Carrying Cord: A USF Football Pod
Carrying Cord: A USF Football Pod
Pent up Trent (UAB Preview)
Send us whatever is on your mind.
Our Bulls travel to the magic city to take on the UAB BLAZERS. Nope its not american gladiators its American Football. Pookah is back with Red to tell you how our heros will manage to defeat the fighting Trent Dilfers.
Hey, Red, you wanna hear a joke?
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Yeah, sure.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Okay, so Trent Dilfer walks into a bar. Bartender says, hey man, what can I get ya? Trent Dilfer says, how many drinks you got? Bartender says, I've got twelve. Trent Dilfer says, WHAT THE FUCK IS FUCKING WRONG WITH YOU? I TOLD YOU HOW MANY FUCKING DRINKS TO HAVE ON THE FIELD, HOW MANY TIMES DO I GOTTA TELL YOU SHIT? NOW I GOT A FIRST FUCKING DOWN, THEY'RE GONNA GO OUT THERE ON THE FIELD AND SCORE! It's Karen Cordial. It's your USF football podcast. And this week, we're going to what Wikipedia calls the Pittsburgh of the South. A. K. A. The Magic City.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:I'm Pooka. You
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Are you?
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:were just going too slow for me, so I just
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Oh,
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:to speed it along.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Who are you then, speedster?
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:I'm
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:And this week, my goal is to fit as many Blazer and American Gladiator references into the pod as possible. Lazer. Blazer. You ready to do this, Red?
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:fucking pumped. I love American Gladiator. Let's go.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Woo! Let's go, baby. Go into the gauntlet. You start us out.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Oh, okay. we're just going to steamroll through these. I don't think we got any retractions, but we've got some random tidbits and administrative stuff before we get into the meat of the podcast. for a third week in a row, we've got someone on the player of the week for the American conference. Tramiel Logan got defense player of the week for his fumble return, among other plays that he made. Byron Brown was also on the honor roll. Mention honor roll? Fuck, I don't know. He's beat. He wasn't good enough to be Player of the Week, but they still wanted to talk about how good he was. I think it was just Honor Roll.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:I think they just wanted to talk about him.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Yeah.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:He's just special. That's like the kid that gets, the most improved award in second grade. That's good, great job, but we just wanted you to have a piece of paper.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:You know you got that piece of paper framed behind you right there. I can see it.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Stop looking at my wall. Stop!
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Oh, what else we got in the random tidbits here? Oh, the Koli Matrix Rankings have us above UCF, so I think that means we can now claim a National Championship.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:We did it! We win!
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:what else? Speaking of UCF, they were in ESPN's bottom ten this week for their miserable loss.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Wow. How does it feel to be on top of the fucking world, UCF? Wow.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Also in the bottom ten are three of our future opponents, including this week's opponent UAB, UConn, and Charlotte. We'll see.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:that means you have us winning this game, right?
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:FAU is also in the honorable mentions of the bottom ten as well, so pretty much half the remaining schedule.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:that's promising.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:in other news, Joey Knight released the actual attendance numbers from Raymond James for the first three games and surprise, we had 10, 000 people at Rice. Woo.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:You couldn't tell? You couldn't tell? I didn't need Joey Knight to tell me that.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Hey, that's hard hitting investigative reporting. All right.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Good night, nurse.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Yeah. go to FAU, please. It's homecoming. We need a crowd. We're winning team now.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Please, I cannot stand Joey Knight and Matt Baker talking any more trash about this program or ignoring this program. Just go to the damn game. You know what they're not going to be able to talk trash about though? This pot.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Yeah, in positive news, we have set a download record.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:yet we set a download record in the first 24 hours we have so many new listeners.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Eh, the number wasn't that high. I
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Damn, man. You're such a Debbie Downer. You're like the kind of guy that's you're walking outside, and there's this kid and he's looking up at the sky and he's Oh, look, Ma, a rainbow. And you're like, Shut up, kid, it's just light and water. He's Oh, sorry.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:that's science. That's
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:let us be happy about something.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:earthers, alright?
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Whatever.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:in some of the questions of the week we got, someone asked, are we on Twitter? Yes, we are. It's at KarrionKord. but just know you're not talking to me or Pooka. You're most likely talking to Kay, because we're too good for you.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Okay, yeah, we don't, I don't mess around on Elon's Funhaus, but we enlisted another social media manager this weekend.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Oh, Ted.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Yeah, can we say his name? Nobody knows who Ted is, that's pretty generic.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Yeah, no one would have even thought that was a real name.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Yeah, they probably just thought we were mad. Ted is definitely not his name. Someone else on there is asking, on the bull's pen, it's Outlaw. He wants to know what your fantasy football team name is because he wants to start Wilcox against you.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:4 0 teams, and I'm one of them. Maybe he's the other one, I don't know. but the team name, you'll get a kick out of this, is Forward Propulsion.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:I don't like it. You know what my other favorite thing about that is? You're like, I'll help him. I'll help narrow it down for him. There's only two 4 0 teams and then you just say the name. I thought there was gonna have to be a little bit detective work on his part or nothing. No, just, here it is. I'm gonna narrow it down for him. He's the one who committed the crime right there.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:I don't like to make it too difficult on our fans, okay? They've been through a lot.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Yeah. That's true. they've been through a lot this season. A lot of winning. That's what I'm talking about. Let's go back to the preseason predictions. How we've been doing since then.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:You're doing great. Me, not so much.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:offensive MVP player, still Sean Atkins in my mind. Can't change that.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:I think you're good. I do want to redo on one of my picks. Coach Golish came out in his presser and let us know that Bernard Gooden would not be eligible for the entire year that his appeals got denied. And he was my, gonna be my newcomer of the year. And that was knowledge I didn't have at the time.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Okay, we'll allow you to go back and change it. Who are you changing it
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:I'll tell you at the end of the year. Other news coming out of those press conferences. we, there are a lot of guys who didn't play against Navy. And so he kind of ran through them all and gives a recap, on defense. Gordon and Summerall were both out for excused family emergencies type stuff. And really saw, DJ Harris and Andrew Mata'afa step up in their place. I thought they played really well.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:They did. They really did. Also, who played really is you pronouncing Mata'afa. Damn, man, what's up?
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:we've come a long way since Malachi. Okay.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Yeah, Malachi.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Logan Berryhill was also, he was active for the game, but he didn't play. They said that wasn't, that was just scheme based. They thought he's better in coverage versus the guys we had in there versus the run. I'm only taking what I'm told, man. I see you.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:they blew us up on some coverages.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:I don't know. I don't know.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:think we're getting fed some BS there.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:maybe. in injury news, Ben Knox, he had a big ol brace on his knee. He doesn't look like he's going to be back anytime soon. Donovan Jennings should be back this week.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Okay.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:And then, Williams went out with an injury during the game. I haven't gotten an update, but he is listed on the death chart, so I don't know if that means he's good to go. we'll see.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:I just, Jennings, I know you're listening, go back and listen to, the Navy preview to, to get your motivational speech, because you didn't dress at Navy, so I need you to know what R. J. Perry knows.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Because R. J. Perry got the message.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Yeah, you sure did.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Let's see, so that's it for the press conference. in other little news, we've updated the SP Plus rankings. The win actually dropped us a spot from 105 to 106.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:What?
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Yeah, I don't know. But, so there are now three teams above us, and then four teams below us. The four teams being UAB, Temple, UConn, and Charlotte. And our goal was to go 500 originally. Get into a bowl game. We only need three wins to do that now. So are we setting our eyes on higher goals with four shitty teams at least on our schedule? I don't know.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Forty shitty teams is like a new version of
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Three blind mice.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:or the Three Blind Mice, yeah. Ooh, four shitty teams.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Three FCS wins under Jeff Scott.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Good job team.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:back to our season preview. We've already surpassed my prediction of two and ten.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Yes. we're still on track for mine. I had us at seven and five. so far on the season, I want everyone to know, when we did our rapid fire season predictions... At the beginning of the season, you're 3 and 2 now on your picks. I have 5 and 0 pre season picks, but this week, one of us is coming away with an L. And I hope it's me.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:What do you mean one of us? We both picked a loss for this
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:I know. hold on, wait.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:this math is fucking killing you. If we win, we're both wrong. If we lose, we're both right.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:yeah, okay, I might get my first loss this week.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:You might. Cause I think you're gonna, I, if I know you, you're not sticking with your season prediction,
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:nope, I'm wavering. Cause UAB has shown us some stuff. We've played them before. Let's see what UAB's got that's bolstering these predictions because I'm pretty sure I'm changing my preseason pick here.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:We have played them before, like you mentioned, but it was almost 20 years ago. It was before I was a USF fan. I thought about calling up K to get his perspective on these games. Cause I think he was a student back in this time. but 2004, we won 45 to 20 under the leadership of one patch almost.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Pat and Jewel missed, baby. Guy could throw a rocket.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:And that was in Birmingham. So we're wanting to know on the road, we lost the year before at home and Ray J 22,
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:we're coming in this year, one on one against him. But ooh baby, we're favored.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:USF minus four over under 68 and a half. That's a high over under, but what we're favored.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:We're favored? What in the world? Now this is weird. I wish, and I think they were talking about this on the bulls pen. what goes into the ESPN predictions? Because they still have UAB winning, but even Vegas has us... favored. So I don't know how that works.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Vegas initially had us at plus two. So if you got in on that line, congratulations, that's quite the move for you. some favorable odds. yeah,
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:bettors out there.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:I can't remember who it was. I should go look it up, but someone in the bulls pen said, Oh, my analytics have us as 60 percent favorites or something like that. And that's really all everyone looks at these ESPN analytics of, Oh, 99 percent win probability at five minutes left in the fourth quarter. And I was like, it's fucking made up, man. There's no actual 99%. Yeah.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:The points are made up, and
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:There's some intern just typing numbers into a computer is whatever he feels like is his guess,
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:It's like those, in fantasy football, those score predictions. The player score predictions each week. Yeah, go ahead and start your guys based off that and see what you get.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:It's true. But, one thing not working in our favor, I had to look up, do you know the last time we were favored against an FPS team on the road?
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Was it last season?
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:it was. In a game I was sure we were gonna win.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Hahahaha. I'm never going to let you forget that one.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:I don't need you to keep that one in my nightmare. So it'll live there rent free for the rest of my life.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:It's the other Pennsylvania team. You know, this is the Pittsburgh of the South. It's the Philly of the North. It's Temple.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:That's right. That's right. So hopefully we've learned how to perform better as favorites this time around. Whole different. I don't even, that was last year. I was different coach, different team.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:All different.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Irrelevant. It's all irrelevant.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Irrelevant. And this year, they're not a... I don't know. They're 1
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:they are, they beat. FCS, NC, I think that's just meant to be A& T. I don't think they're an AT& T spinoff. That might be a little typo of mine.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:and 4. ha The outline's wrong. You read it right off the
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Yep, just like Sean McVeigh. but then they lost to Georgia Southern, they lost to Louisiana, they lost to Georgia, don't want to blame them for that. And then they lost to Tulane last week. so that's the one we'll focus on for our breakdown. Oh, you got something to say about Tulane?
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:there was, no, there was a guy watching that game in the bar we were at and he was all about, he was animated about this one because there was some wild stuff happening.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:I would have liked to watch that instead of that footy ball with the offside goal, which is now not offside and they're trying to replay a whole match because they got it wrong.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Yeah.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:You heard about that, right?
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:No, I didn't hear about that, but I'm
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:So you know that offside reversal of a goal that we're all like, how is that offside? And people were trying to explain to you how the offside rule works in soccer. it turns out it wasn't actually offside that the replay review thought the on field call was offside or was goal and not offside. And so they like reviewed it and were like, yeah, that's a good goal instead of being like reviewing it and be like, no, that was, you got to reverse your decision. And so it's a whole, it's tearing apart the whole country of Britain right now, man.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Is there a war over there? Are there the Troubles in the North? Oh my gosh! Wow! That's why we don't watch soccer, because when a ref makes a bad call in football, you just gotta live with it.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Or throw beer bottles at them.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Or give them the middle finger and get kicked off a road trip.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Don't know anyone who's done that. He deserved it. But yeah, going back to that two lane game for UAB, they played pretty tough against Tulane, honestly, two score loss in the end, but they fumbled at the one. Going in the third quarter, which would have tied it up. Then they jumped offside on fourth and two or had too many men. I think that's the penalty that Dilfer was screaming about. and then on the what was the ended up being the game ceiling drive Tulane converted to other fourth downs, one of which being the touchdown. you know, narrow than it might appear at first glance.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:maybe, but it gets back to Coach Goes Presser where he's talking about like a good team makes those opportunities, so that's what we need to do.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:That's true. Winners win, losers lose. Let's make sure UAP and Trent Dilfer are losers.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Losers.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:So if you don't know who Trent Dilfer is, he is the loserest of losers who somehow has a Super Bowl ring and is now coaching college football for some reason. I don't know why. I think he came from an analyst desk and got carried to a... Oh, he was coaching high school before? Okay.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:like, hey, that's a big name.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:All I know is he got carried to a Super Bowl by the Ravens defense. Zach Wilson could have won a Super Bowl with that defense.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Yeah.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:soon? Sorry.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Fuck you.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Ah, but yeah. Trent Dilfer, more recently of fame, is, for his sideline tirade, which Puka so eloquently imitated.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Yeah.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:in our opening number. Also, we had a little viral clip of him crying, in a more somber and genuine moment, because this is the Children's Harbor game. And I believe they, some sort of hospital charity, I think they bring food and other needs to families staying in the hospital, and he talked about a story with his son having an extended hospital stay, I'm sure that will fire up and inspire the UAB football team. I guess they've previously done this in their...
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:They have previously done this. They do it every year. I think this is like the 7th season. They are 5 1 previously in this game. So they do pretty well. With it, Back to the penalties and him being angry about that, Watching some stuff, There's a good question about... How his staff reacts to that and how the team reacts to that, right? that, that emotion, that passion. And I think, what was it? Stephen A. Smith was like, you don't talk to another man like that. Shannon Sharp. All those guys were popping off like, you don't talk to another man like that. Whether or not he lost the locker room and whether those guys will continue to follow him on. you yell at me like that on national TV and you got nothing coming because I'm going to the locker room to cry. I'm not even coaching the rest of the game. I'm taking off the headset. I'm going to cry.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:It's an intense sport, there's plenty of yelling. At least he was yelling at the assistant coaches and not at some poor kid like that,
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:At least he didn't slap him.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Oof.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Too soon?
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Yeah, definitely. Uh, Hehehehe
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:happen.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Oh boy. So UAB, They're a very inexperienced team. they're gonna use a lot of, Very traditional kind of college football concepts. Eleven personnel, a lot of zone run. Gonna sling the ball all over the place past first team. They're led by quarterback number four, Jacob Zeno.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Zeno.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Zeno.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:That's a cool name. It's interesting that you say they're pass first because I think Dilfer is on the record saying just this week, he doesn't like being a pass first team, he wants to be a run first team.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Oh, you went and looked and pulled some Dilfer comments, huh? Okay.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:some research.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Look at you. I think they're going with what they can do so far. you gotta mold your scheme a little bit to the players you got available. And right now, Xeno's their guy. It's his first full year starting, but he did play a couple games last year in relief of some injuries.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:whoa, wait a second.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:What?
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Zeno, Jay Z.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Jay
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:more popular, famous people engaged in sport football, Taylor Swift at Chiefs Jets. I think we have Beyonce confirmed.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Okay. Anyways, that's Pooka's Conspiracy Theory for the week. Jacob Zeno, back to J, back to Jay
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Back to what we're actually trying to talk about.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Jay Z is a, I guess he's a dual threat. He's a little threat to the run. He's got, he has carries. He certainly doesn't have the yardage that Byron Brown has. He's got 1400 yards through the air, INTs. And then 40 carries for 100 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground. Overall, they're averaging 40 passes a game, so they're putting that ball up there for a team that likes to run the ball. and one thing I did want to point out is that they've really struggled in pass protection against Louisiana. They've got a very young O line. They gave up 7 sacks in that game, so hopefully we can maybe get the blitz to them.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:first year, first full year starting dial up some exotic blitzes. Maybe we could confuse him.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:There you go.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:he doesn't know what's coming his way. Confuse the old line. You can't pass it if you're on your ass. to that end, right now, their quarterback is third in the nation in completions per game. I think he's 30 something completions per game. He's fourth in the nation in completion rate, like 70 something percent in completion rate. They're gonna catch passes if
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Did you look at the, average depth of target on that? Are they just a lot of short passes? Are they just getting it out quick, or what's the deal?
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:I did not look at the average depth of target on that. Really?
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Hey man, I was trying to really set you up there. I was hoping
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:you know, man. I
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Do you even know what average depth of target means?
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:mean, that's how, that's how far downfield the receiver
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:There you go,
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:when you throw the
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:yeah, boom.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Thank you. If you could stop talking about depth of target, that'd be great. We got a podcast to do.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:other guys they have on offense, they have Josh Jacobs brother at running backs. That's a little scary. He's running back 20 and they got number 1 at running back 2. They'll split carries pretty evenly. they'll both also be involved in the passing game. They've got 17 catches each so far, That's more than we've got for some of our wide receivers, so I think that goes back to your, completions per game there where they're hitting the running backs heavily involved in the passing game.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:For sure. Which lends itself to short depth of reception.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Yeah. Which is different than short depth perception.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:And if I slur enough, you might be confused between what I'm actually saying.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:If that was true, I would have never done a podcast with you. One weakness I picked up on? a couple weaknesses, actually. Their offense is their strength. Special teams, their kicker is only 4 for 7 on field goals. And all three of those misses are less than 40 yards. could be
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:could rattle them.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:good round. Could be another Navy situation, a little momentum swinger.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Sure.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:And their defense is just not very good, not good at all. Their secondary in that game against Tulane, it looked like USF secondary all the last year with their tackling angles. And yeah, it looked nice.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:they are one of the worst in the nation at stopping the run. They're allowing 204. 4 yards per game. get Byron Brown, dial him up. Maybe get Naquan Wright, start opening up some of these runs. we might run away with this one, literally.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:There you go. There's open.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:So what, I'm telling you what we want to see,
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Yeah, no, for sure. I think that. They're bad at stopping the run. You exploit that weakness. I want to see us run the football. I want to, on offense, I want to see us attack them. I want some unique game plan wrinkles of, we see how they're over adjusting to trying to stop the run and we've got this play action or this play design ready for them with a screen or whatever, you know? Some misdirection, some end around. Something that we're really going after them with. But that's all set up by having that early run game success. We're still one of the worst teams on 1st and 2nd down. We've made up for it by being good on 3rd and 4th, but we've been awful on 1st and 2nd down. One of the worst. So we need to get more than 2 yards per carry in those early downs.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:You've heard it here first, folks.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Did you hear it at first? I don't know.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:I think maybe they didn't, but if, yeah. I'm saying they did.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:And a big part of that offense success is, look, you've had a couple games in a row. We've done well. We're the favorite now. We gotta stay focused. We can't buy into our own hype. We gotta come out there at that same keep swinging next play attitude. That goes for positive plays too. You don't get to sit there and celebrate the touchdown. You still gotta go play the next play. So far it's been more linked to us recovering from bad plays and not letting that hurt us. But as the momentum swings here, it means we gotta stay dialed in and keep bringing that workman attitude to practice and to the games. Keeping with our process as coach likes to say on the defensive side. We highlighted The o line so I want to get after the QB. I want to affect whatever their game plan is gonna try and be Blow it up Don't let them sit there and figure us out
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:let's do a little friendly wager.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Okay
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:I say they get more than seven sacks in this game.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:That is a large number
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:You want to take that wager?
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Sure, I'll take that weight. I don't like betting against the Bulls, but 7's a lot.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:We're not betting against him. Alright, leave the wager alone. Yeah, take it, but I think we're getting it.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Okay. it'll just be another thing you're right about if they do. that'll be good enough for you.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:add it to the list.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Yeah. Also, though, we gotta keep doing what we've been doing. Tackling well in open field. That's been great. And if we're gonna keep sending the house on blitches and things like that, you gotta make sure you're tackling in the back end. No easy TDs. Even if they get the completion, we gotta make the tackle. Don't let them just score on the one play, make them work for it. anything else we want to see this week? keep stacking up the wins, right? we got the monkeys off our back the last two weeks. Does that free us up to play just freer and faster and better? the next three games, including this one, are all very winnable. And then we're into a bye week, so that would be something, wouldn't it?
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:That would be great to be bowl eligible before the buy.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:And then you come off that buy and play probably your biggest game of the season.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Yeah,
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:So that would be... Man, they would be fired up for that, huh?
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:that would be huge
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:I know what fires you up. I know what fires you up, though. This next segment.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:mean. Pump dump
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Man. Just better and better quality with the segment intros every week.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:practice that on the toilet.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:only Kay's picks could be as better quality as the segment intro is.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:He does. He was the, he was two at one last week.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Supposedly. There was quite a lot of controversy this last week. If you followed our description of Kay's picks to the letter of the law, you would not have been 2 1, but there were some clarifications made in the chat and in person when we got to see Kay that, for example, even though I said he was taking Utah's favorites, Oregon State were actually the favorites, and they did cover it. the Tennessee Under that he told us, he said he covered it at 62. 5, but when I went and looked at it, it was only 59, and they didn't cover that, and then the one we can all agree on is he just got Utah State, UConn wrong. So that was only a one point game. He needed Utah State to win by six and a half. so in response to that, all that controversy, we're given Kessel as two and one, but he decided to write us fucking novels for each of his picks this week,
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Oh my gosh. he really put a summary on each one of'em. I was like, what are you? Whoa,
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:I have graciously decided to spare our listeners of all of that, because that would make this a two hour podcast and I've summarized those for you here. I have double checked that I've gotten him right this time. He has Texas State plus three at Louisiana.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Who
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Texas State. Yeah, I didn't know they were an FBS team even, but they are. They're a G5 surprise. Great offense under new coach JG Kinney, who you may recognize. I think he was a name thrown around during our coaching search. He was a ex Tulsa QB. You may remember him from that of when he played us,
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:did you say JG or gj?
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:I don't know, which one did I say?
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:You said jg.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:It's written as G. J.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Which is it?
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:I don't know, doesn't matter.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Gj. J. G
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:His name's Kenny, okay? Kenny is going to cover against Louisiana.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Okay, we're probably getting that wrong, but,
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:probably. can't get this one wrong. Colorado State and Utah State, they're gonna be under the 65 points.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:is that one of them like, pack after dark type games that nobody's gonna
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Yeah, played at like midnight eastern and I don't know why Kay picks that game, but that's what he's picked. under 65, something about Colorado State only averages 30 points a game or something. Some deep analysis over that, but...
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:How are you supposed to score points when you got Travis Hunter headhunting out there in the backfield?
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Wrong team, but that's
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:no I know, but they played against him and they
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Yeah,
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:I'm, I know what I'm talking about here, man. You just, move on.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:finally a game people will be watching. He's got Kentucky covering 14 and a half at Georgia. They're gonna play him real close.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Really? Georgia is looking some suspect. They still deserve to win some of the games, but they're looking a little sus.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:They struggled against, who was it, Auburn last week? but, yeah, listen to Kay. Oh, most importantly, he has USF beating UAB. But he won't bet on USF to cover. Won't touch that line. Even though the line's, what was it, four?
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:or something.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:No, not the over under, just the...
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:just a line. Negative four. He's not, he's saying we only do it by a,
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:By a field goal or a point or something, I don't know.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:oh ye of little faith.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Yeah, Kay, come on, get with the program. Believe in USF, alright?
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:on, hold on, hold on. Before we go too far. I'll give my prediction, then you can give yours. I got us winning this one easily. 42 21, they're gonna get some passing success. It's gonna happen. But our run game just does things to them that they can't figure out. 42 21, we win it on the road. And that road monkey is fully off our back.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:There you go, I like that prediction. That's bold. You had a big win last time too, or no?
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:What do you mean?
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Against
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:yeah,
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:had multiple score win then, and that's what we came through with,
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:that's what we came through. It would have been more if we stayed focused,
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:There you go, there you go. 42 38 UAB. I just, we've looked good, I just don't, I refuse to get in a trusting relationship with this team. We're still going to make mistakes. We saw it last week. We're just not, we're not ready to play mistake free football yet. And that's going to hurt us in a road game against a team who plays multiple defenses. We're going to have some more turnovers. We're going to blow some coverages. It's going to cost us and we're going to, it's going to be good. It's going to be a good learning experience for us that we can't play that way and get away with it. Cause last week we got away with a lot of shit. We probably shouldn't have.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:mean, maybe. God,
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:I know I'm a downer.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Red, oh, you are the... Good
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:just think how much fun you'll get to tell me when I'm wrong.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Believe you me, it's the reason I want to hop on and record the pod as soon as the game is over. nothing else is going
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:it's a Buck Spy Week, so we can record right after the game this week.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Oh, perfect. Even better. That's fantastic. Just, good lord, Red. When are you going to learn, man?
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:I don't learn, Pooka. That's why I'm a Bulls fan.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Oh, Touche. Hey, y'all. It is a four PM kick this Saturday on ESPN two. I looked at the weather. It's gonna be in the mid 60s around kick time. That's beautiful. Nine to 12 mile an hour gusts cuz I checked the wind too.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Throw a little grass up in the air.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:throw a little bit of lick the finger to see if it affects the passing game or that four and seven kicker they got but it's a 0 percent chance of rain. it's just looking like this beautiful fall afternoon. For some football.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Folks, if Pooka ever asks you to lick his finger, it has nothing to do with checking the weather. Just FYI. I've fallen for that one before.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Damnit.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:But yeah, check us out on Twitter, X, whatever. The Bulls Pen is a great home too. We've got some good social media managers, not us, doing some work.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:I mean, they're doing good stuff. Are we doing this for money yet?'cause I
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:No, and they aren't either.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Oh, we're doing this for free outta the goodness of our hearts.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:It's cathartic.
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:That's reminds me. then why do you do it, baby Billy Oh, you've never seen that.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:I don't know that
pookah_1_10-05-2023_174001:Whatever. Yeah. The joy of U S F winning will be the payment I need. For this week. Go Bulls.
squadcaster-205e_1_10-05-2023_174000:Go Bulls!