UNA Football Night w/ Benjamin Ray 09/28/26

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

Benjamin Ray and Mike Ezekiel on hand for this one. And North Alabama's rolling into this one. Fresh out of Bank Independent Stadium, 2-0 a win this past Saturday. Kind of an emotional win, Mike. A crazy win against Western Illinois, 23-20. A game that kind of went both ways down the stretch, Mike. It felt like it was one of those games that might slip away. But finally, the ball seemed to bounce UNA's way, and we're now 2-0 at the New Digs. Well, first of all, 2-0 at the New Digs. Is there any team in the nation that can claim that they're undefeated at their current home stadium all time?

Well, there you go. UNA is. They're 2-0. But yes, like you said, very dramatic finish there at the end. But something Coach Dierman has said before, good football teams find a way to win. Even if you lost the stat sheet, even if you got outgained, sometimes you take advantage of those good luck things. And North Alabama did that, certainly. And on that final drive, just looked like a winning football team and found a way to pull that out. We're about a quarter of the way through the season. Non-conference play is in the books.

And here we go, Mike. It's nothing but United Athletic Conference football play the rest of the way. Yeah, kind of a perfect symmetry schedule. You get all of your non-conference games early in the year. You get your bye week in the middle of conference play. I mean, it's just perfect. And to start knowing that, okay, week one of our new part of the season is this week. And then you get a bye, and then you go and play the rest of your UAC schedule. That's really exciting how it sets up.

Depending on where you look right now, based off some metrics that they do, the United Athletic Conference is ranked as the second or third best conference behind the Missouri Valley Football Conference. So it's not like it's about to be easy any given week. No, it's really not. I mean, you got three ranked teams right now, West Florida, Tarleton State, Austin Peay, and all three have proven they deserve to be in those rankings. You got an Abilene Christian team that played a really tough non-conference schedule, but that team was receiving votes all the way to that fifth game last week that they lost to a ranked Mercer team.

You got teams like EKU and Central Arkansas that can always compete with the best teams in the league. I think UNA is in that conversation as well, looking to prove that they belong in the next step. And then, of course, West Georgia is a team that was very good last year, and they're still a good team. And then, did I leave anybody out? I think I got everybody there. You did an impressive roll-down right there. This is a very good football league at this level, second or third, depending on the metric, but no given wins in this conference.

So we'll head up to Roy Kidd Stadium. We'll walk the ramp. It takes about 10 minutes. They don't have an elevator to the top of the press box, so you walk a ramp. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to walk it zigging and zagging. We'll talk to Coach Deer about how his coaches will handle that as well. Sometimes they don't go down at halftime. It's such a long way down. It's kind of a fun adventure up there to the top. But Eastern Kentucky, the opponent, 5 o'clock Central time.

Mike, they're rolling in off of a bye week. And any time we play Eastern Kentucky, it feels like in any sport, it's pretty electric. Yeah, it's always a close game. And I was looking at the series history. And, of course, UNA kind of dominated last year, 35 to 14. But the three before that, that EKU won all three, they were all very close games. And, Ben, you were at the 2022 game at Roy Kidd. I was not there, but that was an electric game, 56 to 53, just high octane, four lead changes in the final fourth quarter there.

I mean, it's always fun in any sport when these two teams play, but especially football. I think about basketball, we've had overtime thrillers. Soccer, it kind of comes down to those two a lot. Same with women's basketball. Softball's had some pretty good showdowns as well. So we talk about Austin Peay's arrival. Don't forget about Eastern Kentucky. It gets pretty tense when we play the Colonels. So we'll be on the road up in Richmond, Kentucky this weekend. We cannot wait to be there. We got a jam-packed show.

We got a lot to get into tonight. But before we jump into it, we're back with another food sampling segment. Welcome up, Katie McDonald. The tailgate packages have been going very well through two games so far this season. We didn't do this last week. We're back with some goodies here. I asked Chuck what we were doing, and he said, hey, don't worry. We'll take care of it. You're going to be surprised. So, Katie, pop this headset on. Tell us what you have brought up here. I'm going to try to kind of tilt it towards the camera and everybody.

This looks delicious. What do we have? All right. So we've got our classic cheese stick. Thank you. Got our classic cheese stick, just bread and cheese. Can't go wrong. And then we've got our olive bread, the Chuck McCarty special way, with ham and pepperoni, like a muffaletta kind of. So this is the Chuck special right here. So if you come in and order this, just ask for the Chuck special, and you guys will know what this is? Yeah. Well, first of all, Katie, I think you got them on the wrong side.

[5:25] You need to flip these two, because Chuck's way needs to come this way. Right, right, right. Well, you did actually have to do it, but, Ben, I'm sorry. I had to take this one towards my side. I've heard a lot of great things about Chuck's way. It looks like all the things I like, pepperoni and ham, I believe. Is that right? Yep. It looks amazing. I can't wait to try it. So, Katie, the tailgate packages, have you guys been busy on Saturdays with these? Yes, we were pretty, the first Saturday was so hot, so we weren't as busy, but last Saturday I was catching on, the fall weathers, cooling everything down, which was wonderful.

So, yeah, I was back and forth to the stadium about four times. That is great. And, again, so homecoming coming up, we've got to run a two straight home games. We still have four more home games to go, so there's going to be a lot of great tailgating. The Pines, I have loved every second of seeing campus come to life. Pine Street has been packed. The Lion Walk has been pretty incredible. I mean, what has been your takeaway of coming down there with these tailgate packages?

It's just so awesome. Like, right when you come across that hill and you see all of campus, all of Pine Street, the stadium, it's just, it's really awesome to see how we've grown. Let's jump into it. You pulled the Chuck special over there, but I'm reaching across for it, too, Mike. Yeah, you go right ahead. I'm sorry to take it from you, but it looks too good. It's got to be on my side. Here you go. I'm going to get this end piece right here. So, look at that.

There's some pepperoni, some ham, shears. Oh, I'm sorry. That's Chuck's way is the way to go. I got a good bite of ham right there. It was really good. That's like a mini pizza right there. That is delicious. Add this to your tailgate package. We're back home. I can't talk with all this food in my mouth. October 17th, Abilene Christian homecoming the 24th. Call Katie. She'll get you set up with some tailgate packages. This is our favorite segment. I hope we keep doing this every single week.

Thank you for feeding Mike and I. You're so welcome. Give it up for Katie. Let's take a time out. When we come back, Brent Dierman will try some Chuck special, maybe. We'll see. This is UNA Football Night from Lost Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score. Game day's coming, and your tailgate crew is counting on you. That's why Lost Pizza Company Shoals put together the tailgate playbook specialty pizzas, wing trays, and subplatters, all built to feed a crowd. It's why we're the go-to pizza place in Florence, Alabama, now bringing that same lineup straight to your tailgate.

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

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

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

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

Well, you know what happens when the seasons change. The pests come looking for a place to stay. Don't give them an invitation. Southern Pride Pest Control has year-round prevention plans. Protecting your home from pests, termites, bedbugs, moisture, ants, rodents, and mosquitoes. Proudly serving the Shoals area since 2010, we're here when you need us most. Send those unwanted guests packing. Call 256-383-1890. Southern Pride Pest Control. Locally owned and operated. Protecting what you're proud of. When you have pests, we have solutions. We got North Alabama head football coach Brent Dierman with us here at UNA Football Night from Los Beats of Shoals on 93.9 The Score.

[10:45] I'm Benjamin Ray. Mike Ezekiel's up here as well. And coach, 2-0 at Bank Independent Stadium. A win against Alcorn State two weeks ago. Now here we are talking about another win against Western Illinois. It may not have been pretty, but you know what? We got a W in the win column, and that looks great. Yeah, winning ugly is a good sign. We've been on the other side of those too often. I got a stat today that I think since I've been here, we've won one possession ball game since I've been here.

So, any time you can get on the other side of that thing, it just keeps momentum going. So, it was a good home win for us. Yeah, we were kind of going back on that as well. It was the Utah Tech game that almost, yeah, I think it was a two-point conversion where they went to try to win it. Greg read it, broke it up. But another really close game. And coach, I remember kind of seeing you after the game and just how shocked, I guess, the shock that you had.

It was one of the greatest college football games you've probably been a part of. I mean, how was that feeling at the end when you saw the fumbled snap and the tackle? It was just a big sigh of relief to know everything that we had been through for that two, two and a half minutes before that, to see our starting quarterback to go through the type of fourth quarter he went through and then still lead us on that touchdown drive. I mean, knowing that our defense had played so well up to that moment, we get a dumb penalty that gets where we have to kick off from the 20.

There was just so many emotions that kind of went into that last five minutes of that football game and to come out with the win, just a huge sigh of relief. Somebody asked me earlier if that was the greatest finish I'd ever been a part of. I was like, well, in 13, I was part of the miracle tip pass against Georgia and the kick six play. So that's three pretty big endings. You've been a part of some pretty big ones there. Coach, let's kind of work backwards to some of the big moments in this ball game.

And one that might get overlooked, we've got Western Illinois. I think it was a third down, right? And the quarterback drops back. It looks like we're going to get him. And he completed that jump pass that we've kind of seen throughout across the middle. I think everybody in the stadium is thinking, oh, no, they are about to score. And if you go back and watch the clip, about five yards behind the play where the guy caught the football, it's Kamor Harris, a defensive lineman, kind of outside linebacker.

He tracks him down to keep him from scoring. It was their running back, too, I believe. So probably a fast guy as well. What about the hassle from Mo to make that play? Well, that's why he's here tonight. I told him, I told him in the team meeting today, that effort play won us this football game. I mean, it was, when I saw the running back open, I immediately went, oh, no, this is a touchdown. I think most people in the stadium probably felt the same way.

And the effort that Mo Harris had in that play, I think the first time Steve Pierce saw Mo Harris, he said he used to look like Mo back in the day. But, I mean, he's just a superior athlete that plays with unbelievable effort and passion and saved us that game. And another kind of quiet, unnoticed play he made on the quarterback sneak, the final touchdown. I was kind of worried about Destin because Mo hit him hard from behind. Remind me of Brian Satterfield knocking Cody Gross into the end zone in the 93 championship game.

Yeah, that's a play that we first put in this past Wednesday. I just had a gut feeling we may need a tush push, QB sneak, and those D linemen that come in the game in that situation did a phenomenal job. Him, Jaheim, Josh White, and Donovan Nevels are the four that come in the game. And Mo did a great job of getting Destin in the end zone. But Destin may be a little sore from how hard Mo made sure he got in the end zone. Yeah, I was going to say, right before that timeout, I kind of saw Mo and Donovan Nevels kind of come into the huddle.

I was like, okay, we're about to get a big push. And somebody might need to check Destin's back. It might have a big bruise on it. But, Coach, I know we're working backwards, but the play after that on the last one, Josh White made the final stop on the fumble. And you gave him the sledgehammer in the locker room at the end of the game. And it seemed like it meant something to you, kind of special. And how much of that do you want to let us in on?

But just Josh. Listen to Josh White's kind of two-day run here. So, early in the game, Josh tweaks something. And he's part of our goal line package that we use inside the five, short yard situation. Well, Josh is almost in tears crying and says, Coach, I'm okay. Let me go out there. And our first touchdown that Destin runs in, Josh has unbelievable effort, even though he's hurting, and pancakes the guy in the end zone. Well, later in the game, we needed him again. He said, Coach, I'm good.

You don't have to send anybody in for me. Goes in there on offense. Helps us get the QB sneak, tush-push. He's the one that makes a stop on defense the last play of the game. And then I showed some people in the room today, Josh got baptized in the river at McFarland Park on Sunday. And knowing that he was going to go through that moment on Sunday, we gave the kids Sunday off and said, hey, we're going to go out and support Josh. We had about 40 players that went out on Sunday and supported Josh in that big moment of his life.

[15:54] Unbelievable love, Josh, Coach. I know he's a captain as well. So seeing him just come through like that, I know that makes you very happy. Destin Wade. I know it was an up-and-down game for him, Coach. But that final drive, he put it together. What's kind of the message to Destin after that? You know, Destin, he will be the first one to tell you that he struggled. He didn't play a very good game, was kind of forcing things, was over-gripping the ball at times. His feet were all over the place in the pocket.

I could probably go on for days, but he would tell you the exact same thing. But at no point on that sideline, what I was excited about, at no point did the other guys on the sideline turn on him. After that second fumble, I mean, the defense does a phenomenal job after those two fumbles in the red zone to only hold them to field goals, which kept us in that game. And the whole team rallied around him and said, we know that you're going to take us down and score this touchdown.

And probably the best drive of his career was that last drive. And we highlight today, he takes one down and runs it down there by the end zone. There's four Western Illinois players there. He lowers his shoulder and actually runs their safety over, almost getting into the end zone. And just the effort and the grit that he showed coming back from a tough three-and-a-half quarters to lead us on that touchdown drive. Yeah, it was a very hardy effort there on that last drive. Like you said, maybe the best drive of his career.

I want to go back to the third quarter a little bit, too. Ian Vichon had a 46-yard field goal, but that was set up by a huge pass to Eli Sisson. Kind of flew under the radar a little bit, but a huge play by him and a huge catch. I tell you, you don't realize the impact other players make. And we call a, in the football world, we call a slot fade with a Dino concept. And Dino is double post. So if you're ever playing NCAA football and you pick the Dino concept, it's a double post concept.

Well, Eli, most of the time, Eli's job, he's laughing, is to take the safety so we can get Xavier Johnson one-on-one on the outside. Well, because Xavier Johnson's the guy on the outside, they double-team Xavier, which leaves Eli wide open up the chute. Destin makes a guy miss and pass pro, finds Eli. Phenomenal catch. Jumping, gets one foot inbounds. Big conversion right there. Heck of a play that Eli made in a big moment. We wouldn't have got that field goal if Eli didn't make that catch.

And, Coach, we've got to talk about the nation's leading wide receiver, Xavier Johnson. You just mentioned it. He's getting double-teamed. People know him. He's circled. He's leading FCS college football in receiving yards. He's got to be a Walter Payton Award nominee. He's going to be a Jerry Rice Award nominee. Those are the two big Freshmen of the Year Heisman Awards in FCS football. But what about the job he's doing? All the hype is on him, and he keeps performing. He just keeps making plays. But I think he keeps making plays because we've got other good players around him, too.

They decide to double-team him on that concept, and Eli makes a heck of a play because of them double-teaming X. Snap Reed's had two really good games back-to-back where he's getting single coverage because of what's happening on the other side to X. So, we've got to get our run game going now that we're getting everybody out of the box. Our run game's got to step up a little bit more than it is right now. Noah Gregg, K.J. Fields, or some of the guys that have made plays in the past around here, we've got a challenge.

They've got to step up, so X is X. He's going to keep making plays. We've got to keep finding ways to get the ball in his hands. But it's just going to open up opportunities for other people. Well, and despite drawing the double-team, still had over 100 yards for the third time in five games. I would argue that there's not 100 receivers in the nation that are going to be able to touch what he's done in five games in 12 full games. So, big time for him. Coach, other side of the ball, Avery Howard, UAC Defensive Player of the Week.

He had three sacks, and he's already set the Division I UNA sacks record just through five games. I mean, he was unbelievable, but also five QB hurries, two pass breakups, forced fumble. I mean, he was a menace. And the thing that he's upset about, the play right before Camorah makes the big-time play, Avery has another sack that he misses. So, he should have had four sacks. But he's a kid that we recruited when I first got here. I think coming out of high school, he weighed about 215 pounds.

We saw a lot of potential in him. He's sold out to this program for four years now. He's been developed here. He's bought into everything we're doing, and now he's playing extremely good football. He's one of the best pass rushers in the nation. He is a force on the outside. He's just becoming a complete football player right now. And like I told Matt earlier, I'm glad he plays for us. I know that. He is indeed. And when you know it, he's here tonight. We're going to hear from Avery, Camorah Harris, Eli Sisson as well.

We're going to let Coach take a breather, chow down on some of this cheesy bread. We'll get him back up here in just a little bit. When we return, we're going to meet tight end Eli Sisson. This is UNA Football Night from Lost Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score. Game day's coming, and your tailgate crew is counting on you. That's why Lost Pizza Company Shoals put together the tailgate playbook, specialty pizzas, wing trays, and subplatters, all built to feed a crowd. It's why we're the go-to pizza place in Florence, Alabama, now bringing that same lineup straight to your tailgate.

[21:11] Order for pickup or delivery to UNA tailgate only. Call 256-415-8693 or order online at lostpizza.com front slash shoals. From our playbook to your plate. Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance. Whether you're looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs. Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard or give us a call at 256-648-5710. Again, that's 256-648-5710.

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

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

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

Make the most of every lawn with Kubota commercial landscaping equipment. From the productivity-boosting Z700 mower to the reliable SVL track loader, it's a lineup built to get the job done right. Because when your reputation is on the line, you need equipment that will never let you down. Visit your local Kubota dealer today. Stop by Brown Equipment, located at 826 North Military Street in Loretto, or visit them online at brownequipmentcompany.com. The show rolls on from Last Pizza Shoals here in historic downtown Florence. Benjamin Ray, Mike Ezekiel, and we're happy to welcome in tight end Eli Sisson to the show.

But first, we want to give out a special shout-out tonight. She's in the house. Happy birthday to Megan Dye, our Associate Athletic Director for External, here with her family. Honored to have them here. She does so much for UNA, a lot with the launch of the stadium. So happy birthday, Megan. Eli, we turn to you, man. Your first year at North Alabama, it's my understanding that Lost Pizza Shoals is what sealed you on committing to North Alabama. Is that true? Yes, sir. I think Coach Partridge told me to have the chicken spaghetti, and I had it, and I was like, I think I'm going to come here.

It was the chicken spaghetti that got you to sign. Chuck's toasting you over there, man. Five games into your career here at North Alabama. You've been on campus for a while, man. Just what's been your early take of being here at North Alabama? I love it. It's a lot closer to home, so my parents love it. So, you know, happy mom. Makes a big difference in a college kid's life, but I've made a lot of good friends here so far, and the team's really close together, and you can't really beat that.

Yeah, I was getting ready to say, I know you're from Collierville. It's really close to here, not too far down the road, and played a little bit further away when you were at Liberty, but now here, being close to home, I mean, how much did that factor in when you made your decision? I had some family stuff going on, so I was really trying to find somewhere closer to home, so, you know, two hours down the road, two hours down Highway 72 is awesome, especially when you get to go home on the weekend, which I haven't been able to do that in two years, so you can't really beat it.

Two catches for 44 yards on the season. Both have gone for 22 yards, and I feel like both of them have come at big spots. Tell us about your catches. And kind of what's been going through your head as that ball's been coming to it? Yeah, the first one against Seelaw. We'd drawn it up all week. I'd run it a few times, and I knew I was going to get it at some point. I didn't realize I was going to get it that early in the game. Wish I could have got in the end zone, got down, I think I was down like the half-yard line.

I thought you were going to carry a man. I was pulling for you. I was really, really upset about that after the game, but, you know, it is what it is. And now the one in this game, I saw D-Wade scrambling. I know I hadn't over. I probably could have gotten over there a little bit quicker. But D-Wade made a play, found me down on the sideline, and we ended up getting a field goal, which was pretty important in that game. Yeah, it was a big catch and a big moment.

[26:29] And also, I mean, coaches trusted you on two-point conversions as well. Yes, sir. I believe you caught one, right? Yep, I did. Selah, I did have one. That's right. It was the first one, Selah. I mean, talk about what that means to you, being on that play and having that trust in that big moment. Oh, it's important. You know, when a coach trusts you to do something and make a play, that boosts your confidence a lot. So I was happy that they think that, you know, with this being my first year of playing, that they have that much trust in me, and it's awesome.

A lot of spotlight on the tight end position in today's football, it feels like. The tight ends have really come back around and blocking, running routes, catching passes. How would you define your play as a tight end? I think it's shifted a little bit since I've gotten here. Liberty, I was more of a route runner. I didn't really weigh above 230 ever, and I got in the portal, and I weighed about 248, I think. I put on a little bit of weight, and Coach Dierman wanted me to put my hand on the ground and block, and it's part of the game, you know?

It's awesome. Let's say you've done it very well. Coach had a big smile on his face when you were talking about it. Gave you a thumbs up on it, too. Yeah. Seems like whatever you're doing is working, so that's a good sign. Yes, sir. Let's talk about the tight end room and Coach Craig Schurig. I mean, he's a football legend, all-time winningest coach at Washburn, and now being here working with you guys. What does he mean to you in this room? Oh, it's awesome. On my visit, you know, I've been around a lot of coaches that are overly in your face the whole time, overly loud, and we'll get on to you at any moment, really.

But Coach Schurig, he'll talk you through the play. He's always there to support you, and that means a lot for a dude who hasn't really played at the first two years of college, and you just kind of want someone there to guide you. He's awesome. He's got a lot of wisdom, and he passed that on to the tight ends, which is a good spot to be in. Other than the spaghetti that you got here, chicken spaghetti, what sold you on UNA? The coaches. It comes down to the coaches.

I mean, you're not around the team, really, that much on visits, and Coach Chairman, you can tell by the way he talks about football, by the way he talks about UNA and Florence, and you want to be around someone who's so bought in. You never question that's who they are, so I think Dad Coach Partridge was one of the first dudes to call me in the portal, and when you have a coach calling you the day the portal opens, you know that means something, so he really wanted me, and I felt like it was mutual, so I decided to come here.

Well, it's been a special start, 3-2 record for UNA. You've been a huge part of that on the offensive side, and I want to take it off the field a little bit. Last thing for me, you like to golf, I heard. I do like to golf. Have you found all the good courses here yet, or are you waiting until the offseason for that? I have one of my buddies, Logan White. He's a member at Turtle Point, so I think that's the nicest golf course I've ever been to in my life, and he takes me out there pretty often, which is awesome.

That's awesome. Who else can swing the sticks on the team? Oh, Logan's pretty good. Logan's good. Leo Glover, and Banks Bowen and Magnum Henderson. Magnum would get mad if I didn't shout him out. He's probably one of the best golfers I've ever seen. Who's winning if you are playing in a group? It's not me. It's definitely not me. It's probably Magnum. Magnum Henderson. He's a great golfer. Eli, man, it's been great having you up here. It's been great getting to know you just a little bit.

Tough road game against Eastern Kentucky coming up this week, and we're hoping you find the end zone this week. Maybe carry some dudes in. But what's it going to take for this team to go up there, have success, and get a hard-fought road dub? We just need to put all the pieces together. I think we've gone into each game and kind of started a little slow, so I think we just need to come out swinging and just drive down the field and put the ball in the end zone.

As always, we can't wait to watch you guys play. Eli's system, we're glad you're aligned, and thank you for joining us here tonight. Yes, sir. We'll take a timeout. When we come back, Kamor Harris will join us next. This is UNA Football Night from Lost Pizza Shoals on 93.9 The Score. Game day's coming, and your tailgate crew is counting on you. That's why Lost Pizza Company Shoals put together the tailgate playbook, specialty pizzas, wing trays, and subplatters, all built to feed a crowd. It's why we're the go-to pizza place in Florence, Alabama, now bringing that same lineup straight to your tailgate.

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

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

[31:50] Roar Lions. Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun. Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events? Try our Golden Manor Leo's Roar and 50% goes to UNA Athletics. Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere. Don't miss out on the good times. Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery. Get comfortable. Football season is back at the carriage. There are a few things we love more than a good Saturday in the South, and football season is officially back at the carriage.

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

Well, you know what happens when the seasons change. The pests come looking for a place to stay. Don't give them an invitation. Southern Pride Pest Control has year-round prevention plans protecting your home from pests, termites, bedbugs, moisture, ants, rodents, and mosquitoes. Proudly serving the Shoals area since 2010, we're here when you need us most. Send those unwanted guests packing. Call 256-383-1890. Southern Pride Pest Control, locally owned and operated, protecting what you're proud of. When you have pests, we have solutions. Our next guest checks in. It's six foot tall.

Two hundred and fifty-five pounds. He's from Sylacauga, Alabama. It's his first year to do it with Alabama. Give it up. The ball on that final drive. You're about five yards behind him, man. Take us through what's going through in your mind as you track him down to make that really game-winning tackle. We got it right here on the screen. So, right here, I'm starting off. I know we have the running back. Defense in the end is supposed to have the running back. And we got a little confused.

Right here is where my God gave me the ability to run fast. And I know I got to make a play for my team. So, I made a great play. You made a great play, indeed. When you saw that you got him down on the one, was it a moment of relief? Oh, yes. I was going to cry. And I was, oh, we, I was so shocked. Man, you dropped back there a little bit. And, man, good on you to have the speed to get to that.

Look at the speed right here. You have some wills, man. You see, I knew someone was flunking in. Yeah, I see that. That's a fast play you're tracking down to. And then that last play, you're in on it. Josh White makes the tackle. I think he gets the credit. But, I mean, everybody's there to make that play. You know they probably aren't going to have time to get back on the ball. What was that feeling like? This one was like, I knew we all had it.

They calmed me down. I was a little mad in the hotel. And I was like, everybody was going to do their job. So, I wasn't, we wasn't really worried. But we all knew we had to do one thing and that was to stop the offense. The other question, the big play we got to talk about, Destin Wade's final touchdown plunge. I guess it was on the one-yard line again. You had back-to-back plays on the one, something like you and the one. How hard did you hit Destin to help him get in on the game-winning touchdown?

It wasn't really too hard. He did it all by himself. But I knew I had to add his little weight just to push them in the O-line. You know, I got to be big, strong, man, in there. I was really happy for him. Shout out Destin Wade. Shout out Destin Wade indeed. And shout out to you guys that come over from the defense. You get drawn up in some schemes. What does it mean to you to know that you have the offensive coach's trust, Coach Dierman's trust to put you on that side of the ball in big situations like that?

I really appreciate Coach Dierman for putting me on the offensive ball and Coach Bartrick. And I'm glad that they trust me. And I really show praises to them. And I show at practice that they can trust me with the ball, without the ball, blocking for them. And I'd do anything to help the team. All right, the weight staff shared some numbers with me. You can tell us what's right and what's wrong, all right? 415-pound bench press, 650-pound squat, and a 325-pound power clean to lead the team.

Are those numbers pretty accurate? Power clean need to be up a little bit. 365. 360. Okay, so they were off a little too. I love the way room. It's where I eat at. It's like my playground in there. And I really try to not outdo everybody in there. But I know it just hype juice me up for the game. And I just play the game in my head. I'd be like, what if I'm stronger than everybody on the field? Everybody in the stadium. So that's how I play in the weight room.

[36:59] And it's really fun, though, to me. I would believe it. And you know, it's funny. I was getting ready to say, I thought the power clean number might have been the most impressive. And then you go and add 40 more pounds to that. What'd you say, 365? I'm changing my number right now. There you go. You see it right there. And you're changing things all over that car. That's great. Mo, I've got to ask you, too. You're a Silicona guy, right? Yes, sir. Played at Comer. Knowing that Coach Dierman puts a big focus on high school football in the state of Alabama, a lot of Alabama high school players, probably some you played against back in the day, what does it mean to you to know that you're on a team that values Alabama high school football?

I mean, Alabama football was it. And I thank Dierman for that and for putting trust in us and these little schools around here. It's more little schools in Alabama than big schools. And I'm thankful that he did it because there's more athletes in little schools than in big schools down here. So I'm glad he did that. 16 different players on defense have a tackle for loss. Avery Howard, he's here. He's got 10. Shout out to Adkins. He's here as well. He's got five. Two sacks, six quarterback hits as well, man.

This defensive liner, man, how dangerous are you guys? How much do you like playing with this bunch? This is, we got a real true chemistry. We all know our job. We all know what to do. We all know the ins and outs of the offense. We study off from the line. We know your weakest link. So if you try to hide them, we're going to find them. We know what your coach is going to call. We know running play. We know skiing. We skiing up every week for you.

We practice for you. We practice hard for you. And it's just, I'm glad everybody eating on the defensive side. Defensive line, linebackers, everybody eating stars. That's the big group. Shout out everybody on defense. And I just know the defense is going to be the best side of the football every time on North Alabama field. Let you know that. Ben, I got to tell you, I can't believe we went almost 40 minutes in this show and we haven't talked about what finished base yet in the big shot out 25, man.

That's another guy in your position. Made a huge touchdown play in the first quarter, but let's talk about that whole defense, man. You know, you and Caden interacted off air and Avery in the house too, but this defense as a whole, Coach Clint Bowen and all the other coaches that are here. Coach Josh Long has been with you a while. What is this staff and what does these guys mean to you? The staff, they really help us scheme up. I'm glad we got a staff like them.

They put trust in us and we put trust in them. It's a real good chemistry in all the room. Everybody know each other. We like brotherhood in there. Coach Bowen really draws up scheme. He makes the scheme. Our defense look easy. It looks easy to figure out, but it's hard to play against us when we're outside the ball. He makes us be the physical team and the smartest team on the field. I'm thankful for that too. We've loved having you up here, man. We love watching you play the game of football.

We're glad you're lying. Non-conference play is complete, man. It's nothing but United Athletic conference play. Seven games to go. What's it going to take for this team to make a run, win a championship, make the playoffs? All of us believe in that one goal and that's winning the FC Edge championship. We all stick to that same goal and we believe in each other and stick to each other. Keep bonding. Play together. That's what's going to help us win. I've updated my numbers. 6'255 pounds, 365-pound power clean.

We're glad you're lying. Thanks for joining us. That's Kimora Harris. We'll take a time out. When we come back, Avery Howard is up next. This is U.N.A. football night for Lost Pizza Shoals. Game day's coming and your tailgate crew is counting on you. That's why Lost Pizza Company Shoals put together the tailgate playbooks, specialty pizzas, wing trays, and sub platters, all built to feed a crowd. It's why we're the go-to pizza place in Florence, Alabama, now bringing that same lineup straight to your tailgate.

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

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

[42:01] Roar Lions. Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun. Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events? Try our Golden Manor Leo's Roar and 50% goes to UNA Athletics. Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere. Don't miss out on the good times. Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery. Get comfortable. Football season is back at the carriage. There are a few things we love more than a good Saturday in the South and football season is officially back at the carriage.

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

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 Laredo or visit them online at brownequipmentcompany.com. He leads North Alabama with six sacks on the season. He's third in the nation in sacks.

He also has 10 tackles for Laws. He's second on the team with 30 tackles overall. His fourth season at North Alabama. Welcome in Avery Howard to UNA football night here at Laws Pizza Shoals in downtown Florence Benjamin, Mike Ezekiel along for the ride as well. It's a dominant defensive line. It's led by these dudes that we've talked to so far, Mo and now Avery. And Avery, you're number four, man. How does it feel to be seeing these sack numbers pile up right now? Man, it feels good, man.

I ain't gonna lie. Hey, it's just, hey, play football, man, make plays, go out there, do my assignment. I love football. So, yeah. Well, you've been one of the guys that has been here for all four years of Coach Dierman and you've been here, you've been through the Brawley Stadium era, you went through all the practices, moving the show over, and now you're getting to experience this new stadium, you're getting to be a big part of this defense, you're getting a lot of love. I mean, what does that mean to you, Nadeau?

Like, you were here as a day one guy and you've made it this far. Basically, my freshman year, it was a little rocky, but I just kept my head up and kept showing up every day and just kept doing my assignment, doing my thing every day. And sophomore year, it was a little bumpy. I still stayed, kept my head up and kept playing. So did every day. I didn't whine and cry, just kept playing football every day, kept showing up no matter how, who was against me, who was in front of me, I just kept working every day.

So, that's all I wanted to do. Last year, you tied the Division I record with four sacks in a season. You shared that with Fred Vealy, your teammate. There's three others that share that with you guys until you broke it this season with six so far, and you've still got a lot of football left to play this year. But for you, what's been the difference between last year to this year? I feel like last year, our defense was pretty good, but going like this year, Coach Bourne came in, he changed the whole defensive scheme and everything, and he got me in the right spot where I can make plays and get sacks and just do my thing, man.

That's all. Well, I can tell you're a big fan of Coach Bowen. He's a big fan of you. He talks a lot about you and seeing the rest of your defensive staffs here. I see Coach Smith over there and Coach Long, and a lot of your teammates are here as well. What does that mean to you to know that all your guys are here supporting you? They support me, man. I love the guys. Shout out to Katie Knackens, bro. Hey, that's a roommate, man. That's a roommate, bro.

Every night, man, we talking about, man, hey, we're going to meet the Saxon Conference, man. Hey, we both fighting for the spot, so hey, whoever wins, here's what it is. Well, it was Cade last week. It's you this week, so it could flip, but hey, let's tell a story real quick, because Cade's your roommate, and I think Cade actually told this story to the Times Daily newspaper last week. Said he first moved here to net you, and you threw him a blanket. He needed a blanket, and you got him one.

You want to tell us that story a little bit? So yeah, I moved in my apartment, so man, I was like, man, you need a cover, man? He told me, man, I'm good, I don't want to bother you, man. I'm like, bro, I got you, bro. I gave him a little cover, man. I didn't want to let him sleep cold, so I had to just get my blanket, man, so stay warm, and that's it, man, so. The brotherhood was built on day one, huh? Yeah, it was.

It was built day one, man. That's my dog, man. It's Cade. I know for you, you put in a lot of work this offseason. Steve Herring worked very closely with you, what are some things he encouraged you to do to kind of put on this muscle mass that you put on this offseason? 15 pounds of muscle, right? Yeah, so basically, he put me on a little diet. He told me to drink chocolate milk every night if I go to bed, and I hate chocolate milk, so it was just, hey, I had to just face adversity and just do it and just put my weight on, so that's all, so.

[47:31] Avery, we're watching a lot of your highlights here, and you've got the same dance. It seems like a lot of times you did the little step. Yeah, you're doing it right now. How did you come up with that? I ain't gonna lie. Hey, C.A., he told me to do it, man. One day we was at practice, one day, man. We was doing walk through one day at practice, man. I just said, I'm gonna just do this. Hey, so it was just, hey, I just made it up, man.

Me and C.A. made it up, man. That's my dog, man. Do you have a most memorable sack from this season or from the game the other day? Well, I'd probably say, no, not yet. Plenty more to come, but not yet, so probably say this week or this week coming up, so yeah. Well, let's go back a little bit. Obviously, you were named the UAC Defensive Player of the Week. You said you found out this morning once it went out. I think Xavier Johnson may have texted you or somebody.

You were also honorable mention for National Defensive Player of the Week, which is also a big deal, but I want to go into your stat line a little bit. Obviously, the three sacks, the three and a half tackles for loss, the six tackles, all that stands out, but to me, there were two pass breakups on there. One of them was a really big play where you broke up a pass, probably would have been a sack if you finished that one, but you broke up the pass and made a big play.

What does a pass breakup look like for somebody like you? Well, man, I'm 6'3", 245, man. I got a hot motor and I'm going to keep doing that. I'm going to keep making plays. Like I said, I have a hot motor, so I'm going to just keep using my motor every time, get to the ball and make plays and get sacks. That's me. Well, Avery, you're halfway there. You've got six sacks. The score record is 11, set by one of the all-time greats, one of the most beloved players in UNA history, Reggie Ruffin, did it back in 1994.

It's been a long time since someone has gotten close to that. A few years after that, a guy got 10 sacks. Sean Cash was his name. He did that in 1998, so a lot of people will be pulling for you and Caden and everybody, somebody to go break this record, but what would it mean for you to break that record and hold it? That means a lot to me, man. I want to, like, right now I'm going for 20 sacks this year. That's my goal is for 20 sacks this year.

That's what Coach Bowen, I told Coach Bowen, 20 sacks, man. Hey, I got six right now, man. Hey, I'm going to just keep, every week get better, try to get two sacks per game so I can beat it, man. So, we're rooting for you. Thank you all, man. Trying to get there. Avery Howard, give it up for Avery, his fourth year at North Alabama, six sacks, ten TFLs. He's got a lot of football left to play this year. Avery, thank you for swinging by. Yes, sir. We'll take one final timeout, and when we come back, UNA head football coach Brent Dierman will wrap things up for us.

This is UNA football night from Lost Pizza Shoals on 93.9, the score. Game day's coming, and your tailgate crew is counting on you. That's why Lost Pizza Company Shoals put together the tailgate playbook specialty pizzas, wing trays, and subplatters, all built to feed a crowd. It's why we're the go-to pizza place in Florence, Alabama, now bringing that same lineup straight to your tailgate. Order for pickup or delivery to UNA tailgate only. Call 256-415-8693 or order online at lostpizza.com front slash Shoals. From our playbook to your plate.

Hi, this is Ike Fowler with Alabama Health Guidance. Whether you are looking for a Medicare health plan or you are under 65 and exploring individual health care options, Alabama Health Guidance can help you find the plan that fits your needs. Our local agents make it simple, so stop by our office at 885 Florence Boulevard or give us a call at 256-648-5710. Again, that's 256-648-5710. Welcome to Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic, located in downtown Florence. We offer a large array of therapies and techniques to help you get back in the game of life.

One of those therapies is red light slash infrared light therapy. Dry needling is used to help reduce pain associated with painful trigger point. Our class 4 laser therapies are used to decrease inflammation and improve the speed of healing, of sprains, tendonitis, and plantar fasciitis. Burnley Spine and Sport Chiropractic is proud to partner with UNA to keep our lions performing at their best. Roar Lions. Join us at Singing River Brewery, your local hub for great beer and community fun. Ready to serve delicious drinks and host amazing events?

Try our Golden Mainer, Leo's Roar, and 50% goes to UNA Athletics. Support your local business and college community while enjoying a fantastic atmosphere. Don't miss out on the good times. Come sip, socialize, and savor the taste of Singing River Brewery. Get comfortable. Football season is back at the carriage. There are a few things we love more than a good Saturday in the South, and football season is officially back at the carriage. All season long, we'll have the games rolling with plenty of cold drinks, good food, and a comfortable spot to settle in for a quarter, a game, or the better part of the day.

[52:32] Game day Saturdays get $5 craft drafts, $2 off wine slushies, perhaps a mimosas, and game day bites from the kitchen. Stock up in our markets before kickoff with plenty of snacks, dips, cheeses, something sweet, and all the good stuff for your game day spread. Football season looks pretty good from the carriage on East Mobile Street in historic downtown Florence. Well, you know what happens when the seasons change. The pests come looking for a place to stay. Don't give them an invitation. Southern Pride Pest Control has year-round prevention plans protecting your home from pests, termites, bedbugs, moisture, ants, rodents, and mosquitoes.

Proudly serving the Shoals area since 2010, we're here when you need us most. Send those unwanted guests packing. Call 256-383-1890. Southern Pride Pest Control, locally owned and operated, protecting what you're proud of. When you have pests, we have solutions. Time flies when you're having fun. Final segment here, UNA football night from Lost Pizza Shoals. Benjamin Ray, Mike Ezekiel. We've got head football coach Brent Dierman back up here with us. And then, coach, we talked to Eli Sisson, first-year player, tied in. Kamor Harris, first-year player, defensive end.

Avery Howard, fourth-year dupe, defensive end. And one common theme kind of stands out. Outstanding human beings. I love chatting with all of them. Yeah, great kids. We've got a great group of players right now, a great brotherhood. There's actually an FCA going on right now on campus that Ethan Adberger leads. We're just blessed to be able to serve this group of players. I think in my 18 years of coaching, this is probably the best collection of human beings I've ever been around. Yeah, your leadership group is tremendous.

We got to see them all. I think it was week one you brought about 18 guys, and it was really good to see all of them. Ben, we're getting ready to go to EKU which for us, that's a hike all the way up the press box. And it's a lot of steps, probably about 2,000. So that's going to lead into Brent Dierman trivia. Are you ready? Sure. All right. Trivia question today. How many exact feet, and I measured this myself just to make sure, how many exact feet are there from the UNA football locker room to the turf?

212. That's right. How did you know? I had a birdie. And why is 212, it's kind of funny that it ended up being 212. Why is that significant? Well, I think that's why someone wanted to share it with me is because that's kind of one of our mottos. It was more last year, but we still hold on to it. Water boils at 212 degrees, and at 211 degrees, water is just hot. And it takes one degree of difference to make real change. And even though it's 211, there's not dramatic change, but sometimes you've got to give a little extra.

Sometimes you've got to do a little bit more, and that's kind of 212 mindset is you want to give a little bit more, whatever it takes. Coach, let's jump into our plays of the game from last week, and we're going to go to the final drive. Destin Wade in the offense had a rough go, right? And then two big completions to Xavier Reed, and then another one to snap, or Xavier Johnson, then snap Reed, excuse me, that might have been the catch of the year. But take us through these two pitching catches.

You know, you go back, the first play Coach Partridge actually saw that it was open. He called the same play again to X. X is running a post curl route on a Y-cross concept, and Destin gets all the way back to the third man in his progression, makes a heck of a throw, and X makes the first guy miss. This one here is one of the harder plays in football to stop is a field out route, because a lot of times the field corner plays inside leverage.

They don't expect college quarterbacks to be able to make that field out route throw, and for a guy that had been struggling the whole game, to drop a dime like that on to snap, snap making a phenomenal over-the-shoulder catch, just a big two catches, big moments in that game. I want to give snap a lot of credit. I was a receiver in high school, and I know that when you dump one over the shoulder like that, it takes a tremendous amount of concentration and to know where you are near the sideline.

I'll tell you what, go back to, if we can rewind this one, so this is right after snap just made that catch. When we get in field goal range, we were expecting kind of a zero blitz. They blitz the house but drop off their defensive ends out into the flat, so you can't throw hot slants or anything like that. That's the purpose of that defense. So Destin gets some depth. Our running back goes in there, Rod Taylor, and does a great job in pass pro. Snap read, bends this glance route, makes a heck of a play, and to see our offensive line, you call the rights in the room, but see our five offensive linemen take off running downfield.

Rod gets a block right here at the end. Go linemen are pushing the pile to see the effort of everybody on the field was phenomenal. And coach, if the official doesn't get in the way, he might score. We ragged him about that a little bit today, so we've got to get out of the way of the stripes. Step with our Burnley Sport and Spine preview coach, Eastern Kentucky. United Athletic Conference play coming up right here. It's nothing but UAC play from here on out. We always have great showdowns with EKU.

[57:34] Walt Wells, guy you've known for a while. He's been up there for a number of years now, but what's been your impression of this Colonels team as we open up league play? Coach Wells always does a great job. You know, Coach Wells was on staff with Coach Taggart, and Coach Bowen was the defensive coordinator. Don't know if y'all know that little trivia right there, but Coach Bowen has actually served on the same staff with Coach Wells before. He always has his team prepared. In my three years here, my first year, we had a battle at home against them.

Then we went the last game of the year to their place. I think we lost by five my second year here. Got a win against them last year, and a big, I think it was homecoming, big homecoming win last year. So we know that they're going to come in here a hungry team. I think they're one and three right now, but they're not a one and three team. They're a talented football team, and we know that they're going to give us everything we've got at their place.

Coming off a bye week, had a big win over Chattanooga. That's their one win of the year, as you said. But this is a team that just looking at their roster preseason, it seems like they were bringing a lot back. They had a familiar quarterback, a familiar running back, some defensive pieces. I mean, does this look like a similar team to last year that you seen? They are. They're still talented. I mean, I think their starting quarterback must have got hurt in fall camp or something.

They've rotated two guys at the quarterback position. They're both good players. I recruited one of them at a previous school. They've got skilled guys. Their offensive line will be one of the better offensive lines that we play all year long. Defensively, they always have some creatures on that side of the ball. So we've got our work cut out for us. We're going into a kind of a hostile environment of a hungry one and three football team that know that they've got to get a win, but we do too.

So we know it's going to be a battle of their place. Coach, we'll be up there with you in Richmond, Kentucky, 5 o'clock Central, 6 o'clock Eastern. We appreciate you breaking it down with us as always, and best of luck. Thank you, Roy Lange. North Alabama head football coach Brent Dierman. We will be back with you next week here at Lost Pizza Shoals. It is a bye week. Coach Dierman will take the week off. We're going to talk some UNA Volleyball, Cross Country, and Soccer as well, so you can still come out, enjoy some football and fellowship talk.

Coach Dierman will be back with us in two weeks after that. So that'll do it for us. For Blair back at the station, for Ty running in-house audio, Braden over there, Brandi G running the command center for Mike Ezekiel, I'm Benjamin Ray saying roar lions. You've been listening to UNA Football Night from Lost Pizza. Tonight's show is brought to you by Lost Pizza Shoals, Burnley Spine and Sport, Singing River Brewery, Southern Pride Pest Control, Alabama Health Guidance, The Carriage Wine and Market, and Brown Equipment Company.

Thanks for listening and roar lions.