Boomo Bugg Show 081426

[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 in to 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. Brett Beaird, welcome in. Where yesterday was Alabama, today it's Auburn.

Welcome to Scrimmage Central. Good afternoon. Welcome in. And I guess the question is, do you see the glass half full or half empty with the storage coming out of Tuscaloosa? How are you? Happy Friday to you and the listeners. Right now, the glass is half full, but we'll be talking about that throughout the show. As you alluded to, we'll recount the Alabama scrimmage yesterday and preview Auburn and Tennessee scrimmage upcoming. The one and only Bill Shanks talks Braves and Bulldogs. But we're delighted to bring in good friend Chase Goodbread to recount the Alabama scrimmage yesterday and some recount.

Only one way to put it, Chase, where in the world have you been, Chase Goodbread? Fine columnist for the Tuscaloosa News, co-host for Crimson Cover TV, and talking tied the podcast with one of the best, one Travis Reier. Chase, welcome in. How are you? I'm doing well. It's been a minute. Y'all doing good? Good, bud. Yeah, trying to find a shade up here, Chase. And also trying to figure out the TV. Yeah, good luck, right? Chase, obviously, we've all heard the stories coming out of the first scrimmage.

It's always going to be one of those history shows, well, this side was good, that side was bad. They got a lot of work to do. There's different flavors to that. Chase, where do you start in breaking down the first stories coming out of the, let's face it, a very important first scrimmage in Tuscaloosa yesterday? Yeah, critical scrimmage for sure. As I'm sure you've told your listeners, it was closed to media, and so we're put in a position where we've got to take what a few people we might know who were there have to say, and of course what Kaylin DeBoer said into a microphone, and sometimes those things align, and sometimes they don't align.

But it's definitely a huge day for the coaching staff, and a relatively new coaching staff on the offensive side. A lot of changes on the staff, on the offensive half, and obviously some big changes personnel-wise on that side of the ball. I think they're in good shape defensively. I really do. I think the defense has a chance to be very good. But it's, I'm withholding all judgment on the offense and the kicking game until I see him play a football game or two. Back when Nick was there, it was pretty much the same script.

You could almost not even have to go to his press conference after the first scrimmage. Well, this side stunk, and then, ironically, the next scrimmage, the other side stunk. He had a way of communicating that. We'll see if that's the case this time around. But in case you missed it, Chase, I'm not you, but I'm talking about if you're joining us now, you missed the stories yesterday. A lot of angst on the offensive side of the ball, which, as you mentioned, could be one of two things.

Here we go again with the same old Wolves as last year with the offensive line running the ball. We'll get to another problem there in a second. But could it also be that maybe this defense was one of the reasons that the offense struggled yesterday? Yeah, you know, you'd like to think that there's truth to the defense just being too good for anybody. But, look, the offensive line was a disaster last year, especially when it came to run blocking. And it's just got to get back.

I don't care what defensive line they're playing. They've got to figure it out and block if they're going to handle themselves when they get back into SEC competition in the fall. So, a long way to go on that offensive line, obviously. They've got four new starters. The one guy who's back wasn't even a full-time starter last year. That's Michael Carroll. He started about half the year at tackle, a little bit of guard at the end of the year. He's going to be playing guard this fall.

So, a whole lot of newness, new offensive line coach. They've got a lot to get figured out up front. And I asked DeBoer specifically yesterday after the scrimmage, my question, how the offensive line looked. First thing out of his mouth was, well, the defensive line is pretty good. Yeah. To me, that didn't bode very well, at least for one day's performance. No. Change, let me ask you about the injury situation. And, again, as you mentioned, we're getting second-hand information. A.K. Deere, from all reports indicators, had a tremendous summer camp, had a good scrimmage, and reportedly was scored or crossing the goal line or whatever at the end of the play, got tackled, and he's got a lower leg injury, may be an ankle.

[5:20] We don't know the severity of it. E.J. Crowell was held out because of maybe another injury. But, again, Kalen DeBoer said it will not impact him once they start the games. And I was looking at a report just a few minutes ago. Freshman cornerback Jordan Edmonds is reportedly going to miss two weeks. Now, Lancer Brooks did not play. I've heard he had a mild concussion. And, again, Bud, not to put you on the spot, but just what have you heard about the injury situation? Well, when it comes to running backs, obviously it was a rough day yesterday.

Deere is somebody who had had not just a good day in scrimmage, but a good camp overall. Had matured a whole lot. Ryan Grubb, as a matter of fact, had just mentioned a few days ago how far he had come in his progression. So, tough for him to be out. We'll see how long that's going to take. DeBoer was pretty noncommittal about that. He did say E.J. Crowell's injury is only going to keep him out a number of practices. Doesn't expect his injury to linger into the season.

But the concern with Crowell, if you're the coaching staff, if you're Robert Gillespie, is, you know, this guy missed the spring with an injury, too. So, you know, unavailable for the spring. Now he's missing a chunk of fall camp. You just wonder how much he has to catch up on mentally once he's able to hit the field for good and be good to go physically. So, that's something to watch for sure. Chase Goodbread, amongst other places. Again, the Crimson Cover TV and talking tied to podcast there with Travis Reier.

And the thing is, obviously, very few guys have come out of high school with such verbal bouquets as Crowell. But some of these guys, we've seen this rodeo before. They have all those accolades in high school. And then, for some reason, they just can't get past the injury bug at the next level. So, they're limited. So, we'll see how tough he is at that point, getting in the season, see from there. But one guy that seems to be standing out that probably nobody back at the beginning of spring camp gave a lot of love to, and that's Trayshaun Brown.

He seems to be a guy that not only is being able to pick up some of the slack, but also do some of the dirty work like blocking against those blitzes. Yeah, and he flashed on A-Day. He definitely did. He's a guy that I think is going to help Alabama on third down, especially if injuries kind of shake up the line up here and there like they seem to have already been – seems to have already happened. So, it looks to me like you can never have enough good running backs.

They're always getting banged up. It's the position on the field where there's always – no one's ever going to be 100%. Those guys take a lot of punishment. So, I think Trayshaun Brown was a good pickup for this staff. And we'll see what he's able to do when the season starts. Chase, let me ask you about the proverbial question about the quarterbacks. Both of them, according to, quote, insider reports, got off to a slow start. Some of that goes to the defensive line. Both made mistakes. I keep hearing maybe Keylon Russell made more wow plays.

What have you seen? What have you heard, again, as far as the progress for the quarterbacks? Yeah. I hear Russell's name more than Max. Yeah. And that's on a regular basis, not just coming out of this one scrimmage. Now, Kaelin DeBoer is still holding his cards very close to the vest, and so is Ryan Grubb. But based on what I know happened in the spring and what I've heard is happening here thus far in the fall, to me, I'll be surprised if Russell doesn't win the job.

But, again, there's still a pretty good bit of camp left to go, so we'll see where it takes us. I would imagine we'll get an official announcement from DeBoer or Grubb somewhere around 10 days before the first game, maybe even more than that, maybe two weeks before the first game. Chase, just based on the team leads, it's safe to say this team is going to have to lean heavily on their defense early on. This offense, once again, it's a head-scratcher. How long have we had this conversation in the last two or three years until the offense gets their legs on it?

But this year, it seems like show enough, as they sit down south, they've got to lean on this defense, particularly that secondary. Yeah, the defensive backfield is going to be stout, and it's going to be deep, too. It's not just the starters that are back. It's also, you know, they've got some really talented players, young and upcoming, in the secondary. So they're going to be absolutely fine in the secondary. Now, what they need, in my opinion, is they need a second pass rusher other than Yonze Pierre to emerge, preferably somebody inside, right?

[10:27] So he can be destructive from the inside out. When you've got a defensive tackle who can shrink the pocket from the inside, now it just makes Pierre all the better. It makes everybody around him all the better. That's what they need, I think, to emerge as a dominant defense. But even if they don't get that, I still think Pierre is primed to have a really big year. And between that and the secondary, I think they'll be hard to throw on. Let me ask you about the linebackers.

There's no question that they have the potential for the defensive front. Secondary may be the best in the SEC. Caleb Woodson, glowing reports about him. I've heard a lot of good things about Luke Matts. Abdul Sanders was mentioned yesterday. Caden Jones, QB Reese. Your thoughts about linebackers. I know Alabama lost three very good inside linebackers. These guys are not the biggest, but they're quick twitch. And they seem to have a lot of athleticism and speed. They do, and there's a lot of potential, I think, with some of the younger ones.

Now, how are they going to play out of the gate? We'll see. Like you said, Caleb Woodson comes in from Virginia Tech. He's going to be the green dot guy, you know, the Mike who's able to communicate with the coaching staff pre-snap a little bit. So, he's going to anchor things. I think you'll see QB Reese probably be kind of the backup green dot guy. And you mentioned Mets. His name keeps popping up quite a bit. It does. In the people that I've spoken with. So, I definitely feel like Mets has got a good chance to play a role.

And then, you know, like you said, there's some younger ones that, you know, what happens with Xavier Griffin, too. I mean, that's a heck of an athlete who's coming in as a true freshman. He's not the biggest guy in the world, but he really, really moves well. Maybe he's a guy that could help them, you know, in third and long situations where you got to get somebody covered, et cetera. Chase, we know across the board right now, all fan bases are fired up. If you ask just about any fan base, everybody's going to go unbeaten.

No one's ever going to lose a ball game. We know that ain't going to be true. Chase, where's your gut with this team right now based on, especially on this side of the first scrimmage? Yeah, you know, long term, I think if they pull it together on the offensive line and can block, that's going to solve a lot of problems for them. And really, if they're going to reach their potential, and by that I mean make the playoff and make some noise in the playoff, make a run, then that offensive line is going to have to engineer a complete turnaround from last year.

If that doesn't happen, then this team might not make the playoff at all. I mean, they're going to have to be able to run the ball better than last year. Frankly, I think it's a little bit of a miracle that they were one of the last eight teams in the country standing last year with a line that could not block at all for the run game. Couldn't do it at all. Chase, great to catch up with you, my friend. You do a tremendous job with the Tuscaloosa News.

You and Travis have got a great podcast. Tell us, where can we get online and get all the good stuff? Oh, yeah, for sure. So, Ryer on YouTube is Travis's YouTube channel. And I would imagine he and I are going to be getting that cranked back up here once fall season begins. We've been doing the Talking Tide podcast for a really long time, more than 10 years, maybe more like 15 at this point. And it's got a home on YouTube. And then, of course, Crimson Covered Television comes on WVUA 23 on Friday nights at 630.

I do that with John Copeland. That one also for about 15 years. I've enjoyed it a lot. You're always plugged in, Chase. We appreciate you taking time out of that busy schedule and joining us today. Have a great weekend, okay? Sounds good. Y'all too. Thank you, bud. Chase Goodbread heckin' up with us, busy there with the Tuscaloosa News, amongst other places. Phoebe, that is a question mark that I think is a fair question by Alabama fans. If this offensive line can't sit here and look at last year's mistakes and have a year to correct it, it's not going to be a good offseason in Tuscaloosa for one coaching staff.

Would you agree? Well, they've got a lot to work on, Harold, but I think they've made some necessary changes. Let's see for the first scrimmage and see where this goes. I think this team has a much better chance to have a good offensive line this year. Stay tuned. Coming up, time to talk Big Orange with the one big man of Tennessee. Next, 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.

[15:38] 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 show's families for over 30 years, North Alabama Bone and Joint Clinic is here for you. Learn more at nabjc.com. Pat Boyle here to help you beat the books with Westwood One Sports. The lead up to the U.S. Open continues with day two at the Cincinnati Masters, and I think American Jensen Brooksby gets the win tonight. Brooksby's playing Jaime Faria, whose strongest surface is Clay, but has done a nice job qualifying for this tournament.

Brooksby has started to stack wins over the last two months after a bad start to the season. He's proven on American soil. I think he should easily be more than a minus 140 favorite. So, I'll gladly take Brooksby on the money line to get the win. I'm Pat Boyle. Bet some order to beat the books. Download the BetMGM app today. My name is Whitney Allen, and I'm a widow. My husband, Ryan, died. We never thought we'd ever have to use life insurance, but the unexpected happened. With Ethos, signing up was fast and 100% online.

You can get a quote in seconds, apply in minutes, and get same-day coverage. No medical exams, and you can get up to $3 million worth of coverage. I'm grateful we were prepared. Get your free quote at ethos.com slash play. That's ethos.com slash play. Paid spokesperson. Time spent on application may vary. Online health questions required. This is Kevin Johnson, voice of the Florence Falcons, and you're listening to Sports Radio 93.9 The Score. Do you read more about your team in the offseason than in the season season?

Does your game day outfit include a brown bag with eye holes? Then you may be a fan of a BST or bad sports team. Luckily, when you bundle your home and auto insurance with Progressive, you're protected. Because seeing your painted face in the rearview mirror after a loss isn't just depressing. It's distracting. Visit Progressive.com today. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company affiliates and other insurers covered subject to policy terms. Not available in all states or situations. Skechers elite athlete, OG Ananobi, has been making history on the basketball court.

Ananobi tips it in. Unbelievable. What a shot. He's been balling out in Skechers high-performance basketball sneakers, and the world is noticed. But how does OG train off the court to keep in peak physical condition? Hands-free Skechers slip-ins arrowburst. They help prepare OG for the physical demands of playing at a championship level. Get your pair of arrowburst phony $165 at a Skechers store, Skechers.com, or wherever high-performance running cheese are sold. Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Let's head west to Las Vegas and say hello to Bruce Marshall.

He's busy all over the place. Las Vegas Insider, Gold Sheet, Wager Talk. What's going on with the Big Ten coaches? All these guys who've been in the SEC or have come off the Nick Saban tree, they seem to have short memories. Kurt Cignetti's throwing on his chest. As of right now, he has something to back it up. Your thoughts just about the moxie coming out of the Big Ten coaching circles. Well, speaking of Kurt Cignetti's head, my wife had an interesting comment the other day, having to watch, you know, the Big Ten media.

I was watching it after like 10 seconds. That guy's coloring his hair. My wife says the same thing. They can spot it a mile or more. They can spot it a mile. She lay up to the color. She said, this is what me and my friend Linda. We did this. I'm ready, baby. That's good. L'Oreal, Auburn. She said, no man in their 60s has hair colored like that. So, for what that's worth. The Boomo Bugg Show. Weekdays, noon to two, on 93.9 The Score. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score.

Welcome back in. You know what, baby? Barnett's guest never uses Grecian. You know that, by the way. Listen, this is the 50th year. 50th year. I was looking at his Facebook post that Jim Steele has been in the media, which is astounding when you consider some of the things Jim's been through. Yeah, back when they had great music, Casey and the Sunshine Band, Saturday Night Live, and all that stuff. Jim Steele is the award-winning writer in West Tennessee, part of the Richardson Media Group. Jim, welcome in.

Ha, ha, ha. How are you? Thanks for having me on, guys. It's great to be with you. And if I could only use Grecian formula, there's not much work that's up there anymore. Yep. Look at the bright side, Jim. The fewer hairs, the longer it lasts, right? So, you've got to look at it from the optimistic side. But 50 years, congratulations. Nothing, absolutely nothing has changed in the media over the 50 years, has it, Jim? No, not at all, no. Not at all. I can remember sitting in the radio station using, you know, putting cart machines up for ads and stuff and stacking all those things and reel-to-reel and TX.

And how many of you guys used a bulky racer? I did. I used them all because you had to. You had to recycle those babies, those carts, you know, that you had for the commercials. And then, not only that, remember, you had to go to Atlanta and get an FCC third-class endorsement. You could not be in radio. Well, you remember that? You had to go to Atlanta and get the FCC because you had to read the meters every so often. Oh, sure, yeah. So, you had to get the third class.

[20:54] And then, pretty soon, they relaxed that a little bit. And they just gave you a restricted license. And then, pretty soon, they let people like me on. So, you know, they really low the bar. There you go. Let me ask you about some of the interviews you've done. I was marveling at some of this stuff. Obviously, Nonswell, Jack Kemp was a sports, obviously. Newt Gingrich, Al Gore, Michael Jordan, John McEnroe, Peyton Manning, Pete Rose, just to name a few. And I was scolded for leaving off Pat Summitt.

There you go. How did I forget that one? Right. That's right. I really miss Pat. She was great. But, yeah, Pat, I tell you what. I've lived a charm life. I'm from a small town in West Tennessee where people don't usually do what I do. And somehow I stumbled into it. So, I'm very fortunate and very grateful for all the people that have read and listened to me through the years. And I appreciate you guys for having me on and reminding me how old I am.

No, no, no, no, no. It's the least we could do, Jim. It's the least we could do. But, yeah, it really is. It's the only, to me, when you come from that type of background, like a lot of us, and you're able to meet some of those people, it's like, wow. It's truly, truly a blessing. As far as the most intriguing personality, was there anybody over the years that maybe you had an image of? And then once you interviewed them, it's like, who is this guy?

I mean, I've had the privilege of interviewing several folks over the years, too. And it's like, when you meet that type of person, you know, as a kid, you grow up and you've got maybe this image. And then when you meet him, it's like Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde. And conversely, who was the nicest person you ever interviewed? Boy, that's a good question because there have been a lot of them. Guys like Barry Larkin was extremely nice. And Ray Knight from the Cincinnati Reds. And then you go back a little further.

And Alabama and Clay Carroll, former pitcher for the Reds. He's from Alabama. And he just was a nice guy. I mean, just really, really a great guy. You know, Pat Summitt had her moments. But generally speaking, she was very, very congenial and very fun to talk to. So, yeah, I mean, when you're in this business, you're going to find some people that are difficult. You're going to find some people that you know that are usually friendly, but they've had a bad day. And it's kind of on their sleeve a little bit.

So, but, yeah, I've been pretty, pretty lucky. I've had a few bad moments through the years. I guess we all have. But, yeah, those were the ones that kind of stand out in my mind that were really good. Jekyll and Hyatt for me, though, was Rick Ankeel. He used to play for the Cardinals. Yeah. I interviewed him once before, like in the wintertime. And he was just great. And then he had all those problems. And then he just didn't want to talk to me. I mean, man, we grew up in the same area in Florida.

Man, don't you just want to talk about your favorite ice cream or something? I don't care. I hear you. But, yeah, it's a roll of the dice sometimes. Let me ask you about what's going on in the SEC. It's incredible how the SEC college football gym has changed literally in the last three years. Oh, yeah. Your thoughts on the league. One of the revelations we got yesterday, we talked to Ryan Callahan of Govaz 247. And he said, according to his sources and what he had seen, George McIntyre is maybe a little bit ahead of Faison Brandon, the phenom that a lot of people thought might step in.

Jim, your thoughts on this Tennessee team this year? Well, you know, I'm glad you brought that up. There are three things that kind of concern me about Tennessee. One of them is the quarterback situation because you've got basically two newcomers. Then you've got the defense with Jim Knowles, the new defensive coordinator. And you've got like seven transfers coming in. And so I'm kind of concerned about that. And also the schedule is kind of a concern if you're a Tennessee fan. Getting back to Brandon and McIntyre, you know, if you remember in the spring, all the pressure was on McIntyre to be the starter.

And I think it kind of wilted him a little bit. And so Faison Brandon came in and was the guy. And now that the mantle of pressure is off of McIntyre's back this fall, he's really performing well. And now he's kind of emerged as the guy. So I just, with the schedule, though, I'm just kind of, I hope the defense can balance it out a little bit. I think Tennessee will score points with those guys. You know, you've got McDaniel there and wide receiver, who I think is scheduled for a breakout year, possibly.

But you've got all those guys in there and these newcomers there. I'm just hoping that they can, I'm sorry, Mike Matthews, let's say McDaniel, Matthews, a wide receiver who's scheduled for a breakout year. I think that there's a lot of stuff there that's positive, but if that defense doesn't complement him this year, I don't know. I think Kim Banks leaving is an addition by subtraction. But I think probably at this point, McIntyre's the quarterback, and it's his job to lose right now. Jim, you live in a very interesting area.

[26:10] I know that because I actually lived in West Tennessee, Jackson, and worked at the Mighty Channel 7 WBBJ for a while. And I always remember it was one of those places where it's not NCC there, but you had obviously Tennessee. To the north, not too far, Kentucky. To the west, you had not too far from Missouri in the boot hill of Arkansas. And then down south, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. If you don't mind, Alabama's got Kentucky on their schedule. What are you hearing about the Wildcats?

You never know with a first-year coach what you may be thrown at you. What are you hearing about the Wildcats? Well, I'm not really hearing a whole lot, actually. But, you know, that's the thing. You know, they got rid of Stoops, who's been there forever. But I think, you know how it is with coaches sometimes, the game passes you by. And I think that was the case with him, maybe. So, you know, I'm hearing some good things, but I think that schedule's going to be pretty brutal for Kentucky.

We'll see how it goes. You know, Alabama, I mean, that's – well, anybody you play in the SEC is potentially tough. So, I mean, Kentucky's got that. They're behind that eight ball already. So, I don't know. I mean, you've got a Ouija board. We can look it up that way. I'm not sure how they're going to be this year. Jim, the SEC championship game in the first Saturday of December, who's going to be playing in it? Good question. Good question. You know, I mean, I want to say Georgia and Texas.

Yeah. That might be the pair. You know, now that they're all – they kind of wadded them up in one thing, kind of like a wild jungle type thing. So, I'm not exactly sure who's going to come out of there. But I think right now, you know, if you point a gun to my head, I'd probably say Georgia and Texas at the moment. Jim, I think that's a pretty popular opinion among a lot of media who covered the SEC. But great to catch up with you. So, congratulations again on surviving 50 years in the media.

And listen, I'm also delighted here that you're doing well. I know you've had some health issues and seen you've been doing better than you have in years. Always great to catch up with you, brother. Let's do this again soon. We will. I've got more parts than me floating around in Lake Erie right now. With two new hips and an artificial heart valve. But, yeah, I'm doing great, guys. Good. And I appreciate you guys having me all the time. Well, after 50 years, this should be a piece of cake.

This business, if you can survive this business for 50 years, you're pretty tough. Jim's still hooking up with us. We'll be there with the Richardson Media Group in West Tennessee. Why do you say we go to South Georgia and check in with Mr. Bill's show next? Stay with us. 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. Ah, this feeling is brought to you by a leave for arthritis pain relief. What feeling is that? Well, it's the feeling you feel when you have relief from arthritis pain. It's that my hands don't hurt just holding things feeling. That, wow, I can actually move well feeling. You know, that go-about-your-day-without-worrying-about-every-little-movement-or-ache feeling? Oh, yeah. Because a leave targets arthritis pain at the source of inflammation for long-lasting relief.

So you can keep moving through it. Feel up to 12 hours of arthritis pain relief with one dose. Feel a leave. Use is directed for minor arthritis pain. Hey, Mom, now that I have an after-school job, I think I want to buy a drum kit. Okay, rock star. Let's look at your account. When kids start making money, Chase has easy-to-use tools and expert bankers to help them learn how to manage it. And next month, I'll buy the bass drum and the cymbals. Oh, and maybe some noise-canceling headphones for you.

Aw, you've thought of everything. Help kids save, budget, and build financial independence all with Chase. That's good for kids and good for parents. Visit your local Chase branch and get started. Account subject to approval. JPMorgan Chase Bank and a member FDIC. Do you have trouble getting in and out of the bathtub? Are you afraid you'll slip and fall entering or exiting a tub? Safe Step walk-in tubs can transform your bathtub from an area of concern to a calming refuge. Call them today at 1-800-731-4558 and save $1,600.

Safe Step walk-in tubs and showers are proudly made in Tennessee and offer an ultra-low step-in, avoiding that difficult climb over a traditional bathtub wall. They also offer a variety of therapeutic benefits that may help soothe your aching muscles and joints, increasing your mobility, boosting your energy, and improving your sleep. Safe Step walk-in tubs are designed to easily fit your existing tub space and are often installed in as little as one day. Just dial 1-800-731-4558 today to save $1,600 and receive a free shower package. That's 1-800-731-4558 for a free no-obligation consultation and to save $1,600.

[31:29] Safe Step walk-in tubs. Safety never felt so good. The Sports Voice of Northwest Alabama and Southern Tennessee. Sports Radio 93.9. The Score. Progressive Insurance presents the Sports Flash on 93.9 The Score. The Atlanta Braves are back at home tonight with the Braves take on the Arizona Diamondbacks at Truist Park. Chris Sale will get the start for Atlanta. He's 12-7 with the 2.20 ERA. Brandon Fott will start for Arizona. He is 6-1 on the year. The Atlanta Falcons are set to open up preseason play tonight. The Falcons will be at home as they take on the Denver Broncos inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The NASCAR Cup Series back in action tomorrow night in Richmond, Virginia. Richmond Raceway. It's the Saturday night race in the Cookout 400. PGA Tours in the playoffs. Today, it's round number two of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The sports update brought to you by Progressive. Bundle auto and home, renters or condo and save with Progressive. I'm Tony Dezzeri on 93.9 The Score. The Colonel is the king of chicken. That's why he's always had a beef with beef. But on Wednesdays, he's squashing the beef by frying it. KFC Country Fried Steak is here for only $4.99.

Crispy golden outside, tender steak inside. Served with peppery gravy, mashed potatoes, coleslaw and a biscuit. At last, the Colonel and beef buried the hatchet in gravy. Get the $4.99 Country Fried Steak Wednesdays for a limited time, only at KFC. Prices and participation may vary while supplies last. Not available on third-party ordering platforms. Texted in fees extra. When you see this in your kitchen. The stainless steel fridge is covered in fingerprints. You hear this. Leslie, people are going to think you were raised in a barn or by wolves.

Erased in a barn by wolves. Fortunately, Wyman Stainless Steel 3-in-1 cleans, shines and protects to give you the best shine. Spray and a wipe will have your fridge shining like a mirror. Wow, my fridge looks brand new. Your fridge looks amazing, Leslie. Sorry, I was being a little traumatic earlier. Your kitchen says a lot about you. Let it brag with Wyman. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. He is the man when it comes. Talking radio in the state of Georgia.

Bill Shanks, host of the Bill Shanks Show on 93.1 FM in Macon, Georgia. Online at thesesuperstations.com. And a fine contributor at 41NBC. Bill Shanks, welcome in. Happy Friday to you. How are you? I'm doing very well. Good afternoon. Appreciate you taking time out, Bill. Heading down the stretcher. This has to be a busy time. The Braves are on cloud nine. Georgia's opening camp. Before we get to the Braves, obviously, our Georgia fans, like a lot of fans on this side of the state line, Bill, it doesn't matter what happened in the first scrimmage, you stink.

Yeah, if the offense doesn't do anything, the defense is the problem. Problem is the other way. The defense sucks, and the offense is good. Where are Georgia fans as they approach the first scrimmage here? Well, I think everybody's very excited. I think everybody feels very confident in what they're hearing out of camp and the reports and rumors and people seeing this and people seeing that. I think there's just a lot of positives right now. So, yeah, I think that's the prevailing thought, and, you know, I think people are curious to see how the scrimmage plays out because you want to see how people do against each other and, you know, to see a little bit more of an advanced picture of what's to come.

So I think once we do that tomorrow, and they kind of backed it up because the weather was going to be so bad. I think I spoke with Brett yesterday that Kirby probably wanted it to be 145, but it might be 145. In fact, it's 10 o'clock instead of noon, and so I don't think they had any choice. So anyway, we'll see how those reports kind of filter out and what's said, and I think people will get even more excited about what's to come. How confident are you? Obviously, Alabama's got question marks, a quarterback spot, a lot of schools do, maybe outside of a handful, including Ole Miss there.

But your thoughts, to me, Gunnar Stockton is one of those guys, he's blue-collar. He may not have all the shine that ESPN is looking for to hype the machine like some of these other guys across the country, but he's Mr. Reliable. And to me, I get the impression, Bill, you're closer to the epicenter, obviously, than we are, that his teammates love him, and they will dig down and protect him at the cost of their own life. He just seems to come across as the consummate team man.

Well, he is. I think there's no question about that. I think they have a great amount of respect for him. He looks to be a very good college quarterback. And, you know, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. You don't have to have one-on-one in the draft to have a great season for your quarterback. I don't know. I mean, you never limit what people and what they're capable of. But, you know, it doesn't look like Gunnar's going to be just a slam dunk NFL prospect.

[36:55] But that doesn't matter. I mean, I don't care. You know what? That's not what we're kind of worried about. We're worried about him being a very good quarterback in 2026 with the Georgia Bulldogs. And that's all you have to worry about. In a way, it puts less pressure on him to simply go out there and do their job and do what's best to them. And they're not, you know, in a position like Archie is where he can't help but think about what the future holds because he's been groomed for that position.

So, and again, I'm not shortchanging Gunnar by any means, but I think when you don't have that talk around you, you can simply go out there and be yourself and be your guy. And that's what I think everybody's kind of hoping he'll do. I get amused at some of the national media. They've always got to poke holes, which I know that's their job with national championship contenders. And, of course, with Georgia, well, Gunnar doesn't have anyone to throw to. Yeah, he does. Isaiah Canyon, London Humphreys.

Georgia's got one of the best tight end rooms in the country. Outside of that, what is your, if there is, quote, a concern or question going into the fall? I really don't have very many. And I, and I, let me tell you, I hate to say that because I know how that comes on. I don't like, I don't like for people to come on my show and say, Katie, the door, we are the champions. So forget about it because we know how things happen. We know that stuff hits the fan.

But when, when I genuinely look at this roster right now, I mean, look, last weekend, I Googled ranking of the best offensive line going into 2026. Every list that I saw came up had Georgia number one. Then I had a guest on my show, a Georgia reporter, who came on Tuesday and said, Bill, I really believe the Georgia defensive line has better depth than the offensive line. And, you know, I, I've kind of looked at that even more and said, okay, well, why is this? And you look at some players who are healthy now, who weren't as healthy last year.

And of course, potential and, and, and the development, you know, that's, that's the one thing a lot of times we don't take into consideration is okay. How much better is this player now compared to a year ago? That's why he said that because he, he pinpointed several players where he was like, I think this is going to happen. And here's why. And when you start the season with a, with his lines of scrimmage being in that kind of shape, I mean, you're way ahead of the game.

And so, you know, that, that, that, and, and believe me, I know when I said, when I said a minute and a half ago, there were people probably saying, geez, give me a break, you know, and I get it. I understand, but there, there, there's just not sure what, what, what wide receiver is going to emerge and become the guy. We don't know the answer to that question yet. So the, could that be looked at as a concern perhaps is the talent there to where there should be someone who's going to emerge.

Absolutely. And, and we still know who it's going to be yet, but the receivers are complimented. They're complimented by the best tight end room. I mean, I had one of the guests come on this week and again, they are Georgia reporters. So you may say, and I understand that the objectivity, unlike myself, who's always, is, is not always a hundred percent, but one of the other guests came on and said, Bill, I think if they lost two of the tight ends in their room right now, two of the top five tight ends, they would still have the best tight ends, but they would still have the best tight end room in the SEC.

Um, I mean, so when, when you hear things like that, I mean, I had a guest, one of the Georgia guests last week say that the, the, the, the, the, the freshman tight end came pro throw. Should be on the field 80% of the time as a true freshman. And that's not because of a need. That's not because they need someone to pick up that position. That's because that kid may be that good. Well, look, and so you, you, you couple the things I've just kind of outlined to you.

That's why when you asked the question, Brett, I was hesitant to say, oh, well, we got this and that and the other, because there is a lot of positives on paper right now. Of course, it's August 14th. So that means squat, right? And we know that, but, but it's still, it gives us an idea of where they're at, at this point, three weeks out. Fondstations.com is a place to check out Bill of Shanks on August 14th, 2025. Would you have thought the Atlanta Braves baseball team will be where they are on August 14th, 2026?

[42:01] They are nine games up on the fields. Get this, the Braves, 73 and 48. Who's that better than the mighty Dodgers at 73 and 49? How about that for a payroll? Creamy Farmer on Bill, 41 games to go. And by my bad math, even if they play under 500, they still reach 93 wins, which obviously means hello playoffs. Well, it's very good. There's no question. I mean, they're in, they're in terrific shape right now with the, with the division. I think they need to have a very clear target for the best record in baseball.

I mean, if you're, if you're this good, why not go for it all and, and try to be the best team in baseball? Because that's only going to help you more to have that type of advantage in the postseason to be able to truly, um, uh, just be in control of your own fate when it comes to whether you're at home or a road for the majority of the series you're going to play. This is a team that hasn't won a playoff series in, in five years since they won the world series.

So, I mean, they, they kind of desperately need to win something this year and I'd much rather do that at home. Um, and I'm not sure they have a shot to do that at home comparatively. So, you know, um, they're, they're in very good shape. They have got to feel good about themselves. There's no question about it. Uh, and, and they've got to stay healthy and you know what, the key to everything is being able to play good baseball at the right time, which is hard to just snap your fingers and say, well, we're, you know, come September 25th, we're going to turn it on and we're going to be the best team no matter what.

But that's what you have to hope for. I am not ready to give Anthopoulos, uh, a pass because I still think they should have brought in another starter. Isn't it interesting? Jacob deGrom may have some arm issues, tricep issues that may look like a half genius move to not trade for him, even though, as you mentioned, he nixed it. But I'll be honest with you, Martin Perez has not given up a run in 18 innings. Tyler Maley has been a revelation. He's allowed one in 12. Your buddy Grant Holmes has back-to-back six scoreless innings.

And Chris Sale does Chris Sale stuff. Um, again, I, you know, you can't deny it. They're starting pitching his pitch well. Very well. And, and, um, uh, I, I think you cannot ignore the numbers and yet you can still have the question of, okay, after Chris Sale, what's going to happen? I think do we, do we feel that Tyler Maley, uh, and I have to say every time Tyler Maley rhymes with Raleigh or I'll screw his name up, but you do the same thing because I'll, I'll, I'll butcher it like a butcher, you know, h***, I've butchered your name until about 2012.

Well, um, uh, yeah, I think Maley could be looked at as the number two. And then what? Well, you know, Alex Itoffler said last week when he didn't make any more trades, it'll, it'll be determined by who's pitching the best and perhaps matchups. So, you know, AJ Smith-Schalbert's going to join that conversation this weekend, Brett. He's coming back. And so he's going to be right there as, as well. And so there's, um, there's intrigue there as well of how that's going to kind of play out.

And I, I'm, I'm anxious for that. So, you know, I, I, I think, um, I think there, there's just a lot. A lot of positive right now, you know, you, you, you've got the pitching doing very well. I mean, there's no, and look, the, the, the recipe of good starting pitching and home runs is what served them the beginning of the year. It's what escaped them for a 17 game stretch in June and then has recovered and returned since July 1st. And, uh, you know, you, you take that, you take that, you take that 17 game stretch out that they were four and 13.

This team is 69 and 35. So they, they had one bad two and a half week stretch. And other than that, they've been outstanding. So again, you got to hope that happens September 25th. And you can ride that into the biggest games of the year in October. Yeah. Obviously we get questions about Spencer Strider. We know 60 day, you know, dating back while, um, what are you hearing? Um, we get a mixed reports and a lot of folks says he's, he's toast. Other saying is, is doctors saying that there's a chance he could come back if not in the regular season, the post season.

The question is sometimes obviously on the first thought on that is that's great, but sometimes you get this stuff going the way it is and it can mess up the chemistry of where things are now. Now your, your thoughts about the Spencer Strider story. He won't be back in 2026. Um, Spencer Schwallenbach, Spencer Strider, Hurston Waldrop are not going to be back. They never were going to be back. Um, they tried to hold out hope and I understand that you just, you don't want to, you don't want to say, well, they're not coming back.

[47:09] Then all of a sudden September 15th, they are feeling pretty good while I come back. You have to be careful about that, but they're not coming back. And, you know, I, I tell people, Spencer Schwallenbach, um, the three of us, I mean, we've been in television. I'm in television now. I mean, Harold, you were in television for a long time, but, but you know, when you're in radio and you interview someone and sometimes they'll give you a look and you said, well, I wish that was on video.

I remember doing the interview with Spencer Schwallenbach back in April. I mean, March rather, spring training, right after he'd had his procedure and the look on his face told me all I needed to know that he was probably not going to pitch again this year. And, and so, um, you know what? Hey, look, here's the thing. If you know that, then prepare them for February 15th of 2027. Well, probably June cause they won't be at spring training. Then they'll be locked out, but you prepare them for when you're going to be back playing baseball and hope they'll be ready.

And you don't have to rush them or anything like that, which should be an asset. Um, listen, good for Austin Riley. He has had a lot of, quite frankly, verbal abuse the last couple of years. Some of it is certainly merited. He just looks better at the plate. He looks more balanced. He looks like he's got a game plan. He's hitting 300 since the all-star break. Your thoughts on, on Austin. And then Iglesias seems to be going through another one of his stretches where people say, well, he's lost and he's old, but he's always seems to get, to get it back together again later in the season.

Your thoughts on Austin and Iglesias. Well, Riley, uh, three 50 in his last 12 games, two nights since the all-star break. So he is doing much better comparatively. You just have to hope that'll continue. Right. Uh, uh, I think that the signs are extremely positive that he's going to be a force in this lineup. That's, that's really, really good. Uh, Iglesias has struggled. I mean, there's no question about that. He's got a 5.5 ADRA in his last 11 games, uh, with two blown saves. But look, um, I'm not really worried about it.

Uh, you know, I, I think this guy has been so great. All year long overall that, um, you know, baseball is, it's hard to go six months and be perfect. It's just hard. Uh, those, uh, who try usually can't and they usually run into some kind of wall. And so, um, I, I think Iglesias will be fine. I, I, I do hope Robert Suarez gets back. And so we don't know that's even more of a important update probably than the other three starting pitchers because Suarez being in that bullpen would be such a big help.

I think Lopez, Reynaldo Lopez will be back in the bullpen when he's healthy, which will help if Suarez is not back. But if Robert Suarez gets back and he and Iglesias and, and, and Lopez and Dodd and Lee, uh, and Fuentes, that would be six really good early pitchers. So we got to hope for that just in case there are problems with him, you know, kind of lingering into October. But I, I, I'm still very, very good. All right. Tell us how are you going to beat the heat this weekend?

The dogs having a scrimmage in 140 degrees. Who's on the show today? Can our listeners call in and talk about Alabama beating Georgia again? Where can we get online to get all the good stuff? Yeah. Y'all better see if y'all got five offensive linemen that can stand up right. That's what y'all got to worry about. Uh, these superstations.com will be on in 67 minutes and we'll lead you up to the Braves and the Diamondbacks and look forward to that. And, uh, we're, we're getting closer. That's for sure.

Can't wait. Take, take, take me a listen, man. Stay in the shade over there and get something cool to drink or otherwise and have a great weekend. Okay, buddy. All right, guys. Thank you so much as always. Bill Shanks, the superstations.com. Coming up next hour, time to go down, as we mentioned earlier, over with a little thing called a scrimmage. The latest with Justin Ferguson. Got to go out to one of the prime high school programs in the entire state, Lester High and Coach Patrick Malone.

And, baby, my ink is running here. Can you tell me who this other guest is? Uh, it's the other beard boy to take us around the SEC. Stay tuned. Second hour of Boom O' Buck Show. Straight ahead. Stay with us. It doesn't matter if you're running grills at the park, playing pickup on a Saturday, or sinking the final putt. When you compete with your friends with Michelob Ultra on the line, competition isn't that friendly. The trash talk, next level, and the stakes, oh, those are crystal clear.

With only 95 calories and superior smooth taste, it's the ultimate trophy. Superior is worth playing for. Michelob Ultra, superior light beer. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2025, Anheuser-Busch, Michelob Ultra, light beer, St. Louis, Missouri. Spraying wrist, ankle twist, broken thumb can't make a fist, busted knee, surgery, that patch of ice you didn't see. Where pain starts, Gernavix, Gernavix is a non-opioid 50-milligram prescription tablet for adults with moderate to severe acute pain that reduces pain signals before they reach the brain. Tendon tear, nose repair, tripping on that broken stair, dislocation operation, moped crash while on vacation.

[52:32] Do not take Gernavix with CYP3A inhibitors. Avoid use with grapefruit or liver problems as these may increase side effects. Tell your doctor about all your medicines if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Gernavix may make certain medicines and birth control less effective. Side effects include itching, muscle spasms, rash, and elevated muscle enzymes. Joint displacement, knee replacement. Fell on marbles in the basement. Bladder slip, broken hip. That rock climb where you lost your grip. To learn more about Gernavix, ask your doctor. Call 1-833-589-PAIN or visit Gernavix.com.

Sports Radio 93.9 The Score. We all hear the radio ads about the IRS. They tell you to be afraid, to be scared, and they try to frighten you into calling. I'm not here to do that. Tax Relief Advocates is different. TRA is here to tell you that if you owe money to the IRS, whether it's $5,000, $50,000, or $500,000, we have a solution. It doesn't matter if you're sitting in your car, at work, or with your kids, no matter where you are. Call now. 800-575-6759. Don't lose hope. TRA can eliminate or reduce what you owe to the IRS.

Generous programs are now available that can give you a fresh start. Our passion is taxes and helping individuals fix their IRS problems. We have over 1,000 five-star reviews on Google and an A-plus with the Better Business Bureau. You don't need to be afraid of the IRS any longer. End your tax nightmare today by visiting us online at tra.com or call 800-575-6759. That's 800-575-6759. Tax Relief Advocates. Real solutions for real people. 1819 News. The director of the FBI, Kash Patel, is speaking out about the recent arrest of the former financial director of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Heidi Barich.

Earlier this week, an indictment was issued against Barich by the U.S. Department of Justice. This past Thursday, Patel took to social media, posting a visual of the money trail that is at the heart of the indictments against Barich and the SPLC at large. Patel says that the money trail does not lie. He says that the SPLC donor money that was supposed to be used to fight against the ideology of the KKK was actually funding the KKK. Just a few months ago, it came to light that Barich had a neo-Nazi boyfriend during her time at the SPLC, and the two even shared a joint bank account, which Barich then funneled money into.

Patel says this neo-Nazi boyfriend also conducted the theft of documents from an extremist organization, which Patel says Barich then went on to use for further fundraising and ended up paying another informant to claim responsibility for that theft rather than her neo-Nazi boyfriend. Patel says the FBI will continue to follow the money and expose the fraud within the SPLC. I'll be back with more Alabama stories after this. Covenant Rescue Group seeks to directly support organizations and agencies that are fighting the global battle against human trafficking. They do this through funding, procuring, and advocating.

You can go to covenantrescue.org for further details. They need your donations, guys. Hop on and donate. A Jefferson County Circuit judge has ordered a religious encampment in Birmingham to be torn down and the occupants to be evicted. The encampment has developed on a vacant lot in the Collegeville neighborhood with the leader of that group being identified as Philander Boyd. Judge Chuck Price determined that the encampment is violating city zoning regulations and is becoming a public nuisance. Residents of that area have complained to the city over this whole issue.

I'm Andrea Tyson. For more news affecting Alabamians, go to 1819news.com. And while you're there, subscribe to the daily newsletter. Everybody, Bill King, Bill King Show. Listen to me. Nine until noon. 93-9. The score Monday through Friday as we talk college football like nobody else does. Because he listens in Florence. Our show's, Charlie, our show's on down there. Bill King Show. Monday through Friday. Nine until noon. Every league, every big topic is covered. 93-9. The score. Evan, Canty, and Michelle are unsportsmanlike. It's an indictment on everybody that has fingerprints on the decision to draft J.J. McCarthy.

Everybody that had a voice in that room that picked J.J. over Bo Nix is on the hot seat right now as far as I'm concerned. The only question is, how much of a hand did head coach Kevin O'Connell have in all of them? Unsportsmanlike. Weekday mornings starting at 6 Eastern. On ESPN Radio and on ESPN2. Valley Broadcasting Corporation. WITK-FM. Rogersville. Athens. Decatur. The Shores. Sports Radio 93-9. The score. High school football is back. And for the 23rd consecutive year, 93-9. The score is proud to be your home for Florence Falcons football.

Head coach Kenny Morrison and his staff are excited about the 2026 season. And the Falcons are ready to fly high as they face a top-notch schedule. Join me, Kevin Johnson, along with Mike Albertson, Jeff Jones, and John McDaniel as we bring you Florence Falcons football all season long right here on your home for Falcons football, 93-9. The score. Friday night football is something special around the South. And on Saturday mornings, we'll tell you all about the high school football action in this area. Here on 93-9, the score.

[57:49] It's the coaches breakfast. As we join high school coaches from around the area breaking down Friday night games and talking about future schedules as well. Join host Kevin Johnson as he talks with coaches from around the area on the coaches breakfast. Saturday mornings throughout this football season. Brought to you locally by Lost Pizza. John C. Saylor, attorney at law. The Courier Journal. North Alabama Bone and Joint Clinic. Southern Pride Pest Control. And Bank Independent. Begins Saturday, August 22nd on 93-9, the score. 93-9, the score weather.

Today, sunny and hot with a high around 97. Heat in mix values as high as 110. Heat advisory is in effect. Tonight, mostly clear with a low near 75. Tomorrow, sunny and hot with a high around 100. Tomorrow night, mostly clear with a low near 75. And for your Sunday, sunny and hot with a high around 100. 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. Woo! Woo! The Boom-O Bug Show.

Your exclusive inside track to the tie. Tigers, Tennessee, and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93-9. The score. Welcome back to our show to the Boom-O Bug Show. I'm Harold Bugg, alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us a free ride around the Tennessee Valley. Brett Beaird, would you mind pulling up a chair as we get ready for the show to go stereo? If you don't believe me now, stay tuned. The honors are all yours. You know, after listening to Blair's weather report, it may actually be hotter in North Alabama than it is in Jacksonville, Florida.

We'll find out in a second, but Brent Beard is a college football analyst for First Coast News, husband trophy voter, and co-host of Second Helping Podcast on the SEC with our good friend Travis Reier. Brother B, welcome you to the show today, buddy. How are you? Well, I would like to say that it's not as hot here, but that is not the case. I mean, the humiture this week was, one day was 113. So that was certainly a bit warm. But the good thing about it is we have, it clouds up, we have thunderstorms.

But, look, imagine being in a situation where you're a college football player and you have to practice in this stuff every day is a reality of it. About 300-plus pounds with a helmet on. That heat ain't going anywhere but right there. Brent, what is the hot topic that you're hearing coming out of Tuscaloosa's first scrimmage? Well, I would say that AK Deer injury certainly would be a part of that. They are still trying to get a handle, I think, on the offensive line. Look, the offensive line has got to be better.

I mean, the three of us and whoever's in the studio would have done a better job than what happened at times last year. So I think that eventually will probably turn around. They don't have a decision yet. I'm sure they've got some idea in their mind about who's going to be the starting quarterback. But they're playing that kind of slow right now. I think they would like to make a decision along that way, too. But, you know, the thing that people forget is it's not like this team went 5-7 last year.

I mean, they were in the SEC championship game, won a playoff game, obviously got obliterated by Indiana. But still, the reality of it is interesting. And I want to throw this out as a guess. I'm guessing E.J. Crowell is not hurt. E.J. Crowell, I think they probably have an inkling how good he is, and they're just holding him back until they get to a real game. Yeah. Let me ask you this. You mentioned the quarterback battle, Brent, and obviously that's the topic that's your.

But given what we just talked about there, the fact that the O-line is still, it has a question mark. It may prove to be all that in a bag of chips. Time's going to tell. But the fact that it seems from everything we're able to get, the quarterback race is even Steven. But I don't think it's any secret. The man who can get out of trouble faster will be Russell. And not only that, it comes down, would you agree with this? The coaches, you know they're close.

[1:02:54] They know they respect Mac for sticking with him. So there's that human nature that we owe him a little bit of an edge there. Sure. But at the end of the day, they've got to win. And you go with a young gun. If all things are equal, two things, why would you not go ahead and invest in the future, take your lumps, be that as it may, and also someone who may be better able to maybe level out that offensive line going forward? I think the issue here is going to be Austin Mack makes fewer mistakes.

Right. But he also doesn't have the big playability that Russell does. But, look, guys, I think Russell's the kind of guy, I mean, he could be 17 out of 24 for 380 yards, four touchdowns, and two picks. That's it. He's an NFL quarterback. So do you take your chance on that? But, look, the other reality is that we would have never even been talking about if this was years ago. And if Russell doesn't play, how long does he stay on the team is the issue. So that, you know, they've got to deal with that, too.

But at the same time, they can win with either guy. Right. Yeah. The other thing he can do is run for 75 yards. What he did yesterday was he extended two or three plays into a completion. That's the other key for him is the improvisation and being able to make a big play. Listen, we've talked about Tennessee a good bit the last two days. The George McIntyre now ahead of Brandon, which is interesting as far as the quarterback race. They've got a scrimmage tomorrow. We can talk about Auburn here in a few minutes.

What else around the league as far as key injuries, performances, comes to mind? Well, I'll say this, too, about Tennessee. The savior this year for Tennessee may be Jim Knowles, the defensive coordinator. I mean, when you coordinated defenses at Ohio State and done a great job with that. What is interesting about Knowles is he has kind of an average first year, and then his second year is when things really get going. But when you've been at Penn State and Ohio State, I think that's something important to look at.

Now, you know, the interesting thing, too, with Auburn is now I'm not saying Auburn's going to even have a winning season. I do think they will play better because, I mean, we followed this South Florida team down here pretty closely since it's close to us here in Jacksonville. That's a pretty good team, and they've got enough players on that team that that can make a difference. I think what they're getting used to is, I mean, they play at a lightning fast pace, and that's going to really help them at some point.

They may not get used to it necessarily this year, but they've already shown that even the coaches have been surprised how quickly that they have at least, I don't know how successful they've been, but how quickly they've tried to move the ball. That's weird. Brent, talk to us, Auburn speaking, happening, basically wrapping up their first scrimmage, so I guess it's just a matter of time if fans being fans come out and say, well, this side of the ball was great, the other side I'm worried about.

A lot of people are buying the Auburn Kool-Aid. I saw one report this week putting them way up there. We'll see. Of course, time's going to tell that. What message can you send Auburn fans at this point on the cycle? Well, I think they've got some real hope. I'm not saying that it's going to happen for them this year, but I do believe that when you kind of look at who they've got, particularly if Byron Brown does what we think he's going to do, Jeremiah Cobb at running back is pretty good. I mean, he's close to 1,000 yards.

Keyshawn Singleton is a really good receiver also, and a lot of this is going to depend upon, and we always get back to this, in the line of scrimmage. The good thing is Auburn has a very good kicker, too. But look, guys, y'all have seen it like I have. The problem at Auburn is going to be is the schedule. I mean, they've just got a very difficult situation, and I'm telling you, we cover Florida pretty closely down here. That is a mammoth game on September the 19th for both of those schools.

[1:08:05] But the reality of this is, I mean, when you look at Florida, Bambi at home, at Tennessee, at Georgia, even with a week off, and then LSU and at Ole Miss, I mean, look, guys, if Auburn just wins two of those games, they'd probably be pretty fortunate, frankly. Absolutely. Let me ask you about Ole Miss. I was looking in your notes this morning. Ole Miss offensive coordinator John David Baker confirmed Kiwan Lacy underwent shoulder surgery in the offseason. Again, that's nothing unusual. Nick Saban had a lot of, quote, tune-ups in the offseason when he was there.

But I'm guessing that they've gone easy with Lacy so far. Chambliss, if he stays healthy, has set all sorts of records. Your thoughts, what are you hearing out of Oxford? Well, I think they're quite excited about where they are and what's going on. And, look, the reality for them is they're probably a solid right now in the backfield as they have been, frankly, I think, in quite some time. I mean, you've got a quarterback now who is close to setting. Look, when you're close to breaking Ole Miss records and you think about some of the quarterbacks that they have had, even going back to Archie Manning, for that matter, much less what they've had lately, I think that's a big deal for them.

And what we continue to hear for Ole Miss is, as good as they can be offensively, their head coach is still a defensive guy. And that they're better defensively than most of the teams on their schedule, frankly. Let's ask about another team not too far from you, but Alabama fans certainly got them circled on their schedule, and that's Florida State. We know what happened last year. Brent, what are you hearing out of camp there in Tallahassee? What's going to happen this year for the rematch, this time in Tuscaloosa?

Florida State's problem is they have got, they have a tune-up on the week zero, and then they've got SMU on Monday night, Labor Day night. And you guys know SMU is a really good team. That's going to be an issue for them to have. Now, SMU's quarterback hurt his hand or his thumb, but he's predicted to be back. And I think he's going to be fine. They could do some good. The problem is, guys, when your head coach has basically a $50 million buyout, he's hard to get rid of.

But, look, we've all seen these situations is it costs more to keep him. That's right. And they've already got their quarterback, Carson Hobbs, is already out for the season with an ACL. Croma, who is a running back, really does a pretty good job. But, again, look, Mike Norvell knows that this is probably it for him unless they play well. And in talking to some FSU people, guys, they've really got to do better than a 7-5. I mean, a 7-5 for them would not get anybody excited, frankly, about that at all.

And it's not that they don't have some talent. Trey Wisner, the former Texas running back, is now in Tallahassee. So, I think that's interesting. They had a practice in Jacksonville, the University of North Florida, which they do every year. That gets him away from Tallahassee a little bit. Aston Daniels, you remember that name, is the quarterback. He's obviously been around for a while. But part of their situation and their struggles have been, particularly at quarterback, but they've had some average, just being frank here, they've had some average to poor quarterbacks the last two or three years.

And that's one thing. They've got to stabilize. But, again, when you've got SMU, two weeks later, you're going to Tuscaloosa, an Alabama team that's got to be mad about what happened last year. And then the other reality is you've got Miami, who everybody says is number 17 in the nation, in the magazines at this point. You play the Louisville, and then you've got Clemson. Guys, there's a real chance that they may be showing him the door. They play Clemson on Halloween night, I believe. So that could be pretty scary in a lot of ways for the state coaching staff.

[1:13:30] That's exactly right. Listen, great stuff. Tell us where we can get online. And I believe you did one earlier this week with Travis Ryer. Where can we get all the good stuff on TV and the podcast online? Yeah, I appreciate that, at Brent Beard, on the Internet. And First Coast News here in Jacksonville, where we kind of battle for time with the Jaguars, as you can imagine, down here, too. But second helping podcast with Travis Ryer. Yes, we did one last night, as a matter of fact, so it's fresh off the press.

Sounds good. Man, gear up. Find a shade down there. And one of these days, maybe by Christmas, it'll dip under 100 in your backyard. Is there okay, Brent? Yeah. And listen, it actually starts to cool off here around Halloween. So, we're quite great now. Now, look, in December, we're as cold as Anchorage, Alaska. But it takes a while to get to there, okay? Yeah. We won't listen to those Chamber of Commerce stories that say otherwise. Brent, you know you live there. Listen, man, thanks so much. Have a great weekend, all right?

Y'all too. Take care. Thank you, bud. Brent Beard, looking up with us, busy there, and amongst other places, First Coast News. Coming up, he's the boss of the industrial high coach, Patrick Malone, next. Stay with us. Bush light is cold and smooth and waiting for you to get out there. Everyone knows that the classic taste of bush light is brewed for the outdoors. So, before cracking up in your next adventure, grab a case of bush light, because nature is even cooler. With bush light in your cooler, head for the mountains of bush.

Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2026, Sennheiser Bush Bush Light Beer, St. Louis, Missouri. And David Ortiz, when I lost my mom, she was only 46, and I lost my dad to cancer. It was the worst pain I ever felt. It made me think, what would happen with the people I love when my time is up? That's why I have life insurance. Ethos makes it easy. It's all online, take about 10 minutes, and you can get up to $3 million and cover it. Get your free quote at ethos.com slash game. That's ethos.com slash game.

Pay testimonial. Time spent on application may vary. Online health questions required. This is the story of the one. As a maintenance engineer at a beverage manufacturing plant, he starts his day knowing every line is ready to run. Because Grainger delivers the industrial-grade products he needs to keep mixers, conveyors, and packaging equipment moving. With Grainger's vast selection of bearings, belts, and motors, he keeps operations running smoothly, so nothing grinds to a halt. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. Grainger. For the ones who get it done.

All sports, all the time. Sports Radio 93.9, The Score. Rich Eisen here. A SoFi personal loan is here to help you achieve something once thought impossible, overcoming high-interest credit card debt. Walk the tightrope of your finances with one low fixed-rate monthly payment, no fees required, and as soon as the same-day funding. That's right. Pull off your own debt-defying stunt with a SoFi personal loan. Visit SoFi.com slash trick to learn more. Loans originated by SoFi Bank N.A. Member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply. NMLS 696891. My name is Whitney Allen, and I'm a widow.

My husband, Ryan, died. We never thought we'd ever have to use life insurance, but the unexpected happened. With Ethos, signing up was fast and 100% online. You can get a quote in seconds, apply in minutes, and get same-day coverage. No medical exams, and you can get up to $3 million worth of coverage. I am grateful we were prepared. Get your free quote at ethos.com slash play. That's ethos.com slash play. Paid spokesperson. Time spent on application may vary. Online health questions required. JJF Goode here with the AHSAA Radio Network, inviting you to join us for another fantastic season of high school football on the AHSAA Radio Network Scoreboard Show.

Every Friday from 10 to midnight, we'll bring you all the scores and analysis from our team of experts across the state. Presented by the Alabama Department of Transportation, Russell Dewitt Center, the Alabama Community College System, the Alabama National Guard, and Southeastern Land Group, and the Southeastern Land Show. Join us Friday nights for the AHSAA Radio Network Scoreboard Show. Right here. Begins Friday, August 21st, following Florence Falcons football. Brought to you locally by Lost Pizza, John C. Saylor, Attorney at Law, The Courier Journal, Southern Pride Pest Control, and Bank Independent.

The Florence Falcons are about to soar. 93.9 The Score presents Florence Football Night. Every Thursday night, the Falcons and Braves are playing from 6 to 7 live at Lost Pizza. Join the voice of the Falcons, Kevin Johnson, and head coach Kenny Morson as they break down all the Florence football action. Florence Football Night, presented by 93.9 The Score and Riverbank & Trust. Beginning August 20th, right here on your home for Florence Falcons athletics, 93.9 The Score. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. The Score. Welcome back in. You know you've been doing something right for a long time when you are the fourth winningest program in the entire state of Alabama, 718.

[1:18:57] And ready to make that number grow, says Coach Patrick Malone, head coach out at National High. Coach, welcome in. How are you? I'm doing great, guys. Getting that time of year. Absolutely. Yeah, well, Kirby, if I'm wrong, but you've already, as far as that goes, cracked the egg, so to speak, last night. How did the Jamboree game go with Madison Academy? Yes, sir. We played at home last night, great atmosphere, great turnout for both teams. You know, Madison Academy comes in, and, you know, tremendous program, top to bottom, and always a traditional power.

And then you add what Coach Godsey does and what his staff does. It's a formidable opponent for sure. And when you're going in a Jamboree, you want those type of quality teams and those type of respectable people on the other sideline that you can communicate with. Because there's some things that, you know, you want to do special teams live. Do you want to kill it? Do you want running clock? When are you going to sub out? And so I always appreciate Coach Godsey and his willingness to travel over here, and then we'll return the trip next year.

But it was a good night. They're really good. They've got a quarterback who, oh, my goodness, I wasn't real familiar with them because we don't play them. And then, hey, they've got – I'm familiar with them now. Tremendous athletic quarterback. My word. He made us look silly several times. But they'll be tough to deal with in that AA region for sure. And then, you know, anytime you come out of a Jamboree, number one goal is come out healthy and clean, and we did that. And I've got some things to work on.

We had our guys come in early this morning and fix those things. And, you know, it's almost a bow on the end of fall camp. And we're turning our attention to next week and trying to get better for Deschler. Coach, would you be surprised? I bet you the college coaches would kind of like what you do there at the high school level, and the NFL does, have at least one game to have a dress rehearsal to find out. Because you sit here all day when you play each other, each other knows each other's habits.

But like you said, you found a quarterback that you didn't know anything about. That's always something you can work on and learn from if you're smart. How important is a Jamboree game just to basically go out there and see in real time, maybe some – more importantly, not your strengths necessarily, but your weaknesses to work on once you get into the real deal? Absolutely. And, you know, high school football, you got the option spring training on a Jamboree. And I think the way your summers are set up now, it makes sense for us to do the Jamboree.

And not only on the field, guys, it's the operational stuff from 8 o'clock Friday morning to 7 o'clock. But, you know, especially on a home game, getting everything set up, bathrooms open, ticket takers, your scoreboard, are your lights working, all the things that you take for granted, your down markers, all the things. And, you know, we're so blessed here at Dasher. We have a great team effort. And I know several programs do that. But I could not imagine playing a Jamboree – not playing a Jamboree. I just really couldn't because you get all of those firsts out of the way.

And there's really no pressure. You just want to go out there and correct some things. But I'm telling you, that's what I told our staff before we went out. I said, we're going to be positive on the sideline. We're going to correct some things. And I'm telling you, we're two plays in and I've already got a kid. And I go, hey, what are we doing? And I just feel – the whole staff is looking at me. I got you. I got you guys. But, no, it's a great opportunity.

And then you've got some guys that may not get the reps throughout the year. They're able to get out there and say, look, I've been working all fall camp now. I've got an opportunity right here. I just love that about high school football. Let me ask you about the tradition. Harold and I believe in that so much now. As he alluded to, 718 wins, the fourth winningest program in the state. That's for 106 seasons, 80 winning seasons, which amazes me. Three state championships, 90, 98, 99. And some of the traditions. Strike the helmets.

I was looking – that kind of reminds me of what Notre Dame does as far as painting their helmets gold during the course of the year. Running down the hill, a tradition to begin the game. And I believe every summer camp, you go off campus to another site for three, four days or a week. But you always talk about the standard at Dester. Talk about the tradition. It's unreal. And so we tell our kids when they come in, and most of them have dads, uncles, older cousins, whatever that have played here.

And the honor that it is to wear the jersey, but the responsibility that you have now to carry on what has been said before you. And the running down the hill is such a unique experience, not only for our kids that get to do it, but when you get on the field, there's, you know, 50, 60 little kids that are – their jaws are dropped, their eyes are big, and they're watching you. And, you know, that's just that high school feel. You know, I want to take you to another one.

[1:24:24] Every Friday morning, our local churches have team breakfast. And you're talking about feeding 90 kids, and they're taking that out of their pocket, and they pour into our kids, and it's that community feel. And they've been doing that. I graduated in 99 here and been doing that ever since. And we're so close to most of the churches, we usually walk. And our cheerleaders – like, for example, yesterday, our cheerleaders walked with us. And so it's a total team program. And, you know, our first year here, which seems like last week, it was, you know, this is year five, four.

Middle of the year, we've got people coming out on their balconies that we're walking because they know our routine, and they're yelling at us. And it just makes you – it makes that message resonate a little bit more with our players that, hey, this is something special. And we had alumni come back last night and got to see them and guys that have played either last year or years prior. And it's always the same thing. Coach, you were right. You were right. You know, and we bring those guys in, and we had a couple of legendary players, one that graduated in 88, I believe, and then one that graduated in 97.

And they talked to our team at team camp this year. And it's always good when – it's not the coaches talking and sending the same message, but when outside people come in. And it's family pouring into family. But, you know, you hit the head on – you hit the nail on the head with that tradition. It's a place unlike any other, and I tell people all the time. There's Friday nights, and Friday nights are great all across the state, and there's tons of great football here in North Alabama.

But as far as an atmosphere, I would rank Dessler near the top of any place I've ever been. Let me ask you about two games in particularly this year that I'm certainly looking forward to. Next Friday night at Russellville, some guy by the name of Daryl Higgins. As you've known for quite a while, the 100th meeting with Russellville and Dessler. And correct me if I'm wrong, but October 15th, Brooks on a Thursday night is going to be on Alabama Public TV, which I am delighted that they have started doing the game of the week.

Those are two games that really stick out to me for this upcoming season. Right, and I'll touch on that latter one first with Brooks. They reached out, the state did, and said, hey, we've got an opportunity to showcase your program and Brooks' program on TV. I said, the only hiccup now is Thursday night, and our administrative team, so gracious, and worked with Brooks to get that game moved to Thursday. I thought it was a no-brainer for both programs. They're going to highlight campuses and programs that both schools offer.

And I just thought, man, what an opportunity to highlight, you know, two North Alabama teams on a statewide level. And Coach Bowens at the time when he was there agreed, and so we were able to move that. And when Coach Horton got the job, reached out and said, hey, you can do it with this. He's absolutely. So I think that's going to be great for both fans, both communities, and both schools. And then, you know, Russell, a hundred meeting. I can remember being a kid, watching some of these battles, played in it myself, and you had the extra element of Coach Higgins.

And I don't think there's any doubt in anybody's mind that Coach Higgins is going to get that program where he wants it. Tremendous coach. He coached me here. He was our linebacker's coach coming through. And just the job he's done, not only at Mars Field, but already we saw him this summer in the 7-0-7. And I look for that program to take off, and he's got great support there. So you're right. It's going to be a battle, and it's an opening game. And for a lot of openers, it doesn't mean a whole lot.

For Dashler and Russell fans, you can't tell them any different. It's going to be a war. Excited for that opportunity. We're getting the 100th meeting, and I don't know what the split is right there. I'd imagine it's pretty good. It's close. It is. Yeah, but a home opener for Coach Higgins' debut. I'm going to mess with him when I talk to him. I said, man, you're going to have a lot going on that day. I hope you don't get too busy that day. We're excited about it.

They're going to play in that jamboree down on Winfield tonight. I look for them to put on a really good show. It should be a good contest between two good teams. Listen, as you know, it's a challenge to defend that wing T. Whether it's at Morris Hill or Russell, it is a challenge. Listen, we always enjoy the conversation with you. God bless you and the staff, the coaches, and the players. Good luck. Hope it's a very successful season with you again. Hopefully, we can do this again with you soon.

Absolutely, guys. Thank you for all you do for high school athletics. Absolutely. Right back at you, Coach. Coach Patrick Stone, the boss out at Dashler High. Coming up, what are they saying about Auburn after their first scrimmage? Justin Ferguson, the latest next day with us on the Boomo Bugg Show. Hello, Shoals. It's Elmer Pierce from Garner Pierce Autos. Are you tired of being told that it will take two weeks to service your vehicle or even to look at it to tell you what's wrong with it?

[1:29:51] Are you tired of being told that it's going to be $200 to $300 an hour for labor? At Garner Pierce Autos, we have four full-time certified and trained technicians that have over 75 years of automotive service experience. We service vehicles of every make and model and do anything from oil changes to engine and transmission replacements. We're your one-stop shop for servicing your entire fleet or your personal vehicle. We have every accessory for your car, truck, van, or SUV. 4.9 stars on Google and Facebook. Garner Pierce Autos on Florence Boulevard right next to Appleby's, where it's our business to earn your business.

The best time to recommit to your gut health goals? Right now. Take charge of your gut with Nature Made. Our clinically studied ingredients support digestive health. Digestive enzymes break down nutrients. Probiotic and prebiotic fiber nourish good gut bacteria. And super greens with probiotics empower daily digestive health. Try the full lineup of gut health support from Nature Made, the number one pharmacist-recommended vitamin and supplement brand. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

When you see this in your kitchen. The stainless steel fridge is covered in fingerprints. You hear this. Leslie, people are going to think you were raised in a barn or by wolves. Erased in a barn by wolves. Fortunately, Wyman Stainless Steel 3-in-1 cleans, shines, and protects to give you the best shine. A spray and a wipe will have your fridge shining like a mirror. Wow. My fridge looks brand new. Your fridge looks amazing, Leslie. Sorry, I was being a little dramatic earlier. Your kitchen says a lot about you.

Let it brag with Wyman. This is Sports Radio 93.9. The Score. I'm David Ortiz. When I lost my mom, she was only 46. And I lost my dad to cancer. It was the worst pain I ever felt. It made me think, what will happen with the people I love when my time is up? That's why I have life insurance. It just makes it easy. It's all online, take about 10 minutes, and you can get up to $3 million and cover it. Get your free quote at ethos.com slash game.

That's ethos.com slash game. Pay testimonial. Time spent on application may vary. Online health questions required. Rich Eisen here. Running a small business means every hire matters. A bad hire costs time and money, but the right one helps your business grow. The challenge? Finding that person without sorting through resumes. That's where LinkedIn Hiring Pro comes in. It screens candidates so you can focus on conversations with qualified talent. With Hiring Pro, you can hire with confidence and build the team you need. Join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire.

Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com slash Eisen. Terms and conditions apply. Progressive Insurance presents the Sports Flash on 93.9 The Score. The NASCAR Cup Series back in action tomorrow night in Richmond, Virginia. Richmond Raceway. It's the Saturday night race in the Cookout 400. PGA Tours in the playoffs. Today, it's round number two of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The Atlanta Braves are back at home tonight with a brave stake on the Arizona Diamondbacks at Truist Park. Chris Sale will get the start for Atlanta.

He's 12-7 with a 2.20 ERA. Brandon Fott will start for Arizona. He is 6-1 on the year. The Atlanta Falcons are set to open up preseason play tonight. The Falcons will be at home as they take on the Denver Broncos inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The sports update brought to you by Progressive Bundle Auto and Home, Renters or Condo and Save with Progressive. I'm Tony D'Aziri on 93.9 The Score. I checked Allstate first and saved hundreds on my car insurance. Really smart. Unfortunately, I didn't check if I took the gas hose out of my car's tank.

Ooh, not smart. And I drove off, well, still attached to pump number three. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. Potential savings vary subject to terms, conditions, and availability. Allstate North American Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. When you see this in your kitchen. The stainless steel fridge is covered in fingerprints. You hear this. Leslie, people are going to think you were raised in a barn or by wolves. Erased in a barn by wolves. Fortunately, Wyman Stainless Steel 3-in-1 cleans, shines, and protects to give you the best shine.

A spray and a wipe will have your fridge shining like a mirror. Wow, my fridge looks brand new. Your fridge looks amazing, Leslie. Sorry, I was being a little traumatic earlier. Your kitchen says a lot about you. Let it brag with Wyman. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. And I'll just imagine he has been a busy, busy boy, especially today, Justin Ferguson. Follow the Auburn Tigers there with the Auburn Observer. Justin, welcome in. Is it safe to say you've had a busy Friday?

How are you? It's been a pretty busy day, for sure. Auburn had their first scrimmage of ball camp just a couple hours ago. Just wrapped up probably about an hour or so ago. And, yeah, full ball camp in full swing. School starts back on Monday. So, they're getting a lot of work in between now and then. The obvious question, is it the same script that you get out of most camps? One side's good, the other side's bad? Or what are you hearing? And where do you start breaking down what you're hearing from the first scrimmage?

[1:35:21] Yeah, I think the big thing for the first scrimmage is I think both sides played, you know, had their moments. You know, they had some big plays on offense. Byron Brown had a long touchdown run. There was a couple of really long touchdown passes in the game. Defense had some good moments as well. Got a goal line stand at one point. Made some, you know, forced some turnovers as well with the second team. So, it was back and forth, but I think Alex Gullis kind of, his main takeaway was, you know what, it wasn't clean.

It was sloppy at times. You know, some pre-snap execution issues with the pace Auburn wants to play with on offense. And, you know, I think on the defensive side, they didn't tackle very well. Part of the reason why is they haven't done a whole lot of tackling. They just got into full pads on Wednesday and they didn't tackle to the ground on Thursday. So, I think it's like, it's a lot of stuff you could clean up, but I do think the core of it, big plays on offense, some good plays on defense, good rotation, good depth on both sides.

You'll take it. For a first fall camp scrimmage, you'll take the highs or the lows. Let me ask you about the offensive line from left to right. Joe Simmons, left guard Jacob Strand, center Cole Best, right guard Cole Skinner, Stanton Rommel at right tackle. Is that the way, and again, we've still got a long way. I know Jacob Strand and Derek Plaz, left guard, had been going at it, but is that pretty much the lineup for the first game? We'll see. That left guard spot is probably still up for grabs.

Alex Goish said today that it might be a situation where they have seven or eight guys they want to play on the offensive line or feel like they can play in that first game against Baylor. So you mentioned Plaz and what you've got there with Strand, Skinner at right guard. Jacoby Ward got some work today as well with the ones. That's pretty good for a young guy as well. Strand's one of those guys who can give you some extra cover at tackle as well. So you've got Simmons at left tackle.

Big news today for Auburn on the offensive line. You had Stanton Rommel, full participant in scrimmage, played the entire time. And he's a guy they've been kind of limiting to a little bit of a snap count, you know, pitch count, so to speak, him coming back from those injuries that, you know, cost him pretty much all spring ball. So that was a good sign for Auburn. So, yeah, I think that's probably your first choice. Strand made a good, like, I would say week one you saw Plaz really kind of lead at left guard.

Now you're seeing Strand kind of make that move. So, but as Goalish said, they would love to be in a position where they get to game week and they say, you know what, we've got seven or eight guys we can trust out there and we might be able to get to see a little bit of all of them. Justin Ferguson, look up with us, the Auburn Observer. Justin, coming out of any scrimmage, one thing across the board that coaches agree on, please, no injuries, certainly no major injuries.

What are you hearing as far as the MASH report post-scrimmage? Yeah, no major injuries to speak of. They held some guys out. Pretty much anybody who's had some kind of bumps and bruises here. You know, in fall camp, they didn't want to go, you know, full-fledged and they wanted to kind of make sure they got recovered. Auburn's going to scrimmage again next Wednesday. So, got a few practices between now and then. So, I think they weren't going to kind of push it as much. So, some of these guys have been on the men.

They decided to prioritize, you know what, let's hold them back. So, some of the guys we've heard and seen throughout fall camp that have been limited, like a new boy Fagans, Jonathan Echols, Nakai Davenport, some of those guys did not participate, you know, today, but they're hoping to have him back when they get to the second scrimmage. And I think maybe, you know, to kind of tell you what the intensity was like and kind of the mindset of some of these guys, Sylvester Smith-Reed, starting safety probably for Auburn this year, returning guy there.

He's been in an orange non-contact jersey all fall camp. He's out there on the first play of the scrimmage and he just pops somebody over the middle of the field and, like, you always had to pull him off the side and be like, hey, you know, we like the intensity, we like it, but we need you to, like, not hit anybody. So, you know, that ought to tell you something about it. But, yeah, it would sound like Auburn got out of there relatively injury-free. They'll have an off day tomorrow.

They'll practice again Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday before they get to the next scrimmage on Wednesday. Let me ask you one of the questions you had on your website for day eight. Who is standing out on the defensive line? I've heard good things about Dallas Walker, lost 30 pounds. Cody Sigler's been a little bit banged up, but they know what he can do. Deshaun Womack, Jared Smith, and friends, who has stood out on the defensive line? Well, today it was Cody Sigler, and, you know, they have had him on a pitch count, but yet he was the guy that Alex Golesh mentioned first and foremost.

He was making plays on that defensive front. It makes sense. He's kind of been doing that since he got here, so I would expect him to be kind of the big guy. You know, Deshaun Womack, Jared Smith were both two guys that got involved today. They liked the edge rush. You know, Golesh said there's an energy about that group, that edge rusher, that they really, really like. But, yeah, Sigler was kind of the big one there. Dallas Walker is an interesting case because he is probably going to be your primary nose tackle, but he has slimmed up, and he has a little bit more versatility than just being kind of an early-down gap plugger, so it will be interesting to see what he does.

[1:40:23] And, you know, I think over this next week, it's going to be a big stretch here coming up for Malik Autry, Jordan Crawford, Darian Smith. We've also heard some good things about Darian Smith here recently of just, hey, those second-year guys at defensive tackle, take those steps forward, look like guys who could be starter-quality players for Auburn. That's going to be a big thing. But the vets kind of stealing the show today on the defensive front. Let's go on the other side of the ball and talk the offensive line.

Justin, obviously, you can only take so much information in, but to the extent of what you're hearing, what's the major concern coming out of the scrimmage? We've heard rumblings. I don't think it's anything documented. Maybe some concerns in the middle of the line. There's a center position snapping the ball. You're closer to it than any of us. Your thoughts, what's the intel on the O-line? Yeah, I think it's just kind of the guard situation, and they've got a number of guys there, but they haven't seen a ton of separation with the guys where I mentioned it earlier.

I think tackle is my thing is like the cover. Like, you know, if something happened to a guy like Joe Simmons or a Stanton or a Mill, like, who would be the next man up? It would probably be Jacob Strand, but, like, them past that, it's a lot of inexperience. So, I think that's the thing there with your offensive line to this point. Cole Befs continues to be the guy at center. And they did a good job. The first couple of drives, goers said today they had some pre-snap penalties.

They had some communication issues that, like, hey, all right, this is real. We're playing at this pace. And it felt like they kind of settled down, settled in, played a cleaner brand of ball for the rest of the scrimmage. I think a lot of that comes down to the fact that you have guys in Cole Best and Cole Skinner on the interior that have been in this offense before. So, you know, kind of a mixed bag, but, you know, started a little shaky on the offensive line, finished a lot stronger.

They rotated a lot of guys on the interior. They're going to figure out who they can trust the most. Tell us about the schedule. Obviously, game week's going to be here next time we turn around. You mentioned the scrimmage next Wednesday. Will they be off tomorrow, come back Sunday? What's the schedule for next week? Yeah, they'll be off tomorrow, and then they will practice Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday before scrimmaging next Wednesday back in Jordan-Hare. They'll be off next Thursday, and then I think they have another weekend of practices off of that before they kind of get closer to more of, like, an extended game week mode.

So, school starts back Monday. Auburn is planning on practicing on Monday. You know, they've got everything set, like, academically. Coming in from this camp they've been having off campus, you know, at the resort. So, everything's kind of set for them to take the day off to recover tomorrow, hit the next three days pretty hard, and then, you know, scrimmage on Wednesday and then kind of go from there. Well, you probably need the day off yourself as far as the media is concerned. Where can we get online and get the 6 a.m. emails on Wednesday, the mailbag on Friday, the podcast, and all the other great stuff?

Yeah, auburnobserver.com. Check it out there. It's just, you know, $70 for a full subscription there, or you can check us out for $7 a month on top of that. So, yeah, we've got a ton of stuff going on right now. So, like, you know, when I get off the phone with you guys, I'm going to go hard at work on our notes from the scrimmage. So, I'm going to give you everything we've got about the scrimmage. That will come out to our subscribers probably in about an hour or two.

So, if you sign up at the Observer right now, it will get in your email inbox later this afternoon, and you'll get everything you need to know from today's scrimmage. And then you can check out all of our practice notes from earlier this week with all the access we've been getting from Auburn. So, auburnobserver.com, sign up there. A rare Saturday off going forward. Enjoy and stay safe. Okay, Justin? Yeah, thank you, guys. Thank you, bud. Justin Ferguson, the Auburn Observer. So, you want to go to a game of the Plains or somewhere else on the road?

Your peers, if you can get there next, stay with us. Finding great candidates to hire can be like, well, trying to find a needle in a haystack. Sure, you can post your job to some job board, but then all you can do is hope the right person comes along. Which is why you should try ZipRecruiter for free at ziprecruiter.com slash free. ZipRecruiter doesn't depend on candidates finding you. It finds them for you. It's powerful technology identifies people with the right experience and actively invites them to apply to your job.

You get qualified candidates fast. So, while other companies might deliver a lot of hay, ZipRecruiter finds you what you're looking for. The needle in the haystack. See why four out of five employers who post a job in ZipRecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day. ZipRecruiter. The smartest way to hire. And right now, you can try ZipRecruiter for free. That's right. Free. At ziprecruiter.com slash free. That's ziprecruiter.com slash free. Ziprecruiter.com slash free. ZipRecruiter. If Twisted Tea Hard Ice Tea was your best friend, it would be the kind of friend that starts an impromptu dance party in the supermarket aisle that turns into an all-day pool party ranger in your place, and you don't even own a pool.

Twisted Tea Hard Ice Tea turns any day into a legendary adventure. It's smooth and refreshing real iced tea with just the right kick of alcohol. Twisted Tea Hard Ice Tea. Keep it twisted. Twisted Tea Brewing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. Please drink responsibly. Shohei Otani's interpreter was fired today. Ipe Mitsuhara ran up gambling debts to a Southern California bookmaking operation. The inside story of the biggest scandal in modern baseball. He was absolutely bananas, the amount of bets he was making. I've never seen anything like it. From 30 for 30 Podcasts, this is The Betrayal of Shohei Otani.

[1:46:00] Presented by Gusto. New episodes available now. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Previously, on the Atlanta Braves Radio Network. 1-0, belted deep left field to the wall. Let's go for a ride. That's a home run by Thomas, and his first is a brave. That's it well to right field. Ronald Acuna over to his left. Plays it on the bounce. Knocks it down. Picks it up. He sends it to second. Here comes Young. Got to play. He is dead meat. Yaz with a high fly ball. Reaching for the wall.

Deep right field. Binge is at the bricks. And watching it go. And now Riley pulverizes one. Deep left field. To the wall. Way out of here. 0-1. Ground ball to the left side. Riley scoops. Fires the second. In time, Braves win. They take the rubber game. They belted three home runs in the game. And the Braves have a nine-and-a-half game lead in the division. With 41 left to be played. Join us tonight as the Braves welcome the Diamondbacks. Right here on 93.9 The Score. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score.

Welcome back in. Obviously, I'm your Pierce. A beezy, beezy boy. And one of the reasons is he does such a good job out at Garner Pierce Autos. Hopefully, we'll be able to hook up with Elmer as soon as possible. But, B.B., in the meantime, the scrimmages, the first anticipated scrimmages are now the books at Alabama and Auburn. What is your takeaway? Fans, obviously, you get the feeling sometimes fans expect these teams, after being on the shelf forever, to come out and be in November form.

It's just not going to happen, B.B. But, objectively, what's your takeaway? Well, it's obvious right now. The defense has handed the offense for Alabama, and particularly at the line of scrimmage. I think this Alabama defense is going to be quite good if they can stay healthy. I think the kicking game, Quinn. I know our friend, Rodney Orr, tighter and sider, really likes him. The offense, again, and particularly the offensive line is a work in progress. The quarterbacks got off to a slow start. Two of the interceptions were tilt passes, and that's just going to happen with that.

We will see a little bit more about the injuries, and particularly A.K. Deer, Alabama off until Sunday. We may get a word Sunday. I know the coordinators are going to be having press conferences on Monday. Auburn's kind of the same way. I think they're a little bit ahead, Alabama, as far as, and particularly you've got an experienced quarterback. A lot of guys coming in from South Florida. They know the system. The breakneck pace, I figure, was going to lead to some illegal procedure penalties. Brown is good.

The Auburn defense, and particularly the linebackers, one of the best in the country. Harold, from what I hear from both scrimmages, both teams about where I thought they'd be right now. You get the impression, and it's just speculation, is DeBoer basically doing what he has to do to keep the quarterback room happy? I think it would be insane at this point in the modern era to say, I'm all in camp here and not there, because let's face it, human nature is what it is. It was and always will be.

Whoever does not get the nod, no matter what they say, is basically going to sit here with one eye on the position there in Tuscaloosa and the other eyes to the portal. I'm not saying that's the gospel, but that's just human nature. Is DeBoer sitting here? Do you think he, in the back of his mind, he's about 95, if not 98% sure he just doesn't want to come out right now and rock the boat before he has to? Well, I think they have an ideal, again, Austin Mack may be a little more consistent.

And again, whoever is named the opening quarterback for East Carolina, I think in that second scrimmage next Thursday is the one who makes the least mistakes, the least turnovers. And I think they would like to, again, Austin Mack came back. He has really worked with this staff. He's quite familiar with it. But it's very obvious, Harold, that Keylon Russell has got an upside that is tremendous. He's going to make some mistakes. He's going to have a turnover or two. But the well plays and the improvisation and being able to extend plays, I think eventually is going to be the reason why he's named starting quarterback.

And second scrimmage, he's talking about important. We can't put enough emphasis on that. BB, in the meantime, the Braves, nine games up as they start tonight against the Diamondbacks. Mr. Elder on the boundaries for tomorrow. I should say on Sunday tonight, the Braves are going to go up against the boys out west. And they're going to be throwing Mr. Sale tonight. Elder is on Sunday. Your thoughts about tonight's game? Well, I hope Sale can get some runs because he went through a spell to where I think they didn't score two runs for him in about four games.

[1:51:06] They're playing better. I mentioned Austin Riley when we had Bill Shanks on the show. He is seeing the ball better. I think his stance, he just seems to be a little bit more balanced. And again, I'll give the starting pitching credit. Martin Perez has really pitched well. Paul Tyler, Malley has been, or Malley, I'm sorry, rhymes with rally, as Bill Shanks says. It's been a revelation. Grant Holmes, two games back-to-back. No, there's no question. I think they win the division. The division's been a little more weaker than I thought it would be.

And particularly the Phillies and the Marlins. And I think the Braves will win the division. But again, you and I both know it's, you know, when you get to October, it's a different deal. Yeah, let's hope they stay hot in the meantime. Can you give us some shade in the meantime, B.B.? We need it, don't we? We're going to hold you to it. That's going to take care of business from now, Matt. For B.B., Greg, James Blair, the entire crew here. Harold Buck, thank you so much for your time today.

Let's do it again Monday, noon to two. The B.M.O. Bug Show, back here on Sports Radio, 93.9 The Score.