you have a lot
of folks that I knew that didn't get nervous, and you know, it's
one of those things where some of those guys kind of played reckless. I
know a lot of folks that would get a little bit too nervous and throw
up before games, which is not me. And those are like kind of
the tacticians or the guys that you know, they were very technical, technically
sound. I this is the best way to put it. They remembered everything
they had to do, and it's almost like they put a little bit more
of a burden on themselves to remember what they had to do. A lot
of the guys that were, you know, seniors that have been playing for
three years would get a little notice, but they wouldn't show it just because
they knew exactly what they're doing. They don't worry about it too much at
all. You know, they know how to react to certain plays whatnot.
So it was a little bit blore for me. I was kind of in
the middle where were you on the depth chart your freshman year, you know,
going into the first game in terms of both the defense, special teams,
anything like that. How much were you expecting to play? I think
I was starting on kickoff and kick return, and then I think maybe punt
return when we weren't in punt safe. And then I was in the I
was in the two deep. I was a two will I was backing up
Xavier Kellery or Xavier Kelly. Remember we had I think four senior linebackers.
I mean, we had a really really good linebacking crew that year. So
you know, I was just happy to be in the two deep. If
they can move Corey all around, they can they can move you know,
Sterlow around. They can move all those guys around the positions. And I
don't mean that's crazy about knowing the playbook, you know what I mean.
So, I mean it was one of those things where I knew I wasn't
going to see the field unless we were ahead, you know, by fifty
six against you know, Washington State. But other than that, it was
funding on special times. Well, well you were so you were, you
were on the field then you know at kickoff, right, Yeah, what
was that like? My very first kickoff. I was so nervous, but
aunt up that I ran down made a tackle. I did not hear the
crowd at all. And it was just one of those fun things to where
it was like, listen, you know, you're a freshman and you're on
kickoffs. Just ten your ears back, run as fast as you can.
If you get blasted, who gives a crap, just go down and try
to hit somebody. Yeah. Cool. So it was a big deal.
Yesterday? Was it? Yesterday? Yesterday? I talked about the two deep,
right, do you guys make a lot of it about it. That's
a dumb question because every athlete wants to be starting. But how big was
the depth chart to you? You know, really happened to surprise because you're
out there practice every day and you know who's making plays and who's working hard,
and yeah, who's getting the grass of the concept. So I mean
to be honest with you, it didn't really it wasn't really a problem.
The only time it was a problem is when you know you have two guys
that are kind of equally deserving of it, and uh, you know the
coaches say, eventually kind of come to their senses, not come to their
senses. But you know, in order to get two of those guys on
the field at the same time, they kind of mix and match different schemes
in order to get their best players on the field at the same time.
So, so is it u is the last week of of prep? Is
it? Is it fun? Is it nerve racking? You know, you
got to know all the stuff? You know, I was looking at the
schedule. You're seenior year you guys opened with NAU, so you know that
week, well, you know what was that like in terms of making sure
you were ready and and how much school did you? Really? Do you
have to you have to do your schooling, But I mean you just instead
of having all those all that time that you're spending doing extra working out,
et cetera, et cetera. Now because you're kind of shifting focused and you're
trying to keep your body healthy and you're trying to get ready for your first
opponent, you kind of shift some of that time that you were spending doing
that. So watching film and sometimes it depends, you know, if you
have a team that has a brand new coach and a brand new philosophy,
you have to kind of go back to where their coaches were, you know,
the year before, but even then they might have you know, they
might have different players. They might come from the school that you know,
they were a defensive backs coach at a really high school, but then you
know, they get a defensive coordinator position at a smaller school, so you
have different personnel. They might have a heavier personnel, they might have a
lot of athletes. It really just depends. I mean, that's what the
coaches get paid for, right, they would all us kind of what they
look at, what the tendencies work, and then you just study it and
if they come out doing something completely different, you better know how to counter
it, right, yeah, right, yeah, no, I hear you.
So look again, you know, we asked Lamont what he wanted to
see tomorrow. He said he wanted to see Arizona run the hell out of
the said, just let those guys run the ball, run them over,
just push them around. What do you what do you want to see as
far as what the offense does, I know you want to see him score
a lot of points. But in terms of what it looks like, well,
I'm on the same page. You know, we have three, maybe
four guys that are going to eventually be in the NFL. You know,
any of you doesn't have that, So use your guys to your advantage.
You know, I think we outweigh them on average about fifty plus pounds,
you know, from the offensive line to the defensive line perspectives. So run
them over, you know, make them, make them stack the box,
and then you got NFL re seer should throw it to. I mean,
we kind of hold uh, you know what's going to happen in the game.
It's it's on us, you know, whether we run the ball at
pass the ball, I think we're going to be successful. But it's always
good against an inferior opponent to kind of establish a ground game because then you
can kind of toil with them from there. I mean, you control the
pace as long as your offensive line is doing what they need to do,
and you control the clock, and you know, that kind of dictates what
you do the rest of the game. The one thing though, that Jake,
and we've probably talked to you about this a lot, is that depends
how good the defenses is going to be, depending on how well Arizona does
overall. Well, yeah, and again, you know, remember those Stanford
teams when they weren't back dead with horrorball. They had a really good offensive
line that can kind of cant all the clock, you know, instead of
having a third of Maine since that, you know, you're gonna have a
thirdain and two or a third and three if it's manageable and you get that
first down and the defense doesn't, you know, isn't what it's all cracked
up to be. If we control the clock and keep them off the field,
then that's you know, I think a good offense dictating the clock is
the best defense. As long as we can do that, I think we'll
be Okay. We got about a minute less if less than that. But
if the offense isn't what a dictating offense, it's a scoring offense, right,
how does that change it? Well, it depends. I mean,
if the defense is just gas and they're not doing what it needs to be
done, then you've got to control the clocks to keep them off the field,
right, so you have the hawses up front to do it. So
you know, I mean jet Fish comes from the NFL. If he knows
that, and you'll probably see it, you know, against a couple of
bigger opponents, but against any of you. It'll be nice to establish a
run and you know, pop a few long passes, but I want to
see a manham of those guys up roun. Yeah, okay, Jake,
what do you got going work wise? Yeah, Arizona Health inside of guys,
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Thanks, Jake, appreciate it. Thank you guys. We will just
take the quick break. We're gonna get to waldrobund Rep. Okay, we'll
be right back. If you're an Arizona men's basketball fan, you know it's
been successful for nearly forty years. Now take a look back at the Ludolson
era. In my new book, Lessons from Loot, It was a labor
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security dot net. Streamy live on the iHeart Radio Whip. This is I
on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jacob Salaz on Fox sportsporteen. Hey,
welcome back to A on the Ball here a Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm
Steve Romera, Steve Jakob's own snow on the phone. We have former All
American, two time All American Rob Walls group. How are you, Robbed?
I'm good. Are you guys doing We're doing fine. Excited to talk
to you. It's a big weekend for you guys, and you it is
it is, you know what. And I appreciate you, guys, Steve
and Jay taking some time to get me on there on your show. So
this will be fun. Yeah, should be. We'll let love having you
rob. So you're in town, Well you're not in town this moment,
but you're gonna be back here. You're going going to be back here tomorrows
as a honorary captain. How's that? How cool is that for you?
You know you, I mean, you've been gone a lot, a long
time, longer than when anybody wants to admit, but you know, still
wanting to bring you back to be a part of all this. Well,
first, don't remind me how long it's been, because of that kind of
dates me. But yeah, it's it's quite an honor to have them still
think of me that way. You want to bring me back to be a
part of this and experience it, especially in this new era with Coach Fish.
So it's uh, and I'm a lot better kind of enjoying these things
and appreciating them as I got I've gotten older. When I was a lot
younger and playing, you know, I never really spent too much time on
the accolade. So it's it's it's nice to enjoy this and be here with
some of my close friends. In fact, I don't know if you remember
us too, but we covered you guys back in the day, and you
were kind of a quiet guy, as I remember, a tough dude,
a tough dude, but just kind of quiet, kind of didn't say a
whole heck of a lot pretty much. Yeah, I just kind of trying
to play and let that speak for who and what I was. And you
know, I was on a defense with a bunch of great guys, So
it's it's it's uh, I didn't want to take anything from anybody. Yeah.
So so that's a that's a team that continues to be well. Those
teams in that era continue to be talked about here. You know, people
you know, look back fondly on the all the stuff, the Desert swarm
that continues to be sort of legendary here what's it like been for you?
What's it been like for you to kind of be a part of that group
that kind of set you know, kind of set a standard here. I
guess you could say for a lot of the program. Well for me personally
being it on those defenses with those guys that I played with on those teams,
the bond that we all have and what we did, it's been one
of the most amazing experiences of my life. And you just tend to appreciate
that more and more as you get older, because you just don't get something
special like that very often with a group of guys. And so you know,
to see all everybody still committed to Arizona and looking at the program and
wanting to see you know, none of us would winding more than the cr
defense come and beat all of our records and do exactly what it is that
we did. We would It would just be the greatest thing ever. And
I think for the guys it would plan a defense like that, the bonds
you build with the guys you're playing with, it's something that they would always
remember forever too. Before you say, what made you guys so special on
the field, we were talking about this yesterday, Jay, I can't remember
you thought some games Bruski wardrobe to finish those guys, and you talk about
dudes who just were tough dudes. I don't even know what are the word
you could use besides tough. Would you agree? I would agree we when
we played with a level of intensity and aggression and a lot of violence,
and it was a simple, simple defensive scheme. And so that's really what
kind of all you had to do. And you know, were we all
the highest recruited players or the blue chips and on that, We really weren't.
So I think all of us always had a chip on our shoulder anyways,
was something to try to prove, and that's kind of I don't if
there was a way to say this is what we did to make this defense,
I think everybody would be doing it. I don't know what the formula
is, but it just it was what it was and it was great.
And how did it happen? I mean we, you know, as fans,
we sit here and you know, we think about, you know that
game at Miami. Would would people say that's where it was kind of born?
But you guys had to have had an attitude before that How did desert
swarm become desert Swarm in terms of what you guys were doing on the field,
Well, we did. We did have an attitude. I would agree
that that game in Miami that year we had two frustrating kind of games that
we started with that we kind of sputtered a little, but that was where
we really jelled. And I think everybody walked away from that Miami game knowing
that we had something special and we had more belief and confidence in ourselves.
After that point, we'd be able to do it. I think in terms
of how, what what kind of drove us together, I'm sure every player
would maybe have different opinions. What I remember the most a lot is that
in the practices coming up in that through spring and in that season, sometimes
we would scrimmage the offense and the coach told me we would have something.
If you guys win, the defense wins, you don't have to run win
sprints. If the offense wins, they don't have to run win sprints.
Well, we would beat the offense and he would keep changing the rules.
He would call a penalty and he'd let him come back. He couldn't get
him to win. He said, you got to run anyways, So we
got tortured and suffered, do it all. And then when a few times
the offense might win one, even after he gave a bunch of free palties,
guess who didn't run the offense. So so you guys were just mad
mad, Yeah so so, but you know, it taught us something about
adversity that it was like, uh andy, whether that was intended on his
part or not, I don't know. But but when you're in tough games
that are tough scores close like we had so many that year, and it's
like fourth and inchest and you know you got to stop them, or it's
you know, hey, if we get them in field goal range, they
could win this game because we're only up by two points. Haven't been through
all that and understanding what you can do. Just you just took it with
a It was like water off a duck's back. It was just the next
play, didn't matter what it was. So Rob in the interview, and
a lot of basketball players because they went to basketball and and a lot of
them played for them, played for Loot. But they said to him,
man, you don't want to disappoint Loot, So you you busted your butt.
You worked very hard and you didn't want to disappoint. It's kind of
playing for your grandfather. You don't want to disappoint your grandfather. Was that
the same case for Dick Toomy, Yeah, tell me it was a great
He was like a great father figure and a mentor, and he definitely was
somebody that was hard, but he was fair and you knew he cared about
you and you didn't want to let him down. And the worst feeling in
the world is if you know, depending on how you did in a particular
game, he didn't have to say anything. You could just see in his
face dispointed. We've seen that face a few times. Yeah, yeah,
everybody has. I think anybody's watched Arizona football back on those days on TV.
You see that face, you know what he says, yeah, without
saying it's funny. Something I've always wondered because you know that that that game
in the fiest ball against Miami, it was like, you know, as
an Arizona fan, you were just you know, we all lost our minds
with with what happened that day. But going into that game, what you
know, what was the sense around around the team, Because I mean I
went to that game thinking, and I'm with with all due respect, I
understand you guys are really good, right that this is Miami. You know
that this is big boy football. What was your mindset? And and when
did you guys know you were just going to kick the crap out of them?
The minute that they got selected to play us in the festival, I'll
tell you that there was a calmness among the defense that we're going to go
out and stomp these guys, and nobody ever doubted that for one second.
And I think if you look at a lot of interviews with the players that
week, somebody just recently asked me this. We told them all week,
this is what's going to happen like and that's what we did. I don't
know if Miami believed it when they listen to things people were saying, but
yeah, nobody had any doubt in our mind that's what was going to happen.
So had you before you got here, Before you got here, would
you have ever imagined I know this is a silly question, but the things
that would have happened to you the way they turned out, No, I
couldn't imagine that. And one of the things that was really great is when
one of the reasons I chose Arizona was other programs are like promising me certain
things. Oh, come here, you know, we'll start. Dick told
me that ever said that. He said, come here, and you work
hard and you'll get a fair opportunity to play. But you've got to earn
everything you get. And that's appealed to me a lot more than some of
the other programs that that seems to kind of a little shifty that they would
We'll give you whatever number you want to come here. You know you'll start
your first year. And so I came in with that mindset and I'm just
gonna work hard and everything I can. I was always told that I was
shorter, so I always had that chip on my shoulder to kind of prove
that that wasn't an impaedment to my ability. But sure, so let me
ask you, Rob, because you've mentioned it. You get all these dudes
they weren't highly recruited very good though, how come this stuff doesn't work for
normal teams? Because you got I'm assuming it's special. You had something special.
But a lot of the guys in Arizona have not been highly recruited.
They're coming here because they're the second choice and the third choice, but they
haven't found that magic. Yeah, well it depends on the coach. One
of the famous coach tell Me's famous sings sayings was it's not really about the
exes and os, It's about the people and how do you get the most
out of the people and some of that talent evaluation, being able to see
somebody for what they are capable of as a player besides what they what they
look like on paper, and then being able to get the best out of
that player. Wow. Yeah, I mean there's so much of that that
we hear about about Dick and the way he ran his program and you know
the guys that he got here, and you know, to see guys like
you, Guys like Bruski in the Hall of Fame, you know some of
the other guys you know, Brandon Sanders, Tony Bowie, just guys that
were just killers out there. I mean, I mean, just going to
practice every day, just had to be I don't know, just a really
cool thing or or what I mean. What was that like for you guys?
Well, it was awesome because everybody was playing for each other, right
and we always knew that we were the underdogs, and you knew that the
guys that you were around were given their best efforts. That's why it was
the swarm. Everybody was swarming to the ball, and there was just an
energy that carried through all the practices that kept you working hard, you know
I mean, and I'll tell you that, like I you know, Coach
Fish has got a lot of the same stuff going on here. So I've
seen kind of a difference from the time and you watch them with someone to
where the way they energy the team plays right now and they believe in him
and a lot of the alumni, we all believe in him, and they
fight now more and the mistakes that they make are full speed mistakes and those
things get corrected over time. So I'm excited about where the program's headed.
Now, let's talk about that for a second. So you've seen what they're
doing the last couple of years as you welcomed everybody back, but now you
know they're going on and playing the games. What do you think of this
team right now? What they're doing. Well, we're gonna find out Saturday.
And one of the things I'm most excited about is having an opportunity to
kind of see it up front. Now, going into coach Fish's third year,
I've seen a lot of the other stuff d through, like the media
stuff, and then my friends Heath and the other guys that are here all
the time keep me in the loop of what's going on. And one of
the guys one of my former roommates, Brian, and his sons on the
team. So I see a lot of stuff. So we're gonna find out
Saturday. What what do you what'll you be specifically watching for? Do you
when you watch a game? Do you watch the defense and see what the
guys who played your position do? Or how do you how do you watch
a game as somebody who played it? For me, what I watch is
how much effort and how violent are they? And how do they pick themselves
up after a bad play or play they get beat on? Do they quit?
You know? If as long as you don't have any quit, all
these other things will fall in place. Are you you've mentioned the word violent
twice? Are you still look a police officer? Weren't you? Now?
I'm retired. Do and that violent stuff? They tell me? That's a
different world, and I have a pretty calm demeanor. But football, to
me was a very nipple game. It was like, I gotta beat this
guy in front of me. I was gonna say a cuss word, but
I won't. That does it all the time, don't do it? Yeah,
and until he quit. Yeah, And that's how I looked at it.
Right. So, so you were one of the baddest dudes up front,
and you had a lot of dudes behind you. Who was the guy
that you didn't want to go up against or he knew that he was gonna
get his butt kicked going against you. I don't understand who did I not
want to play against in practice in games? Who was like the dude that
you had to face. There wasn't anybody that I faced. I stopped that
way. I mean, if you're talking about my junior and senior years,
my freshman and sophomore years, there was a few guys know well yeah,
because I mean you had a couple of you You had a couple of really
tough games against the Washington as I recall, Yes, yep, that was
a Cunningham and Washington those first two games when we lost by like one hundred
and ten points over two games. I was hoble. I'm still traumatized.
From the siren to play time or stadium, right right, right, Who
are you up to now? I'm retired, living out in Virginia, doing
some consulting on the side for some different things, and just trying to enjoy
life and stay in shape and beat father time. Yeah, good luck with
Steve and I are having a tough time with that. That's the guy that
we're looking across the line and saying I don't want to face that guy.
We're under dugs and from that one us. Okay, yeah, he is
undefeated by the way the time. You can't get past him. So trying
to flow it down. Enjoy your weekend here, Yeah, with your buddies
and all that. Thanks for joining us, have fun, rock, Thank
you, thanks for joining us. We appreciate it. Appreciate keep up the
good work. Yeah, thank you. Appreciate you. Rob and the dudes
you know he built, he will he will still beat your ass. Well
he's a cop. Of course, he's strong, dude, because I've seen
him a couple of times since he's been back there and he looks wow,
yeah, well you get well one. You mostly have to be in shape,
yep. I know there's a lot of cops who aren't. But you
know, when you're a guy who played football and stuff like that, you're
gonna you're gonna stay in shape because you know, you didn't get you didn't
play football because you sat around doing You're gonna read something. You're gonna read
something. Okay, just it was a great time. We covered the right
before that, right that era, and just the Dana Wells and the Glenn
Parkers and the John Feenas and the these guys. It's just a good group
too, good group of guys. Are all a bunch of a bunch of
great guys. And again you knew that Dick Tomy recruited character, right right,
No, it was Look, you really did look at that whole time,
loot with the same thing. If you hire, if you get bad
guys, you get bad guys. Dick Tomy, uh baseball joy kill same
type of situation, yea, all those guys? Yeah, yeah, okay,
what do you manage? All right? Real quick? College football fans,
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Draft Kings dot Com slash football terms and reminder everybody, we're gonna have our
fab five Friday picks coming in after we talk to Justin Spears when the last
last segment of the show, We're gonna give you our five our five best
picks against the spread for the weekend and you know, as you might expect,
we're probably gonna suck. It's been tough. Now, Steve had a
great year two years ago seasons, not last season. We know he had
a bad season because I beat him, and uh no, it was three
years ago, because we are you beat me, we tied, then you
beat me the previous year. That's what really. So it's been three three
years man, man oh man. Anyways, all right, so yeah,
so we'll stick around for those picks. We have fun with him, and
uh sid's gonna tell us whether or not he thinks our picks suck. Oh,
I'll give a harsh criticism here as needed, as needed. But again,
getting excited, Steve, getting excited, you know, getting I kind
of finished this ud Utah by the way, last you did not you don't
get that. You don't get that. You don't get to play that.
You had to play that and you but okay, I'll give you Utah if
you take Nebraska too. Oh no, wait, Nebraska cover. They just
they just didn't win. Man. I Nebraska fan just can't be having fun
for the longest time now, no, ye, no, come on.
And then we talk about blue bloods in basketball. They were a blue blood.
I'm not sure they're blue blood anymore. I don't know, because but
this is your definition of best. Except while Arizona in basketball they've not been
really bad. You know, they've not gotten the final fours and stuff.
They haven't been really bad. They've still been a really good program. If
you look, there've been a bunch of stats showing that they're like in the
last ten years, they're like the second or Nebraska has been really bad,
I mean awful bad. So you tell me you lose that crowd once you
become bad. You can't finish under five hundred a bunch of times and keep
it. I don't know, but seek to me. From historical standpoint,
I still consider them. They're still Nebraska. Don't see anybody his age or
doesn't know or or forty our age. We remember those. Nebraska has never
been good, and my son Adams exactly right, exactly. It's a different
tune or at least not good the way we knew that. Yeah, you
know, we were good, they were good. Yeah. So anyways,
right, we gotta check out. We're gonna we're gonna be back sizzle.
I've been lining up breaking news all day, so we'll have some breaking news,
and we're gonna have Justin Spears from the airs of Day to start coming
on. We'll let him talk to us about what he thinks we might see
tomorrow at the game. So stick around.