Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: WVUAFM Tuscaloosa.
[00:00:15] Speaker B: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to WVUAFM 90.7, the Capstone. This is the Game Day Show. I am Nazario Pangalo here with Kaden Johnson and Peyton Davis. How are we doing this morning, fellas?
[00:00:29] Speaker A: Pretty good. A lot better than I was doing Saturday night. So we're gonna look to bounce back this weekend.
[00:00:35] Speaker C: Yeah, we're gonna get into all that. It was, you know, not. Not predictably a game where, well, you know, things went. We're up and down for Alabama. We didn't know it was a barometer game. We were trying to measure where the team was, and we kind of got a few questions. Last Saturday, I felt like, yeah, you.
[00:00:53] Speaker B: Know, it was not the greatest game, but, you know, only week two for this episode. Today is week three of the college football season. We will, you know, give a little bit of a recap of Texas, talk about that game, how we bounce back, you know, dive a little bit into the South Florida game. Obviously, talk about the fact that Tyler Buckner will be the starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide today, his first start in Alabama uniform. And then later, we'll talk about how week two went around the country. We're also diving into a little bit of some week three previews. We have a couple great SEC games coming up, potentially.
Tennessee heading to Florida, South Carolina heading to Georgia, and LSU head to Mississippi State. Those will all be great games to watch out for. But looking back last week, the Texas Longhorns come into Bryan Denny stadium, put up 21 in the fourth quarter after being down 1613 to beat the Tide at home. 34 24. Quinn Ewurst, 350 yards and three touchdowns.
So, guys, you know, just the basics. What in the world went wrong last Saturday night?
[00:01:57] Speaker A: Pretty much everything that could go wrong went wrong. It felt a lot like I was watching last year's Alabama team. Undisciplined penalties and big moments of the game. It felt like anytime that we were making a little bit of a comeback effort, we would just shoot ourselves in the foot again. It was just another one of those games like last year, where it felt like we beat ourselves a lot of the time.
Odd play calling, no pass rush. Really, there is a lot of blame to go around. I don't think you can really put this game on one specific player or position group even.
[00:02:28] Speaker C: Yeah, people are trying to do that with Jalen Milroe, and I feel bad for him, but it is true. He has pretty much no feel for the short and intermediate passing game. He's not a rhythm thrower and they're trying to make him one.
But if you look at him as a thrower in general and he's not already not developed enough when he gets the pockets like he got last weekend, where the pressure coming up the middle, that's something I talked about last week. Get pressure on Quinn, yours throw him off the spot. And it seemed like they did exactly that to Jalen Milroe and it worked perfectly. I mean, he was off, off target and off. His timing was off from the beginning. And compared to Ewers, where Ewers is standing like a statue, I'm like, where's, you know, I'm looking on the field. I don't see Dallas Turner at times. Like, where's 15? Like, literally he's on the sidelines and they're not mixing in. Kevin Steele's a heavy blitz guy and they weren't mixing in many off ball blitzes. Seems like they were playing really conservative. And it reminded me a lot of Tennessee last year at times with, wait, yours was just able to stand in there and deliver balls down the field to an inexperienced secondary. But you know, when you get no pass rush, you make it a lot harder on them.
[00:03:34] Speaker B: So, yeah, you know, the line of scrimmage game was something that you did not expect to see in this game. We talked about our offensive line, our defensive line a lot going into this season and last week talking about how that we really thought that was going to be the strength of this team and allow the skill, position players, you know, grow into who they are. And it really felt like they had to. If they didn't perform, like if Milroe didn't get outside of the pocket and do anything, then there was going to be no offense, whether it was because of a bad snap or there was just no pass protection. And yeah, we talked about the defensive line. I mean, no pass rust whatsoever. And I really like the way that Sark really set up his offense in that game. He really just got our pass rush really passive because you just dumped the ball off their screens. They couldn't get anything. Then later in the second half, you know, he just bombs it deep on us. You know, he set that up perfectly.
But offensively, what do you think was the biggest struggle and how do they bounce back from that?
[00:04:30] Speaker C: I would say the bounce back has to come. It has to start and end up front for sure. The offensive line has been, I mean, at times just like, what are we looking at? We couldn't get much of a push versus Middle Tennessee State. I didn't think it was a horrible issue because you're staging like six yards of carry. But against Texas early on they were able to, Jace McClellan able to, you know, be steady in the run game, get like 8 yards of carry, which was nice to see. And then that waned as the game went on because it started to load up on the box. And Jalen Milroe, when you have like a west coast system, the way Tommy Reese likes to run his offense with a few tight ends, but generally west coast where you're trying to use the short passing game as an extension of the running game, that's just like not even close to what Jaylen Milrose strengths are. And they didn't, they don't, they haven't really mixed in any of the quarterback running game, which has been a little peculiar, I would say. But to me for sure the biggest issues on the line are up the middle. Kaden Proctor showed a lot of inexperience in that first half. He gave up a few pressures and a few sacks as well.
I think they're going to start to go with Terrance Ferguson instead of. I mean I would like to see some something change. So Terrence Ferguson instead of Darion Dalcourt. And then what was up with Seth McLaughlin just snap like what was like he's rolling the ball like almost every play. It's like high school. Like I remember trying out for center for my middle school high school team. I remember rolling snaps just like that and they were like, yo, you're fired. Like what is that? He's a guy who's been a multiple year starter. I don't know what that was. So it's got to start and end there. To me.
[00:06:00] Speaker A: Yeah, I agree. I talked a little bit last week, I think before the show I said when you have like two powerhouse teams like this, a lot of the times you're going to see games won in the trenches. That goes for offense and defense. This is one of the first games I felt like Alabama just got downright bullied in kind of like Saban said on his show earlier this week. He said like there were multiple sacks from four man rushes and a sack from a three man rush. Like it's not like Texas was bringing heat over and over. They were just dominating the line of scrimmage. They were just more physical. They just wanted it more.
And that showed on Saturday on the scoreboard.
[00:06:32] Speaker B: Yeah, and that started from like the first start of the game on offense. And one thing that we have to talk about is not making an adjustment to them getting pressure. We consistently, I felt like, kept calling deep plays. I'm not sure if that's on Tommy Reese or Jalen Mudra. Not reading it, but something's got to give there. You got to talk at halftime, say you got to get the ball out quicker, or I got to call plays to get the ball out quicker. It's on one of those two or both of them, they got to find a way to get the ball out quicker. And. And if you look at it, there's no real big guy, 50, 50 ball. But consistently we're trying to go deep when in reality, just get the ball out to the playmakers, including the running backs. If you can't get the running game going, there's still talented players that can make plays with the ball, find a way to get them in space in the passing game. And if you have all this talent, which they do, you have to be able to get them the ball. Because most of the game, people are blaming Jaylen Murrow. That's because he had the ball all the time and he never was able to get the ball to anybody else. So, you know, they got to find a way to get the ball to other players.
[00:07:28] Speaker C: Yeah. And, you know, I look at the skill position group for Alabama and the way Tommy Reaves is able to dial up shots, and I think he had. I think Tommy Reese had a fairly. I thought he called a fairly decent game a lot better than maybe some people think. But it is true, the lack of, the lack of utilization of Jalen Mildrow in the running game is very strange because it's just really him scrambling. But, yeah, to me, when I watch this receiver group, there's a lot of talent there. I mean, Isaiah Bond obviously has something. Malik Benson made a very nice few nice catches, actually, but one very nice fourth down catch, I believe that was in the second quarter.
Jermaine Burton made his two biggest plays, both got called back. And I'm looking at the offensive line, especially on the tip. You know, the tip and the end zone, when it's like, okay, here we go.
When I see that happen, I'm like, okay, well, that's. What a play. What a concentration play by Jermaine Burton. But then, you know, you look at the replay and it's like Darien Dalkours just standing there looking around like three yards down the field, like you're going to get called for that illegal man downfield. And then the hold on Jermaine Byrne when he was able to reverse field and stuff like that, it's just like, it's mental errors and it's something where I'm looking at a Nick Saban coach team and I'm like, what is that? Like Nick Saban. This has not happened to Nick Saban coach teams. And that's something that we said a few times last year. And like you said earlier, I haven't seen the SEC get pushed around. I mean, it's a proof, it is literal proof that the. Of the transfer portal and how it has affected college football because the gap is closed between the SEC and every other Power 5 conference.
And, you know, whether it's Florida State pushing around lsu, whether it's Utah pushing around Florida, or, you know, Texas absolutely manhandling Alabama in the back half of that game, it's just proof that it's like something's got to change mentally where you're like, you shouldn't have that cockiness. They're like, oh, we were confident. We all this stuff that Kane Proctor and.
And all the Tyler Booker were saying. But like, you know, why do you have that sort of confidence when you haven't proven anything yet? That's just the frustration when you watch this team play and have these mental errors that you're just not used to seeing from a saving coach team.
[00:09:34] Speaker A: Yeah, I agree. I said it earlier. I'll say it again. It just feels like watching a 2022 Alabama team, you have a whole off season to go over, like the disciplinary problems, the team gets a little more experienced in that area, and then you just come out and do this in the first big game of the year. I mean, it was identical. I mean, the same problems, the same discipline problems. Like I said, it's just a lot of the same that we're seeing over and over. And it's really worrying because like Peyton said, too, this was a really good proof this game. And then maybe like Florida State and LSU was good proof that, you know, times have really changed. Like, the top dogs in the SEC aren't significantly better than top dogs in, in any other conference by any means.
Yeah, like he said, they're just not. And I. And I don't even know if Georgia's better than.
[00:10:20] Speaker C: We won't know.
[00:10:21] Speaker A: Michigan, Florida State, Texas, they haven't been tested yet. So times are really changing in college football. You know, like, this is the first time and forever that the top five is completely. Five teams from completely different conferences and they're all the Power 5 conferences. So it's good for the sport. It really is. It's good for college football.
The SEC dominance is kind of coming to an end, but they get Texas and Oklahoma next year, so we'll see how that plays out.
[00:10:48] Speaker C: And it's something where it's like the PAC 12 is maybe the deepest conference right now. And as of 2024, they have what, one team, two teams remaining, I believe.
But yeah, so that's just the times, you know, 2023 in college football. It's a different era than 2015.
[00:11:05] Speaker B: Yeah. These past years where you've really seen at least for Alabama penalties to start to grow and just mental mistakes and offensive line and defensive line play not look as good. The past 15 years, that dominance of Nick Saban, the dynasty, if you look at it, all the recruiting classes are around the same ranking. The talent is still there. So what is really what is going on? And I was watching the, I think it's the Late show with Josh Pate, I believe, and he made a great point. The past 15 years, where have you seen almost all of Alabama assistant coaches go? They go become head coaches somewhere. And, and he was talking about even not even position coaches, like lower down assistant coaches on that staff would eventually become head coaches. If you look at the Alabama staff now, there's no way Tommy Reese is going to go get a head coach job. It's just not going to happen. Kevin Steele does not look like it after that performance for sure. So you have to look. It's not all Nick Saban. As you look at Deion Sanders, what he says in Colorado, what does he do? He recruits and he's more of a motivational guy. He leaves his position coaches to do all of that work more in depth, discipline wise. And so if you look at it, is it really Nick Saban? Is it really the players or do the coaching staff need to step up and start coaching better?
[00:12:15] Speaker C: I think it's a combination. I mean, to me, the penalties, when you talk about last year in the same game, it was 11am was 120 on the field or whatever in the Texas heat and they put together 17 penalties or something like that. And it was, it was the Nick Saban record.
And it was like all these concentration, like frustration penalties by Will Anderson or whoever it may be. And it's like, all right, well, you hear that game, you're like, okay, they're going to get, you know, they're going to get their, you know, run in the practice and they're going to get disciplined hard. And then they do the same thing later on the year at Tennessee where you got another 15 penalties. And then here in the same game, like you said, like Kaden said earlier, it's, it's like the similar, it's like the same issues. You know, the secondary is getting beat down the field by Quinn Ewers, who got hurt obviously last year in that game. Tank, I mean, might not have come out with a victory if he hadn't. But yeah, Quinn, yours, hidden shots down the field, inability to run the ball, sustain offense consistently and over 100 yards of penalties. Like it's just all those things are losing formulas and something that's self inflicted. It's not necessarily them beating you, it's more like you being yourself, which is again, it's just kind of a weird feeling. But I think it's a combination of everyone involved, play calling, discipline, you know, everything in practice, just the mentality shifting to where it's like you're not who you thought you were, but you got to go prove that you can still salvage a season that's already at one and one.
[00:13:41] Speaker A: Yeah, everybody can, everybody can be better.
As far as the coordinator aspect goes, Tommy Reese, like Peyton says, wants to implement this west coast offense. Okay, well, Jace McClelland had one catch and Roydell William had one catch. So we're not utilizing.
[00:13:57] Speaker C: And also a lot of drops by those guys. Running backs are not, not utilizing skill positions.
[00:14:02] Speaker A: The running back. I'd like to see Justice Haynes get some touches today, get some playing time and then Kevin Steele we bring in because we weren't getting enough pressure on quarterbacks. Kevin Steele is a blitz heavy guy and first big game and we get like essentially no pressure for the entirety of the game. Zero sacks, which you're just, you're just not, you're not going to win a big time game forcing zero turnovers and zero sacks. There was essentially no pressure on Quinn Ewers who is way too good to have that kind of time and he showed it on Saturday.
[00:14:32] Speaker B: Yeah, I think it's like there's like assistant coaches, players thinking, oh, I'm at Alabama, I'm just going to win the game. You got to go out there and you got to go win it. Because these other teams, they're not scared. Texas players, obviously they wanted that more than we did. And then after the game you see some of the offensive linemen, I believe it was Tyler Booker just not really saying didn't have energy and then just not really taking responsibility. You don't like to see that former players coming and saying stuff they did about this team.
You don't really like to see that?
[00:14:59] Speaker C: No, you don't like to see that. And then I don't remember who it was, but someone was like, well, they're not here anymore. Times are different, blah, blah, blah. You still, like, you want to respect the players that the legends that have come before you and the program as a whole. And yeah, I mean, when you see an offensive line that is averaging 6 foot 5, 339 pounds against a defensive front that's very experienced in a bunch of upper, like we talked about last week, bunch of upperclassmen on both offensive defensive line for Texas and smaller players, but still just like the aggressive nature and it just seems like there's the fire there. Whereas the Alabama program kind of. And hope. That was what we were hoping with the Tommy Reese, Kevin Steele changes. It was going to be like, bring that fire back.
The season's not lost yet. You know, I talk. I thought about this few hours, maybe the morning after the game where I was like, all right. Well, in 2015, Alabama had a similar quarterback issue. Not really similar because it's Jacob Coker versus Cooper Bateman. They start the Ole Miss game coming off a loss the year, but prior to Hugh Freeze start the Ole Miss game with Cooper Bateman, he gets off to a really rough start. Jacob Coger is able to fight back in that game, but they still end up losing. It's like, well, that's an early home loss against an SEC team, whereas this is an early home loss against a non SEC team, which bodes better for you. But still, still, that 2015 team, what did they. What did they do? They were carried by the backs of Derrick Henry and. And their defense, I think, scored 15 touchdowns that year. Can this defense create turnovers?
[00:16:29] Speaker B: Where.
[00:16:29] Speaker C: Where has that been? You got to get pressure with 4, which it seems, it's just, it's so weird to see where, when you just, you're watching, you're just like, what the pocket. It's like, it's like the most prototypical perfect pocket. You know, like they. You got to mix in some stunts. You got to mix it, give them different looks because what you're doing is not working. And if this team's going to be successful, you got to rush 4 and get. Create turnovers and be able to get pressure with four. And so far it's similar to last year, just not really able to do that.
[00:16:58] Speaker B: All right, we are going to take a quick break. When we get back, we will discuss Tyler Buckner becoming the starter for this game. What we think about that and what we think moving forward for this team.
[00:17:09] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:17:09] Speaker B: For tuning in.
[00:17:23] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
[00:17:38] Speaker B: Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. This is the Game day show live here on 90.7 WVUAF.
So we just finished talking about recapping the Texas game. Everything that went wrong did go wrong, and you know how we bounce back from that. But now, earlier today, we are. Yesterday we found out that Tyler Buckner, transfer from Notre Dame, will be starting today against the University of South Florida over Jaylen Milroe. Do we like this move? Why are they making this move? How do we feel about this?
[00:18:11] Speaker C: I am very, very back and forth on this because if you look at it a certain way, does it feel kind of desperate? Because, you know, Tyler Buckner transfers in here and I think the general, you know, like, thought of the situation was that Milroe and Simpson were going to be ahead of him competing for that job, and then Buckner would be the insurance policy there in case of injuries. And here it definitely lowers the ceiling of the offense. There's no question about that. This offense with Jalen Milroe has a very high ceiling because Jalen Milroe is amongst the most talented athletes in the country. It's a similar thing yesterday when I was thinking about this, looking around to the immediate reaction from the media, and it's like you start to stand back and you're like. It's a similar thing to like Auburn's quarterback room. Peyton Thorne, transfer in from Michigan State, is kind of like your. Your kind of average college quarterback who's not going to lose you a game. He's like a game manager, which obviously, you know, Auburn probably not good enough to, you know, like him for him to compete at an SEC level. But then Robbie Ashford is like Jalen Milro, a level athlete, and they use him in the zone read game and with like a package they're gonna have. You have to find a way to mix, keep Jalen Milro mixed in this offense because he's way too good of an athlete to stay off the field. But it is. If Tyler Buckner is the guy who's not going to turn the ball over and then he's the. And if he's the guy that's not going to lose you the game, then, yeah, you gotta ride with it. I mean, it makes, it makes sense from that perspective, but it definitely can feel a little desperate if you step back and take a look at it.
[00:19:41] Speaker A: Yeah, there's kind of one word I feel like describes it. It's just a lateral. It's a. It's a very lateral Move in my opinion at least. I don't think that. I still think personally that Jalen Milroe is the best quarterback on our roster. I get where that, what they're going for. Like if you're going to make the switch to Buckner, might as well let it, try it out against a weaker opponent like South Florida, Florida. But then at the same time you can think, well, Milroe needs reps. I'd like to see Milroe get more comfortable. I'd also like to see if we're, if we're going to play Buckner, we might as well play Simpson too. I'd like to get a good look at Simpson.
But yeah, Buckner is really similar to Milro as far as play style. He fits the scheme just like Milro. He's. He's almost like a downgraded, a slightly downgraded Milroe in my opinion. But like Peyton said, maybe he won't make as many gambles in the short game passing like Melro did last week with the two picks.
Yeah, just don't turn the ball over for Buckner. That's pretty much it.
[00:20:39] Speaker C: Maybe the only encouraging thing, or not the only encouraging thing, but maybe the most encouraging thing about this move is when you go back and watch him.
His last game at Notre Dame, which he was injured throughout last season, but the final game at Notre Dame with Tommy Reaves there, obviously it's Tommy Breeze's offense. So he's accustomed to running that multiple tight ends, west coast style, you know, short intermediate passing game which is just stuff that does not fit Milro's game. Maybe better for Buckner. But you watch him in the Gator bowl last year against South Carolina. You know, he can, I mean he competed on with an SEC team and won that game and won the MVP of that game. Played very well, had three interceptions, two. Maybe not his fault.
Better skill guys now around him a running game that's hopefully going to be able to elevate and not, you know, elevate this offense and not just be kind of just a non factor as it was last week, which was so surprising. But yeah, no, it's, it's, it's definitely something where it's, it's proof that Ty Simpson, maybe his, you know, his days at Alabama might be numbered because of the transfer portal. He's might be wanting to get another opportunity elsewhere. But do you see any. You're going to see multiple quarterbacks today. There's no question about that. I think.
And we'll start with Buckner and Probably go to Milro after that. Do you see Dylan Lonergan after that? I mean, what is the limits to this move? You know, it's such an early season move and one that you need to make now because if you're going to make this move, you got to make it now because if you're going to, you're not making it ahead of Ole Miss and when the conference play starts. So it's something to.
It's something that you know you're going to get a look at today, which will be nice.
So you'll already have something to go off of when you take a look at next week. But yeah, it's. I expect him to be very, very efficient today and rhythm rhythmic. But it's a weaker opponent. So, you know, it's not going to be like super encouraging if he puts up these big numbers. But it's a move that, you know, it's something you just got to be. You got to just trust the process. The they say, as they say in Alabama's program and Nick Saban says, so that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to trust the process.
[00:22:46] Speaker B: You know, as a Notre Dame fan, I've seen Tyler Buckner play a pretty decent amount. And one thing that is pretty interesting coming from being a big fan of them is if you look at the fan pages of Notre Dame, they were, there were calls the past two years for the backups to play over Tyler Buckner. Like they want other people in there. They wanted him out because they didn't really like how he played. So it's crazy thinking that Notre Dame fans didn't want him. And now he's here as our starting quarterback and you say don't lose the game. He actually lost at home against Marshall last year and through two interceptions, lost the game with the pick six and it was a telegraph pass look just like one like Jalen Milroe. So I see similarities in their games negatively, which, and you know, Tyler Buckner, I'm not sure. I just don't see it. Obviously Tommy Reese sees something.
[00:23:34] Speaker C: No, it's.
[00:23:35] Speaker B: He's put him in at Notre Dame and now he's put him in at Alabama.
[00:23:38] Speaker C: So yeah, you look at the numbers. I mean it's, it's 60% and below completion percentage and it's more picks than touchdowns. Like, it's like when you look at it like that, it's like, okay, well, you're going to lose a lot of games if he's, if you're going to lose a Lot of games with this Alabama team if he's doing that stuff. But obviously they're like, you know, he's a good enough athlete and he's got more experience than anyone in this room easily. But I mean, still not a ton. But yeah, he's got, he's just got to. Obviously they've seen something this past camp that's made him a backup and they've seen something that's made, that's made, made them confident enough to make this move this early on in the year. But yeah, if, if, you know, then if the numbers from Notre Dame are going to translate to Alabama, it's going to be really rough. Rough sledding when conference play stories.
[00:24:24] Speaker A: Yeah, we just don't have the schedule for that. We don't, we don't have the schedule to have to have this kind of quarterback controversy.
I mean we're about to play an Ole Miss team that can easily hand us our second L in Bryant Denny Stadium this year. So this is something that's got to get sorted out fast. My thing is I think that Milroe has the most potential of any quarterback, at least in our three that we have going for us right now.
[00:24:50] Speaker C: Yeah, amongst that. Any in the country, honestly, like any in the conference like that Jalen Monroe.
[00:24:54] Speaker A: Athletically, athletically he is, he's an absolute stud.
Which is why I just really think, I just want to see him get more reps. And South Florida is a great game to do it. He gets to go on the road and do it as well. So even though it may be a cupcake opponent, it's still a slightly uncomfortable environment for him. I think this is just what he needs.
But obviously they see something with Buckner.
He surprised everybody by being the second string quarterback. Now he can try to surprise people by being the starting quarterback.
[00:25:22] Speaker C: No, I'll ask you this, Kaden. And when you look at Jalen Milroe, he's played in now two big games. We have two games, eight quarters of film on him in, you know, at least Texas A and M last year was a. I mean, you know, that's, that's obviously an SEC west opponent's a big. It was like the biggest home game of the year for sure. Even though Texas A and M had a rough year year. And then now against Texas where you see some of the same issues, whether it's looking at his feet, his footwork in the pocket, where he gets extra, you know, extra, extra step, maybe it stares down the receiver a little too long. You saw the first interception that's a throw that needs to be made probably two seconds earlier. And then the second throw, even like you're throwing a 15 yard out route or whatever it is, and you're throwing it. You have to throw it when he's out of the, when he's coming out of the break, not when he's, you know, running down the sidelines. So the secondary cornerback's able to close out and make that play. I'll ask you this though. You think that Jaylen Miller is just like, he's shown you who he is in terms of his performances in big. In big stages, or is it too early to say?
[00:26:22] Speaker A: I think it's. I think it's still too early to say. I mean, this is a quarterback. He's a redshirt sophomore.
[00:26:26] Speaker C: Like we have two more.
[00:26:27] Speaker A: We could have two more years of Jalen Milro playing here. I think that he has had weird to get a weird two, like big games. But also it's not crazy to say that Milro kind of. There was points in the game last week where Milro like willed us back. Yeah, the, the bomb took a few.
[00:26:44] Speaker C: Nice.
[00:26:44] Speaker A: Burton, he's got a really absolute dog.
[00:26:46] Speaker C: Say what you want about Jalen Milro, but he throws a very, very nice deep ball.
[00:26:49] Speaker A: Yeah, he does.
[00:26:50] Speaker C: He's got a huge arm and he's got obviously a lot of feel for it.
[00:26:52] Speaker A: The, the deep ball to Burton, that's like Bryce Young esque. Yeah, I mean, really. Like Bryce Young wouldn't have thrown that ball any better.
[00:26:58] Speaker C: I mean, he's, I mean, he says he could throw the ball 80 yards. I mean, I believe him.
[00:27:02] Speaker A: Yeah, he's got the intangibles that. And then the, the Amari Nyblag drive. He had a couple of really great passes on that drive as well. It's like Saban said. Saban said. Yeah. I was thinking about making a quarterback switch until he does stuff like that. And then you think you can't really punish the guy when he's willing us back into the game. And I think a lot of the crowd that's hating on Milro misses those types of things.
[00:27:22] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:27:22] Speaker B: Yeah. One thing about it is you have intangibles like that throw the ball 80 yards, can run like he can. I mean, he saw. What was it, 75.
[00:27:30] Speaker C: The intangibles, I think would be the, Would be the issue.
[00:27:34] Speaker B: So how can you not take that as a quarterback coach, as an offensive coordinator and work with that in some way? You've got this great ability to throw the ball deep and Run the ball really well, figure out how to get him in the short game. It's, you know, it's not the most difficult thing to do to simply go up there, read a defense and say, okay, this guy's going to be open. I'm going to hit him on a hit route real quick. And you have to be able to scheme that as well and find a way to say, okay, you're going to get the ball and you're going to see this guy's open really quick and you're going to give him the ball so we can get it in the space. And I feel like you have to be able to coach that. And so I see some of the blame's got to be on Tom. Well, and then also he's the offensive line not giving him time as well. And also that's just, it's everywhere. It's not just, it's not going to be. Tyler Buckner is instantly going to make a change. And one thing that maybe I'm hoping is the reason they did this was to motivate Jalen Milroe in a sort of way like, okay, I need to be better, I need to do these things, not turn the ball over. And hopefully he'll be able to get a chance and show that, you know, he's learned from his mistakes and is getting better.
[00:28:29] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, when I talk about similarities with the 2015 team where, you know, that's a, like when it's carried on the backs of Derek Henry, obviously that offense, but that offense, that's like the offense that people were like, oh, we're going to go back to sort of that Lane Kiffin sort of style where you're, you got, you know, heavy run package, a lot of motion, stuff like that, which you've kind of seen. But in those offenses you're doing, you know, under center, you're handing the ball off to Derrick Henry and obviously he's going to gash teams because he's Derrick Henry, but because the offensive line is getting pushed and doesn't matter who you're playing and then off of that they would do play actions and take shots with Jacob Coker. That would be a game plan that kind of fits the style of Jalen Milroe a little bit. But, but if you don't, you're not getting pushed in the run game at all in the second half. If you're forcing, I mean, you get down 10 points, then you're forcing Milro to be a drop back passer, which we know he isn't and when you don't work in any quarterback running game. And maybe they were just so. Texas was just so keyed in on it that they didn't, you know, like the read was never there. But I look at Middle Tennessee State and I saw some of the same stuff. There's like, no, the quarterback run game wasn't factor. You know, you saw Tyler Buckner do like a zone read and score a touchdown in that game. But besides, like cute like Jaylen Miller, there's got to be a package here. I don't care if Miller's on the, on the bench, he's not the starting quarterback. There's a big package here where you're doing like QB powers. We're in these short yardage situations and you can take shots off of that. But you know, what's the old adage, if you have two quarterbacks, you have none. So you know, you're gonna have to have this situation squared away as conference play starts.
[00:29:58] Speaker A: Yeah, just like I said. Just like I said.
Yeah, the two quarterbacks. If you have two quarterbacks, you have none. Motto is great.
We play, we play Ole Miss next week. This is not like Ole Miss is not a pushover team. That's a team that just ran through like an injured Tulane.
[00:30:12] Speaker C: It's about a team that has a running back. I mean, Quincy Judkins is amongst the best in the country and Jackson guards look a lot better this year, although they could have lost last week if Tulane has their starting quarterback. We'll talk about that later. But still, definitely not a pushover team.
[00:30:23] Speaker A: Yeah, that's, that's a, like I said, easily a team that could come into Brian Denny and hand us our second loss of the year if we don't get our stuff together.
I agree with what you said. I'd like to see more quarterback runs. I, I'd like to see a little bit more from our running backs in general. I know the offensive line has been really bad, but you got like Roydell Williams six carries, 12 yards last week. Like, yeah, come on. Jace McClellan, he. He wasn't able to get it going against Middle Tennessee State either.
[00:30:48] Speaker C: And you saw, I'm sorry to cut you off again, like, like you saw early in the game, sort of, you were like, all right, now they're getting going. They're getting these eight yard runs and stuff like that. Jason McClellan getting on the perimeter is just so dangerous. And not that they went away from that, but it just, they were, I mean, Texas obviously coming out. They were the one. The team that looked like they were making the adjustments on the fly. Alabama looked like they were like, we're going to stick to our game plan no matter what. We're going to try to run the ball early downs and then, oh wait, we're in late downs now we got to throw the ball and then Jalen Miller is going to have to like. There was one play where, you know, I'm sitting in the student section and I'm watching the team facing the other way, obviously. So I got the full all 22 view of Jalen Milroe here and it's, I think it's like a third and eight play from like the 12 yard line or something like that. And Milro drops back and he's got a man open on the timing. I think it might be Isaiah man on like a, maybe like a 15 yard dig. And he's open, there's a, there's a window and he makes the throw on time. But his front foot, Cardinalson of quarterbacking or not Cardinalson but when you're talking about quarterback mechanics, his front foot was facing the Texas sideline, which led to him skipping the ball and the ball hitting, I think Isaiah Bond in the ankles basically. So like you see stuff like that and it's like that's the sort of thing that will lose you big games and the big game experience showed. So Tyler Buckner has maybe more of that. He's lost a Marshall at home, which is not, not what you want to see. But we're going to give him a shot here. We're going to, we're going to let it.
I'm willing to be open to it. But if Buckner comes in and he, he's not going to struggle today, I don't think there's a chance for that. But say they start to mix in Dylan Lonergan and stuff like, like I don't think the book's closed on Jalen Miller yet, but you could see that the book could be closed on Jalen Milro as a starting, full time starting quarterback really soon if things don't go, you know, well for this Alabama offense and they keep trying to change on the fly and, you know, trying to work, trying to just adapt themselves for a tough SEC schedule that is looming.
[00:32:45] Speaker B: Yeah, you know, it can't be about surviving for these quarterbacks. One of them's got to go out there and just thrive and win this job and take over this team, be that leader and just lead this team to where they can believe that they can be. Let's switch a Little bit to, you know, what we didn't expect to happen last week. Now is the secondary getting burned onto some deep plays. Obviously Xavier Worthy had a big touchdown. AD Mitchell had two. You know what, what was the problem back there, you think? Was it, was it more not getting pass rush? Was it more that they got just gassed later in the game and they just couldn't keep up with them? What do you guys think was the big key to that?
[00:33:16] Speaker A: Yeah, I think the secondary was a little banged up.
And you mix that in with the inexperience. The inexperience, especially with a guy like Caleb Downs showed big time. Yeah, big time. On Saturday you have guys just getting burned too. I, I thought Kool Aid still had a pretty, pretty good game. Terion Arnold had a good pass breakup.
[00:33:35] Speaker C: There, a few nice tackles.
[00:33:37] Speaker A: Yeah, I, I, I didn't think they were terrible. It was just, it was just the plays, they were bad. They were really, really, really bad, especially at bad times. It was just like another thing that's exactly like 2022 Alabama. As soon as the offense gets rolling in the second half, the defense just is nowhere to be found. I'm personally a lot more worried about our pass rush and our defensive front than I am our secondary just because I believe in our guys in our secondary. I think we got a lot of talent in the secondary. We got guys like Kool Aid who we haven't had as guy as talented as Kool Aid in the secondary since probably, like certain. Yeah, probably.
So I, I do believe in our secondary. I think we hit the transfer portal hard and improved in that area a lot.
But like I said, the plays, they were bad. They were like game costing bad.
Especially on that last touchdown throw to A.D. mitchell where he, he, I mean he was 10 yards.
[00:34:31] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, so, so yeah, no, I agree. But I think it's a lot more to do with the pass rush. And if you want to be encouraged by one thing about this game, it's that you got it. The final score is 34 24. But the score at the end of three quarters was 16 to 13 Alabama. So the defense wore off because of the offense's inability to sustain drives. And I think, I mean I haven't. The time of possession was obviously dominated by Texas and that when you, it all goes back to the first like one of the first points we made is the, the pockets that Quinn Ewers were getting was he's, if anything, Quinn Ewers is extremely talented and, and he's very, very gifted down the field. Throw. He's got a big arm and he's really has a feel for that and his receiving core. AD Mitchell and Xavier Worthy, you're not going to find a better duo on this schedule for Alabama. I don't think you're going to find a better duo than that. So they were able to hold up for, you know, 75% and then they start to, you know, you get a touchdown, they get a touchdown right back after you score. The Jermaine Burton deep ball, I believe it was to make it 16 to 13 and then I think Texas had like a one minute drive after that. So it's like the timing stuff where it's like offense, okay, offense is finally getting going now. Defense is faltering, but offense wasn't going in the first half. Defense was. It's, it's stuff where it's all, it's all on a team orient. You got to have a team oriented belief.
[00:35:53] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:35:54] Speaker C: And like a sideline belief where we're in this together and we're working for each other. And it just felt like that hasn't been there.
[00:36:00] Speaker B: You know, one great, one not great thing was that Jataveon Sanders, a tight end, you never really saw him make like a big, big catch ready to go up over anybody like that. But he had like over 120 yards. I believe it was all run after catch.
[00:36:13] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:36:13] Speaker B: When he was wide open. And I saw Marlon Humphrey, former Alabama defensive back on his podcast talking about this one play where Jatavion Sanders little crossing route, wide open, dumps it over 40, 50 yard gain. I believe that was right after we scored that touchdown.
[00:36:28] Speaker C: That drive was like a minute.
[00:36:29] Speaker B: The next driver, Texas, he's talking about the defensive backs, both fly up on the flat and just let Chavion Sanders go right behind him. They just were baited by that and just no discipline to stay back in that. And they were talking about the communication part of it and how they need to get better at that. So that's one aspect of it. But also what about third and seven? I believe there was five and a half minutes left. Texas has the ball, we're down 10 all three timeouts left and they run the ball and gain 10 yards for first down. I mean just absolutely could not believe that that happened. Third and seven.
[00:36:59] Speaker C: Yeah. Well, you talk about, you talk about views from the student section. I think that was the play where you know, as Sarkeesian was doing the entire game, you're motioning over receiver and you're going into like that RPO action where you got, you know, trying to space out the defense and the, you just see the middle of the defense part and the linebackers fly this way and the defensive line go this way and then the gap just is completely wide open. And it's probably surprising that he didn't get more than just 10, 15 yards. Whatever you got. And when you talk about secondary miscues, that's Nick Saban's specialty, is a secondary or a DB coach, obviously, we all know that. And so that just goes back to like, what is the, really the inherent issue here? Because, like, it's just, it has a different feeling than it did five, six years ago.
[00:37:46] Speaker A: Yeah. And I know a lot of the former players have gotten on this team for this, so I'm not going to go in too much on it. But giving up a 10 yard run when you're down 10 with five minutes left on a third and seven, that's, that's a lot of willpower problems.
Texas just straight up wanted it more like, I mean, they just wanted it more. Texas wanted to win this game twice the amount as Alabama did. And the players can defend themselves however they want. That's just the reality of they just showed it on the field. Texas was the more physical team, Texas fought more, Texas was more motivated to play. And I mean, that's just basically the story of the game.
[00:38:22] Speaker B: All right, we're going to take a quick break here and then jump a little bit into this South Florida game and just the future of the season, what we see for this team and you know, just maybe a little bit more of a positive aspect, what confidence levels we have for this team.
[00:38:34] Speaker C: So it's not over.
[00:38:35] Speaker B: We'll be right back, everybody. Thank you for watching or listening.
[00:38:50] Speaker A: WVUAFM Tuscaloosa.
[00:39:05] Speaker B: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the game day show here on WVUAFM 90.7 the Capstone. We've been talking a lot about the Texas Alabama game from last week and talking about the quarterback changes and basically everything bad. So, you know, let's get into some positivity, talk about some good things. And now what are we looking forward to this game? How are we going to come back and play with some fire and then moving forward to the season, how do we build off this game, learn from our mistakes and make this a successful season?
[00:39:34] Speaker C: Well, when I talk about the issues with the last two teams, two years with Bill o', Brien, the way he ran his offense and all that stuff, which is the teams were still very solid teams and this team has a ton of Talent, we know that. But the identity has been like the biggest thing for me. They have not found, they have not really had much of an. I guess two years ago he was kind of like the deep ball, Jameson Williams, Bryce Young sort of thing. Last year for sure though, no identity in that team.
In terms of a. Are you, you know, what, what, what style offense are you running here and here? It's clear that, I mean, two tight ends, heavy sets, power run game, you want that to be your identity. So you got to start to set that this week. So you got it. You got to have, I mean, you got to run the ball. I think you'll have to run the ball 50 times this afternoon. And you got to see some, you got to just start, start to gel because offensive lines, you know, maybe the biggest part of offensive line play. And that's why no one, no one don't. People don't platoon offensive lines. Like you see defensive lines platoon in and out for fresh legs. Offensive lines don't do that because units, the five man front has to gel and this team, this unit obviously hasn't gelled yet. You got inexperienced at left tackle, you got kind of shaky play at guard, you at the guard at some guard spots. The center was rolling snaps last week. As we start, as we talked about, it's just been bad all around. So like they hopefully had like a heart to heart with each other or something this past week and they're like, all right, we're going to have to get this together before SEC play starts because you want to start to have that identity in, you know, sort of integrated as you're. I mean, you can't do it from playing usf, but you're going to have to start, start to show the sec. All right, this is what we're going to be. This is what we're comfortable with doing. This is what the game plan is going be to be and stick with that and have that integrated by the time the schedule really heats up, because it's about to. And if you don't have an identity like that, you're going to keep seeing times like last week where the offense is just shaky. It doesn't look in sync or in rhythm. And it's just, you have something there where you're like, all right, if all else fails, we can go back to this. It's got to be the run game and you have to be able to get back, push. I don't. If you can't do that, then the season is not going to go the way you Want it to?
[00:41:46] Speaker A: Yeah, just. Just got to find rhythm and it's a good game to do that in. It's a good game to find rhythm. Tommy Reese can try some stuff out, see what works, see what fits our personnel a little bit more.
Because like Peyton said, we're kind of trying a scheme, enforcing a scheme that doesn't really fit Milroe.
It doesn't really fit our personnel as much. The run game, game's gotta get going a little bit. The offensive line should have a big day today. I'd like to see a hundred yard game from Jace McClellan today. That would be really assuring.
And you know, we got that one loss early. It's a non conference loss, a clean slate in the sec. Still ahead of us.
We still are probably. In my opinion, I think we're still the best team in the SEC West.
That will be telling next week, of course, when Ole Miss comes to town and then later on in the season when we play at lsu. But I still think that this team has the ceiling of a national championship.
It is a long shot for sure, but there's no question that they can do it. We have the talent to do it. We have the talent to make a playoff push.
We just have to be stellar from here on out. We have to be perfect. We have to just magically fix all the stuff that was wrong a week ago.
[00:43:02] Speaker C: Yeah, but you talk about the SEC west and that's maybe the most encouraging thing about this whole situation because it does not look as strong as maybe we thought it would be. And Ole Miss is obviously undefeated early on. LSU got boat raced by Florida State early on.
Obviously the first game of the year. Arkansas, we know can run the ball for sure. That team has an identity. But I mean, how much, how great are they on the front lines? And they've lost a lot over the last few years.
I mean, Auburn too, like they're shaky as well. I mean they should have lost. Yeah, they should have lost to Cal and A and M got absolutely. We'll talk about it later. But they got absolutely gashed by a Miami team, put up 48 points on him. And that's just. That was hard to watch that. Where, where are they? Like it's this SEC west division as a whole is not. It's very winnable. It's not, it's not. There's no team in there where you're like, all right, well that's going to be when we go to or they come to us. That's going to be the game that decides Whatever. You're going to have to probably run the table here. I mean. Yeah, you are. And that's been done before. You can do that. But like this schedule, you're going to have all your hard games at home. Most of them, at least. You go to Kentucky, you go to A and M, you go to Mississippi State, which are all, of course, tests, obviously, when you go on the road in the sec. But this division as a whole is not as strong as maybe we thought it would be. And so that bodes well for Alabama, who's trying to figure some things out right now.
[00:44:27] Speaker A: Yeah, I'll take it a step further. I don't know if the SEC as a whole is as strong as people thought it would be. I think. I think the SEC as a whole is winnable. I don't know if there's.
Obviously, I don't think this Georgia team is as good as the last two Georgia teams were winning. But I would even say that, you know, Alabama could realistically beat Georgia if we are able to fix some of the problems, meet them later on in the year in the SEC championship, and are just a more disciplined team by that point.
I do think that Alabama really does have a shot to win out this year.
[00:45:00] Speaker B: Yeah, I think it's all about. I think it's mentality, for sure, getting that confidence and fire. And you talked about the offensive line, the offensive line going up to the team and say, put the ball in the running back's hand. Let us go win this game and absolutely go dominate. And I need to see it from the defensive line, offensive line set out, have that mindset of we are going to absolutely just pound it on everybody and dominate and just be a dog, as Dion would say, get that dog mindset. And they got to get that because they have the talent. You got big offensive linemen, you've got speed, physicality. You got everything the intangibles that you need. It's all. All up here. And they just got to go do it. And it starts today. Literally. Don't pass the ball if you don't have to. Just keep running the football because they're not gonna be able to stop you, probably if they. If South Florida stops the run game, then that's a whole different conversation. But the offensive line needs to take over and they just need to play with some fire and take it all to heart. All the game is over. Take it and run with it and say, okay, this is how we're gonna change our season and we're gonna go dominate the way that we thought we were to going, going to and realize what mistakes she made and say this is different. This is this. We realize we're not as good as we thought and it's on us and let's take over and do what we thought we were going to do. Yeah.
[00:46:07] Speaker C: I mean, look, it's just when you, when I say you got to run the table, doesn't that seem just impossible right now? I mean, what. That's. That would be 13, 12, 13 straight games. 1. But it's got to be a week by week thing. It's not about. I mean, what do you think the team. I mean, we've. You've seen early losses in the sense Saban era. And like only one team has had a true undefeated national championship season in 2009, obviously the COVID year. That team would have gone undefeated if they had played an entire schedule. You play a full SEC schedule, whatever, but it's 12 and instead of 15 0, only one time have they done that. So you kind of, when you're looking at the schedule, you're like, there's a loss somewhere. Is it early to Texas? Is it one of these SEC west games? Well, now that's not an option anymore. We know what the loss is. It was Texas. So now you got to go learn from it. You know, you learn the most from losses. And Saban talks about this all the time, but can his message resonate with his players truly to their core, where he's in, you know, inhibiting this thought into their, into their brain, like etching it in their minds. Can he do that? I'm. I think he can. I mean, Nick Saban's the one that if you're in any, if you're in this situation and anywhere in the country, you want Nick Saban being the one handling it because you trust him, obviously. And so we're going to put, you know, you put our trust in him. His first move put Tommy Tyler, Buckner in. We'll see what happens. He's got that chemistry with Tommy Reese and the run game. You know, we talked about it all, all morning, but you got to have that thought just inhibited into everyone's mind of that this is what we're going to do. And teams aren't going to be able to stop it and have that confidence value in that fire for sure.
[00:47:43] Speaker B: Yeah, we. I heard Nick Saban on the Pat McAfee show, also on some of his press conferences, and he doesn't seem worried at all. And I'm not sure how I feel about it. Obviously, because, I don't know, you just seem to see a little bit more fire. He seems really confident in his team, and he's really accepted this challenge of building this team and molding this team. And obviously, I. As you said, you learn a lot from losses. And I think he's really. He wants to turn this around. He's not giving up or anything like. Like that. He's the best coach of all time, and he's really putting his heart and soul into this team. And it's about these players taking what their coach is telling them and executing it and just believing in what he's doing and just believing in what he's telling them. And I think that's a big key to it as well. And one thing is, Kevin Steele's got to figure out his identity on defense, do his thing, bring pressure, spring pressure. If that's.
[00:48:26] Speaker C: You can't get pressure with four, you got to create turnovers, and that starts and ends with blitzing you.
[00:48:30] Speaker B: And you say, we're going to blitz, and you take. Tell your defensive backs, you say, you give me three to five seconds to get our pressure there.
[00:48:36] Speaker C: We're going to get that and we're going to be. And we're going to be that physical secondary that we've seen throughout the savior that's upset they've had, you know, throughout the savior. They're kind of susceptible to shots at times, like deep passes, pass interferences and stuff like that. But the physical nature of those cornerbacks and those secondaries was intimidating for passing games. And it wouldn't be sustainable throughout a game. Maybe you get one or two, but it wouldn't be a one where you could get early down. You know, you could complete passes and early downs and make it for third and shorts and stuff like that. So you have to have that mentality. And I agree completely. Kevin Steele for sure has to be more aggressive with this play calling. Like he. Like we thought he was going to be. Yeah.
[00:49:11] Speaker B: Like have that identity of, we're going to attack on defense, we're going to go win the game on defense. Like that defense you talked about, that 15 touchdowns. They attacked out of their mind. They had some great players, obviously, but they went after it. They hit people hard. They were aggressive in every.
[00:49:25] Speaker C: Jonathan Allen, Duron Payne.
[00:49:27] Speaker B: I mean, you just have to have that identity, and the cornerbacks have to take it that we're going to be on an island and I'm going to dominate that island. This dude's not getting the ball and he's not going to be open. And then obviously the linebackers, they've got a bullied offensive lineman, they got to go through them, get to the quarterback. Because Quinn Ewers looked like, I mean, he could have slept and still got touchdowns. I mean, it was just unbelievable. Nothing there. But this is where they turn around. Kevin Steele's gotta do what he does. Don't try to be something that he's not. Be the attacking, aggressive, blitzing coordinator that you are.
[00:49:57] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:49:58] Speaker B: All right, so that is it for the hour of Alabama football. We are going to move into talking about the entirety of college football after this break. We hope you are enjoying this show. Thank you for listening.
[00:50:11] Speaker C: Midterm, not the exam.
[00:50:13] Speaker B: That's exactly right. We will be right back.
[00:50:28] Speaker A: WVUAFM Tuscaloosa.
[00:50:42] Speaker B: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the game day show here live and on the campus of the University of Alabama here in Tuscaloosa. This is WVUAFM, the Capstone 90.7.
We are back. We just finished talking about Alabama last week, this week, the matchup for this week and the rest of the season. Now we'll be diving into all of college football. Last week, a couple interesting matchups, especially in the sequel, EC1, that we did not predict at all. All three of us got this one wrong. Miami obliterates Texas A&M 48, 33. Tyler Van Dyke, absolute stud in that game. 21 of 30, 374 yards and five touchdowns, including a 52 yarder and a 64 yard. A lot of big plays for the Hurricanes. You know, what do we think about this game? And it's just Texas A and M just not as good like last year. Are they a little bit overhyped or do you think they're going to bounce back?
[00:51:40] Speaker A: Yeah, I think Miami is actually a little bit better than people may give them credit for from this game. I think this game is really telling, not only for A and M being worse than we thought, but I also think Miami's significantly better than people thought they would be going into the season, especially with the year that TVD had last year. Van Dyke went into last year being projected like a top 10 pick.
Played pretty, pretty, like just straight up bad for the entirety of last year. And then last weekend he outplayed Connor wigman and threw 23 less passes than him. So I feel pretty confident about Miami moving forward. I think that this was a really telling game for them. As for A and M, Jimbo Fisher's seat, like, couldn't get any hotter. Like we're looking at A. If A and M gets embarrassed again here in the next couple weeks, like we're looking at some serious like Jimbo, like buyout like in the mid season talks coming up. I think they're already coming up with this loss. But yeah, like A and M, he's on thin ice. He's got like one more shot. Like if they lose another game like this where they just get embarrassed in a game that they're supposed to win.
Yeah, he's probably gone.
[00:52:45] Speaker C: Yeah. And when you talk about this game, A and M, in order to be. I think they have a lot of talent on both sides, but in order, they have to be able to run the ball in order. And they only have 97 rushing yards in this game. I think when you're forcing Conor Wegman to be a passer and beat you, I mean you see like last week, 31 of 53, 336, two touchdowns, two picks. It's a similar thing with like the Jalen Milro talk. I mean he's a. It's kind of like Connor Wegman's a great athlete, but he needs to. That run game has to be a big part of his game. And when him and Amari Daniels are, I mean, Amari Daniels 18 carries, 62 yards, it's not going to get it done. That's when you see that you're like, okay, Miami's in or A and M's in trouble. And then like you said, Kaden Tyler Van Dyke is an extremely talented pastor, a guy who was rumored for a second to come here over the off season. And when you talk about a guy who has the makeup of a first round pick, this is a, this is a game that can elevate him back into that draft prospect status. When you're able to be up on SEC team like this.
But it was really just the. I think the big plays from Miami were just the most peculiar thing. But obviously that's. That that's kind of indicative on Jimbo Fisher the way that they're able to, they were able to gash A and M over the top, really. And despite Miami having 10 penalties, 155 yards, you lose the title, they win the title or A and M wins the time of possession battles, you've almost 30 more total plays, but you're 8 of 18 on third down, which isn't even that bad. But Miami only had nine third downs on the game. They were three of nine. But that's not like that's half the third downs. You had so early downs taking shots and Beating A and M over the top was the key in this one. And it was just kind of a proof where you talk to the SEC versus the acc. Most of the time it comes down to the line of scrimmage and the defensive aggressiveness and, and all these other things. But here it was just quarterback versus quarterback. One was better, a lot better than the other. And that shows the impact that that can have on a game.
[00:54:43] Speaker A: Yeah, sorry. One more point. A and M has weapons. A and M has talent. That's what's got to be most frustrating. The most frustrating thing for Aggie fans.
Get Evan Stewart off this team. Man. Evan Stewart is one of the best wide receivers in the country, One of the best talents. He's. Evan Stewart's going to be an NFL wide receiver. We one type of guy and he's just not.
He's just not in a great situation. 11 catches, 142 yards. He had a great game against Alabama last year. It get Evan Stewart some help.
Yeah, he needs it. He. He may hit the transfer portal.
[00:55:18] Speaker C: Really?
[00:55:18] Speaker B: All right, so we jump from an SEC west team losing to an SEC west team winning Ole miss beating Tulane 37 to 20. One interesting thing about this game is you think of Lane Kiffin and Quinchan Judkins, you know, big run game. They actually only ran for 89 yards, 2.5 yards per carry. And Jackson dart only passed the ball 27 times, but you know, two touchdowns. They also were only 1 of 13 on third down. When you look at the stats like how in the world did they win this game?
Realistically? Obviously they won 37 to 20. Their defense only allowed three points in the second half. But starting quarterback for some Tulane did not play in this game. Do you think that would have made a difference? And do you think this is a good win for Ole Miss? Do you think this makes them look good at all or do you think this is just.
[00:56:03] Speaker C: No, it makes him look bad. And when you talk about Michael Pratt, if he had played he would. They would have won this game. There's the score is 37, 20, which is kind of crazy that Ole Miss pulled away in the end. But this game was close throughout and Kai Horton was just that guy.
Tulane's backup quarterback against an SEC defense was 15 of 37. And you're not going to win many games when you're 15 of 37. This is an ugly game. And like you said, 89 rushing yards against a non power five team. That's really shocking when you have Quinchin Duncan as your Running back.
And so Ole Miss, even though they won this game, it really feels like they're more vulnerable now than we may have thought they were going into the this game. I think Jackson Dart is, he looks to me a lot better than he did last year.
He, in this One was, was 17 of 27 for 267, two touchdowns with one pick. And you're like, that doesn't even sound that great. But last year it feels like now they can kind of rely on him to win them games and make big throws to, to put them, to put them in a better position to win. Whereas last year they had to do, do it through the running game. And that broke down towards the end of the season.
But yeah, when you're, when your star running back is averaging 2.7 yards of carry, you're like, what happened? And that's a big thing for Ole Miss going forward. They're not going to be able to win games, you know, like this. I think when conference play starts. And that's just, that's just another telling part about this Texas A and M. And this. And this Ole Miss game is like, it's telling towards the weakness, I would say weakness of the SEC west this year.
[00:57:42] Speaker A: Yeah, this Ole Miss team is a little bit different, it feels like, than the last year's team. I think that this Ole Miss team can actually win games with Jackson Dart being like their primary source of offense last year. Like Peyton said, kind of the typical Ole Miss or how they've been the last few years. They start off the season really hot. They hit a strong back end of their schedule and then just lose, lose, lose. Because they're just playing top tier SEC opponents, which is kind of how their schedule set up this year as well. Except for having to play Alabama next week. They got to play Georgia towards the end of the year.
But Quinte, Sean Judkins definitely didn't have a great game. Also another thing about this game, you can look at the score and say, guys, y' all are overreacting. It was 37 to 20. This game was way closer than that. And like we said, Tulane is missing Michael Pratt, who is a top 10 quarterback in college football. Football probably.
So Tulane was winning at halftime with their backup quarterback, who was terrible.
I remember they had it on. I was sitting in the student section, of course, like an hour and a half before kick for Bama Texas. They had it on in the Jumbotrons. And I'm thinking the whole time like, yeah, this is it. SEC is cooked. Tulane's gonna Win this game. The game gets cut off for the previews for our game or whatever. And then 20 minutes later or an hour later, I look at the score and Ole Miss one by 17. But that's really just boiled down to Lane's backup quarter.
[00:59:00] Speaker C: Yeah. Making mistakes.
[00:59:01] Speaker A: He's not in that big of a game.
[00:59:03] Speaker C: When they had. When he had to throw, he was making mistakes and he was not efficient. I mean, you talked about 15 to 37 is a gaudy number in terms of efficiency, that's close to under 40%. So, like, when you. When you look at that, you're like, there's not a chance you can win a game down the stretch when things are tight and you gotta make some big throws. And he missed all the big throws and those ended up being taken, and like, Ole Miss ended up taking advantage of those. And Tulane is, without Pratt, really, definitely is very close. Much closer to the team that they were before last year than the one that they were last year. With Pratt, though, they have a chance to win their conference. But, yeah, this is not an impressive win for Ole Miss.
[00:59:45] Speaker A: I know NFL commentators recently have gotten a lot of backlash for saying that teams are winning games with an asterisk by it, but in college football, it's a little bit different. In college football, you need that resume building like you need to win, and.
[00:59:56] Speaker C: You need to win college football.
[00:59:58] Speaker A: And that's just. That just wasn't the case with Ole Miss. I would say this is a win with an asterisk, because I really do think it's fair to say you put Michael Pratt 100% healthy in that game while Tulane's winning at halftime. And they probably don't blow that lead in the second half.
[01:00:14] Speaker C: Yeah.
[01:00:14] Speaker B: Yeah. And if you look around after this Alabama loss, there was a lot of just uproar. Like, everyone's freaking out, everyone over the media talking about Alabama, oh, they're not as good. And then you just need to calm down. And you look around the country and you look at the SEC and the SEC west and you say, well, we're going to be favored in every single game the rest of the season. You don't have an opponent that you're looking at and you're saying, oh, my gosh, there's no way, because we're not going to be able to beat them. Every game is winnable. And you look around, you saw Tennessee 30 to 13 against Austin Peay last week at home. Offense couldn't do anything.
[01:00:44] Speaker C: Yeah. Is there a team.
Has there been a team so far this year? That really has looked like really, really good Texas, Florida State. I think those are where that conversation kind of begins and ends. And those teams, those teams obviously have big wins on the resume already, but in the SEC west, yeah, like every, all these tough games are at home and Tennessee is probably the toughest team you have left on your schedule. Probably maybe lsu, they turn it around, we'll see. Arkansas will be strong too. I think you got a lot of solid teams but they're all, all these games are at home and you know you're going to Texas A and M who just got throttled by Miami. You're going to Mississippi State who is kind of in a turnover year. You're going to Kentucky, who, I mean they have Devin Leary now who's.
[01:01:28] Speaker B: They almost lost to eku, but they.
[01:01:29] Speaker C: Almost lost Ikea last week. So. Well, you know when you, when you talk about running the table it always seems like an impossibility. But when you look down in the schedule week by week, these games are winnable. So you know you got to see Alabama. Obviously this is, I think this boat. These games bode well for the outlook of Alabama season.
[01:01:50] Speaker B: For the rest, I think if you look at the SEC West, I think the champion, if Alabama doesn't run the table and go completely undefeated, I think the SC west champion could potentially be a two or even three loss team.
[01:02:01] Speaker C: Because you just three, two, maybe two maybe.
[01:02:03] Speaker B: But you see a lot of equality. You see every team with a potential to beat the other team other than.
[01:02:08] Speaker C: Maybe last year LSU won the SC west with two losses as well.
[01:02:11] Speaker B: Exactly. You just never know. But one team to look out that Peyton just is not a fan.
[01:02:17] Speaker C: Lost everyone. But oh.
[01:02:18] Speaker B: The Colorado Buffaloes beat Nebraska 3614 last week. Shadur Sanders with 393 yards and two touchdowns. Xavier Weaver 10 receptions, 170 yards and a touchdown as well. But another thing that was obviously Jeff Sims did not play great but still.
[01:02:35] Speaker C: Their defense, an understatement.
[01:02:37] Speaker B: Their defense did help hold Nebraska to 14 points and forced four turnovers. Forced also. Don't know if you need to use that word because Jeff Sims did just drop the ball. Drop the ball. So but what do you think of this game for Colorado? They are now 20 more wins than they had the entirety of last season.
[01:02:53] Speaker C: Yeah, so I think one thing's clear to me when I watch Colorado and that they have a lot of athletes. Their skill position group is very, very talented and it's amongst Travis Hunter, Shadira Sanders.
This team has a lot of talent in the.
[01:03:21] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
