Were Expectations Askew? Talking FAU (with Graham Couch)

Alexander Pope once said blessed is he who expects nothing for he shall never be disappointed well I say [ __ ] you you're listening to can't read can't [Music] write welcome back everyone to another episode of can't read can't write the podcast that proves Spartans talk I'm Mike Jones joined as always by the guy who told you fools to your faces that this team could go 8 and4 Kevin GRE and special guest the man who implicitly called us nobody's in Lancing paper of record Graham couch Graham welcome to the Pod good to see you again yeah same same uh you guys really stepped it up in terms of studio quality and production value since the last time I was here I'm I am impressed this feels very professional well you had three links you had to click on last time you were here I think yeah well when the the colist of the Lancing State Journal you know uh writes a piece saying that nobody's talking about the big changes in the NCAA uh it it it hurts it it gets you right here and we did a whole evaluation and uh some of these changes you're seeing no so uh we have you to thank for all of this all the Investments that have been made what where do you think I get most of my story ideas it's straight from you guys I just borrow them and oh I'll use that this week that'll be good no one will know no one will claim yeah no no one cares no one's listening to those idiots let's just roll let's go if you hear some fireworks tonight the west side of Lancing uh is alive and live and happening on Labor Day so that just be prepared you know we don't stop uh we'll uh we'll just take it as a celebration of us uh in the meantime we do of course want to thank everyone for listening and if we could ask a small favor please share the with Spartans your life rate review And subscribe wherever you get podcasts and of course follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ Spartans pod uh same for YouTube like comment all that other nonsense uh uh Plum uh is not here uh GRE uh yeah uh you want to give the listeners a breakdown other than Graham's going to sit with us for the green wall what else we're going to chat about today well we are here with the green wall uh or the blue wall or whatever some kind of wall uh himself Graham talk about the game uh talk about how right we were about it how wrong we were uh look forward a little bit look backward uh from there we'll uh preview the terrain uh talk about things that are happening off Grand River a little bit and then as always take your Twitter questions all right uh let's get into it uh yeah so Florida Atlantic comes to visit Michigan State University and the Spartans Escape question mark with a win 1610 uh Graham you get paid to uh watch these things maybe more than once uh I'm curious uh having had time to reflect on the game did your impressions change from leaving the game to say today not a ton um out outside of you know Jonathan Smith and his press conference talking about being happy with like protection that didn't stand out to me and so I'm going to go back back and watch it one more time I think and just sort of watch just for protection at some point and see that the offensive line was okay there but outside of things like that no I mean everything uh I think you're thinking is is is what I'm thinking and what I saw it was um you know it was an offense that if if that is what the offense is all year this is going to be a problem for them right uh I I think there are some things to work with that are reason to think that they could make they could be a little bit better in this isn't everything they have to work with but um and then defensively they haven't faced a team that really features the forward pass which is a uhing modern football but uh based on the team that was in front of them I thought they did a really nice job and I thought the way they came at them with pressure in waves and um tackled in space I thought those were really good signs and um they did about what they could do against the opponent they were facing well so I guess let's dig it go ahead Greg well I was going to say on offense if there's anything to be optimistic about it seems like couple big turnovers particularly in the Red Zone uh including a turnover on downs but let's say that they execute on those or they at least get a field goal are we talking about this game entirely differently right now or would that be Fool's Gold this is this team is it not worth doing those hypotheticals like what do you think is this is this the team or is there another version of this game where we don't feel feel this this way about it yeah it I think even if you know say they don't have that interception at the goal line for one and and you know they score there and they win more comfortably say the final score is like it was in the Michigan Fresno State game where that game was really tight and yet you get the pick six and and so it feels like there's a little more separation I still think everybody would know deep down that wasn't a an offensive performance that was all that inspiring or that looked like was smooth and clicked and was potentially electrifying and so yeah it might feel a little like in some ways it was better that didn't happen because there would be some Fool's Gold but I think one of the other things that was an important Takeaway on the positive side is the defense had to face the game when the situation was dicey right and so that to me is if you know if that game is a two three touchdown game you know they're never facing that pressure and I don't know that last year defense wins that game and I think that that would be the one positive note of it being close there is we did learn something about the defense in in that situation they did also get one pretty fortunate call in terms of that ruling in terms of you know how that you know on fourth down the penalty being uh enforced after the turnover but but still nonetheless they got the job which was really interesting in the stadium watching your team get the the ball back but also it advances down the field 30 yards and and the officials their microphones aren't working in the building so everyone around they weren't on TV either what happened wild yeah it wasn't working in the Press Box we had you know was very hard I mean you know salari was about losing it he was like I you know because everybody at this Point's on Deadline you're at the very end you're trying to explain something in copy that has to be done before you can go downstairs and I was just sitting there going going to ride around that one I don't really know what's lari was ready to like repel out the window and down onto the field to get an answer on that one he was he was he was not happy I did find it fitting though I thought that you know in some ways the frustration over the the late slides throughout the game that led to some penalties well this is the downside of that if you're the team that's sliding like the slide you are down at the moment you begin the slide therefore the ball is already turned over when the penalty happened so it it did what worked for them for a long time sort of bit them at at the critical moment yeah poetry as a I guess as an aside to all of that I I'm I I know Smith got asked about the sliding rule today um and you know gave the sort of typical coach like I'm not my place right I'm not you know I'm not advocating for for changes but it does seem like to me they've they've were what 10 10 years in now targeting as a as a pretty consequential penalty which you know now means that you've got guys who grew up playing this way and have been reinforced go low go low go low as it relates to tackling the slide almost feels like it's introduced a dangerous the sliding is dangerous because now you've enforced this whole mechanism of wrapping guys up around the leg which leads to the head-to-head contact I don't I guess you know this isn't about sour grapes as it relates to the game but it it it does feel like they need to do something here for player safety like otherwise you got players hitting High correct and I remember right when when they really started to enforce this the next year when Pat nard Nardi was still the coordinator and I remember being at a practice where all they did was lower lower lower hit lower lower lower and what what and so now you get this situation where they are really taught to go at the legs and and I mean there are a lot of different things I think most players would tell you they'd rather get hit in the head than have the knees taken out because it's you know and obviously the long-term effects of that are debatable but in terms of what what goes on to their career in the short term but beyond that you're right it it I think what they need to be able to do is review all of those and if anytime they if if the players already in their motion to tackle when the player slides there's no penalty period because that to me there's just no way to avoid that if the player launches after the person slides that's one thing but to me it's it's um they're gonna have to do something I think I'd want up and say they got to review that in real time by the way not slow-mo like real speed well you should be able to see it it's sort of like an Umpire at first base that sees the the ball as it hits the glove versus the foot hit in the base right you should be able to see that play developing and you should be able to get that right most of the time and and and really only review it if you have called a targeting which is a very punitive call if you've called something that's going to throw somebody out of the game then obviously you're going to review it anyway but um but in real time you ought to be able to get that right and that ought that ought to be the basic of the rule if they've already left their feet or they're already in their launch at the point somebody comes down then then it's it's it can't be a [Music] penalty what about uh players that appear to have messed with their helmet in some way so that it jettison off like an escape like capsule uh every time they get breathed upon should that be reviewed by some kind of equipment owner or something like that like how does how do we as a society deal with probably three quarters of all helmets I've ever seen get blown off a guy in one game like how does that even begin to take place it was amazing you there's all sorts of if we're going to get real like technical I've always said if I were if I were an official wanted to get targeting out of the game if I was an actual official I would just throw out every quarterback and running back who led with their head on on a sneak or a short run and quickly we realize how absurd some of this stuff is because it's just really hard to play the game at that speed and never have your head forward and never helmet to helmet I think intent has to be a big thing that people look at you know what is somebody trying to do if you're launching somebody that there's some obvious plays we know what we know what targeting really is and we know what it is yeah it's it's a real bummer watching them slow the play down and you're like landed on the head and it's like uh well so it look I I think it's easy maybe I guess uh I think the other other piece of optimism I can actually I got two for you the and I'm curious this team is on the offensive side of the ball young or inexperienced anyway um um you know you look at at the the wide receiver spot not withstanding monor Foster most of them don't have a ton of snaps um or are in some cases red shirt freshman um or true freshman the offensive line I think is rocking uh at least two dudes who've never played meaningful snaps for the Spartans before and Phillips and uh Stanton raml um is there and then actually and then three of the three of I'm sorry two of the three tight ends are are red shirt freshman as well I believe uh in munis and perek and then uh I guess fil is I don't know what year he is but he didn't play at all last year right like maybe there's reason to believe that the idea of growth between game one and game two that people sort of rely on as an adage that that could be a thing here yeah I think what happened is totally understandable it's just not what people wanted it's oh I was very unsatisfied watching this game yeah I mean it's one of those things until you see it on the field there's always that chance and there's always the chance of the Kenneth Walker moment right like you're at Northwestern in 2001 and this guy takes the first handoff around the edge 75 yards and you know The Season's not going to be anything like what you thought it was because this guy's that and there was always that chance that even though he's still 18 years old and he's never started a game that this quarterback is just going to be you know the the it's going to be like Cedric Irving when he showed up 25 years ago and scored four touchdowns or whatever the you know that that that didn't happen and so as soon as that wasn't gon it was pretty clearly on it's like okay there's a real might say the first play yeah yeah this is gonna be a this is gonna be a slot and you know they don't have and maybe Nick marshes he gets into the swing of things or maybe Antonio Gat Jr eventually the light comes on and he's but don't have a lot of guys who scare you and um well real real Playmakers Dynamic guys they didn't last year was a huge problem and you know they don't they don't really know except they've added this quarterback who everybody has you know high hopes for and I think still should have high hopes for so I think that's the problem once he's not on his own just sort of game ready and and ready to be dynamic himself the rest of the offense is is is going to take a minute and and I don't think there's any way around that um I think he over I mean I think there are challenges if you're this is going to be a challenge in college football you know you pay these guys now uh just like in the NFL where you you pay the quarterback a lot even sometimes before the they come in Big Man on Campus didn't have to fight the job is theirs you you're brought in to be the guy you're 18 19 years old like there is pressure to come out and just be something be a star be a player and what you really need to do at that stage is one snap at a time and just you know find a rhythm and get going and and sort of um and that's I think that's a mindset that he's going to have to adapt he comes out after the game and he sort of takes the blame and that's fine and except I don't know that he's going to be any better next week what it's not like he can sit up there every week and just totally say ah my bad you know I've got to get better you know he's just going to lose his confidence at some point they need to find ways to get him in Rhythm help him out and then you know and explain to him that you you're you're 19 and you know he's not even 19 yet um and you're a second you're going to be a second game starter and we're going to be in this together that sort of thing and and but try to find ways that he can have some success and build some confidence to let that athletic ability and other things sort of take hold you said they don't have any guys that scare you uh I would disagree with that the wide receiver crew scares me like these guys can't get any kind of separation they can't seem to do anything Child's first interception is because monor Foster is just like bumbling around he doesn't know where he is on the planet wasn't okay there's also that uh but we won't go there so Smith was asked about this today and he I think he was a little bit more critical of the offensive line than he was with the wide wide receiver core uh which is interesting because as Jonesy you pointed out Pro Football Focus graded our line for what it's worth pretty well in the last game so what do you think where where do we put the blame for something like that obviously Aiden's you know novice getting his legs under him uh but I didn't see anything from the wide receiver core but also like did he have the time or was he just running around back there with his hair on fire yeah I mean again I'll go back and look at the protections I don't think that was a huge issue he doesn't have there wasn't a lot of Separation you're and they just don't have those sort of guys Foster you know I'm curious to monor Foster I don't think we have a great answer for this and might the next couple days he was banged up a little in Camp and I do wonder if he is a little out of rhythm a little out of sorts and and um because he's somebody I thought was going to have a decent season I didn't think he doesn't have star potential but he has a guy you can count on potential I thought and and so I was a little surprised to see him have the struggles he did we'll see you know we'll see how they they do next week I wouldn't quite give up on him yeah he had some moment last year when nothing else was working some great catches and a couple plays where he looked like a pretty reliable guy um but they don't have somebody who scares that the offensive line just you know they've got the great Tanner Miller block that leaves the Kiron Lynch Adams run um and you see the talent there and so you have some moments I thought Lynch Adams was was was pretty good and and is somebody that and I think they're aware of this uh he was the better running back and and you'll start to see those car you know go toward him a little more at least even up um this week and so that's something they can look at but the offens a line I there were two I mean on fourth and one and a half the the the fourth down call that that that shouldn't have been a fourth down call should have been a field goal um I mean part of the problem was you couldn't trust that line to get the tough yards and you knew it by then and lyce Adams I think had you know uh maybe a step before he got hit I mean it was very it just it's just not working well so I I actually watching from home right that I saw them sub out the personel and they brought in three tight ends for that play and I was like let's go this is great like this is great right this is this is exactly the identity that you you would want if you're Michigan State and they uh it was I think Ving munis and uh fle came out f is what like 67 right like huge huge uge human being and it got blown up through the three tight ends like you know and so I just I like that one in particular wasn't even on the offensive line but in in that moment I I don't know it's it was one of those things that um I guess we we shouldn't be surprised because what two years ago and last year when we needed a yard we couldn't get a yard I don't but I don't know man I'm a little bit it's kind of the the Dan Campbell stuff right you I mean he he does that stuff a lot and sometimes it drives people nuts but they're just going to keep doing it um that's his identity I I do think they wanted to send that M they want that to be the identity they wanted to do it there it was interesting how quickly Jonathan Smith said he had hindsight that was a mistake I mean they understood just based on what they had seen in that game and what I'll be very curious with him and we don't have a sense of yet um and he wasn't at Oregon state from everything I've read could tell he wasn't some overly aggressive fourth down guy I mean they went for it a fair bit but will he be that will he be like a Dan Campbell going forward and he's overly aggressive I I tend to think not and just based on how quickly he said yeah that that was a mistake because it was a clear mistake just you know time and score right you're you're up you know you go up 19 given how dicey things were at that point you do that and and U but I understand why you feel too I was like oh okay and it's a moment where you learn about your team and I think to be fair to the coaching staff they probably learned about their team right there too and thought well that you can'ts yeah um yeah so I guess to keep it a little bit on the the negative for a second you know the fans have turned immediately on Brian lingren as an offensive coordinator and and I'm a bit surprised because like I didn't hate the play call on that fourth and one the I hated the execution of the play call but I you know there were there were things that in this game that felt interesting and clever to me is that just a normal fan reaction uh or am I the only do I need to check for carbon monoxide should I be angrier it's it's it's one game with limited weapons and every offensive coordinator almost nobody looks great without the weapons I mean the Lions have a beloved offensive coordinator and in his first season as a coordinator there weren't they like one and six at one point and got beat 29 nothing in a game I like it just it happens when you don't have the parts that are working I also not sure that they wanted to show everything now they got in a situation where they had to do some things to win the game but I you know I think they were cognizant of going to Maryland this week and wanted to have some things uh they hadn't they hadn't really used and but um yeah I'm not going to it's just way too early I like even with the defense like I thought Joe rossy's his approach is much more pleasing and they played really well but you know I we also need to see them face the forward pass right and so like you have to be cogent on that and and then um I I think you know with Brian lingren I yeah I mean what it's just such a crap job to be an offensive coordinator at a at a other than getting a huge salary other than being massively paid for a very ridiculous job yeah you just just got to I mean nobody's going to be happy with you most of the time it's very um because and even if you do well like think about Dave Warren for a second who was not a great coordinator but he does hold every record in Spartan football in the 2014 year like that was the best year by a long way in the history of offense in Michigan State football nobody will ever give him an ounce of credit for that like no get it we certainly will not yeah and I'm I'm not saying he necessarily deserves it I'm just saying that's the way it works that's all it's uh and yeah one game it's too early Oregon State fans didn't like lingren as far as we can tell and yet we would have killed to have the points per game that they produced last year or the the running yard run I mean at the end of the day they call the plays they don't actually Washington fans tried to get rid of Jonathan Smith as their coordinator in 20156 I was reading some of those articles like nobody is ever good like you have to if you're going to be a head coach you got to get into the coordinator job then get out of it fast enough as quickly as possible I was talking to Jonathan Smith uh like a week and a half ago and asked him about his offense and where it came from and he was very and I didn't even think I mean this probably had nothing to do with trying not to take any credit for the offense one way or another but he was very quick to say that he doesn't medal in the offense too much like it's it's I mean it's part of his philosophy but Brian L calls it those guys organize it he might have a you know a decision like fourth down or something would be is or or or suggestion or things like that um but it's a good if I'm a head coach I'm staying the heck away from either coordinator I could do it you know I don't I don't know what those guys are doing but I'm just you know I'm focused on setting the culture here that's that's my thing Bel Tucker's second biggest mistake was coaching the DBS we all know that that's his second you've got so many options is first biggest mistake I Bean okay we'll come back to that someday um let's let's be more positive POS let's talk about other coordinators uh in your peace in the lsj grading the outcome of the game uh lsj subscribe everyone get out there uh you gave the defense a seven which was higher than any of the other position groups and the coaching so I agreed with that it seemed like in all aspects of the defense The Backs the linebackers and on the line pretty good performance in this game right anything other than apparently injuries and I think we'll get to those in a second anything to be really concerned about I guess not seeing much of a forward pass but other than that yeah but you can only play the team that's on the other side of you right and no I thought they did really well I thought they were um I thought the number of defensive linemen who made plays in the back field was the most promising thing I mean from Kent tally you know uh on down like they it was I I I have not seen them look like that um and just the number of different guys in fact I was writing the quick takes and I was trying to put in moments and like every time I would sort of think I had that section set somebody else would make a play or somebody else would do something that was worth mentioning and uh I I thought they tackled in space really well which is is hard to do especially early in the season and it's something that if you don't do you never really get better at like teams either have that or they don't usually which so that's a that's a positive sign so what you don't know yet about them is coverage right we have no idea what they'll be in coverage because they didn't really face a team that that made that uh made them cover but they did get after the quarterback pretty well they were aggressive they were um I thought they they layered their uh uh their uh their blitzes well and they came at different time I just I don't know I I was really impressed with it and part of it is you've been watching this sort of Ben but don't break defense for so long uh that it's more I think more fits the identity of the program that that that people kind of known over the last you know for a lot of people long time um but again I it will be interesting to see how all of that works in unison if the back end's getting beat up by guys at Maryland and speed and like how quickly they're getting there are they getting there fast enough to disrupt the passing quarterback what does it look like like this weekend gets real fascinating for that reason um but based on you know is much as the offense based on week one you're going you know uh oh uh the defense you think almost the exact opposite about it I'll be fascinated at least a lot of snaps they pressed on the corners pressed which I think is probably a reflection of the dude can't throw the ball so like why wouldn't you press and try and get the guy off the route just takes longer right you might get home um but it'll be fascinating to see if uh CU that felt in that moment like oh we've crafted up a scheme that's appropriate for the opponent we're playing novel idea I'm curious to see if we see adaptation week to week to week in a way that we didn't quite see with Scotty not withstanding a couple times that he ran a 43 against run heavy teams um but Rossy seems smart yeah it's a good question I've asked I asked Rossy it was last week about you know I mean the thing about he's never going to give you what their plan is unfortunately but it's probably good for them like you know the specifics of what they're thinking get it but I think that's a good thing to ask you I think he be available on Wednesday we to get a sense of how much they build they are known for using a number of different skes that kind of long time and um you know the one you we talk about coordinators being disliked right and an easy job he's been in the Big 10 a long time and for the most part been pretty well thought of everywhere he's everywhere he's been yeah let's get into that into the culture into what this team is going to look like from from week to week moving forward you've been through a press conference or two at this point you've been through a few different head coaches is there something that feels different about what Jonathan Smith is doing I know you just recently got to sit down with them for the first time did the profile uh as this is progressing and you're seeing how he's adapting week to week what what stands out to you I'm curious yeah it's it is interesting because things have changed a little bit how I perceive certain thing uh so early on I didn't know if he was going to be I mean he was he wasn't bad he wasn't great he he sort of uh you know frame sentences like Yoda a little bit like just in term of sentence structure and it was I found that entertaining nobody else was giggling just me every time but um anyway the um and but and I liked him for quoting him because everything he didn't drown he was like the opposite of me he didn't just keep talking with nothing to say he just when he finished what he was going to say it was a short sweet sentence and um he does seem to speak in bullet points he seems to like have bullet points in front of him and he just shoots those off and he's just like this this this and this and then that's it so that works and but but I didn't know if we were really G to get much um sitting certainly one-onone he gives you a lot more he's really good a group of us had sat down with him last feel like last spring and uh for just off the record round table for like an hour and he was fantastic and you know so so I knew then right away there was more depth to him and he was a more of an interesting guy than than we had been able to see just in press conferences but the last couple press conferences sort of the gameweek press conference or the press conference coming off the game and then today is I thought we're really good and um where he was because now you have data right you're responding to something there are people are unhappy or you're this and he is not defensive at all willing to explain things um and obvious see this gets more difficult if like they're 0 and8 and people are starting to throw bars or two years from now they're supposed to be really good and they're not you know and then there's a different uh Vibe but he's he's very disarming in that sense because he's he's very respectful and how he how he answers uh like he's there in the conversation with you which not a lot of coaches are I mean one of the things I hated about Jim har is with just sort of this these catatonic eyes looking through you like you didn't exist and just I couldn't I it drove me it drove me nuts it was disrespectful and there were days with with um with Mel Tucker where he just didn't give you anything he was just not um now there were times where he was pretty good but there were other times he just wasn't that that that present or willing to give you anything I think the willingness to explain things to admit mistakes um he's been pretty forthcoming with injuries that are longterm and what his policy is going to be there and I that stood out to me because I think it's going to be a decent given and take because you feel like you can ask a question and he's going to answer it and I think that's um he's not going to tell you everything you want but the last two press conferences uh I've liked and I I I really like the way he handled the post game I'm I'm curious there's a lot that every coach makes about culture resetting culture um and so from you know even talking to players is there anything that seems authentic not not a buzzword not the low ego high output like I mean there's some things that uh you know you like seeing from the team but I'm curious what resonates with you as like not BS yeah I mean that's sort of I think that is the word about him that you hear the most is that he is authentic and he really just doesn't care about my flash right it's about football he likes his family um you know he uh you know we were talking about we were talking about non-revenue sports and like we're talking about a column I had written that that you guys had talked about quite a bit you guys really set the tone us we would do something like that no continue please scholarship limits and all you know everything going on in college sports and he was talking about his own kids and just being you know concerned for them that you know that they might not have opportunities that wouldn't be there in college that he really wanted them to have because things would Chang change and um so he does seem to me I mean you know you only know somebody as much as you know them but he he does seem to me um and just from talking to other people from Courtney Hawkins from just that it's a very different vibe it is a very um it it's a very familyfriendly um very little Swagger not there not just not what they're about now In fairness to Mel Tucker you if you go pre and I ER Swagger mad in recruiting and they were trying he was trying to do at Michigan State and when he got hired nil did not exist trying to do something that hadn't happened recruit at a level that they hadn't been able to get to and that's when the flash mattered and I think you know now it's just about having cash and and it's also about guys feeling like you can take them to the next level and that's ultimately what the staff will have to be able to do is they'll have to be able to develop guys guys will have to see guys become Pros one of the challenges I mean first of all they should always have good wide outs because you see it in lower levels but they should be able to get a wide out soon you the transfer portal of is there's really no excuse for that long term it's year one whatever that's fine um but in in an offensive-minded head coach uh who you know once they have some success like that ought to be something that just feeds itself guys see guys getting to the next level Michigan State's a place that's had success sending guys to the NFL um and uh you know but but what's weird is you go back even Keon Coleman thought he needed to go to Florida state which he didn't you know he just misread the situation and they worked out fine for him but like they've had a lot of receivers even recently go to the NFL um that ought to be something that they can recruit and that he can recruit but you have to show guys you're going to get him there and I um that matters more than Swagger I think and but yeah he's different different than Tucker very different yeah it's crazy that Jaden Reed had just gone in the second round as a WI receiver and then K Coleman was like oh I got to leave to do that I'm like what do you even I think there's a reason our F Jaylen Naylor went in the fifth round the year but he's stuck he's made it whatever he did he made it yeah so yeah it's it's uh yeah I'm I'm just laughing that Tucker as an aside remember I reminded that he used to make guys ask for being able to have a towel on there cuz he you know was like workmanship meat and potatoes but also had Lambos on the field I'm it just didn't it also had a brand binder Graham if you ever find out that Jonathan Smith has a brand binder if you could send up a smoke signal on that just immediately just let us know so we can just get ready that would be fantastic I I would really appreciate that I hope he has a I hope he has like a clothing line we don't know about just because like the way he dresses that would be it's actually it's a sub brand of Patagonia he just sort of rebrands some Patagonia and sends them back most of the shirts he wears I'm like that's the stuff my wife wouldn't let me wear in Paris that's it that's uh all right so uh how before we we're going to chat a little basketball and then we're going to chat about something no one's talking about but the um how worried do you think fans should be about what three major injuries in game one two at the same position yeah not not not ideal but not not Xavier Henderson either probably you know like Ian that not quite that level of when he and snow went out together and what that did to that that team um it's a good question with with Tatum especially I don't know um I I it was too quick for me to understand the effect he was really having and they haven't played a team with cover you know I don't really know what they have there in terms of depth of talent yeah I think they're okay the problem they have now is they're already one down like I don't view that injury as like uh oh they can't overcome that but and you're expecting to have one or two injuries like that but you'd like him to happen in week five and week eight when one happens in week one you're you're already up against it so the next one hits you it's you know I mean we all remember in with 2021 when they were great and then they weren't defense ly because they just didn't have enough bodies by the time they got Purdue to hang in there yeah and I would they great defensively they were a very good team and then they they were passable defensively passable defensiv they weren and then there just wasn't anyone left at a certain point so anything else Jonesy on football before I move on to uh to Hoops other than I hope alante comes back so that he can get that elusive one touchdown in his career that like mhm really bu honestly bums me out for him uh but yeah let's uh let's chat a little Hoops um we we chatted before the Spain trip that ISO seemed happy happy for ISO like really seemed happy um he was tan he had a little 5:00 shadow going on um seemed more joyous do you think any of that changed post Spain like you know I know you got two wins one loss but it looks like they're still got some problems at the five uh I think I just texting with one of the assisant coaches who said to me that like they really needed that last game like that was really good for them to take one you know to play somebody at that level to take one on the chin to have to really fight to stay in it um not to go out there and just come back you know having won three games and maybe played okay to you know because I think for all these guys you think about the IDE I mean they're these guys all want to be in the pros too they all want to be NBA players and when you go overseas and a team of guys who didn't make it in the NBA are too good for you that's a that's a moment that lets you know there's work to be done right even though that team would win the Big 10 it's still like okay there is another level we're not you know I've got to keep keep working on it um I don't think yeah there's nothing that I think ISO is probably in a pretty good place he usually is this time of year I think he likes the team he has I think he likes the potential his point guard is different than last year which which I think helps his mood on a daily basis mine and uh so I think there's there's all of that um that said I think he misjudged I think he thought they'd be better last year and he he misjudged I think at this point last year he was feeling pretty good as well and it just didn't didn't pan out you talk about the the idea of having to see that there's work to do right to be better I'm I'm curious who that's for is it like on the team right because I don't want to write anyone off but I I assume there's some players that have a bit of a ceiling to them um that uh maybe isn't get into the league uh now I think of Booker uh and um Coen car is potentially guys who like if Carr can find a shot right um who who might have the athleticism to get there um I don't know that Akens we'll see but like who's that who needs to see that differential um to to make it click yeah I mean I think it's it's just I think it's healthy for the Xavier Bookers of the world the guys who are going to be there like I think it's good for him to see that yeah I still have some advantages offensively this is where works for me athletically I should say um but that you know these guys are not the NBA and that's where I'm going to be a year from now and I've gota you know I've gotta there you know just to um I think it's good for for Akens uh who really wants to be there and like you said I don't know if he'll ever get there um I and give you a six6 he'd be built to be a three and D guy and he's just not and so that's going to be it's going to be a tough slog for him to figure it out and and but you saw even in that last game there were you know he had struggled quite a bit in the first two and you you saw him sort of take it upon himself in some key moments and made some some important plays and you know we'll see what he is this year I um he's not Tyson Walker is a guy who can like create offense on demand and it's not he's got to be in the flow I think he can um and I don't think they necessarily need him to as much this year but he's gonna figuring his role out and and him figuring out his place and being comfortable with it I think is is part of this um because you don't want him taking fadea away jumpers late in the clock as your offensive option because he feels like he's the go-to guy that's just not going to work and I think the more he like he was what I thought he was really good at in that last game was had five or six assists a couple passes from the top of the key as he drove in sort of the free throw line area find guys on the wing like that sort of stuff um to me uh like is important but um I I think it's just all of those guys who you know the young guys the Jeremy fears who I thought played really well for three games or at least was reassuring I should say uh the way he played um The Freshman coming in the guys are battling for minutes I mean all those guys just seeing that a level that's not the NBA is still a level above them I think is a really helpful thing last qu GRE go ahead and then I got a last question on basketball no you do it TI us up host Mike Jones I I know you chat with him a decent amount but there doesn't appear to be a center on his recruiting board this isn't a recruiting podcast in a big way but is he aware that's a position like truly no more fivs they they're not going to play with him anymore after this Co ker and Cooper are going to graduate in a year he doesn't have anyone in the pipeline line at all and then presumably he's going to get access to more scholarships right that's going to open up this so that he won't use are certain members of the isone gonna get those scholarships like how are those going to get doled out I why not bring in some bigs R it's a good question I do think that uh small forwards are going to sue the NCAA for there to be no more centerset that's going to be the next lawsuit that that wins and so you won't have to worry about this anymore um it's it's a good question and I know I haven't talked to him lately about it um you know it is something that I think as we get into September and guys are starting to really commit for 2025 um although last thing I just saw the whole uh the uh National the letter of intent may go away too know recr who knows how recruiting no confidence about what your team is anymore whatsoever it's just it's not it's not good it's um but it is it's a fair question because like this year when I'm watching them like I do think in the back of their minds a little bit as they were thinking about the center position and who to bring in there were a few things at play one was not upsetting the apple cart as he said or whatever it was and they're them liking the idea of kler and Booker playing together Fair bit and all that stuff one was a realization financially they're not where Indiana is in terms of nil money they you know going out spending like what 1.2 million to go get somebody you know isn't necessarily A doable thing and how that changes it but I also think there's a really good chance Xavier Booker is the five in their closing lineup for a lot and you saw that in Spain and I had another coach not from Michigan State texted me watching the games just saying like Coen Carr has to start like that version of car has to be your four like he has to be on the floor well if that happening then where's Booker you know and when you start to do the math the number of guards they have in wings and you start to think about the end of the games yeah there's a really good chance Booker is your and you're not going to say that to him coming into this year because he wants to be a four and he he's picturing the NBA which none of that matters and none of these guys are none of these guys understand that like miles Bridges didn't understand that if you played the four in college it wasn't going to hurt you at the next level none of these guys ever quite grasp that but somebody's in their ear some Uncle somewhere and it's not it's never helpful but I do think that there was probably a part of them that thought when we actually look at the framework of this roster Xavier Booker is going to spend a decent chunk of the five to in big games and that's sort of the answer and we'll see if that's the answer we'll see whe they can rebound and whether that makes sense but that's that's been my hunch for a while and I think you saw that play out in the closing lineup of Spain all right well Tom tell him we're curious I that's the that's the yeah what yeah your guess is I don't have an answer for you there 26 One On The Board Graham I like truly it's it's it's almost as if he's going to use the portal that's the plan to get a Natty he's going to wait till these guys get out of here and then he's going to use the portal and maybe it is I mean that that you know you may get to a point where that becomes sort of like quarterbacks this is what you're going to do you're going to try to have some guys you're developing as bigs and then you're going to try to bring them in through the portal that may be the plan moving forward it's a good a good question though let all the other teams figure out which ones are the good ones then you just sort of go pluck one or two of them from somewhere from Long Beach States bench apparently should be one of those schools they should absolutely yeah uh let's talk about the story that no one is talking about to end things out with you um so you've of course sat down with alen Hower you got great access to him we of course know that he's listening now um is he G to have to eat crow though in this whole thing like looking at what Ohio state has announced we want to have a competitive program in conference are you going to have to make very difficult choices about which teams you're going to support and which teams are going to stop existing frankly well I I do think there'll be tough decisions about the levels in which you fund teams to compete and people will just have to come to that realization and the question is if you're not funding team teams to compete at the highest level then should you be funding them at all and that's that's a fair that's a fair question like um and it's going to get weird with some like like you know baseball is a great example because um I don't think baseball will ever be a priority really at Michigan State it shouldn't be a priority it's a sport where there's still snow on the ground they play their final home game half the year and and it just is what it is um and more schools like in the Southeastern Conference may decide to bolster the scholarship number uh instead of removing scholarships what you basically the question is going to come down to this with men's sports especially you get 20 more football scholarships if this all gets approved now nothing is set in stone yet where this is but if if the the agreement with the house uh settlement is what comes to pass you'll have 20 more Scholarships in football available to you that I don't think most programs need some won't want Michigan State may not use them all they may decide 95s what they want to use annually and I don't think that hurts the program coaches will tell you like where is you know it kills you any you can't have any Walk-Ons at all if you go to 105 which some coaches like having that around you can only travel a certain amount most schools I was Pat 40 who did a thing on the number of uh players each SEC program used last year and it was in the 50s you can't use most of these guys and it just leads to more guys transferring or unhappy and most of these guys you're not it's just more money you're going to have to pay them in nil up front so I don't know that 105 helps you in football but say they go to 95 say you want the eight additional Scholarships in hockey if that's available because you want to take every advantage of what you have like the SEC has in baseball you have with up up North with hockey and then you add two in men's basketball which I I don't know that they'll use but but you're using 20 to 30 somewhere you could have additionally that you're going to have to find out of other programs you know your wrestling programs your your uh you know all the tennis is kind of rolling right now but what your base programs other things so that those are those are really important questions to the question whether Hower will Hower is on the record saying you'll have to find another ad before you cut and um I don't know it's a good question I don't know that I would have said that uh given the unknowns or what's coming down the pike I think he was he said that to reassure people which is uh if you can live up to it it's good leadership but if you can't qu so I remember the the president of the University that signed my uh diploma said something about how you'd have to find a new president if you're were going to pay the football players and wouldn't you know it she's she's long gone so well she's just across the street where she was for a while I haven't seen her in a minute uh so keeping in mind you say you have to find those scholarships somewhere swimming was a sport that truly no one cared about like the coaches didn't seem to care about it the student athletes didn't seem to care about it has the administration do you think learned anything about the experience of cutting Sports potentially if they need to do it in the future from that and how they handled it there one of the things it's hard is you you'd never look good cutting Sports because there's always an argument and one of the problems you run into and I think you do have to do this before you cut any sport at this day and age the mistake with swimming is you say look we can't fund this anymore if you want to fund it it's going to have to be sell you want to have this we're going to have to self fund it give them the opportunity to come up with a plan to do so and then if they can't then it is what it is instead of just going out and cut and I think it that's sort of one of the things you're going to have to do and there may be some answers like with with men's tennis there's quite a bit of nil funding that's been coming in that's been helping them get these guys and and and that's been a really interesting and maybe you don't need scholarships there you don't have them many scholarships and men's tennis anyway and so that there might be some options if you have donors in the right areas or you have people want to fund something because it's important to them um and and so I think those conversations need to be had uh you know and some of these Sports probably will get dinged a little in terms of the the resources that can be put into them and then they'll have to decide you know how much they can they can they can s j up on their own I yeah I I'm very curious to see this next year because as all this stuff comes down the pike and and players start getting paid and and you know budgets are what they are now there is more money coming in I mean that's part of the um bad in some ways though is I was very curious to see what MSU was going to do and what Hower was going to do when they first got the new media rights deal with the big 10 you know he said to me you're going to see people's priorities with this because you're going to see where the money goes and I think he was really eager to uh try to make them a first class program in some of the nonrev sports and you know volleyball the pr facility sort of thing you need a lot of those projects that you and I some of those things I think are going to be hard to do and um now you may still get individual donors that say they want this you get the donors for the new tennis facility and you know that's that's ear Mark for that so there are things that could still happen but I think that stuff's going to get harder to do and it's not going to come from the the media rights money um like it would have that money is going to be a big chunk of what they use now to uh pay the athletes Lead Me go ahead Jon well you uh you've you've you I got derailed I'll come back to it you go I threw you off on purpose I knew that I could needle you right there and then I could get in one last question the worst the worst scenario is when it's a press conference and that happens to you the M comes to you and you have thought and then you're off in your own world and all a sudden you're like I have no like oh I've got it written down in front of me I got it Graham here's the question for for you Kevin take a seat uh the uh I'm I'm curious is Hower and I'm it I'm rooting for him I love that he's invested and seemed to make competitive hires in the non- revs uh and and does seem to be dedicated in a in a way that is uh productive to msu's long-term success I like the actions he took on Mel Tucker like we were pretty skeptical on this PO about Allen Hower being hired in the first place and and he's been I think surpassed our expectations but that was not about him personally that was about it being an internal hire and not an external hire yeah and and it wasn't acute to Allen other than I think the whole msupd thing but it doesn't matter very happy for Allen um and and want him to continue to succeed though uh I am curious is he agnostic on the direction of college sports or does he have an opinion because it does feel like we're in a in a moment in in trajectory where it matters to be a leader in this space because you can help direct The Narrative and I don't want to I don't want to dbo Sweeney obviously uh but I I do want someone who's um maybe not just riding along the wave so I think he does have he does have a voice in uh some of the discussions that happened with the big 10 and SEC so he does have a voice in some of of those things that are going on he does have um and he does I mean he does want some level amateurism probed the wrong word at this point but he does want a path where um you know he he thinks the players should be allowed to you know be compensated and all that stuff but a path that that he doesn't love the players employees put it that way he doesn't love the athletes as employees um and and so he's made that pretty clear he also thinks there's a chance what this what's happening now um I think and this is my sense from him I you know things are probably changing in his world quicker than I'm aware of them but um that some of what's going on right now is has a chance to save College athletics in ways that otherwise College athletics might be in real trouble like there's something needs to be done in other words you know you can't the status quo doesn't work um and so you know in terms of you know where he stands um you know um on on each little thing I don't have a great feel for that in terms of how it changes or you know some stuff I I don't have on record um but he's um I do think he is somebody who early on felt like he needed to take a back seat to more uh longer term ads in the Big 10 people been around State and other places and I think he no longer feels that way like he he feels comfortable in his skin and ways he didn't you know two years ago three years ago get the last one to you no I think we did it I think we nailed it Graham thank you so much for your time uh what was that by the way what are we what are we sipping on this evening I've got a I've got a wheezing the juice out of our friends over at Grand Armory curious uh what was that like a porter or something was it a Guinness yeah just a Guinness a Guinness my man I like the dark beers in the summer that's a bold move some people say that that's a move of a psychopath I disagree I disagree first it's the first day where it didn't hit 70 degrees some of us like to C the fat men like to celebrate that you know so that's right we're settling we're getting the muscs out we're we're wling around we're having a Guinness it's fall it's past Labor Day let's go well no I appreciate you guys having me and uh look forward to uh look forward to doing it again no uh we we appreciate you uh obviously everyone we steal most of our information uh after Graham steals our information from the Lancing State Journal you should read it you should subscribe uh and of course you can couch catch him on couch in the rubbe uh which you should listen to on all the days you don't listen to this Graham thank you so much for having being here thanks gra talk soon cheers all right thanks again to Graham couch and you can follow him on Twitter at grahamcouch and of course check him out on couch in the rubbe uh and the L ing State Journal Michael the paper of record in mid Michigan okay did you like that little bit there from the beginning I liked it I did I did I did uh all right Kevin we have more to chat about but we are going to first say a kind word about our friends mom is maranti and need to read uh folks if you didn't take a second traveling from Southeast Michigan up to East Lancing for the game to stop in the Oasis off of Clear Lake Road please check them out uh the next time you come up for a game Mama's mertile iterate off of Clear Lake Road on 994 uh you can check them out at mam M m.m on Instagram great food great drinks great door outdoor area Uh Kevin anything more to add here well as we establish it's Guinness season so the leaves they are a and get yourself out there on that patio have yourself a porter little Stout out there you know it looks out over a nice little Glenn it's got everything it's got nature it's got uh old equipment that you can look at and comment on it's fantastic and if you know what I'm talking about it's got fire pits yep perfect for the fall uh if you don't know what I'm talking about don't be an idiot get out to Mama's mertile and erery off a clear like Road all right exit I don't think we have anything off Grand River this week well we just kind of covered it um so I think we should cover the terrains don't you yeah what what do we know about terrains Kevin okay well we learned some things about about Maryland's football team in our conversation with with graham right now but we didn't cover that much about the terrains well first off did you know generally that Turtles are some of the oldest living creatures on the planet like they date bo back in the fossil record like 215 million years did you have any idea about that that's not surprising because because don't they uh certain turtles not terapin to be very clear uh and we are primarily talking about terapin here we'll get to them in just a moment continue don't certain turtles live a very long time yeah tortoises are like you know how there's a heirloom piece of like a piece of furniture that gets handed down from generation to generation tortoises are like an heirloom animal where it's like I think my one of my roommates in college his family had like their grandparents tortoise that just lived in the garage you didn't could be could be like that I I did hear that lobsters don't technically or could theoretically be immortal except for like environmental factors and those types of things end up killing them eventually but I I believe I read that somewhere lobsters don't die of natural causes is the point or only die of natural causes in their environment or murder or or being boiled to death and then stabbed with a pitch for and there's tortoises and then far down the scale are terens yeah uh one thing that you need to know about terpens and how they're different from Turtles is that they're normally found in braish water environments it's brackish brackish brackish I was going to ask as a coastal guy what do you know about brackish water environments uh so brackish water for those who don't know is where salt water meets Fresh Water uh so interestingly Kevin when I you don't care but I will tell you when I lived in Connecticut yeah I definitely don't care but I to be very clear for all listeners Connecticut is the worst but uh I lived on brackish water uh which is super fascinating it's it's a unique ecosystem in and of itself so I was I spent my Labor Day weekend up at the Sleeping Bear Dunes which is a Inland freshwater sea essentially so I could not care less about brackish water but you are correct estuaries Coastal lagoons those types of things um they generally if you want to differentiate them from from Turtles on site they have a more streamlined flatter shell their diets a little different because they're Coastal you know they're primarily eating mollock the Crustaceans little vegetation there and obviously they have that higher tolerance for uh salinity slight solinity water so uh one thing that's interesting about uh terrains is I was looking up what are the threats to terit because I thought I could make a joke about I don't know Spartans or football or something sorry did you see USC's hype video no I did not see USC's hype video W walk me through this this is probably better than the content I had so tell me about those they let's just say they sorely missed which side of the war the Trojan Horse was on what they ful they fully embraced the horse not realizing that it was not the Trojans who were the Trojans were the receivers of the horse not the not the givers of the horse were they very much like can you believe falling for a horse oh idiots dumb po shame it was 10 10 like holy [ __ ] this to be one of America's finer academic institutions and this this is my plug for listen when people amp up stem education and don't get me wrong I got a kid and I'm deeply invested in a solid stem education for my child but liberal arts matter because you won't end up making that anyway wa continue terrain uh it turns out basically everything hunts terrain on the list of predators for terrains it was like pages long and I had to click through it and it included this is my favorite thing you know those like flexible things that you put on the bottom of your gutters to get the water further away from the house yeah there was a picture of how that was disrupting a terrain's walking motion and he was like sort of half falling over and it was like truly everything will kill terapin as it turns out so um there it is now you know preview of terrains nailed itall gutter down spouts if you if you want to help protect the terens uh anything else before I move on uh they have two quarterbacks and their front seven is pretty experienced that's what I got great but you had the better preview all right we're gonna bit but fine it's fine the bit the bit still works with two random anyway uh we're going to head to Twitter questions of course you can participate next week if you uh follow us on Twitter spartor pod same handle on Instagram or you can email us can't read can't write1 1855 gmail.com that's can't without an apostrophe and can't without an apostrophe can't read can't write 1855 great first from Mike Jones to you we are currently on Pace for 84 sacks this season tell me why I shouldn't vote Joe Rossy for president this fall and we happen to know that Mike Jones has a swing state vote so be very deliberate in your response yeah Mike Jones you should not vote Joe Rossy for president I love football and it runs a lot of my life but do the right thing here but by the time election day comes around we will no longer be on base for 84 sacks this season I can tell you that with a high degree of certainty but uh as we tal talked about with graham um there was a lot in this game plan to like about Joe rossy's approach what will be super interesting watching the Maryland game so I would encourage everyone to like watch the corners see if they they change it up from uh press coverage but it was hard not to be pleased it was really hard not to be pleased with the defensive effort there um next up from Mike Jones uh GRE why didn't we burn all of Jay Johnson's Playbook when he left who the [ __ ] gave Brian lingren the fourth down play sheet I disagree with this question there it is I there it is that's what you were saying when we were talking to Graham they're already out with their pitchforks for Brian lingren Mike Jones the play was solid like truly when three tight ends Trott it out on the field I was like let's [ __ ] go like this is great this is this is refreshing this isn't three wide receivers and a quarterback shotgun like it was a great play call that did not come from the J Johnson Playbook because that man didn't actually know what tight ends were uh or how to uh you know call plays for them next up from Thomas zambiasi Jonesy uh is it really an MSU home opener if we didn't at least leave a little bit frustrated with the team Thomas I get your point here I really do but it doesn't have to be this way like it right GRE it doesn't have to be this way I would like to see all of the openers I mean there have been times I can remember an opener for the defense outscored the offense and I I think we ended up doing really well that year I but I I will say this I looked up uh I looked up Conor Cook's Western Michigan start M 2013 mhm it was not substantially better than naan child is yeah because he's a gamer that's because he's gota he's got to get his Riverboat Captain ready to go but he was also 20 when that happened and not 18 in three months well but isn't that also more of a deference to child that he Fair Fair anyway point being Thomas I don't you're probably right when you say home opener because I'm like well Kenneth no what whatever we did against the first home opener in the Kenneth Walker season um was fine I'm sure it was fine I'm sure it was great in fact yeah I mean that year also went on the road beat Miami and that Stills a lot of confidence uh next year for or next year next question from Thomas uh what makes is O col a career quicker winning the title or coaching the all dogghouse team for a single game so this is a call back listener if you didn't catch last week's episode it was last week right uh was that who asked that question uh great question from Kate wall uh for iso's all dogghouse team uh it it for sure is winning the title though right yeah yeah like in some ways Mak steam might make him yeah might make him just turn into he might have to call it a career because he'll become a diamond he'll just sort of like the pressure will become so great he'll just crunch up and be unable to move after that but uh coaching the title I think I think we all agree ISO probably calls it a that point and and I think we'd all be fine yeah I'd be happy to have one uh next up from Beth Maro my three Noto quick takes one someone please tell Aiden not to force it can't lose him to an injury before he hits his stride two uh whatever BTN pays Mike Pereira per I didn't this is one of the commentators I presume he's the NFL or not the NFL he's the referee dude oh okay Plum get your agent on this can you imagine Plum out there coaching football Pereira came up the first oh like it was I mean and and even when he came back the second time he was like yeah they got a little technical on that call uh the the interception call on the first one it was anyway uh but yet dude has the cush job in the entire world he gets summoned to watch a play and then make a decision in slowmo uh and three from betham Maro uh GRE we need more guys with apostrophes and hyphens in their name preferably both do we had a both I don't did you see we have a Carson Carson Dash Wentz on our team no I did not see we have a Carson Dash Wentz how does that happen Long Snapper just four and a half star Long Snapper uh next up Nestle's quick Hotel first question greck what goes from Grown to great first childes or the offensive line I'm GNA go with Charles it's just so many fewer moving Parts it's just one dude the problem is for him to go from to Great requires some assistance from the offensive line so a run game specifically yeah so this is tough but it's a I will believe it when I see it situation with the offensive line that's where I'm at right now yeah next up from Nestle's quick Hotel Jonesy uh should there be a rule against sliding kind of talked about this with graham but why when an offensive player figures out a new way to hurt himself it's the defense that has to ad ADT see also running backs lowering their head and drawing a Target yeah I actually kind of like the um the the take that that I had with graham which is that they can review the targeting but it has to be in real time it it can't be slow-mo um so um next up is uh G kuang uh which I Googled the pronunciation beforehand so I'm dearly sorry if I got it wrong uh do you happen to do you think the bigger difference this year are players or uh coaching staff the transfers have shown a high ceiling but it's refreshing to see an offense and defense adjusting their opponents and special teams who knew what they were doing I mean it's the coaching staff right it's it's got a lot of the a lot of the guys that are playing are names that we recognize including on special teams making big differences um Ryan of course is a hold over from the previous staff so is what you're talking about yes righty thank you um we're on a first name basis we're just very familiar we've been texting back and forth all week my bad that's my bad that's my bad um and also they have a hand in who the players are that are playing and coming in from the transfer portal so this is a difference in the staff right I think it's as simple as that do you disagree no uh no because particularly that the players we talked about this on the defensive preview that the players who were left over were really highly rated recruits MH um so you know and it's unfortunate he's out for the season now or likely out for the season but Dylan Tatum was finally playing the position he was supposed to be playing right like you know they're just there's I don't know there's better things about the staff um and and it did seem I will stick with I mean if he does the same thing against Marland I guess I'll be surprised but Rossy seemed to have a scheme for this game that was tailored to the opponent that was in front of him so um and I don't actually I I don't ha anything Lind Gren did but anyway except Gan first off thank you for the question appreciate you uh joining in but I think special teams is a great example of why it is the coaching because the players that were making a difference were on the team last year and then the scheme and the differences is in the coaching was making them a more complete unit generally except for the blown coverage on that one okay well we're really focused on the positives right now Mike Jones okay and that was actually's fault because he blew his own coverage but anyway okay listen we're not but he did have that one Stellar punt that landed at the one got us two points yeah if Hunter scores you essentially two points then he can screw up another play so it's uh I'll I'll read this one because it's actually to you from the Keith ski Jones you have to play a series on defense what position would you play put yourself Rush end please yeah I feel Keith I feel targeted on this one uh honestly I think you're going to put DB hear me out and you're going to Blitz the [ __ ] out of the quarterback like because then it's not my fault if the blitz doesn't get home uh and I'm gonna and I'm gonna press and I'm going to try and get that the the wide receiver off their Mark but I think I think that's the play if you got me out there is I'm going to press I'm going to push and you're going to Blitz the [ __ ] out of the quarterback right like uh next up GRE what's your favorite Slurpee flavor well first off kii I think this is probably a slate on me uh that I'm a simple man and I probably have a slurpie flavor and you would be right to think that I absolutely do yes uh so let's say you're last time you get a slurpie well I'm about to answer that question let's say you're leaving the Greater Detroit area and instead of taking 94 where you can stop Mama's mertile you're taking 96 maybe you're coming directly back to laning um you can stop and howl which normally I would not recommend under under any circumstances but there is a 7-Eleven there at the you know at the outlet mall that has a Rock and Rye Slurpee and that would be my recommendation to you have yourself a little Figo Rock and Rise Slurpee and get as fast out of house as you possibly can back on the road back home to EAS Lancing you you have anything here do you have a do you have a slurpie wreck for the podcast no I don't I I'm just it's interesting to me that you know how well enough I've spent a lot of time ni and the problem with how is that yeah the problem with how is that it's so far out of you know the normal City Center cers that it gets really dark at night and you do need to create I'm not willing to [Laughter] go has a question for Plum but he's not here why do you spend so much time reing soccer then just stop well the answer is he started again he didn't stop the plan was to stop but then he didn't stop but I don't think it's yeah I actually do feel like I know this story but I'm not going to answer it for him so KY feel free to resubmit this one it's it's best coming from him but I mean if it's not clear Plum did ref at very high levels of competition um like it's impressive what he was able to do which makes his takes on the show all the more surprising uh but his expertise and and his experience with college athletes is like second and none so it's uh it's great having him here uh wish he was here now Alex uh next up 18 Spartan 18770 uh Greek are you mad at Jonathan Smith or for not offering Sam levit a scholarship and this is when he was at Oregon State um yes yeah except for as we covered at the time Sam Levitz uh reasons for leaving and citing this did not really hold water because because what's his name who's at Arizona State or Arizona also did not offer him not yes exactly so uh that was if a reason that people just pull out you know of nowhere who Among Us hasn't had a breakup where you site something that's not real so that you don't have to say what you're actually thinking and can you blame Sam levit for wanting to be like I need to get out of here yeah last year we're all stuck in this we're all committed to this if you're listening to this podcast it's because for one reason or another you've committed your your life to this but there was still hope for Sam L it he acknowledged that and he decided to go pop off somewhere else so uh disagreed with it at the time I think we were I think we we gave him some Guff for it but uh he is starting now uh at Arizona State so it kind of worked out aen Charles is playing fine I didn't see how he played this week did you see how Arizona state did I didn't but are we gonna google that uh Arizona State beat the tar out of Wyoming does that matter at all I don't know is Wyoming good I don't know I don't know I don't know we won't pretend that we know next up from Smart 18770 should Smith have given our backup QB a couple of series Friday bro he was at the riv absolutely not uh also no like here's the thing I think if you're conceptually in on Aiden childes as a quarterback and this isn't something we talked about with graham but GRE you were there in person I had it on TV Aiden Charles has an arm yeah has a very live arm like we didn't see not withstanding Sam levit we didn't see that true capability at all last year Kate Hower didn't earn the job for example and he was our starting quarterback for several weeks continue uh and and even in the um what was the there was one play one of the few instances where the ppro was just broken um Aiden spun out of it and and was able to get to a place where get himself to a place where he could throw I don't remember if he completed it or not but like you saw things out of Aiden child's um that indicated great things and and often times some of the misses were just miscommunications between him and the wide receiver which is another reason to be optimistic that maybe this gets cleaned up next week all that's to say Aiden Charles need to Del live or die with the win or loss like it was his to own and if you're on board with the idea that he can be our quarterback which I think you should be then [ __ ] needs to happen yep good bad whatever Spartan 18770 I would ask you are we in win mode right now like win right now mode and I would suggest no one thinks that we are so if that's the case there's no value to you putting in a red shirt senior who can't return next year even if he wants to it only invites a potential quarterback controversy and it only takes away really valuable snaps from Maiden Childs so if you believe that Aiden childes is the guy moving forward and the head coach does then you got to give him these snaps I think the only reason to consider giving the backup QB snaps is if you're like Arizona State and you're up 487 on Wyoming in which case then oh YSI bring him in bring him in finally go ahead you you won't read this how weird does it feel having faith in special teams [ __ ] Ross L's it was a little weird kin it was a little weird it was a little weird when I was going through all of the Wailing and nashing of teeth and very little of it was focused on special teams and it felt really good to be there next up from EV Marie 24 uh how do you feel about the MSU vets Carter looked like rb2 and Foster was inconsistent that's generous s Marie uh seems like the transfers were doing better um yeah I would uh I I'm not putting it on Carter I will give Lynch Adams credit obviously I mean he ran a great game and the one he ran up the middle was not actually supposed to go up the middle he just saw the hole and took advantage of it which is great but I mean even on that fourth and one and a half I think he was the running back in there and [ __ ] got blown up like yep it I Nathan Carter I'm I'm convinced is a really good running back but he's not canine and there's there are levels to these things I'm convinced Carter could find himself a home starting on a lot of big 10 teams yeah or at least getting meaningful carries and then Foster I I think Graham pointed something out smart which is that he was hurt towards the tail Enda camp but we we don't have any speed that's that's a little bit of a concern yeah uh Smith in his press conference talked about like running the right routes creating separation doing those types of things I don't think you're going to start seeing demonstrably better wide receiver play all of a sudden next week I do yeah the one thing that I think you might see Improvement on is there were a handful of possessions uh or not possessions a handful of plays where uh it turned into a bit of a scramble drill and there was miscommunication between what child's expected the wide receiver to do and what the wide receiver did that can get cleaned up and that is the difference in many instances between a first down and not a first down wide receiver didn't sit in the zone where child's expected wide receiver didn't go where child's expected so that might get cleaned up and you could be like well you know things could be different um anyway next oh I'm this for you I'll I'll stay on this for you actually edar 24 continues on this uh line of questioning asking do you think transfers outperforming the Vets is emblematic of the Mel Tucker era uh that's that's actually no because on the on the defensive side there were a number of dudes who started um that were Tucker recruits and on the offensive line there were still some guys no no I don't I don't think so I think good is good some guys are good some guys aren't it just is what it is like not everyone panss out yep uh GRE next up Cedar Village Bagel without mentioning a single play player coach or specific play give me your good news bad news for week one his is good news our Turk grass looks so beautiful under the lights and bad news we didn't get a noticeable Boost from the bad weather in the area like the Spartans of yore so good news are you familiar with the Fast and the Furious uh sepy of films or whatever we're up to right now you know dude I watch I listen to how did this get made where they have uh uh Scott Adams from Parks and Rook lore yeah on for every single release the like the day after to discuss these films yeah yes very familiar so in the first of these kick them off the granddaddy of them all our guy Vin Diesel is road racing none other than rule that's right and after that race family uh no I think he's actually this happens after that he's raising what's his name the main the main character but he he has this whole thing about how winning is winning it doesn't matter if you win by an inch or a mile ask any real racer winning is winning and without mentioning a player coach or specific play that would be my good news my bad news and I do really like this one Cedar Village Bagel the whole you know rain gods thing that we have been known for for a while the bad news is this isn't our last Friday night game there's G to be more of them and I think there's going to be more of them in the future too because it's gonna be a bit of a slug next up from Kate wall Jonesy pick your all Depo starting five so the all dog house was last week this is all nepo starting five must have a family connection uh to the program or Big 10 uh guys who earned their spot are fine a small lineup is expected well so I'm now rethinking my read of this is this all nepo big 10 or all nepo Michigan State just stick with MSU because we're GNA that gets a lot [ __ ] harder it does it really easier for you mafre are kind of loading up the team right yeah and and how I hate to say it but like you know I mean one of the Howards is in the NBA so yeah well because the game was basically built around making him look good uh for that entire season but yes continue but I if we're doing if we're doing all program nepos um Davis Smith is running your point right like I mean he was a serviceable point guard by the time he you would you didn't want it but like he could do it um who else do you have because there the the other two are the very obvious ones one of whom is still on the roster so who else is on this list I just Kate wall is right uh this is a small lineup for sure I can't think of any bigs can you think of any bigs that are in the nepo line of I can't think of I'm ashamed to say I can't think of more than the three players Davis Smith Stevie and Sanders's son like who am I missing here uh uh you're you're missing uh kid oh yeah hyberg kid no no we've um who was Malik Carr is a nepo to a degree really what was that that entirely his uncle is uh yes okay yep I remember that now that was that wasn't ever really like pitched as nepotism in any way that was like oh what a fun little connection that we have oh this this one's tough Kate yeah Kate adds I should I should point out heard the feedback last week should I hold these for offseason segment fishing i' uh one planned weekly until bball but can wait Kate Kate you've done this well I like we right Kate has done this well you should keep them going it's not a massive list you've kept it to five like uh We've failed you in this in this count but Kate please keep them coming these are good good uh good bits um but like truly I I'm a little stumped here and I'm a little ashamed of it because it feels like if she's got a nepo 5 it must be more obvious yeah there are there have been others maybe that's what's disturbing is how common they are that we've become numb to it yeah because you know all the away games or I'm sorry all the uh the buy games are almost always a a nepo of sorts mhm from the family right and I guarantee you our listenership is just yelling at their speakers or their headphones or whatever right now of like all the obvious names that we've entirely omitted listener just just stop hey Siri remind me in 10 minutes to shut the [ __ ] up all right next up go for it ali uh ACL recovery update I'm able to do full rotation on a bike with my knee on top of on the topic of rotations which position group rotations did you like on Friday which rotations did you not want to see again defensive line is an obvious lik on Friday right like that comes immediately to mind a lot of dudes got in there a lot of dudes made plays kental got called out by Jonathan Smith in his press conferences like wasn't supposed to play that much I didn't know that did you guys know that I didn't know that so there you go uh anything that you don't want to see again Jonesy um uh Brandon Balwin did have the lowest Pro Football Focus score just saying Stanton raml if we're grown for the future if we're grown for the future um but otherwise look Ed Woods looked like a stud at CB play edwood's more and that would be my that'd be my one comment uh next up from Ali I heard on the broadcast that the safety was the first since December 2020 thoughts well safeties don't really happen that often so we had a bowl game safety in 2020 I don't know man apparently I'm a little bit surprised it was that recent I mean safeties just don't really happened you yeah I've watched hundreds if not thousands of college football games and the number of them that I can think of that included a safety is very low so I'm not that worried about it no I'm not uh I've seen several safeties spart stadium and I guess it's a bit surprising with how good Bryce baringer was uh that's a bit surprising but uh GRE next up over guy asks three and nine so I thought we would spend more time in this episode talking about adjusting down expectations uh we we've spent very little actually so far talking about adjusting down expectations uh so good job Upper Deck jerk gu bringing us back to that uh we Jonesy last week spoke on the phone for a prolonged period of time and in the course of that it got so long that I asked you a deeply personal question at the end that we won't discuss here but like that's drinks were had got real personal by the end of it indeed and the real personal question was do you think it's possible that this team goes 10 and two no I walked you in through each of those and then said Kevin in your heart of hearts do you think it's 10 and two uh they're one and0 so also I think we need to wait on making all of those assessments until next week let's see how Maryland goes yeah and because I I do I think we saw enough competence from the coaching staff that we can just say our talent level is just where it is depend depending on how that Maryland game goes and I'm not looking forward to it next up from upper duck jerky does Gro no next up is the nfly Zone back no next up mopa which offensive line wish list take is going to arrive first the experience or the discipline did the offensive line have a lot of uh penalties be Gap discipline like getting sche Jonathan Smith did say that a number of the blown runs were essentially due to one person [ __ ] up their assignment and it wasn't the same person to be clear though Brandon W Baldwin did do it more than the rest um sure so let's have it be the discipline mopol let's have only this week's practice more experience and let's have it be the discipline please all right uh next up injuries and penalties mopol mopo and and penalties put the gross Brothers on the defensive side defensive field together and Angelo described the experience of getting to play alongside brother Avon for the first time since growing up in Ohio Ohio as quote dope end quote when there's smoke will they be on fire in future games Kevin is this a reference to old people calling marijuana dope is that what this is my my believe I want to know if you're on [ __ ] dope also dope is not what they call marijuana anymore in fact it's a different drug mopol this is one of the lamest question it's just where there smoke the most disappointing in this is that she didn't get to sneak in an unnecessary you for like the anure of fire in future games or something like that um I see mopo being like no I'm not a cop trust like sell me your marijuana cigarettes kid I'm dope for the dope bro n next up Mr neotic pants yes Aiden Charles was undisciplined and the offensive line still sucks but is there anything more thrilling and enjoyable than a close game where our beloved Spartans pull off a victory [ __ ] love MSU victories I got a new job got married and finances are stressful but I'm still making a point to come up in a few weeks to watch MSU play Prairie View because Spartan Stadium will always be one of my happy places first congrats on the job on the marriage and you know what finances are stressful for everybody all the time I don't unless you're mat ishia but though according to Graham apparently financing a center is stressful for him did you catch that I did and we've got to find out more information about this in the future yeah I guess I shouldn't be surprised that there are there are teams that are going to get a little bit more nil than this but we gota we gotta yeah we got to flush that up uh but anyway uh listen Mr ntic pants I don't disagree winning is great it's fun it's fantastic but it's also fine to have some expectations and um and I didn't expect that to be tight but but also tip of the cap like truly at the end of the day Mr erotic pants this gets to what I'm trying to be more mindful about in my fandom of just appreciating what is fun and letting glance off my back what is not and I know that this episode does not reflect that so I have more work to do on myself next up for Mr neurotic pants uh Jonesy I don't have BTN but Blaha babbled boisterously about a bootleg what is a bootleg uh first Mr ntic pants got your other email will'll respond to it uh bootleg is when essentially the quarterback uh rolls out to one side or the other um so that's that's all it is uh next up Gretch it's clear that msu's offense isn't power for material at the moment even so is there a possibility that the green and Whit's defense will demoralize opponents enough to allow this a few Spartan victories once conference play starts I think they could generally rattle a team under the right circumstances would have to be the right circumstances I got the impression that the defense was adequate passable but was not a going to go win games for you type of defense was a can keep you in games could or beat maybe a overmatched opponent but I didn't get the impression that this was a like what I was referencing before about uh you know certain defenses that outscored the offense in the first game of the season that wasn't the impression that I got so maybe against prayer review something like this could happen but I'm guessing in conference play even with this defense you're going to need to score points to win which is a bit of a concern at the moment uh all right next up bee Plum rant of the week the FAU quarterback is the Brad Davidson of college football FAU is My Chosen Hometown school but F that dude sley and Sparty should tag team him and teabag the refs very respectfully afterwards very respectfully respect uh no hard feelings also bee I thought you were from Tennessee the legend of bee Plum grows greater and greater all the time and we have not been able to figure the out including this next question which was Illustrated and he's tagged over I'm convinced the part of this that matters uh my students get mad at me for being the strict rule follower I was demonstrating the emergency window when I noticed that I vandalized my own classroom when I was a student 27 years ago pencil won't erase or clean off with alcohol wipes after 27 years now you know sadly and basically it says well he wrote this over bee with a Spartan helmet covering again probably the most relevant section that would reveal certain Mysteries to us but then it says underneath that the tag was in this class in 9798 99 there's a 99 there too how did that feels to teach in a classroom that you sat in as a student can you even begin to speculate what that would be like could you imagine doing a podcast with someone you've known since okay that's enough that's enough all right let's get out of here this has been a great episode of can't read can't write Kevin not the win we were hoping for but the win we got go green go White Michael Jones oh [Music]