Transcript
Speaker: All right. Welcome, everybody, back to Warm Weather Fans, the Sunbelt Podcast. It is Brian Stone and Zeke. palerbo your hosts of this here show and we are back to talk about all of the upcoming week three action in the Sun Belt.
Speaker: Uh, Zeke, were we're getting toward the end of... what is sort of out of conference play. A lot of... just like mixed bag of results for some of these teams, you know.
Speaker: Some teams are, you know, we talked about it last week or are earlier this week, are just taking these giant swings in competition where you go from playing. an FCS school to a, an sec team down to another G five. And you're just trying to kind of get like a water level on a lot of these teams. and
Speaker: I think that think we're continuing to see that this week with some of the matchups. Yeah. um We are, as obviously teams start to kind of shift their focus, most teams are still two weeks away from conference play, although we have, I think it's the James Madison Old Dominion game slips in at week.
Speaker: Uh four for us where most teams most teams are playing their fourth non -con um They are starting to kind of shift. we It's no longer... let's just get out there get the rust off it is all right we got to figure out who are our best 22 Who is going to put us in a position to win football games? um And when, you know, when you're in the shoes of like a Louisiana tech where you go from.
Speaker: walking over someone to getting walked on it's like man, you could have rolled out. any of the 105 some odd guys between those two games and gotten similar results. um Yeah. So I'm very excited to.
Speaker: Start. climbing towards more games that are More telling about the true. nature of these teams. Yeah. same here uh and and interestingly you know you and i had just kind of talked about what games interest us on this slate there are a lot of teams That.
Speaker: I guess not a lot, but there are teams in within the G5 that have played other Sunbelt schools the last like week or so. So we're kind of getting... also for the first time like a one -to -one like you can compare results of... of two of these sunbelt teams playing a certain g5 like an ecu or something like that and go okay well where does this team stack up versus that team so that'll be That'd be something to watch out for as well. ah Let's go ahead and start.
Speaker: Um... 1130 a .m. kickoff. What? Why pre -noon? Why before noon? like I don't really get it. ah Coastal is traveling to Newark, Delaware to take on the Blue Hens.
Speaker: ah Both teams are 1 -1. Delaware. has... beaten a team in merrimack who i don't know are they in f f cs team I believe they're FCS, yep.
Speaker: And then they lost to Vanderbilt by nine points ah in week. two but a very different Vanderbilt team. no like Diego Pavia level. you know, players back there. They've kind of come back down to earth.
Speaker: Uh... Coastal as well. lost to West Virginia by seven points in week one of their season. And then. crushed Fordham last week.
Speaker: I... I just want to see somebody on this Coastal team like... Help out Deuce Bailey running the football. Uh... One of the things that...
Speaker: Has really kind of plagued this team. I would say over the course of a couple years now. is just not having the guy back there. Like you've you've had some efficient. running back performances, whether it be like... Edwards or nicely or like some of these guys, but.
Speaker: Realistically, you're like. We need to get back to the Coastal Carolina football. almost like we had with Chadwell where it was like We have one solid, really, really solid contributor at running back. i think that was like cj marable back in the day um but everybody else kind of slots in around them Right now, I mean, the last two games, they've kind of been leaving.
Speaker: deuce bailey like out on his own a little bit where it's like he's having to do a lot to try to keep them in games. Sure. ah These numbers are obviously inflated ah because of the Fordham game, but ah you get Jaden Allen Hendricks getting 58 rushing yards ah last week. That is the most by a non ah -quarterback for Coastal.
Speaker: Since Halloween of last year. ah When. Wouldn't you know Dominic Lee nicely? ran for 76 against Marshall. ah the night before Halloween. It's going to be all about that. It it seems like Deuce Bailey.
Speaker: is in this Samari Collier, Lunch Winfield archetype where it's like he has an arm that can... move the ball downfield, but you're not going to count on him for like a Drew Brees two -minute. drill type series.
Speaker: series He has the legs to to make up for some of this rushing deficit. but As we've seen. We're seeing this right now at Old Dominion. um We saw this bits and pieces last year with Jalen Rayner. at Arkansas State.
Speaker: He can't do it alone unless you are that Colton Joseph Jalen Rayner archetype, like tier rather. They're similar archetypes. um but in that tier, you can't do it alone. and so because So it's just like. let's show out and.
Speaker: Give him some help. Give the offense. so also It could also come from... a from the quarterback, right? If he if he takes a... forward passing. um because again they weren't Against Fordham, it's like, we don't need you to do a ton. And then the week prior against...
Speaker: Um... West Virginia. did They have West Virginia. Um, That game was kind of... over quickly to a degree. um So I don't know. Maybe maybe maybe he settles in here.
Speaker: So. At least per... ah So I've been digging into some PFF just like... grades with position groups specifically. I think I've kind of pinpointed what.
Speaker: Coastal Carolina's biggest problem is... As far as grading run blocking goes. As a unit, their offensive line has the fourth worst. Run blocking grade in the conference. The only team's worse.
Speaker: And. Again, you'll you'll kind of be like, yeah, that sounds about right. Or... Marshall. ULM and Louisiana Tech. ah as offensive lines. they're the only also the only teams in the conference as bad as some of the run stuff is like around the conference just running backs things like that Those four teams are the only ones with a grade below a 50.
Speaker: And that's out of 100. So I'll one up you on this bottom 10 in the country, not just bottom four in the conference, bottom 10 in the country. Yeah. So...
Speaker: I don't know. I don't know if help is coming. This may might not be a something that gets solved. this year. like me um maybe they play some softer like Sunbelt defenses as the season goes along and that helps kind of inflate it. But like,
Speaker: Week one, it's like West Virginia. They got out. They got down early and then. kind of Just... The game got away from them, and they they tried to make a comeback, but it didn't work out. Last week, you played Fordham.
Speaker: And it was like evenly distributed among a bunch of different people. I... I don't know that this the the run blocking gets fixed before the end of the year. This might just have to be something.
Speaker: to for them to deal with this year and try to work around. I mean, it's Ryan Beard's year one. ah that They get a fair bit of grace for that. Yeah.
Speaker: ah All right. Four o 'clock here. Louisiana Tech is traveling to Waco to take on Baylor. This game's on ESPNU. We just got news earlier today that... Blake Baker. Louisiana Tech's starting quarterback has a broken hand. and It seems like we'll miss.
Speaker: at least a few weeks, if not. longer. So. Presumably, uh, Kukuk. the the backup quarterback, ah who is even more of a runner.
Speaker: ah than Baker was. is going to come in and... I think it's just going to kind of be like a semi wildcat style offense or, you know, whatever, where it's like. That... as As not good as they were throwing the ball before.
Speaker: KUKA like was even worse last year as far as stats go. um we haven't seen him play a whole lot and now he gets to go play against Baylor Uh, who has who lost a one -point game to Auburn.
Speaker: ah and then beat Prairie View by 41 points. ah so Best of luck to him, man, because... um It's tough being one -dimensional and going and playing these P4 schools and expecting... Things to go well.
Speaker: Yeah, the Baylor defense looks really good. um to to solidify what you said about Kukic in their last three games against Liberty, Missouri State, and Coastal. Again, make what you will of those defenses.
Speaker: um But he ran for 143, 172, and 121. um But to the passing element, on 105 attempts last year, 3 -4 touchdown interception. um Yeah.
Speaker: I don't know. I don't think. I think Louisiana Tech might. be in a similar situation as they were last week because we just saw what happens when you're able to kind of shut down some of that run game.
Speaker: um And even with... what we anticipate to be some level of improvement. Provement rushing wise. that There's just no plan. I watched some of that Baylor -Auburn game, and that defense looks really good.
Speaker: Yeah. Um, Aranda's a defensive guy, so that makes sense. ah i I don't know. Again, I read it off earlier. They have the they are tied with Louisiana Monroe for the worst run blocking grade in the... ah Conference, you had said what are they they're a bottom 10 unit unblocking in the country.
Speaker: Run blocking wise.
Speaker: Uh... Excuse me.
Speaker: well anyway while you're looking i'm just going to throw something out there they do have the leading receiver in the conference by yardage in ah Mickens. I'm not sure with Kukuk. playing. how much of a difference that makes. I don't know if he can get him the ball the same way that Blake Baker did.
Speaker: uh But... I mean, defensively, Louisiana Tech should... be in this game for a little bit i mean if you were able to kind of shut down LSU ah in the first half with zero offensive yards. Clearly your defense is doing something right.
Speaker: um uh bottom they are fifth worst in the country tied with ulm That's... That's not what you want to hear when your offense is literally predicated on running the ball almost every play.
Speaker: It's literally the worst case outcome. Happy trails. Enjoy Waco. Good job. Uh, 430. UL Monroe will presumably pick up their first win of the season against Southeast Louisiana, who we saw. Two weeks ago, lose ah by 25 points to South Alabama. So we've got a... kind of common opponent here. We saw Carlisle get the start last week.
Speaker: Um, ah Not great throwing the football. But. I do have a stat for that as well. I don't know that this helps either quarterback, whoever. you know whether we go back to the wet armenta well or would stick with carlisle Louisiana Monroe grades out.
Speaker: Again. One of the worst run blocking units in the country tied with. Louisiana Tech, but also receiving wise as a group of pass catchers, the stone worst group of pass catchers in the entire conference.
Speaker: Um, I don't know. I mean, I i think UL Monroe picks up their first win here. I think. safely they could let Carlisle Um, run the ball just kind of at will and run like whatever they really want. I think they're going to outclass Southeast Louisiana and and pick up one of their few like easy.
Speaker: Like. auto victories this year, and those those are going to be few and far between. Yeah, I mean, you would kind of hope so. They were able to put up points against UAB last week, albeit not many, um but they put up 20.
Speaker: You would hope that's enough to win this game. um I just got to see life. offensively or defensively, show me some sort of life. And then we can kind of evaluate from there.
Speaker: Yeah. Um, Six o 'clock here. We've got Old Dominion in East Carolina. East Carolina recently coming off of the three -point loss to App State last weekend. Uh, Old Dominion most recently got...
Speaker: drubbed. ah by Virginia Tech. So. I think that... I... I don't know. it's It's a tough read because it's like...
Speaker: ECU really played app tough. last week. I mean they they were right down to the wire with it. ah Also, I meant to drop this in the recap episode. I don't know if you realize this. ECU's quarterback's name is Mitch Griffiths.
Speaker: He was supposed to be the Marshall starting quarterback in 2024. And he left the team after like two months and said he was stepping away from football. And so...
Speaker: That was, that's one of the. sliding doors moments like domino effect because it eventually led to them putting Braylon Braxton out there and winning the Sunbelt title. Whereas if Griffis is another person ahead of... Braxton like Stone Earl was maybe Braxton never sees the field. So that's a really interesting like.
Speaker: Like, what if... ah moment. But. ah the The Old Dominion thing, I'm like... Offensive line wise, they are.
Speaker: not i mean I mean, they're the second worst pass -blocking unit. in the in the conference only ahead of Louisiana. Uh... On a run blocking perspective, Their fifth. worst.
Speaker: Their offensive line is just not good. I don't know how much this is going to hurt them in this game because... On the flip side, going back to last week. The the best pass blocking unit in the entire in ah conference is App State.
Speaker: So. They have been able to keep Singleton clean back there. Hennekel as a passer is not Singleton, but also he's not getting a lot of help from his offensive line either.
Speaker: I think from Old Dominion. You know you still get a couple like you get until we're I guess really week six, right? Until you've had a taste of conference play before.
Speaker: I think any like real takes are affirmed, but. I think... We know what we're gonna get out of this offense. We know what it's gonna look like. um And we're going to know. If you can stop pinnacle on the ground.
Speaker: Ip. probably isn't going to look very good for them, much like... ah Louisiana Tech. So for me, it's about the defense here. I mean, East Carolina put up 24 points against.
Speaker: what we've just described. like an ethically good App State team, good in all favors phases of the game. um I got to see another performance because that was... just such a sneaky, sneakily important part.
Speaker: of the team last year ah that had so much success. That was overshadowed because it was all about Colton Joseph and understandably so. You got you gotta to keep that. it the defense is going to... is what's going to allow pinnacle.
Speaker: Keep you in games you in order for hinnicle to win you games you need the defense to be able to keep you in there Um, Kind of like what again, it's always the Arkansas State comparison, but it's like...
Speaker: You can't. If you're going to tell Jalen Rainer, he needs to win you a football game. your defense needs to make make that an attainable goal. And so that's that's kind of where the bar is at for Old Dominion moving forward.
Speaker: Yeah. ah This is another team that kind of struggles from having like a... a very, very good running back. ah They don't really... I mean... Roche has shown flashes, but...
Speaker: He'll have one game where he's pretty good, and then he has another game where he... Doesn't really contribute a whole lot. um I don't know that their receiving core is as good as it was last year with the players that they had.
Speaker: um So that's another downside. and Hinnacle's just not the passer that... that joseph was and and then obviously the offensive line issues too. So yeah, I think you're right. Like I think the defensively, they're going to really need to like.
Speaker: tamp down griffiths and like this ecu offense like if they want a chance to win because their offense has been Kind of meh. to me so far. so Sure.
Speaker: ah Another 6 o 'clock kick. App State. is presumably going to start the season 3 -0 once they... beat the Charlotte team that has lost a triple overtime game to an FCS team in the Citadel, old SoCon foe of...
Speaker: app and Georgia Southern and and teams like that. And then got ah beat by... 32 against Ole Miss in a week. to... App, like you said. Singleton has played clean. you know, ethical ball.
Speaker: Um... And Jakari Lewis has showed up as like a main contributor. They need to kind of feature him, I think, a little bit more. they got one of the top receiving uh weapons in the in the conference like by yardage ah in Pickett.
Speaker: So. They've got a lot of things going in their favor, and then they play like an absolute doormat this week. So congrats on going 3 -0. Yeah, ah they open. yeah ESPN has them 17 and a half favorites here. I think they win by at least three touchdowns. Charlotte's shown no signs of life.
Speaker: Um, And App State, I think, is just going to be one of the... The sneaky, underrated 3 -0 teams. by the end of the week Yep. Next game here, 6 .30 on CBS Sports Network. We've got... Marshall without. carlos still real wilson presumably we we haven't got any more updates on his shoulder slash collarbone injury.
Speaker: It may be a Zion Turner start. Um, their take Which might bode well for them. Yeah, like it might it might be a benefit ah in disguise. ah They're taking on Missouri State, who is a Conference USA team.
Speaker: um who has beaten Lindenwood and got shut out 50 to nothing by Texas A and &M in week one. Um. Yeah. Bye. i i'm very i'm gonna keep i'm actually gonna keep like a decent eye on this game because i wanna see If Zion Turner gets a full game of reps, I kind of liked what I saw out of him last year. Like yeah I've told this like anecdote on the podcast, but like last year he came in in relief of Wilson. When.
Speaker: ah It really wasn't going very well in the southern Georgia Southern game at the end of the season. And he really almost brought them back and won that game. And they had basically been lifeless for two quarters. so Yeah, i'm I'm very interested to see what a full Zion Turner start looks like where he's not having to kind of...
Speaker: Coming. Cold off the bench. doesn't have a full week of game planning, film study, all that kind of stuff. like What does it look like then is going to be the big question for me. Yeah. I mean, this is just a team, a program that needs to show.
Speaker: Much like Old Dominions, uh... Old Dominion does. Show some life. because I'm getting... It's turning out pretty quickly that. Tony Gibson is not the guy.
Speaker: It seems like he... His team appears lethargic. and this is coming from like app state or i'm sorry excuse me marshall uh marshall fans marshall voices i trust it's just like the team's not in it No one's playing good well. No one is.
Speaker: It's just incredibly. Unimpressive. unenthused football. um I think of this. Early slate, I guess it's kind of sandwiched in there at 6 .30.
Speaker: Like. It's this one and App are the two worth watching because App, you just know you're going to get good ball. Marshall here, it's like... I don't know, because they're in a similar record position to Missouri State. Both teams got wiped by...
Speaker: you know, college football, recent the ah recent Blue Bloods in Penn State and Texas A and &M. And then one. you know marshall had a little harder of a time with mtsu and we talked in the recap episode that they were maybe the worst pass of the season away from going to overtime.
Speaker: um Whereas Missouri State kind of got to romp an FCS opponent. Bye. Tony Gibson, I think, is is starting to run short on patience. ah with the Marshall fan base.
Speaker: You got to turn it around soon because if not now when Yeah, right. ah Yeah, it's the the Del Rio Wilson injury is tough, too, because it's like...
Speaker: It also makes, I think, evaluating him a little tough because it's like... Now he's kind of got the built -in. fallback of like well my quarterback who was supposed to be player of the year and everything in the Sun Belt got injured in week Two. And now...
Speaker: If he mitches misses like a decent stretch of games, then Tony Gibson's going to turn around and go. Well, I didn't have my quarterback. like What did you want me to do? How many how many coaches in this conference are winning? eight games with their backup in. like I don't know uh ah Next game here, 7 o 'clock. This is SEC Network. plus So, you know, people are really tuned in. ah It's Troy taking on miss number 20, Missouri. Both teams are 2 -0, but a very different 2 -0 for both. ah Troy.
Speaker: has been playing they They are almost like Wile E. Coyote in the old sketches. where he like runs off a cliff, and if he he he's off the cliff, but he hasn't fallen yet because it's cartoon logic, and as as long as he doesn't look down, he's okay. That's kind of how they've lived so far with like.
Speaker: This... inefficient High ADOT passing attack. with Goose Crowder. where I don't think he's had a week where he's been over like 52 % completion percentage in a game yet. um It's been some ugly like offensive performances like regardless of the...
Speaker: The winds. Sam Houston. And then... ah Well, who'd they get last week? ah Alabama State. So. I don't think this is going to be the game where you get it get the passing attack on track. I think this is going to be a real... struggle, and I think Missouri is going to kind of...
Speaker: Open up some of those. week. points that Troy has had. Opponents have kind of been picking at it, but they haven't haven't been good enough to take advantage. I think... ah missouri is i think missouri is going to make this ugly i think Right. Much is being said right now about even having FBS -FCS matchups.
Speaker: I would kind of want to see Troy play another FCS game this week because what we missed against Alabama State and what we missed against Sam Houston was the ability to finish the kill. um You know, you got him down to like that last heart.
Speaker: And instead of using your your ultra combo breaker street fighter move. Yeah. your fatality it's like oh we're just gonna kind of wait until the clock runs out. on the match and I win because I've got more health left.
Speaker: Um, and that That's kind of the impression I've got through the first two weeks in here. So. Bye. Again, it's like this this Troy team. honestly looks worse than it they might have last year early on.
Speaker: um Because the offense. Goose Crowder may have regressed. Um... and obviously with all the injury that's not necessarily completely unreasonable but He's worth noting.
Speaker: Enjoy the check. that That's why we play this game. and Enjoy it. Also I think their offensive line might be as bad or worse as it was last year. Yeah.
Speaker: at least per PFF through two games and consider. that they've beaten. an FCS team and Sam Houston in the first two weeks. They have the fifth worst ah pass blocking grade by unit.
Speaker: at on the offensive line. so When we really get kind of in the trenches like this game. This might be a goose crowder. Like. crash test dummy special where it's like he's just getting thrown around like a rag doll and like doing crazy things and putting himself kind of in harm's way.
Speaker: ah So that'll be something to keep an eye on. I think against Missouri is like, does he make it out healthy? like that's That would be my number one question. ah 7 o 'clock, this is your game. Georgia State is taking on UCF.
Speaker: Former James Madison quarterback Alonzo Barnett is injured, so he probably will not play this game. He has a hamstring injury. You guys are going to face off with a backup quarterback. How do you feel about...
Speaker: Georgia State's chances of beating UCF. on Saturday. I don't know enough about UCF. ah And kind of the structure around it. to to determine how...
Speaker: badly they're going to get hurt without Alonzo Barnett. of what We saw. I mean, we saw good James Madison's teams without Alonzo Barnett, right? But obviously the whole idea is that UCF is supposed to be some sort of half step up.
Speaker: um and that's the situation for him. Even with the injury, UCF is an 18 .5 -point favorite. um So that's where Vegas sits. I don't care if Georgia State loses. It would be great to be 3 -0.
Speaker: But we are not supposed to be 2 -0. That is not supposed to be. where they're sitting at. This is supposed to be a one in one football team. Um, Just go out there and look good again. uh, Cameron Brown, like let's.
Speaker: Maybe rein in some of the accuracy, but keep doing fun things. um Defensively, like let's actually... These are. for the first time since Sean Elliott actually playing defense. you know, hold UCF to under 35.
Speaker: you know Lose this game 17 -28. And i I can't imagine many Panthers fans would be like terribly, terribly disappointed with that. Yeah. I know it's been to only two weeks.
Speaker: ah Georgia State. And... Let's see, James Madison. are the only two teams in this conference that have top four grades on the offensive line in both pass blocking and run blocking so far.
Speaker: And that's interesting because that was… That was kind of the trademark of this team. When they were at their best with Sean Elliott and, you know, of course, their best best with Sean Elliott was like. Eight wins plus a bowl.
Speaker: um So it's not like we were you know reaching for the stars there. but That was kind of what made that offense tick for so long. was having guys that could block for someone who's in a similar archetype like Darren Granger, um for some really good running backs that have come through the past couple years. And so it's...
Speaker: As a fan, definitely, i'm I'm glad that they're kind of returning to that formula to some degree. Yeah. 7 o 'clock kick here. This is my game. Georgia Southern is taking on Jacksonville State. Uh, I have seen a little bit of Jacksonville State.
Speaker: I... I may be wrong on this. I'm... have not been super impressed by them. Um, They almost fit. like as a Sunbelt team in that they're one of these teams where it feels like.
Speaker: Literally, they're just putting it all on the quarterback's shoulders. um Jacksonville State's... Caden Creel at quarterback is both the leading rusher for the team with 54 carries for 218 yards.
Speaker: and has thrown for 677 yards and six touchdowns um However, They got smoked by North Dakota State in week one, 33 -7.
Speaker: They beat an FCS team by 42 points in week two. Art. I guess week one, technically they, they. The North Coast state game was week zero, you know, whatever. And then last week, they lost by two points to a Mac school in Ohio.
Speaker: Uh... Georgia Southern's defense has been much improved. I think the big question is. Okay. So they've played two games, Georgia Southern has. One was an FCS school. Where.
Speaker: They kind of scored like 28 points and then just stopped trying, similar to what Troy did against... ah Alabama State last week. And then. They...
Speaker: were just absolutely scared of their own shadow against Clemson. So scared, in fact, that they wouldn't try to win the game. they I don't... i would I would love to put truth serum in offensive coordinator Ryan Applin's drink and be like...
Speaker: What was the best case scenario for all of that? Did you just expect that Clemson was going to forget how to tackle? Like, what was the... what was the thought process because it's gonna like if they're continuing to just throw these like short little passes Non -stop.
Speaker: And not really try to scheme guys up to get open. Get guys the ball in space. If we're just... throwing the run out the way that we did last week where the final margin was like, 15 points.
Speaker: We don't have to stop running the ball just because we're down like... one touchdown. you know that was the right another thing that made me like want to pull my hair out was like Just because you get down one score doesn't mean you just throw all of the run plays out and go, well, we got to throw it, but we can't throw it more than two yards down the field. That would that would be pretty scary, wouldn't it? so I... I don't know ah If we have another week where they just don't act like they want to win the game.
Speaker: Go ahead and cut Applin loose and put somebody else in charge. I don't even care. if they lose out the rest of the season, I'm not going to watch courage, the cowardly dog offense. Like I just, that's the way that they've. they've They played last week, and I can't stand it.
Speaker: i I think this is going to be like the first true chat, obviously, for Georgia Southern. This is a much regressed Jacksonville State team, it would appear, much as the Conference USA fashion. ah which is kind of interesting. I know they lose Cam Cook, but Cam Creel or Caden Creel was the quarterback last year.
Speaker: um I know he split time. I don't know if it was injury. um but I. This is going to be telling is. Are you going to compete?
Speaker: Or are you going to lay down and take it? um right All right. Exactly as you said. And so. that's going to be my indicator of. Are we in for another Clay Helton year? Or maybe, just maybe, were we wrong about it all along? Maybe the Grandmaster Scheme.
Speaker: is finally paying off like six years later. I know what is more likely. Um. But that's why you play the game, I suppose. I'm like what. what grandmaster scheme like you're attributing to malice what can be contributed to uh you know attributed to max johnson was always the plan it always was Anytime you can get a left -handed guy who can't throw the ball more than 10 yards down the field without putting his entire body into it, you have to.
Speaker: You just have to see it play out. That's the trend in Georgia right now, man. Yeah. and the In the whole state, they love it. Rise up. Sickening. sickening ah Another o 'clock game here. UConn is taking on Southern Miss. um UConn has been an interesting team thus far. They beat an FCS team in Lafayette week one, 56 -7, and then lost to Maryland by 24 points last week.
Speaker: ah Meanwhile. Southern Miss, dude. it up. I think it's... Next week against Tulane is going to be a really interesting barometer. because I don't think that highly of Tulane, and Tulane definitely should have lost to South Alabama.
Speaker: But I feel like the way that UConn is right now. And with how inefficient. Like this passing attack for Southern Misses, it's going to make it really hard for the the Golden Eagles to win this game. I just don't i don't know that I see an outcome where they win.
Speaker: I think this is the kind of game that's going to separate this season from the Will Hall disaster years versus... Okay, this is a... first -year coach who had to rebuild his entire roster. This is the kind of game that can dictate the narrative when we look back at this season come December.
Speaker: Um, I don't. you know Obviously, they're not playing for narrative, but to you and I, that's fairly important. Um, Prove us wrong Landry Liddy.
Speaker: Unlike Ethan Hampton. Hopefully not for long. I don't know. it sounds what lidy It's an Armenta Carlisle situation. It's like, I don't know who I'd rather see, but the guy we're seeing is not the right one.
Speaker: I. I'm getting kind of to the point where I think I agree. Uh... Liddy at least last year, like when Braxton was out in that Texas state game, I think it was.
Speaker: He showed a couple flashes where I was like. I don't have high expectations at all for this guy. like I feel bad for him because he's kind of coming in with the season on the line and trying to play them like out of a hole. He he showed a couple of flashes, but they they were just kind of overwhelmed last year.
Speaker: Um, Yeah, I agree. Because this is getting to the point where it's like... At what point do you look around and go? as Blake Anderson, like how many games does it take? for a competent head coach? And I say a competent head coach because we've seen incompetent ones do this. How long does it take for a competent head coach to look around and go,
Speaker: Um. This isn't working. Let's do something else. Let's put somebody else in and just give them a chance. because the The Ethan Hampton, 2 .9 yards per. attempt or whatever, ADOT.
Speaker: ah against... Auburn was not. Not cutting the mustard. So we need to. do something else and move on. um so yeah that'll be that'll be interesting when they do get it at home though so Maybe UConn's overwhelmed by the heat.
Speaker: i don't know Uh... Last 7 o 'clock game of the night, Ohio is traveling to Mobile to take on South Alabama. Ohio, like I mentioned. ah defeated Jacksonville State last week, 29 -27.
Speaker: ah But they got beat by Nebraska by 28 points in week one. South Alabama. pulled defeat from the jaws of victory against Tulane.
Speaker: ah last week and then Vita, FCS team in week one. Up. I kind of think Ohio might take this one, man. like i'm I'm just kind of like... South Alabama is all over the map. We cannot figure out what we're... what we're doing.
Speaker: One week we're we're playing. Super conservative. run the football constantly, throw short passes. And then last week it was like. Let Bishop Davenport rip. Some passes down the field and it's like.
Speaker: Okay, well, which one is the real South Alabama? Like, what are we doing on a weekly basis? They need to establish an identity because right now they just don't seem to have one, I don't think. Right. um Yeah, something I read i learned ah in between recording our recap and and this preview.
Speaker: Um, South Alabama, of all teams that lost last week, had the highest like net. EPA. And that's just. you know How good were your plays, essentially? Of all the losing teams, they had the highest margin. they outperformed Tulane to such. And if you look at, you don't even need to look at the advanced stuff. It's just look at the stats that matter. Third downs, yardage.
Speaker: time of possession, these things that correlate to winning football games. South Alabama did them. had a chance. I criticized previously, I don't know if it's Applewhite or Bishop Davenport for being a little too conservative, not letting him run wild and you know maybe that's a poor verbiage because i don't know If you let, like, a kitten out of its cage, that's a whole... Whole different. deal than if you're letting a lion out right i don't know if the kitten is running as wild as that lion is.
Speaker: But. I don't know. South Alabama played like good football, just didn't win last night or last week. I'd be curious to see what happens here. Ohio ah beat Jacksonville State. Again, we believe a much regressed Jacksonville State team. but ah you know ah the only team that's had any sticking ah sticking power in the Conference USA the past several years. so um Not knowing much about Ohio.
Speaker: I'd like to see South Alabama be a part of this game. Yeah. i mean They should be right in it. It's just... Are they going to be able to close and or are they going to have a two lane type result where.
Speaker: didn't Tulane like walk down the field in the last like three minutes or something and just just walked it down 78 yards. Like that's That you just can't have that obviously so we'll We'll see. what kind of effort they turn in this week.
Speaker: 8 o 'clock kick, Arkansas State, I think it's going to be... sacrificed by TCU. Mm -hmm. This is another team where... They cannot run the ball at all. Um...
Speaker: And ironically, they have one of the highest ah run. but They have the highest run blocking grade in the conference. Um, It doesn't seem to matter. Like... ah going Even going back to like last year, like. no matter who it is out there.
Speaker: save for Jaquez Cross, who was on the team last year for a minute. before he got hurt. They just can't run the ball. And Trey Owens is... Kind of turnover prone. ah TCU is...
Speaker: Probably still pretty mad about losing ah to North Carolina in Week 0, 15 -10 in Ireland. ah And then. They beat Grambling by 56 points, who was an HBCU last week.
Speaker: i I don't think Arkansas State has it. I think this is gonna be another long season. I think last year it was kind of... Everything that could have went.
Speaker: Wright kind of did for Arkansas State where they developed this pass rush and had all these sacks like right at the end of the season. They weren't doing a lot supporting ah Rainer with the running game, which is, again, similar to what they're dealing with now.
Speaker: But. they were in a much better kind of spot with Rucker and and all that last year. This year is like... we're kind of going back to the old Butch Jones teams of like,
Speaker: Quarterback's not that good. Can't run the ball. Don't play a ton of defense. Right. You know, it's. um Yeah, offensively, this is not going to be the game where you get the run game on track. because the The running room was very spread out. They didn't have like a super, super star against West Georgia, um but the the room as a whole looked pretty solid.
Speaker: Again, we don't know what that. you know Take that with whatever you please. um This is not going to be the opportunity for the… running back room to springboard. What is an opportunity? um For Trey Owens, it's… Don't turn the ball over.
Speaker: Obviously had the three interceptions, or was it four interceptions, in week one. ah Got out interception -free last week, but he did give away a fumble. ah Just hold on to the ball. i for however long you are in this game. Do not turn it over.
Speaker: And then from a defensive standpoint, TCU is kind of letting their guys air it out. Get some pressure. that That really won Arkansas State some games late in the year last year when they had like...
Speaker: two nine set games within the final so like five or six games of the year. Mm hmm. Two sacks through two games this year. Um, When you're Beaten down on a team like West Georgia, as you did, 52 -7. You're playing Memphis that put up points. You had opportunities. It's not like you're playing Louisiana Tech where, yeah, they're throwing the ball 20 times, so forgive me for not having the chance to get a pressure. They're letting the guys air it out, so arkansas I need to see some pressure.
Speaker: um yeah to show me any like ah any sign of life from that defense. I... I agree. um this is ah Outside of last year, late when they developed the pass rush, this has kind of been a recurring theme. It's like...
Speaker: They've had multiple defensive coordinators under Butch Jones, and it just... Other than last year, that flash in the pan at the end of the year. Doesn't seem to really. pan out well for them. Uh, Yeah, like you said, Trey Owens, five turnovers in the past two weeks.
Speaker: Um, not Not going to get it done at any level having that. that amount of turnover. ah Another 8 o 'clock kicker here. UAB is taking on Louisiana. Like you said.
Speaker: We almost saw UAB lose to ULM last week. Um, Louisiana gave up a pretty valiant effort against USC, all things considering. late kickoff playing a team that's you know ah a better team overall than you are.
Speaker: I think they win this game pretty easily. ah If UAB is struggling with ULM and their backup quarterback. We probably should have been starting all along. then I think Louisiana's got enough to get it done and I i don't I think they're going to win this game by probably... 10 points, 14 points, something like that. like I could see that. yeah I think for them it's a matter of...
Speaker: of how much not if. Let's get the running game going, though. Let's look good against... Excuse me, against a FBS defense.
Speaker: um they They looked really good against Lamar and then did not look good last week against USC. So it's like, find find me somewhere in the middle. because that was... And again. Hey. It will never be said enough as far as like narrative goes for Louisiana. Last year, it was all about the offensive line injury. like All five starters hurt at some point in the year.
Speaker: Um, but you got to run the ball. And we're... We were kind of learning what you see is what you get with lunch. It's going to be fun.
Speaker: It's going to be exciting. but there's a finite cap on what he can do. You need to be able to run around him, and this is going to be your first chance to show me, are you actually able to do that against like -minded or you know like...
Speaker: ability comp competition I may have mentioned it a little earlier but I'm just going to reiterate. At a 34 out of 100, Louisiana has the worst pass blocking grade of any team in this conference. like you said i'm sure that's a bottom five unit in the country Uh, They struggled with it last year.
Speaker: I know USC probably... heavily you know influenced where they're at on that standing but still what Still hasn't been good yet. like we're We're still waiting for that offensive line to kind of gel and turn the corner. And we're going on almost two years of that. so Um,
Speaker: Abe. Pretty premier game in the 10 o 'clock slot on the CW. ah They're usually showing reruns of Vampire Diaries around this time, so I'm surprised they were able to slot us in. James Madison's traveling to San Diego to take on San Diego State.
Speaker: San Diego State. ah got a taste of ex -JMU coach Bob Chesney last week as UCLA beat them 28 -10. ah San Diego State beat Portland State 53 -20 in the opener.
Speaker: Um, James Madison's looked. Pretty good. You know, no matter who they've really thrown out there, they're very different quarterbacks with Coleman and Evans. I still have yet to see an injury kind of.
Speaker: update on Evans I don't know what the time frame for him being out would look like. Uh... At this point, I think Coleman might give them a chance to win by a larger margin than if... Evans was out there because it's very, with the Evans offense, it's it's very conservative.
Speaker: It's limiting mistakes. ball control winning the time of possession all of that Coleman showed some flashes really like last week throwing the ball. I know it was Wagner. But...
Speaker: I wouldn't be surprised to see JMU come out with a win here ah on the West Coast. i I don't really know what to expect out of San Diego State. Yeah, until – and this is just the downside of us recording this on Monday – until we get JC Evans news short or long term… is going to kind of temper expectations for what this game means.
Speaker: But... ah From a James Madison side, this is just your first opportunity to play, again, like any good competition. Liberty looks dead in the water. je Jimmy Chadwell is probably losing the job.
Speaker: Assuming he doesn't have a… jumbo jumbo ah buyout which he probably does. um This is your first opportunity to actually show us something. um I think the defense.
Speaker: Uh, looked good, not great against Liberty. I think even despite the 20 points allowed, I think they they could have. looked a little better and then obviously wagner make what you will But it's it's the running game. The running game actually... was kind of cooking last week.
Speaker: um You brought it up, the special teams as well. Those are the things that are going to win you football games. and it's Show me it's real. Show me it's real. I think I. you know we We have a pretty good grasp on Coleman. We we need to see a little bit more of J .C. Evans. but are you Can you run the ball? Is the defense legit?
Speaker: Um, It's a shame that this game is at 10 p .m. because I don't know how many folks are going to stay up to watch it, but this has to be one of the premier. G6 matchups of the week So this is a funny, I think, thing to leave off on. I was i was reading an article from the Daily News Record, and they cover ah JMU.
Speaker: I was looking to get an update on JC Evans' status. Here here is the the mess that they're currently in with the... like the way that Napier's handling all this.
Speaker: So Napier claims that he has a that Evans has a lower body injury. However he was wearing a wrist brace. um he has described I don't know. He has described Evans as day -to -day, week -to -week with a lower body injury.
Speaker: um But he wore a brace on his non -throwing arm. On Saturday. And then they asked him about it and he said, I think it's part of the unknown. he said i He said, I think it's good for Duke Nation to have some unknowns.
Speaker: What? Oh, you know what? I might have seen... There was a Twitter discourse about this. I don't know if you saw this. No, I haven't. I could be wrong. But what I believe the argument was someone may have had.
Speaker: like someone tweeted out a little after this quote came out um where he's saying he he obviously wants to keep it close to the chest. I think someone may have tweeted something out about it. Either that or criticized Napier, right? But was clearly like going in opposite direction of.
Speaker: Wouldn't you like to know? um Right. And it became this like. narrative in the one tweet that stuck out to me, and it was just one tweet. so i can't let it like influence my make me angry But it's like, oh, how are we supposed to ask these college kids to stay committed to our university and the program when you're not even able to do that? And you're leaking you because I'm not on the team.
Speaker: I'm sorry to yell. i'm sorry yeah We had a really chill episode, but that pissed me off so much. Piss me off so much. Just tell me if the kids hurt or not. Just tell me if the kids hurt or not. Right. it It isn't that difficult. If you want me to enjoy your product.
Speaker: I don't gamble I don't sports gamble I don't have that angle on that here I just want to enjoy your product more. And I can't. If you won't tell me. Who's going to freaking play football? Do I need to stay up until 10 PM to watch you play San Diego state?
Speaker: Tell me yeah, I guess He's treating it like a pay -per -view at like a WWE wwe event. It's like, oh, is he going to make weight? I don't know. or Or no, he's like, what mystery opponent is Stone Cold taking on on Sunday? You're just like, I... who cares dude just tell me like i i'm not gonna buy the pay -per -view if If I don't know who Stone Cold's fighting. like I'm sorry. Whatever. I lost my temper. Dude, that was ticking me off. I'll find it and send it to you.
Speaker: that yeah definitely send it to me that is annoying as well because I... I don't know if other teams have dealt with this, but I have noticed this with JMU, especially with with when JMU Sports News kind of talked about the JC Evans injury initially.
Speaker: People were legitimately responding. And saying. How does this benefit the team by you leaking this information? This is exactly what I'm talking about. Oh, okay. All right. We were talking about the same conversation.
Speaker: Well, i I don't know if it was because it was literally like one person on a tweet. like from a week and a half ago. like when they first broke it they were like you're really putting in the team behind the eight ball here by leaking this and it's like Okay. But you guys don't have injury reports. You're not required to release injury reports. the way that like NFL teams do.
Speaker: Is it too much to ask to say, hey, I want to know who what's going on with my football team? Apparently it is. So. I don't know I... I wasn't supposed to get angry about this but I did.
Speaker: You can find me on Twitter at Zeke Palermo Z -E -K -E -P -A -L -E -R -M -O you can find Zeke mad on Twitter, uh, right there. Usually. Yeah. Yeah. You can find, find the show on X and Tik TOK at warm weather fans. You can find me on X at watch the stone.
Speaker: We will be back next week to run down all of this week three action and answer the eternal question of. Who plays for JMU on Saturday night? On the next edition of Warm Weather Fans.
