UNA Football Night @ Lost Pizza w/ Benjamin Ray 10/19/26

[0:00] It's time for UNA Football Night from Lost Pizza. For the next hour we'll go in-depth as we talk to your University of North Alabama Lions. UNA Football Night from Lost Pizza is brought to you by Lost Pizza Shoals, Burnley Spine and Sport, Singing River Brewery, Southern Pride Pest Control, Alabama Health Guidance, The Carriage Wine and Market, and Brown Equipment Company. Live from Lost Pizza in historic downtown Florence, here's the voice of the Lions, Benjamin Ray. Hello and welcome back down to Lost Pizza in historic downtown Florence. Benjamin Ray, Mike Ezekiel back with you for another edition of UNA Football Night.

It's homecoming week this week. The Lions welcome in Alston P to Bobby Wallace Field at Bank Independence Stadium. A six o'clock kick. We hope you'll make your plans to join us for all the homecoming festivities that will take place throughout the weekend. We'll talk about some of that. But Mike, it is a big week. Homecoming is always sort of the most special time of the year during football season. Yeah, I love homecoming week. My favorite part personally, and I'm sure it is for you as well, but Hall of Fame weekend as well is part of homecoming. And so six new Hall of Famers will go into the Hall of Fame. Three from the football program, which a lot of the fans know very well.

So excited for Hall of Fame weekend. Excited for homecoming and all that comes with it. The best part is just seeing all the faces that come back to campus. There's so many that will come back wearing their purple and gold. Excited for that. Should have a really good crowd Saturday for what should be a very highly anticipated football game. Alston P comes in as a top 10 team in the nation, so it'll be another big showdown. And Mike, let's back up to the last showdown against Abilene.

Christian, a tough 31 to 28 loss against a team that broke into the top 25 or close to breaking into the top 25, should be in the top 25. Everybody kind of overlooks ACU. They're the two-time defending champs in the league, and unfortunately, it was the last second field goal that propelled them to that win. Yeah, it was a tough loss. It really came down to who had the ball last. I was talking to Coach Dierman about it today and kind of a shootout there at the end. And, you know, we had scored on our last two possessions, but those last two possessions pretty much went the entire fourth quarter and some in the third quarter.

So, you know, we had an eight-minute drive there to score to tie the game and had a lot of momentum, but just a little too much time for Abilene Christian and too little time for us to get the ball back. So, it was a tough loss, and my biggest takeaway from the game was the post-game press conference. You know, I think the question was kind of set up for Coach Dierman about this is a really good Abilene Christian team and, you know, what's your performance like against a team like that?

And he said, you know what, it's not about moral victories in a loss. That's not what we do anymore. That's not this program. We want to win games. And that meant a lot to me. I think that means a lot to these fans to know that we're not just coming to try to play a close game. We're going to go try and win some games, and that's the case also this week with the top-ten team coming to town. And you look four and three overall now, one and one in UAC play. We've got five more games to play this season, and you know what?

Everything that we want to accomplish is still within reach. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you got a good start this week with Austin Peay. Schedule sets up really well after that. You got a team like Central Arkansas on the road. You got West Georgia on the road, West Florida at home, and then Tarleton to end the year. And what could be a big showdown that could have some implications. So this team's not looking ahead. It's fun for us to look ahead, obviously, but it kind of starts this week. You're still right in the thick of it, still have a winning record.

It's been a while since we could say that at this point in the season, and that's a really good sign of where this program's heading. So right there in the thick of it. Six o'clock, homecoming, Austin Peay. We hope to see you all out there at Bobby Wallace Field from Bank Independent Stadium. We've got a fun show coming up. Coach Dierman's going to join us next. We've got the number two wide receiver, who's really a number one as well. Snap Reed is in the house, a newcomer, and the hometown product, Carson Wheeler, is here as well.

So we're going to talk some offense after taking a defensive week last week. But first, Mike, it's time for our favorite segment. Let's taste some food. We're going to talk some lost pizza tailgate packages. Filling in tonight, we've got Miranda Hathcock, and I don't know what all they are bringing up, but oh, man. We got some dessert pizzas. We don't even have enough room. We'll make it work. I made a mistake. Oh, is that the same thing? Hey, grab that headset right there. This one looks like it has some kind of nut right here.

I made a mistake, and I popped a cough drop in, and I had to pull it out. I forget what segment we had coming up. Come on, man. We've got a sample. We'll make some room right here. Yeah, we can always make room for food. I'll move this. We've got some plates. Oh, I like this one. See, now we're in the dessert phase. That's how late in the season we are. We've gone from appetizers to sandwiches to pizza to, I mean, we've had it all. Now we've got the dessert pizzas.

Grab that headset right there. Yeah, there we go. Sorry, we're making room here. Now we've got the headset. Watch the headset and the pizza there, the dessert pies. So, Miranda, first of all, your debut here on UNA Football Night. You've got the UNA logo on. We appreciate you joining us. Thanks for having me. Now tell us about what all we have right here. Okay, this first one right here is like our twist on cinnamon sticks. It's our cinnamon sticks with cake batter on top with pecans.

[5:21] And then we put our cream cheese icing on top of it. It's one of my favorites. Wow. Then we also have our signature dessert pizzas. We have a chocolate cheesecake dessert pizza. It's cake batter with chocolate icing and cream cheese icing. And then we also have strawberry and pineapple as well. I don't even know where to begin because initially I thought these two were the same. But this is a, what did you say, cheesecake pizza? Yeah. So, it's our normal dough with a cheese or a cake batter on top of it than with our icing.

So, it's a little bit different because this is more like a cinnamon stick base. This is more like pizzas. Wow. I just got to say, it is a great day to be a Big Back. I am excited for this right here, the dessert day. I'm looking at the strawberry pineapple. So, what's all in it? Is it just strawberry pineapple or what else you got? So, it's just cake batter and then they put strawberry and pineapple in the batter and then it goes through the oven and then we put the icing on after it goes through and cooks.

Okay. So, the age-old debate, does pineapple belong on pizza? Yes. And it belongs on dessert pizza. Well said, my friend. Mike, what are you going with? I'm going with this one, man. It's right here in front of me. I love strawberry and pineapple. I love a good cheesecake, so I'm going right here. That's two of my top three fruits, by the way, if anybody was interested. Here we go. Oh, let me give you a plate, my friend. Yeah, I might need that. It's a good idea.

We've enjoyed everything we've tasted up here, but this might be the best one yet. Come on. I have a, like a, I love sweets. These are definitely my favorites. Well, I'm definitely getting a bite of that as well. This was the… This is the ooey gooey. Ooey gooey. Yeah. It's not on our menu. It's on our secret menu, so you're not going to see it yet. Secret menu. Ooey gooey. So, everybody in here is in on the secret, the ooey gooey. Mike, cheers, my friend. Cheers.

Here we go. That's incredible. I got a good bite of strawberry. That batter. Yes, it's really good. Yeah, wow. It's so sweet, and it's perfect. It's not overly sweet either. It's just perfect. And these can all be ordered as part of tailgate packages, so this would go great for a pre-game tailgate before homecoming Saturday, right? Yes, it would. And what do fans need to do to get this to their tailgate on Saturday? Okay, so you've just got a call, Lost Pizza. You can say whether or not we do delivery as well.

We can also pick it up here in the store. We have a tailgating menu. All of our signature pieces are on it, but you can ask just about dessert pizzas and add it to your package. And again, you can come pick it up, or we can deliver it to the tailgate spot for you. One of my favorite things is when we wrap up and we go to break, we get a swarm of people up here to try it. And I know they're all Braden and Granger over here staring at it, Ty and Zach.

So, we're going to let them get into it. Miranda, we love this segment. Thank you for joining us and bringing these delicious treats up here. Thanks for having me. We'll take our first time out. We'll welcome up Brent Dierman next. This is UNA Football Night from Lost Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score. Game day's coming, and your tailgate crew is counting on you. That's why Lost Pizza Company Shoals put together the tailgate playbooks, specialty pizzas, wing trays, and subplatters, all built to feed a crowd. It's why we're the go-to pizza place in Florence, Alabama, now bringing that same lineup straight to your tailgate.

Order for pickup or delivery to UNA tailgate only. Call 256-415-8693 or order online at lostpizza.com front slash shoals. From our playbook to your plate. Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance. Whether you're looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs. Our local agents make it simple. So stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard or give us a call at 256-648-5710. Again, that's 256-648-5710.

Welcome to Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic located in downtown Florence. We offer a large array of therapies and techniques to help you get back in the game of life. One of those therapies is red light slash infrared light therapy. Dry needling is used to help reduce pain associated with painful trigger point. Our class 4 laser therapies are used to decrease inflammation and improve the speed of healing, sprains, tendinitis, and plantar fasciitis. Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is proud to partner with UNA to keep our lions performing at their best.

Roar Lions. Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun. Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events? Try our Golden Manor Leo's Roar, and 50% goes to UNA Athletics. Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere. Don't miss out on the good times. Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery. Get comfortable. Football season is back at the carriage. There are a few things we love more than a good Saturday in the South, and football season is officially back at the carriage.

All season long, we'll have the games rolling with plenty of cold drinks, good food, and a comfortable spot to settle in for a quarter, a game, or the better part of the day. Game day Saturdays get $5 craft drafts, $2 off wine slushies, perhaps some mimosas, and game day bites from the kitchen. Stock up in our markets before kickoff with plenty of snacks, dips, cheeses, something sweet, and all the good stuff for your game day spread. Football season looks pretty good from the carriage on East Mobile Street in historic downtown Florence.

[10:43] Well, you know what happens when the seasons change. The pests come looking for a place to stay. Don't give them an invitation. Southern Pride Pest Control has year-round prevention plans, protecting your home from pests, termites, bedbugs, moisture, ants, rodents, and mosquitoes. Proudly serving the Shoals area since 2010, we're here when you need us most. Send those unwanted guests packing. Call 256-383-1890. Southern Pride Pest Control. Locally owned and operated, protecting what you're proud of. When you have pests, we have solutions. Man, we're back with you, and we are full from the dessert pizza.

Sure enough, the boys in the back came up here, swarmed, got into it. It is delicious. Coach Dierman's got a little slice as well. Coach, which one did you go with up here? Whatever this one is right here. That was the ooey-gooey from the secret menu. I got a little bit of that as well. Man, hit the spot. Coach Dierman joins us here at UNA Football Night from Lost Pizza Shoals. And, Coach, we're coming off a tough loss to Abilene Christian. 31-28, the two-time defending champs.

Great ball game. Back and forth affair. But what's just kind of been the takeaway for you from that ball game? You know, Mike said earlier, I mean, if that would have been my first or second year here, that would have been a great kind of moral building block. But that's not where we're at anymore. We're at a point where we're competing for a conference championship now. We're competing for playoffs. We've got a really good football team. We are, I think we're eight points away for being undefeated in FCS play.

We just got to take care of little details. That was the message last week. And a game like that really helps us nail that kind of point down as we move into another really good game. But you hate losing that. But after two days of sitting on it, that was a really good football game. That was a really good Division I football game with two teams going back and forth. And we ended on the short end of the stick. And we've got to find the way to get the win in those games.

You know, we've spent a lot of the year, Coach, talking about this defense and how great they've been. And it seemed like this time it was the offense that really got things going and created a lot of the momentum. Destin Wade kind of started that with the way he was able to run the ball and throw the ball. But talk about what you saw in the offense this week. You know, I thought we finally found a rhythm. You know, we were piecing some things together a little bit with our injuries at tackle that we've had.

Colin Wright, a three-year starter at right guard, bumps out and plays right tackle. Eli Long comes in, plays left tackle. Noel Boltikoff, who was a starter last year and, you know, one of the best kids on this football team, comes in and gets his first start of the season this year. And I thought, you know, technically that's a five-guard lineup. And we had to schematically figure out ways how we could be the best we could be with those five guys. And I thought we ran the ball really well.

I thought our tight ends did a really good job of creating an extra edge for us. And Destin probably played his best game of college football in this game, made some big-time throws and runs. Felt like Rod Taylor is getting rolling a little bit. He's running hard, running physical. We're finding ways to get Jalen Fletcher involved in everything. So I think we're finding a flow on offense. You wish you found a little bit earlier in the season when our defense played well. But we know that they're going to bounce back and have a good one this week.

Coach, let's circle back to that offensive line shakeup that you had. 165 rushing yards. Just two sacks surrendered to an Abilene Christian team that year in, year out might have one of the best D-lines in our league consistently. But Colin Wright, a guy that's played a lot of snaps for you. I know the bond with him is strong. But to know that one of your senior leaders said, yeah, I'll go try this right tackle. I mean, that seems like it sends a message to just everybody. Yeah, you know, the biggest thing that I took out of it is we've got an unselfish football team as a whole.

It's never about one individual. It's never about self. It's about what we can do to put the whole team in the best position to go out and win football games. And Colin, without hesitation, made that jump out there. Eli Long, who's been playing some guard all year long, made the jump out the tackle as well. You know, it's two unselfish guys that said we're going to do whatever it takes for this football team to be successful. And you look at earlier games in the year. I think we won a game earlier in the year that we had 39 yards rushing.

Was that the stat? Yep. And you win a game with 39 yards rushing, and then you have 170 pretty much against one of the best defensive fronts, and you can't find a way to win it. So I was proud of how our offensive line played with all the shakeup they've had. Got an interesting stat. Speaking of that, you're talking about the yardage. In this game with Abilene Christian, exact same amount of yards, 368 for us, 368 for them. We got it in different ways. But first time since 2002 that we've played in a game where we've had the same yards as our opponent, how rare is that, I guess?

I don't think I've ever had it happen, to be honest with you. I think the statistical chance that that happens is very, very, very, very small. But I tell you this, the stats, and I stole this from Rick Stocks too when I was in Middle Tennessee. The categories that usually lead to winning are turnovers. Who wins a turnover battle? We won the turnover battle. Third down. Who wins the third downs? We won the third downs. Who wins in special teams? I felt like they probably won in special teams.

[16:10] They were three for three on field goal. We were 0 for 1 on field goal. We kicked a kickoff out of bounds in the third quarter that really hurt us with starting drive position. I thought we won the explosive plays. We had 10 explosive plays. They had six explosive plays. And then I thought we were the tougher team. Usually the tougher team is who runs the football better. They had 100 yards. We had 170. We won four out of the six categories, but they ended up winning the football game. So it's rare that that ever happens.

Coach, let's talk about the environment at Bank Independence Stadium. Third game. And kind of a game like this, you never know what to expect. Back-to-back home games coming up. The next one's going to be homecoming. But it was another outstanding turnout in the new digs. And then the students at the end of the game. We've had great student turnouts. But they were loud and they were rowdy. And I feel like we haven't seen rowdy students in a while at a UNA game. They were fantastic. They really fueled that stadium and the energy that was in that stadium from start to finish.

That student section was on their feet, yelling, screaming, giving the other team as much as they could. I'm sure it was all PG down on that end as well. But they did everything they could. And the tough part is not pulling it out in that game, that situation. But, man, our student section was amazing. Yeah, and a big part of that was also on Wednesday. You went out on campus with a few of the guys, had a little field goal challenge, gave out some gold shirts, and had a pretty good crowd out there.

And hopefully this will happen again with Austin Peay coming to town. They're bringing their band. They're bringing a lot of fans. Hopefully we'll pack the place out as well. Yeah, I think this weekend is going to be a no-brainer that it's packed. It's homecoming. Austin Peay is going to bring a crowd. They're bringing their band. You know, last week, always the game before homecoming. I always worry about attendance. But everybody showed up. They did a fantastic job. We did the field goal challenge. It was fun on Wednesday.

You got to ride around with us a little bit and do that. It's fun. On Friday afternoon, I went to the frat houses and tried to get the boys fired up. I tried to go before dark. My wife gave me permission to go before dark to the frat houses. So, man, it was an awesome environment. Looking forward to this upcoming weekend. And, Coach, it's pretty cool. So you got the students on one end, and it's always fun celebrations down there. But Destin scored one of his first two rushing touchdowns in the other end zone over there, the berm, where the kids slide.

And I look over, and he's celebrating. There's all these kids hanging over the side as well, slapping hands with players. So it's pretty cool. Both end zones, players have opportunities to celebrate with two different kinds of crowds, but two rowdy crowds. Definitely two rowdy crowds. I'll tell you what. The student section from start to finish was on their feet. But that berm area from start to finish, they may not be on their feet. They may be rolling down that hill. But they are on another level down there on that berm.

It's fun to see. Hopefully, everybody's back out for homecoming this Saturday, 6 o'clock, Austin Peay. We're going to let Coach stick around. We've got one more segment. We're going to talk about some more individual players that had standout performances this past Saturday against Abilene Christian. Mike's got his trivia question of the day as well. And we've got our plays from the game as well. We'll go over with Coach. We're going to chow down on some more dessert pizzas. We'll be back after this. This is UNA Football Night from Lost Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score.

Game day's coming, and your tailgate crew is counting on you. That's why Lost Pizza Company Shoals put together the tailgate playbook specialty pizzas, wing trays, and subplatters, all built to feed a crowd. It's why we're the go-to pizza place in Florence, Alabama, now bringing that same lineup straight to your tailgate. Order for pickup or delivery to UNA tailgate only. Call 256-415-8693 or order online at lostpizza.com from our playbook to your plate. Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance. Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs.

Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard or give us a call at 256-648-5710. Again, that's 256-648-5710. Welcome to Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic. Located in downtown Florence, we offer a large array of therapies and techniques to help you get back in the game of life. One of those therapies is red light slash infrared light therapy. Dry needling is used to help reduce pain associated with painful trigger points. Our class 4 laser therapies are used to decrease inflammation and improve the speed of healing of sprains, tendinitis, and plantar fasciitis.

Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is proud to partner with UNA to keep our lions performing at their best. Roar Lions. Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun. Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events? Try our Golden Mainer Leo's Roar, and 50% goes to UNA Athletics. Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere. Don't miss out on the good times. Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery. Get comfortable. Football season is back at the carriage.

[21:31] There are a few things we love more than a good Saturday in the South, and football season is officially back at the carriage. All season long, we'll have the games rolling with plenty of cold drinks, good food, and a comfortable spot to settle in for a quarter, a game, or the better part of the day. Game day Saturdays get $5 craft drafts, $2 off wine slushies, drafts of mimosas, and game day bites from the kitchen. Stock up in our markets before kickoff with plenty of snacks, dips, cheeses, something sweet, and all the good stuff for your game day spread.

Football season looks pretty good from the carriage on East Mobile Street in historic downtown Florence. Make the most of every lawn with Kubota commercial landscaping equipment. From the productivity-boosting Z700 mower to the reliable SVL track loader, it's a lineup built to get the job done right. Because when your reputation is on the line, you need equipment that will never let you down. Visit your local Kubota dealer today. Stop by Brown Equipment, located at 826 North Military Street in Loretto, or visit them online at brownequipmentcompany.com. Good catch.

We're full, and we're having fun. The dessert pizzas. We had to give some away. They are delicious. Get your orders in for Tailgate this week. We've had a lot of good treats. This right here might be the best. Benjamin Ray, Mike Ezekiel, Brent Dierman up here with us as well. Braden Rogers. I thought he was coming up for more pizza, but he's trying to get our monitor back online. North Alabama and Austin Peay, 6 o'clock homecoming coming up. Coach, before we get into some of these tidbits that we do right here, let's talk about some of our individual performances.

Nolan Forche, we've talked to him a lot in some interviews. He finished the ball game with just three tackles, but he had two sacks forced to fumble as well. I feel like defensively he was quite the spark plug. He was. He's one of our guys that's been banged up for a little while now. He's had multiple injuries with battling ankles, battling shoulders. So to see him coming off the bye week and starting getting back in action was really good. And to have big plays with the two sacks and the forced fumble, hopefully we can continue to see more and more of Nolan in there.

Coach, I learned a little bit of football that I didn't know about until Saturday. I learned something new. So obviously on a fumble, you don't get credit for a tackle because the ball comes out before the tackle, but then you have the strip sack. Apparently the person that forces the fumble is the only one that could get credit for the sack. But Kamor Harris, it won't show up on the stat sheet, but he was so instrumental in that, the way he was holding him back, kind of set up that play.

Absolutely did. Kamor has been a guy that's been really consistent all year long. He had some big time plays on the edge this past game. He helps us on offense and goal line situations. So he's been a very impactful player for us this season. Then another one, he's been in and out of the starting lineup in the games as well this season. But Fred Vealy, seven tackles, two TFLs, he had a sack as well. Felt like we saw vintage Fred coach some old school hard-nosed licks delivered by your middle linebacker.

Yeah, it was good to have him back. You know, he's missed I think three or four games this year between off the field kind of family stuff and injury. And to see him flying around really makes our defense even better. There was a play that they ran a sweep-like play towards their sideline where Fred takes on the block, sheds the block, makes the tackle, throws the guy down for a tackle for loss. Like that's who he is. He's a lightning bolt playing defense. He's an energizer bunny over there.

So he makes everybody else around him better. So I'm glad to have him back. Yeah, really good group on the defensive side. One more guy I want to highlight on the offensive side before we move on. Snap Reed, we're going to talk to him tonight. He kind of became the primary target. He had, I believe, 11 targets and caught eight of those. It was really instrumental in a lot of big plays. He was. You know, one of the ones we threw to him in the first quarter, I showed you a little bit today.

We should have got a pass interference call down there on the pivot end zone scoreboard side of the field. I'm not salty over that in any way. I am. I'll say it. Yeah. You know, Snap's playing big. I mean, he's getting one-on-one matchups as our boundary receiver. He's making the most out of every one of those opportunities. I think Destin is finding kind of a security blanket in Snap. He's running some great routes. He's doing a great job in run blocking, getting there and getting the support players, getting the safeties out of the run fit.

So he's doing everything it takes for us to win football games. You touched on him, Coach. Roderick Taylor, 13 carries, 59 yards, a touchdown. And kind of interesting, you look at losses on carries as well. He did not have any losses on a carry. Everything was positive carries for him. But back-to-back weeks, he's really come on strong. And this is a man, a young man, that you guys were super excited about as a true freshman. Had the injury, worked his way back, and it feels like we're starting to see that Rod that we thought we'd see as a freshman.

Yeah, his freshman year fall camp, he jumped off the screen at a lot of us. Some of our new coaching staff had never seen him. All they seen was kind of knee injury Rod. And Rod's knee injury was a rough one. I mean, it took two years for him to come back from really his knee injury. He tried to battle a little bit last year, he was wearing the knee brace, but you could tell he was not the same back. And now he's what I remember seeing as a freshman.

[26:53] And he runs hard, he runs physical, sometimes it hurts him. Sometimes he tries to run so hard that he runs right into the back of an old lineman. But he doesn't lose yards. He's always falling forward. Some of those runs Destin had the other night, Rod was the lead blocker in front of it, taking on linebackers, taking on safety. So he's doing all the dirty work as well when he's not carrying the ball. Yeah, a lot of power. Powerful runner he is. Then is it time for trivia?

Let's do it. All right, trivia time. Here we go. Coach, I kind of hinted at it for you today. Gave you some time to think about it and see what you come up with. So fourth quarter of the ACU game, we had a drive that went eight minutes and 31 seconds. That's a really long drive. That's almost an entire quarter. And that was 14 plays, 75 yards. It was the second longest drive under Coach Dierman since you've been here the last four years. What is the first longest drive?

All right. I cheated a little bit earlier and I named one to you and I named one to you in the office and that was wrong. So I'm now going to go with Tennessee Tech. Incorrect. But you're on the, it's a good track because, you know, we ran the ball a lot. We had to run the ball a lot. That was in a monsoon that night. It was. So the other one would probably be Chattanooga guess maybe. I don't know. You're in the right season. So I'll give you one more hint.

We were on the road. It was that same season and you ran 18 plays on this drive. Man. On the road that first year. Might be a game you blocked out. I don't know. Oh, man. I'm trying to think. That year we had UCA at home. So no. We played Austin Peay at their place. I believe. We did. I don't think it was them though. I don't know. Well, all right. Well, here we go. I've stumped Coach Dierman. I can't believe it. Same opponent we played last week.

It was ACU. Oh, man. So I'm going to take you back a little bit. So we were down seven in the third quarter and we had gotten the ball at the second half. Kenny Rawls, throwback, three-yard catch for a touchdown to tie it up 13-13. You ran an 18 play, 75 yards. That drive went eight minutes, 43 seconds. Wow. Both against Abilene. That's crazy. Do you remember that drive at all? I do. I do remember Kenny scoring a touchdown because Takari Tenebrew was the primary target and he slipped and failed and I about lost it when I saw him slip and fall and then Kenny was the second guy on the play.

So, yes, I remember that one for sure. Let's jump into our play of the week as well, Coach. And this was from the Abilene game this past week and it's a Destin Wade touchdown run and you've talked about Destin's power coach, 6'3", 220. He's a big boy and he earned this one. Absolutely. And I'm going to go back and highlight multiple people in this play. Destin has a huge big-time run right here. We're running a follow play where the tailback leads on the backside of the inside zone.

Go back a little bit for me. Watch Rod Taylor. Watch number nine. The guy was just talking to you about and bragging to you about. He gets up on the safety and takes him out of the screen in that picture right there. Now, Destin also runs through about four people on this play and then number 90 comes in and tries to take Destin's head off late. But that's what's going to happen when you run your quarterback. You just got to expect that. But man, to see him play with the grit and the tenacity that he played with the other night was fun to watch and if we get that Destin Wade, we're going to always have an opportunity to win games.

Now, Coach, I don't know if they have enough on the back end to show this, but when Destin came off, I thought you celebrated with him harder than any of the hits that he received. I felt like you were super fired up for him. Yeah, he said that he was a little bruised up from me jumping and chest bumping him right there, but I think I got one or two workouts in last week. No, what I'm trying to do is that guy plays better when we coach him hard.

That guy plays better when he's in that mode and whatever I can do, whatever Coach Partridge can do to keep him in that kind of mindset. We're going to be a really good football team. Yeah, one more thing from that play and you may have touched on it and I was trying to look for it, but it looked like Snap had a block too that was really instrumental. Got us here tonight. I told you he does a phenomenal job of getting there and getting his face in the run blocking scheme.

We motioned him down to get a long edge off the back side. Him, Ty Watkins, I think, was on the back side of that play as well. You got a kid that's kind of a converted wildcat quarterback tight end that's blocking. Eli Sisson's on the back side of that as well. Xavier comes in late. I'm not sure if he touches anybody on this play or not, but he's there. He's around the play. He broke the free guy right there to zero. I mean, that was the first of, I think I counted five broken tackles.

That was a lot. That was a lot. So that was a big time run. That was a grown man run as we call it. Destin now has nine rushing touchdowns on the year. He leads the UAC while finishing fourth in the league in passing yards. Destin's having an outstanding year at quarterback. Coach, we'll let you take a little breather. When we come back, we'll welcome Snap Reed to the show. Carson Wheeler will follow after that. This is UNA Football Night from All's Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score.

[32:12] Game day's coming and your tailgate crew is counting on you. That's why Lost Pizza Company Shoals put together the tailgate playbook specialty pizzas, wing trays, and subplatters all built to feed a crowd. It's why we're the go-to pizza place in Florence, Alabama, now bringing that same lineup straight to your tailgate. Order for pickup or delivery to UNA tailgate only. Call 256-415-8693 or order online at lostpizza.com front slash Shoals. From our playbook to your plate. Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance. Whether you're looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs.

Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Blvd or give us a call at 256-648-5710. Again, that's 256-648-5710. Welcome to Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic, located in downtown Florence. We offer a large array of therapies and techniques to help you get back in the game of life. One of those therapies is red light slash infrared light therapy. Dry needling is used to help reduce pain associated with painful trigger point. Our class 4 laser therapies are used to decrease inflammation and improve the speed of healing of sprains, tendonitis, and plantar fasciitis.

Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is proud to partner with UNA to keep our lions performing at their best. Roar Lions. Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun. Ready to serve delicious drinks and host an amazing events? Try our Golden Manor Leo's Roar and 50% goes to UNA Athletics. Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere. Don't miss out on the good times. Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery. Get comfortable. Football season is back at the carriage.

There are a few things we love more than a good Saturday in the South and football season is officially back at the carriage. All season long we'll have the games rolling with plenty of cold drinks, good food, and a comfortable spot to settle in for a quarter, a game, or the better part of the day. Game day Saturdays get $5 craft drafts, $2 off wine slushies, paraffs of mimosas, and game day bites from the kitchen. Stock up in our markets before kickoff with plenty of snacks, dips, cheeses, something sweet, and all the good stuff for your game day spread.

Football season looks pretty good from the carriage on East Mobile Street in historic downtown Florence. Well, you know what happens when the seasons change. The pests come looking for a place to stay. Don't give them an invitation. Southern Pride Pest Control has year-round prevention plans protecting your home from pests, termites, bedbugs, moisture, ants, rodents, and mosquitoes. Proudly serving the Shoals area since 2010, we're here when you need us most. Send those unwanted guests packing. Call 256-383-1890. Southern Pride Pest Control, locally owned and operated protecting what you're proud of.

When you have pests, we have solutions. Joining us now here at Lost Pizza Shoals for UNA football night, it's Snap Reed, a redshirt sophomore wide receiver, 6'2", 205 from Memphis, Tennessee. He's a newcomer from Bartlett High School, transferred in from Tennessee State. We're glad he's a lion. 33 receptions, 382 yards, and a score. He combines with Xavier Johnson to be one of the best one-two punches in the nation when it comes to receivers. Snap man, we appreciate you joining us. First touchdown scored in Bank Independent History, right, man?

Yes, sir. So we did a lot of interviews this offseason talking to guys, hey, who do you think will get it? And a lot of people picked you. How did it feel when you finally got to punch that first touchdown at the new stadium? I haven't scored. I ain't had scored the whole season. So I was like, that game week when we got there on Tuesday to practice, I was like, if I get the first one this week, it'll be worth the wait. So, yeah, it was exciting.

Feels like every game that we've had at Bank Independent Stadium so far, you've had a signature moment. The one where you scored the touchdown, then the following week you had a catch in the red zone that kind of set up the game-winning touchdown. You broke like six tackles on the same play, and then here you got targeted a lot in this game. And just talk about having that amount of trust, not only from your offensive coordinator, Travis Partridge, who helped kind of get you here to UNA, but also from your quarterback, Dustin win.

We had shirts, like white shirts to write on in January when we first got here for winter workouts, and everybody told us to write a word that describes us as a player and as a person, and I put dependable on it. So, every time I go out there, I just want to be a dependable target and make Dustin right any time he throws the ball my way. You're definitely dependable, 33 catches, and I don't know the exact number, but you're yak, yards after catch, man. It's got to be up there.

[37:12] You bounce off of people, you run away from people. Do you enjoy that afterwards, the physicality after making a catch? Yes, sir. I've been telling my coaches it's a desperation every time I get the ball in my hand to get to the end zone. So, whatever I can do to get the farthest down the field is what I do. Because Partridge tells us something like when we get the ball, just because it's tackled football doesn't mean you got to get tackled. Oh, man, I like that.

That's a good line. 46 yak yards in this game, specifically for you, Snap. Man, just talk about your journey to UNA. Obviously, you've really enjoyed your time in Florence. A lot has happened in your life. Since you've gotten to Florence, a lot of great things. But just talk about what this place means to you since you've been here. I love it here. When you get in the portal, you really want to make sure you make the right decision. So, I think that was one thing I was nervous about, making the right decision on where I want to go.

And when I got here and I felt the environment, and then when I came here with my roommate, Connor Roof, and he took me to church, I got baptized. I was the closest to God I've ever been in my life, and football is going good as well. So, it's been amazing. I love this place. Man, it is just something about this team. You guys all seem like you were super tight. Yes, I am. And there's a lot of newcomers. How did you all form that bond so quickly?

The old players were very welcoming, and we all had a desperation to win. Like, a lot of our transfers, we came from situations that we didn't want to be a part of no more, to come to something better. Then, also, off the field, a lot of us go to church together. So, growing our faith together and just hanging out with each other off the field, I mean, it creates a lot. And, you know, learning and trusting your teammates, you know, where they came from makes you want to play for them, and not just for yourself.

Yeah, I love the connection on this team, man. It is so great to see. And I want to talk about one of your teammates, the guy that's in your room, Xavier Johnson. Something I noticed, by the way, about X, he had a few catches in that game, and they played X going to give it to you every time he got a big catch. Maybe do we get a snap read song now, like a snap your fingers or something like that. Yeah, that'd be cool. The whole stadium starts snapping, maybe loud.

Well, there you go. Here we go. Let's create a new tradition right here. So, Coach Deeren was telling us, baseball's been a pretty big part of your family, right? Tell us about your dad and baseball and your brother as well. My dad, when it comes to baseball, see, if I drop a ball, he gets mad because he was an outfielder, and they got to catch a ball that's way smaller than a football. So, when it comes to concentration and stuff like that, he was real big on.

And my little brother, Trey Trey, he pushes me to go harder because he looks up at everything I do. So, if I know if I'm working as hard as I can, I take this as far as I can, I know he's going to be even better than I am because he's trying to work harder than me. So, I've got to get up and work every day. Now, do you have a baseball background as well? No, sir. I did not play baseball. They put a football in my hand at four.

It's their fault. Oh, there you go. So, your father played baseball. I believe you have a sister that runs track as well. Yes, sir. So, you come from a very athletic family, but let's talk about your birth story. Speaking of your family, tell people how you got the name Snap, because it's a great story. Yeah, okay. So, when I was born, I didn't yell like every other baby. I came out, I was very quiet. I didn't say anything. So, I was in my mom's hand. The doctor tried to come touch me, and I started yelling at the doctor.

So, they said I snapped on the doctor. That's how I got my name. That is great. Well, Snap, we've enjoyed chatting with you. We're so glad you're here at the University of North Alabama. Big game on Saturday against Austin Peay. What has it been like playing in the new stadium, man, with the crowd, the students? How much has it played at Nissan Stadium? We didn't have a stadium on campus. So, this is my first time getting an experience, like, real fans and real love and how everybody comes and supports the games.

I'm on the sideline. Everybody tells me they love me. So, like, yeah, it's a great experience and a great home crowd to be a part of. And then, one last thing about the stadium. In between the third and fourth quarters, Coach Dierman's kind of cranked the intensity up to 11, man. How much do you guys enjoy that? We love that. Just getting all the energy up and getting all the fans into the game right before we go into the biggest quarter of the joy talking with you.

We can't wait to see you play on Saturday. Yes, sir. Appreciate y'all. That's snap read. We'll take another time out. We're going into the trenches when we come back. Brooks High School's very own Carson Wheeler will join us next. This is UNA Football Night from Lost Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score. Game day's coming and your tailgate crew is counting on you. That's why Lost Pizza Company Shoals put together the tailgate playbook specialty pizzas, wing trays, и subplatters, all built to feed a crowd. It's why we're the go-to pizza place in Florence, Alabama.

Now bringing that same lineup straight to your tailgate. Order for pickup or delivery to UNA tailgate only. Call 256-415-8693 or order online at lostpizza.com front slash shoals. From our playbook to your plate. Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance. Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs. Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard or give us a call at 256-648-5710.

[42:15] Again, that's 256-648-5710. Welcome to Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic. Located in downtown Florence, we offer a large array of therapies and techniques to help you get back in the game of life. One of those therapies is red light slash infrared light therapy. Dry needling is used to help reduce pain associated with painful trigger point. Our class 4 laser therapies are used to decrease inflammation and improve the speed of healing, of sprains, tendinitis, and plantar fasciitis. Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is proud to partner with UNA to keep our lions performing at their best.

Roar Lions. Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun. Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events? Try our Golden Mainer Leo's Roar, and 50% goes to UNA Athletics. Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere. Don't miss out on the good times. Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery. Get comfortable. Football season is back at the carriage. There are a few things we love more than a good Saturday in the South, and football season is officially back at the carriage.

All season long, we'll have the games rolling with plenty of cold drinks, good food, and a comfortable spot to settle in for a quarter, a game, or the better part of the day. Game day Saturdays get $5 craft drafts, $2 off wine slushies, perhaps some mimosas, and game day bites from the kitchen. Stock up in our markets before kickoff with plenty of snacks, dips, cheeses, something sweet, and all the good stuff for your game day spread. Football season looks pretty good from the carriage on East Mobile Street in historic downtown Florence.

A lot goes into taking care of your property. You need equipment with more reliability and versatility built in. Like Kubota BX and L-Series compact tractors that get the job done right. Z-Series mowers that deliver a quality cut and sidekick utility vehicles where durability meets speed. Visit your local Kubota dealer for a demo today. Stop by Brown Equipment located at 826 North Military Street in Loretto or visit them online at brownequipmentcompany.com. He's North Alabama starting right going 340 pounds. He's from Killen, Alabama. Came to North Alabama from Brooks High School.

He's a sled dog and he's our next guest. Welcome Carson Wheeler to UNA Football Night from Walsh Pizza Shoals. Carson, big round of applause, man. We're excited to have you up here. Sled dog, man. Tell us about that, your take on the mentality, and how much you all have kind of embraced that name. Oh yeah, so as soon as Coach Clay came in, our first meeting he explained to us what the sled dogs are, and it's just we're tied to a rope like the sled dogs were, brotherhood, and you've got to make sure everybody's going on the same path and pulling their weight, and that's just kind of how we attack it every day.

It's just go to work and do everything you can to be elite, and that's basically what sled dogs is, just work as hard as you can to be elite at everything you do. Man, it was a close-knit group, and we saw that come into play this past weekend, and we'll talk a little bit about that, but I want to start at the very beginning. Your decision to come to North Alabama, stay home in Florence, because obviously you're from Killing, playing at Brooks High School, but when you got here, a lot of people were saying, hey, this guy's going to be playing in the next year or two, just watch and see this guy's strength.

To hear that and to stay home, make that decision, and now you're a starting offensive lineman for this team, what does that mean to you? It means a lot to me. Being from here, I've grown up going to UNA games, and obviously I've been a lion since I was in elementary school, so it's important to me, and this being my hometown and being able to play some, it's huge. The football tradition at Brooks is very, very rich. I mean, you can go back to Freddie Roach's days, right, and probably even further back than that, but did you kind of grow up in that, like knowing, man, I'm going to play football for Brooks High School one day?

Yeah, for sure. I have my stepdad who's here, he played for Brooks, and then I'm friends with Cam Stutz, who played at Auburn, also played at Brooks, and Brooks is a, the whole of Killing is very, they're all bought in with Brooks football, and that's pretty cool, so I grew up excited to be on the Brooks football team, and like I can remember in elementary school they'd have the varsity team come to see us on homecoming week, and that was always exciting, so it was cool to be a part of that.

Yeah, somebody that was on the wrong end of that rivalry for a few years, it's, I got a lot of respect for Brooks and a lot of the products that came out of there, but how cool is it too that some of the guys you played against in high school, like Central, Wilson, Deschler, they're all kind of coming together and now playing on the same team? Yeah, that's been pretty cool, you know, with Walter from Deschler, and we've got several Central guys, Wyatt Davis and Hunter Palmer, and then Micah Christensen being from Lauderdale County.

It's funny you mentioned that before when me and Micah actually committed to come to UNA, we saw each other at a Brooks and Lauderdale County basketball game and he said, we don't have to hate each other anymore. Let's go. That was pretty funny. All right, so man, you're pushing 500 on your bench press. Will French is at 500. I mean, not a lot of offensive lines can probably claim that. How much do you all push each other in the weight room? We push each other. That's what makes as strong as we are.

[47:31] Me and Will are in the same rack together, and that guy can bring more intensity than I can. I try to match him, but we make each other better every day. You know, kind of a tribute to your strength. Back in high school, you also were on the track and field team. You were a shot put guy. I think you finished second at the state in the shot put. The amount of strength you've gotten since you've been here, do you think you could go through a shot put right now, maybe further than that?

I'd like to think so. It'd probably take a couple days of practice get back used to it, but I feel like I could beat him by a couple feet for sure. Coach Jeremy kind of called it a five-guard lineup this past Saturday with Colin Wright shifting out to right tackle. But Colin Wright, he's kind of the old man in the room, I guess, of the offensive line right now. What does he mean to you guys? He's a mentor. He's been here four years and he's been starting for three years.

This past week, him showing that he could go out to a different position and excel and play really well. He's a leader. He's our guy that always breaks us down after meetings, before practice and all that stuff. He's a mentor to us. Talk about some of the other guys on this offensive line that you've gotten close with over the years. Me and Nealon, my roommate who's here today, we're pretty close. And then the new guys that have come in with Levy and Jaden and Will and Peter and Larry.

We all are pretty close. I think a lot of that has to do with Coach Clegg. We are very close-knit group, more than we've been in all the years that I've been here. So that's cool. I would describe your play at right guard as a brawler. How would you describe your play? I'd say it describes it pretty well. So you love being physical like that? Yes, sir. My favorite play is just to hit whoever's there. I love that. Let's talk about the offense a little bit.

Destin Wade running the ball very well. Rod Taylor was another player who ran the ball well. We threw the ball well. One of the better offensive performances we've had all season long. What was working on the offensive side? We just kind of put our head down and just ran the ball. Like you said with Destin, I think he had three rushing touchdowns. Yeah, and then Rod with another one too. One thing about Rod is it's going to take more than one person to tackle him. He's important to us in the way that he just runs.

It's his mentality. To couple that with Destin's ability to Allston P this weekend homecoming. How much have you enjoyed playing at Bank Independence Stadium? It's been awesome. I love being at home way more than I like going to Arkansas. That was pretty cool, but something about being in the Bank Independence Stadium and the tunnel and the fans. It's cool to see on the one side with the student section we score a touchdown and they're all there celebrating. On the other side we've got all the little kids there to celebrate with.

It's pretty awesome. How cool was it game one when you got to run through that tunnel? I couldn't even really describe it. It was pretty amazing, especially being here as long as I've been alive. It was pretty amazing. You were front and center this weekend with the camera right on you and you were the one that showed up on the video board coming out of the tunnel this past weekend. Carson, last thing for me as we wrap up, I just want to talk about since you've been in this program, you've heard the messaging over the years from Coach Dierman and the staff about where we're going, the direction we have, the foundation that we're built on.

What has it meant for you to be in this program the last few years and what are some things you've learned since you've been here at UNA? The biggest thing I've learned is you just have to focus on small details. I'm sure Coach Dierman has talked about this past week we didn't win the game, but we went back and watched film and it was very small details that if we would have made sure we focused on those we would have blown them out of the water.

I think that's a big thing I've learned in day to day life. The way you do small details is the way you do big details. That's the biggest thing I've learned since I've been here. Carson, we can't wait to see you play on Saturday. Austin Peay, the opponent, we appreciate you joining us. Which dessert pizza are you taking with you? We got them up here. Maybe some of those. We like it. Spoken like a true lineman. We appreciate you joining us and good luck on Saturday.

That's Carson Wheeler. We'll take a final time out. Brent Dierman will come back and join us and we'll wrap up this week's edition. This is UNA Football Night from Lost Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The School. the go-to pizza place in Florence, Alabama. Now bringing that same lineup straight to your tailgate. Order for pickup or delivery to UNA tailgate only. Call 256-415-8693 or order online at lostpizza.com front slash Shoals. From our playbook to your plate. Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance. Whether you're looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs.

Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard or give us a call at 256-648-5710. Again, that's 256-648-5710. Welcome to Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic located in downtown Florence. We offer a large array of therapies and techniques to help you get back in the game of life. One of those therapies is red light slash infrared light therapy. Dry needling is used to help reduce pain associated with painful trigger point. Our Class 4 laser therapies are used to decrease inflammation and improve the speed of healing of sprains, tendonitis, and plantar fasciitis.

[53:10] Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is proud to partner with UNA to keep our lions performing at their best. Roar Lions. Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun. Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events? Try our Golden Mainer Leo's Roar and 50% goes to UNA Athletics. Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere. Don't miss out on the good times. Come sip, socialize, savor the taste of Singing River Brewery. Get comfortable. Football season is back at the carriage.

There are a few things we love more than a good Saturday in the South and football season is officially back at the carriage. All season long we'll have the games rolling with plenty of cold drinks, good food, and a comfortable spot to settle in for a quarter, a game, or the better part of the day. Game day Saturdays get $5 craft drafts, $2 off wine slushies, drafts of mimosas, and game day bites from the kitchen. Stock up in our markets before kickoff with plenty of snacks, dips, cheeses, something sweet, and all the good stuff for your game day spread.

Football season looks pretty good from the carriage on East Mobile Street in historic downtown Florence. Well, you know what happens when the seasons change. The pests come looking for a place to stay. Don't give them an invitation. Southern Pride Pest Control has year-round prevention plans protecting your home from pests, termites, bedbugs, moisture, ants, rodents, and mosquitoes. Proudly serving the Shoals area since 2010, we're here when you need us most. Send those unwanted guests packing. Call 256-383-1890. Southern Pride Pest Control, locally owned and operated, protecting what you're proud of.

When you have pests, we have solutions. The hour flies by. We're wrapping things up here at Lost Pizza Shoals in historic downtown Florence. Benjamin Ray, Mike Ezekiel, head football coach Brent Dierman back with us. And coach, we just heard from Snap Reed, we just heard from Carson Wheeler, and we say it every week. I mean, the dudes on this team, coach, the program, the bond is strong amongst this team. Yeah, we've got a great group of guys. I mean, after the game, I did my post-game interview, and by the time I got in the locker room, Jaheem Ingram and Josh White are holding court right there in the middle of the locker room, and you could hear a pin drop in there and hear them saying, guys, this is not breaking us.

We're staying unified as a team. We're going to learn a lesson from this and move forward. I barely had to walk in there and say a word to have a leadership group as strong as we have here and to have such good character people. It's fun to coach these guys because we've got so many good character kids in this program. This was a fun moment in the game last week, and I don't remember what the play was, but I remember, and it highlights Jaheem, he was in on a play, and I remember he was celebrating really hard, or he was really upset, one or the other.

Either way, he had an emotion, and I heard the crowd just share whatever emotion Jaheem had. He has such a presence out there, and for him to be a four-year guy, I know he's listening to this right now, but what does it mean to know that, like, hey, this community kind of feels what Jaheem feels because Jaheem's just so ingrained. I think you're helping me recruit him for next year. Oh, wow, there we go. I'll keep going. No, I mean, to be a local guy, to be a guy that's wore that C on his jersey for two years, you know, you mentioned a name earlier that may or may not hopefully be coming back in town this weekend, and for Jaheem Inger to wear Ronald McKinnon's number.

I mean, this place, he's the face of our program. I mean, he's what we want this program to be like. He's a great family. He's been raised right. There's so many great things I could say about Jaheem Ingram, but I think our fan base connects with him because of so many reasons. And I'll tell you what, nobody gets a louder roar in Bank Independent Stadium than Jaheem Ingram as well. Fans go crazy for him. And it's mostly his grandmother probably doing all the yelling. Coach, let's jump into our Burnley Spine and Sport Preview.

Alston P, the opponent this weekend, they are a top ten team. They're coming off of a win against West Georgia where they had to rally. But kind of a cool story within the game, the starting quarterbacks for both teams, Chris Parsons, Destin Wade, they've been going head-to-head since they were juniors in high school. Yeah, they have. They were both really good players in the state of Tennessee. They battled a few times in high school. And another cool story, Chris Parsons come to me before the game last year.

And I don't know if I've ever shared this with you two. Phenomenal kid. I remember recruiting him in high school, but I didn't know this stat. I was Chris Parsons' first offer when I was the O.C. at Kansas. And I saw he was talented back then. I think he was Mike Leach's last quarterback recruit, quarterback signee at Mississippi State. Very talented kid, but a great human being. And we've got a good one, too, that's winning against him a lot of times. So these two are going to battle it out one more time.

[58:19] And those two can move their legs. They give headaches to defensive coordinators. I want to talk about the couple of freshmen that are going to be battling, a couple that were both mentioned as mid-season All-Americans, Xavier Johnson on our side. They've got Denver Harper on the other side. And any time he touches the ball, it's dangerous. Yeah, I'm still kicking myself. Denver Harper's from the state of Alabama. Russell County High School, he's a very talented player. He's lightning in a bottle. He's good when he touches the ball.

They put him in all kind of places on offense. They let him return the ball in the special teams game. He's explosive. He's an explosive player that not only me, but I bet there's a lot of teams in this state that are upset we let him leave this state. Coach, Saturday, 6 p.m., it's homecoming. Hall of Fame that morning, there's tons of former players coming back. Donald Tharp, great linebacker, he's coming back. Steve Pierce was telling me a lot of those guys from that era will be here.

I mean, there's going to be a lot of people at the stadium Saturday. What's the message to everybody, the team included, about the importance of this game Saturday? No, we've got to take care of the details. We're playing a top 10 team at home for homecoming. We're playing a very talented, I mean, they're a top 10 team for a reason. They've probably got one of, if not the best player that will play all year long in Chris Parsons. We've got to bottle him up. We've got to find ways to put people in front of his face at all times.

They've got talented receivers. They've got one of the best tackles in all of college football with Josh Sales. Defensively, they run around to the ball. They do a good job of trying to mix up looks. Their defense coordinator does a really good job. So we've got a very talented team coming in here. We've got to take care of the small details. If we take our steps, do our technique, do what's asked of us on that plate, do our job, not worry about other people's job, we'll have an opportunity for a big win on homecoming.

If we don't do those things, we won't get a win. So this is not one of the early season games. This is a big-time football game here at home, and we've got to take care of our business. Big game. We hope to see you out there. Bobby Wallace Fallsville Bank Independent Stadium, 6 o'clock. We'll have the parade that day, Hall of Fame that morning. Be sure and come out to all of it and cheer on the Lions. Coach, we appreciate you as always breaking it down, and best of luck.

Thank you. Roar Lions. That's North Alabama head football coach Brent Dierman. Thank you to Snap Reed and Carson Wheeler for the crew behind the scenes. Grant, Braden, Zach, and Ty for Blair back at the station. Mike Ezekiel up here with me. I'm Benjamin Ray saying Roar Lions. You've been listening to UNA football night from Lost Pizza. Tonight's show is brought to you by Lost Pizza Shoals, Burnley Spine and Sport, Singing River Brewery, Southern Pride Pest Control, Alabama Health Guidance, The Carriage Wine and Market, and Brown Equipment Company.

Thanks for listening, and Roar Lions.