Group of Five Live! UTSA at Texas State | Saturday September 7th, 2024

[Music] o [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] m [Music] I mean we're out here we're at the scout tailgate we got all kinds of TVs back there we got these these Danish uh things what are those things called Kachi unbelievable they got cream cheese they got they've got got jelly they're better than your normal Danish because it's the whole thing is filling you know what I mean it's not just that little circle you get when you get a typical Danish I've had a couple I've had a couple of cesas you're in Texas you don't drink beer you drink cesas that's it got to I can't be happier to be here look if you don't know who we are if you're watching on YouTube on Twitter on Facebook we're the group of five guys and our mission is to be the voice for the group of five football programs the voice that the mainstream Sports media absolutely refuses to do that's what we're here doing today is fighting that fight we need you to help us fight that fight follow us on the socials group of Five Guys subscribe to the YouTube Apple podcast Spotify Channel Wherever you get your best podcast give us a festar rating leave a review most important thing you can do tell your family and friends all about us now today Jeff we're over here hanging out with the marud and golden tailgate if you're a Texas State fan or if you're a UTSA fan come on by look you want your program to be good it's a new age I don't care if you don't like it like it or not you have to support the nil Collective you want to get good players you want to keep good players you got to support the nil I tell you how you can do that come over here these guys got merch over here they got T-shirts they got hats a lot of stuff for sale and also man just good Fellowship good hanging out get some food get some drinks watch some games get ready for a damn good football game today yeah I mean you're talking about the premier group of five matchup this weekend Texas State versus their rivals in San Antonio and uh it doesn't get you know much better than this beautiful weather I think we're at about 80 degrees today normally it's it's supposed to be 105 degrees or whatever it is here in Texas but uh I mean got the tailgate jumping we got some music popping off over here the the catwalks going to walk right in front of us here in a little bit so it's been a hell of a weekend and it started yesterday when we got in had a great time on the river well yeah I was going to say that too but we started out you know linking up with the athletic director Don linking up with the President Kelly damis we've talked about it last night Jeff we've been talking about it for three years when you have a president and you have a head coach and you have an athletic director that all have the same vision and then they lead the collective the fans the students all on the same page that's the recipe for winning and that's the recipe to build a good program and that's what they are trying to do here at Texas State now here's the question what's the thing they have not done yet that's beat the damn road runners you got to beat them and they got to do it today if they want to take the next step yeah and you hit you hit the nail on the head and and appreciate uh president danis allowing us to come in and just having a conversation with him and we recorded a little bit of it and we'll release that next week but it's uh the guy is spot on man he gets it on every level 100% you know being being the president of your University you know investing in your athletic programs allowing that to be the front porch of your University that's going to drive eyeballs it drives enrollment and drives students coming here and wanting to be a part of a great atmosphere and they got one of the best we've had you know that we've had the opportunity to talk to and uh him and the ad are in lock step and Barrel Kenny's in that group as well they made a great hire in him last year uh but it starts here today it starts here they got to get over this hump and if they can do that and we know how tough the Sunbelt conference is but it sets them up nice on a run that could propel them to that college football playoff spot it sets the tone and one thing we talked about a lot yesterday and in this offseason is with this 12 team playoff you you've never before from a national standpoint had to pay attention to a week two non-conference American vers Sun Belt football game but you have to because the winner of this game now there's a lot of other great games going on today we've talked about yesterday but you win this game you take a step forward you enter your name you insert your name into the conversation and they're going to be forced to talk about you they're going to have no choice because as much as they don't want to do it as much as they don't want to admit it somebody's going to be in that damn spot whether it's the 12 spot or don't get me started on a potential four spot Jeff if some things shake out today I I thought the group of five was relegated they had to be in the 12 no that's just what all the all the Callin cow herds of the world think they they say it's one through 11 and then they put G5 like it's a separate freaking category is't it unbelievable no but it doesn't have to be the 12 it might be the 12 it might be the four it might be the five it might be the six wherever they are exactly and I got news for you we we'll check the score here in a little bit but if two lane takes down Kansas State today guess who's going to take a step back out of the top four that's the big 12 100% and the Big 12 in my opinion is is the weakest of the power four conferences and uh I you know we talked about last night I I hope John Sall and the and the Green Wave get it done because then that just is another notch down that that the group of five doesn't have to worry about that might propel them into a higher seed yeah 100% well let's talk about a little bit we took we took a really good facilities tour yesterday Texas State lot of lot of building lot of construction which you love to see you love to see the contractors I mean my God I wish I was that smart cuz I'm looking at steel and wood and beams and tools all over the place and I'm like I'm not seeing where this is going to be a weight room but it's going to be a weight room and that's that's the arms race right this facilities arms race and and a lot of the group of five teams have been behind for a long time again we talked to the president and the ad and the coaches they get it they've realized where maybe in the past they weren't up to par with everybody else and they realized where they've got to get to and they're doing it I mean my favorite thing about it Jeff is across all the athletic program they've got like four different weight rooms for these guys like three four different training rooms for every sport and we know from experience what a pain it is when you have one facility for your entire Athletic program number one it's not fair to the other sports right because look we know football's going to get priority they just are it's the most amount of people the most amount of eyes makes the most amount money but but it's not fair to the other sports to do that correct and it's and it's not fair to the football team you can't even get the whole team in a lot of these weight rooms to go through a lift but what they're building now with the bay doors that are going to open up to the stadium on the field you work them out you run them you run the stadiums you condition them you do your walkthroughs all in the same place and that's I mean that's that's what you've got that's what everybody's doing and that's what you've got to do exactly and in this day and age of college football and College athletics in general and nil transfer portter you got to have top-notch facilities in order to attract the top talent to keep the good talent that you were able to recruit as a freshman and if you if if you fall behind now you're in a Perpetual state of of catchup so I think you know this this organization this Administration are doing a good job of staying on the Forefront of growth and building and every when they get done I mean these facilities are going to be incredible and they're only going to be able to use that to entice more athletes to come stay and uh continue to build this this program to where I think it could be one of the top in the group of five Jeff I'll tell you another way to entice athletes to stay my friend and that's put a put a property on your facility where you have the students out there laying out tanning you jump in the river on a Friday you don't class I don't know I don't know how you get any work done as a student I mean the river runs right through campus you can float you know float all the way down it you can get in and just hang out it gets hot down here in Texas and you just got all your all your students out there reading or suntanning or there's a basketball court out there so they're they're balling so guys out there yeah I tell you what I it'd be tough for me to go to school here and pass any of my classes well I barely did that tough too is a liberal arts degree is that what you got hold on hold on the jco transfer I had to go colle yeah but I got my business degree too no and I'm just kidding about that Jeff you're a very smart man um but it's it's such a great hang out you know I mean for us you know we were talking in the summertime and you go to the pool on a Friday you'd have to figure which apartment complex you're going to go to the pool who you're going to hang out with here there's a park man and you got everything it to me it makes people want to hang out on campus it do which is also the key to getting people to buy in to what your football program's doing and like it's it's there's so many levels to it and that's why I appreciate so much the conversation we had with Mr damp is because he gets all that right and he's so active in the socials I mean you go on there and he's tweeting about the different schools they've got here he's tweeting about football basketball softball he's just so involved in everything and it all meshes together to where you can have not only a great football team and a great Athletic program a great school and a great Community right and you do all that you have a great you have a great school you get graduates to stay in San Marcus open businesses in San Marcus those people come back those people are who's hanging out at this tailgate right now donating coming to the games bringing friends to the games yeah and and and there's no wonder why you see the tailgate it's it's filling up it's getting packed campus was crowded yesterday you got great places to eat we ate at Kirby Lane yesterday Kirby Lane really good spot it's right on the water it's right where the the spring starts to feed the San Marcus River if you get a chance if you're in the sunb and you're a fan of another school and they're playing Texas State come down here come check it out it's a great time there's great places to eat and uh you're gonna you're going to have a great time and and then you you hit the square you go squaring after the game go squaring I mean we tell us about the square you a couple years ago you did the whole what do they call it the Triple Crown well we shout out to kle is that right the Triple Crown shout out to Kyle hgle a couple years ago we came out here and uh we went to every bar on the you did not me and he's like there's there's a specialty drink at every bar you got to have one and sure enough a couple hours later don't remember much but uh great time I mean my God I got I got on the phone with you as I'm boarding the plane you sounded great brigh eyed bushy tailed I get here two hours later you're not bright eyed and bushy we we ended at the Vault down at the Vault it's a great place good spot that's where I met you and uh who knows after the game today after a big win for one of these teams we might have to go I jump in the River post game don't don't put that on us well let's talk about the game Jeff I35 about 55 miles between right here where I'm sitting and utsa's campus little different distance between UTSA Stadium I know they'll you know God forbid you don't play on campus but I tell you it's hot now down there sometimes you might appreciate a dome I don't care what anybody says Jeff we've been there we went there for the Conference USA championship a few years ago fan Fantastic environment great tailgate it's like we've talked about before with a couple of these schools whenever you're off campus and you have a stadium like that it's a pro style tailgate right it's more of that NFL you big concrete parking lot gra you know whatever bunch of tents cars everything like that it's not so much your college town tailgate where you have a Grove or a park or something like that tailgating but they had a damn good time no I mean playing in that Alamo Dome it's a different animal you know I don't I don't remember what it holds but it's D it sounds like it's double the amount of people that are there but they're on the road today not too far down the road and uh we got a sellout CR we got a sellout crowd here in San marvelous my friend and let me tell you I can't wait to you can start to already it's starting to build you're feeling the buzz here in the parking lot that stadium is going to be cranked up tonight and uh the white claw truck just pulled up yes it did big white claw guy no I'm not a white claw guy actually well what well now I'll be a white claw guy if they want to come over and throw us a couple hey look we're looking for a podcast sponsor yeah ain't no doubt about that well one thing we talked about yesterday and this morning is you you could feel yesterday there's like that there's that buzz there's that aura in in the town in town right now and and you could see it you know your 24th 36 hours before the game tents are getting set up barricades are getting put out people are moving around everybody's around campus go to the Walmart people are getting their ice getting their beer getting their food all that stuff and you know there's a big time football game in this town and and Kelly Denis said it himself he he thinks it's the biggest home game in Texas State history I think it is Bar None just because there's so much on the line for both of these teams you know both started out you know they're one and0 uh had tough matchups yeah last week you know you could State showed that they can play ball at this level they did and I think I think both of them though San Antonio and Texas state were they were playing a little chess they were keeping things tight didn't want to show Too Much knowing that it was a big match up today and today it all opens up playbooks open up defenses open up it's uh but it starts I think Sprout I really think this game's going to come down to the defensive front seven for San Antonio and that offensive line for Texas State well and and you look at last year you you look at the rushing yard comparison UTSA cavian Barnes 25 plus kid carries 125 plus yards ish miti six carries not a lot of yards 31 something yards last year so you tell me if you if you do a blind test right and you give me one one star running back runs the ball six times for 30 yards the other one runs the ball 25 times for30 yards who's winning that game I mean you're going to go with the guy who's got 130 something you know some OD of yards well well Jeff and here's the thing right is UTSA leads this series now five to zero 5 and0 four of of those five Texas state had that game won and and they couldn't get it done and that's one thing we talk about with a with a lot of teams is you got you got to learn to just win to to just finish and and that's where sometimes those games like last week you play a Lamar and you don't play great but you find a way to get a win right and sometimes that's part of it especially when you've got a coach that brings over a bunch of transfers and that's what we talked about with Don and Kelly yesterday is yeah they're coming over from Incarnate Word an FCS program but guess what they know how to do win win of these teams they make the jump from FCS the FBS and everybody's shocked when James Madison just keeps rolling everybody's shocked when App State just keeps rolling Georgia Southern keeps rolling but they win and they expect to win no matter what and that's where you look at you know an app State going to Clemson today and nobody would even blink if App State goes in there and beats another another giant which it seems like they do every year yeah and that seems to be the Sun Belt memo Oro well you're talking about building a culture right and and trailer has done that at UTSA say what you want whether you're a Texas F State fan or not trayer has done a phenomenal job at revitalizing that program he has an expectation when you walk into that building and I got the chance to tour it a couple years ago yeah when you walk in that building they expect Excellence that's what they do and he's brought that to the table and he's been able to bring in some phenomenal running back Talent you talk about sincere mccor a couple years ago you got cavor and Barnes in a stable not just not just one deep they're three four deep in that running back room they are and what they like to do is keep fresh legs on the field usually by third and fourth quarter your star running back he might be a little dinged up throughout the game he might be a little tired not those guys they're going to be cycling them in keeping those legs fresh pounding on that defense until they get a little bit tired and then that's when they lull you to sleep and play action and own maau Bo he looked good in week one didn't he he did he did he's a lot more athletic than I thought what's going to be he's got the pedigree but he's a little inexperienced that's that's what he's got to prove in a big game today well you know what's funny when we talk about Texas State you talk about UTSA you could bring in a UTP now bring in a North Texas now a a rise in these Texas group of five schools and it seems like they're all kind of looking for the same recipe and trailer was the first one let's hire a Texas guy let's hire a high school a Texas High School guy we know how big high school football is in the state right hire a guy that knows the high school game knows all those coaches has great is respected by all those coaches and can go recruit and then keep those guy and and we've been saying it for a long time you got to give Jeff trayer credit because have to he has had every opportunity to leave San Antonio and GJ Kenny will probably get that opportunity if they continue if they continue on this trend and Morris in north Texas will probably get that opportunity but trailer has been vocal about what they're missing and he has still stayed to try and build that thing but that's been the recipe and I'm and I'm excited to see it looks like North Texas is going to take a big step this year and I think utep's going to do the same in this year or maybe next under Scotty Walden but that's been a theme I think these Texas group of five schools it is and and Texas is such a hot bed for recruiting and Shout Out shout out to these two right here holding down holding down the tents it is winning literally holding down the tent and uh but no I I think that's the recipe right because you get these guys that are from Texas played High School Texas football coached here and they just know the areas they have the line that the ends on the recruiting and Texas is the number one high school recruiting place in the country for football high school football number two right behind Broward County in Florida okay but you know if you can keep that Talent here in Texas and that's Kenny's M take back Texas right that's he's done a great job and he he's in year two lot of expectations we heard that from the President yesterday but he seems like a guy that can get it done and knows especially on offense knows how to score points and they're going to have to do that against a very good very very good UTSA defense especially that front and and and we talked about it earlier the way that you can help GJ Kenny do that yes he'll go get the guys and we talked about it on the float right you get a guy to come to San Marcus and tour it and visit it and go out on the town and go out on the river I mean my God where why would you go anywhere else be hard to get hard to not sign here but but you know what would get them somewhere else a $100,000 check or a $50,000 check so how do you keep them from going in there you got to support the nil yeah you just you just have to do it it's whether again whether you like it or not I have my thoughts right but look you were you mean went through four quarterbacks in one offseason here all potential starting quarterbacks somehow you ended up with the best one of the bunch and getting Jordan McLoud to come here not not just the the best one of the bunch Sprouts the reigning defending sunb conference player of the year was that a Paul Heyman ref was a Paul Heyman reference big Paul Heyman guy the fact lose your guys and get a kid like moud he's got a ton of experience he showed what we can do last year and I think in this offense he can really really open it up and be effective not only in the pass game but the Run game well see and I think that's where he can help right something you know you know Finley is a good player but but I think mccloud's a little more athletic and so when you have that front seven of UTSA and these broken plays you talk about it all the time off schedule plays McLoud can break a game open with plays that aren't even good plays yeah and and and end up either keeping you in it or or pulling away in a game I wanted to ask you though so so everybody here in San marvelous would probably tell you that the Sun Belt is the best group of five conference if you ask the national media I think they would still probably tell you it's the American I have I want to hear your thoughts on that is and and and do you think this game could change the opinion either way I don't know if this one game can change the opinion because the hacks in the uh mainstream media don't not even going to watch it yeah they're probably not going to cover it um I'll say this I think the talent at the top of the American is really really good uh you know Memphis stacked this year two lane on the rise great coach a lot of talent they've been able to bring in uh you see what North Texas is doing they look very good UTSA is very good but then after that I think you get a little bit of drop off where in the sun Bel week in and week out it is a dog fight Gauntlet in our preview we weren't very high on ODU they damn near beat South Carolina last week but that's just the quality of football and the physicality of football that's in the Sun Belt you cannot take any team lightly in this league y because they will come up and they will beat you it doesn't matter who you are and I know Texas State saw that last year in Arkansas State you got to be ready week in and week out it's a gauntlet uh so I think whoever I think for the the diard college football fan who loves this football will be like okay the sun Bel is now stepping up but I don't think it's going to change the mind of the mainstream media yeah I agree and unfortunately you guys make fun of me all the time when I talk about my favorite book Brands win championships okay but they do that's true and and you've got to have a brand and that's why if you're Texas state or or anybody it's why you've got to do it a couple years in a row yeah and that's why immediately before you watch any game before you hear anything who are the favorites in the group of five everybody that's been doing it for 20 years Boise State App State Memphis right yep so if you're Texas State you've got to do it not just this year right they got the preseason hype but then you got to cap then you got to actually win and win the games but then you got to do it again next year look at Cincinnati they went undefeated like two two years in a row before they even sniffed the top 10 you look at what UCF had to do you they they had to go to three in a row New Year's games before they got the actual respect Y and so that's what you've got to do right now and and again it starts with this game I think you're spot on I think the Sun Belt sort of has that National almost little brother uh mindset and it's it's definitely unfair um but I think you're right I think if you took the top three or four of the American and the top three or four in the Sun Belt I would lean towards the American but if you went down to the middle of the pack you go to the the very bottom of it yeah I mean I I don't know you you you give me Old Dominion against Charlotte and give me Old Dominion all day long twice on twice on Saturday so you know I think but but I do think it could sway some opinions and and then also depending on what else happens today right yeah with App State going to Clemson with two lane playing Kansas state right now if one of them you know wins or or plays them tight and one of them gets blown out you're going to see that I mean you already saw game day this I mean I can't Jee I try I try hard to keep a low blood pressure and to not get angry to not get animated but I flip on ESPN at 7:30 this morning at the hotel and KK herb street is on there talking about how the SEC and the Big 10 are 30 and four as a unit and then I was like wow that's pretty good and then I went and scrolled through it's a bunch of FCS wins yeah I'm not sure the point he was trying to make there they're trying to P push the narrative is the point they're trying to make because and I we've been saying this for a long time I got news for you ACC Big 12 P 12 they don't want you either they don't they don't want you in that conversation either and they love the fact that Clemson got smacked by Georgia last week because they're saying oh look look at this SEC better than the ACC here we go yeah it just backs up the narrative that they want to push on everybody and you're right I mean when Colin coward yesterday was talking about Boise State and Liberty and then he throws Houston in there can't compete it's like well Houston Houston's not in the group of five anymore pal they don't even know honestly 90% of the ACC in the Big 12 if you think that you're going to get in to finally decide to make to do the split you better think twice but you might want might be getting talked about on our showc we'll W hey wait against kenas State and I think kennes State's offense is actually pretty decent yeah I just think that front seven swarms to the football I mean they are all hats accounted for flying to the football those linebackers liing in those boys they get after the running back they shoot gaps when they see them so this offensive line is going to have to control the line of scrimmage for Texas State and be able to get up to that second level if if this offensive line can't do that it's going to be difficult for mty at no at nose number two Brandon Brown 62320 at and we talk about how 0o one and two at UTSA special so that's your number two your number one is Joe Evans 63 335 a senior he's going to be lined up head up probably with your tackle more of a three Tech four ey technique and then your number zero is your middle linebacker 2 235 they're big now they're big they're big and physical at the point of attack and that's why I just think watch that matchup well they touch the snse right and then the center's getting beat over the you know across their face and their running back's got to cut back too early and then everybody else is the ball and and you have nothing to do so you have to you have to get leverage on that nose you have to turn him a little bit allow the center to overtake and gets their helmet across then you go and then you get to the linebacker and now you got a guy like motty then you got a linebacker and you have a 300lb offensive guard in front of him and that's where the guard doesn't even have to touch the guy because motty's so good he'll just pick a side and make the defender choose a side now you're one-on-one with a safety now your big play is wide open now they got the weapons on the outside with Joey hobbert um because that kid is special he made a couple phenomenal plays last week I mean it looked like time stopped on the sideline when he caught that ball and then he just dove into the end zone so he's a special player too they got their talent all all over the entire field it's just can you block up front yeah well well well let's get Justin in here let's get Justin in here to talk about this nil right and then we're going to make him we're going to make him make a pick we'll have you for a couple of minutes have a seat my friend just you can hold it just hold it right up each other and so we started maroon and golden the website and the Forum several years ago and uh with the the new world of nil which you know obviously everyone's still trying to figure it out yep with the new world of nil it's become very apparent that if you're not if you're not committed to nil you're not going to have success you get left in the dust you're going to be losing players left and right you're going to be it's going to be a struggle to recruit players and you're not going to be be able to compete with the big guys you know yep and we're already I mean y'all have a whole podcast dedic some shirts and hats you cannot complain about a loss or a coach or players if you are not helping get the job done you can't do it and and and I'm not saying you have to it's listen hey economy right I'm not saying you got to donate but if you're not donating you can't complain you come to the game and you support the guys that you can get because if they if you don't have it you don't have it and that's you guys I appreciate what y'all are doing those are Big Time shirts now by the way the takeback Texas GJ Kenny shirts so so we worked with GJ Kenny's Camp to to uh these shirts they're they're $35 a piece uh if you get two or more it's $30 here's the maroon version I can't see put it there it is 100% of the proceeds this is a big time shirt now 100% of the proceeds goes towards our nil GJ Kenny you get a great job on that shirt he we saw him yesterday he was fresh out of getting a haircut I mean that guy's got a fade and a beard lineup that I am extremely jealous of I mean I don't know where he went but next time we come I'm going spend an extra day and just go get we got one of these over here if youall want to do a taste test f I mean it's Dave porty around oh I know one right everybody knows the rules look at that I was a big fan of Gumby growing up Gumby very underrated cartoon I would say oh look at that little sausage and pep are you going to do a bite are you gonna do a live a live taste test gum Beast pizza God that let me tell you I'll give you a perfect scenario let me paint a picture for you real fast you floated the river you went over to the Ivars River little stuffed crust too I love the stuffed crust unbelievable oh yeah as we're munching on this pizza give me a player Big Time Performance and then give me a score prediction for this game today all right so I'm actually G to go with Cole Wilson just leave that here I think Cole Wilson is gonna have a Breakout game I think he's gonna put up some points I think he's going to score some touchdowns I think he's going to have some great runs some returns I think he's going to have a break out game he's one of our favorites little little known secret he's actually our neighbor in there good pick and obviously that's low scoring for what and we're we're at about a pick them on the line right now right it's been it's been moving a little bit we're at about a one point spread on this thing the uh the over under has actually been dropping I think it started at 63 it opened at 63 it's actually down to I think 50 and things are changing GJ Kenny is changing it and our culture is changing we we have a lot of history here at Texas State and obviously we've had some name changes but it's it's still the Bobcats and a lot of things have changed but a lot of things stay the same and with that all the history that we've enjoyed we got national champions D2 national champions here back to back in 81 82 so we have some history in in our football program where we've had success we're just Jeff all right we got his pick give me a pick my friend friend give you a pick all right this is what I got okay San Antonio say what you want about them but trailers built a premere program with the ro road runners I think they're going to come out and try and enforce their will on offense and run it right down Texas to State's throat and then they're going to try and go play action with Owen Macau flip the switch okay GJ Kenny's gonna come out they haven't beat their rivals in the road runners no they have not I think Ben Bell has a phenomenal game today I think he comes out like a man possessed on the outside he's gonna have a couple sacks he's gonna in in big key moments and I think he lifts the Bob Cats him and that offense eat him up cats bob cats win it 2724 Jeff I want you to look in my notes so you know I'm not I'm not lying about what I'm about to say I prepared for this show several days ago okay I was ready to go then I flew into Austin Austin by the way what a hell hole I mean when you when you fly when you come to the game you can go to San Antonio or Austin it's pretty much right in the middle here San Marco San Antonio nice place really good churos down there in San Antonio Austin way too much of that I mean it looks like have you ever had like your roof have you ever had your AC uh drip emergency drip pan drip on your roof and it rusts the roof yeah I mean what a stupid color orang that Rusty orange but I come in here to San Marcus going home team and that pissed me off and I'm not paying it by the way Texas state parking I'm not paying it anyway I'm really looking for a great game no it's going to be a great game and a great atmosphere and uh there's no place we'd rather be man on a Saturday here in San Marcus Texas no place we'd rather be well we're going to go get some more gum Beast pizza probably have a couple of surveys us if you're listening if you're if you're watching come over here hang out with us for a minute we're going to try to make our rounds around this tailgate say hello to some people um basketball arena when you first get to this town we're out of here [Music]