Speaker 1: Friday edition of The Drive Rolling Along always fun to
Speaker 1: welcome in a good print of the program. Defensive coordinator
Speaker 1: for you, Tech coaching waiting, Morgan Scaley, excuse me, Morgan,
Speaker 1: Happy Friday, Buddy? How we doing man?
Speaker 2: Spence? You sick or what? No?
Speaker 1: No, no, no, no, just you know, when you do this
Speaker 1: for four hours a day, every day on Friday, the
Speaker 1: voice starts to go, yeah, you know the drill. I'm
Speaker 1: sure at some.
Speaker 2: Point I was gonna say, you sound like me after
Speaker 2: a Tuesday practice, That's.
Speaker 1: What I was going to say. At any point, do
Speaker 1: you lose your voice after barking the instructions to the team.
Speaker 2: Usually it comes in fall camp and then the voice
Speaker 2: is ready, the voice box is ready for the rest
Speaker 2: of the season.
Speaker 1: Well, you would think after doing this for twenty years,
Speaker 1: my voice would be used to it, but I guess
Speaker 1: it's not. Buddy. Well, look, I know you don't have
Speaker 1: a ton of time, so let's get into it. First
Speaker 1: of all, thank you, sincerely. Eight days out from game day,
Speaker 1: I'll just give you nation a message. Man. How are
Speaker 1: things going up there?
Speaker 2: Oh? Fired up? Excited for healthy for the most part.
Speaker 2: Love How fall camp has gone progressed? The competitive nature
Speaker 2: of offense versus defense. I think we're ready to hit
Speaker 2: another colored jersey besides our own. So you know, going
Speaker 2: into it, we had our question marks on defense. You know,
Speaker 2: the d tackle spot was a question mark. Cornerspot depth
Speaker 2: there was a question mark. And I think we've done
Speaker 2: a pretty good job of slidifying who's going to help
Speaker 2: us and feel pretty good about the depth we have there.
Speaker 1: So let's start there. How is that dtackle spot coming?
Speaker 1: Obviously a big loss for Keanu, he's down at b YU,
Speaker 1: So how is that a defensive line shaping up? Morgan good?
Speaker 2: We needed a couple of things to happen. We need
Speaker 2: Dallas Bakalahi to progress, take on a leadership role, kind
Speaker 2: of own that position group Aliki Vi Mahi, the two
Speaker 2: vets that have returned. We needed jonahla A to put
Speaker 2: on some pounds. This is a guy that we've tried
Speaker 2: to to groom and develop and he's finally there. I'm
Speaker 2: really about him and his athleticism now that he has
Speaker 2: the strength and the weight on uh. And then the
Speaker 2: freshmen are kind of man a pleasant surprise to have
Speaker 2: these guys step up. Pouplu Cepalona Carson Kafusi, SEMy Taloga,
Speaker 2: you got Dylan Battle and Motawawaka, all those guys you
Speaker 2: know could be ready for us to play year one.
Speaker 2: Not only you know a couple probably will will need
Speaker 2: to use but you know how this deal goes, any
Speaker 2: anything can happen. Injuries are part of the game, and
Speaker 2: you've got to have some depth, yeap.
Speaker 1: Unfortunately we've all learned that lesson the hard way over
Speaker 1: the past couple of seasons, no doubt, and look, everybody
Speaker 1: says football is a contact sport. No it's not. It's
Speaker 1: a violent sport and no team stays healthy all year long.
Speaker 1: I suppose you know we all we all say the
Speaker 1: same thing. We don't worry about your defense with you
Speaker 1: and coach with your track record, and the standard is
Speaker 1: the standard. But as far as that second corner spot,
Speaker 1: you know, Cam Calhoun's a Crimson tide. How's that coming along?
Speaker 1: What's that room looking like?
Speaker 2: Very good? Had some good transfers come in, a couple
Speaker 2: that joined us early for spring, and then a couple
Speaker 2: that we've we've added late in the mix. Scooby Davis
Speaker 2: is a lot like Jonahlaa was, although Scooby probably got
Speaker 2: more time than Jonah in terms of the development we
Speaker 2: needed to put on, have him put on more weight,
Speaker 2: become stronger, be more durable, and he's going to be
Speaker 2: a starter for us. So excited for him. Smith Snowden
Speaker 2: has only gotten better, has added the outside element of
Speaker 2: his game playing outside corner as well as having played
Speaker 2: inside corner for us. And then you take a look
Speaker 2: at Donovan Saunders who transfer from A and M Blake Cotton.
Speaker 2: These are names that are going to help us tremendously.
Speaker 2: Jeremiah Caldwell so a couple others that that he'll need
Speaker 2: some development. But I feel much better really going into
Speaker 2: this season than I did last season about the corner position.
Speaker 1: So since we have already talked about the depth outside
Speaker 1: of the front line guys, and you've discussed some of
Speaker 1: the names, I mean, do you feel confident that? And look,
Speaker 1: I'm knocking on wood because none of us want injuries,
Speaker 1: but it's just part of the deal man. As you know,
Speaker 1: do you feel like you can weather that storm should
Speaker 1: have come your way on your side of the football.
Speaker 2: Oh, brother, I didn't even want to talk about it,
Speaker 2: but yeah, that's again you big part of springball is development.
Speaker 2: Big part of fall camp is solidifying who's going to
Speaker 2: be a part of that travel group. Another guy I
Speaker 2: didn't mention is Jackson Benny, who came on and had
Speaker 2: an unbelieable off season. He was big contributed on special needs.
Speaker 2: But this is the guy that you know a lot
Speaker 2: of YOUT fans are going to be fired up about
Speaker 2: because he's going to be making plays. So add him
Speaker 2: to the to the mix. His versatility can play safety,
Speaker 2: he can play nickel, Evans can play nickel, he can
Speaker 2: play strong safety. Tail can go down and play corners.
Speaker 2: So really that's what you're looking for. Or when guys
Speaker 2: go down, because it'll happen. Do you have the versatility
Speaker 2: to put the best eleven on the field or are
Speaker 2: you short changing, you know by putting a guy that
Speaker 2: may not be in as ready. He just knows the
Speaker 2: position better. But we'd rather go with our best eleven.
Speaker 1: UCLA an interesting opener at the Rose Bowl. It's a
Speaker 1: new quarterback, it's a new coordinator as well as Tino,
Speaker 1: Sinceera's the offensive coordinator. I don't know how much I
Speaker 1: would imagine we're about to launch in a very specific
Speaker 1: game prep, but I'm sure you've been you know, operating
Speaker 1: fall camp with one eye on the Bruins. I've been
Speaker 1: asking all of the guests this, Morgan, I'll ask you,
Speaker 1: what does success look like for you? Game one, when
Speaker 1: you're on that plane flying home from from the Rose Bowl.
Speaker 1: What will success feel like to you?
Speaker 2: Just be playing to our culture, you know, running to
Speaker 2: the football, playing with good fundamental technique, playing situationally smart football.
Speaker 2: I mean, obviously there's going to be mistakes that are made.
Speaker 2: A lot of the big plays that we make on
Speaker 2: the defensive side the ball really have to do with
Speaker 2: relentless effort guys running to the football and playing with
Speaker 2: some physicality. So you know, that's kind of been our
Speaker 2: calling card. And if we play to our culture, to me,
Speaker 2: I can deal with the other stuff, but we have to,
Speaker 2: you know, play physical, smart football.
Speaker 1: Tell me what you've learned about the Bruins. What makes
Speaker 1: them dangerous? You know, they're they're in the midst of
Speaker 1: I'll just call it a pivot with a new coaching
Speaker 1: staff a couple of years ago, and like I said,
Speaker 1: a new offensive coordinator, really good talented quarterback. A big
Speaker 1: news out of the Tennessee transfer situation. What do you
Speaker 1: know about UCLAs of.
Speaker 2: Now, well, obviously I did not. I mean I knew
Speaker 2: of the quarterback. I didn't know much about his game.
Speaker 2: So after you know, watching a ton of film on him,
Speaker 2: very impressed, very impressed, not only with his ability to
Speaker 2: spin it, but when he runs the ball, he's not
Speaker 2: he's not soft, and he's not a guy that looks
Speaker 2: to go down. He's tough. He's tough minded. So they
Speaker 2: got a good one in Nikos. The receiving core that
Speaker 2: they have there includes Mikey Matthews, who we know as
Speaker 2: a slot receiver that coming from US to Cal and
Speaker 2: now UCLA has and they've got a couple other wide
Speaker 2: receiving threats that are really good. You know, the old
Speaker 2: line is going to be, in my opinion, their work
Speaker 2: in progress. You know, you take a look at our
Speaker 2: D line, it's our work in progress. That's offensive line
Speaker 2: is going to be their work in progress. But the
Speaker 2: quarterback and skill players, including the running back transfer from
Speaker 2: Cal who's a dynamic kid as well, that's going to
Speaker 2: be the strength of their offense in my opinion.
Speaker 1: This last week, when Devin Dampier said, hey, sometimes I
Speaker 1: have eight seconds in the pocket, my first thought was, well,
Speaker 1: that's not going to make more than happy. Obviously, you
Speaker 1: guys were an average offense away a year ago from
Speaker 1: competing for the Big twelve championship. Tell me from your
Speaker 1: advantage point, this new revamped offense. It's under Jason Beck
Speaker 1: with Devin under center. How's it looking to you? Morgan?
Speaker 2: I'm excited to watch him, Excited to watch him work
Speaker 2: the offensive line obviously, is the huge strength the skilled
Speaker 2: players that we've brought in Devin's leadership, you know, And
Speaker 2: let's be honest, he's got eight seconds because we can't
Speaker 2: touch the quarterback. It's not it's not like we can
Speaker 2: sit there and get after him in practice. But no,
Speaker 2: he is so competitive. That's what I love about him,
Speaker 2: is that competitive drive. And he's not overconfident. He's not cocky.
Speaker 2: He comes to work every single day and he earns
Speaker 2: that right to be confident. So add to that the
Speaker 2: schematic schematic elements that I love, the shifts and motions,
Speaker 2: the formation into the boundary of the Q run game,
Speaker 2: all the different things that Jason's doing. Really excited to
Speaker 2: watch these guys work all.
Speaker 1: Right before I say you loose, you know, Ultimately, the
Speaker 1: past couple of years as a result of lack of
Speaker 1: health has not been what we're used to. Because you
Speaker 1: and Coach Wade and you know the coaches up there,
Speaker 1: you've set a standard that I know you guys take seriously.
Speaker 1: What gives you the most confidence. You do not have
Speaker 1: the target on your back that you did a year ago.
Speaker 1: As far as everyone expecting you to win the thing,
Speaker 1: I think most people believe you're going to be good.
Speaker 1: I certainly do what gives you the most confidence that
Speaker 1: this year will look different than you're one of the
Speaker 1: big twelve.
Speaker 2: Morgan, Well, I don't mean I go I go to
Speaker 2: work looking to win one game, brother, and I'm dan like,
Speaker 2: I'm dead serious with this. I think you do yourself
Speaker 2: such a disservice going looking beyond I obviously you want
Speaker 2: to know that you're going to be competitive and know
Speaker 2: that you've got the right pieces to be competitive. I
Speaker 2: feel like that's the case here with both offense and defense.
Speaker 2: I feel like we've got the right personnel. We just
Speaker 2: got to do a great job of, you know, playing
Speaker 2: smart football, and it is going to require some luck, man.
Speaker 2: I mean, and the years that we won the championships,
Speaker 2: our guy stayed healthy for the most part and you
Speaker 2: look at the two thousand and four Festival team that
Speaker 2: I played, starting eleven at the beginning of the season.
Speaker 2: We're starting eleven the end of the season on the
Speaker 2: defensive side of the ball and primarily on the offensive
Speaker 2: side of the ball as well, so the Sugar Bowl year.
Speaker 2: So it does take a little bit of luck, but
Speaker 2: you also have to be smart the way you practice
Speaker 2: and compete against each other, and we've definitely done that
Speaker 2: this fall camp and heading into the season. So just
Speaker 2: excited for game one, dude, and not looking beyond that.
Speaker 1: Well played. I'm looking at my inbox and do I
Speaker 1: need to resend you my cell phone? I mean, one
Speaker 1: invite to play some golf during the off season. I
Speaker 1: don't think is too much to ask for somebody I've
Speaker 1: known for like twenty five years. Do you need me
Speaker 1: to resend you myself?
Speaker 2: Morgandy? Listen, trust me, You're not the only one that
Speaker 2: has not been playing golf. I've been able to play
Speaker 2: primarily with one guy and that's shref Shaw, and you know,
Speaker 2: a couple of rounds here or there, But ultimately my
Speaker 2: summer was with my family. I got a daughter that
Speaker 2: graduated and we went on some vacations, but we do
Speaker 2: need to get together, brother, We do need to get together.
Speaker 2: You take care of that voice box, okay, and during
Speaker 2: the off season we'll make sure something happens.
Speaker 1: Yes, sir, Thanks for the time, man, best of luck
Speaker 1: a week one and all year long. Okay?
Speaker 2: All right, brother, yeah, all right.
Speaker 1: Morgan'scalley, defensive coordinator for the University of Utah. We are
Speaker 1: eight days away from kick. The Utes will be at
Speaker 1: the Rose Bowl to take on UCLA. They remain an
Speaker 1: eight or excuse me, a six point five point favorite
Speaker 1: in Vegas. Don't forget that game. We'll kick off at
Speaker 1: nine o'clock Mountain time. Television coverage is on Fox, and
Speaker 1: of course, the radio coverage is right here on your
Speaker 1: home of the Utes ESPN seven hundred