1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: To know the Cougar's opponents and rivals Right now, you know. 2 00:00:03,399 --> 00:00:06,519 Speaker 2: The faux segment on Cougar Sports with Ben Kretelber. 3 00:00:12,439 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 3: Welcome back Cougar Sports one O three nine ninety eight 4 00:00:14,679 --> 00:00:17,719 point three ESPN the Fan. I've been crital broadcasting from 5 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,199 Myers Meets here in Highland, Utah. Stop on buy say hello. 6 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:25,879 We'd love to see you enter to win a delicious 7 00:00:29,359 --> 00:00:32,880 Enter to win a delicious, nutritious try tip that's meritated 8 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,920 in the most delicious sauces, herbs and spices. 9 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:39,399 Speaker 1: You're at Myers Meets in Highland, Utah. 10 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 3: We'd love to see you talk some ball with us 11 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:44,640 and enter to win a free try tip. Brent Hammer 12 00:00:44,679 --> 00:00:46,759 by my side, Vicram on the data, It's time to 13 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:50,320 get to know the foe BYU versus Utah, the Holy War. 14 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:53,600 We love this rivalry. It's it's one of the best one, 15 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:57,439 I think. Finally, the national media and the national college 16 00:00:57,439 --> 00:01:02,840 football audiences, they're finally realizing now that both teams are 17 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:05,200 in the same conference at the P four level and 18 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:07,879 their rank, just how unique and singular this robbery is. 19 00:01:07,879 --> 00:01:11,840 They're being introduced to it at a high level and can't. 20 00:01:11,599 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: Wait to see how this particular. 21 00:01:13,719 --> 00:01:17,959 Speaker 3: Game turns out, how the the oblong shaped ball bounces 22 00:01:18,599 --> 00:01:20,680 this particular weekend. 23 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:22,519 Speaker 1: So let's get to know the foe. 24 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 3: It's gonna be brought to you by our good friends 25 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,400 at Dental prosof Utah Dentalprosofutah dot com. 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Let's get out to the hotline. 33 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,560 Welcome in host of the Shan O'Connell Show on ESPN 34 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,760 seven hundred, The real oc Sean O'Connell's on the line. 35 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:53,359 Speaker 1: What's up, Sean. 36 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 2: It's Holy War Week, the best week of the year 37 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:03,239 in the Utah sports Callum, we got what's a little 38 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:06,120 over twenty four hours to wait for kickoff? It's like 39 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:09,360 Christmas in October. Great stuff, bro, Like I. 40 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 3: Just don't think that the national media really knows what 41 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:14,919 this rivalry is all about. Like they're starting to kind 42 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:17,199 of grasp hold, Like Dave Poytnoy has been retweeting some 43 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:19,919 of these things, like there was a young man arrested 44 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:23,240 for like threatening to kill people. I mean, there's not 45 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:25,800 things that we're trying to celebrate here, but it's insane 46 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:29,840 what has occurred last year. Right, Mark carl runs onto 47 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:35,919 the football field with time remaining and is barking at 48 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:39,879 the refs. He goes to the press conference and gives 49 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:43,960 a five minute rant. There's a water bottle thrown from 50 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:46,960 the stands that knocks out a cheerleader. We have the 51 00:02:47,039 --> 00:02:51,120 old school like two thousand game or whatever, where cheerleader 52 00:02:52,719 --> 00:02:55,639 tackled by a BYU fan. The cheerleader beats him up. 53 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:57,719 Like you just go down the list of things the 54 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:02,680 quotes that the rivalry nationally is starting to get known, 55 00:03:02,719 --> 00:03:04,280 and I think it's going to be considered one of 56 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:07,960 the best rivalry games in college football in the years 57 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:09,560 to come. Give me your thoughts on the unique and 58 00:03:09,599 --> 00:03:11,000 singular nature of this rivalry. 59 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 4: Well, I think you're absolutely right, You're spot on. It 60 00:03:15,599 --> 00:03:16,599 should be thought of. 61 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:20,159 Speaker 2: That on that level Nationally, it is unique for a 62 00:03:20,199 --> 00:03:24,080 lot of different reasons because of you know, the religious 63 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:26,639 element to it, which makes it a more of a 64 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:30,039 passion point for a lot of people. And I guess 65 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,759 we'd have to go through all the other coaching staffs 66 00:03:32,759 --> 00:03:34,680 and all the other rivalry games, and all the other 67 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:38,360 rosters and all the other rivalry games. But the incestuous 68 00:03:38,439 --> 00:03:41,360 nature of this thing makes it so close to home 69 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,599 for everybody. I mean, I don't know how common it 70 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:49,960 is for Alabama coaches to have played at Auburn or 71 00:03:50,039 --> 00:03:52,960 vice versa. I don't know how common it is for, like, 72 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,879 you know, a Tennessee coach to have really come up 73 00:03:56,879 --> 00:03:59,520 and cut his teeth in a floor at a system 74 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:01,840 or a Notre Dame in USC to have that kind 75 00:04:01,879 --> 00:04:05,879 of crossover. Those are all great rivalries. But the proximity 76 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:10,080 and the fact that somebody on both of these both 77 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:12,560 sides of everything, right, somebody has it uncle le grandpa, 78 00:04:12,599 --> 00:04:15,319 a dad, a mom whose alma. 79 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,079 Speaker 4: Mater was the rival school. It's just it's awesome. 80 00:04:18,639 --> 00:04:22,879 Speaker 2: It's so passionate, and it is statistically one of the 81 00:04:22,879 --> 00:04:27,560 closest rivalries from a one score game perspective. I just 82 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,680 learned this fact yesterday that in the last thirty years, 83 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:35,399 nineteen of those games have been one score games, which 84 00:04:35,439 --> 00:04:37,639 is most in the country for any rivalry games. So 85 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:40,319 the fact that finally it's getting a little bit of 86 00:04:40,399 --> 00:04:45,279 natural attention, it's ranked versus ranked conference championship implications, just 87 00:04:45,319 --> 00:04:47,519 like when both teams were back in the Mountain West, 88 00:04:47,519 --> 00:04:49,759 but this time on a Power five stage. I guess 89 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:52,279 we have to stay Power four now. It just makes 90 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:55,240 it that much better, and you know we're getting attention. 91 00:04:55,399 --> 00:04:57,720 Big noon kickoff is going to be there. Give the 92 00:04:57,759 --> 00:05:00,560 country just a little glimpse into how as that this 93 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:01,160 thing really is. 94 00:05:01,199 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 4: It's amazing. 95 00:05:03,439 --> 00:05:07,199 Speaker 3: Why is Utah favored in this game? Why will you know? 96 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:10,480 Why is it that they could come out victorious in 97 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:12,480 this game at Lavelle Edward Stadium. 98 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:16,439 Speaker 2: In your opinion, I think that people are still convinced 99 00:05:16,439 --> 00:05:19,000 that Utah's got one of the best offensive lines in 100 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:25,120 the country. And I think that there's skepticism that BYU 101 00:05:25,199 --> 00:05:28,040 is tested at the same level to this point, and 102 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:30,439 some of that has justified, some of it probably isn't. 103 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:36,319 I also think that sportsbooks don't love freshman quarterbacks and 104 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:40,040 bear Backmeyer has certainly outperformed a lot of expectations and 105 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,519 is starting to play himself out of the Well, you're 106 00:05:43,519 --> 00:05:46,480 a freshman quarterback, so you're going to make mistakes conversations. 107 00:05:46,759 --> 00:05:49,279 But he still is only six games, six starts into 108 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:51,759 his career. And I think that those are the reasons 109 00:05:51,759 --> 00:05:54,839 why people feel like you thought should be the favorite 110 00:05:54,879 --> 00:05:58,600 in this game. Anyone who pays attention to it, anyone 111 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:00,879 who knows looks at three and a half points on 112 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:03,639 the road in Utah's favor according to the books, and 113 00:06:03,639 --> 00:06:07,040 you're just like, man, this this feels like one of 114 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:10,959 those games where they're so evenly matched. All of the 115 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:15,600 other numbers show that they're pretty evenly matched, and more 116 00:06:15,639 --> 00:06:18,560 often than not, this comes down to a turnover here, 117 00:06:19,079 --> 00:06:22,560 a block something there, a penalty flag is with the 118 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:26,199 case in last year's game that either gets thrown or doesn't, 119 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:29,199 and then you know a kick is made and b 120 00:06:29,319 --> 00:06:32,199 WHYU ends up with a road win. So it feels 121 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:34,839 more like that type of a game to me than 122 00:06:34,959 --> 00:06:37,240 even three and a half points in Utah's favor, which, 123 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:39,279 of course for a road game, means that Vegas thinks 124 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:42,480 that Utah is like almost a touchdown favorite. And I 125 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,759 don't know how confident I feel in that from. 126 00:06:45,639 --> 00:06:53,079 Speaker 3: An analytics standpoint. Maybe when you compare contrast objective data points, productivity, efficiency, 127 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:56,240 strength of schedule, what do you see on that front? 128 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:58,040 Speaker 1: Have you delved into any of that on your On 129 00:06:58,079 --> 00:06:59,199 your show this week. 130 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:03,399 Speaker 2: I've been doing over the numbers more from like a hey, 131 00:07:03,399 --> 00:07:06,800 what do you do with your run game? What do 132 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,279 you do in you know, kind of the tackles for lost, 133 00:07:10,319 --> 00:07:14,040 the havoc defensive havoc plays, and the turnover margin situations, 134 00:07:14,079 --> 00:07:17,000 because I do believe that that's where games like this 135 00:07:17,199 --> 00:07:18,199 are decided at the. 136 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 4: Line of scrimmage, to lean into. 137 00:07:19,639 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 2: The old cliche, and then the big time impact plays 138 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:26,680 that are made when you start your drive on a 139 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:30,800 short field and those are often turnovers. Of course, those 140 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:34,600 are often you know, the the strip sack and the 141 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,839 quick change type plays, and you know they kind of 142 00:07:37,879 --> 00:07:40,680 net out pretty evenly in a lot. 143 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 4: Of those numbers. The most hilarious one that I. 144 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 2: That I dived into today on my show these quarterbacks. 145 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:50,879 You might know the answer to this already, because I 146 00:07:50,879 --> 00:07:53,639 know you do your research a lot. So total yard 147 00:07:53,759 --> 00:07:58,000 is two deal turn quarterbacks squaring off. Do you know 148 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:01,800 what the gutting for a total yard and standpoint responsible 149 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:06,000 for a past How these guys? How many yards these 150 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:08,439 each of these quarterbacks are accounting for on average so 151 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:10,319 far through six games. 152 00:08:11,279 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: Sorry, Sean, you're kind of cutting out a little bit. 153 00:08:13,279 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 3: I don't know if we need to reconnect, getting a 154 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,240 little bit robotic that may be on our end. I 155 00:08:18,279 --> 00:08:21,959 don't know if Zach if we want to, you know, reconnect, 156 00:08:22,079 --> 00:08:25,079 but let's just reconnect really quick and then he can 157 00:08:25,079 --> 00:08:28,040 pose that same question to us about the quarterbacks. I 158 00:08:28,079 --> 00:08:30,519 did to hear that, you know, comparing maybe contrasting these 159 00:08:30,519 --> 00:08:34,279 two quarterbacks and what they do well. So Shawn back 160 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:37,240 with us now, then yeah, you sound a lot better 161 00:08:37,279 --> 00:08:38,039 so you can hear me. 162 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, yeah, yeah, you. 163 00:08:39,399 --> 00:08:41,039 Speaker 3: Got a little bit robotic there, So it could have 164 00:08:41,039 --> 00:08:42,919 been on our end as well. So go ahead and 165 00:08:42,919 --> 00:08:43,840 restate that question. 166 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:47,399 Speaker 2: Okay, So, so I was going, I was looking at, 167 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:49,960 you know, baar Bachmeyer versus Devin Dampier, even though that's 168 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:54,919 not the matchup, that that's the dual, Right, Sure, Devin 169 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:58,519 Dampier is responsible for two and fifty one and a 170 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:00,919 half yards per game on average so far this year. 171 00:09:02,559 --> 00:09:04,960 How many do you think that bear Bachmeyer's accounting for 172 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:08,639 total offense rushing, passing yards, et cetera. Two fifty one 173 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:12,279 and a half for Devin Dan Pierre. How many yards 174 00:09:12,279 --> 00:09:14,120 do you think separate him and bear Bachmeyer? 175 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:16,720 Speaker 1: Gosh, it's got to be pretty close. 176 00:09:16,799 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 3: I mean because Bear's thrown for what twelve hundred and 177 00:09:19,279 --> 00:09:23,120 then rush for about three hundred, So I mean, yeah, 178 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:25,200 I mean, you're you're right there through six games. 179 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:26,320 Speaker 1: It's pretty god to stay close. 180 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 2: It's literally one yard. It's two fifty one and a 181 00:09:30,279 --> 00:09:35,120 half versus two fifty two and a half, right, Like God, 182 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:39,600 these teams are not just brothers battling it out. They 183 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:43,600 are twin brothers battling it out. And there's always one twin. 184 00:09:43,639 --> 00:09:45,480 If you grew up with knowing any twins, if there's 185 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:47,480 twins in your family, you always know that there's one 186 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:50,879 who's just slightly better at everything than the other, especially 187 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:53,840 with athletics. And that's that's what we're trying to find 188 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:56,679 out at Labella Eedwards Stadium. Which of these twin brothers 189 00:09:57,159 --> 00:09:59,080 is the better brother? The one that's an inch taller, 190 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:02,600 has you know, the straighter teeth, runs a little bit faster. 191 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:06,440 Speaker 3: Let me ask you this over the last fifteen years, 192 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:09,200 maybe less than that. So, like let's go back to 193 00:10:09,279 --> 00:10:11,399 like you know, in the twelve years or so, where 194 00:10:11,799 --> 00:10:16,159 where BYU was an independent before they got the invite 195 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:22,519 to the Big twelve and received additional resources, additional investment internally, 196 00:10:22,559 --> 00:10:25,200 and then NIL kicked in and allowed them to be 197 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:29,159 even more competitive. So Utah fansine media over the last 198 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:31,919 decade plus have cited. 199 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:34,759 Speaker 1: Talent gap as the reason why Utah. 200 00:10:34,799 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 3: Is beating BYU year over year with the nine straight wins. 201 00:10:38,799 --> 00:10:42,440 Do you still think that is a true statement that 202 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:45,279 there's still a talent gap between Utah and BYU, or 203 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:49,799 as BYU ultimately closed that gap and they are equivalents 204 00:10:49,879 --> 00:10:51,879 and twin brothers. 205 00:10:53,159 --> 00:10:55,759 Speaker 2: I don't know that. Maybe maybe when you get down 206 00:10:55,799 --> 00:10:59,679 into like the twos and threes, you could you could 207 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:02,080 start to try to make a case for talent gap. 208 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:06,840 I think that the things that you mentioned have closed 209 00:11:06,879 --> 00:11:09,879 it and closed it rapidly. I also think that it 210 00:11:09,919 --> 00:11:12,840 was overblown in the first place to say that one 211 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:15,399 was significantly more talented than the other. I mean by 212 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:18,200 you starting to win these recruiting battles. The transfer portal 213 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:21,440 is such an important thing, and when you talk about 214 00:11:21,519 --> 00:11:25,279 talent gap comparisons on a team, you just say, Okay, 215 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:28,200 could L J. Martin be a starting running back at 216 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:31,039 the University of Utah. The answer to that question is 217 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:36,600 very obviously yes. Could John Henry Daily be starting at BYU? Well, yeah, 218 00:11:36,919 --> 00:11:39,240 obviously he was at BYU at one point and if 219 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:42,240 he was still there, he'd be their best pass rushing threat. 220 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:42,519 Speaker 4: Right. 221 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:45,759 Speaker 2: Could Jack Kelly and Isaiah Glasker be part of the 222 00:11:45,799 --> 00:11:50,000 every down defense for Morgan Scaley at the University of Utah? 223 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:54,080 Obviously yes. Now, if there is a talent gap, maybe 224 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:57,000 you start getting into, like I said, the depth, But 225 00:11:57,159 --> 00:12:00,440 even that I have a really hard time saying that 226 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:04,879 like BYU's wide receiver room isn't as good or better 227 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:08,519 from man one through ten than Utah's. I mean, I 228 00:12:08,519 --> 00:12:11,840 think that actually BYU has the advantage there this year. 229 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:15,039 So if it were ever true, and probably in the 230 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:18,080 height of the PAC twelve years for Utah and BYU 231 00:12:18,159 --> 00:12:22,120 really struggling in independence from the scheduling standpoint, maybe there 232 00:12:22,279 --> 00:12:24,759 was a talent gap of some sort. It probably wasn't 233 00:12:24,799 --> 00:12:28,039 as pronounced as people think it is. And I think 234 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:31,080 that the quality of NFL players that have come out 235 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:34,799 of BYU in those years speaks to that It's not 236 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:37,759 a quantity thing necessarily BOU, but the quality thing has 237 00:12:37,799 --> 00:12:42,120 been really incredible. So I just I never bought all 238 00:12:42,159 --> 00:12:44,519 the way into that, like, oh, you just can't compete 239 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:46,440 because you don't have everything. 240 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:47,240 Speaker 4: Well now they do. 241 00:12:47,799 --> 00:12:51,840 Speaker 2: They've got the resources, they've got the facilities, and most importantly, 242 00:12:51,879 --> 00:12:54,679 and something that has not talked about enough, they have 243 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:58,879 the right coach and the right coaches at BYU. And 244 00:12:58,919 --> 00:13:01,240 that is far more important than any of the other 245 00:13:01,279 --> 00:13:04,120 things that we're talking about when it comes to comparing 246 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:08,480 these two schools. Coaching is the number one impact sort 247 00:13:08,519 --> 00:13:12,039 of proposition in college football, and BYU's got the right 248 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:12,519 people there. 249 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:17,279 Speaker 3: Now, if BYU sends Kyle Whittingham home with a third 250 00:13:17,360 --> 00:13:21,519 straight loss in this rivalry game, does Kyle Whittingham retire 251 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:23,799 or does he come back another year to duke it 252 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:25,480 out once again with the Cougars. 253 00:13:26,039 --> 00:13:30,799 Speaker 2: I think that comes down to a question of if 254 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:35,120 somehow Utah doesn't win this game, but redeems their season 255 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:39,600 by backdooring into a Big twelve championship game by on 256 00:13:39,759 --> 00:13:43,720 balance having their year finish better than BYU's year. So 257 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:46,960 from that comparative metric, like they beat us head to head, 258 00:13:47,039 --> 00:13:49,000 but we ended up having the better year, so I 259 00:13:49,039 --> 00:13:51,720 can feel better about it. Maybe I also don't know. 260 00:13:51,799 --> 00:13:54,200 I mean, he's gonna have a hard time walking away 261 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:57,960 no matter what. So if he loses three in a 262 00:13:58,039 --> 00:14:00,159 row to BYU, he's gonna want to come back to 263 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:01,879 take another crack at it. But then you have to 264 00:14:01,879 --> 00:14:03,840 be realistic and you have to look at all, right, 265 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:08,200 my offensive line, that's one of the strengths of my teams. 266 00:14:08,399 --> 00:14:10,000 All of them are going to be gone next year. 267 00:14:10,519 --> 00:14:12,480 So do I want to come back and take another 268 00:14:12,519 --> 00:14:16,559 crack at BYU? Rebuilding Matt's most important part of my team. 269 00:14:16,919 --> 00:14:20,200 I mean, I understand there's I mean this, we talked 270 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:21,879 about this on my show. This is a big part 271 00:14:21,879 --> 00:14:24,840 of the narrative this year. It'll be hard for Kyle 272 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:27,919 Whittingham to walk away on a loss to BYU. But 273 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:30,360 if the time is right, the time is right, it's 274 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:32,039 just going to be a lot more of a fairy 275 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:34,559 tale ending. If he can get back in the wind 276 00:14:34,559 --> 00:14:37,919 column against his alma mater that has of course becomes rival. 277 00:14:38,879 --> 00:14:41,799 Speaker 3: Yeah, I just wonder if, if if a legacy would 278 00:14:41,799 --> 00:14:44,679 be slightly solid at all, because, like I was, I 279 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:47,080 was debating this with Spence check its earlier this week 280 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:49,279 as well, and I I'll post the same question to 281 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:50,919 you because I want to get your thoughts on it. 282 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:56,279 You know, I would say, there's there's it's there's a 283 00:14:56,320 --> 00:15:00,879 partition of the legacy. One aspect of his legacy as 284 00:15:00,919 --> 00:15:04,639 the greatest coach. It's it's indubitably, like conclusive, like he's 285 00:15:04,679 --> 00:15:07,679 the greatest all time coach in University of Utah history. 286 00:15:08,399 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 1: A partition of that is his. 287 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 3: Dominance in the rivalry, right, There's no question his dominance 288 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:14,320 in the rivalry. 289 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:17,679 Speaker 1: Is a huge part of that legacy. 290 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:20,799 Speaker 3: And then you have like the double digit wins, top 291 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:22,799 twenty five seasons, You have the two thousand and eight 292 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:27,720 undefeated season that was great. In the latter half, you 293 00:15:27,759 --> 00:15:31,399 maybe didn't get a bowl victory, a big time Bowl victory, 294 00:15:31,399 --> 00:15:33,720 but you were in big time bowl games, right, and 295 00:15:34,279 --> 00:15:35,399 you were you're in. 296 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 1: The top ten or flirtations at the top ten. 297 00:15:38,159 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 3: So where does his legacy from a fans and a 298 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:49,759 media standpoint, where is it more so maybe attributed to 299 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,879 that legacy, which one has more pomp and circumstance, and 300 00:15:53,879 --> 00:16:00,159 and maybe you know, enduring qualities for the fan in 301 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:01,519 the mob, if you will. 302 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:06,039 Speaker 2: I think that what you know, in the short term, 303 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:09,200 five years from now, people would talk about, oh, Kyle 304 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:11,919 Whittingham went out on either a sour note or a 305 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,919 high note. But once you get past that five year mark, right, 306 00:16:17,399 --> 00:16:20,519 all you're talking about is like that, that's what legacy 307 00:16:20,559 --> 00:16:23,519 really means. Like how are you thought of and talked about? 308 00:16:23,559 --> 00:16:26,879 And what did you leave behind that you know, even 309 00:16:26,919 --> 00:16:30,320 the folks who didn't get to see it live remember 310 00:16:30,399 --> 00:16:33,840 about you. And Kyle Whittingham's gonna have a statue outside 311 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:39,679 of the stadium that says multiple conference championships into different conferences, 312 00:16:40,159 --> 00:16:44,759 highest ranking in school history, this many NFL players and 313 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:47,919 all that stuff. And by the way, even if he 314 00:16:48,039 --> 00:16:50,679 loses again to BYU this year, then a winning record 315 00:16:50,679 --> 00:16:54,440 against BYU. Right, So, like all of that comes out 316 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:57,519 I think as a net positive for Kyle Whittingham. He's 317 00:16:57,559 --> 00:17:01,399 just so hyper competitive that he wants and he's a 318 00:17:01,399 --> 00:17:04,119 control freak, right, he wants to control that narrative to 319 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:07,160 a point where it's like, not only did he finish strong, 320 00:17:07,319 --> 00:17:10,240 he finished strong by taking this team in his final 321 00:17:10,319 --> 00:17:14,200 year to a conference championship bid, to a college football playoff, 322 00:17:14,559 --> 00:17:16,559 which is the thing that's kind of the final box 323 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:20,200 to check for him. If Utah would have beat Ohio 324 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:22,160 State in that Rose Bowl when they won their first 325 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:25,759 Pack twelve championship, I think he retires right there. I 326 00:17:25,759 --> 00:17:28,200 think he recognizes, like, this is the high water mark 327 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:28,880 of my career. 328 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:29,799 Speaker 4: I'm out. 329 00:17:30,599 --> 00:17:32,799 Speaker 2: It hasn't happened, and there's always been some carrot to 330 00:17:32,839 --> 00:17:35,720 dangle to bring him back. Right now, that has been 331 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:39,359 getting back against BYU, but much more important than that 332 00:17:40,279 --> 00:17:42,880 making a college football playoff. He wants to do that 333 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:47,000 before he leaves, and this is his best chance to 334 00:17:47,039 --> 00:17:49,920 do it with this senior group of offensive linemen on 335 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:53,319 the interior, with two first round draft picks potentially playing 336 00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:57,400 offensive tackle, with a hyper talented quarterback. 337 00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:58,599 Speaker 4: Who's a dual threat. 338 00:17:58,319 --> 00:18:03,839 Speaker 2: And an experienced defense, especially that linebacking corps. There's always 339 00:18:03,839 --> 00:18:05,359 going to be something. There's always going to be an 340 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:08,279 exciting young player. Hey can I get this guy better 341 00:18:08,279 --> 00:18:11,920 for next year? But at some point the succession plan 342 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:15,480 has to come to fruition. Morgan Scalley's not going to 343 00:18:15,519 --> 00:18:20,200 wait around forever. And I do know this for a fact. 344 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:24,119 The nil thing and the transfer portal thing. While Kyle 345 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:26,279 Whittingham has done a pretty good job adjusting to it, 346 00:18:26,759 --> 00:18:28,039 he does not. 347 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:29,599 Speaker 4: Like it at all. 348 00:18:29,839 --> 00:18:32,839 Speaker 2: It is a heavy lift for him to keep up 349 00:18:32,839 --> 00:18:35,559 with the Joneses on that front, and it's a heavy 350 00:18:35,559 --> 00:18:38,400 lift for the athletic department and the University of Utah 351 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:41,200 supporters to keep up with the Joneses on that front. 352 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:44,039 He recognizes all of this stuff. I think it's his 353 00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:47,680 last year, no matter what happens on Saturday, and probably 354 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:49,319 no matter what happens the rest of the way. But 355 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:51,920 I do think he's got a great shot of finishing 356 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:52,839 on a high note. 357 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:53,319 Speaker 4: With this roster. 358 00:18:54,319 --> 00:18:56,119 Speaker 3: Sean, give me a score prediction. How do you see 359 00:18:56,119 --> 00:18:58,440 this game playing out? What are the keys to the game. 360 00:19:00,279 --> 00:19:02,559 Speaker 2: Well, the keys of the game are possessed the football, 361 00:19:02,799 --> 00:19:06,720 don't turn it over, do not give short fields to BYU, 362 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:10,599 and obviously you've got to stop the run. Bear Bachmeyer 363 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:13,799 and LJ. Martin are an absolute nightmare when you put 364 00:19:13,839 --> 00:19:16,440 those two together. I think that Bo he's going to 365 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:18,000 have a couple of big plays in this one. I 366 00:19:18,079 --> 00:19:20,799 think that you know, there's a reason why Chase Roberts 367 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:24,319 and ten Parker Kingston and those guys have what like 368 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:27,240 when you put the whole group together of pass catchers, 369 00:19:27,279 --> 00:19:30,680 it's like thirteen to fifteen yards per catch. I think 370 00:19:30,759 --> 00:19:32,240 Roberts is like nineteen yarders. 371 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:32,759 Speaker 4: It's there. 372 00:19:32,799 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 2: They're big, dumb numbers. They're like explosive play type numbers. 373 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:38,920 Keep that stuff in front of you, don't give up 374 00:19:38,920 --> 00:19:42,799 too many of them, and play more like you did 375 00:19:42,799 --> 00:19:45,880 against Arizona State in West Virginia on the line of 376 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:48,119 scrimmage than you did against Texas Tech. I don't think 377 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:51,440 BYU is anywhere near what Texas Tech is on either 378 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:54,480 offense or defensive line right now. So Utah should be 379 00:19:54,519 --> 00:19:57,119 able to win that battle. But it's the rivalry game. 380 00:19:57,359 --> 00:19:59,880 There's talent on both sides. These coaches know each other 381 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,440 incredibly well. Jay Hill is one of the best defensive 382 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:05,279 coordinators in the country, just like Morgan scally is. I 383 00:20:05,279 --> 00:20:08,039 think it stays relatively low scoring because of that twenty 384 00:20:08,039 --> 00:20:08,920 four to twenty US. 385 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:14,359 Speaker 3: There you go, that's the real O C Sean O'Connell. 386 00:20:14,599 --> 00:20:17,160 What would you have done to a fan that jumped 387 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:19,680 down and tried to beat you up, you know, in 388 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:22,799 on on on the football field, if you were a cheerleader, 389 00:20:23,079 --> 00:20:23,359 you know. 390 00:20:25,039 --> 00:20:27,519 Speaker 2: Well, if I were a cheerleader, I think my whole 391 00:20:27,519 --> 00:20:28,440 life story would. 392 00:20:28,279 --> 00:20:30,279 Speaker 4: Have gone a lot different than I probably wouldn't have 393 00:20:30,319 --> 00:20:30,640 some of. 394 00:20:30,599 --> 00:20:31,440 Speaker 1: That gus that I have. 395 00:20:31,599 --> 00:20:34,440 Speaker 3: Dude, Hey, that guy actually can't remember his name, but 396 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:37,119 he was like a really good wrestler at Mountain View 397 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:41,000 High School apparently, and then he like transitioned into cheerleading. 398 00:20:41,039 --> 00:20:43,039 Apparently he just beat the snot out of that poor 399 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:45,599 BYU fan that jumped onto the football field. 400 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:47,519 Speaker 1: So he was actually a pretty good wrestler apparently. 401 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:50,920 Speaker 2: Well, you know, he level changed pretty well. He drives 402 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:53,200 through the takedown. He got greedy with the ground and 403 00:20:53,279 --> 00:20:55,880 pound because you got to keep that that far his 404 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:59,079 right arm. You know, he's got that overhooked across the body. 405 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:02,240 You got to keep there and just hammer away with 406 00:21:02,279 --> 00:21:04,519 the left. You don't get greedy and start throwing the right. 407 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:07,640 But the BYU fan recognized very early he had bit 408 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:09,319 off more than he could chew, and he went into 409 00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:12,960 full defensive mode. Look, he went kind of violence at 410 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:15,359 the game. But if you see a guy with a 411 00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:17,279 little bit of a dad bod and a great beard 412 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:20,119 standing down there where that maybe looks like he's rooting 413 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:23,359 for the utes BYU fans. I'm not the one, Okay, 414 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:25,559 don't come out and try to test me. It'll be 415 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:27,440 a bad day for both of us, but it'll be 416 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:28,119 worse for you. 417 00:21:29,279 --> 00:21:32,119 Speaker 3: Sean O'Connell. Ladies and gentlemen, real OC. Make sure you're 418 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:35,319 following him on Twitter. Listen to him on ESPN seven 419 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:37,680 hundred every single day in the midday. Thanks Sean, We 420 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:39,039 appreciate you man, Thanks for hopping on. 421 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 4: Thanks Ben, there go the real Yeah. 422 00:21:42,039 --> 00:21:45,160 Speaker 3: I appreciate you, the real OC guys. That segment was 423 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:47,359 brought to you by rubies In rubies in dot com. 424 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:49,559 Head on over to rubiesen dot com. Ford Slash nine 425 00:21:49,599 --> 00:21:52,759 sixty get twenty percent off your staycation at Bryce Canyon 426 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:55,960 National Park, the wonder of the West, where you can hike, bike, 427 00:21:56,319 --> 00:21:59,279 razor horseback ride through the hoodoos, make some memories with 428 00:21:59,319 --> 00:22:02,839 friends and family members. 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