Streaming live. I mean, iHeartRadio. This is I on the Ball with
Steve Roba and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Heay, welcome back
to Eye on the Ball hero Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm Steve. He's
Jake who got Kevin for breaking news on the ball, Breaking news on Fox
Sports fourteen to fifty. Yup, nailed at that time, first time for
everything. I have a couple bits of news for Okay, for you guys
today, We're gonna start with some wildcat centric stuff. Zulus to Bellis was
recently waived by the Sixers. Want Want, Want, but he has found
work back in Lithuania. He's going back to play for his hometown team in
Vilnius. He's actually going to be loaned out to a different club, less
forwards, so you can play more. And that's kind of what we predicted
all along for Zulis, Wasn't it. Wasn't it, Steve? I mean,
I think we just always thought he'll he'll go back over he used to
play, sure, sure, a guy who deserves better, but he is
what he is. He's a tweener, right, He is not big enough
to be a big guy. Not aggressive enough to be a power forward.
He's got skills and so yeah, yeah, he lacked one thing. That
three point shot. Yeah, if he could shoot that, but he's not
gonna do it here right. Well, it used to be the three,
the three, The three spot was the one. You know, it was
a tall guy who could three's. Now the four and the five are all
hitting threes. And if you don't have it, you know, you're missing
a skill that they need. Again, back getting back to what what Brian
Jefferies and and and Ryan uh Hansome we're talking about last night, was that
what they are good? What you know? Brian asked Ryan, you know,
do you see a hole in what Arizona's doing and what they've got?
And he said, actually do and that being that the way is zuliz ran
the court and how many easy baskets they got because he ran the sport.
Who you know, is is Keisha Johnson going to be able to be that
guy? Is Pali Larston gonna have to step up to that? Because they
they did get How many times did they throw a bomb from under one basket
to the other end he caught it and scored. Well, what do you
think of when you think of Well, you guys might have a different answer.
But when I think of Zillis Tabelli's I think of a breakaway to him
right, dunk right, which how many times did he do that? I
think that that Johnson is capable of that, But he's not the same basketball
player. It's a different basketball player. And and Pella, I was just
gonna ask you about a half hour ago. He's got to be the guy
we all expected him to be. He hasn't been that guy, right,
and he's capable of being that guy. He's got to be more than the
defensive stopper. He's got to he's got to add some offense. He's got
to hit some threes, and that's what we thought, yeah, coming from
Utah. Right, he's got to generate some offense. And he has it
times again, another one of those guys that he has at times, but
then times that he's nowhere to be found. Right, we can't disappear,
and this is this year is too important for for them not to do well,
especially coming off last year. No, that's a tough one to come
back and not perform at right, Right, even the Sweet sixteen is probably
not going to be enough. No, given given what happened last year,
because you gotta forget what happened last year. And I'm not talking about the
team, I'm talking about the fans. No, no, I certainly will
not. Where were you? I believe I was in my bedroom playing,
not crying. I think, I think angrily, steely, looking at the
screen, just like thinking about I can't believe this. Oh no, I
love Tommy Lloyd. I I cannot wait to keep watching Tommy Lloyd. But
I was definitely frustrated that day. But in other news, the Pima Community
College Soccer team men's men's soccer team has just been seated fifth for the n
c n j c A A Division two National Tournament. Yeah, which were
November twelfth through eighteenth at the keynot North Sports com. Yeah, they got
beat a couple of weeks ago in their tournament. They were number one,
could be by the number four. And then they're thinking, oh no,
they may not be invited to their own tournament, to their own host tournament,
so it should be fun because they're capable. They just got to find
a way to win. They wanted to a couple of times. Think you
know, if you take you're good enough, great, and maybe you are
but get yourself in the tournament and see what happened. Yeah, right,
I thought that. You know, if you can't get in the tournament,
you can't win it. So now they're in, so presumably they can win
it. Whether they do or not, it's another story. But they can't.
Yeah, and let me write that down. He's like the philosopher to
do. Yeah. I was just I was thinking this. I was like,
wow, that pretty wise. That blind squirrel baby Blink's my friend's friend.
A blind hog will find truffle. Ye. The d Backs have extended
Tory Lavolo through twenty twenty six after after the World Series runs a three year
okay, and they already had extended him. Look, I mean, and
they were ready to fire him. And now that you know, got into
the World Series. And again the contrast, right, Dodgers get to the
playoffs, lose where they lost, disappointing season, you know, Diamondbacks get
to the World Series, don't win it. Not a disappointing season. So
I think they're very happy this. So last night there was a shocker,
a couple of shockers in college basketball, but Michigan State and Tom Izzo took
a loss to his nephew Matt Bucklin and James Madison University the Sun Belt program.
Am you man. We've just thought this for a while and I thought
he's a pretty good coach. I'm sure he is. He's a Hall of
Fame coaching. But since we talked about this and during the COVID time when
he was seeing yelling at one of his best players up the hallway and then
they just gave up on him and losing to U C l A, I've
lost a little for him. I have two you know. It's kind of
like that whole Bobby Knight kind of thing. Yeah, right, you know,
you see you kind of get behind the scenes, as I say,
behind the and the you go, wait a minute, he's not the lovable
old yeah, you know, yeah, raw rock coach that you thought he
was in the times that we live. He might be a little too tough.
Yeah, And yeah, he's been around a really long time and times
have change. Speaking of being around a really long time, do you guys
want to guess the last time Michigan State lost a home game in the month
of November twenty five, two thousand and five, it's actually David Robinson really
led Navy to a ninety one ninety overtime when in nineteen eighty six, woh
wow. Well, but Izzo did say, let the controversy begin in regard
to what you start freshman over his juniors and seniors, because he said he
has no idea why a third and fourth year players are playing the way they
did. Yeah, last night, So I thought that was interesting. And
then in NFL news, well you missed, you missed the LSU one.
Oh, that's true. LSULS defending champ, ranked number one in the country
and Colorado beat him. Yeah, you're all of your favorite teams, uh,
the l s U. So yeah, Well I've had my own experience
with Kim Maulkey, so you did they if she came here with Baylor,
she was just you don't get along with anybody. I get along with everybody.
So what happened? She was just mean to rude to n C double
A people, to those of us work in the tournament. What did she
do? She was just mean and rude, and you know, she just
didn't She just didn't talk to you nicely. Maybe not about had a bad
day, maybe they were winning, they won. Just look you know that
that that first and second round. What was this. Oh god, I
think John Bamasini was still here. You were talking long yeah, and and
and I think they Arizona. The Arizona bid on the n C Double A
got it and then they didn't make the tournament. So they were they had
a team that they thought. I think it was the year that the player
died. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah yeah. So they
don't get so. So you know, a SU comes down here, they
send Baylor over here. The a s U coach, Charlie Turner throw nicest
person ever, really nice. You know, she knew she was an enemy
territory. She still was very nice to everybody, and we were nice to
her. And Kim Wilke was just a rude person did this. He's a
very person So and look, I mean you've seen some of her antics on
the sideline, so shouldn't sh intense persons. She was rude here speaking of
uh, I don't even know where I'm seging to. But the Chiefs and
Dolphins game last last Sunday from Germany was the highest rated international game for the
NFL with nine point six million viewers, viewership of sixty six percent from last
year's Germany game. Thought was interesting. We should be. Yeah, I
mean it's been the Jags and the Panthers every time. Yeah, I'm sleeping
through that one. I mean I got up and I watched that. Yeah,
not exactly a mystery to watch. Yeah sure, yeah, no,
yeah, I mean it's been the Jags have played in that thing, like
they played twice a year. So when you got the Jags on one side,
you're not going to get you know, the viewers are gonna get one
of the Dolphins. And I was surprised when I saw that that game was
in Germany. Yeah, I mean, good for the German crowds for the
game over there, but also if you're waking up at seven thirty over here
to watch what could have been the best game. You know. What strikes
me is looking at the fans and how many of them we're winning the gear
and all that stuff. I'm like, okay, are you are you from
Germany or are you from here? And my wife said, those can't all
be like us? People who are I think? I think what happened?
They stuff? Yeah, I think a lot of European fans from like close
by countries might travel in because when else are you going to see an NFL
game? Right, you live over there. So but but all the gear
that they wear, and and you know, and just and it's funny too
because over there in those games you see you know, Chiefs fan, Chiefs
fan, Dolphins fan, Dolphins fan Chiefs and all of these together, they're
not you know, they're not grouped, not exactly raiders charges exactly. They're
fighting each other fist But it was funny because there was that towards the end
of the game they put it. They had a close up of a Dolphins
fan who was obviously very unhappy, but wasn't like you just had an unhappy
look. And then there's some Chiefs fans like right next to them, just
you know, going crazy, And I thought, you know, you know,
in the US, that's a fist fight right there. Yeah. Uh.
The Cardinals today added Kyler Murray to the fifty three man roster. He
is their quarterback one on their depth chart. Officially that that's Steve's guy.
Steves he's been waiting for him to get back in the line up. Me
and Nico you already warned me. Didno take my bet? I don't know.
Didn't they win or something like that. I can't remember. I don't
remember he was he he was busy, you know, looking for some lettuce
or something. Yeah, but well, we'll see. You know. My
theory is that they're they're going to play him to see if they're going to
keep him or go get a quarter another new quarterback. Yeah, they got
to figure that out. It's just a weird year for the Cardinals. Yeah,
I think, I mean, because yeah, it's just been a strange
year. And we'll see what Kyler can do when he does come back.
Speaking of quarterbacks coming back, Carson Wentz finds himself in the Rams organization today.
Uh, he's gonna be backing up Matthew Stafford, who is currently injured.
Who well, who played quarterback for them last week? Because it wasn't
Stafford, It was not Stafford, it was That's a good question, Brian
ripien Is. I mean, I can't imagine that wins is gonna come right
in and start unless he's got that Josh Dobbs Ashton. Yeah. I Aaron
Rodgers hinted that he'll be back in a couple of weeks. We don't know
how somebody now, somebody's doubts, so I think it. I don't know
if it was Mac it wouldn't have been McAfee because their friend somebody else was
saying doubting that he really did a terror's achilles and there's no way he could
he could be back from a torn achilles. Well that doctor, that doctor
has been doing this for a couple of guys. That seems he has like
the new the new science, the way to kill these injury. Cam akers
just retore his though. Yeah, this past weekend, I believe, But
I mean it used to be. You know, even if it was just
a torn moniscus, you got knee surgery, you were done for the year.
You're back in a couple of weeks. Well, look at Steve Curves
forty years ago, whatever it was. He was dead in the waters and
they away. Yep. Science is a wonderful thing. Life finds away it
does. So maybe I'll be able to walk straight one of these days.
And then too, I got a Cortison shot on my knee. It's just
gonna say, you have your idea issues. Have you ever seen that scene
in North see North Aulas forty the scene where Nick Nolton gets the gets the
shot. That was me this morning back in the day. That was take
the needle in and then he's moving it around and the needles like, I
don't know, six inches eight inches long, dude, I did that last
week and we want to talk about it. Burn all right. Mark Davis
Bryant is back working out for the Cowboys and the Titans, looking to get
back in the league after his couple of years off. He hasn't played since
twenty eighteen due to suspension. Oh okay, that's what he was on the
field. He looked good. It's just been a while, so we'll see
if he can find his way back into the league. And that is all
for breaking news for it. Okay, I gotta bring this up because it's
everybody's talking about it. We've been talking about it. According to Nicole Auerbach
from the Athletic Michigan has sent documents to the Big Ten and the nc double
A that it believes shows that Purdue, Ohio State, and Rutgers were sharing
Michigan signals amongst their staff and that that Purdue and Ohio State did it before
last year's Big Ten chance. Okay, that's cool because it happens, right,
but it's the process, not this right process that yeah, but they're
saying, okay, well they gave them to them. Well, okay,
the question is how did they get them? If they got their signals,
did they did they get them by scouting or did they get them during the
course of a game you were playing them or whatever? But that that or
that, I think I think it said that Purduing. Look at it again
and purduing Rutgers shared the signals before the ohiose no, because they didn't play
what I see in the championship game. Did they play in the championship game
last year in the Big Tension? Oh, I don't know, because Michigan
stayed in the same division so they can't play. So that Ohio State and
Purdue shared Michigan signals with whoever was Michigan's opponent in the Big Ten championship.
And they're saying, you did it too, You did it too. That's
what the little kids all right. That's it, man, Let's take a
break. Its gonna be We're gonna have Lamant Honley come in here. We'll
talk to him and see pick his brain on what he thinks that there is
on the defense and how it's doing this year so far. I think he's
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evaluation today. This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez
on Fox Award's fourteen fifty. Subscribe now to the podcast on the iHeart Radio
while just Surgery on the Ball. Ye Hi, Welcome back to Ivenball here
on Fox Sports Working fifteen. I'm Steve, He's Jay the on the phone.
We having the Huntley former. You have a football player one of our
big sponsors, Lamont. How are you. I'm good. I'm good that
we're doing well for you know, for alumni here. Yeah, no,
you must be. Let me ask you. Has your attitude is not the
right word you're viewing pleasure of this football team changed since we last spoke to
you, because there was still some kind of doubts and hopes and all that
and the other the doing well, yeah, I mean it really has,
man, and I think a lot of a lot has to do with the
kids confidence level as far as them really believing that they can compete with anybody
that they lined up against at this point in time, you know, and
you know, going into the beginning of the season, I think we were
just the old wildcatt of the past that you know, we were just going
up the line again, you know, our opponent and whatever happens happens.
But now, I mean big over the mindset that they're going to win the
game, and you can see the levels of confidence and that they show soon
as they lined up and coming out of that tunnel. Well, that's what
we were talking about a little earlier in the month, because you know,
being the old Arizona guy that I am and have seen all the few highs
and the lots of lows that we've had over the years. That you know,
Arizona's always kind of like you win games like they've won, and it's
kind of like something had to happen, right, they got lucky. They
made a couple of plays these last three games in particular, and even the
two games before that. I mean, Arizona was the best team on the
field in the last three games. And you can even argue that they were
against USC and just didn't win the game because they didn't have a Caleb Williams
who could make a play on a two point conversion like that. But Arizona
those games weren't flukes, is what I'm saying. And it's specifically the UCLA
game that was just an ass kicking, you know what, Jay, I
believe it all started at see right when they when they when they left that
game, they really realized that they they competed from you know, from bell
to bell against sc and the best tricking quarterback in the country in my opinion,
and they held these guys, you know to basically you know, three
three overtimes, right, and they should have won that game, right,
And I really believed, particularly the defense, the defense really gained their confidence
in regards to saying that they can stand up with anybody that's on their schedule.
Going from this that point forward and the next week they went out there
and basically showed their true self and it's true grit and and it hasn't it
hasn't stopped from that point on. And I really think that se game was
the turning point as far as mentally, these kids realizing that they are in
this thing and they compete with anybody. You know, a little earlier today,
I compared that, and again having been here for that, he was
here too for that one. I compared it to that Miami game in nineteen
ninety two. It was a loss, but it was a game where they
came out of that saying we're good, We're really good, and then they
went on this run. Of course, that season didn't end too great,
but still they had that run and they ended up beating number one Washington.
Compared to it's kind of a similar thing. You know, you take a
loss and you try and make the most out of it, exactly, and
and I agree with you wholeheartedly, and and you know, and I think
those kids they did a complete reevaluation of themselves in regards to knowing the type
of player they were, each person were when they was out there competing and
playing against USC and and just going to SC and playing in that stadium like
that. I mean, you kind of defeated anyway, because you got all
those ghosts and those you know, USC guards coming down on you, and
that ugly band and all these different things happening. But I really think those
kids really garnered and gained so much confidence in playing that game. And and
I see again, I see it every from this week, this from that
week forward. I have seen it in their face. I've seen it in
their eyes. I see the way they come out, and I see the
way they approach the game. Now, yeah, no question. Last week
I asked Jed exactly that when one when did he notice the culture change,
whether it's this year, last year, or whenever. And then I asked
them about the confidence because that's what caught my eye in Washington State. First
the Coleman caught my eye, which I'm thinking, they can't stop this guy.
And then over the weekend, I'm thinking this defense continues to do what
you said, like you said, but there are a bunch of dog piranhas.
They're just they're just dogs. And I like that. And they are
I mean, they are a bunch of undersized players that somebody else didn't want
basically, and you know, it heads off to Johnny. I think Johnny
is doing some good things as far as throwing different fronts at the different opponents
on weekend and week out. That does cause some havoc as far as in
their game plan. I mean, how many times you go up against you
see and your quarterback lines up and he's see number thirteen sitting the and this
should be a linebacker, you know, and and I mean just just placing
Orb in that position. And because the fact that he understood USC's offense,
and I mean the kid, the kid wasn't there particularly to be a linebacker.
He knew there, particularly because he knew their offense, and he was
able to probably call some things out to the rest of the defense before it
even happened, because he saw situations that took place just by walking up to
the line of scrimmage. And now all of a sudden, you're a quarterback,
You're like, where did this kid come from? We didn't plan for
him. Yeah, those things happened like that. How much how much of
what we're seeing, particularly defense? And I know you got to be kind
of we were talking about the giddy meet, right, how giddy are we
as air zonal fense? But you know, how how cool is it for
you to see what they're doing defensively? And then is it how much a
scheme? How much is they've just got better guys? Uh? You know
where do you attribute some of this to? You know, honestly, I
think it's the scheming. It's mostly scheming in regards to what he's putting in
front of the offense weekend and week out because they haven't seen a lot of
this stuff. Now they got to readjust their particular game plan in order to
you know, you know, stay on the same sheet of music with with
with our defense that's out there. I mean, you've got seven defensive backs.
In some cases these kids are not really defensive back. They play a
linebackers the size of defensive backs. But you got seven defensive backs on the
field. You got three offensive linemen and one linebacker's that's in a game situation,
and you got three defensive linement that's actually bringing pressure to the quarterback because
the fact the quarterback he's going back in his step in his progression, and
he looks around, he's through a damn he's double team. He's double team.
Now you're counting three, two, five seconds. And then he's trying
to escape and then he's like, what, digg, I'm being shadowed by
Manu? What I'm going to do? You know by that time that there's
another defenders in his face. And I think I think that scheme itself has
open up and slow down the mindset and and the and the progression, and
the quartersback head is trying to how to deliver thee the ball down the field
now all now the other side of it is running the ball against that scheme.
And that's what guys has started to do. And then he he might
bring in another defensive lineman at that time and try to afset that. So
let me see if you can think convinsue of my argument here. So after
after, I mean, your arguments don't mean nothing. You go ahead.
I'm but I'm becoming more of a positive guy. Down Jesus, don Jesus
give me a second here. Uh So, so Stafford, okay, So
Delora, get gets hurt, goes out, Fafida comes in and I would
have sworn and I still sort of this day. And Jay went back to
the tape and I don't know if he believes me now, but the team
played harder for him for whatever reason. I don't mean, I can't I
hear, I don't. I think. I mean the players gonna play for
whoever's back there, and they plan for themselves too, bro, the playing
for themselves. They're not gonna play harder because there a different quarterbacks than I
can't buy it. You can convince me of that. Well, okay,
give another somebody else on the other call, hold on, hold on,
hold up, And I'm not drinking that that uh okay at all? Can
I finish? So they're played harder for him, I believe that. So
what now you can tell that they're playing very well for him? Well,
they're gonna play very well and hard for whoever's back there. I mean,
that's that's that's what their jobs are, their jobs that the performing performed for
whoever's behind them. Now, keep in mind, I think the way uh
for Fia is playing is different than the way Jalen played. By all means,
I think for fil himself is managing the game much more properly than the
way Jalen managed the game because they two different quarterbacks and style of quarterbacks,
and that cat in this case, it doesn't mind sitting in there waiting for
the opportunity to open up where he can advance the ball down the field.
And you notice his advancement of the ball down the fields only like fifteen maybe
twenty yards at the most, whereas Jalen can run around all day long and
just just chump the ball down the field and let you know, one of
those athletic receivers just run on it or jump up to the sky and pull
it down. I mean, it's just two style of a quarterback. Now
if you watch for fear, he can't scramble like Jalen. He can't scramble
at all. You know, he got pulled down a couple of times.
Well if number if number seven was in there, he would have scrambled got
out of out of that that that you know, opportunity of being a sack.
But he might have threw interception or he might have threw a touchdown.
You know, because you get with you with that with that guy, Well,
if you'd gone out of a couple of crazy he did, and he
did and he did what I did. I think what I said at that
time, it was different. It looked different now. I don't know that
you could say they were playing harder, but it look different when when Noel
came in there, because as Leamon said, he managed the whole thing different
right. He made the quick throws. He took what was there instead of
trying to take something right. He's much more patient with the game than what
what Jalen has been. He's a more patient kid. He's a more patient
quarterback. I mean he'll sit and he'll wait until there is an opportunity that
comes in arise. And if that opportunity in now he knows what to do
next is either get rid of the ball or try to advance down the field
for one or two yards. He did get that big, that big scramble
that won play last game. You know, he got out of a situation
where he could have been sacked. But he I think he gained like fifteen
plus yards on that on one particular play, but Jalen probably wouldn't. He
probably would have scored, who knows, because he's that type of athletic quarterback.
But you must like the situation. Now, Oh I love it.
Oh, I love it. I mean, I mean I love every bit
of again, the control factor over this kid and leaders factor. I mean,
this kid he walks around with it in his eyes, and and those
and those players see it, you know, and they see what he's doing.
Now, as far as that end of it, I think they know
that they don't want to disappoint who's back there at this point in time,
So maybe they do elevate their play and explose themselves and play a little harder
off that aspect of it, because this kid's given everything that he has for
them and they see that. And now I can honestly say, as a
player to a player, if I'm out there playing my butt off, okay,
I expect the rest of the players play their butt off, you know
what I mean? Or if if, if, if, if, hopefully
I'm playing you know, to my level play, on extending my level play.
I think that some of these other players may see that and and expect
them to do the same things. Thank you very much. How cool is
it for you as somebody who was you know, one of the great defense
the players at Arizona Year, I won't say how many hundreds of years ago,
but a long time ago. But to see this defense though, start
to become this and kind of bring back some of that, I don't know,
some of that pride that that the defense is sort of always had.
I mean, look, if you if you've been here around long enough and
you think of Arizona football, you're always thinking about what great defense is it
always had and it seems like it was a long time ago that we had
the last time Arizona's a good defensive lead. Now you got this defense.
I mean, how cool is that for you? With somebody who played that
as well? Well, I mean, it's it's just awesome because the fact
that you know, I know, as far as the effort, the work
that it takes to be a great defense, and the reward isself, the
reward itself is basically it's given the offensive opportunity to be great too, because
if you put a great defense out there, and a great defense or I
mean good the great defense do to things that these kids are doing as far
as running around to the ball, always got more multiple helmets on the ball,
causing turnovers, cost three in outs, and then putting your offense on
the field and let them control and manage the time of the clock, and
we just sit back there and wait for our turn to go back out and
continue to do the same thing over and over again. You know. I
mean, that's that's that's the best defense you can ever have when you got
three in out and again and like causing some form of a turnover, maybe
be a fumble or maybe a wagon to say interception, because was the kid
number twenty three, Oh my god, this kid should have ten interception.
But anyway, taking you know, just taking the ball from the offense,
so so from our opponent offense, so the defense, our offense can get
the ball right and like I say, manage the game, control the clock,
you know, score here and there, and the bottom line, our
numbers are bigger than their number on the scoreboard, and we win the game,
and you know, and the defense are very happy. At that point,
we have about a minute left. I want to ask you a question.
I'm not sure how you can answer this, but I asked this of
coaches. I don't want to ask this of of coach of Fish. What
do you think his secret, sauce is he knows how to talk to kids
and talk to people. He knows how to He knows how to get the
most out of his players, and he knows how to get the most out
of his staff. I mean, I think it's the way he treats his
players as young men, and he treats his coaching staff, you know as
as you know, a season adult educated coaches, and and and I mean
those things as far as that I see in the man that that he knows
how to deal with people. Look how he deals with the public here.
I mean, first and foremost, when you guys have your little meetings with
him, the first thing you do is thank you for coming here. Regards
he went a loss. He knows how to treat people. And I think
the bottom line is is that's his sauce. That's a good observation, very
very good. I didn't know you were that smart, I did, I
did. Then I knew you were that you I knew you were that.
Thanks as always, thank you man. Thanks, I appreciate it. That
was good. That was good. You know exactly what I'm saying about.
And your observation to me from the textas what I said that what it sounded
like you were trying to get at And then with his answer. He really
kind of pointed out My point was that they don't play harder, but they
trust that their hard play is going to get rewarded with successful decisions off right,
Yeah, yeah, they had they felt like there was a quarterback.
They're making better decisions, so you can more confidence, yeah, yeah,
more confidence that the guy that's back there is going to do things. Both
both could be right at the same time. They can Yeah, okay,
okay, let's take a break. All right, let's take our last break.
Break. We'll take your calls. Five to two zero four, one,
six, seventy four forty A lot to break down there with football,
and well, we can still talk about basketball, both men's and women's.
Let's stick around to say ten. 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 Loudolsen era in my new book, Lessons from lut It was
a labor of love through the eyes of twenty five former players, coaches,
and friends to give insight to the coach and the man who led them,
competed against them, and inspired them twenty five chapters for his twenty five years
as Arizona's beloved coach. Lessons from lut is an insight to how he built
the program into a national powerhouse. Want one, Email me at Steve dot
Rivera ninety five at gmail dot com. Hey Walcat Nation, Jake Fisher here,
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bearing down for our new and improved Arizona football team. I know Edmund Marcus
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team security dot Net. Steve Braverera and Jacin Salez. They have their eye
on the ball on Tucson Sports Station CHET Fox Sports fourteen to fifteen. Hey,
welcome back to my the ball here on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm
Steve, He's Jay. Got our guy Kevin in today that fourteen minutes.
You guys want to call catch up and can yell at me like I can
handle it. I'm a forty year old man. I can handle He's gonna
beat? Is that? That's differently like Lundy what's his name? He didn't.
He didn't like what you said about the guys playing harder for one quarterback
over the other. He'll get over it. He didn't get over it on
your exactly what I was? My answer? Yeah, because he didn't want
to say that they play I mean, I'm not gonna speak. He defended
it eventually. Yeah, he kids, we were talking about where he kind
of did in a roundabout way. He said, like, exactly, believe
in him a little more, but they might not play harder, right right,
Yeah, my philosphy is correct. You guys got the same answer to
a different equation, right right. Exactly. It was the new common core.
His was more like this was more pr friendly. Yeah he was,
no, but yeah you kind of right. Yeah, no, that's good.
I was. I loved having laman to one of the great guys.
Well again, you know again for a guy who played you know, both
here and in the NFL. Yeah, and it's just kind of stayed.
You don't lose what you what you know, here's hoping what I have happens.
And you know me, everyone hates thinks I'm the naysayer and blah blah
blah. I'm okay with that. Well, I'm the more realistic guy.
And just because you become successful, don't that's the whole thing. They got
to sustain this r that's been one of the problems. That's the hard part.
You win, okay, and then you win more, and you win
more and keep it going because before it's win and then go away. Yeah,
that's what this program deserves. Yeah. Well there are two there three
best football seasons have all been followed by duds. Jay, But let me
tell you something. Here's the secret. They're going to a better conference where
they can find more success. Well that's the thing, Steve, you know,
Okay, this has followed into their lap. But yeah, follow me
on this, okay, because I know you think I'm crazy to think that
they can win. Let's say, let's say let's say they win nine.
Nine is way more realistic. In fact, I didn't like your eighty five
percent, but I kind of like what you're thinking. Let's think nine and
four. Okay, all right, let's say they lose to Utah, go
eight and you know, eight and four regular season, win a bowl game
nine to four, What are they gonna be picked in the in the Big
twelve, third, fourth, second, Yeah, you know, Utah will
probably be picked first next year, maybe Oklahoma State. I don't know what
they're losing. TCU has been the crapper. TC's done is doing what Arizona
as one great season then pooped the bed. You know, Arizona did that,
and they did that in ninety four following the ninety three season they went
to the festival. They did it in ninety nine following that ninety eight season
where they went twelve and one, and then in twenty fourteen, twenty fifteen,
they still went to a bowl game. But it wasn't a great season,
you know, and we were everybody was expecting better because everybody was back,
Scoomy was back on, Solomon was not. Everybody was back, and
and you know they went poopy. You know the whole season. Is that
a technical times a technical? Yeah, but we understand what he's you.
I'm saying, yeah, you know, that's just you had this season.
He thought, Okay, here here comes Arizona and then back to what Arizona
is. Yeah, right, right, let's take it. Oh, you're
on the air and I on the ball. Hey Jay, this is done.
How you guys doing pretty good? Done? Are you? Oh?
I'm all right. I think Steve's cruising for a bruising. But that's the
way it goes. I've got some steps I can say out running. You
know, if Arizona finishes nine and four or ten and three, I would
not expect the Big twelve Press to be picking Arizona number two or three in
the league over there. Yes, the Big twelve is getting ready for an
invasion. And there's some good teams. There's some good teams coming over there,
and it's gonna be the situation. Yeah. Well, the only thing
is the new teams they have this year have not done well. You know,
Central Florida, Cincinnati BYU and who's the other one? Central Florida,
Cincinnati, BYU in Houston, West Virginia. They've not done well this year,
so they're gonna they say, Okay, well now here it comes Arizona,
Utah, a su and oh they're not going to be any good either.
I could see them thinking that. But I think that to to Steve's
point, I think that the offense looks a lot more efficient. It looks
like it's like there's no wasted movement. You know, there's no big splash
plays. But the drives are you know, sustainable. Yeah, and you
can't and no matter and we can't. We can't predict the letdown just yet
because it's a new regime, it's a new program, and it seems like
Jetfish has has things. I think they're playing a little bit different than what
we've seen in YEP, where I'm hoping we don't have such letdowns. It
feels you're right, it feels different, right because because and then ninety three
seasons, like we were shocked when they beat Miami in the in the in
the festival, the way they did it was shocking, YEP. And then
you just kind of felt they were really good, but were they good for
the long haul. Ninety eight you kind of felt yeah, But then I
remember, you know, before the ninety eight season, a couple of people
who said to me, this team's lacking some leadership and be careful and they
and they went into the pooper, you know. And then twenty fourteen was
mostly injuries on Solomon got hurt. Excuse me, right, got hurt.
You know, all this stuff was happening. So this team, this feels
different because it seems more like more for the long haul. Well, you
got to break that curse, and maybe this is the thing that brings that
break sectors because you know, I believe it and you believe it, right,
Yeah, It's well, it's like momentum. It's always happened. So
it's it's we're doomed. Don want me to yell at you to don't you?
You know what? And then you you start talking about emotions and things
like that, and emotions carrying teams. What is that? That's the momentum
of the situation. Way go don All right, Don, thanks so much,
man, I appreciate the call. He I love that that but but
it came back to that point. This does feel different. It does.
I can tell you that I didn't you know, those seasons, those those
three and those seasons stick out to me. Those three seasons, I didn't
have this feeling like they've built something. What you felt was they've had a
really great season. Can they do it again next? Right? And that's
the whole this whole game. They've built to this and it's sort of on
a on a foundation we think maybe this goes on again. Don't get your
hopes up, because it's just a moment in time. But I was gonna
ask, are you guys kind of hinting at like the difference between having a
great season and building a great program? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
And maybe this is the feeling of like, hey, do we have
a great program building here right? Instead of just hot right now? You
got a sense of what rich Rod had a chance to do, right,
and it just didn't happen. Even when we covered the team back in the
late eighties and Dick was here and it was like the seven and fours of
five fives and single whatever it was, it was not. It was not
great. Right. Well, I've told you the story that after the ninety
four season, right, because remember they did they had that Gracie ninety three
beat Miami in the festival. Everybody was back, you know, you thought,
okay, this is it, right, Yeah, and then they go
I mean they went eight, and they went eight, eight and three,
but then they lost to Utah when Utah wasn't the Utah it is today in
the Freedom Bull disappointing season based on what you thought the expectation would have been.
Yeah, you know so, And I remember that summer. It is
when I was playing baseball, you know, with all those guys from you
have, including Dick, me and I. Just one of those days in
the in the duck, I said, Dick, what the hell happened?
He goes, our guys didn't do the work. Yeah, he said,
they rested on what we did in ninety three. And he said, in
the summer before the before the ninety four season, I knew that we were
in trouble. When when was the year that he decided not to hit?
Before the Penn State year? Whatever? That? Because they were they were
thought highly of, right, they didn't want they didn't practice, didn't hit
doing practice. They wanted to save themselves, and they looked horrible and and
and and uh, well you know again, Dick basically said that they they
literally not figured, literally killed Keith Smith's spirit in that game. He said
Keith Smith was done for the season after that game. Now I'm saying that
now, it's probably not you. And if Keith came on the show,
he'd say that was bull crap. But you know, he said, the
problem was that Keith Smith was not the player that after that day, I
think got beat up. So that was a horrible They got beat so bad
they crushed them. Yeah, and that's understandable. Yeah, no, but
I think, if anything, I think that's what they need to establish this
great consistency. I think moving into the maybe the you know, the stuns
and the moon's finally aligned and it happens. Yeah, but if that happens,
guess what you might be looking for your coach and blah blah blah.
But you know, that's a problem. That's a good problem to have.
Nobody. That means you've done well. Yeah. Yeah, and again who
we were talking to, mister gab or whatever, be prepared. Yeah,
if there, if Arizone was having success, somebody's gonna come looking for jet
Fish. Sure, but that means you've been successful. You've been successful,
and then you got to the key is do you go get somebody who can
carry it on? Sure, Mike Stews, Well he came in after Macavic.
They you remember, they went and got Macivict after Tony and it just
put it in the toilet. Had my excuse was kind of in Jet Fish's
position, rich Rod after Stoops. You know, he advanced the thing,
but again then he faded because he sort of yeah, he kind of loved
too. The last couple of recruit recruiting right, well, let me tell
you, I thought that I thought that my guy Lamont's story of the secret
answer was fantastic because guess what, you have the football coach like that,
you have the basketball coach like that, guys who are just dudes who are
getting along in the community to treat people like people. That hadn't been the
case for a while, and a couple of sports wink wink, wink wink.
Yeah, no, yeah, I hear you. So, you know,
I just I just think you have to you have to sit here and
figure, you know, what are they doing and how sustainable is this?
And you know we won't find this out till next year in the year after,
you know, but let's have fun. This year, which we are
and we're having a blast, and you know you're going up to Colorado and
you again, this is the thing. This is another like like this Tanford
game. Right, play a couple of games and now you go up to
a team you should beat the hell out of them, but then you don't.
Right, historically what Arizona does right and this and you were at the
point in the program every one of these games is that game you're building the
program where you're where you're gonna go back and say, is this gonna be
that game? You beat Washington State, you think, okay, here comes
Oregon State. They're gonna kick our asses. You beat Oregon State, Well,
now you s A is gonna come and kick our ass. Then you
be UCLA and you're trying, I'm trying to believe that they're really that good
and that they in the Colorado shouldn't beat them. But if you've been in
Arizona fan for as long as I have, you know that this is a
game that Arizona struggles on the road, kind of a trap game. You've
got Utah coming up next, a team that you're looking at your nine and
a half point or ten ten point favorite, and you're thinking about, well,
we're really good, and then you go in there and this is a
team that at least offensively is capable to beat you. But I think this
is different because these dudes are, like I said, dogs, dogs,
they're dogs and dogs dogs don't If you don't appreciate the dogs, they them
back and get you. Well. And that's why they've won these three games
is because as well as they played against USC, none of them said we're
there. Yeah. So they went out to beat Washington State, still none
of them said were there. Then they beat Oregon State and none of them
said we're there, and then they be at UCLA. You'd think that they're
going to have the same mentality to say, guys, we haven't done anything
yet. Just say this is no question. I yes, both of you.
So let's assume they played USC next week. What do you think the
line would be and would you take them? I would I take Arizona.
I would, especially under the circumstance of the US season right now, right
right season gone equal equal equals. Yeah. If if the game was next
week, I'm taking Arizona too, I think. I mean, for me,
it would depend on what the line is at like what they said it
up, but I would probably be happy taking it. If that game's here
Arizona's favor or at least a two or one, it would be closed,
right because I yeah, and they have the formula beat them. Yeah,
and I mean the difference is going to be that guy that can run and
make the two point conversion at the end of the game. Right, it's
gonna be. And they're better at what they're doing now with their quarterback that
they they're playing harder for. Well again said it seems to have all started
there. Oh yeah, all these things are doing now started there. So
it started and they've advanced it. You know, it's gotten better every every
week in sports. There's a few things I've learned. Uh. Confidence and
they have that Oma. I wanted to say that, but I was not
confidence and uh just uh I lost it. I lost it. But confidence
they hadn't had it now they haven't get it back by tomorrow. Okay,
we'll be back tomorrow with more great guests, so be sure to come back.
Thanks for being here.