Boomo Bugg Show 083126

[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. New 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 it's silly question time. Are you ready for some time, Tigers, Tennessee and the rest of the SEC football? Good afternoon. Welcome in. Welcome back. And oh, by the way, what an opening day for UNA. How are you?

I hope you and the listeners are too. Happy game week. Speaking of the Lions, they get a big opening season win. 22-10 over Samford as the defense sets a lot of team records. As you alluded to, we'll talk about the keys to victory for Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee and the rest of the SEC for game one. But Adam is here right now to preview week one of SEC football. Adam, Spencer's probably asking the same question as the rest of us. What did we see last week? If this is week one, he's going to answer that and everything else there.

As a columnist and podcast host on Saturday down south. Adam, welcome in to week one. How are you? I'm doing great, guys. How are you? We're doing all right. Better than Dan Mullin. Before we get into week one, what did we learn from week zero, Adam? Yeah, I mean, you know, time to fade TCU. That was not a good showing at all by them. You know, you're right. I mean, UNLV came into this season with a potential group of six playoff aspirations. You know, everybody was high on them.

They have some talent from the power four levels and all that. And, you know, they really struggled. You know, that was not a pretty showing for them. And to have that come at home against a Memphis team that just lost its coach and had to replace a lot of players, like, that was a really bad look for them. So, yeah, I mean, that's something you take away. You take away that Florida State looked a little iffy there, you know. And then, you know, elsewhere, I mean, congratulations to North Dakota State for their first ever FBS victory.

That was a fun atmosphere and a solid performance by them. And then Virginia looks like it could be s***, too. So there's plenty to take away. Absolutely. Your alma mater begins Thursday night, NCC Network, I believe, at 7. Arkansas Pine Bluff at Missouri. I don't think that all NCC running back will play in the first game. I know you're stoked to see what Missouri has. In fact, Eli Drinkwith had a lot to say about the NCAA a little bit earlier this week. Adam, your thoughts on the opening game for the SEC?

Yeah, I mean, it shouldn't be too competitive, I hope. You know, I think that we could still see an all-SEC running back in Jamal Roberts. I mean, I think he's not good, especially if, you know, if Ahmad Hardy's not at 100% this year. You know, I think that Jamal Roberts could really open some eyes around the league. I'm excited to see Austin Simmons. You know, I think that, you know, this could be an interesting, you know, second chance for him. He struggled out of the gate early last year, but Ole Miss started with some tougher games than Mizzou's going to start with here.

So he'll get a chance to, you know, get his confidence back with this game. And, you know, it should be over by halftime, I hope. Adam Smith for hooking up with us. One other game before Saturday involving an SEC team. You can comment if you like. Oklahoma taking on UTEP. It should be a good night for Friday sooner fans. But then Saturday morning, the lid comes off early. Back in the day, Bama fans dreaded those 11 o'clock kicks. They're going to get it out of the way early this year, right out of the bat.

Taking on East Carolina. Obviously, we're sitting here trying to figure out the last time Alabama came into a season with this many question marks. Maybe 2000. I don't think necessarily 2007. Maybe even 2008. Your thoughts about Bama's opener with East Carolina? Yeah, it should be a pretty comfortable win. I mean, they don't have to go on the road like they did to Tallahassee last year. You know, there's going to be some guys who, you know, Emory Williams is going to play. Miami transfer. They're going to play two quarterbacks.

So, I mean, you know, they have some talent on offense. You know, I think that it'll be disappointing, though, if it's anything other than a complete blowout for the hands of the Tide. What you want to see, though, is you want to see that offensive line getting some push. You want to see some semblance of a running game. You want to see Keelan Russell gaining some confidence. You don't want to see him scrambling for his life. Like, if you want to do some designed runs or a few runs when the play breaks down, that's completely fine.

[5:31] But you don't want him having to, you know, sprint around back there after, like, one and a half seconds every single time he drops back. So, you know, the offensive line is going to be the big key there. I think we'll see an outstanding performance from the secondary. And, you know, we'll go from there. But, yeah, this should be a nice tune-up game before, you know, they start SEC play next week at Kentucky. Adam, Auburn and Baylor in the NIL Bowl in Atlanta. Auburn's going to make, I think, both teams are going to make $6 million.

I really think Auburn's going to do the same thing they did last year at Waco. They're going to run the ball for over 300 yards. Going to be curious to see what D.J. Lagway does. See if he can cut down on some of the interceptions. Byron Brown, I think, will be very solid. I think Auburn wins this game by two or three touchdowns. Your thoughts? Yeah, I agree with you. And I think it would be disappointing if that didn't happen because, you know, this is in Atlanta.

I think that the Baylor situation is not great. Dave Aranda is on one of the hotter seats that's not in Tallahassee. You know, so I think that this is a game that Auburn should win. The spread that's seven, you know, I would probably, you know, take that because, you know, I just think that this Auburn team, that continuity, that entire USF offense that they've brought over, you know, Byron Brown and all the pass catchers and a couple of offensive linemen, I think that's going to carry over.

D.J. Lagway has got to find some confidence again, and I don't think he's going to find it against this Auburn team that is pretty stout defensively still. So I think that this should be a two-touchdown-plus win for Auburn, and anything less should be a red flag. Adam Smith for hooking up with us. Smith is there Saturday down south. Let's go from red flags to the big orange. Tennessee taking on Furman. I don't think there's any question who's going to win this ballgame. The question is, how is Tennessee going to look at the quarterback spot?

Will they play one, or will they play two quarterbacks in this game? Yeah, I think they will play two. But, I mean, Faison Brandon's going to get the first snaps, and I don't think that George McIntyre getting into this game is any sort of indicator that Brandon's not the guy. I just think that this is going to be such a blowout, you know, that Tennessee offensive line. I think Deshaun Bishop could be at 100 yards by the end of the first quarter. And that's not taking anything away from Furman, but going to Rocky Top and into Newland Stadium, having to face that team with, you know, Tennessee has some pretty solid linebackers, too.

So that defense is nothing to turn your nose up at either for Tennessee. So, you know, I think that both quarterbacks will play significant snaps, but it's not a sign of, like, any ongoing QB battle or anything that we should analyze too much into at the end of the day. Big game Saturday night in Baton Rouge, primetime on ABC. There's no question there's incredible talent on this LSU team. They've got just their receivers. Jackson Harris, Jace Brown, Trey Brown from Old Dominion, Watkins from Ole Miss.

Charlie Weiss Jr., I think, is one of the most up-and-coming offensive coordinators in the country. Trey Dez Green is incredible, but I wonder where LSU's head is going to be with that circus going on off the field. I really think this is going to be a closer game than a lot of people think it is. I think Debo's got something to prove. I don't think that they're necessarily going to win the game, but I think it may be closer than a lot of people think. Your thoughts on LSU and Clemson?

Yeah, I think that with the NFL players and that sort of thing, I don't think it's going to be a major impact on them because Lane Kiffin has been coaching through circuses around his programs for years now. So, I mean, I think if anybody is used to that, it's him. I mean, even when that drama was unfolding last year, I mean, the combination of him and then Pete Golding kept that Ole Miss team on track and nearly made it to the college football playoff championship game.

So, I mean, I think that it's going to be no different at LSU. I mean, Charlie Weiss and Lane Kiffin could scheme up a 300-yard offense with the three of us at wide receiver. So, you know, I think that they'll be fine offensively. I think that, like, I'm a little bit lower on Clemson. You know, I think that they have a lot of question marks. They weren't very good last year and lost a lot of their best players to the NFL draft, including their quarterback. So, I want to see it from them and, you know, when you have that much turnover at key positions, going into a night game in the real Death Valley is not necessarily what you want to do, what you want to be staring in the face in week one.

[10:31] Adam, let's talk about a team that's kind of close to us and the curtain's coming up on a brand new era in Hog Heaven, Arkansas, taking on our neighbors from UNA. Record-setting opening game, but that was against Samford in Huntsville. This one is against ACC boys from Arkansas, UNA and Arkansas. Yeah, I mean, I think that Arkansas, obviously, going through a transition here, new era. I mean, the spread is at 40 and a half points. I don't see that. You know, I think UNA can acquit itself a little bit better than what the bookmakers think.

So, you know, I think that Arkansas has got some talent. They're obviously an SEC team. So, even if they're on the lower tier of the SEC, they still are, you know, significantly more talented than North Alabama. But, you know, North Alabama had some nice players last week, you know, starting out the year 1-0 to have that confidence coming into Razorback Stadium. And, you know, Arkansas fans, if it's, you know, if they can keep it close in the first quarter, then there will be some groans and some nervous Arkansas fans there.

So, you've just got to talk about that first quarter. You've got to keep the pressure on, and we'll see if they can do it for how long they can make it competitive. Adam, we'll close with the Sunday night, yes, Sunday night game. Ole Miss, Louisville, and Nashville. If Trinidad Chambliss plays the way he did in late November and during the playoffs, Ole Miss is going to be hard to handle the entire year. In fact, they beefed up their defensive front, Jim Otis, coming in. Eccles, Kim Franklin, and friends.

But Louisville's got the Brown Boys at running back, and a lot of people have said this could be a dark horse in the college football playoff. Very intriguing game, Ole Miss and Louisville and Nashville. Yeah, I mean, I think that Louisville should be a playoff contender. I mean, I think that the schedule lines up for them. You know, this game is important, but this is the toughest one on their schedule by the significant margin. I think they play SMU at home, and then they avoid Miami and Clemson during the regular season.

So, you know, even if they get smoked in this game, which I don't think they will, I think it'll be a good game. I think it's potentially going to be one of the best games of the weekend. Better maybe than the LSU-Clemson game. But, yeah, I mean, I think that it's going to be a fun one, and, you know, we'll see, we'll learn a lot about these two teams, both of whom are playoff contenders. And, you know, if it's a close game, that's a good sign for Louisville.

And if it's not, then that just means that Ole Miss is significantly better than we thought, and Louisville might be worse. So there's a lot at stake in that one. That might be the one game this weekend with the most at stake. So I'll be definitely making plans to watch that one on Sunday night. Yeah, I alluded to this a little bit earlier. Eli Drinkwith talked a little bit about the college football eligibility issue and called it a complete clown show. I think he pretty much told everybody what he thought about that.

Always delighted to bring it to begin the week with you, and particularly for week one. A lot of pregame stuff on SDS this week. Tell us where we can get your stuff and the teams. Yeah, Saturday down south in the Saturday football newsletter. We're ramping that thing up again, and, you know, there will be a lot of preview stuff this week. We've got some fun stuff coming, so check it out on Saturday down south. Absolutely, Adam. Got an eye on that. And finally, week one is here.

Enjoy and stay safe this week, okay? Yep, one of the best weeks of the year. There you go. Thank you, Boone. Amen and amen. Adam Spencer, Saturday down south. As we mentioned, the Big Orange taking on Monty Furman. The Tales next with Vince Ferrara. 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 open your next adventure, grab a case of bush light, because nature is even cooler, with bush light in your cooler.

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It's a daily update on Bama sports and it's brought to you by Alabama Professional Services. From pest and termite protection to lawn care, foundation repair and waterproofing, APS covers your whole home. Hello again, everybody. I'm Roger Hoover. On last Thursday's edition of Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR, we were joined by Alabama Volleyball's Hannah Perrant. You mentioned Roshinda was a big reason why you chose Alabama. What just clicked between you two and what do you like playing for her? Yeah. She's really strong in what she believes in.

She believes in this program and in the players. And I think that's something that I really like admire about her and about the program is like no matter how many like tough losses we take or like rankings we like get hit with and stuff. It's like, okay, we know our end goal and we know what we're working for. And then she makes that obvious too to us. Like these are our standards in practice. And if we don't meet our standards, like then what can we do to fix it and move on?

I think even recently we've been really talking about like the mental aspects of the game. And I think that's something that's really important and some people don't talk about it. So I really like that she's been like pushing us to explore like the mental aspect a lot more. But I really just think it's like her determination. I'll have more in a moment. Protect your home from the ground up with Alabama Professional Services. Whether it's pest control, termite protection, keeping your lawn looking its best, waterproofing or foundation repair, APS is the one company you can call to help protect your entire home.

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He's got it all covered there at 99.1. The Sports Animal every morning on the way to work in East Tennessee. V-Man, welcome in. How are you? I'm good, guys. How we doing? Hey, Boone. Well, the question is, is Tennessee ready to face an unbeaten team? Remember, Furman is unbeaten. They knocked off Anderson over the weekend. Is the Big Orange ready here, V-Man? Yeah. I mean, they put up 20 points against a D2 school. Yeah. So, yeah. Work cut out for Tennessee coming up on Saturday. I think we can expect, I think maybe the highlight will be one, just to see the team more so than the opponent.

But, well, there should be and there will be some recognition for Dolly Parton. Josh Apple announcing in the press conference that they're going to wear a helmet decal, which is kind of what a lot of us expected. You know, the butterfly with Dolly across the front. You know, classy, it's the right thing to do. I'm sure they'll do other things as well. But, man, I mean, with so many others around the world and in sports showing their, you know, honoring such an icon, such a legend, they gave back to so many, especially right here in Knoxville and East Tennessee, that that will be something worth being there for.

Yeah. Absolutely. V, your biggest question, we've talked with you about Tennessee, the acclimation, the gym nose defense. I think that's going pretty well. How will the defensive line do? Everybody wants to know about quarterback. Offensive line, what's the V's biggest question going into Furman? Third receiver is another one. I mean, you hit on a couple of them, BB. Those would be the biggest thing. I'd say, I'd say, yeah, the acclimation is a part of it, but I'd say maybe specifically the pass rush on defense. Will you have, as Rodney Garner says, I'm not looking, I'm not looking, you don't need to be a guy.

[21:03] You need to be the guy. And who's going to be the guy? Because I got plenty of A guys. So I need the guys to, you know, who's going to take it? So I think there's individual talent. It may be kind of sacks by committee with a number of different guys and then schemes opening things up for linebackers and different ends and stuff. And we'll see how much a strength and conditioning program with Derek Owings, how much that has helped. I mean, everybody's talking about it in terms of all the players and how much better and more explosive and faster they feel.

So all those things are great. How do they translate onto on-the-field success, especially against quality opponents? So the pass rush is definitely an unknown. I would say another unanswered question is the right side of the offensive line. Jesse Perry will start. It's just a matter of whether he'll be a right guard or right tackle. And I thought Ori Williams, the LSU transfer, would have already locked down the right tackle spot. But it doesn't sound like he has because they've still been given Perry looks at right tackle with Sham Umarov who started a bunch of games with injuries last year at guard.

So it could be one of those two combinations. It could be where they switch it back and forth during the firming game and then see what they like for the Georgia Tech game. But I'm a little surprised that that's open. And honestly, my biggest question was in either one of those two positions on the O-line, it was center. So how is it going to play out? Are these all going to play out like worst-case scenario or best-case scenario to where Pendleton is better and they get the right two guys on the right side?

So that, to me, might be the biggest question because you have a young quarterback behind you, granted, one that has escapability. And a lot of guys, especially including today, the guys we talked to, talking about how that escapability can be a difference maker. Even T.J. Metcalf's safety was talking about how impressive that is, the escapability of Faison Brandon and some of the design runs it can do. So even with that, you don't want to put your quarterback in harm's way, especially a young one. So I would settle in, out of all those things, that offensive line right now going into game one.

The man, 99-1, the sports animal. You mentioned a young quarterback. In a game like this, it's easy to say this and easy to say that. In a perfect world with an experienced quarterback, if things go as scripted, it's a no-brainer. You play in the first quarter, maybe the first half, and then you sit and get some experience for your backup. But at the same time, you want your front-runner here to get some experience. So how will they handle the quarterback rotation strategy, assuming everything goes as scripted?

No, it's a great question. Harold is one that we have kicked around because normally I think Josh Heupel waits too long to go to his backup quarterback and blowouts. And these coaches sometimes either want to start the second half with the quarterback, do the first series of the second half. Like no one can get used to that or wait until it's like a six or seven touchdown lead before you go to the bench. So I would like to see him go more frequently or go earlier to the bench.

But in this situation, you don't have a veteran quarterback. So to your question, H, you probably want to stick to that normal game plan of making extra sure the game is out of hand so you can get some reps. But then some will counter, well, how good, how useful are those reps if it's against Furman? And then you're risking him getting hurt. So there's a lot of dynamics there to kind of juggle around. My guess is Josh Heupel will, you know, will wait until the game is completely out.

If they're up 56-0 in the second quarter, then yeah, we may see George McIntyre early. But if they're messing around with him a little bit, no. So Faison Brandon is not going anywhere. You were asking the question about who's the third receiver, Rodarius Jackson, Travis Smith, et cetera. But if you've got an inexperienced quarterback, turn around and hand off the ball to Deshaun Bishop, Morris, and friends. And then you've got one of the better tight ends, Ethan Davis, Deshaun Brown. Those two positions can be a quarterback's best friend.

Yeah, no doubt. And the tight end position is actually something that was one of the more newsworthy things that we got out of Hyples' press conference today. He said that Ethan Davis has been ramping up. He's been back at practice and ramping up. And he will be ready to go for the season opener. So that's very much a positive. Because if you take him out of the equation, now you move up a second-year guy into Sean Brant, who is ultra-talented. I really, really like him. But he probably dropped the most passes that I saw during our viewing period early on.

[26:18] Now, he made other plays that were wow plays, just catching the ball on his incredible athleticism and speed to be able to get up the field like a wide receiver. But the blocking aspect is still to be determined. He says he's better at it. He's bigger, more physical, strength and conditioning, all that. But, man, you've got to be a two-way tight end, or else you're going to be very predictable at that position. Davis has improved as a blocker. He's got to be better as a blocker.

And so we'll see. And if you're behind that, then you start to get thinner ranks also. So, yes, if they're healthy, that can help Brandon. And then, yeah, Deshaun Bishop, Javon Gordon, DeJuan Morris. And that position is probably four deep, even with Baker after that, that they would trust. So, really good. And then maybe as much as any of those things, two very productive and reliable wide receivers, both guys we got a chance to talk to today, and Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews, both over 800-yard receivers last year, can run all kinds of different routes.

Staley in the slot, Matthews on the outside. So, that is a quarterback's friend, too, when you can get it to those guys. V, we've got to run to a U.S. Open tennis update. But what is your prediction for the score? And where can we get online to get all the great pregame stuff this week? I will go Tennessee 63-3. And, yeah, and then you can follow me on all the socials. It's Vince Sports, V-I-N-C-E Sports. Three points, fire the defensive coordinator right now. V-Man, it's finally here.

Enjoy, break out the sunscreen, have fun, okay? Absolutely, you guys are the best, appreciate it. Thank you, buddy. The V-Man, 99.1, the eSports animal coming up. Time to go, Horton, at the U.S. Open. Stay with us on 93.9, the score. Westwood One Sports presents this special tennis update. The last time Irina Sabalenka lost to the U.S. Open was the 2023 final, beaten by Coco Goff, and she was later captured, taking out her frustration on her racket. But Sabalenka has not lost in New York since. She made it 15 match wins in a row in Ash Stadium with straight sets over Camilo Osorio of Colombia.

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Former assistant coach at Ole Miss and Florida State. Max Howell, welcome in. How are you? Doing very well, guys. Doing very well. A little a warm overhead this day, but hey, football is on the corner now. We're not on campus. Max, obviously we mentioned you are a former assistant coach at Florida State. We want to get into week one. But what went through your mind this weekend with Florida State's performance against Monty, New Mexico State? Well, let me just tell you guys, having been there, and I was fortunate enough to be there when they were at the top, that problem was built by Bobby Bowden.

He had a good use for it. If you remember, he was pushed out, literally, he was pushed out. Yeah. He had a full KB in a ticket, won a championship, but he probably had no idea about going to Florida State. That's a good story for another day. The fact is, Florida State, the population of the student body is, you know, probably 45 or 30,000 or more on campus. They don't have to run, I think, so we're going to have to turn it away to run to the big guys.

Hey, Max, I don't know if you can hear me. Let me jump in. We're having a little bit of a technical issue. Once you stay right there, we're going to go and punch in door number two to get a better connection with you. Please hold that thought. We're going to try to reconnect with the Max or Max Howell again, hooking up with us. And just in case you're joining us, nobody knows this Florida State program better than Max Howell, BB. And when you stop and you hear someone say, someone who has a statue now in front of him outside the stadium and to have been forced out, does that not make a statement of where we are in the world?

As long as you can do something for me, we love you. The minute the grass gets greener on the other side, well, it's nothing personal. It's just business, Brett Beaird. Well, it's unfortunate that happened. Again, there's a reason. There's a statue of Bobby Bowden outside of the stadium. But, Harold, I watched that game. Kudos to New Mexico State. They stayed in that game. It was a 10-point game in the fourth quarter. And they literally dropped the touchdown pass. That would have made a huge difference. We'll find out a little bit more with SMU.

That game's going to be on Monday night, on Labor Day night. But, Harold, there's no question. Florida State, as of 2026, is not the Bobby Bowden era. Well, and I think, you know, people watching that game and you draw parallels. We joked earlier about Tennessee and Furman, Alabama, with East Carolina. And East Carolina, I think it's one of those programs, if you don't follow sports, be careful with this team. They're not necessarily just an absolute pusher. They won, what, nine ball games last year? But, fans being fans, they see a name on my jersey, and they see Alabama.

[36:45] It's supposed to be easy. And if this game, I think Alabama's going to win. But, here's the deal, B.B., when you get in that third quarter, and there's only like a single-digit lead between you, or maybe even a 10-point lead, that's when the fans are going to start raising cane with you, B.B., even if you win the ball game. Well, we're going to see how it goes and talk about that throughout the week. But, Harold, East Carolina's got a 25-year-old quarterback. He's been with two or three programs.

They've got a ton of transfers, of course, every team in the country. And they've got a little bit of an unknown. But, no, this has been, quite frankly, one of the most consistent winning programs the last three years. Look who's back, Max H***. Hopefully, we got the big iron out, got the wrinkles out between you and us. We've got our 10 can up. Have you got your 10 can up? Can you hear us now? Yeah, I think he's with us now, Harold. Okay. Max, if you would, pick it up.

Go ahead, Max. You were talking about Florida State, the transition there between Bobby and where things are now. Right. Basically, guys, what it looks to you is the number of graduates that have you. Remember, I mean, right after Coach Bowden got there, guys, they had been at the co-ed university, but a few years, they weren't all rural schools. Yeah, right. See, so that, when it comes to measuring up, the reason I got so involved in that, when I was at Florida State, I was hired to come back to Ole Miss, and the first job I had was taking the alumni base and do comparisons all around the country.

And that was the, really, it was for the format of what's coming down is how much contribution, how much money can they raise on each given day based on that. And Florida State was way below, University of Florida, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, that they were way below that. Even when I was there, he developed a system that we didn't pay the kids to come there. We had a system where once you signed, that kid was assigned an alumni to help them move and help them with incidental expenses that they may have.

So it was a whole different approach to the game at that time that Coach Bowden, we were at the top in recruiting. You know, we had great players. And, you know, he had number five in the top five for 14 consecutive years. And I would say the first two, we got to open up the season that year in Des Moines, the country would go to Miami and get beat first. I never want to forget, I've told that story a hundred times, guys. We flew back in after midnight.

And my dad got up and said, obviously, we didn't get the port across. We wouldn't put the uniforms on at 1 o'clock in the morning. We wouldn't let them know after that. I hear you. Anyway, it's just like this, you know, you know those stories. It's how you explain them to us. Sometimes you've got to be explained in words you understand. We can make that. But at Florida State, so I hate to say that the downfall of the last couple of years, I'm not saying it shouldn't surprise me, but it doesn't surprise me really.

Because I know enough about what's going on around the country with other schools and other alumni. And, of course, I went straight on to Ole Miss, and there's another one that jumped up big time. And, you know, I've got to give Lane Kiffin a lot of credit for what he was able to do with that program in six years. And I know a lot of people are still bad at him and all that. We know all about that stuff that went on. But the fact that had somebody like him not come in, they'd still be chugging along with seven, eight, nine wins.

They would have never put a 13-win season together. And I'll be anxious to see in that particular program, guys, if that could be maintained with the current staff. I'll be honest with you, this is going to be very interesting to watch, let's put it that way. Max, let me ask you about Ole Miss in Louisville Sunday, Sunday night in Nashville. Louisville's a pretty good team. They got the Brown Boys at running back. They got a transfer from Ohio State. They're a pretty good team now. If Trinidad Chambliss plays the way he did in the playoffs, they're going to go about 10-2 or 11-1.

But Max, an interesting game Sunday night, Ole Miss and Louisville. I don't think there's any doubt. Here's what I'm looking at right now. Who's the number two quarterback there? Oh, that's right. He transferred to Missouri. So I'm just saying what's going to catch them is the depth problem. You won't see. They've done a good job bringing in. And I think people do a good job managing that. He's going to call the defenses himself. You know, maybe a little question about the quarterback coach. And I know he was on the staff before.

[41:46] Goes to East Carolina. But, guys, I'm telling you, the league he coached in East Carolina, it's not like the SEC. I can tell you that. And I get really excited about talking about comparisons because I was really, my career, you know, guys led me. I had a great shot to go to Troy. I was at, when they were NAI going to Division II, we won a national championship. And then, of course, I bounced around a while. They ended up at Florida State. We was number one in the country in Division I.

And compared to those kind of programs that have great success at a lower level, and then you go jump into where the big boys play, it's like daylight and dark. I can't explain it to you. It's dealing with the people, it's the alumni, it's the administration, it's the priorities of the kids. You know, most 99% of them have their eyes on the NFL, and you've got to handle them different. Let's just say that. You can't put them out there in scrimmage, you know, three hours every day, three to four days a week.

You've got to be concerned about the injury factor and all the other things that go with that. So we're in a transition. I guess I want to cap on what I'm saying. It's in this transition right now, and it's no more, it's really no different. You go back, if you're a history buff, you go back and look at the industrial revolution that took place in this country with companies growing at a rapid pace. Let's go back to the late 1800s, early 1900s, where the railroads took off, all the problems they had legally and illegally.

We're going through the same thing with the college football right there. I remember when I was a kid, they said the Pony Express will last forever, and then along came the train. That's right. Max, let's talk a little bit about our zip code. Alabama, when was the last time Alabama has had just kind of intrigue heading into the first game of the season? Your thoughts about the tide under a brand-new quarterback. Well, that's very true. They're going to start with the freshman, and I'm sure they got a couple.

They lost one or two along the way. But I was on another show earlier today, and I was asked basically the same question. My observation is I can't quite – I think I've got my finger on it right now, but overall it's different certainly from Coach Saban. Everybody wants to point to that because of the great success he had. And I don't – you know, if I was a huge Alabama fan, I'd be doing the same thing. But the fact is, is that the middle approach to the game is missing something different than they had before.

I think that's as politically correct as I can say it. It's something in his process or in his preparation. I watched – I mean, first of all, you guys know me very, very well. I don't go anywhere to watch ballgames. I get a chance to go every Saturday, but I don't ever go. I sit in my house. I've got a big-screen TV. I can watch two games. I can do split-screen. I can do whatever I want to do. And I chart the games that I did in the end.

I think the ones I want to talk about the next day. So, you know, it's – I've just – I've watched stuff. I've watched – they couldn't – how does a team like Alabama that recruits at that level or has recruited at that level, can't even bring together enough offensive linemen to have a defensive running game. I mean, boy, I don't understand. And the only thing I can identify with is all the great numbers that coaching staff have had where they've been in other places don't compare to playing SEC football.

It's just – it's the way you approach practice every day. You've got to be concerned about injury all the time because it doesn't matter – you know, you can have 25 All-Americans, but, you know, 20 of them can play and probably four or five of them can't play. They got moved in that – you know, they got moved in that category just because they were on a good team or whatever. But the fact is, is there's so much that goes on now in a short period of time that you can have a chance on the field.

It's just different. That's all I can say if we sit here experiencing it. And as a fan – and I'm no different from any other football fan. There are certain programs I like because I understand what they're trying to do. And the fan base that have to fork down that money, a whoop two every week, go see a ball game. Well, you know, I'm sure you guys have followed – I don't know how the Georgia situation is fairly comparable right now. But Ole Miss sold out the third week of September, and the cheapest ticket in the stadium was $697.

Wow. And that was $65,000 tickets. So I'm just saying, now, they won't get nearly there any time else, anywhere else in the country or, you know, any other – there was a reason, there's a motivated reason for people willing to spend that money. And those people at LSU will roll into Oxford on Wednesday. And, I mean, that's going to be something to behold itself. You know, we've got to get that first. We've got to get to that third week. And it's going to be – I saw North Carolina won last night.

[47:11] That was an interesting revelation of faith based on what they had last year. But, you know, I think we can go around the league and kind of pick and choose. But I'm already seeing some coaches that's on the hot seat. And based on what they look – these guys in the national magazines have looked at their schedule. They looked at what they've got coming back. And they looked at how the game is going to be played this year. And that leads us to the end of the season as far as the 12-team playoff.

And, you know, they will always talk about strength of schedule to see. And that, to me, is one of the most important avenues you need to look at. You tell me legitimately, though, have they always looked at strength of schedule? I don't think they have personally. But they didn't take it seriously. That's exactly right. They don't do it. That will put the best 12 teams in. And sometimes I don't think, based on what I've seen the last couple of years, that's – you know, it's called sharing the wealth.

You know, give some of these smaller teams a little money to keep them all interested. And I think this is what – I think probably they thought that going into the season with Indiana last year. But it didn't work out. It didn't work out too well. Hey, Max, we're watching Lane Kiffin as only he can with his press conference in Baton Rouge. They've got a very intriguing game Saturday night. Some people say, well, of all the off-the-field shenanigans going on, can they concentrate? Well, he's been a ringmaster with this for years, creating it.

But, Max, when you look at the talent LSU've got, I'm curious to see where Sam Leavitt, he seems to be healthy. The offensive line led by Jordan Seton. They've got a great defensive front seven. This is a big year for Dabo. It's the Battle of the Death Valleys. Well, Max, will this game be close Saturday night? You know, I think because it's the first game, I think it probably will be a little closer than most. I don't know what the – the lines come out yet. I'm sure they are.

I haven't seen it yet. Oh, no. It's the first ballgame. But I think, you know, what you said about Lane Kiffin, I think a lot of people discredit some of that, of his background and all, just because of the way he's moved around in the comments and makes it that – he's a different breed of guy. I mean, remember, guys, he was raised on the sideline from the time he was six years old at the NFL level. So he's heard the coaches talk. He's sitting in on meetings.

His dad was a – his dad coached in the league, I think, 32 or three years himself. So his background is totally different from all these other guys that come along. And anything he says or does doesn't surprise me, but I can almost guarantee you whatever that is, whether you like it or not, it's either to draw attention to his program or discredit somebody else so that his program can be successful. I mean, go back and watch and see how he handles that. And, you know, all the Ole Miss people, I get so – with some of those, I've got some really good friends, and they've ripped him and blasted him.

And I look at him sometimes, I said, when's the last time y'all won 13 games? Yeah. Let's see, Johnny Balls, I believe. That was about 60 years ago. So, you know, he shouldn't get full credit. I understand leaving early, and I think the rule will probably be changed for that. That's probably good, to say the least. But the fact he did it for a reason that he felt comfortable, it wasn't against the rule at that particular time. So, anyway, I think it's going to be – I think as we've watched it unfold in another year in this great game of college football, I think we're all going to have some – we'll have some highs and lows all year long.

No question about it. Well, it's going to be fun, Max, this time next Monday. We'll have a little bit better ideal about where the league – and certainly by the second or third game, we will always enjoy talking college football with you, Max. Thank God it's finally here. Have a great week, buddy. Well, let's do this again as soon as we can. Thank you. Okay, guys. Thank y'all so much. Always my pleasure, dear. Absolutely right back at you. By the way, LSU is favored in that ballgame by ten and a half points.

And some good news if you are an Alabama fan from the MASH doc. William Redfish Barger on that and more coming up in a second. Now we're going to be talking Auburn Tigers with Charlie Trotman. And what a weekend for UNA Matt St. Charles. All that and more straight ahead. Stay with us here on the Boomo Bugg Show. All right, grab some buds and listen up. Grilling season's here. Now we find out what we're made of. Are we going to fold under pressure and overcook the burgers?

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And for your Wednesday, sunny with a 20% chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms with a high around 95. Your weather from 93.9 The Score. Now, get ready to roll, Shoals, Decatur, Athens, and all of northwest Alabama and southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM Sports Voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. Your exclusive inside track to the Tide. Tigers, Tennessee, and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in our tour to the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg, alongside Brett Beaird.

Thank you so much for giving us free ride around the Tennessee Valley and for checking in on the 93.9 The Score app wherever you may be. It's a pleasure that Charlie Trotman is right there, former Auburn quarterback, ready to talk Auburn Tigers with us. Charlie, as always, welcome in, and how are you? Doing great, Harold. You and Brett, glad to be with you. Excited about week one. Yep. Easy question, Charlie. Is this the beginning? I've heard the T word tossed around. Not Tigers in this case. I think kind of it is.

Is this the beginning of the great turnaround for Auburn football? Well, I think that there's a really strong possibility that it could be a great turnaround for us. Harold, I feel like Auburn's been in such a desperate situation over the last few years that anything, anything, you know, that is on the positive side of the ledger is going to be a big change. But, you know, a lot of people feel like Auburn can go anywhere from 7-5 to 9-3. It just depends on a couple of these, you know, games.

If Auburn's offense can be a big factor this year, they were not last year or the year before. The defense had to kind of carry the day, and if Auburn's defense is still a really good, strong component of the team, then I think that the offense is going to be much better this year. And we ought to be able to win some of these close games. I think Auburn lost four games that were, you know, within six points last year. You know, Charlie, you look over the weekend, you saw what happened with UNLV and Florida State.

The reason we bring that up, both teams have former Auburn quarterbacks, which is another way of saying maybe that could have been the problem about evaluation. But then you fast forward to this. You're a former quarterback, not only in the SEC, but at Auburn. Talk to us, if you don't mind, put on your hat and talk to us about the importance of a coach and a quarterback being on the same page from day one. Oh, gosh, that is critically important. I think when a coach understands his quarterback and knows his quarterback, sees him in practice, understands his tendencies, I think it is so helpful.

[1:02:45] Because when you go to the sideline and you talk to your coach, you get more done. There's not any consternation. You know, I know at times between Auburn's quarterback, Peyton Thorne, and some of the quarterbacks that have, you know, been there in the last couple of years, you know, Ashton Daniels and so forth. We had some arguments on the sideline, it appeared. And it wasn't good. It wasn't good. But I think that Byron Brown and Alex Golesh and Coach Gordon, the offensive coordinator, I think they've been together two years so far.

This will be their third year together. And I feel like that that's a great, you know, litmus test of how effective your offense can be when your offensive coordinator is the same guy that you've been going into battle with for the last two years and the head coach as well. Charlie, that was leading a bit to the question I was going to ask you. When you look on paper, Auburn's got 61 new players, 21 high school freshmen, 40 transfers. And you throw your hands up there and say, well, how in the world can these guys mash or jail?

But that, to me, is one of the keys. So many of these players are familiar with Alex Golesh and his staff. He brought quite a few players with him. Now, nobody knows this better than you do. It takes time for a team to jail, and particularly on the line of scrimmage. But I think that's going to be a big key for this team to get off to a good start. Yeah, and I tell you, the big factor in that is that they didn't come this summer.

They came last spring, and they've been through a full spring and now a full preseason workout as teammates. And the other thing, guys, remember that Alex Golesh, he took the entire team to a hotel 13 days in a row. Did not have them, you wouldn't let them have their cell phones. And they, you know, at night got to know each other. A lot of the players said that they just kind of chilled in rooms with each other and played cards and things like that, played games. And they just, you know, got to spend time around each other and learned, you know, a little bit off the field of what the people's families are like and where they came from.

And, you know, it makes a difference. It makes a difference when you get in that huddle and you know the guy a little bit better next to you than you did before. So I thought that was a great, great thing that Alex Golesh thought of doing and kind of reminded me of Bear Bryant in the, you know, when he did the junction boys. Yeah, and I like that idea, and I think it's going to pay dividends. Charlie, did they send you the bill for that stale there for 13 nights?

Are you picking up the bill for that? Golly, can you imagine? No. That was at a Robert Trent Jones Marriott, too. So that had to be expensive. Again, Charlie Traumman hooking up with us. I think one other name, everybody's talking about this offensive familiarity. To me, it's almost like the perfect marriage because, let's face it, one of the worst things a coach wants to do is walk into a place where the expectations are high right out of the bat and you can't meet them. I think Golesh, let's face it, at this point, seven wins will be a success.

So he's kind of playing with house money this year. Maybe not after this, but the other thing that's going to help is another word of familiarity, and that's D.J. Durkin. Not only are they going to be familiar on offense, they should be familiar on defense, too. Well, they really ought to be. And D.J. Durkin lost some key players, you know, Kelvin Falk and a few people like that that are, you know, tough to replace. But I think he's got most of his defensive line back.

His two linebackers, Melendez and Atkins, are as good as there is in the country. And I think their defensive secondary is going to be good, too. You've got Pleasant and Jordan at corners, and then you've got Harris at free safety, and you've got some other people. Champ Anthony's going to be in there at the nickelback. And I like what they're going to put on the field. Now, will they perform as well as the defense did last year? You know, you look at Atkins by himself. He had nine quarterback sacks last night from the linebacker position, which is incredible.

So I don't know if they're going to be quite as good, but they don't have to be as good as they were last year if the offense would just pick up the slack and do their part. Charlie, let me ask you about Baylor. Every year is a new team for everyone, but DJ Lagwe, transferring from Florida, DJ is a very talented player, but the last two years, he's thrown 23 interceptions. That's a lot. Now, he's got a new, Smevital is the new offensive coordinator, and Charlie Auburn ran all over last year, ran for over 300 yards.

[1:08:22] The Baylor defense last year gave up 197 yards rushing a game in 32.6. Now, Dave Aranda's been known for being a defensive guru for years, but for Baylor and for Aranda to stick around, that's got to improve. Charlie, what do you expect from the Bears? Well, I expect a little bit more activity on defense because they fired their defensive coordinator, and they hired Joe Klanderman, who is a Kansas State guy, and Kansas State's known for being very, very active on defense. There's a lot of stunning, a lot of blitzing and things like that.

So, you know, you've got to be ready. Byron Brown and the offense has got to be ready for anything, and the good thing about that is that DJ Durkin does some of the same things, and he does it in practice. This year, unlike last year when Coach Freeze tried to protect the quarterbacks and didn't want them to get, you know, down and mentally get a little down on themselves by not being very effective in practice against the defense, and he kept telling the defense not to run a lot of blitzing and things like that.

They were very vanilla last year. This year is different. They ran everything against Byron Brown and the offense, and Byron Brown, for all accounts, has done real well recognizing the things that the defense does, and I think that is going to bode well in the game Saturday because Klanderman is the kind of coach that he knows what Byron Brown can do, and the one thing that takes a quarterback's effectiveness away is pressure. And so that's what, if I were him, that's what I would do is try to pressure Byron Brown, make him make quick decisions, get rid of the ball quick, and not let him run the ball too much.

And I think that that's what their goal is going to be. Whether they can do it or not, I don't know. Charlie, what's your message to fellow Auburn fans in your case? I mean, sometimes after game one, things go well, and according to Vegas, it's looking even better now. They get open at six, six and a half. It's now up to seven. Auburn is the favorite. But sometimes fans can sit here and it's so-called, quote, easy in the first game. And then we saw last year after what happened there.

What is your message to Auburn fans to kind of get an even keel? Yeah, you won't success in that first game, but certain things you might want to look for going forward with that schedule. Yeah, I think you just have to be realistic. You know, I do think that Baylor is a very good first game test for Auburn. Yeah. It's not like, you know, playing, you know, a team that… Furman. Yeah, Furman or somebody like that. It's not like that. You're going to be playing against a Big 12 team, a team that's got the same, you know, physicality that you do.

And they've got a big-time quarterback who could have a big game. You never know what Lagway's going to do. And, you know, if Lagway throws for 400 yards and four touchdowns, this game could be, you know, an overtime game in the 40s. Who knows? So we just have to hope that Lagway's not going to be at his best and that Byron Brown is at his best. But to Auburn fans, I would say be patient. Don't expect Auburn to come out and win 52-0. And, you know, expect this team to do what Coach Golesh has said, to come out and be very physical, establish the running game, play great defense in the kicking game.

A little bit like Bill Belichick, you know, kind of. He wants to establish that running game and he wants to throw the passes off play action and, you know, take advantage of a great defense and play field position and win the game that way. Yep. Charlie, I think that's one of the big advantages for Auburn going into the season is they know who they are. What's their identity? You know, again, I've joked about it, but Alex Golesh said coming in, look, we're going to run the frigging ball.

And you're exactly right. I know people think, well, that's old school, but believe me, it wins football games. Well, it does. And, you know, the thing is we're going to really have to see early whether Auburn's offensive line can gel together and come together and have chemistry and create running lanes for Cobb and for Bryson Washington. You know, Bryson Washington came from Baylor and he's Auburn's backup running back. And so it's going to be, and he's finally healthy. He's finally healthy after a spring and an early fall where he wasn't.

[1:13:29] It'll be fun to watch him play against his old teammates. And, you know, if Jeremiah Cobb can do the things that he's capable of doing and the Auburn running game does what it can do, then Auburn's passing game should be fine because the play action is going to make a lot of those receivers, you know, get a step on their defender. And Byron Brown, even though he's throwing motion, a lot of people critique it, he's very accurate. And we'll see what kind of game he has.

But, you know, he threw for over 3,000 yards last year. That's averaging, you know, 270 yards a game, throwing the ball or something like that. That's a pretty successful day. So that would be great if Auburn could, you know, have 250 on the ground and 250 in the air. That's exactly what I think Coach Goalich would be looking for. Yeah, Charlie, I think they come close to that. In fact, I think they run for over 500 yards again unless that Baylor defense is much improved. What a wonderful trip, talking to you, going down memory lane and also previewing the Baylor game.

Charlie, enjoy the weekend, Labor Day weekend. Let's do this again with you as soon as we can. Guys, thanks so much. I appreciate it. War Eagle. There you go. The one, the only, Charlie Trotman. Coming up, what an opening show for UNA details next. Stay with us. 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.

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Time spent on application may vary. Online health questions required. 1819 News. The president of Tuskegee University is doubling down on a dress code that was put in place before students return to campus for a new year. President Mark Brown is a retired Air Force major general who says the university has standards that are making students workforce ready before they graduate. Brown also says that students are adjusting well to the new dress code, which bans the wearing of house slippers, do-rags, or revealing clothing. The students are not permitted to wear these types of clothes to the classroom or the school cafeteria.

Brown said that if you raise the bar high, the students will reach it, and any institution of higher education that is not focused on student success is not focused on the very reason that institution exists. Brown also revealed that the school has a community clothes closet for anyone who cannot afford upgrading to business attire. I'll be back with more Alabama stories after this. Did you know that 70% of people experience a potentially traumatic event in their lifetime and that 6 out of every 100 adults face PTSD every day?

[1:18:30] Help us bring hope to these survivors by signing up for your Alabama distinctive PTSD awareness license plate today. The great thing is you can sign up no matter when your current plate renews, and the first year is complimentary. All you need is your FIN number on hand. Drive awareness, drive hope, and customize your plate today at atease.org. That's A-T-E-A-S-E dot O-R-G. A hit-and-run has claimed the life of a Birmingham woman this past Sunday night. The woman was taken to UAB Hospital where she died after being hit on 2nd Street West.

The driver of the vehicle left the scene. Authorities are now investigating. The Battle of the Bands event to be held at Legion Field at the end of August has now been canceled due to lack of ticket sales. The event was going to continue the yearly competition between nine HBCU marching bands from universities across the South. Full refunds will be given to those who did already purchase tickets for that event. I'm Andrea Tyson. For more news affecting Alabamians, go to 1819news.com. And while you're there, subscribe to the daily newsletter.

The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. I think most folks would agree the weather nor the final score could be much better if you were an EUNA fan over the weekend. Got a feeling Matt St. Charles would agree with that. He follows the lines there with the Times Daily. Matt, welcome in. How are you? Hey, I'm good. How are you guys doing? Hey, man. Man, we're doing all right. What a weekend for EUNA. Are they going to play every game at Joe Davis Stadium, Matt?

No, I think they've got some new digs opening up here in Florence they might prefer to use. But it was good over there in Huntsville. The X-Man coming out. Everybody, it's always when you break in a brand new quarterback, they want to know what to look for. And boom, I mean, almost from the beginning, the team sets a new record from scrimmage with a pass. The X-Man delivering, what, from 95 yards out kind of set the tone for the night, did it not? Yeah, for sure. It was definitely saw some weak zero, not jitters, but some uncertainties, I guess.

Took a little bit for the offense to kind of get settled into that game, especially with how much Sanford was blitzing. A lot of credit to the offensive coordinator, Travis Partridge, and now a veteran quarterback in Destin Wade able to kind of create the free play by getting Sanford to jump off sides. And then, you know, I think one of Destin Wade's biggest strengths is that deep ball, and now they have a really good deep threat in Xavier Johnson, something they haven't had in the past, and all things kind of lined up there for a big play.

Matt, I know something else lined up for them was the defensive effort. Incredible. UNA broke Division I records in tackles for loss, 13, tackles for loss, yardage, 58. They had six sacks. I thought you had a good point in your article. The first game of the season, you never really know what the other team's going to do, and particularly if they've got a new coaching staff. But Coach Bowen thought, well, Coach Gross and his coaching staff had a background with the air raid from the Big 12, so they prepared for that.

Man, mission accomplished as far as Sanford had minus eight rushing yards for the game. Wow. Yeah, I mean, I'll tell you, I talked a little bit with Clint before the game, and I think I wrote about it a little bit. He's just one of those coaches that, you know, doesn't sleep the night before, doesn't eat, and he was like, we might give up 70. It didn't quite happen that way, but, you know, they took a shot at what they thought Gross was going to do. Obviously, a weird scenario.

Gross hasn't been a head coach or a play caller in four years, so, you know, they watched some Jack State from back in the day. They were watching a lot of Clemson. Obviously, Sanford didn't name a quarterback, so they had to look at three quarterbacks taped from three different schools. And, in my opinion, Bowen is as class as it gets as a defensive coordinator, especially at this level. And, you know, with that beefed-up defensive front, they were able to create a lot of pressure and definitely worked out for the best.

Matt St. Charles, looking up with us at times daily. Matt, obviously, the coaching staff, normally, most coaching staffs after game one is never going to compliment them that much. They know down deep what's good, but a lot of coaching staff wants to focus on what was not so good. In your opinion, now that we have one game under their belt, your thoughts about what UNA would like to work on going forward? Yeah, I'd say offensively, you know, you want to start sustaining drives a little bit more.

Obviously, the big plays are good. But, you know, there were a couple of scenarios in that game that, you know, UNA kind of could have got up into the 30s when it came to points. Obviously, there was a drive kind of early. They got into one of their three quarterback looks that they've, you know, been looking at a little bit with Wade and Banks Bowen and Ty Watkins. And Banks Bowen ended up grabbing the wrong helmet. So you had two biked-up helmets on the field. That cost you some penalty yards, which you ultimately could have punched in.

[1:24:03] And then, you know, going forward on fourth down there towards the end of the game, fourth and one to kind of just really put the game away. Just didn't, you know, execute to the level that they wanted to and didn't convert there. So, you know, a couple of things there when it comes to really finishing drives and sustaining them. Defensively, I think, obviously, you want to start to patch up the big plays. The two biggest things that hurt UNA as much as they did in that game, obviously, it was like an 86-yard touchdown where, you know, UNA was in man coverage.

And, you know, unfortunately, a guy just got beat on a double move. And, you know, Navy Curry's got to understand that a 10-yard curl route won't beat you, you know, but an 86-yard touchdown will. And then, you know, there was a crossing route there at the end of the third quarter that Sanford kind of connected on that led to that field goal there at the fourth. But, you know, it was a good job then of bending, not breaking, but, you know, those big plays will hurt you, especially against some of these teams in the UAC.

Man, obviously, UNA's going after a different animal. Saturday afternoon with the Hogs in Fayetteville. Does this game give UNA players and coaches some confidence? Again, you've got a little bit of the same situation. Overfield coming from Memphis, but he's got a new staff. They've got a ton of new players. I heard at one point it was over 60 new players here. We'll see more or less how this goes. The coaches and players, and I know the week's still early, are they pretty confident about having a good showing in Fayetteville?

Yeah, I mean, they're as confident as you can be for what's essentially a bye game or a guarantee game. Definitely easier to game plan for than Sanford was this past week. You know, they've been watching a lot of Memphis from the past few years, which, you know, Silverfield had that as one of the best offenses in the country. So, a lot of prepping there, and then Arkansas has named a quarterback in K.J. Jackson. So, able to kind of go through and watch whatever clips he's had over the past couple years will definitely give them more of a sense of security going into this game and kind of knowing what they're going to see for the most part.

But, again, it's a game against an SEC and FBS opponent, so it kind of is what it is. But, you know, they're definitely not going to go out there and lay down, I'll tell you that. Matt, you wear two heads, one primarily for UNA, but also cover some high school. And you and I saw one of the most amazing halftimes I've ever seen. I mean, we're not trying to be critical of Colbert County. Dasher lost to Russellville by one point. They missed the two-point conversion. Well, they got it together Friday night.

They led at halftime 52-0. I've been watching high school football for over 40 years. I don't remember too many 52-0 leads. Yeah, that was certainly an interesting one to watch. And I think Stacey Long, my editor, would tell you the biggest, Dasher's biggest win in the history of that rivalry is 82-7. So this isn't as big. But, yeah, you could just tell that Dasher took that loss to Russellville hard. And, you know, they kind of told me that they really let that drive them throughout the week.

And you could tell with the sense of urgency they came out with. I went up 28-0 in the first quarter, scored on a block punt. Like, from the jump, they were just ready to go. And it really kind of informed their performance in that game. Absolutely. Listen, enjoy talking with you. Wanted to introduce you to our audience. Let's do this again with you real soon. Yes, sir. Thanks for having me on. I appreciate you guys. Absolutely. Thank you so much. You and I on their way to Arkansas.

But first, let's go to the U.S. Open and get the Bears latest from the courts. You're on 93.9, the score. Westwood One Sports presents this special attendance update with the withdrawal of Yannick Sinder. The first round lost last night by Novak Djokovic. Carlos Alcarez, the solid favorite to win the U.S. Open. He's won the last two slams, his last two. Three of his last four didn't play Wimbledon or the French due to the wrist injury suffered in April. But Alcarez is back. He's in Ash Stadium now against the Russian Roman Cephalin.

Alcarez just won the first set 6-4. The great Stefano Tsitsipas struggled the last two years. He reached Grand Slam Finals in 2021 in Paris. Two years later in Melbourne. Tsitsipas' last nine Grand Slams, he's been unable to get past the second round. Today, he upset the 10th seed, Arthur Feast. He had just won the Hardcore Tourney in Cincinnati. Men's match coming up. The Italian Matteo Barrettini against Stan Vavrenka, age 41. Three-time Grand Slam champ, including the 2016 U.S. Open. Vavrenka is retiring. He's given a wild card to play Grand Slam for the 81st and final time.

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Progressive presents the sports flash on 93.9 The Score. On the NASCAR Cup Series Saturday night, Ryan Priest was the winner as he put himself inside the chase. Daniel Suarez II, Tyler Reddick III, Michael McDowell, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounded out the top five. The 16-driver field is now set for the chase, which is set to get underway Sunday in Darlington. Scotty Scheffler won his second FedEx Cup title as he rallied for a three-shot victory in the Tour Championship. The Atlanta Braves were winners yesterday as the Braves beat the Rockies in 10 innings 3-2.

The Braves are back in action tonight as they start a series at Truist Park against the San Francisco Giants. The Atlanta Braves have won seven consecutive games. Tune in tonight for Braves baseball as they take on the Giants' first pitch at 5-0-5. I'm John Thayer with the Sports Flash presented by Progressive on 93.9 The Score. The Colonels cooked up a new $10 bucket of the day just for you. Monday, 10 wings for $10. Tuesday, 8-piece fried chicken for $10. Wednesday, 8 tenders for $10. Thursday, 10 wings for $10. Friday, 24 nuggets for… Ooh, you guessed it, didn't you?

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Switch and see if you could save with Progressive and treat yourself. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Welcome back in. You know it's getting close when you hear the voice of the Redfish. William Barger, former University of Alabama offensive lineman, now co-host of Bounce Radio. William, welcome in. Are you ready for some football? I sure am. I'm going to be real. I had a former teammate that called me yesterday and is wanting to give his four tickets away for Saturday, and I said, well, I can probably find somebody that wants me, just don't expect it to be me.

[1:35:05] William, obviously, where's your gut with this team right now? And I know I love talking with you, and we love talking with you for that matter, because you're a fan, obviously. You've been there as a player. You've earned extra stripes. But you're also objective. And the reason I say that is, this time last year, everybody was sky high, and we saw what happened in that first game and how that set the tone for the season. They were able to come back from that, not necessarily by Alabama standards, but relative to last year.

Where are you with your gut right now, this many days out from game one? Well, I'm in the same place that I was last year. I'm optimistic. You know, most successful people that I've ever been around in my life tend to learn from their mistakes. Right. And, you know, they don't view failure as a, you know, just a bust. You know, they use it as a learning experience. Learning. And tend to grow from it. So that's, you know, what I think this coaching staff has done, and I think this locker room has done.

And, you know, they've, you know, shored up a lot of position groups by bringing in, you know, guys from the portal. And, you know, a lot of them weren't in situations last year where, you know, they were playing for an organization that had a chance to, you know, go to the college football playoffs and have a successful season. So, you know, there's motivation with those guys. You know, I think having a, you know, a new first-year starter at quarterback is exciting, especially the type of player that he is.

But, you know, and I hate to, you know, show where my bias and my loyalty lies. But, you know, I'm really excited to see, you know, the growth on both sides of the line of scrimmage from 2025 to 2026. I think they've brought in, you know, some more physical players on both sides of that area. And I'm looking forward to see, you know, because let's be honest, even against lesser programs last year, neither one of those two position groups, you know, speaking of the offensive line and the defensive line, were really good at running the football or stopping the run.

So, you know, I think that's, you know, people are like, well, you know, when are we going to know if there's an improvement in both of those areas? And I'm like, well, this Saturday, because they weren't very good at either, you know, establishing the run or stopping the run last year against lesser opponents. William, in the preseason, a lot of people don't want to talk about special teams until the kicker's going to make a 37-yard field goal with 10 seconds in Knoxville to beat Tennessee. And then they're quite interested.

Connor Talti, who could have quit after the Oklahoma game, I can assure you a lot of fans in the stadium wanted him to, put his hand down and he just worked and was named by the coaching staff to handle field goals and extra points. Quinn is going to be handling kickoffs. Well, you know, your thoughts on that, and secondly, returning kicks. Lottie Brooks did kickoffs. Coleman Williams did punts. Who's going to return kicks this year? Well, it's even expanded beyond Connor Talti. You know, both of the transfer portal specialists, you know, Quinn, the place kicker, and the punter from North Alabama that were both brought in to improve those areas have both been beaten out.

Yeah. You know, those might be, you know, like you said, nobody wants to really talk about special teams until they're not special. Right. And so I think those are two of the biggest surprises of fall camp, to be honest with you. And, you know, I would expect to see, you know, a Ryan Coleman Williams or a Lottie Brooks, you know, back there handling the return duties. You know, you want somebody, you know, that was kind of a point of contention with me back during the Saban era is, you know, you never really saw, you know, one of the more dynamic players in some cases, you know, back there doing that stuff.

And, you know, it was almost like Saban was, you know, fine. You know, his teams were so good, maybe that was the mindset. But, you know, he was almost like he was satisfied with a fair catch and let's just spot the ball where it lays. But, you know, I like seeing dynamic guys back there. You know, I don't expect a Javier Arenas or a David Palmer. Yeah. You know, a guy that, you know, wasn't really an explosive high-end speed guy that was pretty good at it was Kool-Aid McKinstry.

So, you know, I would expect to see Lottie Brooks or Ryan Williams back there. You know, they are the two most dynamic guys that I see on that roster. But, yeah, I think, you know, seeing both of those portal guys kind of come up on the short end of the stick. Yeah. Whereas the place kicker and the punter are two of the bigger storylines at this point so far in 2026. Brad Fish, Barger, and Huddle with us. Let's expand a little bit on the punter because the young man we're referring to here, in case you missed it, is Adam Watford.

[1:40:37] Why is that important here? He transferred from UNA to Alabama. And I'm going to give you the privilege of pronouncing the guy who beat him out, his last name, Alex A., we'll call him. Here's the thing about it. All things being equal, this kid was not that bad coming out of high school. In fact, he was ranked the number three punter in DeBoer's first recruiting class in 25. He was hurt, didn't see the field last year. But on paper, you know, Watford was beat out by what was the number three punter in the country coming out of high school.

Yeah, and I was hoping you were going to give me an easy out there and not pronounce Alex A.'s last name. That's for us. You know, I try to avoid sounding like Eli Gold when I'm on these shows, but that one's a little bit hard to get around. But, yeah, you know, it's not like, and there again, you know, we've talked about this with some of the position battles like an inside linebacker and at the left guard spot. And, you know, that's a depth creation scenario there.

You bring two guys in that you expect to win those jobs, and, you know, the two guys that were, for lack of a better term, on the chopping block, so to speak, you know, rose to the occasion and, you know, won the job. So, you know, I think that's a positive overall for the program. Now, we'll have to wait and see if it's still a positive in January, you know, if they stick around. But, you know, and I think there's multiple instances of, you know, this taking place.

You know, it's looking more and more like William Sanders is going to get to start Saturday at left guard. You know, there's some whispers out there that maybe Mal Waldrop's a little bit dinged up. But regardless, there again, that's a depth creation there. And, you know, whether Waldrop starts or not, I do expect him to be, you know, the first guy, you know, off the bench, you know, at both of those, you know, offensive guard positions. And, you know, that's a byproduct of, you know, the reps that he got in the spring and the reps that he's gotten and, you know, a fantastic fall camp that he's had, you know, while Will Sanders was recovering from his injury.

Well, Redfish, obviously some more news that's, I guess, semi-breaking today, if you want to call it that. A lot of folks with a question mark over Crowell's status for the game. And according to the coaching staff, as they put it, he will be available. Now, does that mean he's going to play or is this going to be in Jersey in case he can go out there? Your thoughts about the progress of Crowell? Well, y'all are both old enough to remember the reference that I'm fixing to use.

I've just resigned myself to the belief that Crowell is basically the new generation version of one Charles Jefferson. Y'all remember Charles Jefferson moving fast times to Ridgemont High? I guess they're just going to fly Crowell in for the weekends for the games. He just gets the Bo Jackson treatment during the week. See you Saturday about noon, boss. That's right. William, we've talked a lot about this defensive front. They seem, according to a lot of reports, to be improved. Terrence Green from Oregon, Tompkins from USC, Bingley Jones.

William, it's something to run. Can these guys get the quarterback on the ground without a call blitz? And besides Pierre, Yonse Pierre, Justin Hill, Marion Latham, Desmond Yu, Xavier Griffin, even though he's a pure freshman. As far as getting quarterbacks on the ground, how is Alabama going to do that, improve that this year? Well, I think that's going to be one of the things I'm looking for Saturday from Kane Womack. So, this will be his first year at Alabama that he's got proven commodities and pretty close to considering both locked down corners and Dijon Lee and Xavier Brown.

And, you know, the middle of that secondary might be just as talented. So, you know, that gives him, you know, some opportunities to expand his playbook. You know, he can, you know, show some zone looks and play man and vice versa. You know, that'll help. I tell people all the time, you know, as good as, you know, two guys on my team were in John Copeland and Eric Curry. When the quarterbacks only got about two seconds to get rid of the ball, you know, a lot of DBs look good on the back end of the Dijon.

And so, you know, we already know these DBs are good. So, if they can just get a, you know, a working man's pass rush consistently, you know, there's probably going to be, you know, in Kane Womack's defense is kind of constructed to generate turnovers. And so, you know, I do think that that other edge guy is still to be determined. You know, maybe the JUCO transfer Henry, you know, comes in there and becomes that guy. But I do think that is one of the few question marks that still has to be answered to be determined style is who that other edge rusher is.

[1:46:12] You know, I think other than Tompkins, you know, those other guys that were brought in were brought in to be run stuffers first. You know, I haven't seen, you know, the other two defensive tackles play enough to, you know, lead me to believe whether they're, you know, Terrence Cody or are they, you know, are they Warren Sapp? I mean, are they twitchy enough to affect the quarterback on pass rush plays? You know, I still don't know yet. And there again, another place that depth has been created.

You know, you've got guys like London Simmons and Eldrick Hill that, you know, have kind of taken a backseat to these transfers because they were coming back from injuries. But, you know, if they're 100 percent, that's a lot of depth along that, you know, that front four or five group there that's been generated by these transfer additions. And, you know, it should prove to be a positive for Kane Womack. It'd be interesting if Womack takes a word from the old man by the name of Saban, maybe play more man this year in the secondary.

But 28 and a half points, that's what Vegas says Bama should win by. I think Florida State over the weekend was a 31 and a half point favorite. Anytime you have that big of a lead coming in and you don't meet it, expectations can go south. 28 and a half, are you up or down with that margin? Yeah, I don't know if they'll cover that number or not. I mean, I can certainly see it being a possibility. You know, I've kind of got it more of like a 34 to 10 type of a game.

Now, if Alabama gets up and, you know, let's say at the beginning of the fourth quarter and, you know, they put Austin Mack in and, you know, they let him run the full offense, I could see him covering that number. But, you know, first start for a new quarterback, I mean, I think Alabama wins comfortably. But, you know, I could see a busted play on defense where they get a cheap touchdown or, you know, for all of, you know, Keelan's, you know, great attributes. I mean, he is a gambler and he takes risks.

It wouldn't surprise me if there's an interception, you know, along the way. So, you know, I just don't, without seeing this product, you know, I don't know if they cover that number or not. I won't be shocked if they do. But, you know, I would love to see, you know, a steady dose of Daniel Hill and Kevin Riley and Crowell in the third quarter just, you know, grinding that clock out and beating ECU down in that d*** god-awful heat you're going to see Saturday. Yeah, exactly.

You have impeccable sources, which I mention quite often. We've talked about who is the third receiver behind Coleman, Williams, of course, and Lottie Brooks, Derek Meadows, or Sidarian Morgan. Could there be a Noah Rogers signing by, say, the Florida State game or South Carolina? I think by, you know, those two games, it's a possibility. I feel real comfortable that, you know, he'll be back for Georgia. And, you know, I think that a lot of Alabama fans are really overlooking that South Carolina matchup, you know. Truth be told, probably the only reason why South Carolina lost that game last year was because Mike Shula was their offensive coordinator.

That's exactly right. I mean, I mean, let's just be honest. Yes. You know, you've got a dual-threat quarterback and you're trying to turn him into Tom Brady back there. Right. But, you know, now that he's got the younger Riley brother as the OC back there, I think that's a dangerous game. Especially where it falls in the schedule. They've taken Alabama, you know, down to the last few minutes of the fifth quarter, the last two years in a row. So, that's one of my – I've got two hiccup games circled on my schedule.

South Carolina is the first one. And I would be a lot more concerned about this one if it was at College Station. But that A&M game doesn't sit very well in the schedule lineup for me either. Especially when you look at where Alabama's going to be coming from and the fact that A&M's basically had an off week the week prior playing the Citadel. That's exactly right. And, William, it's also homecoming. Can you imagine naming Texas A&M the homecoming opponent? We'll hear about that.

Listen, always enjoy the conversation. Should be a fascinating week. Let's do this again real, real soon. Sounds good, guys. Always enjoy it. All right, buddy. Sam, right back at you. The Redfish, William Barger. BB, the Braves have had a very good week. Can they continue tonight? That's the key, Harold. Again, they've got a make-up game today. But they've got a tough, tough schedule for the next two and a half weeks. And then, oh, by the way, they play Philly seven games. Wow. Four games up there, three in Atlanta.

[1:51:34] They've also got the Cubs. They've got Houston. You know, can the pitchers stay healthy? Can they keep hitting home runs? Yeah. We'll see. But one thing is for sure, you can hear the game on 93.9, the score. They will start tonight five games up on the aforementioned fields. 25 games to go in the regular season. Go Braves. Again, you can catch it. The latest right here on 93.9, the score later on tonight. It's going to take care of biz for now. On behalf of BB, Greg, James Blair, the entire crew here.

Carol Buck, thank you so much for your time today. Let's do it again tomorrow, noon to two for the Boom on Buck Show. Now you're on Sports Radio 93.9, the score. We'll see you next time. Thank you.