WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:07.120 It's time for coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on 2 00:00:07.320 --> 00:00:25.600 Sports Talk seven nine day. Now here's Nick Coffee. 3 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:21.480 All right, hour number two Here on a Wednesday afternoon 4 00:00:21.559 --> 00:00:25.039 Coffee and Company fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven ninety. 5 00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:26.600 Don't forget it. Take us with you wherever you go. 6 00:00:26.719 --> 00:00:29.719 Listen live on the iHeartRadio app. Also listen live at 7 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:32.759 seven ninety Louisville dot com. Also make sure if you 8 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:35.479 have not yet sign up to become a member of 9 00:00:35.560 --> 00:00:39.079 the Refreshming Awards program. You'll save money at the gas pump. 10 00:00:39.719 --> 00:00:42.399 And not only that, you'll get a free red Bull. 11 00:00:42.799 --> 00:00:44.880 So just by signing up, you get twenty five cents 12 00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:46.640 off per gallon on your initial fill up and then 13 00:00:46.679 --> 00:00:48.399 you get a free red Bull too, So take advantage. 14 00:00:48.479 --> 00:00:51.159 If you go to Refreshment Awards dot com, it's pretty easy. 15 00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:53.119 You can actually get the app by doing that on 16 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:54.560 your phone, or you can just search in the app 17 00:00:54.600 --> 00:00:56.600 store whether you have an iPhone or an Android. Just 18 00:00:56.600 --> 00:00:59.600 search Refreshment Awards, search Thornton's and you should be good 19 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:01.640 to go. We're now good to go because we've got 20 00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:04.719 the one and only Ken Spencer from whas with us Ken. 21 00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:07.719 How are we doing, brother, man, I'm doing good. Thanks 22 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:08.519 for asking, Bobby. 23 00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:11.040 I gotta start with this. We'll get to Louisville. They 24 00:01:11.079 --> 00:01:12.680 haven't really played anybody, so it's tough to kind of know. 25 00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:15.319 But when it comes to Kentucky, you know, it could 26 00:01:15.319 --> 00:01:17.000 always be worse, right, Like, that's one of those things 27 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:18.760 that I truly do believe anytime you say, well, it 28 00:01:18.760 --> 00:01:20.840 can't get worse than this, that's an invitation for it to, 29 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:23.239 in fact and get worse. But the way it played 30 00:01:23.239 --> 00:01:25.879 out for Mark Stoops and his team against South Carolina, 31 00:01:26.439 --> 00:01:28.680 I mean, I kind of get why people would say, Man, 32 00:01:28.680 --> 00:01:31.040 that couldn't have been worse. Just your thoughts overall on 33 00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:33.319 what happened Saturday in Lexington. 34 00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:36.959 Oh, I think it was an all systems failure. Look, 35 00:01:38.040 --> 00:01:42.680 their schedule is already brutal to begin with, Like, it's 36 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:46.159 absolutely brutal, and so if you're going to have a 37 00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:49.200 decent season, or you know, you want to get to 38 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:54.599 you know, top twenty five, respectable whatever this year, you've 39 00:01:54.599 --> 00:01:58.159 got to win your fifty to fifty games. And South 40 00:01:58.200 --> 00:02:00.799 Carolina was considered one of those kind of fifty to 41 00:02:00.840 --> 00:02:03.560 fifty games and they've lost it the last couple of years, 42 00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:06.040 and that's kind of been an indicator of what their 43 00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:10.360 season has been. But those games have been relatively close 44 00:02:10.439 --> 00:02:12.960 going to the fourth quarter. They've had chances whatever, they 45 00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:16.240 should have won a game, you know what I mean. Saturday, 46 00:02:17.560 --> 00:02:21.520 second week of the season, packed house place was raucous 47 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:25.159 at the beginning. They get blown out thirty one to six. 48 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:29.560 You know, I don't that's not great, not at all. 49 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:32.520 I mean, and and to be honest with you, Nick, 50 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:36.360 I mean offensively, you know, they got out outside of 51 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:39.719 maybe like a series where they had success running the 52 00:02:39.759 --> 00:02:45.199 ball eleven straight times, they got absolutely dominated and it 53 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:48.919 was almost like and all of that is up front, 54 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:53.639 Like we can talk so much about wide receivers and 55 00:02:53.719 --> 00:02:56.439 running backs and quarterbacks. I mean, if we're being honest, 56 00:02:56.479 --> 00:02:59.840 like that's the sexy topic, right sure, Offensive and d 57 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:03.439 defensive lines or what win you football games? That's what 58 00:03:03.800 --> 00:03:06.639 it's what takes you to championships. That's what it is. 59 00:03:06.759 --> 00:03:09.680 Like we can get enamored with play callers and this 60 00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:13.479 and this, but if you've got guys getting the job 61 00:03:13.599 --> 00:03:17.639 done in the trenches, you're gonna be good. On the 62 00:03:17.639 --> 00:03:20.840 flip side of that, if you've got guys getting whipped 63 00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:24.560 both inside and outside up front, You've got no chance. 64 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:27.840 And I mean Brock Brock Vandergriff like the first couple series. 65 00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:31.520 You know, he was hitting that third and fifth step 66 00:03:31.560 --> 00:03:33.960 on the drop and they were there. Ye, there was. 67 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:36.360 There was just nothing you can do almost every time, 68 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:40.439 almost every time. And I and you know, I kind 69 00:03:40.439 --> 00:03:43.120 of think at some point, like at some point in 70 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:46.759 the second quarter, he was already seeing ghosts, you know 71 00:03:46.759 --> 00:03:50.479 what I mean, Like he wasn't looking downfield, he was 72 00:03:50.520 --> 00:03:52.719 looking for the rush. And then you might as well 73 00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:54.879 scrap the passing game because you got no chance from 74 00:03:54.919 --> 00:03:59.280 that that point on. And so now now I would 75 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:05.639 also say this, it is I totally get that he 76 00:04:05.719 --> 00:04:09.159 was seeing ghosts. But if you're going to be elite, 77 00:04:09.719 --> 00:04:12.319 you never see those ghosts. Does that make sense? 78 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:13.199 Totally makes sense. 79 00:04:13.639 --> 00:04:16.920 There are dudes like if you're one of those dudes, 80 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:19.839 you're still able to stand back that even though you've 81 00:04:19.879 --> 00:04:22.120 gotten the heck beat out of you all day, and 82 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:25.480 still being able to keep your eyes down the field. So, 83 00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:28.160 like I said, it was, you know, especially from an 84 00:04:28.160 --> 00:04:31.680 offensive standpoint, it was an all systems failure. On the 85 00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:33.920 other side of the football, for them. You know, look, 86 00:04:33.959 --> 00:04:37.720 they've got veteran guys blowing coverages. That's also not great, 87 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:41.839 especially against the South Carolina team, which look proof. Will 88 00:04:41.839 --> 00:04:44.240 eventually be in the pudding and we'll figure out what 89 00:04:44.360 --> 00:04:46.759 this South Carolina team is down the road once they 90 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:48.959 play more games. I don't think they're very good. 91 00:04:49.959 --> 00:04:52.759 Yeah, they And here's what was what was scary for 92 00:04:52.879 --> 00:04:54.959 Kentucky is that I don't even think they looked good 93 00:04:55.040 --> 00:04:57.000 in beating you thirty one to six. I mean, clearly 94 00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:58.879 they took advantage of some mistakes that you made. They 95 00:04:58.879 --> 00:05:00.959 were really able to get after you in your quarterback, and. 96 00:05:00.879 --> 00:05:01.319 They were good. 97 00:05:01.720 --> 00:05:03.399 They're supposed to be good up front defensively, and they 98 00:05:03.399 --> 00:05:05.800 certainly looked that way on Saturday. I thought of you. 99 00:05:05.800 --> 00:05:07.600 You mentioned that big blue wall people have talked about 100 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:09.199 for years, and yet that big blue wall has not 101 00:05:09.240 --> 00:05:11.480 been as effective, and it was anything but a big 102 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:14.439 blue wall on Saturday. I mean, is that I mean, 103 00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:17.600 is that personnel? Is that is that schematic? 104 00:05:17.720 --> 00:05:17.800 Like? 105 00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:19.519 I mean, it's one thing for them to not be 106 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:21.360 the strength of the team, but they were. I mean, 107 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:23.560 they were bullied in a way that really I've never 108 00:05:23.639 --> 00:05:26.720 seen a Mark Stubs offensive line play that poorly. I know. 109 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:28.800 There was the one of the guys who works for 110 00:05:28.839 --> 00:05:31.680 the Ringer just doing some some recap of college football 111 00:05:32.040 --> 00:05:34.800 this past weekend. He made the claim that he's never 112 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:37.600 seen a defensive line dominate an offensive line in a 113 00:05:37.639 --> 00:05:39.680 college football game quite like what he saw on Saturday, 114 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:41.560 And it sounds like an exaggeration, but I don't know, 115 00:05:41.600 --> 00:05:43.519 maybe not well. 116 00:05:43.879 --> 00:05:47.079 Look, I think I think in one aspect, like to 117 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:49.480 be quite honest with you, like Kentucky was able to 118 00:05:49.560 --> 00:05:52.879 run the ball pretty good, you know, all things considered right, 119 00:05:52.920 --> 00:05:55.160 Like they were able to at least move the sticks 120 00:05:55.160 --> 00:05:57.360 on occasions runt of the ball. They just couldn't pass. 121 00:05:57.920 --> 00:05:59.959 And so once you become one dimensional, than the other 122 00:06:00.040 --> 00:06:02.839 team could just kind of pin their ears back. But 123 00:06:02.920 --> 00:06:08.120 they've got look, they've got major, major pass blocking issues. 124 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:12.360 And you've got to be able to be balanced in offense. 125 00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:15.279 It's whatever conference that you're playing in, you better be 126 00:06:15.399 --> 00:06:18.480 somewhat balanced to be able to keep somebody on their 127 00:06:18.600 --> 00:06:22.360 on their heels. I think, especially in the SEC with 128 00:06:22.439 --> 00:06:25.120 those defenses and and and what you'll go again, specially 129 00:06:25.160 --> 00:06:28.680 against you know that high level competition, you know, like 130 00:06:29.000 --> 00:06:30.839 you know the Georgia's of the week, you know, this 131 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:34.040 week in Texas later and you know, uh, some of 132 00:06:34.040 --> 00:06:36.000 the teams that they'll they'll face later in their in 133 00:06:36.040 --> 00:06:39.199 their season, so you know, they they're going to have 134 00:06:39.240 --> 00:06:41.439 to figure out some things pass, block and wise. Honestly, 135 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:47.079 I just think that they are on their fourth offense. 136 00:06:47.160 --> 00:06:49.439 I want to say, maybe I'm wrong, fourth or fifth 137 00:06:49.480 --> 00:06:52.519 offensive system in as many years now. Liam Cohen came 138 00:06:52.560 --> 00:06:55.759 back for a second one, but there was a lot 139 00:06:55.800 --> 00:06:58.399 of dudes that weren't around his first time around, and 140 00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:03.600 so like, they've just been changing so much upfront, it's 141 00:07:03.720 --> 00:07:08.040 hard to keep any kind of continuity whatsoever. You know, 142 00:07:08.439 --> 00:07:11.160 guys could go through a system change, you know, once 143 00:07:11.240 --> 00:07:13.720 or twice at college and they can be fine. But 144 00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:17.079 it's just it's just been a lot for them, and 145 00:07:17.160 --> 00:07:18.680 I think it, to be honest with you, Dick, I 146 00:07:18.680 --> 00:07:20.680 think it's kind of caught up to them. Yeah. 147 00:07:20.839 --> 00:07:25.000 And I think with Kentucky, you know, as a Louisville 148 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:26.720 fan myself, I'd love to sit here and say that 149 00:07:26.759 --> 00:07:29.519 they stink and you're only as good as your record shows, right, 150 00:07:29.560 --> 00:07:32.040 I believe that, But I think from a personnel standpoint, 151 00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:34.079 maybe not in the offensive line, but in a lot 152 00:07:34.120 --> 00:07:37.319 of other areas, I think they have really good talent. 153 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:38.879 Now again, if you don't produce, then I guess it 154 00:07:38.920 --> 00:07:40.399 doesn't really matter. But I felt like this was one 155 00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:42.680 of those years where from a personnel standpoint, I think 156 00:07:42.759 --> 00:07:45.279 Kentucky could have a record that they wouldn't be pleased with, 157 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:47.480 but they could chalk it up as well. We did 158 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:50.160 happen to get a bad year of SEC scheduling where 159 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:51.959 we play some really, really really good teams. We got 160 00:07:51.959 --> 00:07:53.839 Ole miss and they're now in the top five Texas, 161 00:07:54.040 --> 00:07:55.680 they're as good as they've been in a long time. 162 00:07:55.720 --> 00:07:57.920 First year in the SEC, they're on the schedule. But 163 00:07:57.959 --> 00:08:00.399 like South Carolina, that's what makes it to moral. That 164 00:08:00.439 --> 00:08:02.199 was a game not only that was kind of viewed 165 00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:04.439 as a fifty to fifty Kentucky I think by by 166 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:06.639 just about everybody was expected to win that game and 167 00:08:06.680 --> 00:08:08.240 they just had a terrible result. 168 00:08:10.079 --> 00:08:14.120 Uh yes, and so I think everybody. I mean I 169 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:19.720 talked because we have the Kentucky Georgia games on our air, 170 00:08:19.759 --> 00:08:22.879 we had an opportunity to talk to Chris Dorian today, 171 00:08:24.160 --> 00:08:26.800 Uh from the SEC you know network to kind of 172 00:08:26.800 --> 00:08:29.279 preview the game, and you know, Mark Stoops kind of 173 00:08:29.279 --> 00:08:32.679 walked this, walked his statement back after the game on 174 00:08:32.720 --> 00:08:34.840 Saturday that says, you know, he didn't have fight back 175 00:08:34.879 --> 00:08:38.799 and then he said, well, I take that back, well 176 00:08:38.840 --> 00:08:40.440 and this and this and this, and Dorian was like, no, 177 00:08:40.600 --> 00:08:42.720 I didn't see it, Like I get what we're saying, 178 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:44.320 but I didn't. I didn't see it. I just didn't 179 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:47.240 see a whole lot of fight. And so, you know, 180 00:08:48.639 --> 00:08:51.639 players can put that back in a given week through 181 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:55.120 practice and getting ready for a game. You can put 182 00:08:55.360 --> 00:08:57.799 us a loss like that behind you. You could, you could, 183 00:08:57.919 --> 00:08:59.759 you know, just chalk it up to it was a 184 00:08:59.799 --> 00:09:02.840 bad day and they can move forward, where maybe fans 185 00:09:02.879 --> 00:09:05.639 and media members you know, do not. They just always 186 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:09.960 remember what that was. But what happens is is on Saturday, 187 00:09:10.679 --> 00:09:13.879 when Georgia does something great early and it's Georgia, so 188 00:09:13.960 --> 00:09:17.879 they're gonna do something great early, do you say here 189 00:09:17.960 --> 00:09:20.759 we go again. And when you start saying here we 190 00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:24.080 go again, man, it gets real bad, real quick, especially 191 00:09:24.120 --> 00:09:25.799 against the number one ranked team of the country. 192 00:09:26.440 --> 00:09:28.639 One more on Kentucky. When it comes to Marx Stoops, 193 00:09:28.679 --> 00:09:31.320 I remember we talked about this right before the fall 194 00:09:31.320 --> 00:09:33.000 camp started, and you made a good point as far 195 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:34.799 as Mark Stoops is one of those coaches that you 196 00:09:34.879 --> 00:09:37.559 cover in this market, along with Jeff Walls, that will 197 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:39.720 just tell you exactly what it is. Hey, we're buying players. 198 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:42.080 That's that's what this is. And I can appreciate that transparency. 199 00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:43.879 I think some of his comments about how much work 200 00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:47.559 goes into really budgeting your roster, it is putting a 201 00:09:47.559 --> 00:09:48.960 lot on the on the plate of a coach that 202 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:51.240 didn't used to have to worry about that. However, I 203 00:09:51.279 --> 00:09:53.720 get the sense that not that he's necessarily I think 204 00:09:53.759 --> 00:09:55.440 it'd be a stretch to say he's checked out. And 205 00:09:55.440 --> 00:09:58.840 I'm certainly not, you know, embedded within the Lexington market 206 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:00.799 in the Kentucky football program. But I just don't get 207 00:10:00.840 --> 00:10:03.039 the sense that he's got a chip on his shoulder, 208 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:06.000 a hunger about him that used to be there. Just 209 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:08.159 curious your your thoughts on that. I mean, obviously he 210 00:10:08.200 --> 00:10:09.960 still wants to win. He's a competitor. He wouldn't be 211 00:10:09.960 --> 00:10:11.919 in the position that he's in if he didn't have that. 212 00:10:12.080 --> 00:10:14.679 But I just the way that his team played Saturday, 213 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:16.080 and it's not all on him. These guys got to 214 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:18.159 take some accountability as well. But to go back to 215 00:10:18.200 --> 00:10:20.279 what Dora and said, like, I didn't see a fight 216 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:22.480 from them that I really hadn't. I mean, usually even 217 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:25.039 in games where they get beat pretty bad by good teams, 218 00:10:25.159 --> 00:10:27.519 you see a fight that you just wasn't there Saturday. 219 00:10:27.519 --> 00:10:29.960 And I'm curious if maybe that maybe their coach is 220 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:31.159 rubbing off on him a little bit. 221 00:10:31.159 --> 00:10:31.559 Just curious. 222 00:10:31.559 --> 00:10:33.480 What's your thoughts on the temperament of Mark Stoops as 223 00:10:33.480 --> 00:10:35.720 he's entering what is this is a twelfth year maybe 224 00:10:35.720 --> 00:10:36.759 at Kentucky. 225 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:39.200 And he gets paid nine million dollars a year, a 226 00:10:39.240 --> 00:10:41.799 lot of money, and so you know, you get paid 227 00:10:41.879 --> 00:10:44.960 nine million dollars a year and what eight nine? You 228 00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:47.759 know what I mean? Like, those are awesome seasons at 229 00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:51.399 at at Kentucky. So and sometimes you can hit that 230 00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:57.519 ten wood Mark. Here's what I here's what I think. 231 00:10:57.120 --> 00:11:01.240 I think. That's that's a that's a very you know, 232 00:11:01.799 --> 00:11:06.039 that's a good observation that you just made. Because at 233 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:10.480 the end of that Louisville game last year, he was 234 00:11:10.519 --> 00:11:12.159 taking the Texas A and M job, he thought he 235 00:11:12.200 --> 00:11:15.799 was gone gone, he was gone, right, And so the 236 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:18.440 way I look at it is, you know, obviously things 237 00:11:18.440 --> 00:11:21.360 didn't work out he's he's back in Lexington. He's still 238 00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:24.919 making nine million dollars a year. He's got a he's 239 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:27.600 got a recruiting coordinator, tight ends coach that makes one 240 00:11:27.639 --> 00:11:32.480 point three million dollars a year in Vince Merrow. Are 241 00:11:32.519 --> 00:11:35.440 your teams prepared? That's really the indicator, right, I think 242 00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:37.679 of a coach, are they ready to play? And are 243 00:11:37.720 --> 00:11:42.279 they prepared? And so you know, generally under Stoops, they've 244 00:11:42.320 --> 00:11:44.879 always had one game a year where you can't you 245 00:11:44.919 --> 00:11:47.000 can't explain it. They just kind of lay an egg. 246 00:11:47.879 --> 00:11:51.600 And so I think last year you could look back 247 00:11:51.639 --> 00:11:55.919 at the South Carolina game, which I heard that loss 248 00:11:56.000 --> 00:12:01.159 absolutely gutted him because that was a bad South Carolina 249 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:04.159 team and they couldn't answer the bell to beat that team, 250 00:12:04.639 --> 00:12:07.879 and they just they they were just they they were 251 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:11.679 undisciplined that game. They didn't follow a game plan like 252 00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:13.919 all of that. But that all comes back to coaching, 253 00:12:14.679 --> 00:12:17.320 and so I think that they should have beat Missouri 254 00:12:17.399 --> 00:12:20.080 last year at Kroger Field. They didn't do it. I 255 00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:22.360 don't think they were really prepared for that game, especially 256 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:26.799 after the fake punt, And so that comes back to coaching, 257 00:12:27.159 --> 00:12:31.639 and so are you are you dialed in as much 258 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:34.440 as you were when when you had the guys like 259 00:12:34.519 --> 00:12:37.679 Will Levis on your campus and even before that, are 260 00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:40.480 you as dialed in and are you putting in the 261 00:12:40.519 --> 00:12:44.240 same amount of work that you did then? Now? I 262 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:49.039 think it's a very you know, curious question. And also 263 00:12:49.200 --> 00:12:52.519 like if your guys don't come out prepared, there's your 264 00:12:52.519 --> 00:12:55.559 answer right there because you're not putting in the time 265 00:12:55.720 --> 00:12:56.799 to get them prepared. 266 00:12:57.720 --> 00:12:59.799 Good answer, good stuff. Ken Spencer's our guest here from 267 00:12:59.879 --> 00:13:02.879 w WHS eleven. When it comes to Louisville, they've yet 268 00:13:02.879 --> 00:13:05.080 to play an opponent that really tells us a whole lot. 269 00:13:05.159 --> 00:13:07.320 What would you if you had one word to describe 270 00:13:07.320 --> 00:13:10.440 what you've observed thus far with Jeff Brom's team this year, 271 00:13:10.480 --> 00:13:12.919 what would it be solid? 272 00:13:13.320 --> 00:13:16.840 They've taken care of business, They've been solid. I don't 273 00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:20.519 think anybody, like you know, haven't been blown away because 274 00:13:20.879 --> 00:13:22.600 to be honest, like it was Austin p and it 275 00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:26.200 was Jacksonville State, but they did what they did. I mean, 276 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:29.360 you know, Tyler Shuck has just he's done the job right, 277 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:31.879 Like he's he's gotten back there, he's gotten the ball 278 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:34.000 out of his hands, he's thrown it to the right people. 279 00:13:34.840 --> 00:13:37.399 It's almost I mean, you know, some of the plays 280 00:13:37.399 --> 00:13:39.679 have really wowed you, but it's almost like, hey, this 281 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:41.360 is just kind of boring, but we're just going to 282 00:13:41.399 --> 00:13:43.919 go down the field and we're going to complete passes. 283 00:13:45.399 --> 00:13:48.960 I've been impressed with what I've seen from Ja Cory Brooks. 284 00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:52.840 I think they have, you know, a multitude of running 285 00:13:52.840 --> 00:13:54.519 backs that they could go to, which I think that's 286 00:13:54.559 --> 00:13:58.320 a that's a really good sign. It'll be interesting to see, 287 00:13:58.519 --> 00:14:00.639 you know, like next week when they when they host 288 00:14:00.639 --> 00:14:04.039 Georgia Tech. Okay, what what's that rotation look like? Are 289 00:14:04.039 --> 00:14:05.879 they going to keep it the same or are they 290 00:14:05.879 --> 00:14:07.600 going to tighten it up just a little bit? So 291 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:11.679 who who do they really trust in those moments? And 292 00:14:11.720 --> 00:14:14.279 so I think I think that they've been solid offensively 293 00:14:16.039 --> 00:14:20.120 and look on defense in moments, you know, against Jacksonville State, 294 00:14:20.120 --> 00:14:22.360 they got they got a little soft. But look, you're 295 00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:24.960 playing Jacksonville State, your twenty eight point favorite, you end 296 00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:27.399 up putting the game by thirty five. Like, I think 297 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:29.639 it's kind of natural. Sure, I think they've done what 298 00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:32.519 they've they needed to do. Now, I will be I 299 00:14:32.519 --> 00:14:34.519 will be honest with you, like I've been really impressed 300 00:14:34.559 --> 00:14:37.240 with what I've seen from Tamary and McDonald the first 301 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:40.399 couple of weeks. You know, I think he's I think 302 00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:45.360 he has played played well for them, So I'm anxious 303 00:14:45.399 --> 00:14:47.840 to see them against somebody that that can that can 304 00:14:47.879 --> 00:14:48.840 fight back a little bit. 305 00:14:49.480 --> 00:14:51.360 You would know this better than I as a former player. 306 00:14:51.639 --> 00:14:54.720 How much like when people people talk about coaches not 307 00:14:54.919 --> 00:14:58.080 showing anything or being really vanilla, I mean. 308 00:14:57.960 --> 00:14:59.039 How how legit is that? 309 00:14:59.080 --> 00:15:00.559 I think it makes sense that you would want to 310 00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:03.240 have a smaller playbook and just not really expand a 311 00:15:03.240 --> 00:15:04.519 whole lot in a game where you feel like you 312 00:15:04.519 --> 00:15:06.279 won't need to do that in order to win big. 313 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:08.360 But like I've never known like how legitimate that is 314 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:10.519 when people say that, Like you really think Jeff Brom's 315 00:15:10.559 --> 00:15:12.919 got some tricks in his bag that like he's holding 316 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:14.919 out for I mean, it wouldn't shock me given him 317 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:17.480 in his mind as an offensive coach. But they have 318 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:19.559 been pretty vanilla. But yet it hasn't impacted them because 319 00:15:19.559 --> 00:15:21.879 offensively they've really not had any struggles. They did exactly 320 00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:23.600 as they're supposed to do. Against those kind of teams. 321 00:15:24.399 --> 00:15:27.840 You could run plays out of different formations and you 322 00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:31.200 may be save in certain formations for certain teams to 323 00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:37.559 run certain plays, and so you know it's you may 324 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:42.600 be saving maybe some of your eye candy back, but 325 00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:45.600 yet you're still you're probably still running the same plays, 326 00:15:45.600 --> 00:15:47.799 but you're just not using as much eye candy different 327 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:50.559 elements you will for when for win teams. That's what 328 00:15:50.679 --> 00:15:52.879 Vania for me, that's what Vanilla is, right, And like 329 00:15:52.919 --> 00:15:54.600 you're not going to run you know, a bunch of 330 00:15:54.600 --> 00:15:57.639 trick plays or anything like that, like even though they 331 00:15:57.639 --> 00:15:59.600 didn't really do a whole lot of that last year, 332 00:16:01.039 --> 00:16:03.679 but you know, you're you're saving some of that back. 333 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:07.080 But yeah, it's all pretty much like formationally, you know, 334 00:16:07.240 --> 00:16:10.799 disguising different things. You're just not disguising as much stuff 335 00:16:11.480 --> 00:16:13.639 against your the Jacksonville States of the world and the 336 00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:14.639 Austin piece of the world. 337 00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:18.639 All Right, big takeaways from the NFL Week one. I mean, 338 00:16:18.639 --> 00:16:20.159 we'll get to the Bengals in just a second, but 339 00:16:20.200 --> 00:16:22.679 any you know, any result, maybe it is the Bengals 340 00:16:22.679 --> 00:16:25.480 that stood out as the biggest surprise, Uh good or bad, 341 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:27.759 but just your overall thoughts after we get one week 342 00:16:27.799 --> 00:16:28.440 of the NFL in. 343 00:16:29.240 --> 00:16:31.519 But it was one hundred percent the Bengals Yeah. 344 00:16:31.559 --> 00:16:33.320 They were the only team I think favored by a 345 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:35.679 touchdown or more and they did not look good. 346 00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:38.440 Yeah, no, it was. It was one hundred percent of 347 00:16:38.440 --> 00:16:41.320 the Bengals. Like I had, I almost like had no 348 00:16:41.320 --> 00:16:43.639 no doubts that they were going to beat the Patriots 349 00:16:43.639 --> 00:16:47.279 and Week one and it just it just didn't happen. 350 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:51.159 They just came out so flat and so yeah, that 351 00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:54.240 for me, that was the that was the biggest surprise 352 00:16:54.679 --> 00:16:58.879 I did. Now after Thursday night when Lamar got in 353 00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:02.080 the press conference and that you know, that was that 354 00:17:02.120 --> 00:17:04.200 was a catch. I'm gonna stand by that. I did 355 00:17:04.319 --> 00:17:06.079 want somebody to ask him, like, have you not seen 356 00:17:06.119 --> 00:17:06.680 the replay? 357 00:17:06.759 --> 00:17:09.680 Yeah, yeah, that it was quite clear his photo was 358 00:17:09.720 --> 00:17:10.319 on the line. 359 00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:12.480 Like what he was like, he was like, I'm gonna 360 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:14.960 stand on that. Well, I mean the toe on the line, 361 00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:17.279 says says, No, it wasn't a catch. 362 00:17:17.319 --> 00:17:19.640 With with bad vision, you could you could see that 363 00:17:19.640 --> 00:17:21.079 that was that was on the line. 364 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:23.839 But by the way, great throw, great catch, he just 365 00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:26.440 wasn't in bounce. Yeah, by a toe, but it was 366 00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:27.000 to a toe. 367 00:17:27.519 --> 00:17:30.359 When it comes to Joe Burrow, you know there's a 368 00:17:30.359 --> 00:17:32.920 weird stat about Zach Taylor and Obviously Burrow's not been 369 00:17:32.920 --> 00:17:34.759 a part of all of this, but you know, they 370 00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:36.559 they get off to slow starts in the first couple 371 00:17:36.599 --> 00:17:38.839 of weeks. Uh, not only with losses, but just kind 372 00:17:38.839 --> 00:17:41.519 of with the way they play. Burrow doesn't get much 373 00:17:41.599 --> 00:17:43.880 run in the preseason, and that's pretty typical, I feel 374 00:17:43.880 --> 00:17:45.640 like around the NFL, especially when you know what you 375 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:47.839 have at quarterback, and they quite literally know exactly what 376 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:49.920 they have. They have a really good quarterback. But you 377 00:17:49.960 --> 00:17:52.039 feel like maybe there is some truth to maybe he's 378 00:17:52.119 --> 00:17:54.400 rusty because he he doesn't get as much run in 379 00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:56.359 you know, the not real games. 380 00:17:56.759 --> 00:17:59.039 No, I don't, I don't. I don't buy into that 381 00:17:59.160 --> 00:18:03.160 this year. I probably have bought into that in the 382 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:06.000 previous couple of years because he's battled injuries through through 383 00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:08.920 training camp. You know, this year he had a full 384 00:18:08.960 --> 00:18:12.519 training camp, and plus they do those they do those 385 00:18:12.599 --> 00:18:16.200 like practices with other teams, and they scrimmage with other 386 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:18.880 teams during the week, and then they eventually play that 387 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:21.359 team in a preseason game and then he just doesn't 388 00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:23.799 play in the in the game, but he is in. 389 00:18:24.359 --> 00:18:26.960 He is in for those scrimmages. While he may not 390 00:18:27.079 --> 00:18:29.920 be getting hurt he's still got live bodies around ing, 391 00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:34.519 and he's still throwing against active defenses for me, and 392 00:18:34.599 --> 00:18:38.960 he's probably going against that team's first strength unit in 393 00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:42.400 those practices. So for me, like that's if he's getting 394 00:18:42.440 --> 00:18:46.680 that work, I'm good. I honestly like, I just I 395 00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:50.240 feel like they just are so careful early on with 396 00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:54.480 what they're calling that it's it just all feels like 397 00:18:54.519 --> 00:18:57.640 it's just way too simple. And then and then at 398 00:18:57.680 --> 00:19:00.440 some point in the season they start opening up and 399 00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:02.920 then it becomes fun. Well, I don't know why you 400 00:19:03.000 --> 00:19:06.319 can't do that in the first first game, first week 401 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:06.839