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The People vs. Aaron Roderick: Is He Holding BYU Back? · Brutally Honest BYU Pod

• Josh Crowley: All right. If you clicked on this video, you have been summoned to jury duty. On trial is the one and only Aaron Roderick. This is Brutally Honest. Nate, how you doing? Nate Crowley: Great. Great to be back. It's been a unfortunate hiatus from this pod. So happy to be back in the in the studio. Josh Crowley: Yes, absolutely. We we took a week off with the cougars during the bye week. We recorded a whole episode a week ago and discovered that we had a one sided conversation. We messed up on our on our system here So apologies for that, but super happy to be back. And yeah, let's jump right into it. So Not a lot to say about the TCU game. Well there's plenty to say, but nothing unique to say from us. We have the same takes. The injuries were a huge bummer. The conditions were a huge bummer. A lot of the game was a slog, obviously. Thrilled to come out with a win. Time will tell whether that was scenes of things to come and that there are big concerns with this team or if that actually turns out to be just a hard fought win in bad conditions and you can just kind of throw it out. We'll We'll see. And I don't I don't know that there's any more analysis that really needs to be thrown in there. But on trial is a rod. Is he a good offensive coordinator? Is he not? we're gonna call you the DA, accusing him of being a terrible offensive coordinator. I'm in his corner. Clearly neither Nate Crowley: Pro prosecuting stands for? Josh Crowley: of us went to J. Rubin Clark Law School. But regardless, Nate Crowley: Yeah. Josh Crowley: I'm defending A Rod and I'm very much that way in my real life, not just for this show. you are you are not a fan, especially after this last week. So yeah, you wanna you wanna hit us with your kind of opening statement, why you Nate Crowley: Yeah, I will. Josh Crowley: why you stand where you stand. Nate Crowley: Yeah, so my opening statement and thesis for this argument is Aaron Roderick hates football. That's what I'm coming away with from the TCU game. He calls games like he hates fun. Like my c conclusions about him have gone beyond football, and I'm like, he must really suck at parties. I'm sure he's just terrible to hang out with. And Because that's how he calls games is that he just is so conservative at times that it it is genuinely unenjoyable to watch as a fan for me. And there's a there there was a point on Saturday where and and it's funny because now we're sitting here with a W, but there was a point where I was saying I almost would rather lose and actually have fun while losing. rather Josh Crowley: Yeah. Nate Crowley: than win in this really not fun way. And I think that maybe part of why I feel this way is because I love football and football's fun, right? Like Petey from from Remember the Titans. Like if fo is Josh Crowley: Football is fun. Nate Crowley: football is fun. And it just felt like watching that game, like w I rewatch games over and over and over and over again. And I've rewatch this TCU game, but only once and only parts of it because I can't get through it. And so this'll be a game that I will choose to not rewatch probably ever again because it was just an unfun game. to get into Arod more specifically, some of the things that my pieces of ev evidence, if you will, I cannot get over the fact that when it's third and ten, it's just packing it up and punting. genuinely, if that's what we're doing, we should just punt on third down. You'd you'd win the field position battle better, right? You you you teach Bear how to punt or you whatever throw in fuller shirts in the pistol and snap the ball to him or whatever and have him bomb it down the field and have your receivers go down the punt. If we're just gonna completely wave the white flag and and then I'll even take it a step further, I actually think that it becomes even more problematic from a field position standpoint where at least once this last game we tried to run that that screen to Legend Glasker where it there the running back motions out so it looks like it's a swing pass screen out to that side and then Legend kind of cuts in and it's actually like the little right in front of you screen. And he just got completely blown up by the linebacker that was just sitting waiting on it. And I think that if you're a defensive coordinator scouting Aaron Roderick, it's like, okay, so get them in third and long, and it's either some sort of a screen, and here are the two screens that they like to run, and it's like the drag screen, it's the LJ slow jog out to the side screen, or the one I just described. It's one of those three, or some sort of run up the middle. And it's like that what I mean by it gets more dangerous is that you can pick off those some of those passes, specifically the one that I just described. Like that turns into turnovers really quick if you have a well-educated defense and the and the players execute that. So that that's a huge issue for me. And then it just felt really frustrating that there were a couple of times in that game where and I'm trying to remember exactly what half it was it all blended together for me. I was watching it in on my phone in a pumpkin patch with my three children. So it was a little chaotic. But like there was a couple of plays and they were back to back where it was seriously like a five yard curl in the slot to Casper. And then the next play was a third down conversion by Lions. Basically the same thing. Just like a little four yard five yard route, turns around, hits him in the chest, gets hit, lays back, gets the first down. And I'm just like, why isn't that part of this game plan? And again, I'll concede some of the points that I guarantee you'll make, which is I understand the ball was wet, I understand that LJ got hurt. So I understand that those elements, specifically in the TCU game, are major factors in h into how he called this game. I just think that it was and I and I this is a curse word on this podcast, but he's just got too much Kyle Whittingham in him where Josh Crowley: Yeah. Nate Crowley: he's just believes through and through on coordinators corner, he said it. He's like, it is the most important stat in football is the turnover margin. And I'm like, Yeah, guess what? It's the second most important. The score is. And yes, we won the turnover margin and we won the score. But it just felt so frustrating to watch that game and I again I think for me it's like who wants to win football playing the way that we played? And so I just get overly frustrated with a bunch of his calls. Those are some of the main things that stood up from the TCU game. But I'll let you give your statement and then we'll have a little bit of a rebuttal. Josh Crowley: Yeah. Well, so I I I won't disagree with much of what you said. I I agree that at times it is painfully boring and as super fans, as siccos that watch so much and rewatch so much, I do feel often that I can call out the play that's coming based on formation, based on field position, based on down and distance. And In many ways I agree that it's like if I can do that, then surely you'd think that people whose job it is to scout are figuring him Nate Crowley: Thank you. Josh Crowley: out. And I'm not claiming him to be a Chip Kelly, I'm not claiming him to be one of the most creative play callers in college football. where I will push back on you is if you really want to go and live in two thousand two, three and four And have one of the most creative offenses in the country and lose a lot, you can go and re-watch those games, which I guarantee you're not re-watching. because Gary Croton was creative as could be, and it was some of the most painful years of BYU fandom. now I I also get the point that it's like, do I really want to be a fan of a team that's just gonna win 17-17? And be super predictable and super boring. Yeah, I mean I'm look, I'm not an Iowa Hawkeye fan, and I I get that, but we're also like knocking on the door of the college football playoff way sooner than any of us expected to be here. And that's fun. And I think that, you know, it would be easy, like you can enjoy football and offensive football by turning on the organs of the world this is our team. He's our guy. And he's winning a lot of freaking games. And I just think it's such low hanging fruit to just go after the O. C because we've all played Madden or N C double A and we think that we know play calling because of that. And I just think that The way that he puts together a game plan and the way that he pivots if needed. Now, like full disclosure, I think Arod's biggest weakness is the reliance on the QB run game when plan A and B doesn't work out. it it stresses me out simply because I don't want to see our quarterback get hurt. And I think it is just his absolute fail safe, especially with Bear, but even in years past with Jake. And, going back to Jaron and and sometimes Zach, he would lean on that a little bit. so I I'm not I'm not saying I agree with everything that Arod has ever done. I just think, gosh, the guy wins an awful lot of games. And then the other point that I will make before I pass it back over to you, I just I have tried and brainstormed to come up with an analogous Example of what A-Rod pulled off in 2025 in some other industry to just try to put into terms how unreal it is to take a guy that wasn't with you in spring ball, thinking that you had a veteran quarterback that had just come off of you know a ton of wins and was gonna be your guy. To lose that, have the rug yanked out from under you, to recognize that the freshman is your best option, to get him up to speed enough to then go and do what only what four other quarterbacks in the history or the last twenty six years or whatever it was have been able to do, most of which were either Heisman winners or national champions. why why hasn't Arod gotten more credit? Like now Bear deserves credit too. Don't get me wrong, Bear's the one that made the plays. He's a warrior. I'm wearing an air bear shirt. I love the dude. But man, if you're the OC in the summer and that rug gets yanked out from under you and you're asked to do that, I I can't think of anything in my line of work that compares to say, do something that only four other guys have ever been able to pull off. And by the way, they had their guy for spring ball. Like, it's amazing. It is amazing. what happened last year, which has set up this year. now is there improvement to be made? Sure. But I I think the A Rod is excellent. And I think if we wanna keep winning at BYU, we gotta just get on the freaking A Rod train because you're gonna enjoy it more. And and I'm not saying you're gonna enjoy it because it's the style of offensive football you want, but we're gonna win. And gosh dang it, winning's a lot better than losing. I hate losing. So that that's my lengthened opening statement, I suppose. So Nate Crowley: No. Josh Crowley: go ahead and rebutton. Nate Crowley: That no, that's great. I'm gonna transplant you to our first episode of this podcast. It was August. Let me paint the picture for you. I tell you that against TCU, our defense is able to completely curb stomp TCU's offense, get multiple sacks, Tausilia Kana, Braxton Lindsay, and Jake Clifton each have sacks in that game. You th and I tell you that, you are not thinking, well that's a seven point ball game. And mind you, you wouldn't have believed me. Like l let's say I just described that and then said, or so one of these two things happened, that, or BIU gets in a shootout, you know, they run, you know, the s final scores forty-four, forty-five, two thousand five versus TCU is avenged, you know, whatever. And I told which is more believable. I think that both of us would have thought, yeah, the shootout seems way more likely than a slug out defensive battle against TCU. And I think the reason why I'm bringing that up is because my second point is we've seen Arod excel. We've seen 2020 offense. We've seen the offense against Georgia Tech last year, and we've seen the offense against Iowa State, who mind you, LJ gets hurt in that first quarter. And it's like BYU ends up putting up, was it forty forty plus points against Iowa State last year? And so it's like w Josh Crowley: Yeah. I some of that was pick six, but yeah. Nate Crowley: True, yes, there were some defensive yeah, there was at least one defensive score in that game. But it's like putting up thirty plus points as an offense when LJ goes down, and again, the conditions were crappy against TCU, so maybe that really is it. And after the game when Bear and everyone else is just saying that the ball was slimy, like you know, I I should probably give more grace there. I guess my point is We had frustrations with Brandon Dolman and frustrations with Ty Detmer when they were calling the plays at BYU. I was really too young to really remember the Croton years. yeah, I I mean two thousand five is like my sentient year as a BYU football fan. but I think when we felt frustrated during those years, it felt like that there was no hope. It just felt like we just had bad offense, for whatever reason, whether it was bad offensive line play, bad play calling, y whatever, it just felt like this is this isn't working. Like our offense is just flat out not good. And I think that's why I feel extra frustrated with Arod is because I know that he's good. I've seen his masterful p you know, game plans come together. Again, Georgia Tech's the most recent one that comes to mind because LJ was already out before the game, and I think Sione Moa was out either early in that game or already out because Jovessa De Mooney and Enoch Nawahine end up being our main running backs for that game. And then on third I think on the first drive of the game, Bear re-injures his ankle. So we went to Chucking the Rock, and guess what? We were amazing at it. Like, we'd we didn't we'd put up more points in that game because we s got a turnover. at the goal line or bear throws a pick in the end zone and then he also we get stopped at fourth and one from the goal line. There's 14 more points very easily put up in that game. And it's just like I feel like my frustration stems from a place of I know you're capable of doing this and you're actively choosing not to. And the way that I interpret it is I kept saying it in our texts on Saturday is he is convinced that if the there is any bit of rain and you throw a forward pass, it's like an automatic pick six for the other team the other way. I just feel like he calls the game that way and I I find that to be really frustrating. And again it maybe it's just my personality where it's just like to be more aggressive and I've never sat in an offensive coordinator's chair and so it's easy for me to say that. But I again that's I think where my rebuttal would be is that it's just we know he's capable of doing it. And he chooses not to, and that just drives me bonkers. Josh Crowley: Yeah. And I think that I if this weekend with beautiful conditions at home, if we saw a similar type play calling strategy that we saw, you know, if we were if we the offense was sluggish and we still weren't throwing it downfield, I think I would be able to get more on board with your argument. To me, it it was a multi step thing. It was losing LJ Feeling like LJ was going to be the workhorse in that game, that was the game plan, especially if the conditions were poor. Then he goes down. you're dealing with young offensive linemen and then Bears like, Coach, I can't grip the ball. And then it's kinda like, you know, you get the the one pick and it takes it all the way down to the ten, and I think that Arod's just like, We will not make that mistake. And we will just boring this game to death until we come out with the W. And that's essentially what he said on Coordinators Corner. And and again, I'm not saying it was fun. I'm not saying I'm going back and rewatching it either. But dang it, we got a a win. And and you know, again, I just I'm feeling pretty hopeful that we are gonna see high flying offense. We are I mean, I feel like we've already seen moments of Bear chucking the rock and I think he We're gonna continue to see it. And I do think I guess my only rebuttal to your rebuttal is just that I think that this coaching staff is really, really big on game plan. I I don't think that this coaching staff is ever really just like, well, this play worked against this other team, so let's just run it. Like we know how to run it. I think it's very much no. We don't think that play is gonna work against this team because we've scouted this D B that we would need to be bad and he's good. Right. Or we think that this is the weak point and this is how we're setting that up. And I think that maybe to your point, maybe sometimes you can just have more base passing plays that you feel like, yeah, regardless of what the defense brings, we should have somebody open on this play. Wha and I think that we have that in spades in running. That we feel like we can run the ball against a great run defense or a terrible run defense because of the our blocking scheme, because we're gonna get you confused with our motion, etc. etc. And maybe we maybe that is the argument. And so maybe your argument is against Fesi, right? Maybe Fessi is the passing game coordinator, hasn't been as creative in getting people going the wrong way and confused in the passing game. Arod Fessi, right, work together. anyway, that that's all I have to say. I'm just really trying to, and we're gonna get to this a little bit later in the show. I'm really trying to just enjoy being a BYU football fan instead of stressing being a BYU football fan. And to be totally clear, in the game I was calling for us to pass the ball. Like I was frustrated too, but I just think in retrospect I'm like Think the guy's pretty good at his job and I think that my fanhood is gonna be served more by just enjoying the ride and supporting him than it is calling for his head when dang it we're winning games. So anyway, did you have any wrapping, closing thoughts you wanted to throw in there? Nate Crowley: Yeah. Yeah, and maybe this is a cheap shot as far as our argument goes. But I I think that one of the things that comes to my mind is I'm gonna go back to a couple years. It's twenty twenty two, Bioy's playing at home against Baylor early in the season. And we end up winning that game. That's the Jake Oldroid missing a bunch of field goals over time that whole game. on the opening drive is the most successful drive, arguably until later in the game, late late in the game offensively for BYU. And we run a a fake screen out to the left and then Keanu Hill kinda runs up the sideline and throws it to him, tiptoes in you know, twelve, fifteen yard game. All the way up until overtime on the same part of the field, at the same end of the field, everything's the exact same. We run that that same play. It's successful again. And at post game, and I don't know if it was coordinators corner or wherever, but Arod referenced it and goes, Yeah, I was really nervous to call that because we had run it at the same spot of the field, at the same end of the field, basically the same down and distance, and I was really afraid. And I'm just like I I feel like he told his inner thoughts right there, where it's like he overthinks it. And I think that that's my frustration is like, dude, you've got ballers on this team. playmakers on this team, just let them go make plays. Like allow your boys to go make plays. And instead it just feels like if we had thrown a pick or turned the ball over and had gone to overtime and had gotten weird against TCU, it would have just been like the ultimate confirmation bias in his eyes, where it's just like, Yep, cheap. That's why you're not aggressive. That's why we should have just stuck to the run. And then I'll also say Kalani's a part of this conversation too because I think it was immediately post game and he said maybe we should have gone to the run game earlier and I was like, my gosh. Like no No He threw a fifty yard bomb at the end of half and he had a couple of throws that were, you know, down the field, one that I thought Legend Glasgow got PI'd on. And I'm just like, he could have thrown the ball. I don't know, make maybe we should just blame the equipment staff. Why can't we have the sixteen balls shown up, game ready balls, and just have them completely dry and anyway, obviously I'm being critical. But no, those are my last thoughts. Josh Crowley: all right, well tell us down in the comments where you fall. I'm I would be shocked if people are in my corner. I think I think that the court of public opinion has already found Arod guilty of being terrible. So you I was probably fighting an uphill battle there, but let me know. Let me know if I swayed you at all or if where you'd land on that. Okay. Got a little trivia challenge for Nate. Here. Nate Crowley: Okay. Josh Crowley: So we did this a week ago. Obviously Nate Crowley: Mm-hmm. Josh Crowley: didn't get posted. I'm gonna explain the game here in a minute, but it's eight questions. Nate went eight for eight with essentially no no trouble. So I've made it harder this time, I hope. and so we'll see. So here's the game. I'm gonna give you a year, and then I'm gonna give you either a number or a name. If I give you a number and You need to tell me who wore that number during that year. If I give you a name, you need to tell me what number that player wore during that year. Make sense? So Nate Crowley: Okay. Josh Crowley: we we've got eight rounds. and we're gonna start going more recent to further back, and then for the first four, and then we'll go the other direction for the last four. So we're starting with a year and a name, you give me a number. So play along, viewers. Pull out a a piece of paper, pause it if you need to, 'cause Nate's gonna get me quick. You're not gonna have a lot of time. tell me what number this player wore during this year. So two thousand eight, Michael Elisa. Nate Crowley: Whoa, freshman year, Michael Elisa. Wow, that's a that's devastating. I'm gonna say I mean know what number he wore after that, and I'm really struggling to think if he wore a different number other than that in two thousand eight. So I'm gonna go forty two. Josh Crowley: 42 is correct. Nate Crowley: Okay. Josh Crowley: I knew I was messing with your head there. Okay. 2006, Daniel Coates. Nate Crowley: Okay, immediately twenty was my guess. I'm just verifying in my brain. Yeah, I'm gonna go twenty. Josh Crowley: That's correct. Two for two. All right. Going further back in time, two thousand one, Justin Enna. Nate Crowley: Okay, immediately what came to my mind was fifty one. Yeah, I'm sick of my guns. I'm going fifty one. Josh Crowley: Incorrect. He was fifty-five. Very close. Nate Crowley: O Josh Crowley: Sorry, brother. Alright, I finally stumped you on one. Okay, I'm now going to two years before you were born, nineteen ninety Nate Crowley: Yeah. Josh Crowley: six, Brian Mackenzie. Nate Crowley: Okay. Wow, I am really drawing a blink on this. Brian Mackenzie. I gotta see it in my mind. My mind's eye. I'm gonna say Man, the thirties keep coming to my mind. I don't feel good about this, but I'm gonna go twenty-eight. Josh Crowley: Looks very similar, twenty. His number was twenty. Yeah, yep. I think Ronnie Jenkins Nate Crowley: I could have gotten that. Dang it. Dang it. Josh Crowley: was twenty one, right? So I think they were twenty and twenty one. Or am I wrong Nate Crowley: I think he's I thought he was sixteen. Josh Crowley: about that? yeah, Nate Crowley: I'm pretty sure he's sixteen. Josh Crowley: yeah, you're right, you're right. Okay. Shifting gears to a year and a number, you give me a name. And we're gonna Nate Crowley: Okay. Josh Crowley: we're gonna work back up towards modern day. So the Nate Crowley: Okay. Josh Crowley: year two thousand number one. Nate Crowley: yeah Josh Crowley: This is tough. Nate Crowley: No I think I got this. I think it's I actually don't know his first name. I think it's MacDonald Josh Crowley: Yes it is. Brian McDonald Ashford. Yep. Yep, yep. Nate Crowley: Who is it? Boron MacDonald. Okay. Okay. Josh Crowley: But I think that year he just went by Brian McDonald. I think Ashford came the next year. Nate Crowley: Okay. Josh Crowley: okay. Two thousand twelve, number ninety. Nate Crowley: I mean that's Bronson Cafusi. Josh Crowley: Correct. two thousand nineteen number seventeen. Nate Crowley: Number seventeen in twenty nineteen? Is that what you said? Josh Crowley: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Nate Crowley: froni laulu pututao. Which is funny Josh Crowley: That's right. Nate Crowley: because he wears he at least wore number one earlier in his career. I don't know if he wore anything else. I Josh Crowley: Correct. Nate Crowley: think he wore something else his freshman year, if I'm not mistaken, but Josh Crowley: I'm not sure. You would know better than me, clearly. okay, Nate Crowley: Ha ha ha Josh Crowley: and then your final challenge is I want two names that both wore this number Nate Crowley: Okay. Josh Crowley: in this year. So twenty twenty five, number thirteen. Nate Crowley: Okay, so this is last year. Josh Crowley: Last year, number thirteen. Nate Crowley: Last year who wore thirteen on offense and defense. Okay. st This is a good one. This is a good one. Hang on. Man, does Tausilia Kana wear 13? All of a sudden I'm second-guessing myself now. Okay. So Tausilia Kana Josh Crowley: Yeah. Yeah. So you got one. Nate Crowley: on defense and on offense. I'm gonna go. Bro, this is somebody deep on the depth chart. This is not and ma maybe not. Man, that face he made made me think that I'm It's so hard to get Mason Wake out of my head. That's just who's coming to my head Josh Crowley: Ha ha ha. Nate Crowley: over and over again. Wow, I'm embarrassed that this is taking me this long when it was last year. Man, did this person get hurt? Josh Crowley: Yes. Nate Crowley: person get hurt? Josh Crowley: Yes. Nate Crowley: see, that's what that's what it is. Okay. Pre-season or early season inch my gosh. This is Jojo Phillips. Golly, that took me a long time. Woof. Josh Crowley: You got it. There you go. It's all good. So, I mean, that's kind of a a twofer, but six for eight, man, that's really impressive, especially when several of these were Nate Crowley: Thanks. Josh Crowley: before you were two or three years Nate Crowley: Hehehe Josh Crowley: old. Okay. All right, Nate. So we're kinda getting mid season, you know, range. I don't when you call it truly mid season six games in, I guess, but kind of hinted and and I guess I'll I'll go first here and then you can kinda give us your hot take. I think that I am just I my BYU fanhood journey is always on this like Crazy roller coaster ride. And I am just like I think that I came into this season with expectations just so high. If you've watched any of our episodes, you know this. And I think I've already just been counting wins. And I think this last weekend was just a good reminder. Like listening to Coordinators Corner today and Kelly Papinga talking about like, man, I just I love a defensive slug fest. Like that was great. And Yeah, I was cheering, obviously when our when our defense was succeeding. It was fun to see QB pressure coming through. Obviously the pick was awesome. And we just shut down in so many ways. But I think as a fan, I was just like, Well, yeah, they suck and we're good. So like, let's get to offense and why does our offense suck right now? And it's like, man, like what a crappy outlook to have on like my biggest hobby, right? Like, that's just That's just not a fun way to watch football. And it doesn't mean I'm not allowed to ever feel any sort of negativity. fanhood in a lot of ways is positive and negative feelings. But I don't know. I'm just this was like a good reset for me. I'm trying to just like recognize hey, every season comes with up ups and downs. Probably not gonna win every game. Very few people do. And This is still super fun. This team is fun. The the guts that it took to win that game was awesome. And I was just watching the cut before we we hit record and those dudes were having a ball and it was fun still to see And so that's that's kinda how I'm trying to like reset. you had mentioned, Nate, that you've got kind of a hot take about where you're hoping this season goes and you have some I some thoughts on how we ultimately get to where you want us to be. So yeah, tell us tell us about what your your ideal Nate Crowley: Yeah. Josh Crowley: playing out of this season looks like. Nate Crowley: So for me I think that the pinnacle like moment for me as a BIU football fan would be a home playoff game. Like a playoff game at Laval Edwards Stadium just like makes my head explode with excitement. And so and I and the reason for that is because a and I'll just speak to this season. This isn't been hasn't been true for every season, but I feel good about our chances against virtually everybody in the country if they're in Laval Edward Stadium in December. Like I know that it'll be cold for BYU too, but I would love LSU or somebody like trying to come play in Laval Edward Stadium at elevation with you know, a little little dusting of snow on the ground, you know? I just think that would be awesome. So for me That's the goal in my mind. That that w that's better. And let me explain a little bit further. I would rather BYU be a one to two loss team and have a home playoff game. So basically that's seeds five, six, seven or eight, rather than be undefeated and be seeds one through four and then definitely prefer that over being seeds, you know, nine through twelve. an in an away setting. And so there's like this sweet spot. And I think the way that you achieve that sweet spot is by losing a conference game that doesn't matter. And so it's like, is that Baylor? Is that Cincinnati? Is it UCF? Is it Iowa State? You know, and it's like I I guess my hot take is I one hundred percent would take a loss to one of the teams I just listed, where it lines us up so that we're not h as highly ranked, still make the conference championship, and ideally probably still win the conference championship so that we're guaranteed to be in and we land somewhere in that five through eight range where the committee has to put us in, but really shouldn't penalize us too much for a loss that really didn't matter, you know, and puts us in that five through eight s scenario. So As the season evolves in you know, to contrast kind of how you're feeling, I'm still feeling really good. But yeah, I I'm never gonna cheer for the coux to lose, ever. It doesn't matter. You couldn't pay me there's no amount of money, honestly. Somebody could hand me a billion dollars and I probably am not cheering against my coux. I just really am not. So that's kind of where I'm at, and then I'll add upon what you were saying, which is I'm feeling great about where the team is at, even though we just had this whole debate about A Rod. And I think for me the Notre Dame game just comes at the most perfect spot in the season, in the sense that we've played Oklahoma in two thousand nine early in the season, had a big win against the third ranked team in the country, and it just felt, you know, so sky high. And then that season still turned out to be a great season, but it was not top ten, you know what I mean? And so I feel like coming at exactly halfway through the season, it's just perfect because we've been battle tested. We have some, you know, not just pre season hype paper tiger or pre season ranked for whatever reason that the universe thinks that we should be not the universe pollsters think we should be ranked. And so it's like for me, I think the Super Bowl is just getting through this Iowa State game with a win and being undefeated going into that Notre Dame game. And again, I don't I don't really know how I'm feeling about the Notre Dame game yet. We'll obviously talk all about it next week, but I think that getting to that game undefeated is just like not that we've accomplished everything that we want to this season, but that is like the first major milestone that this team needs to achieve to get there. And so like a the wins just stacking up make me feel like mid season how I'm feeling, kind of a gauge where I'm at. I'm just like, dude, that's hype. That that is just like the Super Bowl and the really the pinnacle of modern day BOE football will be that Notre Dame game. So Josh Crowley: For sure. It's gonna be incredible. I I cannot wait. It seems like we're lining up to have College Game Day there, and that's really ticking off all my neighbors in a C C country out here in Georgia. but they can suck it because it is high time that College Game Day makes a visit to Provo and let's just hope that it goes better than the only other visit that they made. but yeah, no, I I like your thought. I mean Yeah, I'm the same as you that it's like I can't bring myself to want a loss because I don't, but if the way things shake out lands us with a a a home playoff game, that'll be fantastic. I think that that would give us the best shot. I mean, I you know, I think winning a playoff game in Lavell Edwards Stadium would just be like the peak. It would be it would be incredible. So All right, Nate. We're gonna have a little fun here, couple three little segments to end the show. First one, this is kind of a callback to our very first episode, which by the way continues to get views. I think people really enjoyed our drafting BYU talking heads, which is awesome. And we continue to get comments. But I was watching Loyal Cougars today. Have you seen this week's episode? so loved it, Nate Crowley: Yeah. Josh Crowley: always love it. Jake Edmonds, Tosh McIntosh, they're just they're a great duo. but Jake Edmonds sometimes just fumbles on his BYU history in ways that are just mind-boggling to me for somebody who gets paid. To cover the kooks. It's just it's crazy to me. So he I just had to call out and I just I needed to get your response on this they were reviewing the TCU game. Tosh was talking about how refreshing it was to have a consistent pass rush and that man, it seems like this defense is approaching kind of Zigiansa, KVN defense levels of pressure and and consistency and pressure and then Jake goes to refer to said season and he goes, I'm trying to remember what year that was, twenty eighteen, twenty nineteen. And I'm like, Jake, Jake, I I get that we are sickos. I get that BYU Nate Crowley: Yeah. Josh Crowley: just lives in my mind. But you're not even in the right era of the coach that those guys would have been playing for. They played for Bronco Man and all twenty eighteen, twenty nineteen. that's Zach Wilson homie. That that that's the Tanner Megan to Zach Wilson transition. what are you on, my guy? Like for those that are Nate Crowley: Ha ha ha Josh Crowley: confused twenty twelve. He's minimum six years off. And again, maybe people don't like replay seasons through their minds and And categorize things. this is just what I do in the shower is like categorize the history of BYU football. But anyway, love you, Jake. If there's any chance that you're here, I'm thrilled that you're here. it just cracks me up that's little fun little callback to episode one. I knew that your head was gonna go to your hands when you heard that. still Love loyal cougars and will continue to be a loyal, loyal cougars fan. So anyway. all right. so we wanted to kind of try another little fun game to to end this episode. So those some of you may have seen this on Instagram, TikTok, whatever, Mind Meld. So we're gonna count down from three. We're both gonna throw out a word. In our case it's gonna be a a BYU centric word. so we'll both just come up with our own. Then using whatever two random words we come up with within the world of BYU football, we're gonna count down from three again and see if we can arrive at a different but s word, but the same, right? that the combination of those two leads us. And we'll just try to get it in as few rounds as possible and maybe we'll do this, I don't know, three rounds or something. See how hard it is to to arrive at a BYU mind meld. So get your get your first Okay. Nate Crowley: It's ready. It's locked and loaded. Josh Crowley: Okay, let's go. All right. Three, two, one, Tanner Mangum. Okay, Skyler Ridley, Tanner Mangum. Nate Crowley: Skylar Ridley. Okay. You said Tanner Tanner Mangum. I said Skylar Ridley. Josh Crowley: jeez. Okay, all right. Three sorry. Nate Crowley: Whoa whoa whoa whoa I'm not ready. Okay, I got one. Josh Crowley: Okay, three, two, one, Mitch Matthews. Let's freaking Nate Crowley: Mitch Matthews Let's go. Josh Crowley: go, bros. That's fantastic. my gosh. Okay. Nate Crowley: That's amazing. Josh Crowley: Well we're never gonna beat two rounds, but let's go for it again. Okay, let me think of one too. Nate Crowley: go again. Let me think one. Okay, I got one. I got one. Josh Crowley: Okay. Three, two, one, Rafa Araujo Nate Crowley: Uani Unga okay. Uani Unga Josh Crowley: Fatus Yo Uani Unga. Okay, I got one. Nate Crowley: Well whoa, that was fast. Yeah, I've got one. Josh Crowley: Okay. Three, two, one, Bronson Kaufusi Nate Crowley: Corbin Kaufusi Josh Crowley: Okay, okay, let's go. Okay. Three, Nate Crowley: Okay. Josh Crowley: two, one, Steve Kaufusi Nate Crowley: Devin Kaufusi Josh Crowley: no. Now we're done for. Okay, Nate Crowley: Dang. Josh Crowley: alright. Nate Crowley: Okay. Josh Crowley: Three, two, one, mayor kafusi. Nate Crowley: Isaiah I k I thought of their sister, but I don't know her name. Is that who it is? Josh Crowley: I don't know her name either. no, I said mayor. Their mom is the mayor. I don't I don't I don't I don't know her first name. Nate Crowley: Other ball mayor Kaufusi And I said Isaiah Josh Crowley: Dude, that's hilarious that we went Bronson and Corbin after after Rafa and Nate Crowley: man, I felt good about Corbin too. Josh Crowley: Uani Unga That's incredible. Well, I don't think we're gonna Nate Crowley: Okay, well there's one there's one c yeah, there's one correct answer now. Isaiah Kaufusi Josh Crowley: I went Mayor Kaufusi and Isaiah Kaufusi Okay, alright. Three, two, one, ace kafusi. Nate Crowley: Okay. Jackson. Isaiah's brother! Ugh, there's too many Kaufusi Josh Crowley: Boy, where does where does I mean, do we want to go one more round and on a end on a win? Okay, let me Nate Crowley: Yeah well yeah yeah yeah that's another win. I've got one. Josh Crowley: Alright, I got one too. Three, Nate Crowley: Okay. Josh Crowley: two, one, JJ DiLuigi Nate Crowley: Chase Fisher Okay. Josh Crowley: man. Nate Crowley: JJ DiLuigi and Chase Fisher. Josh Crowley: Islam. Nate Crowley: I got one. Okay. Josh Crowley: Three, two, one, Jimmer Fredette Dang it. Nate Crowley: Matt Carlino. They were in that same era, again, referencing Josh Crowley: curly though. Yeah. Nate Crowley: our lives. JJ DiLuigi and Chase Fisher all played around that Jimmer area. Okay, so we've got Jimmer and Matt Carlino are our two. Josh Crowley: Yeah. hang on, hang on, I gotta think of my guy's name. it came to me. Okay. Three, Nate Crowley: Okay. Okay. Josh Crowley: two, one, Alex Barcello. Dang Nate Crowley: Logan Magnuson. Josh Crowley: it. Nate Crowley: Logan Magnuson meets Alex Barcello. Mm. Josh Crowley: Yeah. Nate Crowley: I can't even think of his first name that I'm trying think of. Josh Crowley: I don't know. I I'm wondering if we're thinking of the same person. So just say the last name. All right. Nate Crowley: okay. Josh Crowley: Three, two, one, Anderson. Dang it. Nate Crowley: Lee That's funny we were on the same wavelength though crappy big man that cost Josh Crowley: Yes. Nate Crowley: us seasons okay okay no j Josh Crowley: Yeah, w was it Matt Anderson? No. Jason Anderson? Nate Crowley: no no James Anderson and and what was Josh Crowley: James Anderson. That's it. Nate Crowley: Lee's first name what was that Josh Crowley: I can't I think Nate Crowley: number forty Mark Pope era shot threes ran down the floor like this Ha ha ha. Josh Crowley: Why can't I think of who you're talking about? W L E E? Nate Crowley: He had just crazy back yes, he had a crazy back knee. You know he did. Anyway. Josh Crowley: I don't know who we talk you're not talking about the Egyptian magician. Nate Crowley: No! VYU basketball, I'm looking it up. There's a correct answer after this that to mind meld us. twenty twenty. Josh Crowley: crap, Nate Crowley: Or maybe Josh Crowley: dude. You're gonna be so disappointed in me. Lee and Nate Crowley: No, you know this. Colby Lee. Josh Crowley: Colby Lee. that's right. The Idaho state boy. Nate Crowley: Yeah. Josh Crowley: okay. Alright, I I don't know if this is where you're headed, but three Nate Crowley: Yes, it okay, just come on. No, no, no, not yet. Okay, you're thinking crappy big men for BYU basketball. Josh Crowley: Yeah I don't know if crappy's the first word, but okay. Three, Nate Crowley: Okay. Josh Crowley: two, one, Matt Harms. Nate Crowley: Luke Worthington. Josh Crowley: of course, Luke Worthington. Nate Crowley: Of course. Josh Crowley: in my wife's student word. Okay, well Nate Crowley: Yeah. Josh Crowley: first round was a true mind meld, but Nate Crowley: Incredible. Yeah. Josh Crowley: I don't think I don't think I have enough crappy big men Alright, well let's quickly endate with an update on where we're at with our score prediction game that we've got going on. so even though we didn't post last week, we did record last week, so I did have our our guesses I guess thirty one thirty cubs, you guessed twenty seven seventeen cubes. neither one of us was close enough to either score to get more than just the ten points. so over the The whole season so far, our updated scores are Nate with seventy three points, and I've got sixty-five. So you're leading by eight. so Iowa State, kind of big question mark, where's where's your head at as far as score prediction going into this one? Nate Crowley: I'm with ya. This is this is a really hard score prediction to come up with to be honest. I'd believe anything if you told me. I'm gonna go thirty four to sixteen. don't see them putting up tons of points. I think the Kooks do rebound. Like you said, good weather, you know, chuck the rock a little bit more, hopefully Friday night against the Couggs, it's hard to beat us, so Josh Crowley: Yeah, I'll apologize to elder Christopherson for even bringing up the spread, but I think it's a ten ish point spread right now. I I feel like a Friday night at Lavelle with the offense kind of wanting to come out and show the country like that was not us. I think we run away with it. I'm still gonna give them I'm gonna say twenty twenty-four. but I think we hang forty five on I I'm gonna say forty-five, twenty-four, hopefully that lands me catching you a little bit in this in this little challenge that we've got. So, well brother, even if we don't see eye to eye on A Rod, love the crap out of ya. Love doing this. Hope that this was fun for everybody else. please tell us in the comments what your score prediction is, where you stand on the A Rod debate, where we totally missed on our mind meld, Nate Crowley: Thank you. Josh Crowley: and how you enjoy BYU football. with the ups and the downs. How how do you manage? And is mate crazy for thinking that maybe a loss to a rando team in the middle of the season could land us at kind of the ideal. kind of a crazy take. But the more you say it to me, whether on the show or not, the more I'm like, got a point. Kids got a point. So anyway, Tugger fans, love you. Joe Kooks for life, baby.