WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:01:03.439 The following is a presentation of play Fly Sports properties this so you know this 2 00:01:03.519 --> 00:01:10.920 is a special group. We might not realize it now for what weve been 3 00:01:10.959 --> 00:01:12.439 able to do and what you might have done on a year to get to 4 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:18.680 this point and stay together, this phenomenal. We know exactly what we gotta 5 00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:29.239 do our best. Sim It's not gonna be about those guys over there. 6 00:01:29.480 --> 00:01:38.239 It's gonna be about our executions. We gotta dam get moving, like how 7 00:01:38.359 --> 00:01:44.040 we go about our business? How hard are we playing? That's what it's 8 00:01:44.079 --> 00:01:46.719 gonna be about. Like how bad do we wanna get? What you aren't 9 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:52.599 farm? I want this game for y'all, Like we should understand about now. 10 00:01:52.840 --> 00:01:56.239 This is a team game. You're playing for each other. It's gone 11 00:01:56.640 --> 00:01:59.799 taking games alive and well, we got a lot of football enough to play 12 00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:04.159 getting better. Okay, we're gonna we're gonna play our bust football here in 13 00:02:04.200 --> 00:02:07.560 November. Now about how we started, how we fened that nobody's going down 14 00:02:07.640 --> 00:02:19.560 cholpas beg you don't welcome to East Lansing at the Graduate Hotel rooftop Rock Bar. 15 00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:23.199 This is Sparta, I mean host Jason Strayhorn along with my co host 16 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:31.360 Otis Wiley and say you cho doing it, Culprink and we're all celebrating victory. 17 00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:37.439 Coffees all around, presented you by High Hot by the way, no 18 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:43.199 cigars today, but it's all good, right. Spartan's win over the Scarlet 19 00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:46.680 Knights of Rutgers guys this past Saturday twenty seven to twenty one, and a 20 00:02:46.919 --> 00:02:51.599 very all around dominated performance by the sparking, especially on the offensive side of 21 00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:54.159 the ball. Yeah, absolutely, And the most important thing about it, 22 00:02:54.199 --> 00:02:59.560 like you said, Spartan's win, you know, dominant performance by the offense, 23 00:02:59.599 --> 00:03:02.680 and the I can think about it, it was a balance game offensively, 24 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:07.719 rushing and receiving. You know, I think that Jay Johnson came up 25 00:03:07.719 --> 00:03:12.879 with a very good game plan, got established a run game early. And 26 00:03:12.919 --> 00:03:15.759 I always say, if you can establish the run game, you're gonna be 27 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:19.639 able to do a lot more things offensively, throwing the ball at different things. 28 00:03:19.639 --> 00:03:23.080 We even saw a flea flicker. It didn't work, but you can 29 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:27.960 do those things. Yeah. And then on the opposite side, defensive sideball's 30 00:03:28.479 --> 00:03:31.240 it was a great balanced attack from us. You know when I say us, 31 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:36.719 because we always got offense coming off fresh, but defensive wise, those 32 00:03:36.759 --> 00:03:39.080 guys are playing with their tails on fire, like we talked about, flying 33 00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:45.000 around and joined the game with that nothing to lose mentality. When you think 34 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:50.280 about on the defensive side, great things happen when you get to the quarterback. 35 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:53.520 Even better things happen when he gets to the ground. And so when 36 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:58.400 we're putting pressure on a young quarterback like we did last weekend, it's able 37 00:03:58.439 --> 00:04:01.719 to get a lot of different opportunities to get third and long and then getting 38 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:04.439 to you know, getting to the putt situation where we can get the ball 39 00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:09.560 to Jayden Reed he didn't have any returns, but getting the ball back for 40 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:13.919 our offensive and like you said, Jayu peyton Thorn had a well balanced attack. 41 00:04:14.159 --> 00:04:16.360 I felt like that game was not even out of his his reach because 42 00:04:16.360 --> 00:04:21.839 he was under control the entire game. Although the score really doesn't reflect reflect 43 00:04:21.879 --> 00:04:26.120 that we were. I feel like we were beat them by three scores. 44 00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:30.199 But you know the last touchdown, which was the saving grace, you know 45 00:04:30.199 --> 00:04:32.600 it should have been still twenty seven, Uh you know with the fourteen there. 46 00:04:32.759 --> 00:04:35.360 Yeah, the last touchdowns. If you're into that kind of thing, 47 00:04:36.079 --> 00:04:43.720 you know, spread you're into that kind of little upset, understand, Hey, 48 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:47.160 I throw a couple of shucks around here. You gotta love the circle 49 00:04:47.800 --> 00:04:50.439 hell Caesars, by the way, we love Yeah, there we go. 50 00:04:50.680 --> 00:04:55.199 We love circles too. But O, there's something that you mentioned, you 51 00:04:55.240 --> 00:04:58.560 know, getting pressure defensively. I'm gonna give defensive love here. I love 52 00:04:58.600 --> 00:05:01.639 the adjustment that Jay Johnson made in the second half. You know, at 53 00:05:01.639 --> 00:05:04.839 the beginning of the game, I did not see a lot of pressure on 54 00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:10.079 the in the backfield for at Rutgers. You know, I didn't see you 55 00:05:10.120 --> 00:05:13.079 know, mixing things up defensive line from stunts, I think, see a 56 00:05:13.120 --> 00:05:15.240 lot of blitzing. But the second half we saw more of that. We 57 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:19.399 saw a lot of the guys getting home. We saw d n s you 58 00:05:19.439 --> 00:05:24.120 know scrape you know, playing lateral and the linebackers scrape around and getting you 59 00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:28.079 know, having those TFLs. So what do you think about the adjustments that 60 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:31.360 Scotty Hazelton made a halftime Yeah, I mean post game, when you guys 61 00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:35.160 had the interview opportunity with Breule, you know, he talked about, you 62 00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:41.519 know, coach Hazelton making the proper adjustments for these guys to truly play faster 63 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:46.000 and put more pressure on the quarterback. Now, let's let's call us fade. 64 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:48.319 And also, we still gave up how much how many yards to one 65 00:05:48.399 --> 00:05:53.839 running back, which is kind of a deficit from last weekend, and it's 66 00:05:53.879 --> 00:05:57.439 a negative, but I still feel like we didn't let one guy beat us, 67 00:05:57.720 --> 00:06:00.600 right, And so I think from a standpoint, our guys control the 68 00:06:00.639 --> 00:06:04.759 air secondary knowing that it could be easily paid play action. But I feel 69 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:10.600 like our linebackers have more control than they've had in the past. With Cale 70 00:06:10.600 --> 00:06:14.600 Holiday, with nineteen tackles. I mean, I'm looking here, No, 71 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:16.879 no, no, don't take that. Don't take that one. Don't oh 72 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:21.519 no, news twenty nineteen solo one assist. Now, look, we don't 73 00:06:21.680 --> 00:06:26.519 we gonna give a one assists because for AnyWho, he was all over the 74 00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:30.920 board, which we saw Cal Holiday, our guy, we saw him from 75 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:33.480 last year. He was all over the place and we saw him be that 76 00:06:33.639 --> 00:06:39.279 dude that he always can be. And when you have a linebacker, middle 77 00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:43.199 linebacker that's supposed to get all those tackles, we don't have safeties getting twenty 78 00:06:43.240 --> 00:06:46.680 plus that is a solid defensive standout from last weekend. Yeah, you talk 79 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:51.879 about production, do get me better than twenty tackles in a game for anybody, 80 00:06:51.920 --> 00:06:57.160 let alone cal Holiday, the guy who is the leader, the guy 81 00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:01.160 the straw that stirs the drink. Another defense. The two by two by 82 00:07:01.160 --> 00:07:05.639 two breakfast combo week was one delicious meal. Enjoy two pancakes, two eggs 83 00:07:05.639 --> 00:07:10.879 your way, and two pieces of bacon for only five dollars only at Ie 84 00:07:10.920 --> 00:07:14.439 Hop. Hurry in and enjoy this deal for a limited time, dying in 85 00:07:14.600 --> 00:07:19.480 only. Price and participation may vary. Restrictions apply. Now let's talk about 86 00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:24.680 last last weekend. We also had them at our corporate hospitality tent at the 87 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:30.600 Playflight tent and the pancakes was hot, hot off of the griddle, man 88 00:07:30.680 --> 00:07:35.120 like he came with it with that bacon, the eggs. He had some 89 00:07:35.199 --> 00:07:41.519 cheese potatoes. Everybody was like breakfast when new kick happens. If you need 90 00:07:41.560 --> 00:07:47.920 any tailgating needs from your hospitality, please absolutely book. I hop it will 91 00:07:47.959 --> 00:07:50.720 get you all right, get you tight. And I loved it. We 92 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:56.800 got him next weekend, another new kid, Yes, sir. Getting back 93 00:07:57.240 --> 00:08:00.160 to what that offense looked like for Michigan State, you talked about what Jay 94 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:03.079 Johnson was able to do, how he dialed up a lot of balanced game 95 00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:11.399 plan for Michigan State. The Killer Bees made a return to prominence. Both 96 00:08:11.480 --> 00:08:16.879 jalen Berger and Brossard had about one hundred and sixty five yards tod between the 97 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:20.319 two of them. Yeah. Absolutely, those guys in the past three weeks, 98 00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:26.480 we've seen that they're running the ball with a different style. Now they're 99 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:30.439 running, making one cut, sticking the foot in the ground and getting north 100 00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:33.159 to south. And if you do that, there's a lot of times when 101 00:08:33.159 --> 00:08:35.120 you get tackled, you're gonna get tackled for you'll fall forward, you get 102 00:08:35.240 --> 00:08:39.559 an extra yard or two. Michigan State's offense had twenty five first downs, 103 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:43.559 and eleven of those twenty fives were picked up on the ground by the running 104 00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:48.039 backs. That is an impressive statute. Yeah, and it also allowed our 105 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:52.519 tight ends to finally get open, like those streak routes, you know, 106 00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:58.080 with that first testdown Daniel Barker. Wide open, wide open, because right 107 00:08:58.080 --> 00:09:01.440 here a little bit look at this. Look. You know, obviously we've 108 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:05.120 been running and running, running, pounding, pounding, and then all of 109 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:07.840 a sudden you do a quick little play action and all of a sudden it 110 00:09:07.960 --> 00:09:11.879 wides open. It just opens up like the red I said, the red 111 00:09:11.879 --> 00:09:16.039 seater, but more so like the red scene, but Dale Barker, Yeah, 112 00:09:16.039 --> 00:09:18.960 he gets not touched. Usually you get a linebacker that's going to put 113 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:22.919 a little you know, reroute on them, but comes Scott Free catches it 114 00:09:24.039 --> 00:09:26.600 clean catch into the end zone. And I like what he said postgame, 115 00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:31.159 which he's like, you know, he's I think he said, I'm always 116 00:09:31.240 --> 00:09:33.440 used to getting into the end zone, but it's been a while, right, 117 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:35.840 Yeah, he said, I'm a magnet to the end zone. Yeah, 118 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:39.679 but what do you think from a standpoint of those tight ends finally being 119 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:43.799 able to, uh be be a part of the game. Well, I 120 00:09:43.879 --> 00:09:45.759 love it. I love the fact that you know, when you have the 121 00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:48.320 running game, it opens up everything for everybody else, and it for me. 122 00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:52.519 It started up front. You look at again the play of the offensive 123 00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:56.360 line. We could go. You've seen how good Michigan State played against the 124 00:09:56.360 --> 00:10:01.440 Elion n I and that pretty that boved the deep and protecting Peyton Thorn, 125 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:05.559 opening up holes for the running backs. And they improve on that performance against 126 00:10:05.600 --> 00:10:11.759 the Scarlet Knights. He still saw Baldwin having his sec third start now at 127 00:10:11.840 --> 00:10:15.919 left tackle. He looked great out there, and the rest of the offensive 128 00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:20.240 line did a phenomenal job keeping Peyton Thorn clean, opening up holes one hundred 129 00:10:20.279 --> 00:10:22.360 and ninety seven yards. I believe it was on the ground, right, 130 00:10:22.440 --> 00:10:24.840 Jay, Absolutely one hundred ninety seven yards on the ground. Anytime mischis State 131 00:10:24.919 --> 00:10:28.840 gets there. I mean, mel Tucker's record when he's over one hundred yards 132 00:10:28.919 --> 00:10:33.440 is phenomenal. I think it's thirteen and two somewhere in that neighborhood just getting 133 00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:35.320 over the hundred yard mark. So Ryan at the two hundred yard mark, 134 00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:39.879 it's unbelievable. That's all he really needs. I mean, they do a 135 00:10:39.879 --> 00:10:46.039 phenomenal job of getting players into good positions. Every good thing's happened when you 136 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:48.799 can protect that quarterback and open up holes for the running back. Yeah, 137 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:52.600 Peyton Thorn, he's a guy. Earlier in the season, he got a 138 00:10:52.600 --> 00:10:54.240 lot of flak, a lot of grief. People are saying he's not the 139 00:10:54.320 --> 00:11:01.279 guy for us. But the past three games he's put together a great sample 140 00:11:01.320 --> 00:11:05.240 size of what he is and how he can be. He had total control 141 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:07.399 of the offense out there, and it looked like he was having a lot 142 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:11.960 of fun controlling that offense. There was never a time in this game that 143 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:16.480 I felt you know, I don't think we can do this because it was 144 00:11:16.519 --> 00:11:18.360 always you know, the score was an indicative like Otis said, but it 145 00:11:18.440 --> 00:11:22.480 was always I think the Spartans were in control. And that's because the offense 146 00:11:22.600 --> 00:11:26.320 was in control. Peyton Thorne was in control of that offense, and again 147 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:31.240 coach j Johnson had a really good game plan coming together. They targeted the 148 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:35.679 Titans a lot early on in this game because the run game made them do 149 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:39.559 that. Yeah. I mean when I was on the sideline in that second 150 00:11:39.559 --> 00:11:41.840 half, I was, man, I'm not gonna lie. I was getting 151 00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:45.840 a little bit nervous because they start to run, like move that ball. 152 00:11:46.159 --> 00:11:48.919 Quarterbacks started. I mean Rutgers quarterback. You know, you got to give 153 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:54.200 kudos to a young quarterback who when he made the throws which was the deep 154 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:58.159 deep ball throws to the out routes like it was wide open. It was. 155 00:11:58.200 --> 00:12:01.480 It was consistent, and so that started to kind of get me scared 156 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:05.559 because it was like where our secondary started to kind of get a little complacent, 157 00:12:05.559 --> 00:12:09.519 a little bit started to kind of chill. It's like, you know, 158 00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:13.200 we have this under control, and then finally you see those guys kind 159 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:16.600 of lock in and finally start to get more pressure on him. Because I 160 00:12:16.600 --> 00:12:18.720 feel like when you don't get pressure, he was sitting back there and was 161 00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:22.840 able to pick us apart. And so I think Scotty Hazelton, like you 162 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:24.919 said, redoal that up where we got to put some more pressure, send 163 00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:30.159 a linebacker out there, and then we finally got I think we got a 164 00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:33.399 turnover. It was a fourth and long. I think it was the turnover 165 00:12:33.480 --> 00:12:37.480 downs, Yeah, turnover down turn downs, Yeah, fourth down, turnover 166 00:12:37.559 --> 00:12:39.960 and downs. With the young quarterback, Gavin wimsaid, you know, he's 167 00:12:39.000 --> 00:12:43.080 a guy who was the future for Ruggers. He's a young quarterback, a 168 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:46.039 guy who you talked about. He was a guy that was in high school 169 00:12:46.039 --> 00:12:50.720 and did a reclass up. So yeah, he was in high school on 170 00:12:50.759 --> 00:12:54.759 Thursday. It was on college campus Friday. Very strange world we live in 171 00:12:54.679 --> 00:13:00.759 in college football now. But he's the guy that Greg Fiano really believes it. 172 00:13:00.759 --> 00:13:03.639 He feels like this is the guy that they want to get the experience 173 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:07.399 right now. But you can see the inaccuracy of his throws when he was 174 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:11.200 flushed out of the pocket. He's a pretty athletic player, pretty big six 175 00:13:11.320 --> 00:13:15.879 three two d and twenty plus pounds freshman, but did not hit those throws. 176 00:13:15.879 --> 00:13:18.559 But like with Otis Sam when he's sitting back there protected and he had 177 00:13:18.600 --> 00:13:22.679 time, he was throwing dimes out all So it made it really tough on 178 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:28.279 the secondary. But Michigan State was able to get back with the pressures, 179 00:13:28.440 --> 00:13:33.720 getting cal Halliday and Brulet in on the action and forcing some errant throws and 180 00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:37.519 then getting the ball back for the offense. According to my sources, your 181 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:43.279 according some pull it's jauch Q Kolker. According to my sources. When they 182 00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:46.879 let go of that office of cordiator Rutgers office coordinator, you know, they 183 00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:50.399 were they were battling with a bunch of different quarterbacks. They were saying who's 184 00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:52.600 going to be the one, Who's gonna be the one? And as soon 185 00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:56.039 as the Chiana let go, he gave that that starting position tag to him, 186 00:13:56.080 --> 00:13:58.840 said right, So you know, everyone was like, why isn't this 187 00:13:58.840 --> 00:14:03.159 guy I play? We brought him from high school to reclassify. He should 188 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:05.440 be right then and there. Let's just let the chick fall what they made, 189 00:14:05.679 --> 00:14:09.720 let him play, let him make mistakes, let him get the experience 190 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:11.600 in game. And then next year, man, they got they got some 191 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:15.960 nice solid pieces for next year. Yeah, absolutely, and once you get 192 00:14:15.960 --> 00:14:18.600 that confidence that the coach believes in you, that you're the guy, you're 193 00:14:18.600 --> 00:14:20.000 gonna start playing better. But one thing I want to go to. We 194 00:14:20.039 --> 00:14:24.320 talked about the offensive side, we talked about defense. Let's go special teams 195 00:14:24.960 --> 00:14:28.159 your favorite, you know, But I never thought in a million years that 196 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:33.120 you go, he'll start talking about special teams. Coachio is a master in 197 00:14:33.240 --> 00:14:37.799 special teams. He prides himself in special teams. But on Saturday, Michigan 198 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:43.639 State special team unit out coached his and outplayed his with the blockfield goal, 199 00:14:45.639 --> 00:14:50.559 you know, and barringer. How many footballs did be punt down inside the 200 00:14:50.600 --> 00:14:52.759 five? You know? He got that. Let's let's if we could play 201 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:56.360 the clip where he got roughed. Well, he got roughed and he still 202 00:14:56.399 --> 00:15:01.159 got it to the four yard line right like a lot of time. A 203 00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:05.720 lot of times team will do a rekick on that because they get the extra 204 00:15:05.799 --> 00:15:07.600 five yards. But we got plenty that's gonna knock it in the four, 205 00:15:07.720 --> 00:15:11.440 inside the five to the four, and he did that. And also to 206 00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:18.480 let's give our boy Patton, Ben Patton, Yes, sir, his dude, 207 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:22.720 I'm first one. He's the first one to put his foot in because 208 00:15:22.600 --> 00:15:26.399 he's a person today. Yeah, he today, I can say his name 209 00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:31.159 Ben Patten. Last week, the week at Illinois, I called him the 210 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:37.480 kicker. Today he's Ben Patton. He made a forty eight yard banger in 211 00:15:37.559 --> 00:15:43.039 the cold. You know that right there says a lot. I will say 212 00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:50.200 his name today. I give I love this. I might even purchase him 213 00:15:50.200 --> 00:15:56.360 a libation. And if he's twenty one, Ben pat Ben Patton, I'll 214 00:15:56.360 --> 00:16:00.120 say his name all right. Hey man, that was a big kick that 215 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:03.240 he made. I think that we talked to him. We had a prost 216 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:06.919 game interview with him. He talked about superstitions. That's something we can go 217 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:10.960 to. Well, listen to this interview here from Jayu. This question from 218 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:15.000 Jayu and Ben Patton had a lot of fun today at Ben Patton, the 219 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:18.120 kicker, The kicker had a lot of fun. He's in the locker room 220 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:19.879 with Will Teemon. Yes, well, it's always fun to be in the 221 00:16:19.879 --> 00:16:25.759 locker room with me. What's wrong with you? Nothing but fun? Well, 222 00:16:25.799 --> 00:16:30.120 Ben is making his network debut today, guys, and it's interesting. 223 00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:36.279 And before we talk about the field goals and the kicking game re emerging a 224 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:40.960 little bit, you know, Ben was at Auburn and kind of a late 225 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:44.960 addition to the roster. So can you explain to me how you got from 226 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:48.840 someplace it's kind of warm to someplace not quite so warm, and just what 227 00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:53.799 led you from Alburn to Hear. Yeahmy, I've had quite the experience getting 228 00:16:53.799 --> 00:16:59.519 to college football. You know, I'm originally from Michigan, down in Rochester, 229 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:03.639 Detroit area, and uh, you know, kind of kicking recruiting, 230 00:17:03.960 --> 00:17:07.400 you know, with snappers, punters, kickers, is a little different than 231 00:17:07.720 --> 00:17:11.480 you know, your normal football recruiting. So I was going to a school, 232 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:15.079 kind of dropped it late, they had a coaching change, didn't really 233 00:17:15.160 --> 00:17:18.480 like it. So found myself down at Auburn and I showed up there the 234 00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:22.079 day before fall camp. Was blessed down there, spent three years, made 235 00:17:22.119 --> 00:17:26.599 a lot of friends, had a good time, and you know, I 236 00:17:26.839 --> 00:17:30.440 saw the field a little bit last year due to some injuries, and you 237 00:17:30.440 --> 00:17:33.079 know, I really enjoyed it, and I wanted to see the field again, 238 00:17:33.160 --> 00:17:36.079 and it just wasn't gonna happen down there. So I wrote out fall 239 00:17:36.119 --> 00:17:38.480 camp a little bit down there and kind of saw, you know, how 240 00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:41.200 everything was setting up. I said, look, I'm not gonna play here. 241 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:48.440 I know that Michigan State graduated uh Kyglin last year and that you know, 242 00:17:48.680 --> 00:17:52.440 they they're having some new kickers come in. And I had a relationship 243 00:17:52.440 --> 00:17:56.799 with Bryce, the punter, who I got to know through during COVID. 244 00:17:56.960 --> 00:18:00.039 We'd go out and kick all the time. So I in the transfer portal, 245 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:03.400 I said, hey, Bryce, like, what's your situation up at 246 00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:06.519 Michigan State. He said, look, man, like, I'll see what 247 00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:08.839 I could do, and got got in contact with them. I think it 248 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:12.400 was five days from when I entered the portal to when I showed up here 249 00:18:12.440 --> 00:18:15.480 at Michigan State. You know, rented a little U haul, drove it 250 00:18:15.559 --> 00:18:21.160 up down up from Alabama, a little thirteen hour car trip, got back 251 00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:23.359 to my home in Rochester, decompressed for a couple hours, and then was 252 00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:27.279 up to Michigan State. Found a place to move into, and you know, 253 00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:30.880 just have been extremely blessed to be here, and just how everything's unfolded 254 00:18:30.920 --> 00:18:34.400 so far, you know, through the ups and downs is just you know, 255 00:18:34.559 --> 00:18:40.440 we're just getting through it. Well, bet it's the kicking game has 256 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:45.240 been You mentioned Coglin, and during his run as the league kicker, a 257 00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:48.200 lot of the backs to the points, a lot of field goals, a 258 00:18:48.200 --> 00:18:52.680 lot of things coming from that side of the special teams, and then this 259 00:18:52.759 --> 00:18:56.880 year has been a struggle wing two field goals the entire year until today, 260 00:18:56.559 --> 00:19:02.640 and you were the guy they kick both of them. The first one was 261 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:07.240 from thirty four yards, which you know for a college kickers kind of in 262 00:19:07.319 --> 00:19:11.079 a wheelhouse. But then when you start flirting with this fifty yard mark, 263 00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:15.559 things a little more dicey, especially this time of year. So you were 264 00:19:15.599 --> 00:19:18.640 able to put one through it from forty eight yards out. And by the 265 00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:22.400 way, just as you guys know, that is not as long as he 266 00:19:22.440 --> 00:19:26.119 had a forty nine yarder at Auburn, Yes, sir, and so didn't 267 00:19:26.119 --> 00:19:30.000 you have a big win against Alabama? I did. It was that forty 268 00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:33.400 nine yarder. It was we were unranked. I believe Alabama was number three 269 00:19:33.400 --> 00:19:37.279 in the country and we were trying to unseat them from the SEC championship in 270 00:19:37.319 --> 00:19:42.440 the playoffs. In second overtime, we got backed up, lost a couple 271 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:45.680 of yards. I believe, we took a sack and set up a forty 272 00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:49.319 nine yarder for me, went out there, nailed it. Unfortunately, they 273 00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:52.680 hit they matched the field goal and then won it in the fourth overtime. 274 00:19:53.559 --> 00:19:59.519 They do that, yeah, sometimes, but okay, let's talk about now. 275 00:19:59.559 --> 00:20:03.640 This thing is late when you go out there. We got the lead 276 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:07.960 in this game twenty four to fourteen. That was about three minutes and change 277 00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:10.960 left. So when they said you, hey, we're gonna we're gonna go 278 00:20:11.079 --> 00:20:14.440 for this forty eight yar ard or what were you thinking? Yeah, I 279 00:20:14.440 --> 00:20:15.839 mean I was. I was just locked in. I got my kicks into 280 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:19.319 the net. My special team's analysts came up and said, hey, you 281 00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:23.079 know, just be aware if we get to the thirty, I believe, 282 00:20:23.160 --> 00:20:27.519 Yeah, the thirty, we're gonna kick you. And so I mean that 283 00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:32.200 was heading up for forty seven. So obviously it might have been a little 284 00:20:32.200 --> 00:20:36.279 bit out of the range where they said you're gonna be going. But you 285 00:20:36.279 --> 00:20:38.400 know, we sat there. I thought that maybe they were gonna take a 286 00:20:38.440 --> 00:20:41.480 delay a game and punt it and try and pin them back and have them 287 00:20:41.559 --> 00:20:45.440 drive the field. But you know, the coaches had faith in me. 288 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:48.960 I appreciate that greatly. Sent me out there. You know, we had 289 00:20:48.960 --> 00:20:52.160 the time out, so I gotta take a couple of deep breaths, visualize 290 00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:56.440 it a little more and line it up and just put it through. Well 291 00:20:56.480 --> 00:21:00.759 you hear what it sounded like. Sure, there it goes. They will 292 00:21:00.759 --> 00:21:03.400 try a field goal. The ball will be placed deven about the thirty eight 293 00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:07.400 yard line of Rutgers, so forty eight yard field goal. Try. Good 294 00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:12.119 snap kick is on the way. It's good. The kicking games alive and 295 00:21:12.200 --> 00:21:18.480 well. In East Lansing, Ben Patton hits one from way downtown. That 296 00:21:18.599 --> 00:21:21.680 was pretty good. Huh oh yeah. So what's it feel like when you 297 00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:25.599 hit one of those things? I mean, right now, not the best 298 00:21:25.640 --> 00:21:26.960 because of the weather. You know, it's it's a little cold, so 299 00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:30.960 the ball's a little harder, you know, for the golf people out there, 300 00:21:30.039 --> 00:21:33.920 you know, playing in cold weather, you know you might you might 301 00:21:33.960 --> 00:21:36.759 feel good, or it might sting a little bit, so you know, 302 00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:40.559 the balls aren't as reactive, you know, as kind of a softer ball 303 00:21:40.599 --> 00:21:42.440 in warm weather. But I mean it felt great off my foot. You 304 00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:47.000 know, maybe I didn't get all of it and kind of snuck it through, 305 00:21:47.400 --> 00:21:49.599 didn't get as much as much power on it as I was kind of 306 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:52.359 hoping for, But I mean it felt great off my foot. You know. 307 00:21:52.359 --> 00:21:56.960 It was a great snap from Donnie in a great hold from Bryce and 308 00:21:56.000 --> 00:22:00.200 the line did their job, and you know, I'm just extremely blessed to 309 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:03.599 have all those ten other guys on the field with me and allow me to 310 00:22:03.680 --> 00:22:06.920 just do my job and make it easy. Forty. It's a long way. 311 00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:11.799 And you know, Jason, if the kicking game emerges itself as they're 312 00:22:11.799 --> 00:22:15.640 coming down the home stretch, but the running game now rediscovering itself, we 313 00:22:15.720 --> 00:22:19.039 could be a tough out. I think so. And it's clearing not my 314 00:22:19.200 --> 00:22:22.880 question to you, it's you know, not how the foot feel kicking the 315 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:26.279 ball, but how did you feel when the crowd. I mean, this 316 00:22:26.440 --> 00:22:27.920 wasn't the game winner at the end of the ball game, but the crowd. 317 00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:30.720 Did you hear or feel the crowd reception of that? Yeah, I 318 00:22:30.720 --> 00:22:36.079 mean it was It was great to receive that from the crowd. You know, 319 00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:40.000 obviously with the struggles in the kicking game so far this season, you 320 00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:42.200 know, just being able to go out there and you know, I've proved 321 00:22:42.200 --> 00:22:45.119 it to my teammates this week in practice that you know, I can go 322 00:22:45.160 --> 00:22:48.079 out and make my kicks, and it was just great to go out there 323 00:22:48.119 --> 00:22:51.519 and prove it to the fans that they could have faith in me and kind 324 00:22:51.519 --> 00:22:57.279 of trust when they send the field goal team out there. Pen Is Jay, 325 00:22:57.319 --> 00:23:02.039 congratulations on the win. Congratulates just on that kick. My question for 326 00:23:02.079 --> 00:23:06.039 you kickers, I know are finicky people, and I'm one of the most 327 00:23:06.599 --> 00:23:11.799 critical on kickers. Just talk us on a day you want to tell him 328 00:23:11.799 --> 00:23:14.240 what you sent it back? Kickers, I'm not gonna tell them what I 329 00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:19.240 said. Okay, check you find out. So you know you came out 330 00:23:19.240 --> 00:23:22.119 there. Either the weather isn't conducive to you know, for a kicker. 331 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:26.319 But I see you guys on the side of you know, of the sideline. 332 00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:29.880 They're kicking into the net all the time. You never know when your 333 00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:33.640 number is gonna be called. What's going like? How isolated do kickers feel 334 00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:37.680 during the game. I mean it's it's a pretty isolating position. I mean, 335 00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:40.359 you go out there and you know it's all on you. You know, 336 00:23:40.440 --> 00:23:44.400 I was talking to some people about this earlier this season, and you 337 00:23:44.400 --> 00:23:47.359 know that that's your stat line. So you pull up the website and it 338 00:23:47.440 --> 00:23:48.559 says, you know, a made field goal or a miss field goal, 339 00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:53.240 and you know what weather, you know, an errant snap and you know 340 00:23:53.319 --> 00:23:56.279 the guy doesn't the holder doesn't get the laces around, or someone doesn't block 341 00:23:56.359 --> 00:24:00.640 their guy and you know, come off the and the kick gets blocked like 342 00:24:00.680 --> 00:24:04.519 they did for Rutgers Day, Like that's still on the kicker. So you 343 00:24:04.559 --> 00:24:07.920 know there's a lot of stuff that could kind of come into play with that. 344 00:24:08.079 --> 00:24:11.000 But you know, just be being able to you know, ride the 345 00:24:11.079 --> 00:24:14.799 highs and lows and kind of just stay in the middle and not kind of 346 00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:18.079 get too into yourself. You know, you all celebrate the makes and kind 347 00:24:18.119 --> 00:24:22.160 of push away the misses, but you kind of just want to say, 348 00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:25.839 even keel and just stay locked in. I mean, you know, I 349 00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:29.880 know you talked about Finnicky and you know, okay, I believe kickers are 350 00:24:29.920 --> 00:24:33.559 extremely superstitious when it comes to you know, getting their kicks into the net 351 00:24:33.799 --> 00:24:37.880 or you know, this has got to be perfect, kind of like baseball 352 00:24:37.920 --> 00:24:41.720 players. But yeah, I mean just just getting out there and taking a 353 00:24:41.759 --> 00:24:45.599 couple of deep breaths and just watching it go through the uprights. What is 354 00:24:45.640 --> 00:24:48.519 your superstition before a kick? Yeah, that's a great question. I mean 355 00:24:48.519 --> 00:24:53.519 I tried not to be. I'm quite a superstitious person, so I try 356 00:24:53.559 --> 00:24:59.799 to limit my superstitions so I don't you know, kind of overwhelm myself. 357 00:24:59.839 --> 00:25:03.400 But you know, I just get out there and when I take my three 358 00:25:03.400 --> 00:25:07.160 steps back, I just make sure to line my foot up, line it 359 00:25:07.240 --> 00:25:10.319 up, and just take a deep breath and just be like relax, man, 360 00:25:10.440 --> 00:25:19.200 you got this. You've been doing this this whole time. Over to 361 00:25:19.240 --> 00:25:22.839 the side. Make sure you're in a balance stance, and you know, 362 00:25:23.039 --> 00:25:26.759 give the holder, give Bryce a little heading on, say we're good to 363 00:25:26.759 --> 00:25:32.039 go, and then it's just all practice from that point out. Well, 364 00:25:32.599 --> 00:25:37.759 so easy, so easy. Anyway before we lay go man by what congratulations? 365 00:25:37.839 --> 00:25:41.920 So I appreciate it because anybody who's played anything, or even in normal 366 00:25:41.960 --> 00:25:48.519 life, it's it's hard sometimes to get back on the track because it's self 367 00:25:48.599 --> 00:25:52.000 doubt always creeps in when things are going right. But as you look down 368 00:25:52.039 --> 00:25:55.039 and we got two games to go, anything you want to add to our 369 00:25:55.079 --> 00:25:59.440 conversation because everybody's feeling good right now, Yeah, I mean, just keep 370 00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:02.759 back in the spot. Martins and Spartans are you know, we're we're pushing 371 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:07.000 through. We're hoping to get that six win next week against Indiana and then 372 00:26:07.160 --> 00:26:11.440 onto Penn State the week after. So go Green and God bless there. 373 00:26:11.480 --> 00:26:15.559 He goes Ben, It's really good to meet you. Yes, Ben Patten 374 00:26:15.599 --> 00:26:18.759 two field goals today. Back to you guys. He stole your line good 375 00:26:18.839 --> 00:26:22.079 night. He didn't say good night though it was close. Man, I 376 00:26:22.079 --> 00:26:26.119 felt like I said I'm a little Ricky Bobby five with him. Did you 377 00:26:26.160 --> 00:26:33.160 get that? Yeah? Yeah, he's look. Thanks for Ben and Will. 378 00:26:33.480 --> 00:26:37.599 Before we get to our interview with Kyle Farah with I hop let's talk 379 00:26:37.599 --> 00:26:42.440 a little bit about the Carrier Classic game that you were able to attend. 380 00:26:42.440 --> 00:26:48.079 Notice this past weekend in San Diego, beautiful, San die beautiful. It 381 00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:52.720 was beautiful. The weather was perfect. Man, Like you, I can 382 00:26:52.880 --> 00:26:56.480 I can live in with this weather all here, and I mean you live 383 00:26:56.559 --> 00:26:59.680 there right right now. So you know you also was there in that event 384 00:26:59.720 --> 00:27:06.960 which you know, shout out to Sarah Skilling who is obviously events director events 385 00:27:06.960 --> 00:27:12.799 with the Donors and Stewardship, and she planned a extravagant event on that Thursday 386 00:27:12.799 --> 00:27:17.720 where we were out on the boat doing a you know, a tour on 387 00:27:17.759 --> 00:27:21.559 the water, eating good food connected with a bunch of Spartan the lungs. 388 00:27:21.559 --> 00:27:23.680 We have some grapes out there. Yeah, you had Steve Smith to us 389 00:27:23.720 --> 00:27:29.559 we have out there, Jude Nigel, Paul Davis. Uh, we saw 390 00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:40.720 Eric Snows there. He wasn't he wasn't there. Sorry, Mark, Mark, 391 00:27:41.000 --> 00:27:45.680 I got I gotta say it because he's I've been telling him. Uh, 392 00:27:45.720 --> 00:27:48.359 we get there. We land real quick. We land. We're all 393 00:27:48.400 --> 00:27:52.319 walking off the off the plane to get to the buses. I see this 394 00:27:52.440 --> 00:27:56.640 big black wallet sitting in the seat. I pick it up. I open 395 00:27:56.720 --> 00:28:02.839 it up and it's Missus d'antonio's picture inserted into the wallet. And I knew 396 00:28:02.880 --> 00:28:06.640 for immediately that that was Coaching de Antonio's wallet. And I was waiting on 397 00:28:06.720 --> 00:28:11.359 the perfect time to deliver his wallet and say, hey, I'm still saving 398 00:28:11.720 --> 00:28:15.400 saving you in the back end here man. I hand it to him and 399 00:28:15.400 --> 00:28:18.039 he's like, oh, thank you on this, appreciate you. And I 400 00:28:18.039 --> 00:28:22.400 said, drinks on you all weekend, coach. But no, the Carrier 401 00:28:22.400 --> 00:28:25.519 Classic is a bucket list, man. It is something that you know, 402 00:28:25.759 --> 00:28:29.920 obviously, you know what we while we're there is to celebrate our our military 403 00:28:30.640 --> 00:28:34.640 service service service members and also our veterans. And so when you're going out 404 00:28:34.680 --> 00:28:40.000 on that that that Carrier Classic, man, it's obviously all the check ins 405 00:28:40.039 --> 00:28:42.599 going on the base. There is a bridge that goes over the water man, 406 00:28:42.759 --> 00:28:47.519 and you can't really see the water because it's so narrow, and it's 407 00:28:47.559 --> 00:28:51.480 like the Macano Bridge to get over to Coronado. And uh, it was 408 00:28:51.480 --> 00:28:55.440 almost felt like he was in the movie Speed because like Chip over Man, 409 00:28:55.480 --> 00:28:57.440 it's it's it's good written. Oh yeah, it's good. We got video 410 00:28:57.480 --> 00:29:00.240 of that too. Actually we can show yeah here I got it. Good 411 00:29:00.279 --> 00:29:04.920 riding. But then if you look at you get there. Man. We 412 00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:11.519 had an opportunity to choose to one of a nuclear war officer who has Spartan 413 00:29:11.599 --> 00:29:17.920 ties with one of our guys. Ar there we go, who's everywhere art 414 00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:22.359 all around our all around ours worldwide West and then all around our absolutely claim 415 00:29:22.359 --> 00:29:26.759 the fan. But no. She had a great story of where she was 416 00:29:26.799 --> 00:29:30.119 born, she was adopted. She's from Middleton, New Jersey. She's been 417 00:29:30.160 --> 00:29:36.079 in the service for three years and she she gave me a full breakdown of 418 00:29:36.119 --> 00:29:40.119 what the carrier classic. What how many people are on there? I mean 419 00:29:40.200 --> 00:29:45.440 five thousand servicemen on there at one time, which is crazy. Hey, 420 00:29:45.519 --> 00:29:48.319 Spartan fans, otis Wiley here your co host. So this is part of 421 00:29:48.480 --> 00:29:55.359 m SU podcast. I'm here with Lieutenant Junior grade, Laura Fagan. It's 422 00:29:55.400 --> 00:29:57.839 funny because I've been practicing that, so she's laughing right now. But I 423 00:29:57.880 --> 00:30:00.519 wanted to tell you know, did you guys tell her what she does for 424 00:30:00.599 --> 00:30:06.200 the Navy and where she's from. Laura, Hi, Bie, thank you 425 00:30:06.240 --> 00:30:10.279 for coming on on the cour is no worries. So yeah, I am 426 00:30:10.359 --> 00:30:15.079 on the USS Abraham Lincoln uh SEVN seventy two, which is what you see 427 00:30:15.160 --> 00:30:18.279 right here in the background. I've been in the Navy for about three and 428 00:30:18.319 --> 00:30:22.440 a half years now, and like Otis said, I'm a lieutenant in your 429 00:30:22.440 --> 00:30:27.960 grade, which is the second ish level of officer ranks. So still pretty 430 00:30:27.960 --> 00:30:32.400 new to the Navy, but and really new to the ship too. But 431 00:30:32.519 --> 00:30:36.920 you know, getting my bearings, still figuring out where everything is. It's 432 00:30:36.920 --> 00:30:41.200 a huge ship. So how big? How big is the ship? So 433 00:30:41.480 --> 00:30:45.880 the crew normally uh without all of the aircraft on board, is about three 434 00:30:45.880 --> 00:30:48.839 thousand ish people, and then when you get all of the aircrew on board 435 00:30:49.200 --> 00:30:53.119 with the pilots and all the people that help them out, it's about five 436 00:30:53.160 --> 00:30:59.279 thousand, five thousand strong man. So we're talking about going up top, 437 00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:03.200 sitting down on the basketball court. Can you imagine playing basketball on that court 438 00:31:03.279 --> 00:31:07.640 where you work every day. No, it's crazy. I went up and 439 00:31:07.720 --> 00:31:15.799 saw the court on the bleachers earlier and it's very weird safe to see. 440 00:31:15.519 --> 00:31:18.839 Well, thank you so much. We appreciate it with your service and what 441 00:31:18.920 --> 00:31:22.200 you do for our country. And you know she is from Merchantville, New 442 00:31:22.279 --> 00:31:27.519 Jersey, so South Jersey stand up and she had some strong spartan times with 443 00:31:27.559 --> 00:31:30.759 one of our lumps, who we're gonna bring on right after this. Thank 444 00:31:30.799 --> 00:31:36.880 you, Go green and go white. The best part, which I have 445 00:31:36.920 --> 00:31:40.720 a video and we'll play it, is they have this jet elevator so it 446 00:31:40.960 --> 00:31:44.359 goes fifty at a time. When people walk on there and the guys are 447 00:31:44.400 --> 00:31:45.079 sitting there, it's like, all right, we're about to go up. 448 00:31:45.119 --> 00:31:49.960 And it's this big sound just like goes up real fast, like three seconds 449 00:31:49.960 --> 00:31:53.160 and then you're up on the top and you walk to your stands or your 450 00:31:53.200 --> 00:32:09.519 seats. Oh snu oh oh. It's beautiful. And I was able to 451 00:32:09.519 --> 00:32:16.640 connect with an old high school teammate of mind Command Master Chief Seal Navy Seal, 452 00:32:16.720 --> 00:32:22.920 a real American hero you ever Dereck Dickerson guy. Last time I seen 453 00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:25.200 him was nineteen ninety four. That we were playing high school football. We 454 00:32:25.319 --> 00:32:30.799 just graduated and come Cralins right, North Central's finest. Yeah for sure. 455 00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:36.799 And last next time I see him, he was actually in the movie American 456 00:32:36.839 --> 00:32:40.079 Sniper, not in the movie, but in the real footage of that funeral 457 00:32:40.119 --> 00:32:45.359 when Chris Kyle was tragically killed. In that movie, he's one of the 458 00:32:45.359 --> 00:32:46.680 steals and I was like, wait a minute, that's my friend from high 459 00:32:46.680 --> 00:32:51.039 school. Now twenty eight years later, I got a chance to eat him. 460 00:32:51.079 --> 00:32:52.680 You met him at the Team hotel. It was a phenomenal thing. 461 00:32:52.720 --> 00:32:57.000 I mean, this is somebody who has seen a lot and done a lot, 462 00:32:57.559 --> 00:32:59.920 you know, in his day, and I was great to catch up 463 00:32:59.920 --> 00:33:04.039 with him. And thank all of the men the women veterans in the United 464 00:33:04.039 --> 00:33:07.960 States Armed Forces for your service and continued service. It means everything to us 465 00:33:08.759 --> 00:33:13.720 and everybody all over the country, but obviously us here. This is Sparta 466 00:33:15.640 --> 00:33:19.400 speaking of coming through in the clutch. We're going to talk about what keeps 467 00:33:19.440 --> 00:33:24.240 a smile on all of our faces with the owner operator himself, Cal Farah, 468 00:33:24.599 --> 00:33:35.559 I hop let's do it. Welcome, Welcome guys, Well, thank 469 00:33:35.599 --> 00:33:38.960 you for the Joe by the way, and thank you for being a partner. 470 00:33:39.279 --> 00:33:45.119 You know this SPARTA and Michigan State University. Yeah, I know, 471 00:33:45.160 --> 00:33:49.240 when we let's go back to when we first sat down and have breakfast at 472 00:33:49.279 --> 00:33:52.799 I Hop in Brighton location, right. You know these two have been friends 473 00:33:52.799 --> 00:33:59.799 since what hello ninety five? Way back what way? He wasn't even born, 474 00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:05.000 he wasn't dude. No. We talked about, you know, what, 475 00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:09.000 what could we do to bring the brand into the family of corporate corporate 476 00:34:09.000 --> 00:34:14.519 parties and family. And you were already embedded in supplying breakfast to the football 477 00:34:14.519 --> 00:34:16.800 team. I mean, let's talk about that and and how that got set 478 00:34:16.880 --> 00:34:22.039 up and how frequent are you feeding the guys breakfast? It was. It 479 00:34:22.079 --> 00:34:23.840 was a weird flu. I mean I met Jason at practice one day. 480 00:34:23.880 --> 00:34:25.320 I called him up and said, what are you doing? He said, 481 00:34:25.320 --> 00:34:29.239 come on out to practice, come out there, and then we ended up 482 00:34:29.239 --> 00:34:31.440 meeting with Darien. He introduced me to Darien. We were talking a little 483 00:34:31.599 --> 00:34:37.039 nil and after practice we ran into Coach Tucker and he said, the guys 484 00:34:37.079 --> 00:34:40.920 loved I Hop in Jacksonville when he was down there, and he said, 485 00:34:42.000 --> 00:34:44.840 I'd love to get you guys connected over here and get these guys some breakfast. 486 00:34:44.840 --> 00:34:46.880 I said, I'd love to sponsor breakfast for you guys. So Darien 487 00:34:46.960 --> 00:34:52.480 then got me connected with Amber over at the Dietary Apartment, and uh, 488 00:34:52.559 --> 00:34:55.440 it's been it's been about a year now. So every week, every Thursday, 489 00:34:55.599 --> 00:34:58.960 come out bright and early in the morning, five thirty in the morning, 490 00:34:59.159 --> 00:35:02.440 North End Zone, drive off man, Yeah, piping, hot pipe. 491 00:35:02.519 --> 00:35:07.519 Let's talk about which players are there earliest, which position groups? Do 492 00:35:07.559 --> 00:35:09.519 you notice? Is there a trend? I know you had you said last 493 00:35:09.599 --> 00:35:13.800 year's team and this year's team. Do you see any trend? And who 494 00:35:13.840 --> 00:35:19.079 shows up? So you got summertime was different than now summertime and you had 495 00:35:19.239 --> 00:35:22.079 like the Peyton and you had read and you had these guys getting in there 496 00:35:22.079 --> 00:35:24.599 bright and early. Now the only person I run into is coach Teddy walking 497 00:35:24.679 --> 00:35:28.719 out after being there. I don't even know what time in the morning he 498 00:35:28.760 --> 00:35:34.639 gets there. Yeah, he's there early, but I get there before most 499 00:35:34.639 --> 00:35:36.880 of the players get there. Oh you do, drop it off and I'm 500 00:35:36.880 --> 00:35:40.800 out and back on the road. So talk about that. Like your time 501 00:35:40.880 --> 00:35:44.880 at Michigan State, you're a spartan. Absolutely the When did you go to 502 00:35:44.920 --> 00:35:49.840 Michigan State two thousand and two thousand and two, okay, transferred up shortly 503 00:35:49.880 --> 00:35:52.519 after we opened up our first location. I had to stick around and help 504 00:35:52.559 --> 00:35:55.679 out a little bit, went to a competitor, and then I finally came 505 00:35:55.679 --> 00:35:59.960 to Census and came up here. Did you have any football in your background? 506 00:36:00.639 --> 00:36:04.840 Played in high school? Came up here two thousand and decided to try 507 00:36:04.880 --> 00:36:08.480 to walk on Yeah, and as a linebacker. And unfortunately, as time 508 00:36:08.559 --> 00:36:13.400 goes, it didn't work out so well. But at least it got me 509 00:36:13.519 --> 00:36:16.400 involved. Now I'm involved in the athletic department one way or another. Yeah, 510 00:36:16.519 --> 00:36:20.320 So at least it got me in the door. Absolutely. I mean 511 00:36:20.360 --> 00:36:23.880 you talk about you know, you talked about family business. Your family's been 512 00:36:23.920 --> 00:36:27.280 in this for a while, right, and like you talked about how they 513 00:36:27.280 --> 00:36:30.320 were bagging you come into the business, coming into the businesses. Now why 514 00:36:30.360 --> 00:36:32.239 you going to school? Now? Just come in like talk about that, 515 00:36:32.320 --> 00:36:37.920 that conversation with your dad and your family. He's always had that little niche 516 00:36:37.920 --> 00:36:39.000 where he comes and gets me and he's like, hey, you know, 517 00:36:39.159 --> 00:36:43.719 I'm up at school over here. I'm studying human physiology, trying to get 518 00:36:43.719 --> 00:36:45.119 into medical school. And he's like, listen, if you don't want to 519 00:36:45.119 --> 00:36:47.639 do this, don't want it every weekend, I'd come down, don't want 520 00:36:47.639 --> 00:36:51.159 to do this. You can always take over for me. You don't have 521 00:36:51.280 --> 00:36:53.800 to finish. Sure enough, I finished. You know, got my bachelor's 522 00:36:53.800 --> 00:36:58.920 degree here, you got my master's at Wayne State and Medical Sciences and then 523 00:36:58.960 --> 00:37:01.159 opted out and took over the only business and open up two more locations. 524 00:37:01.159 --> 00:37:06.559 So wow, So you were going to be a doctor. Yeah, and 525 00:37:06.599 --> 00:37:07.519 then he said, you know what, I'm gonna be a doctor. Love 526 00:37:09.199 --> 00:37:15.679 doctor love, Like you know the hours are these are much better hours than 527 00:37:15.679 --> 00:37:19.159 the doctors hours, are they? No? And you know my focus was 528 00:37:19.199 --> 00:37:22.639 going to be emergency rooms. So every every day, every scenario is always 529 00:37:22.639 --> 00:37:24.960 different. You're always meeting people, don't know what to expect when you walk 530 00:37:24.960 --> 00:37:28.719 in the door. Same thing in the restaurant business, right, No, 531 00:37:29.559 --> 00:37:32.840 I mean talk about like we all went through COVID and how you know COVID 532 00:37:32.960 --> 00:37:38.199 was very harsh on the restaurant business. I mean talk about in during COVID, 533 00:37:38.280 --> 00:37:43.119 how you how you managed and obviously are you are we outside of it 534 00:37:43.159 --> 00:37:46.239 now or you feel like you're getting back to where it was back before pre 535 00:37:46.320 --> 00:37:50.920 COVID, Like talk about the struggles from the restaurant business, owner. Well, 536 00:37:50.960 --> 00:37:52.639 I remember, you know when when they first started doing the reporting, 537 00:37:53.320 --> 00:37:57.360 I think it was first week of March. I mean, we had to 538 00:37:57.400 --> 00:38:00.039 start scrambling. We start to see sales declining, less guests were coming in. 539 00:38:00.119 --> 00:38:04.320 We had to continue to wipe down door handles, wipe down menus, 540 00:38:04.360 --> 00:38:07.480 wipe this, wipe that, and then sure enough two days later, decided 541 00:38:07.519 --> 00:38:09.639 to shut us down. And you just you have to figure out what to 542 00:38:09.679 --> 00:38:14.239 do. And I decaided, you know, we got it. We have 543 00:38:14.280 --> 00:38:15.159 to do carry out. We have to be opened one way or another, 544 00:38:15.199 --> 00:38:20.039 because everyone's still knocking on your door wanting payment regardless of what's going on, 545 00:38:20.360 --> 00:38:23.280 whether you're open or not. And you know, we just did a complete 546 00:38:23.280 --> 00:38:27.280 one eighty. We just went all straight carry out, which I hoop is 547 00:38:27.320 --> 00:38:30.320 not designed for, by the way, and we made it happen. I 548 00:38:30.320 --> 00:38:34.320 mean, we just kept grinding every single day, just like these guys doing 549 00:38:34.320 --> 00:38:37.400 the football field. You got to grind every single day. Stuff says, 550 00:38:37.480 --> 00:38:40.159 keep chopping, Yeah, you know, get it going. And that's that's 551 00:38:40.159 --> 00:38:44.920 what it was. Now the only thing that we have to combat is, 552 00:38:45.039 --> 00:38:46.840 you know, commodity prices going up, so our costs are going up. 553 00:38:46.840 --> 00:38:50.920 And I can't keep charging you more money because I'm going my minds are going 554 00:38:51.000 --> 00:38:54.440 up. And then staffing just getting people in the door. Yeah, I 555 00:38:54.440 --> 00:38:59.400 think that's a struggle everywhere. Man, it really is a struggle. You 556 00:38:59.400 --> 00:39:02.599 talk about the ability to adapt and overcome. I mean, that's what Spartan's 557 00:39:04.119 --> 00:39:07.599 pride themselves on, being able to adapt to overcomes the different circumstances. And 558 00:39:07.639 --> 00:39:09.559 it sounds like you guys were able to do that in the midst of a 559 00:39:09.840 --> 00:39:14.440 global pandemic. Right, that's a that's a tough thing. And you look 560 00:39:14.480 --> 00:39:20.480 at where things are now. How has football in any way helped You've helped 561 00:39:20.480 --> 00:39:23.280 football obviously by feeding the guys, giving them me energized on the field, 562 00:39:23.280 --> 00:39:27.679 because I remember, I remember that conversation where coach Metil Tucker was like, 563 00:39:28.039 --> 00:39:36.039 the guys need some grease, ye yeah for you. Yeah. So it's 564 00:39:36.119 --> 00:39:38.199 it's a little it's a cute. It's a different partnership to be able to 565 00:39:38.239 --> 00:39:43.039 help one another, help them on the field, and help you and your 566 00:39:43.039 --> 00:39:46.119 business financially and grow and spread the word about eye How to the rest of 567 00:39:46.159 --> 00:39:50.199 the Spartan nation. Yeah, I mean it's been a great partnership. I 568 00:39:50.199 --> 00:39:52.599 mean, sales locally. I mean, even though I don't own it, 569 00:39:52.119 --> 00:39:55.920 the local store has been going up. The name brand recognition is getting out 570 00:39:55.920 --> 00:39:59.440 there. I mean, of course you get the haters from the school down 571 00:39:59.440 --> 00:40:00.400 the road, but it is what it is. At the end of the 572 00:40:00.480 --> 00:40:02.760 day, I said, I'm a Spartan at heart, and that's what That's 573 00:40:02.800 --> 00:40:07.159 what's gonna happen. So I'm going to put my time and effort into the 574 00:40:07.199 --> 00:40:09.239 school that I love, into the athletics that I love, and then go 575 00:40:09.280 --> 00:40:14.400 from there and see how it flourishes. Which locations do you own? I 576 00:40:14.679 --> 00:40:19.880 Brighton, Ippslanny and Lavonia are my three locations. Ninety six a midle belt. 577 00:40:20.199 --> 00:40:23.320 The Ipslanty location is that Carpenter and Ellsworth, and then Brighton is right 578 00:40:23.360 --> 00:40:28.039 off ninety six and uh Grand River here. That's Spartans. That means that's 579 00:40:28.039 --> 00:40:30.880 the places you gotta go if you want to sit down and get one of 580 00:40:30.920 --> 00:40:34.519 those two battoos. Whatever you want from the owner, the man, the 581 00:40:34.519 --> 00:40:37.960 mint, the ledger right here Kyle Pharah from ihop well man. I mean, 582 00:40:38.000 --> 00:40:42.159 it's a joy to have you with us at all times. We can 583 00:40:42.239 --> 00:40:45.039 have you back and forth here whenever you like, and please next time bring 584 00:40:45.039 --> 00:40:49.760 the pancakes and James, I'll bring you more in the pank I'll get him 585 00:40:49.760 --> 00:40:53.880 the French toast and that's what he wants, always wants the friends t bow 586 00:40:54.119 --> 00:40:57.760 steak. But you heard it here. You want the t bows. We 587 00:40:57.840 --> 00:41:00.599 get the all the fictions. And by the way, you also have some 588 00:41:00.599 --> 00:41:04.239 holidays stuff going on there. Right. Yeah, we got this ginger snap 589 00:41:04.360 --> 00:41:07.920 French toast right now, so you know, nice thick, fluffy French toast. 590 00:41:08.320 --> 00:41:10.519 We also got it in a milkshake. We got it in the hot 591 00:41:10.559 --> 00:41:15.559 chocolate. Oh, then let's talk about that milkshake. Now, that milkshake. 592 00:41:15.599 --> 00:41:21.280 Look before we uh, you see the platform and the quality of our 593 00:41:21.320 --> 00:41:25.760 podcast of what it is today. What you don't understand is we started one 594 00:41:27.239 --> 00:41:31.679 inside of his location kind of as a trial run, and it was bootleg, 595 00:41:31.840 --> 00:41:35.039 say the least, but it worked. But it worked. You know. 596 00:41:35.119 --> 00:41:37.480 We started to float off each other and realized, all right, we 597 00:41:37.599 --> 00:41:40.599 have we have some synergy, we have some chemistry. But what we did 598 00:41:40.719 --> 00:41:45.760 get was we got a strawberry milkshake and we were I mean, it was 599 00:41:45.840 --> 00:41:49.800 great. It was great, man. It was definitely not on the diet 600 00:41:49.840 --> 00:41:59.960 list. Definitely media water after and just dilute, dilute your body absolutely appreciate. 601 00:42:00.239 --> 00:42:02.480 Yeah, Hey, Kyle, you mentioned when you met with mel Tucker 602 00:42:02.800 --> 00:42:07.400 and he talked about, Hey, when you own the business, you got 603 00:42:07.440 --> 00:42:10.119 the breakfast to feed these guys, you had to meet with the nutritionus and 604 00:42:10.960 --> 00:42:15.360 talk about when you met with her, what did she walk you through and 605 00:42:15.440 --> 00:42:19.960 what you need to do to feed these guys properly. Wyamber actually just kind 606 00:42:19.960 --> 00:42:22.360 of reached out and she said, Hey, this is what I'm looking for. 607 00:42:22.880 --> 00:42:25.840 I need heavy protein, I need fats, and I need my carbs 608 00:42:25.880 --> 00:42:29.800 because they're going straight to workouts right after this, so they need to bulk 609 00:42:29.880 --> 00:42:32.280 up, come to find out first in the morning. These guys don't like 610 00:42:32.320 --> 00:42:36.119 to eat too much, so we had to make adjustments as we as we 611 00:42:36.239 --> 00:42:38.280 kept going out throughout the year, you know, adding things, taking things 612 00:42:38.360 --> 00:42:43.400 off. This is Namba Einstein you're talking about, correct, Yes, yeah, 613 00:42:43.519 --> 00:42:47.360 so she definitely she feeds all the guys. It is definitely complete. 614 00:42:49.760 --> 00:42:52.559 When you played and from what me and Jay you played, it was, 615 00:42:52.800 --> 00:42:55.880 yeah, it's sucking good food to your to your point like, what is 616 00:42:55.960 --> 00:43:00.239 the switch? What did you switch from a food food menu standpoint? When 617 00:43:00.360 --> 00:43:04.719 you said they loading up the food. It was kind of too fatty for 618 00:43:04.800 --> 00:43:07.599 pre workout. What are they changing? Well, we were, you know, 619 00:43:07.679 --> 00:43:10.920 at first it was pancakes, French toast, both the pork sausage, 620 00:43:12.480 --> 00:43:17.159 turkey sausage, bacon, eggs and eggs with cheese and potatoes. So we 621 00:43:17.280 --> 00:43:22.119 went we cut out the French toast, so the guys just went straight pancakes. 622 00:43:22.760 --> 00:43:27.239 Car load up with the potatoes, turkey sausage. They're not a lot 623 00:43:27.239 --> 00:43:30.119 of guys were getting the pork, so we got the turkey sausage, the 624 00:43:30.199 --> 00:43:32.840 pork, bacon, scramble cheddar eggs, and then scramble regular eggs. So 625 00:43:34.239 --> 00:43:36.719 that's big size, full sized pans for these guys. Load them up and 626 00:43:36.760 --> 00:43:39.360 get them going. Wow, we need to be on that list on Thursdays. 627 00:43:39.599 --> 00:43:42.480 Yeah, we'll be there. Join, we can join right now. 628 00:43:43.559 --> 00:43:46.079 Hey, I'm right there. I'm right there. That's awesome, man. 629 00:43:46.119 --> 00:43:52.760 I appreciate your time and your partnership obviously with us. Keep it up, 630 00:43:52.840 --> 00:43:54.880 come back anytime, man, glad to have you here on this love being 631 00:43:54.920 --> 00:43:58.079 here guys. I appreciate the end, like, oh, no problem, 632 00:43:58.119 --> 00:44:04.320 thanks man, I appreciate you. Cal Farah, I hop don't forget those 633 00:44:04.360 --> 00:44:09.199 three locations that he named Ipsilanti, Lavonia, right and bright close to you. 634 00:44:10.000 --> 00:44:14.039 They say you eat with your eyes first. So here's a good look 635 00:44:14.119 --> 00:44:17.719 at our new pick and fluffy French toes artistsan Halla dipped in vanilla cinnamon Battle 636 00:44:17.960 --> 00:44:22.440 French toes the way it's meant to be. Try out three flavors only at 637 00:44:22.480 --> 00:44:25.800 I Hop download the app and earned free food with every purchase. Great speaking 638 00:44:25.880 --> 00:44:31.000 with Cal Farah if I Hop guys, you know, Michigan State now improves 639 00:44:31.039 --> 00:44:35.400 to five and five on the season, one more win to become Bowl eligible. 640 00:44:35.880 --> 00:44:38.039 Had a great They're on two game winning streak headed into the Indiana game 641 00:44:38.079 --> 00:44:42.079 that we're going to cover in the next show. But what were your final 642 00:44:42.119 --> 00:44:45.079 thoughts, ju of what has happened so far from Michigan State. Well, 643 00:44:45.119 --> 00:44:47.559 first, before you have a final thoughts, shout out at Cal. You 644 00:44:47.639 --> 00:44:51.840 know great, dude, you know great restaurants. I'm definitely in there for 645 00:44:51.920 --> 00:44:57.559 the pancakes and the t bone steak and eggs and well just grape juice bones. 646 00:45:00.199 --> 00:45:02.880 I sound like a little Biggie refer exactly, but uh, you know, 647 00:45:04.079 --> 00:45:07.719 the Spartan's got to continue the momentum. They got to continue that wave 648 00:45:07.800 --> 00:45:09.800 of what they're doing offensive. They got to continue what they're doing defensively and 649 00:45:09.960 --> 00:45:13.880 also too with these Spartan nations to show up and show out on Saturday. 650 00:45:14.760 --> 00:45:20.480 Yeah, you know, flashback to when we were going out to dude and 651 00:45:21.280 --> 00:45:24.199 one of our coaches kept saying, let's go get this bowl game and then 652 00:45:24.320 --> 00:45:29.840 produce back to us. And so I think from a standpoint of mentality is 653 00:45:30.239 --> 00:45:34.760 it's one game. It's one game at a time, and we're favorite, 654 00:45:35.039 --> 00:45:37.360 and we were favored last weekend, but we're favorite this game, and it's 655 00:45:37.400 --> 00:45:40.519 really taking care of business if you see. Yeah, all right, if 656 00:45:40.519 --> 00:45:46.000 you're But look, we talked about it's senior night, it's senior day meaning 657 00:45:46.440 --> 00:45:50.360 and this is the last time these guys will be able to strap up on 658 00:45:50.480 --> 00:45:53.159 the green and white, and so let's make them proud, show up strong, 659 00:45:53.360 --> 00:45:55.679 green and white and support. You know, it's gonna be a co 660 00:45:55.840 --> 00:45:59.719 win, So bundle up. But I think that we would we will be 661 00:45:59.760 --> 00:46:02.599 able to attack it. We'll touch on this on the preview. Yep, 662 00:46:02.800 --> 00:46:07.760 last time they're gonna walk over to the Spartans stadium suit up for the green 663 00:46:07.800 --> 00:46:12.440 and white in the woodshed. So it's a very emotional time for those seniors 664 00:46:12.480 --> 00:46:15.320 that are going to be entering the game next week against Indiana the Hoosiers. 665 00:46:16.159 --> 00:46:21.320 The game time is twelve noon. That's the kickoff pregame show with You Chuo 666 00:46:21.360 --> 00:46:25.679 and all those guys ten thirty am on Saturday morning. Look forward to seeing 667 00:46:25.679 --> 00:46:30.599 everybody there until next time, Have a good night, God bless and go 668 00:46:30.840 --> 00:46:30.719 Green, go ahe