Boomo Bugg Show 090926

[0:00] Now, get ready to roll Shoals, Decatur, Athens and all of Northwest Alabama and Southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM Sports Voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. Your exclusive inside track to the Tigers, Tennessee and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Good afternoon and welcome here to the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us a speed ride around the Tennessee mountain. Brett Beaird, welcome in where? We get the latest on the SEC and LSU and the very latest on some sky-high lines and a brand new look when it comes to the Lions' Den.

Good afternoon, welcome in and how are you? Happy Wednesday to you and the listeners. Bill Bender, national football writer for the Sporting News, we'll preview week two of college football a little bit later. As will Coach Max Howell when he previews week two of the SEC. But as you alluded to, UNA Coach Brent Dierman joins us now to recap a very solid performance against those Arkansas Razorbacks. Coach Brent Dierman back from hog heaven at Arkansas. UNA head football coach. Coach, welcome in and welcome back. How are you?

Doing well, guys. I had a really good trip back. You know, it's about a six and a half, seven-hour drive to Fayetteville, Arkansas. Love the way our guys went up there and competed. Labor Day helped out. Our guys got a little bit of off time on Monday. And back to work, getting ready for another road trip. Coach, obviously, one-in-one, you've been on the road. And we'll get to something else in just a short time. Why home cooking is really going to be special this time of year.

But let's talk about the one-in-one split, first to Huntsville, then out to Fayetteville. Let's talk about taking on the big boys in the SEC. You look at this game and you try to, first of all, you want to come out of it healthy to get in your schedule. But where do you start in breaking down what you learned about your team against the SEC boys? You know, any time you can go into an SEC environment, there was Pac-Tow, 76,000 people there when the game kicked off. So to see our guys go into that environment and be able to operate and never quit.

You know, we were down 14-0. And our defense made a heck of a stop right before halftime that would have probably put the game away if they go up 21-0. We get that turnover, and then we come out in the second half, and the second half score was 17-14 against the SEC team. So I was very happy with the way that our guys competed on that stage. I think everybody knew going into the summer that this defensive front seven could be special. And I think after the first two games, a lot of people realized that.

Held Arkansas to 148 rushing yards, three yards per carry. They forced two fumbles in plus territory, created three sacks, five tackles for long. Austin, I sent you this yesterday. Pro Football Network had their top FCS edge guys. Caden Adkins won. Avery Howard, two. And Kamara Harris was six or seven. That's pretty impressive. It is really impressive. And for that to be against an SEC opponent. That's the crazier thing to think about is to have guys at the FCS level get graded out at that high against a talent pool that's supposed to be a league above us.

And was very excited to watch those guys play all Saturday. We played at an unbelievable level. But who doesn't get the credit is the nose guards on the inside that allowed them guys to get single blocks on them. So, our big 300-pounders are eating up double teams on the inside with Mon Cole and Josh White. They don't get the stats, but they definitely get recognized in our team meetings for eating them double teams up. I imagine those running backs owe a mistake to eat on, too, for opening up those holes.

Coach Brent Dierman, UNA head football coach, let's talk about the X factor. Tell you what, anytime you get awards and it's to your freshman, you've got to be happy. Two games in and all Xavier Johnson has done is earn back-to-back freshman of the week honors. Not a bad start. Not a bad start at all. It's something that we've kind of had a tough time with since I've been here is having a deep threat receiver. We would have to try to scheme and manipulate ways to get some shot and trick plays to create those explosives.

But to have a receiver that can open up and run the way Xavier does has been good. And it complements the rest of our receiver group. Let's everybody do what they do well with having some possession guys, some intermediate guys, some stretch-to-field bubble guys. The more you can stretch the field horizontally and vertically, it opens up that run game even more. So, it's going to pay dividends to our run game. This was a special game for you and eight transfers from Memphis. Gus Malzahn is a good friend of yours and a mentor, and you coached with him for years.

[5:32] And, of course, Coach Malzahn is a legend in the state of Arkansas. He was in attendance Saturday. I know that meant a lot to you. Also, the eight transfers were very familiar with Ryan Silverfield. They played for him at Memphis. Talk about what this game meant to you. Oh, it was huge for me with going back to the state of Arkansas. The state of Arkansas was the first opportunity I got as a college offensive coordinator at Arkansas Tech. So, I met so many people there, had three great years there.

My greatest mentor in this profession was being Coach Malzahn and the influence he's had over my life, but then also that he is in attendance in the stadium that day made him more special. So, it was an awesome feeling this past weekend to go back there and to see our guys play on the stage that they did at that level. And now my eight Memphis transfers probably had a little bit of extra in that game because a lot of guys on that staff were at Memphis that didn't give them an opportunity and a chance.

So, they went into that game wanting to prove a point, and I think a few of them definitely did. Coach, obviously, you've got to keep the bags packed three games in and a third straight road trip. You're going to Louisiana, and thank goodness you're not going to Baton Rouge. That is a – my mom had another word for it I can't use on the radio here, House, of late. You're going to the other place down there. Talk to us about your trip this weekend to Louisiana. Yeah, it's going to be another tough environment.

You know, I don't know if you guys saw this stat, but we just played in the hottest game ever recorded in Razorback history. Wow. So, not only did you have a long road trip, it was the hottest road trip that has ever happened in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Come back from that road trip, luckily we had that Labor Day off, but then we'll take another five-and-a-half, six-hour bus ride down to Hammond, Louisiana. Anybody that knows anything about South Louisiana, it is going to be hot and humid. It's going to be hot down there.

So, we've got to hydrate up this week. Our kids got to understand hydration starts on Tuesday and Wednesday. You can't wait until Friday. And then we've got to be smart starting about Thursday. We've got to have two hard practices Tuesday and Wednesday, but then we've got to start bringing things back more on our players throughout the week so they can be fresh and ready to go in that tough temperature and tough humidity we're going to walk into. Yeah, I can vouch for it. It was 99 degrees in Tuscaloosa Saturday, which tied a high as far as a game there.

Southeast Louisiana, they're 0-2, but I keep saying this every time we talk about the opponent. That can be very deceiving. Their quarterback, 12-20. They lost to South Alabama, 39-14. I know you've seen a little bit of tape on them. Low, their quarterback, 12-20 for 186. Lonnie Sheen is a very good receiver. Ken Berry and a couple of the other guys in nine tackles on defense. Give us a little bit of a scouting report on what Southeastern Louisiana does. How about this right here? Their starting quarterback, I signed when I was the offense coordinator at Middle Tennessee.

It's a small world. And official visit, in-home visit, go through all of that. And then he's moving on to campus, and I get offered the job to go down to FAU and leave before he ever played for me. So, I know their starting quarterback extremely well. He's a great player. He's a dual-threat guy. I played shortstop on his high school baseball team. So, he may have a little extra in for me that I left him before I was coaching him. Yep. But they're an FCS playoff team last year.

They got beaten the first round of the playoffs by Illinois State, who went to the national championship. We know that it's going to be a tough road game. They're very sound in what they do. Their head coach has been there a while, and he's built a winning program down there. So, we've got our work cut out for us, but we're not going to shy away from it by any means. We're going to go down there and play an A game down in Hammond. Coach, obviously, this has to be asked as far as the MASH report.

It's a universal theme across the landscape. Please, no injuries. How's the health of the team right now? We had one kind of get a little banged up this week that he may play this upcoming week. But besides that, we haven't had any serious injuries, serious issues. So, it's been good to see. We talked about quite a few players. Who else in the performance against Arkansas, Coach, or I? You mentioned the ones that made the stat line. What has excited me, we've played two games. We've got one turnover.

[10:42] That one turnover was a kind of weird fumble where Destin put the ball on the ground as he got off balance and ended up fumbling there. So, to go through two games and not have any skilled positions, turn the ball over, to not have an interception in your first couple games, I think that's a testament to our coaching. It's a testament to our guys, understanding that every possession counts, and we're not going to give one up. And to see our defense have, I think, four turnovers, they've taken the ball away.

So, I think it's been a team effort of playing. And, you know, back when I was the offensive coordinator at places, I had all these offensive goals I wanted to hit. And I was the head coach. I want to win. So, I don't care about how many yards we have. I don't care how many points we score or don't score. I want to win, no matter if it's 3-2 or 52-51. I just want to win the game. Or even 2-0. Coach, obviously, you wind up the road trip.

I'm just guessing here that any coach wants to get back and play that first home game. But I just get the feeling that this was really going to be special. Correct me if I'm wrong. Talk to us about your new Lions Dent that awaits. Yeah, it's an amazing sight to see every day. Looking out my window, I try to drive by it or walk by it every day. Can't wait to get our guys in there and experience this new, state-of-the-art, beautiful stadium. It's going to be an amazing experience for our fans, for the city of Florence.

What we stress to our guys this week is you go on the road and you beat an FCS playoff team on the road. And you go and get to 2-0 in FCS play. You come back home with that momentum for the first home game in school history. This place is going to be rocking. This place is going to be on fire. And we've got to set ourselves up for that situation by taking care of business this week. That's what I was going to say. I know everybody's excited for the 19th, but you've got some business, a business trip to take care of first.

I always enjoy the conversation with you. Safe travels to Louisiana and bring back a W. Thank you, fellas. Always enjoy talking to y'all. Roll lines. You too. One word, Gatorade, down to Southeastern, any hot spot in Louisiana. But Southeastern Louisiana, I can't see it. What do you say we go to a cooler climb called Ohio? And Bill Bender next. Stay with us. Show the Boomo Bugg Show. With locations in Tuscumbia, Florence, Muscle Shoals, Russell, Killen, Madison, and Athens, Singing River Dentistry provides the most advanced dental care, including same-day crowns and implants, in a compassionate and friendly atmosphere.

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Hey, it's Evan Cullen coming up Wednesday. The NFL season kicks off with the Super Bowl rematch. I'll tell you if the Seahawks or Patriots have done enough to get back to Super Bowl 61. It's on Sportsman, like 6 a.m. Eastern, right here on ESPN Radio, ESPN2, and ESPNU. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. Read all about it when it comes to college football with the man at the Sporting News, Bill Bender. Bill, welcome in. How are you? Hey, Harold. How you doing, man?

Thanks for having me on. What if I told you, Bill, that LSU is being talked about being thrown out of the SEC, and Michigan fans are rushing the field over a win over Western Michigan? Would you believe me if I told you those things? You know, it's the doling storyline of the week leading up to week two. And I've kind of been balancing my time between the both. So yesterday I had a chance to speak with the MEC commissioner. We had a good conversation. He's obviously disappointed with how that all went down.

And, you know, where I kind of landed on it was the Big Ten got the call right. But it was very – it looked very bad how that was done. And as Commissioner Steinbrecher said, they have to come to agreement on how the clocks are used moving forward. I think that's the lesson here. Michigan – I'll put it to you in one sentence, Harold. Michigan lost by winning in some ways. It's weird. Here's the deal, Bill. But going back to the Florida State game and that power outage, they didn't have replay.

What would have happened in that game? And how would college football perhaps – we don't know. It's still early. But at the end of the year, what if they had not had replay and Michigan lost that game? That tells you the power of replay in some ways. Yeah, and, you know, in some ways it's refreshing not to – Right. Bill was, like, excited to watch one without replay. I just think there's too much at stake anymore. The way these are covered – you know, I went back and watched – I asked the question and I wrote about it, as I'm sure you guys saw.

[21:32] I asked the question, you know, like, what if Alabama had made the field goal before the kick six? And I said, if you don't think there wouldn't have been a reaction similar to what happened Saturday night, Alabama's going for three straight, it would have been Nick Saban gets his way, and that second wasn't there. I believe – but I think the key difference was before the kick six, it's pretty clear that T.J. Yeldon's foot touches, and it's – in this one it was pretty clear to the viewer that, you know, there's no time on the clock.

So, you know, funny, Vern in that telecast before the pick six, he used the word, if the clocks are synchronized, it's just a different time then. There's too much at stake these days. Yep. Yeah, absolutely. Before we get into this weekend's games, which there are some good ones, I noticed the college football playoff committee kind of opened the 30-day window for ESPN as far as bidding on the next contract, whether to expand or not. Also, Greg Sankey has said, here are my list of 10 demands for me to go to 24, which tells me that's the direction they're going in.

We'll know a lot more probably by midseason. Your thoughts on the latest update as far as staying at 12, going to 16, or going to 24? I think we're going to 24, unfortunately. Yeah. And that's where it's pointed. And, you know, we just had a pretty interesting argument in our editorial meeting today about, you know, like, not an argument, just a debate about that. You know, what is good about it, what's not. Yeah. And, you know, I think it's one of those things that we all have a lot of passion for it, but I'm just not a fan of the 2014 setup.

I agree. You know, we were actually, a little bit of the discussion today that I'm going to dig into this week, probably this weekend, is, you know, what's the benefit of playing an Ohio State-Texas game if you lose? Mm-hmm. Right, right. And that's one of those games that they're going to, everybody will say, well, Sark, don't lose to Florida. Well, you know, if we're still just going by the wins and losses, I don't know. I mean, I question how you, you know, what's the price you pay?

There's a heavier price for losing than there is a reward for winning, in my opinion. That's right. Absolutely. Speaking of that, you mentioned it. Talk to us about a pretty big ballgame involving a team down the road from you, the Ohio State University, taking on, does Arch even have teammates? Every time I turn around, it's Arch, Arch, and Arch. I'm assuming he's got teammates. If he does, your thoughts about that game this weekend? Oh, he's got a couple good ones, you know, whether it's Colin Simmons or Kim Coleman.

We've got a piece coming tomorrow. You know, tomorrow, that game is one of those games, and it's going to remind me, at least, one of the reasons I love doing this job is there can be 25 guys on that field Saturday that get drafted in just 27. It reminds me of Alabama-LSU-19. That's right. That's still the standard game. Yeah. You know, and then 2011, too. Yeah. I like watching games like that because you know how much talent's on the field. Texas has a lot of it around Arch, and this is a big game for them.

I think there's more pressure on Texas in this spot because, like, Ohio State, like, I don't think Ryan Day has anything to prove Saturday. They've won national titles. They've won 10 and 11 games a year. They've beat Texas the last two years. So, I do think the pressure is on Texas here. Yeah. I was going to say all the pressure is on Sarkeesian. Oklahoma's a five-and-a-half point favorite going to the big house. I know Michigan would like to play a ball game probably tonight to get that taste out of their mouth.

You made a good point in your prediction. In fact, you predict Oklahoma to win 24-20 but not covering the five-and-a-half. Michigan was three of 14 on third down last year. This Oklahoma defense may be better than the one they had last year, and I know the offense is better. I don't trust Bryce Underwood in this game. I think Oklahoma wins. I do, too, but I think Michigan defense is pretty good, too. So, what it comes down to, both of these teams are pretty good at stopping the run, and I think that's going to happen.

I think both teams are going to have a hard time finding running room, and so it comes down to Matier and Underwood and who you trust more. And right now, this is a defining moment in some ways for Bryce Underwood, where this season goes, where his tenure at Michigan goes. Of course, again, I like Oklahoma to win, but with all the stuff that's happened this week around Michigan, that's easy money for a coach. I'm just telling them all week, hey, nobody thinks you can win. Nobody thinks you can win, but we do.

And I think that's what's going to make that an interesting game. Right. Before we let you go, Alabama-Kentucky to tie the 10-and-a-half point favorite. Bill Bender has got Alabama winning 29-16 and covering that 10-and-a-half point spread. Hey, you've got to be pretty excited about Keelan Russell down there. Yep, they are. And I like Alabama to get that running game going, go up there and win, and set up that Florida State game a week later. I'm really impressed with what Keelan opens up around the rest of the offense with the big plays.

[27:01] And I don't know that Alabama had that explosion factor last year in the running game. They do now. His escapability is off the charts, Brad. I really like him. Absolutely, buddy. Listen, where can we get online to get all your good stuff? At SportingNews.com. You'll have an update on LSU later today. We'll see how that goes. And I appreciate having you guys, as always. Thanks for having me on. Thank you, buddy. Hey, thank you, Double B. Bill Bender coming at us from the Sporting News coming up.

The guy with Huntsville Roots, Ben Shelton, in the semifinals of the U.S. Open. That game, by the way, is matched last night, ending at 3.33 Eastern Time. What's the latest? Stay with us. You're on 93.9, the score. Westwood One Sports presents this special tennis update. In each of Quinn Won Zhang's last two matches, she won a set despite trailing five loves. She did it in the third set with Madison Keyes, then the first set of her upset of Iga Chiantic. Today, facing Elena Rabakina in the U.S. Open quarterfinals.

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Welcome back in. I got a feeling I know Rodney Orr's favorite team. A little bit of a hint. He's a founder and editor of TiterInsider.com. His book is called Bigger Than Bama. Rodney Orr, welcome in. How are you? Doing well, guys. How's it going today? Hey, Bo. I'm just imagining that your family there on TiterInsider.com is in a little bit better mood after Game 1 this year compared to last year, Rodney. Or am I wrong? No, I think there's, you know, certainly still some hesitancy there.

But, yes, without a doubt, it's a lot better than what happened last year. Rodney, what did we learn from Game 1? Everybody's been anticipating the new quarterback. Everybody's been asking questions about the offensive line, et cetera. What did Rodney Orr learn after Game 1? Not sure how much we learned or what we learned. I think what we, if you want to say this, I think that what we saw was a team that certainly has a lot of potential, a lot of young talent. I think defensively they played really, really well.

[37:22] They showed the potential to be an outstanding defense. Again, just kind of what they did by shutting down a team. Let's be honest, ECU had 19 new starters. They only had one starter returning on offense, two on defense. And so I'm not really sure what the gauge, how much of a gauge they were. But defensively I do think, you know, they kind of lived up to the expectation. I think offensively, however, it's a work in progress, which is what we thought, what we said. So before anyone jumps to any negative conclusions, it is what it is.

It's a work in progress. And I will say this, Harold and Brett, I will say this, you know, again, we had limited opportunities to see Keelan Russell. You knew that he had great talent. You know he's got great skills. You know, we've heard a lot from inside the building about their expectations of him. He needs a little more polish. And what I mean by that is, you know, we've heard him compared to Bryce. We've heard him compared to Tua. And look, I think he's got that kind of talent.

But he doesn't have the polish those guys had at the same stage. So I think as they continue to polish him, yeah, he certainly has all those tools. But they've got to find some rhythm in the passing game. And they've got to be able to run the football. Rodney, I think they did show some improvement as far as running the ball. A couple of things that I think a lot of people enjoyed. Putting a fullback in front of the tailback in the red zone. My goodness, what a concept.

Putting the tight end in motion. And, of course, he was, in essence, a H-back or a fullback. Quarterback under center a couple of times. And I know, again, Delgatti got a little bit of criticism. The holding penalty was, the phantom holding penalty was ridiculous. But I did see more physicality. But a couple of extra little quirks in there that I think may help them down the road. Well, I think that, yeah, that is a good observation there, Brett. But I think, too, when you talk about the offensive line, I do think there was a little more cohesion.

I think they are a work in progress, certainly. I mean, when you've got so many new faces. But I did see some promising things. But, obviously, they still have a ways to go. I do think there's a very strong possibility. You could see Will, Mal Waldrop, that left guard this week. I think that was, you know, like I told you guys, I think, certainly, that I think he was a little tweaked, to be honest with you, going into that game. And that probably opened the door for Will.

But I do think you might see Sanders back in, I'm sorry, Walgert back in there in the starting lineup in this next game against Kentucky. We'll see. But, overall, yeah, I mean, I think the receivers, as I look at them, you know, Ryan had some drops. He was productive. He had five for 130. He's got to become more consistent. But they're going to have to get the other guys more involved. I mean, Brooks had two catches. You know, Meadows had two really good plays. But they're going to have to really develop that core because they need some explosiveness and they need some big plays from those receivers.

I agree with you. I think rhythm is the name of the game right now. If you ever get that thing down pat, it would be like a nice orchestra. You don't want your fiddle player playing a tune that you're not. So, your thoughts about the new challenge? Obviously, game one is in the books. It was a no-doubter. Against East Carolina. And now, two things. It's an SEC opponent and it's on the road. And you've got a brand-new coach at Kentucky who makes no bones about it.

He said, Kentucky's going to be better. Why? Because of me, that is, himself, at the SEC Media Days. He's cocky. So, therefore, you know he's going to be charged up full of hormones. I think he's in his 30s or something like that. He's going to come out and try to show a little bit of aggressiveness there. Your thoughts just about the matchup this weekend on the road. I mean, listen, there's a reason to be leery, I think. I think Alabama, you know, just sheer talent. It's a better team, I would think.

You know, again, I did watch the Kentucky Tate, the Youngstown game. They've added a lot of players, man. This is not Mark Stoops, three yards and a lot of dust. This is an offense that's a little more versatile. The quarterback, Minchie, is really – he looked pretty good. I mean, he threw for 300 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions. And, again, we want to be clear, you know, that's Youngstown, Youngstown State. So, you know, not that they're a bad team, but they're going to take a major step up, Kentucky is.

But, look, they're tight ends. They've got two really good tight ends. Alabama's going to have to be cognizant of both those guys. Willie Rodriguez and Mikkel Skinner. Those guys caught eight passes combined for over 100 yards and two touchdowns. So they were productive. They've got C.J. Baxter now at running back, a transfer from Texas. Remember when he came out of high school, some people had him a five-star rated player. But they've got another kid, Patterson, who looks really, really good. They've got Javante Barnes, who transferred from Oklahoma.

[42:30] He didn't play in this game. He's had some injuries. I don't know if he'll be ready in this game. But they're three or four deep with a couple of very talented running backs. So, Kentucky looks like they can throw it. They look like they can run it. And that offensive line has a bunch of transfers, as you guys know, from high-profile schools, Ohio State, Tennessee, and Alabama. Ola Salinas started their right tackle for them, I think. So they've got an offensive line that has some credentials defensively.

Don't know that much about them, really. I know that they held Youngstown to 59 yards rushing, like 246 passing, something like that. So it's going to be real interesting. You said road game, Harold. I think that's the key. Because the Boers teams have lost their first two road openers here, obviously in 24 to Vandy, and then last year, the debacle at Florida State. So this is a real key. How are they going to respond? How is Keelan Russell going to respond in this game? I think they're going to have to do a really good job with him this week.

Yeah, Lance Hurd was the offensive lineman you were talking about, the tackle from Tennessee. Kicking was solid. Connor Talti with two kicks. And again, I give him credit, Rodney. He could have quit after that Oklahoma game last year when he got booed for several reasons. Quinn, boom, the kickoffs. Boy, he has got a strong leg. You mentioned that after the spring game. It looks like he could kick a 60-yard field goal without a lot of effort. Two punts, average 52 yards. Coleman Williams had a 23-yard. Again, what we all know, he has explosiveness, big play capability.

I thought the kicking game was pretty good. Yeah, it was. I thought, you know, like you said, the kickers did a nice job overall. So, you know, that was one of the bright spots, the kickers, I would say. Sparrow did a really nice job. You know, again, he was highly recruited coming out of high school, number one punter by some. And was injured with that knee. But I thought he did a nice job. He dropped one inside the 20, averaged, what, 52 on two kicks, I think, is what it was.

So, you know, I feel good about that aspect of it. And that was one aspect that I think, you know, talking to people, they were kind of hesitant about, you know, let's see. In other words, let's see how it goes. But I thought it went well. You're on the order, by the way, insider.com. It's always fun coming into the season. You talk about this guy and that guy. Let's wait until the real deal comes our way and then find out. One guy that got a lot of love in a preseason camp was Luke Metz.

And then coming out of the game, he's still being talked about. And to me, he had something that, in my humble opinion, has been missing on this team over the last couple of seasons under DeBoer. And that is a natural-born leader. This guy seems like he came out of the womb telling his mom to turn on this side, not that side. Your thoughts about what he brings as far as an intangible of being a loud voice to kind of hold some of these guys accountable. Yeah, I mean, again, a young guy.

I think he and Woodson together, it's a good combination. I think both those guys bring leadership, Caleb Woodson. Now, I would tell you, I would watch out for number 11, Xavier Griffin, the young freshman. I think he's got a chance to be really, really good. So we'll see. And he can also be used as a pass rush guy. But I just get the hint that, you know, he may eventually be more in the picture there than what people might think right now. So keep an eye on the freshman, Xavier Griffin.

He can be really good. I thought Pierre did a nice job. You know, it was a great play for him, the pick six. I thought the defensive front, especially the guys that, you know, the portal guys, just how important they are because they made a big difference. I mean, those guys, Tompkins, Green, Kendrick Bingley-Jones. I'm telling you, some of the players they've recruited out of high school, they looked a little better. The Edric Hill, I thought, played a little bit better. You know, some of the other guys, Henry, Fatua Henry, of course, he was a JUCO transfer.

He got in there. Bumois got in there at some point. So I just think that those guys behind them have to continue to develop. London Simmons, obviously, because you've got to have that rotation, you know. But I feel really good about that. Now, the secondary, you know, I don't know if we mentioned this or not, but we certainly mentioned it in some of our TI stuff before the season. You know, some of the things we were being told behind the scenes about the secondary, allowing guys to get deep, you know, in coverage and open, running free.

We saw that once in this game, only once. But still, it was a big play. That's something to kind of keep an eye on for teams that can really challenge you down the field. Yeah, a lot of talent there, but they've got to communicate a little bit better. And O'Neal, the transfer from Mercer, I think has tremendous potential. Again, a lot of the corners need to turn around and look for the ball. He did not do that, and they completed a 30-yard pass on him. Rodney, great stuff.

[47:56] Always the first weeks. Interesting. We'll learn a lot more. In Lexington, TI-TV, coaching quotes, pregame, postgame, bud. Tell us about where we can get online, get the website, nominal price, and also, it's still an opportunity to buy your book. Right. It's tighterinsider.com. It's only $48 a year. You can get instant access right now with the credit card. And I can tell you, the All Sports Forum is really booming right now. A lot of discussion going on. And then, also, Bigger Than Bama. Bigger Than Bama, our book, my book, you can go to Amazon, or you can go to RodneyOr.com, RodneyOr.com.

Check out all the details there on Bigger Than Bama. And if you're interested, you know, there'll be a way to order it right there at either one of those spots. That's great, Rodney. Listen, man, thanks so much. Stay cool down there, okay? Hey, guys, appreciate it. Take care. You too, RodneyOr. It's tighterinsider.com. The book, Bigger Than Bama BB, the SEC and LSU about to come together in Birmingham. We saw what the local judge did in Louisiana. What's going to transpire after LSU says, oh, we're just kidding.

We're not going to add those NFL guys. We'll just come up with two more guys. What's going to happen this afternoon? Well, we'll see. I think the judge is not going to be nearly as positive as they were in Louisiana, for lack of a better word. And then the SEC coaches, not the coaches, but the athletic directors and presidents are going to vote tomorrow. I still don't think the SEC is going to vote LSU out of the league. But, Harold, they did this to show LSU who runs the SEC, and I think they finally got the message.

Did you get kind of suspicious when the judge in Louisiana came in the courtroom wearing a purple and gold robe? Yeah, that kind of told us where that was going. Coming up the next time, I'm going to be checking in with Double D, Rudy Armand, Brett Norsworthy, who knows Lankiffin better than any of us. And the Max. It's all straight ahead. Stay with us. At North Alabama Bone and Joint Clinic, our Shoals roots run deep. We provide quick access and familiar, friendly faces so you never have to feel just like a number.

From sports medicine to joint replacement, expert care happens right here at home. As UNA Athletics' choice for orthopedics and the trusted orthopedic team of the Shoals families for over 30 years, North Alabama Bone and Joint Clinic is here for you. Learn more at nabjc.com. Hello, folks. Mark Humphrey, new car sales manager, Ray Miller GMC. We treat you like family. We understand that buying an automobile is the second largest purchase you'll do in your lifetime. And just like Alabama Athletic Programs, we take pride in what we do.

So if you're looking for a new GMC or pre-owned automobile, we now have you covered with car Bravo certified. That gives you 12 months, 12,000-mile warranty. And also, don't forget to schedule your next oil change or any of your mechanical needs with our award-winning service and parts department. So remember, folks, we're at 246 Cos Creek Parkway, Florence, Alabama, right underneath that big American flag. We hope to see you real soon. It doesn't matter if you're running grills at the park, playing pickup on a Saturday, or sinking the final putt.

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Learn more at Eliquis.com or call 1-855-Eliquis. Ask your doctor about the number one cardiologist prescribed blood thinner, Eliquis. All sports, all the time. Sports Radio 93.9, The Score. Individuals and businesses with tax problems. Listen carefully. Do you feel like you're losing control of your finances? If you owe over $10,000 in back taxes or have unfiled tax returns, we can help you take back control. The IRS is the largest and most aggressive collection agency in the world. And they can seize your bank accounts, garnish your paycheck, close your business, and file criminal charges.

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800-687-5192. That's 800-687-5192. U.S. Tax Shield. 800-687-5192. 1819 News. Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth is renewing a call for the widening of Interstate 65 after he experienced massive delays on that road traveling from Orange Beach to Gundersville, where he lives. Ainsworth and his family was driving home on the Labor Day weekend, and he went on social media saying that the drive from those two points in the state of Alabama should not take nine hours to complete, which he says is the equivalent of driving from Gundersville to Chicago.

In a trip from Orange Beach to Gundersville, it should normally take about five and a half hours. Ainsworth says the interstate should be widened from the Tennessee-Alabama border all the way to the Gulf of America. Ainsworth says he hopes a new governor will mean a new director of transportation for Alabama, and with that, a renewed push for prioritization and expansion of this interstate. I'll be back with more Alabama stories after this. Some of the greatest blessings is just having people that care about you, to have someone that's just going to love you and make you feel important.

They encourage you to be in church. They encourage you to be in prayer. They encourage you to be in your Bible. Now it's a part of my day every day. My house parents planted seeds in me that you can see where those seeds have sprouted in my life and helped change my life. Big Oak Ranch, a Christian home for children needing a chance. A neurosurgeon from Mobile was in court this past Tuesday. 59-year-old Sean Clark entered a not-guilty plea to the charges of possession and production of child pornography.

Clark has been in the Mobile County Jail ever since his arrest last week. His bond has been set at $450,000 by the judge, and Clark appears to be unable to post that bond at this point in time. He will be required to be on house arrest and wear an ankle monitor if he is able to meet bail. A preliminary hearing has been set for Clark for October 13th. I'm Andrea Tice. For more news affecting Alabamians, go to 1819news.com. And while you're there, subscribe to the daily newsletter.

Join us this fall on Wednesday nights for Hey Coach and the Kalen DeBoer Show presented by Alpha Insurance live from Baumhauer's Victory Grill in Tuscaloosa. The show starts at 6 p.m. and you don't want to miss it. If you're in sales, you already know the problem. Too many platforms, too much wasted motion, and not enough real conversions. Meetin is the premium platform for sales professionals and high-ticket closers who want a better way to connect in closed. It's designed to help you move faster and convert confidently.

Learn more at AmericanWeWine.net slash sponsors. That's AmericanWeWine.net slash sponsors. James A. Brown here. And not to brag, but I think I have the best job in the world because every day I get to ask and explore all the questions that we're wondering about and don't talk about. Like, why is everybody exhausted, and why is everybody lonely, and what's with all the crocs? I'm not a fan. It's the Daily Note with James A. Brown. You can find us on air, online at JamesABrown.net, and wherever you get your podcasts.

It's American. Rewind. On the night of June 11th, 1997, basketball superstar Michael Jordan woke up sweating in a Salt Lake City hotel room with severe food poisoning. With the NBA Finals deadlocked at two games apiece, the Chicago Bulls faced an intimidating Utah Jazz crowd in a pivotal Game 5. Visibly weak and wrapped in cold towels during timeouts, Jordan dragged his exhausted body onto the hardwood. He scored 38 points and scored the tie-breaking three-pointer. He collapsed into the arms of teammate Scottie Pippen at the final buzzer. This became known as the legendary flu game that submitted Jordan's legacy of superhuman willpower, defining competitive greatness in modern sports.

On that note, I'm James A. Brown, and as always, be well. Valley Broadcasting Corporation, WITK-FM, Rogersville, Athens, Decatur, The Shores, Sports Radio 93.9 The Score. Miss the Boomo Bugg Show today, or Bill King, or Paul Feinbaum? Miss the last Florence Falcons game? You can access the latest episodes and game broadcasts at our website, 939thescore.com. Click on Podcasts and then All Podcasts to access the latest Bumo, Feinbaum, Bill King, and Florence broadcast. That's 939thescore.com, 939thescore.com. It's the NFL on Sports USA, and we head to the Twin Cities for a classic NFC matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers.

[58:35] Jordan Love and the Pack have a golden receiver. The Bikes will try to conquer the field thanks to the explosive Justin Jefferson. Right side for Jefferson, caught, oh, and a catch. It's the Packers at the Vikings, week one, September 13th, on your home for the NFL, Sports USA. Sunday, September 13th, following Atlanta Braves baseball on 93.9 The Score. The Alabama defense, 93.9 The Score, weather. Today, sunny and hot with a high around 95, and heat index values as high as 100. Tonight, mostly clear with a low near 70. Tomorrow, sunny and hot with a high around 95.

Tomorrow night, partly cloudy with a low near 70. Half your Friday, mostly sunny with a 50% chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms high around 95. Your weather from 93.9 The Score. Now, get ready to roll, Shoals, Decatur, Athens, and all of northwest Alabama and southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM Sports Voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. Your exclusive inside track to the Tigers, Tennessee, and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in, hour two of the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg, alongside Brett Beaird.

Thank you so much for giving us a free ride around the Tennessee Valley. And to kick off the hour by going to the Max. Max Howell, he planted a seed for a thing called Sports Talk Radio in the entire Southeastern Conference. And also, former assistant there at Ole Miss and Florida State. Max Howell, welcome in. How are you? Doing great. I don't hardly claim that Florida State assistant, though, anymore. Why not, Max? Not only do they don't have enough money to pay the coach off and fire him, they don't have enough to pay the license.

That's right. Max, did you steal the switch in your left hand down there? Was that all your fault? It may have been. I got really some good news. The guy that was sitting out there doing the pre-show broadcasting was Jimbo Fisher. The word I got this morning, he was down there politicking for that job. I'm surprised that Jimbo, he just strikes me as being an upright guy that would never stab anybody in the back. Is that your impression, Jimbo? No doubt about it. He just comes across as genuine, you know?

Well, you know what? Think about it, though, guys. You know, he didn't get one of those long-term payouts. They got the $75 million in cash. There you go. So he might take that job for, you know, just pennants. Just doing that they got, you know, financial problems. But he wants to get back into coaching. Yeah, man. Get the other boys. Yeah, are you surprised? Are Ole Miss fans going to court with Lane and supporting this thing? Everybody's picking on Lane Kiffin. Are Ole Miss fans supporting Lane this afternoon?

Of all places in Birmingham, Alabama? I doubt it. Right now, he's standing alone. I hope the governor and the president of the university is standing behind him. But, you know what, guys? I mean, think about it. I know he's way off key and all that stuff. But if you listen to his interviews, I think he's genuine, sincere in whatever he's trying to do in building that program. He's stretching the rules. Guys, any new movement that comes along, go back and think about when the railroad came along or the Industrial Revolution.

You don't think those guys at the top didn't stretch the rules. I wasn't there to see this, guys, but I read about it. There were shootings on the congressional floor in Washington over Lane and Bill. So I'm just saying, we've come a long way, you know, and how this thing ends up with him, who knows? I don't look for him to certainly, for LSU to pull out of the conference. And there may be some sanctions along the way. But I don't, another thing, I don't think people that really are critical of Lane Kiffin really recognize how he was raised and where he was raised.

And he's doing nothing more than what the NFL does. Because he was, remember, guys, his dad coached 33 years in the NFL. I mean, they were fired two or three times, you know, the day of the game. I mean, they had to up and move. So, I mean, he's aware of all those things that he's trying to push through right now. In my opinion, and I'll just give you my interpretation, I think he knows that the major college football, particularly with the SEC and Big Ten, graduated eventually, are going to move off and form their own deal, and they're going to be just a subdivision of the NFL.

[1:03:36] They already started that. Yeah. Max, the SEC goes 16-0. I thought they had a chance to do that. Best start. Undefeated since 97. Most of the teams beat overmatched opponents. But Ole Miss had a very entertaining game with Louisville. Kicked the field goal to win it. And then Auburn literally stops Baylor at the goal line on the two-point conversion. Max, before we look at some of the games this week, your thoughts on last weekend. Well, you know, I pulled out of 10 teams that I think has got a really good chance to play well this year.

And now that's boring. We don't know about injury. There's no way you can pick projectile net. But this is what I saw, LSU, Texas, Ohio State, Miami, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Indiana. And I put, at my last one, an improved team is Florida. And I think some are all going to pull those out of the mire that they've been in for the last three years. But that was just an overlook as I went through. And, of course, I couldn't watch all the games. I will tell you this, though, guys.

I was in South Carolina with my daughter this way past weekend. And they have a friend. I went over to there. And she said, come on over to see this house. They just built a Lake Murray over there. Guys, they had 800-inch TV screens in a row lined across in there dealing. You could watch as many as eight games in one time. And you've got to understand, that house had just been built 14,000 square feet on the water. Tiny sum, about $20 million. Yeah. My point is, in all that, is they had a recreational room where you could watch all the games.

My head was on a swivel for about an hour, trying to keep up on the way the teams were going. But, you know, again, I think this time of year, when you look at what teams are, and who ever thought Sam Leavitt would have had the game they did with LSU? This guy has played a snap in a year and a half. You know, and he's been hurt on top of it, even to the point where he had a cast on his foot for a while.

But I thought he did an outstanding ball game, had an outstanding ball game. And if that's the indication of how good LSU is going to be, they'll get better down the road. But I saw some good football. I really did for an opening day in a season like this. And, you know, old guys like me that went through the other system, the real system of college football, how these coaches are able to bring all that, some of them bring it in 40 and 50 guys, and manage those guys and get them together to get them on the same page for a first ball game.

I think that's what, my opinion, you tell me your opinion, I think the gable, the field, I don't agree with a lot of stuff outside, but the gable, the field is better, because there's better athletes than it is. It's a level playing field now with all these transfers. You can no longer, in September, pencil in a win automatically, because who knows what these rosters look like, including the other Tigers from Auburn. What message can you send Auburn fans after game one, Max? I just, I have to be honest, coming away from just what I saw, they're going to have to struggle to get another, get a break-even season.

Maybe seven. Yeah, I think that's the ultimate right now. And who ever thought they're in their eighth year, Eighth year. Previous, seven previous years. Millions of dollars later. Not yet, not having a winning season. Let me just, I will just tell you, having worked at that level, what I see right now, there's interference from some other group somewhere. You can't tell me, the track record that Auburn's had for the last 50 years, particularly to Coach Dye, but when he passed away and left the program, the whole program fell apart.

That's it. Somebody is giving some bad, or they're taking bad advice. That's a good point. I have no idea of this. Thanks. Well, Pat was the sheriff. He held it all together. That's where the buck stopped, and they knew it, and the minute he was gone, they said, huh, power, money, I think I'm going to jump in there. Let's go the other way with it, Max. Obviously, Alabama taking on East Carolina, all things being what they are, what's your takeaway from the Tide? Two things I saw immediately.

The offensive line is better, and I think they're going to have some resemblance of a running game. And I thought the defense played well as well. And by all means, I think the selection of the quarterback, it's more down to two. I think the one that they chose to run the offense, I think, is the right guy. He was cool, under pressure. He got out of the pocket two or three times, but he made something happen, what he did. And that's pretty good. I think he's a redshirt freshman, I believe.

[1:08:46] But the fact is, I think Alabama's got a chance. But something bothers me about watching them play about their preparation to get to that level. They just don't seem to be as refined, I guess is the word I'm looking for. Hungry. As the Alabama teams of recent, the little things, certainly they've got all the talent in the world to do that. And so what I'm seeing, guys, is things that happen to them negatively can be corrected, mostly in practice. But how those practice sessions are put together, we'll never know.

But you look at where the technology comes from and the experience comes from at the head coaching job, and look at the systems he played in or played against, it's nowhere close to what the SEC is. And I think that has something to do with the inconsistency that I've seen at Alabama before. I think not to me what's happened this year, because I think they got off to a really good start. But I'll be really, really interested to watch them week by week to see how much improvement is.

Because, guys, from week one to week three, that's where if you're going to get better, that's where you're going to get better. So we'll get a chance to watch that. Max, let me ask you about Ohio State and Texas. You've got all the marquee quarterbacks, Manning and Singh, and then Jeremiah Smith, Kim Coleman. To me, the winner of this game is going to be who plays the best defense. There's a lot of pressure on Sarkeesian. He's lost to Georgia two or three times, lost to Ohio State.

Max, how much difference will Muschamp make for Texas? I think it strictly depends on how much leeway he's got in practice every day. How much leeway do they give him to run different drills? That's where it starts. Then how does the team react to those drills if they're completely different? Guys, there's certain programs out there in the country that you look and you have to know. We just named one in Auburn right now. You know the last time Texas A&M won a national championship? The 34.

That's what I'm talking about. It gets along with coach there. Coach Brown was there. Gene Starling was there. Jackie Sherry was there. They've had some named coaches go through, but they couldn't win a net. So that, again, that's another program that's got to be some kind of influence going on from the inside on the faculty or wherever or maybe a group of alums that has some control over what's being done. Until somebody steps up and wins one, evidently Texas, I mean, think about it. They've won one in 20 years, Texas, won one national championship.

So how do you do that? Well, you know under this system that we have now, it's all about the money. It takes us two things they've got. Most of the money in the world that can be spent for college football players and in the state that's got the most high school recruits. Now, I know the high school kids aren't there, but the talented kids, even though if they go somewhere else and burn off that first year or two, when they jump in the portal, a lot of those kids came from the state of Texas and were actually trained in good high school football programs.

So I look at all that stuff when it comes to trying to evaluate. When there's teams like that out there that just can't quite get over the hump, I just scratch my head and say, you know, there's other influences that's going on in those programs because those guys don't get those head jobs and keep them that long without, really, without being talented and having a way to get through some of the stuff that you've got to go through and working at the college level. But I say all that to tell you, I can't wait that the Ohio State-Texas game this weekend I think should be one of the better games you'll see all year long.

Yeah, absolutely. Great stuff, Max. We always appreciate the time. The holiday threw us a little bit off on the schedule. We'll try it again next Monday. Listen, buddy, have a great week. We always enjoy the conversation. Always do, guys. My pleasure. Thank you so much here. Kick back and enjoy the Max checking in from the Magnolia State. Let's go on up Interstate 55 to a place called Memphis and say hello to the other Brett. On deck, stay with us. Bush Light is cold and smooth and waiting for you to get out there.

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Monday, September 28th at 2807 East Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals. There'll be a meet and greet at 530, dinner at 630 with speaker and Q&A session to follow. Space is limited. Get your tickets early. $25 for coaches and student tickets, $30 for adult tickets. For tickets or more information, call Robert Newton at 256-366-9616. Listen to the Crimson Tide Sports Network for Crimson Tide Rewind. Live from Baumhauer's Victory Grill in the Stavie Hills, Monday nights at 6 p.m. Tune in and roll tide. The score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Scores.

[1:19:24] Welcome back in. There is hot and then there's Memphis hot this time of the year. I think Brett Norrisworthy would agree with that. He's hosted Sports Time 3 to 6 afternoons on your way home from the Bluff City. And if you want to know about Ole Miss football, Brett's on the call before with the pregame, halftime, and postgame. In other words, Brett Norrisworthy has Ole Miss covered, as the Greeks would say, from the Alpha to the Omega. Brett, welcome in. How are you? Boy, there's a lot in between the Alpha and Omega, though, Harold.

We always seem to find Epsilon and Omicron. And if you've been to Ole Miss, that's where you'll learn Greek because that is a frat sorority heaven. I guarantee you, Brett. Talk to us about this team. Everybody's been waiting for Game 1, and we'll get to the obvious topic of one lane, give in a sec. But now that the game is in the books, what did you learn about Ole Miss, the first chapter on the new era? I think it was more confirmed. We know what we have in Trinidad Chambliss, and I think we know what we have in Deuce Alexander.

We sure know what we have in Lucas Carnero. And we know we have a lot of talent. And some of that talent at times didn't perform that great on Sunday night, but at times it did. It was really three games. Ole Miss ended up scoring 41 points, and that was with a goose egg in the first quarter. So over the next three quarters, John David Baker and Coach Joe Judge really got the offense humming. And then the defense kind of let down a little bit after really getting after young Lincoln Keenholz early.

And he proved to be a real battler, scrapper, player, a real gamesmanship that he displayed. And he kept fighting. If this was the end of the first Rocky, it's when you say, ain't going to be no rematch. Let's get the heck out of here. Brent, that was one of the things I was going to mention. I've heard all the criticism about the Ole Miss defense, and I guarantee you Pete wasn't happy about some things. But the SEC went undefeated 16-0, first time since 97. But I think Ole Miss learned more about their team playing a good team.

And you're right, Keenholz was marvelous in the second half. Brent, I would rather have played a game like Ole Miss did against Louisville and get pushed, learn from your mistakes, than beating somebody 50-0. Brent, you're too good. You've been around it a long time. It's the first thing Coach Pete Golding said to me post-game. I said, congratulations, Coach. We did win. He said, yes, we did. And you learn a lot more than this. I see it. Against some of the other opponents that a lot of people played.

No need to mention any names, but a lot of the directionals and the hyphens, we could have cruised the 58-0 and maybe not have found out as much. Now, he also said this. Everybody else saw it, too. And all these other good teams that Ole Miss is going to play. And it's a little bit like that second time through the batting order for a baseball pitcher once the book starts building. But that's part of it. But, you know, we've come a million miles at Ole Miss that we win on the last-second field goal, 41-38.

And we're kind of sitting around droopsy about it after the game. Yes. And I agree with you. It's all relative to the competition. Brett, obviously, your thoughts, you have a lot on your plate there. And I'm sure no one's asked you, what about that former coach at Ole Miss? Now, basically, it's going to be, I guess, I'm looking at the clock here. Either he or his team is in a courtroom down the road from us in Birmingham. A little bit different judge. I don't think this judge is wearing a robe that's got purple and gold in it.

What is your takeaway? You know Lane. You know the story. You know football. You know the SEC. Brett, where do you start trying to give your perspective on this crazy story? I really hate it for him. It's the wheelhouse of his life and of his career to kind of get balled up in this, in this quicksand. There was just no way to kind of save face and hit that comfortable off-ramp. And I don't know why he pushed this. He's got a great team. Yes. He's going to win big for LSU over the next 10 years.

And we all know it. You know, just one of the great jurists ever. This has been the most Hugo Black has been mentioned in years, isn't it? Yes. It's been a good week for Justice Black, hasn't it? What's the ticket going for the LSU Ole Miss game right now? More than I could pay without that credential. Yeah, without a gun and a mask, right? A lot more. But, you know, that's the marketplace. And that's why it so infuriated me several weeks ago when the senator from Louisiana, Senator John Kennedy, wanted to put in, into the Protect College Sports Act, the limiting of a cap on ticket sales, on ticket prices.

Here's the cap on ticket prices. It's called the free market. Stuff's helped in business every day doing it. That's right. If you don't want to pay it, don't pay it. That's right. Sit home and up with us, right? That's it. And I'm just a market person. I know y'all are, too. And I believe in supply, and I believe in demand, and I believe if we'll let it work. But, you know, to be a supposed conservative and put in, you know, almost price supports from the early 70s, that's evocative of an era we know didn't work.

[1:24:55] Yeah, right. Yeah, yeah. Capitalist system, Brett, you know that. It didn't work every time. You got it. Let me ask you about three former Alabama players and how they did, what you've heard about them. Jaheim Otis, Antonio Cite, Jordan Renard, those guys got caught up in a little bit of a numbers game. Otis had some injuries. I heard their names a couple of times. Brett, how did they play against Louisville? Well, Antonio Cite was playing great, but got hurt early, and he's one of the two, I think, our corners with Brackson and Cite are up there with the best.

He got hurt early and didn't get to play a lot. Jaheim Otis, what he did in just kind of stuffing the middle, he's more of a run-down guy. You're not really going to want him to get after the quarterback, and then Renard is. You want him to get after the quarterback. Let me add another one to tie it in, Caleb Odom, who had a really, really nice game. And Caleb got dinged up, and I'm down on the sideline, and you can kind of tell when they can go back in and when they can.

I said, Caleb, are you okay? And he gave me that look of, no, I'm not. Get a look up, he's back in, and he catches a touchdown. Kind of the second guy in the route tree, Trinidad couldn't go to the first guy that he wanted to, so he wanted to go to Horatio Fields and then had to go to Caleb. And we had him on with his postgame, just delightful, and he is so athletic. Now, he's not the traditional in-line blocking guy. And he won't be confused with Ozzie Newsome out there, or Michael Williams, or some of the other good tight ends that we've all known about, O.J. Howard even.

But when you put him out in the slot, it's such a mismatch. And then you can leave Luke Haz then as the in-line blocker type tight end. But we had trouble getting the ball to the tight ends for a lot of the night. And only three or four catches, far, Caleb, 66 yards and a touchdown. But Trinidad bailed us out at the end, and I told Coach Golding, I said, we've seen this movie before. Same a**, same yardage. And with Sean McDonough on the TV call. Brett, I'll tell you this.

I hear about all of the great players. Smith at Ohio State. Arch at Texas. Go on and on. But if Trinidad Chamblin stays healthy, he'll be in New York at the end of the season for the Heisman Trophy. He's an incredible player. Always enjoy the conversation. We've got to run to a tennis update, Brett. Listen, have a great season. Have a great week. Let's do this again real soon. Real soon. Count on it. Sounds great. There you have it. Brett Norris where he drives you home afternoons in Memphis, Tennessee on Sports Time 3 to 6.

Check it out. Coming up, the latest from the U.S. Open. And after that, the latest from Double D. Drew DeArmond here on Sports Radio 93.9, The Score. Western One Sports presents this special tennis update. Irina Sabalenka has been ranked number one the past 99 weeks. No more. Even with Sabalenka's quarterfinal win yesterday, her 19th win in a row at the U.S. Open, the computer has moved Elena Rabacana ahead. She won her quarterfinal match today with Quinn Wan-Jang. 3-6-6-1-6-4. The women's semis are tomorrow.

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The Atlanta Braves committed two errors yesterday and had just five hits as they fell to the Tampa Bay Rays 7-1. A.J. Smith-Schauber took the loss as he drops to 0-2 on the season. The Braves with the loss are now 85-60. The Braves will host the Rays tonight. Ronaldo Lopez will start for Atlanta. He's fresh off the injury list and it's 4-3. Bundle auto and home, red turds or condo and save with Progressive. I'm John Thayer with the Sports Flash presented by Progressive on 93.9, The Score.

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[1:35:22] The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. I'm going back in. Time for us to check out Drew Jarman. He's the host of Talking Ball and Huntsville's 97.7 FM The Zone. Double D, welcome in. How are you? Drew's probably still busy trying to figure out what happened in Game 1 of the college football season. A lot going on. It seemed like it had been a month of Sundays since that happened with all the stuff off the field. Florida State, Lane, Kevin, etc. But let's see if Drew is still focused on what happened on the field.

Drew, are you with us now? Guess we'll be waiting on Drew. Mimi, your thoughts while we wait on Drew to get connected with us. Obviously, we talked there with Brent Norrisworthy. We talked with Max Howell. And these guys, basically, Brent covered Lane game in and game out. He is a sideline reporter for the Rebs, so he knows him personally. Max is in the state of Mississippi. After listening to those two guys, how does that change your perspective on what's going on with Lane? Which, by the way, if you're just joining us, that story is happening and developing even as we speak.

Supposedly, it's had some type of delay that we haven't been told in the courtroom down in Birmingham. Harold, I think everybody knows, and Drew's rejoined us. I think everybody knows Lane is a scoundrel off the field. Now, on the field, he's a very good football coach. Again, I asked Dabo Sweeney and Clemson about that coming from Saturday night. But, yeah, he had no business pushing this. But, again, you know, it's just Lane being Lane. Well, Lane loves social media like a lot of folks, and he loves having his name out there.

So, we'll see where it lands. Drew DeArmond is host, Talking Ball and Hustle is 97.7 FM, The Zone. Drew, are you with us on that third try? How are you? Yeah, I'm right here. There you go, buddy. Not sure what happened there, but get ready to roll. I think what was in charge, they must have had the guy at Florida State. That's what it was. It's that on-off switch. It kind of gets us confused sometimes, Drew. But game up, week one, by the way, is now in the books.

What is your takeaway from week one across the college landscape? Well, I mean, I thought the SEC had a really good opening weekend. And, of course, I think in most cases they should have, but they were, you know, they're in some really favorable mashups. Certainly, the Louisville Ole Miss game, I think, was the best game of the weekend. I think Brom has got a really good team at Louisville. I think they're probably going to be a top three or four team in the ACC. I don't think Florida State's very good.

I mean, I think that's pretty obvious. I mean, when SMU can play their C-minus game and turn the ball over four times and still find a way to win on the road with the lights not working because of a situation, from what I understand, that happened. Someone crashed into a transformer the day before. Half the town was out of power. They get it all back. And then they go to, you know, to flip the transformer at the stadium and it blows. Then, you know, that's just sort of Florida State in a nutshell right now.

I mean, they're just kind of running in place. They, you know, I think we understand, you know, that Mike Norvell's probably on his last legs there. He's lasted probably a couple more years than many wanted him to at FSU. And so it will be really interesting to see what they do going forward. But certainly, and then I think I really feel bad for Lance Taylor. And he's a former Bama guy. He's like Dabo. He's a walk-on wide receiver. His dad played at Alabama. He busted his tail to walk on and earn a scholarship and become a really good special teams player for the Tide.

Then he worked for Nick Saban. He's worked his way up to coaching fraternity. And he beat the University of Michigan. I think there's no question in my mind that happened. I watched it all unfold live. I was, quite frankly, stunned when they came up with the BS that there was a second left on the clock. I'll be honest with you. It reminded me of the 1972 U.S. gold medal game. I wasn't alive, but I've seen the replay of that where they let them run the last play three times until the Russians scored to beat the Americans.

And rightfully, Doug Collins and those American players never accepted the outcome and did not accept their silver medals, nor should they, because they were robbed. And it reminded me of Alabama being robbed in 2022 in Knoxville. It was highway robbery. I mean, that's just all there is to it. There's nothing that the Big Ten could do. Actually, it really makes Michigan and the Big Ten look really, really pathetic, in my opinion. I mean, because if the shoe were on the other foot and Michigan had been playing defense and Western Michigan throws that ball out of the end zone, I can guarantee you both there would not have been a second put Maddox on that clock.

[1:40:23] Michigan would have been running out of the stadium, acting like they won the national championship, just like they did after that. And what I hope happens on Saturday is Oklahoma comes to the Big House and burns it to the ground. I hope they destroy Michigan, make a statement, and I hope Texas does, too. I hope they take the two biggest programs. You know, Indiana right now is the champion, of course. But I hope the two programs with the most lineage take a tail-kicking this weekend. I think the SEC has got a chance to make a statement.

And let's not forget, you know, Mississippi State's traveling to Minnesota as well. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And Arkansas is going to Utah. Some very interesting games on the schedule. D2, everybody wanted to know, would the offensive line for Alabama be improved? I think they are. Will Sanders had an oblique injury. Walter came in and they alternated. Would the running game improve? Yes. I think you can look at the potential, certainly, of these running backs. What's Keelan Russell going to do? He made some mistakes, but you can see he's dripping with potential.

What kind of got overlooked a little bit, I know it's ECU, was this defense. Three sacks, five tackles for a loss, eight punts, 162 toe yards. One of those came on a 68-yard miscommunication with the safeties. D2, I thought the defense played pretty well. Well, I thought the defense probably was an A-, and the offense was a solid B. That's why, and the special teams was an A. Yeah. I gave the overall team a B+. I mean, I thought they played well. Certainly, I think there's a lot to clean up on offense.

I mean, you know, Ryan Coleman-Williams has got to catch the football. He's got to stop body catching. They were very fortunate he didn't, you know, force a, or cause, excuse me, a red zone turnover with an interception off a drop ball. But luckily, it's a free play because Keelan knew that the guy was offside. So, he threw it to Ryan, and Ryan should have caught the football, but he didn't, and it was intercepted. But they got another opportunity, and they cashed it in. Certainly, the other drop, I don't think Ryan even needed to jump.

I think he could have let the ball come to him and then turned and made a play, which he did later in the game. So, hopefully, they can work through that because when he does catch the football, he is one of the best run-after-the-catch guys in college football. There's no doubt about it. And with a guy like Keelan Russell that can extend plays, you know, I think they've got a chance to do some really good things this year. Also, I mean, I think these guys are getting used to playing with Keelan in a game.

Caleb Edwards dropped a touchdown. Luckily, they still cashed that win as well. I mean, that was what I called the pistol, and what I mean by that is Keelan Russell, they thought he was going to run the ball in, and then he sort of no-looks through it like Pistol P would hit somebody in the face back in the day because they didn't realize, whoops, this guy can see everything. And so, you're having to get used to playing with a talent like Keelan. He certainly helped the offensive line because the O-line was good.

I don't think it was great. Certainly, they did have some breakdowns in pass protection, but he's a good enough athlete where he can still make things happen, and he did throughout that game. And so, I think, you know, Javon James had some really nice moments. So did Jackson Lloyd. They're going to have to be a little more consistent. And I think Racine Delgatti, personally, I thought the holding call was horrendous. Bogus. On that long run, Treshawn Brown, it should have been a 68-yard touchdown. And I think he's been taking kind of some undue heat.

I mean, certainly, I think he played better than he's been giving credit for. And, you know, guys like Cole Kubelik, guys I respect, you know, that have that acumen, I think agree with that. I think he's going to be a good player. And I just think, overall, the offense has got a lot of potential. I think they need to get Noah Rogers back, certainly. He'll give them more depth in that wide receiver. But I thought Derek Meadows, he didn't get a ton of opportunities, but I thought he took advantage of his, and hopefully, you know, he's going to continue to improve.

And then, you know, obviously, when I look at the defense, I agree with you, Brett. I thought the run defense was outstanding. The mistakes in the secondary were the only concern, and I think those are correctable just by continuing to rep and practice and make sure the communication is good. Because, look, they being Brown and Bray Hubbard are both really good to great football players. I think they'll fix that stuff. But certainly, I thought they did a nice job. And then the one thing I thought going into camp, the biggest question mark was the linebackers.

[1:45:27] And I thought they looked outstanding. Caleb Woodson looked really good. I thought, you know, I thought they got a lot out of QB Reese. And then, of course, Yonce Pierre put on a freak show. Justin Hill was really good. And then my guy, Luzmet. So I think the linebacker core looks more athletic and faster, which is going to help Alabama. And, you know, we had Jeff Collins on the show this morning. You know, you guys know Coach Collins. He worked for Coach Saban. He was the head coach at Georgia Tech in Temple.

And he's been an SEC and ACC defensive coordinator. He was really impressed with what Kane Womack did in the game. He thought they did a lot more pattern matching, a lot more man defense in the secondary. And, of course, that comes off of admitting that he spent a lot of time talking ball with Nick Saban in the offseason. Alabama, Kentucky, first road game for a young buck on the road at quarterback. What's the word on Bama and Kentucky this weekend? Well, I mean, I think Alabama matches up well there, certainly.

One thing that I think they need more of that we didn't see a lot of against East Carolina is more, you know, pressures that are, you know, not just not, you know, certainly they didn't blitz a lot either. And they'll blitz some, I'm sure, against Kentucky. But they just need to be able to pressure the QB organically. They need to win some one-on-one matchups. They need to move Menchie off his spot, make him uncomfortable. Certainly need to win the plus-minus on the road. And I think starting fast would be very, very beneficial because I do agree, you know, with Will Stein.

I think it's going to be a crowd that's very boisterous and loud, and they're going to be excited. So I think Alabama needs to quiet them quickly, you know, come out, you know, set the tone physically, and then take care of the football and win this game. And certainly I'm super excited. One thing that I really enjoyed, we mentioned Treshawn Brown, but one thing I did mention on your show that I felt like would happen, and it did, was that we would see EJ Crowell. And as a matter of fact, we saw more of him than I thought we would see.

And what we saw is just the tip of the iceberg. I think he's going to be a big-time playmaker for Alabama, and hopefully that will start on Saturday. I think they're going to need that. I think they're going to need to rush the football for over 200 yards against those guys, which means they're controlling the line of scrimmage. And if they do that, I think Keelan Russell and these receivers and tight ends will be able to make some plays. And, you know, I certainly have watched the point spread.

It was 10-1⁄2, pretty much stayed there. I've got Alabama covering in the game. I think they're going to win 34-14. And I think they're just the better team. And in this case, while I do think Kentucky has improved and it's a completely different style under Will Stein, I think Alabama is the better team. And I think if they go on the road and handle their business, and look, I think the schedule is beneficial from the standpoint they played a good East Carolina team and took care of business, but now that they've been told all summer that this was a trap game, that Kentucky was waiting on them, and certainly they've been reminded of Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, you know, even Florida State last year.

But I think they're going to come in with the right mindset. And if they do, I think they're going to beat Kentucky. I think Will Stein is going to do a good job in the bluegrass, but I think right now Alabama's got the better roster, and they've got a staff that's in their third year, and I think they're going to be ready to roll on Saturday in Lake Michigan. Yeah, and it's Will Stein's second game as head coach. A lot of people hadn't mentioned that this week.

D2, big weekend for high school football. Got a couple of undefeateds playing in our area, and particularly that Florence at Russell game, and then Hamilton at Desler. Going to be some fun stuff. I know you've got some too. Where can we get online and listen to you and Scott in the morning? And I'm sure, once again, the station will be doing, what, five games on Friday night? Yeah, we'll have our streaming network up and rolling. You know, Michael, Phil, and I have got a long road trip.

We hope to be riding the team bus with Randolph. We'll be leaving, I'm sure, early in the afternoon. We've got one of the longer road trips of the season. Brent, we go to American Christian Academy in Tuscaloosa. They're 3-0 and undefeated. So are the Raiders. But ACA has already beaten Northridge. They finally beat John Carroll last week. They've got a really good football team. So this is going to be one of the tougher games for Randolph region-wise. And I think going into the season, the road trip to ACA and then, you know, and then going to Briarwood, I think we knew both of those were going to be tough.

So this will be a huge test for Randolph. They did a great job pulling out the game against a gutty Lee Scott team from Auburn last week in the fourth quarter. And certainly we've got some big games coming up. Certainly the Huntsville Panthers will be hosting Buckhorn. And then, like you said, we've got Westminster and Madison Academy playing each other. The Spartan Senators coming off a huge win off the road at Gatsby. Last week they're going to take on Hazel Green. So it's going to be a full slate, no doubt about it.

[1:50:57] And you can connect with us on our streaming network, through our app. But also, if you want to catch Talking Ball Monday through Friday, you can certainly do that on WZZN-TV, on YouTube, or at 9770ESPN.com. If you do miss any of the content, you can replay it on our YouTube channel. Or, of course, you can catch it on our SoundCloud face, 97.7 The Zone. But, yeah, it's going to be another good one this week, no doubt about it. And I know the Bob Jones Patriots there, they're looking to bounce back as well against Grissom after losing the Madison Bowl.

And that's always an emotional game. So it's going to be another full, you know, Friday night on our network. We look forward to the Crimson Tide traveling to Lexington and hopefully getting their first SEC win of the season for Kaelin DeBoer. Drew, listen, man, safe travels out there. And thanks so much for your time today. Thank you, guys. Thank you, buddy. Double D, Drew Yarmann, 97.7 FM, The Zone. BB, obviously the bad news, the Braves lost last night. The good news, the Pills did too. So they hold on to their four-game lead entering into tonight's contest.

Yeah, I think their magic number, Harold's 12 or 13, one or the other. They were flat last night. A very emotional series with the Phillies. Lopez pitching for the Braves. Griffin Jacks for the Rays. Braves need to win this series. And then beat the Phillies this weekend. Major League Baseball wrapping up. NFL kicking off. Coming up tonight, it is New England and Seattle. Game one of the NFL season. Nothing like it on a Wednesday night. Must have something to do with TV. That's going to take care of biz for now.

On behalf of BB, Greg James Blair, the entire crew here. Peril Buck, thank you so much for your time today. Let's do it again next time, noon to two, for the Boomo Bugg Show. Back here on Sports Radio, 93.9 The Score.