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Johntay Cook, Texas "mutually part ways" ahead of Florida · The Craig Way Show

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  Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Craigway Show and the Voice of
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: the Longhorns.
• 0:08
  Speaker 2: Craig Way.
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  Speaker 1: Follow Craig on social media at Horn Voice.
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  Speaker 3: On a Thursday afternoon here on sports Radio AM thirteen
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  Speaker 3: hundred Zone'm glad to have you with us this afternoon.
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  Speaker 3: Let's go back to hearing from well before we do that,
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  Speaker 3: before we go back to hearing from Longhorn's head coach,
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  Speaker 3: Steve Sarkis, and I did want to mentioned there's a
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  Speaker 3: couple of things. First of all, I mentioned about Billy Napier.
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  Speaker 3: I said, reason to feel better being on the opposite sideline.
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  Speaker 3: There was an open letter online at Florida Gators dot com.
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  Speaker 3: I came on this morning when I was reading about
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  Speaker 3: the Gators from Scott Strickland, their athletic director. I remember
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  Speaker 3: when Scott Strickland was the sports information director at Baylor
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  Speaker 3: and and but he always wanted to get into an
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  Speaker 3: athletic administration role, and he went to I think he
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  Speaker 3: went to Kentucky and was an associate ad there, then
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  Speaker 3: got his first ad job Atsissippi State, and then on
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  Speaker 3: the Florida But Scott had an open letter to Gator
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  Speaker 3: fans and uh he h and He went right to
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  Speaker 3: the point, because remember early in the year when Florida
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  Speaker 3: was really this struggling. Early it seemed to be a
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  Speaker 3: foregone conclusion that this was going to be it.
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  Speaker 2: For him and he was going to be out.
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  Speaker 3: I'll talked about being on the hot seat and all
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  Speaker 3: this kind of stuff, But here it is dated today.
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  Speaker 3: It says a letter from Scott Strickland to Gator Nation.
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  Speaker 3: That's the way it's laid out on Florida Gators dot Com,
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  Speaker 3: and it says Gater Nation. He didn't mess around. It
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  Speaker 3: goes right to it. I wanted to let you know
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  Speaker 3: that Billy Napier will continue as head coach head football
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  Speaker 3: coach of the Florida Gators. As we've seen these past
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  Speaker 3: several weeks, the young men on this team represent what
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  Speaker 3: it means to be a Gator. The resolve, effort, and
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  Speaker 3: execution are evident in their performance and growth each week,
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  Speaker 3: building a foundation that promises greater success next season and beyond.
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  Speaker 3: UF's commitment to excellence and a championship caliber program is unwavering,
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  Speaker 3: and these times of change across college athletics, we are
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  Speaker 3: dedicated to a disciplined, stable approach that it's focused on
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  Speaker 3: long term sustained success for Gator athletes, recruits, and fans.
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  Speaker 3: I'm confident that Billy will meet the challenges and opportunities ahead.
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  Speaker 3: We will work alongside him to support any changes needed
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  Speaker 3: to elevate Gator football as college athletics evolves. UF has
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  Speaker 3: committed to embracing innovation and strategy, ensuring the Gators thrive
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  Speaker 3: in the day's competitive Landscapeation has remained strong, showing up
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  Speaker 3: game after game to stand with our team. This loyalty
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  Speaker 3: creates an incredible environment that inspires our players to compete
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  Speaker 3: with heart and determination. Now I call on all of
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  Speaker 3: Gator Nation to continue standing behind Billy and his dedicated
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  Speaker 3: team while we work together to build a championship program.
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  Speaker 2: Go Gators.
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  Speaker 3: That was so he I think just wanted to get
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  Speaker 3: out in front of it and in any speculation before
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  Speaker 3: Florida resumes its season, which of course, you know the
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  Speaker 3: remaining games.
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  Speaker 2: In their season.
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  Speaker 3: Include start with the game here on Saturday, and then
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  Speaker 3: you talk about a tough closing stretch. Maybe this was
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  Speaker 3: another reason why felt he had to do this. They
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  Speaker 3: play LSU, they play Ole Miss, and then they're at
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  Speaker 3: Florida State. So after the game here in aust On Saturday,
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  Speaker 3: they have back to back home games with LSU and
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  Speaker 3: All Miss. Then they finish in Tallahassee against Florida State,
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  Speaker 3: and they have listed by the Way Football at SEC
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  Speaker 3: Championship on the summer seventh.
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  Speaker 2: But I don't see them. Are they even mathematically Hey.
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  Speaker 3: According to the computer, everybody's still mathematically alive.
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  Speaker 2: Right, I hadn't put that in.
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  Speaker 3: There, But eventually we can figure out a way that
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  Speaker 3: Florida would get in there off of that, off of
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  Speaker 3: that algorithm that you sent to me. Meantime, we know
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  Speaker 3: the long runs are still very much in the thick
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  Speaker 3: of the fight, and head coach Steve Sarkishan's trying to
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  Speaker 3: get his team there.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, John Takecook is no longer with a football team.
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  Speaker 3: And I think it was Kirk Bowles who asked a
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  Speaker 3: couple of questions of sark starting with was John Tay
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  Speaker 3: dismissed or wasn't a mutual decision?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah? No, it was mutual between the two of us.
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  Speaker 3: So there was that, and then the h and he
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  Speaker 3: wished him well and said nothing but respect for him,
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  Speaker 3: but it was a mutual decision. And then he was
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  Speaker 3: asked about what did he learn about his team. Bring
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  Speaker 3: that open day during the bye week.
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  Speaker 4: You know, the thing, the thing about us that in
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  Speaker 4: self scouting, we when we don't have negative plays, and
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  Speaker 4: negative plays I mean, yes, a guy tackled for a
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  Speaker 4: loss or a sack, but also when penalties occur offensively,
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  Speaker 4: we are really efficient offensive football team. And so the
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  Speaker 4: one thing that we've really been stressing this week is
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  Speaker 4: to move the ball forward. And I know that sounds
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  Speaker 4: really simple, but when we don't have those negative plays,
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  Speaker 4: we are very efficient team. We play, we operate almost
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  Speaker 4: in first down, second down, first down, second down mode,
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  Speaker 4: and that's when we're at our best, that's when our
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  Speaker 4: rhythm is at our best. And so that's been the
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  Speaker 4: challenge this week. As aggressive as we want to call it,
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  Speaker 4: as as much you know, formations, motion shifts we want
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  Speaker 4: to do, we want to make sure that our players understand,
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  Speaker 4: let's keep moving forward and let's minimize the late grabs
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  Speaker 4: that our potential holds. Let's minimize the sacks that that
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  Speaker 4: maybe we're taking waiting on a throw down the field
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  Speaker 4: instead of maybe finding a checkdown. Let's minimize the runners,
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  Speaker 4: you know, maybe trying to bounce something to look for
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  Speaker 4: a run but let's let's move forward, because when we
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  Speaker 4: do that, we're really efficient. And so I think that's
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  Speaker 4: that's an area that that we've kind of looked at
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  Speaker 4: and said, Okay, we can be better here. I think,
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  Speaker 4: you know, in the end, I still think we've been
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  Speaker 4: very efficient in the red area, which is something I've
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  Speaker 4: been proud of the guys, the work.
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  Speaker 2: They've put in.
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  Speaker 4: You know, we did not have a very good third
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  Speaker 4: down day two games ago against Georgia. I thought we
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  Speaker 4: rebounded with Vanderbilt last week. So some things on the
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  Speaker 4: offensive side of the ball I feel good about. I
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  Speaker 4: think on special teams, one thing that we looked at
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  Speaker 4: that we feel very comfortable with is we're playing more
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  Speaker 4: young players and they're producing and they're they haven't been perfect.
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  Speaker 2: But they're producing.
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  Speaker 4: And so we're really trying to be aggressive with our
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  Speaker 4: intent of playing more young players on special teams to
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  Speaker 4: get them some experience.
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  Speaker 2: That that's been good.
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  Speaker 4: And I would really say the same for the defensive
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  Speaker 4: side of the ball. You know, we've we saw Kobe
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  Speaker 4: bat Black play more in the secondary. We've seen Julanie
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  Speaker 4: McDonald playing more in the secondary, Jordan Johnson Rebell's really
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  Speaker 4: coming along Alex January on the defensive front is really
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  Speaker 4: coming along. I've touched on Sadir Mitchell, so I think
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  Speaker 4: on the defensive side of the ball, continuing to build
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  Speaker 4: our depth. We've been playing defense at a really high level.
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  Speaker 4: I don't think you guys asked me enough about it.
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  Speaker 4: I don't think I talk enough about our defense for
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  Speaker 4: for how good they're playing defensive football right now. But
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  Speaker 4: we also know, hey, we've we've been dealt to a
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  Speaker 4: couple injuries, We've been dealt to guy getting suspended for
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  Speaker 4: half of a game, and we're gonna have to rely
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  Speaker 4: on other people and we got to keep developing those
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  Speaker 4: guys because hopefully we were playing a lot more games
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  Speaker 4: the rest of this way.
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  Speaker 3: Okay, Next, he was asked about, since we were talking
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  Speaker 3: about the defense, the pass rush and the type of
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  Speaker 3: effect that could have on a game like this where
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  Speaker 3: Florida we don't know the quarterback situation yet, although it's
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  Speaker 3: expected that a Mourner will probably wind up starting, but
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  Speaker 3: you could see DJ lagway and you know how different
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  Speaker 3: might the preparation be and what kind of an impact
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  Speaker 3: could his pass rush have.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, I think everything that that Florida does starts with
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  Speaker 4: their run game.
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  Speaker 2: First of all, they're they're a very.
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  Speaker 4: Big personnel motion shift operation. And I know that sounds
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  Speaker 4: like something you hear me say. You know, coach Napier
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  Speaker 4: and I work together in twenty sixteen at Alabama. He's
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  Speaker 4: a very good football coach, and so a lot of
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  Speaker 4: what he does is to cause you to not communicate well,
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  Speaker 4: to not adjust to the formations, the unbalanced looks, the
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  Speaker 4: late motions, the quick motions, and get you out of
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  Speaker 4: your apps to run the ball downhill. They are a
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  Speaker 4: physical offensive line. They have physical running backs, and then
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  Speaker 4: when you over commit to it, they hurt you with
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  Speaker 4: the play action pass, the bootlegs, the keepers, the wheel
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  Speaker 4: routes that to create explosive plays. And so I think
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  Speaker 4: the one thing that Florida does a good job with
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  Speaker 4: and not to take anything away from their offensive line
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  Speaker 4: because they're a big, physical group, is they don't get
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  Speaker 4: into this world of where they're just dropping back to pass.
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  Speaker 2: You know, time and time and time again.
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  Speaker 4: You know they're committed to the run game, and you
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  Speaker 4: that forces defensive linemen and pass rushers to defend the
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  Speaker 4: run even then when the pass does come up. And
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  Speaker 4: so they kind of neutralize a little bit of the
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  Speaker 4: pass rush with.
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  Speaker 2: Their run game.
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  Speaker 4: So hopefully, you know, we can do a great job
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  Speaker 4: defending the run and then take advantage of our pass
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  Speaker 4: rush opportunities when they present themselves.
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  Speaker 3: All Right, this next question, when't this the one that
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  Speaker 3: Hardball Harj asked. Mike harr asked about the five to
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  Speaker 3: one two boys. Yeah, he's been busy today. Hardball has
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  Speaker 3: that and the media availability with Rodney Terry. There was
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  Speaker 3: a zoom media and we'll hear the sound from Rtie
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  Speaker 3: tomorrow in advance of the game tomorrow night. But our man,
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  Speaker 3: Mike Hardball Harte is so valuable to us, and of
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  Speaker 3: course you listen to him Monday through Friday morning along
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  Speaker 3: with the world's strongest man, Mark Henry. There on the
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  Speaker 3: morning kickoff seven to nine right here on Sports Radio
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  Speaker 3: AM thirteen under the Zone, and Mike asked about an
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  Speaker 3: update on Andrew mccouba and basically what the five to
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  Speaker 3: one to two boys bring to the team. The five
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  Speaker 3: one two boys obviously Andrew Kuba LBJ product who of
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  Speaker 3: course started claims before transferring him. Jade Baron, six years
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  Speaker 3: senior out of Conley High. There in the Flugervilleias D
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  Speaker 3: and of course uh Mookie Taff Michael Taff from Westlake
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  Speaker 3: all him out of the five to one to two
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  Speaker 3: area code and asked about what the five to one
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  Speaker 3: to two boys bring to the team and how mccuba's progressing.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, I thought Andrew, first of all, had had a
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  Speaker 4: really good practice today. You know, I think naturally, you know,
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  Speaker 4: when you're out the goal for us as a coach
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  Speaker 4: and a training staff is that you get better each day,
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  Speaker 4: and we definitely saw that from him today and he
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  Speaker 4: was really good spirits after practice, so that that was
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  Speaker 4: a positive. But you know, I think those three guys, Taff, Macuba,
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  Speaker 4: john A Bear and the one thing that that they
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  Speaker 4: have is a lot of experience. And these guys have
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  Speaker 4: played a lot of football. I know Drew, you know
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  Speaker 4: obviously with his time at Clemson and then early on
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  Speaker 4: in the season with US, john A his versatility playing
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  Speaker 4: multiple positions for US, and Taff of just kind of
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  Speaker 4: growing into the role that he's played.
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  Speaker 2: They're all playmakers.
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  Speaker 4: They've all made they don't just it's one thing to
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  Speaker 4: be a veteran player and know what to do, but
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  Speaker 4: then you don't make plays. All three of those guys
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  Speaker 4: have been making big plays for us, you know, interceptions,
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  Speaker 4: cause fumbles, fumble recoveries to go along with doing their
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  Speaker 4: job really well. And I think that they provide a
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  Speaker 4: real sense of confidence for the other guys in the
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  Speaker 4: back end. Even when a Jelani McDonald's steps in, he's
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  Speaker 4: surrounded by some really good players that are going to
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  Speaker 4: communicate with him to a level of Okay, everybody's where
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  Speaker 4: they're supposed to be, let me go play too, and
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  Speaker 4: so you know, that's that's that's you know, a real
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  Speaker 4: kind of we're fortunate to have that experience, but yet
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  Speaker 4: that confidence and playmaking ability that all three of those
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  Speaker 4: guys provide.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, all right, So continuing on that line with the
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  Speaker 3: defense and the secondary, what kind of look is Sark
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  Speaker 3: expecting to get if DJ Lagway is able to play
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  Speaker 3: or in the more likely scenario that he doesn't play
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  Speaker 3: and a Mourner has to go, how do they attack
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  Speaker 3: the quarterback? Based on who is playing quarterback for the Gators,
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  Speaker 3: it kind.
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  Speaker 4: Of varies, I guess, on how does the other quarterback looked,
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  Speaker 4: you know, if if if you're going to play a
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  Speaker 4: team with a quarterback who might be hobbled but if
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  Speaker 4: he's not hobbled, man, he can run pretty good and
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  Speaker 4: his backup can run really well, then your scheme is
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  Speaker 4: is one way where it's like, Okay, we need to
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  Speaker 4: be cognizant of this. But I think at the end
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  Speaker 4: of the day, if you know guy's coming in and
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  Speaker 4: he's he's got a hamstring and he may be healthy,
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  Speaker 4: he may not be well, we have to we have
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  Speaker 4: to monitor that in real time in game. But ultimately, yeah,
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  Speaker 4: that does affect because if you think, man, we need
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  Speaker 4: to have a spy in this game on third down,
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  Speaker 4: that affects how you rush if the mobility doesn't look
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  Speaker 4: great and the backup mobility is adequate.
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  Speaker 2: But maybe he's not an elite runner.
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  Speaker 4: Maybe we can do some different things where we don't
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  Speaker 4: have to spy, and that allows our guys to rush more.
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  Speaker 4: And you know, I love when Colin and Trey and
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  Speaker 4: Alfred and Vernon and all those guys are rushing Anthony
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  Speaker 4: Hill are rushing the quarterback because that timing in the
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  Speaker 4: passing game and allows our dbs to play a certain
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  Speaker 4: way as well. So it does, but again, we don't
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  Speaker 4: ever want to be one dimensional. And as I touched on,
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  Speaker 4: I think That's one of the beauties of PK as
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  Speaker 4: a play callers. The change up calls that he makes
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  Speaker 4: in a game, I think does affect an offensive team.
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  Speaker 3: Okay, and then one other thing here this hour, and
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  Speaker 3: it's about the pass protection scheme. We know this offensive line,
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  Speaker 3: which was you know, performing so well and so highly
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  Speaker 3: talent going into the season, has had struggles of the
• 14:31
  Speaker 3: past couple of ball games, most notably obviously the loss
• 14:34
  Speaker 3: to Georgia, but even giving up sacks against Vanderbilt. So
• 14:38
  Speaker 3: did sart Philly needed to tweak the pass protection scheme
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  Speaker 3: after the offensive line did surrender sacks in the past
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  Speaker 3: two ballgames.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, I don't know necessarily that we tweaked it, you know,
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  Speaker 4: schematically in a sense, I think the thing that we
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  Speaker 4: really needed to drill down on is making sure our
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  Speaker 4: communication and that we're all on the same pa. You know,
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  Speaker 4: we've the last couple of weeks have had too many
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  Speaker 4: times and one times too many. But if it's two
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  Speaker 4: or three now where we have free rushers at the quarterback,
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  Speaker 4: when the quarterback thinks he's protected predicated on the amount
• 15:15
  Speaker 4: of rushers that are coming and that can then in
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  Speaker 4: turn spook a quarterback because it's like I thought I
• 15:21
  Speaker 4: was protected, now I'm getting hit, and so why is
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  Speaker 4: that occurring?
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  Speaker 2: And so getting everybody dialed in on the same page.
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  Speaker 4: From from Jake Majors out on the offensive line, to
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  Speaker 4: incorporating the running backs, to incorporating the tight ends that
• 15:36
  Speaker 4: we are operating in unison as one, I think has
• 15:39
  Speaker 4: probably been some of the biggest keys that that we've
• 15:42
  Speaker 4: had to work on this week as opposed to just
• 15:45
  Speaker 4: you know, coming up with I don't want to say
• 15:47
  Speaker 4: a new protection, but adjusting that protection. And so I
• 15:51
  Speaker 4: anticipate us being better. Florida's going to challenge us with that.
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  Speaker 4: They're they're really well coached and they've got some elaborate
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  Speaker 4: stuff that they do, exotic stuff that they do.
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  Speaker 2: But I think that's the key to the drill.
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  Speaker 4: And then when we're not when they have one more
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  Speaker 4: than we have the block, or that the pressure is
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  Speaker 4: coming from a side, whether the quarterback doesn't have his
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  Speaker 4: protection right, that he can either change that protection or
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  Speaker 4: he's got to get the ball out in kind of
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  Speaker 4: a hot scenario.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, all right, there's some more from Sark.
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  Speaker 3: We'll hear more from him coming up during the next
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  Speaker 3: hour as well. We've got some NFL notes and NBA
• 16:23
  Speaker 3: to get too when we continue here on sports Radio
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  Speaker 3: AM thirteen under the zone of the iHeartRadio app.