Speaker 1: Need to get your football fixed on all things Army,
Navy and Air Force. This is Yarns and Stripes Service
Academy Football. Now here are your hosts, Bryce Atkinson and
Steve Carney.
Speaker 2: Welcome into another addition. How about a Thanksgiving addition, folks
of Yards and Stripes your home for Service Academy Football.
He is the man, the maestro, the myth, the absolute
service Academy legend one Stephen Carney. I'm just lowly Price
Atkinson and we are glad you are here.
Speaker 3: And let me get.
Speaker 2: Mushy right out of the gate. I am so damn
thankful for this guy, Stephen Carney. In a week or
weeks when it has been a rough go and I'm
not putting it on anybody else.
Speaker 3: You know, we all have rough times.
Speaker 2: But when it's Thanksgiving week, I'm thankful for people that
are always there for you and somebody that's always there
for me and for you, our listeners. Stephen Carney, Steven,
I'm just saying thank you because we couldn't do this
without you, brother, I couldn't do.
Speaker 3: It without you, so thank you.
Speaker 4: Oh you're the best price, and I will I will
also reflect that back to you because there are many
weeks when my schedule has me running around like a
chicken with my head cut off, and I'm like, I
can only do taping at this hour, late late at night,
on like a Wednesday, and you are like, no problem whatsoever,
And you are always there for me, and we are
both there for.
Speaker 5: Our listeners and that certainly helps us.
Speaker 4: So I appreciate you and I'm thankful for you on
this Thanksgiving.
Speaker 3: Well, I appreciate it. Brother.
Speaker 2: We're a team, and I hope everybody enjoys the team
what we built here at Yards and Stripes, because it's
a lot of fun to do this every single week
to talk about Army, Navy and Air Force football. Is
you are in the palatial estate in Saint Pete and
I am in a beach condo trying to get this
knocked out, laying on a bed holding my microphone, completely
completely away from the home home setup. And that's okay
because that's what makes this thing a lot of fun
to do sometimes. So we're gonna have some fun tonight
real quick. We got to get a killer pizza report.
I know everybody's dreaming, dreaming about turkey, dreaming about stuffing
and all mom Grandma's family, you know, fixings at the
Thanksgiving table on Thursday. Steven, take me back, because there
is no day that is not a great day without pizza.
I know, Killer Pizza. You have been tearing it up lately.
We have been tearing it up lately.
Speaker 4: And I finished off the Killer Pizza here this afternoon.
I'm going through all of their specialty pies. I've already
done the Meat Massacre, which was a ten plus. This
time we got the Buffalo Chicken Slayer Pizza, which was
obviously Buffalo chicken with a ghost ghost pepper ranch glaze
on top. Quite delicious. I would say the Meat Maskers
probably is a ten plus. The Buffalo Chicken I wish
it'd have like a marin era base. It did not,
which kind of kind of you know, makes it a
little different. It was a different style for me, So
I ended up with this one. Probably This is probably
about an eight or an eight and a half, so
not quite as perfect as as some of the others
that I have had from Killer Pizza, but still a
very very good pie. And I've got plenty more to
break down here this weekend, because I'm sure that after
having two and a half days of turkey and stuffing
and mashed potatoes. I'm gonna be wanting some pizza this
weekend for college football.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, my friend. Absolutely, there is no better time for
pizza than college sports on Thanksgiving weekend. Whereas football, basketball,
pro football, I mean, you throw the kitchen sink of
sports to me. This is one of the best sports
weeks of the entire calendar year. It is upon us,
all right, Steven. We got a good bit to get into.
We got two games to recap, we got three games
coming up this week. We got an American Conference championship that
is yet to be decided. Travis Manian Foundation on a
roll segment. Game balls or maybe we don't have game balls.
We've got picks to make. We got a ton that
we are going to do here this week. But let's
get in to last weekend because we will start We
had two senior days both at West Point and at
the Air Force Academy. We will start up at west
Point because it was two lane walking into Mike Stadium
and shocking Army twenty six to twenty five, Tulsa getting
their first American Conference victory of the season, as they
are now four and seven to one and six an
Army now five and five, three and four. They had
the chance to get to Bowl eligibility. They could not
do it. We will talk about can they still get there?
That is a bigger lingering question. But my question I'm
gonna ask you is, what in the hell with Jeff
Monkin and the Army staff thinking Steven throwing the football
late in the game, they were up eight twenty five
seventeen I think three ten, three to twenty left on
the clock. They decide they're going to drop back and
pass on a second ten, It's picked off, and then
next thing you know, Tulsa's in business at the Army
forty with just over three minutes left. Five plays later,
they score a touchdown. Two point conversion fails. You know,
Army does get the ball back, but they go They
they four and out eighteen seconds and then Tulsa kicks
the game winning field goal with with twelve seconds left
from twenty seven yards out. I'm gonna go back to
my question though, what in the hell with Jeff Monkin
and Army staff thinking throwing the football?
Speaker 5: League?
Speaker 4: Yeah, this is one where if I was still in
the military, I'd be asking for an article fifteen investigation
about what happened in the fourth quarter of this game.
Because this is a Tulsa team we talked about it
last week, had not won a single conference game all
season long, going into one of the most venerable stadiums
against one of the most disciplined teams in all of
college football, and they looked completely undisciplined coming from the
coaching staff.
Speaker 5: I agree with you completely. Why are they.
Speaker 4: Throwing the football deep in their own territory? I don't
I don't understand. Are they trying to be cute? Are
they trying to mix things up? At that point you've
got you've got Tulsa on the ropes. All you need
is a couple of first downs and you can run.
Speaker 5: Out the clock.
Speaker 4: You don't even need to get into their territory. You're
not trying to score, You're trying to run out the
and passing the football. There are three things that can happen,
and two of them are bad. Either one, it's gonna
be incomplete and you're gonna stop the clock and give
Tulsa extra time. Or two what ended up happening, You
throw an interception and now they've got the ball in
a short field to deal with down eight, they can
go and get a score and there's gonna be plenty
of time for them to be able to either A
get the on side kick or B make a stop.
Speaker 5: And that's exactly what happened. I couldn't believe it.
Speaker 4: I'm I'm like you, I'm screaming at the television, going what.
Speaker 3: Are you doing? Yeah?
Speaker 2: I did the same thing, and I am one of
those guys like I think I've said four I'm not
a prisoner of the moment guy, and I'm not mister armchair.
You know that leaves every game saying I don't know
what the play callers were doing, because I have friends
that all they want to do is bitch about play
call and complain about it, regardless of pick the team,
Just go ahead, put the team in that conversation. Well,
if we had a stupid play caller, for I'm never
that guy. I'm the exact opposite of that guy. But
when I saw Kate helems dropping back to pass, I
threw my arms up and like, what are these guys
doing here?
Speaker 3: I get it. You're a genius if.
Speaker 2: You complete a forty yard pass downfield and you basically
are running out the clock in game set match. But
there have been too many times this year and they
got away with it. And I'm trying to remember the
game it was. It was just recently Steven helped me out.
Speaker 3: It wasn't.
Speaker 2: It wasn't their last game before this. But there was
another game where Jummunkin and company they went for it
or late in the game in their own territory. God like,
why can't I remember the game? It'll come to me
in a second. And they didn't get it.
Speaker 5: It was the Air Forces game.
Speaker 2: It was the Air Force game, and they the Air
Force bails them out, but this time they didn't get
bailed out with stupidity. And I have as much I
want an army to win this game and get the
Bowl eligible, get to be Bowl eligible with six wins.
I have very little sympathy in this case for being
that freaking stupid when you know, dagum well your bread
is butter. By running the football, Helms had already run
for a buck fifty. Run him again, or find somebody
else to run the rock. But it do not be
putting the ball in the air.
Speaker 4: All I was all I was thinking of when when
he dropped back, I'm going, all right, are we gonna
see a quarterback like run the quarterback draw at that point.
If you're gonna get it, if you're gonna get if
you're gonna have Helms drop back to appear to pass,
that's the perfect time to run the quarterback draw because
you're gonna see spot holes in the in the line.
Speaker 5: Start to open up and you're able to get through.
Speaker 4: You just got to be able to get somebody to
move the middle linebacker and all of a sudden you
can throw the football. But that in that play, you
could tell that Helms was not looking to throw to
run the football at all. That was a throw through
and through and he was either going to throw the
football or he was gonna take the sack, And you
almost wish he took the sack at that point.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yes, I think a sack would have been
better because you at least still keep the football and
it's third long and at least you could still run
it if you really wanted to do that. And then
they would have probably burned a time out one of
their three final timeouts, because they wouldn't have had all
three on the next drive when they ran four plays
total of seven yards in eighteen seconds, Steven.
Speaker 5: Yeah, they get the kick.
Speaker 4: We were like, oh my god, they're gonna pull They're
gonna pull this out anyway.
Speaker 5: I couldn't believe it.
Speaker 2: And I'm not saying that Tulsa outplayed them, because it
was fairly even most of the game. Sure, Tulsa had
two turnovers, an Army had zero up until the very end,
and they outgained Army five hundred to just over three hundred.
But you know, Army only committed two penalties. They played
a pretty clean game. They just didn't convert some of
the third downs they needed and certainly some of the
four downs they needed. But the bottom line is is
I think we're having a different conversation and the result
is different had they not just been ridiculously crazy uh
in going for it late, because I just think it
was one of the most mind been boggling calls of
the season against a team that why would you spot
them a short field when they hadn't won a conference
game all year and they hadn't really looked good doing
you know, in most of their games they got blown
you know, blown out in a lot of them. You know,
it's not like Tulsa was this capable team and then
Army just kind of single handling made them capable at
the end. I'm just I'm just exasperated. I'm just I'm
still just I can't believe it. Yeah, I mean, I'm
gonna move on this. I just can't believe this one.
This one, you have to chalk it up. Somebody brain parted,
somebody had I don't know if it.
Speaker 4: Was if it was coach Monkin, or if it was
one of the assistant coaches, or or if it was
Hellm's I don't know. I don't know who whose bright
idea was, but that was a brain fart of the
highest magnitude.
Speaker 2: Yeah, all right, we're gonna move on, but we will
get onto other things. Tulsa twenty six, Army twenty five
missed opportunity to say the least.
Speaker 4: Yes, all right, not only that, but it's going to
bite the Black Knights in the rear end.
Speaker 5: Come going forward for the rest.
Speaker 2: Of this season, and we'll explain well, that stupidity and
we will talk about them about it in a little
bit could be the reason why they're not playing in
the postseason. All right, let's go to the other senior day.
Colorado Springs Air Force Academy welcoming New Mexico, a solid
New Mexico team at that and that New Mexico team
came in there and got a twenty to three win
over Air Forces, New Mexico eight and three, five and
two in the Mount West, air Force dropping to three
and eight two and five in the league. Liam Sark
obviously not playing loss for the season against Yukon, so
Josh Johnson took over along with converted the fullback Kemper Hodges,
and the Falcons just couldn't get it done because New
Mexico nine plays seventy five yards to open the game,
cap by quarterback Jack Lane's twelve yard touchdown run. Lobos
never looked back from there. They stop Air Force on
their first drive. Then the Lobos go eighty two yards
on fifteen plays in eight forty three, cap by a
two yard touchdown run. They led fourteen to nothing just
three minutes into the second quarter an air Force it
only had the ball one time while New Mexico had it.
I believe it was almost fourteen minutes and the game
was over from there.
Speaker 4: Steven, Yeah, it really was. And you figure, you know,
not having Stark in this game was going to be
a big, big, big negative for the for the Falcons,
especially because New Mexico has been so good this year
at stopping the run, and I mean they held the
Falcons to just one hundred and ten yards rushing, I
mean two point three yards per rushing attempt in this
game for air Force. And when you have that happened
to you, you're gonna find yourself.
Speaker 5: In big, big truck.
Speaker 4: I mean, even though you know they didn't commit a penalty,
and you know, the time of possession turned out to
be rather even. Uh, you know, it was only a
forty six second differential between the Lobos and the Falcons,
but I mean when you have more when New Mexico
had more rushing yards than air Force had total yards,
and that was that was not what you what you
expect out of a out of an air Force team.
And there's no reason to think that things would get
any better not having Liam Sarka under center.
Speaker 2: Yeah, no doubt about that, because Sarka had been so
good this year. And we'll see what happens in the
season finale against Colorado State. I still think they can
find a way to go there. But in Sarca's absence,
they they can only muster one hundred and sixty one
yards a total offense, only one hundred and ten on
the ground against one of the top one of the
top echelon teams in them mount Less at home.
Speaker 3: That's not going to cut it.
Speaker 2: Give give air Force some credit. They avoid the shutout.
Reagan Tubbs gets them on the board, drilling a twenty
seven yard field goal in the fourth quarter. But I mean,
that's that's that's water under the bridge, you know. It's
it's been able to say you didn't get shut out.
That's really about all that is.
Speaker 5: Feel bad for the seniors.
Speaker 4: Uh yeah, because the seniors deserved better from the the
entire team, uh in that in that game, and they
they just didn't get it. And I think a lot
of it had to do with the fact that that
they were all still reeling from what happened to Liam
uh in the Yukon game.
Speaker 2: Yeah, And this has been a senior class has done
some really good special things, especially their freshman sophomore years
at the academy. I mean, this is they've they've fallen
on hard times in the last two years.
Speaker 3: I do feel bad for.
Speaker 2: Those those senior kids because to go out like this
after the way they they really went into their academy
careers with some with some outstanding Falcon teams. It's just
kind of disheartening to see the way they've fallen off
in the last two years. But eventually, you know, you
cycle through guys. Sometimes you've got to build back up
to a crescendo. You know, at Army and Navy would
tell you it would laugh at that statement. They would
tell you, heck, no, it's next man up. And I
do get that, But right now, I don't know what
it is with air Force. If it's scheme, if it's talent,
I think it's probably more talent than anything. Yeah, because
I think a lot more of that talent now resides
at West Point in Annapolis than Colorado Springs, because, as
we all know, air Force has gotten creative and let's
just put it that way on you know, turnbacks and
some different things to keep guys in the program. But
maybe that's all caught up to them. I don't know, Stephen.
What I do know is it's been a it's been
a tough season and I hate seeing the seniors go
out without.
Speaker 4: Absolutely and I think a lot of a lot of
what's going on with Air Force is the fact that
they have struggled to get the recruits that they have
been looking for.
Speaker 5: A lot of the a lot of the guys that.
Speaker 4: They have been recruiting have gone to West Point or
to Annapolis and not to Colorado Springs, you know.
Speaker 5: And you can't really fault the recruits for for where
they want to go.
Speaker 4: But I think, I think that they've got to be
able to find They've got to be able to persuade
the recruits that they are going after, because you know,
obviously the guys that they are going after are the
same guys that Jeff Bunkett is going after, the same
guys that that Brian Newberry are going is going after
uh to go to Navy, and and they are they
find themselves behind.
Speaker 5: The proverbial eight ball right now.
Speaker 4: And I don't know why that is, you know, I'm
i'd be I would be interested to hear from some
of the recruits as to why they why they make
the choices that they do.
Speaker 5: But they have not.
Speaker 2: Made the choice to go to Colorado Springs the last
couple of years. Steven New Mexico twenty Air Force three.
Let me pivot to our game balls, because we've got
a lot more to do here, and let's just put
it this way.
Speaker 3: I'm not, you know, throwing water on.
Speaker 2: This segment, but our two teams lose. One of them
does it in dramatic fashion, the other does it with
the dud. I don't have a lot more I don't
have a lot more energy for the way these two
teams lost last week. Outside of what I what I
gave during about what Army did.
Speaker 4: We would say, we would say right now that game
balls are secured.
Speaker 2: Can we give a game ball for this week?
Speaker 4: I don't think either of these teams have anything that
was worthy of a game ball, which is why I
say game balls are secured?
Speaker 5: All right?
Speaker 2: First time I think in history of the show that
neither of us giving a game ball. Part of me
wanted to give a game ball to Jeff Munkin for stupidity,
but I'm not going to do that. I'm not going
to be that guy. But this, I do think is
the first time in Yards and Stripe's history. So starting
this podcast, what circa twenty eighteen nineteen that have never
given a game ball, and that neither of us have
given a game ball? So let the record reflect, all right,
Steven Tell everybody about the last word on not last
word on sports. College Gridiron Coast to Coast Podcast Network.
We are available on last Wee on sports dot Com yep.
But we have got something for everybody at the College
Gridiron Coast to Coast Podcast Network. Whether you're a fan
of somebody from the SEC, the Big Ten, we have
got you covered.
Speaker 3: Oh.
Speaker 4: Absolutely definitely want to check out all of the shows
on College Gridiron Coast because we are one of seven
that come out.
Speaker 5: Every single week.
Speaker 4: Of course, starting off the week on Mondays, we always
have a look at the ACC. There have been a
plenty of shifts starting with SMU and can the Mustangs
get themselves into the ACC Championship game?
Speaker 5: That is a huge.
Speaker 4: Question that the guys Jeff and Matthew take a look
at this week and this week in the ACC Get
Off My Pylon, we head out to the West Coast
and all of the things that are going on out west.
Of course, the coaching carousels. Can Oregon do what it
takes to get into the college Football Playoff?
Speaker 5: From the Big Ten?
Speaker 4: A lot of good, a lot of stuff going on
from Get Off My Pylon. Of course, the Big Ten
paradigm also taking a look at Oregon's win over USC
but of course they have plenty to talk about in
the Big Ten this week. It's rivalry week, so of
course gotta lead with Ohio State and Michigan this week,
but there are plenty of other games going on in
the Big Ten that they're definitely gonna take a look
at Big Skin and Burnt Ends, Tim Ham taking a
look at Texas and Texas A and M. The Aggie's
looking to stay undefeated and get into the SEC Championship game.
That's the main course there for Pigskin and Burnt Ends,
and then of course later on this week, Florida Football
Insiders and the Big twelve SEC Breakdown will come to
you after Thanksgiving.
Speaker 3: There you have it.
Speaker 2: We've got a ton at College Grader and Coast to
Coast podcast Network, and we hope you will check it out.
Producer extraordinaire of Stephen Carney, he puts them all together
and he has them sounding like Tony Award winning episodes
every single freaking week. All right, guys, we appreciate you,
and we're going to continue with you here in just
a few minutes as we come back and we preview
three games this Thanksgiving week, including one Thursday, one Friday,
and then another Saturday. We got our Travis Manian Foundation
Honor Roll segment. We're gonna get some picks to make
on the way out the door Thanksgiving edition style. We'll
do that when we come back here in Nargis Stripes.
Speaker 4: This episode of Yards and Stripes is sponsored in part
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Speaker 1: The latest with Navy, Army and Air Force on Yards
and Stripes Service Academy Football.
Speaker 2: All right, kids, welcome back Thanksgiving addition style here on
Yards and Stripes on Bryce Atkinson, he is the outstanding,
the award winning Stephen Carney decked out his raise hat
tonight as we are coming to you on Tuesday night.
I imagine Steven will have this episode up first thing
tomorrow morning. But three games, Steven, three big games, and
they're big for a lot of different reasons. Let's get
to the reason that Navy at Memphis is big on
Thanksgiving Night?
Speaker 3: Who does it love? Thanksgiving Night? Football?
Speaker 2: Personally, I enjoy the NFL, but give me college football
any and every day of the week. I don't care
who it is, especially when I get a Thanksgiving matchup,
because you know it's gonna be something with some kind
of you know it, whether it's an egg Bowl of yesteryear,
or a Texas Texas A and M game of yesteryear,
maybe a Georgia Georgia Tech game. This year, we got
Navy at Memphis. These two teams have been mainstays in
the American and this is gonna kick off at seven
thirty on Thanksgiving evening on ESPN. The Memphis Tigers are
giving five and a half points over under is fifty
nine and a half. And the other reason why this
one is big, folks, Well, Navy's got to have it
to stay in the American Conference Championship hunt. They need
help with Tulane in North Texas right there. If North
Texas and Tulane both win, that's your American Conference Championship game.
Navy's gotta win, and Navy has to have one of
those teams lose. We will talk about those two teams
and their opponents here in just a little bit, But Steven,
this sets up to be a fantastic matchup. Every single
game seems to be a wild affair when Navy and
Memphis get together. Last year was no different. Is Navy
on a fifty six to forty four shootout teams combining
for one hundred points last year. But Navy hasn't beat Memphis.
They're in Memphis six twenty and fifteen, they've lost four straight,
which was the mids first year in the American Their
last win in Memphis came in the twenty nineteen Liberty
Bowl when they beat Kansas State on that field. So
Memphis has not been a place that is very kind
to the Navy midshipman over the years.
Speaker 4: No, it certainly hasn't. And you know, obviously the former
Liberty Bowl Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium now certainly has been
a very very rough place.
Speaker 5: For any opponent to go to, you know, over the years.
Speaker 4: This year, I know, watching South Florida go up to
Memphis and end up losing the way that they did.
They were up big in that game and saw the
Tigers come back and eventually get the victory over USF
You know, I I really thought at that point that
the Tigers were the team to beat in this conference,
and they've they've had a couple of really tough losses
in the last couple of weeks. Obviously, Uh, East Carolina
a couple of weeks ago was was difficult Tulane. Uh,
those were their last two games that they that they played,
and it's been it's been rough going for the Tigers
against a couple of the a couple of the better
teams in this conference. I think Navy is in for
a fight on Thanksgiving. I think this is going to
be a very, very difficult I think Memphis is looking
to play spoiler.
Speaker 5: Uh.
Speaker 4: They are certain, they know that they don't have a
shot at the at the conference title, and I think
that they would love nothing more than to end Navy's
opportunity to get into the conference championship. As you said,
it's gonna be tough because Tulane and North Texas have
very Uh. I would say they have matchups later on
in the in the week you know, in the weekend that.
Speaker 5: Are very easy.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 4: You know, Tulane, Tulane plays a Charlotte team that is
absolutely horrific. UH that that is maybe one of the
worst teams in u FBS college football this year.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 4: North Texas has a matchup against Temple, and of course
they're they're head coach Eric Morris uh here on this
on this Tuesday, was announced that he is going to
be taking the job at Oklahoma State next year.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 4: He's going to be with the Mean Green uh through
the rest of this season and through the conference championship
and whether or not they make the College Football Playoff.
But I think that those are those are both winnable
games for the two teams that Navy needs to lose.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so you're saying there's a chance, Stevens, there is
a chance.
Speaker 5: There's always a chance.
Speaker 4: I mean, who would have thought that UAB would would
beat Memphis? And UAB is an awful team that that
had fired their coach and at that point, So obviously
I think there's there's definitely an opportunity here, but I
think it is a very slim one.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: A win, however, could still clinch at least a first
way to a tie for first in the regular season standings.
They may not get to play for the championship, but
they would still potentially, you know, clinch a tie.
Speaker 3: The mid seas.
Speaker 5: Any any season where you have one loss in conference.
Speaker 3: Is a good season.
Speaker 2: Yes, absolutely, Mids need two more wins to reach ten
for the season of mark the first time in school
history that Navy has had back to.
Speaker 3: Back ten win seasons.
Speaker 2: They need three more wins to tie the school record
for wins, which was eleven in twenty nineteen. In twenty fifteen,
those were some good teams. But yes, I think this
is interesting.
Speaker 4: This is the.
Speaker 2: First time that Navy will play on Thanksgiving since November
twenty fourth, eighteen ninety eight, when the Mids defeated vam
I twenty one to five in the snow in Annapolis.
Speaker 5: They are four and three all.
Speaker 2: Time on Thanksgiving Day, with all seven of those games
taking place between eighteen eighty three and eighteen ninety eight. Yeah,
we're digging deep when we go back to the eighteen
hundred Stephen Carney.
Speaker 4: Yeah, especially playing against a team that is not in FBS.
I mean they're playing an FCS team in the Key
Debts back then, So it's been it's been a long
time since they've had to play on Thanksgiving Eve or
Thanksgiving Day in the evening. I think it's going to
be definitely an interesting one for sure for the midship.
Speaker 2: Tigers, led by redshirt senior quarterback Brendan Lewis thrown for
twenty almost twenty four hundred yards, thirteen touchdowns a completion
percentage of seventy one point seven, ninth best in the country.
He is also their second leading rusher. So it kind
of does it have shades of Byron Brown to it? Yeah,
a little bit, except you know, we all thought that,
you know, he was gonna have Navy's number when USF
came to Annapolis. Lewis could have a Navy's number in
the Liberty Bowl. But the big thing, big thing at caution,
Memphis has lost two games coming into this one, Steven,
And you know, while they were close losses, they weren't
what East Carolina And who's the other one, Tulane Tulane. Yeah,
Tulane is a good team, but losing to East Carolina
not exactly ideal, And so they're going to be coming
in trying to get a bad taste out of their
mouths if itished this regular season in style.
Speaker 4: Yeah, Tulane's Tulane's a very good team. East Carolina has
played well this year, so, I mean, they've only got
two losses in conference so far this year too, so
and you remember earlier this year what East Carolina did
the army, So I I really think that, you know,
for the midshipman, they you know, there's there's no doubt,
you know. They they have to understand that, you know,
it might not be UH in their control, but they
have to be able to control. They have to be
able to do everything they can to control what they
can do.
Speaker 5: Because you lose this game.
Speaker 4: There's no shot. You know, even even if you win
this game, there might not be a shot. But win
this game and and get finished with UH, finished with
one loss, finish seven and one in UH in conference play,
like North Texas and Tulane are are likely to do,
and you'll find yourself feeling really proud about yourself.
Speaker 2: All Right, once again, a Navy emit this on things
Thanksgiving Night, Memphis giving five and a half points over
under in this one fifty nine point five kickoff on ESPN.
All right, let's pivot to the Air Force Academy because
we got a game on Thursday. Well, this one's on Friday.
The ram Falcon Trophy on the line. Is Air Force
heading up to Fort Collins to take on Colorado State
Friday at three pm Eastern standard time on Fox Sports One.
Air Force is giving a point and a half. They
are a road favorite in this one. Over under is
forty four and a half. It's Colorado State two and
nine overall, one in six in the Mounthwest. They fired
Jay Norvel earlier this season. It's gonna be the only
non Saturday game of the season for Air Force, which
seems kind of weird because it seems like they played
a lot of Friday games in the past, and one
of the best games I've ever seen on Friday was
one I was there in person in Colorado Springs between
said Colorado State and Air Force.
Speaker 3: I believe that was back in.
Speaker 2: Twenty eighteen twenty nineteen. But again, these two teams compete
for the ram FOALC Trophy every year. This the forty
fifth year of the trophy competition, with Air Force holding
a twenty eight to seventeen lead. They do lead the
overall series against Colorado State thirty nine to twenty two
to one, including a seventeen and ten mark against the Rams.
They're in Colorado State. Air Force is one four straight
in Fort Collins going back to twenty seventeen, So right now,
they got some good Mojo going up there to CSU
this weekend.
Speaker 3: Steven.
Speaker 4: They certainly do. And you look at what Colorado State
doesn't do well. They don't stop the run very well.
They are one hundred and twenty third in FBS college
football and stopping the run, they give up almost one
hundred and ninety five rushing yards a game.
Speaker 5: That's a lot. I think that's a lot, wouldn't you say? Now?
You know?
Speaker 4: Air forces defense is also not very good. You know,
we're not gonna not gonna sugarcoat it. Colorado's overall defense
four hundred and twenty six yards per game allowed, that
to one hundred and twentieth. Air Forces is four and
thirty one, most of them coming through the air though.
They are one hundred and twenty fifth out of one
hundred and thirty six FBS schools. So I have a
feeling this is going to be a pretty high scoring affair,
if you know what I mean. I think that it
might be the first team to get a stop is
probably the one that ends up getting a win.
Speaker 3: Well the foul excuse me.
Speaker 2: The Rams have lost five straight and those include home
losses against UNLV by thirty two and against Hawaii by
twelve there in Fort Collins. But they are in the cellar.
They are the cellar dwellers of the Mountain West one
in six, two and nine. And it doesn't feel that
long ago. When Jay Norvel was chirping at coach Prime.
I believe it was going back last year when you know,
Colorado State was kind of flying high there for a while.
But well not anymore. They have fallen on hard times there.
But that I'll tell you one thing. I haven't been
to a game there. I want to go because that
brand new stadium that opened just I think two or
three seasons ago looks immaculate.
Speaker 3: It should be a.
Speaker 2: Fun afternoon up there in Fort Collins. You know, fall
football out in Colorado. It doesn't get a whole lot better.
Speaker 5: No, it certainly doesn't.
Speaker 4: And and you're right that that new stadium, Kansas Stadium.
Speaker 5: Is absolutely beautiful.
Speaker 4: Like I can't believe that they that that's a that's
a Mountain West school. Like if you would if you
had said to me, you know, what what conference is
that is that that in, I would have thought that's
like a Sun Belt school because like it's not, it's
not a big uh, it's it's certainly not a big stadium,
but uh, it's it's just beautiful. I always think of,
you know, like in boone, North Carolina with uh app
State as being one of the most beautiful uh schools
that you that you'll find. But I certainly think that
it is just absolutely incredible to see. By the way,
uh to to plug our our good friends at ticket Smarter. Yeah,
if you you really want to go, get in, you
get into that game for sixteen bucks.
Speaker 5: Wow, wow, including fees.
Speaker 2: Let me just say real quick though, and I'm not
you know, saying anything's gonna happen, but one of their
two wins, and they're being Colorado State. One of their
two wins was a home drubbing of Fresno State forty
nine to twenty one. Fresno State not exactly a bad
team this year, four and three and seven and four
overall solid.
Speaker 3: So yeah, I guess.
Speaker 2: They have had their moments, they're just not have there
haven't been many of them this year, Steven, but again
a three o'clock kickoff there one pm locally Friday, FS
one Air Force a one and a half point favorite
on the road at Colorado State with the ram Falcon
Trophy on the line, all right, final game of the weekend.
This might be a tall order, but we'll tell you
why here In a second, Army five and five, three
and four in the American going to UTSA six and
five four and three road Runners are Bowl eligible. This
is a three thirty kickoff on Saturday on ESPN plus Army.
Speaker 3: Do I have this right?
Speaker 2: Army is giving seven and a half points.
Speaker 3: That can't be right. I gotta double check.
Speaker 5: That they are getting seven and a half.
Speaker 2: I'm sorry, they're getting seven and a half. I knew
something was was not right. They're getting seven and a
half points five and a half or fifty two and
a half point over under in this one, plain and simple.
The Black Knight's got to win this one. If they're
going bowling, they've got to win this one. The Army
Navy game will be too late. Big thing here, Steven.
The road Runners they are a damn a damn tough
team at home. I'll let you throw the stats out
here in a second. But they did lose to Texas
State at home in the first game this season, which
was their first home loss since September the fifteenth, twenty
twenty three. And yes, that's when Bryce and Daily went
into the Alamo and won thirty seven to twenty nine.
But look, this doesn't happen very often. And what I'm
talking about is UTSA losing at home, especially when it
comes to a conference opponent.
Speaker 4: Yeah, you mentioned twenty twenty three is the last time
that anybody went to the Alamodome and beat the road Runners.
It's even longer for a conference opponent. You gotta go
all the way back to twenty nineteen when utsa's final
home game of the season at the Alamodome was a
loss to FAU.
Speaker 5: That was six years ago.
Speaker 4: That is the last time they lost to a conference
opponent at home. Since then, they won two Conference USA
titles and have switched to the American At this point,
this all comes down to a young man that has
a lot of quarterback potential and a lot of quarterback pedigree,
Owen McCown, who is the son of Josh McCown and
the brother and the nephew of Luke McCown.
Speaker 5: Those are both NFL quarterbacks.
Speaker 4: If he didn't know boys and Girls, Josh McCown played
for I think ten or eleven different teams in the league,
it seems like. But his son, Owen is the junior
starting quarterback, and he has been extremely good this year,
you know, completing almost sixty eight percent of his passes.
He's run for over twenty four hundred yards, twenty five
touchdowns and just six interceptions so far for the junior
out of Rusk, Texas. And I'll tell you just looking
just looking at him, like if you look him in
his face, it's like, yeah, he looks just like his father,
which is unbelievable. I remember Josh when he was the
quarterback here for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a couple of
years probably five or six years, six or seven years
ago now, but he was he was a really really smart,
headstrong quarterback. And I think his son is a chip
off the old block. I've seen him play. I saw
him play USF. I had a very very tough go
of things against the Bulls defense that certainly I think
is a lot more talented than the Army defenses.
Speaker 5: So I have a.
Speaker 4: Feeling that this is going to be a tall order
for the Black Knights, but it's one that they have
to do if they want to get to a bowl game,
because they didn't win last week against Tulsa.
Speaker 2: Army does lead the series against UTSA four wins to
one loss, and they are three and oho in games
played in San Antonio. But boy, this is going to
be a tough one against the road Runners. Road Runners
eighteen and four in the month of November in the
Jeff Trailer era. And Jeff Trailer has done a fantastic
job in coming to UTSA. If I remember the story right,
he was a high school coach. But one thing he's
done is he's had the state of He's got the
state of Texas wired, Steven, and he's been able to
pull in, you know, high school players that you know
might be overlooked at A and M or Texas Tech
or University of Texas, and he's brought some pretty talented
players there and they have been a player in the
Mountain or in excuse me, in the American Conference. And
so yeah, if you've ever heard of interview with Jeff
Trailer too, he's a lot of fun to listen to,
but really impressed by the job that he's done there
because that's that's that's a tough that's a tough job.
It's a tough place to win, Steven.
Speaker 5: It is a tough place to win.
Speaker 4: He unfortunately at the Earth at the beginning of this
year tried to make excuses. He talked about how he
felt like he was getting kicked in the teeth by
us F and Memphis.
Speaker 5: When it came to N I L money, he did
make the n I L excuse.
Speaker 4: But uh and and I know that because of that, Uh,
you know, Alex Gulish, head coach at us F, doesn't
like it much. When when when other coaches make those excuses.
Ask Tom Herman, what happens you get dog walked by
us F and the bulls? Did they beat him? Fifty
five twenty three? They kept their starters in for most
of the fourth quarter, and we're thrown and was thrown
with like two minutes to play.
Speaker 5: We were going what happened?
Speaker 4: And then we found out that it was because of
comments that Jeff Trailer made about nil money. But that
nil aside, that is a very strong, very talented offense.
Speaker 5: They have in San Antonio.
Speaker 2: Yes, yes, it is Army and UTSA once again, three
point thirty on Saturday ESPN plus Army getting seven and
a half over under US fifty two and a half.
All right, Steven, let's get out of here. We got
some picks to make but when we come back our
Travis Manian Foundation Honor Roll segment, we'll do that when
we come back here in Yards is Stripe, Home for
Service Academy Football.
Speaker 6: 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 Mannon 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 fallon, and inspired
civilians at Travismanion dot Org.
Speaker 2: All right, welcome back into the Yards and stripes, your
Home for Service Academy Football Thanksgiving audition here, and we
are certainly thankful for our service men and women women
serving all across the globe here at home and those
who have served. And we appreciate the Travis Mannon Foundation
for partnering with us again this year to honor fallen heroes.
And this week we're gonna honor remember Hospital Corman Michael
Johnson from the United States Navy Hospital Corman, third Class
Michael Van Johnson, Junior. He gave the ultimate sacrifice on
March the twenty fifth, two thousand and three, when he
was killed in Iraq while helping a wounded marine and
fellow colleagues. And he was just twenty five years old.
A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Johnson was assigned to
the Naval Medical Center San Diego, First Marine Division Detachment,
based out of San Diego, California. He graduated from the
University of Central Arkansas before listing in the US Navy.
His sister Denisa Hook said, quote, he did it for
us so we can walk around the United States and
be free. He made peace with God himself before he
went over. He was just a big kid. Mikey was
a fun person. He liked to draw and he loved basketball.
A real people's person. Shortly before his end quote Shortly
before his death, his mother received a letter from him
that read quote, Mom, I love you and don't be
afraid if I don't return. Realize I'm in heaven with God.
Speaker 3: End quote.
Speaker 2: He has survived by his wife Suri, by his he
has survived by his wife, Shurise Johnson, his father Michael
Van Johnson Senior, his mother Janna Norfleet, five sisters, and
two brothers. The Travis Manning Foundation honored Michael Van Johnson
Junior through their Character Doesn't Matter program on October thirteenth,
twenty eleven, when his story was told to inspire three
hundred and five students at South Philadelphia High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
And as I mentioned Thanksgiving Week, this is a time
where we're always thankful for our servicemen and women, but
we're certainly ever so thankful of those in their families
that have given the ultimate sacrifice. Because the travisman and
Foundation is doing work in communities across the country to
carry on the carry on the legacy and commitment of
service of loved ones in local communities. You can find
out much much more hout ways. You can get involved
online at Travismanion dot org.
Speaker 7: Travis Manion Foundations nine to eleven Heroes Run five K
Race series unites 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 Heroes dot org.
Speaker 1: The latest with Navy, Army and Air Force on Yards
and Stripes Service Academy Football.
Speaker 2: All right, wrapping up a Thanksgiving edition of Yards and Stripes.
He is Stephen CARNEYI am Price Atkinson. We've got some
picks to make. We'll save news and notes for next
week because I know we'll have a lot of postseason
accolades and that kind of stuff coming down the pike.
So we'll save all that for next week because I
know you've got turkey to eat.
Speaker 3: I've got turkey.
Speaker 2: Coming up here and just tomorrow, as this episode is
going to drop the day before Thanksgiving and the day
before Navy and Memphis. So let's pick some games, Stephen.
But first, how about let's pick this. You got a
Thanksgiving table you're looking at?
Speaker 3: Whoop?
Speaker 2: You got your choice of turkey or the fixings? Which
way are you going? Because I'm gonna say something sacrilege,
I'll tell you which way I'll.
Speaker 5: Go, bird to the field. Wow, I didn't I didn't
even think about that.
Speaker 4: You know, as much is I love protein like I am,
I'm a you know, steak and chicken and turkey and
ham and whatever. Now I'm very lucky that normally my
my sister in law hosts every year because she has
the big house and she makes the turkey, and then
usually my mother in law smokes a ham, so I
usually get.
Speaker 5: The best of both worlds.
Speaker 4: And I get turkey and ham on Thanksgiving, which is
completely delicious.
Speaker 5: But I agree, but I'm gonna go against the grain.
I am. I am.
Speaker 4: I am a I'm a Fixen's person. Like if if
if I had my way, if I could get stuffing
and gravy and mashed potatoes and the corn cast role
that that my sister in law makes with the uh.
Speaker 5: With cream corn and sweet corn and and corn bread mix,
and it's just incredible.
Speaker 4: You give me, give me those and I will I
will take that over the turkey.
Speaker 2: Well, you're a man after my own heart, because I
am the same way. I am the same way. Like, look,
I'm not a big turkey guy, but I do like
some ham. But when you can give me the stuffing,
the mac and cheese, the carbs galore, it throw in
some I'm not a big uh oh, what is it?
Sweet potato? I'm not a big sweet potato guy. But
I but like green beans, green bea cats. Look, give me,
give me and give me the sides.
Speaker 4: All day, baby, and you have to finish with pie. Yes, yes,
there must be pie at the end.
Speaker 2: Yes, my wife's homemade chocolate pie from scratches about.
Speaker 5: Oh she makes chocolate pie.
Speaker 2: Oh my god, chocolate melts, the melt my chocolate on
the stove and hasay.
Speaker 4: Oh yeah, yeah, my mother used to make chocolate cream
pie for me and uh at Thanksgiving every every year
when I was growing up. And now I usually go
and I get publics.
Speaker 3: Has a Uh what is?
Speaker 5: It's like a bourbon chocolate pie.
Speaker 4: And it it's so good.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, the was it the.
Speaker 4: Bourbon chocolate bourbon walnut chocolate pie or something like that.
Speaker 5: Bumpets means it so good?
Speaker 3: Oh boy, that sounds it only makes it.
Speaker 5: They only make it during Thanksgiving.
Speaker 4: And where you get you can get the pumpkin pie
or or the sweet potato pie for like four or five.
That bourbon walnut chocolate pie is twelve bucks and it
is worth.
Speaker 3: It, oh baby, oh baby.
Speaker 2: All right, we still got another twenty four hours to
get before at the Thanksgiving table.
Speaker 3: So let's roll on this though.
Speaker 2: We got that engine, that tummy engine rebbed up. I
don't want to rev it up too much, if you
know what I mean. But let's get to our game, Stephen,
Because we got three games to pick. Let's start picking them.
Navy at Memphis on Thanksgiving nights seven thirty kickoff tall
order for Navy going down there. But look, we've said
that before when USF came to town and Navy gave
USF a whipping. Maybe this is shades kind of similar
to that game. But Navy right now a underdog is
Memphis is giving five and a half points fifty nine
and a half over under. Can Navy spring this upset?
Because I do think it would be an upset in
my opinion, Yes, Navy going down there and winning as
opposed to the other way around.
Speaker 5: Yeah, absolutely, I agree with you completely.
Speaker 4: You know you thought that USF was going to be
able to handle Navy rather easily. That of course did
not happen a couple of weeks ago. But that game
was in Annapolis. This game, if this game was in Annapolis,
I would say that Navy would have at least a
fifty to fifty shot at pulling the upset. I think
it's less than fifty to fifty, and for that reason,
I think Memphis wins this game by a field goal.
I think it's twenty seven to twenty four.
Speaker 5: Is what I have it as.
Speaker 4: And I think this is where Navy's chances of getting
to the conference championship game come to an end. I
think I don't think they get to where they're waiting
for Tulane or North Texas.
Speaker 5: I think I think it comes to an end on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm with you too.
Speaker 2: I hate it when we're so close and picks, because
like you, I think it's a field goal win for
Memphis as well. I've got it thirty one to twenty eight,
you've got twenty seven to twenty four. I just think
going down there on Thanksgiving nights is going to be
a little bit too tall of an order.
Speaker 3: I think the.
Speaker 2: Fact that Memphis has lost to games, and the fact
they're going to be wanting to get that taste out
of their mouths. They're gonna be scratching and clawing, and
they've had Navy's number at the Liberty Bowl, you know,
the last one four times they played down there. So
I just think that, you know, all those signs point
to a Memphis home victory. All right, let's pivot. Let's
talk about the Air Force Academy air Force playing on
Black Friday, this one at Colorado's or at Fort Collins
against Colorado State on FS one. Air Force is giving
a point and a half forty four and a half
is the over under is. The ram Falcon Trophy is
on the line. This will be the final game of
the twenty twenty five college football season for the Air
Force Falcons. Do you think they can bring the ram
Falcon Trophy home again this year, Steven and pull off
the win in Fort Collins?
Speaker 5: Yeah?
Speaker 4: I think that I said this in the preview segment
that there is a very distinct possibility that the first
team to get a stop here will end up winning
this game. I have a feeling that, unfortunately, this being
in Fort Collins, that it's the Rams that get to
stop and this game, this game, I have like if
I was going to bet this game, I'd be hammering
the over in this game. Yeah, just absolutely hammering it
because I have this.
Speaker 5: Game at forty two thirty eight.
Speaker 4: I mean, I mean this game, this game, I have
very very heavy, very high scoring.
Speaker 2: See, I couldn't be all right, I think Air Force wins.
But I think this is the other way. I think
it's low scoring. I think I think without Liam Sarka,
I think it's shades of what happened last week and
Colorado State State has not been an offensive juggernaut. I
got the feeling that this baby's low scoring. Of course
that can mean the exact opposite that this thing is
going to be. You know, played in the fifties by
both teams, Steven, and you very well might be right.
I just think both teams struggled to score, which is
why I went low scoring. And I've got twenty to
thirteen for the Air Force Academy. But if you're looking
for a game on Saturday after or a Friday afternoon,
because I know people are going to be sitting around
the bar, They're going to be sitting at home, getting
in from some shopping, maybe pulling out the leftovers, this
might be a fun game to watch because a lot
of people don't realize.
Speaker 4: This is definitely the game you want to watch if
you don't want to watch the Bears and the Eagles, that's.
Speaker 2: For sure, yes, because like I said before, you don't
have Amazon Prime.
Speaker 3: No.
Speaker 2: All right, last game is the Black Knights heading to
UTSA a tall order to win in the Alamodome a
three point thirty kickoff on Saturday on ESPN Plus Steven Ken.
Army get Bowl eligible because they got.
Speaker 3: To do it here.
Speaker 5: It's now or never.
Speaker 4: To put it succinctly, No, I don't think. I don't
think they reach bull eligibility. I thought their shot came
last Saturday against Tulsa. And when you don't and when
you can't beat the Golden Hurricanes, I don't think that
you have a shot at beating the road Runners in
the Alamodome. I see Owen McCown throwing five touchdowns in WHOA.
I think I think that they have I think that
you know that the secondary for Army gets picked on.
I think they get picked on badly. And because I
don't think they can get the pass rush to mccount,
I think he's going to be able to sit back
there and pick Army's defense apart.
Speaker 5: I have UTSA winning this game forty four to ten.
Speaker 3: WHOA.
Speaker 2: All right, you well, we're going with the same winners
Memphis Air Force UTSA. We're just going about them a
little bit different way because I think.
Speaker 5: It's the state by the way.
Speaker 3: I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had you had Colorado State. Okay,
I'm sorry.
Speaker 2: I am going UTSA as well because I don't think
Army can win down there.
Speaker 3: This year.
Speaker 2: But I think it's closer. I think it's more to
the tune of thirty three to twenty, you know, maybe
a two touchdown game versus what you have.
Speaker 3: It is a five touchdown down. I think Kate.
Speaker 2: Hellims can keep them in the football game. I just
don't know if they have enough. And I think that
secondary of Army is just going to get ultimately tested
and depleted as the game goes on. And I think
the road Runers are going to have a field day
throwing the football and that ultimately it's going to be
Armies undoing, is not being able to get off the
field on third down, and I think that I think
that the road Runners are going to keep Army from
being Bowl eligible. All right, Stephen, that is going to
do it. Let's wish everybody a happy Thanksgiving. Certainly a
safe travels, especially if you're listening to us where if
you're going from point A to point B. We hope
everybody enjoys the games. We hope you enjoy the podcast here,
but I know, say happy Thanksgiving to everybody and their family.
Speaker 3: Stevens.
Speaker 4: Yes, absolutely, you have a great Thanksgiving holiday. I hope
it is safe and full of you know, great memories,
some fantastic food obviously, and the best that football can
bring you.
Speaker 5: And let's hope that your.
Speaker 4: Team wins when all is said and done.
Speaker 2: Well, Happy Thanksgiving to you and Emily. I hope you
guys have a great week. I know you've got to work.
We all got to do some work over the holidays.
But look, yep, just thankful to still be in the
sports spirit of things. It is because it's certainly a
fun week. And you know, we have a lot of
fun here on Yards and Stripes talking about Army, Navy,
and Air Force all year. Until we talk to you
next week, Steven, have a great week, enjoy the Turkey
and we'll talk to you.
Speaker 5: Then join us.
Speaker 1: Again next time for Yards and Stripes Service Academy Football.
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