Boomo Bugg Show 091626

[0:00] Now, get ready to roll Shoals, Decatur, Athens and all of Northwest Alabama and Southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM Sports Voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. Your exclusive inside track to the Tigers, Tennessee and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Good afternoon and welcome here to the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brad Beard. Thank you so much for giving us a free ride around the Tennessee Valley. Brad Beard, welcome in where? Memo to LSU. Here comes the law, y'all.

And Florence, are you ready to take the curtain up on a historic weekend? Good afternoon, welcome in and how are you? Happy Wednesday to you and the listeners. I got tickled when I heard Bill King say LSU is bringing 19 state troopers to Oxford. That is going to be an amazing game. John Ferrari will preview Florida and Auburn a little bit later. Head football coach Kenny Morrison reviews the best start for the Florence Falcons since 2007. But UNA coach Brent Dierman is here right now to recap the tough laws to Southeast and Louisiana.

And as you alluded to preview, a historic night in Florence Saturday night. Coach Brent Dierman in the huddle with us. The boss of UNA football coach. Welcome in. How are you? Man, anytime I get to talk to you guys, it's a great day. I look forward to Wednesdays at noon. We're gearing up for practice, gearing up for meetings here in a little bit. But I love getting on the phone with you guys. Man, we appreciate you taking time out because, Coach, we know you've got a lot of, if you will, things in the fire here.

But let's talk a little bit before we get into what is to this point. Where are the emotions this week? And, by the way, if you're just brand new to the show, thanks for joining us. Hope you stay with us. I won't steal your thunder of why I got a feeling a lot of folks are kind of walking on air this week in your program. Yeah, it's exciting times. What we've got to do is, all the emotions that are going to come from this week, it's worse than a homecoming week, to be honest with you.

Because they've been, there's school here for 196 years, I believe. They've been playing football here for 78 years. First time in the history of the university to have an on-campus football game. Beautiful stadium right outside. Cheerleaders band. Everybody's fired up in this community. Backed house, tailgating, all this stuff is getting ready to go on. And our guys have got to understand how to bottle up and control your emotions. You've got to enjoy it. You've got to understand how blessed we are. But you've got to play in such a way that we honor all those that came before us that put us in this situation.

So that's been our message this week to our guys. Talk to us about that, Coach. Because I think a lot of fans just think it's a simple matter of going out, well, I got this player and I got that player. I'm better than they are, blah, blah, blah. We saw it last week. And just to use an illustration, the Alabama game at Kentucky, I think most folks would agree. Bama had the better roster. But you saw that first half. And then you saw the second half.

As a coach, talk to us about coaches, how they sit here and try to contain. Let's face it. These kids, and a lot of them are kids, still teenagers, 18 to 22 or so. How do you sit here and realistically try to get them back into the zone, so to speak? If you have come up with some magic formula, talk to somebody who's got one. I can send it, right? Email me that, please. At the end of the day, you're dealing with 18 to 22-year-old males. And you don't know if his girlfriend broke up with him today.

You don't know if he's got a phone call from back home of tough situations. You don't know if he's got a new girlfriend. And he's on a high because of it. I mean, there's so many different things that 18-year-olds are so much of an emotional rollercoaster. And at the end of the day, it's our job to look those kids in the eye every day, to calm them down, to focus them in, lock them in on the task at hand, when good or bad. You know, when you get punched in the mouth, I think it was all Mike Tyson quote, that everybody's got a plan until you get punched in the mouth.

You've got, as a coach, you've got to be able to look a kid in the face after he gets punched in the mouth and know what makes him tick, know what brings him back to level. And that's one of the joys that I have in this business is helping kids through tough situations and adverse times. Absolutely. Recalp southeastern Louisiana for us. You had an 18-7 lead in the first half and unfortunately lost 30-27, as you mentioned. Self-inflicted wounds, poor tackling, untimely penalties, a high snap at the one-yard line.

[5:03] It did not live up to the standards of UNA. Recalp last week's loss for us. Yeah, I mean, you hit the nail on the head. We're in the first drive of the game. I think we go 70 yards in the first two plays. We hit two big plays, get us down to the one-yard line. We snap the ball over the head of our Wildcat quarterback and turn the ball over. That was the start of the game. We were able to recover. We were able to take kind of a one-possession lead.

I think it's 15-7. We are driving, and we get down to a third and one inside the 15-yard line, where if we convert that third one, we'd probably go on and score a touchdown. And you score a touchdown before half. It's 22-7, and you probably can start putting the game away a little bit. Well, we've got a false start penalty, and that false start backs us up to third and six, makes it a harder third-down conversion. We don't get it. We kick a field goal, well, three points is a little bit less than seven points, and it's not as much momentum going into halftime.

We miss a field goal going into halftime, and then come out of the half, and we had horrific tackling in the third quarter. Offensively, we had, I think, three three-and-outs, the worst time to have three-and-outs then. Then we actually win the fourth quarter. So we win most of the game. We just got dominated in the third quarter of that ballgame because we came out flat after halftime. Our kids know that we had every opportunity in the world to win that game against an FCS playoff team on the road, and we let it slip.

It kind of woke us up, sent us a good message that we've got some things we've got to clean up and look forward to doing it in front of our home crowd. Coach, man, Jim, in the huddle with us. Coach, obviously, what was it? Nick Saban said, don't waste an opportunity like that to learn from it. There's two kinds of mistakes, those you can't help and those you can help and kind of clean up. In other words, when you look back and you sit here and look at the film, how many of these problems were, as you mentioned, self-inflicted?

How many of them can you say, listen, if we just sit here and focus a little harder, concentrate a little bit better, and do our job that's the next play, how much of it is fixable, in other words, from the mistakes last week? Oh, every bit of it's fixable. I mean, you've got to lock in your focus level when you're tired. That's why we had a bad snap. That's why we jump off sides on third and one, is you lose your attention to detail when you get tired.

So, the first way we attack that to fix it, Tuesday and Wednesday's practice this week is going to be a little bit harder. We're going to make those guys get to that tough situation, that tough moment, make you tired, and see how you respond in that situation. We had a full-on tackle drill yesterday where we brought our offensive skill players to the ground, or we missed them, and we just made our guys tackle yesterday. We're going to have another tackle drill today in practice. So, the two biggest issues we have from this past game of lack of attention to detail and tackling are going to get fixed yesterday and today.

Let me ask you. You made a comment at the game about Destin Wade, who is a very talented quarterback, but you said his feet right now are all over the place. Obviously, his mechanics are a little bit off. I know you've been working on that this week. How much progress have you made with him getting ready for, obviously, Saturday night? I feel like it was a lot. Normally, we do what's called a 707 or a skeleton period, skelly period, against our defense on Tuesday and Wednesday, where we change that and say, you know what, let's just go full-on team pass, and let's put the O-line and D-line in front of him.

I think Destin felt pressure a lot in that game that sometimes wasn't there. So, you don't like having pressure around your quarterback a lot in season, but we just had to make that decision that we're going to go roll with it and put guys in front of his face and force him in that situation. I think our quarterback drills that we're doing this week are emphasizing settling down, getting off your toes, sit back in your base, play with a wide base, don't feel pressure. Everything yesterday was based on that with our quarterback.

Let's talk about what's coming up here. Alcorn State, obviously, they got waxed in the first game by a much bigger school, Southern Miss, but then after that, correct me if I'm wrong, Coach, in the Miles game, they won 56-7. After that, in overtime, they beat Arkansas Pine Bluff 53-51. You see the message here. When they get rocking, this offense has the potential of scoring some points. Your thoughts about the matchup with Alcorn State? Alcorn's a very talented football team. We've got to strap it on and play an A game.

They're going to come in here. They've got some big guys up front. They are very talented on the perimeter. Offensively, they like to throw it around. I think their quarterback had 460 yards passing last week. They are very much kind of a tempo, air raid system. So, high-flying receivers all over the place. They'd like to play in four wide. We've got to do a good job of getting hands on receivers, knocking them off routes. We've got to do a good job of staying in the hip and man coverage, keeping eyes on the quarterback.

[10:26] Quarterback's an athlete. But we've got to get ready for tempo. That's something our defense has not had to play this year. So, this week, their emphasis was preparing for tempo, preparing for a fast-paced, hurry-up lineup, put the ball down offense. And then our offense, they are one of the more complex defenses we'll play all year. They do a lot of different things, a lot of different fronts, a lot of different coverages, which usually simmers us down a little bit. We've got to play more sound-based, fundamental football.

We've got to keep our eyes in our keys and our gap. And our quarterback's got to stay in rhythm, stay on time with his throws. I'd like to get our run game going a little bit more than it has been, take a little pressure off our quarterback. Let me ask you, I know, obviously, there are mistakes made against Southeast Louisiana, but I know some players played pretty well. Who caught your eye in the game? Xavier Johnson leads the nation in receiving points right now, which is unbelievable.

That's the first time in my career that I've had a receiver that's had that kind of statistics to start a year off. He's a big play guy. He can stretch the field. He's got great body control. He knows how to go up and attack the football. He's been kind of in a security blanket for our quarterback these first two games. So, he's won. I think Caden Adkins and Kamor Harris, both of our stars, have been really good edge players. I think Southeastern tried to minimize their impact last week, and they ran away from them a lot, tried to get the ball out quick in the passing game.

So, we've got to find ways for our edge players to affect football games in those type situations. But those are the three that are the first three that jump out in my mind. Coach, before you go, let's talk about the 12th man. The team, the program's been waiting for this weekend, but the community has two linebackers. They can't wait. Hope the weather will cooperate. What message can you tell UNA fans right now before Saturday's big game? Oh, man, this team, this community, this city, this football team is all fired up for what's about to happen this weekend.

We hope it's a packed house. It's rocking. Come be loud. Do the wave. Get excited on third downs. This football team's going to fill it. This team loves this community. This team knows that it is a part of this great community. And we want to come out with a win. We're going to do everything we can to christen that stadium with a win the first time. You only get a couple firsts in life. You get one first kiss. You get one first date. You get one first impression.

We got an opportunity for the first and only first game on campus in school history. And we've got to make the most of it. But us as a whole community, I challenge this community, this fan base to come out and do this first with us together. I heard Monday, only 800 tickets remaining. I think it will be a sellout. Listen, thank you again. You've got so many things to do this time of the week. Thank you again for coming on with us and previewing the next game.

Good luck. Get to W on Saturday night. Appreciate you guys. We're all honest. Absolutely. Right back at you. There you have it. Brent, Jeremy, what a weekend it's going to be here to the show. And what a weekend it's going to be for the game on the plains for the gate is sinking. We'll take you there next with John Fari on deck on the Boom Up Bug Show. Stay with us. Hey guys, Keith at Cypress Creek Indoor Range. Cypress Creek Indoor Range has nationally recognized state-of-the-art facilities right here in the Shoals.

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The best. Midas. The best around. From the University of Alabama, this is Crimson Tide Today. It's a daily update on Bama sports and it's brought to you by Conecuh Sausage. A true Southern flavor since 1947. Order online at ConecuhSausage.com. Hello again, everybody. I'm Roger Hoover. On Tuesday's edition of Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR, we were joined by Alabama tight end, Caleb Edwards. Turned things around, so I think we executed that great. Does that make you fired up that there really didn't seem like any panic on the sideline, even when you guys were down early?

Yeah, I think it just shows how much we trust each other and how much we back everyone on the team, especially Keelan, you know, throwing the two interceptions. But, you know, just having his back and just keeping him going and just being able to make some plays. Let's talk a little more about Keelan Russell, your quarterback. You guys are in the same signing class, getting here to Alabama at the same time. Just how did you see him approach everything this year, winning that quarterback job? Great.

Just super methodical, super into it. You know, just watching film, the way he approached practice, the way he went walkthroughs, everything. Just very professional. I'll have more in a moment. Favorite jeans, favorite shirt. Got a knick of sausage and I'm firing it up. Yeah, everybody knows how to get my grill on. You can smell that flavor up and down the road. It's a little taste of heaven and everybody knows. That's how I get my grill on. Conecuh sausage is just a little taste of heaven. Join us tonight for Hey Coach and the Kalen DeBoer Show, live from Baumhauer's Victory Grill in Tuscaloosa at 6 p.m. Central.

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[20:46] The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in and we've been waiting on this game on the planes this weekend for a while. I think John Ferrari would agree with that. He is busy down in the Sunshine State. They're at 1021news.com. W-F-O-Y. John, welcome in. How are you? Harold, we have been waiting for this game for, I think, nine months, if not longer. And I don't know what all the fuss is about some diva going to Oxford. This is about a Huntsville man going to Lee County this weekend.

That's what this is about, guys. So, a lot of excitement in Northeast Florida over this one Saturday night. You know, John, everybody knew John Summerall would probably be at this game, but a lot of folks thought he'd be rooting for the Auburn Tigers as their new head football coach. And why not? It looked like that's where the winds were blowing after coming out of Tulane. He's from Alabama, as you mentioned. Huntsville's a hotbed for Auburn. His wife is an Auburn grad. And what does he do?

He goes to Florida. When asked this week, the obvious question, will your family be rooting for you or against you? He says, basically, Florida pays my mortgage. Anybody who doesn't root for me, I don't consider them to be a part of my family. John Summerall just doesn't beat around the bush, does he? And he hits it out of the park every time, at least for what Florida fans want to hear, guys, because that's exactly what you want to hear. You don't want to hear that he has any sentimentality towards Auburn this week.

And he is practical, too, with Florida pays his mortgage. And they certainly do. So, I think this is just going to be intriguing, guys, to see how this plays out, because both these programs are kind of in the same place. We talked about this all along the way. They want to get back to their glory days. They've got first-year head coaches at their programs. And they really haven't played a big opponent yet. Nothing against Baylor. I know Auburn played them the opening game in Florida, obviously, with FAU and Campbell hasn't.

So, it'll be interesting to see on a big stage. And Florida, by the way, has not won a road game since 2024. They didn't win a road game all last year. And that was against a 2-10 FSU team that needs an athletic director. So, it's a big game for Florida, I think, on a big stage to show that they can get back to that and to see if Aaron Filo, that quarterback, can continue to run that offense as efficiently and as fluid as he has the first two weeks.

And so, Jaden Ball is obviously going to be set a lot on Saturday night. And if he can run the ball and Florida can run the ball, I think that sets up Filo and that passing game pretty well. John, I think that's going to be the key to the game. Florida's put up a lot of impressive offensive numbers. Jane Ball, one of the best running backs in the SEC, ran for 296, five touchdowns. Brunel Brown, a new punt return record, told 216 yards and three touchdowns. Wilson is 104 on five catches.

But let me ask you about the intangibles that we've talked about for years that Florida didn't have. Intensity, physicality, attention to details, winning the line of scrimmage, being sound in the kicking game. Have you seen that the first two games? I have. The second half, it got a little bit away from them last week against Campbell. But for the first six quarters, absolutely, Brett. And especially, let me start with attention to detail, because that's something that under Billy Napier the last four years has been awful, as we all know.

And then special teams, not one but two returns for a touchdown last week. Talking about intangibles, that's something that in a close game on the road in the SEC could be the difference. And you have to be able to do that once in a while. Florida hasn't been for years. Now, it was against Campbell, I get. But you better believe Auburn's going to change their hunting game. They're going to be aware of where Brunel Brown III is on Saturday night, which may open up something for somebody else.

That's the way that works. So, I think that type of stuff is very important. The other big question, Brett, for me is, defensively, we haven't seen much of a pass rush out of Florida the past two games. Now, I think the offense or defense has been pretty vanilla because of the opponents as well, because we haven't seen any packages from Brad White, the defensive coordinator. I think that's going to be a factor on Saturday night as well against Byron Brown, who Florida fans are familiar with from last September.

[26:03] I think John Summerall and Brad White are going to have something dialed up for that young man as well on Saturday night that is not on film yet. John Fari again, 1021news.com, WFOI down in the Sunshine State. John coming in, as far as the health, overall, how healthy are the Gators? Any key injuries? And Vegas says it's going to go the Gators' way. They got them favored. Last time I looked, by two and a half. Do you agree with Vegas? That surprised me, actually, Harold, because Florida hasn't had a lot of success on the road recently, as I said a moment ago.

Eric Singleton is the only key injury. Wide receiver, had a high ankle sprain, got it on the very first play against FAU, unfortunately, a couple of weeks ago. I'd be surprised if he plays Saturday. If he does, it's because it's Auburn, I can tell you, because if it was an ordinary game, I don't think you'd see him out there. Everywhere else, Florida's pretty healthy across the board, other than that one area. But even without Singleton, the playmakers Florida has. Dallas Wilson had over 100 yards receiving last week.

We talked about Burnell Brown already. Bailey Stockton, who's a guy a lot of folks don't know about, more of a possession receiver, but came over from Georgia Tech with Philo, too, has made some plays. T.J. Abrams has made some plays. So, even without Singleton, I think Florida's going to be okay in the receiving area on Saturday night. But other than Singleton, I think everybody else should be ready to go for Florida. John, what about the offensive line? I thought Florida was going to have one of the best offensive lines in the SEC last year, and it did not happen.

Harris, Moore, Lovett, Jones, and Friends. Your thoughts on the O-line's performance the first two games? I think it's been pretty good the first two games, Brett. They've been able to run the football. We mentioned Jaden Baugh. I think they've been good in pass protection as well. However, they haven't been tested. Like, they're going to be tested on Saturday night against Auburn, and especially in a hostile environment. But I think it's much better than what we've seen over the past few years. No question about that. And I think Jaden Baugh is going to get a chance to get warmed up on Saturday night, meaning he hasn't even had 20 carries a ball game yet because of the way the games have played out the first two weeks.

I think you're going to see them north of 20 on Saturday. Games like this are why John Summerall stressed the strength and conditioning as soon as he got there. And that the offensive line had to be stronger or else they weren't going to be able to compete in these type of games. And he went to Atlanta, Georgia on Christmas Eve to get Jaden Baugh back. These are the games for the reasons he did that. So, I think we're going to see that on display Saturday night. Absolutely.

Bud, always great to talk with you. This is one of the big games. I know everybody wants to look at Oxford, but this is fascinating to me as far as the result. We'll know much more about these two teams. By the way, Bud, I saw last night on ESPN the 30-30, 14 days in Gainesville where they chronicle Steve Spurrier's first season. And mirrored with that was a two-week vigil over, of all things, a serial killer who killed five students on the Florida campus. I saw most of it.

That was absolutely fascinating. If you haven't seen it yet, they'll be replaying it. But quite a way to begin Steve Spurrier's career. I think a lot of people had forgotten that over the years. But where can we get online and listen to your great show? You can get online at 1021news.com or in St. Augustine at 102.1 or 1240 WFOI. And God bless those young ladies and their families, by the way, from 1990. Brett, you're right. I'm glad ESPN did chronicle that. But, guys, one more thing on the way out.

If Florida wins on Saturday night, I think the fact that Ole Miss is playing LSU this week helps Florida next week when they host Ole Miss. Not to look ahead, but that could help John Summerall. We shall see. But first things first. There you go. Big boy football is up on us. John, listen, man. Thanks so much for your time, Dave. Let's do it again soon, okay? Thanks for having me, guys. Thank you, buddy. John Flory, 1021news.com, WFOI. Why do you say we head on down to Tietown, Alabama?

[31:16] Pretty big ballgame in the south with a team from Florida. Rodney, you're on that and more straight ahead. Stay with us. Craving authentic Mexican flavor? Dive into delicious at Hugo's Mexican Restaurant, 4164th Boulevard at the entrance to Kendall Gardens. Start off with fresh tortilla chips and Hugo's famous cheese dip. Then enjoy mouth-watering tacos, enchiladas, and, of course, Hugo's famous fajitas and more, all in a vibrant atmosphere. We're open Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday until 9 p.m. and until 9.30 on Friday and Saturday. Hugo's Mexican Restaurant, where every meal is a fiesta.

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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 Ohtani. Presented by Gusto. New episodes available now. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93-9. The score. The Atlanta Braves went to Chicago yesterday and beat the Cubs 6-3. The Braves had nine hits in the ballgame. Martin Perez got the win. He's 9-9. Braves now 89-63. Braves and Cubs back at Wrigley Field tonight. J.R. Ritchie will get the start for Atlanta.

The Falcons are at home on Sunday as they host the Panthers. Both teams are looking for their first win of the season. The Saints head to Baltimore. They'll take on the Ravens. The Ravens 1-0. New Orleans is 0-1. In college football action this week, 10th ranked Alabama is at home to take on Florida State. Knowles are 1-1. Alabama is 2-0. Auburn will host Florida under the lights Saturday. Both teams are 2-0 to start the season. Catch Braves baseball tonight as they play the Cubs in Chicago.

Joined in progress after a coach. I'm John Thayer with the Sports Flash presented by Progressive on 93.9 The Score. Business moves fast. Orders roll in. Deadlines close in. When you ship with USPS Ground Advantage, you can keep up with confidence. Every package stays in our secure network from dock to door. And with nationwide reach, dependable tracking, and upfront affordable pricing, you get built-in peace of mind. You run the business. We run the routes. Visit usps.com slash ground advantage to learn more. From the people who brought you, it's the dog park, comes…

[36:49] Is that a new bump on your dog's neck? Or is that bump just a part of his neck? Could be a bug bite. Or something way worse. Protect your dog from injury and illness with Progressive Pet Insurance. Wait, there's another bump. Right by the first bump. Premieres of Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates not available in all states or situations. Coverage subject to policy terms. Dishler Basketball will host Dinner in the Dome on Saturday, October 17th at 7 p.m. in the Dishler Dome with guest speaker, former University of Alabama men's basketball coach, Mark Godfrey.

There will be a silent auction from 7 to 7.30, along with a meet and greet with Coach Godfrey and a steak dinner that starts at 7.30. Tickets are $100 and reserved tables are $1,000 with eight tickets included. For more information, call Coach Brian Pounders at 205-246-0644. That's Dinner in the Dome at Dishler High School on Saturday, October 17th. Join us this fall on Wednesday nights for Hey Coach and the Kalen DeBoer Show, presented by Alpha Insurance, live from Baumhauer's Victory Grill in Tuscaloosa. The show starts at 6 p.m. and you don't want to miss it.

The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. It is a pleasure for us to go to the middle of heat country this weekend, they say, down in Tuscaloosa, Rodney, where I think can testify to that. He's the founder and editor of TiterInsider.com, and his book is called Bigger Than Bama. Rodney, welcome in. How are you? I am doing well. How are you, Harold? And we're doing all right. Rodney, it's safe to say after this game with Kentucky, Alabama football this season can be good and it can be bad.

It's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When's the last time you've seen a game where a team led for over 40 minutes and they end up losing by four touchdowns? That was a wild game, was it not, Rodney? Yeah, we need to figure out when that was, Harold, because I don't know that I've ever seen a game where a team led for 42 minutes and lost by that wide of a margin. But, yeah, it's pretty incredible, pretty crazy. But I think it just goes to show the difference between the first half when you turn the ball over three times and then the second half when you play much cleaner.

You play sound defense, which I thought they played defense great the whole game, but they even played better in the second half. And your quarterback doesn't turn it over three times. So, I just think that's really, they cleaned things up, and I thought they ran the ball a lot better. I mean, obviously, they ran for five yards in the first half. They ran for 150 in the second half. Ninety-three of that was in the fourth quarter. So, they did a really good job in all of those areas.

Rodney, I think the last time anything close to that may have been 19, what was it, 89? When Ole Miss kind of hit 21 to nothing in Jackson, or Oxford in Alabama scored 62 consecutive points. Obviously, a different era, different games, but that kind of reminded me a little bit of it. I've been asked the last two weeks a little bit more about the bigger picture, about the transfer portal commitments, the transfer portal players. I looked that up this morning. Rodney, there are 14 transfers that came in who are starting, or they have played a significant role on this team.

Now, they've only played two games. There's a long way to go here. But I was asked about, can this team and coaching staff evaluate and develop? And I think you can probably say, looking at the transfer guys, yes. In the 2025 recruiting class, there are 13 players starting or playing a significant role. I would say, yes, this coaching staff can evaluate players. Yeah, I mean, I think they've done a really good job of that. I mean, I think we see that. I think, you know, you look at the roster that they've built, you know, from the games we've seen.

We've seen them on the field. I think, you know, there's people that say this might be the best defense in the country. And, again, I don't know. That may be getting way ahead of the game. We'll see. I mean, there's a lot better competition to come. But, I mean, but when you see the speed, the athleticism on this defense from front to back, it's pretty impressive. Now, we said all summer, we said, you know, since last spring that the feeling inside the building was that they were going to be really, really, really good on the defensive side of the ball.

And they appear to be, I mean, like I said, front to back, really like what we've seen on that side of the ball. I think that the portal additions on the offensive line have been really good so far. Delgatti, I think Javon James has done some really nice things as well. I think when you look at Jackson Lloyd at left tackle, I mean, obviously, he's a guy that they recruited out of California that they thought was a potential first-round draft pick eventually. And we're starting to see, you know, all of those things from him now.

So, yeah, they've done a really good job, obviously, building the roster. I think you look at the running backs, too. Absolutely. Daniel Hill. Daniel Hill's done a nice job of really kind of changing himself physically. He looks a lot quicker, a lot better this year than he did last year. I think also when you look at those two freshmen, those are fantastic players. So, you know, all of these people out there, and I see it right now on tighterinsider.com, suggesting Alabama doesn't have money, they don't have this, they don't have that, to build a championship roster.

[42:19] It's a pretty good roster. You know, I think it's a really good roster that they've built. And, you know, it's a roster that you could see as it develops could certainly be a roster that puts Alabama in position to compete for championships, I would think. Rodney, or tighterinsider.com, I think the other side of that equation of the modern era is know how to evaluate fully, and that is, I don't think anybody's missing Smith and Russo. I think Ohio State may be wanting a refund on those guys leaving Alabama.

I'm going up there to the Texas game. But your thoughts about just managing that, and basically you've got to know who to add, and you've got to know the space, it's business. You've got to know who to track. 100%, Harold. 100%. You can go out and you can spend a lot of money, but if you waste money, and I'm not saying that Russo and Smith are waste, that's not what I'm suggesting, but they're on tighterinsider.com, it's about 80-90% of those posters that suggest those guys were waste.

So, going by that theory, if you're paying those guys money, are you really spending that much money? Are you getting the value in return? And I think value is where you're going with it, Harold, and I think this staff's doing a really good job with that. So, I mean, again, I think you look at teams that are spending more money maybe than Alabama is, but are they getting more value? I think that's the question. Well, look at the New York Mets. Just spending money itself doesn't do anything.

Land the Mets in the last place. But your thoughts, I mean, in some ways, you look at that first half, and I think we've been talking about this for a long time, and I think anybody that has a degree of maturity knew this was coming. When you basically throw a teenager out there, first road game, let's face it, Will Stein had that crowd, they ramped up, and a kid walked into that, and I think, first of all, he was like deer in the headlights, the first part of that game.

That's the bad side. The other side now, he knows what it's like on the road in the SEC. You couldn't put a value, speaking of money, on the experience he gained with that rough start, and to his credit, was able to sit there and once he got his wherewithal about it and settle down. I'm sorry, Harold. I kind of missed where you're going with that. I'm talking about just the lessons that Russell learned in that ball game, the rough start in that environment, his first road game in the SEC, and then once he finally got a hold of things, you can see that talent coming up once he adjusted to the reality of playing on the road in a hostile environment.

Yeah, I mean, I just think right now, Harold and Brett, with him, he's got all the tools. I mean, we saw the flashes in this game. We saw the flashes in the first game, obviously, but I thought he did a better job of hanging in there in this game. You know, he didn't bail out on the first sign of pressure. I thought he hung in there. He made some fantastic throws, incredible throws, and again, he missed some. He had some bad decisions, and, you know, he had some things that you said, Harold, he'll learn from, and he will.

So I think all of those things are really important, but the tools are there. I mean, they're obviously there. It's going to be how quickly he continues to develop. And, look, I think each one of these games coming up, Florida State games, great opportunity for him to take the next step, not only for him but for the team. And then all of a sudden you take another big step, I think, or a step up when you play South Carolina. And then you've got to go on the road to Mississippi State.

So that rounds out those first five games that we talked about all offseason. If you can get through those first five, grow, develop, you know, gain some confidence and momentum, then as you move into the next part of the schedule, starting with Georgia, I think it's on October the 10th, and then all of a sudden you might be in a good position, you know. And so we'll see how it all kind of unfolds. But I really like the way these next few games set up that will, in my opinion, give Alabama an opportunity, even though there'll be competitive games, that's what you want, but they'll give Alabama an opportunity to grow and develop and prepare for that second half of that schedule, which, you know, right now, like I said, if Alabama can go 5-0, they'll be in great position when that second half of the schedule begins.

Ronny, let me give praise to another unit, and that is special teams. I go back to the Oklahoma game in Tuscaloosa last year, and I'm sure a lot of your subscribers on the message board wanted to run Jay Nunez and Connor Talty out of town. Well, Talty's now hit 10 consecutive field goals. Quinn is kicking the ball into the end zone, and they snuffed out that fake punt by Kentucky. QB Reese, Ivan Taylor, I think those guys lost three or four yards on that play. Again, we've only got a small sample size, but special teams so far, Ronny, have looked pretty special.

Yeah, I mean, they have taken a big jump, and like you said, I think Jay Nunez, you know, I know certainly on tighterinsider.com and on various other places, social media has kind of taken a beating over the last year or so on those special teams, but they have, man. They've been really good. Yeah, that was a big play, too, you know, when they stopped that fake punt. So they've been really alert in those situations, and, you know, they did it last year against Missouri, and that was a big play in that game.

[47:38] So you're right. I mean, I think they've taken a big jump, and I think that, you know, Lorcan Quinn really came coming in, kind of challenged Talti to take it to the next level. And, you know, here's the thing with Talti, too. Don't forget, now, some people had him the number one place kicker in the country coming out of high school, so he was pretty good, too. And I do think that, again, his progress has been – I mean, he just looks – as I look at him right now, just his body language when he's kicking, he just looks so much more confident.

Ron, you weren't tighter than Saturday.com. It's amazing. We've reached this far into the interview, and we haven't talked about the revenge game. Your thoughts about Alabama and FSU this weekend? Well, I mean, you know, again, you know that they haven't forgotten what happened. The players that were here, obviously, DeBoer, and kind of the fallout after that game, even though they did respond really well, obviously. But, I mean, still, there was a lot of fallout after that game. It was crazy. It was a wild week.

And, you know, it's certainly something that you use, I would think, for some sort of motivation. And I'll say this, too. You know, let's not forget that Florida State, they're 1-1 right now. This last game that they had against SMU, they've had a little break since then. Wasn't that – that was on Labor Day night, right? I believe. Yeah, no. Yeah. But they played a really good game, actually. You know, SMU's a good football team. They really are. They're, what, 17th in the country, whatever they're ranked.

And they're a quality team. And, you know, they get beaten in the final 21 seconds of the game. I mean, it was a hard loss for FSU. The question is, you know, where are they kind of mentally right now coming into this game? This is a road game. It's obviously a lot of things going against them that, like we said, the kind of the chip on the shoulder that Alabama should have, its motivation, those types of things. So, but now when you look at FSU, Ashton Daniels, don't forget now, last year at Auburn.

That's right. He threw for 250-plus. He ran for over 100 yards as well. He had a really big game. You know, that's probably his career game to date. That's probably his career game. So, but now, look, he also won't have both those receivers that Auburn had last year, Coleman and Simmons. But he does have Deuce Robinson. And Deuce is 6'6", 230, and he's a legitimate deep threat. And he's a big physical guy. So, he's got a good receiver. They seem to be better on the offensive line. They ran the ball pretty well.

They've run the ball pretty well. And I thought, you know, Kromov, Usman Kromov, he is really a good top-notch back. He's got, you know, he's averaging 6.4 yards a carry. He's a really quality back. So, they've got some weapons offensively. You know, again, they like to run the football. That's going to be a challenge, though, because Alabama defense has been really, really stingy against the rush. You know, they've only given up, what, I think, 67 yards rushing or something in two games. That's pretty amazing, actually. So, you know, and again, Daniels is kind of, they move him around.

You know, he throws on the run well. So, it would be a little bit more of a challenge, maybe, with him than it was Minchie. But I still just think, Harold and Brett, you look at this Alabama team, they kind of seem to be gelling together a little bit. You know, he simply took a step, especially in that second half. So, I think Alabama pulls away. I picked it 31-13. I remember last year, late last year, Rodney Orr, when we were evaluating the recruiting class, said, well, we went through a lot of names.

He said, oh, by the way, this defensive back from St. Francis Academy, Jaira Edwards, watch him. And I look at the code words that Rodney Orr puts down. Have you ever seen a freshman playing with a broken arm, anticipate a snap, look like he's a missile, and knock down the quarterback and the running back at the same time? Yeah, I think he's got a little potential. Yeah, no doubt. I mean, he is a good-looking player. I know they raved about him all offseason, how mature he is, how he really took in the offseason program that they had.

You know, so he's been doing really well since he got here. And then, you know, a guy that's not playing, you want to talk about another freshman, D.B., Jordan Edmonds. That's for the future. That's for the future. But it's just clear. You look at Xavier Griffin on the field for them. You look at some of these other young players, Crowell, Treshawn Brown, you know, Jackson Lloyd's just a sophomore, Michael Carroll's just a sophomore. You know, so they've got some really good young players. Lotseer Brooks, he's just a sophomore.

Derek Meadows, he's just a sophomore. And again, you know, assuming you keep all these guys, which that's their goal, their retention is their philosophy. So, with all that said, it goes back to what we were talking about earlier. They've done a nice job of building the roster. And so, no, I'm really encouraged by, you know, not just Jairo Edwards, like you mentioned, although, you know, he's a fantastic player, but just so many of these young players that I think are really talented. Ronnie, this could really be quite a team in 2027.

[53:02] Everybody says, wait, wait, wait, wait. We've got a long way to go in this season. But if they can keep these guys, they've got to pay them some money. This could be quite a team next year. Always enjoy the conversation. Tieter Insider TV, 24-7 message board, interviews, coaches, players. Where can we get online and get all the great stuff for nominal price? And still, where can we jump on and get the book? Right. It's TieterInsider.com. It's only $48 a year. You can get instant access right now with your credit card.

If you prefer, there is an address there to send a check. That gives you all our premium information. Or you can go on the Tieter Insider All Sports Forum right now and you can learn that Alabama doesn't have enough money to compete. Whatever you want to argue about. That's what they're debating now. But all of that, and then, of course, Bigger Than Bama, our book, you can go to RodneyOr.com or you can go to Amazon. Either place, you can find it there. You mean fans fuss.

I ran breaking news. Rodney, listen, man, stay as cool as you can down to this weekend. And thanks for your time today. Okay, guys. Appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you, buddy. RodneyOr, founder and editor, TieterInsider.com. And again, the book is called Bigger Than Bama. Coming up in the next hour, double day, Drew Jarman is going to be on board. Joe Cox sitting at the table around the SEC in a high-flying falcon with the name of Coach Kenny Morrison all straight ahead. Here's the Bama Bug Show.

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Irons Electric is deeply rooted in the Florence High School tradition and is happy to be a part of many past projects, including the band room. Irons Electric Company was voted the number one electrical contractor in 2023. Our professional team on staff and master electricians provide the expertise to make sure your project is installed per code to operate safely and flawlessly. From small residential jobs to large commercial projects, call Irons Electric at 256-766-3870. You won't be shocked by their reputation. 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. Head for the mountains of Bush. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2026 Sennheiser Bush Bush Light Beer, St. Louis, Missouri. 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. Professional Power Plays brought to you by Propane. Okay team, America's energy security is on thin ice. Overburdened electric grid. Rising costs. Severe weather. You could stick with the grid and ride it out.

Do nothing and hope the problems go away. Or, here's your Power Play. Propane. Affordable, abundant, safe. Propane is reliable energy even when the grid isn't. Advantage Propane. Learn more at propane.com slash Power Play. The home of the Atlanta Braves for Northwest Alabama and Southern Tennessee. 93.9. The score. 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. I checked Allstate first and saved hundreds on my car insurance. Unfortunately, I didn't check the heat level on the wings at the tailgate first. These are pretty good. Those are the fried infernos. Almost took out Donya over there.

[58:02] Why weren't they labeled? They were. Milk. Yeah, checking first is a win. So check Allstate first and you can save hundreds. We all have those house projects we've been avoiding. And cleaning out gutters is usually last on the list. But when heavy rain sends water spilling over and soaks the ground around your foundation, you're going to wish you tackled it sooner. Don't wait for something like clogged gutters to turn into bigger, more costly home repairs. Let the pros at LeafFilter handle your gutters for you. With LeafFilter, you get a free gutter inspection and a no-obligation estimate.

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1819 News. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville is calling for the deportation of Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. Tuberville referred to Omar's connections to the large-scale fraud that was conducted in the state of Minnesota and says that issue alone should be cause enough for her to be deported back to Somalia. One of Omar's congressional staffers has already been convicted for taking part in this fraud. Tuberville says that Omar has openly supported communism as well as represented people in her district who have gone on to steal millions of taxpayer money from federal programs.

Tuberville says that even though the U.S. immigration system is broken, it's not so broken that Omar and liars and frauds like her cannot be removed from the U.S. I'll be back with more Alabama stories after this. Some of the greatest blessings is just having the people that care about you, to have someone that's just going to love you and make you feel important. They encourage you to be in church. They encourage you to be in prayer. They encourage you to be in your Bible.

Now it's a part of my day every day. My house parents planted seeds in me that you can see where those seeds have sprouted in my life and helped change my life. Big Oak Ranch, a Christian home for children needing a chance. This week, the Montgomery County Commission passed a budget for fiscal year 2027 that includes half a million dollars to the Montgomery Whitewater Park. This comes despite recent comments made by certain members of the commission that they did not want to continue funding the park. Commissioners Isaiah Sankey and Dan Harris voted against the budget and Sankey specifically stated that it was because of the funding that was inserted for the Whitewater Park.

Commissioner Sankey recently told 1819 News that he and others were not interested in any more funding of the park until an audit of its finances was completed as well as more details given of its future business plans. A financial audit on the water park is due to be released this coming October 1st. I'm Andrea Theis. For more news affecting Alabamians, go to 1819news.com. And while you're there, subscribe to the daily newsletter. It's an evening with Alabama softball coach Patrick Murphy and All-American pitcher Jocelyn Briskey benefiting the Howard Gamble Scholarship for the Red Elephant Club.

Monday, September 28th at 2807 East Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals. There'll be a meet and greet at 530, dinner at 630 with speaker and Q&A session to follow. Space is limited. Get your tickets early. $25 for coaches and student tickets. $30 for adult tickets. For tickets and more information, call Robert Newton at 256-366-9616. Listen to the Crimson Tide Sports Network for Crimson Tide Rewind. Live from Romhauer's Victory Grill in the Stavie Hills, Monday nights at 6 p.m. Tune in and roll tide. Valley Broadcasting Corporation, WITK-FM, Rogersville, Athens, Decatur, The Shores, Sports Radio 93.9, The Score.

J. Jeffcoat 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 Dewey 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.

Brought to you locally by Lost Pizza, John C. Saylor, Attorney at Law, The Courier Journal, Southern Pride Pest Control, Bank Independent, and Miller's Place. 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, it's the Coach's 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 Coach's Breakfast.

Saturday mornings throughout this football season. Brought to you by Lost Pizza, John C. Saylor, Attorney at Law, The Courier Journal, Miller's Place, North Alabama Bone and Joint Clinic, Southern Pride Pest Control, and Bank Independent. This Saturday morning at 8 on 93.9, The Score. 93.9, The Score, weather. Today's sunny and hot with a high around 100, and heat index values as high as 103. A heat warning is in effect. Tonight mostly clear with a low near 70. Tomorrow, sunny and hot with a high around 100. Tomorrow night mostly clear with a low near 70.

[1:03:30] And for your Friday, 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. 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. And welcome back to the Boomo Bugg Show. Brett Beard, Harold will be joining us in just a few minutes, but I am absolutely delighted to bring in a good friend.

He talks baseball, basketball, and football. Joe Cox of Saturday Down South rejoining us for the season. Joe, welcome back to the show, my friend. How are you doing? B.B., my friend, I cannot complain. Doing fine. Hope you're doing well. We're doing all right, Joe. We appreciate you taking time out. For folks who have been waiting for big boy football amongst the family, A.A.K.A. SEC on SEC, it looks like the wait is over this weekend. And I think I know where you're going to start with this game, Joe.

Well, yeah, I mean, gosh, it's so good to finally get it back. You know, up here in Kentucky, they thought there might be one this past Saturday. And for about two and a half quarters there was. But then, you know, it went by the wayside a little bit at the end there. But, yeah, the Lane Kiffin Bowl is the game that I think is on everybody's mind. Although, I've got to admit, Florida-Auburn is another one I'm certainly going to be paying a lot of attention to.

Joe, we want to ask you about your thoughts on the, now that it's in the rear view of Mirabama at Kentucky since you live there. But have you ever seen a game with this kind of drama that's going on in Oxford? I was there after the Sugar Bowl win over Alabama over Miami. And one thing I learned, I was on the field after the game, and a lot of drunk Bama fans wanted to rush the field. And those guys on the horses down there, they don't mess around.

They had them put those zip handcuffs they ran out of, the real cuffs. They had people lined up. It looked like a pile of cannonballs at Shiloh over there. They don't mess around. They brought in the horse-mounted police from Mobile. Your thoughts just about the off-the-field drama for that game. Oh, I mean, this feels more like week three of the college football playoff than week three of the season. I mean, there is a lot here. And I will go ahead and say right now, if Ole Miss can take down Lane Kiffin in his former house, I'm not sure there's anything they can do to protect that field in Oxford.

They may have to build a new stadium before their next home game. They bring in John Wayne, the cavalry. But to add to the drama, LSU, even before the game, at the camp, LSU defensive end Princewell, I hope I pronounced this correct, Uma Miela, served with papers, court documents, going along with this lawsuit filed by Ole Miss. Ole Miss says, we ain't playing with you, boys. No, not at all. And on some level, I had to be reminded with the Phil Fulmer shuffle to avoid the litigation in Alabama over the years.

But it's been a while since we were talking about that in an SEC rivalry. So, yeah, I think everything's on the table for this. And there's going to be a lot of hostility, a lot of aggression. It's going to be a game that means a lot to both teams, obviously. Absolutely. I wonder if the LSU defense is going to be the biggest factor in the game. They're number one in total defense, only allowing 142 yards and 12 sacks. A game, Harold alluded to it. Kentucky thought that a new day had arrived with the Wildcats.

And I still say Will Stein is going to win a lot of games before he leaves. But Alabama looked like Alabama and Kentucky. In the second half, Joe, Florida State at Alabama, we know what happened last year to begin the season. Believe me, you don't need to mention that again. The times look pretty good. The line of scrimmage is tougher. The defense, amazingly, Joe, lead the nation in third down conversions, only allowing one of 23. Your thoughts, the Tide is a 20-point favorite. I think that's probably about right.

This is not a very good Florida State team. Ashton Daniels is kind of one of the scrap heap quarterbacks at this point. A subtle key for Alabama in that second half. A lot of things went right. But one of the ones that I think is most important to watch is Daniel Hill running the ball really effectively. Russell is an athletic threat for the quarterback position. But if you can get a consistent running game to support him, boy, his life gets a lot easier. And then you're going to see Ryan Coleman Williams getting open in the middle of the field.

[1:08:39] And big things tend to happen when that happens. So, yeah, I like where Alabama is sitting right now. You know, that was a take care of business second half. And if they can play that way, they're going to do a lot of good things. Joe Cox Saturday down south. Obviously, LSU and Ole Miss did a lot of national headlines. I'd love to see the number on that one after the game. But it isn't a shame that a game that's being overshadowed and it's all right would be the game on the plains.

John Somra, we were joking earlier, Joe, that he was going to be at this game. A lot of folks thought that one time he'd be on the Auburn sideline as their head coach. Now he's on the other sideline making no bones about where his allegiance is. He's following the paycheck. Your thoughts about Florida and Auburn. Two teams that basically right now, would you agree this could be what defines the team? Because so far, they've had the dress rehearsals. Now it's big boy football. Yeah, it really is.

And so for two new coaches at new schools, you know, yeah, this is your first real hardcore test. It's going to be incredibly interesting to see what they bring to the table. I mean, obviously, Auburn got a little bit better test there in week one with Baylor. But, you know, Somerol, yeah, there's some emotion there. Again, in a lot of weeks, this would be the game that we were all in. Right. It's not for that little circus down in Oxford. But I'm really interested to see Florida's offense and Auburn's defense.

I think Auburn has been pretty stout defensively from what I've been able to pick up. Again, we're all kind of guessing at this point. But, you know, Somerol is by heart a defensive guy himself. So I'm kind of curious if all these points Florida's put up really mean anything or not. And we'll find out on Saturday. Joe, we're going to find out about two other teams. One game really flying under the radar. Mississippi State, South Carolina, the Gamecocks, a seven and a half point favorite. Kamari Taylor has been absolutely incredible for Mississippi State.

They went to Minnesota and just waxed the Golden Gophers. Taylor's been playing out of his mind. I also noticed, Joe, they just look like a better team from top to bottom. South Carolina, again, Lenore Sellers, Dylan Stewart's supposed to be back, Nick Harbor. They've got players. Joe, this is an intriguing game to me. It absolutely is an intriguing game. And one where I think State really has a very good chance of pulling the upset for all the reasons you just said. Look really good at Minnesota so you're on the road again.

And really, they've got to get it. Jeff Libby, to have any kind of a season, they've got to get it early because they hit October. And you go Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas in October. That's going to be a rough month. So September, you know, you've got to go ahead and get some hay in the barn if you're Mississippi State. And I think South Carolina's vulnerable. They've got a lot of talent. They've put up a bunch of points against bad teams. But I've never been a huge buyer in the Lenore Sellers market.

And I wouldn't be surprised for State to scramble things up enough to pull the upset. So let's talk about your neighbors. Obviously, a lot of emotion last week. Kentucky taking on Alabama. And let's face it, you can love Alabama, you can hate them. But they sell tickets and they sell emotion. That was a ramped up crowd. Beautiful day. Other people missed their forecast again before that game as far as game day. Your thoughts about what's your evaluation of Kentucky and the challenge of coming off a big game with that much emotion at home.

And now you're going on the road to a top eight team at Texas A&M. Yeah, it's going to be tough. That's a tough place to play for anybody, any time. You know, for Will Stein, it's really a long game thing. I think this season is not probably going to be any great shakes. The schedule's tough and the cupboard was pretty empty with what he inherited. But he's got to give people enough reason to stay with him for year two, year three, year four. And a lot of that's recruiting.

They were very active in that. They had a bunch of kids there to see that Alabama game, which, you know, seemed maybe an iffy proposition to me. Do you want to bring somebody in to see you get kicked around a little bit? But from what the tea leaves we're able to read these days with kids, it seemed to leave a bunch of kids impressed. A bunch of kids, I guess, came away thinking, well, you know, for two quarters they hung in there. Maybe if they had a few more guys like me, they could put the third and fourth together.

You had a good article about predicting after two games the teams in the SEC, their season record. Alabama 10-2, Georgia 10-2, Texas 10-2, Texas A&M 9-3, Tennessee 8-4, Auburn and Florida 7-5, and you mentioned Kentucky at 4-8. Right now, Joe Cox, those numbers look pretty good. Yeah, that's, you know, just trying to keep a finger on the pulse and see where it's going. I will admit, shuffled a few things around from week one. I was more impressed with Alabama than I thought I'd be, and I still didn't think they'd have a lot of trouble getting the win.

[1:13:53] But they stood out, and, you know, Texas obviously proved a few of us wrong. It didn't look good for the first three quarters or so, but sometimes it's how you finish and not how you start. Absolutely, and you've got Auburn and Florida at 7-5. Well, listen, you know how much, Harold, and I enjoy talking ball with you. Great to catch up with you again. Where can we get online and get all of your stuff and the teams? We'll be checking in on Saturday down south. That weekly feature, it is, you know, fresh and clean every week.

So, if I'm wrong about the way things stand, I get another mulligan on Monday. So, check that one. And then I try to do a viewer's guide just to remind everybody what games are on, when they're on, where they're on. Help you play in your Saturday for most efficiency. Joe, it's always good to catch you with you. Thanks so much. Let's do it again soon, okay? Let's do that, guys. Take care. Thank you, bud. Joe Cox, Saturday down south, coming up. He is high up in the sky right now, high-flying falcon.

Coach Kenny Morrison, next. Stay with us. 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? Or are we going to nail the carne asada and the brisket and pack the coolers with ice-cold Budweiser and Bud Light? Because that's the difference between winning and losing, between flipping burgers and grilling like a pro. This summer, grill like a pro with Bud and Bud Light. Stock up today. Anheuser-Busch Budweiser and Bud Light Beer, St. Louis, Missouri.

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Call 256-760-1581 for more information or to register. That's the Women Life and Feeding America Fight Hunger charity golf tournament from Blackberry Trail Golf Course, Monday, October 12th. What's happening this week in college football? The Lindy's Football Report has the answers. 30 minutes of college football discussion on the biggest matchups of the week. Concise, engaging, accurate. With opinions thrown in from some of the most knowledgeable reporters in the business. The Lindy's Football Report. Check it out. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in.

It is an absolute pleasure for us to open the door and say hello to the highest flying falcon. Anyway, Coach Kenny Moore. Coach, welcome in. How are you? I'm doing great. Thanks for having me on. Hey, Coach. You're more than welcome, Coach. Congratulations. You've done something that Brent and I could never do in school, and that is after the midterm report card comes back, you get an A. Congratulations. I don't see how the start of the season could have gone much better for you, Coach. It's been a good start for sure.

We've got a long way to go still. Let's talk about that start. But, obviously, not only are you unbeaten at this point, it's against a very, very challenging schedule. Talk to us about your team and the journey to this point of the schedule. You know, this journey started the day after the season last year when it was all said and done. We felt like numbers related that we might be dropping to what was 6A, which is now 5A. We thought we had a shot to get into this region, and, you know, we started then that it's time to go to work.

We didn't take any time off. You know, a lot of times coming out of a season, you'll give them some time off going into Thanksgiving. The Monday after the playoffs, we were in the weight room, and we didn't come out of the weight room until – well, we still hadn't come out of the weight room, but as far as our structured program, it was June 1 before we took a break. We didn't do spring training. We went with the fall, early fall, so we could do a jamboree, and the main thing was to stay in the weight room during May and to keep lifting heavy, and it's paid off for us.

Absolutely. Coach, let me ask you about a play that a lot of people overlook that may be one of the biggest plays of the season to date. It was against Melissa Scholes, and you ended that 10-game losing streak to them. There was a high snap, I believe, in the second quarter that went back to the end zone, and I know everybody in the stadium said, well, this is about to be a safety. Tagon Williams ran back, scooped up the ball, and somehow beat Melissa Scholes defenders to the pylon and got the ball out of the end zone.

That would have resulted in a safety and a free kick to Melissa Scholes, and they would have had probably very good field position. I know he had the winning touchdown, 56 yards, but plays like that can make an incredible difference in the season. It was a game-changing, season-changing play, and we always say that a game can be determined five to seven plays each ball game, but if you look at this one play, a safety, they get the ball in favorable field position. You never know, they go down and score an extra point.

[1:24:11] It's nine to nothing. I see it. And in that game was an insurmountable amount. We felt like that the first team scored was the one that was going to win, and we were just tickled to death. It was us. But, yeah, it was a high snap. I'm not sure exactly. It might have even been third quarter. I'm not real sure exactly the time. But instead of falling on it, he picked it up and turned around, and they had us surrounded. There were about four guys there that were ready to make the play, and he just would not be denied coming out of that end zone.

And I've said it in several news things that, you know, you get running backs, and you're going into the end zone, and they're diving to get in and reaching the ball across the goal line to score. He did the reverse of it to get out and reach the ball just across the goal line, just broke the plane to put us at about the six-inch line coming out, and we were able to be able to punt coming out from there versus kicking from a safety. So phenomenal play, game-changing.

Who knows? That's a – you know, I feel good about what Muscle Shoals will probably do the rest of the way. They're a phenomenal team, and, boy, they got team speed. They got a good football team, and they're – that game could have decided a lot in the region standings for sure as this thing progresses, but we all got a long way to go. Lawrence Highhead football coach, Katie Morrison, including what's the biggest game of the year because it's always the next game, and that's taking on the Red Raiders from Decatur.

Got a proud program. Your thoughts about taking on Decatur this week? Well, as y'all probably know and remember, I spent 22 years there with Jerry Adcock. And, you know, I was the offense coordinator there for 20 of those 22 and raised my kids there. It was a special place for our family and a special place for me as a coach. It really catapulted my career being with Coach Adcock, and I wouldn't be in the seat I am today without him and without that community and the support they showed us over there.

So I've got much love, much respect for them until about 7 o'clock Friday night, and that'll obviously change just for those few hours. But, yeah, it's next game, it's homecoming for us. Oh, my goodness, I don't even want to get into that, what this week's been like. And it's like that for every head coach, but it's not been fun. And it's just Wednesday, so we've got a lot more to go with that. They've got a bonfire tomorrow night, 6.30, and a parade on Friday. So there's a lot to go in this homecoming week.

But, yeah, we're excited about the ballgame. I keep telling our guys our main concern needs to be 7 o'clock Friday night and let everybody else enjoy this homecoming week. And I'm pretty sure they've had enough fun all the way to this point. It's time to put the fun aside. It's game time coming up soon. Let me ask you about defending the wing tee. I call Daryl Higgins a rustle ball, the Yoda of wing tee. Taurus Davis has been running wild. I saw Russell and Dasher the first game of the season.

He ran for about 170 yards in that game. He ran for 129 in the first half, but your defense made adjustments and held him to only 32 yards in the second half. And you got out, I believe, to a 35-14. They scored late. But talk about defending the wing tee and the job your defense did in the second half. Well, first off, as I mentioned a minute ago, 20 years as offense coordinator, and I've been on that side of the ball my entire life. So, I won't take any credit for what went on with that stopping that wing tee.

And you called him the Yoda. I got great respect for Daryl. Coach Higgins and I went to high school together, played ball together, a great friend of mine. Love him to death. And he's doing a great job of that program. But we got the wizard on our side, as the kids call him. Harold Wisdom is our defensive coordinator. And the kids have nicknamed him the wizard. But he and that defensive staff got together. And I had to go outside after I talked to the team. Everybody said, boy, you probably gave them one heck of a speech, and you chewed them out at halftime.

I didn't, really. I went there and said, guys, settle down. We're okay. We just got to tackle them. You know, we tackle them, make them snap it again, and not give up a big play. They've got us on two big plays, and let's just keep playing. And so, I turn around, and I'm splitting up the offense-defense half. I can't find the defensive staff. I had to go outside, and I said, guys, we're meeting with our team. They said, we're coming, coach, right now. We're just getting a game plan together.

[1:29:18] And so, they used up every bit of that halftime to get the plan ready. But to be honest, Coach Wisdom went in there and told them the same thing. Guys, the scheme's there. We're just not doing what we're coached to do. Stick with the scheme. Stick with what we're supposed to do and tackle. And we did that, and our guys responded really well. And, you know, it wasn't rocket science. You know, everybody thought we came up with some phenomenal game plan at halftime. All we talked about was blocking from the offensive standpoint, hold on to the football, and tackle on the defensive side.

Absolutely. Not a hard concept. Listen, congratulations again on the 4-0 start. Wish you the best of luck against Decatur. Hopefully, we can do this again with you soon. Absolutely. Thank you for having me on. Go Falcons. Thank you so much. There you have it. You know, BB, the word is, if you search long enough, you'll find one Harold that's full of wisdom. And I think Coach Morrison made the right choice. Coming up, it's time to go to the Double D Show. Drew DeArma and I and Jack, stay with us.

Hey, guys. This is Mark down at Warehouse Tackle. So we offer the best fishing tackle and outdoor supplies in the Shoals area. We're located on 417 East College Street. Our phone number is 256-980-0951. And you can find us on the web at www.warehouse-tackle.com. Come and see us. We're proud to be a sponsor of Florence Falcons football. And we wish Coach Morrison and the team good luck to you in your season. Getting the kids to practice on time. Remembering if it's your day to bring snacks.

Making it to the game with a clean jersey. Why are simple things sometimes so complicated? Thankfully, with auto owners, insurance doesn't have to be one of them. Auto owners works with independent agents who answer when you call. So you can worry about more important things. Like whether your kid is going to run toward first or third base. That's simple human sense. Hennigar, Johnson & Layton Insurance. 120 East 5th Street, Tuscumbia. Or call 256-383-3400. 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?

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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. I checked Allstate first and saved hundreds on my car insurance. Unfortunately, I didn't check the heat level on the wings at the tailgate first. These are pretty good. Uh, those are the fried infernos. Almost took out Donnie over there. Why weren't they labeled? They were. Milk. Yeah, checking first is a win. So check Allstate first and you can save hundreds. Voiced by paid actor.

Potential savings vary. Subject to terms and availability. Allstate North American Insurance Company and affiliates. Northbrook, Illinois. This is Kenny Morrison, head football coach of the Florence Falcons, and you're listening to 93.9 The Score. This is the story of the one. The shipping manager who's there before the first truck backs in and the first pallet is loaded. Coordinating schedules, clearing bottlenecks, keeping freight moving. He counts on Grainger for the industrial-grade products he needs to stay ready. From shipping supplies to PPE to hand tools. So when the doors roll up, he's ready to roll.

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Investors. Kalshi products are not available in all jurisdictions. Prizes, values, and available markets may differ from those mentioned. For more information, see Kalshi.com slash regulatory. Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93.9. The score. In college football action on Saturday, the Alabama Crimson Tide are back home as the Tide hosts Florida State. Florida State's 1-1. Alabama's 2-0. Alabama's 2-0. Bama ranked number 10. Auburn Tigers are home under the lights at Jordan-Hare Stadium. They'll take on the Florida Gators Saturday night. Both the Gators and the Tigers are 2-0 to start the season.

[1:34:35] Troy Trojans are on the road. They'll head to 20th ranked Missouri. Both teams are currently 2-0 on the season. South Alabama will host Ohio at Hancock-Whitney Stadium. Both teams are currently 1-1. North Alabama will play on campus for the first time in program history in the grand opening of Bobby Wallace Field at Bank Independence Stadium. They'll host Alcorn State Saturday night. Catch Braves baseball tonight as they play the Cubs in Chicago. Joined in progress after a coach. 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? $10. The $10 bucket of the day deal. Every weekday. Only at KFC. It's finger-lickin' good. Prices and participation vary. Supplies last not available on third-party ordering platforms. Tax extra. In business, there's the easy way with staples or the hard way. Hard means… Hey, did you proof the signs before having them printed?

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The show starts at 6 p.m., and you don't want to miss it. Roll Tide. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9, The Score. Welcome back in. Time to say hello to Double D. Drew Yarman. He's host of Talking Ball. That's what's 97.7 FM, The Zone. Drew, welcome in. How are you? I'm good, guys. How are you? Hey, bud. Man, we're doing all right. Getting into some serious, as we say, down south football this weekend. Want to take a look at that. But a little bit of a sneak peek back through the first two games.

Drew, what have we learned about Alabama and Auburn through two games? Well, I mean, I think Alabama's played well defensively. Auburn, you can say the same thing. Certainly, they both played pretty well on that side of the ball. I think Alabama has run the football much better than a year ago, and they've had some injuries like Mike Carroll on the offensive line, so they've been able to work through that. Auburn ran the ball much better against Southern Miss, but, you know, as I've said on Talking Ball, this isn't, you know, Curly Hallman or Jeff Bowers, Southern Mississippi.

No, that's bad. They've had some pockets of success, and, you know, and it's tough that Charles Huff left them in a year, but, you know, they're not what they used to be from a program standpoint. But Auburn did what they were supposed to do. They beat them soundly, you know, and they ran the football really, really well. So, I think hopefully that will help build some confidence. They didn't turn it over, but I think both teams are still trying to kind of gain their confidence at the running back position, you know, and I think Alabama, from a running back standpoint, I think Daniel Hill has shown the improvement hope that everybody had hoped he had shown, and he's certainly done that and been, you know, an outstanding performer with that 100-yard game against, I think, a pretty good Kentucky team.

I still think they're probably in the bottom third of the SEC, but still, I mean, they're not a bad football team, and you're playing them on the road. Right. And so, we certainly will see going forward what's going to happen with them. But I thought Alabama ran the ball well. Now, I will say the first half bothered me. I didn't think it was called very well by the offensive staff. I thought, honestly, that, you know, really with Keelan Russell being a first-year starter, and I know, look, their M.O. is to put a lot on the quarterback and be very aggressive, but I just felt like you're going on the road in the SEC.

It's a very hostile environment. We knew what Will Stein was trying to create, and I think he did create it at the start of the game. I just felt like when you're, even with, and especially with Mike Carroll being out, and you had to kind of shuffle a little bit, and you had, you know, certainly, you know, you had some shuffling at the guard spot, you know, and certainly, I thought that Alabama settled into the game in the second half, but I just felt like, overall, when you had to shuffle the guards along the offensive line, and you didn't, you know, and you had a young quarterback, I just really felt like, overall, what they should have done is they should have come out, established the line of scrimmage, got the offensive line comfortable, got the running game comfortable, and if they'd have done that, I think they would have pulled away from Kentucky sooner, because really, I felt like the turnovers is what kept Kentucky in the game, and some dubious officiating, but I really think that Alabama's defense was lights out all night.

[1:39:58] They've been really good the first two games, and the one aspect, and look, man, I also said it on your show, and I've said it on mine, I've racked Freddie Roach over the Coles, but I think, you know, the Devin Tompkins addition, Kendrick Bingley-Jones, certainly Terrence Green definitely helped their defensive line room, no question about it, and I think, you know, and then Jay Nunez, who I was very critical of last year, at times with the special teams, and especially the way they melted down against Oklahoma, I think that, you know, he's done a great job, the special teams, is kind of an aspect of the squad, nobody's really talking about a ton, but I think they've been lights out the first two games as well.

You're exactly right. Let me ask you about the offensive line. According to the head man, Michael Carroll, should return at right guard against Florida State. Therefore, the question, D2, who's going to play left guard, or start at left guard? Will Sanders or Mal Waldron? Well, I mean, I think Will Sanders, by the end of camp, even though I think both of them kind of suffered minor injuries toward the end of fall camp, but I think Will Sanders, you know, because this coaching staff is usually very transparent with their, you know, with their position battle situation.

I think Sanders had finally gotten healthy, they thought, and then was going to win that left guard slot in a very, very close battle, even though Mal Waldron was one of the, you know, the stories of camp and had done a great job. But I think really what happened is, once again, Sanders got a little nicked up, he had an oblique, he struggled in that first half against East Carolina. So that opened the door for Waldron, who played well and did a good job. And then I think, you know, they were confident that, and I think that's why they didn't do as much shuffling as they could, because I'll be honest, the first info I got after Carroll was ruled out with a concussion is that they were going to go, you know, with Mal Waldron at right guard, and then William Sanders, Will Sanders at left.

And so that would have moved two spots, but I think they decided, and probably wisely, okay, you know, Waldron has been playing left guard pretty much all camp. We're going to put him there, not move him, and then we're going to put Will Sanders in the right guard slot. And then, but I will say, I thought Waldron struggled some during the game. He did get beat for a sack. I think Sanders is healthier now, played well. If you had to ask me and guess, I would guess that Will Sanders would get a slight nod at left guard.

We might see both of them play. Wouldn't be surprised if we did. But I think Will Sanders will likely get the start, and Mike Carroll will be back at right guard. But I will, as I said at the start of the segment, though, Alabama came out and struggled, and I think some of that with the operational stuff with the quarterback, I think, you know, Keelan was struggling a little bit, you know, getting in and out of plays. His eyes were slow. And then, you know, with the RPOs, they've got to learn, he's got to learn that you don't have to keep it every time.

Either you throw it or you run it. Just see it with your eyes, and when it opens up, if there's a hole there for that back, you keep it in his chest and you run the football. And I think they're trying to make that point, certainly. But, you know, it'll come with more playing time. Hopefully, he's going to go through his progressions quicker. And I will say, and you guys watched the second half. The second half was a beat down, and I thought it was a good sign because I'm worried about this coaching staff making adjustments at times, but they did seem to adjust in the second half.

They started being more intentional running the ball. And then, you know, and then when they did that, those RPOs opened up for Keelan to throw the football. That's why his first touchdown pass of the year to Rico Scott in the back, the end zone was so easy, because Alabama had run the football. Once you start running the football, it makes life easier for a quarterback. And I thought Keelan settled down in the second half. And when you only have one penalty, no turnovers, and he's making plays with his feet and with his arm.

With that running game and that improved offensive line, and then a defense that looks like it's a top 10 caliber unit, maybe top five in the country, Alabama's going to be tough to handle. I was going to say, it's pretty basic formulation, not just run the dang ball, do your blocking, do your tackling. And let's face it, this defense right now through two games, statistically, it's got this fan base fired up. But let's take a step back and see the route to the competition. Is it a legit defense going forward when the schedule toughens up?

Well, I mean, and I know some people are going to say that East Carolina lost 27-24 to Appalachian State, and Appalachian's usually pretty good. And then certainly, and I've already mentioned it to you guys earlier in the segment, that while I think Will Stein is going to do a good job at Kentucky, I still would probably, I would put them in the bottom third of the league. So it was obvious to me that they were much better than Kentucky, but they beat them soundly, and they beat, you know, East Carolina soundly.

[1:45:15] So I think the defense, the biggest thing that my eyes tell me, guys, is that the front seven is much better. You know, I'll just say this, you may have already had other people on your show point this out, but I was watching the Texas-Ohio State game. Thank you. And I didn't really see James Smith or Quay Russo do anything. No, no, no, no. And so, and Yonsei Pierre beat out Quay, and then James Smith made some plays in his career, but he was about 50-50.

And, you know, if hindsight's 50-50, as Pat Dye used to say, you're in trouble. So, I mean, at least in football. So I think they've upgraded, bringing in those transfers. I think they're, and then, to me, another aspect of this football team, and I've told you on your show, it's probably my biggest question on defense going into fall camp, is the linebacker court is much faster than it was a year ago. I mean, Caleb Woodson is a stud. He controlled that game, and he was as good in pass coverage as he was rushing.

And he was really, he got, he had two sacks, he did a good job of, you know, in dropping back in coverage. He was called for a hold one time, still never saw it, don't really know where it came from unless it was FanDuel. But anyway, I just, I thought he looked really good. And then Mets, I told you guys that I've been watching and tracking him. This is the summer. He definitely looks like an upgrade. And Justin Jefferson had a good year last year, but he's big, he's fast, very instinctive.

That pick six was huge. And in settling everything down and getting Alabama back in the game, and then QB Reese was big on that fake punt. So I think their linebacker core, and then you've got Yonse, Justin Hill. I just think overall, it's a better looking unit. The front seven looks much better. And you already know what you have with the secondary, because there are some people worried because they were down three corners. But I tried to tell them that Chuck McDonald, you know, was up to the challenge, Red Morgan.

They've got a lot of personal pieces, and I don't think they missed anybody at all. It'll be great to get Jordan Edmonds back. But Zion will be back this week, too. He was sick. But I think the secondary is outstanding. And I just think overall, when you look at all three levels of this defense, if they stay healthy and continue to work, the pass rush organically and then blitzing looks much better, I think this has got a chance to be a special defense. Absolutely. Yeah, the Huskies were impressive.

Red Morgan, 39 snaps. Chuck McDonald, 19. Could we see A.K. Deer and Noah Rogers by the South Carolina game? I would be surprised if we don't. I'm going to be interested to see if maybe we might even see maybe Noah play a few snaps this weekend. I don't know. I know that they're both getting a lot closer to being back. Jaira Edwards, by the way, is a cyborg. Yes. He broke his arm. I mean, I broke my arm when I was a kid. And I didn't have to have, like, a pen put in it.

I mean, I'll tell you guys, it's probably the most pain I've ever felt in all my life. But my doctor jerked mine back into place. It was a complete break. But he jerked it back into place with just a little bit of sedative there. And, of course, and then I recovered, but it took six to eight weeks. For him to be back in three weeks and have to have surgery is unreal. And then, you know, some friends of mine who were watching the game, the blitz he had in the stop, he was so fast.

That's right. The first two things that went through my mind were two Coach Bryant quotes from his coach's show years ago where you're out to practice early. Bingo, that's a goody. Yep. I mean, you know, and you've got to understand, he's barely played. So his role will continue to increase. But he's a tremendous talent. And I just think, overall, if they can get A.K. Deer back, you know, the odd man out is kind of Kevin Riley. He's not getting a lot of reps. But when you look at it, I would think, guys, I don't know the exact snap count, but I thought I saw where, you know, E.J. Crowe only played three snaps and he touched the ball every time.

So I'd like to see him touch it more. I'd like to see Brown touch it more. And then you're talking about A.K. Deer. Certainly, that's going to push Daniel Hill. But I just think you can't really even compare the running back room from last year. I think it's much, much better. You know, A.K. Deer knows what he's doing now. He's a talented kid. And you've got two great freshmen. And then you've got an improved offensive line. But you need to play off of that.

That needs to be your identity. And you need to help Keelan Russell, you know, come along and gradually get better. And I think this is a good opportunity because I don't think this Florida State defense is very good. I've watched them in their two games, especially the SMU game, and they gave up nearly 600 yards. I don't think they're great along the lines of scrimmage. And so, if I'm Alabama, I'm coming out trying to establish the run, and then I'm trying to make, you know, Ashton Daniels beat me.

[1:50:28] I've got to stop Cromo because he is their one guy that I think is a true weapon, and they need to stop him. And if they do that, I think Alabama can cover and win this game going away. All right. They will know by the late afternoon, about the time the Auburn game gets rocking, the pride of Huntsville, Jon Sumrall. What's going to happen? What's going to be the final score Saturday night down the plains? Well, I mean, I like Florida in the game, but I think it's going to be a close one because, you know, one thing with John's team, I've watched them some, and I don't think this is a defense down the road.

Down the road, I think his defense will be much better. I guess that's what I'm trying to say. They needed to change the culture there a little bit. I know their defense was pretty good a year ago, but I think he's changing some things schematically and probably needs, you know, a talent infusion somewhat and continue to get, quote-unquote, his guys in. And I think Auburn will be able to run the football a little bit. I've seen that happen in the first two games to Florida. And for both of these teams, it's going to be a big time up in competition.

That's right. I won't say Auburn has at least played a good Baylor team. I think Baylor's pretty decent, and it's better than either team Florida's played. So, somewhat, Auburn should be ready for this. I think it's going to be a really close football game. But if I had to pick a score, Alabama game, I picked 49-10. I picked a beat down in that game. I think they match up really well with the Florida State, and they already know Ashton Daniels. In the Auburn-Florida game, I know last I saw it was two-and-a-half for Florida, I think.

Well, I would have Florida cover, but it would be about a half a point. I think it's going to be a pretty – like a 23-20 type ball game and go down to the latter part of the fourth quarter, and Florida will make one more play. But I just think – my basic issue is this. I think so far I've been really impressed with Philo, but he's going to have to prove it against a better defense. But I do know this. I don't care how good your defense is.

Jaden Ball is a stud, and I think he's the difference. I think he's a little bit better than Cobb, and with him being the best player on the field, I think Florida will find a way to get John Summerall a big win, but it's going to be a great football game. Absolutely. D2, I always enjoy the conversation. My friend, look forward to seeing you on Saturday. Where can we get online and get you and listen to you and Scott? Well, you can certainly connect with me at DrewD977ESPN.

I've been asked to vote in many a podcast link over the last two or three days as the Nigerians try to take my account back. But I'm not falling for that this time, so they're not going to get my account back, hopefully. So I have my DrewD977ESPN that you can connect with me on. Certainly, you can also connect with us at 977ESPN.com to listen to the show online, or if you want to go on WCZN-TV, which is our YouTube channel, we certainly enjoy the conversation there.

You can watch us live, and if you miss it, you can watch it there. Or if you want to go back and listen to the show in your car, you can go to 977ESPN The Zone on SoundCloud and listen to it there. We post everything after the show. And, of course, we're on 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday, and a lot of great conversation. It's going to be a really interesting week of SEC football, especially under the radar, South Carolina and Mississippi State, because one of those two teams is going to – especially if the Bulldogs in the maroon and white win it, I'm telling you, that road trip for Alabama in three weeks is looking a lot more difficult than it did when everybody just assumed it was going to be a rout, you know, during SEC media days, because Camario Taylor is the real deal.

Yeah. Drew, man, thanks for your time today. Safe travels over the next few days, and let's do it again soon, okay? Absolutely, guys, and go Brewer-Hicklin. One for three last night. There you go. Double D, Drew DeArman, 97.7 FM The Zone. Busy night here on 93.9 The Score. Hey, coach, and then the Braves and the Cubs. By the way, BB, the Braves can clinch a postseason burst with a win and a loss by either the D-backs or Padres tonight. Yeah, J.R. Richie pitching night. They won 6-3 last night doing what they do best, hit three two-run homers.

Kick back and enjoy. It's going to take care, Biz, for now. On behalf of BB, Greg, James, Blair, the entire crew here. Perel Buck, thank you just so much for your time today. Let's do it again tomorrow at noon to two for the Boom on Buck Show. Back here on Sports Radio 93.9 The Score.