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Turnovers & Triumph · Talkin' Tech

0:40
SPEAKER_01: Welcome in, everybody, to the Talkin Tech Podcast.
0:43
SPEAKER_01: I'm your host, Steven Rodriguez.
0:44
SPEAKER_01: My co-host, Tristan McGonagall, is here.
0:47
SPEAKER_01: Tristan, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, are undefeated.
0:52
SPEAKER_01: Five and O.
0:54
SPEAKER_06: Indeed, Steven.
0:55
SPEAKER_06: We are five and oh for two times in a row in year-wise.
1:01
SPEAKER_06: I think that's a I think that is a history in Texas Tech football program right there.
1:06
SPEAKER_01: I would say so.
1:07
SPEAKER_01: Uh Julie McGuire, first coach, or fastest coach to 40 wins in school history.
1:14
SPEAKER_01: Um Tristan, I think I'm gonna come off as a hater in this episode.
1:21
SPEAKER_01: No, I think I am.
1:23
SPEAKER_01: I've already I've seen my notes, I've gone through what I want to say in my head during this episode, and I think by the end of it, people are gonna call me a hater.
1:33
SPEAKER_01: And I've just accepted that, and that's okay.
1:35
SPEAKER_06: Look, I will bounce you out by sounding like a moron, A, like I always do, but B, I I'm pretty sure my opening sentence was barely grammaric grammatically correct.
1:45
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, it didn't make a lot of sense.
1:46
SPEAKER_06: It didn't make a lot of sense as I was putting it out there, so it's not a great start.
1:51
SPEAKER_01: Um Justin, before I get too negative, before I start talking about the things that are on my mind, we need to do a thing.
2:00
SPEAKER_01: Because the Texas Tech Red Raiders won a football game, and what is it that we do?
2:04
SPEAKER_06: We we play the song, and we're undefeated, by the way.
2:06
SPEAKER_01: We play the song.
2:31
SPEAKER_06: You're just gonna bring bring down the vibe, Steven.
2:33
SPEAKER_06: I would like to remind you and the treasure listeners, who know already, of course, that the TechSech Red Raiders are 5-0, undefeated, and 2-0 in conference play, including a win on the road.
2:45
SPEAKER_06: So I feel like your criticisms might ring a little hollow whenever you look at the numbers on the paper, my friend.
2:54
SPEAKER_01: Can I say something?
2:55
SPEAKER_01: Can I get started?
2:57
SPEAKER_06: This is uh this is not an audio medium, so you can't.
3:01
SPEAKER_01: Listen, guy.
3:04
SPEAKER_01: There's two ends of the spectrum that we see of Red Raider fans, and this isn't just Texas Tech fans, this is all fandom.
3:12
SPEAKER_06: No, we're special, we're we're different.
3:14
SPEAKER_01: We have very strong opinions as Texas Tech Red Raider fans.
3:20
SPEAKER_01: One end of the spectrum, you could call what I like to call sunshine pumpers.
3:26
SPEAKER_01: The ones where Texas Tech can do no wrong.
3:30
SPEAKER_01: In win or in loss, I root for the team, and I will never say anything bad about it.
3:38
SPEAKER_06: Are you is that are you subtweeting me?
3:40
SPEAKER_01: No.
3:42
SPEAKER_01: No.
3:44
SPEAKER_01: The other end of the spectrum, I call the Doomers.
3:48
SPEAKER_01: The ones that no matter what the Texas Tech Red Raiders do, it's not enough.
3:54
SPEAKER_01: It's not good enough.
3:56
SPEAKER_01: We're going to fall eventually.
3:59
SPEAKER_01: It's just bad news all the time.
4:01
SPEAKER_01: And maybe they had an opinion about how we weren't gonna be as good.
4:05
SPEAKER_01: Maybe they didn't believe in Will Hammond.
4:07
SPEAKER_01: Maybe they still don't believe in Joey Maguire, despite him winning a Big 12 championship and uh already a spot in the college football playoff.
4:15
SPEAKER_01: There's two ends of the spectrum.
4:17
SPEAKER_01: Me personally, I like to be right here in the middle for the most part.
4:24
SPEAKER_01: I think I saw a lot after the Colorado game of more of the Sunshine Pumper than the Doomer.
4:33
SPEAKER_01: That's what I think so.
4:34
SPEAKER_01: That's what I noticed.
4:35
SPEAKER_01: I did.
4:36
SPEAKER_06: I don't know, man.
4:37
SPEAKER_06: I feel like I saw the opposite.
4:38
SPEAKER_01: No, no, no.
4:39
SPEAKER_01: The next day.
4:41
SPEAKER_01: During the game, usually it's doom and gloom.
4:44
SPEAKER_01: Everybody's like, oh my god, this is the worst thing in the world.
4:47
SPEAKER_01: You know, when people are live tweeting about the game, it's usually miserable.
4:52
SPEAKER_01: It has been at least this season.
4:54
SPEAKER_01: But come Sunday, it was like, why is everybody so mad all the time?
4:59
SPEAKER_01: You know, we're 5-0.
5:01
SPEAKER_01: Remember when we had Matt Wells and we were just hoping to be, you know, bull eligible?
5:06
SPEAKER_06: And I get that valid points.
5:08
SPEAKER_01: I get that.
5:09
SPEAKER_01: Listen, we both came in in 2014 and won four games.
5:12
SPEAKER_01: We've already won more than that this season.
5:13
SPEAKER_01: We're not even halfway through.
5:15
SPEAKER_01: So I think you can understand that where you came from and what we don't want to go back to, and also understand that we have higher expectations now these days, as Texas Heck fans.
5:27
SPEAKER_01: We have now won a Big 12 championship, we have now made it to the college football playoff, and we talked all that shit in the offseason, and we're out here underperforming so far in 2026, especially in this game.
5:43
SPEAKER_01: So I just want everybody to realize two things can be true.
5:48
SPEAKER_01: We can be happy with being 5-0 and undefeated, and we can also be frustrated with how the Texas Tech Red Raiders have played football.
5:58
SPEAKER_01: What what are your thoughts?
5:59
SPEAKER_06: Um, you know, I I I I I get what you're saying.
6:02
SPEAKER_06: I do.
6:03
SPEAKER_06: And but I think myself, whatever I'm speaking for myself, I think I've been recalibrating what this season is.
6:13
SPEAKER_06: Because I see what you're saying.
6:16
SPEAKER_06: You are talking about this idea that we came in from the offseason about how this was supposed to look, and now we are frustrated that it's not unfolding the way it was described to have done so in the off-season, right?
6:28
SPEAKER_06: Um, but particularly the we're gonna be throwing it up while we're still 40 uh points ahead of you, throwing it all over your ass.
6:35
SPEAKER_06: None of that has happened.
6:37
SPEAKER_06: And look, I I think I mean I think we uh that fired us all up.
6:42
SPEAKER_01: I think some of us were like, oh, let's uh let's uh take it easy.
6:45
SPEAKER_01: Let's let's kind of settle down there, Cody Campbell.
6:48
SPEAKER_06: Let's settle down there, bud.
6:49
SPEAKER_06: But I mean he can say whatever he wants, of course, but um I I I do understand the the hesitance to allow yourself to be pleased with the results, with like you said, with the way the expectations of the program are at this point, and along with the way uh the dialogue was happening in the offseason.
7:07
SPEAKER_06: But I think we do have to be honest with ourselves that there are a few things that are drastically different about the season, not only just from last season, but from the off-season.
7:16
SPEAKER_06: Like there is a glaring difference as to what this team was supposed to be um whenever you talk about particularly the offense, um, about how the season was supposed to unfold.
7:28
SPEAKER_06: And so I I get that, but Steven, I'm gonna push back on you a little bit.
7:34
SPEAKER_06: I personally am not so caught up with how you win, but if you do.
7:41
SPEAKER_06: Um, because ultimately I'm more of a if you win, you win.
7:46
SPEAKER_06: Like it's you you can't punish a team for for winning, ultimately.
7:50
SPEAKER_06: Um so if you get if you're gonna if it's gonna be like uh let's just figure it out every single Saturday, and you do that to a 12-0 record, how mad can you be?
7:59
SPEAKER_06: You know what I mean?
8:01
SPEAKER_01: My thoughts are that you're not 12-0.
8:05
SPEAKER_01: You're 5-0, and you've started off in the win column as best as you could.
8:10
SPEAKER_01: I understand.
8:12
SPEAKER_01: If you played anybody but a dog shit Colorado team on Saturday, if you even play a mid-tier Big 12 team, I don't know if you win on Saturday.
8:24
SPEAKER_01: I Houston not looking great over the last few weeks.
8:29
SPEAKER_06: They haven't lost outside of our game.
8:32
SPEAKER_01: They haven't looked great.
8:34
SPEAKER_01: They didn't look great against UCF.
8:37
SPEAKER_01: They managed to win.
8:38
SPEAKER_01: And I get it, winning is a talent, I guess.
8:43
SPEAKER_01: I just don't like I'm like, does it not matter that we played horrible for three-fourths of this football game?
8:48
SPEAKER_01: Like, are we just supposed to look at the final score and be like, oh, we won 29-7, whatever?
8:52
SPEAKER_01: I think it's supposed to help.
8:54
SPEAKER_01: Or are we okay with having a little criticism for the first three quarters of the movie?
8:58
SPEAKER_06: No, dude, I mean, this whole podcast is going to be about the way we underperformed in the Colorado game.
9:05
SPEAKER_06: Yeah.
9:05
SPEAKER_06: This is arguably the worst team in the Big 12.
9:09
SPEAKER_06: We won't know that until the end of the season, of course, but it's shaping up to be a really bad Big 12 team.
9:15
SPEAKER_06: Um, but a few things to remember is A, you are still in the early half of the season.
9:22
SPEAKER_06: You'd hope that you would have figured some things out by now, but there are certainly some things you have to flatten out and iron out.
9:29
SPEAKER_06: Uh most glaringly, the offense is putrid.
9:34
SPEAKER_06: It's putrid.
9:35
SPEAKER_06: Um and you're we're we we could we could spend 30 minutes, and I'm sure we will discussing why we think that's the case.
9:42
SPEAKER_06: But just something to remember um A, so slow starts have been a thing all season.
9:48
SPEAKER_06: That's not an excuse, but it's just it's it's a pattern, so it's not a new thing to be mad about.
9:53
SPEAKER_06: But B, it's it was still a road game.
9:56
SPEAKER_06: It was probably the most hostile environment you played in this year.
9:59
SPEAKER_06: Actually, not probably, it most certainly was the most hostile environment you played this year.
10:03
SPEAKER_06: And I'm of the opinion that whenever you're on the road in conference play, it's uh it's a just win, baby, situation.
10:12
SPEAKER_06: I think you get more frustrated with the lack of fireworks whenever you're not comfortably at home.
10:18
SPEAKER_06: But whenever you're on the road, I think it's just like get in there and get out, especially in the pack stadium, in my opinion.
10:26
SPEAKER_01: Not against Colorado.
10:29
SPEAKER_01: I looked at that team and I said, wow, they're bad.
10:34
SPEAKER_01: Like bad, bad.
10:35
SPEAKER_01: They're poorly coached.
10:36
SPEAKER_01: That's been evident.
10:39
SPEAKER_01: Deion Sanders has done a bad job at Colorado.
10:42
SPEAKER_01: And if he does not have a Heisman caliber player and Shador playing quarterback, he's not getting it done.
10:48
SPEAKER_01: Did you know that they don't have a special teams coach?
10:51
SPEAKER_01: They just don't have one.
10:52
SPEAKER_06: Wait, at all?
10:53
SPEAKER_01: At all.
10:54
SPEAKER_06: They didn't hire the guy?
10:55
SPEAKER_01: No, they didn't hire one.
10:57
SPEAKER_06: They don't have anyone assigned to that position.
10:59
SPEAKER_01: They don't they don't have a special teams coach.
11:01
SPEAKER_01: That's a year in the year 2026 at the biggest institution in the state of Colorado for college athletics.
11:12
SPEAKER_06: Is that a failure on Dion, you think?
11:17
SPEAKER_01: I mean it has to be he hires the staff.
11:19
SPEAKER_06: Right.
11:20
SPEAKER_06: But I just like I wonder like, is that a a like a vertical alignment issue from the Colorado A athletic department?
11:27
SPEAKER_06: Or is that but uh to me that scene sounds more like Dion uh is a behind the game on like what kind of coaches you need to have, or B did not allocate his budget to have his special teams coach.
11:39
SPEAKER_01: He hires his buddies to coach with him.
11:44
SPEAKER_01: He I listened to the post-game press conference.
11:47
SPEAKER_01: It has to be awful to work in the Colorado media asking Deion Sanders questions because he tries to answer them, he he cuts them off, he tries to answer them, he doesn't give answers, he just does a little turnaround and blames media for everything.
12:03
SPEAKER_01: And I I mean I can't think of a more incompetent coach in the Big 12 right now than Deion Sanders.
12:09
SPEAKER_01: I really can't.
12:10
SPEAKER_01: And he's the highest paid coach in the Big 12.
12:13
SPEAKER_01: Is he highest paid?
12:15
SPEAKER_06: The more than Kali Sataki than Joey Maguire.
12:18
SPEAKER_01: More than Joey Maguire.
12:19
SPEAKER_01: He's the highest paid coach in the Big 12 right now.
12:22
SPEAKER_06: Wow.
12:22
SPEAKER_06: Higher than Kenny as well.
12:24
SPEAKER_06: That's nutty.
12:26
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
12:27
SPEAKER_01: And um that team looks disjointed, does not look together, does not look confident in any aspect, except for uh the one defensive lineman who had the game of his life against Texas Tech.
12:44
SPEAKER_01: I look at that Colorado team and I'm like, you should have beat them by 50.
12:51
SPEAKER_01: And back to the offense.
12:55
SPEAKER_01: Yikes.
12:56
SPEAKER_01: I mean what what a what a horrible showing from the offense for the first three quarters of this game.
13:04
SPEAKER_01: And you know, the the slow starts are they need to get fixed because it's been every game, it's been every single game this season.
13:13
SPEAKER_01: The the team has come out with low energy, lack of communication.
13:16
SPEAKER_01: It's like the mental coming out of the locker room is just not there.
13:22
SPEAKER_01: And I can't I don't think they can keep getting away with this when we start playing really good teams.
13:31
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, yeah, no, that uh we we've been saying that every week, and thankfully your defense has held it down.
13:39
SPEAKER_06: Now, I know a lot of people are probably yelling at their speaker, going like the defense hasn't been very good either.
13:43
SPEAKER_06: And sure, maybe not in the first quarter, the defense hasn't they did that a great game.
13:47
SPEAKER_06: It's not like uh it's it's not like they've been uh 20 uh tech 25 defense all game, every every game.
13:55
SPEAKER_06: Um, but to their credit, the Shieldwood's credit, is they figure it out, dude.
14:00
SPEAKER_06: They lock in and they figure it out.
14:02
SPEAKER_06: And they are why we are winning these games, not only just from a holding the opponent below your score, you know, that's the whole point of the game, um, but in the sense that they will jump start your scoreboard.
14:15
SPEAKER_06: They're they're responsible for a lot of our points this season on pick sixes at this point.
14:20
SPEAKER_06: Um, and it's awesome to see as a fan, of course, those are some of the most fun touchdowns you get to see.
14:25
SPEAKER_06: Um, but it it does become quite embarrassing to watch your defensive unit, whose job is to stop them from scoring, end up being the spark plug for points on your board when the offense is supposed to be the one doing that.
14:39
SPEAKER_06: Um, and so it's it's become incredibly frustrating to just watch the lethargy of your offense.
14:47
SPEAKER_06: There's zero juice, zero spark, zero belief in anybody out there, it seems.
14:55
SPEAKER_06: And I must say, Steven, gotta be the worst offensive line performance of the season, correct?
15:01
SPEAKER_01: Correct.
15:02
SPEAKER_06: It was abysmal.
15:04
SPEAKER_06: You're letting Colorado, a team full of little guys, look, I'm uh me, I'm a huge guy.
15:12
SPEAKER_06: I'm I know what I know I know what a little guy is because I'm so big.
15:17
SPEAKER_06: But like we're talking small dudes bullying your offensive line and getting to Will or making Will uh pressure and rush his uh his passes.
15:26
SPEAKER_06: So just a which of course was ended up in a uh season low passing yardage from from our boy Willie.
15:32
SPEAKER_06: So it was pretty putrid all around.
15:36
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I would say so.
15:38
SPEAKER_01: Uh the problem with the offense, I wrote three things down.
15:42
SPEAKER_01: One was the offensive line, it's just been extremely inconsistent.
15:46
SPEAKER_01: The interior line got obliterated against Colorado.
15:51
SPEAKER_01: And no, it's not because Colorado's sneaky good.
15:56
SPEAKER_01: They were bad.
15:57
SPEAKER_01: Jordan Church was bad, Sheridan Wilson was bad.
16:01
SPEAKER_01: You know, Cash Cleveland had bad moments, Jacob Pondon has had really, really bad moments at the right tackle spot.
16:09
SPEAKER_01: It's so inconsistent and disappointing for this group to be as to have such a poor performance on the road because this was a unit that you know we were going in the season thinking this was going to be one of the better ones, um, you know, at least in recent tech history.
16:28
SPEAKER_01: And it just hasn't shown up.
16:30
SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, I think you can point at Howard Sampson and be pretty happy with what you got at your left tackle, but and and Cash Cleveland obviously, you know, had some moments coming in in the uh I think it was the Houston game that he finally kind of broke out.
16:45
SPEAKER_01: But, you know, for a guy like Sheridan Wilson, who's been a four or five-year starter here at Texas Tech, to have that sort of performance, Jordan Church, who was pretty highly touted coming out of Louisville, um, and then Ponton, who you were hoping was gonna take the next step, it's just really, really sad to see the push that opposing defensive lines are getting on us.
17:09
SPEAKER_01: Um the second one I put could be the first, but play calling.
17:18
SPEAKER_01: It's no secret.
17:19
SPEAKER_01: It's been poor.
17:21
SPEAKER_01: Mac Leftwich has uh not had a great start to the year.
17:24
SPEAKER_01: Uh, I think you point to the obvious example of both of the fourth and one situations that you had.
17:33
SPEAKER_01: You know, you line up a running back in the shotgun instead of lining up somebody under center for a yard.
17:39
SPEAKER_01: You need a yard.
17:40
SPEAKER_01: You're not confident in this offense to get a single yard when you need it.
17:44
SPEAKER_01: And I think my biggest fear is the lack of adjustments in the game.
17:53
SPEAKER_01: Um like I understand having a game plan, but the explanation from Joey Maguire on those fourth and one, you know, going with the same exact play twice was we ran that play in previous weeks and it worked with Cam Dickey.
18:11
SPEAKER_01: Cam Dickey was not a part of either one of those because he was hurt.
18:15
SPEAKER_01: He went out of the game with a high ankle sprain, and to not adjust to the personnel on the field and to just go with it anyway on a fourth and one when Jacoby is not the same type of runner.
18:30
SPEAKER_01: Quentin Joyner has obviously had you know a pretty disappointing start to the year.
18:35
SPEAKER_01: That's the stuff he did, he had some bright spots, but uh, it's that's the stuff that I fear is that they just go in with the same plan, they're not willing to adjust on the fly.
18:46
SPEAKER_01: Because this football game, there are so many different factors that happen throughout a game, and you need to adjust, and you need to adjust and make those quick decisions.
18:56
SPEAKER_01: And if you're just gonna ride it out, I I mean it's yikes.
19:01
SPEAKER_06: I fear that's that's from an uh a lack of experience at the OC position.
19:05
SPEAKER_06: Like Mac's a young guy, he hasn't he hasn't he's not been calling games in big time moments for very long.
19:12
SPEAKER_06: Um, and you wonder if he was spoiled last year with you know a much better roster on that side of the ball, it seems, which is funny because we were kind of coming into this uh into this year expecting a better offense versus last year.
19:25
SPEAKER_06: But I think it's becoming evident that last year's offense was indeed better for a few reasons, um, which were probably pretty controversial if you actually lay it out there.
19:32
SPEAKER_06: Um but I do wonder like if if he if if the lack of adjustments comes from a lack of experience.
19:39
SPEAKER_06: Like if he's of the mind, like you know, ultimate preparation is the ultimate uh weapon rather than no in in in football or in sports in general, life in general, it's more important.
19:51
SPEAKER_06: Sure, preparation's great, but you have to be flexible, you have to be able to react to a moment as life comes.
19:58
SPEAKER_06: So I worry if the one-dimensionalness, as you are alluding to, comes from a lack of experience and maybe a lack of Joey not I I know he's a I know he's a he's a GM.
20:12
SPEAKER_06: Like I know he's he acts more as a coaching CEO than perhaps a play caller.
20:18
SPEAKER_06: But I do wonder, like, does Joey need to start pushing his hands into that playbook a little more?
20:25
SPEAKER_06: In the sense of like, look, it's it's fourth and inches.
20:29
SPEAKER_06: Don't you think the head coach should probably be giving some thumbs ups?
20:34
SPEAKER_06: Maybe uh because I've I feel like ultimately in moments like that, it does come down to your head coach.
20:39
SPEAKER_06: Um bec otherwise, you know, it's just you're gonna run into a guy who's who's just stuck spinning his wheels like Mac was.
20:46
SPEAKER_06: Um and it's just what I was really frustrated with the offense, speaking of the Mac left which in the play calling was it just feels like you're being too cute.
20:54
SPEAKER_06: You're trying to be too creative.
20:56
SPEAKER_06: Whenever you have better players in Colorado, why can't you keep it simple?
21:00
SPEAKER_06: Why can't you just run the dang ball with simple runs and just do some quick slants?
21:06
SPEAKER_06: Just do some quick passing plays and get the ball rolling.
21:09
SPEAKER_06: Why do we have to sit here and be cute?
21:11
SPEAKER_06: Is my is my question.
21:14
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
21:15
SPEAKER_01: Um I think to your point, I think there is a lack of experience with it.
21:22
SPEAKER_01: The best play callers in this sport are ones who can adjust, are ones who have backup plans on backup plans on backup plans in case something happens.
21:31
SPEAKER_01: It's a violent game, guys get hurt.
21:34
SPEAKER_01: You have to learn to adjust.
21:36
SPEAKER_01: The talent on this team, you know, you came in with three solid running backs, you lost your best one, or you lost, you know, Cam Dickey, who's one of your best ones.
21:44
SPEAKER_01: You know, you gotta adjust.
21:46
SPEAKER_01: You gotta make sure, you know, you gotta get Will comfortable.
21:49
SPEAKER_01: I think he's done a really poor job of getting Will comfortable and getting him going early on in the game.
21:56
SPEAKER_01: I don't think his play calls have been consistent enough with him.
22:00
SPEAKER_01: And, you know, my number three here is, you know, Will Hammond's been inconsistent.
22:04
SPEAKER_01: You know, it's taken him a long time to find his flow.
22:07
SPEAKER_01: I think a lot of that has to do with Matt Clefwich, but I think a lot of that really has to do with the guy who didn't play this past Saturday in Tommy Castellanos.
22:20
SPEAKER_01: And listen, the Kentucky Court of Appeals, it kind of threw the whole team off on Friday, you know, announcing that he was uh, you know, he they reversed his eligibility waiver that he received earlier in the season to play this year.
22:34
SPEAKER_01: Um the new hearing is not scheduled now until the 14th of October, so likely going to miss the Arizona State game even after the bye for sure.
22:43
SPEAKER_01: But my issue continues to be with how the staff has decided to go about it with him.
22:50
SPEAKER_01: Because I think it has affected Will in the process.
22:53
SPEAKER_01: But, you know, you as a college football coach, you're understanding the landscape of things.
23:01
SPEAKER_01: You're seeing everything that's happening with basketball, you're seeing guys get granted a waiver, get it taken away.
23:06
SPEAKER_01: Get granted a waiver, get taken away.
23:08
SPEAKER_01: Tommy Castellanos was granted a waiver a week before the season.
23:12
SPEAKER_01: You decided to take a chance on him.
23:15
SPEAKER_01: Why, why do you involve him so much in the game plan when you know you don't know if he's going to be a part of this team.
23:25
SPEAKER_01: He may not be a part of this team for the rest of the year.
23:29
SPEAKER_01: And yet you went up kind of full set in on him being a part of this offense.
23:34
SPEAKER_01: That's on the staff for doing that.
23:37
SPEAKER_01: Like I said, if we brought in Castellanos as a true backup, and he only came in when Will either could can't play physically, or you know, you're destroying a team and then you throw in your backups, I think if you went that route with him, great.
23:53
SPEAKER_01: Give him the second team reps, give Will all the red zone, you know.
23:57
SPEAKER_01: He's gotta go through it, man.
23:59
SPEAKER_01: Like he's not he has almost little to no red zone opportunities this season in live reps.
24:07
SPEAKER_01: And now no Castellanos, so you gotta go with Will.
24:12
SPEAKER_01: Oh wait, we didn't practice anything with Will.
24:15
SPEAKER_01: We practiced red zone stuff with with Tommy this whole time.
24:19
SPEAKER_01: And now he's not there.
24:22
SPEAKER_01: So I think this is a complete fault of the staff on how they've approached this, and I think it has affected Will Hammond.
24:32
SPEAKER_06: Well, it's not even just that.
24:33
SPEAKER_06: I I I do think that Will Hammond has not been fooling himself, like fooling himself regardless of the situation with with uh Castellanos and all that as well.
24:41
SPEAKER_06: Um I do think the kid is still rehabbing physically and mentally.
24:46
SPEAKER_06: Like, sure, uh, you know, these injuries heal a lot faster, but that kid isn't running like he used to.
24:52
SPEAKER_06: And I know a part of that is the new training, um, but he's not playing as confident as he was as uh Barron Morton's backup.
25:01
SPEAKER_06: Um I I don't know if some of that is like I'm the backup of go out there and improve my stuff, show my stuff, you know, say show that, show this fan base, show my the coaching staff and my team that I'm ready to be the QB1 when I'm needed to be.
25:12
SPEAKER_06: Um and now that I'm the QB1, I'm playing a little cautiously to protect my position, you know, trying to be over over analyzing the field, not trying to make any mistakes, just try to be a game manager.
25:22
SPEAKER_06: But I think we all expected Will Hammond to come in and kind of be a baller, like a gamer, a kid that just went out there and slung it and then uh sprinted down the field when he needed to.
25:31
SPEAKER_06: And we haven't really seen that.
25:33
SPEAKER_06: And the kid could drop a dime, and he did drop dimes.
25:35
SPEAKER_06: Um wherever he gets real comfortable and just let him see it let loose, it's it's a beautiful ball.
25:39
SPEAKER_06: Um, but I just that just it's all assumption and it's all just uh hearsay.
25:47
SPEAKER_06: But to me, I I don't look at a kid and say that kid looks fully healthy, that kid looks fully per mentally prepared to play this football game.
25:55
SPEAKER_06: Um and it's just I know there's a billion different tangibles that go into making a quarterback at a powerful uh D1 football school play well.
26:04
SPEAKER_06: Um, but you know, between the O-line, the play calling, and the situations off the field and as well as his own dang body, I just don't know if things are lining up for him properly for him to play at his best.
26:16
SPEAKER_01: I don't think it's been a physical setback for him.
26:20
SPEAKER_01: I you've we've seen him take off in moments.
26:22
SPEAKER_01: We've seen Will Hammond, you know, in some of the bigger plays where he looks like himself again.
26:28
SPEAKER_01: He needs to go through that.
26:30
SPEAKER_01: He needs to go through the tough moments, he needs to fail a little bit, he needs to throw an interception, he needs to do this.
26:36
SPEAKER_01: Like I understood when Joey was talking all that and saying he needs to take shots, and then when he took shots and he threw some interceptions, he's like, I'm glad he took shots.
26:44
SPEAKER_01: I agree with that mentality because he's got to go through that.
26:48
SPEAKER_01: The problem is when you're subbing him in and out and you're throwing in the other guy for red zone packages, and he's not getting any opportunity there.
26:56
SPEAKER_01: How is he supposed to develop that way?
26:58
SPEAKER_01: You know, you can only you run so much practice, but it matters when you get it under the lights in front of 60,000 people.
27:06
SPEAKER_01: That's when it matters.
27:08
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I think there's been crucial moments that they have taken away from Will to give to this other guy who is now not eligible to play college football, and I think it screwed some stuff up.
27:22
SPEAKER_01: Now, I don't think this is like, you know, an end-all be-all.
27:26
SPEAKER_01: Like, I I think Will got himself together in the second half.
27:30
SPEAKER_01: You know, he threw a great pass to Terrence Carter in the in the end zone there.
27:33
SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, he showed some big plays, but I I think I trust in Will Hammond to get the mental right.
27:42
SPEAKER_01: I think that kid is really mentally strong.
27:44
SPEAKER_01: And I don't think I think he's got the leadership DNA in him, along with the football IQ, to play this position and be successful as a quarterback at the power four level.
27:56
SPEAKER_01: So I think it's just more my faith and will than hate for Castellanos, even though I've I've had a lot of that during the podcast this year.
28:04
SPEAKER_01: But it's um I just believe in that kid, and I don't think he's been given all the tools to succeed this year under this staff so far.
28:14
SPEAKER_01: So far.
28:15
SPEAKER_02: Not saying it can't change.
28:17
SPEAKER_01: I'm hoping it does change.
28:18
SPEAKER_01: I'm hoping something clicks here because clearly he likes Mac.
28:22
SPEAKER_01: He talks very highly of him.
28:24
SPEAKER_01: You know, Joey continues to talk really highly of him, and vice versa, with Will.
28:29
SPEAKER_01: So I it's not like I think this is dead in the water or anything.
28:32
SPEAKER_01: I'm just saying what I've seen on the field so far through five games.
28:35
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, and I think that's absolutely fair.
28:37
SPEAKER_06: And I think it is important to remember that this is his first starting season.
28:42
SPEAKER_06: And like you said, you gotta he has to run through those mistakes, he has to make those rookie moves in order to grow as a quarterback.
28:49
SPEAKER_06: And I think as fans, we have to do the same thing.
28:51
SPEAKER_06: Like we have to adjust the way we see him on the field versus five-year veteran Barron Morton.
28:58
SPEAKER_06: Like, you could be way more critical on Barron because he had all that time and he was a veteran.
29:02
SPEAKER_06: He he made us shut up a lot.
29:05
SPEAKER_06: So, um, and I know I just I know we want to see more of that from Will.
29:08
SPEAKER_06: And I think what what I'd like to see from him right now is of course, you know, he doesn't have to be per doesn't have to be perfect.
29:15
SPEAKER_06: The competition we are playing is should not match up talent-wise with our whole team.
29:21
SPEAKER_06: But what I'd like to see is some fire out of him immediately.
29:25
SPEAKER_06: It doesn't, it seems like it doesn't take until like he makes a few good plays in the second half where you see him fired up, like animated.
29:31
SPEAKER_06: I I know I know he's not a super uh uh uh I don't know what word I'm looking for.
29:36
SPEAKER_01: Um animated.
29:38
SPEAKER_06: I just don't want to use the same word, but yeah, he's not a super animated guy.
29:42
SPEAKER_06: Um but you you can tell whenever he's fired up about something.
29:45
SPEAKER_06: Absolutely.
29:46
SPEAKER_06: So I I would just I would like to I I think there's something to be said about like a calm and even even demeanor in the moment as well, but I I just you can tell whenever he's pumped up that he's playing better.
29:56
SPEAKER_06: So I I I would just like to see some uh more energy out of him because that spreads.
30:00
SPEAKER_06: You're the most important position on the field.
30:02
SPEAKER_06: If you're succeeding and you're energetic on the field, I think that just spreads through everybody else.
30:07
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no doubt.
30:08
SPEAKER_01: And uh he's figuring it out.
30:10
SPEAKER_01: So uh, you know, we're again we're talking about a 5-0 football team.
30:13
SPEAKER_01: I do want to talk about some positives from this game because they're worth it.
30:17
SPEAKER_06: Before you move on, though, um I just I just wanted to ask.
30:19
SPEAKER_06: So you love Cassianos.
30:21
SPEAKER_06: I keep saying Cassianos like he's in tech, like just Texas mode.
30:24
SPEAKER_06: I guess the Lano's.
30:26
SPEAKER_06: I can't I cannot do the Italian way.
30:28
SPEAKER_06: Um, but uh do you think where he's gonna see the field again?
30:33
SPEAKER_06: I don't think he will.
30:35
SPEAKER_01: I have no idea.
30:37
SPEAKER_01: I have no idea because the NCAA is full of idiots, like we've been saying forever, and we shouldn't expect one way or another.
30:49
SPEAKER_01: I don't know who's gonna play basketball for us this year.
30:51
SPEAKER_01: I don't know who's eligible right now.
30:52
SPEAKER_01: I don't know who's supposed to play, I don't know who can't play, I don't know who's gonna get reversed in two weeks, I don't know who's gonna get their eligibility in two weeks.
30:59
SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
31:00
SPEAKER_01: Because it's all unknown right now, because the NCAA is full of idiots and didn't approve the fifth.
31:06
SPEAKER_02: Baboons.
31:08
SPEAKER_01: They're full of baboons.
31:10
SPEAKER_01: The NCAA.
31:12
SPEAKER_01: So, no, I can't trust them to do anything right, and I can't pretend to predict what is going to happen because this is a game, and you know, apparently decided in the court system where the NCAA is just shelling money out for these legal fees because they can't understand that their decision to not approve for that class of 2021 uh and now it's caused all these issues.
31:37
SPEAKER_01: And so, no, I don't I I think it's smart enough to err on the side of caution that those guys are not gonna have eligibility.
31:45
SPEAKER_06: I I I just think that the football program might be too snake-bitten from all this to even push the envelope anymore, dude.
31:52
SPEAKER_06: I think I think we're so.
31:55
SPEAKER_06: I think we're so dying.
31:56
SPEAKER_01: Everything that happened.
31:58
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, but I understood.
32:00
SPEAKER_06: I understood why we brought him on.
32:01
SPEAKER_06: No, I didn't.
32:02
SPEAKER_06: I did, I I got it.
32:03
SPEAKER_06: Because it's like, you know, you clearly were worried about the uh the depth.
32:08
SPEAKER_06: I mean, I so sure.
32:11
SPEAKER_06: I I thought that's what it was gonna be.
32:12
SPEAKER_06: I thought it was a depth thing.
32:14
SPEAKER_06: Like I didn't realize it was gonna be such a red, like a such a package thing.
32:18
SPEAKER_01: I wouldn't be I wouldn't, and like I've said already this podcast, I wouldn't have been so upset with Castellanos if that's how we used him.
32:24
SPEAKER_01: If that's how we brought him on as a depth piece, as a number two backup quarterback who comes in when Will can't play.
32:32
SPEAKER_01: But they have not done that, and they've utilized him in uh they're too busy figuring out different packages to use for Tommy to you know get Will going more, which I think was a mistake.
32:44
unknown: Yep.
32:45
SPEAKER_06: So get happy tells me Happy Defense Defense, dude.
32:50
SPEAKER_06: Defense player of the game, Bryce Pollock.
32:54
SPEAKER_06: Player of the game, MVP.
32:56
SPEAKER_01: I thought John Curry had a had a great game as well.
32:59
SPEAKER_01: I think you could, I mean, obviously, Pollock with two interceptions, um, you know, had had a couple miscues on that first drive, but other than that, we're spot on.
33:09
SPEAKER_01: John Curry played really well.
33:10
SPEAKER_01: I thought Austin Austin Romain played pretty well.
33:14
SPEAKER_01: Um you just had a great Malik Ascara.
33:18
SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the party.
33:19
SPEAKER_01: Interception.
33:20
SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, even Peyton Morgan played pretty well.
33:23
SPEAKER_01: There, I think this defense is finally getting their stuff together, they're finally understanding where they need to be.
33:30
SPEAKER_01: You're seeing guys pick up on things more, especially in the coverage game.
33:33
SPEAKER_01: You had four interceptions, you should have had six.
33:36
SPEAKER_01: You know, Malik Ascara dropped an easy one at the end of the game.
33:39
SPEAKER_01: Ben Roberts dropped one right at the beginning of the game.
33:41
SPEAKER_06: That was unacceptable.
33:42
SPEAKER_06: I think everyone was pissed.
33:44
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, we yeah, uh the four interceptions that happened after kind of ease that pain a little bit.
33:50
SPEAKER_06: They missed that field goal as well.
33:51
SPEAKER_01: So yes.
33:53
SPEAKER_01: There was, I mean, you know, they they scored on that first drive, they didn't score again.
33:58
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, the entire game.
33:59
SPEAKER_06: So that's we'll take that every single game.
34:01
SPEAKER_01: That is absolute credit to the defense right there.
34:04
SPEAKER_01: And they uh they put Zach Wilson's brother in absolute hell in uh in the last three quarters of the of the football game.
34:11
SPEAKER_06: So the the zero yard pick six would viral the the the ever-elusive zero yard return on the pick six.
34:18
SPEAKER_06: That was awesome.
34:18
SPEAKER_01: They they called my boy John Curry John Carter.
34:22
SPEAKER_01: The announcers just big uh yeah.
34:25
SPEAKER_01: I mean, the uh the announcer was just a big fan of uh Disney movies that nobody watched, uh which apparently are pretty good.
34:32
SPEAKER_01: Apparently they're pretty decent, did horrible in the box office, but no, our boy John Curry put some respect on that man's name.
34:40
SPEAKER_01: Uh negative five-yard pick six.
34:43
SPEAKER_01: Uh it's terrific.
34:45
SPEAKER_01: They they played really well.
34:46
SPEAKER_01: And and Steven's starting to play complimentary football.
34:50
SPEAKER_01: You know, we always talk about complimentary football.
34:53
SPEAKER_01: Ledamian Guyden's been awesome.
34:55
SPEAKER_01: AJ Holmes has been awesome.
34:56
SPEAKER_01: Getting the pass rush initially to you know force uh the quarterback out of the pocket, and then the coverage is unit is doing exactly what they need to.
35:05
SPEAKER_01: So great performance overall.
35:07
SPEAKER_06: Um, but I do I don't I know we're on we're on happy vibes.
35:10
SPEAKER_06: I do want to say the first quarter was incredibly frustrating.
35:14
SPEAKER_06: I understand you only put up seven points, so how mad can he be?
35:16
SPEAKER_06: But Wilson had over a hundred yards in the first quarter.
35:20
SPEAKER_01: So I'd give I'll give him a little credit.
35:23
SPEAKER_01: He threw some dots in the first quarter.
35:27
SPEAKER_01: Like he balled out in the first quarter.
35:29
SPEAKER_01: Like it wasn't necessarily tech's defense.
35:31
SPEAKER_01: I think he was just really on his game.
35:34
SPEAKER_06: And then, you know, there were a lot of softbots on the field though.
35:37
SPEAKER_06: There were he was he was he was sitting there puncturing some holes.
35:41
SPEAKER_01: He put that on the money.
35:42
SPEAKER_01: On like there were like five or six throws, and I was like, okay, is this guy like actually like really good?
35:48
SPEAKER_01: But no, I mean clearly, you know, the the pass rush got to him throughout the course of the game.
35:54
SPEAKER_01: It really got to him mentally after he threw that first pick.
35:56
SPEAKER_01: It was like, okay, this is just gonna be bad news.
36:00
SPEAKER_06: I will say I was I was concerned with how well he was playing.
36:03
SPEAKER_06: I was like, oh, is this that moment where you put in the backup quarterback?
36:06
SPEAKER_06: He's actually a dude.
36:08
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's like you should have been playing.
36:11
SPEAKER_06: Colorado's actually good, you know.
36:14
SPEAKER_01: Cool awesome.
36:16
SPEAKER_06: It was not the case.
36:17
SPEAKER_06: I'm I'm not saying the kid doesn't have a future, but like that was that was ultimately a rough game for him.
36:21
SPEAKER_01: No, yeah, it was it was a tough game, and uh, you know, it it starts up front, starts with a pass rush.
36:27
SPEAKER_01: I I think you know, between AJ Holmes, between uh Iba Rogba, between uh La Venture.
36:35
SPEAKER_01: I finally got it.
36:36
SPEAKER_01: That was the one I got, dude.
36:38
SPEAKER_01: I did it, and then LaDamian Guyton, too.
36:40
SPEAKER_01: You know, he continues to do insane work um over there.
36:44
SPEAKER_06: Did you see that video of the Colorado player?
36:47
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he's like you're 17.
36:52
SPEAKER_01: We're all saying the same thing, we're all saying the same thing that he's saying, but yeah, I mean it was a really strong performance, and then uh of course, you know, you get the the clip of Sheil.
37:03
SPEAKER_01: Uh he was just flexing, and obviously, yeah, and obviously the dudes jacked, and it's just like it's like, yeah, I think you just wanted to flex right there.
37:13
SPEAKER_06: It was a play call.
37:15
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I know, but it was like but he's yoked.
37:18
SPEAKER_01: I know, no, dude.
37:20
SPEAKER_01: She'll mess some mess some people up, but yeah, no, it's it's just a really strong defensive brand of football, and you know, it's good.
37:30
SPEAKER_01: That's similar to last year.
37:31
SPEAKER_01: We were defensive first, and then you know, offense did their job.
37:35
SPEAKER_01: We're just hoping that the offense can get it together a little more because I mean defensively you you got a good thing going.
37:42
SPEAKER_06: Absolutely.
37:42
SPEAKER_06: And I do with with how much crap we get Matt Glip, which like literally none of it can go to two Shieldwood.
37:48
SPEAKER_06: Like that guy, that guy, I I don't want to talk Matt like too crazy because I know we're we're fairly young.
37:54
SPEAKER_06: You know, we're 30 years young.
37:56
SPEAKER_06: Um, so we only have about 20 years or so in the belts for Texas Tech football, but 3030.
38:03
SPEAKER_06: Um, he's gotta be the best defensive coordinator in Texas Tech football history.
38:09
SPEAKER_01: Oh boy.
38:10
SPEAKER_06: I know that's I'm sure there's some old heads out there going like, you young buck don't know anything about old Dave Willis of the 80s or so, whatever the heck.
38:20
SPEAKER_06: You know, I don't I don't I don't know.
38:21
SPEAKER_01: That was back in the 1971 Gator Bowl, old Dave Willis.
38:27
SPEAKER_01: Made up guy, by the way.
38:30
SPEAKER_06: Not a fictional human.
38:31
SPEAKER_06: Um there's no there's there's somebody out there named Dave Willis.
38:36
SPEAKER_01: There's probably a football coach named Dave Willis out there.
38:41
SPEAKER_06: But but I mean he he has to be like the best defensive coordinator you've ever had.
38:46
SPEAKER_06: I know in the year two that's a hot take, but I don't know.
38:49
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's you know it's showing uh Richard Bell was the 1971.
38:54
SPEAKER_06: Richard Bell's old old Dick Bell.
38:56
SPEAKER_01: Old Dick Bell was the uh 1971 Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive coordinator.
39:01
SPEAKER_01: Um no, I mean he's he's everything that you want in a defensive coordinator.
39:06
SPEAKER_01: I think clearly, you know, somebody's gonna poach him this offseason to be a head coach, but um that's why you got guys in in waiting.
39:14
SPEAKER_01: And uh, you know, Shield Wood's been absolutely one of the best editions of any Texas Tech coordinator position in for sure recent memory and probably of all time.
39:24
SPEAKER_06: So yeah, I mean there's the with all due respect though.
39:29
SPEAKER_06: I mean, we there were some incredible offensive coordinators in the Cliff Kingsbury era era as well.
39:33
SPEAKER_06: So I mean, unless unless that was like all Cliff, which it very well could have been.
39:38
SPEAKER_06: Like Eric, Eric Morris obviously was awesome.
39:40
SPEAKER_06: Um, and he's he's crushing an OSU.
39:43
SPEAKER_06: Um and uh what why why am I blanking?
39:47
SPEAKER_01: We were four and seven in 1971.
39:51
SPEAKER_06: Four and seven.
39:53
SPEAKER_01: Four and seven.
39:53
SPEAKER_01: It was nineteen seventy-three.
39:55
SPEAKER_01: I was thinking of the Gator Bowl year, 11 and 1.
39:58
SPEAKER_06: Oh, I was thinking of Zach Kidley.
39:59
SPEAKER_06: I mean, Zach Kidley, I mean, it's so funny.
40:01
SPEAKER_01: He's four and one.
40:03
SPEAKER_06: We were he's doing he's doing great at FAU, dude.
40:05
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, shout out.
40:06
SPEAKER_06: And it's just so funny.
40:08
SPEAKER_06: Like, Matt Lepwich is going through such a parallel of Zach Kidley, you know, of like, you know, we're winning.
40:16
SPEAKER_01: Zach Kidley seems like Zach Kidley in in his first year was better than Matt Lefwich has been.
40:21
SPEAKER_06: You think so?
40:22
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
40:23
SPEAKER_01: Zach Kidley has been a much better offensive coordinator than Matt Lefwich has.
40:27
SPEAKER_06: Well, we gave Zach Kidley way too much shit.
40:29
SPEAKER_06: Don't get me wrong.
40:30
SPEAKER_06: But like, it yes, you're you're likely right.
40:32
SPEAKER_06: I mean, just flat out.
40:34
SPEAKER_06: But I remember I remember how excited everyone was when we were moving on from Zach.
40:37
SPEAKER_01: We gave I will stand on this.
40:40
SPEAKER_01: I said it at the time, and I'll continue to say it.
40:43
SPEAKER_01: Zach Kidley did a damn good job at Texas Tech.
40:46
SPEAKER_01: And Zach Kidley got way too much shit when he was here from our fan base.
40:50
SPEAKER_01: Oh, I'll stand on that forever.
40:54
SPEAKER_01: Number one offense in the Big 12, by the way.
40:58
SPEAKER_01: Pretty much both his years.
40:59
SPEAKER_06: I I and I really do hope that uh he uh he he crushes an AF FAU.
41:04
SPEAKER_01: Um born one, baby.
41:05
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, dude.
41:06
SPEAKER_06: Uh anything else to discuss on injuries.
41:10
SPEAKER_01: Cam Dickey, high ankle sprain.
41:14
SPEAKER_01: It's not season ending, but it will uh it'll surely be multiple weeks until he is back.
41:21
SPEAKER_01: I think Joey McGuire said something about potentially after Cincinnati, which I think is three weeks away.
41:27
SPEAKER_01: Um so yeah, I mean high ankle sprains are not fun, and for your running back, that's not ideal.
41:33
SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, it's kind of a pain tolerance thing at the end of the day, but you basically need to stay off it for four to six weeks.
41:40
SPEAKER_01: And uh yeah, it stinks, it's not good, but uh, you know, it gives an opportunity for more Jacoby Williams first and foremost, because Jacoby Williams needs to have the ball in his hands as much as humanly possible.
41:54
SPEAKER_01: He is clearly uh your best playmaker on offense.
41:57
SPEAKER_01: You need to give him the ball in whatever way you can, and also Quinn Joyner.
42:01
SPEAKER_01: It's time.
42:01
SPEAKER_01: This is what we talked about last week.
42:03
SPEAKER_01: We were like, hey, you know, Q needs to sit down, but if Cam Dickey were to go down, and it just so happens that the next week he went down, you know, you're happy to have Quinn joyner.
42:14
SPEAKER_01: So he showed up.
42:16
SPEAKER_01: He definitely had a few solid runs there at the end of the game against Colorado, ran in the final touchdown of the of the afternoon.
42:22
SPEAKER_01: But um, yeah, it's uh you know, it sucks.
42:25
SPEAKER_01: You you hate to lose a guy like Cam.
42:27
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, absolutely.
42:28
SPEAKER_06: I mean, because he he he gives you that punching ability that Jacoby just doesn't have.
42:33
SPEAKER_06: Um, but that's why you need Quentin Joyner to step up.
42:36
SPEAKER_06: He's supposed to be kind of like your battering ram.
42:38
SPEAKER_06: Let's see it, let's see it, dude.
42:40
SPEAKER_06: Um, and I'd like to if you're if you're gonna have a breakout game, I would love to have one against Arizona State.
42:46
SPEAKER_06: Absolutely after what we saw, what was it, 2017 in Tibi, Arizona?
42:53
SPEAKER_06: My god.
42:55
SPEAKER_06: Can we please do the same to them and like top that record?
42:59
SPEAKER_06: It's impossible to top that record, but please.
43:02
SPEAKER_01: Kalen Balage type performance.
43:04
SPEAKER_01: That's it.
43:04
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
43:04
SPEAKER_06: That's from Quinn Joiner.
43:07
SPEAKER_06: Yikes.
43:08
SPEAKER_06: Um, so is that the only injury we have to talk about?
43:11
SPEAKER_06: Because you're bummed me out.
43:12
SPEAKER_01: Brendan Jordan got hurt as well.
43:14
SPEAKER_01: It was a neck injury.
43:15
SPEAKER_01: Joey doesn't seem too concerned.
43:16
SPEAKER_01: I don't, and the bye week's coming at a good time for that.
43:19
SPEAKER_01: So I don't think he'll miss uh an extended period of time, if any.
43:23
SPEAKER_01: Uh Dante Lee also went down.
43:25
SPEAKER_01: Uh, he was kind of injured on one of the cross routes, landed hard on his hip.
43:29
SPEAKER_01: So uh he may be out for a little bit.
43:31
SPEAKER_01: He hasn't been a major contributor, but obviously you don't want to you don't want more injuries for these guys.
43:35
SPEAKER_01: So hopefully everybody gets back and and heals, and we get a full team here in a couple weeks.
43:41
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, so let's lighten the mood and go back to a position group that you neglected that I feel like it didn't matter.
43:50
SPEAKER_06: And that was a spectacular performance from our special teams.
43:55
SPEAKER_06: Special teams Stone Harrington has ice in his freaking.
44:00
SPEAKER_06: Veins, dude.
44:01
SPEAKER_06: Sure, he missed one, but it was over 50 yards out.
44:03
SPEAKER_06: Give him a freaking break.
44:04
SPEAKER_01: Well, he made a 52 to start the game.
44:07
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, exactly.
44:08
SPEAKER_06: So the dude's not a robot, but an incredible performance from a Stone Harrington.
44:13
SPEAKER_06: I mean, he's he was lighting up the scoreboard for you, unfortunately.
44:17
SPEAKER_06: But even better than him, dude, was the punter, Will Carroll.
44:20
SPEAKER_06: My God, dude.
44:21
SPEAKER_06: Some serious booms.
44:23
SPEAKER_06: I believe he actually won a puncher of the week in some awards.
44:27
SPEAKER_01: So it's he had a 67-yard punt, put him inside the at the one that led to the John Curry pick six in the.
44:36
SPEAKER_06: Is that better than a safety?
44:38
SPEAKER_06: Some would say that's better than a safety.
44:40
SPEAKER_01: It's absolutely better than a safety.
44:42
SPEAKER_06: I'm just kidding.
44:45
SPEAKER_01: Some would say.
44:46
SPEAKER_01: Some would say that's six points better than two.
44:49
SPEAKER_01: Two.
44:50
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I mean, that's that's been the case all year.
44:53
SPEAKER_01: Will Carroll's been awesome.
44:54
SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, he had a couple, I guess, down punts in in week four, but I mean, man, he he if you can if you have these guys on your team, you want them to be special, and they're special.
45:06
SPEAKER_01: I mean, Stone is ice cold, and when he comes out there, you don't have a lot of worries.
45:11
SPEAKER_01: You know, even in a tight situation, even from 50 plus, like the dude's got a cannon for a leg, uh, as does the punter.
45:20
SPEAKER_01: So um, you know, I think they're doing a really, really good job.
45:23
SPEAKER_01: Um, the return game's been okay.
45:25
SPEAKER_01: Obviously, not a lot of uh return yardage for this one, but they're kind of rotating guys.
45:30
SPEAKER_01: You know, Kenny Johnson's back there, Jacoby's back there, uh, Malcolm Simmons has been back there.
45:35
SPEAKER_01: So I think Kenny Perry's still trying to figure out who he wants uh as his main guys to return.
45:42
SPEAKER_01: Um punts, and obviously when we had Cam Dickey, they were trying to utilize Jacoby more um with him getting fewer carries.
45:49
SPEAKER_01: They want to use him in the return game a little bit, so I think that will kind of go back a little bit and maybe go a little more Kenny Johnson or Koy Akin returning punts and kicks uh and then using Jacoby as much as you possibly can in the backfield.
46:02
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, so big ups on that on that side of the ball, man.
46:06
SPEAKER_06: Um anything else on Boulder, Colorado?
46:10
SPEAKER_01: Nope.
46:11
SPEAKER_01: I think uh, you know, ultimately 22-point win on the road.
46:15
SPEAKER_01: You're not mad, but also there's some context around it that I don't think people should ignore.
46:20
SPEAKER_06: Yeah, I'm I I got you, dude.
46:22
SPEAKER_06: I was hoping for a splattering, and the good news is I think you have a really big opportunity to do that at home in a couple weeks, but I will let's use next week to really dig into Arizona State because I think you should absolutely pummel them.
46:33
SPEAKER_06: Um, but it seems like this team is incapable of pummeling all game.
46:37
SPEAKER_06: We can make a score look pretty good at the ends, but other than that, it's it gets it's it's pretty brutal throughout.
46:43
SPEAKER_06: Do you have any other big discussion points that you wanted to cover this pod?
46:46
SPEAKER_01: No.
46:47
SPEAKER_01: I think I'm oh okay.
46:49
SPEAKER_01: Go ahead.
46:49
SPEAKER_01: What's your thing?
46:50
SPEAKER_06: Just real quick, just to touch on it real quick here.
46:52
SPEAKER_01: No, sure.
46:54
SPEAKER_06: It's a damn shame that Jacob Rodriguez did not win the Heisman last year.
47:02
SPEAKER_06: Because he is showing that he could probably become the greatest defensive player in TechSec history in the NFL.
47:15
SPEAKER_06: That guy is probably gonna win rookie of the year, and he is playing lights out as a rookie in the NFL, and he's being a leader on his team for the Miami Dolphins, who are bad, but you're still in the freaking NFL.
47:34
SPEAKER_06: Um it's just I get so frustrated with what that award the Heisman has become because I don't think there's a soul in this country that did not think that Jacob Rodriguez was not the best defensive player in the country.
47:50
SPEAKER_06: And we had the best player on that defensive side of the ball in the country at TechSec University, and he did everything he could to win that award, and they just couldn't give it to him.
48:04
SPEAKER_06: I'm just so pissed off that he did not get that award.
48:08
SPEAKER_01: We went we went through this exercise a little bit last year on the pod, if I recall, and when we were coming down to Heisman talk and everything, and a few different factors, obviously, of why he didn't win.
48:21
SPEAKER_01: Defensive players, they're just never gonna win the Heisman.
48:24
SPEAKER_01: It's just never gonna happen again, uh, unless there's some sort of two-way Travis Hunter Charles Woodson sort of deal.
48:32
SPEAKER_01: You know, they return punts or something like that.
48:34
SPEAKER_01: And I know Joey tried to get J.
48:35
SPEAKER_01: Rodd a few touchdowns on the stats sheet there uh at the end of the year against some bad teams, but um it is a shame because he had a better he had a better he had the best one of the best linebacker seasons in college football history.
48:49
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
48:49
SPEAKER_01: When you look at his statistics that he brought uh from his turnovers that he caused, the fumble recoveries, the fumbles you know, caused the interceptions, the tackles, the sheer amount of tackles that he had.
49:03
SPEAKER_01: I mean, and I think the other factor is that we had David Bailey on our team, and that takes away a little bit.
49:10
SPEAKER_01: It shouldn't, but it does.
49:12
SPEAKER_01: When you have another high-profile defensive player that's going to be a first-round draft pick, in David Bailey's case, the number two overall draft pick, you know, you're gonna look at that and be like, oh, and and kind of hurts J-Rod's stock a little bit, which is dumb, but it happens.
49:27
SPEAKER_01: That's kind of the natural course of things.
49:29
SPEAKER_01: So, you know, having all that, but yeah, I mean, statistically, and everything that J-Rod is gonna be in the NFL, he deserved it.
49:39
SPEAKER_01: I mean, you even look at like I know Fernando Mendoza, Indiana undefeated season, incredible year.
49:45
SPEAKER_01: I get it.
49:48
SPEAKER_01: Statistically, doesn't even compare to like you know, Caleb Williams, Jaden Daniels, some of the more recent guys, Baker Mayfield, Joe Burrow, all those guys.
49:57
SPEAKER_01: Like, he didn't even compare statistically.
50:01
SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, he had a great year.
50:03
SPEAKER_01: Obviously, you know, it's not like he was undeserving of it, but right if you look at just what the overall impact that Jacob Rodriguez had on the 2025 college football season, uh, he absolutely deserved it.
50:15
SPEAKER_06: It's just I I I know it's a broken record complaint that all Heisman is is are you the the the quarterback on the best team in the country at this point?
50:23
SPEAKER_06: Um which is absurd, just an absurd qualification for who the best player in the country is.
50:30
SPEAKER_06: Um, but it's just it's so frustrating.
50:32
SPEAKER_06: But I am so happy to see him getting his flowers.
50:36
SPEAKER_06: That dude's getting so much love out there in the NFL in Miami right now, and it's not a question of if but when he gets his name up there on the Jones.
50:45
SPEAKER_06: So I'm I'm really I'm really excited to see that day come.
50:48
SPEAKER_06: And just man, are we missing him on this team too?
50:51
SPEAKER_06: Our defense is playing great.
50:53
SPEAKER_06: Don't get me wrong, but it's just we this is that that 2020 that 2025 team, particularly defense, it's gonna be something we talk about for the rest of our lives.
51:03
SPEAKER_06: And yeah, we just we I I I think we obviously knew how good we were and how good we had it in the moment, but that is a team we will talk about forever.
51:11
SPEAKER_06: That is probably the best defense we will ever witness in our lives at as Texas Tech fans.
51:16
SPEAKER_06: And so many of those guys are just dudes, really likable dudes like Jacob.
51:21
SPEAKER_06: And man, it just it just sucks.
51:23
SPEAKER_06: I don't just get to ever get to have them again.
51:24
SPEAKER_06: Obviously, get new dudes to start uh digging and following, but I just wanted to reminisce for a second.
51:29
SPEAKER_06: And a great dude right now.
51:32
SPEAKER_01: And they're all having great starts to their NFL career.
51:34
SPEAKER_01: I mean, Skylar Gilhoward has made a name for himself in Detroit.
51:39
SPEAKER_01: Like he's become already a leader, you know, as a rookie, and we didn't get unfortunately a full season of of Skylar Gilhoward, but um he's he's going in as like an extra blocker on the offense.
51:50
SPEAKER_01: Like, I don't know if you saw that clip, but they scored on like a goal line touchdown, and uh they they threw in Skylar Gil Howard as one of the extra blockers, and uh Jared Goff handed him the ball and said, You spike it because you came in and you were the guy.
52:04
SPEAKER_01: So that it's good to see that.
52:05
SPEAKER_01: Lee Hunter's obviously making an impact in Carolina, David Bailey's doing David Bailey things in in New York, and Romello Heights doing some good stuff in San Francisco.
52:13
SPEAKER_01: So, I mean, it's it's awesome to see everybody do so well and see hey, it wasn't just a good defense for the Big 12.
52:21
SPEAKER_01: That was a good defense for everybody.
52:24
SPEAKER_01: That was one of the best defenses in all of college football, uh, probably of all time, you know, honestly, if you're looking at it.
52:31
SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, it's awesome to see J-Rod do well.
52:33
SPEAKER_01: Just get get Miami a quarterback, get Miami anything outside of their linebacker unit, please.
52:40
SPEAKER_01: Help a guy out.
52:42
SPEAKER_06: And yeah, just just just a quick touch on just a great year for Texas Tech Red Raiders in general in the NFL, man.
52:47
SPEAKER_06: Like Jordan Brooks, obviously, right there with Jacob crushing in Miami.
52:50
SPEAKER_06: Patrick Mahomes back doing Patrick Mahomes' thing.
52:52
SPEAKER_06: He's so back, he's so back, dude.
52:54
SPEAKER_06: So back.
52:55
SPEAKER_06: I can't wait.
52:55
SPEAKER_06: I I want to see him in the NFL in the Super Bowl so bad again.
52:59
SPEAKER_01: The haters are furious that Patrick Mahomes is back.
53:03
SPEAKER_06: He's so back.
53:04
SPEAKER_06: Obviously, Tyree Wilson doing his thing again, man.
53:07
SPEAKER_06: And uh, but and and a sneaky pick there where you're talking about the Jets server a second.
53:11
SPEAKER_06: Awesome SmackDamara.
53:13
SPEAKER_06: Still out there doing it.
53:14
SPEAKER_01: SmackDamara, baby.
53:15
SPEAKER_06: Still crushing it up, man.
53:16
SPEAKER_01: Friend of the pod.
53:17
SPEAKER_01: Brendan the pod.
53:18
SPEAKER_01: Friend of the podcast.
53:20
SPEAKER_06: He's so he would so come on.
53:22
SPEAKER_01: Dude, you shoot him the DM.
53:24
SPEAKER_06: Let's do it.
53:25
SPEAKER_06: Let's do it.
53:26
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
53:27
SPEAKER_06: Um, all right, dude.
53:28
SPEAKER_06: That's all I had.
53:29
SPEAKER_06: I still just wanted to give big ups.
53:31
SPEAKER_01: Bye week.
53:32
SPEAKER_01: Bye week blues.
53:34
SPEAKER_01: How are you spending your bye week?
53:36
SPEAKER_06: Um, my wife, baby, and I will be doing why baby and I activities in the fall.
53:40
SPEAKER_06: We're thinking we're gonna just roll up to Fred real quick and do cutesy shopping and stuff.
53:45
SPEAKER_06: I owe it to my wife with all this Saturday football shit.
53:49
SPEAKER_01: So this is bye week, baby.
53:51
SPEAKER_01: If you are uh this is the time to do stuff with your significant other.
53:56
SPEAKER_01: Uh to not, you know, this is the week because after this, it's only Big 12 games from now on.
54:01
SPEAKER_01: We have some good ones lined up.
54:03
SPEAKER_01: And uh everybody enjoy, you know, it's October, it's fall.
54:07
SPEAKER_01: Go to the pumpkin patch.
54:08
SPEAKER_06: Feels good outside, dude.
54:09
SPEAKER_01: Uh finally, it's about time.
54:12
SPEAKER_01: It's about time.
54:14
SPEAKER_01: Uh yeah, it's gonna be it's a disaster.
54:18
SPEAKER_01: Texas, baby.
54:18
SPEAKER_01: We love it.
54:19
SPEAKER_06: South Texas, baby.
54:20
SPEAKER_01: We love it.
54:21
SPEAKER_01: Song of the week, Steven.
54:24
SPEAKER_01: Tristan, what's your song of the week?
54:26
SPEAKER_06: Steven, I was driving around listening to my local radio station, driving to school, you know, tired, like, ugh, I don't wanna I don't want to go to work right now.
54:33
SPEAKER_06: But Trisha Yearwood is on the airwaves.
54:38
SPEAKER_06: We're throwing it back.
54:40
SPEAKER_06: And we're gonna go with the Lost in the Sauce Country Ballad.
54:48
SPEAKER_06: Like, there was a time in the 2000s and 90s where the country ballad had the deepest production of like all genres.
54:57
SPEAKER_06: They had like, you know, they had the orchestras behind them, they had the uh the deep studio sounds.
55:02
SPEAKER_06: Um, it was it was really it was really something that back then.
55:06
SPEAKER_06: The song I'm going with is I'm gonna go with How Do I Live by Trisha Earwood.
55:26
SPEAKER_01: How do I live?
55:28
SPEAKER_06: With the LC.
55:30
SPEAKER_06: I want to know.
55:33
SPEAKER_06: That's that's me, that's me singing about Jacob Rodriguez.
55:37
SPEAKER_01: I think she was singing about Jacob Rodriguez.
55:39
SPEAKER_06: I think so too, dude.
55:42
SPEAKER_01: Great pick.
55:44
SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
55:45
SPEAKER_01: Great pick from uh 90s and food channel legend, Trisha Yearwood.
55:52
SPEAKER_01: She had a cooking show there for a bit.
55:54
SPEAKER_01: I think it was Trisha's Southern Cooking or something like that.
55:58
SPEAKER_01: Hey, shout out.
56:00
SPEAKER_01: Shout out Great pick.
56:03
SPEAKER_06: Thank you.
56:05
SPEAKER_01: We talked about that.
56:06
SPEAKER_01: I'll I'll go with it.
56:07
SPEAKER_01: I'll I'll continue.
56:08
SPEAKER_01: I'll continue with the theme of 90s country Starless Fear Swimmin.
56:17
SPEAKER_01: I'll go with Faith Hill.
56:19
SPEAKER_06: There we go, the perfect counterpoint.
56:21
SPEAKER_01: I'll go with Faith Hill, and if you're going a Faith Hill song, you have to do this kiss.
56:28
SPEAKER_06: My song of the Certified Banger.
56:30
SPEAKER_01: This kiss, Faith Hill.
56:33
SPEAKER_02: This kiss! This kiss! Unstoppable!
56:44
SPEAKER_03: This kiss, this kiss.
56:47
SPEAKER_06: You know, I I know this kiss is an absolute banger, but breathe is breathe is right there too.
56:53
SPEAKER_01: It's great.
56:54
SPEAKER_01: It's great.
56:54
SPEAKER_01: It's a good thing.
56:56
SPEAKER_01: I'm not a hater of breathe, but centrifugal motion.
57:02
SPEAKER_01: Come on, man.
57:06
SPEAKER_01: That is elite lyricism.
57:10
SPEAKER_06: What a song, like what a word.
57:11
SPEAKER_06: Like that was a big thing.
57:12
SPEAKER_01: She brought in physics.
57:13
SPEAKER_01: She brought in physics to a country banger.
57:18
SPEAKER_01: We love it.
57:19
SPEAKER_01: Faith Hill.
57:20
SPEAKER_06: Excellent pick, dude.
57:21
SPEAKER_01: This was a banger song of the week.
57:23
SPEAKER_06: It was, dude.
57:24
SPEAKER_06: What a duo.
57:25
SPEAKER_01: Right on.
57:27
SPEAKER_01: Alright.
57:28
SPEAKER_01: Everybody enjoy the bye week.
57:30
SPEAKER_01: We hope that you get some, you know, maybe a productive Saturday.
57:33
SPEAKER_01: Maybe the last few Saturdays haven't been so productive.
57:37
SPEAKER_01: You've been on the couch watching college football.
57:39
SPEAKER_01: That'll still happen.
57:40
SPEAKER_01: This is your time to get back into the normal routine just for a weekend.
57:44
SPEAKER_01: And then we all get prepared, sit on the couch and go watch us beat Arizona State.
57:50
SPEAKER_01: We appreciate all y'all listening.
57:52
SPEAKER_01: You can follow both me and Tristan on Twitter.
57:53
SPEAKER_01: Tristan's at TristyMick.
57:54
SPEAKER_01: I'm at L underscore S underscore Rodriguez.
57:56
SPEAKER_01: Pod is on Twitter at Talkin' Tech Pod, Song of Lee Playlist, Spotify, Apple Music.
58:01
SPEAKER_01: We appreciate all of you for listening to us two idiots talk about Texas Tech Sports.
58:08
SPEAKER_01: Always Wreck'em Tech.
58:10
SPEAKER_00: Wreck'em Tech.
58:12
SPEAKER_05: Uh wow, first of all, uh got a lot of respect for Steven and Tristan.
58:18
SPEAKER_05: Uh their program, tough guys, just uh a lot of fun.
58:22
SPEAKER_05: This is wild.
58:24
SPEAKER_04: When I walked in and I knew this would be an awesome podcast.
58:30
SPEAKER_04: And these guys have been tremendous.
58:33
SPEAKER_04: I love you, and I can't wait for this journey.
58:35
SPEAKER_04: I would like to thank uh Steven and Tristan.
58:38
SPEAKER_04: This is incredible.
58:39
SPEAKER_04: These guys have a passion and a love for this school.