Speaker 1: This is Cougar Sports with Ben kretl At. It's time
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reporters that cover Cougar Athletics.
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Speaker 1: These type of little Cougar bea.
Speaker 2: Going to get into the minds, the eyes, and we're
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Speaker 1: All right, let's get out to the hotline.
Speaker 2: Welcome at Cougar Sports Insider representing KOSL dot com.
Speaker 1: We got d Shawn Walker on the line.
Speaker 3: What's up, Sean ben ben Ron. That's always good to
join you guys. I don't know if I can give
you much hashtag insider news, but I'm always uh. I
always feel privileged to be able to come on here
and give them my hashtag outsider take.
Speaker 1: Hey.
Speaker 2: I love all the insider knowledge you provide us here
at Cougar Sports.
Speaker 1: Let's start off with this.
Speaker 2: If what percentage of healthy is this BYU football team
heading into Texas tack, I've put it at like ninety
five percent healthy. I think they're right there, ninety five
percent healthy from where they essentially started out on the season,
which I think bodes well for Brigham heading to Lubbock
with game day on the docket.
Speaker 3: Yeah. I don't think any college football team through nine
ten weeks of the regular season is going to be
one hundred percent healthy, And I don't think do I
use an exception to that role. That's not a bad thing.
I mean, that's just the nature of the sport, right.
I don't really know like full on percentage wise, but
like if we're talking about like like I feel like
this team is probably three fourths as healthy as optimal
or as as it could be. Like if one hundred
percent really is the matter the fact of the matter,
I think they're probably somewhere between like seventy and eighty percent.
There are a lot of guys that are just dealing
with you know, the bumps, the bruises, the knicks, kind
of some minor injuries, fighting through stuff. I think there's
a lot of that going around. They're getting healthier, which
I think is a good thing. We heard from offensive
coordinator Aaron Roder yesterday say that Jojo Phillips is on
track to make his return on Texas Tech, which I
think is a big pickup in that wide receiver room.
But there are other guys obviously that there are significant
questions about. LJ. Martin doesn't seem to be one of them.
I can't imagine he's fully healthy just after his usage.
We saw him come out of the game at Iowa State, obviously,
and just his usage rate tells me he's probably banged up.
He's probably a little bit nicked and bumped and bruised
and that sort of thing. But he's going to play.
He's more healthy than not. And I think most of
these guys, you're going to see them with some sort
of an element, but they're you know, they're all at
least seventy seventy five percent, which is really all you
can ask for. On this season through again, through eight nine,
ten weeks of the usual college football play, absolutely.
Speaker 2: Sean storylines heading into this Texas Tech matchup. In your opinion,
what are the big storylines and why Yeah.
Speaker 3: I mean the number one thing is is this is
And I don't think this has hyperbole been You know
how much I love this week in hyperbole, which by
that I mean not at all. I hate hyperbole. But
I really think this might be the biggest game in
BA football program history. They've never gone into a game
where both teams are ranked in the top ten. It
just haven't had It just hasn't happened. A Rod again,
was really surprised by that because by US have a
lot of really good teams in the history of their program,
but a lot of those really good ones they were
competing in the Whack or the Mountain West and the
opponent wasn't necessarily all the way up there. So this
is it's the lowest combined ranking of both teams, and
one of the lowest in program history. I think that
Miami game from the nineties kind of comes to mind
as like being close, but that was still I mean
that was a number one team and then a twenty
five ish team right in there. So when you're talking
about seven eight or eight nine, depending on which pole
you look at, I think just those numbers and posters
and everything say this is the biggest game in the
Cougar's history, and so you got to wonder to do
the Cougar's rise to the occasion of that, or does
Texas Tech maybe rise to the occasion of a program
building or at the very least a season building win
over a very good YU team at home with their
first ESPN College Game Day appearance in seventeen years. I mean,
I think there are a lot of reasons to just
point to why this game is big. Oh and in addition,
by the way we saw last night from the CFP
Selection Committee first release, this is probably a game that
will determine significant aspects of the college Football Playoff, whether
you're talking about overorld selection, whether you're talking about potential
host games in that first round. Like, I think this
game has conference title implications though that's obvious. It has
CFP applications, and it has just overall program implications for
about BYU and Texas Tech. I don't feel hyperbolic saying
this this is the biggest game in BA football history.
Speaker 2: That's a hot take. It's a fiery take. I was
having that discussion with a few people yesterday in preparation
for the the the weekend Slate of games. And I'm like,
man like, looking back at the past by us had
some big time games, right and and and look, the
next one is always the most important.
Speaker 1: That that's that's just the nature of the business.
Speaker 2: Will we herald this as one of the biggest games
in BA football history afterwards?
Speaker 1: Is the question?
Speaker 2: After this season, because I guess you could have made,
you know, certain arguments about you know, last year's season
and how big of a game it was to play
Utah in the same conference. And but you know, right now,
with everything on the line, it feels or a lot
a lot of it on the line, your maybe your
your path to the Big twelve championship and a birth
in the college football playoff in the modern era.
Speaker 1: It's definitely the biggest game in the modern era.
Speaker 3: And I think and I think that's actually a really
big piece of why this game is so big, because
it doesn't have that traditional rivalry type element to kind
of drum up how big this game is. Right Like
b YU and Texas Tech, there's not really like a
there are connections between both schools. You know, they're both
related programs of the late great Mike Leach May forever
rest in peace, right and maybe we call this the
Mike Leach Bowl or the Mike Leach Classic Ethic or tieable.
Either way, I'll continue to workshopping that one for you guys.
So I think there are connections with this program and
this is with these two programs, and there's something that
could maybe grow. But I want to call this a
rivalry by any means BYU and Texas Tech. I just
I just don't think it's there. Maybe it eventually gets there,
but it's not right now. I think it's got a
long way to go to become that. But I think
that makes this game even bigger because you don't have
that initial rivalry element, you don't have that initial hatred
between two fan bases. You you know, you've got a
healthy amount of his back between Colina Sattacki and his
staff and Jilly Maguire and what he's building in the
West Texas oil fields. Like that's that's obvious and that's there,
I think. But there's nothing like the like super Seeded
Sport or the supersedes Big twelve Football kind of propping
this up. And yet that being said, there are still
all these implications for this season, for the conference, for
the CFP, for both programs that I think make this
game absolutely massive, regardless of where you would rank it
on a one two three type list.
Speaker 2: Sean WALKERKSHL dot com Here on EOSB and the fan,
what have you been writing about on your platform this
week and what are you going to be dropping on
your platform later on this week?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, it's it's solid CFP right now, right.
College basketball season also started. Just got back from Las
Vegas with Aja Bonsa, Kevin Young and that crew after
their win over over Villanova to open the season. And guys,
let me tell you down there at Team Obile Arena
in Las Vegas, it was a show heet national media,
regional media, a lot of local media in particular from
two Big twelve schools in YU and Arizona. I mean,
it was an absolute showcase. And that's even football tipped
off for either one of those games, obviously, Arizona beating
the raining champs in Florida and then YUS went over
Villanova like as big as this football season has become.
And I don't want to step on football's toast too much,
so we won't. We don't necessarily need to go too
far into it, but this basketball season has the potential
to really be something special. I've been calling it the
most anticipated basketball season and BYU history, and everything I
saw this weekend and leading up to Monday night, even
up to the game, really kind of confirms my suspicions.
Like the amount of just weight and anticipation for what
Kevin Young and his group could do on the hardwood
I think is pretty unique and pretty special in YU.
Speaker 2: Yeah, the basketball team, ohcase extremely well. I think throughout
there was other times where it didn't a little bit
of maybe a rotational issue, maybe you know, a sense
of urgency, maybe there was a little bit of a
cruise control element there, But when it counted at the
end of the game, they pulled away. Uh and UH
really were aggressive defensively have you seen?
Speaker 1: I mean this?
Speaker 2: The defense to me may have been the most impressive,
like when when they had to win possessions, when they
had to win on the defensive end, I think watching
them fight through screens like just elusively and physically was
maybe the most impressive thing of the night. Including Kebecata, right,
kebe Cata was uh with the was the Be's knees.
Speaker 1: He was just the.
Speaker 2: Best thing I watched all freaking night. He was dominant.
He was amazing. He was if Blake Griffin and and uh,
who was it? Who was I talking about here with
Ben Wallace? Like Griffin and Ben Wallace at a baby,
that's what That's what you'd get is Cava Kata.
Speaker 3: Yeah, he's got a little bit of he's got a
little bit of Kim and Matombo and him. And I'm
not just talking about when he swatted a ball into
about the seventh or eighth row at T Mobile Arena.
I mean it was. It was absolutely incredible. Eight point
seven rebounds, three blocks. Uh, I mean it's and then
I don't even think the stats necessarily come close to
describing what Kvakata was able to do. Ajda Bonsa was
definitely impressed. He said he's never played with somebody quite
like Kiva Ketta for all of the for for all
of the talk, and I think most people sort of
paid that price of admission in Las Vegas to see
Aja Bonds, to see Robert at the third, to see
what this Bou team can do. Kba Keada absolutely stole
the show. I struggle to remember a time. I don't
know if it's ever happened or a BAU basketball team
has had the length and the athleticism at one time
to be able to put on the court as what
this YU team has, and it translates defensively, and I
think Kiva Kada is absolutely absolutely the start. He's got
this pit bull mentality that I think you really need
with these thoroughbreds the BYU has been bringing in through
recruiting and the transfer portal and everything else. He might
be just as important to the state of this team
as you know, the former number one overhall recruit in
the country. Uh, future NBA draft lottery pick, and someone
like the Bonsa or arguably the best point guard in
the Big twelve or maybe even national, one of the
best nationally and Robert at the third Like I've been
given a lot of praise with those guys. Will and
by the way, last Yer's leading score of Richie Saunders
in there, uh Keba Keada made a statement like he
is going to be a factor and he is going
to matter this BYU basketball season. Sean, can I turn
the tables on you and maybe pivoted back to football
a little bit because I asked this question of partner
kingson yesterday. I want to get your take on it. Then,
let's go, uh what what Uh? If you're pulling kba
Keda over to the football field, what position are you
putting him in? Because I think the obvious answer partner
here this one is probably tight end. But I feel
like you might want him on the defensive side.
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, he's a d end. I mean he can catch.
I mean, I mean he can high point. You know,
he's okay. But I wouldn't say he's I wouldn't say
he's a refined catcher of the pig skin or for
that matter, the basketball like I think.
Speaker 1: I mean, he's good at lobs.
Speaker 2: He can he can elevate there, He's good at lobbs,
so you can you can maybe hide right. Yeah, you
could have him as a field goal blocker, just pat
and field goal blocker, just elevate and just try to
swat the crap out of the football is it's it's
being kicked through the uprights.
Speaker 1: So those would be the three things.
Speaker 2: I mean, I would say you probably want to put
him up, get him up to like two sixty and.
Speaker 1: Put him at a defensive end.
Speaker 2: Or you can just have him as a red zone
prett uh and uh at tight end.
Speaker 1: Similar way, It's what I've been saying.
Speaker 2: This for over two decades now, Like you should have
a specialist like Caleb B.
Speaker 1: Looner.
Speaker 2: Look at what you did last year with Caleb loner
look at what they did, Like he that's exactly who
he was. A field goal blocker, he was a red
zone threat, jump ball specialist.
Speaker 1: That's what you do, and that's the that's that's what
you do.
Speaker 2: If you have a basketball player period, Like you can't
put him on the defensive side of the ball, really
you you really can't. If it was like a Zigians
situation where we had him for four years, yeah, put
him at d end. But otherwise you have a one
year opportunity. It's all specialists.
Speaker 3: Yeah, No, I mean a lot of guys have made
long standing NFL careers after being out of being just
special team specialist. I'm thinking of guys like former Southern
Utah standout Miles Killerber, who is still in the league
a decade later as an a whole pro special teams guy.
So I actually I like that shot. I really like
that shot.
Speaker 2: Yes, Indeed, Sean Is, we look at at BYU athletics
as a whole, very healthy right now. Obviously football and
basketball in the top ten in their respective rankings and polls.
Speaker 1: But women soccer just got.
Speaker 2: A big win. I know you're a big fan. We
had Elie Wahlbroch on the show yesterday. It was a
fantastic interview. Is is this the healthiest that BYU's athletic
department has been not only monetarily but also collectively as
a sporting entity. Is you know, a competitive sporting entity
within a conference?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I think it's up there. The buy
in right now in BYU athletics from multiple angles, I
think is really driving a potential golden age in BYU.
And it's not just football, it's not just basketball. Those
are obviously the temple sports. They're important, and then they're
setting out to kind of what they are. But but
you're seeing what Jen Rockwood continues to do with one
the soccer program. You're seeing what both Homestead's the om
Sty both their Andrew brother Seawan are doing with the
men's and the women's volley or the womenes and the
men's volleyball teams respectively. You obviously at Eyestone and the
goat del j Taylor with cross country. Women's cross country
just one of their third straight big twelve Championship, Like
there is a men's buy in right now in YU athletics,
and it starts really up at the very top. Like
I give a ton of credit to university President Shane Reese.
I think he's all in on by athletics and what
they can be, what they can provide for the university,
and then also keep working the academic vice president who's
in charge, who's kind of over athletics and advancement and
that sort of thing. Like there is an all in
nature to those two in particular, and a lot of
university leadership that I think is something special. It's something
that I don't know if Yu's ever really had, but
it's something that they need if they you know, they
they figured out a way to get a see at
the quote unquote big boy table or close to it
at least in the big club, and now they're trying
to just take advantage by by knowing like, Okay, you know.
The mindset I think is we're here, we're there now,
what can we do to stay there and to potentially
dominate on that level? And I think he's really taken
all of that to heart from the top down.
Speaker 1: I love it.
Speaker 2: Sean Walker ladies and gentlemen, Sean. Great segment is always
can't wait to see what BYU football can do versus
Tech on the road.
Speaker 1: You get a score prediction. How does this game play out?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean Tech is. I think they are aund
nine and a half point favorite. The last night check
that number might have gone a little bit up or
a little bit down. And I tell you what, man,
that feels like a lot You know, I love spreads,
but that feels like a lot of points. I don't
know why he goes and I love it. Compulse out
the win, but I think this is a game that
should be decided in the final moment, single possession type
of game like this is this is going to be
It's a battle again. It's battle between the number seven
and number eight, or number eight and or nineteen in
the country, depending on which pool you prefer. And I
think it's going to play out that way as a
battle of two top ten teams that are just wayser
thin than neck and neck in both the conference standings
and nationally as well.
Speaker 2: Love the breakdown, Sean, We appreciate you. We invite everyone
to follow you and h on x in Regia at
KSL dot com.
Speaker 1: Thanks so much.
Speaker 3: Appreciate it. Guys, have a good one.
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