Speaker 1: Need to get your football fix on all things Army,
Navy and Air Force. This is Yarns and Stripes Service
Academy Football. Now here are your hosts, Pryce Atkinson and
Steve Carney.
Speaker 2: Two out of three ain't bad. Steven, We've got a
lot to get into. We're gonna do it as you
are listening to Yards and Stripes your home for Service
Academy Football, Army, Navy and Air Force. He is Stephen Carney,
I A and Pryce Atkinson, and we our Yards and Stripes,
part of the College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast network,
also available at lad last Word on Sports. As we
had a big weekend, all three teams back in action.
We didn't go three for three, as I mentioned, two
out of three. That ain't too bad. But a few
surprises along the way, Stephen, including a snowy What started
as a rainy Saturday night under the lights turned into
a snowy late Saturday evening. There in South Bend is
the number ten Irish. They ran all over Navy. We're
gonna get into all that. We got our Travis Maning
found Honor Roll segment, game balls picks to make. We
got tons to do, but Steven, you know what time
it is? Is that Killer Pizza time. You just mentioned
on the outset right right before we started recording that
you had some darn good Please please do share with
all of us.
Speaker 3: I almost feel like I should have Emily go into
the fridge and grab the other half of the pie.
I'm gonna actually I'm going to send you a picture
of the full of the full pie from Killer Pizza
this week. So thanks to the guys at Killer Pizza
for feeding me here on this Tuesday evening.
Speaker 4: They have some of.
Speaker 3: The best specialty pies that I've ever seen, and like
I've said this last week that I truly thought think
that you know, for the next I don't know, seven
or eight weeks, I have a feeling I'm going to
be eaten a lot of specialty pies from Killer Pizza.
And it started this week with their meat Massacre pizza,
which is absolutely what you think it is. It is
meat and more meat on a pie because that's how
I roll. We're talking pepperoni, sausage, bacon, ham, meatballs, twenty inches.
It's it's like the box is so big, I have
a hard time putting it in my fridge. That's how
that's how big this pie is, and so sending I'm
sending you a picture of it right now, all hot
and fresh. But let's just say I've got enough that
I can have lunch and dinner for the next two
nights from this pie.
Speaker 4: So thank you.
Speaker 3: Killer Pizza just completely made my tuesday.
Speaker 5: Why why, oh why do you have to do?
Speaker 2: You have to rub it in that late at night
and it's not that late, but you're rubbing it in
here as I've already eaten dinner and now to go.
Rate of fridge for no one, for a fridge does
not contain any killer pizza.
Speaker 3: The killer the killer Pizza has arrived to your phone
so you can take so you can take a look
at it when you get on without further Price is
now pulling out his phone and he's taking a look.
Speaker 2: Oh look how big those slices are. Look at those
there are normage cuts on that. Oh my good, so good,
so big old hunks of sausage right there.
Speaker 3: It's just I'm telling you, I'm telling you, uh now now,
the the owners told me that my next uh should
be the the Buffalo Chicken Pizza, so that might be
next week.
Speaker 2: Oh man, dude, please stop it, please, so get in
my belly right now, Steven. Yeah, I think I'm talking
to the wife about a field trip to UH to Tampa.
Speaker 3: Because you have to have to come down for the
Request Bowl or or something like that.
Speaker 2: I'll find some wintertime excuse or before football is over.
But oh, my lord, you just made my evening. I
now know what I'm gonna be dreaming about. Uh when
when my look staring at the back of my eyelids
here in a few hours, all right, Steven, let's uh,
let's let's have lift off here is I don't want
to get any hungrier as we mow along here on
our recording on Veterans Day, I want to say thank
you to all our veterans who have served.
Speaker 5: Want to say thank you to you as we get going, Steven.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 2: Certainly I know a lot of Veterans Day celebrations taking place,
and probably your neck of the woods is around.
Speaker 5: Here and all across the country.
Speaker 2: Uh. So we salute all our veterans who have served
and are serving right now. Uh, and we say thank you.
Speaker 5: Steven.
Speaker 2: Let's get into the games, because I know you're chomping
at the bit because maybe the one result that we
did not expect.
Speaker 5: Last week was a.
Speaker 2: Very narrow Army fourteen to thirteen win over visiting Temple.
Is Army surviving the upset bid now has their second
winning streak of the season, sitting just get one game
away from being Bowl eligible at five and four overall,
three and three in the American Army held the ball
for more than thirty seven minutes in this football game.
Trailing thirteen to fourteen. Temple punted the ball away with
nine to fifty three left on the game clock, and
they never got a snap as Army ran eighteen plays
and ran out the clock. And that's not only that.
You would think a nine minute drive that they would
have scored, and that drive probably started from inside their
own ten. No, neither one of those things happened. Army
did not score on the drive, and they started actually
the drive at their own forty two, which is unheard
of of running nine fifty three off the clock when
you start almost in midfield. That's what happened. And they
did not score because Temple was going to let the
march into the end zone and then Army decides to
slide and you know, take a knee essentially, and that
was game set match steven game over.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 3: I couldn't believe when when I saw that Army was
getting the ball back with about ten minutes to play
in the fourth quarter, nursing a one point lead, but
getting the ball, as you said, close to midfield. I mean,
you're getting it. You're getting as short of a field
as you're going to get on something that wasn't a turnover.
And the fact of the matter is you're thinking, okay,
either they're going to you know, score here there, or
you know, Temple did a really good job of holding
Army a couple of times, and you're thinking, okay, maybe
Temple's going to get the ball back with say five
or six minutes left to go, and they're going to
get another shot at trying to take the lead away
from the Black Knights. But when you when you put
it together and eighteen play drive that encompasses all of
fifty three yards and runs out the clock. I was
blown away by by the way that the Black Knights
were able to maintain the possession of the football and
and you know, they basically strangled the Owls at that point.
You know, this was not a game that that you know,
I had any idea that this was this was gonna happen.
Speaker 4: I figured, you know, Temple is very.
Speaker 3: Bad at at you know, containing the running game. And
Army did run for two hundred and twenty four yards
in this game, but it was less than a four
yard per carry average on the afternoon. You know, Army
had sixty three running plays in this game. So you know,
you would have loved to have seen them get to
you know, four or four and a half yards rushing.
I mean you get to four and a half yards,
now you're looking at two hundred and seventy five, two
and eighty yards of rushing, and this game looks completely
different that at that point.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Hellum's was the leading rusher had one hundred and
eighteen yards, but he carried it thirty six times, which
kind of gets to your point for only three and
three point three yards per carry. So it wasn't like
they were just you know, doing hunks and hunks of yards.
It was almost just death by a thousand paper cuts
in a lot of ways. These short you know, these
you know, three two, three, four yard carries, it just
continue to add up, and you know that's why it
was a game of just such so few possessions. I mean,
after all, it was a long drive, what eleven place
seventy three yard drive that Army took a seven zero
lead on the Jay Grendina seven yard touchdown run early
in the second quarter. And when I say a few possessions,
I mean it because in the in the second half, Simple.
Speaker 5: Had the ball.
Speaker 2: Do you know how many times they had the ball?
They had twice in the second half, twice. They ran
fifteen total offensive plays in the second half. That was
all and so you know, death by thousand paper cuts.
That's essentially what Army did is they sat on the
lead and that that one point lead it certainly held
up for a long a long time. And now Jeff
Munkin's team sitting just a bowl away or a game
away from Bowl eligibility. Huge props to the Black Knights
when they did not have their best day. Tippet the
cap a little bit to Temple for bringing the fight
because Casey Kieler, he's a dark good football coach. And
you know, they've gotten better. This has been one of
the better Temple seasons in the last you know, five six,
seven years. Yeah.
Speaker 3: Absolutely, And you mentioned that the Owls had just fifteen
plays run in the second half. They only had three
plays in the fourth quarter, and here they are a
one yard run, a one yard loss, and an incompletion
before they punted an at nine fifty three to go
in the in the fourth quarter. So yeah, that's and
when you're only when you're only getting three plays for
zero yards in a quarter, you're you're gonna have a
hard time, you know, winning that quarter.
Speaker 4: And they certainly did not well.
Speaker 2: Army Now fourteen thirteen win, five and four overall, three
and three in the American Temple. Now even Stephen across
the board five and five, three and three in the
American Army Black Knights again their second straight or their
second two game winning.
Speaker 5: Streak of the season.
Speaker 2: Let's pivot out now out west the Air Force Falcons.
They were traveling out to San Jose State and don't
look now, but the Falcons have won two out of
their last three Stephen as they fell behind three to nothing,
but outscored the Spartan sixteen to ozho in the second
quarter en route to a twenty six to sixteen road
victory in the Mountain West. Air Force three and six overall,
two and four in the mountain less San Jose Sitton
sitting with the identical record overall three and six, two
and three in the mountain less. But Liam Sarka, the
Air Force quarterback, continued a really outstanding season count for
three touchdowns as they held off the Spartans for the
victory on Saturday night there in San Jose.
Speaker 3: Stephen, Yeah, and what a wild way that Air Force
was able to take the lead in this game.
Speaker 4: You look at it.
Speaker 3: You know, they took advantage of just about every single
turnover that the Spartans had happened, and you know, fumble
in the first quarter, air Force puts together a fifteen play,
eighty one yard drive that encompasses over eight minutes, puts
the ball in the end zone to take the lead
San Jose State. Then on their next drive only two
plays interception, air Force, the short field eight plays forty
five yards, another touchdown, and all of a sudden we
was three was the three nothing deficit.
Speaker 4: It's now fourteen to three.
Speaker 3: And then of course you have the wild play the
safety by Peyton Stroit gets the gets the credit for it.
But you know, a punt by air Force puts the
Spartans back deep in their own territory. I mean, I
think they were at their own five or six yard
line to start that drive. A pass you know back
in the end you know, the quarterback drops back to
pass into the end zone. The Falcons get their hands
up in the passing lane, cause a tipped ball that's
caught in the end zone and tackled for a safety.
You know that very well could have been an interception
in the end zone for a touchdown. And all of
a sudden it's twenty one to three, and who knows
what the world is going to go on with San
Jose State at that point.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and a lot like Army in the game we
just talked about another big key, you know, Falcons playing
a clean game time of possession thirty six minutes as
they held the ball for over thirty seven six minutes.
But they played a clean game turnover free football while
the Spartans had three big turnovers. You know, when you're
plus two in the turnover category, you got an awfully
big chance to win in forcing three San Jose State
turnovers as well as Sarka played and Air Force's offense
really you know, seems to be doing. Their defense was
huge again, holding their opponent less than twenty points less
than three touchdowns, again keeping San Jose State to sixteen.
This was just San Jose State second home loss of
the season after losing that opener against Central Michigan. That's
one reason why I thought San Jose State was going
to win the football game. Steven, Yeah, I completely agree
with you in that case.
Speaker 3: You know, I thought that, you know, the passing game
of the Spartans was going to be a big piece
of this Walker egot obviously, you know, threw for three
hundred and thirty yards, but had those two interceptions and
did not score. Did not throw a passing touchdown in
this game either, So you know, I thought that it
would have been a much cleaner game by the passing
by the Spartans would have tried to stretch the field
a little more vertically. They did a really good job
of doing so. And you know some of the guys
that did get involved. I mean some of these guys
had some really long catches. You know, Leland Smith had
a thirty six yard catch, Kyrie Scholz had forty yard catch.
You know, those got those two guys combined for fifteen
catches and you know, over two hundred and thirty yards
through the air, just those two guys, and they had
four other guys that caught at least two passes each.
So you know, it's not like San Jose State didn't
throw the ball. Well, they just got to a point
where the Falcons defense did the bend but not break,
but got to a point where you know, you get
their boat, get those you get the backbone, and all
of a sudden, you're you're making plays happen.
Speaker 2: Yeah, somebody asked me a question this a little bit,
you know, going off topic just a little bit here,
but you know, somebody asked me a question that I
think that Troy Calhoun was going to get fired at
the end of this season, and I don't think so.
I think he's you know, he's almost like one of
those lifers. Not to say that they wouldn't fire him,
I just don't think it's warranted, you know. I mean, granted,
if they were to lose out and look awful doing it,
we might be having a little bit different discussion.
Speaker 5: I don't think so.
Speaker 2: Still, you know, while you do have to go and
have a tough game, or really tough game, I think
going all the way across the country and playing Yukon,
who's playing really good football right now. I do think,
you know, you close with New Mexico and Colorado State.
You get both of those and you win five games.
I don't think there's any kind of question that Troy
Calhoun returns. But he gave me pause for a second,
just for ever so briefly. But I don't think Troy
Calhoun's going anywhere. If he goes anywhere, I think it'll
be under his own accord.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think, I think absolutely right. I mean, this, it's.
Speaker 3: This, This isn't like some of these other schools. You know,
This isn't LSU, this isn't Penn State. This isn't UCLA
where they have to worry about you know, uh, recruiting
and nil and the transfer portal, you know, air force.
You really don't have to worry about that. And I
think that you know, if you're moving if a coach
is moving on, and especially if a program is letting
go of a coach, I mean, you really have to
I don't want to say you really have to try
and and get yourself fired at a at a service academy,
but you're going to get a lot more leeway, so
to speak, because you know the powers that be understand
that while football is very important.
Speaker 4: It's not the end all be all for these programs.
Speaker 3: And so, you know, for these universities, these service academies,
there is a there is a lot more that goes
into these student athletes. And I can say that without
putting my tongue firmly in my cheek, because these guys
really are student athletes. These are student athletes, much like
the IVY League football players are student athletes. You know,
there's there's there's a there's a different caliber of person
that goes to one of these schools. And so I
think it's very very difficult for a uh for a
football coach to be dismissed for you know, strictly performance reasons.
You know, you know Kenny Neo Matalolo, you know, I
think that if you know, things had gone even somewhat differently,
I think I think Kenny might still be at Navy
and we might not know about you know, Brian Newberry's
prowess as a head coach. But I think that was
more more other reasons other than just the play on
the field.
Speaker 5: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Well, once again, air Force a twenty six to sixteen
win over San Jose State Props. To the Falcons getting
in the win column again and let's finish out the
night in South Bend, Stephen the number ten Notre Dame
fighting Irish forty nine to ten all over Navy. Blake
Corback ruled out with an upper upper body injury that
he suffered last week against North Texas, and this one
essentially was over before it began, as the number ten
Irish ran all over Navy in the route with what
started as a rainy night then ended as a very
snowy evening under the lights there in South Bend, Freshman
quarterback CJ. Carr was outstanding thirteen to sixteen two eighteen
three touchdowns and Jeremiah Love, who I think should be
in the conversation a lot more than he seems to be,
at least nationally for the Heisman Trophy, ninety six yards
on thirteen carries, scored two touchdowns an incredible forty eight
yard touchdown run just miraculous in a lot of ways.
Speaker 5: US Notre Dame just with.
Speaker 2: With Braxton Woodson starting in place a horror bath, the
moment didn't seem too big for him, as he gained
one hundred and one yards and on twenty three carries.
Played a really solid first half, but you know, second
third quarter, you know, miss some miss some reeds and
it was I mean, it was just a Navy was
playing from behind. The one note as he scored Navy's
only touchdown, the two yard run to tie it at seven.
Braxton Woodson the first opposing player to gain more than
one hundred yards against the Irish this season.
Speaker 3: It's a it's amazing to think that, you know that
that Notre Dame has been so good defensively that they
haven't had one hundred yard rusher up until you know,
this past Saturday in South Bend. But again, we we
mentioned this in last week's show. You know, you asked
me if I thought that Navy had a shot at
pulling the upset, and they said, unless they can get
a couple of turnovers, a couple of short fields, you're
gonna find yourself in big trouble against this fighting Irish team.
Speaker 4: And what what didn't they do in this game?
Speaker 3: They can't get any you know, the turnover margin was
even because neither team turned the ball over uh other,
apart from you know, Navy did turn the ball over
once on downs, but that's that's it. And at that point,
it's already twenty eight to ten, and so you know,
and and unfortunately for them, it just kind of got
you know, got more out of hand at that point.
So it was it was really tough to watch, you know,
if you feel bad for for the kids, you know,
going up to South Bend, I know they wanted, they
were hoping that they were gonna have a better showing
against Notre Dame than they did here on Saturday, and
you know, it doesn't get much easier for them now.
Speaker 2: I think the biggest thing when I look at the game,
and you watched it, I did too, you know, seeing
you know, what was clearly a route on mismatch, but
Notre Dame played almost a perfect game on the field
in statistically. They they yeah, they brought in a lot
of fresh bodies, they got a lot of guys some
clock and playing time, but they were about perfect. They
didn't turn the ball over. They were seven to ten
on third down. That I think those three misses on
third down was about the only thing that was stood
in the way of perfection besides two of two on
four down. And they didn't commit a single penalty in
the football game. So they're almost perfect across the board
outside of the three misses on third down. Steven, YEA,
but it was just, I mean, it was just it
was a mismatch.
Speaker 3: You know, you had said, yeah, I certainly did. I mean,
they had three incompletions all night. You know, they threw
for two hundred you know, it's two hundred and fifty
three total yards passing two hundred and eighteen of them
by Cark. Carly had three incompletions, and he also threw
three touchdowns, you know, and they also were very very even,
you know, offensively, the two hundred and fifty three yards
passing two hundred and forty nine yards rushing. So they
did a really good job of making sure that everything
stayed distributed.
Speaker 4: You know, everything was even.
Speaker 3: You know, they did not get one dimensional at all,
and they, like you said, I think they played about
as close to a perfect contest as they have against
anybody so far this year.
Speaker 2: Notre Dame forty nine to ten over Navy, both teams
seven and two. Moving forward, we'll see if Blake Qurback
does return this week against us SF. We'll talk about
that here in just a little bit, Steven. We've got
to give out our game balls once you fire first.
Which way you want to give yours out to?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I kind of gave away mine here a little earlier.
You know, the safety play in the second order, UH
with air Force I thought was just a really you know,
a really pivotal play.
Speaker 5: Uh.
Speaker 3: You know at that point, uh, you know it really
you you started to see uh the snowball, so to speak,
rolling downhill for Air Force. And so I'm gonna go
with Peyton strike the safety who ended up getting credit
for the uh for this uh for the safety strike, Uh,
you know, big guy, you know obviously from Brentwood, California.
Speaker 2: UH.
Speaker 3: Four tackles, uh, three for a law excuse me, three
tackles to solo, uh, including the the p D, the
inner the safety which ended up being his tackle for
loss as well the only H I believe it was
uh one of three TFLs that UH Air Force had
on the afternoon.
Speaker 2: Yeah. And I like that because Air Forces Defense, after
we we really wrote them for a little while, Air
Force Defense really risen up the last couple of weeks,
and so hence why they've won two out of their
last three games. So big stuff for the Air Force Defense.
I'm gonna go on the offensive side of the ball,
and I'm gonna stay with the air Force Falcons. I
like I like what running back Owen Allen did because
he gave a compliment that was not named Liam sark
Although Sarka, you know, played a solid football game. But
Owen Allen, the junior out of South Lake, Texas running back,
was just with this third one hundred yard game of
the season and those have come in three of the
last four games. Another reason why I think air Force
is starting to kind of pick it up. So he
had a season high twenty carries one hundred and nine
yards in this one. So Owen Allen, you get my
game ball? All right, Steven, We got more to do
here on yards and stripes. As we were part of
the College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast network. Tell everybody
what they can find this week.
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, absolutely, there is plenty to go around when
it comes to the College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast Network.
Starting off this week out west with Get Off My
Pylon Matt Zemic always taking a look at things from
a West Coast perspective, and starting with Iowa almost giving
the big upset to Oregon and so Zemic looking into
if the Ducks really are CFP, you know, tested and
ready for a possibility in the in the twelve team
playoff with Pigskin and Burnt Ends. Obviously, Texas A and
M is big in the lone Star State and of
course Texas Tech also knocking BYU from the ranks of
the unbeaten this week. That also with Tim Ham IndyCar
Tim taking care of that. Of course, we've got Big
ten Paradigm coming up later this week, as well as
the Big twelve sec breakdown as well in Florida Football
Insiders with Jason Powers.
Speaker 4: Those are all still to come here this week.
Speaker 2: Lot headed coming up this week on the College Griter
and Coast to Coast podcast network, and we got a
lot more to do here as we got some games
for preview. Our Travis Maniam Foundation honorall segment picks to make.
We'll do that when we come back here on Yards
and Stripes.
Speaker 3: This episode of Yards and Stripes is sponsored in part
by ticket Smarter. The twenty twenty five college football season
is here. We know you're looking for the best seats
at the most competitive prices. We want to make sure
that you take advantage of ticket Smarter and their mobile app.
Speaker 4: We know more than ever.
Speaker 3: Buying college football tickets online requires trust and ticket smarter
has partnered with more than one hundred universities and twenty
four conferences as their official ticket resale marketplace. They've also
partnered with ESPN Events as an official ticket resale partner
as well. Purchased your tickets quickly, securely, and at the
best prices on the secondary market with the ticket smarter
mobile app or at ticketsmarter dot com. We've got two
great offers for our listeners. You can save ten dollars
on your just of one hundred dollars or more on
ticket smarter by using the code LWOS ten and if
you spend more, you can save more because if you
spend three hundred dollars or more and use the promo
code LWOS twenty, you'll save twenty dollars off your purchase.
And these codes are not a one time offer. Use
our codes over and over again this season and save
for the best selection of seats to this year's biggest games.
Don't wait get the best selection in pricing now with
ticket Smarter and remember our codes LWOS ten and LWOS twenty.
Think smarter ticket smarter.
Speaker 1: The latest with Navy, Army and Air Force on Yards
and Stripes Service Academy Football.
Speaker 2: Because we just had kiddiekat time here on Yards and Stripes.
You're home for Service Academy Football. Stevens showing off is
as beautiful two or well, he showed up one of
his beautiful kiddies, but we couldn't get the other one
to make a cameo. Here we could see, said kitty.
Well we could see Smoky. You couldn't see the other.
But I'm Pryce Atkinson. He is Stephen Carney along with Emily,
his wife, and they're two lovely kiddies. Steven, Yes, yes, yes, yes,
Let's get into the week ahead. We have two games
this week, Steven. Let's first talk about a team or
a game that obviously familiar with both these teams, Navy,
but especially USF being right there in the greater Tampa area,
South Florida checking in at number twenty five and the
AP poll twenty four and the coaches polled this week
and also tonight in the new college football playoff rankings,
hell hath frozen over. A group of five team is
ranked and it is USF at number I believe it
was twenty four steven as South Florida checking in in
the latest college football playoff rankings. But South Florida at
Navy a twelve noon kickoff on Saturday ESPN two Navy
at last check, I saw ten and a half points
that they were getting over under in the one is
sixty five and a half. Navy and USF currently in
a five way tie for first in the lost column
in the American A couple other key games to watch,
we'll talk about that here in just a little bit,
But of course, the top two teams go on to
play an American Commerce Championship game, and South Florida is
one of those two teams getting the most buzz right now.
To do so, and for that buzz to continue, Stephen,
they'll have to get past Navy at home on Saturday.
His Navy is trying to finish the year with a
five and zero record at home, which would be the
undefeated at home for the for just the sixth time
in school history. So maybe trying to stay defeated at
home and keep pace atop the American to get a
spot in that Commerce Championship game.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and really knock South Florida from the ranks of
the possibility of being the group of five entrants into
the college football playoff this year. Right now, it looks
like they would be the team that would get in
over say a Navy or a Tulane or a James Madison,
who I know is certainly looking for the Bulls to
trip up here. You know, I know that Navy has
seen some really good play this year. I don't know
if they have seen a quarterback like Byron Brown this year,
because Brown is one of these quarterbacks that I think
does not get enough, doesn't get enough attention nationally. I mean,
you're talking about a kid who is you know, twenty
two hundred yards passing so far this year. He also
is seven hundred yards rushing. He's accounted for twenty eight touchdowns,
So I mean he is a big obviously, being the quarterback,
being the big piece of South floor his offense again
here this year. But they the Bulls have done a
really good job of spreading out the wealth on offense
this year. Along with Brown, you know, you've got a
couple of really good uh. Running back Sam Franklin has
been hobbled by turf toe the last couple of weeks
and Kay Davenport has has really taken up the mantle
as as being one of the big pieces in the backfield. Also,
Keishaan Singleton has has really done a good job of
stepping into that number one role. The guy that was
slated to be in that number one role, Chas Nimrod,
the uh I believe is a transfer from Tennessee, has
been hurt the last couple of weeks. He is expected
to play this week against Navy. So I think for
the midshipman, this is a very very difficult ask, is it.
Speaker 4: Is it Notre Dame? Probably not, but it's right up there.
Speaker 3: I mean, I would think, you know, people have said
have asked me if I who I think the best
quarterback in this in this American conferences, and I said,
with all due respect to Blake Corvac for how well
he's played, Yeah, best quarterback in this conference is Byron Brown.
Speaker 4: And it's not even close.
Speaker 2: Yeah, because of what he can do with his legs
and throwing the football. I mean, the dual threat play
so big.
Speaker 3: That's the thing people think, you know, you know, but
I think he's listed at six foot four or six
foot five. I'm pulling up is what they have I'm
listed at right now, they have listed at six three
and two hundred and thirty one pounds.
Speaker 4: He's probably close quarterback, Yeah, he's and he's bigger than that.
Speaker 3: I swear he's got to be six or five or
six six and like two hundred and fifty pounds now.
And if you try and tackle him up high, he's
just gonna shrug you off. If you try and tackle
him low, He's done this a couple of times. He
will just leap over the top of you. So he
is so difficult to try and contain. And you know,
so much of what the Bulls have done here is
because of him.
Speaker 2: And I think that the reason you hold Blake Corvath
out against Notre Dame. Sure you want to beat Notre Dame,
there's no question about it. You're not sandbagging, but you
got to have a healthy Blake Corvath if you're going
to have a chance to win this football game, Steven,
he does not play, maybe's chances of beating the Bulls
or go down infinitely.
Speaker 3: Yes, absolutely, And that's with no disrespect to Braxton Woodson,
you know, yeah, but Braxton Woodson isn't Blake Horvath and
Unfortunately for Navy, Blake Corvath is not Byron Brown.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, this is gonna be a tall order for Navy.
As you mentioned, they're trying to finish the season undefeated
at home. They're just two and three in their last
five Senior Day games. So Navy trying to go out
on a winning note for for their seniors. But you know,
we talk about the American Athletic or the American Conference
Championship race. I mean, this is really USF's last big
test because they go to UAB after that and then
they finished with Rice. With all due respect to UAB
and Rice, they're not at two teams that strike fear
in anybody's heart. So USF gets past this one, Is
it the knockout.
Speaker 5: Blow for Navy?
Speaker 2: Probably? You would have to think that would likely be
the knockout blow because you'll be sitting with two losses
and you have a game with Memphis on the road
coming up. I don't want to say for sure it
be it, but you got to think that if South
Florida wins this that you know you're still looking at
you know, still got to like two lane. But North
Texas is going to have something to say about it,
but you know, no doubt about it. Two lane in
South Florida. All the teams was one loss in the
American two lane in South Florida are the two with
the easiest schedules the rest of the way.
Speaker 3: Yeah, don't let don't don't discount North Texas's schedule as
they have. They have two more games left on the road,
but they're at UA B and at Rice and then
they're home with Temple ten tend the year. I think
they have the easiest schedule of the of these teams
that are left with one loss right now. Obviously you
mentioned Navy's got to go to Memphis after this week.
USF has uh you know, UA B and and Rice
as well. East Carolina has a couple of a couple
of games. They have Memphis this week and then they're
on the road at UTSA, which is very good at
home as well. You know, you're talking about how Navy
is looking to go undefeated this year at home. I
don't think North Texas or UTSA has lost the game
at the Alamodome since like twenty twenty.
Speaker 5: Wow.
Speaker 4: They are very good at home.
Speaker 3: And Tulane's got a couple of doesn't have a very
difficult matchup. Either They've got Fau this week, then they're
at Temple and then home against Charlotte. So you know,
North Texas and Tulane do have very easy schedules as well.
Speaker 2: All Right, once again, Navy in South Florida doing battle
on Saturday twelve noon ESPN Tonyvy getting ten and a
half points against the visiting number twenty four Bulls. All right,
let's pivot up just north a little bit further because
air Force is going to be making the cross country
trip to take on Yukon. Air Force three and six
taking on the Yukon Husky seven and three. This is
also a twelve noon kick Eastern Center time, but this
one's gonna be on the CBS Sports Network. Air Force
getting seven and a half points over under is sixty
three and a half. This will be the first all
time meeting between the two teams. The matchup is one
of seventeen Group of five first time matchups in college
football this season. The Huskies will visit Falcons Stadium on
Halloween next season, as the agreement was created after sam
Houston State pulled out of its return trip to Falcon Stadium.
So one of those fun non conference matchups you just
don't get to see very often, so this will be
one of the first ones. Is Air Force is heading
to Stores to take on the seven and three Huskies,
led by former NFL coach Jim Mora. Steven, you gotta
love what Jim Mora has done. I'm not sure how
much you saw of it, but that upset went over
Duke last weekend at home. We're not an upset, but
in overtime, you know, playing as an FBS independent, And
that's a big thing this year because this is going
to conclude a three game homestand for the Huskies and
they are indeed five and five and zero at home
this year. I think this is going to be a
tall order for Troy Calhoun's team, coming across the country
and playing a very well coached and offensive minded Husky team.
Speaker 3: Yeah, a very you know, strong offense. Uh the Huskies
have this year at seven and three. You know, their
schedule hasn't been you know, they're not They're not facing
a bunch.
Speaker 4: Of world beaters.
Speaker 5: Uh.
Speaker 3: You look at the games against power for Conferences conference
opponents this year. They lost at what used to be
the Carrier Dome, uh to to Syracuse earlier this year,
they ended up winning on the road at Boston College.
You know, obviously BC is not a very good team
UH this year.
Speaker 5: UH.
Speaker 3: And then of course the win over Duke UH in Stores.
You know, I think is probably the biggest, you know
win that they have so far this year. Their other
wins are against UA b UH. As I mentioned Boston College,
floor to International Buffalo Ball, State Central Connecticut. You know,
I look at at Yukon and you know, I'm still
at that point where I'm like, I'll believe it when
I see it with the Huskies, because you know, there
have been years in the past where Yukon has looked
formidable and this Yukon defense has been you know, been
run upon this year. You know, I think that one
of the things that you've seen with the wins is
they're beating teams that are better at throwing the football
as opposed to running the football. And Yukon's defense they've
given up one hundred and seventy two rushing yards per game.
It's one hundred and eighth in FBS Division one college football,
it's only one hundred and thirty one teams, So they
are down near the bottom there, and so I think that,
you know, this is going to come down to Liam
Sarka and and I really do think that you know
Sarka and whether you get Owen Allen involved again here
this week to try and provide, you know, kind of
a change of pace. But really it is going to
come down to how well the Falcons front line can
get the push on the on the Huskies defensive line,
because that is going to be the reason why air
Force wins this game, or if they are unable to
do so, it's the reason why air Force is going
to end up losing this game.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you mentioned seven and three and the win over Duke.
That was a step up in competition for the Huskies
last weekend because I think Duke was I would say,
the best team that they had faced on their schedule
all season.
Speaker 5: They that was their third day acc team.
Speaker 2: And playing as an independent, you obviously can you know,
set up your schedule and and it's set up with
a lot of teams that are let's just call them
beatable bottom feeders. And that's what Yukon has done is
feast on a lot of bottom feeders. There are three
losses though are by combined thirteen points. I mean all
three losses are by less than a touchdown each. But
I always say that you got to play the hand
you're dealt, and you know, when you do that, you
got to at least take care of business if you're
going to be you know, thought about with any kind
of you know, ilk whatever. But they're taking care of
largely taking care of business with that hand. It's a
lot like you know, when Army was an independent and
they set the schedule up to try and develop some
momentum and Jeff Munkin did it, and now they've got
that momentum. I see a lot of what Jim Morris
trying to do and a lot of the same things
that that Army did, you know, several years ago in
Yukon going back to an independence. So not the worst
thing in the world, but they have built that momentum
up and it's I think that momentum is one thing
that helped carry him to a win over Duke and
couldn't carry him to a win over Air Force on Saturday.
Speaker 5: We'll see.
Speaker 2: But you know, another step up in competition for the
Huskies and you know quarterback or Joe Fagnano almost three
thousand yards this season. Steven I don't care who you are.
When you throw twenty five scores without a pick and
you're this late in the season, you're doing something right.
And he's got a lot of weapons, and one of
them is Skylar Bell, one of the nation's leading receivers
with over one thousand yards, eighty five catches, thirteen touchdowns.
Don't know if he'll be in the Blitnikoff conversation, but
you know, they put up some awfully impressive numbers. But
Fagnano with twenty five touchdowns and no interceptions, who caught
my attention.
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's exactly what I was going to point out,
is that you know, they they have not thrown an
interception this year, and they have caused ten of them. So,
I mean, I'm just just taking a look at what
they've been able to do this year. I mean, they've
got fourteen takeaways total. That's really good for a team
that has not thrown an interception here so far this year.
So you know, you're gonna find yourself in a lot
of a lot of games if you are that good
with the football, and it's gonna be up to Air
Force to be able to stop them.
Speaker 2: Yep, and Air Forces Defense it's it's come to play
the last couple of weeks, and it's gonna have to
do it again, as they've helped three straight opponents to
twenty one points or less, Wyoming to twenty one, Army
to twenty in.
Speaker 5: San Jose State to sixteen.
Speaker 2: That's why they've been all been in all these three games,
last three games and one two of them. But they're
gonna have to get that kind of effort defensively much
better than what they did the first half of the season,
as air Force and Yukon set for a twelve noon
showdown Eastern Center Time on the CBS Sports Network, again
air Force getting seven and a half points.
Speaker 5: All right, Steven, we.
Speaker 2: Got our Travis Mannion Foundation Honor Roll segment. We got
that to do, and then we got to make some
picks and our two games. We'll do that when we
come back here on Yards and Stripes, your home for
Service Academy Football.
Speaker 6: In two thousand and seven, Mareen First Lieutenant Travis Mannon
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 Manion Foundation and through TMF,
these words can live in you 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 fallen, and inspired
civilians at Travismanion dot org.
Speaker 2: All right, welcome back in the yards and stripes, your
home for Service Academy Football. Now time for a Travismnian
Foundation Honorable Segment. When honor remember a fallen hero one
is given the ultimate sacrifice. And as we record on
Veterans Day, we remember all those veterans who have served
our nation who are currently serving, and we say thank you.
But this week on the Travis Manion Foundation Honor Role,
we can remember Major William R. Watkins, the third Memory
of the United States Air Force. Major Watkins gave the
ultimate sac on April seventh, two thousand and three, when
he was killed in action as the F fifteen E
he was in went down during a combat mission near
to krit Iraq. A native of Danville, Virginia, Watkins was
assigned to the three hundred and thirty third Fighter Squadron
based out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina.
He transferred to the Air Force from the Navy two
years prior to his death to be closer to his wife,
Air Force Major Melissa Watkins William Salty. Watkins was a
graduate nineteen eighty nine graduate of the United States Naval
Academy and had served in the Navy twelve years as
a flight officer. It was a big Jimmy Buffett fan
before he switched and moved over to the Air Force.
He dreamed of flying, said his uncle Jeff Haley. Watkins
also wanted to sale the ocean, perform on stage, singing
the choir, and play football. He attended Wood Barry Forest
School near Orange, Virginia growing up, where he played football,
sang in the school choir, and was active in drama.
Speaker 5: Quote.
Speaker 2: He was a big fellow, but very artistic end quote,
said Edward Blaine, who taught Watkins senior English. He has
survived by his wife, Melissa, and two children, one of
whom was unborn at the time of his death, as
well as his mother and two siblings. The average American quote,
the average American will know him as a war hero
for his family and friends. We knew him as a
hero in other parts of his life as a great dad,
a family man, a brother, and a friend. It was
his uncle again, Jeff Haley talking about Major William Watkins.
The Travis Madiden Foundation honored Major Watkins through the Character
Does Matter program presented during the USNA Summer Seminar and
the USNA STEM Camp for rising eleventh graders. And we
take the time to remember fallen heroes like Major William R.
Watkins from the Nited States Air Force and so many
others this week because as we all know, freedomsit free.
Football is just a game, but pales in comparison to
the game of life. So we thank all those that
have given that ultimate sacrifice. You can find out a
lot more about programs at Travis Manion Foundation as offering
in communities across the country at Travismanion dot org.
Speaker 7: Travis Mallion 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 to eleven heroesrun dot Org.
Speaker 1: The latest with Navy, Army and Air Force on Yards
and Stripes Service Academy Football.
Speaker 5: All right, final segment of Yards and Stripes.
Speaker 2: He is Stephen Carneyiam Price at cant say, well, appreciate
you tuning in here, Army, Navy, and Air Force. That
is what we do as we are part of the
College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast network. Excited to be
with you all season. Excited that you're with us all season.
So Stephen, we last week we had three games.
Speaker 5: You and I were.
Speaker 2: We hit them all or we didn't hit them all,
but you and all were the same on all the games.
We both had Army, we both had San Jose State,
and we both had Notre Dame. Although I had a
closer game and gainst Notre Dame than you did, but
nonetheless we fell even. Steven, no pun intended as it
was in our three games, but we got two games
this week. I like the picks, or like, I feel
good about my picks, just not the scores. You know,
sometimes this score just kind of hits you and and
you roll with it.
Speaker 5: I kind of had to kind of.
Speaker 2: Manufacture a couple scores because it's because I wasn't really
sure which exactly which you know, direction to go with
each game. But let's start with our first game. Let's
start USF. The number twenty four Bulls coming into Navy
Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Senior Day against the Midshipman.
Can Navy keep pace because this one is gonna be big.
If Navy's gonna have any shot to playing at the
American Conference Championship Game, they've got to find a way
to win this one, especially with the game against Memphis looming.
Speaker 5: What do you think about Navy and USF.
Speaker 3: Yeah, we've had this game pretty much circled all year long.
The Michael Kelly ball he should be calling it. But obviously,
you know, I think that USF's talent is gonna end
up being a little bit of a steamroller over Navy
this this week. I just have a feeling that Byron
Brown is going to have one of those games where
he wants to put a statement down and I think
he ends up doing it at Navy Marine Corps Memorial
Stadium in front of his old boss in the Navy
Director of Athletics, Michael Kelly. And so I have the
Bulls winning this game and I have it. I have
been winning pretty handily. I have it USF thirty eight
and NYVY thirteen. Wow, we were very We're pretty close
on that one. Yeah, and this, of course this, of course,
if Blake Horvath plays, it may might be a little
it might be a little higher. But I see, I
see USF getting close to forty points in this game.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I was. I was picking USF under the assumption
that Horror BAF plays. Of course, we don't know at
this point. We're recording here on on what Tuesday evenings,
so we don't We're not no official word.
Speaker 5: We may not know until Saturday.
Speaker 2: But I'm like we picked last week and picking the
same way with Horror BAF playing. I do like USF two.
I think Byron Brown is just he's the most talented
quarterback that that the Midshipman might have seen this year. CJ.
Carr is very good, although he's a freshman, incredible talent.
But Brown, it's just he's another animal, the way he
can run the football and the way he can throw it.
And I think it's going to be a problem. I'd
love what golis has done. Alex Golish is done with
this team.
Speaker 5: This year.
Speaker 2: Certainly he's going to be a candidate for a lot
of jobs this offseason. They're going to be open that
are already open. I would be knocking on his door
because I've heard interviews with him and I think he's
fan I love listening to how Schulish talk. I think
he's a fantastic interview and he seems like a fascinating
coach to play for. But I'm with you, I like USF.
I'm going with USF to the tune of thirty five
to twenty one, winning by two touchdowns. All right, let's
move up to stores where Air Force is making the
trip to the East Coast for what will be an
early kick for them. That would be a ten am
Mountain Standard time kickoff, but twelve noon on the East
Coast is air Force and Yukon doing battle on the
CBS Sports Network. Steven Ken, Or, will do you think
air Force? Do you think they're gonna be able to
really come across the country play a much earlier game
time that they're used to. I think there are just
a lot of things that are stacked against the Falcons
here this week that might just be too much to overcome,
and namely a team in Yukon that's playing with a
lot of mo they are.
Speaker 3: You know, it is a it is a lot to
ask to have a team come across the country. You're playing,
as you mentioned, this is a ten am start back
in Colorado Springs. And I think that, you know, air
Force is going to have its work cut out for them.
Speaker 4: Can they beat Yukon? I think they can.
Speaker 3: You know, it's gonna it's gonna it's gonna take some takeaways.
Uh you know, I think that that's really gonna be
the case here. You know, kind of like we said
last week with San Jose State, you know, we thought
that it was going to be tough for them to
take the ball away from the Spartans. I think it's
going to be tough for them to take the ball
away this week against the Huskies. And when you have
a you're going up against quarterback that he's yet to
throw a pick this year. You know, sometimes if you
can get one, the flood the floodgate opens and you
can get three or four turnovers that way. I don't
see it happening though, And I have Yukon winning this game.
It's a lot a lot closer. I have Yukon thirty
one air Force twenty six.
Speaker 2: Wow. Okay, well, we definitely see this game differently because
I'd think Yukon wins the game. I just think they
win it much more handily. I think Fagnano and their
ability to light up the passing game and air Force,
as we know, has been lit up in the secondary
this season, and when you've got a team with the
ability to throw the football down the field and stretch it,
I think that is a massive problem for the air
Force secondary. And so I like Yukon and this one
to win to the tune of forty two to seventeen.
I like a big win for Yukon just because I
just think coming across the country, I think all those
things is just going to be just too difficult for
the Falcons to overcome. Not that it hasn't been done
before when they've come across to play Navy, but I
think this is just gonna be a little bit too
steep this late in the season. But we'll find out.
Hope we have two good games. More than anything, we
hope that we have two wins, but two great games
of our two teams this weekend. Stephen, what we got
on our way out the door because certainly, as mentioned
at the outset, its veteran stay. I just want to
say thank you again, best producer in the world, best
co host in the world, nobody I'd rather do this.
But the biggest thing is thank you for your service,
my friend.
Speaker 4: Oh, I really appreciate it, my friend.
Speaker 3: And yeah, for me, I mean, obviously I've got a
lot you know, I will be working that Navy South
Florida game, so I definitely will will have my eyes
glued to that one. There's a couple of other games
that I'm looking forward to a little later on in
the day. Obviously, Alabama and Oklahoma is a game that
I think a lot of people are taking a look at.
And Georgia and Texas. You know, it's amazing to see
that with all the issues that the long Worns have
had this year, they're back in the top ten in
the in the ranking again. And arch Manning is you know,
close to it. We'll probably close in on twenty five
hundred yards passing here in this game, so I'm kind
of surprised with how things going. But obviously those two
games are going to be big SEC matchups here, I.
Speaker 2: Think the one and there are some good matchups this
weekend certainly better than the was last weekend. But I
think one of the most fascinating or maybe the most
fascinating team to me right now, and you'll probably say
the price, Where in the world and how in the
world are you coming up with this team the Pittsburgh
Panthers right now, because they have games left against Notre
Dame this weekend, at Georgia Tech and at home against Miami.
Pittsburgh could theoretically end three seasons if they were to
get wins in all three games. Now I'm not saying
that they're going to win all three. They could lose
all three, but they have a chance that they could
in three seasons. Because Notre Dame, they suffer another loss,
they're out of the college football playoff, They're done. Georgia
Tech right now is hanging They're eight and one, five
and one. I mean, a loss may not be the
end of the world for Georgia Tech, but it could
be certainly. Miami is barely hanging on by a thread.
Is they're three and two in the ACC and seven
and two overall. A loss for them that ends their
college football playoff hope. Uh, And let's just put it
this way, if pitt were to run the table, they
would find themselves in the most likely in the ACC
Championship game, depending on what else happened. I just think
Pittsburgh right now might be the most fascinating team in
college football for what the chaos that they could create.
Speaker 5: Stephen.
Speaker 3: So, yeah, and they've got they've got five wins in
a row, and that that ACC is going to be
fun to watch. You mentioned Georgia Tech. You know, Virginia
is five and one in the ACC. And don't look now, but.
Speaker 4: Here comes SMU as well.
Speaker 3: I mean the Mustangs, the Pony Express is also five
and one in this conference. And you know, all of
those teams now have a leg up on a team
like Miami or Louisville who beat Miami. You know, it's
it's amazing to see.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and all that to say, the ACC, the ACC
looks a whole lot like to me, the American right now, Yes,
with just a log jam at the top. I think
it's I think it's just incredible how similar they both are.
All right, Steven, let's get out of here. Let's go
get everybody ready to enjoy the games this weekend. I
know you are, I know I will two big ones
again South Florida and Navy, and then certainly Air Force
in Yukon. Can't wait to do it again next week.
Once again have the Veterans Day. As we roll along
here as we approach the end of the twenty twenty
five college football season. We'll see you next week.
Speaker 1: Join us again next time for Yards and Strikes Service
Academy Football. To get more on all things Service Academy Football,
like Yards and Stripes on Facebook and follow them on
Twitter at Yards and Stripes. And make sure that you're
subscribing to the College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast feed
on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, and wherever you get your podcasts.