Speaker 1: Welcome back, Cougar Sports one O three nine ninety eight
point three, ESPN The Fan. I've been criminal broadcasting from
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for a little riding between the line. J Hill, your
assistant head coach and defensive coordinator, gave you a little
game plan for the Cincinnati Bearcats. We'll delve into that
here momentarily. It's going to be brought to you by
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All right, Jay Hill commentary, Jay the Cincinnati offense. What
does the film say about them?
Speaker 3: Throw it?
Speaker 4: I like the way he competes a lot. He's got
a lot of weapons around him. The tight end number
eleven is really good. I like the three or four
wideouts that they use. The running backs run hard, so
I mean, you can see why they've had so much success.
Speaker 3: Early in the year.
Speaker 4: They're a talented crew and well coached too.
Speaker 1: So talented crew, well coached, really good quarterback leading them,
So anything could happen out there in Cincinnati. Gotta bring
your best game. Is uh Sores be like anyone you faced?
Or is he a beast of his own?
Speaker 3: Well, I'm trying to think.
Speaker 4: I think he's a lot like Hoover as far as
the way he throws it. Last week's quarterback, you know,
I I love that guy. I think he throws it
very well. I think Sowarsby is very similar. He throws
a really good ball. He is very athletic. He's a
little bit more willing to run than some of the
quarterbacks that we faced the last couple of weeks anyway,
But yeah, he's one of those quarterbacks and hurt you
with his feet and his arm.
Speaker 3: We got to work cutout for us with him, for sure.
Speaker 2: I mentioned it yesterday. Soresby is a really good quarterback.
Speaker 1: He's one of the best in college football from a
PFF standpoint, better than Hoover, much better than Hoop. In fact,
he's actually ahead of Noah Fafita. If that makes you,
If that makes you, if you, if you, if you
want to, if you want me to, it's still a
little bit of fear into your heart. No Fafida a
really good quarterback in college football. We got to see
him the last couple of years. We were able to
stymy his progress, no doubt, but Noah one of the
most pure throwers in college football. Soorsby is just like
unto Noah Fafita. And he's a better runner than Noah. Uh,
he'll he'll be able to scoot a little bit. Now, Jay,
how excited are you about the progress of the defensive line.
Speaker 4: Well, the interiors playing out standing for about four or
five weeks now, they've just been very dominant inside any
runs and stuff that we've been giving up is hitting
more on the perimeter. I just I can't say enough
about how Keanu and JT have played the last couple
of weeks. They've been outstanding. It's been huge having new
Sea and Tao seely just their pass rush presence the
last two games is starting to show up.
Speaker 3: And again that's not taken away from.
Speaker 4: Some of the other guys that have played a lot,
like Logan the two he continues to play at a
very high level.
Speaker 3: Hunter Klugg's going to be a great player.
Speaker 4: But I see the progression of the defensive line really
coming along, and that's part of the reason why we've
played pretty good the last couple weeks.
Speaker 1: Really good progress, no doubt, Ronald. I know you really
like this particular sound by what do you make of it?
Speaker 5: Yeah, the reason why I've been We played one about
a month ago and I wish I wud have doubted
up the went back. But I know j Hill for
a fact says that he challenged the defense line. He's
challenging those guys you mentioned it as well. Use not
that they were playing bad, but I don't think they're
playing up to the expectation. Look, they were giving the
whole narrative. Don't care about sacks. But they were getting
pressure really on the quarterback, that was the thing. And
they had interceptions, but they were like misthrows are overthrows.
Speaker 6: They weren't really being.
Speaker 5: As consistent and dominant on third down and in the
fourth quarter to put games away.
Speaker 6: In the last month, they've done that.
Speaker 5: Go back and look, yeah they lost to Texas Tech,
but even then had four sacks in the first half
the Iowa State game. Now you bring in the TCU,
this defensive line is really vamped it up. Keanu had
his best game. You mentioned the bull rush. Great questions
about you in the post game to see he got
to the quarterback late.
Speaker 6: Noosey got to the quarterback late.
Speaker 5: So this defensive line has come on young, like Klaney's mentioned,
but a lot of talent and they're only gonna get
I think guys are gonna have big breakout seasons next year,
depending on who's here. But man, I love what I
see from the BU defensive line, and I know Jay
Hill does too. So I think they've been challenged and
they answer. They're answering the call. They haven't answered it,
they've been answering it.
Speaker 1: Love it great breakdown. Let's get it at before. You
had high expectations for Kiata when he came here. Has
he lived up to those expectations?
Speaker 2: Oh?
Speaker 3: Yeah, He's absolutely lived up to it.
Speaker 4: I mean, in our defense, you want a stud inside
that can take on a double team, that can be physical,
that can knock things back. And I really think the
last couple of weeks he's really shown that. You know,
it's always new going into a new program and techniques
and schemes and all that stuff, but I think he's
settled in very well and he's definitely a dominant force
in the defense.
Speaker 1: Do we feel collectively, let's ask Kugarnation do you feel
that Keano has lived up to the hype? Jay Hill
says yes. How do you feel about it? Rat of
the three man weaver?
Speaker 6: I feel yes. Look, fans, this is the problem.
Speaker 5: Fans look at Utah and what he did last year
and they go to the freaking stat board and stats
are great, they are, guys, but look how many times.
Speaker 2: He was injured for most of the year last year.
Speaker 6: He was But like they go to, that's what they
go and look, I.
Speaker 2: Don't even know if his stats were all that impactful.
Speaker 5: From AAH game. I remember that for sure.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Like, but like last year he only had sixteen total tackles,
eight solo, eight assisted, one sack.
Speaker 2: It's not like he had four passes defended.
Speaker 1: Uh, But like it's like he was out of this
world in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 6: No, he wasn't, because that's what the stats show. But
that's what they bau fans do.
Speaker 5: They think a high level player that performed at Utah,
that's a big name, that's a big part of someone
else's defense, comes to BYU. They have those same expectations. Valid, right,
But look at Tyler Baddy last year. Like Tyler Baddy
last year been maybe the numbers didn't show for but
you know how many double teams that he took up
to allow people to play one on one, how many
QB hurries that he had, Like, Keanu has been able
to do the same thing like and especially when you're
playing nose guard, like that's what's gonna happen. But it's
allowed his defensive line the guys around him to really
perform the names that I mentioned just a few minutes ago.
So Keanu has performed up the expectation and look, I'm
gonna go this had the opportunity see a scout say, hey,
what do you like about Biu's defensive line. They said
number fifty seven is going to be playing on Sundays.
Speaker 6: There you go.
Speaker 5: I don't know how many times I have to say it. Guys, Look,
we don't know anything. We get paid minimum. Ben, you
know more than us because you played right. But you
ask these guys that know what they're talking about, and
that's the feedback that gave.
Speaker 6: Same when you connected to basketball.
Speaker 5: When I sat next to the scout at the Utah
game in BYU for basketball is Yego den lottery pick.
Speaker 6: He's a lottery pick, and look what happened.
Speaker 5: So trusting those that are evaluating the game, they know
it at a high level.
Speaker 6: I think Keanu has done that. Man, maybe you want him.
Speaker 5: To get to the quarterback a little bit more sure
he mentioned effort, but I think Keanu has loved that
to that expectation. The question now is when the season
is over, will he declare for the draft or will.
Speaker 6: He come back for one more season.
Speaker 2: I will say this much.
Speaker 1: Kiato in the postgame stated that he didn't feel like
he's played up to his potential and this last game
at home in a in a pretty wilder Rockets environment,
he had his best game. So well, I think that's
where I think that's why the question was elicited, right,
That's why the question was posed in this situation because
Kano said that some of the fans have felt like
he hasn't been as impactful and that may be a
bit folly because you're, like I said, you're a defensive alivening.
Speaker 2: You're taking double teams all the time.
Speaker 1: They look at the bau Utah game as the standard
when he was really up to the challenge and he
was dominant, the best guy on the football field, and
they expect that every single game. There's a lot to
take in, but Jay says he's met the standard.
Speaker 2: So you either believe Jay or you don't.
Speaker 1: Now Jay, how does having more cornerbacks to play help
his defense?
Speaker 4: Well, the more band we can play, the more we
can load the box and you know, blitz and do
some other things.
Speaker 3: So in this defense, it's very important.
Speaker 4: And having those guys on the perimeter that can play
pressman and off man, I think mixes, you know what,
the with the offensive coordinator and the quarterback as seeing.
I think that's a big deal, and then if we
can mix in our zones with it, I think we
become the defense that we want to be. So you
gotta have corners that can cover in this defense?
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, for sure.
Speaker 4: You know we're gonna have to play some man coverage
against them. We're gonna have to load the box at times.
We're gonna have to give different looks for the quarterback.
I mean, all those things that we try to hang
our hat on, We're gonna have to play games with
the quarterback's mind a little bit on.
Speaker 3: Some of the disguises he sees.
Speaker 4: So all those things become important as to what we're
trying to accomplish in the game plan.
Speaker 2: That was Vig's question. Sorry, I posted it correctly.
Speaker 1: How do is having having quarterbacks that can play more
man man to man help this defense?
Speaker 3: So?
Speaker 1: Vic, did you want to chime in on the quick No,
you don't want to get in on the access, right,
Vics is always working behind the scenes, my guy. Uh,
but yeah, look, it's it definitely helps look the ability
to play any coverage, Like, you don't want to just
be all one mad because then the corner or the
quarterback knows exactly what you're doing.
Speaker 2: On every single play. You want to be able to
way two.
Speaker 1: Man you know, man free cover zero, and you want
to be able to play cover two, cover four, Cover three,
Cover eight, cover six. You want it all in your
in your repertoire, you want it all in your tool belt.
Speaker 2: Period. So yeah, you want it, but you wanted you
want it all.
Speaker 1: If you're a coordinator, they have a uh have a
low time of possession as a team. Does that affect
you guys at all? Defensively?
Speaker 4: Not really A lot of the reason why they don't
possess balls because they score so fast. I mean they're
hitting huge one or two plays and they're scoring touchdowns.
I mean, they've been pretty dynamic that way. So I
don't read into time and possession that much. It's more
to me about how many points do they score in
the efficiency of their drives.
Speaker 1: They score quickly, They score extremely efficiently. They can they
can put up points real quick uh and be always offense.
They possess the ball, so you want to keep soresby
off the field. It's also a part of this, and
it elongate those drives. If they are picking up first downs,
hopefully their long drives, they're not picking up chunk yards plays. Jay,
what are your thoughts on their run game. They're expected
to get their top running back back.
Speaker 2: I believe well.
Speaker 4: I think both running backs are different. Like Number three
is super physical, sees it well, we'll run down hill
and go right through you. Number six has got great vision,
he's got good wiggle in the whole. I think they
complement each other very well, and I think they're well coached.
Speaker 3: So this is a good running back crew.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Getting their one of their their prized jewels at running
back back in this lineup is a boot for him,
no doubt. And being at home helps a lot too.
It's gonna be a closer game than I think BA
fans think. Where would TCU rank amongst all the defensive
defensive performances thus far this season, Jay.
Speaker 4: I don't know the ranking, but I was definitely happy with,
you know, holding a quarterback that I think is one
of the best in the Big twelve to ten for
twenty three passing I think was huge. And to have
him throw two interceptions in a pass efficiency rating of
ninety three and all that stuff. I mean, I think
that that is huge. Just the way we started and
then finished the game was big. So and I think
TCUs a dang good football team because if you just
look statistically going into this game, I mean, they had
played very well in every game. They were in every game,
and their offense had done some really good things. So
I think it was a good performance against a very
good team.
Speaker 1: Good performance, great team, gave a lot of respect to Hoover,
and if I'm not mistaken, BYU held Hoover to his
lowest efficiency rating as a quarterback since like twenty twenty three,
pretty imprisive over two years of efficiency metrics, and BYU
held them through his lowest efficiency rating from a quarterback.
I think QBR and passing efficiency rating in the last
two years impressive work, no doubt most impressive. Let's get
into the final few questions here. How do you feel
your group is tuning out the noise with all the
outside rankings and things that can distract them?
Speaker 4: Well, hopefully, well, we as coaches don't hear the noise
too much because we know not to listen to it
or look at social media too much and all that stuff.
So I don't really know the noise. But for the
most part at BUYU, we have a pretty mature team
that I think can put that behind them, and it's hard.
Speaker 3: Right, everyone tells you how great you are.
Speaker 4: This could happen if you just keep winning. I mean,
they know where they're at. They hear it, but hopefully
they're mature enough to handle it.
Speaker 2: You got to be mature at BYU.
Speaker 1: It's the low hanging fruit for all pundits, for all handlers,
for all commentators.
Speaker 2: They're a mature team. Got to be mature.
Speaker 1: How has your recruiting been affected by all the success recently?
Speaker 2: J Hill, Well, it's.
Speaker 4: Way easier to recruit when you're winning. I know that
the last two seasons have been huge for US. I
feel like we've had really great recruiting classes. We have
some really top notch guys committed to us right now.
So I think recruiting just keeps getting better and better.
And as we continue to win, and with NIL and
BYU and everything that the school represents, I think recruiting
is going to continue to get better and better.
Speaker 2: That was another Vic Cram question.
Speaker 6: Boo, shut up, Vic, that's a great question, Vic, Vic.
Speaker 2: Yeah, buddy, yeah, buddy.
Speaker 1: Great questions, Great questions from my guy Vic. All right, guys,
and yeah, success and recruiting will continue to ramp up,
no doubt about it as B where you wins twenty
and three over the last three seasons, thus far pretty crazy.
Average scoring winning margin about fourteen points, not too shabby.
You'd like it to be better, especially for all the
style points the College Football Playoff Committee wants to have.
It is what it is. We need more style points.
Even if I mean Claudie wants style points, I think
it's just you gotta find a way to win. Winning
is the most important thing. Style points come as an
answer their component to any any game. And quite honestly,
you know, is B why you good enough to play
with style points?
Speaker 2: Well?
Speaker 1: The component all that is playing at home versus on
the road. The style points have to come, in my opinion,
the most important at home. That's where you have the advantage.
And they did that last week and they get another
opportunity versus UCF.
Speaker 2: Nice.
Speaker 1: It would be nice to get style points at Cincinnati.
It would be very nice. But I fear the committee
will only say, we'll ultimately say, well, you're just doing
what the thirteenth ranked team in the country did right
behind you, Utah. They beat them by thirty points. You
should too, all right, Ronald, what do you got for me?
Speaker 6: I think you need to win by thirty.
Speaker 5: Look, Ben, you mentioned it in the first segment here
and the first hour. If you missed that download on
the podcast, it should be up now. But look, you
gotta win by thirty. Ben still at Cincinnati, because if
someone loses in front of you, one thing you can
do is how much you win and how much you
went by.
Speaker 6: I know that Kline's not going to get into.
Speaker 5: That, but you need to keep this team to as
least amount of points as possible and score as many
because if someone in front of you does lose, you
don't want the committee says, well, you know you played
a one score game. If you blow out your last
three opponents like you did, if you win the way
you won against TCU, when something happens in front of
you that you can't control, but you go out and
take care of business, that might help BYU's thing. I
don't even think if a team before them, you know
a spot or two, if they were to lose and
b WHYU were to win out and they go to
the title game and lose, I don't think that would
still help them. I think they must win these last
three games by like thirty plus in order to give
themselves a shot even if they were to win and
not win, but even if they were to lose in
the title game, barring someone else lose in front of you,
because I.
Speaker 6: Still don't trust the committee.
Speaker 5: I still feel if someone lost in front of you,
depending who's behind you that wins, that's gonna give them
our They're looking for two loss teams been to put
in front of you, So you have to leave no doubt.
Speaker 6: You have to take that second loss in the title game,
if no loss at all.
Speaker 5: And you've got to beat these last two opponents by
thirty because you control that and that will prove to
the committee and it matches the team behind you.
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Speaker 2: Don't go anywhere.
Speaker 1: Cougar Nation still plenty to get to on a Wednesday,
November nineteenth edition of Cougar Sports here on ESPN.
Speaker 7: The Let's get to Know the Cougars student athletes get
a player profile segments here on one oh three nine
at ninety eight three ESPN, the van.
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Speaker 2: Going to get into a little player profile.
Speaker 1: Isaiah Glasker addressed the media earlier this week, and Ig
has come on strong over the last couple of games
after being riddled with injuries mid season post Colorado game,
and he's finally getting back into the swing of things
and balling out as his potential would merit.
Speaker 2: This player profile is going.
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dot Com. All right, let's get into it. Isaiah Glasker
baller shot collar. How fun was it to play in
front of l e s again?
Speaker 9: It's always fun and less I feel like, especially with
the crowd and the student section, it so you always
have a good time, just because you can know they're
always gonna have the juice, and especially just having all
the voice play.
Speaker 10: It's it's always a blast.
Speaker 1: So always a blash, always balling in front of the
Brigham Young University fans under the lights of level. It's
always glorious. How does the crowd help you guys play?
Speaker 10: I g.
Speaker 9: I feel like we just feed off of the crowd,
you know what I'm saying every time we make plays,
they bring the juice, and then just kind of I
don't know, we all like offense, defense, special teams. I
feel like we all just the crowd gets us into it.
Speaker 1: So always find the jewe speaking of the Jews, Noose,
who's got the juice?
Speaker 2: Now? Number five defensive van.
Speaker 1: When you got ig Jack, Kelly Noose and Taucilia Kanna
in a pass rushing situation, that's a recipeta oasis. Well
that's a recipe for sacks in provo. What do you
make of this Cincinnati offense in Brendan Soresby.
Speaker 9: They have a good balanced offense. They can they can
run the ball well. Their quarterbacks solid quarterback, you can
throw and run and I don't know the receivers they're
pretty fast. So we really do have a challenge right now,
and I'm just kind of excited to go against Cincinnati.
Speaker 2: Let's go, Let's let's take on that challenge head on.
Speaker 1: You guys have played a lot of night games, but
a night game on the East Coast is a bit
is a bit different.
Speaker 2: Are you embracing it?
Speaker 1: Because the vampire cougar seemed like a real thing.
Speaker 9: I feel like it's kind of like the same you
get in the two hour difference. It's like still like
we're playing at a fifteen. I feel like most of
our games this season have been a fifteen getting home
at like three am, four am, So I don't know.
At this point of the season, I feel like we're
already used to it, and it's I don't know, I
feel like the coug's played better at.
Speaker 10: Night, So.
Speaker 2: Vampire Kug's is it really something? Right?
Speaker 1: Is it really a competitive advantage for BYU to play
at night or is it more correlated to the strength
of schedule the opponent. It's an interesting debate. I know
we've debated before. There's a little bit of bullb I think,
but you know, typically you know these it's like the
Texas Tech game. Obviously, TEXTEP is the best team that
has played all season long, and the one loss was
a day game because College game Day was there, and
you know, so the strength of schedule and.
Speaker 2: Maybe the time of day have something to do with it.
Speaker 1: At any rate, What is it about playing under the
lights that you've learned so well? I don't know if
that's the accurate question, but what is it about playing
under the lights?
Speaker 10: I feel like really just the schedule that we have.
Speaker 9: I feel like just starting from the end of the season,
having eight fifteen games, it's I don't know, we're just
kind of used to it right now. And then really
just I feel like the hard part is just waiting.
Speaker 10: Until you get to the game. You're you're in the
hotel all day.
Speaker 9: It's like you're seeing all these other college games and
it's I don't know, you just kind of get antsy
to play.
Speaker 10: So I feel like that is a big factor too.
Speaker 1: Yeah, look, it's great under the lights. I don't know where.
I like why we're going down. There's a lot of
question at any rate. Was it a little weird to
leave the hotel and it was already dark?
Speaker 9: Already dark? Yeah, most definitely. Usually leaving the stadium, it's
like the sun still out. But I don't know, as
soon as we went to the bus as it was dark.
But it's like you get to the stadium and it's
like the atmosphere is great. So it's like, I don't know,
you kind of just used to it at this point.
Speaker 2: Yeah, all right.
Speaker 1: TCU was one of the better passing offenses in the
Big Twelve.
Speaker 2: What was working so well to limit.
Speaker 9: That I would say, really, just our our front seven
get into the quarterback. Uh, we have a great defense,
and uh, really just our our front defensive linemen.
Speaker 10: They do a good job up front.
Speaker 9: And I feel like that played a big factor in
I don't know what the quarterback can see.
Speaker 1: So and finally, how has the defense helped you this season?
Speaker 2: When everyone does they're one eleventh.
Speaker 9: I feel like, really we just play off of each other.
I feel like every week that's why you see different
players make different plays. And I feel like when the
time comes, the kids on our team, we make plays.
Speaker 10: And so, uh, I don't know, I.
Speaker 9: Just it's great having the dbs that we have, and
especially the other linebackers and the d line. It's like
everybody on our team can make plays, and it just
kind of just depends on the week, you know what
I'm saying.
Speaker 1: So there you go. That's a good question, right there, Vig,
great question. Love that all right, guys. That's our player profile,
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Speaker 2: Let's take a brief time out. We'll be back.
Speaker 1: That was ig On the real Isaiah Glasker b way
you linebacker playing his best ball now that he's finally
healthy and strong and by the way, statistically fifty total tackles,
twenty seven solo, twenty three assisted, three sacks, one force fumble,
no fumble recoveries, but two I and t's and a
partridge and a pair of trees got one pass breakup
as well.
Speaker 2: Let's go to break. Don't go any recogarnation.
Speaker 1: You're listening to Cougar Sports here one of three nine
ninety eight point three ESPN.
Speaker 7: You were listening to Cougar Sports. It's with Ben Krittle
and It's time for a Cougar insider report. Now, let's
get that for a prietary inside scoop on Cougar Sports
from Crittle.
Speaker 1: Welcome back Cougar Sports, one of the pre nine ninety
eight ons p ESPN the band I've been crideral broadcasting
from our Banderwilth Studiosmandorworld dot Com.
Speaker 2: Get on a free q and a.
Speaker 1: No obligation to invest q anda with our tax more
wealth Advisors certify financial planners. Nobody does it better than
band Wealth, band Erwealth dot Com. It is time for
little inside report, little U sound bite as well.
Speaker 2: I want to get into a couple.
Speaker 1: Of sound bites and commentaries here, Like I think we're
finally seeing the Keanutanavasa that we saw versus the University
of Utah. That guy who was actually running at like
eighty five percent was the most dominant guy in the
field in that Holy War a season ago at rice
Equl Stadium, BYU came out triumphant, but Keanu looked like
a freaking beast on the football. An unstoppable force was
kean Utana Vasa in that game. When he entered the portal,
Jay Hill made the pitch to Keanu to come to
Brigham and he was getting many offers, many powerful, prominent
and uh uh you know very I would say, lucrative offers.
Via the portal, some of the biggest names in college
football wanted Kanu Tona vasa b what you got him?
Jay Hill said, You're you're a program changing acquisition for us.
You're a program changing player from a leadership standpoint, from
a playmaking standpoint. So just how well has Kianu performed
thus far this season? Like I said, I've heard rumblings
from Kugarnation saying things like, man, Kanu just hasn't been
as his packed as impactful as I thought he would be.
Speaker 2: Let's let's talk about his stats over the years. Twenty
twenty two.
Speaker 1: Six total tackles three solo, three assisted, one sack, one
pass defended. That was twenty twenty two, twenty twenty three,
twenty seven total tackles, seven solo, twenty assisted, two sacks,
one force fumble, no passes defended. Last year sixteen total tackles,
eight solo, eight assisted, one sack, four passes defended. This
year nineteen total tackles seven solo, twelve assisted, two sacks,
two passes defended. When you look at those stats like
they're pretty much right in line with what he's been
doing his entire career.
Speaker 2: Why is that right?
Speaker 1: We are you expecting more than that he could have
He could have a better season than he did in
twenty twenty three, possibly right in total sack count, total tackles,
and maybe even passes defended. But it's not like this
absurd number. Right, you have two remaining regular season games
and then a bowl game that's guaranteed to you. He's
pretty much on track and what he's done all all
of his career when healthy, the six foot four to
three hundred pounds junior at a mission Ville, California is
doing what he's done for most of his career. I
think what BYU fans struggle with is a couple of things.
Speaker 2: Number One, they saw the Utah game.
Speaker 1: They're like, oh my gosh, he was just in the
backfield the entire game and he BONDI slamed Jake Retslov
and we couldn't block them, which is true, and they.
Speaker 2: Expect that every single game.
Speaker 1: I think it's hard to do that all the time
because typically you're double teamed and maybe you got more
single coverage than you typically get I don't know, I
have to go back and watch tape again. I can't
remember how often they were chipping them, double teaming them.
And they may have lined them up more so in
at three Tech in that particular game in order to
be more disruptive three Tech maybe Elijah for more one
on ones.
Speaker 2: On the interior defensive line.
Speaker 1: There's a number of things that can contribute to impactful,
penetrative rushing. Uh, whether it's in the run game or
in the past rush game. But you know, like I
understand the criticism that has come, you know, and it's
not been vocal criticism.
Speaker 2: This is more like behind closed doors, like, hey, is
he is he as good is that we thought he was?
Has he been a bat? He's been a badful guys?
Speaker 1: Like he's been He's been taking up guys, right, So, like,
why did the media earlier this week ask Jay Hill?
Has Keanu lived up to the expectation? So you got
to take all this into account. Remember Keanu was asked
a few questions in the post game too. And and
Ronald's been rolling through and I can't remember which ones
these are, tell me which number it is?
Speaker 2: Ronnie?
Speaker 1: Okay, okay, I asked Keanu number ten, Do you feel
like you had your best game of the season?
Speaker 2: Keanu, I think so.
Speaker 11: I think I gave more effort this game than I
than I have And I think that started with practice
a little bit more of a wake up call because
I think we have been doing great, but we just
want to be even better. And so it's it's doubling
down on our fundamentals. And I felt I did that
this week as well as the rest of our defense
and our team, and it showed.
Speaker 1: So so that's maybe one of the base lines of this.
So you have kind of this underlying question mark, has
he met the expectation that you had as a fan,
as a media member, as a as a as a
donor whatever, as a coach, whatever it may be, right,
And and Keanu kind of says, well, and let's let's
play I don't know what he says in number eight, right,
Let's play number eight real quick too, because try to
take it all in here and read between the lines,
if you will, with Keanu's ability in this last game,
what he produced Keanu number eight, Keanu, you had your
best You had a really nice bull rush walk back
quarterback kid, What is the key to executing that.
Speaker 2: I think it's just effort.
Speaker 11: You can have coaches teach you one hundred moves and
you can master one move. Ultimately, you just have to
have effort and commitment to do that. And I think
I've I've recognized that I got to have more of that,
and I had that tonight and I plan on magnifying
that and continue it throughout the rest of the season.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Yeah, so effort, right, He's he's mentioned effort twice. Effort twice.
Let's get to number one too. So let's let's kind
of just roll through these and then we'll play Jay
Hill on the back end.
Speaker 2: Let's do number one here like that's what.
Speaker 1: So you have like this undercurrent and then you have
Keanus saying I haven't put forth my best effort. Okay,
does that make sense? And so that we're talking about expectations. So, Keato,
you held this offense to one touchdown. What can you
say about the effort?
Speaker 11: I think it was diligence and discipline of the defense
to do such a thing. I think that's our capacity
and that's who we are, and I think we stuck
to that this week. I think that's the key is
sticking to that and being disciplined to who we are,
and you guys saw it tonight. I mean, we did
that and that's the result when we be us.
Speaker 1: Yeah, So that kind of encompasses a little bit of
the catalyst behind that question of meeting the expectation and
then finally going to Jay Hill, right, with all that
being said, with all that foundation being being laid, Jay
Hill was asked.
Speaker 2: What number is this? Number four? Yet high expectations for
Keanu when you brought him in here. Has you lived
up to that? This is jays Hill's comments.
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, he's absolutely lived up to it.
Speaker 4: I mean, in our defense, you want a stud inside
that can take on a double team, that can be physical,
that can knock things back. And I really think the
last couple of weeks he's really shown that. You know,
it's always new going into a new program and techniques
and schemes and all that stuff, but I think he's
settled in very well and he's definitely a dominant force
in the defense.
Speaker 1: So I guess read between the lines, take it all
in and kind of understand. Look, Keanu says, I can
put forth a better effort, I can have a higher motor,
I can give better execution, I can have better buy in,
but also realize he's a defensive tackle on the interier,
always getting double team and statistically speaking, over his career,
he's doing exactly what he's done his entire career.
Speaker 2: Right, Does that make sense?
Speaker 1: Like, like that's that's who he is, That's who It's
like he's he doesn't have eight sacks on the season, Okay,
he never does. Like his largest sack total in his
career is two prior to arriving at bou Where's he
at now two with three games remaining?
Speaker 2: Does that make sense?
Speaker 10: So?
Speaker 1: I mean, so like take it all in, understand, kind
of internalize that. As a Byu fan, I understand what
you want, what you maybe expected, and and maybe like
he hasn't done that necessarily, but a lot of a
lot of these things are contributing that.
Speaker 2: Our contributing factors.
Speaker 1: Are how they block him, how often by He's gonna
put him at like a three tack or a one tech.
Does he get single coverage or double team typically because
of how big and strong he is, He's getting the
double team rather than John temby Payo.
Speaker 2: Is what it is?
Speaker 5: So anyway, I mean, just think of the impact. Venezuela
jump in here. Look, he wasn't healthy last season and
he's healthy. I mean, how many sacks and this one
you and I might have to go back and look
at the tape, but I'm pretty sure you might know
better than me. How many sacks is Bay you've been
a benefited from? Or go back to the beginning of
the season when I remember Hunter Klegg and Logan Lituy
almost getting to the cornerback or being allowed to make
plays because Keimu's taking up a double.
Speaker 1: Teamy sow Celia News get single coverage all day absolutely,
I mean they're getting single coverage all.
Speaker 2: Day off the edge.
Speaker 6: They're starting to beat their guys.
Speaker 2: Body Logan single cover off the edge.
Speaker 1: Why because and John Adisi's been good at times, others
they've been really good.
Speaker 5: They good then, I mean, if you want to know,
if you really want to know, how about this, I'll
hit you with something that we discussed a few weeks ago.
You lose that Iowa State game if it's not for
Keanu Tonavasa. He tipped the ball to Logan that started
the momentum shift, like that ball was going there and
he puts that big old Paul you know, I have
a little hands. So that big old bear Paul up there,
it gets tipped, which shout out to Jay Drew that
said they said that in the press box it was tipped.
Logan intercepts it and then what is what is to do?
Ben able to go down, take all the momentum and
they ever look back since then. So yeah, sure, do
the sacks not show up? Like you know, John Harry
daily hurts my heart.
Speaker 6: You love to have him. But there's still other things.
Speaker 5: That a guy does to affect the game. It's like basketball.
People probably hate that I bring this up. You don't
have to shoot threes always to be effective. You can
play defense, you can hit free throws. There are other
things that you can do. And Keanu, to me, is
doing the nitty gritty things that matter, and he's allowing
this team mates to be very, very successful. And I
think sometimes people overlook that. They want to see that
and look, six seven, eight sacks by your best defensive
player is nice, but sometimes you just need them, as
Kalani would say, to do their one eleventh. Just do
their job and take up blocks, and you know everybody
else will shine. And you're starting to see that down
here down the stretch, and I think it's just stay
that way. Do you want to see Keanu get a sack, Yeah,
that'd be nice in the Cincinnati game. But I'd rather
see him take his guy bull rush him and push
him back and be dominant and allow the guys around
him to make plays and have complimentary football that way.
Then just have one single guy stand out, and then
you're not getting home to the quarterback guys.
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Bryce Canyon. Let's go to break, don't go anywhere more
to get to on a beautiful Wednesday edition of Cougar Sports.
Speaker 2: Here on one of three nine ninety eight point three
esp what's.
Speaker 7: Going on in the world of Fugar athletics. Here from players,
coaches and experts on all the latest happenings with the Cougars.
Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Sports three nine ninety eight point
three is the Phantom A broadcast named drum mar Banderwelth
Studiosvanderwelt dot Com. Get on a free Q and A
no obligation to invest Q and A with our tax
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than Bander Wealth. Want to get into a little world
of BYU Sports and discussed the SoundBite from Rick new
Weeisel a part of the College Football.
Speaker 2: I Guess COLLG Football Rankings, COLLG Football.
Speaker 1: Playoff Committee show and he and his cohorts were debating Byu.
Some of them like BYU, others some of them like boy,
some of them don't. Right, and Rick neuheisl okay, who
has played against Byu? Okay, he knows what BYU's all about.
In his head coaching career, I think most recently. I
mean he was at when he was at UCLA from
two thousand and eight to twenty eleven. I think in
his first year at UCLA he got destroyed at Lavell
Edwards Stadium. I mean that was a fifty nine to
zero smashing of his bruins in his first season as
head coach at ucl You know, in the eighties and
early nineties, he was there as a GA quarterbacks coach
and a wide receiver, but eventually got the head coaching
job at UCLA from two thousand and eight to twenty eleven.
But he's been a college football ANLUS now for a
long time, made his move to the television room, and
he's been commenting on college football for a long time.
Speaker 3: Now.
Speaker 1: Let's listen in as he discusses what it means if
BYU is a one lost team, And I think what
he's getting at here, he's saying BYU wins out in
the regular season and gets to the Big Twelve Championship.
I don't think he's saying, like BYU wins the Big
Twelve Championship game, obviously that would be an auto bid
unless he's unaware of that.
Speaker 2: I think he's aware of that.
Speaker 1: I think he's saying BYU deserves to be in the
college football playoff if they went out get to the
Big twelve Championship game and actually lose to Texas Tech.
Let's tune in as he pontificates regarding these BYU Cougar
football players and football coaches.
Speaker 12: What Bosh and this BYU team got off the mat
after being humiliated in Lobbock and I was.
Speaker 2: Telling them to put my pickup there. BYU.
Speaker 12: That is exactly what I was wanting to see. How
will this team respond, especially a young quarterback, respond after
that kind of setback?
Speaker 2: And they were brilliant.
Speaker 12: I mean they absolutely wiped the floor with TCU. TCU
would didn't belong in the ballgame. And and really on
both sides, you said byp on defense, Josh Huber didn't
think so. Josh Hubert was struggling in that particular game.
Based on the stats that he had previously a massed
over the course of the season. I think BYU is
a sleeping really good team, and I think this giant
and I don't know giants appropriate, but I think they're
really good.
Speaker 7: And I think.
Speaker 12: Brett Yormark moreover wants this big victory by BYU so
that he can get a rematch of Texas Tech and
BYU in Arlington, and both teams can make it to
the CFP because if b YU, it'll be interesting where
BYU is tonight in the rankings. If BYU is not
in the playoff and they run the table, there's somebody
needs to cry foul. I'm taking BYU.
Speaker 1: So if they run the table in the regular season,
I think is what he's getting at. Then, no matter
what happens to the conference championship game versus Texas Tech,
which most I mean, it's going to be Texas Tech
unless rich Rod just has a magical showing.
Speaker 2: He is he is. Rich Rod's doing some work right now.
Speaker 1: He just picked up I think a five star offensive tackle,
a four star offensive tackle. Pickup, really nice pickup, and
that dad dude's stoked man Country Roads, all right, rich
Rod bringing it bringing it back. He said, give me,
give me three to four years. That's all he said,
give me three four years. Will turn this this ship
around anyway? By the way, this segment brought to you
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dot com. But what I think Rick is saying here
is if BYU gets to that Big Towal Championship game undefeated,
like then it doesn't matter what happens in the Big
Towl Championship Game. You lose to Texas Tech, which is
a top five team in college football, twice one on
a neutral field, and hopefully you keep it close. Hopefully
it's a battle back and forth b way He deserves
to be in the Collgs football Playoff.
Speaker 2: No, his answer much about it.
Speaker 1: You need Oklahoma, you need Notre Dame, you need one
of those teams right.
Speaker 2: To probably lose.
Speaker 1: You need a little bit of college football cannibalism here
in front of you. That's ideal. That would be glorious,
that would be great. If you're looking at it's the eight, nine,
ten spots, right that's what you're looking at right now.
You need Oklahoma, Alabama.
Speaker 2: Notre Dame.
Speaker 1: Those are the three teams that you're looking at on
the back end of the season. Notre Dame's gotta lose
to Syracuse, Oklahoma has to lose to Miszoo or LSU
that would knock him out of the top ten. And
then Alabama could lose to Auburn the Iron Bowl to
end the season. Those are the opportunities, Okay, to make
sure you solidify yourself as a two loss team. You know, look,
a miracle could happen. You can beat Texas Tech on
a neutral field. I never doubt Jay Hill with a
little extra prep and a Rod's.
Speaker 2: Definitely learned his lesson.
Speaker 1: I think after that Texas Tech game, so I think
his game plan will be better. I think he's gonna
go in with more faith rather than fear. You've heard
Killane State in the postgame comments and in his media availability.
You got to unleash bear, let him, let him, let
him throw don't just protect him, don't overprotect him. He
can he can win football games with his legs and
his arm. That's our segment, guys, also brought to you
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a brief time out. We'll be back with Aaron Torres
of the Aaron Torres Podcast.
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