UNA Football Night @ Lost Pizza w/Benjamin Ray 10/27/25

[0:00] It's time for UNA Football Night from Lost Pizza. For the next hour we'll go in depth as we talk to your University of North Alabama Lions. UNA Football Night from Lost Pizza is brought to you by Lost Pizza Shoals, Burnley Spine & Sport, Singing River Brewery, Alabama Health Guidance, Renaissance Eye Care, Turbo Coffee, and Brown Equipment Company. Live from Lost Pizza in historic downtown Florence, here's the voice of the Lions, Benjamin Ray. Happy Monday and welcome to another night of UNA Football Night here at Lost Pizza Shoals. Benjamin Ray, Mike Ezekiel with you.

And Mike, what an unbelievable crowd. I've heard multiple people say it already tonight. There is nowhere to sit. It is a jam-packed house here on this cold, rainy Monday night. You know, I think we're getting to the point here at Lost Pizza. If you don't get here by 6.30, you're not going to get a seat. So everybody's coming early and they're ready to go. A lot of people already have their food because they got here so early. So really good to see a great crowd. And we've had non-stop great crowds throughout the year.

Kudos to Chuck and his staff here. They do such an awesome job. They've been so welcoming. We started with the basketball show last year. It's rolled into football this year. And I'm all years of doing this. This has been the best place we've had a coaches show. So it's been a whole lot of fun. Yeah, not to mention the good food, man. I love Lost Pizza. The chicken spaghetti, by the way, that's kind of been on my mind today with the queso in it. Chicken spaghetti is a winner today.

We might have to dig into that a little later. North Alabama is coming off of a tough loss to Austin Peay last week. We're trekking west this week. We're going to fly out Friday to St. George, Utah. We've been to Cedar City twice. We've been to BYU once. Now we go to our third place in Utah in the last five years. Kind of crazy to think a conference game coming up in St. George. But Utah Tech coming up this weekend. And Mike, the first thing that jumps out is you see Utah Tech 1-7, but nobody feels that way about them. They've played some really close games this year.

Yeah, you look at strength of schedule, and I know over the last two or three years we've looked at North Alabama strength of schedule in the top 20. Well, this year Utah Tech is number two. Portland State's the only other team in the Massey ratings with a tougher strength of schedule. And that goes – they played the number seven team in the nation to open the year. Number 19 team in the nation after that. Northern Arizona, the other – the NAU, not UNA. Number eight, Idaho was their third game. So three back-to-back opponents that were in the top 20 to start the year.

Then they had Northern Iowa, who wasn't ranked, but perennially a great program. Kurt Warner, all the history there. And then, of course, the UAC is just stacked and loaded. And all four of their games, they've had some tough ones here and there, but Central Arkansas, that one came down to the wire. But they're looking to snap a skid. They're at home. It's a big one for them. And they've played a lot of challenging opponents. We're going to talk to Coach Deerman about some of the geography challenges out west as well as we get set to make the cross-country trek.

Mike, it is end of October. November will be here in just a couple of days. And with that comes the wonderful crossover time in athletics. And for the University of North Alabama, it's championship week. Soccer's in the ASUN championship tournament this week, Thursday, up in Nashville. They'll play Jacksonville in the opening round. Cross-country opens up with their championships on Friday morning down in Jacksonville, Florida. Brian Bett looks to defend his championship from a season ago. And it feels like just yesterday we were starting our fall sports, and here we are in our championship windows.

I know, yeah. It all starts Wednesday and Thursday, getting started there with soccer, as you said. And then Friday, the big cross-country race. Brian Bett won last year, looking to double up. He's got a lot of competition. And even on the women's side, we'll see what happens there. The Lions have some people that could possibly win that one as well. And then you roll into the start of basketball season, Night of Champions. We promoted that again today. That's November 7th coming up. But on November 1st, a scrimmage or exhibition, I should say, that's a ticketed event that the public can actually watch UNA basketball.

Monday, women's basketball. Of course, football Saturday, as we're talking about. There's a lot going on. We're in that crossover. Get over to UNA Athletics. There's a lot of things that you can see right now, a lot of excitement. I don't know if I can talk about this, but we're going to. Because you get inside information on this show. But Davis Farlow's in the house. Cross country, Brian Bett. He's about to get his – he already has his championship ring. But I guess we'll debut it very soon.

I'm not sure when that will go out. But pretty cool that he's already gotten to see his ring. Yeah, and he deserves it. I mean, he got the trophy and it started as a plaque. And then he actually got a trophy that sits in the lobby of CB&S Bank Arena. And now the ring. And so deserved for him. What a mark on history he's made. And now for him to have that forever and to try to add a second one. He's got to figure out which ring do you go to next.

Do you do the other ring finger? Do you put it, you know, somewhere on your index? Brian Bett's a guy that can collect a lot of them. It's going to be fun to see that video. Davis does a phenomenal job. All right, we got a fun show coming up. We're going to jump into it. We got Noah Gregg, emerging redshirt freshman wide receiver for North Alabama. We got Christian Burkhalter, tight intern, defensive end. We're going to talk to them coming up in just a little bit.

[5:11] But coming up next, head football coach Brent Dierman stops by for the first time this evening. We'll unload on Austin Peay game last week, preview Utah Tech, talk to coach about everything else in between. So let's take our first time out. We're off and running here from Los Pizza Shoals in historic downtown Florence. This is UNA Football Night on 93.9 The Score. Flavor is calling at Los Pizza Company Shoals. Introducing the new limited time only margarita pizza. Fresh basil, fine ripened tomatoes, and creamy mozzarella pearls on our homemade crust.

Light, bright, and bursting with flavor. Try our all new dry rub wings. Seasoned to perfection with bold smoky spices. It'll have you coming back for more. Don't forget dessert. Cotton Blue's Cheesecake Slices are here. Creamy, dreamy, and downright legendary. These flavors won't stick around forever. Only at Los Pizza Company Shoals, where the lost get fed. Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance. Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs.

Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard or give us a call at 256-648-5710. Again, that's 256-648-5710. Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses? This is Dr. Ham Moore with Renaissance Eye Care. Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam. You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see either Dr. Kathy Werner, Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself. Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses.

We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall and roar lines. A lot goes into taking care of your property. You need equipment with more reliability and versatility built in. Like Kubota BX and L-Series compact tractors that get the job done right. Z-Series mowers that deliver a quality cut and sidekick utility vehicles where durability meets speed. Visit your local Kubota dealer for a demo today. Stop by Brown Equipment, located at 826 North Military Street in Loretto, or visit them online at brownequipmentcompany.com.

Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun. Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events? Try our Golden Mainer Leo's Roar, and 50% goes to UNA Athletics. Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere. Don't miss out on the good times. Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery. Welcome to Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic, located in downtown Florence. We offer a large array of therapies and techniques to help you get back in the game of life.

One of those therapies is red light slash infrared light therapy. Dry needling is used to help reduce pain associated with painful trigger points. Our Class 4 laser therapies are used to decrease inflammation and improve the speed of healing of sprains, tendinitis, and plantar fasciitis. Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is proud to partner with UNA to keep our lions performing at their best. Roar Lions. Good night down here at Lost Pizza Shoals. Benjamin Ray, Mike Ezekiel with you for UNA football night here on 93.9 The Score. We've got the head football coach, Brent Dierman, hanging out with us.

And, Coach, I have teed it up all week, putting you on the spot. You were about to tell me before we came live, but you finally ordered the Beekeeper, my go-to favorite pizza. The review? It's pretty good. I still will probably go with the Otis. We usually, Chuck takes care of us, and we get four pizzas over there. So we put in in the rotation this week, and I think everybody likes it. When you get the pizza that you like here, it is really hard to branch out because for so long I had the one that I liked, the pie pie.

And then I hear about the Beekeeper, so I had to try it. And now it has emerged as my favorite. So once you get your go-to, it's kind of where you go every week. Yeah, so like I've told you all before, tonight is pizza, and then tomorrow night we get some, as a staff, we get chicken out, the chicken spaghetti, and it's up there now. I really like the chicken spaghetti, too. Exactly what I said, and by the way, with that Beekeeper, the hot honey. Got to do the hot honey.

It's a good little secret, well-kept, but the hot honey, it really makes it. Well, that's my nickname, my wife gives me. All right, Coach, let's talk some football now. Dropped a tough road win up to Austin Peay last week, a conference game, 56-28, the final score. But, Coach, we really saw a tale of two halves in that one, and one thing that we can always say is this team battled for four quarters after a slow start. Yeah, we've got to end the slow starts, you know, defensively to kind of sum it up with the two halves.

[10:25] Offensively, they came out and had a three and out right off the bat, and offensively, we drive the length of the field, getting to a third and three. I felt like we were in a good play, good situation, and we sell a route. I go back and I look at it, and I probably overanalyze everything. We got Destin to roll to his left as a quarterback, and maybe I'd second-guess that. Maybe we shouldn't have get him to roll to his left, and we'd have an incompletion there.

We missed the field goal, and I think that's the second or third time this year that we've missed a field goal on the opening drive, which makes it kind of a deflating situation where if you get points there, you keep momentum. And we just lost the momentum right there off the bat, and Austin Peay seized it. And we just missed too many opportunities in that first half of the game, and you look up, it's 28-7. It's like we've done a couple games this year. You get away from who you are.

You know, we want to run the ball, but once it's 28-7 and then goes to 35-7, hats off to our team. We pulled between two possessions at two different moments, and that's like a half. They just kept fighting. We just talked today about we've got to play with better effort. We've got to play with better passion in the first half of that football game. We've got to learn how to play on the road better. Yeah, and then, you know, talking about staying in that game the way you did, having to throw the ball, change your game plan a little bit.

You get into that fourth quarter, and I start to look at what we're doing on third down because it seemed like every big play in that game came on third and 10 or third and 12 where we had an explosive play to keep a drive alive. Then I look, you went 11 for 20 the whole game, and that's really good at moving the sticks and kind of keeping yourself in it. I tell you, a lot of people don't probably know this. Austin Peay came into the game the sixth best defense in the country on third down defense.

So we knew we had to change things up. If you looked at us, we were probably funkier, getting funky formations, do a lot of crazy things on third down for that reason. We wanted for us to be the aggressors on third down. I thought we had a great third down plan. You look at the stat book, we're over 50%, which is phenomenal on third down. The problem was the turnovers. I mean, you have three turnovers, which killed us. I think Austin Peay going into that game was the best defense in our conference, and we had 477 yards against them.

So we moved the ball. We converted third downs. We just got to do a better job of finishing drives. We had a missed field goal. We had a turnover in the red zone. That's two touchdown opportunities right there. So there are some positives you can take out of that game. But at the end of the day, we need to win football games. Destin Wade, coach, 330 yards, two touchdowns. He had 60 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown as well. I know he had the three interceptions as well.

But you look at his career now, two years at Kentucky, I think he started one game. One year at Colorado, played in one game, I believe. And then he comes here to North Alabama. He's just a redshirt sophomore on paper. So each week, he's still very young in his career. But first half to second half, what kind of growth did you see? Another one that I don't think me and you guys have talked about this. It's not an excuse at all. Austin Peay still has an old school crown on their field.

And we never see that. And when you go on the road as a quarterback and the first time you're playing on a crown field and you're making a throw from the hash to the field, from the boundary hash to the field, you almost have to throw the ball down because of the crown. So a lot of his misses in that first half were on out routes, if you think about it, or throwing a field hitch that he sails three, four yards over his head. And Coach Sherrick did a fantastic job.

We get there early. We try to throw early. But if you're not accustomed to playing on that thing, it takes some time to get used to it. And that's really what happened in the first half is he's trying to get used to things. He's missing those that he normally makes. And then the second half, he's playing. He plays phenomenal. But by that time, it's 28-7. So we've got to find a better way to get him accustomed to that. And I don't know if we've tried to find a crown field somewhere around here or something, but it's tough for a former quarterback knowing that you've got to step into that situation.

And that might be the next topic we need to talk about is the crown field, because I had not thought about that until you mentioned it. Well, you rarely see it on a turf field either. A lot of grass fields are made that way for drainage sake and then a lot of option teams. I know we've got a former Harding Bisons fan in the room. A lot of option teams like having the crown. So those B-backs get to run downhill when they hit that path. Well, Austin Peay still has the crown and they have turf, which is rare.

But you just don't see it as much anymore. Yeah, and I wondered if that was going to change the game plan at all, because, you know, at Wilson, when I played for Cody Gross, we had the crown field. We ran the veer and the option. And that was a big part of it was using that crown to your advantage. But I had not thought about that for us in a turf field and how that might have changed things. Yeah, you're standing on top of the crown and you're throwing out routes.

[15:29] You're really throwing a downward pass, which you don't ever do as a quarterback. So it's not an excuse. It's just telling you why he probably played the way he did in the first half compared to the second half. Going to the locker room, coach, coming out of the locker room, 14 points in the third quarter really moved the football well. Take us into those halftime adjustments. What was the message to the team overall? We just came in and said, guys, we all know that we're not playing our standard.

We're not tackling well on defense. We're not finishing on offense. And we've got to get some things going. Really took the game plan and moved it aside because you're playing a team that we were struggling to slow them down. So we thought we need to probably go ahead and get in a two-minute mode. So we got into one of our four receiver packages so we could play faster and have more speed on the field. And I thought we executed the kind of two-minute package pretty well in that second half.

And it kind of takes away from the rushing side of things. But that's the game we had to play. And it's good work for us. But we take Caleb heavily off the field. I don't usually like taking Caleb off the field very much. So we've just got to win the first half more often so we don't put ourselves in that situation. And, Coach, to your point, every scoring drive that UNA had in that game was three minutes or less. It was essentially a two-minute drive. I think there was one nine play.

And then there were some that had some explosive plays that go back to Noah Gregg's catch. It went 67 yards on the free play there. And I'm just kind of looking at the receiving numbers and a lot of targets for Destin. It seems like he's kind of comfortable throwing the ball to anybody. You see Justin Pegues had six receptions. Tanaka had five, had a touchdown there at the end. Do you think he's kind of getting comfortable with everybody? I think so. I think he knows in what situations who he wants to go to.

You know, we've got two outside receivers with Noah and KJ that are probably two of our faster guys on our team. So anytime he gets them guys in a one-on-one deep ball situation, that's probably who he's leaning on. Justin Pegues has been fantastic over the middle of the field, getting him match-ups on safeties. Tanaka is the same way. I mean, he's a big body guy that anytime we get a back shoulder-like situation, dig routes, those things. And then Headley is kind of a security blanket to him that anything over the middle of the field, that big body tied in.

And then our backs, our backs are becoming a big part of the passing game. Juice, I know the last couple of weeks has had some receiving yards. Rod Taylor got in on this week on a screen play. So I don't think he's got one guy in particular that he's looking to. I think it's based off the situation. Chat with UNA Head Football Coach Brent Dierman. We're going to talk about some more of the individual efforts we saw last Saturday, as well as preview our trip out to St. George, Utah, when we come back to Lost Pizza Shoals.

We'll take a quick timeout. We'll be back after this. This is UNA Football Night on 93.9 The Score. Flavor is calling at Lost Pizza Company Shoals. Introducing the new limited-time-only margarita pizza. Fresh basil, fine-ripened tomatoes, and creamy mozzarella pearls on our homemade crust. Light, bright, and bursting with flavor. Try our all-new dry-rub wings, seasoned to perfection. With bold, smoky spices, it'll have you coming back for more. Don't forget dessert. Cotton, blues, cheesecake slices are here. Creamy, dreamy, and downright legendary. These flavors won't stick around forever. Only at Lost Pizza Company Shoals, where the lost get fed.

Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance. Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs. Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard or give us a call at 256-648-5710. Start your day the Turbo Way at Turbo Coffee in downtown Florence. Whether you're craving a handcrafted latte, a refreshing smoothie, an energizing acai bowl, or our famous house-made pastries, we've got something to fuel every part of your day.

Proudly located right in the heart of downtown Florence, Turbo Coffee is more than just your neighborhood coffee shop. We're a community. And as proud supporters of UNA Athletics, we're cheering on the Lions every step of the way. So stop by Turbo Coffee today, where passion, flavor, and community come together. Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses? This is Dr. Hamp Moore with Renaissance Eye Care. Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam.

You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see either Dr. Kathy Warner, Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself. Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses. We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall. And roar lines. Join us at Singing River Brewery. Your local hub for great beer and community fun. Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events? Try our Golden Mainer Leo's Roar. And 50% goes to UNA Athletics. Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere.

[20:52] Don't miss out on the good times. Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery. Welcome to Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic. Located in downtown Florence. We offer a large array of therapies and techniques to help you get back in the game of life. One of those therapies is red light slash infrared light therapy. Dry needling is used to help reduce pain associated with painful trigger point. Our class 4 laser therapies are used to decrease inflammation and improve the speed of healing, of sprains, tendonitis, and plantar fasciitis.

Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is proud to partner with UNA to keep our Lions performing at their best. Roar Lions. We're back with you at Lost Pizza Shoals here in historic downtown Florence. Benjamin Ray, Mike Ezekiel, and head football coach Brent Dierman. Coach, we're getting ready to get on the road. Before we do that, though, we've got to talk about some of the player efforts that we had this past Saturday. And let's start with the two young men that are here today. Let's start on the offensive side of the football.

Noah Gregg, five receptions, 106 yards, had a 67-yard reception where he really broke free. We were just talking about him with you two weeks ago inside of Braleigh Stadium. We had some unbelievable physical plays. But redshirt freshman, I mean, how about the huge presence he's had for you this year? Yeah, he's been big for us in big moments. You go all the way back to Illinois State, and the touchdown catch that he had going into the halftime, whatever that halftime period was in that game, the big catch he made in the corner of the end zone right there on the fade ball two weeks ago, has the post route right in front of the suites area right before halftime.

And then the game he had this week was huge. I mean, we needed that play, that 67-yard reception. It was a much-needed jolt of energy when he did it. So he's been amazing for us. But like I've always bragged about him, that guy grew up a UNA fan. So it means more to him than most of our team. And he shows it by the way he practices and plays every day. He was raised the right way. Mom and dad are in the building tonight. It's good to see them.

But he's got a phenomenal work ethic, which makes him what he is. And just an amazing human interest story, too, how he started as a walk-on. And local guy making his name for himself, gets a scholarship, and comes up through the ranks. And he's definitely done it the right way. And you think about hard workers on this team and team players. Noah Gregg defines that to a T. Absolutely. There's only one neck. I'm trying to get him to grow an actual full mustache. He's got kind of a half mustache-type thin thing going on right there.

Don't know what's going on there. But everything outside of that, love it about him. Fantastic kid. Like I said, he's raised the right way. When he came out of high school, I think he weighed about $1.55 coming out of high school. And he's worked his tail off. His best buddy is one of our fullbacks, Micah. And Micah loves bench pressing every day. So that's probably helped Noah to put some weight on. And you know me, Coach. I'm a proponent of everybody growing facial hair. You and Coach Cruz both have shaved it various times.

And I've been like, hey, no, we've got to bring it back. So we'll encourage him to get that facial hair going. My wife doesn't let me full shave anymore. She tells me I look like I'm 12. So I have to keep a beard now. Good, good. It's part of our marital agreement. Let's jump over to the defensive side of the football. Talk about a couple different dudes. And let's start with the one that's here tonight, Christian Burkhalter. And talk about the year he's had where he was your first mid-year signee.

Comes in to play tight end. Mid-year this year moves to the defensive side of the football. Gets a big strip sack on Saturday, Coach. It's been quite the story. I tell you, there's so many connections with football world. I don't know if you two knew this. Chris Parsons, the quarterback at Austin Peay, I was his first offer coming out of high school. So after the game, he was waiting outside the locker room for me to hug my neck. I hoped he didn't play as well as he did.

But back then, I knew he was a good player. I offered Christian Burkhalter coming out. I don't know if I was his first one, but I was pretty close to his first offer coming out of high school. He ends up blowing up, has Oregon, UCLA, everybody in the country offered that guy. But to be able to get him back and to coach him, we brought him here to play tight end. Had a good start to the years of tight end with injuries and things at defensive end.

We said, you know, we got the perfect guy to come in and play well early. And for him to be in a tight end three weeks ago and to turn around and be the defensive player of the game this week, it's pretty amazing. It speaks of his talent level, speaks of the motor that he plays with. So we're really glad to have him and his younger brother here as well. Younger brother couldn't be here tonight because he's in study hall. Good place to be to miss this, but Christian talking about him, a very athletic gentleman.

[25:54] We know that and we know his physical presence. But the person Christian Burkhalter as well and what he means to UNA. First time I met him, I said, hey, you're from Georgia Tech, right? He's like, yeah, but I'm UNA now. And that's my identity. And that meant a lot to me seeing that, you know, he's here and he's committed. Yeah, and we're fighting like crazy to get him for another year. There's a chance we can get a medical red shirt for him and have him back.

Don't know what he'll be next year, tight end or DN if we do get him back. But he'll be a UNA line. That's all I know. Shahe Atani, maybe both ways, right? Yeah, there you go. All right, Tango McCauley, coach. I feel like the last couple of weeks he's really come along at the linebacker position. And he opened the game on Saturday with a monster hit, a big old boom. But talk about the steps he's taken this season. You know, Tango's a junior college linebacker that we took that only played linebacker for about two years in his life.

He played some different positions earlier on, moved to linebacker. So he's really just getting his feet underneath him now. Coming here, getting in Coach Carabolo's defense. He's learning the ropes to it. And you're starting to see him grow every single week. First play of the game, he makes a heck of a tackle. Kind of a tone-setting play early on. He runs down on kickoff and is a bully sometimes on kickoff. He's the spark plug. I kind of challenged him today and said, you know, somebody has to be the voice and somebody has to be the persona of this defense.

And you've got the ability to do it. So kind of challenged him to come out of his shell a little bit more even. Yeah. And another guy, Demarqueus Robbins. And we talk a lot about him. But his stats really jumped out to me, knowing that he had nine solo tackles. And it seemed like every time Austin Pease seemed to break through a little bit, he was there to stop it. I mean, he made a lot of big plays to save some yardage. Yeah, he can run really well.

And when you have a wheel linebacker that can run, he can fix a lot of things. So he's doing a lot better than we even planned that he would play. So he's another guy that he's a joy to coach, comes in, gets extra work every day, works his tell-off. So when you got those type players, it makes going to work every day fun. I'll tell you what, I got to give a shout out real quick. So last week I talked about chicken pot pie. Yep. And Caleb Hedley's mom made a chicken pot pie for the staff.

Oh, that's great. And brought it yesterday. So give her a shout out. It was amazing. I ate it for dinner last night and lunch today. So good you got to eat it twice. That's phenomenal. So good I ate it twice. So let's start. Chicken pot pie this week. Last week it was the lemon drop. So what's the next thing you can speak into existence? Whatever Brian needs, text me to talk about. I ended up finding a way to get it. So I'm going to ask Brian for, I'm going to text him for things I need.

Let's get some ice cream sandwiches or something on set. When it comes to life, coach, let's talk about our trip out west to Utah. And first of all, it's kind of wild, right? A team from Florence, Alabama in the southeast going out west to Utah to play a football game. And it's not a season opening game. It's a conference game right in the middle of the year. A three-hour, 40-minute flight. You only lose an hour going out there. Sometimes it feels like you're going to lose more.

But just the challenge of that long road trip, coach, just how daunting is it? Well, the flight's going to be about 15 minutes for me because I'm I'm going to pop a Dramamine right as soon as we get on the bus. So I will not feel it. But it's a lot better. I go back to the D2 days when you had to make the bus rides, the six-hour, seven-hour bus rides. A three-hour flight is a lot better than a seven- or eight-hour bus ride. I remember going from Russellville, Arkansas to northwest Oklahoma State in the panhandle there.

And that was miserable. So I will take a three-hour bus, a three-hour plane ride without a doubt. Yeah. And the geography of Utah is so different. Kind of like Alabama, you know, we're in the north here. But, you know, you got the beaches if you go a little further south. But Utah's a little different, too, where you have mountains in some areas like southern Utah, who's not too far from St. George. But you had to prepare for that elevation. It was a lot colder. Here, you're more in the Mojave Desert, kind of like right near Las Vegas.

A little different climate than we're preparing for this Saturday. Yeah, when we went to southern Utah last year, I think they're like a mile above sea level. So we actually had the oxygen tanks and all that stuff on the sideline. I think the schools are only like an hour and a half, two hours apart from each other. And there's like 3,000 to 4,000 feet difference of elevation between the two schools. So they're not as high. So we're not expecting much of a kind of an oxygen level problem with going there.

Give kind of us a little background. So I educated our players a little bit on Utah Tech in the past. As a former D2 transition to D1 University, Utah Tech is the old Dixie State. So we're taking the heart of Dixie to the old Dixie State this weekend. St. George located kind of in the southwest corner. I've broken up my map over here, getting all the information. But it's closer to Arizona than anything, not too far from Vegas, like Mike mentioned. So the Lions are heading on the road this weekend.

[30:57] Long flight out to Utah, St. George, the location. It's going to be a fun one indeed. Well, Coach, we're going to let you take a break. Get back over to that beekeeper pizza if there's anything left. And coming up next, we're going to jump into our players' segments. We've got Christian Burkhalter and Noah Gregg in the house. We'll flip a coin and see who wants to go first. We'll let Coach go get some more pizza. So we'll be back after this to Lost Pizza Shoals. You're listening to UNA Football Night on 93.9 The Score.

Flavor is calling at Lost Pizza Company Shoals. Introducing the new limited-time only Margarita Pizza. Fresh basil, fine-ripened tomatoes, and creamy mozzarella pearls on our homemade crust. Light, bright, and bursting with flavor. Try our all-new dry rub wings. Seasoned to perfection with bold, smoky spices. It'll have you coming back for more. Don't forget dessert. Cotton, blues, cheesecake slices are here. Creamy, dreamy, and downright legendary. These flavors won't stick around forever. Only at Lost Pizza Company Shoals, where the lost get fed. Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance.

Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs. Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard or give us a call at 256-648-5710. Again, that's 256-648-5710. Start your day the Turbo way at Turbo Coffee in downtown Florence. Whether you're craving a handcrafted latte, a refreshing smoothie, an energizing acai bowl, or our famous house-made pastries, we've got something to fuel every part of your day.

Proudly located right in the heart of downtown Florence, Turbo Coffee is more than just your neighborhood coffee shop. We're a community. And as proud supporters of UNA Athletics, we're cheering on the Lions every step of the way. So stop by Turbo Coffee today, where passion, flavor, and community come together. When getting the job done right is job one, you need construction equipment that's built right. From compact track loaders to the world's number one selling compact excavator, the Kubota construction lineup features durable Kubota engines, more comfort, and the versatility to do it all and do it right.

Visit your local Kubota dealer today. Go to KubotaUSA.com for full disclaimer. Stop by Brown Equipment, located at 826 North Military Street in Loretto, or visit them online at brownequipmentcompany.com. Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun. Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events? Try our Golden Manor Leo's Roar, and 50% goes to UNA Athletics. Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere. Don't miss out on the good times. Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery.

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

Roar Lions. Alright, we're having fun down here at Lost Pizza Shoals, enjoying some great pizza, some good fellowship, and of course some football talk. And we're happy to welcome to the show for the first time Christian Burkhalter. First year at North Alabama, originally from Mobile, Alabama, played at Spanish Fort High School, spent some time at UCLA, spent some time at Georgia Tech, but most importantly, now he's a UNA Lion. Spent some time playing offense as tight end, spent some time playing defensive end. Christian Burkhalter, you've been a busy man this year, bouncing back both sides of the football.

We appreciate you joining us this evening. Thank you for having me, Mr. Ben and Mr. Mike. You bet, man. So let's start with this, the jump from tight end to defensive end. And how did it come about? Did you approach the coaches? Did they come to you? Did you want to do this? I want to do whatever they want me to do, honestly. And so I've played DN a lot in my career. And when coach came to me and said, hey, man, we want you to come off the edge, I said, let's do it.

And I was excited. It was a lot more work for me to get in the habit of playing tight end with just the steps and, you know, how Coach Cruz teaches it. You know, he's a great tight end coach and really appreciate him, love that guy. You know, so when it came to switching over at the end, man, it was really natural. I was excited. Yes, sir. So I just want to make sure I got this correct. So coming out of high school right into college, you started as a defensive end.

When you went to Georgia Tech, did you also play defensive end? Yes, sir. And kind of like in the recruitment process to you and A, when was the thought came to you like, hey, I could probably play tight end. Was that something that interests you? Yeah. So I played at a handful in high school and I actually, I played some at Georgia Tech too as well. And a lot of people don't know that. But in the spring, I was taking a lot of tight end reps.

[36:17] So it kind of got me excited. Like, hey, can I do both maybe? Kind of just whatever y'all need me to do to help the team. Let me do that. And it was tight end to start the season. And now it's D-end. So, yeah. Yes, sir. You were UNA's first commitment in the spring transfer window, right? Yes, sir. So what was it about UNA that you were like, I got to get here? Man, so Coach Dierman recruited me when he was at Kansas and we built a bond there.

And then when I was thinking about hitting the portal, Thomas Johnston was a coach here for a while. And he's also a Spanish Fort guy. And I think he put me back on coach's radar. And it didn't take much talking, man. I knew I wanted to come to Florence. Yeah, glad you did. And your brother's here as well. And speaking of that, I have a fun stat to kind of share with everybody that may not know. There's quite a few FCS teams that have brothers on the same team.

There's only five that have had brothers on the field at the same time. And there's only one that have had brothers record a stat on the exact same play. And that's you and your brother. Y'all had a tackle on the same play at Central Arkansas. Let's go. Yeah, that was a good time, man. Did you remember that play? Don't want to lie to you, Mike. I don't remember that play. I think I was looking to the sideline to get the call for the next one. Probably, right.

But, yeah, no, we went back and watched it together. And we were like, looky there, man. You know, so, love, Bishop. That's my dog. We push each other every day. He pushes me, man, and, you know, to be great. And, yeah, man, that's my dude. Yes, sir. Football family, right? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Talk about the role football has played in your life. Well, you know, my dad played at Auburn. And, you know, my older brother played quarterback at Rhode Island. And, you know, we've always been around ball, man.

And, you know, I used to always foul out of basketball games. So, my dad came to me one day, and he's just like, man, we need to find you some shoulder pads. And we did. And I'm happy we did. You know, I love this sport and this game. And, yeah, man, it's been a blast. And it's good to have everybody balled in in football in my household. So, your dad played quarterback at Auburn, right? So, he played tight end. He played tight end. He was there.

He was in the same class as Bo Jackson. Okay. Yes, sir. Okay. Well, tied in from him, your brother played quarterback. And then you and your other brother, both on the defensive side of the football. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. At least when we got to high school, we all played quarterback growing up. Okay. But I realized I didn't want to do that much longer. You know, when I hit about eighth grade, I want to hit people. So, I'm glad I'm getting to do that now. We are, too.

In the fruition. Well, let's go back to this. You talked about your dad being in the same class as Bo Jackson, right? You know who was a coach at Auburn at that time, Ben? I died. Bobby Wallace. Bobby Wallace. Yep. Yep. That's right. All roads lead back to Bobby Wallace. It really does. All roads lead back to Bobby Wallace, I guess. Yeah, man. And now you're here. Let's talk a little bit about where you're from. Mobile, Alabama. Spanish Fort. Yes, sir. A lot of Mobile ties here, as you know, starting with Coach Dierman.

Yep. And it kind of trickles down to some of the other coaches, some of the other players. Is there ever kind of talks about the little rivalries that go on in that area with the high schools? Oh, my goodness. There's talks every day. There's guys that are debating their tail off. And, you know, I'm a senior now, so I've kind of let go of that, and I just sit back and listen, you know. But, yeah, guys will swear on whose high school team is better or what area of Mobile they're from.

And I'll tell you the biggest ones are the park ball. Park ball in Mobile is huge, right? So I play for West Mobile Buccaneers, but there's the Cottage Hill Steelers and Navco Vikings and these youth leagues. But it's serious football down there, man. I mean, it's serious football. So that's where most of the discussions come in and all the arguments in the locker room. Obviously, you and Bishop are playing together now, but were you guys able to play much growing up, or was it too much of an age gap?

Is this kind of the first time it's kind of come full circle? Yeah. So this is the first time we've played football together. We've played basketball together because Bishop's an incredible basketball player. So he always played point guard on me and my older brother Jackson's team. And this is the first time we've gotten to play football together. We're two and a half years apart in age. So yes, sir. Yeah, it's the first time. It's great. And then I noticed, I think it was your first sack maybe against Central Arkansas.

I think you had a big play. He was the first person out on the field to celebrate with you. Was that a pretty special moment? Yeah, that's my guy. And I was, if you go back and watch the sideline tape of when he, because he had the last hit of the game. I was losing my mind and I saw it all coming. I was actually on the field yelling, back, coming out of the backfield, out of the backfield. And I saw his head snap towards it.

I was like, yes, please, Lord. And then boom. And man, it almost made me shed a tear, man. That's my little bro. You know, coming to lay the wood on somebody, you know, made me super proud. That's awesome. Yes, sir. And again, like you said, it's sometimes easier when you're watching to see those things and remember them than it is when you're actually doing it in the moment. That's right. Kind of like when you'll have that tackle together. But go back to Austin Peay, a play that you had.

Let's talk about the forced fumbles. But the one strip sack in particular that Jaheim got on the bounce. Very impressive that he got it on the bounce like he did. But walk us through that whole play. Man, it's not that impressive to me, man. Jaheim can, he's a great player, dude. And he got great ball skills. So, like, when I looked up and saw him around the football, I was like, let's go. We got a good shot. And a great scoop by him. I can credit all my other teammates.

[41:19] So, we bull rushed all night. You know, Coach KP had us ready. We had a great game plan coach person, our DNs coach. And we were bull rushing all night. So, when I got up in there, I went push-pull. So, I push-pull. And it worked. Had the guy off his heels. And when I saw the quarterback, he had his eyes down the field. And just tried to punch the ball out. And it slipped out, man. So, yeah. I was excited. As you can see, it was my celebration that followed that.

Yeah. And then that excitement continued on to the sidelines. I know you and your brother were celebrating. And then a Hall of Famer busted it up. Mike Johnson came over there and kind of gave you some instruction. Can you give us the insight into that? I saw it from the booth. Chase Glover reported it from the sidelines. Yeah. Coach Johnson's my guy, dude. He's a legend around here. So, having dudes like him on the staff that have been at UNA and just bleed UNA, it helps us.

You know, and, yeah, we're always talking. I'm always asking for his advice. And, you know, how should I handle things, you know, because, you know. And so, it was good to see him be proud of me, man, Coach. So, trying to make Coach proud, man, it made me excited to see a smile on his face. You know, so, yes, sir. It's moments like that that you definitely remember with your staff and your teammates. Let's talk about Utah Tech a little bit. That's the next game on the schedule.

Obviously, we don't like to look ahead or anything. But the opponent that's in front of us. And one thing I do want to say, I feel like you've probably been well-traveled in your college career. But now, is Utah kind of a new state for you? And how's that look for you? I've never played in Utah, so I'm excited to do that. I think we've got a great game plan heading into this week. And Utah Tech's a great football team. And I think they're coached well and they play hard.

So, we're just going to bring that intensity. You know, nobody's hanging their head around here. We're frustrated that we haven't got it done. You know what I mean? We're frustrated for coach. You know what I mean? Because every week, these guys are busting their tail. They're up there until 1 in the morning while we're all getting to go home after practice. And, man, we want to see that come to the light, the work we're putting in. You know, you can get that done for them because it's frustrating.

You know, everybody hates losing. You know, but there's no white flag. We're going to crawl and scratch all that all the way to the end. So, we're excited for this week. We're going to bring it. You know, I'm going to see to it. And we've got a little bit of traveling coming right here. So, just being mentally prepared for that and not being caught off guard by anything, I think is going to be important. We're looking forward to it indeed. Christian Burkhalter, we appreciate you joining us and breaking it down.

And before we let you go, I feel like you'll be really good at this. Tell us about our next guest, Noah Gregg, who's going to join us. Dude, baller. Baller, man. I've always known this kid could play, bro. You know, when I came in the spring, Noah was making plays. When I was there in camp, Noah was making plays. Then guess what? In the season, Noah was making plays, man. So, he's a guy that everybody on the team knows, man. You throw it to 85, like something's going to happen.

It's probably going to be something good. Great dude, man. Excited for him, bro. He has a big career ahead of him. And he's a leader on this football team, man. I look up to Noah. Even though I'm a couple years older than him, I look up to him, dude. So, yeah, man. I'm excited to hear him talk. I hope he's not nervous. He can't be after that great setup right there. Thank you so much for joining us, Christian. Thank you, Mike. Thank you, man. Appreciate you all.

Coming up next, we got Noah Gregg here at Lost Pizza Shoals. This is UNA Football Night on 93.9 The Score. Flavor is calling at Lost Pizza Company Shoals. Introducing the new limited-time-only margarita pizza. Fresh basil, fine-ripened tomatoes, and creamy mozzarella pearls on our homemade crust. Light, bright, and bursting with flavor. Try our all-new dry-rub wings, seasoned to perfection. With bold, smoky spices, it'll have you coming back for more. Don't forget dessert. Cotton, blues, cheesecake slices are here. Creamy, dreamy, and downright legendary. These flavors won't stick around forever.

Only at Lost Pizza Company Shoals, where the lost get fed. Start your day the Turbo way at Turbo Coffee in downtown Florence. Whether you're craving a handcrafted latte, a refreshing smoothie, an energizing acai bowl, or our famous house-made pastries, we've got something to fuel every part of your day. Proudly located right in the heart of downtown Florence, Turbo Coffee is more than just your neighborhood coffee shop. We're a community. And as proud supporters of UNA Athletics, we're cheering on the Lions every step of the way.

So stop by Turbo Coffee today, where passion, flavor, and community come together. Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses? This is Dr. Ham Moore with Renaissance Eye Care. Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam. You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see either Dr. Kathy Werner, Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself. Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses.

We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall. And roar lines. A lot goes into taking care of your property. You need equipment with more reliability and versatility built in. Like Kubota, BX, and L-Series compact tractors that get the job done right. Z-Series mowers that deliver a quality cut and sidekick utility vehicles where durability meets speed. Visit your local Kubota dealer for a demo today. Stop by Brown Equipment, located at 826 North Military Street in Loretto, or visit them online at brownequipmentcompany.com.

[46:46] Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun. Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events? Try our Golden Mainer Leo's Roar, and 50% goes to UNA Athletics. Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere. Don't miss out on the good times. Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery. Welcome to Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic, located in downtown Florence. We offer a large array of therapies and techniques to help you get back in the game of life.

One of those therapies is red light slash infrared light therapy. Dry needling is used to help reduce pain associated with painful trigger point. Our class 4 laser therapies are used to decrease inflammation and improve the speed of healing, of sprains, tendonitis, and plantar fasciitis. Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is proud to partner with UNA to keep our Lions performing at their best. Roar Lions. Getting things set up here at Lost Pizza Shoals. This is UNA Football Night on 93.9 The Score. Benjamin Ray, Mikey Ezekiel. I'm excited to welcome in Noah Gregg, a redshirt freshman from right here in the Shoals area, killing Alabama, played at Brooks High School.

And his first year of real action, 15 catches, 223 yards, four touchdowns, coming off of a big weekend against Austin Peay on the road, over 100 yards receiving in that one. Noah, thanks for joining us here this evening. And how are you feeling this year, kind of having a breakout year? Yes, sir. Thanks for having me on. I've been feeling good. I've been grateful for the opportunities I've been given, you know. Before the year, I set a goal for myself. You know, I just wanted to get on the field and help the team win however I could.

And I would do the best in my ability to do that, however that was. And I've been blessed with opportunities from Coach Dierman and Coach May and the staff. They've been giving me chances, and I've been trying to make the most of every opportunity. And I just want to help the team as much as I can. And I have a great team, teammates around me, from Destin Wade and Alon and all the other receivers, real close teams. So, it's been a blast. I really enjoyed it.

Well, I'll be the first to say on this show, I think you are making the most of those opportunities this year. And, of course, a couple weeks ago, UAC Freshman of the Week, that was last Monday, and probably could have got it again this week, to be honest with you, with a 100-yard receiving game. And, Noah, I look back at last season as well. I believe your very first collegiate game was against Utah Tech last year. Yes, sir. Walk us through that moment, what it was like, Noah, when you were suiting up and you actually hit the field for the first time.

It was funny, because Coach Dierman was walking on the sideline. He said, don't be nervous. I was like, nervous for me. He's like, you're about to go in. And I looked at him like he's a little crazy, I think. But he's like, so they got me ready. I was about to go in. And I was like, I mean, this is a moment I've been looking forward to my whole life to get to play. College football and at UNA, a team that I grew up watching a lot of.

And it was kind of crazy. I remember before the snap, even having sitting there like, dang, I'm really on college football field right now, about to take my first snap. So it was a really cool moment. Let's talk about that UNA fandom that you grew up with. And the University of North Alabama, where did that connection come from for you being a local person? Well, you know, you always hear about UNA being from around here. You know, my dad's dad, my grandfather, he was always a huge fan.

I always had season tickets and stuff like that. And I remember, I was probably like seven or eight, the first game I went to, he took me to the bookstore and got me a hat and hoodie and things like that. And I mean, just started from there and going to games and stuff. And like, I always enjoyed watching and thinking it was so cool. I always wanted to be there and be on that field one day. And yeah, so you always, I always remember growing up, hearing about UNA and going to games and stuff with family.

And also what's really cool is when you got to UNA last year, it was obvious that you were in the receiver room a lot. They all thought high of you and seeing you with Takari Ginnabrew all the time, seeing you with your old teammate, Kobe Warden, and seeing what he did in high school and now what he accomplished at UNA. And now you're kind of following that footsteps too. What did those guys from last year and even the ones in the room right now mean to you?

Oh yeah, for sure. TK and Kobe, they were, Kobe, Warden especially, he went to Brooks and I always looked up to him when I was probably eighth grade, I think it was his senior year. I looked up to him then and I stayed in touch with him. And he would give me like, you know, advice on things I would send him from like my past games in high school and stuff like that. And it was really cool to get to play with him this last year.

And he really helped me out, give me pointers on stuff, on my routes, just different things I could do to improve. And same for TK, because you know, TK is a taller guy like me as well. And he came in around my size. He told me that I was going to get bigger here and keep getting better. And he gave me a lot of advice. But Tanaka Scott on the team now is somebody who has really like helped me, I feel like, develop and grow as a receiver.

And he's been pushing me to be better and challenging me. And he holds me to a standard. And if I don't meet the standard he holds me to, he lets me know. And he's always pushing me to be the best receiver I can be. First career touchdown catch against Northeastern State. What do you remember about it? Well, you know, I remember Coach Devin called the play and I knew that I was going to be going in motion and I had a, during the week I'd got that ball a few times.

[51:58] So I was like, I have a, I knew like there was a chance. I was like, uh, just make sure I catch it. But, uh, I remember going in motion and I was, uh, I just feel kind of slow motion when he threw me the ball. I feel like it was in the air forever. And, uh, I was glad I was able to make the play. And I had my mom and dad over there behind the end zone and they got to see it first, like front row basically right there.

And so that was a really cool moment that I'll remember forever for sure. Dream comes true. And what is it about your touchdowns? You've got four or three of them inside of Brawley, but I feel like you get beat up by your teammates after you, you catch them. Like you're getting hit, you're getting whacked, you're getting tackled down to the ground. What is it with those celebrations? It was Tanaka, the last one, right? Oh yeah. I think Wade got you on the first one, maybe. Oh yeah.

They, they, uh, they all come over there and beat up on me, I guess, every time I get in the end zone. But, uh, no, it's just, I got great teammates and I'm very great for all of them. I feel like I'm very close to all my teammates. And I, I know that, uh, I got their back every Saturday and I hope they know the same for me. And, um, it's just great to have guys like that, that, you know, is excited for you like that every time you make a play that they're happy for you.

And, uh, uh, I just got great teammates and yeah, they like to get a beat up on me, I guess, a little bit every time I get in the end zone. And I love looking at this photo that keeps popping up on my computer from the Northeastern State game. It might be the best photo we have all year, but, uh, you have four touchdowns in the last six games. Do you have a favorite one or any of them that, that stand out to you? Or is it just that first one you think?

I don't know. Probably the first one was probably the most memorable because it was the first one. I don't necessarily have a favorite one. The homecoming one was pretty cool because of the, like, you know, it was the last homecoming game in Brawley. You know, I grew up going to UNA games and Brawley being, I don't know, it's a historical stadium, you know? And so it was pretty cool to, like, have my name a part of that. So that was probably my favorite one. Let's wrap it up with this, uh, big game coming up this weekend on the road.

But for you, this is just your first year. You got three more years after this. Have you thought about how cool it's going to be that you're going to get to play the next three years at Bank Independent Stadium? Oh, yeah, it's awesome. You know, I look forward to it. UNA has been going on up and it's going to continue to do that and with the new stadium and stuff. And I can't wait. It's going to be awesome to get to be the part of the first team to get to play in that stadium for years to come, just like Brawley had.

So it'd be cool for sure. But, uh, yeah. Well, Noah, we appreciate you joining us, man. Let's get some more touchdown grabs. And, hey, last game at Brawley sounds like a good time for you to maybe break a couple of touchdown records or something like that, don't you think? Yeah, I'll try my best. Awesome. Thank you so much for joining us, man. Yes, sir. Thank you. Thank you. That's Noah Gregg. We'll take one final time out when we come back. Head Coach Britt Dierman will rejoin us to wrap up this week's edition of UNA Football Night from Lost Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score.

Flavor is calling at Lost Pizza Company Shoals. Introducing the new limited-time only margarita pizza, fresh basil, fine-ripened tomatoes, and creamy mozzarella pearls on our homemade crust, light, bright, and bursting with flavor. Try our all-new dry rub wings, seasoned to perfection with bold, smoky spices. It'll have you coming back for more. Don't forget dessert. Cotton, blues, cheesecake slices are here. Creamy, dreamy, and downright legendary. These flavors won't stick around forever. Only Lost Pizza Company Shoals, where the lost get fed. Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance.

Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs. Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard or give us a call at 256-648-5710. Again, that's 256-648-5710. Start your day the Turbo way at Turbo Coffee in downtown Florence. Whether you're craving a handcrafted latte, a refreshing smoothie, an energizing acai bowl, or our famous house-made pastries, we've got something to fuel every part of your day.

Proudly located right in the heart of downtown Florence, Turbo Coffee is more than just your neighborhood coffee shop. We're a community. And as proud supporters of UNA Athletics, we're cheering on the Lions every step of the way. So stop by Turbo Coffee today, where passion, flavor, and community come together. Hey guys, how long have you been wearing those out-of-date, scratched-up glasses? This is Dr. Hampton Moore with Renaissance Eye Care. Go ahead and do as the woman in your life has been asking and schedule an eye exam.

You can go to renaissanceeyecare.com or call 767-5000 to see either Dr. Kathy Werner, Dr. Lisa Campbell, or myself. Everyone knows it's time to evaluate the health of your eyes and get a new pair of glasses. We can make sure you won't miss any of the action this fall. And roar lines. When getting the job done right is job one, you need construction equipment that's built right. From compact track loaders to the world's number one selling compact excavator, the Kubota construction lineup features durable Kubota engines, more comfort, and the versatility to do it all and do it right.

Visit your local Kubota dealer today. Go to KubotaUSA.com for full disclaimer. Stop by Brown Equipment, located at 826 North Military Street in Loretto, or visit them online at brownequipmentcompany.com. Welcome to Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic, located in downtown Florence. We offer a large array of therapies and techniques to help you get back in the game of life. One of those therapies is red light slash infrared light therapy. Dry needling is used to help reduce pain associated with painful trigger point. Our class four laser therapies are used to decrease inflammation and improve the speed of healing of sprains, tendonitis, and plantar fasciitis.

[57:35] Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is proud to partner with UNA to keep our lions performing at their best. Roar Lions. Man, time flies when you're having this much fun. I'm Benjamin Ray, Mike Ezekiel, and head football coach Brent Dierman back here at Lost Pizza Shoals in downtown Florence for UNA football night. It was a jam-packed evening of talk. We appreciate everybody coming out. There wasn't a table open out here. We'll be out here every week. Heads up. We might actually change next week's show. We'll get that finalized and let you know we're going to actually be here next Tuesday, but we've got some more things to finalize.

We just want to throw that little disclaimer out there. Coach, it's time for our Burnley Spine and Sport preview. Utah Tech, the opponent, what's the outlook? I mean, they're a tough team. They've played the hardest, if not the second, I think the second hardest schedule in all of football. They had a great win against Northern Iowa, which is a great FCS program. They've had some really close games. I know they're a one-win team, but they've played a lot of teams close early in the season. They've got a scrappy quarterback that came in here at our place last year.

I thought the world of him. He's a lefty that can run really well. They're kind of playing two guys right now. I think they fly around on defense. Their head coach does a great job. He's a defensive-minded guy. We've got some connections through the coaching profession, him and Coach Taggart. We're on the Stanford staff together, so I know a little bit about him through Coach Taggart. But I think they're a great program that's kind of building. So we've got to find a way to go on the road and get a win on the road.

Right now, we're 2-1 at home, and we've got to be able to take that same energy on the road. Coach, the last thing as we wrap up this week's episode, you've got a lot of players here tonight. Here's supporting their teammates, and it's that way every single week. And they're asking about coaches coming as well. That's going to make you really happy about this program. We've got not just a team. We've got a family. And what's pretty cool about this team is every week there's 10 to 12, sometimes 15 other players that come and support a teammates.

I told you all this earlier when Christian Burkhalter walked in and saw me, big smile on his face. He said, hey, is Coach Carabolla coming tonight too? I said, yeah, he's on the way. So it just tells you these kids care so much about their coaching staff. They care so much about each other that they come out and support. We've got families out here tonight that are a part of our family as well. So I think the wins aren't there yet is the key word, but we're building it the right way.

We're building it with good people. We've got great people on staff. We've got great people in the building. So I love coming to work every day. Well, Coach, we're looking forward to this weekend. We'll be out there with you at St. George. And we'll be back next Monday or Tuesday. We'll let you know on social media for another night of UNA football night. Coach, thanks for the time and best of luck. Thank you, Royal Lions. So for Mike Ezekiel, for Grant, Eli, and Ty in-house. For Blair back at the station, I'm Benjamin Ray saying Roar Lions.

You've been listening to UNA football night from Lost Pizza. Tonight's show is brought to you by Lost Pizza Shoals, Burnley Spine and Sport, Singing River Brewery, Alabama Health Guidance, Brennaissance Eye Care, Turbo Coffee, and Brown Equipment Company. Thanks for listening. And Roar Lions. Thank you.