Speaker 1: Need to get your football fix on all things Army,
Navy and Air Force. This is Yards and Stripes Service
Academy Football. Now here are your hosts, Pryce Atkinson and
Steve Carney.
Speaker 2: We have Liftoff Episode fourteen on the Yards and Stripes.
You're home for Service Academy Football. He is Steven M.
CARNEI and Price Atkinson and it's Thanksgiving week and Steven,
you know what, You win some, you lose some, and
Army has won a lot of them this year, but
unfortunately the streak came to an end on Saturday. We're
gonna get into all that and more on this episode.
We got Travis Manning Foundation Honor Roll segment. We got
games to preview. We're gonna get into both the games
last weekend as a maybe Debbie downer for Army, but look,
I'm not gonna be that way for Air Force because
they went again. Holy cow, where's the turnaround come from?
We got a lot to talk about here, Steven. We
got some news and notes, we got picks to make,
and we also have for the first time I feel
like in ages three games and we're gonna go ahead
and drop a little teaser here right now, all three
of our teams, Army, Navy, and Air Force. They're all
favored this weekend now, so we'll talk about it. But Steven,
Thanksgiving week, let me just go ahead and put you
on the spot. I know we like to talk about
food out of the outset, so let me get the
first pre wreck question out of the way. What's on
the papyons tonight?
Speaker 3: Amazingly enough price, I had a big lunch, so there
is no papian No, no pizza. Pizza is empty tonight. Plus,
you know you normally I go with the Papa yns
when the lightning win so I can get fifty percent
off because I'm a cheap bugger. I am Scottish, so
I am cheap in that in that sense, So there
is no pizza tonight. I did have PDQ for lunch,
so which is which is always tasty? The chicken sandwich
franchise that was started here in the Tampa Bay region
and is now starting to branch out nationwide. I don't
know if they have any PDQ in your neck of
the woods. No, we do not. It's the perfect place
to go on Sunday, because of course, the Great Chick
fil A is not open on Sunday. So if you're
if you need that chicken sandwich fix, that is my recommendation.
Speaker 2: Well, my son, who's mister Fortnite sitting over my left shoulder,
he is a big chicken guy, and so he loves
his chicken. He loves his Zaxby's. And so I like
to get into the debate and piss all the raising
Canes people off and tell them how it's overrated all
the time, because those are like the northern people that
like I don't for whatever reason, they can't get Zaxby's,
but they think raising Canes is like the end all,
and I'm like, it's the same thing as Zaxby's. It's
no different, it's no better, it's no worse. But it's
question two. I gotta stay on food. It is Thanksgiving week.
Let me just throw out my Thanksgiving bomb right here.
I can't stand pumpkin pie. Are you with me? Are
you against me? You know what, I the minority, and
that's why.
Speaker 3: I'm very limited when it comes to pumpkin I I
like pumpkin pie, but I can only eat like a
slice of it. Like, give me a small piece of
pumpkin pie with whipped cream and it's gotta be real
whipped cream. Can't be any of that cool whip hydrogenated stuff.
It's got to be ready whipped, real whipped cream on
pumpkin pie. But I am more about, uh, the chocolate
cream pie, banana cream. My mother used to make banana
and chocolate cream pie for for Thanksgiving. That's all. That
was always a big moment for me because she didn't
make chocolate cream pie very often, okay, And that's and
that was that was my favorite. So she used to
make it just for me on on Thanksgiving. Because you know,
I am I'm the I'm the oldest, i am the
golden child. This is my sister, I used to call me. Uh,
But so I always go that route. But I do
like a little bit of pumpkin pie, but like I
am not a huge pumpkin person per se. I remember
one time my former colleague Derek Sharp, who is now
one of the play by play guys at the University
of South Florida, he and I went out for beers
and it was about about this time of year and
they we went to this craft brewery place in Saint
Petersburg called the Ale, in which great great venue. It's
got a big courtyard and they always have music going
on out there, which is always really nice. But we
went there and he was like, they have this pumpkin
pumpkin stout or whatever, you know, pumpkin porter, you know.
So not only was it pumpkin, but it was real heavy.
And I remember I drank about half of one and
I was like, I can't. I can't drink this, dude.
It's so it shot like a like a like an
anvil in my gut. I was like, I need something light.
I need something like when I drink the beer, it's
got to be like, you know, clean and crisp. I
don't need like, you know, this, this anvil sitting there,
sitting me, this gut bomb.
Speaker 2: I'm with you, like when it comes to the beer,
Like I've had a pumpkin flavored ale before, but like
I like pumpkin flavored stuff, like pumpkin flavored muffins. I
like the creamer for your coffee. I like all this stuff,
pumpkin pies. Where I draw the line, I think it's
the texture, there's the taste. I just I know I'm
in the minority and I know it's a it's a
mood killer every time.
Speaker 3: We're both in the South, and so you end up
with like pumpkin or sweet potato pie.
Speaker 2: Yes, And I don't like sweet potatoes at all. I'd
rather eat the pumpkin before i'd eat the sweet PoTA
all right.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I know, the the one pie that I like
to get from because you know, we don't make pumpkin pie.
You know, usually you buy pumpkin pie, ye, and you
buy sweet potato pie. You don't usually make sweet potato pie.
Public's makes this bourbon chocolate walnut pie that is just
absolutely chef's kiss incredible, and you can only find it
during Thanksgiving, and it's a little more expensive, Like you
can get a pumpkin pie for like five bucks at Publics,
the bourbon chocolate walnut pie is like eleven ninety nine
and it is so worth it. I definitely recommend that.
Speaker 2: I think it's the is It Costco where they have
the pumpkin pies that are really popular. I think my
wife usually gets one from there every year.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Sure, we usually go either Publics or in years past
we used to go to the village in that sells
pumpkin pies. We like to call it the Volagio because
you know, we've never been to Las Vegas, and that's
about as close to the Ballagio as we're going to get.
So my wife and I like to joke about it,
call it the Volagio to get our pumpkin pies. But
we'll get a pumpkin pie usually for the rest of
the rest of the group. But the bourbon chocolate walnut
pie that we buy is for me.
Speaker 2: Well, my wife makes a killer chocolate pie. That's her staple.
That's what the family expects for her to bring every
year now. So it'll be cooking up on Thursday morning.
But it is feat suite. It's Feast week, Stephen. This
is another thing I'm gonna throw out real quickly because
I know we've got to get to the football and
this is this is part of it. I think Feast
week for me, this is the best sports week of
the year by far, the best. College basketball is my
is my first love. I obviously love college football because
of what we do here. Of course you have NFL,
but this week, when you have Day Basketball Maui Invitational,
you start on Thursday, where you get NFL, you get
college football on Friday. I mean, this is total sports
saturation of college football, Pro football, college bat I mean,
this is the There are other great weeks of the year.
And I know everybody will say, well, how about New
Year's Day? New Year's Day is not the same as
it used to be many years ago. I'm not gonna
be get off my lawn, guy, but this week is
so good. From even yesterday being Sunday, we're recording on Monday,
trying to get our episode out to everybody. He was
we're part of the Last Word on Sports podcast Network.
When we get that out there real quick. Yeah, but
we're trying to get it so everybody's you know, traveling
and everybody can have this in the in the in
their queue and and and listen to us and get
you ready for the weekend. This is the best sports
weekend of the year. And you do even more than that.
You take the Lightning. You've got a ton going on
right now, Tampa Bay, the Rays. I mean, there is
no short as of sports stuff going on in Steven
Karney and Pryce Atkins's life right now.
Speaker 3: Yeah, there are two weeks that that are I think
some of the most enjoyable. If you are a sports fan,
if you're a sports broadcaster, if you're a commentator if
you do content, this is like overload in my in
my mind. This week and then of course the first
weekend of the NCAA March Bash basketball tournament, because you
have baseball getting started, you have the NBA and the
NHL going, you know, their regular seasons are starting to
wrap up, and then of course the turn which is
just absolutely uh you know the best. The only thing
that you don't have there is football, and it's probably
a good thing because if they had football there, like
if the NFL or or the NCAA decided they wanted
to do something football wise that weekend, Uh, we might
you might see my head explode because it's just too much.
But uh, but yeah, I would say this week, and
you know I I do stuff for the University of
South Florida, Uh with their basketball programs. Uh. The men
were in Myrtle Beach for uh for the uh uh
for the Myrtle Beach Classic.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 3: You know they played in that in that invitational. Uh.
The women's basketball team is in Orlando, was in Orlando,
uh for an invitational. This was a big weekend uh
for basketball here in the Tampa Bay region. Even though
we don't have NBA we do have a couple of
very very good and very exciting college basketball teams. Won
a men's team and a women's team at the University
of South Florida with the lightning going on, and now
with the Buccaneers, uh and they're and their big win,
and then of course all the love for college football,
uh that we have here in this region. Uh, it's great.
It's been fun.
Speaker 2: Let me throw this one in there because my daughter's
in an earshot down the hall. I know it's up
the road from you. The Orlando Pride they win the
NWSL Soccer Women's Soccer League last night. I know it's
up the road. They win the whole thing last night.
They had a parade today.
Speaker 3: You I will say, I will say this about for people,
for people who think that that that folks in Tampa
give a damn about what anything goes on in Orlando.
I know that you do not care. Orlando is is
like you might as well be in Nicaragua. Uh. You know,
it is an it is an entirely different world. They
want to be Tampa so bad. Uh. You know, it's
it's absolutely unreal. And yeah, so while while it's great
and you know, I love you, know women's soccer. I
love the fact that that they have these opportunities now
where they didn't, you know, even twenty five years ago.
You know, this all started from that World Cup in
ninety nine. You know that that all this has started from.
But and that, and that's all well and good, But
we don't care about Orlando here in Tampa.
Speaker 2: All right, I'm gonna pivot this back to football. But
I'm gonna tell you I've said it once, I've said it,
I'm gonna say it again. If I'm gonna move to
the state of Florida, there's only one city I'm moving
to in that entire state. And I like your state, Steven,
but Tampa is the only place I would ever move
to in Florida because I think the Tampa Bay region
is awesome. And that's not trying to kiss your behind
after the Orlando commet That's just facts, and that's what
I've said for years, so I'm sticking to it. We
got Orlando listeners. I'm sorry, Tampa is where it's at.
I just was gonna shout it out while they're up
the road because there's a lot going on. All right,
Let's get to the football. Stephen we've gone on, I've
gone on food, football, turkeys, soccer. We're back to college
football now. Let's get to it. Because it was up
in the Big Apple Stephen Armies thirteen game winning streak.
It may have ended at the hands of number six
Notre Dame, but the Black Knights they still have an
American Athletic Conference Championship game to prepare for on December six.
Oregon now is the only undefeated FBS team in the country.
That's because the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. They thump, unfortunately,
the Black Knights forty nine to fourteen at the New
Yankee Stadium at the hands of really a one man
show by Jeremiah Love, and it was pretty much over
a game, set match from the very beginning. Stephen is it?
You know? You know Irish have won nine straight. They've
moved a step closer to the College Football Playoff, largely
on the heels of their defense. But my Love did
it on the ground. But their defense is only given
up fourteen points or or less in the last six straight.
And they may I mean clearly, we know when you
play a team like Notre Dame, when you're out talented,
you got to do something a little bit different. You
got to be clicking on all cylinders. And when when
Armies basically one dimensional what Bryce and Daily meant, he
almost tried to do it all by himself. Thirty nine carries,
one hundred and thirty nine yards and two touchdowns. I
think that the only I think they had maybe fifty
sixty yards off total offense not named Rice and Daily
in this game. It just wasn't meant to be steven.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and you saw them having to throw the football,
which is not what Army wants to do. Yeah, and
so and that that just causes, you know, that that
awful downward spiral because you know they're they're down, they
have to throw the football to try and you get
back into this thing and they're they're not able to
do it. Then they get further down than when she
means they have to pass more. You know, it's certainly
not the status that you want to be. If you
were Jeff Monkin and the Black Knights at Yankee Stadium,
I will say, you know, it really started early on.
As you mentioned, Notre Dame gets the opening kickoff, they
go down, they score a touchdown. Army their next their
next drive, they go three and out and they get
the punt blocked. So at that point you knew things
were going to be in trouble because they had the
short field, they only had sent and they only had
to go seven yards to get the second touchdown to
make it fourteen nothing. And at that point you're going, oh,
you know, at that right then and there, I said
to my friend Peter Defie, who was who was producing
with me on Saturday night. I was doing Lightning. He
was doing college basketball USF basketball. I looked at him,
I said, we're in trouble. I said, this is not
I said, we may want to turn this back to
the Lightning at this point, because you were watching it
in the studio and at that point you knew that
this this could get out of hand, and if it
got out of hand, it was going to be ugly.
And that's exactly what happened.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I don't have the yards per play in
front of me, but here's the thing. To check this
out for one second, Notre Dame only had five third
downs in the entire game. Let me equate it to
a different way. And I think you said it the
other day. Army had they converted more third downs than
Army even attempted in the game. Time of possession was
forty minutes to twenty minutes, and you would think, holy cow,
Army was in this thing. No, it wasn't like that.
And the reason why I say yards per play I
would love to see it. I don't have it right
in front of me, but I know that Notre Dame
rolled up four hundred and sixty four total yards of
offense and only having the ball twenty minutes and having
that combined on fourth down, they were three of six
on third and fourth down combined. That is what you
call efficient offense steven, and that's what Notre Dame was
from the minute they got it till the minute this
game ended. They were efficient with the football and that
was all she wrote. I mean, that's all you can
say is they got the job done on both sides
of the football. Army was one dimensional. Notre Dame knew it,
and the better team won. You know, we talked about
it earlier, just simply put in this case, the better
team won. We had had our hopes. I mean, I
was bummed. I was bummed all night, but you know,
you got to move on and here we go. Army
still got an American Athletic Conference championship to play for.
There's seven to zero in the American They've obviously got
UTSA this weekend. Tulane has got a tougher game, albeit
at home, but they've got to play Memphis, who's one
of the top teams in the AAC. So there's still
a lot on the line and a chance to host
the conference championship game.
Speaker 3: If you're curious, I did the math. Army was three
and a half half yards per play. Notre Dame was
over ten yards per play per play.
Speaker 2: That's a first down every time you're snapping it. I
wish I'd had a first down every time you snap
the ball on average. Yeah, need I say Army.
Speaker 3: Army was three point four yards per play to be honest,
like to give you the and then Notre Dame it's
ten point zero nine yards. So yeah, that you do that,
and you're gonna you're gonna end up with with problems.
And obviously you look at what Army does. Well, you know,
they didn't take a whole lot of penalties just too Uh.
They did lose the turnover battle, much like Navy did
to Notre Dame. Uh though the uh black Knights did
not turn the ball over six times like the midshipman did.
It was only once. But but still, you know, when
you are outrushed by Notre Dame two seventy five to
two o seven and you're obviously outpassed by the fighting Irish,
you look at it. It was four sixty four to
two thirty three was the total yards. Uh, you know,
I just look at it, and yeah, you would love
you love the fact that they converted more third downs
than Notre Dame attempted. That's not a good sign when
you're getting that many, that many yards per play, ten
and a half yards per pass, almost ten yards per rush.
So they it was it was just a it was
just a you could just tell which team was the
better team on the field, and it might as well
it was it was. It was Notre Dame on every aspect.
Speaker 2: You might as well have been ordered shredded salami on
your papayans tonight, because that's really what the Notre Dame
defense was doing to a very solid, good Army defense
in this game. Steven, Yes, and again was number six,
Notre Dame forty nine, number nineteen Army fourteen. All right,
let's move out less because out Reno. How about a
fourth quarter comeback. It wasn't one for the Ages. It
was just simply a comeback that secured the third straight
win for the Air Force Falcons and steven. How about this,
They didn't even complete a single pass. They had more
interceptions that they did passes completed, and Air Force knocks
off Nevada, keeping the Wallpack still winless in the mount
Less twenty two to nineteen. Air Force has now won
three straight four and seven and overall two and four
in the mount lest Now Nevada falling to three and
nine oh and six in the Mountainless. They've lost five
straight as the Wallpack and six to seven. Air Force
sophomore running back Owen Allen twenty three carries one to
oh seven for a touchdown and the go ahead score
early in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 3: At that Yeah, not only did he score the go
ahead touchdown, but also ran in the two point conversion
that made it fifteen to twelve, that made it a
field goal, and then they were able to tack on
and make it a ten point lead near the end
of the game with Quintin Hayes's touchdown run. And then
you look at it the Nevada had the the late
late touchdown with four seconds to go in the game
to get it back to a field goal. But uh yeah,
this was this was quite the incredible moment. Air Force
obviously the first team this year to win a game
without completing a pass, with zero passing yards in the game. So,
uh it was good to see. It was good to
see them be able to use the long drive at
the start of the fourth quarter to get ahead after
Nevada was able to take the lead in the third.
You know, I I I was. I was very surprised
looking back at the highlights, uh in in this game
about just how strong I thought that that Air Force's
offensive line looked in this game.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 3: And and we have said now three weeks in a
row that finally, finally Air Force has an identity. They
have they have created their identity. It might be too little,
too late for this year, but you've got to feel
these seniors are feeling much better about themselves, knowing that
they are pretty much going into the end of their
season now with an opportunity to win four straight to
end things. And that's a great sign.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and they were over they were over set, almost
seventy percent on third down eleven to sixteen, which is
always a big number. But you know, before that, even
going back, you know, I, you know, linebacker sorrow Ahi,
he had a big interception. That's what led to the
touchdown run that put air Force ahead. Give credit to
the Air Force defense early in the game, because there
was it was in the second quarter and about midway
through the second quarter, through the end of the half,
Nevada had the ball and went on a couple of
long drives and getting a pair of stops that stopped
long drives. I'm talking a ten play sixty one yard
drive in a ten play seventy two yard drive. What
happened on both of those is the fact that the
Air Force did not give up a touchdown. They forced
field goals short field goals a twenty seven and a
twenty six yard field goal that you know what, it
didn't happen at the end of the game. It happened
toward the end of the first half. Those were two
critical stops that Air Force got on back to back
possessions for Nevada that really, I think was probably the
difference in the game because you end up, you know,
three for four. I mean, that's eight points right there alone.
That's easily the difference in the game. And those were
the big stops. And obviously the interception that led to
the goal ahead touchdown that was the other big play
in the game.
Speaker 3: Stephen, Yeah, absolutely, it's it's a great it's great moment there.
As you mentioned, they got into you know, into not
just into the red zone, but they were inside the
ten in both of those situations, and you know, creating
these short field goals. That's a defense that bowed up
late in that first half and Troy coach Troy Calhoun
probably went into the half feeling much better about things
knowing that he was up seven to six instead of
down fourteen to seven.
Speaker 2: Yeah, all right, once again Air Force getting the win
twenty two to nineteen, their third straight win. As they
are coming down the home stretch of the twenty twenty
four regular season. Steven, game ball time. Who's gonna get
your game ball this week?
Speaker 3: You know, for me, there was a three headed running
monster in Reno this weekend with Quinton Hayes had twenty
carries for sixty eight yards. You mentioned Owen Allen getting
the go ahead touchdown and the two point conversion there
he had twenty three carries for one hundred and seven yards.
But I'm gonna go with Dylan Carlson again. He was
the third head on the three headed monster, the Cerberus
running the football for the Falcons fourteen carries one hundred
and five yards, including a fifty yard score in this
So I really think that, you know, they did a
great job running the football, and I'm gonna go with
Carlson in this week.
Speaker 2: All right, I'm gonna go. I mention his name a
few minutes ago. I'm gonna go with Air Force senior
linebacker asorrow Ahi because big interception returns at thirty nine
yards sets up the go ahead touchdown in the fourth
quarter for Air Force to kind of set the table
for the comeback. But he also led air Force at tackles.
He had seven tackles and as a result of the
performance on Saturday, Stephen he was named the Mountain Less
Conference excuse me, Defensive Player of the Week for the
performance against Nevada in the twenty two to nineteen So
the senior from Texas Sorrow, He's gonna get my game ball.
Seven tackles and that big intersection interception his first career
pick he gets my game ball. All right, we got
more to do, Steven were before we do that, and
gonna let you tell everybody about the last Word on
Sports podcast Network. We got the Travis Mannon Foundation on
a roll coming up. We got three games, yes I
mentioned three games, and our teams are all favored in
those games. We got picks. But first, even tell everybody
about the last word on Sports podcast Network.
Speaker 3: Yeah, the last word on Sports podcast Network where you
can get all of your content for everybody, for every
sport out there. Of course, college football, the College Gridiron,
Coast to Coast podcast Network part of last Word on
Sports this week? Do you want to check out? It
just means more football and coffee road woes. I mean,
who would have thought that Alabama loses again, text A
and m loses, Ole Miss loses to Florida. Rob Williams,
Craig McMichael going through it all here this week. As
the SEC may have just taken a step back when
it comes to the college football playoff, we will certainly
find out. Of course we'll have yards and stripes. Get
off my pylon with Matt Zemic looking out West. The
Florida Football Insiders Podcast with Jason Powers, the Big twelve
sec Breakdown with Tyler Jones and Thomas Bridges all coming
up later this week.
Speaker 2: There is something for everybody. If you're a college football
fan The Last Word on Sports podcast Network, we have
got everything or something for you, and that include Jorge
and Stripes, your home for service Academy, Football, Army, Navy,
and Air Force. That is what we should do, Steven,
and we will be right back, so we look ahead
to our three games this coming week.
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Speaker 1: The latest with Navy, Army and Air Force on Yards
and Stripes Service Academy Football.
Speaker 2: As we continue on here on Yards and Stripes are
home for Service Academy Football. He is Stephen Carney on
Bryce Atkinson in his feast week. We got big games coming.
We got a lot of games coming, as I mentioned earlier,
three games this first time, Steven. It feels like in
weeks somebody has not had a bye week but as
we're coming down the home stretch, I mean the regular season,
We're almost there. I mean, this is the end we
are at. Well, I shouldn't say this is the end.
Army Navy is the official end of the regular season
for pretty much everybody. But this is coming down the
stretch as we are about to put a bow on it.
And let's talk about the three games, because Navy, speaking of,
will be in our first game this weekend, as they
will be taking the field on Friday, Black Friday Affair
at twelve noon in Eastern North Carolina, Navy seven to three,
five and two in the American heading to East Carolina,
who is seven and four five and two in the American.
On ESPN again at twelve New Navy is a one
point favorite on the road that over under fifty six
and a half as East two teams will meet for
the twelfth time all time and for the sixth consecutive
year when they square off in Greenville, North Carolina, in
a series that Navy leads all time nine to two,
including a five and zero record in Greenville. And just
to throw this out there again, not gonna have any
implications on the American Athletic Conference championship race, but the
winner of Saturday's game will finish at a minimum tied
for third in the AAC alongside Memphis, and a Navy
could finish third all alone if Tulane could somehow beat
Memphis on Thursday night. But Memphis the preseason favorite to win.
They see as a reminder, East Carolina was picked seventh,
well maybe was picked eleventh. We're looking at our two
teams here in this matchup.
Speaker 3: Stephen, Yeah, and you look at you know, I was
very surprised because I did not realize that, you know,
the East Carolina Pirates had played as well as they
have been, especially because they started out three and four,
fired their head coach, Mike Houston, and now Blake Harrell,
who is the interim coach, has won four straight and
the Pirates are Boy eligible. So I certainly didn't see
that comic.
Speaker 2: Let me throw this one in there too. Let me
just connect the docks, because I'm gonna give it back
right back to Blake. Harroll replaced Brian Newberry as the
defensive coordinator at Kennesaw State in twenty nineteen when Newberry
left to become the d C at Navy. So there
you go. Yeah, take it away, Stephen.
Speaker 3: And of course Carl has UH has some ties to
other UH service or I guess you could say UH academies.
He was the DB's coach and the linebackers coach at
the Citadel was so so there's there's plenty of military
UH that that needs to be pointed out here for
this UH for this matchup. But I I was very
surprised to see how the Pirates have turned things around
since firing UH their head coach and and promoting Blake
Harrell UH to be the interim coach at this point,
and really they've done it UH in you know the
ways that you have to do it. When you are
UH a defensive minded coach. You score the living hellas.
I mean, you look at their wins since now, let's
let's be honest here.
Speaker 2: Five and a half points a game is what they're
averaging in the four game winning streets he took me over,
they've they.
Speaker 3: Have won four row. It's not like he's beating Ohio
State UH in these games. There their wins over Temple FAU, Tulsa,
and North Texas UH the last two on the road,
and Tulsa was was certainly a little bit more of
a nail biter than the other three. It was only
a one score uh decision. Uh, But the other three
we were pretty much blowouts. Now. Uh, I saw Tulsa
this past week against the University of South Florida, and
the Bulls just you know, ran them out of their
own building. Uh so, which was which was wild on
senior Day uh here in Tampa. I mean, they they
took Tulsa and basically shot them back to Oklahoma uh
in that game. But uh I, I really do think
that for Navy it is going to be about making
sure that they aren't spreading the ball around. On offense.
The defense is going to have to make their quarterback very,
very uncomfortable. But they also run the ball really well.
I mean, in that win over North Texas, Roger Harris
had three touchdowns on the ground. So they do a
very good job of spreading things out and spreading things around.
The easiest way to prevent that, other than keeping the
offense on the field, which are off the field, they
should say, which is what Navy's offense is designed to do,
but is the midshipman defense needs to make things uncomfortable.
You've got to get pressure and you've got to get
pressure early.
Speaker 2: To me, this one, this one comes down to turnovers
and Navy seven wins this year, and Navy's outscored their
opposition eighty seven to seven in points off turnovers. In
the three games Navy has lost this season, the mids
have been outscored forty eight to nothing in points off turnovers.
So to me, that's that's the biggest you know, statistical,
you know category of the game besides the points on
the scoreboard. Because we know Navy is a really good team,
but it's just when they played bad, they played really bad, Steve,
I mean, would turn it with interceptions and bumbles, et cetera.
Speaker 3: Yeah. The three the three losses that Navy has had, though,
and we've said this before, Yeah, they they've been to teams.
Two of them are to teams that are noticeably better
than the midship Yeah, Tulane is noticeably better than Navy
is Notre Dame obviously noticeably better than than Navy. The
Rice game was the stinker of the year, and we
we mentioned this last week. Every Service academy has a
stinker in them and Navies came uh in a in
a day against Rice where they had that really long
weather delay. Obviously, no Medhurst on the microphone for the
first time in that game. I'm sure that their their
minds were somewhere else. Yeah, and and I have a
feeling that that Navy could could find themselves that they've
got to find a way because now they've lost three
of their last four. Yeah, you've got to find a
way to get yourself going in that moment, getting that
momentum back, especially because you've got your bowl game coming
up after this, after the Army Navy. You've got Army
Navy obviously, and your gout Obviously you're gonna be up
for that. But you've got to you've got to start
preparing for your ball game which is coming after that.
Speaker 2: Navy at East Carolina Friday, a Black Friday affair at
twelve noon on ESPN. Navy again a one point favorite,
fifty six and a half the over under in this one.
All right, the next one, as we move through chronologically,
on Saturday, at twelve noon on the CBS Sports Network, UTSA, Texas,
San Antonio hosts Or traveling to Army UTSA seven and four,
four and three in the American taking on Army, who
is nine and one obviously undefeated. That seven to zero,
Army is giving a touchdown in this one. Fifty four
and a half points is the over under. And again,
you know, while Armies playoff, you know, college football play
hopes are basically all but gone. They are playing steven
for a chance to host the American Athletic Championship Game.
So there's definitely, without a doubt, something to play for.
You know, UTSA has qualified for a bowl while they
hope to play spoiler in this game is Army Dusley
the all time series three wins to one loss, including
a thirty seven to twenty nine thriller last year in
September in the Alamo Dome, which I thought was Bryson
Daly's coming out party. Yeah.
Speaker 3: And and when it comes to the road Runners, you know,
I look at them as a team that you know,
they play really well in that dome in San Antonio,
that the Alamo Dome is there, is there their safe
they're safe place. Well, they're not going to get that
here here this week when they when they head up
to Mikey Stadium. I really think that you know, for me, uh,
this is going to be about you know, making sure
that you are the host for the for the AAC
championship game. You know, you've got an opportunity to be
the home team in your first year, and the only
way you can do that is you've got to win
this week against UTSA. You do that, you've gone undefeated
in conference play for the in your first year in
the American You've got yourself a spot in the in
the league championship game already. You can be the home
team with a victory.
Speaker 2: Yeah, all four of the previous meetings have come in
the last five years. And you know, the only time
the two teams have met West Point was in two
thousand and two in a game that you know, Army
lost in overtime. But they've never met this late in
the season. Certainly Army has got a lot on the
line in this one. Steven is they have a chance
to host that American Athletic Conference Championship game on Friday night,
December the six at Mikey Stadium again the twelve noon
kickoff on the CBS Sports Network. Texas, San Antonio and
Army on Black Friday, all right, final game of the weekend.
Steven Air Force traveling to San Diego State on Saturday
night ten thirty PM. Fox Sports won Holy Cow. Air
Force is a three and a half point favorite on
the road over under in this one is forty three
and a half. I bet you didn't see that coming.
I don't think. I don't, Stephen. I don't think Army
or air Force has been a favorite all season outside
of their opener. They may have been a slight favorite
last week. I'd have to go back and look it up.
If they were, it was only by one point. Fit
not Yeah, So this is probably the only second time
outside of the opener that air Force has been a
favorite all season in a series that they lead against
San Diego State twenty one to eighteen, with every single
game coming as conference foes. Air Force is eight and
eleven in games played in San Diego. So, but they
did win last season, a big forty nine to ten
thumping that snapped a non game losing streak to the
Aztecs and before that losing street, air Force had won
three straight from two thousand and seven to two thousand
and nine.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and you look at at this game going on,
uh in San Diego. The weather's gonna be nice. It's
gonna be you know, you're not gonna have to worry
about freezing your tukus off like you normally do uh
in the Mountain West. But this is this is a
team in San Diego State that is definitely looking to
turn things around and would love to be able to
do so against the Air Force. They have lost obviously
their last five straight as well, and have not looked
good in any of them. You know, obviously a couple
of them have been against tougher competition. You know, they
got they got blown out on the on the smurf
turf up in Boise by Boise State, and then lost
badly on the road both to un l V and
Utah State Uta State. Uh not as you know, I
would say, not as good as the other two teams,
uh that I mentioned. But they lose at home to
New Mexico. Uh you know, I I'm I'm That kind
of is surprise to me, even though New Mexico seems
to be a better team. You don't expect New Mexico
to to do that to you, especially when they are
on the road in your own home. Uh. For Air Force?
What I we what have we said? The last three
weeks now they have finally found an identity in running
the football and I think that they need to do
it again. Let's let's see them try and win another
game without uh, you know, throwing a pass without without
completing a pass, you get zero pass yards and win
another game. Uh. You know, I think that that's the
way that they're going to do it. You've got to
control the line, You've got to be able to control
the time of possession. And you can not make mistakes,
no turnovers, no uh you know, limit the penalties. You
find yourself in good shape.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, and and you know, and truth be told.
Excuse me, I mean, you know, Quintin Hayes I feel
like has really been a catalyst in this whole you know, yeah,
change at quarterback because you know, there was a revolving
door with it, whether it's Bouche or Johnson, and now
it's Quintin Hayes, who's you know, found his footing. And
you know he's a sophomore and this is going to
be you know, you know, God willing a long term thing.
If he doesn't, you know, decide to you know, transfer
and test the water somewhere else. But I think Troy
Calhoun has found it. And you know, you were just
glad that they found it before, you know, it was
too late, and to see these seniors go out with
you know a lot of dignity because they've just accomplished
so much during their time at Colorado Spring, So you
know really want to obviously, you know, continue to see
that play out.
Speaker 3: You know.
Speaker 2: In this last you know, regular season game for for
air Force as they are on the road at San
Diego State again, air Force is a three and a
half point favor over Unders forty three and a half.
This one is at Saturday, kickoff at ten thirty pm
Eastern Standard time, Fox Sports one against San Diego State. Boy,
they love getting stuck in that ten thirty Eastern times slot,
does air Force? All right? When we come back, Travis Mannion,
Honor Roll, we got to do that. We got a
few news and notes, and we got some picks. We
got three games to pick, and we're gonna do that
when we come back here on Yards and Strip, it's
your home for Service Academy Football.
Speaker 5: In two thousand and seven, Mareen First Lieutenant Travis Manion
was killed in Iraq after saving his wooted teammates. Travis's
legacy lives on through the words he spoke before his
final deployment. If not me, then who words that today
fuel the spirit of Travis Mannion Foundation and through TMF,
these words can live in u too. Show the world
what you're made of, because character is invisible until it's not.
Find out how you can strengthen the character of your
community alongside empowered veterans, families of the fallon, and inspired
civilians at Travismanion dot Org.
Speaker 2: All right, now it's time for a Travis Manian Foundation
Honorable segment where he honor a fallen hero, one that
has given the ultimate sacrifice. And this week we're going
to honor remember a fallen hero. Patrick D. Hamburger, staff
sergeant in the United States Army, native of Lincoln, Nebraska,
was killed on August sixth, twenty eleven, when a H
forty seven helicopter was shot down in the Wardak Province
of Afghanistan. Southeast High School graduate was assigned to the
second Battalion, one hundred and thirty fifth Aviation Regiment, and
at the time of his death, he had been in
Afghanistan for just less than two weeks. He is survived
by his longtime girlfriend, Candy Reagan, his daughters Veronica Reagan
and Peyton Hamburger, his mother and stop stepfather, Joyce and
Delanne Peck, his stepfather and stepmother Douglas and Shawn Hamburger,
two brothers, grandparents, and three step siblings. Patrick was posthumously
promoted to staff sergeant. His brother Chris Hamberger said, quote,
he was selfless. He didn't worry about himself half as
much as he worried about everyone else. You could have
been a complete stranger, and if he could have helped you,
he would have done it. Patrick was a hero even
before he put on his uniform and saluted the flag
end quote. Patrick was honored by the Travis Mannon Foundation
with thirty one other fallen heroes through the Character Doesn't
Matter Program at Westover School in Middlebury, Connecticut, on January eighteenth,
twenty and thirteen. And certainly is the Thanksgiving season is
upon us. We're certainly thankful for all our heroes that
have given the ultimate sacrifice, but not just their heroes,
their families who obviously are missing their loved ones at
the table this week or this weekend and celebrating the
Thanksgiving holiday. As we all know, freedom is not free,
and so we salute people like Staff Sergeant Patrick d.
Hamburger of Lincoln, Nebraska, and so many others we've honored
and remember here on the Travismnia Foundation Honor Roll segment
all season on Yards and Stripes.
Speaker 4: Travis Mallon Foundation's nine to eleven Heroes Run five k
ra series units communities across the country and around the
world to honor the sacrifices of September eleventh and the
war since. Join your community this September and register to run,
walk or rock by visiting nine eleven heroesun dot org.
Speaker 1: The latest with Navy, Army and Air Force on Yards
and Stripes Service Academy Football.
Speaker 2: Steve Carney, Bryce Atkinson, as we are wrapping this baby
up on a Feast week edition Thanksgiving Week here on
Yards and Stripes your home for service Academy Football, Army, Navy,
and Air Force. That's what we do, Steven, A quick one.
I guess it's not even news and notes. One note
to pass along, and it's kind of a combo. Army
junior linebacker and And Thomas and Navy punter Riiley Reithman.
Both name go Bowling, Military Bowl Stem Scholar Athletes of
the Year. Don't even ask me what those mean because
I can't tell you. So congratulations to Andon Thomas and
Riley Wes.
Speaker 3: They're really smart.
Speaker 2: That's exactly what I was gonna say, as I think
that because when you go to a service academy, they
don't have they don't let dummies in. And I don't
care if you play a sport or not, they still
don't let dummies in. So there's been some smart dudes,
far smarter than I could ever be. But again, we
previewed our games. We got three games ahead this weekend,
steven before we wish everybody happy Thanksgiving, let everybody get
out of here to go eat trip to you know,
eat turkey and get you know, hammered on trip to
fan and wine and everything. Let's pick some games, and
let's start in chronological order that we gave you, because
we got Black Friday affair, and that's gonna be Navy
at East Carolina. I think Navy's gonna go on the
road and get this one done because.
Speaker 3: I absolutely you know this. This team wants it wants
that eighth win. They want the sixth win in conference
here this year. They want to prove that the turnaround
has only just started. They would love to be able
to go from an eight and three mark going into
the Army Navy game. You know, eight wins, possibly nine
if they beat Army in the Army Navy game, and
a tenth in a bowl game. This is the way,
This is the way things go under Brian Newberry Company.
But yes, I think they go into that other Greenville,
the lesser Greenville is. We all know that the real
Greenville is in South Carolina. So they go into the
other Greenville and take down the Pirates here this week.
I am going to say that Navy takes it by
I'm gonna say a touchdown. I'm gonna say thirty to
twenty four that they that they end up taking this victory.
Speaker 2: All right, I like Navy. I've got Navy in a
little bit of a closer game. I think Navy by
a field goal thirty three to thirty. I think they're
going to go on the road and get it done.
And just for those scoring at home, Stephen and I did,
We did both pick Notre Dame last week, although we
just had that game a lot closer, and we also
had air Force last week. Stephen had an air Force
by eleven. I had them by three. We just you know,
the scores were obviously a little bit different, but yes,
we were both too and oh, that's exactly right, and
so hopefully we'll both go one and oh when Navy
get in the win, I'll tell you I'll throw my
pick in on this one. I think Army, you know,
hosting UTSA. I think one of the big things is
clearly they're going to be able to see what happens
on Thursday night because Memphis and Tulane, which helped me out,
but I think it's been a long time since we've
had a really, really, really good Thanksgiving night college football matchup.
With all due respect to the NFL, my attentions gonna
be on Memphis and Tulane because both those two teams
are nine and two. And the reason I'm mentioning this
is because again it's a Black Friday game. Army's gonna
have two days to obviously know and kind of getting
their head the result, because if Twulane loses, all Army
has to do is win this game, and they're hosting
the AC Championship at Mikey, which would just be incredible
in year one in the American So I think them
having a chance to see what happens in regardless whether
two Lane wins or loses. I think it's been a
special year, albeit you know, last weekend's result. Notwithstanding, I
think Army is just gonna roll. I think it's gonna
be a forty one to ten type win for Army
on Saturday.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you and I are in the same boat and this,
you know, everything that is pointing Army's way. I mean,
they're the lost to Notre Dame. You know that's gonna
that's gonna really make the especially the coaching staff angry. Yeah,
you know, so I have a feeling that you know
that battery acid feeling is gonna filter down from the
coaches through the assistance into the players and they're gonna
take it out on the field. And and the other
thing is it's gonna be kind of chilly at Mikey
Stadium this weekend and forecast is for temperatures to be
under forty degrees. And I don't know if you know this.
I only mentioned it about thirty times in the last segment.
UTSA plays our home games indoors. They are not They're
not a team that is used to dealing with the
elements and especially the cold that they're gonna have to
deal with here this week at West Point. So yes,
I will take Army as well in a in a
roll out, I'm gonna say, thirty eight to seven is
gonna be your final?
Speaker 2: All Right, I like it too. All Right, Air Force,
let's take a look at our last game of the
week and air Forces last game of the regular season
that San Diego State again at the three point favor
on the road. Which way you're gonna go, You're gonna
go a clean sweep with all three of our team, Steven,
I have.
Speaker 3: To, I mean, we have an identity now for the Falcons,
I've said it. I love the fact that they are
going to run the football and I think that that
takes San Diego State's offense right out of the picture.
You know, They've Sean Lewis, their head coach, is a
quarterback whisperer and obviously worked with should Or Sanders last year.
It's a lot easier to work with a guy like
shoud Or Sanders than it is for most quarterbacks in
college football. But when he's not on the field, it's
really hard to put the ball in your quarterback's hands,
and I think Air Force does that this week. I
think they end up getting to win in this game,
and I think it's probably gonna be I will go.
I will go twenty three twenty in this game, all right.
Speaker 2: I like air Force as well. Like air Force twenty
three to ten, move a little bit closer. But I
think the air Force is rolling right now. I think
clearly San Diego State that's lost five in a row,
teams are going opposite directions. I think air Force is
hungry and I think they're going to go out with
a winner. So I'm with you. I think it's going
to be a clean sweep of all three of our
our teams this week. But let's go ahead and get
out of here, Steven. Let's wish everybody have a happy Thanksgiving,
safe travels wherever you're going, certainly blessed food line.
Speaker 3: I'm going. I'm going into the kitchen to get myself
some Thanksgiving meals. That's where I'm going. As much travel
as I'm doing.
Speaker 2: Make sure that not a sponsor. Make sure you help
keep our Poppyns in business at least one time over
the holidays with the Lightning coupon code, because I I
hope you'll send me that photo, whether it's thin cruss
you know the deep dishes. Oh man, I just like
torturing myself. I like torture. I'm not torturing you because
usually you have Papa's in front of them. I'm sure
we're doing it.
Speaker 3: I get to eat it. That's the best part.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and you know what, Papillon's. Please those the sponsorship
the bunt We've talked about you in the last few episodes, like,
just throw us a coupon code. That's all we're asking.
That's all we want for our listeners. Please.
Speaker 3: I'm all for that. I would love that if if
the Service Academys won a game that you could use
a coupon code to get whatever it is, a couple
of bucks off of your pizza.
Speaker 2: Great season homework, off season homework.
Speaker 3: Stevin, Yeah, there's gonna be a lot of off season homework.
I have a feeling you're gonna we're gonna have We're
gonna have coupon codes. We're gonna have UH plenty more. Obviously,
want to thank uh the one spon, our our main sponsor,
Ticket Smarter, who has been with us all season long
as well. I don't give them enough love. Definitely got
to give them some love again. LWOS twenty will get
you twenty bucks off of any purchase of three hundred
dollars or more. Great to use for the ball games.
Speaker 2: Out Yes, thank you for reminding our listeners about ticket
Smarter because we cannot thank them enough for standing with
us all season, as Travis Manning Foundation has also done. So.
Appreciate everybody for listening investing their time. We hope you
have a safe travels out there on the roads, on
the highways, byeways and Steven appreciate you just certainly thankful
for all your hard work and for you doing it
every single week, so you best produce and do it
for feeds. That's it, all right, guys, We'll let you
go enjoy the games. Have a great thanks Toime. We'll
talk to you next week.
Speaker 3: Join us again.
Speaker 1: Next time for Yards and Strikes Service Academy Football. To
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